The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 27, 1924, Page 5

| Friday, June 27, 1924 MEXICAN UNIONS DEMAND SQUARE DEAL OF ENGLAND Protest Enmity Shown in Cummins Affair (By Federated Press.) WASHINGTON, June 26.—Mexican trade unionists propose to bring to the attention of the British and other Eu- yepean trade union movements the ng done the Mexican government > Premier MacDonald when the lat- ¢ refused to recall Cummins, the itish citizen left in charge of the ritish legation at Mexico City. { Their version of the quarrel is that Cummins was an intriguer and a re- actionary, who sought to prevent Brit- ish recognition of Mexico and who misrepresented the situation in Mex- ico to MacDonald. Under interna tional usage, the request of a govern- ment that any representative of an- other government be withdrawn is al- AMERICAN IMPERIALISTS WELCOMED “DEATH” OF SUN YAT SEN; MAY BE BEHIND FOILED ASSASSINATION PLOT By JACK ARMITAGE. (Special to The Daily Worker) SHANGHAI, May 23.—(By Mail.)—Tho the premature report of Dr. Sun Yat Sen's death is now looked on by most people a comedy of errors, reports coming to hand indicate that the death of the Chinese Socialist leader was expected in certain quarters. Indeed, so certain was the Peking govern- ment, that posthumous honors were announced and officials. appointed to con- trol the south in the interests of the reactionaries. As It is, the Chinese nation has been thrown into a state of great excite- ment, and one of those directly responsible for the fabrication has been pun- ished. There is also more than a suspicion that American financial interests had a big finger in the pie, for they are making desperate efforts to claim United States nationality for, and thus protect, Reuter’s Canton correspondent, Wong Hing Chew. “Telepatic” News! The first report reached the outside world thru Reuter’s Hongkong agency, with the brief announcement, dated April 14, “Dr. Sun Yat Sen died at 4:30 this morning.” It is significant that one vernacular paper in Hong- kong, which is violently anti-Sun, was in a position to make a similar state- ment, tho they were not in telegra- ways accepted without question. But when Obregon asked MacDonald, last January, to withdraw Cummins, the British premier refused. Britain had had no diplomatic relations with Mex- ico since the overthrow of Porfirio Diaz in 1911, and Cummins had no dip- lomatic immunity. Nevertheless he barricaded himself in the British lega- tion, and Obregon was proceeding to starve him out in order to deport him ‘when MacDonald was finally persuad- ed by the Chilean minister to order Cummins to leave Mexico. What Mexican labor cannot under- stand is why the Labor cabinet in Britain must take the word of reac- tionaries in its foreign office, and start a silly dispute with the only lib- eral government in the western hem- isphere at the moment when it is ne- ~- | gotiating with Russia and appealing for world reconciliation. The ques- will be raised in the convention pF of the Mexican Federation of Labor at Juarez, and will be forwarded to the “Amsterdam international of trade unions. Buffalo Carmen Who Were Strike-breakers Now Grumble at Job BUFFALO,” N. Y., June 26—Un- employment is increasing here daily. ‘Wages are low and hours long, espe- tially for the street car men who ‘were strike-breaking two years ago. They are now grumbling 55 cents an hour is too little and a 10 hour day too’ long. The men who struck de- ‘manded 75 cents an hour and an 8 hour day. ‘League meets at 36 W. Huron St. ‘ le first Sunday in each month at 730 p. m. and all trade unionists are urged to attend. Send in that Subscription Today. phic communication with Canton. They, also, evidently anticipated the “news.” Kuomingtahg (Chinese Labor) head- quarters were immodiately besieged by eager enduirers. A definite state- ment was issued by the officials that the report was incorrect. This they proved by producing telegrams from Canton showing clearly that at the time Dr. Sun was supposed to have been at death’s door, he was attend- ing to his ordinary business. A brother-in-law of Dr. Sun’s, re- siding in Shanghai, also sent to the local press a telegram which he had received in reply to an enquiry after the health of the Socialist leader. A statement was issued by Mr. Eu- gent Chen, Dr. Sen’ce secretary, stat- ing definitely that Sun in China was alive and well. “Comedy of Errors.” Here began one of the greatest journalistic comedies of error in all time. There are four newspapers printed in English in Hongkong. Three these accepted the report eum grano salis, but the China Mail, which is bitterly anti-Sun and ex- tremely reactionary, insisted that Dr. Sun really was dead. In spite of all reports to the contrary this newspa- per definitely asserted that it had in- formation from certain sources (un- named) and it was in a position to state that the Socialist leader had ac- tually died. But the China Mail must have had its doubts regarding the veracity of its special. source of information, for on May 16, its editor, C. M. McDon- ald, visited Canton as special corres- pondent for Reuter’s, the object be- ing to demand an interview with Dr. Sun. Mr. Eugene Chen interviewed by McDonald and a Chinese journalist from the staff of the China Mail, had some very pertinent remarks to make out the peasant . | This Pattern ix cut in 6 Sizes: 34, 88, 40, 42 bust re. A 38-inch size requires 6% ‘ 1s of 32-inch material if made with | , long sleeves. With short sleeves as in the small view 4% yards of 40-inch is required. Pei Pattern mailed to any address on| man: receipt of 12c in silver or stamps. Send 12c in silver or stamps for our TO-DATE SPRING & SUMMER BOOK OF FASHIONS. + Send In that Subscription Today! ' t ke 4 A PRETTY FROCK FOR THE LITTLE MISS 4328. Figured percale and lenene may be combined for this model, or voile or bati mbroidered as illus- trated. The style is nice also for taffeta and crepe. The waist may be finished with the short sleeve, or the puff in peasant style be added, as shown in the smaller view. The Pattern is cut in 4 Sizes: 4, 6, 8 and 10 years. To make this dress for a 4 year size requires 2 yards of 36-inch material. f Pattern mailed to any address on receipt of 12c in silver or stamps, Send 12¢ in silver or stamps for our UP-TO-DATE SPRING & SUMMER 1924 BOOK OF FASHIONS. Addret The Daily Worker, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ill. aaa Eee rn ‘ew Yor! m of pattern are forwarded by — and some very searching questions to put. Sun's Death More Important. Reuter’s “special” correspondent contended that he was entitled to an interview, but he was, informed that the circulation of a pack of lies thru the medium of his columns did not en- title him to waste Dr. Sun’s time. Mr. Chen pointed out that he had twice officially denied the false report, and as far as McDonald was concerned, the matter would have to rest at that. McDonald then asserted that the death of King George would not have the same political and tinancial con- sequences as would that of Dr. Yat Sun. McDonald still persisted in his demand for an interview. To satis- fy his “burning anxiety,” Mr. Chen agreed to send the request to head- quarters. The reply read: re. Sun does not see why he should prove to enemies and fools why he is dead. He does not feel called upon to prove to anybody that he is not dead in view of the fact that categoricel statements have been issued by Mr. Chen.” The same day Dr. Sun granted an interview to the representative of the Eastern News Agency, who knows him. In that interview Dr. Sun hu- morously claimed that he was far from dead, with which the correspon- | dent agreed. ° Assassination Piot? So much for the humorous aspect of the affair. It certainly seems prob- able that a plot was afoot to assassin- ate southern China’s leader. Assas- sins are cheap in this part of the world, The supporters of the Monarchy were particularly sure of the truth of the report, and this was not con- fined to the Chinese. There are many foreigners in China ,who would wel- come its restitution. The bestowal of posthumous honors, while it con- tains the elements. of humor, also has a sinister look, and it cannot be won- dered at that, under the circum- stances, Dr. Sun is not anxious to be “interviewed” by those who openly bemoan the fact that the report of his death, like that of Mark Twain, had jbeen “exaggerated.” One good thing has come out of this fiasco, for it has shown the Kuomingtang that the disciples of re- action in China are active. It has also served to demonstrate again that American imperialists would welcome the downfall of the party. French Military Courts in Rhine Try Communists PARIS, June 26.—According to the Echo du Rhin, a French court-martial has assembled at Mainz to try 57 Com- munists accused of distributing anti- militgrist literature in the shape of pamphlets, leaflets and such, in French barracks in the Rhineland and the Rubr. Owing to the large number of accused the trial could not be car- ried out in the ordinary military law courts, and is taking place in the Lie- der Tafel, a very large hall used by a choir. Colonel Jean, the noted French jurist, is president of the court, and the defense is in the hands of five French and two German lawyers. The prosecution read extracts from various publications of an anti-mill- tarist nature, stressing especially items from a special edition of the Humanite du Soldat, following which the accused were asked to answer the charge. Not one, however, spoke. The president announced that their si- lence would be taken as assenting to the char Even this, however, did not produce an answer from any of the prisoners. The court was then ad- jJourned. The 57 prisoners include 42 Ger- mans, of whom six are women (one the mother of six children), one Ser- bian, two Austrians and six French, composed of two civilians and four soldiers (one of whom is an Algerian), In the course of reading the charge it was elicited that the two civilians wi acting on behalf of M. Doriot, the well-known French Communist elected to the chamber at the last election: Vienna Bank Falls, VIENNA, Australia, June 26—The Allgemeine Depositen bank closed its doors today. There were excited scenes near the bank when it became known that it had failed, Depositors wept and walled in the streots for hours, ‘ THE DAILY WORKER CANADA POSTAL WORKERS STRIKE FOR WAGE RAISE Want Annual Minimum $1,260 Guaranteed By JOHN ROBUR. (Federated Press Staff Correspondent) OTTAWA, Canada, June 26.—The postal workers of Canada are on strike. The decision of the Canadian Federation of Postal Workers to make the ultimate appeal came at the end of negotiations which had lasted over | two months, The main issue is) whether the minimum standard of! pay shall be raised nearer to the standard of living recognized as neces- sary to the support of a family. Twice during the negotiations the postal workers have won concessions from the government by the threat of a strike. First came a reduction in the cost of living bonus established to meet high prices. The postal fed- eration threatened strike, and their demands were referred to the civil service commission. Concessions Fail. The report was far from meeting the demands of the men. Again the| federation announced a strike, and there was a debate in the house of | commons. Subsequently the govern- ment offered better terms than con- tained in the report of the commis- sion. These were, however, still far short of the demands of the workers. The underlying demand of the men j Was a minimum of $1,260 per annum. The award of the commission fixed minima for different classes varying |from $1,020 to $1,140. The commis- sion award meant, however, reduc-| tions’ in pay for some of the workers, ‘altho it carried increases for others. Minimum Wage Denied, The government, after the debate in the house, offered that there should be no decreases, the cost of living bonus being maintained to cover such lcases, but that the increases should !go into force. This offer, of course, tled; and so the postal workers went on strike. The minimum asked for by the postal workers is still below the stand- ‘ard Set up by thése Who have studied the subject of a decent standard of liv- ing. In the debate in the house on the strike, J. T-"Shaw of Calgary, an in- dependent; Who was endorsed by la- bor, quétéd’a number of estimates of what is neecssary for a decent life for a family of five, and the lowest figure be quoted was $1,605. The average minimum arrived at by railway arbi- tration boards in Canada, he stated,!. was $1,900. ’ Latvian Book Co-Op Helps Workers to MINERS IN MISERY WITH INDUSTRY AT LOWEST EBB IN EIGHT YEARS (By The Federated Press) Except for the strike year, 1922, the output of bituminous coal in May was the smallest in any May for eight years, according to the United States geological survey. The survey estimates May production at 31,236,000 tons or less than half the capacity of the industry which by 1922 had grown to| 76,00,000 tons a month. “Ir comparison with May, 1921, a NO FULL DINNER PAIL FOR LABOR | period of prostration of general busi- ness,” says the survey, “the month showed a decrease of 8 percent. To find its equal it is necessary to go back to 1915 when the May output was 30,938,000 tons. This does not mean that the present depression is less serious than was that of early 1915, for in the meantime the capacity of the industry to produce has in- creased perhaps 20,000,000 tons a month.” Suffer As In Strike Time The resulting hardship for miners and their families in the union fields is hardly if at all less than that pro- duced by a protracted strike. In fact the situation looks consf#erable like a lockout to deflate the miners as the railroad shopmen were deflated in 1922. The operators view of the situation in the leading union field is reflected by the Chicago Journal of Commerce which discusses the position of the Illinois miners as follows: “The la- bor situation in the state is bad so far as unemployment is concerned. Prosperous Only 20 Percent The 20 percent of the men employed at mines owned by industrial users which are running good are prosperous. The men employed at independent operations where the probable average of only 12 hours a week must be relied upon are manag- ing to exist, while the large number of men thrown out of work thru the indefinite shutdown of 112 mines and the abandonment of 26 others, are having a hard time. As each addi- tional week passes these approximate- ly 30,000 miners are believed to be trying to reconcile themselves to the apparent necessity of seeking work jin other lines.” left the issue of the minimum wore LUMBER BOSSES CUT WAGES AS CAMPS CLOSE Canadian Loggers Are in Sorry Plight By SYDNEY WARREN (Federated Press Staff Correspondent) VANCOUVER, B. C., June 26.—The lumber bosses are using the present temporary lull in the lumber business as an excuse for a wage slashing cam- paign to reduce the standard of the lumber workers to a lower figure than . Get More Studies |ever. Camps closing down on account Out of the collapse of private book publishing in “Latvia, on the Baltic, there has grown up a remarkable co- operative educational society. The first job which the co-operative works on art and scientific questions. It soon had to take to supplying the National People’s college with the necessary text books. Now not only ine secondary schools of the country depend on the co-operative for their algebras, geographies and the rest. In addition to books, the new schools need up-to-date teaching equipment, and the co-operative has opened workshops to satisfy the de- mand to the greatest possible extent. The co-operative started in the retail business for itself, and it owns and manages 15 book shops in different parts of the country. It helps workers to go on to college after they have finished their second- ary education, and for those who can- not afford this they provide lectures, libraries and other help for group study. There are 60 so-called circu- lating libraries with 30 to 40 volumes each going the rounds of these work- ers’ study groups free of charge. Despite the extensive work done by the co-operative, amounting yearly to 21,000,000 Latvian roubles, it has only 2,500 members. Send In that Subscription Today. b in "org he UNCLE WIGGILY’S TRICKS jof market stagnation are announcing |that they will only resume operations at a lower wage scale. In the B. C, ¢oast district, Demp- |sey’s Limited have reduced the wages of rigging men to $3.75 a day. This set for itself was the publishing of|company charges 75¢ per week for bedding and $1.20 a day for board which leaves the logger with less than {$2.50 per working day. The B. C. Tim- jber and Trading Co at Rock Bay have the People’s college, but also many of |reduced their employes 60c a day and the Comox Logging Co. have cut wages 5c an hour. Companies are using the excuse that the forest fires that rage thruout the timber sections of this province year- ly are caused by the men smoking while in the woods and that to prev- ent any loss in their property they are closing down for the summer months. The fact of the matter is that the lumber bosses are strictly enforeing the rule against smoking by the workers but neglect to spend the necessary cash to clear space around donkey engines and provide spark arresters. It is cheaper to blame the logger and save the cash. “Batty” Batt Bats for Bob. DETROIT, Mich. June 26.— The Federation of Labor elected the out- cast Proletarian party member, Den- nis E. Batt, to be its delegate to the weak-kneed “progressive” conference in Cleveland on July 4, Batt bats for “Bob” LaFollette now, with his back turned on the workers. IN PHILADELPHIA |Jobs Vanishing in Air| Last Month more rapidly in May than in any pre- ness slump, according to the month-| ly statement of the federal reserve bank of Philadelphia. The total number of wage earners on the pay- rolls of 669 plants was 249,023 as com- pared with 260,353 in April, a drop of 44 per cent. The average pay en- velop also declined 2.2 per cent. The largest decline in both employ- ment and earnings occurred in the metal manufacturing and textile pro- ducts group. Large declines in the number employed by different indus- tries include the following: automo- bile manufacture 7.3 percent, electri- cal machinery and apparatus 7.7, steel works and rolling mills 8.6, shipbuild- ing 19, carpets and rugs 8.5, woolens and worsteds 5.5, finishing of textiles 5, chemicals and drugs 9.7, leather products 14,9, and the shoe industry 7 percent. The bank statement also covers the industrial situation in New Jersey, re- porting a decline of 2.6 per cent in employment between April and May. In this state the sharpest drop in employment during the month was re- ported by the cotton mills which laid off 24.1 of their employes. Other in- dustries making heavy reductions in force include manufacturers of en- gines, machines and machine tools who laid off 7.5 percent of their work- ers, clothing manufacturers 5.6 per- cent, furnitire factories 5.9 percent and leather tanning 5.8 percent. Shell and Standard Oil Agree to Divide Russian Concessions AMSTERDAM, Holland, June 26.— Royal Dutch Shell Oil Standard of | securing of oil concessions in Russia, according to reports current here which the Royal Dutch do not deny. It is supposed that the Dutch com- pany wishes to keep its agreement secret until Holland recognizes Soviet Russia. An agreement between these two largest oil corporations in the world is already arranged covering the pro- duction and distribution of naphtha and its by-products. This agreement like the other goes into effect when the Dutch have resumed and con- cluded a pact with Soviet Rusia. Farmers Can’t Afford Tractors; McCormick Workers Losing Jobs The extent to which farmers are today unable to add new equipment or replace the old is revealed by the announcement that the International Harvester Co. will stop making new | tractors by July 1, and that their re- pair department will run only to Sep- tember 1. Approximately 3,300 trac- tors are reported stored in the yards. Recently 1,500 employes in the trac- tor plant wore laid off. This follows other layoffs earlier in the year. Scab Iron Workers Injure Nine. NE\} YORK, N, Y., June 26.—Nine persons were injured when six tons of steel girders being hoisted to the top of a building adjoining the Hotel Paris, crashed thru the roof of the hotel and penetrated four of the floors. Scab iron workers’ incompetence is believed to be responsible for the ac- cident, America have an agreement for brag Your Union Meeting SGABS ENDANGER WORKERS’ LIVES, STRIKE CALLED Building Walkout Forced by College Scabs (Special to the Daily Worker.) NEW YORK, June 26.—Stationary engineers and bricklayers on 12 build- ing jobs here went on strike rather than work with scab structural iron workers, The bricklayers and en- gineers declare that the scab struc- tural iron workers are incompetent and are a menace to the lives of other workers on the buildings under eréc- | tion. The United States Portable Hoist- jing Eng ’ union and the Brick- PHILADELPHIA, June 26.—Un- | layers’ 1 alled the strike. P. J. employment among the industrial|Commerford, president of the en- workers of Pennsylvania developed|gincers’ union, said: “There have jbeen too many accidents since the vious month during the existing busi-| strike of iron workers began. One can imagine what would happen to the hoisting engineer if a load of steel badly secured should slip while being hoisted. The life of the engineer would not be safe.” The injunction asked by the Iron league against the iron workers’ union was postponed till July when it came before Supreme Court Justice Platze’ yesterday for hearing. : Many of the scab iron workers on jobs in New York are college kids who think they are doing something dangerous and interesting when they work as iron workers during a strike. They are continually demanding more guards to protect them against their imaginary foes. On the Bear Moun- tain Hudson river bridge at Highland Falls many of the scabs are graduates of West Point awaiting appointments to the army. Electric’ Trust is Entering China; to Construct Wireless (Special to The Daily Worker) PEKING, China, June 26.—China’s erratic music may yet be broadcasted around the globe, if the republic adds to its order for the erection of wire- less plants, a request for a broadcast- ing station. Minister Sze has TRA tS STgTA HR OBACT Was e nec- essary bonds for the beginning work by the Federal Wireless coin- pany. The company will hold all the bonds. . Japan capitalists are trying to spread the idea that China has evaded her agreement. FOURTH FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1924. Name of Local and Place No. of Meeting 122 Blacksmiths, 64th and S. Ashland “= Avenu 2. — Makers, 105th and Avenue Bo! Makers, 55th and Ha’ Makers, 62nd and H. 434 533 Stre 182 Electri s, 19 W. Adams St. 683 Engineers (Locomotive), Madison and Sacramento. 845 Engineers, 180 W. Washington St. Firemen and Enginemen, 5428 Wentworth Avenue. 1850 Sherman Ave. 674 45 118 4 Lithographers, 639 S. Ashland Blvd. 237 Bake d Confectioners, 3420 W. Ro It Road. Build, Trades Council, 180 W. Washington Street. << District Council, 505 S$, it. rs, 175 W. Washington St. Ca’ rs, 4339 S. Halsted St. Conductors (Sleeping Car), 912 Capitol Bldg., 10 a. m. Electrotypers, 176 W,.Washington Cutters, 180 W. Washing- ton St. Machinists, 113 S. Ashland Ave. Machini 55th and Halsted 1 2200 6 3 - eor, Lexington |. and Halsted Stree Metal Polishers, 119 S, Throop St. Pattern Makers, 119 Throop St. w hington St. m. W. Monroe St. Emily and Marsh- Boar W. Van Machinists, 113°S, A Painters, School and Plumbers, 9251 S. Chi Piano and O Railway Carmen, 11405 Michigan Avenue. Railway Clerks, Atlantic Hotel. A LAUGH FOR THE CHILDREN been or- a