The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 24, 1924, Page 4

Page Four LOSOVSKY TELLS FIFTH CONGRESS ABOUT UNIONS Tactics of Communists in Reformist Bodies (Special to the Daily Worker.) MOSCOW, July 6—(By mail.)— Opening the discussion on the trade union question yesterday, before the Fifth Congress of the C. I, Losovsky, secretary of the Red International of Labor Unions was the chief reporter. The speaker declared that the chief characteristic of the present situation was the fact that the retreat of the} working class had ceased, and in some countries there could be observed the beginning of a counter-offensive on the part of the working class on the eco- nomic field. The leaders of the Am- sterdam International have shown themselves in their true colors as the Congress jyst adjourned at Moscow. * * The estimate is correct, and what , therein. crisis is beginning In America; some countries there Is a partial other countries. is becoming normal. Hilferding Is political and economic strike break- ing agencies of the bourgeoisie. For this reason the discontent of the masses and, consequently, the in- fluence of the Comintern and Profin- tern is growing. As a result of the appearance of la- bor governments, renewed pacifist il- lusions are coming to the surface again; and the tendency to with- drawal from the trade unions is also in evidence. The chief problem is to preserve the unity of the trade unions, and to restore it where it has been impaired. Trade union wiity is not an end in itself, however, and the Bolsheviki always hold themselves aloof from organizational fetishism. Control of the unions does not mean control of the trade union machinery, but rather the winning over of the masses. For that reason withdrawal from the unions is not a revolution- ary procedure; it is an act of de- spair. In the period preceding the Frank. fort Convention, the Communist Party of Germany had no trade union po- licy. The movement to leave the trade unions was a desertion from the field of battle. There is but one solution, and that is: Back into the trade unions and fight for the unity of the workers there. Where there is already a split, as in France and CzechoSlovakia, the chief task consists in restoring the unity of the trade unions by means of a joint congress, and for this propaganda to be carried on in the shops and factories. Expelled Must Get Back. It is the task of the Communists who have been expelled from the trade unions immediately to organize and to fight for ee en It is but a clofidy illusion that all problems will be solved by abandon- ing the craft unions and setting up industrial organizations. The transformation from craft to industrial unions will be a long and slow process. Therefore the German Communist Party did right in refus- ing to launch a program of building new industrial unions. Left Wing of Reformists. The Vienna Congress of the Am- sterdam International showed that a left-wing is forming itself in that body. This left wing, however, does not understand that international are higher than national interests. The chief problem before the Amsterdam International is whether to join the right wing of the working class or the left wing of the bourgeoisie. At the Vienna Congress, altho several reso- lutions were toned down, still the right wing won on all questions. The left wing was not homogeneous; the com- mon aims are merely: first, to save Amsterdam; second, to get the Soviet unions into the Amsterdam Interna- tional; third, to bring about the disso- Iption of the Profintern; fourth, to restore peace in the trade unions un- der the condition that the Amsterdam right wing break with the Labor Bu- reau of the League of Nations and that the Communists cease organizing the opposition. Altho the left wing did not criticise the position of the Amsterdam Interna- tional of the peace treaty, the repara- tions plan, the occupation of the Ruhr, Four Congresses discussed the matter. Capitalism is still in the period of decline. there is a world agrarian crisis. \ Capitalism Is Declining Editor’s Note.—Here is another installment of the report of Gregory Zinoviev, chairman of the Communist International, to the Fifth World In this chapter of his report Zino- viev deals with the “Economic World-Situation” as follows: * * CHAPTER V. ECONOMIG-WORLD-SITUATION, Decay of Capitalism Continues. ‘} now come to the world economic situation. special report on this subject by Comrade Varga. 1 belleve that Comrade Varga’s estimate is correct, 4 No one has proved that there is anything wrong in his thesis. We will hear-a As far as | can see, is this estimate?) The Third and Very little .need be changed A new economic an revival mainly at the expense of The Social-Democrats consider that the situation triumphant. He says that we are el nT HH H A \ | ih NI tN F] ET it aU yA alti Hl Ny ! 1 a ft So saetratiranen ot EE nee nt GHEROSLAVIA Seen ~ a + Nturmace { Somer AS i i ET AAA ACTA Ce eT 8g i i ke NT trraey LEPA Coe beaks sid COSLAVAR © sunenat9 ane, wenwenes wnwecees tlen Is not norm: “If this is “normaley”"—that the in Poland has collapsed, recovered, again—if that le normai—you may mow approaching a new period of stability. Gesselischaft,” he claims that things will become normal as soon as stability has been restored In Central Europe. tall” Is missing—stabillty cannot be obtained. only In Soviet Russia, in the very country in which, he says, the situa- In the magazine, “Die Only this “petty de- This stability exists currency in Germany, Austria, and but must undoubtedly collapse have your normalcy with pleasure. If what Is happening to the French franc is normal, we hope such “normalcy” will centinue. If It Is normal that an agrarian crisis has gripped the whole world, that 40 per cent of the farmers In America” are facing poverty, If it is normal, then this “normalcy” merely con- firme the extent of the erisis now prevailing in the bourgeols world. We know very well that thi that the standard of wages for the is struggle is growing more acute; working clase Is continually falling —in Germany, 20 per cent to 40 per cent lower than in 1923—that the working week .far exceeds 48 hours, that even in England the real wages often amount only to 76 per cent of pre-war wages; that in France, where there le no unemployment, where there is a great amount of Immigration, the cost of living has risen much more than the increase In wage: countries, the real wi of the pre-war wa that !m Germany, Austria, Hungary, and a number of other js amount to only 50 per cent to 75 per cent Thus, not only relatively, absojutely speaking, the condition of the working class is continually getting worse. Therefore, we must deélare that events are not moving as rapidly as We thought they would. and fall, is continuing. But the period of cri in the political field this is more evident than the period of decline In the, economlo field, because the political field is a more sensitive barometer than the economic field. A stabilization of the world eco- nomic situation Is out of the question. The bourgeoisie takes a gloomier view of the situation than the Soc Democrats—these lackeys of the bourgeoisile—because the bourgeoisie Is much closer to economic reali- ties. There Is no occasion for us to revise our opinion In this matter, as expressed In the resolution of the Third and Fourth Congresses. Tomorrow, International Political Situation.) eS with the Amsterdam International, or with part of it, on the basis of con- crete, action. We want the united front, not as “art for art's sake,” but for concerte action, as in the case of the Transport Workers Union. We are ready to make a sincere coalition with the left wing of the Amsterdam In- ternational in order to form a “bloc of action” inst the dangers of war, against secessionism in the unions, and for the building of the co-oper- atives. The Amsterdam left wing only | means that the working class is grow- ing more radical and in the process shows many inconsistencies and super- and the question”of the Soviet unions, | ficialities. The workers stand to gain still the Communists are prepared to thru restoring unity, therefore the regard the left wing as progressive. Communists do not give up the right The Comintern, the Profintern, and,to organise their followers. the Soviet uinons are prepared to sup-| port the Amsterdam left wing, are| Faults In Parties. Passing on to criticiam of trade ready to come to an understanding union work in the various parties, the speaker declared that some parti: for example, the Dutch and Belgian, organize no fractions in the trade unions. Even after winning the con- trol of the unions, the Communist fractions should ‘not dissolve as some- times happened in Germany. The activity of the revolutionary parallel organizations must be co-or- dinated with the work of the opposi- tion in the reformist trade ufiion or- ganizations. In France, besides the C. C. T. U. work, the C, G. T. should not be neglected. The idea of inde- pendence of the trade unions from teh party is inadmissible for Com- munists. The Communist fractions must map out a concrete program of work for each industry in the unions as was done in Germany, England, and America, With the exception of Ger- many and Czecho-Slovakia the factory councils are neglected, which is in- excusable, The propagation of pure and simple Sold Everywhere | craft union tendencies must be fought. The Amsterdam tendencies toward secession, the expulsion of Commun- ists from the trade unions, must be fought on the broad basis of the work- ers in the shops, Tffe necessity of Paying. dues to the reactionary trade union bureaucracy cannot be consid- ered a principal issue. The “united front tactic in the shops, in the fac- tory councils, and in the trade unions, must be more vigorously applied. The Party organs devote too little atten- tion to the trade union question. The fundamental principle is: Without nuclei in the shops and factories, without Communist fractions in the unions, there can be no real Comman- ist Party. The Main Tasks, The main tasks are the following: First, formation of fractions in the trade unions; second, lay the em- phasis on the shops and factories; third, create special organizational centers to fight the bureaucracy in their role of strikebroakers; fourth, co-ordinate the revolutionary activity, of the parallel organizations with the trade union opposition; fifth, organiza- tion of the whole trade union opposi- tion; sixth, unmasking the trade union bureaucracy; seventh, fight for trade union unity; eighth, fight against withdrawal from the unions; ninth, organize the unorganized; tenth, or- ganize the key industries that are of strategic value in time of revolution, such as mining, transport, chemical radio, postal and electrical workers; eleventh, afMliate important unions with those of neighboring countri twelfth, iner the trade union work in the colonies; thirteenth, combat all anarchistic tendencies against party work in the unions; fourteenth, study employers’ organization: fifteenth, keep up connections with the trade union members in the army. The above tactics will lead to the winning ot/the majority in the trade unions, jfirmly confiscated—not by the gov- THE DAILY WORKE THIEVES FALL OUT OVER OIL IN ROUMANIA Government Fights with Standard for Spoils (By Federated Press.) WASHINGTON, July 23.—State de- partment experts on protection of American investments abroad are more and more worried by the cheer- ful banditry of the anti-Bolshevik government of Roumania, which has modified, but not abandoned, its oil- grabbing bill. The measure passed the parliament on June 30 and at last accounts awaited the signature of the king. Cabled reports of its final text show that it asserts national ownership of all oil deposits not privately devel- oped and duly registered in an office which was closed two years ago. Huge investments made in Roumania by Standard Oil, Royal Dutch Shell and other exploiters are to be gently but ernment for the Roumanian nation, but by Roumanian oil capitalists, led by the Bratiano brothers, who are dic- tators of the government. Ten years are allowed during which the final sale of 60 per cent of the shares of these concerns to Roumanian citizens shall be completed, It is anticipated that no Roumanian will offer to buy until the last days of the tenth year, if the scheme is permitted to stand. United Oil Front. But the super-government; embodied in the ofl companies will not permit this banditry on their preserves to continue. British, Dutch, French and American financiers already have sounded a warning that investments in Roumania are unsafe. The London Times has published a series of arti- cles on “Roumanization,” showing that the one favored corporation in the Roumanian oil field is the Stoya Roumana, formerly German, but now held by Roumanian, French and Brit- ish in about equal thirds. The rich Bratiano brothers, themselves oil kings, are supposed to have arranged this special exemption for personal rea- sons. Standard Oil and Royal Dutch Shell are indignant, and a financial blockade of Roumania is one of the forms of punishment they are expect- ed to use. They are going to defend the sacred right of capital as against nationalistic notions. r, Roumanian Envoy Hedges. Meanwhile the American press is supplied by the secretary of the Rou- manian legation here with a purported cable from his government, in which the new law is described as a mere oil land leasing bill, which does not at- fect “acquired rights,” and which per- mits further exploitation of Rou- manian ofl by foreign companies. This is a point-blank denial of the re- ports upon which the state depart- ment and the bankers are acting. Party Activities Of Local Chicago Branch Meetings. Thursday, July 24 DAILY WORKER AGENTS’ MEETING. Dally Worker office, 1113 W. Washing- v4. Scandinavian West Side, (Zeich’s Hall, Cicero and Supertor Sts. Seprginavign Lake View, 3206 N. Wilton Scandinavian Karl Marx, 3733 Hirsch 1th Ward Italian, 2439 §. Oakley Bivd. Saturday, July 26 South Slav Bi atk why ranch, 18th and May Sts., MEMBERSHIP MEETING Thursday, July 31st, 1924, 8 p. m., at 11456 South Park Ave. Arranged by Pullman C. C. C, Discussion on “The Election Policy. of the Workers Party.” Admission to Workers Party and ine Y. W. L. members by card only. Workers Party, Local Chicago To Cicero Workers Party Members: Comrades: Your attention is to the ‘fact that we are in @ presidential, also in a state campai; as a this coming. election, and. ther discussing and finding the best wi an means to carry out this campaign, also to find ways and means to increase the circulation of the DAILY WORKER in our territory and the organization of outh movement in the Young Work ague and Junior groups, and ¢laly to start an open air mi ign. We are holding a meeting tomorrow night. Cicero is a town run by a reactionary republican administration which allows its police force to be the supreme law by Miotating to the citizens their wishes, 0 those Wishes of the police force are contrary to the ct rights guaranteed us by the cons and therefore something that the Workers Party or- ain of Cicero is not going to stand or, We are not going to allow the corrupt oMcialdom of Sesto mth its police to disrupt our political meetings, open air or otherwise, as it has hap- pened in the pres. If o fet for free speech, then let Il the above mentioned pur- poses a general membership meeting R FOSTER-RUTHENBERG é MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS William Z. Foster and C, E. Ruthenberg will address the member- ship of the Party on the immediate task of the Party in the following citles: PITTSBURG—Friday, July 25, Labor Lyceum, 35 Miller Street, at 8 p.m. CLEVELAND—Saturday, July at 8 p. m. CO-OPERATIVES TO FIGHT HUGE RETAIL COMBINE Oppose Bondage of New Chain System The big New York and London bankers have announced the forma- tion of the largest retail merchandis- ing combine ever organized anywhere in the world. The fourteen biggest chain store systems of the United States, including Woolworth, Kresge, A. & P., United Cigar Stores, United Drug Stores, McCrory Stores, S. H. Kress & Co., and the Kroger Grocery & Baking Company, have combined their 19,000 stores to get a strangle- hold monopoly on supplying the Amer- ican people with the things theyghave to eat and wear. Co-ops Counter Groups, The American Co-operative Move- ment is going to combat this monopol- istic chain store menace with co-oper- ative chain stores owned by the peo- ple instead of the big bankers. In a number of agricultural states farmers’ co-operative chain stores have al- ready proved very successful. The Farmers Union of Kentucky now an- nounces the extension of its chain store system and the development of new district warehouses to supply their needs from the Farmers. Union ‘Wholesale Company, a strictiy co- operative concern. $68,000,000 Profits. The big bankers announce that the fourteen chain stores in the new com- bination made net profits of $68,000,- 000 last year. They are pouring over 60 per cent of watered stock into the capitalization of the new chain store trust and expect the people to pay profits on this deal. Meanwhile the American co-operative movement con- tinues its sure and steady growth. It will combat-the private-profit chain store menace every step of the way, until by superior service and non- profit business it can protect the American people from the danger of monopoly control over the necessities of life. . Plans for Gitlow Tour Arranged; All Branches to Assist The tour of Benjamin Gitlow is now being arranged by Joseph Manley, campaign manager of the Workers party. Letters are being sent to all City Central Committees of the party announcing the Gitlow tour. The city organizations of the party will- each be responsible for the advertising and incidental expenses of the Gitlow meetings. A flat rate of $20.00 per meeting will be charged the local or- ganizations to pay part of the ex- penses of the Gitlow tour. The national campaign headquarters announces that the Gitlow tour will receive much publicity thruout the party press. Special letters are also being sent all distri organizers ex- plaining the plans for the Gitlow touy Work of securing names on peti- tions to place Workers Party electors on the ballots in all states where pos- sible is also going forward rapidly. German Farmers as Hard Hit ag Their American Fellows MAGDEBURG, Germany, July 23.~ The ‘small farmers of Germany are looking with grave concern into the d/future. Ordinarily the small farmer sells his harvest and pays the ex- pense of seeding, planting, and har-- vesting the next crop. But he was paid last fall in de- preciating paper marks. Most of what he sold after the mark was stabilized had to be sold on credit, for his pur- chasers had no more ready cash than he had. Now harvest time is at hand. The farm-hands will inéist on being paid weekly. He will have to meos freight bills, for the government won't ship on credit. He will not get much credit from the reichsbapk or the rentenbank, for both are so con- cerned about keepiig the marks stab- ilized that they will not embark upon @ liberal credit policy, o |e called of Cicero Workers Party branches to be he! n Thursday, July 24th, 8 p. m., Lithuanian Liberty Hall, West 14th St. and 49th Ct. a. P re eat c ecre' 7 tral ‘Coimmittes. °°" Do Your Part Next Week; Communist Anti-War Week Worker Badly Stoned, LEGRAND, Ia., July 23.—Marshall Roe, 27, a craneman employed in a stone quarry here, was recovering to- day from severe injuries received when trapped r 21 charges of dy- namite which exploded as he ran, Not knowing Roe was in the vicinity, an- other workman touched off the row of explosives and Roe was peppered with particles of stone,’ nearly 100 of which have been removed from his aaah 26, Labor Temple, 2536 Euclid Ave., \ [, C. C, REJECTS FARMERS’ PLEA FOR LOW RATES Rail Gouge Backed by Government WASHINGTON, July 23.—Refusing to yield to the demand for lower | freight rates on farm products as a means of calming the’ discontent of |the agricultural states, the interstate |commerce commission, by a narrow (majority, rules that the farmers arc not paying an undue share of the na- tion’s tribute to the private owners oi |the railroads. In the most intelligent of the five dissenting . opinions, commissioner Joseph Eastman says that the reduc- tion of these rates on grain and hay would probably not solve the problem of the farmers’ distress, but he thinks the experiment would have been val- uable in the economic education of the people. The present rates are un- reasonable, but so long as railroads are profit-making, the farmer will have to pay an unreasonable price for transportation of his crops, he says. “Facing facts squarely,” says East- man, “the country must educate it- self, if it believes in private initiative and wishes its railroads privately owned and operated, to accept the terms upon which private capital is willing/to do the job. I am not a‘de- votes of private initiative in the public business of maintaining and operating the nation’s highways; but that is a question which we are not now fac- ing.” a His reason for wishing the reduction on farm products to be ordered, he says, is that it is important that the theory that the revenues of the rail- roads can be made up by raising the rates on other commodities should be given a tryout, The U. §. chamber of commerce and the platforms of the republican and democratic parties this year find this theory a convenient one on which to stand for\the raflroads and the farmers at the same time. Commessioner Potter attacks the idea of public ownership and says the farmers ought to realize that their in- terests are identical with the interests of the railroad companies. “Mich” Bricklayers Will Refuse to Lay Prison-Made Brick DETROIT, July 23.—Bricklayers’ locals have received an order from the Michigan State Conference of Bricklayers to refuse to lay any more brick made in the Michigan state prison at Jackson, the capacity of which is about 100,000 brick a day. No objection was made to prison brick used in state work but convict brick is now being used by private contrac- tors. Bricklayers of Detroit local 2 say the order will be strictly adhered to, altho there is to be no stoppage of work without sanction of the state executive. RUBBER STAMPS AND SEALS IN ENGLISH AND IN ALL FOREIGN LANGUAGES INK, PADS, DATERS. RUBBER TYPE,Erc, NOBLER STAMP & SEAL C0, 73 W. VanBurenSt, Phone Wabash 6680 CHICAGO MAIL ORDERS PROMPTLY ATTENDED TO-———— Spaulding 7 PORTNOY & CO. Painters and Decorat bath ay 3 SUPPL! ae 3 ew Old Wi 619 _ JK E z GO August 10th _ }pointed by Mussolini. nninaninnpiilietiiaieidiiiiaiiieemanimenieenisninniesiintinn THE WORKERS PARTY Press Picnic will be held at Riverview Park Thursday, July 24, 1924 BEN WON'T LET FASCISH BOYS GO “REGULAR” | Keeps Blackshirts to Save His Seat (Special to The DAILY WORKER) ROMB, July 23.—Premier Mussolini has postponed’ the initiation of the Fascist national militia into the regu- lar army until possibly as late as Oc- tober. The difficulty, as’ explained to soothe the opposition which has been crying for ‘the “constitutionaliz- ing” of Mussoliny’s personal , black- shirt following, is that the Fascisti never had regular army commissions from the king, but were merely ap. t Therefore, the explanation runs, the Fascist militia cannot be regular and take the oath until its officers are commissioned by the king. The cabinet, not the parliament, is expected to decree that the Fascist national militia is an armed body of state to be used for “special jobs at home.” It will be nominally under the ministry of war, but actually un- der the ministry of the interior. The task of the militia is blandly stated as “to keep up the country’s military spirit.” The opposition to the Fascisti want the militia more regular than Musso- lini intends. They see no esssntial difference in the new from the old system. They claim that the Fascist militia will remain at Mussolini’s per- sonal direction, which is exactly what he wishes so that the Fascist tro rs cannot be used against him as “reg- ulars.” * Mussolini is maintaining strict cen- sorship over the Italian press and over all outgoing cable and telegraph dispatches. No hint of criticism of the black leader is allowed, if he or his thugs can avoid it. De Valera to F; ight For Power in Coming Elections for Dail DUBLIN, July 23.—President Cos grave of the Irish Free State intends to dissolve the government within a fortnight and hold a new election, it was announced today at the head quarters of Eamonn De Valera, Irish republican leader. The Valeraites intend to wage < vigorous campaign, but concede¢ that the Free State supporters woul¢ win a majority in the new Dail. HAVE YOU BEEN IN RUSSIA! Why not go there while on your vacation? Buy these books and save the pric: of a round trip ticket and other traveling ¢«xpenses? SPECIAL ROUND TRIP NO. & Through the Russian Revolution, by Albert Rhys Williams......,...$2.0 First Time in History, by Anna Louise Strong - 2.0 Total . $4.0 Special price till Sept. 1, 1924....$3.0 SPECIAL ROUND TRIP NO. 6 The Russian Revolution, by W. Z. Foster, clot Industrial Revival Russia, by A. A. Heller. 15 Russian Trade Unions in | Marriage Laws in Soviet Russia .2 2 0 in Labor Laws of Soviet Russia.. 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