The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 20, 1924, Page 12

The War That Made The World Safe For Imperialism By PASQUALE RUSSO URING the presidential caiapaign of 1916, the democrats organ- ized a huge political machine, spend- ing millions of dollars in an effort to re-elect the late Woodrow Wilson, ex president of the United States. In every political campaigm it is customary to use slogans, the purpose of which is to mislead the people. In the Wilson campaign, the slogan brought forth was: “He kept us out of War.” Implying by this that the safety of the country demanded the re-election of President Wilson. The phrase became popular and aroused a wide spread interest and enthusi- asm. It created the impression that Wilson was a lover of peace and under no circumstances could he be induced to consent to the participation of the United States in the war then raging in Europe. The result when the votes were counted was to be expected. It was a great victory for the democratic party and for the second time Woodrow Wilson was honored with the high office of the presidency. All during the campaign, election and inauguration of Wilson, Europe was in the thoes of the greatest war in history. Europe had been brought to the depths of agony and was bleed- ing from the iron rule of the militar- ists. From the very beginning of the World War, in 1914 a very insistent propaganda was carried forward in the United States, by Morgan and other financiers in an effort to induce the government to join the other European assasins in the slaughter of the working people. After three long years of effort, the ruling class was successful and de- cided to satisfy their demand for a war by entering the one then raging in Europe. As usual they did not ask the permission of the people. All the wolves of Wall Street saw fit to do was to imstruct the newspapers, churches and chambers of commerce, in fact all bourgeois institutions to sanctify and bless our participation in the carnage. The newspapers, as loyal servants of big business, began printing false- hoods alleging that atrocities were committed by German soldiers during the invasion of Belgium, while remain- ing silent regarding the ten million colored people in the United States living under worse conditions, many of whom were persecuted and lynch- ed, not by Germans but by 100 per cent loyal Americans. Woodrow was inaugurated as pres- ident early in March and on April 6th, 1917, forgetting the promises made to the people, informed congress that a siate of war existed between the impe- rial German government and _ the United States of America. Thus the former pacifist. and internationalist changed from “keeping us out of war” to “Make the World Safe for Democ- racy.” The next move of the president was the issuance of an appeal for volunte- ers but stmce the responses were wholly inadequate it became neces- sary to pass a compulsory draft act, thus saving the situation. When the people definitely realized that the war was to be prosecuted with force and vigor they gave way to hysteria declaring for the defense of the Belgians and death to the Kaiser and German huns, Every lackey of the capitalist class declared themselves for the war; preachers, bankers, profiteers and other para- sites, as far as speech was concerned declared for war. They instructed the people to make preparation for the battlefield while they secretly made arrangements to stay at home. Their policy being, of course t® en- courage and preach war while it was quite well understood the working class would do the actual fighting. Some few individuals and several labor organization protested against the war policy but were quickly and rudely suppressed by the government. The colored population, in no instance offered a protest, but appeared to be very enthusiastic for the war and en- -- rine meneelhecnin deavored, up to the limit of their bility, to help the government crush Prussian militarism. For several generations, the Negro race have been presecuted and ex- ploited in America, but when the country was in need of their service they straightway forgot the past and gladly offered their lives for the glory of the “Stars and Stripes.” This attitude during crises has happened during every wor. In the World War, 500,000 colored men and boys were drafted without one of this number attempting to evade. They would have shown some strength of character if they had at that time asked the capitalist class this question: “You ask “us to fight the Germans in order to make the world safe for democracy, but why do you not first make America safe for the colored people? You speak to us about German atrocities, but what have you to say respecting the atroc- ities actually committed against the colored people in the United States? In the past you have persecuted us, now you demand of us our lives that your interests may be furthered, to which we say ‘nothing doing.’ ” Right at that very moment an ex- cellent opportunity presented itself for the Negro workers to refuse to fight. Like the white workers they The Negro Worker and the Next War had nothing to fight for. Unfortunately the Negroes had not their minds on their own best interests and foolishly let slip a golden opportunity. In Place of taking advantage of the op- portunity they offered their lives for imperialism and. demonstrated that they heeded the negro politician and preacher. Everywhere colored men and women were exceedingly proud of helping the capitalist class in their war upon the Kaiser and it is with some regret that we remember seeing thousands of the paradinf## in Michi- gan avenue exhibiting their loyalty to their masters. The Reaction Against The Negro It was an important event in the lives of many colored persons when they marched in one of the world’s great boulevards, singing war songs while the white business men stood on the fringe of the crowd and vocif- erously applauded them. Every bank- er was enthusiastic about the loyalty of the Negro; every crooked politic- ian, every business man was proud of the Negro soldiers. at that time, were, “the Negro boys are good boys.” Meaning, of course, that the boys were willing to die for the interests of their masters, the bankers of America. But this fake love for the Negro did not last long. At the conclusion of the war, the Their sentiments, war which had made the bankers of America safe in their exploitation of the workers, the Negro and white soldiers came back. The white sol- dier wag told, by the master, he was no longer wanted in the factory because of over-production with no market fer the goods already on hand. This was cruelty and ingratitude in- deed, but the Negro received even worse treatment. Not only was he denied work but it was as much as his life was worth for the Negro soldier to appear in the streets of Chi- cago, Washington, Tulsa and many other cities in the country. Gratitude for colored loyalty during the World War manifested itself during the years 1919 when many negroes were lynched or killed in the barbaric race riots of that year. The capitalist beast, organized \mobbery, was at large, hunting and gunning for Negro blood, for which we may thank the folly of the colored people in their suport of a capitalistic war. Two years have now passed since the atrocious race riots but the gene- ral situation has in no wise changed. Today Negroes are lynched, discri- minated against in factories, restaur- ants, hotels and other public places, just the same as in the days before the war, aye, even the days beford the civil war. Letters From Our Readers “Force and Violence.” To the DAILY WORKER:—You can hardly pick up a newspaper without reading the words, “Force and Vio- lence.” A bulky, brutal-looking po- liceman brings in a frail, innocent girl, beaten up and bleeding, and ac- cuses her of “force and_ violence,” while the truth is, the girl is the in- nocent victim of a bully with blood in his eyes, exercising force and vio- lence under the convenient camou- flage of, “law and order.” #A man with a night stick in his hand, a gun in his holster, or black- jack in his pocket, represents Force and Violence. So does the soldier, the Baldwin-Feltz cutthroat, the-Burns and other detectives, the under-cover man, the labor syp. Use Force Against People. The writing of an article, the criti- cism of an illegal act, the freedom of assemblage and speech, the peaceful picketing by a striking worker, are not “force and violence,” but are termed so by the authorities who want to keep knowledge from the great mass of people. As soon as a state becomes aware of its infirmity, it issues decrees of restriction, curtails liberty of the masses and uses force and violence against the people, especially against the workers at every opportunity. Germany, because of its infirmity and fear of revolution has established a military dictatorship to deny birth- right to the inevitable revoltion. Say Revolution Is Manufactured. Reactionaries in America slyly try to create the conception that revolu- tion is a manufactured thing; that something like a trick could be put over by a few revolutionary, educated men. The world is confronted with two alternatives, either to let history pur- sue its natural course and grant birth- right to the new’ state of society or murder the child revolution, bolster up the old hank of hair and let that staggering carcass drag on for a few years longer and perform that same reactionary trick over again. See Austria! Poland, Hungary, Bulgaria, Italy, all have the same reason and the same fear—PETER KRONBURGER. Hears Wheeler After Foster. To the DAILY WORKER:—I re- ceive you paper in my home daily (my first subscription for it) and altho I am not a member of your party, I sympathize with it in every respect. The night after I heard Foster speak I went to hear Wheeler, the progres- sive party’s candidate for vice-presi- dent, at the labor hall with about 2,000 more workers. Wheeler Says Nothing. Coming to my purpose in writing this letter I wish to inform you (and if space permits in your paper to pub- lish my letter) I wish to inform those thousands of your readers, that Wheeler’s speech was, in plain words, “First Class Capitalistic Bunk.” Besides the child amendment he practically said nothing that would benefit the masses of workers. He classed the workers as the “common people.” He didn’t tell us what he stood for or what his party would~do when elected except that such “crooks” as. Dougherty would go to the Atlanta penitentiary. He did not prove to us that his party could destroy a system in which such men as Daugherty can be put in high office. He did not even mention the K. K .K. His whole talk was practically de- voted to jokes about the old parties and about Coolidge. He said he would tell us the real inside facts about Tea- pot Dome. Many of those present thot that he did, but you can go to 95 per cent of those present and ask them to tell you about Tea Pot Dome and they’d be “stuck.” Any one of your Communist speak- ers could have made him feel like “two cents” if they were there to ask him just about two questions. I’m sure two questions is sufficient. I hope I have “shown up” Wheeler and that you can find room in your won- derful paper for my “first” letter. JOSEPH BASKIN. Tribune for Jim-Crowism. To the DAILY WORKER— The Chicago Tribune in its issue of Aug. 22, contains an editorial suggesting to Jim-crow recreational and amusement places in Chicago. The Tribune states that Negroes and whites work together on the job| | SCAND. ESPERANTO “dias without friction, but that the attend- ance at a theater, park or other amuse- ment or recreational places of both Negroes and whites causes friction. What About Sousa. Of course this is the worst sort of rot and rubbish. According to the Tribune, ideal relations should exist in the southern states between Ne- groes and whites. But we know just the opposite is true. The Negroes are constantly emigrating from the southern states, due to the very bad relationships between them and the whites in Jim-crow Dixie land. The Chicago Tribune knows yery well that Negroes and whites become friendly and understand each other by mixing and mingling together. The Tribune, the mouthpiece of the em- A nmenanilions TT Te RNa ity iiceniierni iia iemcreie erin aoe ployers, endeavors at all costs to pre- vent that condition between black and white workers. Jim-crow Good for Bosses. The ideal state of Negroes and whites, according to this yellow capi- talist sheet, is to keep Negroes and whites separated so that it will be easy for the bosses to direct the hat- red of white workers against Negro workers, and the hatred of the Ne- gro workers against white workers, while the exploiters and real enemies of both groups of workers, the em- ployers, will escape unnoticed. Negro Baiting in Tribune. Of course the employers keep up The Tribune by their advertising, and this kept mistress must cater to their every want and desire. This accounts for the constant Ne- gro baiting of The Tribune. GORDON OWENS. Likes O’Flaherty Column, To The DAILY WORKER:—I wish to renew my subscription on The DAILY WORKER for another six months. It is a very good paper for the workers and farmers to read. Mr. O'Flaherty is a powerful writer. I read his articles before I read the others, but of course, the others are good too. I wish we had a paper like the “Worker” here in Minneapolis. We had a paper once, the “Daily Star,” but it is gone against the wall. 6,000 workers and farmers lost our money (includihg myself) in that paper when the court ordered it to be sold. But I hope some day we in Minneapolis and Minnesota will have a real paper like the “Worker” to tell us the truth. GUNNAR ANDERSON. LEARN ESPERANTO The international Language BY CORRESPONDENCE Complete Course $4.00 We also sell books for the study of Esperanto ROCKFORD, ILL. MAC’S BOOK STORE DETROIT Full line of Sociological and Labor Literature. Periodicals and Newspapers 27 JOHN R STREET MITCHALL’S INTERNATIONAL ORCHESTRA Union Music Furnished For All Occassions Write for appointments to M. MITCHALL, (Teacher of Saxophone) 1640 W. Congress St. Chicago, Il. Ame aati SASL gah scaatnuN recs Sees oe “ - | { ee eS AY mee