The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 29, 1924, Page 6

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“ment has made in years. _ tradition aud culture of Old China make poor fae- Page Six THE DAILY WORKER.| Siete erent et Publishad by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO, 1118 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, TL (Phone: Monroe 4712) SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall: $3.50... % months ; vet months By mail (in Chicago only): $4.50....6 months $2.60....8 months $6.00 per year 68.00 per year A@dress all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 9118 W. Washington Bivd. 3. LOUIS ENGDAHL t Chicago, llinols WILLIAM F. DUNNE cones EItOFS MORITZ J. LOEB...nsennene Business Manager —— ®ntered as second-class mail Sept. 21, 1923, at the Post- Office at Chicago, lll, under the act of March 8, 1879. <> 290 Why “River Work” in China? By a “stroke of the pen” President Coolidge has given the imperialist business interests of the United States just 14 more warships. With the same pen, very likely, he signed a letter to the Federal Council of Churches “assuring” these anxious fol- lowers of the lowly Nazarene, that there was “no strike” whatever between America and Japan, and that all was favorable for a future of peace and brotherly love. But we have warships for war, not for peace. Furthermore, by the signing of the naval construc- tion bill appropriating $110,000,000 for eight new scout cruisers and six gunboats, we are getting some warships—for they are not “peace-ships,” but warships. Incidentally, we are, under the bill, going to “modernize” the old warships we have. All in the name of peace and brotherly love. But in the official news statement given out at Washington, we come across a rather amazing revelation of the uses to which these nice new gun- boats are to be put. It says, “The gunboats are urgently needed to replace antiquated shallow draft ships for river work in Chinese waters.” Now to the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ it will probably appear quite strange and accidental, so to speak, if, after these gunboats are built and are, by the magic carpet of the House of Morgan, wished into the rivers of China, that our “national honor” or the “lives of missionaries” or any other fair sounding excuse, gives them the chance to bombard the inhabitants of China, or— more than likely—the Japanese who have taken control of some parts of China. But to the revolutionist, to the Communist, it will be no accident. The fact that the American government openly acknowledges long before the event, that it is deliberately going about the work of building gunboats to trespass upon the sover- eignty of the Chinese nation is only a central fact of a series connecting up the process of imperial- ist expansion of Wall street. Not only the necessity of new markets for man- ufactured commodities—the commodity surplus is reduced to a minimum in the age of monopoly— but the need for a market for surplus capital, which in turn calls for strict control over the ter- rain of the debtor nation to insure the safety of the principal and interest—all these call for war- like preparations. This is why we have the ap- propriation for $110,000,000 new warships. They are aimed to insure a return of super-profit from imperialist business far larger than this modest sum. That is why we see President Coolidge, after as- suring the good Christians that no war is in the offing, issuing a statement that “gunboats are ur- gently needed for river work in Chinese waters.” Advertising rates on application Educating the Chinaman Havelock Ellis once said that China was the most civilized of any nation on earth. Certainly China has a cultural history that, in point of time, compares with our own like a sage with a child. ‘And perhaps the comparison will hold in other respects as well. It is very possible that our notion of China’s backwardness is due to a per- verted view engendered by a complacent satisfac- tion with our own artificial and stimulated sense of “superior” western culture. But however old and traditional the culture of a people may be, world economy has a very material way of paying no attention to it. West- ern imperialism takes the same attitude towards strange idols as Tamerlane. Nor is it in other respects any the less brutal than Tamur and his golden horde. The difference is that Tamerlane’s Mongols went about their rapacious business with commendable unhypocrisy. Western imperialism “destroys with a smile of pious justification. Our troops went to China years ago ostensibly to suppress the Boxers. What they did was to give America a commercial foothold and come away with $14,000,000 indemnity in the bargain. Last year, congress was overwhelmed with an exaggerated feeling of it’s own generosity. It de- cided to give the money back. But not to the Chin- ese government. It gave the money, or rather, returned it, for “educational purposes.” A special commission, headed by an American, of course, was set up to see that the fund was used for educational purposes only. That was the best investment the U. 8. govern- Educational appropria- tions are always the best kind of propaganda cap- italism can buy. That fourteen million was cal- culated to help “Westernize” China. The more China is westernized the more fit it becomes for capitalist exploitation. A people imbued with the tory slaves. They must be “educated.” Os ae Ad aa 4 fh NR But there is another kind of “education” seep- ing into China from another direction. There is a culture more agreeable and. more easily as- similable growing on the great steppes to the North, It is a race. It is a race that is already showing bad signs for Western capitalism. The Soviets are very popular in China. Walk Right Up and Ring the Bell Above all, rebels should not have inferiority com- plexes. Rebel training is directed as much against this complex as against mental confusion. And there is a certain connection between the two that we don’t now wish to take the time to go into. But we, can all be agreed that such states of mind have no place in a rebel movement. If we are rebels, we have got to talk rebellion un- der all possible circumstances. We have got to speak our minds about capitalism on every oc- casion that presents itself. Those are propagand- ists who are not afraid to talk. Something that gives an excuse to talk propagan- da is something that is appreciated and taken ad- vantage of by the real rebel. That something, for one, is the DAILY WORKER. At this time, in many cities of the country, the DAILY WORKER is making propaganda possib- ilities that are not overlooked by those members who appreciate the value of extensive propaganda. The DAILY WORKER is conducting local sub- scription drives, By supplying special “sub” equip- ment the “Daily” is not only making it easy to sel! but easier still to TRY to sell subscriptions, It’s the TRYING that counts. It’s in the TRY- ING that we do our propaganda chores. It’s in the TRYING that we train ourselves as organizers for Communism. It’s in the TRYING that we con- vince class-conscious workers that their place is in the Workers Party. If you haven’t sufficiently overcome your tim- idity to allow youto walk up to a workingman’s house and ring the bell, how is your courage to be depended on to perform the many feats of daring required of a rebel in really serious moments. When you say you can’t sell when you are asked to go from house to house with DAILY WORKER subs, you are admitting defeat. Because in the first place you are not asked to sell. You are asked to TRY to sell. It’s the trying that counts. You are not a salesman. You are an organizer, a pro- pagandist. When you walk right up and ring the bell and start talking about the DAILY WORKER you are performing a service for Communism. Kissing the Club The organ of the German social-democracy, the Vorwaerts, in its Christmas edition complains bitterly of the refusal of the allies to withdraw their troops from Cologne after the social-demo- crats had carried out their part of the bargain of betrayal—getting a majority for submission to the Dawes plan in the last elections. The Vorwaerts says: “The German nation is convinced that its disarma- ment is complete and the government states that no sensational discovery has been made during the last 1,744 inspections carried out by the Allies. Is this true? If Mr. Herriot’s accusation is a hypo- critical pretext for a refusal to evacuate Cologne then he forgets that such hypocrisy is bound to weaken the position of the supporters of the repub- lic and the supporters of fulfillment of the Dawes plan.” The German workingclass has been disarmed and the Vorwaerts is pleased. The refusal of the allied imperialists to remove their troops weakens “the supporters of the fulfillment of the Dawes plan” and the Vorwaerts is displeased. The tremendous support given the Communists in the industrial centers, in spite of the terroristic activities of the social-democratie government, shows that not all the German workingelass has been convinced that kissing the club of the capital- ists is the way for freedom. Those simple folk who always hope for the best quite generally hailed the Herriot regime in France as a herald of peace. What else, indeed, could a “radical socialist” and a bosom friend of Ramsay MacDonald be, otherwise than a sucking dove burdened down with an olive branch. Regretfully must we quote General Nollet: “The new superio: council created by the Herriot government is work ing at toop speed . preparing a complete mobil- ization of all industries in case of another conflict.” The kind-hearted Calvin Coolidge commuted the sentence of one federal prisoner to celebrate the to civilization, and a member for the Workers as Christmas holiday and indicated the possession of a christian spirit. The favored prisoner is an ready served nine 3 ) «soldier who has al- ee leaalihea Wee we The By HARRISON, GEORGE. HEN the 875 delegates to the 44th annual convention of the American Federation of Labor at B) Paso, Texas, crossed the international bridge over’the Rio Grande to visit the sixth convention of the Mexican Federation of Labor (C. R. O. M.) meeting at Juarez, Mexico, a Mexican immigration officer remarked, “These are surely not laboring men, they look more like bankers!” The Mexican official was correct. They are bankers, running about thirty “labor banks” with approxi- mately $150,000,000 of capital and planning to start others. But what is far more they have the same imper- iailist program as bankers, especially the large bankers who hold forth on the south end of Manhattan island in the city of New York. All Cut and Dried! Bankers they are! No banker could be more devoted to capitalism at home and imperialism abroad than Samuel Gompers, president again up- on re-election, which election was so well provided for in advance that the telegraphic news agencies sent out ad- vance news of his re-election with the note to release the item at 11:30 a. m on Nov. 25. In Europe the leaders of labor or- ganizations must idealize for the mem. bership’s consumption, all programs o! class collaboration with reactionaries Gompers throws away every veil oi reformist “respectability” and cavorts before the labor movement, naked and unashamed, the harlot of American amperialism. If anyone had expected more from this convention, which met on Nov. 17 and adjourned on the 25th, they ex- pected too much from a body from which every sign of a left wing had been carefully eradicated long before it met. It was a meeting of the $10,000 a year “fat boys,” the “inter natonal officers,” the union bureau- crats. Besides these pot-bellied “sons of labor” whose heaviest “work” is to get some contractors to “come across,” the United States senate is < beacon star of intelligence and a gathering of progressives. Lois of Socialists—But No Left Wing. There simply was no left wing. There were, certainly, from fifty to one hundred socialists or ex-social- ists present, but these distinguished themselves only by being more viru- lently and actively reactionary than their more swinish brothers. The labor party got one spokesman and two votes, amalgamation was unanim- ously defeated, so Was the” resolution for recognition of Russia — which might have fared better in the U. S. senate. And similar unanimity pre- vailed in the most disgraceful collab- oration with imperialism. Since the Portland convention last year, when Bill Dunne was unseated the policy thruout the federation har been one of ruthless suppression 01 the left wing. The result was a con vention from which all shade of revo lutionary or eyen reformist opposition had been carefully filtered. Lack of Mind, Not Opportunity. No wonder that after sizing up the delegation Gompers could safely as: sert that “Every delegate has a ful! and free opportunity to speak his mind.” That no delegate spoke from the floor during the first five of the eight days did not indicate lack of op portunity but lack of mind. Only on the last day, when Kovel- esky of the Waiters’ Union objected that at the next convention at Atlan- tie City, Gompers should not pick out a scab hotel for headquarters, as he had picked the scab “El Paso del Norte” this year, did Gompers find it needful to refuse the floor to a dele- gate. And this time, so savage was his attack that the delegate murmur- ed; “Well, if you want to eat in scab hotels, all right!"—and then sat town, Only on one or two such oc- casions was the slightest sign of life hown, Amalgamation Hardly Mentioned. Altho the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers had brot in a resolution asking that all crafts in the steel mills come under the jurisdiction of one union in behalf of an organizing campaign, it was de- feated unanimously. , This; in spite of the speech of A. B. Swales, the British delegate, who told of the progress of athalgamation £ a life sentence, Callin England and the slogan, ‘More fixed it so he has to stay in jail only eleven years} unionism and ‘fewer unions.” In more. This outburst of generosity shows that Cal] spite, as well, of the jurisdictional does not believe in straining the quality of merey. quarrel which has left the 350,000 car- penters outside the Building Trades’ department, the fight between the The superb forward drive of the left wing in two| Stone Cutters and Granite Cutters of the largest of labor unions, the Carpenters and the Miners, shows that a great ground-swell in Communists can be effective. The christian spirit is in the ascendant at Paris, Illinois, The city is filled with klan and anti-klan forces, well armed and thirsting for one another’s blood, Each side depends upon their god to bring them victory. Both sid Molders’ Union and in the Operative ‘oth sides denounce the Communists as menaces Piiteeet UNG Mae che adoption of the recommendation of pe Digerati 9 dt de bedi ae ec . Basky e Stone Cutters’ had been the only one “Herat wie we ty Clark, reported Every day get a “sub” for the DAILY WORKER again begining to stir the masses. Tired radicals] spite of the rivaly between the United and those who expect, or expected, to win the un-|Garment Workers’ Union and the ions in six months, need not report for duty. Only|4™#gamated Clothing Workers, the of nearly as easily. The two resolu: tions asking for a labor party, the re- sult of previous work of the Trade which resulted in scabbing by .the Granite Cutters on the Stone Cutters at New Haven, Connecticut; and in former bringing to the convention a resolution asking that the A. ©, W. label be declared unfair, The Labor Party's Early Death. The labor party issue was disposed Union Wudcational League in the | men's union. Mexican Was Right— They Are Banke to champion the idea. These recommendations represent- ed the compromise arrived at be- tween the republican party element, led by John L, Lewis of the United Mine Workers and Hutcheson of the Carpenters; the democratic party group led by Major George L. Berry of the Pressmen, and the LaFollette group, comprising Gompers, who him- self had led the executive couneil into the LaFollette indorsement, and Wm. H. Johnston of the Machinists, who sat with his whole delegation,. silent, and saw the labor party issue killed and a so-called “non-partisan” pro- gram adopted without making a pro- test. A Meaningless “Program.” This program provides the follow: ing: “(1) That the present cumber- some ballot be changed to make vot- ing easier. (2) That labor partici- pate more generally in primary elec: tions. (3) That all non-partisan cam- paign committees be maintained on a permanent basis. (4) That a plan be devised whereby forward-looking per- sons who are not trade unionoists may be enlisted in labor’s non-partisan po- litical campaigns. (5) That changes in laws be advocated where necessary to make the functioning of indepen- dent political movements more effec- tive.”. Max Hayes, ex-socialist, raised his voice for a “third” party. So much for that. Gompers will be seen by this, not as objecting to futility in labor politics, but as improving the teclinique of futility. The resolution favoring recognition of Soviet Russia, which had been fought thru the last Molders’ conven- tion by the Trade Union Educational League, was sabotaged in its presenta- tion, two essential paragraphs being left out completely. Max J. Sillinsky of the Tailors was the lone defender of the resolution, Frey of the Molders disavowing the whole thing as a work of Communists and members of the T. U. BL. King Sam and the Royal Family. The little group of princelings around King Samuel seized the oppor- tunity to attack Russia without regard to facts in Russia or elsewhere. Gompers himself made a_ vicious speech upon Russia and the Commun- ist International, which he declared was trying to destroy all democracies and labor movements. He expressed his feeling at the “ingratitude” of Russia for the United States, which “had sent a friendly committee an a warship with a labor man on board. to congratulate Kerensky and give Russia a message of good will.” Lest those who. came into the movement lately misunderstand, plain that the warship conveyed the precious yellow-socialist prostitute, Charles Edward Russell, to Russia, to request the starving and munitionless Russian masses to keep on fighting on the eastern front to save imperialist *rance on the western front. Wants a “Well-Balanced” Navy. Some may say, “But that is past; in he future labor will know better.” But not if the labor ubreaucrats have heir way. The Metal Trades depart- ment, which held its convention just prior to the main body, petitioned by resolution, “The président, the secre- tary of the navy, the cabinet, the eom- mittee on naval affairs and the men- bers of congress to make adequate provision for building up and main- taining a well-balanced navy.” And what response, was there for the words of the British delegate Swales, when he said, “Our hatred for war must be translated into action and practice. Me must have interna tional solidarity of the workers of the whole world”? And Conscript Armies. To begin with the national com- mander of the American Legion, James A. Drain was given an ovation and gave a “For God and Country” speech, after which a resolution fav- oring conscription in time of war was passed just before a resolution against Japanese immigrant workers, Green Becomes Ass’t-Sec’y of War. Then “Resolution 75” was reported by Matthew Woll of the resolution committee, which advised’ that it be referred to the executive council. And what is “Resolution 75’? «It is, in es- sential part, as follows: “Whereas, the American Feder- ation of Labor stands opposed to war except in the defense of our country and believes that the safe- ty of our country can be presery- ed only if its citizens are able to defend it, by force of arms if nec- essary; “Therefore be it resolved, that the citizens’ military training camps are deserving of the sup- port of American laboring men and the executive council is au- thorized and directed to nominate three civi ides to the secre- tary of war at large and one civil- jan aide in each of the forty-eight states to cooperate with the gov- ernment in. recruiting candidates for these camps.” What Do You Mean, “Defense”? ‘That the assertion of the above re- solution being motivated only by a dosire for “defense” is hypocrisy, may be seen from the action taken on resolution 22, proposed by the Sea- This resolution reads as follows “Whereas, modern wars are be- gun. largely thru pressure by and influence of the international bankers; be-it Sang 4 3 lect “meritorious loans.” _ | Amsterdam Reformists Have No Plans’ federation leaders and fraternal gates from England, Germany, co and Canada,” looking to the tforma- tion of a new international. That was the inference, since “a definite organ- ization of American and European la- bor” was contemplated, without men- tion being made of elther Amsterdam or the Red International of Labor Unions. This was apparently a “feeler” of Gompers. The British and German delegates denied holding such confer. ences. But evidently a move was on foot by the A. F. of L. bureaucracy to affiliate to Amsterdam, upon thi own terms. Gompers to Control! Amsterdam, ‘‘ And what, does the A. F. of L, want’ in Amsterdam? It wants control of Huropean labor—and to attain that” ft must control Amsterdam. So it was making a feint at “starting a new international” more to the right than Amsterdam, to force Amsterdam to the right and to sign over its ae ership to Gompers in order to” the affiliation of the American Feder. ation, just as European governmi reid have been forced to sign over policies to American imperialism in order to get loans to ward off col- lapse, Gompers’ policy has always beej and remains, the policy of the Amer can government. If he is now going back’to Europe, it is not for Europe's: good, but for the benefit of American imperialism. He revealed this maleyo- lence in his attacks on Russian work- ers, and by his henchmen’s pubit position to the speech of A. B. 8 British fraternal delegate, who x that Amsterdam, or British workers, at least, did not fear the Russian workers and wanted unity with them, Later Swales admitted that Amster dam would drop some of its “objec- tionable features” to get the affiliation of the A. F. of L. A “Dawes’ Plan of Labor” Being M: Chester M. Wright, yellow ex-s 3 ist and Gompers’ publicity man, man- ufactured “resentment among _ delegates” at Swales’ remark. when the matter of international tions came up, Matthew Woll s the official objection that the A. L, wanted its “autonomy.” But as Woll believed in the Monroe Doc- trine of labor when the Mexicat fed- eration gave guarantee of behavior by expelling a Communist, so will e lieve in a “Dawes’ plan of labor” Amsterdam will refuse unity with ~ 2 Red International of Labor when Amsterdam will refuse the Rus- sian industrial unions admission grant any American citizen the right and privilege to Invest his capital in any country of his choice, we most emphatically pro- test against the use of our army or navy to collect either the prin- cipal or the interest of such In- vestments when collections are no iT possible thru legitimate channels.” “No Isolation of Our Great Republic” By. the treatment of resolution 22, we very clearly see that the purpose of Gompers in appointing himself as under-secretary of war and appoint- ing labor bureaucrats in every state as recruiting agents is by no means “defensiv: The resolutions commit- tee in adoit language, after “subscrib- ing to the high and lofty purpose,” said: “With the rapid extension of In- ternational finance, industrialism and commercialism, the restric- tion proposed for the end sought by this resolution, confined as it ig to our'nation alone, would tend to Isolate our people and nation from participation in the world’s developments . . . We enforce all legal obligation entered into within our domestic .borders by Processes of law and by discipline of governmental forces. “So, too, in the present interna- tional intercourse, our methods of obedience and discipline to obii- gations entered into are harsh.and cruel at times. Nothing. within the realm of practical possibili- ties should remain unobserved so that the people of all nations will be inspired to develop ‘pro- cesses of a humane and ceful character. This cannot be achiev- ed by a lessening of national hon- or or the Isolation of our great re- public from co-operating with. all other democratic nations in the world’s present tendencies and de- velopments. We cahnot recom- mend approval of the resolution,” Morgan’s “Meritorious Loans.” In other words it is “national hon- or” to use the army and navy to col- lect the loans of the House of Mor- gan and make war against Soviet Rus- sia, Haiti, Santo Domingo, or even— who knows?—war upon France or up- on the enslaved workers of Germany who may revolt and repudiate the Dawes’ plan and its loans. In all this, the labor bureaucracy offers to be both the recruiting agent and the priest who blesses the war and makes it holy. “We are against isolation” means “We are for imperialism,” and Woli made it plain when he upheld verbally the necessity of war to col- a eee of European labor just as the: ments of Europe have J. P. Morgan and company, ~ The Surrender to ceri These are the big develo i That labor may not find these loans so “meritorious” was indicated by the fraternal delegates from Europe in particular, The English openly admit- ted that the Dawes’ plan was already forcing a lower standard on British workers and they might lose still more. But they had no policy to op- pose it and didn’t know what to do. The German delegate said that Ger- many accepted the Dawes’ plan to “get a breathing spell,” but admitted that labor was being strangled in the process of “breathing.” He asserted that it was either the Dawes’ plan or Bolshevism, and the yellow _ social- democrats, of which he is one of the leaders, chose the Dawes’ plan, tho he couldn't clearly explain its ad- vantages as compared with Bolshe- vism. It is with these fraternal delegates from Europe, and the ones coming from the Mexican federation then in convention across the Rio Grande, that rapidly dwindling membership, antiquated craft unions unable unwilling to fight for the workei terests, with reaction triumphant both politics and.industry, with against Japan clouding the unemployment, the open shop dz and the menace of the Dawes’ plan threatening wage and hour 1 the A. F. of L. surrendered body, | and boot-straps to the capitalists, nored all the vital interests of workers and openly became the la department of American imy What Shall Labor ‘What shall American labor do th the face of this wholesale pesca ‘It | cannot quit the class can it bear forever the miseriés forced upon it? The sooner it up its mind to fight, the so inevitable battle will be over, it look to the left wing, the militants, Communists. These are not high councils of the A. F. of nt | the most significant events developed in showing the American labor bu- reaucracy as the labor department of American imperialism. Morones and Calles;. Gompers and Coolidge. The leading group of the Mexican federation has wholly subordinated it- self to the Gompers bureaucracy, just as the Mexican government has made iis peace with American capital and accepted heayy loans, from Doheny, one of the Teapot Dome group of oil imperialists, to defeat the last de la Huerta rebellion backed by the Cow- dray oil imperialism of England. The Mexican federation certified its servili- ty by unseating a Communist, Alfonso F. Soria, and by pleding itself to “de- fend the A. F, of L.” “The Monroe Doctrine of Labor” In reply, this was acknowledged by adoption of the motion of Matthew Woll to mark “the beginning of the Monroe Doctrine of American labor to apply to the western hemisphere. By that | mean united resistance against attempts by foreign cap! or foreign labor to get a foothold either in con- cessions, property or economic prin- ciples or aspirations.” One could scarcely conceive of a more flagrant or coinplete statemont of the unreserved adherence of the American Federation of Labor to the purposes of American imperialism, in- cluding the mite to oppose the “economic principles or aspirations of foreign labor”-——meaning the revolu: tionary principles of the Red Inter- | Ral national of Labor Unions, A. F. of L. Follows Dawes. Last, but not least, ‘the intrigue engineered carefully A le thruout the whole convention, to lay the foundation for re-affiliation of the A. F. of L. to the Amsterdam 0 ea ae Federation down among the rank and tot ers in the shops. Build thé Party Nuclel and — Fractions, ts The Workers (Communist) Pat organizing its basic units in the s} Revolutionary workers, join the Wor) ers Party factory nuclei! Form lutionary fractions in your union der the guidance of the Mdueational League to fight H laboration and official treachury. ; ‘ Organize All-Inclusive Shop Comm 4 Resist wage cuts and open % drives by rallying all the e ‘ ganized or unorganized, committees, representati’ craft in the shop! Make the sho mittees the leading organs of struggle for political demands, 4 - strate with these shop commit, organizations bgt D func i against blacklist or dischar, [. tant workers! For Political Struggle ind i Call shop meetings to against the murder of § fo zetti, and the imprisoninen Mooney and Warren Ki Billi mand thru your shop ‘ec government relief The Page the Hearst

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