The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 4, 1925, Page 6

a3 ae: i #1 Page Stx s THE DAILY WORKER THE DAILY WORKER ~——————— Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. J 1118 'W.. Washington Bivd., Chicago, DL (Phone;, Monroe 4712) SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall: $3.50....6 months $2.00...8 months By mail (in Chicago only): $4.50...6 months $2.60....8 montha $6.60 per year $8.00 per year A@dress all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Bivd. ~ J. LOUIS ENGDAHL WILLIAM F. DUNNE coors EA ItOrS MORITZ J. LOEB......scrrsenseee Business Manager Chicago, Iitinels Entered as second-class mail Sept. 21, 1928, at the Post- Office at Chicago, Ill, under the act of March 8, 1878. —_> 290 Advertising rates op application Mergers What Wall Street admits is the largest merger in the history of the oil industry has just taken place with the acquisition of the’ Pan-American Petroleum and Transport company by the Stand- ard Oil company of Indiana, the most powerful subsidiary of the Rockefeller interests. The assets of the Pan-American include besides oil wells and immense concessions of Mexican oil properties, refineries and a fleet of oil tankers con- sisting of 31 ships with a dead weight of 272,500 tons, formerly controlled by E. L. Doheny of ced pot Dome fame. | Just as in world politics the struggle centers around a re-division of the world between two or} three, great imperialist powers so on the American} continent the present period is one of huge con-} solidations of industrial -combinations already| gigantic in size and unbelievably powerful. Inde-| pendent enterprise on a large scale is a thing of | the past. | Two events, one occurring in the United States, | the other in Mexico, have created the opportunity for which Standard Oil has been waiting—the elec-| tion of Coolidge by a huge plurality guarantees a} kindly attitude by the government towards the| big capitalists under the slogan “no interference| with legitimate business,” the rise of the Calles| government and its complete domination by Wall, Street assures American capital of the privilege) of cashing in on such holdings as those just ac-| quired from Doheney by Standard Oil. Mexico has} been “pacified,” the Standard Oil now has thé edge on its British competitor. ‘ In other lines of industry the game process ‘can be seen. The General Electric increases its capital- ization and becomes second only to the steél tryst; | the Morgan interests are perfecting another’ huge | merger of*coal, gas, electric power, iron and them- ical concerns in the south. Gold flows in a stéeddy Jnited States and is exported ‘in stream into the U the form of loans which force other nations'to pay tribute to the American finance-capitalists. The American working class is exploited as never before. More commodities are produced at a lower cost than in any other period, the permanent army al ry stem grows even while industry is active. he keynote of all this is, militarism—training camps, student reserve corps, the division of’ ‘the nation into military areas, the organization’ of skeleton army sections with their corresponding in- dustrial subsidiaries, the clamor for~ increased naval armaments, the great maneuvers of the fleet in the Pacific, the thumping of the tom-toms by’ the capitalist press. A The capitalists are.torn between two désires. They wish to see industry running at the ‘highest possible speed, but at the same time they hail with joy any slackening as a signal for the beginning of another open shop offensive. In the coal mining and textile industry this scheme is already under way. The official labor movement talks glibly of pros- perity and seés no sign of the grave danger con- fronting the whole American working class. The capitalists combine and re-combine their forces and multiply their strength. The labor unions under the influence of a leadership that is less awake than the middle-class liberals marches straight to disaster. The urge for profits from industry is no longer the great force it was in this country once upon a time. A powerful section of the capitalists now fill their coffers from the interest on foreign loans, They can wait while the workers starve during periods of unemployment, make war on _ the workers’ organizations and wealten the working class so that it cannot effectively resist being used as cannon fodder. A united front against wage cuts and the open shop is today something more than a defense of of the mass standard of living. It is the first step in resistance to the war plans of the rulers whose increasing centralization of power in the form of mergers in basic industries is a prelude to an- other blgod bath for the workers. The son of Major General Leonard Wood is not much good, but he is some improvement on his father. Up to date he has not butchered any Filipino peasants. fF Jugo-Slavia is about to borrow $100,000,000 from American and British bankers. Another “inde- pendent” nation. Cal's $600 steel trust dividends do not in any ‘way correspond to the value of the services he has rendered it, but being president has to be figured as part of the price, Every day get a,“‘sub” for the DAILY WORKER and a member for the Workers Party. a Geta seer ¢ Workers Party and a new , _ gubscription ‘or the DAILY WORKER, ave Semenoff Quits Seneuoff ‘hiis°made his peace with the Soviet government—on ‘its, not his, terms. He will be aildwed to return to Siberia, not be- cause he can be of any use to the workers’ and peasants’ government, but, because the Chinese workers and peasants; as well as the Japanese, have tired of having this bandit leader in their territory. The Soviet government takes responsibility for the further acts of this white guard as a favor to the peoples with whom it has concluded treaties. It is hardly necessary to say that Semenoft’s career as a leader of counter-revolutionary detachments 1s over, American soldiers who were in Siberia as part of the Wilsonian imperialist adventuregwill remem- ber Semenoff as the most brutal of the white guard elements. Several clashes between his murderous bands and the American troops took place in spite ot the fraternization between the officers of both armies and the former enlisted men will waste no sympathy. on Semenoff no matter what happens to him. The liquidation of the emigre counter-revolu- tionary organizations is proceeding at.a rapid pace. Semenoff follows Savinkov and only in those coun- tries where the aristocracy has more money than sense do these elements receive any support. It will not be long before the United States will be CHARGE WORKERS PARTY. ORGANIZER DISTURBED LABOR But It Seems Police Only Ones Disturbed (Continued from page 1) stated that I would accompany him, only if put under arrest. This pleasant formality being ar- ranged, I was informed that the charge was: “Making myself a nuis- ance on the public streets!” He ex- plained furthoe that I had disturbed the building workers, and kept them from their work, By this time, we had entered the police station. Under Arrest. As we walked in, Police Chief Mc- Arthur met us. Lieut. McLean be- gan his tale of’ woe. How I had “dis- turbed” three different groups of workers on the streets, how I had giv- en out the DAILY WORKER, and, horrors! how I had urged the bene- fits of a society when the workers would control the factories and mills, the only nation where they can find shelter and! pork chops. It is quite fitting in view of the counter-revolu- tionary character of American capitalist democracy that the offspring of the industrial lords should mingle with the degenerate scions of the Russian aristocracy which a workers’ revolution has wiped out in their own land. . 5 o eye . Solidarity and Civilization We have to hand it to the so-called backward peoples when it comes to displaying solidarity. 600,000 Arabs boycotted the welcome to Lord Bal- four the other day in Palestine; they closed all shops and draped their houses in black. They want no British imperialist rule and show their disap- proval with a unanimity that is striking and ef- fective. : Contrast the militant action of these sons of the desert with the cowardly attitude of the millions of Irish in the United States when Lloyd George and other mouthpieces of British imperialism ar- rived. There were a few sporadic protests, but policemen of Irish birth or descent suppressed them and most of the Irish people made no protest jat all. Civilization, from the revolutionary point of view, is not gauged by the number of movies and one-arm restaurants, but by the manner in which the masses resist attempts to enslaye them. From this standpoint the Atab workers and peasants are miles ahead of nationalities that ape the respectability of their rulers. A Correction , On March 20 we published an editorial entitled, “Wall Street-Calles Socialism,” in which we re- ferred to a “sob letter written by one Nellie Seeds Nearing, ex-mate of Scott Nearing.” Our sole purpose in making this refertnce was to prevent anyone receiving the impression that Scott Nearing was in any way in sympathy with the let- ter, written to The Nation, and signed by Nellie Seeds Nearing. The letter itself was-nothing more or less than a glossing over of the betrayal of the Mexican workers perpetrated at the El Paso con- vention of the American Federation of Labor and we would have been fully justified in making a sharper and more extended criticism of it. We had made inquiries from a number of per- sons whom we considered reliable and were in- formed that the Nearings had separated due to deep-seated political differences. Scott Nearing informs us that this is not the case, that he and Nellie Seeds Nearing have been married since 1908 and are still living together. ‘We make the correction for the record. We do not desire to drag the matrimonial relations of any- one into political controversy, but persons who ex- press the Pollyanna viewpoint in public journals on such important issues as the wholesale selling of a labor movement to Wall Street by a labor officialdom which wars on the Communists, need not expect us to share their ideas as to what con- stitutes the good, true and beautiful. A Center Candidate for the Allies Marx, candidate of the center coalition, seems to be the choice of the American capMalist press for the German presidency. It is probable that two other entries will con- test the finals with Marx—Jarres, candidate of the big industrialists, and Thaelmann, the Communist leader. The allied imperialists favor the election of the center candidate rather thn that of the big in- dustrialists for the reason that it will mean govern- ment which, while showing the mailed fist to the German working class, will be unable to build any real resistance to the colonization of Germany. The industrialists would insist on many more con- cessions from allied capital than the spineless social-democracy, an important part of the center coalition. i The kind of government that the allies want in Germany is ohe that will war on the workers, but| strict organizer of the T. U. E. be soft as butter im the hands of the allied diplo- mats and financiers. vo 7 The world is moving fast when world capitalism| conducti looks to the German social-democracy, in alliance} activities with the eathblic party to give it the kind of a regime it desires. / ’ The lesson of this will not escape the important n masses and the Commun-| munist! sections of the.Germa iste are arivind one lessons home. He insisted that)the DAILY WORK- ER should notsbe allowed in Williman- tic (on this question, the labor fakers agree with him.) I told him that unfortunately he could not handle: this, since the post- al authorities at Washington did not deny the DAILY WORKER the postal privileges. I told the chief that we had the right to’ sell the paper, that I was talking with workers who wish- ed to talk to me; and furthermore, that the building trades workers were not working then, on account of the rain. I insisted that we were going to tell the workers the benefits of Communism, and the hellishness of capitalism, The chief then, stated. that a com- plaint had been made: to him about a crowd gathering! around the Gem Theater Saturday morning. I dis- claimed all responsibility:for the gath- ering of the crowd, since 1 was mere- ly selling the» DAILY WORKER. The chief agreed that we had a per- fect right to sell the DAILY WORK- ER. Long before this, the lieutenant, seeing the bone he had pulled, slip- ped out, with:.his: tail between his legs. t I asked the »¢hief if I was under arrest any longer,-and the reply was that I was not. I walked out, and when I told the story to the workers t had spoken to before, the melo- drama was pulled.eff, they laughed. A fitting story,,for 4 Gilbert-Sullivan operetta, cae The*Loot. Lieutenant Mebean ‘figures often as one;of the heroes in raids on moon- shiners. But jit-is said on good au- thority that he Ikes the stuff him- self, and is often in a state not be- fitting a majestic: officer of the law. On one occasion Jast year, he was arrested by the state police, and a charge placed against him by the po- lice captain. But an angel came to his aid, and forged the squashing of the charge. ope That angel was the acting mayor of the city, Hickey by name, who gets the major part of; his salary from the American Thread (Co. for office work. He gets the rest’of his salary, $750 a year, for doing further office work for the American Thread Co. in his capacity as acting-mayor. And so the charge was: squashed. Another=Guess ‘Coming. Loot-tenant McLean thought this was an open m for reds. But he has another guess coming. In this connection, it is interesting to ob- serve the charge.brought against the city council by one of the~council members: “No one can be: honest in politics, even, in this small city, attested to by the thirty or forty places that are daily selling, Hquor in the city, be- cause a board of aldermen does not feel, as in the present strike situation, that the enforcement of law comes within their jurisdiction.” ———$_—_—_—__ Socialists. Want Militariem. VIENNA, Austria, April 2.— Herr Butsch, socialist: deputy, and former minister of war, and Otto Bauer, an- other socialist;deputy, advocated mob- izing every soldier. Bauer declared. “The day will come when danger will threaten us from Hungary and we will need every soldier.” The remarks were made before a meeting of the socialist military society of the Vien- na garrison. .» PHILADELPHIAT. UE GENERAL GROUP MEETS FOR BUSINESS MONDAY PHILADELPHIA, Pa. April 2.— General membership meeting of the Trade Union Educational League is called for Monday, April 6, at 621 York Ave. i Comrade Joseph Manley, eastern will speak on the “Recent Devel a ments in the Labor, Movement.” ‘he T. L. in Philadelphia is ‘number of important will be reported at this meeting. All membere aff symnater are In: ag - another Gom- Geta (Continued from page 1) x | atives of the trade unions. (head offices, district and branches). and the mass of the workers themselves are fully aware of the urgency of the, question and the need of giving it the | strongest backing. In this country one of our great difficulties in the past, as compared with our continen- tal comrades, has been the lack of either the kriowledge of languages or of the necessary news of what is go- ing on in each separate country. Whatever we decide to do in the future we must proceed on the basis of ascertained facts. We must all the time go forward on a sure foot- ing of facts and reliable information. Besides this there are other Yea- sons well known to my colleagues on the general council. The so-called socialist press in continental coun- tries cannot be relied upon at the present time (as I know from my. personal experience all the time we were in Russia and also in Amster- dam) to give an unbiased presenta- tion of facts. Added to this the con- luct of the official representatives of he other trade union movements (with certain laudable exceptions) has been one of extreme hostility to proposals emanating from the gener- al council of our Trades Union Con- gress; and that this hostility has led them into acts of trickery—it is best to’ speak plainly—towards our own trade union movement cannot be doubted. To see this it,is only neces- sary to read some of the statements they made succeeding our I. F. T. U. meeting at Amsterdam this month. Both Oudegeest and Jouhaux (not to speak of Vorwarts) have made it plain that they regard the so-called “compromise” motion carried there as a smart piece of work that defeats our nine months’ endeavor to attain international unity thru the medium of an “immediate unconditional con- ference.” For these reasons I would welcome the establishment of a journal de- voted to the purpose of supplying just that information and facts and figures about the problems of interna- tional trade union unity Which we so sorely need. Already some of us have been discussing such a publication; and any steps taken in that direction will, I know, secure the support of a very large number of my fellow un- jonists. And by “support” I mean not only approval, but actual support, in subscriptions and donations. If we relieve in this thing we must be pre- pared to back it up out of our pock- ets as well as with our good will. That we shall do so I have no doubt. Meantime I am very glad to learn that the labor research department is publishing a special supplement to its Monthly Circular giving in a handy form an account of the Am- sterdam meeting and the recent his- tory of the move towards internation: al trade union unity, together with a useful summary of tha report of our delegation-to the Russian Trade Union Congress. And I gladly take the op- portunity of writing this preface to their special supplement. I hope it may be possible for the new publica- tion I have referred to above to be included, at any rate for some time, as a supplement to the Monthly Cir. cular, and so add to the already use- ful work the L. R. D. is doing. THE APPROACH TO UNITY. ee The beginning of the year 1924 saw the world’s trade union movement sundered and divided. Hardly any country, even the most backward, but had its small beginnings of trade un- ionism, while in the more developed capitalist countries the membership of the trade unions was numbered in millions. No single organization? even of the loosest kind, linked up these millions of organized workers. In Eu- rope two organizations disputed with a bitter animosity for the member- ship of the European trade union- ists; the International Federation of Trade Unions, with its headquarters at Amsterdam, was faced by the Red International of Labor Unions with its headquarters in Moscow. In sey- era of the European countries there were two or three rival federations of trade unions, some affiliated to the I. F. T. U., some to the R. I. L, U, The British Trade Union Congress was the main support of the I. F, 7. U.,, while the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions provided the chief backing for the R. I. L. U. | Out- side the European arena where this struggle of rival organizations was taking place to a greater or lesser degree in almost every country, there remained unconnected with the I. F. T, U, the trade unions of the United States of America, of Latin America, Australia and the other Pacific lands, ot Africa other than the Union, of In- dia, Japan, China, the Far Hast, and the Union of Socialist Soviet Repub- lies. Prior to 1924, efforts had re- peatedly been made to bring together the two organizations claiming an in- ternational scope, and had as repeat: edly broken down. In the course of the last twelve months, bourse. Te newed efforts for international trade union unity have at last begun ¢o show some prospect of siccess. ‘To describe this move towafds ‘iwity lasting over the twelve id the present position reached is the purpose supplement. ¥ ee : FOR WORLD FRADE UNION UN | Correspondence Between Amsterdam and Moscow, For a beginning in our narative of the change in the attitude of mutual hostility, we may take the meeting of the third congress of the Internation- al Federation of Trade Unions held at Vienna in the first week of June, 1924. It is true, that (to quote the official I. F. &. U. report): “In, the period under review (1922-1924) the Red Trade Union‘International has repeat- edly approached the International Federation of Trade Unions with the request. that the two internationals should co-operate and form a united front.” But to enter into a recital of these past negotiations would take us too far from the present issues, and we may therefore start as from last June. The matter arose in this way. The report of activities, 1922-1924, gave an account of relations between the Red International of Labor: Unions, and the International Federation of Trade Unions, in the course of which was quoted a letter from M-'Tomsky, pres- ident of the Russian Federation of Trade Unions; of February 7, 1924, whick contained the operative words: What does interest us is the com- mon action of the trade unions of all orientations against, our class enemies. We are prepared to meet your representatives when and where you choose for the purpose of serious discussion of the common struggle to'be founght against the capitalist offensive. The concluding comment of the In- ternational Federation of Trade Un- ions report was: As will be seen from the survey, the method and tone of the Russian reply has for the moment put an end to this correspondence, and has again. considerably ‘reduced the prospects of inaugurating practicat discussions. There’ ts ‘ho object in the International “Federation of Trade Unions taking any further steps so long aé it’ has orily replies of this kind to expect. To this at oncé’ Mf. Fred Bramley took exception in* the name of the British delegation; Bird proposed that negotiations with the Russian unions be continued. ' ‘This’ was supported by Edo Fimmen’ Intérhational Trans- port Workers’ Federation). The Ger- man and other,delegates were violent- ly opposed. Evetifually, to meet the wishes of the British,‘ resolution was carried, of which the*following is’ the last clausé: eee The conferencé! ‘Fetommends the bureau to continue consultations, in so far as this is compatible with the dignity of the International Federa- tlon of Trade’ Uniorig,-with the ob- ject of securing the inclusion of Russia in the intérnational trade union movement thrd the necessary acceptance of the Yederation rules and conditions. - This resolution’~'was despatched from Amsterdam ‘in’a letter dated July 16, in reply’"to “Which a letter was sent from the “AN‘Russian Cen- tral Council of Labor Unions by its chairman, Tomsky,’‘on the 26. The latter part of this ‘réply runs as fol- lows: ae ne We think that it ig just the con- ditions of unity whith’ must form the subject of our negotiations, and that to put forth as’ a preliminary condition our acceptance of the con- stitution and the rules of your in- ternational, as you do, is contrary to the character of the coming ne- gotiations and to the aims of unity. If, you, comrades, consider your- self formally bound’ by the resolu- tion of the Vienna congress, we, the Russian unions, being a section of the Red International of Labor Unions, are equally obliged to carry out the decisions 6f our All-Russian Trade Union Congresses and the congresses of the Red International of Labor Unions. In accordance with this, and desiring to find the common ground for negotiations, which In our opinion will undoubt- ly lead to a better mutual under- standing and to a closer coming to- gether of the two parts.of the now divided international trade union movement, we take as our starting point the idea that in our negotia- tions we should discuss the deci- is of both internationals on the basis of equality and mutual atten- tion. _ Putting the cause of unity of the ‘international labor union movement above any formal consideration, and thinking that it ‘Would undoubtedly be benefited in consequence of our meeting and businesslike negotia- tlons, we are of the opinion that it Would be more right and just if we were to meet without any prelim- inary conditions on either side. With revolutionary greetings, For the All-Russian Central Coun- cil of Trade Unions: A. Tomsky, Chairmany A. Dogadov, Secretary. Thus the Russian position was first that their Trades Union Congress was & faithful constituent of the R. I. L. U., second, that the only possible common ground for negotiations was equality in status as between the two internationals, thirdly, that the conditions prescribed in the Vienna decision would preclude any meeting or chance of unity, and any sticking || to formalities or etiquette would have the same effect. ; (To be continued.) ea. , LOCAL CHICAGO — ACTIVITY TOLD | AT CITY CENTRAL All Forms of Work Going Forward Continuation of agitation and dem. onstration, as initiated by the central executive committee of the Workers (Communist) Party in the case of Comrade Stanislav Lanzutsky, Polish Communist, against the Polish white terror; insistence upon going forward with shop nuclei reorganization, « re* gardless of obstructions and diffieul — ties; intensification of trade union and industrial work; and development of the DAILY WORKER drive, wete~ problems dealt with at the city .cam tral committee meeting, Workers (Communist) Party, local Chicago at the April 1 meeting. The demonstration before the Po- lish consulate last Saturday on) be- half of Comrade Lanzutsky, and ‘tha parade thru the Polish working cle districts with banners and distrib tion of literature, give possibilities dx drawing more Polish workers inta the Communist movement. The next step is the meeting scheduled at Schoenhofen Hall for tonight, April 3, which all party members must. sup port. (See other columns for de tails.) s Build the T. U. -E. L, In the Struggle. | In the needle trades, a millinery group, tho small, has now been form- ed; in the Amalgamated, despite the terrific reaction and terror of the Levin-Hillman machine, the left wing is increasing its work. The leaftei outlining the real issues confronting the Amalgamated in connection with the coming wage agreement was dis- tributed by the thousands, as well aa another leaflet. Organize and Fight!, distributed on the morning after the sluggers of the Levin machine had prevented rank and file expression on the issues in the union. The party as a whole must back 100 per cent every action the needla trades comrades initiate. In the car: penters, our comrades have now been reinstated into Local 181, having, with rank and file support, compelled the corrupt Hutcheson to back down. The machinists’ left wing report good progress in the election cam- paign against the Johnston outgt, while, moreover, thus bringing the §'t wing program .of amalgamatiff,) against class collaboration (B. “& O. plan), freedom of expression and reinstatement of Toledo expelled, for independent political action, etc., be- fore the machinists. % The barbers’ group {s beginning to function and is holding an affair in the near future to get funds for fur- ther work. Preparations are going forward for a huge momthly Trade Un- ion Educational League meeting, Wednesday, April 29. 4] The C. C. C. reiterated the need for the organization of a shop nu- cleus branch (sub-section) from Nu- clei 2, 3, 4, 5 as a meahs of inta> grating and expanding the nuclei ae tivity. Discussion on this question was lengthy, some confusion betray. ing itself among some comrades, who vonfused the nucleus with a shop committee and reduced the nucleus to a shop fraction shorn of its poli- tical character. ” However, with instructions from thi Cc. C. C. and D. BE. C. to proceed with the organization of the shop nucleus branch, it is Mkely that the better functioning nuclei will aid materially to,develop the understanding and ac tivity of the weaker nuclei. The nucleus branch (sub-section) will take up and direct the work of the particular shop nuclei and deal, too, with the general political problems be-_ fore them in and outside of the shops. Irish and Miners’ Rellef Task ef Party. With the unity demonstration over, the party and:the Labor “Defense Council will concern themselves with increasing relief activity for the fam- ine stricken workers in Ireland an the workers affected by the 7 in southern Illinois. The next mé@y: ing of the Chicago Labor Defense anc Relief Council will be Friday, April 10, at 722 Blue Island Ave, : f A mass meeting for Irish relief. will be held April 24, at Emmet Memorial _ Hall with John Patrick varen eagle turned from the famine area, e main speaker. Applications accepted were: | North Side, three; Englewo: lish, one; South Side Eng! North Side English, two; No, 1, one. * ng May Day meeting pre: tions going forward. May pe tte: meets next Tuesday, pole 7, at South Lincoln St. as does sn 4 a) street and factory meeting co! H DAILY WORKER drive report in other columns, i C. ©. C, endoried comrade ru for justice of the peace in of Berwyn, on provision that he clare himself the candidate of thi Workers (Communist) Party an campaign.on its platform, = Next meeting of the C. C. C. Wed nesday, April 15, 1925, 8 p. m., at. 72, Blue Island Ave. | 2 ae ) \ . Fraternally, OP ye Workers (Communist) Party, cago, Martin Abern, Sec i}