The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 22, 1925, Page 6

oR: Page Six ¥ THE DAILY WORKER. ge eerie each cemieneniesie gene Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING O00. 1118 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, Ml. (Phowe: Monroe 4712) SUBSCRIPTION RATES { By mail: ah $3.50....6 mon! $2.00....8 mont By mali (in Chicago only): $4.50....6 months $2.50...3 montha — 66.60 per year $8.00 per year Adress all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER 1118 W. Washington Bivd. Chicago, tt 3. LOUIS ENGDAHL Se PRUNING {anne tO MORITZ J. LOEB......000 Business Manager ——— Rntered as second-class mail Sept. 21, 1923, at the Post Office at Chicago, Ill, under the act of March 8, 187%. ER 250 Advertising rates op app*caticn Sheppard Enters the List Another rather flabby but willing defender of American capitalist institutions against the in roads of Communism has made his appearance in the person of L. E. Sheppard, president of the Order of Railway Conductors. Speaking in Min- neapolis, where his union—the word “his” is used advisedly—is in convention, this high-salaried la- bor aristocrat pleaded with businessmen for the support of his kind in their war on the reds. This incident is interesting and important. If any labor union in America should be deaf to Com- munist agitation it is the Order of Railway Con- ductors with their substantial incomes, white collar jobs and the general atmosphere of small town respectability with which they have surrounded themselves. Almost without exception the mem- bers of the union belong to the two powerful fraternal orders—the Order of the Mystic Shrine and the Knights of Columbus. The conductors are accepted as equals by the business element and one would be inclined to say that they are so much of the privileged strata of labor which imperialism subsidises that the class struggle is beneath their attention. But Sheppard’s speech is an indication that this conclusion is incorrect. The speech would not have been made if somewhere and somehow the class struggle which has produced the left wing move- ment in America had not made itself felt in the or- ganization. Pressure from some source is worrying the officials of the hitherto complacent Order of Railway Conductors and that pressure can come only from below. We promise Brother Sheppard to investigate with Communist thoroness the causes of his ex- pressed fears and make the proper recommenda tions. we Bx Physical Examination in Toronto The physical examination system introduced in cloak and suit shops of Toronto, and agreed to, by officials of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, is one more example of the con- stantly increasing restrictions with which work- ers are confronted in the unending search for a job. The pretext of the bosses is that they wish to protect their customers from contagious disease, but the workers will soon discover that the only protection that will result from this rule will be the protection of the boss from the activities of militant workers. All physical examination systems have the pro- fessed love of sanitation for their excuse, but it is notable in this instance ‘that before the rise of unionism in the garment industry the bosses cared neither for the health of their customers or that ,of their employes. Sweat shops were the centers -of the clothing industry and sanitation was con- spicuous by its absence. A good rule to go by is that whatever the boss wants is a bad thing for the workers. A sanitary shop from the standpoint of the capitalist is one in which the workers are devoid of all class conscious- ness even tho they might have every foul disease in the calendar of the medical profession. The Toronto_workers_will_have to fight this physical examination system one of these days and they may as well begin right now by not sub mitting to it. The Klan in North Dakota .The peaceful plains of North Dakota have been invaded by the ku klux klan. They are burning fiery crosses and exploding bombs, conducting their “moral” campiagns and in general preparing the ground for the orgies of whippings, tarring and terrorizing for which the klan is infamous. In North Dakota the farmers are not half a jump companies. From year to year they slave for some- Trying to Suppress the Comintern A London dispatch says that the Daily Herald, an organ of the British labor movement, accuses the British government of engineering a con- spiracy among all the allied powers to bring a concerted demand upon the Soviet Union that it suppress the Communist International, The penalty for failure to agree to this depriva- tion of the liberty of the proletariat to organize and maintain its headquarters in the first work- ers’ republic, is, according to the dispatch, to be the breaking off of diplomatic relations with the \(Soviet Union of those nations which have recog- nized” Soviet Russia. We have no doubt but that some such con- spiracy has been afoot. The existence of the Com- munist International is a standing challenge to the capitalist class of all the world, and it is un- questionably annoying to the capitalist nations, that the Soviet government grants the working class every liberty which is denied and sup- pressed by the capitalist powers. But we also imagine that the plot will not get very far from the stage of talk, altho there is al- ways the danger that the imperialist world will find some excuse for open warfare against Soviet Russia. But it will not be a popular war if it is waged for the suppression of the Communist In- ternational. Hence the present underhand and un- derground move threatening breaking off of rela- tions. The reason that the plot will not get far in this respect is that in place of Soviet Russia being in deadly necessity of the recognition of capitalist nations, it can make shift without extreme priva- ‘tion, while the capitalist nations have each re- quired Russian trade as a first essential of con- tinued existence. The plot of half measures such as that reported ‘is doomed to failure last but not least, because Soviet Russia will maintain the rights of organ- ization of the workers denied by capitalist na- tions. Paes Tribe Chief Justice Taft of the United States supreme court dedicated the other day the national head- quarters of the chamber of commerce in Washing- ton, D. C. The building was erected by scab labor thrnout and the role of Bill the Fat, otherwise known as “God Knows” Taft, at its opening is symbolical of his solidarity with the open shop em- ployers who gathered there for the festivities. High dignitaries of the existing order hold up their hands in holy horror when Communists tell the workers that there aré two classes in America HE DAILY WORKER SS The English Independent Labor: Party Conference By R. BISHOP. HH) conference of the British In- dependent Labor Party was use- ful in s0 far as it provided a key to what likelihood there was of any lead being given to the working class from any source outside of the Communist International, : Since the demise of the Labor Gov- ernment there had been strenous at- tempts made by the proletarian ele ments of the I. L, P. to try and “re- capture the spirit of socialism,” which to a certain extent at any rate had inspired them before the war. Conse- quently, much curidsity was manifest- ed as to what the precise strength of this left wing element actually was. Some thought it would sweep the conference off ifs “feet and be able to give a clarion call to the workers to which the latter would respond. Others, among them MacDonald him- self, felt that they were a negligible influence and would count fér nothing. As a matter of fact the truth lay somewhere betws the two extremes. The Left certainly made its presence felt, but the petty bourgeois influences to which the Party .had succumbed in the past were too strong to allow of them achieving anything tangible. Sooner or later, these Left elements will have to realize that there is no room for their activities in the cir- cumscribed limits of the I. L. P, and that in the Communist International only lies the hope of the realization of their aspiration. The opening of the conference by Clifford Allen supplied the key to the whole of the later proceedings. In the same breath as he criticized the actions of the labor government he pleaded for the conference to treat it leniently. Incidentally this is the same Clifford Allen who prior to the formation of the labor government had advocated that a minority govern- ment chould go forward with the full socialist program and when defeat- ed on it go to the country at once asking for a fresh mandate. TRADE By P. SEMARD. 'T will be remembered that a short time ago the Confederation’ Gener- ale du Travail Upitaire (C. G. T. U., General Unitarian,Federation of La- and that between these two classes a state of war exists. The protests rise to a shrill shriek when the statement is made that the courts are class instruments or that Taft, a»servant of the ruling class, will not pass impartially on the merits of cases in which workers and capitalists confront one another. Yet here is the Chief Justice of the highest court in the land surrounded by his masters, dedicating a structure within whose ‘walls campaigns to reduce wages, lengthen the hours’ and take more toll of workers’ sweat and blood will be planned. The building itself is a monument to the mastery of the capitalist class and it stands’‘in the capital of the nation of whose most powerful judicial body Taft is a member. No class struggle? No classes? Tell it to the marines whose bayonets enforce the decisions of the tribe of Taft. The Exaile of Paterson Paterson textile workers have secured wage in- creases of $4 and $5 per week recently. In the rest of the textile industry the workers have received wage cuts. Attempts will be made to explain this by talking of the special conditions of the silk industry in Paterson that made the raises possible while the cotton and woolen goods workers took reductions, but this is mostly tommyrot. The Paterson work- ers resisted wage cuts and got increases because they organized, struck and fought the issue thru. Had the other textile workers been able to over- come the divisions and dissensions that weakened them, had they been able to organize, had they struck as militantly as the Paterson workers they would at least have prevented reductions. The textile workers have been victimized by the fake labor leaders, they have been fooled by the belief that a dozen or more different unions can get results, they have had peace and sweet reason- ableness in the face of the onslaught of the bosses preached to them until their will to fight has al- most been destroyed. off than when they give in without a struggle. The story of Paterson should be broadcasted bor) proposed to;the reformist Con- federation Gene du Travail (C. G. T., General Federation of Labor) to hold a mixed conference between the two federations in.ordér to discuss the question of arriving at trade union. unity. It was. proposed that a congress of both,.federations should be held in Se , the monm in the course of which the congress of each federation wes to take place. At the same time it was pointed out thay a congress thus:held in common might be decisive,for the creation of a united General Labor Federation through the imméddiate amalgamation of the revolutionary and reformist trade unions. At the end ot he irch, the national council of the reformist C. G. T. met, and after examining this proposal, rejected it and declared that the ques- tion of unity must be discussed at the reformist conferéhce which was to take place in August, and that in any case it could only be realized by the return of the wage workers to the organizations which officially belong to the C. G. T. and are affiliated to the Amsterdam International. i isos was a brusque refusal as a reply Yo T, U. With indefatigable zeal the of both o1 agenda: am 1. Thata congress of both assécia- tions be held in, rate association. ; , Junior Section locally the groups have made detided strides and 2. That the way should be pre-/ fend When the National Administrative Council’s (N. A. C.) report came up amount interest; the Dawes report and MacDonald’s action on the forged Zinoviev letter, the conference; he had imagined that everyone had completely forgotten his action in this matter, but when South- all of Birmingham, who for years past has fought the pundits of the N. A. C., demanded that the I. L. P. itself should refer the matter back and it- self set up a committee of enquiry, the motion was carried by 286 to 261. The reference back of the section dealing with the Dawes report was moved by Marcus, a young I, L. Per from St. Pancras who for some time has been showing signs of. dissatis- faction with the official I. L. P. But here the proletarian spirit failed to manifest itself, and the reference back was defeated by a large majority. The first resolution was on a mini- mum wage for all workers, and it called on “the government to set up a national commission to decide on a living wage and to arrange for the im- mediate nationalization of all indus- tries that did not pay such a wage.” It was ironical to see the I. L. P. contemplating the possibility of a Tory government nationalizing industries immediately after they themselves had endorsed the Dawes report and the consequent denationalization, of important German industries. Realizing that the hope of a govern- ment commission in the dim and dis- tant future was not a prospect to en- thral the workers, David Kirkwood moved an emergency resolution, full of fine phrases about encouraging a militant spirit amongst the workers and asking for better industrial organ- ization. = This “left wing” resolution offered nothing tangible, it offered no alterna- tive to the program of the minority movement which BE, E. Hunter and other I. L. Pers had attacked so viru- lently of late. pared for this congress by calling a combined general meeting. of the trade unions belonging to the C. G. T. U. and the C. G. T., in order to carry through the amalgamation from below and to make definite plans for the extended and closer direction of the restored trade-unions. 3. That congresses of the trade unions of the departments and of the industrial unions .be called, in order to carry through the amalgama- tion under the same conditions. 4, That a committee, be formed im- mediately, consisting, of, representa- tives of both federations which should ensure the organization, the. supervi- sion and the carrying.out ef the mea- sures agreed upon in common for the restoration of unity, until the August conference. HE C. G. T. U., in-imaking this proposal, expressed the opinon that the amalgamation of the organ- izations of the C. G, T. 0. and the C. G. T. would, at every’ stage, be de- pendent on the suceess of the frst joint conference which it had pro- posed, and on the work of the com- bined committee of representatives of the C. G. T. U. and the C. G. T. which was to follow this conference. It further pointed out that, in case the C. G. T. did not agree fo this simpli- fied method of carrying through the unity, it still Would maintain its pro- posal to call a combined congress at the conclusion of the two August con- the proposal of the C. G. | grosses, The national committee of the C. latter again approached the reformist}q, 7, [, which met on April 17 and C. G. T. with another more precise |1s; unanimously confirmed this pro- Proposal; that of calling @ mixed con-| posal by accepting a report which ference cjumillons a committees | points out the urgent necessity of jpns at short notice, | realizing unity, in view of the threat- in order to discuss the following | ening economic crisis and of the in- flation which will further aggravate the living conditions of the workers; after the con-/ unity is necessary in order that the clusion of the congress of each sepa-| workers may give a victorious answer to the threats of fascism and may de- for discussion two items vewe of par- Here MacDonald got the shock of A membership meeting will be held very.soon where all the Jun- Both these resolutions were passed; this means that the I. L. P. has ex- pressed its belief in class collabora- tion tangibly, and class struggle tangibly. Apparently they are strongly of the opinion that running with the hares and hunting with the hounds is sound political policy. Then came the item which the op- timists declared would show, that the LL. P. still had a fighting spirit. This was the parliamentary report. But actually, though ,Buchanan and Ste- phen, two of the Clyde M. P.’s in- dulged in some very strong criticism of the labor government, the con- ference was so weak that MacDonald with his windy effervescence and ap- peal for justice and his claim to be) immune from criticism, finally carried the support of the conference for what a right wing labor member once called “The best conservative government of modern times.” It is something new in an assembly of presumably working class delegates when a member, however eminent, can get away with it by objecting to criticism of one so exalted as himself and can brand with complete impunity all his critics as small minded men. On the question of armaments the pure pacifism of a small section was promptly squashed by the official bunch, whose policy apparently is to talk peace and brotherhood and to build armaments as fast as possible. Eventually it was decided to allow I. L, P. members of parliament to vote exactly as they liked upon this ques- tion. This of course was just as well, because they have always in the past |done just as they liked, with but little regard for the interests of the work- ing class movement. A long debate then took place on confiscation or compensation. The champions of compensation were Dr. Hugh Dalton and W. Graham. Max- ton took up the cudgels on behalf of | confiscation. The line of the compensationists and their argument was one which has been rendered familiar by genera-. tions of liberal and tory street corner tub-thumpers. We were referred to the hard lot ofthe half million “capi- talists” in the co-operatives, In order not to antagonise the workers with small savings we must compensate the capitalist. In other words, we must forego the very object of our exist-” ance, the establishment of socialism. On the other hand Maxton, while making a good destructive speech, failed entirely to face up the problem of how to confiscate if reliance is to be placed solely on the parliamentary democracy that the I. L. P. professes. This item was eventually referred back to the branches for discussion. This fact alone is proof enough that MacDonald's influence with the work- ing class is on the wane, otherwise the meré suggestion woiild have been scouted. Apart from these main items hur- ried resolutions were discussed deal- ing with the reform of parliament, on the lines of the ordinary British bour- geois municipal council, on India, ad- vogating Dominon Home Rule, sup- port of the league of nations ete. If one surveys the work of the con- ference, one finds that the I. L. P. is still facing both ways, still unable to make up its collective mind on any working class problem, still largely under the influence of liberals, who have joined the I. L. P. not because they love and admire socialism, but because they hope to make the social- ists love and admire liberalism. Still one gleam of hope arises from this conference: MacDonald, who last year was greeted with the most serv- ile adulation, who in the past was un- disputed tyrant of the lL L. P., now finds not only criticism of his action supported by one third of the confer- ence, but that some elements are striving for a militant policy. That policy they will not fiind in the I. L. P., and in the near future the Communist Party should begin to recruit the best of the proletarian I. L. Pers into its ranks.. UNION UNITY IN (prices, the breaking down of the | eight-hour day and the unempzoyment which would result. | At the very moment when the C. |G. T. U. was making these proposals }and once more placing before the working class the question of trawe union unity and the realization of a completely united front, the leaders of the C. G. T., side by side with the socialist leaders, were involved in the lowest political intrigues in their ef- forts to solve the ministerial crisis | which was taking place, and to con- tinue the policy of suporting the new government. HE negotiations with the represen- tatives of the bourgeoisie have shown the working class how far they have already been guilty of treachery. When the renegade Briand was cajled upon to form a ministry, the gocialist leaders called the national council of their party in order to discuss whether they should accept the pro- posal made to them by Briand, that they should take part in the gov- ernment. It was no longer merely a question of supporting the govern- ment but of actually taking part in the ministry, side by side with one of the worst opponents of the working class. The majority of the active so- cial democrats of the national council expressed themselves in favor of this participation, but they postponed it to a later date as they feared, in view of the fact that the municipal elec- tions were about to take place, that immediate acceptance might have un- pleasant consequences for their party. ‘The*resolution passed by this so- cialist national council commissions the party to examine into the future possibilities of participating in the ministry, and declares that this must be done in agreement with the re- formist C. G. T. Attention .should be called to the fact that, at the same moment when the socialist national council came to this decision, Jouhaux in the name of N Iowa manufacturer was in Lon- don and was given the opportunity of shaking the king’s hand. King George of England, an idiot who sits on the exposition, declaring “now I'm happy. I have shaken hands with the king SHAKING A KING’S HAND FRANCE. the reformist C. G. T., paid an official visit to Briand,.during whicn, uncer cover of a discussion about the ecu- nomic labor council and the league of nations to which both belonged, the two cronies discussed the possible participation of the socialist leaders and even of the leaders of the C.G. T. in the government. S a result of the momentary’ refu- sal of the socialists Ri ee te the renegade Briand failed te~form—- his ministry. He prepared the way for the formation of a republican con- centration government Painleve, Cail- laux, Briand, with regard to which the worthy social democratic leaders have decided on a policy of support, as they suported the government of their friend Herriot. Thus, at the same time as they re- fused the proposals for unity made to them by the C. G. T. U., at the same time as proposals were made to them by the revolutionary organizations for the formation of a united front of all workers in the fight against fascism, the social democratic leaders accept- ed the support of a government which nurtures in its bosom the bitterest opponents of the workers, the most faithful allies of high finance and the reliable accomplices of fascism. HIS last treachery will open the eyes of the reformist workers who are still hesitating; it will bring the whole of the working class into closer touch with the revolutionary organiz- ations, the C. G. T. U. and the Com- munist Party. Finally, the campaign for the mu- nicipal elections which is now begin- ning, will afford us an opportunity to pillary the attitude of the leaders in the course of the political events of these last weeks. It will make it pos- sible for us to intensify the agitation for trade union unity and a united front, and to prove that the C. G, T. U. is the only organization which is really desirous of unity. is to say, to bleed the workers. United States may be changed Tp, a monarchy, as far as they aré ‘con- cerned, provided it allows them to fur- - ahead of the collector for the harvester trust, the A British throne, emperor of the crushed | ther their income. In Paterson is the hard cold fact that fighting t collector for the loan shark and the collector for unions win, Even tho they do not achieve all they| The Chicago.Junior Section. (against religious teachings and| Millions of Indie, Nag sree The workers of the United States the local robbers who call themselves businessmen.| xt ont to do the workers are certainly not worse| Since the las@eonvention of the {militarism in the public schools. heakeas uectigod .at tha swvempley:| Sc’ renee ae Mey %, The farmers work for this trio and the railroad & Ka im Yor ra a workers of the United States need is to give the capitalists such a shake one else. ergy ; have increased their activities in|iors in the city and also | of England and Jack Dempsey.” that they will throw them off their— at th it the textile dustry togeth i h 7 e city and also league V Into this situation comes the klan with its doe- aiane of ‘snavauiee-dak ie 2 po yer rge proportions. The party ap-| members will be present to take This is a specimen of the “repub-/the workers'—backs. Hindenburg, trine of racial and religious hatred, its weird cere- workers. preciates the importance of this|up in detail plans for the drive |lican” spirit of America, as manifest- George, Coolidge—what is the differ- monies and its threats of violence culminating al- ways in some cowardly outrage on helpless in- dividual objects of its wrath. It is all very well to brand the klan as an organ- Sixteen mines have now been closed by the Pitts- burgh Coal company. Unemployment is being use movement and is lending assist- ance and giving its time to build the groups. Financially the party has been an important cog Jand to discuss future activities. against these two evils, and also At factory campaigns the Jun- iors are prominent and are al- ed when Hindenburg was elected president of Germany. The American capitalists care very little for the “republic” of the United States, The ence? To the American capitalists it is all the same—as their actions prove. Mussolini of Italy and Horthy of Hungary are all the same to them. The capitalist republic of the United a { to force the miners to take lower wages and longer | the federations: have “helped jand ization of degenerates, but it serves a very valuable United States offers them an oppor-| States is not yet endangered. What purpose for the big and little robbers. It diverts attention from the class issues involved, creates dissension in the local organizations of the ex- ploited and enables the local rulers to persecute those more militant workers and farmers who re- thruout the industry, the sabotage of the campaign for the nationalization of the mines and the six- hour day by the officials of the United Mine Work- ers of America is nothing more or less than join- hours. In the face of this condition, a general one | 4% Padige euiomies ot eblider: who attend the ‘Inaguage schools. The Junior groups are taking|in our work and makes it easier n active part in pushing all theo ways willing to sell our party or- gangs and aid in all the “Jimmy Higgins” work. The proletarian character of the children helps us for them to understand us. The tunity to accumulate millions—that, are taught that their future aim’ should be to become members of the Young Workers we and the workers of the United States need is a workers’ republic, where there will be no kings, no capitalist presi- ents, hut a republic where the work- rs and poor farmers will rule, _ 1 » to tho American workers to do t ing hands with the enemies of the coal miners, _ | activities laid down by the league |major activity the Juniors are| then of the Workers (Communist) [shaking. , hile bei bbed. an yal balioes ay tha otiene the klan must meen ana 1 autlel pe i e hold fe pe tea gegen in g Sore gee Rea! gop chye soiree f, be treated a8 an enemy of the workers and farmers| Every day get a “sub” for the DAJLY WORKER ‘and these nuclei we | locally as nationally. ; inloce al leaking’ ts tas oak Mayo Lal caged and an ally of the robber clique. and a member for the Workers Party. expect to our drive! “Organizationally the Tuntors ' wholet mE woamant. ; ‘ staat ra is . at ~ ; : riick , a ie } eee ey ee ; cd . . j ae ahaa