The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 1, 1925, Page 2

- I i LABOR DEFENSE CONFERENCE MAKES HISTORY IN STRUGGLE The National Conference for Labor Defense held Sunday in Ashland Auditorium, that gave birth to the first great non-par- tisan labor defense organization in the history of American labor, is an achievement that marks an epoch-making step forward:for the working class. Such was the opinion of the delegates to the conference re- turning home to complete the establishment,of the International Labor Defense they began on Sunday. The constitution providing for the founding of the “Inter- national Labor Defense” as an organization composed of in- dividual memberships and labor +— collective organizations was passed unanimously by the more than one hundred dele- gates present. No Discrimination In Defense The delegates represented trade union bodies, workers’ fraternal and benefit societies and defense organi- zations from all parts of the country. They declared in their constitution that the International Labor Defense will “serve as a non-partisan defense body for the protection of all workers persecuted by organized capital for expression of opinion or for their act- ivities in the labor movement, regard- } less of political or industrial affilia- tion, race color or nationality.” Ex-Class War Prisoners Attend A feature of the conference was the attendance of many ex-class war pris- oners who were seated unanimously by the delegates. Among these were Fred Mann, Harrison George, George Speed, Alfred Wagenknecht, John HEdenstrom and Ralph Chaplin, Labor Defense Council! Dissoives George Maurer, secretary of the La- bor fense Council presented a re- solution from the executive commit- tee of the council offering its equip- ment, organizational machinery and funds to the “International Labor Defense” founded by the conference. Chairman James P, Cannon, accept- ed for the conference and expressed the gratitude of the delegates, saying “This provides an immediate, material basis and gives us a beginning we are thankful for.” “Dangerous” Red Lamp Hight resolutions submitted by the resolutions committee were drafted as instructions for werk to the Inter- national Labor Defense. Andrew T. McNamara of Pittsburgh, report- ing @ resolution for campaign against antilabor fegisiatioa wad fujunctions said; “Tf you are in the tabor move- ment in Pennsylvania you never know what minute you are going to be put in jail. “We have laws and injunctions down there that will pat a worker be- hind bars any time the authorities who represent the tron and coal magnates feel like #% One worker was sent to jail in my state for having a red lamp in his parior.” Amnesty Campaigns Rose Barron of New York submit- ted a rasotution instructing the Inter- national Labor Defense to make spe- cial provision fpr adequate relief for the families and dependants of class war prisofiers. Harrison George, an ex-class war prisoner who spent five years in Leavenworth penitentiary, re- ported on a resolution for campaigns demanding the release of ai: political and industria: prisoners. He reviewed the history of the ~* ‘wholesale jatling of workers since the beginning of the war and warned the delegates that if the workers did not now begin the job of widespread pro- test it was giving the labor baiters encouragement for more and greater excesses in their persecution of the more alert and conscious section of the labor movement. “The railroading to prison of IL. W. W.’s and Communists is only a re- hearsal for the time when the whole labor movement will be attacked in Defense (Continued from page 1) betterment. They are class prisoners. The last ten years have witnes- sed more persecution and jailing of workers engaged in the fight against economic and political enslavement than any previous epoch in the his- tory of the land. There are no in- ‘dications that this offensive against the more alert and conscious sec- tion of the labor movement is go- ing to cease. On the contrary, there are many signs that point un- questionably to its continuation with ever more vigor. recent decision of the United States supreme court in the Git- low case upholding the conviction of Benjamin Gitlow means that the highest legal tribunal has placed its final sanction upon the so-called criminal syndicalist laws on the statute books of thirty-five states. ‘This decision is comparable with the Dred Scott decision by which the supreme court at that time Placed its “final sanction” upon chattel slavery. The decision sends @tlow back to Sing Sing, confronts Wiam ¥, Foster, ©, i. Ruthen A\ wh war WESTERN PROGRESSIVE FARMERS ENDORSE THE DEFENSE CONFERENCE A telegram of greetings to the delegates assembled in the Confer ence for Labor Defense held Sun- day in Ashland Auditorium and pledging support to the organiza- tion founded for uniting all sections of the workers’ and farmers’ move- ments for labor defense was receiv- ed from William Bouck of Sedro Wooley, Washington secretary of the Western Progressive Farmers’ Union of the Northwest. = an attempt to annihilate it.” he said. Unity in Defense The chairman of the conference, James P. Cannon, presented a resolu- tion calling for the co-operation of all sections of the labor movement in the work of labor defense and instruct- ing the new defense organization to secure united action with all existing defense bodies. “The job of defending ourselves against the attacks of the exploiters of labor is a basis for a common plat- form upon which workers of all be- liefs and affiliations can unite. I am convinced that this conference has made this materially possible and there is no doubt in ymy mind that the International Defense will rally all organizations of workers for the fight against the persecutors of labor and find means to effect fraternal co- operation with all existing defense or- ganizations that are engaged in the common cause of labor defense.” Know of 128 Prisoners Cora Meyer of the National Prison Comfort Club reported the resolution on relief for class-war prisoners. She reviewed the work done in this aéid by Hef organization witch will amalgamate with Interna- tional Labor Defenae and expressed confidence that the latter organization will provide for the 128 class war prisoners in the jails of this country. Gltlow Scores White Terror “The international character of cap- italism makes the class struggle an in- ternational one” said Benjamin Git- low, reporting a resolution on support to workers persecuted in other lands, “and it devolves as both a duty and necessity on the workers in this coun- try to defend their brothers in other countries who suffer oppression and persecution by the iron heel of impe- rialism.” Gitlow came to the conference very uncertain whether he would have to leave for Sing Sing before it was over. He was recently remanded to prison by a decision of the U. S. supreme court. Manifesto For Unity The manifesto of the conference, passed unanimously, ends with the slogans, “Release all class war pris- oners,” “Repeal all criminal syndical- ism laws,” and “Unite for Labor De- fense.” The manifesto calls upon the labor Movement and those sympathetic to the workers’ cause to rally behind the International Labor Defense. Large National Committee Thirty-seven nominations were made for the national committee and by un- animous vote of the body all were made members of the committee. On the committee, among others are, Eugene V. Dens, Upton Sinclair, Scott Nearing, Alice Stone Blackwell, Alex Howat, William Z. Foster, Bish- \op William Montgomery Brown, Robt. W. Dunn, Andrew T. McNamara, Ralph , Chaplin, ©. E. Ruthenberg, Hllen Hayes, Benjamin Gitlow and James P. Cannon. High-Time Says Maurer George Maurer, secretary of the La- bor Defense Council, said after the conference, “At last the labor move- ment has made a substantial begin- ning on a job that should have been done years ago, the uniting of all sec- tions of the working class in a sincere non-factional national movement in behalf of all class-war prisoners and for the protection of all workers against persecution.” Workers Will Support I. L. D. Members of the national committee expressed the opinion that the Inter- national Labor Defense will be imme- diately, acclaimed and supported in the labor centers of the country. The work of setting up the local units of the new organization will begin direct- ly after the meeting of the national committee. RIFFIANS DRIVE FRENCH BACK IN DOUBLE VICTORY European Imperialism on Run in Morocco PARIS, France, June 29.—The at- tack of the Riffians has driven the invading French troops back at two important places. Even the official French communique from Fez admits that the Riffians have made headway in their attempt to drive the Eu- ropean imperialists from Morocco, “In the region between Cheyab and Bou Haroun, dissident tribesmen suc- ceeded in pushing back for several kilometers our native covering troops,” saps the French dispatch. The Riffian thrust stretches along the entire eastern front, and have driven the French back toward Chir- fat, the French admit. In the Spanish zone, the Jabala and Riffians are concentrating for a heavy attack. The ‘Riffians aim to sever the Fez- Taza road/and in the Spanish zone to capture the Tetuan-Rio Martin road. The Buropean invaders hava been foreed | back on both fronts, despite the fesistance of French ar- tillry; and airplanes; « ‘helping the French infantry. Foreign Exchange Great Britain, pound sterling 4.85- I cable 4.86-3/16. France, franc, 4 ;-eable 4.58%. Belgium, franc 4.5214; cable 4.53. Italy, lira 3.58%; cable 3.56, Sweden, krone 26.77; cable 26.80. Norway, krone, 17.40; cable 17.42. Denmark, krone 19.70; cable 19.72. Germany, mark not quoted. Shanghai, tael 80.00; cable not quote. DUNNE TO SPEAK AT ST. LOUIS LABOR LYCEUM ON JULY 5 ST. LOUIS, June 29.—William F. Dunne will speak In St. Louls on Sunday, July 5th at a big meeting in the Labor Lyceum, 2714 North Garrison Ave. A big crowd is ex- pected not only from St. Louis com- rades but from nearby towns. Debs speaks at the funeral pienic of socialist party on July 4th and the Dunne meeting will serve as a real contrast in enthusiasm, under- standing, revolutionary zeal and act- ivity. Comrade Dunne is well known In St. Louis and in the mining com- munity about St. Louls and no doubt St. Louis will experience a success- ful and eventful day. PLO EP tet Ay eB TERE Blin, Ga te TA Bc Ahn UE A RE AR Bln SEA. Bi tht. GRO PEE a RE OE OE Be DE SI Ot NA RR CAE TACO NPE ON REALE I LETTE MOE DEE E a n THE DAILY THRONG GREETS | The Truth About China ORKER mM f ers me INTERNATIONAL || Reaches United States LABOR DEFENSE) By Way Ex-Prisoners Given Big Ovation by Workers (Continued from page 1) the audience. Bishop Brown donated $100 which brought the total collpétion up to $492.00 7 | Workers In Pa. for; Defense Andrew T. McNamar@ told the au- dience how labor is persecuted by the steel barons of Western Pennsylvania. “It isn’t safe to be in the labor move- ment in Pennsylvania, Any man at all who is active in the workers’ move- ment there can be put in jail ‘legally’ under our infamous, socalled ‘sedition’ act, Dozens already have been. We workers in Western Pennsylvania look upon what the conference did here today as a great boon. Perse- cutions of workers in Pennsylvania alone are sufficient justification for the founding of the International La- bor Defense.” Ovation for Bishop Brown Bishop William Montgomery Brown was given an ovation and his speech partly humotous and yet expressing the bishop’s sincere convictions con- cerning the struggle of the workers against the domination of capital left the workers and delegates present with a sense of marked appreciation for the bravery and spirit of the cour- ageous old man who was recently ex- pelled by his church because of his at- tachment to the workers’ cause. Chaplin Speaks for Prisoners Ralph Chaplin spoke in behalf of the 128 class war prisoners in the jails of the country. “If the workers on the outside realized what it means to thos@ behind the bars to know that meetings like this are being held for them they would hold them every night in the week. “Those of us who have been locked up can tell you that you are doing a great service for our imprisoned bro- thers in uniting the forces of the workers’ movement to let them know that you haven't forgotten them, And we can appreciate too, the simple, but to those in prison, highly necessary, extension of 4 few ordinary comforts such as tobacco and books.” Crowd Cheers; Gitlow When Chairman Dunne introduced Gitlow, whose conviction has been sus- tained by the! ‘supreme Court of the United States, the ,aciiience rose and yelled for two minutes. “When that robed committees representing Wall Street, the supreme court; hand- ed down its decision in:my case ing that workers could be sent to jail for being class-conscious and for hav- ing opinions, it issued noth’ a warn- ing and a challenge to the workers of this country that they cam expect no quarter in the class war between them and their exploiters,” Gitlow began, “The conference that was held today and the work that it accomplished in uniting the bonds of solidarity be- tween all the various parts of the la- bor movement for workers’ defense, is timely indeed and throws, that chal- lenge back into the teeth of the master class of this country. “We are showing them here today that we are prepared to meet their vicious and poisonous propaganda, their jailings and lynchings of work- ers, their laws and therr injunctions with a united front of class conscious workers prepared to fight them to a finish.” Meeting Is Great Success The success of the meeting was at- tested to by the fact that although there were two thousand people jam- med into the hall and the meeting lasted almost three hours scarcely a person left until the nish when the audience filed out with cheers and ap- plause for the speakerg on the plat- form and for the International Labor Defense. of U.S.S.R. By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. erp aaa Toe the first revealing light on real conditions in the Chinese drive for national liberation comes by way of Moscow. It is said that the truth travels slower than lies, but the truth has arrived, showing the encouraging facts with regard to the struggle of rising China against her imperialist oppressors. geet Already on June 7th, when the American kept press was relating how the strike wave in China was —s the total number of workers involved in Shanghai had reached 40,000. Two days later, on June 9th, the 150,000,000 workers and peasants of the Union of Soviet Republics were getting the truth, that the number of workers on strike in China had reached 1,000,000, while in Shanghai alone the total was up to 260,000. These facts are now being spread by the DAILY WORKER for the first time in capitalist America. When the figures had reached 125,000 and were rapidly climbing, the International Press Correspondence, that serves the world Communist press, states that even this number “was unparalleled in the history of the Chinese labor move- ment.” Thus the Communist press held to the workers’ side of the struggle, while all the press agencies of the bandit im- perialists were wildly screaming about the “lives of for- eigners” they claimed were threatened in the various Chi- nese cities, at the same time seeking by every possible means to minimize the heroic struggles of Chinese labor. * * * ° That the “lives of foreigners” were amply protected, while Chinese workers and students were being murdered by the score, and wounded by the hundreds, can be judged from the fact that on June 11th, there were 23 alien war- ships in the harbor of Shanghai, with the American killers outnumbering all the rest. The figures were: American war- ships, 10; Japanese, 5; British, 4; French, 3; and Italian, 1. These brought 4,000 marines to the port, of whom 3,000 were put on land. e * e ° Against such an array of imperialist_murder machines the Chinese workers did not weaken. They stood their ground. But they paid the price. Up to June 7th, 42 work- ers had been murdered and 85 wounded, in what the foreign soldiery looked upon as a “sporting game.” The teaching staff of the Peking National University reported on June 11th, that the total number of killed was 70, while the total of wounded had reached 300, not one of these being a “foreigner.” None of these figures appeared in the American kept press. Instead these yellow sheets were howling about an American wounded by a stray bullet while out soldiering. ° « * @ Then on June 12th came the mighty mass protest gatherings in the city of Moscow itself, the capital city of the Soviet Republics, attended by 450,000 people, close to half a million. It found its valiant echo in another great demon- stration, that held at Peking, China, June 11th, attended by 100,000 people in Tien An Mena Square. Thus the move- ‘ment grows in harmony with the world struggle of the down- trodden, which Gregory Zinoviev, president of the Commun- ist International, sums up with these words: “The Moroccan War, the Shanghai happenings, the growing unemployment in Great Britain, the election of Hin- denburg, the Bulgarian events, the symptoms of a financial crisis in France, all go to show that capitalism is doomed to death and that the international proletariat, under the leader- ship of the Communist International will be its grave digger.” ese © 6 These world events will only find their working class interpretation, with the facts as to daily developments in the Communist press. This must be clear to all workers. Hf not, it will be made clearer to them with each new day's development. In China the 6,000,000 proletarians assume the leader- ship of the struggle of the whole population of more than 400,000,000. It is a struggle with which every worker in the United States must become acquainted, with which he must identify his own struggle. He can only begin to do this by reading the Communist press and studying its literature, issued in the United States by the Workers (Communist) Party. Chinese developments again draw clearly the lines between the class press, the Communist press of the work- ing class against the capitalist press of the exploiting class. Buy Up Railroad. Autos Kill 6 in One Day GARY, Ind., June 29.—The Chicago, South Shore and South Bend railroad today completed the purchase of the Chicago, Lake Shore & South Bend railroad for a purchase price said to have been $6,000,000 flat. Reckless driving of automobiles in Cook county killed six in one day, among them a boy 9 years old who was struck while crossing a: street. This brings the total deaths by auto- mobiles in Cook county since Jan. 1 of this year to 350, hee FIRE AND F100 ADD TO CAL. QUAKE HAVOC Santa Barbara Ruined, with Many Dead. SAN FRANCISCO, June 29—Twen- ty-seven persons were killed In a vio lent earthquake that partly destroyed Santa Barbara. The principal bulld- Ings on State street, the main busi- thorofare, were reported demol- ished. The Arlington Hotel is in ruins, as the Califorria Hotel. The historic Santa Barbara mission Is a pile of debri. The Cabrillo hotel was torn in two. Relief trains, with nurses, medical aid and food supplies, have been rushed to the stricken city. se. City Reported Flooded. SAN LUIS OBISPO, Cal., June 20— The water reservoir is out of :com- mission at Santa Barbara as & result of the earthquake which devastated the city. Five tremors were regis- tered. The Southern Pacific round- house caved in. The Gibraltar dam, above Banta |Barbara, has broken, and the water from the reservoir is reported to be flooding the city, The Southern Pacific raflroad sta- tion at Golita, eight miles north of Santa Barbara, was reported wrecked. ay er Telephone Lines Down. LOS ANGELBS, Cal. June 29,—All telephone lines into Santa Barbara are down. The board, of supervisors of Los Angeles county has offered Santa Barbara county any aid needed. The railroad tracks at Naples were badly twisted. Oil tanks at Summerland were wrecked, flooding the district with oil. Roads are blocked by land- slides. te. | Fire Breaks Out VENTURA, Cal., June 29—Fire has broken out in the stricken city of Santa Barbara. Those who fled from |the city reported here that several jhouses were in flames. All water mains are broken. The small town ‘of Goleta, near Santa Barbara, was completely destroyed by the quake, which was followed there by fire. Santa Barbara is a city of 76,000 population. It is located at the edge of the Pacific ocean, 90 miles north of Los Aageles, and 367, miles south yof San Fancisco, The shocks were felt as far north as San Luis Obispo and to the south of Los Angeles. Some reports placed the number of dead at above the 27 reported to the railroad. Hospitals were demolished, and several hospital patients were re ported killed. Germany to Drop Carpet Tax TEHERAN, June 29.—A protest in- cluding threats of a reprisal tax against German luxuries imported into Persia if the German tax on Per- sian carpets is retained has forced the German minister here to offictally an- nounce that Berlin will give Persia more favorable treatment. A short story from the workshop: “CARBON CAKES” By Franklin R. Timmins in the July Special Anti- Imperialist Issue of The Workers Monthly 25 Cents a Copy $2.00 a Year $1.25 Six Monthe 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. Conference Unanimously Adopts Stirring Manifesto berg, Robert Minor, and thirty other Communist workers, with the danger of long prison sentences for “assembling.” One hundred and twenty-seven (union miners have been tried recently in West Virgin- ia under an fnjunction against pick- eting. Injunctions are obtained from the courts now in every labor dispute, -big or little, by the class enemies of the workers, Prosecu- tion of workers in California mere- ly for being members of the I. W. W. continues. An international of- ficer of the American Federation of Labor and the internationa,. vice- president of the Street Sarmen’s Union have been indicted on framed-up charges by a Buffalo grand jury for strike activity three years ago. Ten workers face trial under Pennsylvania’s infamous se- dition act for distributing literature explaining the struggles of the work- ers. Special legislation against the foreign-born places every active alien union and radical worker in danger of deportation, The growing movement for organ- ization of Negro workers and farm- ers has increased the special perse- cutions from which they have al- ways suffered. Many Negro work- ers, farmers and soldiers are in prisons for no other reason than that they have either tried to organ- ize themselves in labor and farmer unions. of otherwise sought protec- tion against exploitation and the torture and murder of members of their race, OONEY and Billings, Sacco and Vanzetti, Matt Schmitt and J. B. “McNamara, Ford and Suhr, Rangel and Cline, and many others soldiers of the working class, wear, away their lives in prison and all efforts to secure their release so far has failed. The military court-martial in Hawaii has sentenced two Ameri- can soldiers, Crouch ‘and Trumbull, to military prison for expressing political opinions. These facts and many more that could be vlted are proof that the offensive against the labor movement has been broadened in the last ten years to include all sections of the working class, BROAD, since the war, the work- ers and peasants of Europe have had to suffer constant and bloody oppression at the hands of capital- ist reaction, In Italy, Germany, Hungary and especially in the Bal- kan and Baltic states, in India, China and Africa, in Haiti, Mexico, Central and South America the workers and farmers ure terrorized by the open reign of violence insti- tuted against them by the capitalist governments. ¢ RKERS’ organizations are de- clared illegal, thousands of workers and peasants fill the jails, and in many countries the spokes- men and leaders of the workers are murdered without trial. These bloody excesses against the work- ing class abroad demand not only phatic protest ut active sup- rt of the workers’ defense in these intries by the American working 8. ‘he continued persecution of the in this country and the un- Kable signs of its intensifica- call for the organization of all This it allowed,to continue, will the destruction, or at best, the serious weakening of the labor Hovement. The need of this er to pledge his support to a con- certed movement whose purpose is to concentrate the resistance'of the whole working class and all those sympathetic to the cause of the workers, in defense of the militants who are singled out or grouped to- gether for a target of attack by or- ganized capitalism. NTIL now, workers’ defense has been spontaneous and sporadic, have been Defense committees created hastily as caus frequently had to workers without adequate connec- tions and experience to properly handle them. Widespread publicity often is not secured and the power of the labor movement at large is not mastered for the defense. As a con- sequence, many obscure workers have been railroaded to prison with- out the knowledge of the labor movement—“Unknown Soldiers” of the class-war. All possible forces must be rallied for the defense of every worker attacked thru the courts or otherwise by the agents of capitalism. This conference, consisting of del- egates from’ all sections of the la bor movement and from existing la- \, } bor defense bodies, sets up the IN- TERNATIONAL LABOR DEFENSE for the purpose of fulfill’ng this mis- sion. The INTERNATIONAL LA- BOR DEFENSE is a non-partisan or- ganization. Its object is to unite all forces for labor defense. It con- stitutes itself as an ever-ready and ever-willing champion for the de- fense of all workers attacked for their activity in the labor move ment or for expression of political opinion or industrial affiliation. HE INTERNATIONAL LABOR DEFENSE will seek to collect material and give publicity to all cases of working-class persecution, to expose brutal treatment of class- war prisoners and to bare secret anti-labor activities such as labor spy systems, etc. This conference proclaims that the INTERNATION- AL LABOR DEFENSE stands ready to provide legal, moral and mater- jal aid to all workers persecuted for their activities in the labor move- ment or for expression of opinion. The conference considers it a first duty of the working class to look after. the comfort and well-being of | ‘its. hostages to capitalism and to supply material comforts and the means of existence to their families, The International Labor Defense will organize and lead netionwide campaigns for the release of ali class-war prisoners, conduct a re lentless strugglé against anti-labor legislation, and fight for the repeal of all criminal syndicalism, crimin- al anarchy and sedition laws—ex- ceptional measures designed to give a legal covering to the attacks of the ruling class upon militant work- ers and the whole labor movement. The conference senas its warm- est fraternal greetings to all class war prisoners in America and to the victims of the White Terror abroad. T declares it unqualified solidarity with the exploited workers and farmers the world over and appeals to them and to all sections of the American labor movement to rally to the support of the INTERNA- ‘TIONAL LABOR DEFENSE in its task of fighting back the capitalist jailers and hangmen. Unite for labor ! Demand the release of all war prisoners, * Fight against deportation! Fight against all anti-labor legie lation! Aut ; ~ Fight against criminal tom tawel ‘clave.