The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 2, 1925, Page 4

Four THE DAILY WORKER Published by the 1118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Il. ‘ SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mall (in Chicage only): By mall (outside of Chicago): $8.00 per year $4.50 six months | $6.00 per year $3.50 six months $2.50 three months $2.00 three months Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER, 1118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Iilinole "J. LOUIS ENGDAHL WILLIAM F, DUNNB MORITZ J. LOEB......cossssssssesnsee ——<——${ $$$ —————— Entered as second-class mail September 21, 1923, at the post-office at Chi- cago, Ill, under the act of March 3, 1879. DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO, Phone Monroe 4712 Editors Business Manager <p 290 Advertising rates on application. Engels on Britain Today $290,000,000 for new warships has been appropriated by the Brit- ish government as the greatest crisis in its career approaches. Even Premier Baldwin, hardboiled tory tho he is, was seemingly afraid to make the demand for this huge sum during the prevailing crisis, but the admiralty and the admirals delivered an ultimatum— either the appropriation would be made and work on more warships munist) Party to be held August 21: The more deeply our Party is be- * coming Bolshevized, the clearer becomes its conceptions on the urgent necessity of an agrarian program and policies and systematic Communist must take closely to its heart and to its understanding the lesson given by the last plenum of the Communist In- ternational: that an under-estimation 6f the agrarian question by a Com- munist Party is fatal for the proletar- ian struggle for power. y) One of the effective ways of Bol- * shevizing our Party is to increase considerably our interest and Com- munist activities in the Party's agri- cultural work. We may subdivide our agricultural campaign into two phases: First—to draw the rural proletariat which is part of the working class into active participation in the class strug- begun or they would resign. The Baldwin cabinet agreed with the war lords. Here is a classic example of the role the state—the agency of the capitalist class for the suppression of the masses. Said Frederick Engels: The second distinguishing feature (of class society) is the estab- lishment of a public power which ig no longer. identical with the population and which is organized as an armed force. This distinct public power is necessary, because of self-acting armed organization of the population has become impossible with the break-up of society into classes ..,.. The need of the British masses is for bread, not for battleships, but the ruling class and the “special bodies of armed men” upon whom it depends wants more weapons of warfare—and get them. Lloyd George and Ramsay MacDonald join in futile opposition to the increase in armaments, but they do not challenge the capitalist state because they are part of it. It is symptomatic of the crisis within capitalist society that the British militarists hold the upper hand and grab millions for the navy when the whole fabric of British industry is being ripped and torn by the greatest conflict in its history. Engels might have been writing of Europe today when he said: The above-mentioned public force increases with the intensifica- tion of olass antagonism within’the state, and with the growth in size and population of the adjacent states. One has but to glance at present day Europe In which the class struggle and rivalry in con- quests have screwed up that public force to such a pitch that it threatens to swallow up the whole of society and even the state itecif , Who can look with undrestanding gaze at Europe today without realizing that the armed forces of the great states have become more and more separated from the masses of the population until the ruling class ean no longer count on loyalty to its instruments from the masses? The state, synonymous with its “special bodies of armed men,” appears openly as the enemy of the masses. This heralds the beginning of great mass movements like that now gaining impetus in England and which can end only in revolu- tion. The Coal Crisis and the Need for Unity In the coal industry the lines are being drawn for a great strug: gle. There seems to be little doubt that a strike will. occur this fall in the anthracite regions upon the expiraiton of the agreement unless the coal barons make substantial concessions to the miners. The union officials have been forced by rank and file pressure to adopt a more militant attitude than they have shown in recent years and about the militancy of the coal diggers themselves there is no question. In the soft coal fields the constant violations of the agreement by the bosses have practically wiped out all semblance of a contract and standard wage scale; the shutdown policy used by the coal bar- ons has proved to the miners that they must either fight or surrender and they have no intention of surrendering. There are greater evidences of international unity among the coal miners than ever before and a crisis exists in coal in England, Belgium, France, Germany and America which tends to bring closer the great unions of coal miners in all these countries. Quite aside from the great importance to the American labor movement of the impending struggle of the United Mine Workers, the larest union in the American Federaiton of Labor, is the patent fact that the coal miners in all the capitalist countries need the closest kind of international organization. Capitalist industry is so closely linked together today that strikebreaking has become an international enterprise. Coal from America must not be used to break the strike of British miners nor must coal from the Rhur break the strike of American miners. The officialdom of the American unions opposed world trade union unity but the mass of organized workers will soon, thru ter- rible pressure from the capitalists listen more and more readily to the left wing of the labor movement when calls upon them for unity: from below and in spite of the sabotage of capitalism’s agents in the unions. The Press Picnic The workers of Chicago are cordially invited to the fourth an- nual workers’ press picnic, which will be held tomorrow in Riverview Park. Communist papers depend on the nickels and dimes of the working class for its existenc.e The class that it serves must sup- port it. 5 Therefore we hope that tomorrow’s affair will be patronized by those who realize the value that the DAILY WORKER and other Communist papers are rendering to the working class movement. Another Soviet Republic about to be proclaimed! This kind of. thing is getting monotonous for the capitalists and just about as comforting as the ticking of a clock to the condemned man. Julius Rosenwald has given more than two millon dollars to Negro charities,;we are told. Where did he get the money? Very likely by exploiting Negro workers; most certainly by robbing white workers. Australian capitalist politicians are entertaining the officers of the American fleet, But the Australian workers don’t seem to be so enthusastic,’ There’s a reason. Get a member for the Workers Party and a new subscription for the DAILY WORKER. gle side by side with the city prole- tariat against the bourgeoisie. This is part of the process of the unifica- tion of the working class, Second—to separate from the bour- geoisie and neutralize and to win over to revolutionary proletarian influence and leadership the middle farmers, the poor mortgaged and tenant farm- ers, and fhe semi-proletarian farming masses. 3 The Communist Party must Still * overcome certain prejudicies in its ranks in order to. intensify’ and broaden its activities among the agri- cultural masses. (a) We must reject categorically and fight energetically against that narrow guild or craft concept of the class struggle in our ranks which is the chief barrier to our approuwch and application of Communist tactics in our agricultural work. (b) We must categorically reject the non-Communist. and even anti- Communist attitude occasionally mani- festing itself in our Party, of disre- garding the tremendous significance of the farming masses in the struggle of the proletariat against the big bourgeoisie. (c) Marx has well said: “Only if we succeed in moving the peasant masses to a coalition with the proletariat, the proletarian revolution will have obtained a chorus without which its revolutionary solo (song) would become a swan song in all agréeultural (peasant) nations.” Nearly one-fourth (about ten mil- * lion people) of those employed in gainful occupations in the United States are engaged in agriculture, Of these about two million and a half are agricultural workers, proletarians of the farms, who have the same in- terests as the proletarjat of the cities and must be made to struggle jointly against the common exploiters. 5. The Communist work among the * agricultural masses is especially important for the Workers Party of America because: (a) Agricultural production consti- tutes nearly 40 per cent of the total production in the United States. (b) With the development of the United States as the dominant impe- rialist power the American colonial domain is growing to gigantic propor- tions. In those colonies the agricul- ural masses constitute the bulk of the population. Thus the agricultural question assumes for the American proletariat increasing importance be- cause of its close connection with the colonial question. (c) Furthermore our bourgeoisie are making strenuous efforts to utilize the present period of temporary improve- ment of the agricultural condition for establishing their domination over these rural masses at home and mob- ilizing them against the proletariat. 6. In planning our agricultural work * we must recognize the various di- visions within the agricultural masses in the United States. We must con- sider carefully the social composition of the farmers in the United States. (a) There is a small section of wealthy farmers whose interests are unqualifiedly capitalist, (b) One sixth of all our farms are | work on the agrarian field. The Party |: The following resolution was unanimously adoptediby’ the Parity Com- mission for submission to the National Convention off the Workers (Com- ae eS mortgaged; that, isfi about a million and a half. as (c) Seventy dent of all the Im- proved land in the: United States is today operated by tenants. (d) There are two million agricul- tural workers. These farm hands are mainly disfranchised, migratory work- ers whose standard of living is low. (e) We must take further into ac- count the fact that in the United States except in certain sections of the South, we do not have a big, spe- cial land owning class in the Euro- pean sense. The same bankers and manufacturers ‘who own the mines, factories, railroads: and shipping facili- ties are in the main the’owners of the land used by the farmers. (f) Furthermore, the conditions are such that in mi heb farmers are saltancoudy mers and work- ers, the industrif] workers turning to farming for sever! months of the year, . (g) In the United States, because of the tremendous economic and poli- tical power wiel@ed by the huge bank- ing and transportation monopolies and the trusts, there is a, far sharper con- flict of interests between even the middle farmers and the big bourgeoi- sie than there is*between these farm- ers and the proletariat. There are in the United States over two million tenant farmers and about one and a half million mortgaged farmiérs, whose average income is somewhere between seven and ten dollars a week. These two groups of poor farmers, semi- proletarian in their social position and mode of living, are struggling desperately to maintain an existence and are therefore in great need of as- sistance and cooperation from the city workers in the struggle against capi- talist exploitation. Unlike. the ¢onditions in some of * the agrarian countries of Europe, there is in the United: States, with the exception of the South, no large land- owning class, no Jand aristocracy. The class that owns. and ¢ontrols the ¢co- nomic life of the agrarian population are the bankers, grain speculators, mine and railroad magnates, trusts and other capitalist corporations. That is, the same capitalist glass that domi- nates and exploits the workers of the cities. Thus thé¥e"is a clear com- munity of interest between the work- ing class and the poor farmers for a common struggle against the com- mon enemy. Undoubtedly the severe agricul- * tural crisis of 1920 which pro- duced such an jntense ferment in the ranks of the farming masses has abated. The world crop shortage of last year was the feinetpal force for whatever improvement recent months have seen in the lot of the agricu! tural masses. But it must be pointe-i out that (a) Tho the crisis has abated it has | aot been solved COmpletely. At the lowest point of the recent agricultural depression, which, was the worst in the history of the Mnited States, the purchasing power,of the farming masses fell to 20 ger cent below the pre-war level. Today; despite the much- heralded improverient of the eco- nomic conditions of-the farming miss- es, the purchasing ower of the agr'- cultural population“fs, still at least 10 per cent below the® pre-war level. (b) Besides, the gavages of the I7s+ severe agriculturaP depression hav» been so sweeping @nd so deep going that it would take many years u considerable economic improvemeni for the farming masses to make up tor their heavy losses. (c) The fundamental causes, for the agricultural crisis in the United States, a condition which has been and is part of the international agri- cultural crisis, have not been removed The basic causes for the unsatisfac- tory economic and social conditions of the farming masses in the Unite: States are to be found in the wide e°D, in the deep chasm, between the or- ganization, or rather lack of organiza- |FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS REG RDING THE PARTY’S NATIONAL CONVENTION ——— The postcriptum to the Call for the National Convention of the Workers (Communist) Party published in last Monday’s, DAILY WORKER called at- tention to the fact that the question of representation of the Young Workers League in the city and district conventions of the party was still to be decided as well as the question whether Chester, Pa, should Philadelphia City Central Committee. 4 Mated with the These questions have now been taken up and the following decision ren- dered by the Central Executive Com- mittee: " 1, That the Young Workers League city organizations shall be entitled to one delegate in the city conventions of the Party. 2. That the Young Workers League district organizations shall be entitled to one delegate in the district conven- tions of the Party, 3. The Party will send three dele- gates to the city and district conven- tions of the Young Workers League. The provisions of the Party consti- tution covering the election of Young Worker League delegates to Party conventions as adopted by the last convention are as follows: (a) City organization of the Young Workers League shall be represented in city conventions thru delegates elected by the City Central Committee of the Young Workers League the ap- portionment to be made by the party organization, Where only one branch of the Young Workers League exists that branch shall elect the represen: tatives. / ‘ (b) District Oxganizations of the Young Workers Yeague shall be rep- resented in the District Conventions of the Party thrig representatives ap- pointed by the rict Committee of the Young Workers League. No branches of city organization shall have delegates in the District Conven- tion, except in such instances where no District organization of the Young Workers League exists. In these cases the City Executive Committee of the City Central Committee of the largest Young Workers League city organization in the district shall elect the delegates Gapportioned to the Party District Convention. 4. That the ches of Chester shall be affiliated with Philadelphia City Central Committee and send dele: gates to the Phijadelphia city conven- tion. Ds ah Me |. Ruthenberg, * Executive Secretary tion, of agricultural economy on the one hand and the high efficiency of the splendid industrial organization onthe other hand. American indus: trial production is organizationally o» a highly social basis. American agri- cultural economy is still predominant- ly organized on an individval basis, The dire conditions in which ths farming masses have found them- selyes are to be attributed to the fact that they are compelled to sell their products at a low price and are forced to buy the industrial commodities ot the powerful trusts at exorbitant prices, (d) The disorganization of the agri- cultural economy in the United States has been further aggravated by the over-development of agricultural pro- duction thru stimulation by the tempo- rarily increased demands of the world war; the subsequent reduced post- war purchasing power of many coun- tries and the loss of the markets of other countries, particuluarly in Eu- rope; and by the continuous strong support tendered the monopolists against the farming masses by the United States government thru high railroad rates and burdensome taxa- tion, (e) The basic factors that produced the agrarian crisis in the U. S. in 1920-23 have not been removed, The temporary alleviation of the crisis has been achieved by American capital- ism at the cost of expropriating from their land hundreds of thousands of farmers. The impoverishment of the European population, resulting froin the decline of capitalism, the emer- gence of Canada, Argentina and Aus- tralia as successful competitors of the U. S, on the agricultural world market and the relative improvement of the European agriculture are creating a permanent critical situation for the agrarian population of the U. S. A new wave of agrarian discontent Is now in the making and it is the real- ization of this fact that makes the capitalists and the government of America pay so much attention to the agrarian problems in the U. S. 1 The burden of taxation is be- * coming heavier and more unbear- able for large sections of the farmers. The American capitalists persist in their policy of shifting the burden ever more to the shoulders of ths farmers and workers. Already there is a new campaign on foot to have the coming session of Congress revise the taxation laws still more in the interests of the big capitalists snd against the farmers and workers. 1 Marx once daclared, “The * changes in the relations tween town and country are a sign of changes in the whole epoch.” (a) This truth is. born out very idly and intensely in the United States. The results of the severe agri- cultural depression are of the great- 2st significance. The migration of sev- eral million farmers from the rural communities into the industrial cen ters; the expropriation of hundreds of thousands of the exploited farm‘ag masses; the proletarianization of hun- dreds of thousands of poor farmers are only amongst the, outstandi manifestations of deep going changes in the class composition of the United States. This process of agricultural -xpropriation brought about by the scissors” relationship hastens the tendency towards the concentration of ownership and centralization of op- eration in agricultural production Thus, the bad economic conditions of ihe farming masses are further aggra- rated and their social composition i ‘urther undermined and fundamental ty changed. (b) The influx of hundreds of thou- sands of native elements primarily un- skilled into the big basic industries where previously the overwhelming majority were foreign born, is a force hasteping the creation of a homo- geneous working class in America and consequently aiding the development of class-consciousness in the United States. 12 In the imperialist stage of capi- '* talism the agricultural question is most pressing for the Communist. Party working for the establishment of the proletarian dictatorship and the Soviet Republic. (a) The bourgeoisie at this time are working overtime to create as big and powerful a reserve army against tle saasses which are being steadily pru- tetarianized. The tactics of the capi- talists in this is to count on the con- servative character of the farming soasses, their individualistic attitude arising out of the conditions and en- vironment of the productive system ir which they find themselves. (b) The bourgeoisie are actively working to win over the broad farm- ing mitsses as their allies against the proletariat. They are relying on the wealthy conservative farmers to serve as their advance guard to win the farming mass for capitalist reaction. (c) The imposing question is whether the great bulk of the rural masses will be under proletarian or bourgeois influence and leadership ip the gigantic conflicts that are tu come in the United States, (d) The capitalists are following, in the words of Comrade Bucharin, a united front tactic with the wealthy and middle farmers and thru them they are exercising a tremendous polt- tical influence over the poor farmers. This capitalistic united front with the farmers operates thru such means as the discriminatory use of credit facilities and the tariff in favor of one sroup of farmers as against the other, fea policies of the same nature, ete. All these means are calculated to win the wealthy and middle farm- be- | ers for capitalism and against the workers. 1 The American bourgeoisie are * energetically ‘working during this period of the abatement of the severe agricultural crisis to win over the rural masses. Our capitalists are talking of making concessions to the farming masses. They are talking of sundry relief measures by means of which they hope to put the farming masses in their camp and slightly to improve the rural economic situation. (a) The bourgeoisie. of the United States, as well as in every other coun- try, approach the farming masses with concrete proposals, with specific but actually worthless concessions in or- der to establish their hegemony over these masses. 1 To counteract these tactics of ‘* the capitalists, the Communists must pursue a united front policy with the poor farmers to definitely win them over to a joint struggle with the working class against. capitalism and to neutralize the middle farmer. The Agrarian Thesis of the last ple- num of the Communist International lays down clear and definite lines for such a united front policy. 1 There are-in the United States * numerous farmers’ organizations, cooperatives, unions, semi-political and political organizations. Most of these organizations are mixed in their so- cial composition (rich, middle and poor farmers), with the wealthy farm- ers controlling the organizations. Some of these organizations, such as the Western Progressive Farmers, the Farmers’ Unions, farmer-labor groups, and numerous cooperatives, are pre- dominantly composed of poor farm- ers. It ‘is thru ‘these and similar or- ganizations that the Workers Party must strive to establish a united front with the poor farmers for the purpose of winning them away from the capi- talists and the rich farmers and for united action with the workers thru an alliance with the Labor Party. 1 In order to prepare the basis for * our united front policies with the poor farmers, the Workers Party must first of all establish a firm base among the agricultural workers. We must organize branches of the Party of the class-conscious agricultural workers. We must assist and coopér- ate with the I. W. W. and other work- ing class elements in the organiza- tion and strengthening of unions of agricultural workers, At the same time, we shall penetrate the existing organizations of farmers for the pur- pose of crystallizing within them a left-wing of poor farmers which even- tually shall function independently Communist Agrarian Program and Policies from the rich and middle farmers and in alliance with the agricultural and industrial workers. 17 The first prerequisite for the carrying out of these policies is a clear, concrete and practical pro- gram of demands for the agricultural workers and poor farmers. Also the establishment of a _ well-organized agrarian department and an agrarian press. 18, The Workers Party shall active- + ly support and fight for the de- mands of the agricultural workers dealing with minimum wages, hours, and conditions of labor, food, lodging, etc. The Workers Party shall strive to develop United Front action with the I, W. W. and other labor organiza- tions for the following demands: (a) These organized agricultural proletarians, should be connected with the labor union movement of the in- dustrial proletariat. Being real pro- letarians, these rural workers form the Party’s firmest base in the ranks of the farming masses. (b) The right of the unions to main- tain employment bureaus in every agricultural center. Any interference with these employment bureaus by the American Legion, ku klux klan, or any other capitalist agency shall be considered a criminal offense and pun- ished accordingly. (c) The immediate repeal of the state vagrancy laws in all states. ‘No persecution of migratory workers by arrests, compulsion to leave the com- munity, or otherwise. (d) Children of employed adults shall not be required to work. Chil- dren of school age shall not be per- mitted to work. (e) The migratory workers shall not be denied the rights of citizey,- ship. 1 The Workers Party shall de- * velop united front action with the poor farmers along the line of the following demand: (a) Absolute and unconditional op- Position to imperialist wars, to mili- tary preparations and to militaristic propaganda. 20. The Workers Party shall sup- * port by all possible means the program and activities of the Inter- national Peasants’ Counefl and shall strive to work for the affiliation of American farmers’ organizations with the I. P. C. 24 The convention instructs the in- * coming Central Executive Com- mittee to appoint a commission to study the agricultural question to propose a complete agrarian program. PARASITE’S WEDDING GETS MUCH PUBLICITY, WORKERS MUST RELY ON AND BUILD THEIR OWN PRESS By GERTRUDE PINCIES (Worker Correspondent) NEW YORK, July 31—Reading the Evening Journal, I came across a very interestins news item. A great event has happened amongst the royal 400. Vanderbilt's, daughter got married. The evening Journal devotes an entire page to this great event. I wonder how much publicity the slaving working’class gets for toiling and creating the paradise for the parasitic Vander- bilts. The capitalistic press serves the bourgeois lords well. j The parasites who live on the blood and flesh of the, exploited working class have built up a powerful press, that serves’ them well. We, the toiling masses, must work to build up our own press to repre- sent our life and our struggles. The workers must unite in the Commun- ist ranks. Let us. build up our own organ, the DAILY WORKER. State Appropriation for Tornado Area in Illinois Too Small SPRINGFIELD, II1., July 31—Indicu- tion that the state will use every cent of the $275,000 appropriated to repair 17 school buildings in the Tornado area of Sotithern Illinois, were given here today by Senator Richard R. Meents, of Ashkum, chairman of the executive committee that has just completed a tour, of the region. YELLOW “FORWARD” SECRETARY, CAP MANUFACTURER, CUTS EMPLOYES’ PAY WHEN POWER STOPS; MEN PROTEST Employes of the Alma Headwear A. Galitzsky; secretary of the Chicago Forward Association, publishe! company, 419 S. Wells St., of which of the “socialist” Jewish newspaper, is part owner, are engaged in g dispute with the “socialist”. owner because of his slave driving methods. Recently the power in the plant was out of order for forty minutes, and Galitzsky, in true “socialist’ style, deducted the time from the wages of the seven employes, who are members of the Capmakers’ Union, located at 1145 Blue Island, Avent “My firm is a m Manufacturers’ asi admitted to the “When the power pped I told the men they could work an extra hour the next day or have the time deduct- ed from their pay.” Galitasky admitted. that there was “some sort of a di e,” but denied there was danger of a strike. The union has not yet adjusted the dis- pute with the “socialist” manufac- turer, it is learned. ber of the Cap tion,” Galitasky ILY WORKER. French-Spanish Anmity SANTANDER, Spain—King Alfonso and queen Victoria today dined aboard |’ the French warship Voltaire and after- EW SECTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL RED AID FORMED IN BRAZIL According to a telegraphic report from South America a section of the “International Red Aid has been formed in Brazil, The new section. has already eagerly taken up the work in many local committees for the support of the political prison- ers and many thousand immi- grants who'are in Brazil, wards telegraphed greetings to Presi-SUb or two will make a better dent Doumergue in Paris, The August Issue of THE WORKERS MONTHLY g 25 Cents a Copy | Communist of you. Out Now! Getting a DAILY WORKER