The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 12, 1925, Page 4

Page Four “a ae i NINE THOUSAND TRACTORS SENT TO SOVIET UNION ‘Amtorg Sends Two Ship Loads Within Week (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, Aug. 10—Purchases on @ large scale of tractors and other ag- WRB As saith 5 iain 19 THE DAILY WORKER- tors and 1500 plows and parts destin- ed for the port of Novorossisk on the | Black Sea, Additional 2,300 tractors with plows }and parts will make up the cargo of S. S. Beckenham, leaving New York {on August 12 for the ports of Odessa {and Novorossisk. The value of the two shipments is placed at about $2,200,000. Other shipments are to be made in the near future, These two cargoes will bring up the number of tractors;shipped to Soviet |Russia by the Amtorg Trading corpo- ration since last August to 9,000. ——————————SSS CLEVELAND WORKERS PARTY ISSUES STATEMENT OPPOSING AMENDMENT TO ELECTION LAWS, URGES LABOR PARTY CLEVELAND, Ohio, August 10.-The Workers;(Communist) Party of Cleveland has issued a statement opposing the prop city charter to abolish proportional re amendment to the presentation, which will be voted on August 11. The Workers Party at the’same time opposes the non-partisan method of election, and urges the workers to fight for a labor party. The statement s : ‘ i Support P. R. Defeat the city charter amendment on August 1: +- a x mind that the present P. R. system is not fully in accordance with the inter- ests of labor. jonary capitalist politicians to con- ‘use the workers and make it difficult ‘or them to’ vote according to their class interests. But the proposed amendment also calls for the non-partisan ballot and since it is a choice between two non- partisan systems, the one which pro- vides for proportional representation is the one for labor to support. The policy of neutrality followed by the Cleveland Federation of Labor in its refusal to take a stand on the ques- tion, must be thoroly condemned, not only as being a concession to capital- ist politicians, but as being wrong in political organization than at present, There ought to be a labor party com- posed of the unions and political and other organizations of workers willing to unite on the principle of indepen- dent working class political action re- gardless of other differences. Keeping in mind that labor must work for a labor party, and for a sys- tem of proportional representation em- bodying the partisan ballot, the work- ers of Cleveland must nevertheless take a definite stand on the proposed amendment and vote it down decisive- ly as being absolutely not a-change in the interest of labor but the reverse. HARTFORD, CONN; WORKERS DEMAND Meeting Successful Over Obstacles By DAVID LIFSHITZ. HARTFORD, Conn., Aug. 10, — Im HANDS OFF CHINA ricultural machinery for Soviet Rus- | eet sia have been effected by the Amtorg One Hurt in Indiana Storm Trading corporation within recent INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 10.—With a -weeks following increased demands | check-up of the damages still under coming in as a result of the good crop | way, estimates placed the property conditaions in the Soviet Union, loss caused by a terrific hail and rain The first shipment of the new pur-|storm here at thousands of dollars. chases was sent on the steamer| One man was injured in an automobile Stakesby which sailed from New York | accident resulting from the blinding on Aug. 7, with a cargo of 1494 trac- | downpour, RUSSIA T (Continued from Y esterday’s Daily Worker ) SYNOPSIS.—The British trade union leaders’ report on Soviet Russia, which is running serially in the DAILY WORKER, Saturday took up th@ subject of foreign trade in the Soviet Union. Transportation, industry and agriculture have already been described in the official report. The union leaders concluded that foreign trade and agriculture is steadily improving, and told how the finances of the Union have been placed on a stable basis. The New Economic Policy in relation to agriculture was explained. The Industries are increasing production, the report stated. Recent instal- ments of the report dealt in detail with the relation of the Union with for- eign countries. The regulation of trade, financing, foreign bank credits, statistics of foreign trade, status of foreigners, were some of the subjects dealt with. The instalment concludes that foreign trade is workable, and that harm is being done Britain by the absence of full diplomatic relations. The first idea of the revolutionaries, and one to which the Revolution has subsequently to some extent returned, was to establish a unified system of “People’s Courts,’ based on “di- rect democratic election” (Article 1). But it was recognized that such courts were incapable of conducting the class war and accordingly they were very soon supplemented by Revo- lutionary tribunals. with the special function of combating counter-revolution, contraband, etc., composed of a President and six assessors nominated by the Provincial Councils (Article 8). Thus there was created a double system of courts; and as class sabotage, conspiracies, counter-revolution, and “white” campaigns developed, the People’s Courts were altogether put into the background by the proletarian Revolutionary Tribunals. The 32 Revolutionary Tribunals, for example, as early as 1918, got 56 per cent. of the criminal cases... What was more sigitil- ficant of war conditions was the policy expressed in a decree of November 21st, 1918, which proposed to replace the “demo- cratic” local (Mestny) People’s Courts. by a revival of the District (Okrujny) Courts of the Tsarist class regime, to which a new class character was given by appointing members through the local Councils. This made a third element in what was to have been a “unified” judicature. But this, the most unsatisfactory position reached in the coursé of the Revolution, lasted only a few months. A decree of January 15th, 1919, based on resolutions of the I. and II. Congress of Councils, abolished the District Courts and restored the authority of the * People’s Courts, subjecting their independence, however, to the supervision of a Council of People’s Courts to be composed “principally of Communists”; while in other respects also the in- dependence, irremovability and partiality of the members of the Court were seriously impaired. For example, the principle of “direct democratic election” was suspended in favor of indi- rect nomination through the local Councils. Perhaps the best feature of the system at this period was its decentralization. For the only Central Court of Cassation was the above-mentioned Council, and there was no general right of appeal at all from the Provincial Courts of Second Instance. But this, again, re- sulted in local authorities occasionally using the local Courts as instruments of class warfare in a way the Central Government would have prevented had it had the judicial machinery for doing so. Revolutionary Developments Meantime, during the first period of counter-revolutionary campaigns—Koltchak, Yudenich, Denikin—the Revolutionary Tribunals continued their political function, reinforced and even replaced to a large extent by the notorious Extraordinary Com- mission or ‘“‘Tcheka.” Both the Tribunals and Tcheka had at this time powers of summary execution. Their activities dealt with shortly in a later section are responsible for the false im- pression abroad of the Soviet judicial system. But no sooner had active counter-revolutionary action ended, as it was then assumed permanently, than the power of capital punishment was taken away, both from the Tcheka and the Tribunals, by a decree of January 17th, 1920. The interval did not, however, last long, and the last and worst counter-revolutionary crisis was reached in the combined invasion of the Ukraine by the Poles and Wrangel. This caused the restoration of full powers of punishment to the Revolutionary Tribunals, though not to the Tcheka, which only got powers of. interment up to five years. Besides the Tcheka there were other special compe- tences working with the Revolutionary Tribunals, such as the Special Divisions (Osobenny Otdyel), the Military. Tribunals, and the Railway Tribunals. Most of the criminal jurisdiction was indeed taken over on one ground or another (state of siege, etc.) by these special tribunals during this period. Thus, the Railway Tribunals (under decree of November 20th, 1919, and March 18th, 1920) took all offenses or their like, connected with or committed on the railways. The Tribunals of the Tcheka, invested under decree of October 21st, 1919, with powers of the summary procedure, took the most important offenses againsnt public order. Moreover, capital sentences by local tribunals could be confirmed by the Central Tribunal or Tcheka. Fur- | ther, in the course of 1921, the Revolutionary Tribunals extend- ed their operations far beyond the criminal code into enforcing the campaigns of War Communism for the requisition of fuel and foodstuffs. During this period the People’s Courts only retained juris- jiction over cases of little importance and purely local interest. t became obvious that under continued war pressure justice nd the judicature had specialized into forms very different from e originalintention of the leaders of the Revolution. ystoration to Peace Conditions The first attempt to restore the judicature to a proper m and functions was a decree of June 21st, 1921, establishing upreme Court in the Central Executive Committee, and re- the powers of the Revolutionary and Special Tribu- { To the trades unionists and other workers of Cleveland: The Workers’| partisan ballot on which no_ party Party calls upon you to support your |mames appear. The Workers’ Party working class interests on Aug, 11; | stands for what at present is most in Go to the polls in full force and vote | the interest of labor, that is, a sys- AGAINST the proprosed amendment |tem of proportional representation to kill proportional representation. using the partisan ballot with party But at the same time that this vic-|9ames on it. ious, anti-labor amendment is being The non-partisan ballot is a smoke* defeated, it ought to be kept clearly in | screen used by. hoth liberal and reac: P. R. at present provides for a non- Thru Courtesy of the Internacional Pub- lishers. Co. ec nemems nals. Similar Supreme Courts were subsequently set up in the autonomous Republics. Progress in this diréction could only be slow, for, though the campaigns on the internal and external fronts were now over, conspiracy was still active. Neyertho- less, the Revolutionary Tribunals were reorganized and their activities restricted. At the same time the People’s Courts x given a more national and less local charaeter by assoc the Council of People’s Courts in the nomination of their ment- bers. Then came the New Economic Policy with its restoration of.private property and the renunciation of War Communism. This, before long. involved a complete reconstruction of the reyolutionary judicature and jurisprudence. For jurisprudence again became concerned with rights of persons and property in all its modern developments. While the function of protect- ing the Communist—or perhaps more correctly, the Socialist--- foundations of the new State against the rising flood of private enterprise had to be transferred from the Red Guard, the Red Army, and the Tcheka, to the Law Courts... The Jast line of defense of Socialism still remained a recourse to armed force; but the first line now became the new Codes as enforced through the People’s Courts. This, therefore, involved an aboli- tion of all Revolutionary Tribunals and other forms of judicial coercion, the elaboration of a complete new system of juris- prudence and the re-establishment of a unified judicature. The latter task was only carried through against the ob- stinate opposition of many Communists who considered the maintenance of the revolutionary judiciary as indispensable for the safeguarding of the-Revolution. After a short but sharp struggle, however, a complete judicial reform was promulgated (decree of October 31st, 1922), and put in force throughout the Russian Federation on January 1st, 1923. The Union had then not yet been finally ratified and acceptance ofthis new system is not obligatory on Republics entering the Union, though it is on Republics holding under the Federation (RS. F. S. R.). The Judiciary 1 The new judiciary consists of People’s Courts of Justice, composed of a permanent judge, sitting either, alone or with two “People’s Assessors”—Provincial Courts of Second Instance— and a Supreme Court of the Russian Federation, sub-divided into various Courts of special jurisdiction. ‘There are also, 2s in other countries, Military Tribunals for the armed forces. Fur- ther, Labor Courts, which may be the local People’s Court in special session for labor cases, and Commissions for deciding differences between State enterprises. The Revolutionary Tri- bunals, the Special Divisions, and the Tcheka are abolished. The People’s Courts : Each district (ouyezd) or town has a People’s Court. The judges must be citizens of good character, who have participat- ed in local government, and “who have had two years’ respon- sible political work in some political organization or three years’ practical work in one of the judicial departments.” They are selected by the Provincial Executive Committee on the proposal of the Provincial Judge or the Commissariat of Justice for a renewable term of one year subject to suspension by the Com- missariat. Criminal cases of importance the judge tries with two assessors. These assessors seem very similar in general function and manner of selection to our jury. The panel must contain 50 per cent. of workers, and there are arrangements for special assessors in cases of importance. Provincial Courts i The Provincial Courts have the usual jurisdiction of Sec- ond Instance, and their President and assessors are appointed on a similar system as in the National Courts, but higher quali- fications are required. They have taken over in First Instance the class of cases previously tried in the Revolutionary Tribn- vals in so far as such are offenses under existing law, The President also exercises a supervision over all the judges in the Province. ‘The Court is divided into criminal and civil depart- ments, each being sub-divided into Courts of Appeal and of, First Instance, the first having three professional judges, the. latter a judge and two assessors, i - 3 Supreme Court "| The Supreme Court has the supervision of all inferior courts, final jurisdiction in appeal, and also in first instance for the most important matters. The Supreme Court has a stand- ing Committee (presidium), a’ plenary assembly, and juricon- sults for appeals, also marine and military experts, Working of the People’s Courts - The working of these Courts was studied by the Delegation, some of whom spent two afternoons listening to cases.., The first thing that struck an observer was that the atmo- sphere aimed at was different. Instead of the impressive stag- ing and trappings of a Western Law Court, all calculated to impress the dignity of the law, there was an almost aggressive simplicity and absence of solemnity or ceremonial. For exam- ple, the Moscow People’s Courts are installed fin an ordinary apartment house, the court-room being merely the largest room of the flat. The public, the prisoners, their guard, and their counsel, all sit anywhere on the benches, Ata red-covered table sits the judge, with an assessor on either side and a girl short- hand-writer at the end of the table, The red turbans of the wom- en judges are the only note of a ceremonial. costume. There are no police or ushers. Two young soldiers of the Red Army in charge of prisoners sit on the benches among the public. The judge calls out the names of prisoners or parties in a case, and they come forward, stand before the table and talk to him. Prisoners sit on a bench but stand up to speak. The whole. court rise to their feet while judgment is read. The judges, who are all quite young men, never press an examination in the French manner, and cross-examine very fairly but effectively. One in ten of them are women, and generally one of the two assessors. als nit ole a The case does not seem to be for the most part the principle. Every political issue is of] If the working class of Cleveland importance to labor in one way or an-] acts in accordance with its class in- other, at the very least it strengthens | terests, there will be no question as to the political power of labor every time | the defeat of the amendment on Tues- Ure workers consciously attempt to] day. unitedly support their class interests n the elections, Aug. 1. “Defeat the Amendment!” Labor must realize that no system interests fully, of elections can be utilized in labor’s without much land, 5927 Euclid Ave., Room 43. THE OFFICIAL REPORT OF THE BRITISH TRADE UNION DELEGATION TO SOVIET RUSSIA Copyright in the United States by the International Publishers Co, All Rights Reserved. Copyright by the Trades Union Congress General Council in Great Britain, —— of a legal issue, and the Codes are not very often referred to; but seems to be rather directed to arriving at an honest and humane appreciation of the circumstances of each case. Thus considerations are taken into account which would be excluded in most Law Courts. But this in criminal cases seems generally to tell in favor of the prisoner; and both in criminal and civil cases, though the decisions often seemed of little legal value, they undoubtedly. served the security of person and property with a minimum of individual suffering. Moreover, the prison- er or the parties, being quite at their ease, in their anxiety to do the best for themselves, as often as not saved the court much trouble in arriving at the real truth. In important criminal cas- es, when a public prosecutor appears, the prisoner Is provided with counsel. Counsel can be employed in any case, but seem rarely used, and indeed of little use. As to the impartiality of these courts, there is a general agreement that they “weight the balance” in favor of the work- er as against the well-to-do; and this is defended on the ground that it corresponds to the weighting of the other scale else- where. As to their incorruptibility, information is on the whole remarkably satisfactory. During the Delegation’s stay in Rus- sia there was a criminal prosecution of the courts in one provin- cial capital on charges of corruption, involving six judges and a number of counsel; and it seems likely that any serious lapses in this respect would not long escape detection. The Superior Courts are as simple in their procedure as the lower, though rather more spaciously housed. And.the general impression carried away from them all is that of a judicature in its youth conducted by youth, that will learn its work in time to deal with the civil cases of great legal complexity that the new social system will shortly develop. As to criminal cas- es, it is noticeable that they have somewhat changed their char- acter under the new social system. The crimes common in Western Courts—drunkenness, brutalities against the rson, breaches of order, etc.,.are conspicuous by their absence; their place being taken by what we should consider only derelictions of social duties. . Public Order and Security Personal security and public order in the principal cities of the Union seemed to the Delegation far more secure than in the capitals of other continental countries. The Delegation in their travels, even when not officially conducted, neglected the most ordinary precautions as to their property, and the only oc- casion on which anything was stolen was in Trans Caucasia. Whereas, on leaving the country, one of them staying in a neighboring capital was robbed three times in four days. The Police Little attention has been paid abroad to the interesting ju- dicature and jurisprudence of the U. S. S. R. owing to the sen- sational and generally unsubstantiated stories circulated as to the “Tcheka” and the organized repression of counter-revolu- tion under War Communism that ended in 1921. The activities of the Tcheka are fully reported in a publication (Sovietskaya Justitsia) brought to England by the Delegation of 1920. The Tcheka need, therefore, only be referred to here as an organiza- tion such as all States, whether revolutionary or reactionary, must establish when the Government authority is menaced by civil or foreign war. . The only difference being that reaction, such as Tsarism, comes to depend on its “Okhrana” (secret po- lice) and its Cossacks (mounted constabulary) more and more; whereas revolution, as Russia has shown, can demobilize these forces the very moment the need for them is over. The police administration (G. P. U.) is often referred to abroad as though it were just the Tcheka under another name. This is not so. The Tcheka was not only a secret police, it was a regime as all-present and all powerful as the old Tsarist Okhra- na; and it had, moreover, up to the last years of its existence a separate jurisdiction, including the power of capital punish- ment. It retained a certain criminal jurisdiction up to its aboli- tion in 1922. There is now -no “Tcheka,” nor anything of that nature except in Georgia. And the G. P. U. has no power to pro- ceed or even to prosecute. It merely prepares the case like any other police force. Its duties are police duties, though the actual patrolling and point duties of a police force are still large- ly left to the military—at least in Moscow. Provincial towns, like Kharkov, have a smart. mounted police and constabulary. The G. P, U. is now nothing more than an organization like our own detective service. Its headquarters on one of the prin- cipal squares of Moscow might be any Government office—as unlike the Bastille of our own Scotland Yard as it is unlike the old Tcheka, which was a dirty labyrinth of dilapidated houses with private prisons hidden away in its remoter recesses, aud generally a most sinister atmosphere. The G. P. U. still has political responsibilities — counter-revolutionary conspiracies are still discovered and may entail capital punishment after trial in the Criminal Courts. But the main function of the G. P. U. is now the ordinary police preservation of public order and of preventing contraband. i The Codes The most interesting and original of the Codes is the Labor Code. The present Code of November 6th, 1922, replaced that of 1918. The advent of the New Economic Policy made indis- pensable a Code that would secure the laborer the results of the Revolution so far as new conditions allowed. These re- sults, such as eight-hour day, minimum wage, employers’ liabil- ity, insurance, ete., are much the same as obtain elsewhere. (See Labor.) The Land Code of October 30th, 1922, has the same origin in the New Economic Policy. It is based on the principle that the land ownership is vested in the State, and its main func- tion is to define the rights that the State may confer in land. i The Criminal Code of November, 1922, has little of special interest. Capital punishment is confined to convictions for con- spiracy of a serioug character. be continued in next issue) rah Cleveland Workers! Go to the polls, WORKERS PARTY, Local Cleve- spite of the fact that the lucal paper, The Hartford Times, refused to print the ad advertising the “Hand of China”, “Stand by Soviet Russia” meeting and in spite of the police who arrested those who were distributing leaflets to the workers at the shops, an open air meeting arranged by: the Kuomintang (Chinese National Party) the Workers Party and the Young Workers League was held. A crowd of about 300 workers Ms- tened attentively while three speakers, two from the Kuomintang and one rom the Workers Party. addressed them. Workers Party Sounds Keynote. Wm. Simons, organizer of District 15 spoke. for the Workers Party., He exposed the friendly pretentions of the U. S. and pointed out that the only friend who is helping and will help to free the Chinese people from the exploitation of the capitalist are the workers and peasants of Soviet Russia. He also pointed out that the Com- munist Party of China which works hand in hand with National Revolu- tionary Party will not give up the fight until, not only is China released from the grip of the imperialists but also a government of workers and farmers (a Soviet government) is es- tablished. Chinese Speakers Applaud Communists Sanpson Lee and the Chinese speak- er from New York, dwelt on the out- rages of the imperialistic countries against the Chinese people, and pro- tested against the actions of England, Japan, France and U. S. to oppose the Chinese people. They emphasized that the only na- tion which is friendly to China-is Soviet Russia and that the only party that will lead them to victory is the Communist Party. , The following resolutions were-un- animously adopted by the crowd: Resolution ‘Adopted. “Whereas, the imperialistic coun- tries of the world, England, Japan, America and France have forced the people of China into economic and political subjection. “Whereas, the Chinese workers are trying to improve their conditions and are demonstrating against the ex- ploiter. “Whereas, the Chinese students are supporting the workers in-their strug- gle. ‘i “Whereas, all classes of China are demanding the liberation of their country and the right to rule them- selves. * “Whereas, Chinese strickers and students are shot down in the streets by the armed forces of the foreign imperialists. “We,-workers of Hartford, Connec- ticut, demand: “The withdrawal of all troops and battleships. “The cancellation of all unequal treaties. “The abolishment of all extra terri- torial rights. “The granting of all demands of the striking Chinese workers. “The punishment of the foreign po- lice responsible for the massacre of defenseless Chinese workers and stu- dents, “Pensions for the dependents of the murdered ones. “The dissolution of the mixed courts. “And whereas, the imperialist at- tack is aimed not only at the Chinese workers but also at the Russian Soviet government which sympatizes with the Chinese in their struggle. “We pledge to stand by Soviet Russia.” MOVIE FANS TO SEE THEMSELVES IN CHICAGO MOVIE Do you want to be a movie star? No chance for you at Hollywood, but you can get into the movies in Chicago Jf you will attend the picnic of the Federation of the Russian Children’s School of Chicago and Vicinity on Sunday, Aug. 23, at National Grove, Riverside, Ill. Moving picturés of the separate schools and the crowd in general will be taken and later shown in Chicago and other cities of the United States, and will also be sent to Soviet Russia. Organizations who will attend in a body are urged to prepare signs with their names, Tickets in advance are only 35 cents and are for sale by all members of the schools, at the Russian Co-op restau- rants and at the Workers’ House, 1902 W, Division St. Tell your friends about it and come yourself and get into the movies! ——, PITTSBURGH, PA, To those who work hard for their money, | will cave 50 per cent on all their dental work, — DR. RASNICK _ ae DENTISS 645 Smithfield foreign , La