The Daily Worker Newspaper, October 7, 1925, Page 2

Page Two TH ~ ALE OFL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL —- LIKE THE BANKERS’ ASSOCIATION | MAKES ATTACK ON COMMUNISTS ‘: By J, LOUIS ENGDAHL. ? (Special to The Daily Worker) CONVENTION. HALL, Atlantic City, Oct. 5-—With the echoes of the attacks on Communism by the American Bankers’ Association here having scarcely died away, the anti-Communist attack in this convention hall on the ‘Million Dollar Municipal Pier’ of this much advertised seaside resort was taken up anew this afternoon in the submission by the executive council of its report to the 45th annual convention of the American Federation GERMANY SIGNS PACT: FOR TRADE WITH THE WORKERS? REPUBLIC } BERLIN, Oct, 5—The German ¢abinet has agreed to sign a trade Areaty with Russia as soon as It is placed in final form by economic ex- perts. This was the one, tangible result of Soviet Foreign Minister Georges Tchitcherin’s visit to Ber- tin, The treaty will be the most com- plete any nation has yet signed with Soviet Rus Various paragraphs of its text deal with the right to set- tle economic problems, navigation and railroad affairs, taxes, protec- tlon for trade, arbitration, and con- of Labor. The satisfaction of the bankers in their struggles against the Communists, according to int of the Hearst press, developed from reports in their own press concerning action. by the British munist measures, Readers of erviews secured by B. C. Forbes, labor party congress on Com- the DAILY WORKER already know whether they are entitled + to any comfort from this source. No doubt it is because the A. F. of L. regime, as represented in its executive council, is fully aware of the growing strength of the Commun- ists, and their continued success in Teaching new masses of workers, that a big section of its annual report to the annual convention appears under the heading, “Warning Against Com- munist Activities.” Manufacture New Slogan The slogan of this latest broadside against the militants in the trade unions constitutes the tail end of the chapter. It is, “Caution Saves Serious Mistakes!” Yet this latest alarum against the Communist is merely a repetition of the form letter issued recently by the Chicago Federation of Labor, which sought to frighten the workers into hostility against such recognized and accepted organizations as the In- ternational Labor Defense Council, the American Negro Labor .Congress, the Irish Workers’ and Peasants’ Famine Relief Committee, the Inter- national Workers’ Aid and the Work- _exs (Communist) Party. 7 Sample of the A. F. of L. Hysteria The kind of stuff that goes over among the delegates attending A. F. of L. conventions may well be judged by the conclusions offered, in refer- ring to the above organizations, as follows: “These choices of field activity are indicative of the methods of the Com. munists. They seek out*those races and groups with grievances and foster discontent in the hope $f in- citing uprisings and riots.” These sentences brought gffiiles to the faces of some of the fraternal delegates from foreign countries, not- ably Great Britain and Germany. Then followed the usual stereo- typed list of agencies thru which the Communists are charged with carry- ing on their propaganda, concluding with “The DAILY WORKER, a daily newspaper,” while the volume of fairy stories published by the DAILY WORKER Publishing company also receives attention. The report solemnly declared, “We warn all trade unions, against the above activities and publications.” $8,146.52 for Gompers’ Funeral It was six years ago that the Am- erican Federation of Labor last met at Atlantic City, the year after the war, and this fact is given notice in the first paragraph of the report. The death of Sam Gompers is held to be the crucial event in the history of the A. F. of L, during the past year. In the financial report the “Funeral Expenses of President Gompers” are put down as $8,146.52 while an added item under expenses is “Estate of Samuel Gompers, $1,274.08.” Another interesting item under finances is the revelation’ that $40, 000,000 of the funds of the A. F. of L. are invested in “Liberty Bonds” of the United States government, with $15,000.00 similarly salted away in the “Victory Bonds” of the Canadian government. Membership |s 2,878,297 The membership figures for the present year barely top the low figure of last year, the worst since the close of the war. The official chart issued appears in another column showing this year’s membership figures to be them on the basis of this information plan further investigation and how best to secure the co-operation of re- search agencies to institute helpful inquiries and investigations, Employers’ Insurance.—A number of national and international unions authorized a committee to organize a Union Labor Life Insurance com- pany to be controlled by trade unions, Employees Ownership.—lIt is possi- ble that an agency or agencies, con- trolled and directed by the trade union movement may be developed to gather and supply to the members of organized labor information regard- ing the value of investment securities. Labor Banks.—The A. F. of L. is now engaged in making a survey of labor banks. Union-Management Co-operation.— A demonstration of the practicabil- ity and the value of this union func- tion occurs in the Baltimore and Ohio (The “B. & O.” Plan) developed in union management co-operation which has passed the experimental stage, The development itself must be carried on in the spirit of an educa- tional undertaking. Wages.—We urge upon wage earn- ers everywhere that they oppose wage reductions. Union Label and Organizing Cam- paign.—Campaign planned. Organization of Women Wage Workers.—Plan being worked out. The Strike of Railway Shopmen.— Owes debt of gratitudg to strikers on the Pennsylvania and Long Island railroads. : Some Jurisdictional Disputes Steam Engineers’ Extension of Jurisdiction—Request of the Interna- tional Union of Steam and Operating Engineers for extension of jurisdic- tion over marine engineers granted. Teamsters—Railway Clerks. — No reply from Brotherhood of Railway Clerks as to Teamsters’ Union carges that it has violated the decision of the El Paso convention. Machinists and Blacksmiths vs. Street & Electric Railway Employes. Efforts still being made to reach set- tlement. Coopers—Carpenters.—Agree to set- tle disputes among themselves, Coal River Collieries Company— Mine Workers.—All charges upheld against the Coal River Collieries com- pany, 70 per cent of the stock of which is owned by members of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engin- ers. Miners are justified in demand that Jacksonville scale should be paid. A. Fo of L. Non-partisan Political Campaign.—The executive council be- lieves that as a result of its non-par- tisan political policy the launching of third party movements has been proved wasted effort and injurious to the desire to elect candidates with favorable records. And so on ad nauseum, especially in listing a host of bills before con- gress, which it is claimed the A. F. of L, either carried or defeated. At least that is the impression given. The making of Lincoln’s birthday @ legal holiday in the District of Col- umbia is listed as a “bill favorable to labor” that failed to pass. Other matters touched on are the Panama Canal Zone, child labor, rail- road labor legislation, with an especial attack on the railroad labor board, injunction abuses, legal infor- mation bureau, education, ‘the labor press, labor's memorial Sunday, 2,878,297 as compared to 2,865,799 last |#abor Sunday and Labor Day. year. The high figure was 4,078,740 members in 1920, Can't Forget Wilson The executive council's report in- cludes everything from the “Woodrow Wilson Memorial Building Fund” and the “Geneva, Switzerland, Labor Of- fice Room Fund,” thru the whole list of jnrisdictional disputes, to the final question, “Shall Labor Day lose its distinctive character and become mere holiday for general meaningless purposes and for the exploitation for private profit?” Which is a confession in itself, But nowhere does the clear line of the class struggle manifest itself. The Wilson Memorial Building has received $149 from labor up to the time of making the report; while the sum of $1,455 has been raised to furn- ish a room in the International Labor Office Building at Geneva, Switzer- land, the labor ante room to the league of nations, the “black capitalist in- ternational.” The attitude’ on various question contained in its report, and that the executive council will urge before the convention, may be summarized as follows: Where the A, F. of L, Stands Company Unions,—We. shall first lect data Its International Relations. Discussion of international rela- tions {s confined to the Pan-American Federation of Labor, and China, There is no mention of either the Amsterdam or the. Red Trade Union Internationals. » There is no mention of the ques- tion of world trade union unity, re- cognition of the Union of Soviet Re- publics or similar subjects that en- gage the attention of the workers in other countries, French and Belgians Extol Russ Prisons MOSCOW, Oct. 5.—(‘Tass)—Having visited prisons in Moscow the Franco- Belgian Workers’ Delegation déclared as follows: “The Franco-Belgian Delegation is pleased to note that the regime of convicts here ought to be taken as an example for all other countries because Moscow prisons under the guidance of Governors and administration have only one pur- pose: to teach convicts to work and change them into men capable of col- lective social intercourse. (Signed) Toledo, Roget, Campion, Chapoin and sular matt A German delegation, headed by an economic expert, Herr von Kernen, will leave immediately for Moscow Yo complete the treaty. GERMAN LABOR FAKERS VISITING A. F. OF L, MEET (Continued from page 1) certainly set forth the views of the whole delegation. * “The Dawes plan is good,” he said. “It is helping to bring peace to Eu- Tope, Germany will be able to meet its terms for five or six years.” “And after that?” | asked. “After that nobody knows. Not even Dawes himself knows what will happen,” he answered, “Nor Morgan.” “Not even Morgan.” ‘When asked to explain why the British workers were opposed to the Dawes plan now more than ever, he declared that this was due to the growing army of unemployed in that country. The British blamed the job- less crisis on the Dawes plan, but Great Britain seemed to Heinig to be a country far away, with which German social-democrats were not much con- cerned. And anyway, the Dawes plan was only one of these contributing causes to British unemployment. Peace, Blessed Peace—Between Classes And the security pact that is now up for discussion at Locarno, Switzer- land. The delegation is in favor of it, because, it, too, will help bring “peace” to Europe, to quiet the storm stirred up by the war. Anything that tends in this direction is looked on with favor by these German socialists. Heinig declared the German social. democrats to be opposed to the Franco-British proposal, however, that the armies of the league of nations be allowed to cross Gerftiny to the eastwards, to bolster Poland and the |e! Baltic states in the looming war against the workers’ republic. But this opposition does not grow out of any sociall-democratic desire to pro- tect the Soviet Union. Heinig stated the reasons when he said, “We can’t have French armies on German terri- tory,” betraying the vaterland brand of German socialists. In fact Heinig held to the view point that the Soviet union would be the aggressor in the East against the capitalist nations, instead of exactly the contrary. This anti-Soviet attitude came out more clearly in the discus- sion of the German delegation’s visit to Russia. Heinig declared this trip to be a “Communist swindle,” but what irked him most was the fact that this delegation, going to the workers’ re- publics, was made up entirely of “un- known workers,” from the shops, and not well known trade union officials like the make-up of the present dele- gation to the United States. This formed the basis largely of his at- tempt to belittle their trip and their report which was favorable to Soviet rule without exception. ,Heinig, of course, admitted that he had never been inside the Soviet Union. The delegation expects to remain here only until Wednesday. Then it will break up and scatter to different sections of the country. Edward A. Wieck of the Illinois coal miners has had the direction or the delegation up to this time, He will have charge of the miners’ delegation when it leaves here. John Hays Hammond Pleads for Scabs to Break Coal Strike NEW YORK.—(FP)—Lowering the standards for anthracite miners is the proposal to Pennsylvania given by John Hays Hammond, chairman of the former United States Coal Commission, Hammond outlined his plan to the industrial relations sec- tion, National Civic Federation, sug- gesting that an extra sion of the Pennsylvania legislature could repeal the state law requiring a worker to serve two years as helper to contract miners before becoming qualified as a miner himself, i Propot Scabs. Hammond asserts that the law and complete unionization of anthracite mines gives the United Mine Workers virtual monopoly over hard coal min- ing labor. He charges that competent bituminous miners are excluded from anthracite flelds because of the law, which he declares is “discriminatory and indefensible.” Hammond thinks that there are bituminous miners eager to take up strike-breaking in Pennsylvania anthracite fields if the state law would give them a hacia | , E DAILY WOR. ER AMSTERDAM REFUSES AlD TO CHINESE (Continued from page 1) participate in a drive for Chinese re- Het received: “Central Committee of the Work- ers International Relief, “Unter Den Linden 11, “Berlin, “In connection with our correspond- ence we hand you herewith a copy of a letter, which was sent by us to the Rallwaymen’s Federation of Pekin, China. ith greetings, “International Federation of Trade Union, “J. Sassenbach, Secretary.” “Railway Workers Federaiton, “Ohengshow, Honan, “Pekin. China Discus: “Dear Comrades, “The present happenings in China were thoroly discussed by our Execu- tive Committee at its meeting on the 17th and 18th of August, and due con- sideration was given as to whether an international relief action could be organized. “We need not emphasize that the International Federation of Trade Un- ions takes the greatest interest in-the development of affairs in China, and that it rejoices to see that the Chinese workers are becoming conscious of their rights as men, and are taking up the struggle against their oppres- sors. It trusts that the Chinese work- ers, by building up a strong trade un- ion movement and by carrying on an unceasing conflict thru this means, may be able to obtain an improvement in their wretched position. We wish the Chinese working class every suc- cess in their endeavors, We Give Sympathy. “The International Federafion of Trade Unions, wfll always be very pleased to support the Chinese work- ers in this struggle. At the moment, however, it is unable to help financi- ally by undertaking an: international relief action—partly because the un- certainty as to.conditions in China, partly because of the economic condi- tion in the countries affiliated to the International Federation of Trade Unions. “We hope, however, that it may be possible for us, now and in the future, to be of service to the Chinese work- ers in other ways, and hope therefore to have further news from you. “With cordial wishes for the suc- cess of the Chinese trade union move- ment,” ete. The wording of this letter is that of the Amsterdam, translation, , Refusal r Investigation, This letter ¢ the International Fed- tion of Je Unions came after the sectrariat bf that body had sent a letter to China to find out whether the conditions described by the Work- ers’ International Relief were correct. The answer they received from China showed that the conditions were much worse than even the Workers’ Inter- national Relief had portrayed. Upon receiving this letter from the Amsterdam [gternational copies of their answer to a call for relief of Chinese workers were sent to all newspapers in the country. The Rote Fahne, Communist organ, attacked the tactics of the International Feder- ation of Trade Unions in an article headed; No Farthing For Relief— but Fraternal Greetings. Organize the Relief For China.” The Vorwarts immediately made the charge that the letter was false which necessitated the photographing of the letter and publishing all the documentary evidence which the Workers International Relief had on hand in the German press, Rally Around W, |. R.! The contents of this letter show to the workers of the Far East that there is only one relief organization that is intending to aid the workers of China in their struggle.and that is the Workers’ International Relief. Communists Get the Am. Legion Panicky OMAHA, Neb,, October 5.—‘Com- munism is increasing rapidly in the United States and is promoting pro- paganda that will fast undermine the nation if drastic steps are not taken to prevent it,” declared the American Legion Americanization commission meeting of the™’national American Legion. It was estimated that there are not less then 1,000,000 Communists in the U. S. and that the movement is being fostered thru the medium of the youth and the Negroes, THE OPENING OF THE WINTER SEASON! Third Annual Youth Ball SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10 ROOSEVELT HALL, 3437 W. Roosevelt Road. DON’T MISS IT—IT WILL BE A REAL EVENT! * Music by I. Letehinger’s Excellent Jazz Orchestra—the Mid-West " Syncopators. | Refreshments of the Best Kind——Dancing Until 1 A, M. ADMISSION 36e—Tickets may be, secured: at the DAILY WORKER office, the local W. P, office and from Y, W. L. members. Anspices, Young Workefs League, Local Chicago.’ ‘Greater Mergers Mean More Militant Battles For the Working Class By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. TOPAY: new mergers in the food industries mean new in- creases in the cost of living, new and greater attacks on the workers’ standard of living in these industries, with all the resulting savings in economies of management going as ever in profits to the parasite stockholders. This is especially true of the acquisition by the Ward Baking Co. of the General Baking Co., creating the greater bread trust, with its sugar refineres, flour mills, dairy com- panies and bakeries in all sections of the country. The sales of the two corporations now approximate $100,000,000 an- nually. ’ * . The Ward corporation has won its present victory over its competitors thru years of clever dealing. It has success- fully overcome local prejudices in all those centers that it has invaded. This same’ shrewdness, born of an attempt to anticipate and overcome public opposition, is revealed in the fact that bread prices were lowered on the eve of the announcement of this new merger. Thus the public is led to believe that, monopoly means cheaper bread, whereas, in fact, cheaper prices merely operate as a weapon to kill off small competitors, making the raising of prices in the not distant future an easier task. * ° > The Ward corporation is an “open shop” concern. Its bread factories in Chicago were at first unionized, but the bakers’ union has since been ousted, with the plants now op- erating on an anti-union basis. This will be the policy of the merger. ; The value of Ward and General Baking shares have gone up on the stock market, and the only explanation is that thru the merger many savings will be effected that will result in growing profits. No mention, of course, is made of higher prices later on, according to the well-known business principle of “all the traffic will bear.” * ° * * Similar developments are revealed in the acquisition of the Liberty Yeast Co., by the Fleischman corporation, and of the merging of 27 canneries operating in the southeastern Alaska territory, where the fish trust, with the aid of Secre- tary of Commerce Hoover has been steadily building its power, while the workers in its employ suffer the worst ex- ploitation. Just the other day another shipment of newsprint paper was received by the DAILY WQRKER from the Spanish River Pulp and Paper Mills, Ltd., that has three mills in Canada, where much of the newsprint used in the United States comes from. Now comes the news, however, that this company is to be swallowed by the Abitibi Power and Paper Co., Ltd., along with another paper concern. Over in New England, similar consolidations are taking place. When the first stages of such mergers were being per- fected a quarter of a century ago, under the direction of the great Wall Street bankers, including the elder J. Pierpont Morgan, there was a great noise in Washington. “Teddy” Roosevelt in the white house\at Washington was just begin- hing to warm up as a trust buster, while the Sherman anti- trust law was being brought into action. Today, however, all is quiet in Washington. The Coo- lidge administration looks with approving eyes on these busi- ness consolidations, the state legislatures are quiescent, the interstate commerce commission lends a helping hand and the courts have nothing to say: The era of greater con- solidations develops unchallenged. * * - Not even from the camp of organized labor, the annual convention of the American Federation of Labor, does there go forth a challenge, declaring for militant struggles for the organization of the workers in these industries. Against the amalgamation of dollars, there is no counter move for the amalgamation of workers’ organizations, in order that they may be the better able to carry on the struggle. The official labor regime leaves it to the workers them- selves, in most cases completely unorganized, to develop these struggles. This they will be forced to do for their’ own protection, or face a gradually lowering standard of living. Hillquit and Thomas, Workers’ Enemies, Oppose Communists (Continued from page 1) treachery to the workers stands the Workers (Communist) Party! Against Socialists. Against Hillquit and his puppet, Thomas, stands Gitlow! All honest minded workingmen and working women should support the Workers (Communist) Party in the New York election campaign. Help roll up a large vote for Gitlow and Communism as a deserving answer to the so¢ialist party and its misleaders who refused a united labor ticket in New York. Support the Workers (Communist) Party and battle for a Workers’ and farmers’ government! RESCUE There'll be AN AUCTION (you'll die laughing at it!) of original cartoons by Labor's best artists. That worker next door to you may not have anything to do to- night. Hand him this copy of the DAILY WORKER. ~ MADE MUSIC by the Red Finnish Orchestra. SUNDAY NIGHT OCTOBER 18, 1926 REGISTER NOW 10 VOTE FOR WORKERS PARTY CANDIDATES SS ode Mahap hed week begins in New York City October 5. Poll- ing places will be open dally Oct. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 from 5 p. m, to 10:30 Pp. m. and on Saturday, October 10, from 7 a. m. to 10;30 p. m. for the registration of voters. All voters must register to be able to vote. No one can vote unless they register, ‘ Register early, Don’t wait for the last day. THOSE ELIGIBLE TO REGISTER AND VOTE All citizens by birth or natural- ( GIVEN BY THE NORTH SIDE BRANCH, There'll be—FREE—(no kiddin’!) nome LIFE PRESERVERS rare warm and COFFEE And this is only a part of what you will get for fifty cents. You'll have a good time--and we don’t mean maybe! ization of 21 years and over, who have resided for 4 months will be in the election district 30 days on election day (November 3), HOW TO’ REGISTER Go to the nearest polling piace to the place where you live ani If that is the poll for the district in which you reside. Give your name and address to the tion inspector, who will write register, You will then sign your name to the book, The clerk will give you an enrollment blank, on which are the emblems of the three official parties. But one does not have to enroll. The only thing the enrollment means, is, to have a right to vote at the primaries, But since our party did not poll suffi cient votes at the last election the primaries do not affect us, because we are not on the ballot as’a regul- ar party, but as an “independent political nomination” by petition. Those who do not enroll, leave the slip blank, fold It and hand It to the clerk who will place it in the ballot box, Don’t fail to register on any one of the registration days. First voters must also have a certificate of liter- acy. Powers Gather at Locarno for War on Soviet Russia (Continued from page 1) many fears a Russo-Pole agreement as much as Great Britain and France. Depends on Germany. The danger of a western accord against the workers’ union hangs omi- nously over the Locarno conference and represents the beginning of a con- certed attack on the Soviet Union. eee LOCARNO, Switzerland, Oct. 5 Friendly gestures, indicating it Germany is on an equal footing w if the allies in the negotiation of a j curity pact, were tnade totlay at formal opening of the security pact conference here. Austen Chamberlain, British for- eign minister, proposed that there should not. be any formal presidency of the conference. “We should meet on a footing of perfect equality,” said Chamberlain. This move was understood to have been taken because German delegates feared that M, Briand might be made the president and dominate the con- ference. “I am most favorably impressed,” said M. Briand, French foreign min- ister, after the first session of the conference, when asked to comment on the trend of the negotiations. The jurists will meet this after noon, when it is expected that the work of drafting a proposed pact will be undertaken, PARTY . (no charge!) » of a portrait study by lgdie L Gibson, of the lucky nem- / ber at the door, if YOUR HEART! — DANCING as good “, wee make it IMPERIAL HALL 2406 N. HALSTED 6T,