The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 11, 1926, Page 2

ATHEISTS PLAN LEGAL FIGHT ON ECCLESIASTICS Quote Washington as Aid to Campaign NEW YORK, April 9.—The organ- ized atheists of the country are plan- ning & series of legal attacks upon ec- clesiasticism, according to a statement issued today by Charles Smith, presi- dent of the American Association for the Advancement of Atheism, Inc., with national headquarters at 49 Vesey street. A fund of $100,000 is being raised among atheists for the purpose of instituting several legal actions and spreading propaganda in the col- leges. “Our suit to remove the chaplains from the houses of congress and the army and navy is but the first move of a compaign to cleanse government of religion,” Smith said. “We are now preparing for our second suit and will file it shortly after a decision is hand- e@ down in the present case. U. 8. No Christian Nation, “We chose to bring action to re- move the chaplains from the federal payroll first because it seems to us that their employment is clearly ille- gal. We consider that payment of Public moneys to priests and propa: gandists of creeds is plainly a perver- sion of public funds. Christianity ‘would rise in arms if an atheist were made chaplain of the senate or the bouse. Who can conceive of a Moham- medan as a chaplain on one of our mavy craft? We must keep in mind what George Washington said: ‘The United States is not a christian nation @ny more than it {s a Jewish or Mohammedan nation.’ “We are raising $100,000 for the purpose of instituting legal actions thruout the United States. Our asso- ciation will bring suit in Oak Park, Minois, before the close of the present term to restrain the school board of that city from dismissing school chil- ‘dren for religious instruction during school hours. Our attorney in Chicago, Richard J. Cooney, is prepared to test the week-day religious issue in the supreme court of Illinois and secure a final decision in the matter,” he continued. Organizing the Students, “A portion of the fund being raised will be devoted to our work in the colleges. The students, with the aid ofmembers of the faculties, will con- duct branches. The names of the of- ficers of the branches at Yale and the University of Kansas will be an- nounced within a few days. We have encouraged and ate standing behind the suits brot by members of our Damned Souls branch at the Univers- ity of Rochester against Clinton N. Howard, who used slanderous lan- guage in condemning the students from a Rochester pulpit. From now on Christianity must behave itself,” Smith concluded. ‘Affairs for Russian Schools to be Given at Workers’ House A Russian vecherinka, concert and dance will be given by the Wicker Park Russian Children’s School, to- night (Saturday) at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division St. The chil- dren of the school will participate in the program. Tickets in advance 35 cents, at the door 50 cents. Beginning at 8 p. m. ae @ A performance and dance will be given tomorrow (Sunday) at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division St., fer the benefit of a children’s school ih the village of Suchojeny, Soviet Re » school has been built up % supplied by a group gers living now in Chit ing at 4:30 p.m. Admission if 50 cents. Entertainment and Dancing on Saturday Night beginning at 8 p. m. | Tickets 40c in Advance A. F. of L. Chief for Beer and Wine | (Continued from page 1). and the poor man gets arrested if somebody hands him a bottle.” Enforcements Conditions “Terrible.” Enforcement conditions are “ter- rible,” McSorley asserted. “Why, dis- trict attorneys are calling in justices of the peace and making them re- sign!” “What for?” asked Reed, “For co-operating with enforcement officers and shaking down bootleg- gers,” said McSorley. “They are do- ing it right now in Cuyahoga county, Ohio.” “I think 90 per cent of the workers would be satisfied with a glass of beer and only 10 per cent would try to get something stronger,” McSorley said, “It would turn him away from raisin jack, mooshine and stop the making of home brew in the homes of workers, which is nothing but alot of sour slop.” Brennan Gets Election Issue. George E. Brennan, -the rotund democratic “boss” of Chicago, who has had a hand in the making and break- ing of many political candidates, from presidential to aldermanic, and who is himself a candidate for the senate this year, told democratic leaders at the capitol that the issue of prohibi- tion is in politics to stay, and that they might as well prepare to meet TTT TTT TTT LLL LLL D-DAY SPRING FESTIVAL Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11 Look at This! Entire new program of entertainment and more dancing Sunday night—at 8 p. m. All at Imperial Hall, 2409 N. Halsted Street All this for the benefit of the Young Workers’ Summer School Session of the Chicago District. Under the auspices of the International Women’s Section of District No. 8. it in 1928, “I don't see how it can be kept out of politics,” he said. “Anything that affects the thoughts: and the daily lives of millions of people, anything that is breeding the army of criminals that this law is, anything that is the major topic of conversation wherever and whenever people gather, irre- spective of their social status, is bound to be in politics. There’s no use shut- ting our eyes to facts. Astounding Figures. “That was an astounding set of figures we submitted to the senate committee, They showed an increase of 670 per cent in alcoholic deaths in Chicago since prohibition, an increase of 704 per cent in arrests for ‘gin driving,’ an increase of 140 per cent in commitments to institutions for insanity. What is true of Chicago is true of other cities, in larger or less degree. Ward Boss Talks Debauchery. “But even that is not the worst of present-day conditions. The tragic part of it is what prohibition is doing to the young folks of this country. It is a trite thing to say that youth is be- ing debauched, and yet there is scarce- ly any other way to describe present conditions, “Brennan and Booze” Slogan. “IT am going to the people of Illinois on this issue. It’s my biggest»issue, and it’s the country’s biggest issue, whenever we will admit it. “Let the republicans fight over the world court if they want to. They can talk world court to the people. I'm go- ing to talk of present-day conditions, and the remedy for them as I see it. That’s my platform in a nutshell, And I think the results in November are going to surprise a lot of people, in- cluding some in Washington.” Drys Endorse Republicans. The issue became more clean-cut in Illinois even while Brennan was in Washington as the Anti-Saloon League endorsed both republican can- didates for the Illinois senatorial nom- ination, Senator Wm. B. McKinley and Col. Frank L. Smith, Whiskey Versus Beer, “Do you believe that if they could get beer and light wines, it would bring greater sobriety and better morals among the workers?” “Absolutely,” the witness said. “I know hundreds of workers who never drank whiskey until prohibition and if they get a bottle now, they won’t leave a room until the bottle is empty. It they had beer, they wouldn’t drink whiskey.” . Andy Adds a Word. Andrew Furuseth, president of the Seamen’s International Union, also urged modification of the dry law. I am against men who want to im- Dancing All Sunday Afternoon to good music from 2:30 to 6 p. m. 50c at the Door prove the morals of the people by statute and not by example,” said Furuseth. “I became a staunch advo- cate of the Volstead act when I saw its effects in the first three months after the law was passed. Then the seamen couldn't get anything to drink. Now they can get all they want and the story is different.” James O'Connell, president of thg Metal Trades department of the fed- eration, made the same plea. He said he was “strongly opposed to the re- turn of the saloon.” If You Have the Price! “The great question is whether the present law is being carried into ef- fect and doing what it was predicted it would do,” said O'Connell. “My observation is that it is not,—far from it. It is being openly and flagrantly violated in every walk of life, “The trouble is that if you have the price, you can get anything you want to drink,—even in saloons, not go- called nowadays. “My observation is that the law cannot be enforced. The present state of affairs must be improved upon or it will result in chaos. Like Smoking Cigarets. “You can’t stop women smoking cigarets any more than you can fly. That's the trouble with the dry law. ywines. The people will not obey it and you cannot enforce it, no matter what you spend on enforcement. New Jersey “Agin.” John P. Frey, president of the Ohio State Federation of Labor, said he ap- peared before the committee “because Ohio is the center of the anti-saloon league movement.” Henry F. Hilfers, secretary of the New Jersey State Federation of Labor, declared prohibi- tion could not be enforced, had in- creased crime and disrespect for all law and caused men “who never drank hard liquor before to become drunkards.” He urged beer and light Hilfers said New Jersey has had “five referendums on the prohibition question.” The state has elected three democratic governors, one dem- ocratic senator and one republican senator in the wet issue, he said. “TI think the committee will take ju- dicial notice of the fact that Ne Jersey is against the amendment,” replied Walsh. The committee then adjourned until tomorrow. Form 24-Hour ° ° ° Picket Line in * . Passaic Strike (Continued from Page 1) Textile Workers. This is the second such expression of solidarity from abroad. A similar message was re- ceived from the Textile Workers Un- ion of Russia. The cablegram reads: “Represent- ing fifteen million trade unionists rallying to you we express fraternal sympathy for the heroic fight of Pas- saic workers. The Berlin headquart- ers of the International Workers Aid declare solidarity, and admiration for resistance against gas warfare and police atrocities of the textile capital. Long live international trade union unity. Long live international work- ers’ solidarity —(Signed by) Fimmen, Ledebour, Zetkin, Kameneva, Bar- busse, Tommann and Muenzenberg.” Form Many Conferences, The twentieth city conference to be organized for the relief of the Passaic textile strikers was formed recently in St. Louis and has already held a tag day in that city. The tag day held by the Newark conference recently netted more than $2,000 for relief. All over the United States workers indignant at the ill-treatment accorded the textile strikers of Passaic in their fight for a decent wage and a union, are expressing their sympathy and feeling of solidarity in an organized way. The conferences formed so far include the cities of Minneapolis, Buf- falo, Baltimore, Utica, New York, Lawrence, Mass., New Haven, Conn., Maynard, Mass., Allentown, Pa, De- troit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Young- stown, Ohio, Springfield, Mass., Eliza- beth, N. J., New N. J., Hartford, Conn., Boston, Mass, Perth Amboy, N. J. Paterson, N. J. Workers Back Relief. The conferences are composed of delegates from trade unions, of all kinds of workers’ societies of local inits of the Young Workers (Com- munist) League, the Workers (Com- munist) Party, the International La- bor Defense, the American Civil Lib- erties Union, the Socialist Party, and other similar organizations, A mass meeting was held in Chicago by the International Workers’ Aid and the novel admission of a can of food- stuffs or fifteen cents was charged, Union Aid 100 ilies, One hundred strikers’ families will be cared for by the American Federa- tion of Full Fashioned Hosiery Work- ers and the Trades Union Labor Coun- cil of Passaic, by arrangement with the General Relief Committee, Dele- gates trom these two organizations ex- pressed the desire of their groups to give aid in this manner,and a hundred families needing relief will be turned over to them by the General Relic! Committee at once. The Finnish Co- operative Bakery of Brooklyn donated a truckload of bread which was dis- tributed to the relief store: If you want to thoroughly un- derstand Communism-—study it. Send for a ho of all Com- Ne jimunist literature, \ THE DAILY WORKE APPOINTMENT OF THOMPSON MEETS WITH OPPOSITION Coolidge Is Questioned as to His Rights (Special to The Dally Worker) WASHINGTON, April 9—President Coolidge’s right to appoint Carmi Thompson of Cleveland as a special commissioner to investigate condi- tions in the Philippines was challeng- ed in the senate today by Sen. King, (D) of Utah. “It is the exclusive right of congress to determine the Philippine policy,” said King. He introduced a resolution calling upon the; treasury to give the total of expense money to be allowed Thompson for the inquiry. eee Aguinaldo Defends Wood. MANILA, P. L, April 9 — In reply to criticisms by Manuel Quezon, presi- dent of the insular senate, for his failure to lime up the veterans of the Philippine revolutions against Gov- ernor General Wood, Emilio Aguinal- do, former insurrectionary leader, has issued a public statement attempting to justify his equivocal position on the independence question. He tries to de- fend Wood from the charge of being against the independence movement and says that the only difference be- tween the governor general and the Filipinos is “as to time, which,” he asserts, “is only a detail.” In other words, whether independence comes now or a thousand years from now is only “a detail’! Suspicious Actions, Aguinaldo has lost prestige greatly with the natives tho he still has a following. Leaders of the independ- ence movement recall many suspi- cious incidents in his past career, cast- ing grave doubt on his sincerity. These go back to the time preceding the Spanish-American, war when the insurrection under, his leadership against the Spanish was settled by a number of promises.which were never carried out and Aguinaldo admitted- ly received a large.sum on condition that he would leave, the islands. U. S. Aid, At the outbreak of the war between the United States and; Spain he was in Singapore. At the, request of the American consul, Admiral Dewey, in charge of the fleet operating against Spain in the Far East, arranged to take him aboard to Manila, In con- junction with the United States mil- itary forces he organized the Philip- pines army, afterwards carrying on the struggle against, the American oc- cupation, Upon hisdefeat, he was held captive until the peace terms were settled. Later he. was released. Now Wealthy. He is now a wealthy planter. His economic interests have allied him with the Americans and he has been a consistent suppo! of governor general Wood from beginning of the latter’s struggle against the na- tionalist movement, It has been his tactics so far as sible to avoid publicly committing himself but Que- zon’s attack forced him into the open. Rich Man Raped Negro Child and He Still Lives (Continued from page 1) to intervene, at once suspended the criminal trial, impanelled a lunacy jury, and after a short session, in- structed it to find the young man insane. This done, he ordered the prisoner to be confined in the Eastern State Hospital for the Insane, In order to make this appear a fair pro- cedure, the attorney for Merchant objected and his plea was overruled. The state’s attorney asserts that the young man will be tried on the as- sault charge again upon his release if he recovers from his “mental af- fliction.” Old-timers, however, smile and predict that it will not be long before he is released and nothing more heard of the case. Contrast to) Negro Trial. The whole affair is a striking con- trast to what ocqurred in the trial of & Negro only a few weeks ago on the charge of assaulting an adult white woman, He was found guilty with only the formality of a trial and exe- cuted almost quickly. Had he dared to put up an “insanity” defense it would have been brushed aside without the fort even of a hearing. Great is the bank of “equality” be- fore the law wl it comes to ques- tions involving color or working class rights! é Big British Mine (Continued from Page 1) ference at Battersea calling for the formation of local councils of action and workers’ defense corps against the 0. M. S. is being responded to thruout the nation, Almost a million workers were represented at the con- ference. The Sunday Worker, organ of the left wing trade unions, has asked for the formation of emergency distribu- tive groups to maintain the circula- tion of the during the coming strike. The "Gtrnal has a circulation well over 400 700, . Five thousahd new weeke Ia a with ‘ : Strike Due May Day subs in three) t! done ‘Schwab Talks Prosperity But New Jersey Steel Workers Declare Strike By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. HARLES M. SCHWAB, powerful steel magnate, chairman of the board of directors of the Bethlehem Steel Cor- poration, declares he is “an optimist on the business out- look.” That is a warning to labor. When Schwab gets optimistic that means that he. sees new opportunities for blood-letting in the business of taking increased profits from the toil of the working class. It is significant that every reason that Schwab advances, for an optimistic business outlook is in favor of the exploiters’ side of the ledger. He admits nothing to the advantage of Jabor. It is worth while to summarize some of these “reasons” for optimism. They are: FIRST: Because the American people as a whole are hard at work producing new wealth at an amazing speed. SECOND: Because nature promises a year of bountiful crops on top of the enormous agricultural productivity of last year. THIRD: Because the wage earners are working in a spirit of greater peace with their employers than | have known in 25. years. FOURTH: Because the government of the United States, under the leadership of the president, stands for a policy of sanity, conser- vatism and progress, Pe ee ee There is much more. Schwab compliments business for not indulging in “speculative expansion,” he is happy over the excellent “transportation service” provided, glories in the operation of “our banking laws” and “credit facilities.” e ° ° J The most backward worker should be able to see thru Schwab's optimism. When labor produces more that does not prove that labor is benefitted. The mill slaves of Passaic, N. J., produced $5,000,000 in profits for the parasite stock- holders of the Botany Worsted Mills on an invested capital of $28,000,000. But they had to come out on strike in order to fight a 10 per cent wage cut. Schwab should try to tell workers how they can increase their purchasing power when wages are cut in the face of mounting prices. He can't do it. Neither can he convince the farmers that “bountiful crops” mean “prosperity” for them. There were good crops last year in large sections of the country, but with low prices, large numbers of farmers are bankrupt or facing bankruptcy in many sections of the country, and congress is confronted with an agricultural crisis it does not even dare attempt to solve. What is true of the grain farmers also holds true of cotton growers, fruit raisers and other tillers of the land. * ° e - Workers are not benefitted when they indulge in the phantasy of “greater peace with their employers.” While they paralyze their own struggle for better conditions, the employers are as active as ever in improving their own favor- able position. The fact that Schwab glories in class-colla- boration and its benefits for the employing interests should be warning enough for all labor, especially the shopmen on the railroads being enslaved under the “Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Plan” to struggle against all these “class peace” schemes. : The steel workers are now in convention at Pittsburgh. The “optimistic” pronunciamento of the steel kaiser, Schwab, could not have been timed better in aid of the reactionary officialdom that loves so much to bask in the sunshine of the employers’ favors. Schwab says he has not known such unchallenged liberty in 25 years to exploit and rob the work- ers, as he now enjoys. That is surely a signal for struggle to the delegates of the steel workers now assembled in the capital city of Pennsylvania's steel and coal empire. Labor in the steel mills must listen to the call ‘of the left wing to organize the egy and build the militant power of America’s steel workers. The present. officialdom crawls backwards. Instead of vitalizing the metal trades depart- ment of the American Federation of Labor, they want to withdraw from it. The steel workers’ officials, as much as any, are responsible for the failure of the metal trades de- partment to push its proposed organization drive in the auto- and the workers strike 100 mobile industry. ” e Schwab talks “prosp , per cent in the plant of the Crucible Steel Company of New Jersey. This is the best possible reply that could be made to Schwab's bunk. What are the steel workers of the nation, and the working class generally, going to do about it? Railroads Refuse Clerks Pittance of $7.24 Monthly Raise (Continued from page 1.) ceding year was $24,085,647. The in- crease in net operating income was the largest reported by any railroad in the country. Huge Profits, After providing for a 6 per cent dividend on the $50 par stock, and set- ting aside large sums for sinking fund and other reserved fund appro- priations and expenditures on leased lines and affiliated companies a sur-|8™ plus of $25,892,985 was transferred to the profit and loss account, And yet the Pennsylvania railroad pleads its inability to pay a few thor id clerks about @ hundred dollars a year in- all foreign countries. report does not disclose, Notorious Scabby Road. the whole count d open shop advocates, engineers, firemen, creased cost of living since 1921! Increased Exploitation, General W. W. Attterbury, the “tin- horn” military commander who acts 8 president of the system, and who is a bitter enemy of unions on the railroads, boasts in the report that the huge profits were obtained by the increased efficiency of operation, point- ing out that the ratio of operating ex- penses to operating revenues has dropped from 87.8 per cent in 1921 to 78.43 per cent in 1925, Notwithstand- ing a reduction of $6,187,917 in trans- portation expenses last year, there was a large gain in the volume of trafic handled, Millions Added to Equipment. by The amounts spent on the physical |] | Earl R, Browder, improvement of the road in 1926 were all taken out of the crushed. $25,650,500 was spent on the improve- ments of its own lines and $21,000,000 on the lines of its leased units. The report states that the railroad is own- ed by 140,578 stockholders “residing in every state of the Union and nearly Whether the heirs of the former Russian Czar and those of men close to former Emperor Wilhelm are still big stockholders the The Pennsylvania is. one of the most notorious scabby railroads in . Atterbury, its president, is one of our most distin- It has contracts with the Brotherhocds but took an active and leading part in breaking the shompnien’s strike. The conductors and niyy enh on the other roads in crease fh .|the United States, stayed on duty a Sonee, to: ane See te while their brothers were béing Lenin and the Trade Union (Secretary of the Red International With an introduction by WM, Z, FOSTER, SKILLED: STEE WORKERS FRETTED Convention Hears Boss’ Representative By ANDREW OVERGAARD, (Special to The Dally Worker) PITTSBURGH, Pa., April 9.—~To day's session of the convention of the — Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers appointed all the delegates representing the sheet and tin division as a committee to con- sider the wage scale in connection with the new patent doubler which is revolutionizing the steel industry and fast reducing the skilled workers to common labor. Mike Tighe, of course, and failed to have any recommenda- tions to meet this condition, Green's Regrets, ‘ The convention received a letter of regret from William Green,. president of the American Federation of Labor, that he could not attend the conven- tion due to very pressing engage- ments. The body was addressed by a Mr. Patterson, representing the sheet steel extension organization on the im- portance of extending the use of sheet steel, asking the co-operation of the union. Mr, Patterson represented the independent bosses’ organization that is being hard pressed by the U. Steel corporation. Continue Secrecy, Mike Tighe seems to be anxious to have all kinds of peddlers of class- collaboration appear before the con- vention. At the same time the official policy is to keep the convention pro- ceedings secret from the labor move- ment as much as possible, The committee on officers’ reports has not yet reported. It is expected to appear tomorrow. The discussion on the reports will no doubt show the Teal strength of the progressive and — reactionary forces in the convention which have so far not manifested themselves to any great degree. Women to Hold Spring Festival on Saturday and Sunday © Altho the ground may be covered with snow, Saturday April 10 and Sun- day, April 11, Chicago is going to have spring. For the women of the lasting for the two days of Saturday and Sunday. Imperial Hall, at 2409 North Halsted street where the two day festivities are to be held has already been turned into a place of flowers and spring. There will be an entertainment on Saturday night starting at eight o'clock and followed by dancing to the imported. Waukegan orchestra, On Sunday afternoon from 2:30 un- til six there will be continuous dane- ing. On Sunday night there will be an entirely new and different program followed again by dancing. Tickets are only fifty cents at the door, and forty cents in advance. All wanting a splendid time should come for the week-end, All proceeds go to the support of a Young Worker Sum- mer School session to be held in this district. “Big Tim” Murphy Speaks to Gas Workers “Big Tim” Murphy in a two-hour speech at the Musiclans’ Hall to the members of the Gas Workers’ Union told them how grateful he was for their having elected him repeatedly to the presidency of the union while he was in Leavenworth prison. Murphy was sent to jail for participating in the Dearborn street station mail rob- bery. ecm The American Worker Con respondent is out! SECTION 3 HOLDS DANCE TODAY TO RASE FUNDS TO ISSUE SHOP BULLETI Section 8, Chleago, of the Work: ers (Communist) Party, will hold a_ dance and get-acquainted party at. the Vilnis Hall, 3116 South Halsted | Admission is 60 cents, ; This section Intends to put out @ shop bulletin in the Stockyards, The proceeds of the dance will be- used to put out the shop bulletin, Movement BY A. LOSOVSKY of Labor Unions) BY NEW MACHINE exposed his bankruptcy of leadership © district are holding a spring festival ~ St. on Saturday night, April 10,