The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 14, 1926, Page 6

Page Six THE DAILY WORKER Published by the DAILY WCRKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ml, Phone Monroe 4712 SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mail (in Chicago only): By mail (outsides of Chicago): $8.00 per year $4.50 six months $6.00 per vear $3.50 six months $2.50 three months $2.00 three months Address all mail and make out checks to THE DAILY WORKER, 1113 W. Washington Bivd., Chicago, !llnols J, LOUIS ENGDAHL | as Business Manager WILLIAM F, DUNNE MORITZ J. LOEB. Entered as second-class mail September 21, 1923, at the post-office at Chi- eago, Ill, under the act of March 3, 1879. ona 290 Advertising rates on application. Benevolent Loan Mongers Usually the exclusive spokesmen for Walk Street are quite frank in discussing the ulterior motives behind ‘such prosaic busi- ness transactions as loans to foreign countries.. They usually admit that such loans are necessities and that they are made for the benefit of the ioan mongers, Recently there has crept in a senti- mental note that is rather ludicrous. The Wall Street Journal sermonizes Europe on the benevolence of the finance capitalists who make heavy investments in Europe. Such. platitudinous drivel is to be expected from the editorial writers of the Times, the World and that exceedingly modest mid- west travesty upon a metropolitan paper, the Chicago Tribune, but the Journal, which speaks for the loan mongers exclusively and doesn’t care a rap about the rest of us, ought to be above that sort of thing. American finance capital doesn’t penetrate European nations because of any philanthropic or benevolent motive, but because it must find an outlet or stagnate. With a monopoly on the world’s gold supply and the surplus piling ever higher the banking houses are constantly devising means of finding new fields of investment. That is why American diplomats, unofficial observers, industrial experts, Dawes planners and others overrun Europe, scrutinizing everything that affects the Old World, whether it be a shot in the nese for Mussolini or a disarmament conference. If there were any other and safer place for investments than in Europe the bankers of this country would devote their talents to “developing” that part of the world. But since the world is limited in area Europe remains one of the fields of investment for American capital. So long as both western Europe and America remain capitalist this tendency will continue, even tho it meets with ever more open and determined resistance on the part of England, the imperialist rival.of the United States. American loans to European ngtions mean for the workers that the governments of their countries are becoming ever more the agents of Wall Street and in the next world struggle they will be expected by their governments to rally to the defense of American bank capital. For the capitalist governments of Europe the investment cap- ital of America is a benefactor as it enables them to obtain the means with which to endeayor to crush the working class. For the workers it means greater exploitation and misery, with the ominous threat of another world slaughter hovering over them. The only alternative is revolution. Two Stories of Italy On the same day the newspapers carried the report of the at- tempt by a half-crazed woman. to assassinate Mussolini, the brag- gart despot of Italy, another story appeared in less conspicuous places in the press. The second story concerned the death in Cannes, France, of Giovanni Amendola, chief of the largest group of par- liamentary opponents of Mussolini. Amendola, because of his activity against the vicious tyranny of fascism, was marked for permanent removal from the political stage by the monster who heads the fascist government. A group of the horde of criminal thugs that comprise the sole strength of fas- cism set upon the offending deputy, beat him into insensibility, left him for dead and adjourned to the nearest grog shop to celebrate their craven act: Amendola did not then die, but was rescued and taken to France where it was hoped he would recuperate, but the fiendish tortures inflicted upon him were beyond repair. He died— murdered, as was Matteotti—on instructions from Mussolini. This ghastly tyranny cannot last much longer. The bestial orgy of murder accompanied by the ever-growing suppression and de- basement of the working class must be challenged and the black night of fascism torn asunder by the lightning flashes of the revo- lution. Not by individual assassination, either by fanatic scions of a moribund nobility or by the anarchist propagandists of the deed, will fascism be destroyed, but by the irresistible tide of the prole- tarian revolution as it sweeps all before it. zi yi Before the tribunal of the revolution and’ there alone will fas. cism finally expiate its long record of heinous atrocities. A Practical Politician Illuminating indeed are the revelations of the notorious William E. (Pussyfoot) Johnson, prohibition erusador extraordinary, in a series of magazine articles now being published. ‘This darling of the protestant prohibitionists describes the impotent efforts of the dry forces in'their early, sentimental, emotional period, and their nation- wide success in their later ganex, practical period. The first was characterized by honesty of purpose and religious zeal. The latter was sufficiently fervent for the pious, and was also practical and produced results. The eminent Mr. Johnson boasts of the fact that part of his eon- tribution consisted of lying, bribery and swilling booze with the best (or worst according to one’s outlook) of them, Hig capacity for lying makes a piker of Annanias and is only exceeded by his capacity for strong drink—both, of course, indulged in: for “the cause.” ’ Johnson's story is nothing new. Its uniqueness consists in the fact that for once a slimy politician of that type tells the truth. He was prompted to do this because Mr. Hearst desired sensational contributions to hig journalistic cess-pools and was willing to pay good money for them. For workers, who still believe in parliamentary democracy as practiced in this unexampled republic, these revelations of a prac- tical politician may serve as an awakener. “Pussyfoot” is no dif- ferent from any other politician endeavoring to put over any can- didate or any “cause.” Their methods are alike and they all play the game by indulging in lying, bribery and other forms pf corrup tion. / / THE DAILY WORKER Passaic Strike Children Outwit Police Thugs, By ESTER LOWELL, Federated Press. ASSAIC, N. J., April 12.—Passaic children are sturdy pickets. Not even the attacks of police on horses and motorcycles and with clubs can} scare them. They know why their mothers and fathers, sisters-and broth- ers are striking 13,000 ° strong and picketing the great woolen mills so persistently. When the’ police came charging their special chlidren’s parade, the kids were clever. They dodged and scattered and then reform- ed their lines and marched all over \|.the ‘textile towns singing and shout- ing. 12-Year-Old Pickets Threaten School Strike. Now they threaten to strike them- selves! They say they won't go to school when the police make the Streets so dangerous, The children don’t hesitate to tell the. police what they think of them. And how mad it does make the cops! They tell reporters that they don’t beat the youngsters, but the peppy Piekets of 10 to 16 give a different story. The police did hit the older brothers and sisters and mothers ac- company the six-tomine.year-olds in the children’s parade, And some of the older ones were arrested and thrown into jail, too. The day before the big march of 20,000 children five kids of 9 to 13 came crying home in the morning. The Passaic police had kept them in jail over night without giving them even a crust to eat! The boys and girls had been picketing Police Chief Zobre’s house when they were ar- rested. In court the judge wouldn’t go thru with his sentence of spank- ing and sent the kids home with a severe scolding, Bright little Anna} a 12-year picket for her father and mother and older sister and brother, told me as we were marching to Lodi to picket the United Piece Dye Works that a “cossack” had clubbed her in front of the Gera mills. on my cap, I'd have had an awful bump. I didn’t dare tell my mother,” Anna and her girl friend, both of Polish parents, hurry after school every day to join the picket line. It’s the most dramatic event of their “If he hadn’t hit the tassel} young lives but they know ‘how serious it Is for their families and neighbors to win a better living thru union or- ganization, They can tell you and they defend strike leaders from the attacks of their teachers in school, “You come to the strikers’ meet- ings and picket nes and you'll learn all about it,” Anna told her teacher when she was not allowed to. talk about the strike as a current event in history class. “You'll see why we need outsiders to help us fight and win. The mill owners are outsiders and they hire all the smart people they need to fight for them.” Sister Loses Firigér. Anna’s mother broke ‘Hef finger in the mill just before Chrigtinas and it still hurts. Anna’s sister lost her guarded machinery the“last day of December, Since then Anpa’s father has been more than evef insistent that she go to high scool and not go into the mill. She is the brightest girl but one in her elias and her schoolmates like her best hecause she is so peppy. ie “She learns so quickly, 16 Ought to go on,” says her girl friend loyally. “I’m slower. It would be, all right for me to work but not for,Anna.” The children had great fun making the signs for their big,parade. The leading banner said: “You bosses, you murderers! Fifty per cent; more chil- dren die in Passaic than) im any other part of New Jersey. Why? Night work of the mothers kills them, Lack of food kills them. Low wages kills them. You kill them.” » Shout For Union. On the picket line Anna and the other, youngsters shout: “One, two, three, four. What aré we here for? Union, Union! Five, six, seven, eight. Whom do we appreciate? Weisbord! Weisbord!” And then they sing “Solidarity Forever” ahd some new songs the strike leaders have written. They're hard to resist, these kids. They are the most active reporters for the Textile Strike Bulletin, tabloid newspaper put out by,.the United Front Committee every week. The list of donations. to; the Strike Relief Committee, published, regularly in the bulletin, shows how, workers far and near and their friends are help- ing the fight against feudal mill, con- ditions. , COMPANY UNIONS HELP THE GENERAL ELECTRIC BOSSES EXPLOIT WORKERS By ROBERT DUNN, Federated Press, Since trade union were displaced players. eral Electric committee system are al- so shown in an article in the April issue of the Survey Graphic by Robert Bruere, dealing with the West Lynn, Mass., plants of the company. The management and technical staff, Says Bruere, initiated and control every feature of the “employe repre- |Sentation plan,” tho the workers are given the illusion of having a “say.” chiefly by a “suggestion box.” special financial rewards being given for tech- nical ideas that save money to the management, The workers are allowed no expert advisors in dealing with management, From the beginning they were barred from calling in national-trade union officials, while the company put its By OBSERVANT. ga sentences meted out to the coal miners convicted of food raids by Justice Carroll at™ithe February ses- sion of the supreme court at Sydney, Nova Scotia, once more demonstrates to. the working class that there is “one law for wealth and another for poverty.” Since 1922 conditions have prevailed in the mining communities in Nova Scotia which reduced the workers to poverty and starvation, that Were never known in any civilized country since the dark ages. Lock- outs, strikes, unemployment and es- pionage have been forced upon the workers in order to reduce their stand- ard of living and to increase the prof- its of the inhuman and merciless octo- pus known as Besco (British Empire thd company). It is a known fact thq@t the center of attack was directed at "Glace Bay, more than any other part of the district, because it was here that the basis of organization ex- isted. It was here that the fight against oppression and lowering of wages was more manifest. Conditions were 80 appalling that in the latter part of 1924 and early in 1925’ the citi- zens of Canada took up the matter of providing relief for the miners and an appeal was issued from coast to coast and even to the people of the United States to give something to save the lives of the miners and their families. NSTEAD of conditions improving, Besco closed down entirely some of the collieries in Glace Bay. This ne- cessitated a call from the district ex- ecutive of the U. M. W, of A, for a stoppage of work, After ‘flve months of the worst conditions eyer known in the history of labor struggles Besco sueceeded in putting’ a*Wrastic wage 4 eye by company unions in t® Hage plants of the General Electric Co., world’s largest manufacturer of electric equip- ment and appliances after a broken strike in the war labor board days in 1918, wages have been reduced and all power has reverted , These facts are bared by the reports of responsib! officials at the Schenectady plant but some of the basic “milk-fed and company-cradled” Gen-¢———————_—________ ctristics of the highest executives on the most impor- tant local committees: without limit- ing their choice of adyisors. The workers are also “pocketed” from the rest of labor. For instange, the com- pany union at West Lynn is. allowed no connection with that.at Schenec- tady. On the other hand, the com- pany maintains affiliatien..with the United States chamber of commerce, the National Electric Light Associa- tion and other large employers groups, This means, national organization for the company; local organization for the men, Blacklist in Vogue. Schenectady unionists’ reports tell of an elaborate employment and black- list system. Despite the “no discrim- SL Besco Sends Starving Workers to Prison cut into effect and calling the strike off. But this is not alkyrelief ceased coming. The conditions; gf unemploy- ment had not improved.y,Four collier- jes, employing about 4! People, were still entirely clo; down. Out of the ten collieries in.Glace Bay sub- district only one ope: steady, the remainder worked less. half time or remained closed. THe conditions of the workers and their families were becoming worse from aif day until finally nothing stood’ Between them and starvation, : FAcine a Cape Breto#hard winter, with no food, to say nothing of clothing, appeals weré ‘sent to the authorities, including civic, provincial jand federal, but all they got were |courteous telegrams aff lame, hypo- jwitical excuses, altho €f@ same goy- ernments had given Beiéo practically all the natural resotfees of the province, together with ninety million dollars in cash bonuses and subsid- jaries of the people's money, and every privilege that they ever asked for, still nothing was done to keep the workers from starvation or freezing. r is thus an easy matter to picture a miner's home during the Christ- mas of 1925, the season of joy and festivity. On Sunday, December 27, & mass meeting was held at the Rus- sell Theater, where two members of the government, Attorney-General J. C, Douglas and G. S, Harrington, min- ister of mines, were present. Those gentlemen promised to, do the best they could and it was decided to again call another meeting the following Sunday. Another week #f hunger and destitution, another wi of misery, hoping against hope, and the meeting again convened on Janmary 3, but no KE finger in the steel monster of un-| ination” clause in the General Electric Co, company union constitution they report that zealous committee mem- bers, who were discovered to be also members of trade unions, have been fired. “Trying to represent the wishes of the fellow workers who had elect- ed him,” was the reason given by one trade unionist for a discharge there. Favorites are played by foremen in the awarding of work, settling of prices, etc., under the company~union Plan, say these Schenectady trade un- ion critics. ‘When the unions were recognized the workers were far more independent. ‘They did not fear to take up their grievances with foremen, knowing that the trade union shop ‘committee, the local union, the metal trades branch, and finally their inter- nationals, would back them, Now the appeal route takes them no farther than the general manager, whose de- cisions are final, Bosses Play Favorites. Under the company union plan there is no equal distribution of work in slack times, ‘as formerly, when trade unions were strong. Then the rule was for one group of workers to have one week, the other half the next. Now the policy is not to alternate shifts, but “to call the men all in, make them stand around three to five hours, after which the boss always picks his fav- orites.” When the worker does get the chance to work the edict on prices is “take it or leave it.” With no or- ganization ‘to fight for his interests the worker usually takes it, tho wages are below those in pre-plan days. First class men are now hired as —$—$_$_____— members of the government were Present, no word or promise of en- couragement was given, the govern- ment representatives could not be lo- cated, so more telegrams were sent out and the meeting adjourned until 9 p. m. in order to wait for a reply. Nothing in form of relief in sight. They could not beg or borrow, they had nothing to eat, the stores and windows were full of good food, cloth- ing and other luxuries. It was the product of the toil of their own ciass, stored up behind a plate glass, Get it, or lose their own lives and that of their dearest ones, was the simple problem. So the.hungry ones took, Peace of those participating in the raids followed; about, thirty were arrested and eleven convicted to severe sentences, ranging from ten days in jail to three years in peniten- tiary. “The capitalist press refers to the sentencing of these victims as a “pathetic scene,” etc., the judge ex- pressing sympathy and sorrow for the victims of the system which he so stoutly defends. You have had a fair trial, he said to the first victim called up. UDGE CARROLL said he must do his duty. He certainly dié—to his class. When will the workers do their duty to their class? It is the workers of Cape Breton who got it in the neck this year, what section will be at- tacked next? Wherever the interest of capital demands. We then cal) upon men and women of the warking class to use their power.for the re- lease of those convicted in Sydney, as it is an example of capitaWstic perse- cution of those workers who resist the onslaught of the master elass to in- crease exploitation and-slavery, entail betes Sees fe=npeeene ss ete tna NN ANGELS OF PEACE The hired men of dishonest labor leaders who use a “peaceful” trade unionists. tool makers for from 60 to 70 cents an hour. When the men were in real unions the minimum hiring rates for tool-makers was 85 to 90 cents an hour, : Another ‘practice complained of by workers is the shifting of rders from one department to another in order to get the work done for the lowest pos- sible wage,’ The departments thus compete with each other in a blind way. “In the former days if a worker got a certain price to do a job in say No. 16 and it was formerly done in say shop 23 he would go to the union brother in 23 and find the price he received and also the condition under which the job was done. If the price was not right he would notify the foreman aiid tell him he wanted the right price and insist on getting it. Under the company plan you get the price they hand out, and if you went to another department to find the price you would be fired.” Committeemen, critical of the plan, By KARL REEVE, to The Daily Worker) MOSCOW, U. S. S, R., (By Mail.) —Every foreign observer in Soviet Russia. remarks on the immense amount of reading being carried on here. For unless one is mentally blind, the efforts of the working mass- es of the Soviet Union to acquire knowledge is most striking. There are, in the first place, the large num- ber of book stores, almost every cor- ner is a bookstore, with its large win- dows crammed with volumes histori- eal, political, economic, the natural sciences, ang fiction. A ntmber of bookstores are to be seen on nearly every blork:. In addition, the station- ery storek all carry a supply of pa- per-bound books, Not only are there these bookstores, but along Dverskia, Mochoffia, Vorovsky streets, and the other main ‘streets of Moscow, where- ever-there, is a place to rest books there is an open alr bookstand, The base of railings in front of the Moscow University, on Mochovia street is cov- ered With books. In addition, there are book sellers scattered thru the streets who specialize on selling one book.) Russian Worker Better Informed. Iam quite sure that the Russian worker is better informed on history than that of any other country of the world. Tho books printed in the mil- lions of copies by the state publish- ing company give a correct interpre- tation of the history of Russia. Special pamphlets deal with the history of the 1905 revolution, with “liberation of the serfs,” with the agricultural eco- nomy, with the influence of foreign capital on the history of Russia, with the development of industry under the Workers Eager for Education in Soviet Union By William Gropper | blackjack on honest iy 7 tell of long delays in getting anything done under it. “One has been trying for seven months to get a raise for three men in his department without. results. The committeemen finally told the men if they ever expected to get a raise they should get into a real union.” Trade unions have almost vanished in the Schenectady shops. The tricians once had 2,000 members) | Other crafts lost power. Los Angeles Waist and Dressmakers to Hold a Flower Ball LOS ANGELES, April 12—A grand flower ball will be held by the Waist, and Dressmakers’ Union at the Co Operative Center, 2706 Brooklyn ave- nue., Saturday evening, April 17. czar, and-so it is with the other eub- Jects. \ | The Russian worker realizes the in timate relation of his new form of ernment, the workers’ and peasants’ state, to the working class of the en- tire world. One concrete expression of this international spirit of the Rus- sian workers is seen in their desire to learn foreign languages. Everyone, it seems, fs studying at least one other language. Foreign residents are be- sieged with requests to teach English, French, German, Chinese, and many other languages. The Communist clubs for foreign residents, for ex- ample the German and Hungarian clubs, give courses to large numbers in foreign languages. The factory clubs teach foreign languages and many Russians are indulging in the popular Moscow sport of “exchanging languages,” teaching Russian to a for- eign resident, while he in turn teache: his language. , Want to Learn English. Especially are the Russians desirous of learning English, as they realize what an impoftant part England and America play in the struggle against imperialism, and, desire to read the English publications. One well-known Communist told me he was going to study Jewish so as to be able to read |) the New York Freiheit. wt Many particularly the women and the peas- ants, were forced to learn to read be- fore they could begin to study. They patiently went to work in the Soviet schools and in some cases using the Pravda as their text book, and learned to read in order to kéep in touch with the progress of the new society brot in by the revolution, id the Russian workers, ana |} ; 5 f