The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 7, 1926, Page 2

Page Two ~--- THE DAILY WORKER | The Day in the House of Parliament (Special to The Dally Worker) LONDON, May 5—There were polgn- ant scenes In the house of com- mons. Ernest Thurtle, labor member for Shoreditch, assailed the govern- ment for attacking the trade unions in today’s issue of the British Gazette. While the laborite spoke with great heat, charging the government with Propaganda aimed to wreck union- ism, he was greeted with Jeers and heckling from the rear benches on the government side of the house. “The food and milk supply of Lon- don are satisfactory,” Sir William Joynston Hicks declared in response to a question. “The electric power in the London hospital has been cut off during the day. “The emergency powers are neces- sary in the interest of the life of the nation.” At this point Sir William was in- terrupted by laborite hecklers, and Sir William and the speaker joined in rebukes to the unruly opposition members, Sir William appealed to the house to approve the state of emergency for a period of a month. The home secretary informed com- mons that large quantities of meat are in danger of spoiling on the Lon- don docks because the electric power for cold storage plants has been shut off. He also stated that unless the power is maintained it will be neces- sary to discontinue many business en- terprises. “The docks, food, electric, gas and transport service must continue to operate if the whole state is not going to dissolve into dire confusion,” said Sir William. Arthur Henderson, who was home secretary in the MacDonald labor cab- inet, replied to Sir William and de- clared that labor was not responsible for the termination of negotiations which led to the present situation. “Labor leaders have been doing every- thing possible to avert the present disaster,” Henderson said. “lL want to keep you Informed of what the government Is doing, but under the emergency powers it is quite simple for the government to act without telling the house of commons,” said Sir William. “And that will be the end of you,” howled David Kirkwood, the fiery Scottish laborite. The laborites greeted Kirkwood’s interruption with wild cheers while the government members tried to howl down the laborites, with pande- monium reigning for a few minutes, the white-wigged speaker pounding on his desk without effect. “I don’t desire to minimize the fact that the country is in a very serious condition,” Sir William Joyn- son-Hicks told the house of commons, “It couldn’t be worse,” came a shout from the labor side of the house. ENGDAHL AND JAKIRA FINED FOR MEETING Refuse to Pay; Go to Jail to Fight Case (Special to The Daily Worker) PITTSBURGH, Pa., May 5. — After searching their law books for three days, local prosecutors have confessed they have no law on which to hold persons for holding hall meetings with- out permits, nevertheless, Magistrate E. M. Hugh announced to Attorney George Shaffer, counsel for J. Louis Engdahl, editor of The DAILY WORK- ER, and Abram Jakira, Workers Party organizer, that he would assess a fine of ten dollars and costs or five days in jail, as a result of their arrest at Carnegie Music Hall last Saturday night. Engdahl and Jakira were pre- paring to go before Magistrate Huff this afternoon and receive sentence. They announced their refusal to pay the fine. This will propably result in their being sent back to jail. To Continue Fight. Their lawyers will then take out a writ of habeas corpus to force the authorities to show on what charges the prisoners are being held. It may not be possible to get a writ before a court, some time before Thursday. “We are pushing our plans to press a suit for damages for illegal arrest,” announced Jakira, who also stated that the Civil Liberties Union was giving the case its support. Open your eyes! Look around! There are the stories of the workers’ struggles around you begging to be written up. Do it! Send it in! Write as you fight! FURRIERS’ UNION SENDS CABLEGRAM OF SUPPORT TO THE BRITISH WORKERS (Svecial to The Dally Worker¥ NEW YORK, May 5.—The fol- lowing cablegram, expressing soli- darity with the British workers, was sent by the shop chairmen’s meeting at the Manhattan Lyceum: “General Council “British Trade Unions, “London, England. “The striking fur workers of New York extend their greetings to the striking British workers. We pledge our proletarian solidarity with the British workers in their struggle with the capitalists for decent living conditions. We hall with joy the inspiring display of unity as ex- Pressed in the general strike of the millions of British workers in sym- pathy with the miners, who are fighting against the attempt of their employers and their capitalist gov- ernment to impose on them condi- tions of slavery, “Long Ilve the unity of the British working class against their op- pressors, “Yours for victory, “Ben Gold, Chairman of General Bronx Workers Party Holds Big Concert on Saturday Evening NEW YORK, May 5. — The Bronx section of the Workers (Communist) Party will hold a concert and ball Saturday evening, May 8, at Workers’ Hall, 1347 Boston Road. The Russian Dramatic Club will present the four- act drama, “The Coal Miners.” Many unique surprises have been arranged. Admission is only fifty cents. Labor Sports Union Hikers Will Meet at Central Ave., Sunday In Saturday’s issue of The DAILY WORKER, it was reported that the Labor Sports Union hike which is to take place on May 9 will start from the end of the Grand Ave. car line, This is not correct, The hike will get under way from the Central Ave, “L” station of the Evanston line, at 9a, m, The regular membership of the Labor Sports Union will be reinforced on this hike by the members of the Nature Friends, a German workers’ hiking club which has close to 150 members, The hike will be led by the veteran hikers of the Nature Friends, who it is said, have picked out a beautiful route for this Sunday's out- ing. Finnish Athletic Club ‘Tarmos’ to Hold Field Day on Sunday, May 23 A regular field meet will be staged at Harms’ Park, Western and Berteau Ave., on Sunday afternoon, May 23, by the Finnish Workers’ Athletic Club “Tarmos”. There will be events for children as well as for the adults. A hundred yard dash for men, a broadjump, and a highjump event will be on the program, At the last meeting of the executive committee of the local Labor Sports Union “Tarmos” had several delegates present. After the nature of the Labor Sports Union had been ex- plained to them they stated that their organization would in all probability affiliate to the Labor Sports Union, Another New Publication including 64 pages (9x12) of the best work of the ding American proletarian artists. Drawings by ROBERT MINOR ART YOUNG FREDELLIS HUGOGELLERT WM. GROPPER and many others. With an introduction by MICHAEL GOLD $1.00 Attractively Bound. Kemal Defies Mussolini to Make War on Turkey CONSTANTINOPLE, May 4, — Premier Mustapha Kemal has defied Mussolini and sent him word saying: “Attack me, and when the fight is over your only problem will be to find burial place in Asia Minor for the bones of dead Italians. The Italians are better orators than fighters. If you combined, cowardly (reference to Greece and Italy), mean and worthless nations should defeat Turkey—which you never will—England would have Mosul and the oil all to herself.” BRITISH LABOR OUTLOOK BAD MONTH AGO Capitalists Confident; Workers Divided William F. Dunne, whose articles describing the background of the great struggle of British labor began yesterday, has just returned from England where he spent a month in the closest contact with the move- ment, men and conditions of which he writes. eee By WILLIAM F. DUNNE, SECOND ARTICLE. HE rapidity of the ¢e~elopment to- ward the present crisis in British industrial and political life can be gauged best by the fact that less than one month ago the best informed labor men in Great Britain and on the con- tinent believed that no strike of coal miners would take place. Early in April a conference was held in Paris attended by Influential British trade union officials, spokes- men of the continental labor unions and by high officials of the Alt-Rus- sian trade unions. The conference was called to consider the miners’ situation. After thoro consideration of all factors—mine owners, the miners’ union and the British Trade Union Congress—it was the un- animous opinion of the delegates that ‘no strike would occur, This opinion has additional signifi- cance if it is remembered that every person at the conference was opposed to the report of the coal commission, and believed that the campiagn to lower wages and lengthen hours must be met by a counteroffensive on the part of labor and that each had done much to put the British labor move- ment in fighting trim in preparation for just such a situation, In addition to the opinion that no strike of coal miners would occur there was the further belief that if it did it would receive only half- hearted support from the rest of the labor movement, For obvious reasons I cannot give the names of the labor men who are at this conference but they are those men in closest touch with the masses and who follow closely every phase of the British movement. Yet the miners struck, the Trade Union Con- gress supported them, British indus- try is paralyzed and the government and the capitalist press talk hysteric- ally of revolution. The speed and momentum of mass movements are hard to estimate and in Great Britain this is doubly true. So well established is the belief in the British devotion to parliamentary methods, so many times has the labor party parliamentary leadership suc- ceeded in diverting strike action into channels where the militancy of the masses has been dissipated, so in- volved with the aims of British cap- italism is an influential section of the trade union leadership, so strong was the belief that the subsidy to the coaj owners would be continued—tempo- rarily, at least—that those who work- ed the hardest for and wanted most the awakening of the British labor movement to its danger and the need for unity and struggle, despaired of anything like united action at this time. The National Union of Railwaymen, headed by J. H. Thomas, leading fig- ure in the Labor Party and former member of the Privy Council, an im- perlalist to the backbone, had signed an agreement with the employers and this was looked upon as definite indi- cation that the union would take lit- tle or no part in any general struggle of the rest of the trade union move- ment. The Amalgamated Engineering Un- fon (engineers in Great Britain are machinists, etc.) began negotiations for a new agreement and met with un- expected opposition from the bosses who insisted on district agreements, lower wages and a change for the worse in the job conditions. One of the most powérful unions in Great Britain, it was evident that the capi- talists believed that the A. EB, U. would not fight and that it it did it would re- ceive but little support from the rest of the labor movement. Undoubtedly the metal trades bosses found comfort in the fact that a ma- jority of the executive board of the Miners’ Federation of Great Britain was opposed to the militant policy of A. J. Cook, its secretary, whom the capitalist press always calls a Commu. SOCIALISTS TURN BACKS ON DRIVE FORLABOR PARTY (Continued from page 1). ty, since they did not poll the required number of votes in the elections, “In these states we do not there- fore exist as a political organization,” he said. “We are merely an educa- tional organization.” Hoopes added that only those who voted the socialist ticket could be con- sidered as engaged in the party’s| political activities and constituting legally the party’s political organiza- tion, The regular branches, he de- clared, with their dues paying mem- bers, did not constitute a political organization, This weird attitude is rapidly help- ing to develop the isolation of the par- ty, since it is not even organized to carry on educational activities. Some Place their hope in the “American Ap- peal,” the party’s official weekly, others in establishing a party broad- casting station, death benefits and similar ideas, Delegate William A. Toole, of Mary- land, in discussing the resolution, de- clared for “no compacts with other labor bodies (including trade unions) for political action. We must work on a purely independent basis.” The declaration on this subject presented to the convention by the resolutions committee follows: “In the failure, during and after the LaFollette campaign of 1924 to launch an independent political party of la- bor backed by the labor unions, co- operatives and farm workers’ organ- izations of the country; and in the ridiculous collapse of the so-called progressives and their return to the republican fold, the socialist party recognizes the. vital importance of in- tensive propaganda among the Amer- ican masses to educate them for their economic interests. Without enlight- ment upon fundamental economic principles they will continue blindly loyal to their exploiters or the ready victims of every political charlatan who offers a ‘short-cut’ out of the wilderness; and meanwhile the rapid collapse of private capitalism and its inability to function are bringing perilously near the crisis when noth- ing but a class conscious and thoroly disciplined organization of the work- ers and consumers can avail to save this nation from a bloody upheaval of sheer despairsand ignorant hatred. The historic mission of the socialist party is the education of the American working class, and the preparation for such a labor party, if it is not itself to be that party. To this end we urge the socialist local and state organiza- tions to co-operate, so far as possible, with every genuine effort of labor to- wards independent political action.” It was out of this resolution that the words “and the preparation for such a labor party if it is not itself to be that party” were stricken, and the words “independent political action” at the close changed to “industrial emancipation.” Thus the socialists try to charge the workers generally with their own treason in completely surrendering to the “LaFollette movement” and re- fusing to make the fight for the labor party, spending their time instead in denouncing the Communists. This means that the socialists will refuse to co-operate in any labor party activity this year. If the labor party movement develops and shows vitality then they may change their minds. This policy, already in effect in Pennsylvania, has resulted in the so- cialists putting their separate ticket in the field altho there is a labor party functioning in the state and James H. Maurer, member of the retiring so- cialist national, executive committee is president of the Pennsylvania Fed- eration of Labor. Alex Reid Answers Farrington’s Cable (Continued trom Page 1) tant fighting policy by the United Mine Workers of America in support of the demands of the American min- ers—such a fighting spirit as the Brit- ish miners are showing in their strug- gle, The fact that its candidate for the presidency of the United Mine Work- ers received 66,000 votes in the last election—altho the count was made by | Lewis, is the best indication of its support, - Full Support. The members of the United Mine Workers of America should demand that the international executive board shall also pledge the support of the entire union to the British mtners. The American miners thru their organ- ization, the U. M. W. of A, must be prepared to render the fullest possible financial support to the struggle of the British working class if they are need- ed. This support should not be merely on paper. It must be followed by deeds. No American miner should mine coal for shipment to Great Brit- ain. The international executive board should investigate the question of ship- ment of American coal to Great Brit- nist but who is not a member of the Communist Party. However, things began to happen in the coalflelds which exerted tremen: Free With a Year's Sub to The DAILY WORKER YOR RN C2 ean doug influence in shaping the policy of the Trades Union. Congress. (Third Article Tomorrow) ain and refuse! to allow any miners to mine coal for the British capitalists. Let Farringtoh and Lewis show by their deeds that they stand by the British miners, Every rank and file members of the United Mine Workers will support #uch @ policy, Bee ne Sin Shae Bind SE a nad sd OE AB a Bt Di EDR PON OS SO. SE I IO SAR ScD SS = AR, Be i A Li Si Mle Oc Nts RO IO la IA 3 BG cl Biol ic ety ITTSBURGH, Pa. May +. — (By Mail)—Threats of splits on every hand, from delegates as far apart ag Montana, Indiana and New York, greeted the effort to place the social ist convention on record on the ques- tion of prohibition. Even Congressman Victor L. Berger lost his*usual calm, and all sense of humor deserted him, as he yelled at Delegate Pmma Henry, from Indiana, “How many party members have you got to split in Indiana?” Mrs. Henry was taken aback for a moment but responded, “We've got about one hundred members.” Then delegate William H. Henry, her husband, came to her rescue from another part of the hall, declaring, “Yes, Victor Berger, and you won't have them if you place the party on record on this question.” ee HE longest, most intense and heat- ed debate of the convention took Place on this question. The original proposition presented to the conven- tion by the resolutions committee was as follows: “In the failure of prohibition en- forcement in the United States the socialist party sees the result of blind, blundering legislative methods so characteristic of republican and demo- cratic politicians, Such methods usual- ly defeat their purpose. The once boasted sacredness of the home is violated by dry raiders, police courts are filled with bootleggers and their victims, federal court dockets jammed with liquor trials. Yet everywhere the law is violated. In contrast with this dark picture, we call attention to the application of socialist methods in Sweden, where, under a socialist prime minister, the government manu- facturers and retails the alcoholic beverages. The results are: No drunk- ness, no law violations, no wholesale arrests, no criminal trials, no crowded jails. On the other hand, moderate use of pure unadulterated liquors, a hand- some revenue for the government, and consequent relief of taxpayers and public, As the one sane solution of the problem, the socialist party of the United States advocates government manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages.” ae ‘HEN a truce had been declared in the midst of bitter battle, permit- ting the resolutions committee to retire and redraft the declaration, the proposition finally submitted and adopted by a vote of 18 to eight, de- clared that because of the failure of prohibition in the United States, the socialist party advocates that each state legislature be empowered to de- cide on laws for the sale of light wines and beer, and that strong alco- holic liquors be manufactured by the government and sold by the govern- ment. This was a concession to the bour- bon principle of state’s rights. It practically leaves the socialists free to take any position they desire in the various states, It is the usual straddle that has made and kept the national socialist party a federation of state socialist parties and not a cen- tralized national organization. \e 88 ICTOR BERGER was among those who opened the discussion in favor of the resolutions committee re- port. He gave the convention dele- gates a recipe for the making of wine that he claimed was perfectly legal. This recipe became the day’s feature of the convention proceedings for the local capitalist press, Berger offered it in deep seriousness declaring: “We needn’t go into the elections at all unless we adopt this resolution offered by our committee.” It may be cited here that the social- ist party’s constitution calls for a con- vention report from its representative in congress. Victor Berger made no such report at any time during the proceedings. Shortly before coming to Pittsburgh, however, from Washing- ton, he had ‘his picture taken with 59 other members of the house of rep- resentatives, led by the extreme “wet,” Representative Hill, of Maryland, on the capitol steps at Washington, This was the solid united front for light wines and beer as opposed to the ‘Bone Dry Club” organized also in the house of ‘representatives, Its mem- bers also had their pictures taken, Berger’s ‘wine recipe may therefore be considered his convention report on socialist congressional activities, Lats Lo J ELEGATE O. A. KENNEDY, of the Rocky Mountain states district, urged that everything be stricken out of the resolution except the first and last sentences, He denounced the resolution as a red herring to detract attention from more important matters. He declared it was not good socialists tactics to bring up the liquor question, “The adoption of this resolution will split the party wide open,” declared Delegate James D, Graham, of Mon- tana, “You should drop this question as if it were a red hot coal.” Delegate Sharts, Ohio, defended the committee report, at the same time pointing out that his family had been dry from time eternal and jatended to remain 80. He declared there was no enforcement under the Vi law. “Wet, Damp or Dry!” Cry of Socialists, Armed With V. Berger’s Wine Recipe By J, LOUIS ENGDAHL. Delegate Emil Herman, of the north- west district, announced he agreed with the stand taken by Kennedy, He said the declaration adopted must de- lare for the manufacture and sale by the government only, ere ELEGATE WILLIAM A. TOOLE, of Maryland, sought to inject a little comedy into the discussion by explaining the difference between a Swede and a Norwegian. He said that a Norwegian had once told him that a Swede was a Norwegian without any brains, Since the resolution was a Swedish proposition, he denounced it as having no brains. He declared his own position as being neither for nor against prohibition. At this point Delegate James Oneal, of New York, sought to get over a motion for the previous question and stop the debate. The delegates, how- ever, had their teeths in the liquor problem and were determined to go on. Delegate Toole then continued stat- ing, “I never drink unless someone else buys it. Then I always look to see if the bottle is half empty. Only then do I know that it is safe. I am in favor of the government manufac- ture of light wine and beer.” He referred to the extreme dries in the convention as “my friends on the left.” fre T was here that Mrs, Emma Henry, delegate from Indiana, got the floor and declared that she expressed the sentiments of the party membership in Indiana, when she declared that there was enough dissension and division in the party without injecting the liquor problem. Then Berger want- ed to know how many members there were to create dissension among, and got the answer that, “We have a mem- bership of approximately 100 and you can’t kill that.” “We are doing as much in Indiana as the party is doing anywhere, with the exception of Milwaukee,” con- tinued Mrs. Henry. Delegate Gustav A. Hoehn, of Mis- souri, editor of St. Louis Labor, next got the floor and declared that, “Mil- waukee and St. Louis must have some- thing to say.” He urged that the pro- position go back to the committee for redrafting. “We cannot go before the public and say that the socialist party has no position on this question. It is an im- portdnt national issue. There are other similarly important issues com- ing up, on which we will also be back- ward about taking a stand. But we must do so. I am in favor of condemn- ing the miserable old saloon system. I am also against prohibition.” Hoehn declared that under the saloon system the politics of the city and state was controlled by half a dozen brewery owners and 2,500 saloon keepers. But, he said, the government is now more corrupt than ever. He announced he took his stand with Victor Berger, but offered neither beer nor wine recipes. HEN Herbert Merrill, former social- ist member of the New York state legislature, and now state secretary of the New York socialist party, threatened a split in his state. He an- nounced that locals declared they would quit the party if the party took a stand on this question. Merrill said there is great excitement among the membership as to the stand the party would take on this issue, Delegate William J. Van Essen, of Pennsylvania, said Merrill should not have the illusion that the membership is so excited. Instead of the Swedish, Van Essen offered the Japanese solu- tion, where alcohol fiends are allowed to drink themselves to death, but liquor, like opium, is refused to the young and others who had not ac- quired the habit. Here the discussion came to an end and after dickering in the committee the compromise proposition was adopt- ed. The socialist party will be wet, damp or dry in the fall campaign as conditions dictate locally. Eugene Debs Does Not Attend Socialist Meet (Special to The Daily Worker) TERRE HAUTE, Ind., May 5—Bu- gene V, Debs did not attend the Pitts: burgh socialist convention, He says that the report that he has suffered a “physical breakdown is greatly exag- gerated, I've been suffering from an attack of lumbago, an outgrowth ot seasickness during my trip back from Bermuda. I did not attend the Pitts: burgh convention because I feared the trip by rail would aggravate the pain,” Boston Food Workers Meet on Friday Night BOSTON, May 5. — A meeting of all party members who are food work- ers will take place Friday, May 7, in the district headquarters, 36 Causeway St., at 8 sharp. All comrades in the food workers’ fraction must be present, because it is a very important meeting. The main problem to be taken up will be to organize the workers in the food in- dustry, MANY MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS IN NEW YORK Rathenberg Receives Great Ovation By SYLVAN A, POLLACK. (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK CITY—(By Mall)— May Day fittingly celebrated In New York City by thousands of workers who filled many halls to capacity. The Workers (Communist) Party which is affiliated with the labor con- ference for May Day celebration, packed Cooper Union and had to use Manhattan Lyceum for the overflow crowd, The International Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union, also affiliated to the May Day conference, filled Mecca Temple. Many other indoor meeting were held by language groups. In the evening, open air meeting were held thruout the city by the Workers (Communist) Party, which brot the message of May Day to thous- ands of workers. Ruthenberg Speaks. C. E. Ruthenberg, general secretary of the Workers (Communist) Party, received a great ovation which con- cluded with the singing of the Inter- national when he arose to speak at Cooper Union, He pointed out that the executive committee of the Communist Interna- tional, a year ago last March, recorded the fact that capitalism had succeded in partially and temporarily stabilizing itself. But this year we may look for a crisis in the near future for capital- ism, as it is being weakened in all the countries of Europe. He also dealt with the Scarborough conference and the Minority Move- ment to show the advance of English labor, also that in Germany the Dawes plan has failed to bring the blessings that was promised. The constant crises of changing cabinets in France, as well as its colonial war, were referred to. Shows Soviet Contrast. The contrast of the Union of Soctal- ist Soviet Republics, where the work- ers are progressing with new triumphs was given. The United States was mentioned as the country, which came out of the war as the dominant power, strengthened and growing constantly. Ruthenberg also stated that Passaic, N. J., will be followed by Lawrence, Mass., Akron, Ohio, and other centers where large masses are ruthlessly ex- ploited, being organized, “The downtrodden workers,” con- tinued Ruthenberg, “under the leader- ship of the Communist Party will go forward in the struggle.” May Day—American. Bertram D. Wolfe, director of the New York Workers’ School, pointed out that May Day is an American holi- day, first celebrated in this country in 1886 at the beginning of the nation wide strike for the eight hour day. Other speakers at Cooper Union were, Walter M. Trumbull, soldier- Communist, Charles Krumbein, indus- trial organizer of the Workers (Com- munist) Party, and Irving Shalelson of the Young Pioneers. William W. Weinstone, acted as chairman, Musical numbers were rendered by the Freiheit Singing Society. Ruthenberg at I. L. G. W. U. Ruthenberg also spoke at the Inter- national Ladies’ Garment Workers’ Union May Day celebration at Mecca Temple . Other speakers there were: Louis Hyman, manager of the New York joint board of the union, Charles S. Zimmerman, manager of the dress department of the joint board, and Juliet Stuart Poyntz. Members of the bomb squad and uniformed policemen were present at all indoor and outdoor meetings. Search School Children, During the afternoon, the police, act- ing under instructions of Inspector Leech, examined all ‘suspicious look- ing packages” which the police feared might contain leaflets or bombs. The examination in the main, consisted of looking in the brief cases of high school children who were on their way home from school, and much to the disappointment of the eagle eyed police, did not contain any “seditious literature” nor bombs! The American Worker Correspond- ent Is out. Did you get your copy? Hurry up! Send in your sub! it’s only 50 cents, THIS PRIZE A Bust of LENIN by 0. PICCOLI 9x12 inches in a striking ivory finish, WITH 500 POINTS (5 yearly subs to The Dally Worker IN THE SUB CAMPAIGNI