The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 8, 1926, Page 4

Page Four TH E DAILY WORKER THE DAILY WORKER Published by the DAILY WCRKER PUBLISHING CO. 2118 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago, Ill. Phone Monroe 47123 SUBSCRIPTION RATES By mail (in Chicago only): By mall (outside 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, IIlinols Editors J, LOUIS ENGDAH \ wesennens von Business Manager WILLIAM F, DU: MORITZ J. LOEB.. Batered as second-class mail September 21, 1923, at the post-office at Chi- cago, Ill, under the act of March 3, 1879. Advertising rates on application. ——<—<—<— == A Bankrupt Leadership After a heated debate on the league of nations between factions led respectively by Morris Hillquit and Victor Li Berger, the Pitts- burgh convention of the socialist party finally adopted the follow- ing motion: “That whether the United States joins the league of nations at thia time Is of no immediate concern to the working class of the United States and that, therefore, the socialist party refrains at this time from taking a position on the league of nations.” At a time when the imperialist government of the United Statés is maneuvering in every conceivable way to utilize its influence on member nations of the league in order to gain advantages over its imperialist rival, England, the leadership of the socialist party declares the league to be of no “immediate concern” to the working class. The fact that Wall Street used the Brazil representative at Geneva to disrupt that conference of the assembly of the league is trivial in the eyes of the socialist party leaders, if we are to believe their motion on the league. But the official stand of the socialist party on the league is not the position of the leading members. Hillquit who, a few years ago, joined in stigmatizing the league as the “black international of capitalism,” now joins the pacifists, millenial dawners, christian scientists, vegetarians, episcopal bishops, Jewish rabbis, and all other conscious and unconscious agents of imperialism in repeating the propaganda of Edward Bok, who handled Wall Street’s slush fund to force adherence of this country to the world court, which is a part of the league of nations. Victor L. Berger opposes the league on purely petty bourgeois grounds. The clownish “historian” of the socialist party, James Oneal, admits that he doesn’t know what the world court really is -and begs for two years’ time in which to study the proposition. The proposition,was adopted and now the socialist party leaders are go- ing to discuss the matter pro and con in their press in the hope of learning what it is all about. The very fact that the question of the league and the court was separated at the convention is a victory for Hillquit and the pro- league group, because it is precisely the purpose of Bok and his propaganda machine to create the fiction that the two international bodies are separate things. The whole affair reveals the total bankruptcy of the leadership of the socialist party and explains its constantly dwindling mem- bership. What sort of leadership is it that is inacpable of formulating international policies? Are they afraid of losing still more members? If they are competent leaders and the membership is not familiar with the facts, they should wage a campaign to convince them of the soundness of the policies. Pittsburgh registers the lowest political level to which the socialist party leaders have yet sunk. No wonder the revolutionary 300 elements that still remain in that party are in revolt against such} leadership and respond to the Communist demands for united front activity against the master class A leadership that cannot adopt a position on the league of na- tions and the world court today is so far removed from the prob- lems confronting the working class that it deserves nothing but derisive laughter and contempt from all intelligent workers. Exposing the Pulitzer Prize Laudible indeed was the act of Sinclair Lewis in refusing to accept the Pulitzer prize of $1,000 for his novel “Arrowsmith.” The administrators of the prize find themselves in the ridiculous position of defending themselves against the novelist they have favored with their blessing. They set themselves up as administrators of a heavily subsidized prize and create the illusion that they judge work according to its literary merit, but in reality the rules under which they operate call for the selection of the book “best presenting the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manhood and womanhood.” It was eminently appropriate that Sinclair Lewis, the novelist who has, with biting irony, ridiculed the pompous pretenses of the bourgeoisie of this country and whose “Babbitt” is a composite pic- ture of the modern American go-getter, should launch the first blast against the effrontery of a group that presumes to dictate what should be considered best in American literature. The past decade has produced a new trend in the bisiness of writing novels. A new school has developed that deserves encourage- ment because it has unquestionably taken the lead in the produc- tion of English literature. James Branch Cabell and Theodore Dreiser rank with the best living writers of the world, with the former, since the death of Aanatole France, probably occupying first place. Sinclair Lewis, Carl Sandberg, Sherwood Anderson and Willa Cather have con- tributed and will contribute much to American letters, Many of the present-day writers have had their work assailed by the groups of self-appointed censors, and in a few instances by legalized busybodies. This sort of censorship is so crude that it defeats its own purposes. But there is another, equally vicious, but more effective and subtle censorship. That is the type of meddling conducted by the Pulitzer prize administrators, who set themselves up as judges of that which is best in literature, thereby setting a goal for aspiring novelists and establishing, as Lewis says, “a supreme court, a col- lege of cardinals, so rooted and so sacred that to challenge them would be blasphemy.” It is against this menace that Sinclair Lewis has revolted and refused to accept its prize money. The Pulitzer prize awards have long been subjects for jest among intelligent writers, but they dared not challenge the institution for fear of the charge of professional jealousy being hurled against them. , Unfortunately for the administrators, they cannot have recourse to this charge in the present case. Let the Pulitzer gang hereafter confine their donations to such banal creatures as Harold Bell Wright and other scribblers who eulogize the Babbitts. Their game is up as far as competent writers are concerned. “oa | Russian Workers’ Delegation in China By VICTOR VASKOV. 3. The Canton Strike Commit- tee. Canton is the camp of the strikers. You feel the presence of an organizing hand. You feel the presence of a cen- tralized leadership. Who is this leader? The strike committee. Let us go over there, A big, fenced-off park, A number of buildings. ,Fine homes. They had once belonged to a rich Frenchman, then to a rich Chinaman, and are new occupied by the poor strikers. Quite a number of institutions. We shall not miss a single one of them, but before visiting them we must first at- tend the special meeting called by the strike committee in honor of the U. S. S. R. Trade Union delegation. The strikers in Canton elected a per- manent body, a delegates’ meeting consisting of 700 men,’ who confer three times a week and decide on all | questions arising in connection with the strike. Members of the delegate meeting are elected on the basis of one to fifty strikers. This makes it possible to keep the entire mass of the strikers actively in touch with events. This is a most important point, especially in the light of the tales of the imperialist press about a small group of agitators being re- sponsible for the entire trouble. Agi- tators, there are, of course, and good agitators at that. Tho we don’t know the Chinese language, thru an inter- preter we followed very closely the speeches delivered by the Chinese comrades and we must admit they were good speeches. Every speech empha- sized the necessity of fighting the im- perialists to the complete emancipa- tion of the Chinese people. Comrade Shao Chin. The first speaker was Comrade Shao Chin, chairman of the joint Hongkong and Shameen strike com- mittee. He warmly welcome the dele- gation on behalf of the Canton and Hongkong workers. The very fact of the arrival in China of labor repre- sentatives from a distant country at a most historical and crucial moment in the existence of the Chinese people and of the Chinese workers proves that international labor solidarity ex- ists not only in books and appeals, but in reality as well. Comrade Shao called upon all those present to be- come permeated with the noble ideal of international solidarity of the pro- letariat and asked the delegation to convey the fraternal greeting of the strikers to the U. S. S. R. Central Council of Trade Unions and’ to the Red International of Labor Unions. Here, under the bamboo roof of the big veranda where previously a rich Frenchman and then a rich Chinaman had reclined in leisure, now meet the representatives of the striking work- ers from whom we get the true story of the latest events in southern China. We are down at the source. “They Shot at Us.” “A demonstration of workers and students has recently been fired on at Shanghai. We protested against this cold-blooded murder of our brothers by the imperialists. We organized a demonstration on our own streets. They shot at us from Shameen. More murder. The imperialists claim that we did the shooting. This is a lie. We were unarmed. We have photo- graphs showing that the murdered demonstrators had wounds in the back. The imperialists are lying. We can prove this at any time. “After the Shanghai shootings we wired to the British general council and labor party, but received no re- ply. We had no course other than that of direct struggle, and we unhes- itatingly took up this course. “The imperialists have blockaded us,” continued Shao, “They want to deprive us of our rice and fuel. It is the same sort of blockade that they operated against Soviet Russia a few years ago. The telegraph and the other means of communication are in the hands of the imperialists who have cut us off from the rest of the world. The imperialists are fooling the world. It is a lie that we are against foreigners. We are only against foreigners who oppress us, who have deprived the Chinese ‘people of their freedom. We welcome’ for- eign friends, but we are opposed to the imperialists. They say we are reds, Well, call us reds if it pleases you. We want to liberate our people and this, as far as we are aware, is in no wise contrary to any laws, to any fundamental rights. They’ have been killing us, and not the other way around. We want the whole world to know this. We Pay Them in Their Own Coin “They are blockading us. We pay them ‘back with the same coin! How- ever, our counter-blockade has not been very effective thus far. This is due to the Chinese militarists and counter-revolutionists, who act as an instrument in the hands of the im- perialists against us, against the na- tional emancipation movement, The assassination of Lao Chung Kai is the result of imperialist bribery and in- trigue. We realize the dangers sur- rounding us, but we do not intend to give up the struggle. Our hearts re- joice in the fact that we have on our side the Red International of Labor Unions. The workers of the other countries know what we are fighting for. Thanks to their support, the dangers surrounding us have largely lost their power. We have deep faith in the unity of the international pro- letariat with the oppressed peoples and this faith is the motive power that impels us onwards, Inside our movement new and fa- vorable symptoms have lately ap- i | Soviet Trade Union Delegation ?- Carina | From left to right, top: Smurgis, Lepse, Bottom: Briskin. peared. Formerly there were few peo- ple in China who understood the idea of the emancipation movement. To- day we see the broad masses being not the attitude of the Amsterdam leaders shake the faith of the Chinese workers im the international proleta- riat, which, after breaking away from FIFTEENTH WEEK OF MILL STRIKE FINDS MEN FIRM Bosses Begin to Talk of Settlement (Special to The Daily Worker) PASSAIC, N. J., May 6.—With con- tributions totalling more than five thousand dollars for the day, the fifteenth week of the textile strike began with signs of settlement on every hand. Meetings in Belmont Park, reopened after the sherifi’s “reign of terror,” and large picket lines before the mill gates. ushered in. the week that may be crucial. Announcement that three mills were ready to send representatives to meet the settlement committee of the Unit- ed Front Committee was made Mon- day evening by the Citizen’s Committee of Passaic, headed by Judge Cabell. The conference will be held on Wed- nesday, but which mills will be met has not yet:been announced. First Meeting. The meeting of these mills with rep- resentatives of the United Front Com- mittee will be the only official rec- ognition of thé union by the mill owners so far, with the exception of the meeting of the Passaic Worsted and Spinning company in the sixth week of the strike. No demands were granted at this meeting, but the mill representatives met with the United Front, which all other mills have stub- bornly refused to do. When the three mills meet on Wednesday (and it is ‘probable that Botany will be among these), they will have conceded a vic- Nancy Sandowsky ] Youthful Passaic strike leader, who is on a tour of the country ralsing relief funds for the mill strikers. Bethlehem Police Bar Passaic Striker From Making Talk GARFIELD, N. J., May 6.—A group of Hungarian textile strikers, mem- bers of a Workers’ Theatrical Club, decided to tour several cities with a workers’ drama to aid the strikers’ general relief. The intention was to go to those cities where Hungarian workers live in great numbers and extend to them the message of the Passaic strikers. The bosses have already learned of the miisson and are throwing obstac- drawn into the movement and becom- ing conscious of the necessity of the emancipation struggle against impe- rialism. Our fight will be a difficult one. The imperialists hesitate at nothing. They want to keep shedding our blood until we become a helpless prey in their hands. But we know that in their countries, too, there are revolutionary workers making it more and more difficult for the imperialists to wage open warfare against us. This gives us joy and strength.” Comrade Lepse. Comrade Lepse, chairman of the Russian delegation, then took the floor, He dwelt upon the attempt of the R. I. L. U. to secure international working class unity in support of the Chinese national emancipation move- ment. He informed the striking work- ers of Hongkong and Canton that the Amsterdam International people doubt the “purity of the principles” under- lying the struggle of the Canton: and Hongkong workers. The Chinese workers must be made to know why the European proletariat as a whole is slow in taking determined action on behalf of the Chinese people. Let the entanglement of reformism, will align its entire strength on the side of the Chinese people. The speech of the strike committee chairman gave us an inkling of the situation. The material side of the affair was shown us immediately after- wards when, accompanied by all the members of the conference, we were led thru the various strike institu- tions. In replying to the greetings of the chairman of the strike committee, Chairman Lepse remarked that he was highly pleased to see that the Canton army was not dispersing labor meet- ings, as was witnessed by us in Shang- hai, but was, on the contrary, guard- ing the institutions of the strike com- mittee. It is clearly evident here that the army protects the interests of the people. Later we found out that the armed people posted as our honor guard at the entrance of the strike committee headquarters were not or- dinary soldiers, but were the revolu- tionary soldiers of Wampu and mem- bers of the labor guard organized by the strike committee. (Continued Tomorrow) ‘4 Workers’ tory to the strikers on this point, the most bitterly contested of the strike. Three rousing meetings secceeded the enthusiasm of May Day. Albert Weisbord spoke at all of them, en- couraging the workers with news of settlement negotiations, and impres- sing the need of firmness at this criti- cal moment, wre Contributions for the day totalled more than five thousand dollars. Some of the largest single contributions were as follows: Elizabeth, N. J., Tag Day collection, $725; Bakers Local Union No, 202, Trenton, $50; Obrana, $50; Young Workers League, New York, $46; Emergency Committee for Strikers Relief, Néw York, $273; Mrs. Stephen S. Wise, $50; Plumbers, Steamfitters Local No. 236, Trenton, $100; International Ladies’ Garment Union, New York, $350; United Mine Workers, Harmarville Local, $50; New Yorker Volkszeitung, $544; Rhode Island Committee, $68; United Mine Workers, Harwick, Pa., $50; Jewish Branch of the Communist Party, Young Communist League and Workmen's Circle, Branch No. 169, les into their path. Receiving information from Bethle- hem, Pa., that they were giving an entertainment, the proceeds of which were to be sent to the strikers’ relief fund, and that they desired the pres- ence of a Passaic striker, one of the Hungarian players was sent to make a small speech to the workers, The chief of police of Bethlehem refused to permit the entertainment to be held. When citizens of Bethle- hem asked him the reason for his re- fusal—the chief said, “I’m told that you are to have a Passaic striker speak at your show. Now I don't like that because those strikers are Com- munists, and I don’t want any Com- munistic propaganda in Bethlehem. Now, if you promise to forbid that Bolshevik to speak, I’ll let you hold the show, but if you do allow him to talk, I'll lock you all up and will never permit you to hold another dance again.” ° SIE Oe en ts Aa DN GE SGP RE it AA St Sa “Money Mad,” Russian AMALGAMATION, THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE BEFORE THE A. C. W. CONVENTION TO BE HELD IN MONTREAL, CAN., MAY 10 By R. KATZ, Worker Correspondent. The issue of amalgamation of the needle trades comes to the forefront again with the coming of the Seventh Biennial Convention of the Amalga- mated Clothing Workers to begin in Montreal on May 10th. $187; United Mine Workers of Klein, Montana, $102; Vorvaerts Association, $1,000, Stone Masons of New York, a collection at a meeting at which Con- gressman La Guardia spoke, $1,040; Bakery and Confectionary Workers’ Union, Local 165, $100; Passaic Relief Conference May Day meeting, $214; Louis Siska, Cleveland, Ohio, $246; Butchers Local Union, No. 211, $150. Permanent Donations. The International Mule Spinners Association of Adams, Mass,, has de- cided to donate $25 a week for the rest Play, Given Sunday for Passaic Strikers’ Benefit “Money Mad,” a Russian play in 6 acts will be presented at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division St., Sunday, May 9, for the benefit of the Passaic strikers. The affair is arranged by the Rus- sian I. L. D. branch and is staged un- der the direction of the well known Russian actor L. Luganov. The follow- ing will participate in the play: EB. First to Advocate Amalgamation. of America was one of the first un- ions in the needle trades to realize that under the present form of organ- ization, which divides the needle trades into several small unions, it can- not successfully fight against the highly centralized power of the em- ployers. It was the first union in the needle trades to adopt resolutions fa- voring amalgamation and has in many instances made efforts to win the other unions in the needle trades for this viewpoint. In May, 1922, at its convention held in Chicago, the Amalgamated passed a resolution which said in part: “Re- solved that this convention hereby re- cord itself in favor of complete consol- idation of all unions in the needle trades into one organization with one executive board, one treasury and with separate : branches of the industry in which sep- arate unions now function, and be it further “Resolved that the incoming general »xecutive board be instructed to ne- gotiate with the other organizations in the needle trades for the calling of a joint convention for the purpose of uniting these unions into one organ- ization, and the incoming,general exe- cutive board is empowered to make all necessary arrangements “for such con- vention,” Did Not Carry Out Ingtructions. The A, C, W. did not succeed in bringing about this amalgamation be- cause of the officials in’ the Interna- tional Ladies’ Garment Workers and the Fur Workers’ Union. These offi- cials preferred the organization of a loose federation of the needle trades. This was tried and proved a complete failure. It broke down at its first task because this alliance had no authority, no function and no power. On another occasion in December of 1922 wher Mr. H. Zuckerman, general secretary of the United Hat and Cap Makers’ Union, sent che A, C, W. an invitation to a conference for the or- ganization of a needle trades alliance, what did the Amalgamatad answer? “The A, ©, W. of A, has always advocated amalgamatio&# rather than a loose federation. In ech of several wearing apparel industries the loosé alliance form of craft..unions has proven ineffective, and therefore dan- The Amalgamated Clothing Workers | departments for the| gerous. It has been universally re- placed by the industrial form of organ- ization. We hoped that this would gradually bring us to amalgamation. As you know it brot us nowhere. “On the contrary, the failure of the alliance led the convention of the A. C. W. last May at Chicago to declare its emphatic opposition to a loose fed- eration, and to give the general execu- tive board a mandate to work for amalgamation.” Since then other unions in the needle trades have realized the short- comings of craft unions and went on record favoring amalgamation. And it is therefore up to the Amalgamated as the first and most active advocate of amalgamation to take the initiative and call a conference of all needle trades to effect such a unity. It is its duty at this convention to take meas- ures that will bring about the consoli- dation of the unions of one industry into one powerful industrial union, Will the convention take advantage of this opportunity? This remains to be seen, ye Mass Meeting to Aid British Strike Being Arranged by the I. W. A. Indications are that. if the general strike in England is not. settled within a few days, it will develop into the bitterest and most lasting in Britain's history, The International Workers’ Aid, Local Chicago, is taking the fol- lowing steps to organize itself for ef- fective aid to the British workers, On Tuesday, May 11th, at 8 p. m. the members of the International Workers’ Aid will meet at the Hull House (Coffee Room) 808 8S. Halsted St. At this meeting preparations will be made for # mass meeting and dem- onstration of our solidarity with the British workers, to be held on Wednes- day, May 19th at 8 p. m. at the Hull House (Bowen Hall), If you are a member of the I. W. A. don’t fail to come to the Tuesday, May 11th, meeting, If you are not a mem- ber of the I, W, A. Join now, International Workers’ Aid Local Chicago, Jack Bradan, Gecrotary, U of the strike and semt the first install- ment. The Cloak, Skirt, and Dress Pressers Union, $35, sent its regular pledge contribution from officers and office staff of Local No. 35, from April 10 to April 24. It amounted to $215, Highty-three dollars was collected in a mill in Stafford Springs, Conn., by Angelo Argenta, John Casagrande, and John Baldi. A group of carpenters in Cleveland, Ohio, sent $173 which they had collected, Los Angeles Plans to Aid Passaic Strikers LOS ANGELES, Cal., May 6. — At a conference of delegates from the Workers (Communist) Party, socialist party, and Workmen's Circle, it was decided to issue a call for a United Front conference for the relief of the Passaic textile strikers, to all labor unions, fraternal and political organ- izations in‘ thé city of Los Angeles. Close to four hundred dollars was cleared at*a concert held last week at the'Co-operative Center. This mon- ey was sent to Passaic. - ATTENTION, SUBSCRIBERS! If you have moved or are going to move, please, be sure to send your change of address to The DAILY WORKER | IMMEDIATELY. Otherwise you will either miss some copies or receive them late. Lies, W. Moiseyenko, L. Zorin, L, Luganov, A. Kotor, M. Miklov and H. Flour. Beginning at 8 p. m. Admission 50 cents. Mothers’ League Will Aid Passaic Strikers on Sunday, May 16 A concert and entertainment is being arranged by the Mothers League of Chicago for the benefit of the Pas- sai¢ strikers on Sunday, May 16, at the Folkets Hus, 2733 Hirsh Blvd. Beginning at 4 p.m. Tickets 35 cents. All friendly organizations are re- quested not to arrange any other af- fairs on that day. Detroit Federation of Labor to Hold Dance for Passaic Strikers DETROIT, May 6.—The Detroit Fed- eration of Labor has decided on ar- ranging a dance for the benefit of the 16,000 Passaic textile strikers, Pn ARR Att Batt cRNA ea ee RR Te ers TRE oO eNO In sending in your change of address, be sure * to mention both the old and the new. EVERY POINT For Rvery Sub for Which You Win Prizes Also Counts for the TRIP TO MOSCOW! “chr eaMNBNCRI ti ee