The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 17, 1926, Page 6

Page Six a aR es 5 THE DAILY WORKER THE DAILY WORKER Published by the DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W. Washington Blvd., Chicago,-Il, Phone Monroe 4712 SUBSCRIPTION RATES By maii (in Chicago only): | By mail (outside of Chicago): $8.00 per year $4.50 six months $6.00 per year $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 J, LOUIS ENGDAHL WIL M F. DUNN. MORITZ J, LO. — ..Editors Business Manager ss mail September 21, 1923, at the post-office at Chi- 0, IIL, under the act of March 3, 1879, Entered as second Advertising rates on application. — =3 Gary—“The Medel City” Gary, “the model city” built by the steel trust,on the wind-swept sand dunes of Lake Michigan, is a city of death. Death, of course, is always present in Gary. Not a day passes that does not takes its toll of the lives of the workers in the steel, coke and chemical plants. F But yesterday death held a field day and at one swoop took two score or more workers to its bosom. The explosion of an ammonia tank, followed by a series of ex- plosions from nearby tanks, containing deadly chemicals buried the workers in the coke department first under falling roofs and walls, soaked the ruins with searing acids and boiling tar and: made death in a horrible form a certainty for those who-survived the first blast. Gary has been made famous by its “Safety First” campaigns. The propagandists of the steel trust would have us believe that the 30,000 workers in the huge plant are as safe as the sexton in a village churchyard. But the growing list of dead and dying in the hospitals and morgues of Gary gives the lie to them. The Gary workers are unorganized. When they organized and struck with the rest of the steel workers in 1919-20 they were driven back to work. Today Gary, named after one of the royal family, is a principality of the steel trust with no organization of workers which dares to challenge its lightest edict. No one but the trusted spies of the steel trust will ever know the exact number of the dead in yesterday’s holocaust. For one day the news was on the first page of Chicago’s capitalist press. Then it was relegated to the inside pages to make room for the Euchar- istic Congress. It is safer to deal with the savers of souls than with the reasons for the mutilated bodies of steel workers being buried under tons of debris and stretched out on the cold slabs of the Gary morgue. The steel trust at present is beyond the reach of the steel work- rs. They can no more administer punishment to the corporation which killed their comrades than if it was on another planet. They cannot even get guarantees that tomorrow the same fate will not overtake them. The steel workers are unorganized. They confront the organized might of the steel trust as individuals. They have not even a con- gressman to demand an investigation. They have no union to take up and enforce the payment of damages to the dependents of the murdered workers. They have no press to tell the truth about the disaster. But because these things are so does not mean that they must remain so. The steel trust is powerful, it has the government of Gary, and of the United States, with which to oppress the workers, it maintains its own police force, but the steel workers showed in 1919 that with the American labor movement backing them, they could organize in spite of all the steel trust could do, The disaster in Gary should be a signal for the American Fed- eration of Labor to again throw all its strength into an organiza- tion drive in the steel industry. For the steel workers it should be the signal for the formation of shop committees—secret if need be—which can be the nucleus of more extended organization. For all workers it should be a signal of the deadly danger, not only to their standard of living, but to their very lives, of the exist- ence of the non-union system in basic industries, perpetuated only by the neglect of the fundamental duty of labor unions—the organi- zation of the unorganized. : Invoking Swift and Violent Annihilation Press reports are almost unanimous in the opinion that the new Polish dictator, Marshal Josef Pilsudski, is striving to form a federa- tion of Baltic states, strengthen his armed forces and that he has hopes of again assailing Soviet Russia. 4 Pilsudski does not act as a free agent in this case, but is the tool of England today, just as he was the tool of France in his at- tempt of five years ago to invade Russia. Like other military and political adventurers trying to uphold tottering European capital- ism, Pilsudski is for sale to the highest bidder. { England is still staggering from the blow of the general strike The A. F. of L. Forecasts Revolution By C. F. RUTHENBERG, OMMENTING on the agricultural crisis and the movement of the farmers against the Coolidge adminis- tration, Matthew Woll, vice president of the American Federation of Labor, has issued a statement forecasting a political revolution in the United States. It is not likely that Mr. Woll would issue such a statement without the consent of President Green, ‘and his declaration may therefore be consid- ered as expressing the opinion of the leadership of the American Federation of Labor, The statement issued by Mr. Woll declares: “The consumers and workers of the cities and the farmers of the country cannot longer be kept ignorant of their mutuality of interests. Big business is only ‘hastening the day of a new regrouping of powerful economic, so- cial and political forces.” “Labor unqualifiedly concurs in the judgment of President Green, of the American Federation of Labor, that the farmers are deserving of support even tho it should mean an apprecia- ble rise in the price level. Labor be- lieves that a constructive plan of agri- cultural relief is imperative; it holds it will add far less to the cost of liv- ing ultimately than will be added if the farmers are forced to continue to live on the fringe of bankruptcy. “The political revolution now in the making has only begun. Its first skir- mishes are in the congressional halls, followed by primary elections. Soon the whole of our body politic will be involved in the gréatest political up- heaval. It will have for its immediat purpose agricultural relief and for its ultimate aim the wresting away of the reins of federal administrative and leg- islative authority from the hands of organized business and the placing of this authority into the hands of the farmers, the workers, business and other social groups upon a fair basis of equality.” This is a very important statement coming from the leadership of the American Federation of Labor, but it is doubtful whether the man or men responsible for it fully realize what they have said.to the Aniefican work- ers and farmers. (a * The Common Enemy. First, there is the recognition of the mutuality of the interests of the city workers and the farmers, and the dec- laration that “big business is only hastening the day of & new regroup- ing of powerful economic, social and political forces.” There is a mutuality of interest be- tween the city workers and the farm- ers. That mutuality of interest con- sists of the fact that both the eco- nomic classes are exploited by the same big capitalist interests. The city worker is compelled to fight for higher wages and better working con- ditions against the same capitalist class which exploits the worker on the land thru high railroad:rates, exorbi- tant charges for marketing of crop, thru mortgages and other similar forms of exploitation. The mutuality of interest between the»city worker and the farmer consistsyin the fact that there is a common;enemy which both must fight in order to improve their economic condition. Mr. Woll declares that “the political revolution now in the making has only begun,” and that this political revolu- tion will have as its aim “the wresting away of the reigns of federal adminis- trative and legislative authority from the hands of organized: business and the placing of this authority in the hands of the farmers pha the work- ers.” In these two statements we have a clear picture of the present situation in this country. The workers and farmers have a mutuality of interest. They have as a common enemy the capitalist class. This capitalist class uses the governmental power against them. The goal of their struggle, therefore, must be to wrest control of that governmental power from the hands of big business, With this analysis no Communist will quarrel. Communists have made this analysis over and over again. The facts in regard to the domination of the government by the big capitalist interests and the use of the govern- mental power to aid the capitalists in exploiting the workers and farmers are so clear that even the leaders of the A, F. of L. are compelled to rec- ognize them, Of course, after making a clear statement of the fact that the workers and farmers have economic interests opposed to those of ‘big business, which they must fight for by wresting control of the government from the capitalists, brings in “business and other social groups” for a share of the control of the government “upoh a ‘fair basis of equality.” How there can be such equality between opposing economic classes Mr, Woll does not explain, because it is unexplainable, Hither the capitalist class will control the governmental power and use it in its interests or the workers and farm- ers will control that power and use it in their interests, The Struggle for a Worker and Farmer Government. The- workers and farmers of this country haven’t even the slightest of a look-in so far as the government is concerned. It is openly and brazenly. a class government, using its power to maintain and uphold a system of ex- plo{tation which robs the workers and farmers of a large part of what they produce thru their labor power and to aid the capitalist class which profits from that system of exploitation. Now that the leaders of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor have recog- nized this fact, will they draw the logical conclusion from the ewisting situation? Will they aid in organizing the political power of the workers and farmers so that they may effectively use that power to wrest the reins of government from the hands of big business? The statement of Matthew Woll, in order to have any real meaning to the exploited workers and farmers, should have been accompanied by a clarion call for independent politiqal action in support of the class interests of the two exploited economic groups. The periods of control of the admin- istration at Washington, by the repub- The Struggle in Great Britain By EARL BROWDER. (Part II.) J Nisard leadership of the British gen- eral strike was cowardly and in- capable, but it did not represent the membership. Such solidarity, dis: cipline, and enthusiasm as marked the general walkout on May 3 has not been seen in the history of trade unionism. Section by section, as the orders were issued thru the different unions, the hundreds of thousands of workers left their jobs, until three millions were out, All transport was stopped, all newspapers ceased publication. Coun- cils of action appeared like magic, all over the country, uniting all the work- ing class forces, altho the General Council had criminally failed to make any preparations or plans for the ac- tual organization of the strike. - The only lack of discipline wiq among those not called on strike, who, in many cases, could not stand to re- main at work, but left even without orders. Even the government soon was forced to abandon its silly stories of men returning to work. All ac- counts agree that the old lie about the backwardness of the British working class being responsible for dts reac- tionary leadership was forever si- lenced. Solidarity, enthusiasm and de- termination marked the strike from be- ginning to end. HEN the capitalist daily press was closed down the General Council at the same time made a most amazing decision—it also closed down the labor press. It was argued that it wouldn’t be “fair” to discriminate between their own forces and the enemies! And again, the government saved the coun- cil to an extent from its own folly, by and with grave apprehension feels the deadening effects of industrial paralysis as the mine strike continues. She also blames many of her colonial ills upon the Soviets. Hence, with Pilsudski willing. to be used for any vile purpose, the British imperialists encourage him. As in the past all the best laid plans of the imperialists to sub- due the Bolshevik revolution have gone awry, so this attempt, if it develops into military adventurism, will be crushed. If Pilsudski or any other depraved hireling. of imperialism imagines he can create a Baltic bloe or any other sort of bloc in Europe to attempt to subdue the revolution in Russia he is invoking complete destruction. The French field equipment that bolstered Pilsudski’s forces five years ago, combined with new implements of warfare alleged to have been recently furnished by British agents, ig on dangerous soil for imperialists. The workers of Poland and the Baltic states have about reached the limit of endurance and if Pilsudski or any other military adventurer tries to train those guns on the Soviets the revo- lutionists in Poland will take advantage of the situation, disrupt the not too loyal army and pound the white-guard forces to pieces with the identical howitzers, French seventy-fives and three inch guns that they would otherwise use against Russia, thereby turning the white cordon red as the lightning flashes of the revolution rend the imperialist atmosphere. COLORADO FEDERATION OF LABOR DEMANDS FREEDOM FOR NICOLA SACCO AND BARTOLOMEO VANZETTI DENVER, Colo. June 15—The Colorado Federation of Labor at ite state eonvention adopted a resolution pointing out that Nicola Sacoo and Barto- lomeo Vanzetti were frame-up victims of the Palmer red hysteria days and plofands that the governor of Massachusettes free these two Itallan workers. forcing its hand, thru issuing an of- ficial government journal, the British Gazette. This paper, issued under the direction of Winston Churchill .from the plant of the Morning Post, spread the most vicious lies and slanders about the strike, and was broadcasted free as widely as the government could find forces to distribute it. Against its own will, the General Council had to meet this move by is- suing the British Worker, a small bul- letin, from the plant of the Daily Herald. The government (champion of freedom of the press!) seized its paper supplies, after conducting a po- lice raid on its premises, and it only succeeded in continuing by loans pt paper from the stocks of other labor publications, ; NLY when the strike was called off unconditionally would the govern- ment resume negotiations, declared Premier Baldwin in the house of com- mons on Wednesday, May 5. He an- nounced that the strike was consid- ered as an attempt at revolution, On tae after the mine crisis of 1925; and in- numerable rank and file, militants. PON the streets made great show designed to overaw anks rumbled thru 6 government itary force, othe strikers; London thoro- ares; steel-helmeted’ ‘soldiers with fxed bayonets,- wer... provocatively hrown among crowds, of strikers; po- ice clubbed ores lessly in some towns; in Popidr, a. working-class suburb of London, the. mayor was beaten by the police and seriously in- jured, a On the workers’ however, the slogan was fraternization with the mil- itary, and the only ¢lashes that oc- curred were with the Scabs and scab- herding fascists of the O. M. S. and the special constabulary. The govern- ment became desperate, The strike was completely effective, more work- rs were joining every day, enthusiasm was mounting, determination was nore solid than ever—something. must be done to break the solid front of t... workers which has grown during a whole week while the government lost strength. N Sunday night, May 9, therefore, the government prepared for its master stroke; it decided to arrest the members of the General Council and local strike committees; to call up the army reserves; to seize the union funds, In preparation for this, a law- HE Chinese labor ‘movement. has undergone tremendous growth. In the wars waged its class and national enemies—the imperialists and militarists—the Ohinese proleta- riat has confirmed its position as the vanguards of national_Iiberation, Since the imperialist massacre of May-June, 1925, the working class all over the country haye been engaged in a gigantic struggles, and have de- veloped with unprecedented rapidity. To investigate the »situation and condition of the labom movement, as well ag to study new policies and de- vise tactics for future;struggle the All-China Labor Federation convoked the Third National Labor Congress at Canton on May 1, the International Labor Day, ore HE first All China National Labor Congress was held in 1922, The Chinese labor movement was then in its infancy. . The second Congress held during 1925, was participated by delegates representing 540,000 organized work- ers, Affiliation to the Red Interna- tional Labor Union, alliance between workers and peasants, and other eco- yer of the Liberal Party, Sir John Si- mon, was brought forward to make a public speech that the “illegal” strike renderet“the union funds liable for damages; while a miserable creature, Havelock Wilson, head of a strike- breaking organization called a sea- man’s union, went into court and ob- tained a judgment declaring the strike legal and criminal, doubtless in agreement with the government. The decisions were quietly made ‘known to the agents of the govern- ment within the General Council, Mr. Thomas and his friends. The stage was finally set for the great betrayal. ND all this while the millions of workers on strike were working untiringly, perfecting the strike or- ganization, distributing the strike bul- letins, building the councils of action, organizing courier systems all over the country, distributing food to the strik- ers’ families; millions more of work- ers were clamoring for orders to join the strike—all unaware of the prepa- rations being made in secret for de- livering them into the hands of the enemy. The strike was growing stronger— the forces of the bourgeoisie were col- lapsing; nothing could defeat the work- ers now but treason in their own gen- eral staff. It was upon that that the Cae counted. It knew its men! (To be continued.) All-China Federation Convenes National Labor Congress vast propaganda campaign have been organized, Invitations have been sent to the R. I, L, U. and the labor federation of America, Britain, France, Germany, Java, Philippines, etc, Program of the Congress. 1, The position of the Chinese proletariat in the national revolution- ary movement since last year, 2. The present situation of the nationalist government, 3. The economic and political sit- uation in China, 4, The condition of world revolu- tion, 5. The international labor move- ment. 6. Reports of the C. E. ©, of the All-China Labor Federation, 7. Reports of the Shanghai Gen- eral Labor Union, 8, Reports of the C. EB, C, of the Hongkong-Shameen strike committee. 9, Other reports, 10. General policies for the labor movement, 11, Organization problems and la bor tactics, 12, Economic struggle, 18, Strike strategy. 4 lican or democratic parties, has shown that both parties are equally the in-. strument of big business’ in dominat- ing the government. The federal gov- ernment was a capitalist class govern- ment during the eight years of demo- cratic administration from 1912 to 1920 éven as it was and is a capitalist class government from 1920 to 1926 under a republican administration. The statement of Mr. Woll is, in ef- fect, a declaration that the workers and farmers have economic interests which stand in opposition to the poli- cies pursued by this capitalist class government, which is equally a capi- talist class government under republi- can or democratic administration. Class Struggle for Political Power. Can the American Federation of La- bor, in the face of such a declaration, continue to ask the workers and farm- ers to vote for candidates on the re- publican/or democratic tickets? Can it continue to ask the worker and farmer voters to support-the political parties of their class enemies, from whose hands they must wrest the con- trol of the government in order to be able to improve their economic con- dition The policy of the American Federa- tion of Labor of asking the -workers and farmers to vote for the “good men” of the two old party tickets is clearly an absurdity in the face of the situation pictured by Mr. Woll.. These so-called “good men” have no common policy. They do not stand on any common program. They do not sup- port an economic program in the in- terests of the workers and farmers. The history of the United States shows that the only way the control of the government can be wrenched out of the hands of one economic group by another is thru the economic group which is struggling for power organizing its strength in support of a program representing its interests and carrying on a class struggle for politi- cal power, It is thru such a class struggle that the present capitalist class came into power. It organized the republican party in order to fight for control of the government against the southern Reviewed By LELAND OLDS, Federated Press. D° you want to see in concrete terms the labor movement in action within the framework of capitalism? ‘Turn to the Labor Year Book for 1926, prepared under the editorship of Solon De Leon. The book will give you more than an interesting picture, because \the facts are marshalled for your use as one of the builders of the trade union movement, It will-make you more effective, whether in propaganda or in direct contact with the employ- ing class. Condensed Information. N the following pages,” says the editor in his foreword, “has been packed as much as possible of the in- his trade union meeting, in noon hour discussions with his fellow working- men, or on the stand for his political party, to back up his arguments and drive home his points. “In wage nego- tiations, laying out union tactics or shaping political programs, knowledge ‘of the facts of industry and of what other branches of the labor movement are doing is essential.” HE 1926 labor year book meets these requirements with a job of reséarch, condensation and interrup- tion unequalled anywhere, so far as I know. The figures are so well chosen and arranged, the interpretation is so clear that workers unaccustomed to Canton on May 1, for the discussion of important problems, Besides in- viting labor representatives of Amer- ica, Japan, France, Germany, Java, ete. we hope you will send your delegates to our congre’ Borther- ly greetings, (Signed) All-China La- bor Federation, To Labor Federations of U, 8. A. France, Japan, Germany, etc.: Wwe decided to convene the third All-China Labor Congress at Can- ton on May 1. In order to promote closer international relation among the proletariat of the world, we wel- come the participation of your rep- resentatives at our congress. Brother- ly greetings, (Signed) All-China La- bor Federation, ; Constitution Gives Workers Right to Be Hoboes, Says Davis ELWOOD, Ind., June 15,—Secretary of Labor James J. Davis devoted his Flag Day address here to an attack on Communists. The time, said Davis, has come Relations between workers and | when “we must consider the activi- The American Labor Year Book formation which the worker needs in | planters and slave-owners. The repwb- lican party, in 1860, as the representa- tives of northern industrial capital, represented the progressive force of the social structure of that time. The northern industrial capitalists fought for and gained power and used that power in support of their economic in- terests. We are living in another period of social development. The capitalist so- cial system has reached its highest point of development. Social progress depends upon breaking the bonds with which capitalist society fetters further social dgvelopment. Today it is the workers whose social interests are synonymous with further social progress. Together with their natural allies, the farmers, they must wrest. control of the governmental power from the hands of the capital- istd and then use that government in support of an economic program repre- senting their interests. They oan only hope to win control of the government if they enter the political arena as an independent po- litical force—that is, organize a politi- cal party that will represent and fight for their class interests. Without a recognition of this. fact and action in aid of creating a political party thru which the workers and farmers can carry on independent po- litical struggle, the statement of Mr: Woll will not greatly serve the -work- ers and farmers of this country. Mr. Woll, vice president of the: American Federation of Laber, fore- casts a political revolution, but will the American Federation of Labor take the’ first steps toward that po- litical revolution by initiating the or- ganizing of a labor party thru which the workers and farmers can begin their struggle for political power? The workers and farmers of this country should answer Mr, Woll’s statement by a demand upon the ex- ecutive council of the American Fed- eration of Labor that it call a conven- tion of the representatives of workers and farmers’ organizations for the pur- pose of organizing a party of workers and farmers. statistics will find themselves using authoritative data with ease. Accessible Statistics, NDER' the title Industrial and So- cial conditions, Part I contains a summary of the economic order, its production, distribution, prices, profits, failures and financial structure. Here you find concise tables showing dis- tribution of wealth and income, con- centration and waste in industry, num- ber of workers employed, wages, cost of living, hours, unemployment, and all other factors determining the life of workers, both in fields and in work- shops. The Trade Union Movement. ART II follows with statistics of | trade union organization. This part has been considerably expanded since the 1925 edition. In it for the first time appear summaries of the ac- tivities of practically every national union in the country. A feature of this section is a table comparing the terms of the various trade union un- employment insurance plans developed chiefly by the clothing trades. It also contains brief writeups of such em- ployer activities as company unions, labor spies, employe stock ownership, company insurance and pensions, Labor Struggles—industrial aed * Political. pet Ill summarizes the history of labor disputes with figures show- ing over a period of years the number of strikes, thefr distribution among the industries, their duration, the number of workers involved and the matters in dispute. Then follow parte covering labor in polities, labor legislation, court decisions affecting labor, civil liberties, labor education, labor bank- ing, co-operation and public ownership. Under labor education I am sorry to note one of the very few omissioas which can ‘be charged against the od! tors. No mention is made of the tm- portant educational work carried on by Sub-District 5 of the Illinois Mine Workers under the direction of Tom Tippett. World Labor. parts XII and XIII survey labor organizations thruout the world, giving a birdy’s-eye view of great movement of which you are a DIRECTORY of labor organiza- tions, parti pers and ¢o-opera- tives thruout the id, a list of recent books and pamphlets and a 5-page summary of labor history followed by a 6-page international labor diary of 1925 should prove useful, titties eh) i igo editor has produced a survey of the world from the viewpoint of labor which may well serve as a text- labor economics, book for properly conducted courses in” nomic and political questions have been resolved. Since that day, the labor movement in China has grown so considerably that the number of organized workers is now over one million, Shanghai, Tientsin and other peasants, tiles of these leaders of Communism, 15, Propaganda and educational|for it is they, and they alone, who problems, threaten to undermine American 16, Priciples of labor law, ideals and to destroy all that Amer- 17, Unemployment problems, ica has stood for since the adoption 18, Cooperative movements, of the constitution.” He added that a this day began the systematic arrest of all active Communists who could be seized, beginning with Saklatvala, member of parliament, According to the official organ of the IL. P., the New Leader, over a thou- PARIS, June. 15.—Abd-el- van- quished leader of the mit tibet sand men and women were in jail at | great industrial © i, have their} 19, Other proposals, “rational” American hobo 1s “a bet- the end of the strike—most of them | labor organizations, ¥ is therefore . Blections, ter asset to a nation than @ grumbling for having strike bulletins.in their ; anticipated that this congress | 21. Official declaration, and discontented Communist.” “Invitations. The following tele-| ‘The inference left by the honorable coast | possession, Among those arrested priv aannk ot sty ral grams were despatched: depart: | conference on the problems of the Franco®pani were Stewart, secretary of the Com- munist Party; Marjorie Pollit, whose husband, Harry Pollit, secretary of the minority movement, is stillserving out’; 4 year sentence in jail from the raid! will have greater en’ ter prospect i Recently, the C. China Labor Fed special meeting, and ga commission for con) To the Red International Union We have decided to conv third AU China “Labor tl = oe a ee 4 ban | are,