The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 9, 1926, Page 2

Page Two > -— THE DAILY WORKER COMMUNISTS IN GREECE DEMAND CAPITAL TAXES Condylis Recognizes Communist Power (Special to The Daily Worker) ATHENS, Sept. 7.—The Communist Party took immediate advantage of the change in governments here to obtain a permit for a demonstration and held a great mass meeting and parade, The meeting \ h demanded, the right to tional repre of big capit passed resolutions ong other things, ctions and propor- ntation, heavy taxation to relieve the di: s and the unemployed, » backers of the Pan- freedom of the press, inc of wages, eight-hour day, completion of the re-settlement of the r nd dise rge of the present committee on eeks to force them and other obnox- re a serious problem ing of uprooted fam. he regions affected by the r and the Greek war with Condylis Recognizes Power. “LONDON, Sept. 7—The London Times publishes with surprised edito- rial comment and veiled threats against the new government of Greece a telegram from its Athens corre- spondent giving the main features of an interview tween General Con- dylis and the Soviet News Agency. Condylis stated that the first object of the new provisional government, which had overthrown the dictator- ship of Pangalos, would be to hold free elections, the speaker remaining for the present head of the cabinet of ministers as well as chief of the demo- cratic party. He said he would settle the economic problem song the lines of social-democratic reforms, heavy taxation on big capital and relief for the poorer classes, the foreign policy to be one of peace. ee Monarchists Attack, NEW YORK, Sept. 7,—Atlantis, the Greek monarchist paper published here, launches an editorial attack Bgainst Condylis (because of his ‘an- nerudced plan to tax big capital for the Benefit of the poor, and reported friemiship for the Soviet Union. It aenovnces him as a “buck private” who secured his epaulets thru revolu- tions, and reminds its readers that the labor and Communist groups, towards which Condy now inclines his policy, were formerly persecuted by him. Atlantis emphasizes the fact that the committee for the re-seftlement of refugees in Greece is an interna- tional affair, with representatives of several nations on it. 8 6 A Former Fascist. The editor of Empros (Forward), Greek publication of the Workers’ Party in Chicago, states that Condylis is really a former fascist; while war minister he persecuted labor unions and the Communist Party; he organ- ized the “Pursuit Bands,” a kind of fascist corps; he drove underground the world war veterans’ organization, which was friendly to the Commu- nists; he was the first to order troops to fire on the strikers in Cavallo. The Empros’ editorial states that Condylis’ change of tactics is the re- sult of the great growth and influence of the Communist Party in Greece, COURTS ATTACK N.Y, CLOTHING TRADE UNIONS Injunction and Damage Suit Acted Upon Supreme Court Justice Welsh has handed down an injunction, which is novel in a way, forbidding the striking garment workers to picket within four blocks of the store of the Tailored Woman, Inc., at 632 Fifth avenue, one of the shops thet cater to wealthy trade. Part of the court's declaration reads: “Any such attempt to interfere with the employer's constitutional preroga- tive to conduct his business as he sees fit, provided he does not interfere with the rights of others, is obnoxious, as being, in effect, a wanton and mali- elous interference with another's busi- hess by those who have no justifica- tion for thelr conduct.” Another capitalist court attack on the labor unions was the judgment filed in the supreme court against the Furriers’ Union of New York, in be- half of one Joe Cohen, who claims he is a fur cutter and alleges that he could not obtain employment without ® union card, which the union denies him, The judgement was for $25,000. The suit was not defended in court and was made by a sheriff's jury, WRITE AS YOU FIGHT! s Capitalists Doing a Good Business While Average Wage is $26 A refiec- tion of America’ industrial prosperity so far ists are concerned was seen today in a report of the federal reserve board showing an increase of $694,000,000 in the amount of loans outstanding on August 25 as compared to the same date a year ago. The total loans then were $14,069,- 245,000, the board announced, indicat- ing that American business men are showing tremendous activity in ex- panding commercial enterprises. The increase in loans totaled $4,000,000 in the last week alone, the board an- nounced, At the same time American capital has had sufficient reserve funds to in- crease its holdings in investments by $144,000,000 over the amount held a year ago. This increase came ‘solely, it was added, from an increase of $186,000,000 in the holdings of private and semi-public bonds, stocks and se- curities, as the holdings of govern- ment securities declined $42,000,000 in the same period, COMPARES DRY LAW SPIES TO PROVOCATEURS Light Wines and Beer Leader Pans Agents WASHINGTON, Sept. 7.—In its ef- forts to enforce prohibition, the United States government is instituting a system comparable only to that which prevailed in Russia in the days of the czar, it was charged today by Capt. W. H Stayton, head of the organized wets here. Stayton referred to the policy of rewarding informers for in- formation of violations, To Spy on Tenants, “In Russia for many years under the ezar,” said Stayton, “the janitor of every apartment house was a paid agent of the police whose duty it was to inform the police of the doings of everybody in the house. “This gave the police, of course, a beautiful opportunity not only to regulate every action of the residents, but also to blackmail them. Everyone has hear of the ‘agent provocateur,’ the despicable spy who urges people to commit crime, and then either blackmails them or reports; them, Prohibition Spies. “Many of our prohibition agents are nothing better than this now, and the present plan means that we are to add to our force of paid scoundrels a great body of rascally volunteers. What a contemptible business for the United States government.” CURRENT EVENTS By T. J. O'Flaherty. (Continued from page 1) That’s what fascism has accomplished for the Italian workers. ees ILE the fascist regime in Italy has just put the finishing touch to whatever vestige of elective privi leges remained in possession of the masses, the Soviet government is pushing an energetic campaign among the peasantry with the object of in- ducing them to take a more active part in politics. The Soviet govern- ment is not afraid of an educated peasantry and proletariat, because the only obstacle that stands between the closer relationship of the peasantry with the government is ignorance. Thus the Soviet government's budget for education is tremendous in pro- portion to its revenue, while the fas- cist government has clamped an iron lid over the masses and gives them neither the opportunity to learn nor the liberty to express themselves, "* * HARLES CLINE, just released from a Texas penitentiary, where he spent over 13 years, walked into The DAILY WORKER office last Saturday and chatted with the staff. Cline’s blue eyes twinkled as merrily as if he had returned from a trip around the world. Tho the best part of his life was spent behind prison bars, he is just as eager to serve the working- class movement as the day he went in, Cline was arrested while on his way to Mexico to ald the revolutionary movement against the reactionary usurper, De la Huerta. He has a great story to tell and we hope The DAILY WORKER will have a chance to let“you in on it. ee A HEADLINE tells us that the pope moves for a place in world poli- ties, The old boy has been doing that for quite a long time and has suc- ceeded rather well, He has had tough luck in Mexico, but the millions of American dollars that flow into his treasury console him somewhat for the spiritual coldness of the Mexicans, According to a fascist newspaper the vatican is ready to bargain with Eng- land on the Palestine question. The vatican also favors a seat for Germany on the league of nations tribunal, but will not support the Spanish claim to Tangier. The pope had a scrap with De Riviera recently and, furthermore, the pope does not want to hurt Eng- land’s feelings. Jolm Bull looks with a jaundiced eye at Spain's claim to Tangier, OAR, ‘ ; 248 Delegates Set 300,000 Members as Goal For Second Year of Activity of I, L. D. (Continued from page 1) not yet well enuf welded together and completely mobilized. This was the task for the eeming year. “I, L. D. has taken its place in the labor movement,” concluded Comrade Cannon, “and it has demonstrated its ability to mobilize thousands of work- ers of all opinions and affiliations in the working class under the banner of Labor Defense. It his given many of them their first lessons in the class struggle. Our work will not end quickly for it can end only when all workers in prison are released and none can any more be threatened with imprisonment. But that will only be when all workers are released not only from jail but from that gigantic prison which is capitalism.” Big Ovation for Cline. Before discussion began on the r port, Chairman Flynn introduc Charles Cline, who had but two wee! ago been relaeased from a thirteen yea! term he served in a Texas prison for participating in a Mexican revolution- ary expedition. Cline was greeted by a great ovation with cheers and ap- plause, reaffirmed the faith he had al- ways held, and which had always buoyed him up in prison, in the work- ing class. It was this faith which en- able him to stand up under the hell of a Texas prison for thirteen years. His thanks for release were to the working class and to such an organ- ization as International Labor Defense which was developing the power that would free all the class war prison- ers. Cline read the pardon given by the governor, with his own comments, while the delegates laughed when the| governor declared that Cline had done no worse that the “immortal Travis, Bowie and Crockett” the heroes of Texas independence. “It took them thirteen years to find that out,” said Cline, t Albert Weisbord, tne young leader of the Passaic textile strike, followed Cline, the delegates rising and singing the International. Weisbord said that his own case or that of any other in- dividual in itself was not of essential importance, for the class struggle would proceed with or without this or that person. But the need of defend- ing prisoners for labor activities, of maintaing thier morale and courage, of snatching prospective victims from the clutches of the capitalist class was of great importance. The I. L. D., said Weisbord, was doing a great work and the cases in Passaic demon- strated this. It had become and should become not only a shield of defense but a weapon for offensives against the enemy. Chairman -Flynn — “conscripted” Ralph Chaplin to speak. Chaplin spoke of the great faith of the men in prison and of the value of the Inter- national Labor Defense as a unifying instrument in defense work. Elizabeth Gurley Flynn began her talk by saying that a year ago, when I. L. D. had been organized, she was a skeptic. But her doubts were all removed now. The work of the I. L. D., especially in the Sacco-Vanzetti campaign was of great value to the working class, It had proved, in ad- dition, that defense work was not something undertaken for sentimental reasons but that it was an essential and integral part of the class strug- gle. Delegates Join in Discussion. Discussion from the floor was then opened. From one city after another the delegates spoke of the develop- ment of the work of the International Labor Defense, of the obstacles that they had overcome and the successes they had achieved. Agreement with the report of the executive committee given by Cannon was universally ex- pressed, Cyril Lambkin, secretary of the De- triot I. L. D,, then reported for the committee on the secretary's report. A resolution proposed was unani- mously adopted. The resolution ac- cepted the report of the executive committee and commended it on the fidelity with which it had carried thru the resolutions of the last conference. It recommended to the incoming com- mittee that it conduct its activities along the same line, adhering to the same policy. Carl Hacker, secretary of the Cleve- land I, L. D., reported for the resolu- tions committee. Resolutions were adopted against the imprisonment of workers and peasants in Poland, after ® speech by the representative to the conference of the Inter-parliamentary Committee of the Polish Sejm for Am- nesty in Poland, B. K. Gebert; the de- mand for amnesty was endorsed and a cable sent to that effect to the Po- lish premier, A resolution of greet- ings to class war prisoners, assuring them of the untiring efforts that I. L. D. will continue in their behalf, was unanimously adopted, as were all the other resolutions, Resolutions of warm greetings were sent to Sacco and Vanzetti, to Bugeno V. Debs and to Bishop William Montgomery Brown. A resolution protesting against the abrogation of the right of asylum for a number of Italian po- litical refugees was endorsed, Calling attention to old and almost forgotten cases a resolution urged the workers to renew the struggles for the release of these old fighters, <A resolution oa organization was also adopted, A few constutional changes were proposed by the constitution commit- tee in the report of Robert Zelms, Boston I. L. D. secretary, Dues are to be as before, 10 cents per month with 15 cents as initiation fee. Max Shachtman, editor of the Labor Defender, read the manifesto; of the Second Conference to the American workers, and with some suggestions from the delegates, it was unanimous- ly adopted. Read Greetings to Conference. Following the discussion, Comrade Cannon replied to some of the ra marks made by delegates in their speeches, Telegrams and letters of greetings to the conference were real from the secretary of the Internation- al Class War Prisoners’ Aid of Eng: land, from the Joint Board of the New York Furriers’ Union, from War- ren K. Billings, Matthew Schmidt, from Pablo Manalapit in prison ia Honolulu, Robert Whitaker of Cali- fornia, from Passaic strikers and num- is others, The second day of the conference heard a report by C, EB, Ruthenberg, awaiting decision on his supreme court appeal, on the white terror in other list countries. Ruthenberg point- ed out the frightful situation existing in numerous European countries and the need for extending the hand of fraternal solidarity to these class war victims and prisoners, Harrison George reported on the situation in Latin-America, where American impe- tialism is instrumental in imprison- ing scores of labor fighters and those who are battling for liberation, The greatest part of the second day’s session was taken up with or- ganizational matters. Sharp and friendly self-critics of past activities and means of improving the structure and forms of activity of the I. L. D. Numerous suggestions in this direction were made by all the delegates. The discussion, which was led by Secre- tary James P, Cannon, took up all or- ganizational questions from that of or- ganizing the united front to the ar rangement of a mass meeting and the sale of literature. In addition to this discussion, provision was made to take up local problems with a number of the delegates after the official adjourn- ment of the conference. New Committee Is Elected, The last point on the agenda was the election of a new national com- mittee. The announcement by James P. Cannon that Elizabeth Gurley Flynn had consented to serve not only on the national committee but as a chairman of the organization in place of Andrew T. McNamara, who is very ill, and had asked to be relieved from his position for a short time, was greeted with long cheers and applause. All the members of the former national com- mittee were re-elected, together with Charles Gline, Albert Weisbord, Bliza- beth Gurley Flynn, D, | Bentall, Rob- ert Morgs Lovett, Har’y W. Longfel- low Dana, Charles Gray and Clarence Darrow. The executive committee was empowered to add to this number at, its discretion. The national committee will meet today to choose the execu- tive committee and other officers of the organization. MUSICIANS ON STRIKE HERE 3,000 STRONG (Continued from page 1) musicians. In any case they had not been called on. Asked about the next steps of the union to win the strike, President Petrillo said that a board meeting would be called Tuesday afternoon to decide upon this. “In the meantime, the men are going to stay out. For the moment, I see little chance of a settlement.” Another official of the union told The DAILY WORKER that the own- ers’ association was “out to break the union. Their violation of the contract they had with us was their opening gun in an attempt to crush the union altogether in Chicago.” The first blood was drawn by the union when the Woods theater, show- ing a musical comedy*ependent on an orchestra signed up with the un- jon. The reason the Wood's musi- cians were called out was because the management also owns a,moving pic- ture house. Not an instrument sounded in the 400 moving picture theaters thruout the city on Labor Day. The theater owners ‘were boastful of their ability to attract the holiday crowds sans music, but union officials said reports to them told of in some instances loud-voiced dissatisfaction with the unusual silence for which they were paying prices that ordinarily include musical entertainment. During the night session, the pro- ducers offered what they called “ar- bitration” to the union, The “arbi- trator” was to be chosen from one of threé men: the postmaster, a judge and a county hospital surgeon. It was six of one and a half dozen of the other for the union, none of the so-called arbitrators could have been suspected of any sort of sympathy for organized labor. The offer was turned down, A spokesman for the union pointed out that the owners were trying to abrogate a contract. “We have been doing business with them,” he said, “on the basis of honor, But we have discovered that doesn’t work, We had a verbal agreement with the owners during the war and at that time they stuck to it. Now, however, they are out to smesh the union and the first “Build Your Union!” Is Weisbord’s Last Appeal to the Passaic Strikers By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL. j LBERT WEISBORD, the youth- ful Communist leader of the Passaic,.New Jersey, textile strike, has withdrawn from the struggle. On the eve of Labor Day he bade farewell to the 16,000 strikers with whom he had battled for nearly eight months against all the strength that the powerfully en- trenched mill owners could muster against the mill workers. Weisbord did not withdraw of his own volition, He wanted to stay and fight it out to the finish,—to the final victory against the Passaic front of the textile profiteers—a victory that must yet be won, and that will stimulate the workers in other tex- tile centers to similar brilliant strug- gles, ea we Weisbord withdrew from the struggle as a condition imposed by the officialdom of the American Fed- eration of Labor for the admission of the great host of strikers to the recognized American movement. The millions of American workers, organized and unorganized, will de- mand to know why Weisbord had to withdraw from the struggle. He had come into this slave center of the textile industry and used his genius as an organizer to bring the workers together. It was only after weeks of preparation and in the face of a vicious cut in wages, that the Passaic workers went on strike. They didn’t all come out at once. One the Gera, the Forstmann-Hoffmann, the Lodi—until the mighty hosts were on the march in one of the most historic battles in all American labor history. The Communist, Weisbord, was their leader. Weisbord, the Com- munist, was a successful organizer, a successful strike leader. That was his only crime. Thru actual achieve- ments in the Passaic strike, ‘he proved the lie in every attack that labor reaction, thru its conservative officialdom employing ancient meth- ods in trade union work, has made upon the Communists, The brilliant triumphs achieved by Communist leadership and militant methods in conducting the Passaic strike, threw an intensely revealing glare on the outworn tactics of the labor officialdom that denies the class struggle and knows only the War against the progressives, 9 eae % The forced withdrawal of Albert Weisbord was merely another phase of the expulsion policy invoked by the labor officialdom to insure the continued rule of reaction, to main- tain the treacherous “class peace” with the employers, the truce of sur- render. Just as an effort has been made to drive Communists and for- ward-looking militants out of the miners’ union, the machinists’ union, the carpenters’ union, the painters’ union and some needle trades’ un- ions, so is the effort made to elimin- ate Weisbord from the Passaic strike situation and, if possible, from the labor movement, Weisbord withdrew from the Pas- saic strike situation on the eve of labor day, when the full strength of the Green regime in the A. F, of L. was busy assuring America’s exploit- ers that American labor would not rebel against the heavy chains that shackle them, President William Green was at the sesqui-centennial in Philadelphia and on Sunday at Carnegie Hall in New York City, pledging his lsten- ers that “the rule of reason pre- vails,” yet he marvelled that condi- tions, such as exist in the non-union coal fields “still prevail in a ‘Free America.’” He gave the He to him- self. Secretary Frank Morrison was in Wisconsin defending the capital- ist congress in Washington against “slurs and insults,” that he says were unjustly ‘hurled at this lackey of capitalism. Their views were hail- ed by the employers’ press generally. The Chicago Tribune, while attack- ing the musicians’ strike, gloried in the fact as expressed in a headline over an article by one of its financial writers that, “American Labor Is Still Feeling Gompers’ Power.” It hails with joy the declared fact that, “Another Labor Day finds the Amer- ican labor movement still distinctly diverse from those prevailing in Burope.” The Chicago Daily News, the or- gan of the LaSalle Street bankers and the local “open shop” interests and Landis Awarders, greets with ecstacy “the creative spirit in trade unionism,” that “frowns upon need- Jess strikes and lockouts and abhors the propaganda of class struggle and destructive radicalism,” The Green-Woll-Morrison policies have the approval of the worst ex- thing they have done is to ignore the Agreement.” Incidental to the desire of the own- ers to break the unton, the association is trying to uphold the stand of a group of smaller houses to take on {oss than four musicians as at prea- move by point- owners have made mill followed another—the Botany, ’ = _ —— ema Ploiters of the workers in their struggle to prevent the vitalization of the American trade union move- ment, eee The farewell tendered Weisbord by the Passaic textile workers was labor's best answer to the Greens, the Wolls, the Morrisons, The Trib- une, the Daily News and everything that they stand for. According to the strikers’ official publicity service, “The meeting (held in the open air at Belmont Park, in Garfleld) was one of the most important and dra- matic held in a strike which has had many dramatic moments, The huge park was packed to capacity, over 15,000 persons managing to squeeze themselves into the premises, while other thousands jammed the win- dows and doorways of the adjoining hall and occupied verandas, roofs and trees across the road.” “Gustay Deak, the head of the strikers’ organization formed under the standards of the United Textile Workers’ Union, affiliated with the A.F, of L., presided at the farewell to Weisbord. Weisbord is in Chicagu attending the International Labor Defense conference. He now wears a watch with a case of white gold bearing on its back the inscription: “From the Passaic Textile Strikers to Our Or- ganizer, Albert Weisbord, in Appre- clation of Loyal Service in the Class Struggle, Sept. 2, 1926,” There was a fountain pen and a pencil from the five members of the United Front Committee, the staff leaders of the struggle with “From the U. F.C. to A. W.” engraved upon them, There was a huge silver loving cup from the Lodi strikers, presented by a committee of Negro workers, And flowers! And huge placards displayed over the mighty farewell throng promising, “Weis- bord, We Will Build a Strong Union as a Monument to You.” And then Weisbord spoke: “It seems that my head has been demanded for having faithfully and loyally served the interests of the strikers,” he said. I sure that there are many workers who will ask, ‘What is it that Weisbord has done that he should be removed?” They will want to know if he is dis- honest or disloyal, They will want to know why Weisbord can find no place inside the American Federa- tion of Labor. “These are questions that President William Green and all the members of the executive council of the Amer- ican Federation of Labor will find it very difficult to answer. “I may be expelled from the Pas- saic textile strike, but I cannot be- expelled from the labor movement. “I shall continue to devote my life’s work to the cause of the work- ing class, I have no interests other than those of the workers. When it became necessary that I remove my- self in order to pave your way into the American Federation of Labor and to victory over the mill bosses, I gladly pledged myself to do so, 1 am here tonight to carry out that pledge. As you are aware, when I came among you to organize you, I had no thought of organizing MY UNION. I knew it would have been insanity to organize an independent union, From the very beginning it was my aim to get you into the main body of the American labor move- ment, and in this connection we made several overtures to the United Textile Workers of America, but the U. T. W. was not ready at that time to take us in. Now that you have gained admission into the U, T. W. we can celebrate the reali- zation of your first objective, “That I am going away is not a sign of weakne: It is a sign of strength that I am able to leave you, satisfied that you are now powerful enough, that you have wise and trained leaders who have come up from your ranks, to assure the pro- tection of your every interest.” eee Then Weisbord sounded the call: Build your union! Build your union! Build your union! eee Weisbord has helped batter a breach in the high wall of opposition erected by the American Federation ot Labor officialdom against the organization of the unorganized, The 16,000 workers in Passaic tex- tile mills, unorganized a year ago, are today marching into the A. F. L, an organized, militant body, an inspiration and vanguard for un- or ANEW NOVEL | Rebal U 5 Was concluded in the issue of Saturday, September 4. of this unusual work be- gins on Monday, Sept. 13th If you have read the first part of this splendid novel —or not— Be Sure to Read the Second Part of “Oil”! Don’t let your sub expire— subscribe to be sure to get every issue! FAIRY TALES for Workers’ Children HERMINIA ZUR MUHLEN With over twenty illustra- tions and four color plates by LYDIA GIBSON. 75¢ Duroflex $1.25 Cloth TAKE A RIDE Spend a day out in the woods with a jolly crowd at the Barnett and Warren Billings Branch I. L. D., Chicago, Ml. Truck Party — at.the Forest Preserve Sunday, September 12 Trucks leave Workers Ly- ceum (2733 Hirsch Blvd.) at 8:30 a.m. Come on time and enjoy real good music, (no speeches) games and BATHING Be sure to bring your bath- ing suit. 75 Cents pays for the round trip with a jolly crowd. A day in the country and all proceeds to defend Labor's best fighters in jail. come, have been carrying stories cal- culated to break the morale of the musicians, An afternoon paper car- ried a streamer on Tuesday saying - that a settlement was near while The DAILY WORKER only a few minutes later was assured by the union that the settlement was a long way off un- less the owners acceded to the un- fon demands.