The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 9, 1926, Page 3

a eee ee eee ene ee eas an FRANCE, BRITAIN JOIN HANDS IN GERMAN DEMANDS Ministers Discuss Basis for ‘‘Co-operating” PARIS, Dec. 7.—Sir Austin Cham- perlain, British foreign affairs secre- gary, and M, Briand, French foreign minister, have met in a pre-league pouncil conference here for the pur- Pose of deciding on what issues. @reat Britain and France will co- operate at the Geneva meeting, Discuss Germany and Italy. The demands of both Germany and France on Italy occupied’ the attention wf the two ministers: Germany's de- mand for immbidlate \ withdrawal of the allied troops’ from the Rhineland and the surrender by the allies of military control to the league will ome up at the leagué council meet- mg. France wants to wring conces- gions from Germany before relinquish- tng her power of the country, Italy’s demands for expansion at the expense of French territory may ' or.may not come up at the league, but Briand and Chamberlain discussed ‘what action would be taken in case they did. Seeks Britain's Aid. France is anxious for the co-opera- tion of Great Britain. in the council, because her power over Germany will wease a8 soon as the league takes oharge and because Germany will be oonsidered an equal member in the ‘ouncil. Volunteer military organizations in Germany are still a source of worry for France. Stresemann has given orders to the organizations to cease their military training activities, but France doubts his power to cause the militarists to desist. + Poland Frightened. hp Poland is also entering the situa- tion, Zaleski, Poland foreign minister, demanding that Germany abandon cer- tain fortifications on the Polish bor- filer. This will come up at the council meeting. Manchester Spinners Organize to Control American Yarn Output MANCHESTER, England, Dec. 7.— fhe Cotton Yarn Association, formed to fix prices for yarn produced in the jAmertcan section, now controls 13,- 50,000 spindles. Before the associa- tion’s committee can proceed an ad- ,Miitlonal. 6,000,000 spindles must be ob- fained. "This will bring. the section's |yiqeq for censorship boards in all ted- wpercentage of spindles under the as- ociation’s control up to 70, The Federation of Master Cotton Spinners has decided that, beginning i@his week, the spinning hours in the American section will be increased from 24 to 35 weekly, and American ®pinners are released from their pledge to observe minimum prices. FRENCH MAYORS OPEN SHOP TO SELL APPAREL; MERCHANTS RAISE HOWL PARIS, Dec. 7—The action of the mayors of several citles of France In selling wearing apparel to the con- sumer has aroused the Ire of the French Retallers’ Federation. It threatens not only to boycott man- ufacturers who are supplying the municipal stores, but s it will hold the mayors responsible for Its financial losses by reason of Its loss _-of trade, The consumers are giving the mayors’ stores generous patron- age and saving money, ENGLAND BEGINS, BACK END FIRST, TO PUBLISH . WAR-ORIGIN DOCUMENTS LONDON, Dec. 7.—It is perhaps typical of the topsy-turvydom of Europe that the eleventh and last volume of “British Documents on the Origin of the war, 1898-1924,” Is the first to be published. This Is because the documents In It had been collected and edited before Sir Austin Chamberlain gave his con- sent to the publication of the whole history, Documents that never appeared In the British Blue Book are now print- ed. They reveal statesmen, know- ing full well all that war involved, moving fatefully to the slaughter. Sir Edward Grey, for example, felt that war, would plunge, all Europe Into a financial morass from which it might never extricate Itself, There were British statesman who belleved that, if England had sooner de- clared her intention of entering the conflict, war might have been avert- ed. There are the plausible argu- ments that It was because of solemn treaty obligations to Belglum that England was forced to Intervene, There ia the amusing Incident, the one plece of sand in the smoothly- working British diplomatic system, when an English vice-consul at Bel- grade, after the Serbs had retreated before the Austrians, turned over the archives of his office, Including the cipher code, for safe keeping to —well, guess!—to the German lega- tlon! ‘There is another comic opera skit when the British representative at The Hague, on July 28, 1914, sol- emnly asked the Dutch minister of foreign affairs if there was anything to be anxious about In the political situation in Europe, and received the illuminating assurance that “his ex- cellency inclined to be optimistic about It.” The volume contains 677 docu ments, with the marginal notes on them. German Government Forced to Modify Its Censorship Proposal BERLIN, Dec, 7.—The government saved itself from defeat on its censor ship bill only by modifying its pro- visions to restrict’ the power of the state authorities, The bill, modified, wag passed by a vote of 250 to 158. The Communist deputies fought the bill bitterly, as did all artists and writ- ers.in the country. ‘The bill as originally drawn pro- eral. stafes and a national board to act as court of appeals, with power to declare literature and works of art obscene or) objectionable on other grounds, The bill as passéd provides for sev- eral baton boards of censorship, and disregards |states, Tory Party Leader Wanted to Purchase London Daily Mail LONDON, Deo. 7.—Sir Malcolm Fra- ser, former chief agent of the con- servative party, testified in the hear ing of the Northeliffe will, that he would have paid £2,000,000 to Lord Rothmere. Miss Louise Owen, one of the beneficiaries of the will, is suing to have the sale set aside, claiming “indecent haste.” Fraser denied he would have bought the paper for the tory party, declaring he represented certain financial inter- ests whom he declined to name, Send In a sub today! Back to Bucharest \ ’ ‘ ‘party. IGHT BARRING F COMMUNISTS IN LABOR PARTY Australian Militants De- mand Rights FRANCIS AHERN, Federated Press, SYDNEY, Australia, Dec, 7.—Com- munists in Australia are again de- manding the right to enter the ranks of the Australian labor party, tho the constitution of that party prohibits the granting of membership rights to any person affiliated to any other political The Communist Party, how- ever, demands that being a working- class party, it has every right to mem- bership in the A. L, P. In an offical statement on the mat- ter the Communist Party says: “The policy of the Communist Party is clear. We recognize the Australian labor party as being composed of a large number of workers, and we ac- cordingly demand the right of entry &s militant workers, and we definitely refuse to toleraje any censorship of our principles by any set of reaction- ary leaders. We will continue to fight for admission to the A. L. P. as repre- sentatives of the trade union move- ment, unhampered in our efforts to put forward a fighting policy of work- ing-class demands. Our membership is unanimous on the question that only by clean-cut Communist policy in op- position to the dogmas of reformism can a working-class movement in the true sense of the world be built up in Australia.” Chile Bows to Wishes of United States and Will Cede Tacna-Arica SANTIAGO, Chile, Dec. 7.—Chile has agreed to cede Tacna-Arica to Bo- livia, thus bowing to the wishes of the United States department of state. Secretary Kellogg of the United States urged Chile to give the territory to Bolivia in order to settle the long con- troversy that has waged between Chile and Peru over the land. In the note from the Chilean cabi- net to the Untied States was stated: “Chile hopes that this sacrifice may be duly appreciated as a contribution to continental peace and world prog- ress,” The conditions thatthe cession will provide are that Bolivia must maintain complete disarmament in Tacna-Arica, and that Arica is to be a free port to only Chile, Bolivia and Peru. . Peruvian officials have not com- mented on Chile’s action. But La Presna, semi-official organ, asks if “Secretary Kellogg had asked the peo- ple in Tacna-Arica if they desired to belong to Bolivia.” Germany Pays Allies Second Annuity Claims BERLIN, Dec, 7.—Germany’s second annuity under the Dawes plan amount- ed to $291,000,000, none of which was raised by loans, Of the countries benefitted, France ranks first, with the United States in sixth position in its receipts of mixed claims totaling some- thing over $4,000,000. This brings Germany’s total of reparations, ac- cording to the figures of neutral ex- perts, to nearly $11,000,000,000, the greater part of which is represented by holdings turned over to the victo- rious allies. Report Discovery of Diamond Mine Worth 5 Billions in Brazil RIO JANIDRO, Dec. 7.—Discovery of a rich diamond mine, possibly the richest mine in the world, was report- ed today from the state of Minas Geraes. The mine, which is said to have been found on an estate owned by Home Secretary Castella, is estimat- ed to hold 20,000,000 cubic meters of diamond ore. Tho estimate value of the mine Is $5,000,000,000, Tax American Cotton Entering Murmansk MOSCOW, Dec, 7.— Hereafter the American cotton, entering the Soviet Republics thru the port of Murmansk, on the White Sea, will pay an import tax of three and a half cents a pound, according to a decision of the People’s Commissars’ Council. The action ts due to the fact that the decline in the price of American cotton will enable the government to collect this tax without raising the price above that of the product coming from Turke- stan, / To Stir Interest In Union-Made Cigars. Out of 216 cigar stores, drug stores and barber shops in a trade union neighborhood in Chicago only a hand- ful carry union-label cigars, Local 14 of the Cigarmakers discovered. Store- keepers accounted for it by saying there was no demand for the trade union product, the local declares in Jurging, organized labor to patronize popitetla The merican Worker Qorrespond- © worker correspondent’s own ; 1 THE DAUL Y WORKER Pi Page Three L a2 dak News and Comment Labor “Hducation Labor and Government Trade Union Politics WELCHES DEBATE OVER ISSUES IN MINERS’ UNION Cappellini Backs Out of Toohey Challenge i (Special to The Dally Worker) SCRANTON, Dec, 7.—The “Brophy-|@xecutive board composed of individ. | for-President” anthracite committee released to thie’ press a letter address: ed to Rinaldo Cappellini sometime ago | by Pat Toolfey accepting Cappellini’s | challenge to publicly debate the issues | involved in the present campaign for international offices in the United | Mine Workers of America, Cappellini Was quite rash in chal- lenging Toohey to debate, and cer- tainly it is nd credit to Cappellini backing out after Toohey accepted the | challenge, It will be observed that in | the Toohey letter to Cappellini he is | willing to. meet him in any prominent | city or town in the District 1 territory, and not confining thé debate to any one particular section where Toohey followers might be strong, and again, | where in the suggestion for “impar- tial” chairman of the debate, Toohey suggests Mayor Hart of Wilkes-Barre, who is hand-in-glove with Cappellini in all matters. Demand Retraction, The Brophy committee in releasing this letter.demands that Cappellini meet Toohey or publicly withdraw his challenge. . The letter follows: Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Nov. 11, ’26, Rinaldo Cappellini Miller Building, Scranton, Pa, Dear Sir and Brother: While in the district office in Scran- | ton yesterday (November 10) you) stated that you were willing to meet | me on any platform, in any town at | any time im-apublic debate in con- | a Organized Labor—Trade Union Activities THE FIGHT OF ALEX HOWAT AND THE MINERS IN DISTRICT. 14; A CHAPTER IN LABOR HISTORY ARTICLE Iv. By WILLIAM F. DUNNE Hardly had the jail doors clanged behind Howat than President John L, Lewis arbitrarily removed him from ing him that he was no longer the president of District 14, Nothing better calculated to strengthen the supporters of the Industrial Court ‘than this action of Lewis could have been devised. by a howl of approval from the capitalist press and Lewis was hailed as one of those “safe and sane” labor leaders office and sent him a telegram notifty- It was greeted who are the bulwarks of society—cap- italist society. + But the persecution of Alex Howat and the fighting miners of Kansas did not stop with his removal from office. Lewis appointed a provisional district uals cordially hated by the great mass | of the miners and when the strikes for | the release of Howat and for the main- | tenance of contract clauses continued, the whole district was reorganized and the bulk of the miners deprived of their rights in the union, Howat himself and the rest of the militant officials were expelled. Long.Fight Begins, Then began the long fight of the Kansas miners for reinstatement—a fight in which Howat again took the lead upon his release from jail. It must be remembered that up to the present time no charge of violating. the constitution of the United Mine Workers has been officially preferred against Howat or his supporters. ‘They simply were removed from of- fice and expelled from the union by Lewis:himsglf in complete deflance of all rules of the union which state spe- cifically that the international presi- dent has no jurisdiction over such dis- trict matters, As a matter of fact, it is unconstitu- tional for the international president to pass on such matters until they have been dealt with by a district con- vention. . District Convention for Howat, Howat has been upheld by a district jconvention since his removal in spite of the discrimination practiced by the Lewis machine. Supported by an overwhelming ma- jority of the ‘membership, including nection with the issues involved in |the powerful District 12 of Illinois the present election campaign, you to | With 100,000 members, Howat carried defend the atministration and I to present the position of the opposition, This challenge was made by you “man the fight into the local unions. At the 1922 convention, Lewis, with the aid of the powerful army of organizers to man” and not as an official to mem- |he had brought to the convention, and ber, if I mayouse-your Own words, and |in spite of a huge majority in favor Vam exceptionally desirous of meeting |of Howat, ruled that the case could you on the platform in this capacity. I accept youf challenge to debate the issues “man to man” at any date | during the week of Noventber 20-27 | in the city of Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, Nadticoke, Pitiston, Luzerne, Old Forge, Olyphant or Edwardsville, As not be heard. Howat continued the struggle. Far- rington, who had supported the rein- statement of Howat because of his own fight with Lewis and because of the strong sentiment for Howat in |Tllinois, made his peace with Lewis an impartial chairman for these meet-|anq deserted Howat. ings I suggest the Burgess or Mayor of some of these places, other places we can agree upon in the course of arrangements. As a suitable subject I suggest: “RESOLVED, That the policies of | John Lewis and Rinaldo Cappellini make for the betterment of the con- ditions of the mine workers and for the saving of the United Mine Workers.” Or, perhaps you wish to defend the negative; if so, I therefore propose: RESOLVED, The program of John Brophy is the only salvation for the U. M. W. of A.” If, perchance, you disagree with the text of the above, either in major or minor detail we can iron it out later. In the event you accept this debate you will appear as Rinal@o Cappellini, not President Rinaldo Cappellini, or, The Lewis Method. At the 1924 convention, after days of delay, Lewis adjourned the gather |ing on the last day when Howat asked for the floor. A majority of the dele- gates remained in session and pledged themselves to continue to support the struggle of Howat and the Kansas miners. Howat was then informed by the international executive board that he could become a member of the United Mine Workers again only by going to work in the mines. This “concession carried with it no restoration of his rights in the union. He was to be treated as a new member as were all of his Kansas supporters with one lone exception. This exception was made undoubtedly because the miner lin question moved out of Kansas into “man to man” in your own words, A line to the address below will reach me. Hoping to hear from you in a day or two at’ most, I am | Yours, Patrick Toohey | P.8, I will consider releasing this | letter to the press if no answer is | forthcoming within a reasonable | period’ of time.—P. T. B. M. T. Would Stop Work on’N. Y. Subway to Prevent It Competing NEW YORK! Dec, 7. — Desirous of blocking the Gompletion of the city’s proposed independent subway system, Gerhard M. Dahl, chairman of the board of dinévtors of the Brooklyn- Manhattan Transport corporation, has offered to “comperate” with the board of transportation to straighten out New York's transportation muddle, He urged that work on the subway be halted until negotiations are com- pleted for the considered consolida- tion of transportation systems. Dahl denies that the city needs the sub- way system to use as a “club” on the corporations, declaring his company would do nothing opposed to muni- cipal interests. He also sald that the independent subway would be too ex- pensive for the elty to operate, and that higher fares would result. Bakery Workers Fee! Loss of Trade. | With the lapgest membership in re- cent years ang the largest number of shops signed, Ohicago Bakery Work- ers’ Local 21 » nevertheless, that the demand union. label bread is falling oat, . 4 the Missouri district. Howat Digs Coal. So Howat went back to work in the thines. He secured a job with much difficulty because of the hostility of the operators and at present is work- ing in a mine where the coal seams are only thirty inches deep—“brushing the top,” as miners call these thin He is probably the only min- ers’ union official of any prominence who has gone back to the mines, “Working at the face” for two years Howat qualified for district office again. He was nominated by 90 per cent of the membership gs before stated. (As a matter of fact he has been nominated by these huge majori- ties every election held since his re moval from office but always kept from the ballot by rulings of the hand- picked Lewis district machine). It 1s known, to everyone that How at's name on & District 14 ballot ts the same as election and herein lies the secret of the desperate measures used by Lewis. Bad Conditions In District. At present there are from 1,500 to 2,000 miners in District 14 who are not in the union. Howat could organ- {ze them in a month after taking of- fice, They are not scabs but are former union miners who have lost confidence in the union since it was wrecked and the remnants placed di- rectly under the control of the Lewis machine, Contrc@, provisions are not enfore- ed. The security of employment which the Kansas miners enjoyed during Howat’s leadership ‘and for which Howat always fought, permitting no arbitrary firing of miners, has disap- peared altogether. With a supine of- ficlaldom the union now Is litte more {strength to the left wing movement | than an appendage of the operators’ association, President Lewis knows these things. No one knows better than he does that they are incontrovertible facts. Yet he evidently prefers the friendship of the operators to that of miners whom | to he can disfranchise as he has done recently and for years past. The Reasons. What ts one to conclude? Frank Farrington, when he was aspiring to the presidency of the United Mine Workers, wrote a letter to Lewis which was made public. He said: | I was told that the president of the Southwestern Coal Oper- ators’ Assoication stated that the Kansas coal operators would pay almost any price to get rid of Alex Howat and I have just as much right to believe that you collected a handsome sum of money for your part in the Kan- sas trouble as yo have to believe that I was to collect money for al- lowing the Lester Strip Mine to operate. There is an old saying: “Set a thief to catch a thief.” ‘I dislike to quote the proven crook Farrington against such an eminent personage as Inter- national President John L. Lewis, but Lewis accepted his support to beat Howat and the rank and file in 1924. Farrington was a crook then and he is a crook now and as I said in 1923, when writing about: the expose of Lewis by Farrington and Farrington by Lewis, I believe both of them. Of a few things we are certain: 1. The fight of the Kansas miners led by Howat prevent the enforce- ment of the industrial court law on a wide scale and put an end to this sort of suppressive legislation for a long period. 2. The capitalists of Kansas and the coal operators in particular wanted Howat’s influence and ‘authority destroyed in the union. 3. Lewis not only did not give Howat and the Kansas miners any support. in their fight against the Kansas industrial court and the coal operators but did what they, could not do—remove Howat from office and expel him from the union when the struggle was at its height. 4. Lewis has prevented Howat from taking office, without a shadow of moral or legal right, and thereby ‘allowed the operators to have their way with the union in Kansas. The above statements are matters of record and not of opinion. Lewis must be either a monumental egoist who can, secure in his own high opinion of himself, watch a district like Kansas be destroyed rather than allow it to have its chosen and tried leadership, or he is an agent of the coal operators as Farrington has been proven to be. Same Policy Everywhere. In any case, because in greater or less degree, the same policy of per- secution.of militant miners and ‘union- wrecking, all of which is loudly or quietly approved by the coal oper- ators, has been followed in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Canada and Illinois, John L. Lewis, if for no other reason, deserves defeat by a huge majority in the election next Tuesday. He will be defeated by a huge majority but he will try to split the union rather than give up control. Whether or not the opposition ticket, for which Howat just completed a tour, is recognized officially as the| victor, the struggle in the miners’ union, of which Alex Howat is the symbol, is not over. Future Struggles. If Lewis succeeds in holding on to the empty honor that will be his after the election, the left wing will con- tinue the struggle at the coming con- vention. If Lewis then, by means of his blue-sky locals and “payrol! vote” succeeds in holding on to the union machinery, the left wing will prepare for a new phase of the “Save the Union” struggie—the organization of the non-union fields without which the | strike cannot be won. | It Lewis is forced to surrender con- trol of the union, then the left wing will have the tremendous tagk of | building the union from the wreckage | which the Lewis machine has left in its wake. | In ofther case Alex Howat and the | Kansas miners—many of them scat-| tered now into half a dozen ditterent | coal fields—will be a source of | which alone of the forces in the or-| ganization has the responsibility of saving the largest union in the Ameri- can labor movement from destruction. (The End). ee ae ete iy Mii Policies and Programs The Trade Union Press Strikes——Injunctions Labor and Imperialism BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT DURING MINER TROUBLE Union Thresteced, But Officers / Don’t Show By a Coal Miner. URGH, Pa., ctober, Dec. 7.—During while, nomina Mine Work- going on, dis- ion were quite meet more than ganizer and board members at practically all of the local union meet- ings. An attempt is being made by the coal operators to reopen the Crescent mine on Red Hill, Dais wn, Pa., on the basis of the 1917 scale. The mine, which had been idle for many months, is right in the heart of a net of union mines employing t sands of men. Old timers, union men, are being evict- ed from the company houses. Police are guarding th w scabs which the company engaged. Where Is Fagan? While the company is thus making an attempt to s' its open-shop’ pol- icy in this organized section, starting with a mine located side by side with several large organized mines, the dis- trict officials of the union, including Hynes, the board member, are con- spicuous by their absence. Not 8 sight of Pat F n or any one of his associates! Not an attempt is being ;made to get the organized miners of at least that section to come together to discuss the problem of how to save the union there! The members of the union are wondering what became of their district officials and are ask- ing the question: “Where fs Pat Fagan now?” Or where is Hynes, the board member of this sub-district, ‘whose duty is to guard the interests of the union in the sub-district? The local unions around the Cres- cent mine should wake up before ft is too late and get the district officials to do something to “Save the Union,” me This Is ] Good News For Detroit | The ladies have arranged a social evening for The DAILY WORKER. A gay, good, sociable and simply stunning selection of the best kind of fun—the beat kind of food—and the best kind of ecrewd of workingmen and women. The ladies of the Central Women’s Progressive As- sociation have arranged this evening and are charging only 50 cents ad- mission. It sounds im- possible, but it’s true and will occur at 8 p. m. Saturday, December 11 | 5770 Grandy (Cor. Hendrie) Now Available! In a beautifully clothbound library edition at a special price the famous ~ Letters of ROSA LUXEMBURG to Karl and Louise , Kautsky The intimate correspondence of the brilliant German rev- olutionary fighter and mar. tyr. A ‘book selling at $2.60 which we are fortunate to be able to offer at the special price of $1.00 Only a limited number of copies on hand and orders will be filled in turn and only on the receipt of CASH REMITTANCE The Daily Worker Pub. Co, 1113 W. Washington Blvd, Chicago, HI,