The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 2, 1927, Page 6

Page Six THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, MONDAY, MAY 2, 1927 Many Bitter Struggles The Treachery Preceded Building of One Union in Coal Industry By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL | WORLD AND TO THE OPPRES- J\SED PEOPLES OF ALL COUN- \OPPOSE IMPERIALIST WAR! ‘ TRIES! T SEA, Aboard the United States Liner, President | Work Toil 0: d of all Roosevelt, Monday, April 11. (By Mail from Ply- Pas ates overs, Oppressed mouth, England.)—Some time before starting on this | : , trip, I addressed a gathering of members and sympa- | ‘HE Communist International ap- thizers of the International Seamen’s Club in New York | *peals to you all to join in a mass City. The audience was made up of those who followed | protest against imperialism which is the sea, | threatening the world with the in- I found that one of the big subjects of interest was | calculable misery of a new world war. whether it was advisable to join the International Sea-| Almost thirteen years have passed men’s Union, affiliated with the American Federation | since the beginning of the first great} of Labor, or the Marine Transport Workers’ Union, the | imperialist war. Up to the present | organization of the Industrial Workers of the World, | time humanity has not yet conaetaly | Discussion of the qualifications, good and ‘bad, of both/| recovered from the terrible destruc- | organizations was of paramount interest. |tion of this war. Huridreds of thous- Similar problems confront America’s workers in prac-/ ands of cripples and millions of in- tically every industry. | valids from this wretched slaughter i still throng the streets. The rivers | This problem, however, does not exist for the coal| of blood which drenched the fields of | miners in their present struggle with the mine owners. | Europe and Asia have hardly dried. | It is one of their sources of strength. | And the whole world ll_ trembles The left wing raises the slogan of “Organize the Un- | in the convulsions of cr s whose be- | organized Miners!” and these is no question about what | ginning is to be sought in the first | organization they shall join. | world war. The United Mine Workers of A over all miners working “in and in the United States and Canada. . * * merica has jurisdiction round” the coal mines Only in Canada is| Union.” Otherwise the field is clear. * ‘ Chinese revolution. Over 170 war-| It has not always been so. The lessons of the past,| ships are lying in Chinese harbors. | however, are a warning against secession and‘ dual | Tens of thousands of soldiers, Japan- | movements,’ a call a realization on the part df all|ese, British, American, have planted mine workers of t ull meaning of the slogan raised|their boots on the soil of China| by the militants of “Fight for the Union!” | watered with the blood and sweat of * * |the much tried masses of the Chinese The bitter struggles of the mine workers were made| People. ‘The most important towns | increasingly ficult in the early days of pionaér or- | are in actuality occupied by the ‘civ- | ganizing activities, by the appearance of rival unigns in | jlized” hangmen. The great Yangtze | the field. | river is thronged with gun-boats and | The Knights of Labor began to form local unions | cruisers. The harbors are oceupied thruout the mining regions in 1877 and 1878. Thete was | by the capitalist robbers. China is | no doubt that rival unions in the same locality bidding | blockaded by their fleets. Manchur- | for recognition of the mine owners added to the advan-| ia is occupied by the Japanese army. | tages which the coal barons already possessed ip bar-| In alliance with the vile reactionary gaining for wages, hours and working conditions |Chang Tso-lin the imperialist armies * * * are ca’ on a destructive war In the year of the first joint conference, Feb. 23, 1886, | #&2inst China. The imperialist pow- between the mine owners of Pennsylvania, Ohio, In-|¢"S 47° yard gerd) ah tied diana, Illinois and West Virginia, and the representatives | zainst the Chinese people without a of Chiang Kai-Shek OPPOSE THE THROTTLING OF THE CHINESE REVOLUTION! (By the Executive Committee of the Communist International.) PR China the imperialists have not merely blockaded the whole land, they have succeeded in disrupting the unity of the Kuomintang anf hiring Chiang Kai-shek. This traitor’ to the Chinese revolution and the Chinese people has now become the centre- point of the national counter-revolu- tion. In agreement with the foreign- ers, Chiang Kai-shek has overthrown and dissolved the government in Shanghai. His generals have dis- armed the workers’ guard and on the instruction of foreign imperialists have shot down hundreds of prole- tarian men, women and children, | Witt indignation and hatred we de- clare the hangman Chiang Kai- shek a traitor to the revolution, an ally of the imperialist robbers, an enemy of the revolutionary Kuomin- tang, an enemy of the working class movement and an enemy of the Com- munist International! | "SHE working class of all countries | /AND now the mouths of the guns| £1 and the oppressed peoples of the | {44 are smoking once again! The still | world must recognize that the Chinese | there some minor conflict with the so-called’“One Big | powerful imperialist clique has begun | bourgeoisie has abandoned the strug- | la war of extermination against the | gle against imperialism because it fears the tremendous wave of the working: class and peasant move- ment. This movement embraces such a sea of people, such tremendous masses that the forces of imperialism will not be able to throttle the Chinese revolution. The imperialists will not be able to defeat the revolution with their fleets, with the blockade, by bribery and lies. HEY are preparing to throttle the revolution in a world slaughter. But millions of workers and peasants will rise against this bloodbath. The soldiers will rise against this blood- bath, the oppressed peoples of the world will rise. The fermentation has begun in India. The British high command has already been compelled to withdraw the Punjabis from China. Arrests have already begun amongst Professional Patriots and Labor Leaders By ROBERT DUNN. 1, s¢PHERE are, it seems, patriots and patriots—the great unwashed kind to which most of us be- long, and the prodigious kind of which Mr. Easley is the dean.” These words were used by Captain Sidney Howard in a series of articles on “Our Professional Patriots” which appeared in the New Republic in 1924. Captain Howard placed Ralph Montgomery Easley, head of the Nationat Civic Federation at the very top of the list of our self- appointed, business-backed, hell-roaring flag wavers. He retains that position today. Matthew Woll, vice-president of the American Federa- tion of Labor is his understudy. It is good to see that the Locomotive Engineers Journal, and a few other’ la- bor papers including The DAILY WORKER, have come out squarely against this corporation darling, who has been “cultivating” the acquaintance of labor leaders for many years in an effort to instill the most reactionary ideas into the labor movement. There is no room here to review the career of this | careerist or to size up his original plan to bring capital and labor together; or to show how this scheme evolved | during the war days into a wild and whooping pursuit | of so-called seditionists and ended up with the most | diverting sallies against “Bolsheviks” in all walks of jlife, It is sufficient to note that Easley and his organ- ization have, for the past twenty years, existed chiefly for the purpose of spiking ali progress in the trade unions as well as other fields of social activity. It is sufficient to set down simply the names of the persons Easley has been moved to attack in his desperate efforts to scotch all liberalism—and, of course, radicalism—in the bud. | The Objects of His Wrath. Some of the persons this man Easley has gone out of his way to slander and malign are the following—a virtual Who’s Who of Social Reform! Look at them and their crimes! Rev. Iddings Bell, President of the. Epis- cépalian St. Stephens College at Annadale-on-the Hud- son—taught liberal economics to students—, Bishop Charles A. Brent of Buffalo, former chaplain of the American Expeditionary Forces in France—for advocat- ling amnesty for political prisoners—, H. G. Wells—for |his Outline of History!—, President Hopkins of Dart- mouth College—for advocating free speech,— Captain Paxton Hibben of the American Committee for Relief of | Russian Children (on whose committee are such citizens as Rev. Wm. E. Barton D.D., Rev. Timothy Demsey, Prof. John Dewey, David Starr Jordan, John Fitzpatrick of the Chicago Federation of Labor, Bishop Francis J. McConnell, Cardinal William O’Connell, Rev. Michael J. O’Connor, Frank P. Walsh, and Dr. Stephen S. Wise)—- Easley referred to Hibben as “a rascal and a scoundrel”, —Reverend John Haynes Holmes, referred to by Easley as wild and crazy,—Reverend Henry Sloane Coffin, a of the National Federation of Miners and Mine Labor- declaration of war, without dignified the imperialist troops. The protests trustee of Yale University—called a “red”..because he ers, organized in 1885, the Knights of Labor organized | formalities ‘and despite their own dis- the National Trades Assembly No. 135, composed of all | #&Teements. a workers “in and about the mines.” This acion on the x part of the Knights of Labor complicated she work of ND they have also begun to pre- the joint conference. pare the war against the Soviet In his “History of the United Mine Worlers of Amer- Union. The unparalleled raid upon ica,” Evans claims that the K. of L. conveition that or-| the Soviet Union representation in ganized the assembly, announced that unle:$ the Knights | Pekin, the demolition and plunder-| of Labor were given representation in the joint confer- | Ns, the arrest and the maltreat- ence, they would consider themselves und:r no obliga- |ment of the arrested, the siege of the tion to abide by the agreement. It wascharged that | Shanghai Consulate by Tzarist white this Was a threat to undercut the scale of wages to gain| guards, British and Americans, the recognition. | obvious provocation of the Soviet) * | Union—all this points to the exist- As a result overtures were made to gain the co-opera- | ence of a systematically carried out | ea. tion of the Knights of Labor in the making and enforce- | Plan initiated by the imperialist sea| ment of a scale. In response to a specific demand for | Pirates. representation in the joint conference of 1887 the Knights | Not for nothing is British imperial- | of Labor were informed that there was no reason why |!" ism striving to fling the British | they should not participate, but that the extent of their! working class movement into chains, representation could be determined only by the consulta-|to rob the trade unions of the pro- tion of both parties. For the time being, however, the|etariat of their rights. British im- two organizations were to follow devious and conflicting | perialism wishes to secures“peace” at pathways before they came to the point of adjusting | homeso that it can exercise its mili- | their differences, | tary “heroism” undisturbed abroad, | | : The National Federation of Miners was carrying a ohdte peri te . the tee . ¢8 7 < i. ique carrying of a war an extensive organizing campaign. In this connection! ign in France. France is being its organizers reported that the fight for supremacy be- | ee ee She i tween their organization and the Knights of Labor was | turned into a military begin ried on some occasions so bitter that the influence of their | being armed with all speed for a new efforts was largely wasted. The executive board of the | bloodbath, for the new catastrophe National Federation sought to reach an understanding | Which the imperialist politicians are with the executive board of the National Trades As- | Preparing, for new ‘conflicts over the | sembly No. 135, but found that the latter had no power | division of the Spoils and a new in- | to enter into an agreement without the sanction of the | tervention against, the proletarian * * * general meeting of the assembly. The officers of the | National Federation then issued a challenge to the offi- | cers of the National Trades Assembly to join in a call for a general national convention and let the represen- tatives decide what should be the character of organiza- tion best suited to the needs of the miners. | Altho this challenge was not accepted by the officers | of the National Trades Assembly, on the ground that | their members preferred to have their affairs conducted by a secret organization, they agreed, Nov. 17, 1887, to @ co-operative plan for making and enforcing agree- | ments. The national executive boards of both organiza- tions were to meet before the date of the joint confer- ence and agree upon wage rates. Each board was given equal representation in the negotiation of a wage scale. The organization having the greatest membership in the various localities or districts should adjust grievances and conduct strikes. In case of a strike it should be supported by a per capita assessment on the members of both organizations, and when arbitration proceedings were jointly entered upon the expenses should be equally divided. Both organizations pledged themselves to “use every honest and fair means” to induce every miner to become a member of one or the other. They agree@that the necessity of protecting and promoting the irZ rest | of the craft was supreme. Such an ideal agreement, however, between two rival organizations seeking to co- operate in the same industry, was easier to make than to enforce, At this time the Knights of Labor was the stronger union in the important fields of Southern Illinois and | Western Pennsylvania. * * “ When the Indiana operators came to the joint confer- ence in 1889, determined to -fight for a reduction in the | ‘wage rates, it was charged that they were safe in taking | this stand because local leaders of the Knights of Labor had promised that their members would mine coal for 10 cents per ton less than the scale. This charge is made by Evans in his history of the miners’ union. * * * By 1888 it was becoming clear that labor’s whole po- sition was being weakened as a result of the conflict of interest between the Knights of Labor and the Miners’ National Federation. Accordingly a movement was be- gun for the amalgamation of the two organizations and for the extension of the union to all of the coal districts, including the anthracite field. The Knights of Labor were asked to take a vote of their members on the proposition of having one organi- zation conduct the business of the miners of the country and to meet in convention Dec. 5, 1888, prepared ‘to act upon it. The assembled representatives of both organ- izations agreed to consolidate under the name of the (Continued On Fourth Columy) * revolution! | Not for nothing do allethe forces of | capital unite now against the Chinese Revolution and against the | bulwark of the working class move- ment—the Soviet Union. A new blood- bath is being prepared which will be still more criminal, still more bloody, still more murderous than the war of 1914, 'HE preparations for this bloodbath are being concealed by the League of Nations, the most hypocritical in- situation of all times and all peoples. The League of Nations is a league for the enslavement of the peoples by the imperialist murderers, it speaks of peace and conducts war, it speaks of protecting the weak and destroys them, it speaks of disarma- ment and arms feverishly, in one hand it bears the olive branch of peace and in the other a sword dripping with the blood of millions of victims of the imperialists in Syria, Egypt, In- dia, Morocco and China. * * . ‘THE preparations for this bloodbath are being concealed by the leaders of the Second and the Amsterdam Internationals who speak platonically of peace but who concentrate their chief energy upon the struggle against the bulwarks of peace, against the Soviet Union. They favor and spread the calumnies fabricated by the venal press of international im- perialism against the Soviet Union. IN the great struggle which has be- gun, imperialism is using the scum of thé whole world. The allegedly progressive and democratic countries, Great Britain and the United States, ally themselves with hangmen like Mussolini, with reactionary bandits of the type of Chang Tso-lin and with Tzarist white guards who have been swept by the steel broom of the rev- olution from the territory of the one- time Tzarist empire. They bribe traitors and hire hangmen. The toil- ing people must fight for its free- dom and defend its rights in a heroic struggle. of the workers in Europe have al- ready commenced. In the Soviet Union millions of workers are on the march to protest against the insol- ence of the imperialists against the attempt to throttle the Chinese rev- olution and against the danger of a new slaughter. E Chinese revolution with its tremendous swing and its enor- mous influence upon the ¢dloni world and upon the European pro- letariat has caused an extraordinary | intensification of the crisis of capi- talism. The seriousness of the crisis |has caused the imperialists to join forces and compelled them for the moment to bury their differences be- neath their rifles and bayonets. Their crusade against China, their plans for a criminal provocation of the Soviet Union place the cause of peace in the whole world at stake. ON, Tae 'HEREFORE the Communist Inter- national appeals to all workers and peasants and to all the toilers, all the opponents of war to protest fearlessly and to fight fearlessly against the danger of war! Do not believe the lies of the bour- geois press! Demand the withdrawal troops from China! Prevent the transport of arms and men with all the means at your dis- posal! Down with the instigators of a new war! Down with the imperialist hangmen of the Chinese people! Down with Chiang Kai-shek and the other renegades and traitors, the organizers of the shootings! Long live the ‘workers of SI hai! Long live the Communist of China! Moscow, April 15th, 1927, of all g- , Flees From Hungary Mme. Roszika Schwimmer. After the World War, under the liberal Hungarian govern- ment, Mme. Roszika Schwimmer was appointed minister to Switzerland, the first woman in Hungary to hold that position, Later she had to flee for her life + and for several years has wade her home in the United States. | “founded that Labor Temple” on 14th Street, New York | City, a Presbyterian socia} settlement—, Raymond Fos- |dick, advisor on personnel policies to large corporations |—called a “wild red”—, Mrs. Willard Straight, wife of | the late Willard Straight of J. P. Morgan & Co.,—called “the most dangerous woman in America”—, Dr. Jerome Davis, Professor at Yale Divinity School—see later in| this article for his erine—, Henry N. MacCracken, Pres- | ident of Vassar Collejre—for certain innovations in stu- | dent government—, Reverend Harry F'. Ward—Chairman | ofthe American Civil Liberties Union and Professor of sthristian Ethics at. Union’ Theological Seminary—for sins too numerous to mention—, and finally a host of United States Senators and Congressmen notably, | Messrs. Borah, Wheeler, LaFollette, Ladd, King, Brook- hart and others who visited Soviet Russia and found it |quite different from the Russia depicted to Easley by | his tzarist-royalist friends and by Mr. Matthew Woll. Hates Many More. In addition to the above distinguished Americans on the Civic Federation blacklist, Mr. Easley has during | the past few years levelled his darts at such assorted | “Red and Pink sympathizers,” as he calls them, as Roger | N. Baldwin, staunch defender of constitutional liberties | for all oppressed minorities, Scott Nearing, author and lecturer, Albert A. Purcel, member of the British Par- liament and President of the International Federation of Trade Unions, Miss Jane Addams of Hull House, Mr. Walter Lippmann of the New York World, Messrs. Vil- lard and Gannett of the Nation, all the editors of the New Republic and the New Student, Mrs. J. Sergeant Cram, noted peace advocate, Paul U. Kellog, editor of | the Survey, Mrs. Florence Kelly of the National Con-/| sumers League, Owen Lovejoy of the National Child Labor Committee, Porter Lee, head of the New York School of Social Work, Frederick J. Libby, executiye | secretary of the National Council for Prevention of War, a clearing house for a score of thoroughly re- spectable peace organizations, and Prof. Charles A. Beard of Columbia University. And this by no means exhausts alarmist Easley’s list of bold bad Bolsheviks! It illustrates, however, the type of person whose reputation and good standing in the community he would sully, or destroy—if he could, just as he and his labor official agents are now trying to destroy the good name of Ben Gold. (To Be Continued) SEND IN YOUR LETTERS The DAILY WORKER is anxious to receive letters from its readers stating their views on the issues con- fronting the labor movement. It is our hope to de- velop a “Letter Box” department that will be of wide | interest to all members of The DAILY WORKER family. Send in your letter today to “The Letter Box,” The DAILY a 83 First street, New York City. (Continued From First Column) National Progressive Union of Miners and Mine La-| borers. The officers and the executive board were given large powers for the first time since the organization | of the National Association of Miners in 1875. The coal | industry, including the anthracite field, was divided into | 19 districts, and provision was made for the control of | strikes by the national president and for the collection of revenue to support them. The National Trades Assembly No, 135 of the Knights of Labor, however, remained a separate entity and, as showi above, the activities of the Knights of Labor in 1889 proved to be an important factor in the disruption of the joint conference of that year. In 1887 there were 280,000 mine workers in the coun- try, of whom only 60,000 were members of the two or- ganizations, In 1888 the majority of the organized miners were members of the Knights of Labor; but by 1889 the K. of L: claimed only 10,819 members. * * * By the end of the year, however, Dec. 18, 1889, new developments were planned and on Jen. 23, 1890, a joint convention of the delegates of the National Progressive Union and of the National Trades Assembly No. 135 of the Knights of Labor agreed to a plan which united them under the name of the United Mine Workers of America, Read The Daily Worker Every Day With the Young Worker PLUMBERS’ HELPERS At last the PLUMBER HELPERS are organized. The AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PLUMBERS | HELPERS has grown by leaps and | bounds. Starting with 8 members four months ago, on April the Ist, when the plumbers of Brooklyn went } on strike, the membership jumped to | 800. Since then 2,500 helpers have | joined the organization. The organizer, James F. Walsh, one | of the leaders of the I. R. T. strike, with C. E, Miller. the president, thru | their understanding of the helpers’ | conditions and an understanding of unionism has made the A, A. P. H. a success. The plumber helpers being the only | unorganized workers in the building trades receive the average wage of $4.00 per day. While other helpers, such as steamfitters, carpenters, etc., | receive from $9.00 to $11.00 per day. The A. A. P. H. is organizing the helpers according to the policies of the A. F. of L, with the object of be- coming a part of the various: plumbers locals of New York. When local No. 1 of Brooklyn walked out April 1st, the helpers of that borough, the day before, had a special meeting and with enthusiasm and determination voted to support the plumbers by walking out on strike with them. Since then regular strike meetings are held twice a week anl they are very well attended. Thru these meetings many of the helpers of Bronx, Queens and Long Island have joined the organization. While in Brooklyn all the helpers have joined the A. A. P. H. The picketing of the jobs is going on all the time, while in the past there has been no difficulty in pull- ing the jobs where scabs were work- ing. The police are now actively al- igned against us. On Thursday April 21, the Build- ing Trades Association of the bosses issued a statement in the capitalist press, that they will lockout the plumbers and helpers on April 27. The American Association of plum- bers helpers have prepared to take in all helpers not registered in prep- aration of the threatened lock-out. The demands of the helpers are: 1. Regognition of the Union. 2. $9 per day. 8. Double pay for overtime. 4, 40-hour week. THE TWENTIETH CENTURY UN- LIMITED. These are the days when the speed- up system is blossoming forth in all its glory. If you want to take up an} effective fight against this system of exploitation subscribe to the Young Worker, organ of the Young Workers’ League. The rates are $1.00 a year, 50c six months. Send your subscription to the Young Worker Editorial Committee, 33 First St., New York City. THIS 1S TRE aaa Protest of Ambherst College stu- | dents forces change in system of | chapel and church attendance. A stormy meeting demanding changes in the rules was held in January. Here- | after instead of attending morning | services, students must attend chapel | at 5 in the afternoon. Hellelujah! | The youth of our country must be saved by the grace of God. WEL? | f | A BOLSHEVISTIC PLOT. Scarcity of foxes in the hunting areas of England is attributed by “Sassiety” as a bolshevist plot. Their scarcity discommodes the Prince of Wales. Oh piffle! AMERICANIZATION DAY | ARREST. Mathew Kushnir and Moskowitz, young workers arrested at an Ameri- canization Day Meeting in Union Square, for distributing “Hands off China” leaflets, Our imperialists won't tolerate such things when their slogan is “A large Army, Navy and Air force” The tom-toms are being soynded, ‘can dance steps to a Red affair, CALIFORNIA LABOR . COM DEMNS MILITARISM LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Over ‘ local unions, some of them among tt largest and most important in tt city, have endorsed a resolution ci: culated by the Central Labor Cow cil, condemning military training i the publie schools. The President « the University of California, and th Board of Regents, sent letters to th Central Labor Council pleading wit them to reconsider their action, bu the Council and the local unions stoo behind their decision. A former un’ versity student who is a delegate t the Council described the “advante ges” of military training to the. er ployers, and its anti-labor characte as far as the workers are concerned. SPORT _ Figure it out anyway you 1 | glands, vitamin tablets or Perur but the fact is that the Washingtor |team that has players old enough tc | be in the G. A. R. is in first division | Tris Speaker, the old gray ball hawk, lis hitting ‘em far and wide. The older boys, a number of whom are around forty years of age, are alse | stepping high, wide and hanésome. | Looks like the modern ball player, who is also developing into a kee™~ | business man, has learned to take care | of himself. . * * | Meanwhile old Ty Cobb, who {has been in the Big League for fome iwenty years, is the main reasén fo; the good showing of the At S. He’s getting old so he can only steal a couple bases a day and only around 400. The Ancient/Order of Decrepit Bail Players is fot waiting for the hot sun to looseg‘up the petri- fied bones. So a8 Somebody wise- cracked—how can tell? That’s what makes the so good all over If they only cut out the high finance in it and made pro ball a sport instead of a business—Oy, what great old games we could see. | * * 6 | Spring is tough on ball bugs. With | the Brooklyn fans reaching unusual | perfection itt razzing the umps—with |® warm sum to make the bleachers possible—with Big Bozo Ruth be- | ginning to lift ’em out of the park— |oh, brother, why don’t they pay enough wages so we can see the old ball games. But maybe its the weather. In the spring a young bug’s fancy turns to peanuts. Perhaps this bug should be examined. CHARLESTON CONTEST CHICAGO Y. W. L. DANCE, Probably the liveliest and most American dance in the history of the vedical movement in Chicago will be held by the Young Workers League on Saturday, May 7th at the Works ers Lyceum, 2783 Hirsch B’lvd. A special feature of the dance will be a series of blak bottom and charleston exhibitions by way of in- troducing the most modern Ameri- AT Charlestoners are free, and quite a flock of them been invited to come by League bers who also happen to be ed with the real American Shieks and Shebas, i The arrangements decided io permit ai attend the dance alsol Admission is only’ robe free. 3 JOIN OUR RANKS YOUNG WORKERS , National Office: 1113 West Washington Boulevard, Chicago, Ml. New York Office: 108 East 14th Street, New York City, N. Y. Facy,