The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 5, 1927, Page 8

Page Eight THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MAY 5, 1927 Choppy Waves Thru Lack of Unity Have Little Power And Do Not Arouse Fear WASHINGTON, May 4.—A strik- |ing commentary on the stupendous | world-wide financial grasp of Wall Street is afforded in an unheralded |monthly statement gotten out by the a | Finance and Investment Division of ts the English Channel, Aboard the United States | the Department of Commerce. Liner, President Roosevelt, Thursday, April 14 (By) According to this report during the Mail from Bremerhaven, Germany).—Unity of action | last month, April, $207,000,000 in for- breeds power. This is clearly seen, for instance, in| eign loans was placed by Wall Street the workings of the waters in the ocean, On the most! in the United States; a sum that ex- quiet days, even when the sea seems almost calm, the! ceeds that of any other month in the great ship rolls and some passengers continue seasick | whole history of foreign financing in and stick to their berths, At other times the huge/the United States. In April, 1926, waves need show but little temper to force the great-| foreign loans amounted to $141,000,- est liners to pitch and toss. The big wave has power.| 990, It is a little different here in the English Channel. | The waves are choppy and lots of them. They send a By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL Loaned to Everybody. The loans not only went to govern- peculiar shiver thru the ship, but that is all. The ocean} ments, national and municipal, but to | liner sweeps straight and sure along its course, not|industry and business. Europe was bothered to any great extent by the little waves, | the heaviest borrower, with Latin- Be eet ie aie | America second. This may be a rather homely way of continuing the | discussion of the development of the miners’ union in during April took the lead over Latin- the United States. But I think it is a fairly good il-| America, which held the lead during | lustration of a point that I have been continually try-|the past two quarters. Canadian ing to stress in these articles, jloans during April also exceeded the With the organization of the United Mine Workers |Qatin-American total. The European of America in 1890, new efforts were made by the setal of about $92,000,000 was com- miners to develop their “choppy sea” union, with ‘its |\posed mostly of the large governmen- local and separatist tendencies, into an organization | ta] loans of $30,000,000 each to the having the power of the heaving ocean. This was not city of Milan and to the Kingdom of an easy task, has already been shown. It is a task | Yugoslavia, the $12,000,000 of the that has not yet been completed, clearly revealed by| State Mortgage Bank of Yugoslavia the “choppy sea” policies of President John L. Lewis,| and the $2,750,000 of the city of today, in dealing with the mine owners, permitting dis- | Trondjem, Norway. The balance of astrous separate district and local agreements instead | the European loans went to various of developing a unified movement to enforce the na-| corporate enterprises. tional agreement on the coal profiteers. Less to Canada. x % id For some time past the amount of The failure of the Joint Conference of 1889 to agree | Canadian borrowing in the American and the disastrous results of local strikes in the spring | market has been falling off. A sur-| ey of the April total, however, in- | and summer of that year furnished the occasion for | calling an interstate convention of miners in December! dicates that Canadian offerings are to consider ways and means of dealing with competi- | still being made in the money mar- tive conditio in Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Western| ket of this country. The total par Pennsylvania. The miners were invited to attend ir-| value of Canadian securities floated respective of union affiliation (the National Progres-| here during the month was $58,000,- sive Union and the Natiénal Trades Assembly No, 135, | 000; of this total but. $23,000,000 went of ‘the Knights of Labor, were still in existence) and | to governments, and municipalities te represent these districts. | and about $35,000,000 to corporations. The convention was asked to formulate a policy re-|In all there were 15 Canadian issues, garding reduction in the hours of work, limitation of | while the total of all other issues for daily production, general suspension of work at stated|the month was only 19. periods, the time and methods for the introduction of | Mostly to Governments. stvikes, and the creation of a defense fund to support} The predominance of government strikers. | loans over corporate, which character- Because of the over-development of the industry,|ized foreign financing in the United even at that time, it was recognized that to shorten | States in the fourth quarter of 1926 the working day to eight hours would probably not re-| and the first quarter of 1927 contin- duce the aggregate tonnage produced. But it was/ued in April when the value of gov- thought that it would distribute the production in a| ernment issues amounted to about | way to necessitate the operation of the idle mines, | 2% times that of corporate issues. ats What*Washinsto DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES TIGHTER GRIP ON INVESTMENT MARKET OF THE WORLD European borrowing in this market | increase the number of working days, absorb the surplus | It was pointed out in the depart-| countries so accommodated. He took the position that American loans should be limited to those to be used for developing commerce and indus- try. An hour or so later, at his press conference, the matter was put up to Mr. Kellogg. Mr, Hoover’s viewpoint was conveyed and Mr.. Kellogg was asked what the state department’s po- sition was. Of course there was no doubt about how Mr. Kellogg felt. He has approved loans for any pur- | Pose, arms, budget juggling, revolu- | tion, such as in Nicaragua if it’s the state department kind of a revolt, up- | holding the hand of Italian fascism. But the reporters asked him for his policy, and Mr, Kellogg in his choleric manner explained it to them. Scolds Hoover. Mr. Hoover's ideas are not used by the state department, Mr. Kellogg | petulantly. declared, throwing a little side-light on the reason for the recent | public rebuke of Hoover by Coolidge. |The state department under Mr, Kel- | logge is willing to approve loans for |arms, budget making, revolution or | anything else, as long as the state de- partment views these activities with | approval. Of course, Kellogg did not say this in just that bluntness, but that is what his chatter meant. As a matter | of fact he refused to permit the re- | porters to quote him, advising them | that in writing about the subject they | should resort to the subterfuge of declaring that “it was learned at the | state department.” For Crushing Liberty. Under this beneficent management, Mr. Kellogg therefore saw no reason | why the Guaranty Trust Company |and the J, & W. Seligman & Company | of Wall Street, New. York, should not | loan the illegally installed and United | States marine-maintained President | | Diaz of Nicaragua, $1,000,000 to put | down the revolt of the masses against |him. President Diaz pledged the credit of Nicaragua for the $1,000,000 | jand spent the sum buying machine | guns, bullets and rifles in the United States, some from the Amefiean gov- | ernment itself. | It might be said in passing that the loan was bitterly attacked by Horace G. Knowles, former American | minister to Nicaragua. Money to Mr. Kellogg is money, |and if those who want it are satis- factory to Mr. Kellogg, the purpose labor, and add to the health and comfort of the miners, | ment’s survey of foreign financing in | for which they want to use the money * * * It was generally conceded, back there in 1890, that) rience had proved that local strikes, and strikes | ing the spring and summer, were generally ineffec- | Local strikes placed a disproportionate burden on the few who fought the battle to maintain the wage} scale while the other districts went on producing. | tive. A GENERAL STRIKE WAS THOUGHT TO BE} MORE EFFECTIVE IN ESTABLISHING UNIFORMI- TIES AND RAISING THE LEVEL OF WORKING! CONDITIONS AND WAGES.” The deliberation over such matters came as the re- sult of the bitter experiences under ruthless competi- ion. “IT WAS AGREED THAT NO ONE OF THE YASURES CONSIDERED COULD BE MADE EF- CTIVE WITHOUT CONSOLIDATING THE MIN- ERS’ UNIONS AND INCREASING THE MEMBER- SHIP. * * * In developing this new movement, for the consolida- tion of power, the national organization of the United Mine Workers of America, in 1891, sought to bring about the reestablishment of the Interstate Joint Con- ference. But the Ohio and the Western .Pennsylvania mine owners were the only ones to respond to thé miners’ invitation. The miners asked for an increase of 10 cents per ton and an eight-hour day. They argued that the in- dustrial outlook warranted the increase. It was easy to demonstrate from the figures of production that the miners could produce all the coal needed under a shorter | working day and more regular employment. They pressed their demand for the eight-hour day as a mat- ter of greater importance than an increase in wages. As no contracts were in existence which would ham. per their efforts to make the eight-hour day universal in the central competitive field, they believed the time was particularly opportune. Yet the mine owners refused to grant more than the wage rates of the previous year, and expressed surprise | that the miners expected to use the joint conference as a means for settling anything but wage rates. ‘They took the initiative in moving that the conference ad- | journ. | * * * Tt was decided to call a strike for May 1, 1891, to| enforce the demand for the eight hour day and a wage! increase. | However, it was discovered that there were still a lot of “choppy waves” in the organization, that mili-| tated against united action. A district convention in West Virginia declared itself opposed to a strike, and | the Straitsville district of Ohio made an agreement to | work at the old rates and hours, Upon consulting with the presidents of the district unions, the national executive board concluded that it would be unwise to go on with the strike because of the disaffection of certain districts, the number of un- organized miners and the inadequate funds in the na- tional treasury. The strike order was rescinded, and the miners in the various districts continued to work under the rates and the conditions of their last agree- mlerta, fen Soe There was no doubt considerable dispute as to whether this was the best that could have been done at the time. At least an effort to secure unified action was put forth, altho it remained practically a mere gesture. It was the first general eight-hour movement. | The movement to unify the policies of the various dis- tricts during this period of depression was greatly han- dicapped.’ Of the 300,000- miners in the industry in 1891 only 32,000 were members of the union, and by 1892 the membership had fallen to 20,000. The mine owners’ policy of “divide and rule” was hay- ing its effect then as now. Only in 1891 the miners’ of- ficialdom offered some resistance to this policy of the mine owners, Today the Lewis administration in the United Mine Workers of America falls in line with this union-wrecking strategy of the employers and adopts it |the January takings by about $31,- | as its own, / of the current year that January, | 1927, witnessed the greatest monthly | amount of such financing during the | period and probably the largest | amount ever recorded in this country. | The April total, however, surpassed | 000,000. Hoover vs. Kellogg. Of interest and significance equal to that of these statistics is the at- titude of Secretary of State Kellogg and Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover on these loans. Hoover, talk- | ing before the third Pan-American commercial conference now being held in Washington, the delegates are busi- ness meh and financiers from Latin- American countries, declared that | .private American loans to foreign| countries should be permitted only for | “reproductive purposes.” Hoover is a highly skilled engineer. Every now and then, when he lays aside for a moment his political mask, | he delivers himself of some intelli- gible reasoning. The engineer in him predominates and he talks efficiency and reason. In his address before the conférence in discussing foreign loans he indulged himself in one of these lapses. Loans to foreign countries, Hoover said, for such purposes as balancing the budget or buying arms operate to lower the standards of living of the Fundamentalist Feels Need of More Recruits J. B. Reynolds, Kansas City, Mo., insurance man, has present- ed the William Jewell college, at Liberty, Mo., with a $100,000 endowment fund. The income _ from the fund is to be used to help struggling students for the | ministry. The endowment pro- | vides that the young men and women benefitted by the fund must subscribe to the fundament- | al Christian doctrines. |this country during the first quarter |are of no concern to him.’ He has every confidence that they will use the money to good purpose, such as putting down radicalism or buying the means to crush expected revolts, Foreman of Jury George Young, selected fore- man of the jury to pass judgment on Mrs. Ruth Snyder and Henry Judd Gray, on trial at Long Is- land City, N. Y., for the murder of Mrs. Snyder’s husband, Albert. Gray. Injury to Worker Brings Curse From Lips | of the Boss (From the Note Book of a Carpenter) If brother Jay were better acquain- ted with the rottenness of our Wood- haven frame building constructions, he would know that some ceilings are framed from 2x3 without boards on the garret to serve as a floor. He would know that he has to watch his step, As soon as brother Jay stepped up with his tools on the garret to fit the windows, there was a thunder-noise of broken-down ceiling, and fallen- down tools and brother Jay was lying below uttering oh, oh, oh, oh, ah, ah, ah, (through the agony of his pains), We were all on the spot. A police- man stepped in, Soon an ambulance was on the place and with swollen legs, more dead than alive, brother Jay was taken to the hospital. We went back to our tools but were too much depressed to do-any thing real. At the place of the accident our. boss, Mr, Alfred remained walk- ing .restlessly and muttering re- peatedly—“Ah what a mess, there will be some job now. Ah what a mess, a a mess, God Damn!” ~ i Professional Patriots and Labor Leaders By ROBERT. DUNN. (Continued From. Yesterday.) At the same time it must be remembered that one of Easley’s closest associates during the days when the “Bolshevist Menace” ‘was in its heyday, and the Lusk Report was being written, was Mr. Boriz Brazol, a former head of the Russian Black Hundred, and re- ported’ to be the “brains” of the Russian monarchist movement on this side. Brazol is also a vigorous anti- Semite. Lieutenant Brazol contributed frequently to Mr. Easley’s Civic Federation Review, his outstanding ar- ticle bearing the title “Recognize the Omsk Govern- ment” of Admiral Kolchak. He also contributed his knowledge of red movements to the Lusk Committee and inspired Mr. Easley’s recurrent attacks of Russiaphobia by writing his “Balance Sheet of Sovietism” and “So- | cialism vs. Civilization,” both highly entertaining bits of romance. With Mr. Easley in the back of our minds we cannot help remembering the report in the New York World, December 1924, under the heading “Three Hun- dred Russians Hail Grand Duchess as Reigning Czarina —Royalists of All Classes Join in Singing Anthems, Kiss- ing Her Hand and Sending Up Cheer—Hotel Plaza Re- ception*Like Royal Court Levee,” and this paragraph: “, ,. An all-Russian, all-Royalist audience filled the small salon with eager conversation. Then Boris Brazol, Grand Duke Cyril’s representative in Amer- ica, announced: “The Czarina is ascending in the elevator.” Boris Brazol was only one of a number of dilapidated dukes and broken down counts who fled from Russia into Mr. Easley’s drawing room to sip his cocktails and to provide him with juicy tales concerning the “Red | Terror,” the “Protocols of Zion,” and the world-wide |conspiracy of the Communists and the international Jewish bankers to overthrow all governments! And we are told Mr. Easley believed them all. Just as Matthew Woll, his “Acting President” pretends to believe them all. Mr. Easley’s organization has been particularly vig- ilant against the upholders of free speech and those who advocated amnesty for political prisoners. Its “Com- |mittees on the Limitations of Free Speech” headed: by | the wealthy and notorious Lusk Report attorney, Archi- |bald E. Stevenson, declared that the political prisoners |had not been jailed for opinions but for bald disloyalty; and Easley’s Department on the Study of Revolutionary Movements expressed the same opinion. “Free Speech a Nuisance” was the title of a report published by his Industrial Economics Department some years ago. Like Edward McGrady, Matthew Woll and the others, who are now fighting the left wing workers, Mr. Easley |grows particularly vehement when the name of the | American Civil Liberties Union is mentioned. In one of his letters to Ivy Lee he refers to Dr. Harry F. Ward, Roger N. Baldwin and others as belonging to this “bunch of free speech fakers,” and in an earlier communication, refusing to appear on the same platform with Messrs. Gannet and Villard of the Nation, he speaks of the Union as “that most virulent and noteriously radical organ- ization.” This revulsion against free speech is not to be won- dered at in an admitted admirer of Mussolini, and in one who advocates fascist treatment for American liberals and Passaic strikers. Some Comments. about Russian recognition, now about church pacifists, now about Communists, and the more he rants, the more he hangs himself with his foolish fears and aversions. We may add a few observations on Easley and his pho- bias in order to indicate his standing in the community: Says the New Republic: “Mr. Easley is imitating the methods of the cheapest political agitator and the vilest yellow journalism. ... Considering the origin and objects of his Federation it is a sinister fact that his policy should now be dictated by such a fractious, rancorous, arrogant and unreasoning spirit.” Charles Nagel, former Secretary of Commerce and Labor under Taft, after withdrawing from Easley’s fed- eration, describes it as one of those “societies that or- ganize in the East, invite sustaining members from these dear United States and then proceed to dictate patriotism to the ‘innocents of the interior.’ ” Robert D. Kohn, famous New York architect, and former president of the New York Chapter of the Amer- ican Institute of Architects, replied to a letter asking why:he had severed connection with Easley’s group: “As for my present opinion of the so-called ‘patri- otic’ performance of the N. C, F. during the last two years, I can only say that my opinion is not fit for publication. It would reflect not on their merits or demerits but rather with pity as to their sanity.” A certain United States Senator from Pennsylvania “| privately ventured the opinion that “The National Civic Federation does not stand very high with anybody who thinks,” and referred to it as “a controversial organiza- tion with its own private game to play.” Morris Hillquit, well known socialist and attorney, wrote some years ago: “The game played by the N. C. F. is the shrewd- est yet devised by the employers of the country. To the organized labor movement the policy of the Civic Federation is the most subtle and insidious poison. It robs it of its independence, virility and militant enthusiasm; it hypnotizes or corrupts its leaders, weakens its ranks, and demoralizes its fights.” Question: Does Mr. Hillquit still have the same opinion of Easley and Woll? Frank P. Walsh, noted labor attorney, says, “I believe the influence of the organization, if it has any, would be of a most anti-social and baneful character.” ‘ Those who resigned from the Civic Federation had their own reasons—President Taft because Easley went | after the peace societies too indiscriminately, William C. | Redfield, former Secretary of Commerce, because of his asinine ‘attacks on the Youth Movement, Mrs. Belmont of the National Woman’s Party because of Easley’s com- plex for controversy on the peace problem. Mrs, Bel- mont even threatened to sue Easley for keeping her name on the letterhead after her withdrawal, while Warren Stone and Timothy Healy left the “wage earner” section of the N. C. F, Executive Committee because Easley insisted on denouncing the British Labor Party, ‘What Is a Patriot? 4 A certain society lady of Seattle was recently invited to hear an address on world peace at the home of a fel- low club member. This righteous lady drew herself up haughtily and replied, “I am a patriot.” This lady, I suspect, was a member of the Women’s read one of Ralph's tracts “e: the peace organi zations. But after all the kindest thing you can say about the Easley brand of Professional patriotism is that, as Captain Howard wrote, “it springs from prej- udice and class interest. straight and keep it straight. Mr. Easley’s motives, in- terests and prejudices represent those of the owning, ruling and robbing class in American industrial society. Mr. Easley is a 100% owning-class patriot. . And Matthew Woll is his “Acting President.” Mr. Easley continues to rant—now about Passaic, now | Department of the Civie Federation and had probably |; i- It is well for the labor movement to get this point] THE WAR TOM-TOMS BEAT AGAIN “. the self-subordination, the habit of obedience to the leader .. . and that intangible but nevertheless powerful influence on man’s spirit. ...’—Major General James G, Har- bord on the United States Army. THIS GAME OF WAR “4 Millions of dollars invested by Mor- gan and Company, the Chase’ Na- tional City Bank and other great financial monarchs, in Central Ameri- ca and China, are in danger. The masses of workers and peasants in these colonial countries are sick of giving Uncle Shylock his pound of flesh, and now they are showing him the Open Door—flying outwards. So Morgan wants soldiers in China, soldiers and more soldiers; nice husky, _ straight-shooting marines. At home Morgan has whispered the magic word into the ears of the vari- ous directors of public opinion, and is waiting for the wave of hysteria to rise. A thousand teachers, preach- ers, speakers and editors are beating the tom-toms of war, all shrieking at the top of their brass lungs for protection for our property, nationals and virgins. | * * * The official propaganda machine of the War Department is lying it- self into convulsions in its frantic efforts to get more and more bullet- stoppers for the protection of Mor- gan’s bonds. To the end of getting young workers into the steel trap of the army machine, they put out al- luring prospectuses that would put a Miami real-estate catalogue to shame. They put pictures in their bulletins that would make a kosher With the Young Worker schooled in the tricks of fake advertis- ing, eat pig. And the way in which their leaflets play on the economic status of the young worker is noth- ing short of diabolic in its ingenuity. Cast your eyes over “some of the advantages of being a soldier,” as pointed out by a U. S. army leaflet: 1, The soldier’s paymaster never fails in business, or fails to pay the wages of his employees, . 2. The factory does not shut-down and lay off its employees, i 8. He never has to quit work and go “on strike.” 4, He doesn’t have to worry about “getting a job.” 5. He doesn’t worry about the cost of clothing or of beefsteaks or of rents. And so on the bait goes, declaring that the .soldier doesn’t have to “worry about doctors’ bills,’ a charitable “Uncle Sam pays them”; that he will have the opportunity to “see the world”; that he will learn a trade, became strong and become a useful citizen, And, the leaflet goes on, if the young worker wishes to, he may stay in the army and become a commissioned Cossack, for “the ser- vice offers exceptional facilities for advancement.” Anothef propaganda bulletin of the U. S., Army, obtainable along the Bowery or Whitehall Street—where | there are many unemployed, young and old—boldly asks one: “What Do You Say, Fellow? Free Home. Eats, Clothes, Movies, Athletics, and Pay Besides—If You Enlist In the Famous -teenth In- fantry.” The war-dogs are loose again and they must have their meat. Young workers are being lured to the mouths of cannons by tales of a comfort which they cannot have in civil life, by guarantees of the bare necessities of existence. Young workers, must we stake our lives for the bare necessities of exis- tence? Must our lives be the forfeit for the pleasures of travel and knowl- edge? No! We must struggle! We must join that organization that fights for the economic demands of the youth, that battles against imperialistic militarism—we must join the Young Workers League of America. Jewish boarding-house keeper, SPORT (Issued by the Labor Sports Union) — Another Season! Walter Johnson, veter: one of the greatest of almost ready to pitch ing his foot hurt, PAINTERS TEAM LEADS IN SANTA BARBARA BASE- BALL LEAGUE RACE Although suffering a defeat at the hands of the Carpenters by the close score of 5 to 4, the Painters team still managed to cling to the lead of the local Union Baseball League, hav- ing won 15 and lost 2 games. This defeat is the reversal. of an an earlier upset which the Painters had admin- istered to the saw and hammer wielders earlier in the season. How- ever in this game, the carpenters threw away their tools and grabbed their glpves and bats with a do or die spirit. They did! The Santa Barbara League has 11 teams registered, each having played at least 16 games. CHICAGO MACHINISTS, LOCALS ORGANIZE BASEBALL LEAGUE. ‘The Chicago Machinists District No. 8 has launched a baseball loop composed of 8 teams, representative of various locals. Play is scheduled to start May 7th, and a complete schedule has been worked out. The locals are very enthusiastic about the | League and there is keen competi- cbaseball loop to the ‘that already is in existen ‘Street Car Workers have a. ague with more than a re of ams, The Postal Workers have a YOUNG WoRKeRs ting: strong League, also. The Postal Workers, the Laundry Drivers, Milk Wagon Drivers, and “Printers also sponsor and support baseball leagues. There is talk of staging city series to determine the union championship of Chicago, sometime this fall. LABOR SPORTS PRESS SERVICE WANTS UNION SPORTS NEWS. Unionists who wish to boost the sports activity of their teams will find an easy and effective way of doing so by sending in news and writeups to ‘the LABOR SPORTS PRESS SER- VICE at 453 North Ave., Chicago. THE LABOR SPORTS PRESS SERVICE issues a weekly sports news release to labor papers thruout the country. Scores of leading union papers are availing themselves of this service to add a very attractive fea- ture to their columns, With the base- ball season in full swing, there are hundreds of union ball teams in ac- tion, and the labor movement gen- erally wants to hear about them. Unionists active in sports are urged to send in the news of what’s going on. ‘ ideal Committee, New York 33) Fh City, a RTT ee / a | '