The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 4, 1927, Page 5

Tue New MAGaAazineE . Section of The DAILY WORKER SATURDAY, June 4, 1927 This Magazine Section Appears Every Saturday in The DAILY WORKER. The Anti-Commiunist Vote EDITOR’S NOTES r should be obvious to all friends and supporters of a labor press in the United States that the present attack upon The DAILY WORKER has for its sole purpose the stifling of a voice which for several yeers has made the enemies of labor feel highly uncomfortable. The defense of our paper must be the concern of all true friends of labor. There are too few militant labor papers in Amer- ica. All too few. And to permit the enemies of labor to destroy The DAILY WORKER—because this is the intention—is to permit the employers to. seri- ously weaken the workers and to hamper the de- velopment of the American labor movement. The severity with which the “open-shoppers,” su- per-patriots and hypocritical upholders of capitalist morality have seized upon the occasion is explained in the first instance by the fact that The DAILY WORKER is a Communist paper. But this alone does not tell the whole story. It is, of course, true that a Communist paper is at all times pretty much un- desirable from the capitalist point of view. But such a paper begins to appear positively menacing to the capitalists when it succeeds in establishing itself as a loyal, and consistent fighter in the everyday strug- gles of the working masses. This is precisely the crime of which The DAILY WORKER is guilty in the eyes of the capitalists. It is for this “crime” that our editor and manager have been jailed and the paper threatened with destruction. Defense of The DAILY WORKER is defense of a militant labor organ. It is a duty which no Ameri- ean worker can afford to shirk or ignore. * * * PRESIDENT COOLIDGE’S speech at the Arlington cemetery contained nothing new from the point of view of American imperialist policy. It is the same old tune played in the same old way that we have been accustomed to hear from spokesmen of American capitalism since native imperialism came into age. The sense of the oration is: talk peace and prepare for war. Read this quotation from the speech: However we wish to pursue the paths of peace, however much we are determined to live “i terms of good will both at home and abroad, #e cannot escape the fact that there are still evil forces in the world which all past experience warns us will break out from time to time and do serious damage to lawful rights and the pro- gress of civilization unless we are prepared to meet such situations with armed intervention. This carefully worded sentence treats of “evil” forces at home and abroad in the same breath. It makes no distinction between the “evil” that may come to the American capitalists from the competi- tive designs of, say, British capitalists, and the “evil” effects that may result from a -successful strike of workers for decent wages, say, the pres- ent strike of the coal miners. It is the same to Coolidge as it is to the big American capitalists. All those interfering with the “lawful rights” of the capitalists to exploit the workers, whether American or foreign, and to amass profits are “evil” forces which must be dealt with by armed intervention. Another point worth commenting on is Coolidge’s conception of evil. When the British capitalists are manipulating to maintain their hold upon the mar- kets af Latin America, it is a clear manifestation of evil. But when the American capitalists are en- gaging in the same manipulations to displace the Britishers and establish control for themselves, or when the American navy invades Nicaragua, crushes its independence and imposes there the rule of American bankers, it is nothing more than the real- ization of lawful rights and progress of civilization. The Hottentot is still alive. When the three-power limitation of armaments conference opens this June in Geneva, we will be treated to another exhibition of capitalist peace comics. Japan is coming there with a demand for the neutralization of the Panama canal, in which it will undoubtedly be supported by Great Britain. The latter will be anxious to “patch” things up with Japan without seriously alarming or offending the United States. While our “own” imperialists will con- fidently put their foot on Japan’s neutralization schemes, demand that the other feliow disarm, and very likely make a determined effort to kick English imperialism out of the West Indies. Which is all fully in accord with the pursuit of “our lawful rights” and the promotion of the “progress of civ- ilization.” * * * OLIDGE’S refusal to call an extra session of Congress to provide effective relief for the Mis- sissippi flood victims is developing into a first class political scandal. The Washington government is perfectly satisfied that all is being done while hundreds of thousands of men, women and children continue to suffer misery and starvation as a result of the flood disaster. A typical example of capital- ist justice and fair play, Because the Republican administration has grounds to fear political com- plications if Congress is called in extra session and because Coolidge is afraid to be confrented there —Decorative drawings by GABRIEL MAROTO, ALEX BITTELMAN, Editor —Drawing by WILLIAM GROPPER. By ALEX BITTELMAN with the necessity of speaking out on the third- term issue, hundreds of thousands of people must suffer agony and torture. This is how the wealthiest capitalist class in the world is administering publie affuirs. The efforts of several, midwestern capitalist poli- ticians to secure action from Congress on prevention of future floods may or may not bring the desired results. But the burning question of the moment is immediate and adequate relief for those most seri- ously affected by the disaster. What is being done about that? How much fair play and equal treat- ment is being given to the poor and helpless by the agencies now administering relief? These are ques- tions which cannot be dismissed with general ap- peals for relief. It is time that the organized labor movement made an effort to investigate conditions and find out as te what is actually taking place in the area affected by the flood. It is just as urgent that the organized farmer movements raise their voice in the matter and present a program of action which would pro- tect the lives of the ruined farmers and their fam. ilies. Coolidge’s third term ambitions must not be permitted to stand in the way of securing adequate relief to the workers and farmers stricken by the flood disaster. + * + 'HE Philippine Islands are again on the agenda of the capitalist press of this country. This time an attempt is being made to adapt British tactics in China to the neéds of American imperialism in the Philippines. For the first time, in our recollection, a direct charge is being made against the leaders of the Filipino independence movement that they are in communication or alliance with the Communists, Feeling, presumably, that this charge by itself may not justify the imposition of more terroristic pressure upon the Filipinos, Rear Admiral Kittelle confirms a report “that certain radicals proposed and discussed a plot to destroy the naval ammuni- tion dump at Cavite, near Manilla,” The two stories are skilfully linked together in the newspapers, and thus a “sinister conspiracy” against American is brought to light. With General Wood on his way to the United States to get authorization from Wash- ington for more power to crush the Philippines, these alarmistic stories are clearly designed to harm the independence movement. Which is exactly in line with British tactics in China. And very likely these will prove just as effective in the Philippines. * * * IAM GREEN, president of the American Fed- eration of Labor, finds it extremely difficult to keep his peace of mind, The Soviet Union simply would not let him rest. Hence, he has again deliv- ered himself on the proposed American labor dele- gation to Russia. The reader will recall the terrific attack launched by the reactionaries at the Detroit convention of the A, F. of L. upon Coyle, editor of the Journal of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, and his associates for their proposed plan to visit the Soviet Union and study conditions. The attack was nothing short of a frenzy. But the storm had blown over, (Continued on Page Two)