The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 18, 1927, Page 6

EDITO (Continued from page one) Example of Kindliness; Number Three. Superior, Wis., May 21.—High school teachers . in this city are asked to sign away their rights as citizens and to criticize educatione! methods only in the form prescribed by the board. Example of Kindliness; Number Forr. Charleston, W. Va., May -21.—Newspapers of this state are printing columns of sob stuff on the heroism of the state mine inspectors and of- ficers of the New England Fuel and Transporta- tion Company for their rescue of dead bodies at the mine explosion at Everettsville, where 97 workers lost their lives. The victims and their dependents are overlooked by the newspapers and little space is given to the causes of the catastrophe or to a discussion of preventative measures, Example of Kindliness; Number Five. Chicago, May 21.—Mill workers affiliated to the Brotherhood of Carpenters were locked out following their refusal to accept a 10 per cent wage reduction. Six locals are involved. ‘he reduction means a loss of from $1.10 to $1.20 a day. AS _* * * The above examples are taken bodily from the of- ficial news service of the American Federation of Labor. So the faets as related must be true. We ask Mr. Green: How much kindliness and feeling of “partnership” does he find in theSe chance little news items? And in the face of facts like these, how much basis is there for his assertion that— This method (partnership) is the reverse of the idea that there is an irreconcilable corflict between workinen and employers, and, eliminat- ing the reasons for strife, mobilizes the brein power, the craftsmanship and the good-will of all in support of a common undertaking. Yes, this method is a very effective means for the destruction of trade unionism and the intensifi- eation of capitalist exploitation. Particularly so when the reactionary bureaucracy of the A. F. of L. stands behind it and gives it its support. * t * A fine illustration of the utter futility of labor ‘lobbying and of the “reward your friends” policy is to be found in the report of the National Legisla- tive Representatives of the four railroad Brother- hoods to the chief executives of these organizations. The reporters say that: On the whole we fared reasonably well in the 69th Congress, since a majority of the meas- ures we supported received favorable action and no adverse labor legislation was enacted. Well, how about the Watson-Parker law? The Brotherhod legislative representatives are very protid of this law, ascribing its passage to their own efforts. They speak of this law as “the strong- est and most effective sanction for collective bar- gaining that has ever been written into legislation in this country.” But this is merely self-deception. The Watson-Parker law is in reality a defeat for railroad labor. This product of class collaboration imposes upon the workers and their unions a ma- chinery of arbitration and mediation which is posi- tively deadening for the growth of their organiza- tions and strength. The slight concessions in wages . secured by certain sections of railroad labor through ° this machinery are only a small fraction of what the workers could have achieved through a free exercise of their organized strength. Aside from this law, what other “achievements” have the legislative representatives to record? One of the outstanding achievements of the 69th Congress was the final completion of the monumental work of modifying’ in one volume the general and permanent laws of the United States, after 30 years of persistent effort. What comfort the railroad workers can derive from the codification of the laws of the United States, is beyond us. Unless we grant that it is more agreeable to be exploited by a system of leg- islation embodied in one volume rather than in many. What are the other achievements in the way of favorable labor legislation? The reporters state: We worked for the passage of the McNary-Haugen bill, it was passed but vetoed by President Coolidge. We worked for the Norris resolution, providing for the elimination of so-called “Lame Duck” sessions and for the terms of the president and vice-president beginning on the third Monday in January follow- ing their election in the November. The resolution was passed iy senate, favorably re- & ‘| & Fs z e Fy ol ee of *% Brotherhoods 1 through the “non-partisan” political policy. Is it not time that the railroad workers seriously consider the question of INDEPENDENT political action and a Labor Party? 7 A Qs a recent trip in an American liner crossing the Arabian Sea, going from Singapore to Port Said, I joined a crowd of men in the smoking room who had assembled to hear two business men discuss the - Shanghai situation and commercial prospects in the Philippines. With the exception of a Christian Sci- ence practitioner and myself every man present was either a banker, a well-to-do business man, a member of the professional class or some one who had retired to leisured security. There was a dia- mond merchant from Antwerp, rich oil men from California, a rubber planter from. Malay, bankers from Detroit, Pittsburgh, Denver and business men from everywhere. Americar politicians and theologians are wont to declaim against the contention of the radicals that dass lines are well defined beneath the stars and stripes. Had these gentlemen been present the out- spoken expressions at this meeting would have been a revelation. Detroit bankers vied with California oil men in denouncing trade unionists as scoundrels and socialists as persons who should be given short . Shrift.. The concensus of opinion was that Sovict Russia was a Red menace that should be destroyed utterly by the armed nations of the earth. “Shanghai is a disgrace and China is an impos- sible situation,” said one of .the speakers. “The United States, Great Britain, Japan, France and the smaller nations of Europe should unite and send a force big enough to subdue thoroughly and forever those Chinese,” he continued ainidst uproarious ap- plause. “After the fear of God has been put into their hearts and the Chinese shown their place then their country should be partitioned among the pow- ers and the resources developed for the good of civilization.” 7 That a high order of civilization had existed in China over four thousand years, that the land and resources of China belong to the people who occupy them and that foreigners havé no more legal or moral right to invade the country than a high- binder has to commit acts of brigandage are matters which seem never to have occurred to either the speakers or the auditors, Discussing the union labor movement a gentle- man from the floor, who was an English office- holder of some kind said: “T fought through the world war and I saw blood- shed enough to last me a liftime, but I want to say here that I am ready instantly to shoulder my rifle again when the government decides, as eventually . it must, to exterminate without mercy the gang of organized labor hoodjums who think they are going to get England by the throat and who are responsible for the present chaotic conditions of the British Empire.” : “Hear! Hear!” cried one of the Detroit bankers. “All I’ve got to say,” drawled one of the Long Beach oil magnates, “is that we in America have got enough of strikes, and we are going to have no more! It would be almost as much as a man’s life would be worth to sponsor a strike in Los Angeles, and we have laws on our statute books that make it practically a criminal offense to order a strike of any magnitude’in California. Radicalism in Amer- ica is as dead as a doornail and we will never see a repetition of the big-scale strikes of the past.” As to Soviet Russia, plutecracy here assembled was a unit. In their disposition of the Reds the speakers stormed the oratorical heights. E'very adjective in the vocabulary of coarse abuse was employed in berating Soviet authority. Ignorant as they were of the philosophy and economics of Com- munism, nevertheless, these men were keenly alive to the fact that Soviet Russia was a real menace © and that Sovietism was a constant challenge to the institutions of international capitalism. Their dis- position of the Workers’ Republic was similar to their solution of the Chinese problem—armed in- ————— EE QUOTING AND QUOTING There was a time when I could quote Full many a poet’s wildwood note, ring my sorrows — an ‘ame pouring down chilly F And nipt the blossom of my brain, And chased the muse with all her train. It’s prices that I’m quoting now, Reality has me in tow It’s leading me I know not where, To look ahead I do not dare— The frigidaire demands I give My all for them that they may live. —DONALD McKILLOP. — 2 net tenet, EO ee sn Oe R’S NOTES} Plutocrats Abroad sy csorce a soar vasion -by the allied powers, complete subjugation of the Russian people, and a partition of the country among the conquerors. : By way of parenthesis it may be said that the British government is doing its utmost to keep the news of the Chinese upheaval from reaching the masses of India, Malaysia and other portions of the orient which it controls. News is severely censored and the baggage of every passenger who lands at the numerous ports is searched for revolutionary literature and fire-arms. When found the-literature is destroyed and the owner is placed under constant surveillanee, Anyone caught attempting to smuggle ashore a weapon of any kind is arrested, flogged and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment at hard labor. He who discussed the Philippines appeared to be familiar with his subject and spoke as one having authority. He condemned the agitation now going on in the United States having for its purpose Philippine independence, stating that those who wanted to free the Philippines were short-haired women and long-haired men, and that the native islanders who stood for a separate republic were irresponsible agitators ambitious for office. The mass of the people cither in the United States or the Philippines cared little about the independence of the islands one way or the other, he said. According to articles under which the governor- ‘general rules the islands, but a certain specified par cel of land can’ be owned or controlled by any one person or firm. Land well adapted to the growing of rubber trees has been desired by the Firestone and the Goodyear rubber people for some time, but this land cannot be acquired in ten and fifty thous- and aere tracts because of the article restrictions, That these articles should be abolished and the gov- ernor-general given supreme authority and the Fire- stone and Goodyear rubber corporations donated as much land as they could use constituted the simple solution of the Filipino problem as advanced by MEE VE YE UY UM UNE Ue Va ve UV Vd EW UY OEE VEU GNY Ve UV ue eee ¥ dee THE RED FLAG Oh, many banners were unfurled For glory, conquest in the world, And many armies fought and bled Around their flags, and many fled And trailed: their banners in the dust Where guns and sabres turn to rust. But there is one bold banner still To stir the blood and always thrill The heart with loftier desire, A hanner flaunting like a fire— The workers’ and peasants’ flag Of erimson floats and ne’er shall lag Until all classes have an end ‘ And all the lords of earth shall bend Their knees before the throne of man. And still this flag shall lead the van To some more lofty, shining goal Where highest strivings of the soul Shall be fulfilled. Before my eyes This banner fills the sunset skies And soon a new and crimson dawn Shall see all flags save this flag gone! HENRY REICH, JR. the class-conscious millionaires who seemed per- fectly unaware that the native Filipino had some interest in the matter and should be consulted, What impressed me most about this gathering was the sharply defined class psychology that per- vaded it, the contempt in which the workers of the world were held, the determination neither to temp- orize nor compromise with radical movements and the constant appeal to force as the ultimate solu- tion of all labor and social problems, At several stages in the disewssion had I raised a note of warn- ing or attempted to say a word in behalf of earth’s disinherited I yerily bélieve I would have been seized and thrown overboard. When met severally and in- dividually, especially if the conversation related to e ae SSR SEeraeereetigem niente geeseneeeememnenemesemeeeienee — %