The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 2, 1928, Page 2

DFENSE AID IS SOUGHT BY WIVES OF MINE STRIKERS Ask Unity of All Forces Among Miners al to The Daily Worker.) WILKES-BARRE, April 1— dorsement of the Bonita-Moles Mendola Defense Committee, Room 513, Coal Exchange Bldg., of which Stanley Dziengielewski is seavetary and a call te all miners to sink “all differences they may have among themselves on ciher matters” in a united effort to free the three inno- | cént miners were made y the wives of the three mir have been indicted for murder Wives Sign Statement. Mary Bonita, Anna Moleski and Mary Mendola, wives of the three men held at the Luzerne County Jail on a charge of first degree murder for the killing of Frank Agati, organizer for the United Mine Workers in Dis- trict One on February 16th, signed a statement endorsing the work of the National Borita-Moleski.Mendola} Defense Committee of 513 Coal E: charge Building, Wilkes-Barre. This follows 2 similar statement signed earlier in the w by Sam Bonita, one of the three held. Mrs. Bonita, Mrs. Moleski and Mrs. Mendcla express their apprecia- tion and gratitude for the work of the National Borita-Moleski-Mendola Defense Committee and they believe their husbands “can be freed only through the combined efforts of all workers throughout the country who ure determined that honest union men shall not be railroaded to the elec- trie chair by corrupt union officials.” The full text of the statement is as follows: Grateful te Committee. “We must express our appreciation and gratitude for the work of the National Bonita-Moleski-Mendola De- fense Committee of which Brother Stanley Dziengiclewski is secretary. We have learned through Sam Bo- nita, who has himself endorsed this committee and its work, of the val- uable aid rendered our innocent hus- bands by this committee, composed largely of their fellow members in Local 1703. We urgently appeal to all miners and others who wish to help free our husbands to contribute senerously to the defense fund this ‘committee is raising.’ Bonita Supports Committee. Sam Bonita, one of the three pris- oners, earlier in the week issued a statement endorsing the National Bonita-Meleski-Mendola Defense Com- mittee and accusing the “Cappelini machine” of an attempt to have him “legally” murdered because of his ac- tivities against Cappelini and the in- dividual contractor system which Ri- naldo Cappelini, president of District One of the United Mirie Workers, up- holds, of the special convention of District One on April 16th to take steps in «ousting Cappelini and his officials. MINERS’ WIVES PLEDGE SUPPORT (Continued from Page One) of the United Mine Workers of America in Allegheny county have been warned by the union reactionary officialdom, that any member who speaks against the officialdom of the union will be expelled from the au iliaries, and that relief for that family will be cut off by the union. At the conference to were adopted pledging progressive program, womer © ai the United Mine Wo: 1 to stand behind the Save-the-Union Commit- tee in its fight to win the strike, or- qanize the unorganized, reestablish the union and union conditions in the industry. An executive committee was elec- ved with pians to go into every mining camp in District 5 to organize women. It is hoped soon to call a national conference of representa- tives from wonien’s groups in all districts of the union. Expelled Stenographers In Appeal to Federation twenty-six members of the rs’, Stenographers’ and Ac- Union, who were recently port to the nd urging all foun expelled from the union without be- ing given a trial or a hearirg before the sembership, have sent an appeal to William Green, president of the American Federation of Labor. The +npeal was signed by Sally Green, ayokesmean for the group, and over 20 of the expelled members. The let- ter in part, follows: “We, the expelled members, have at ail tines demonstrated our eager- yess to work actively for the union. We, in fact, constituted the over- vhelming majority of the organiza- tion committee, participating in all the organization campaigns of the union. We feel confident that the membership is back of us in our ef- forts for readmission.” Bonita also urged the calling | olutions | ‘Cruelly Slugged by Cop | Jaa) e | window Karnacky, cleaner, above, was brutally beaten | up by a drunken cop twice his size | when the giant officer invaded the | window cleaner’s home. Carnacky's | Walter a injuries were so serious and his evidence so conclusive that the court was unable to disregard his case and maintain the customary myth of “justice,” ANTHRACITE TO " REPUDIATE LEWIS Reject Vicious Order to Return to Mines { (Continued. from Page One) |should express itself against this so- called settlement of Lewis and reject it categorically. |pass resolutions instructing their delegates to other joint meetings to call a speeial district convention for | April 16th. repeatedly pointed out. that it is not alone Cappelini that the miners of especially John L. Lewis who has jehattered the union in the bituminous district and whose policy is wretking our whole organization. The so-called agreement emphasizes again the ruth of our position. Both Lewis and Cappelini must go! The state of the junion depends upon freeing it of the control of the reactionary Lewis ma- chine with its agents Murray, Cap- Jini, Golden Kennedy, Fagan, Fish- wick, ete., in the various districts. The Save-the-Union Committee meets ‘this issue squarely! Its great na- tional conference in Pittsburgh on April ist will take decisive steps to tid the miners of such false leaders as Lewis and his friends. The: anthra- cite miners must be fully represented at this historical conference so im- portant for the preservation and re- building of our union! Our Program. We miners must have our special convention on April 16th to take the following action: To free Samo Bonita, Moleski and Mendola! To abolish the individual contract system! To clean out the corruption and murder in the miners’ union! To get equalization of work! To make the operators live up to jthe agreement! | To elean out coal company and con- \tractor influence in the local unions! | To help win the soft coal strike! To save the Miners’ Union! COMMITTEE, Stanley Dziengiel | | ewski, chairman; George Papew | secretary. oe | Read the “Coal Digagt’—The official | organ of the Save-the-Union Commit- tee. | I-DISTRICT SAVE-THE-U ve The locals should | The Save-the-Union Committee has | “ District One have to fight but it is} ‘MEN ARE TURNED ON STREET WHEN _ MISSIONS CLOSE | Unemployed Plan More | Protest Meeting's More than 1,000 additional unem- ployed and homeless workers were without a place to sleep last night as a result of the closing last Friday |night by Health Commissioner Harris lof four lodging houses and missions |which Harris said were unsanitary. | When FE with the aid of! |Mayor Walker's police closed the doors of these places the city made no provision for accommodating that} jnumber of unemployed men else- | where. Open Air Meet Tonight. } | The New York Council of the Un- | employed will hold an open-air meet- ing at 10th St. and Second Avenue | tonight at 8:30 o’clogk to discuss the unemployment crisis.. The speakers will be Henry Bloom and Albert Finn, of the Council; Sylvan A. Pollack, of The DAILY WORKER; Lowis” A. Baum, secretary, Photographic Work- | ers Union; M. Taft, manager, Lo- cal 41, International Ladies Garment | Workers Union, and Murray Sasan- | off. | Police Stationed Outside. | The jobless workers were routed |out of the lodging houses late Friday | night after many of them had already | fallen asleep. Police were stationed | yt the doors to prevent any of ‘the }homeless men from reentering. ission, 5 Doyer St.; Bowery; Zero’s Tub, 12 St. lace, and the All Night Mission, 8] Jowery. Each of the four places} | hold 250 men. i fany applied for lodging at the Junicipal Lodging House and at the Salvation Army, but were turned away due to their being already crowded to capacity. Commissioner Harris said he did not think the men had suffered any in being turned out in the] y | | hardship: \eold. No suggestion for finding accommodations for the ousted wo: jers were made by the health com-| | missioner. The New York Council of the Ln- employed held "an open air rally Saturday afternoon in Rutgers Square. The speakers included Baum, !Taft, Bloom, Finn, Harvey White, of the Young Pioneers, and Joseph J. Padgus. A mass meeting of unemployed sea- men will be held tomorrow at 2 p. m. at the International Seamen’s Club, 28 South St. under the auspices of the Council, it was announced last night. | Workers Olympiad in Moscow, August 12th) LONDON, March 30.—A workers’ olympiad is to be held in Moscow be- jginning August 12 and continuing Juntil the 22nd, according to informa-| jtion received here . Worker-athletes from a number of countries are ex- pected to participate, The British Workers Sports Fed- eration will send a group of 30 ath- letes to the meet. * * MIAMI BEACH, Fla., March 30.— Gene Tunney may fight in Spain in 1929, aecording to an announcement he made today. The champion said {he planned to tour Europe next year and will probably appear at the Bar- jeelona Exposition in April, 1929. | the THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, MONDAY, APRIL 2, 1928 Miami Policemen and Chief Charged With Murder of Negro Prisoner Six Miami, Fla., policemen and the chief of police are held in the county stockade on ae first degree murder charges in connection with the slaying of H. Kier, a Negro prisoner. The po- licemen held are shown above, with Chief of Police Quigg, also accused, at the left. Negro workers are arrested and framed up to serve long term sentences for little or no cause in the Klan ridden South, FREIHEIT PAGEANT MASS “SAVE-THE-UNION” REVOLUTIONARY SYMBOL The struggle of the Jewish workers of New York against their enemies both within and without the labor movement was vividly symbolized Satur- day night at the sixth anniversary celebration of the “Freiheit” in the great Ps tee PA >. *mass, WORKERS CROWD FREIHEIT JUBILEE Speakers Tell of Papers’ Service to Labor (Covitinued from Page One) struggle they must have an organ in the Jewish language.” The founding of the Jewish Daily e|Forward 30\years ago by the Jewish , | workers was described by Minor. “When the crisis in the labor move- ment came,” he continued, “the Jew- ish workers saw the ‘Forward’ betray the -workes.and become an organ of manufacturers in the needle trades.” Influence of U. S. S. R. Lifshitz pointed out the influence the Russian revolution had on the working class of America as well as the rest of the world. He also told of the attack of the American Fed- eration of Labor on the needle trades unions under left wing leadership and the resistance put up by the workers and the important role the Freiheit played in this struggle. Weinstone greeted the Freiheit in the name of the central executive committee and the New York district executive committee of the Party. Growth Continues. “During the six years of the ex- istence of the Freiheit,” Weinstone said, “it has been part of the work- ers’ struggle because it has been a part of the Communist movement. It has not only voiced the struggle of the Jewish workers but of the work- ers throughout the world.” Weinstone charged the right wing spokesmen of the needle trades with being not “opponents but agents of the bosses in the ranks of the work- ing class.” “The right wing said the Freiheit would last only six weeks,” said Melich Epstein, “but instead it has continued to grow and develop its in- fluence among the Jewish workers throughout the United States.” Many Donations. Many organizations made dona- tions to the Freiheit. The largest in- cluded $1,500 by the United Workers Cooperative, $1,000 by the Unity Co- operative and $500 and Proletcos. The workers of the Cooperative Restaur- ant donated $105. Speakers at |. Picketing of New York University $ a means of rousing sentiment against the discrimination against six Negro students at the university was proposed by Richard B. Moore, secre- tary of the American Negro Labor Congress, who presided at a mass meeting held Friday night at the St. Marks M. BE. Church, St. Nicholas ‘Ave., and 138th St. under the aus- picies of the Conference Against Racial Discrimination. Robert Minor, editor of the DAILY | WORKER; Oscar Fisher, Young Workers (Communist) League; Dr. John W. Robinson, minister of the church and Miss Mattie Neely, one of the students who, because of their color, were barred from cer- tain university activities, also spoke and assailed the action of the col- lege authorities. Because They Are Negroes. It was pointed out that the stu- dents, Miss Neely, Miss Reba McLain, Thomas Young, Albert Smith, Spauld- ing and Daugherty,—were discrimin- ated against merely because they were Negroes. y Spaulding, Daugherty and Smith, it was shown, were not permitted to take physical training courses. Miss Me- Lain had a similar exnerience. Ske was first admitted to the course, but when the college authorities dis- covered she was a Negro they m- formed her that she would not be al- lowed to continue. | Young, it, was pointed out, sent a check for the commarre ennvse urhish was accepted and deposited in the bank. He was also informed that reservation had been made for him in the dormitory. When he appeared at thé college he was told that he would, not be allowed in the dormitory. Minor in his speech stated that Ne- groes were -iot emancipated after the Civil War. They became wage slaves whereas in the past t! had been chattel slaves, he saj “Don’t look for ‘good’ men to save you,” Minor continued, “look for mass movements. Not Lincoln alone, but tens of thousands of fighting men, abolished chattel slavery.” Minor displayed a copy of The DAILY WORKER showing a Negro and white miner standing shoulder to shoulder in the common s‘ruggle they are now conducting. PICKET LINES URGED FOR N.Y. U. Meeting Denounce Discrimination Against Negroes coment “This illustrates,” Minor explained, “the new struggle by which the Negro will obtain freedom. “The question of the emancipation of the Negro is a question of prop- erty. Full emancipation will come only with a different government based on the working class.” ~ Miss Neely Said when she applied for admission to the physical educa- tion class she was informed that-“due to inadequate fagilities” “she — would not be accepted. “There is no discrimination shown by the students,” she asserted, “but by. the faculty.” Fisher said the Communists were “interested in t in all parts of the world.” “They fight for the uprooting of the capitalist system,” he added. , A) resolution for an aggressive struggle against university faculty discrimination was unanimously adopted. * * Republican Discrimination. KANSAS CITY, April 1—The ques- tion of housing the Negro delegates at the republican national convention pageant, “Red, Yellow and |Black.” Cupped in the huge amphi- theatre of Madison Square Garden, the epic of this struggle was unfold- erected in the center under the play of many-colored lights, on the East Side in 1917. Workers, market dealers, Salvation Armyites, men and women of all sorts mingle in the crazy-quilt pattern of the East \Side. Suddenly news comes that the |Bolsheviks have seized power in |Russia. A mighty cheer goes up from the workers, while the market- dealers run away in fear. The scene ends with the workers marching off singing a revolutionary hymn. Ballet Shows Workers’ Struggie. The second scene, showing sym- ibolically the struggle between the (red, yellow and black forces, was probably the most remarkable of all. Abe Cahan Caricatured. Two other scenes, “Strike” and “The Sixth Birthday of the Freiheit,” ending in the singing of the Interna- tional, brought the pageant to a close. |The third scene was enlivened by the |presence on the stage of several gen- tlemen in high hats and swallow-tail coats who were supposed to repre- jsent capitalists, but many in the au- |dience mistook them for labor lead- ers. One, in fact, bore a striking re+ semblance to “Knockout” Becker- man, the little. Mussolini -of the Amalgamated — Clothing . Workers’ Union. A fantastic caricature of Abe Cahan, wearing the Forward building on his hat-and followed by his loyal supporters in the Jewish rabbinate drew vociferous boos. The mass’ spectacle at the Freiheit jubilee was a remarkable product. of the efforts of a number. of. individ- uals who’ molded 1,000 members of several working class groups into a |Single collective mass. The scenario \was written by Adolf Wolff; the words of the workers’ song by Moishe Nadir, famous Yiddish humorist, es-} isayist and poet, the music for the chorus and orchestra was composed | by Jacob Schaeffer, who also directed |the symphony orchestra, and the dec-| ‘orations, costumes and lighting ef- fects were conceived and executed by \ballet, while the entire spectacle was M. Pass, Yosel Cutler and Jay Zuck- erman helped in the art work. Participating Organizations, The organizations that participated in the’ pageant were the Freiheit sangs Verein, various workers’ clubs jfrom the Bronx, Brownsville and | Manhattan, in addition to many un- affiliated workers, APPEAL TO LABOR TO FREE VICTIMS ‘American Group Starts Nationwide Drive (Continued from Fage One) campaign to raise money for the legal defense of the members of the Hro- made Party on trial or under arrest, and for the relief of victims of Polish fascism and their dependents. Committee against Polish Fascism calls upon workers everywhere to or- ganize in every city, on the broadest possible bases conferences of labor organizations and individuals to con- duct effectively the campaign out- lined. In addition to such city com- mittees, we ask the formation of com- mittees of the foreign groups, particularly of the White Russians, Russians, Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians and Jews, and the imme- diate organization of mass meetings of protest by both city committees and language groups. Through the press and the mails you will receive additional informa- tion on the progress of the trial and on our a¢tivities. Please. keep in touch with the National Committee ed by.1,000 workers on a platform! The spectacle opened with a scene’ |B. Aronson. Edith Segal directed the | under the direction of Jacob Mestel. | Dramatic Studio, the Freiheit Ge-|¢™ language > is making it necessary for the ar.|and let us hear what you are doing. rangements committee to prepare ex-|NAT’L, EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE, cuses for all discrimination that wil!|Committee Against Polish Fascism MISS MATTIE NEELY. Ca take place and to side-step any re- sponsibility for it. Conrad Mann, chairman of the local arrangements committee, stated that the question of the admittance of Ne- with the hotel management. and For American Aid to the Per- secuted Racial Minorities. 50,000 N. Y. ITALIANS JOBLESS. 60,000 Italian workers are jobless in groes to the hotels would rest entirely| New York, the Italian Chamber of La- DELEGATES VOTE TO OUST LEWIS Conference Lays Plans to Extend Strike (Continued from Page One) militants of Illinois, was chosen per- manent chairman of today’s confer- ence. Pat Toohey, long ptominent in the front Tanks among those who have fought and sacrificed for the miners, was chopensennekary. John rophy,, former president of District 2, and one of the leading figures in the Save-the-Union move- ment received an ovation as he arose to speak. “One of the leading expon- ents of the Save-the-Union forces,” was the way Watts characterized Brophy. i Crisis in Union. “In my 38 years of experience of sacrifice and struggle among the miners, I have never seen the union in so serious a crisis as it is at pres- ent,” Brophy said. “The miners have had bitter and complete proof that the Lewis machine will do nothing to rescue us from the present ever-deep- ening calamity. Only the Save-the- Unien forees can and will accom- plish this necessary task.” Brophy then launched into a detailed end vigorous denunciation of Lewis, ef his program of betrayal, of his henchmen who have carried out his policy of treachery and of his latest attempts to end militant unionism in the coal fields. Lewis’ Record of Treachery. | Brophy touched upon the great 1922 betrayal when Lewis sold out the coke ‘minérs end forced over 100,000 cour- ugeous miners back into the open- ,shop slavery of the steel trust; he denounced the Lewis policy of class- ‘collaboration with the operators and ithe government; he attacked the ‘treachery of_ signing up separate | agreements resulting in division of the strike forces; he analyzed the Lewis policy in moving ever farther from the task of organizing the un- organized. Coming to the question of the sen- ate investigation, Brophy showed in a word the true nature and purposes of the investigation. The conference ‘went almost wild as he called out: “The senate will never organize the unorganized.” He would up with a stirring. appeal to build the Save the |Union movement and to support the ' progressive program for the mine in- istry. — | Anthracite Strong | Over 150 delegates are already here |from the anthracite, scene of historic | struggles during the past tew months, ‘and word has been received that more delegates are coming. There is no doubt now that the hard coal miners will support their common cause with’ the bituminous workers. Seventy-five delegates from the un- organized fields of West Virginia, have arrived and others are coming. in every hour. Logan county is here represented. And everyone under- |stands that in the presence of a dele- ; gation froin this section lies the great- est mark of the vitality and success \of the conference. | Unorganived Respond. is | Nearly 200 delegates are present ‘from Tennessee, Kentucky, Missouri and the southwest. Scores arrived during every hour of the session this morning. In the seantiness of car- fare provisions, in the badness of the roads, in the breakdown of Ford “ex- press trains,” in the necessity on the part of many to walk and “hitch-hike” tc the conference, lies the explanation of the lateness of many of the dele- rates. \ These are not the Greens, the Lewises, the Wolls with their thou- sand-a-month salary and thousand-a- month expense accounts who have éome to this conference. But dele- gates are getting here somehow, in ways and under sacrifices and over cbstacles for which only the record of the past i of miners’ struggle could provide the basis and the ex- planation: » Telegrams of support were received from Duncan McDonald, formerly president of District 12, from Gerry Allerd, one of the leading militants of Illinois ‘who was recently hurt in an pecident. “Big Sam” Grecio, at Pitts- ton, still alive in spite of the pfillets of the Cappelini killers, but too weak to go to Pittsburgh, wired his hope and good wishes. Word was received that Alex Howat was on the way. MONSTER NATIONAL SAVE- CONFERENCE CONNECTICUT IS PREPARING FOR MAY DAY ‘DAILY’ Herbst Stimulates Sub Campaign Besides her customary 100 per cent agent in the Southern New England territory, is carrying on an energetic campaign to stimulhte the drive in her section in other directions. This has meant-no slackening in the number lof subscriptions sent in by the Con- necticut section, however. Particular attention is being given in the Connecticut section to intensi- | fying activity for the special May Day edition of The DAILY WORKER. Thruout the big towns of New Haven, Hartford, New London and Bridge- port the importance of the May DAY edition of the paper is being brought home to the workers of the Connecti- cut industrial centers. To further stimulate the drive, the free distributions of thousands of DAILY WORKERS is being planned and in many places has already been carried out. The Connecticut wo-%ers are eager to obtain copies of their class paper and the message of the only militant working class daily in the English language is spreading rapidly thruout the Connecticut dis- trict. Joe Angelo, secretary of the District J2, Illinois, is on hand. Dziengielew- ski, Papeun, Hapgood, Licata; scores of other leading militants are playing their parts. Women Represented. The women delegates who have been elected to all leading comgnittees are \playing a-prominent part in the pro- ceedings. A delegation from the young miners recently formed to sup- port the struggle is also on hand. One of the chief activities of this morning’s session was the appoint- ment of committees. Committees on eredentials, program, resolutions, the strike situation, organization of the unorganized, press, finance, ete., were chosen. Discussion this afternoon centered chiefly around the program submit- ted by the executive committee. The principal recommendations were con- cerned with the saving of the union and the elimination of the Lewis ma- chine. s Program Reported On. The draft of the program as re- ported unanimously by the committee, reads in part: “The National Save-the-Union Con- ference, . representing the great masses of organized miners, declares that the present corrupt and reaction- ary leadership is bankrupt and un- representative of the interests and will of the membership. These cor- rupt leaders have stolen their offi- cial positions and they have no man- dates from the rank and file. Their policies are wrecking the union, the wages and working standards of the miners.” Many Retrayals, The program places blame for the unions loss of half of its membership since 1922 on the Lewis administra- tion, also charging it with betraying the miners’ interests in numerous strikes, The administration is charged with collaborating with the coal operators te spilt and break the union; it charges that Lewis has worked against th® miners’ interests regard- ing wages, working conditions, griev- ances as well as the important prob lem of unemployment. The program proposes that the Save-the-Union Committee shall oust the corrupt Lewis machire as a pre- requisite to reestablishing the union's power in the industry. Emergency District Conventions. “The Save-the-Union Committee,” the program reads, “in the various districts shall at once through the local unions insist upon the calling of special emergency district conven- tions, carefully guarding against any ee methods by the Lewis ma- chine. “ Act Independently. “In the event of refusal or delay by the present district officials in calling such conventions, the respec- tive Save-the-Union movements shall themselves call the conventions. At these emergency district conventions the offices of the Lewis machine supporters shall be declared vacant and new officers, representative of the membership, shall be elected. In the local unions new officers shall be elected in place of the proved Lewis supporters. After the district con- ventions, the National Convention of the United Mine Workers of Amer- ica shall be organized on the same principle.” Plans are proposed for strengthen- ing the present strike by calling out miners in non-union soft coal regions and urging a strike on Apri! 1 in the illinois, Indiana and Kansas districts where the’ officials have signed separate district agreements thus be- traying the Pennsylvania-Ohio strike. The program predicts “A new pe- riod of progress and development” of the American trade unions if the prea- ent strike is won. work in the national subscription drive in the Connecticut district,” Anna Herbst, DAILY WORKER abet