The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 26, 1928, Page 10

Published by the NATIONAL DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING ASS'N, Inc. 8 Fi Daily, Except Sunday .Mirst Street, New York, N. Y. Cable Address Phone, Orchard 1680 ‘Dalwork” SUBSCRIPTION RATES By Mail (in New York only) y Mail (outside of New York): Per year $4.50 six + $6.50 per year $3.50 six months $2.50 three months $2.00 three months. Address and mall out “checks to i THE DAILY WORKER, 33 First Street, New York, N.Y. | ....-ROBERT MINOR | WM. F. DUNNE | Assistant Editor.. eu es second-class mail at the post-office at New York, N. ¥., under the act of March 3, 1879. United States-- ‘Friend’ of China The complicated play of imperialist polities and war strategy | in China leaves many readers in confusion about the relationships | between Japanese imperialism, United States imperialism and the various so-called “nationalist” military leaders. Conflicting interests in the Pacific and in China leading towards war between | the United States and Japan are causing many to assume that the depredations of Japanese imperialism in China will be resisted by the United States. : It is true that a sharp conflict of interests between the United States capitalists and those of Japan points toward a future war, and it is true that some of these conflicting interests are to be found in China. The effect of the Japanese declaration in regard to its predominating interests in Manchuria, and Kellogg’s reply to the effect that the United States does not recognize the pre- dominance of such Japanese interests, is to sharpen the impression of the conflict between the two imperialist governments. But this taken alone is too simple a picture. The existance of the conflict of interests does not alter the fact that the United States is now, with arms, aiding the Japanese depredations and violence in China. The imperialist United States is no less an enemy of the Chinese masses than imperialist Japan, and the two enemies of the Chinese masses have interests which coincide as well as other interests which conflict. When Kellogg blurted out that.his Wall Street masters rec- ognize no special interests of Japan in Manchuria, the Japanese government responded with the informal remark that this has nothing to do with her, as she claimed no such interests—a state- ment which, though untrue, indicates present collaboration be- tween Japan and the United States against China. The predatory imperialist government at Washington has not suddenly become the redeemer of oppressed peoples. There are some indications that Wall Street has even a considerable sat- isfaction in the present course of Japan. ; eae Not only can the Wall Street government find gratification in the pressure of Japanese imperialism on the Manchurian bor- ders of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, but it is entirely possible for the Wall Street government to be reconciled to the operations of Japanese troops for a certain time, provided these operations do not transcend certain limits fixed between the two rival imperialisms. For instance, an editorial in last Monday’s N. Y. Times declared: “.. . Japanese influence has been sufficiently strong to isolate that section from the evil effects of China’s civil wars. By maintain- ing peace in Manchuria, and by operating the South Manchurian Railway with a high degree of efficiency, the Japanese have made of this portion of China a haven of refuge and prosperity. . “: “That Japan would use her influence—and her troops, if need bein order to prevent the extension of the civil war into Man- churia has always been obvious. Her formal statement to this effect is only disconcerting if it is to serve as the starting-point of a new policy under which Japan would work for the ultimate annexation of Manchuria... .” No-one should forget that the so-called nationalist generals, Chiang Kai-shek, Feng Yu-hsiang, Yen Shi-shan and ii Chai-sum have long ago severed their last threads of connection with the cause of national independence of China and are now serving only as adventurous traders in blood with the foreign imperialist powers. ; ' The capitalist press correspondents will continue to write of Chiang Kai-shek as the “nationalist” leader and of the United States as a friend of the same cause, but intelligent workers here will understand that the only forces-which can defend the Chinese masses are the worker-peasant armies such as are meeting with eonsiderable success in reviving the revolutionary cause in the vicinity of Swatow. Only the movement of these masses under the hegemony of the Chinese working class can embody the Chinese revolution Against these masses the United States forces will use every in- strument of violence and trickery. The ruling classes of the United States and of Japan will some time call upon the masses of these countries to slaughter each other for the profit of the rival imperialisms, but they are now calling upon the masses of both countries to support the end- less bloody crimes of both imperialisms against the Chinese work- ers and peasants. The enemy which the American workers must fight, in respect to China, is the imperialist government of the United States not less, but even more, than that of Japan. ? BUILDING TRADE JOB - NOTES; PLUMBER VOTE It’s the little things that count, runs an old saying. I am going to write about the hits and bits that occurred on my Job for the past few days. A carpenter who came to ask the boss tor a job, asked him among other questions, “How is business?” , ‘ “Not so good,” replied the boss. “Why?” asked the workers. “A boss doesn’t make much money nowadays. In former years, the bosses raade more money, now the workers take good pay and are too independent,” | said the carpenter boss. | “Then,” said the worker, “why don’t you go to work for a boss?” H : ee too old to work and will have to spend my days as a boss,” was the reply. And so ended that conversa- tion. A lather told me that 800 men are| out of work in the Brooklyn lathers’) local. Those who work do so on an/ average of two days per week. ae The plumbers on our job were dis- cussing the coming elections of Local No. 1, which will be held next month. T learned that there is great dissat- isfaction with the present officers of ter Plumbers Association. MacDonough and Crain do not get along very well with one another. The fight has no principle in it what- soever. It is a question of who is to get more of the spoils. They hurl at- tacks at one another. What they tell one another to do and where to go doesn’t look well in print. The real rank and file progressives of Local No. 1 are expected to nomi- nate a full slate. All plumbers should support the progre es in the com-+ ing election. - CASSELL, A Correction In yesterday’s DAILY WORKER the following headiine appeared “L bor Party Is Only Hope for Working- elass.” This is a dangerous misstate ment of the position of The DAILY THE DAILY WORKER, “= ei aPage ‘ THE DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1928 ARING UP” By SIDNEY BLOOMFIELD. Sam Bonita, militant president of local 1703 U. M. W. of A., the victim ef a most disgraceful frame-up, must rot in the pen from six to twelve, years. Bonita is not the victim of the direct capitalist forces alone. People who have enjoyed the confi- dence of Bonita'have worked against his best interests. Sam has been betrayed by those in whom he trust- ed. A Militant Miner. Sam is a simple worker who is fanatically religious and who is never without a bible in his pocket. Yet he is an honest and militant rank and filer who was in the fore-front fo the struggle against the con- tractor system and associated with the progressive forces in his ‘local who, on the basis of the struggle for the Save-the-Union program, had swept all reactionaries out of office. This victory of the progressives was not accepted ungrudgingly by the re- actionary elements and contractors. They at once instituted a reign of terror hardly paralleled in the annals of the labor movement. One after another, Tom Lillis, Peter Reilly, Alex CaMpbell, and Sam Grecio all progressive officials were, except- ing Grecio, fatally shot from ambush by hired gun-men. Sam Bonita, who was trapped and fired on by Frank Agati, a reputed contractor, bully and personal body- guard of Cappelini, returned fire, thus putting an end to the depreda- tions of this gunman. Bonita, to- gether with his colleagues Adam Moleski and Steve Mendola were ar- rested. Judge McClean, who is also a general in the army, inflicted the maximum sentence upon Sam. Mend- ola and Moleski, who were held as accessories, were mysteriously re- leased on the eve of the local elec- tions on $10,000 bail each. The de- By GERRY ALLARD. The district convention, called by| the rank and file miners of Illinois,) has accomplished the necessary steps; to save and rebuild their union. Two} hundred and forty-nine delegates from) 78 local unions gathered at Belleville to take up the problems that were confronting them and to oust the re-! actionaries from leadership. The!) spirit of the convention was very high as reflected by the rank and file who time after time pointed out the neces- sity of taking these steps to save the union. At this convention no millionaire labor leader appeared. No_ pot- bellied, diamond-studded labor faker infested the atmosphere of the con- vention. The Lewises, Fishwicks, Greens, Farringtons, were not present at this convention. Toughened, grim, determined coal diggers gathered there to report their grievances, to oust the reactionary machine, to re- build their union into an organization which will help rally the miners of America to immediate action against the onslaught of the coal operators. Elect Voyzey President. George Voyzey, local union 418 of Springfield, was elected president of the United Mine Workers of America, District 12. Luke Coffee, the chair- man of the convention was elected vice-president. Coffee is the fighting president of local union 705, O’Fallon and resides.in Belleville. al No. 1. “The present officials were elected is“ ives” but they betrayed WORKER on the labor party ques- tion. It is likely to cause confusion and illusion. The DAILY WORKER will comment more fully in a later issue. EDITOR. Danial H. Slinger, of Belleville was fense committee which carried on splendid work in their. behalf as well as in behalf of Bonita was neither advised or consulted about the mat- ter of their release, bail being posted | thru an arrangement between the | lawyers, politicians and the so-called | friends of the defendents. Knowing that they were popular men, the forc- es at work for state senatur-elect Lanning Harvey utilized this release as political campaign material for the capitalist candidates. Together with the I. L. D., the de- fense committee realized that a vic- tory for Bonita means a victory for the progressive rank and file and a defeat for the contractor system as well as a defeat for all the enemies of the labor movement. With the eenviction .that the fight to save Benita is a fight for the whole work- ing class, the committee labored un- ceasingly, exhausting every ‘means trying to appeal the case. But every avenue was barricaded against the committee whose labors were in vdin. Lawyers Betray. After having paid $3700 to the de- fense lawyers, Frank Flannery, Har- eld Flannery, and John Dando, the committee held several fruitless con- ferences with them. Each time they. refused to appeal the case, giving as their excuse that they did not want to be scoffed at by the court since there were no legal grounds for an appeal:. At each conference we were told by the lawyers te keep quiet, not to rouse mass sentiment and in a year or more from now they woud go to the parden board and ask-for a pardcn if we would pay them the remainder of $5,000. Need- less to say, a pardon will not be giv- en so simply to Bonita in a state so hostile to labor. After going thru much red tape I finally gained admission to the Luz- erne county jail, where I talked with Sam for about 2 half hour. Sam had | ceived from John Brophy, whose ill- ness has recently kept him from active participation in the miners’ fight. His | message was received with an ovation. Greetings were also received from Tony Minerich, Mother Bloor, Thomas Meyerscough, from the Indiana State Convention, many others, The reactionaries of district 12, led by Walter Nesbit, the former secre- |tary-treasurer, formed a picket line {several blocks away from the conven- tion and tried to divert the miners from attending. The first night of the convention was marked by a fist fight that oc- curred at a restaurant when George Voyzey, Freeman Thompson and John Watt were attacked by 15 sluggers led by Nesbit. The three militant fighters succeeded in routing the thugs. In the skirmish Nesbit suf- fered a black eye and several other marks. Thompson was badly slugged. The next day following the fight the three militants who had been arrested and released from prison were greeted by the delegation. . Henchmen Exposed. The indictment against the machine officials charged them with con- spiracy with the operators beginning with Frank Farrington. The policies of the betrayer, Farrington have never been changed. Harry Fishwick worked in conjunction with Farrington in every respect. “The Fishwick machine has continued these policies begun by Farrington and approved by the Lewis maehine,” the indict- elected secretary-treasurer. The new officer were elected unanimously and were greeted by thunderous applause. ey % “ ment read “to the point of splitting the union, losing all the conditions won Powers Hapgood and. been scared stiff by the lawyers, Frank McGarry, James Kearney, and the rest of the Brennan men. All of them, supposed to be close friends of Bonita, have betrayed his confi- dence in them. They kept coming to see him almost daily, and they were permitted to stay with him as long as they desired, while the mem- bers of the committee who were sincerely active in his behalf, were very rarely admitted and only a few minutes each time, which made it almost impossible to talk to Bonita. I was the only representative of the committee who stayed a half hour with him. McGarry, Kearney and the lawyers kept telling Sam if he dared to ap- peal to higher courts he would be re-tried and convicted of first degree murder and the consequence would be that he would receive a muck worse sentence. These lawyers and his so-called friends knew that they were lying to Sam. I tried to con- vinee Sam that such advice was plain treachery and that there must be a reason for this anxiety to keep him in prison until everybody would for- got about him. Altho we could not convince Sam to authorize us to en- gage new counsel and to carry on thru an appeal, the reason for all this concern about Bonita upon the part of the lawyers and his so-called friends soon same to light. Why did McGarry and Kearney take such pains to visit Sam so fre- quently and always to counteract the committee’s work? Why were the lawyers visiting Sam almost daily and staying with him for hours at e. time? Were they really so vitally concerned about him? Why did Dan do agree to take one of our commit- teemen to see Sam, only to break this promise and then after himself talking to Sam for two hours, tel! us that Sam does not want to see anyone? Why were they so anxious )past, deviding the Illinois miners jagainst themselves, and completely selling out to the operators by work- ing hand in hand with them to smash the union.” The policy of separate agreements after the rank and file had issued a mandate opposing separate agreements, was bitterly condemned. “The policy of separate agreements is a policy of destruction,” was the statement of the indictment. Brand Sell-Out. The contract extended to the opera- tors by the officialdom giving the bosses unlimited rights on the mechanical loaders, conveyors, and other machinery tending to increase unemployment amongst the miners, the weakness of the officialdom to fight the case of the miners, stealing of votes, packing of conventions, ex- pelling militant miners, the railroad- ing of the miners from Zeigler to prison, and several other indictments were branded in the charges against the reactionary labor fakers. The con- vention then proceeded to elect its own officers. ‘i A resolution was unanimously adopted abolishing the appointive power of officials, abolishing the dis- ‘trict executive board, and a commit- tee to direct the work of the miners in district 12 was set up. The Coal Digger was accepted as the official organ; resolutions for a special international convention, the release of class war prisoners, a call by the Lewis machine to return to the organization, condemnation of the frame-up of the Zeigler miners and through hard fought battles of the] all other resolutions were adopted demanding their release, miners relief, ~~ The state of Pennsylvania announces that it will conduct an “investigation” into the cause of the Mather mine explosion. In the meantime the pit will be turned back to the operators so the evidence may be “cleared up.” How Far Does the Frame-Up of Bonita Gor for Sam nct to appeal but to wait more than a year and then ask for a pardon? Why were Moleski:and Mendola released upon bail on the eve. of the election with the strict injunc- tion by Judge McClean to stay out of union activities? Guilt of Brennan Gang. Why did the lawyers appear at the jail every time a committee-man tried to get in to see Sam? Why was’ the warden so anxious to know | what Harold Flannery and I were talking about after I had talked with Bonita? Why did McGarry, Kearney and the rest of the Brennanites work together with the lawyers and against the committee? Why does Brennan want to investigate the murder of Campbell, Lillis and Reilly and also the killing of Agati? Does not Brennan’ know that Agati was the enemy of Campbell, Lillis and Reilly, and that even a capitalist jury stood 11 to 1 for acquittal of Bonita? What does Brennan want to investigate about Cappelini’s gunman Agati? These Brennan people know that Bonita is a popular figure and is with the Save-the-Union forces and if Bonita were out of jail, McGarry would lose his job as president of lo- eal 1708, and that Bonita would be the logical man to replace Cappelini, thus preventing Brennan from get- ting the office of the district pres- idency. In short, the whole Bren- nan machine as well as the Cappel- ini-Lewis machine would be most likely defeated if Bonita were out to- day. Brennan, McGarry, Kearney, the lawyers—all of them are well aware of this. That is why they are all so keenly interested in lying to and keeping Sam in jail. The be- trayal of Sam Bonita must be placed where it belongs—at the door of the Brennan gang in league with the to all members that had been expelled | lawyers, contractors and the Lewis gang. Illinois Miners Are Again in Control of Their Union’ | Greetings to the convention were re- janimously with the rank and file dis- jcussing them at length. | Watt Speaks. John Watt, Vice-President of Na- tional Committee, was received with a thunderous applause. He eloquently pointed out the situation of the coal mining industry, the role of the Lewis machine and the task of the rank and file members ‘in their epochal struggle. The young miners showed a spirit of determination to fight side by side with the adult miners. A resolution introduced by Gerry Allard calling for the immediate mobilization of the young miners through a conference to be held June 9th in Belleville was adopted. The young miners held a conference of their own, elected Gerry Allard as their district secretary and immediately laid the basis for organi- zation work. A committee of 20 young miners was elected to take charge of the pro- visional youth conference. Scores Unable to Come. The convention deliberated quite actively upon the many problems. Scores of miners were not permitted to come due to the financial condition of the miners themselves. Most of the delegates hiked or came in Fords that they could borrow. The spirit of the convention was fine in every re- spect. Dan Slinger, newly elected secre- tary-treasurer of the district, closed the convention by saying: “There can be no hesitation on our part, there can be no doubts, nothing but deter- mination to return to our respective localities and build an organization that will lead and fight for the miners of this country.” NEW way of expressing friend- ship has been hit upon by John D. Rockefeller, Jr., principal owner of the Consolidation Coal Company, who has just announced he will show his kindness for his slaving miners by shutting down ten plants and discharging twenty per cent of his men. Rockefeller is willing to admit it is not purely an act of self-sacrifice on his part, his state- ment saying he felt “reduction of tonnage as well as of miners would be constructive benefit on both sides.” A fellow who expresses his love in this unique manner is the kind of a man who would slip fly- paper into his wife’s corset as a mark of esteem, toss a concrete dog biscuit to his collie as a symbol of affection and tip his waitress with a Canadian dime to show his regard. * * * RESIDENT COOLIDGE’S plans to deliver this year’s Memorial Day address at the Gettysburg battlefield, where no president has had the cour- age or naivete to make a speech since Abraham Lincoln’s day, shows the progress of the republican party. Lincoln is supposed to have scribbled out the classic political speech of nineteenth century capitalism on the back of an envelope on the train en route to Gettysburg. Several days before the hour of Coolidge’s address, however, the speech Coolidge is to de- liver on the graveyard of American chattel slavery was run off by the thousand in the government printing plant at Washington. It was then sent broadeast through the mail to newspaper offices, to be set in ad- vance and held in type for release when the great moment arrives. It is probable that Coolidge didn’t even have to write the speech himself. He isn’t a great hand to write. It is always dangerous to attempt to predict literary verdicts of the re- mote future, But the advance press copy of the address Cal Coolidge will deliver across the flag-wound 2-by- four pine railing at Gettysburg May 30 is at hand, And it does not seem likely in hearing a reference to the Gettysburg address that anybody in the remote future will ask: “Which Gettysburg address?” * * ” Twelve of England’s most promi- nent military clowns, including Sir Eric Geddes, who is said never to have seen a trench until the armis- tice, last week put on their masquer- ade costumes and amidst great cere- mony were inducted into the Order of Bath by King George V. These mili- tarist juveniles try to keep secret the manner in which the order originated which is as follows: King Henry IV established the order at the beginning of the fifteenth century. A soldier knelt before the sovereign to be knighted but the king couldn’t bear the unique odor of the military man, He thereupon addressed him in these words, “This brave fellow requires rest and refreshment after his pro- longed heroism. Take him away and give him a bath and fresh raiment and sustenance. Then bring him again before me, to be knighted.” * * » Solo Bunion Artist. Keen disappointment now gnaws at the breast of William Grow, 85, of Idaho Falls, Idaho. After walking from his home town to Oregon, Uta: 180 miles, to attend an old folk: celebration, he learned that it had been postponed indefinitely because * * of the weather. ‘\ * (TERRES ChE and unofficially Rome and Washington are getting closer and closer. According to a dis- patch yesterday the board of gover- nors of the National Press Club at Washington has voted a non-resident membership to Premier Mussolini, who is the owner of the Rome news- paper D’Italia. And another dis- patch said that Mussolini had directed, that an active membership card in the fascisti party be given to Luigt Barzini, editor of the Corriere di America. The first thing we know Mussolini will be sending word to the pope that the next Mussolini baby is to be ae Calvin. ” * The liberals have lately been con~ ducting in the columns of the New Republic, the Modern Quarterly and elsewhere an inquisition over theig souls, And after much painful prob- ing some of them have come to tha conclusion that the class struggle really does exist. But the socialist party knows better. Not much strug- gle for guys with the incomes of Hill« quit, Berger, Cahan & Co. * * * Jimmy Walker, the song writer, has just completed a walking tour the excavations for new subways to determine whether a five-cent fare can be retained on the lines already operating. If the mayor should want a coca cola look for him in a hard~ ware store, er wee