The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 22, 1929, Page 3

Se aia } ~~ —— » ATLY Bd ORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, 1929 ° | SOLIDARITY NOT CHARITY, HE SAYS FROM HIS CELL Tells of ~ Car Given Evicted Strikers Robert Allen, one of the Gastonia | strikers and an acttve worker for the | Workers International Relief has sent the following letter to the Daily Worker, stating that “the workers of the whole world should all know the truth about the W. I. R.” To the Workers of the World: I wish to say a few thing about three | letters, the three letters I wish to| write about are W. I. R. These three letters stand for the Workers International Relief, which was est- ablished in the year 1927. It is an Organization that stands for “Soli- darity” and not “Charity.” They believe in taking care of the workers who are on strike to better the rot- ten conditions, that they have to work under. When they come out on stike the W, I. R. then show solidar- ity with them, by coming to their strike and fighting along side of them. When the workers strike you know very well that the mill owners are not going to feed them and are going to put the workers out of their homes. The workers realy ought own these houses, for they have paid the mill owners high rent for the houses and may have paid for their houses two or three times. But they are thrown out just the same. Here is where the W. I. R. comes in and helps. They take the poor workers and feed them and give them shelter. They fight with the workers in this way to help them win their strike. Let’s take for in- stance the strike in Gastonia. The | N. T. W. U. learnt about the condi- | tions in the Loray mill and comes down to show the workers that they did not -have to slave for the mill bosses. The workers woke up to the facts, and realized the only way they could better their condition would be to join the union: They did this and by joining the union they were fired out of the mill. On this account the mill was called out on strike. You can imagine the poverty of the work- ers, for the W. I. R. had to come to feed the strikers one week after the strike was called; I want to say that they have done great work for the workers. They have worked day and night. I want to say, I had the privilege of being the first secretary of the W. I. R. in the south. This is the reason that I can tell you what they do for the workers. They go all ver the world and tell the work- ers in other Shops and Industries about the rotten conditions you have to work under and that you are out on strike struggling against the bosses who have slaved you for many a year. In this way they raise money for your support. The W. I. R. is not only in Gastonia helping the workers in any shop in any in- dustry who want to strike against the slavery they are under. This organization should be highly ap- preciated by all workers, for their solidarity is great. Just think; the Loray workers were evicted from their homes! thrown out in the mud and rain! sick or well it made no dif- ference. Came the W. I. R. picked them up and provided them with shelter. Those who were sick were put into houses and the rest given tents. They are being fed by the W. | I. R. and special food is given to the | sick. The sick are taken care of by a sick committee that was appointed to go and see the sick each day. If the sick need any thing the com- mittee reports it to the relief com- mittee and they investigate and if they sind that special care or food is needed, provide it. So workers remember that the W. I. R. motto is; “Solidarity for every” ROBERT ALLEN U.S, WILL BUILD § MORE PRISONS ‘Aftermath of Revolts: Will House Militants WASHINGTON, Aug. 21—As a result of the prison revolts that re- cently swept the country, the federal government today announced a pro- gram for the building of a new peni- tentiary in the northeastern states, another reformatory and three fed- eral” jails. The six-year construc- tion program will cost approximate- ly $6,250,000 and the alleged pur- pose it to relieve overcrowding in federal penitentiaries, Prisoners in Leavenworth prison in Kansas, and Auburn and Danne- mora prisons in New York state, participated in the’ prison revolts against the overcrowding, bad food and oppressive working conditions. It was disclosed several days ago that 65 convicts in Dannemora were slaughtered when they protested against rotten conditions, and their bodies buried secretly at night, cof- fins being sneaked into’ the prison. The additional prisons will also be \wed to house militant workers arrested for their labor activities. ‘Build Up the United Front of the Working Class From the Bot- tom Up—at the Enterprises! | ers,” | tion. "Need Fighters, Not Martvrs, ‘Schechter Says “We do not need mass demonstra- tions at the funerals of these Gas- tonia workers. We need mass dem- onstrations now, to free these worl: Amy Schechter repeated time and again in her addresses across the nation. J Some of the outstanding state- ments in her speeches follow: Since I have been here (in the North) I saw there were two great dangers which may send our workers to the electric chair. One is an illusion that because there has been a change of venue that the defendants will go free. This is a very dangerions illu- sion. This change of venue was forced by the mass pressure of the workers. But if the workers give up and rest on their laurels, the bosses have won. The next two weeks will determine the fight. The workers must throw themselves into the defense cam- paign of the Gastonia Joint De- fense and Relief Committee, Au- gust 24 to September 2. They must show the workers in every shop and factory the truth of the case. They must force the jail doors open and see that the work- ers go free. The other danger is a fatalistic attitude. They as- sume the bosses are too strong. That the bosses have these work- ers and they will all go to the electric chair. We will have a splendid funeral and we will have a splendid demonstration. We will have new working class martyrs today. Too many Mo- oneys in jail. We need fighters, today, not martyrs. We do not need mass demonstrations at the funerals of these Gastonia work- ers. We need mass demonstra- tions now, to free these workers. And comrades, we do not need splendid corpses for the revolu- tionary movement today. We need these workers and comrades alive and free to carry on the fight and organize the South.” Amy Schechter. PARAMOUNT AND WARNERS UNITE Film Trust Will Crush Other Companies LOS ANGELES, Aug. 21—The merger of the Warner Brothers and Paramount-Famous _ Players-Lasky corporations will be completed within a week, according to a statement issued yesterday by Jack L. Warner, west coast head of the former or- ganization. This will bring under! one control the majority of the film| producing and exhibition forces in! the country. The two corporations control 2,800 theatres throughout the country and have holdings worth more than $400,000,000. It is reported that a parent company will be organized which will be known as the Para- mount-Warfér Brothers Corpora-| This will be governed by a} board of directors and probably| headed by Adolph Zukor or Harry! M. Warner. The new -film combine, by unit-} ing under one control the tremen-| dous resources of the Paramount and Warner outfits, will be able to gradually climinate all other pro-| ducing and distribution forces in the film industry. It is believed that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Corp.,| United Artists and Universal, the other leading producers, will find it difficult to successfully - compete with the trust. Finish Coast-to-Coast and Return Flight in Practice Raid on USSR SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 21.—The first non-stop round trip flight be- tween the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts was completed today when the monoplane Sun God. hove into sight at 1.50 p. m. Pacific time, after flying from Spokane to New York and hack again without touching its wheels to the earth. The tour demonstrated the practicability of having bombers make refueling air raids over the vast territories of the Soviet Union in the concerted im- perialist attack on the workers and peasants government that is being prepared on the Mongolian frontier. N. J. Mortgage Firm Swindled Thousands of Dollars is Alleged ELIZABETH, N. J., Aug. 21.— Investigation of fraud charges against the Manhattan Jersey Mort- gage Corporation has been com- menced by local police and Assistant Attorney General Richard C. Plumer with the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of Hugh Achton, of Avenal, NJ. Achton is said to be the company’s president. By accepting advance fees for loans and mortgages on which they had failed to make good, the com- aided by the Aetna Bond and Compeny of Newark, “eusands of dollars, the Ae ied Ellis The New South on the Way By CLARENCE MILLER. (Written in Gaston County ail). The textile workers in the South have awakened. Thousands of tex- tile workers are falling in line of a great mass movement. There are | 400,000 textile workers in the south. | The bulk of the cotton manufactur- ing industry is located here, as is also some of the hosiery and rayon industry. The rayon industry was the last to invade the South and it} is the first being developed, It is strategic in the organization of the textile workers of the South, not only from the fact that it is a war industry, and can on a short notice be converted into gun cotton manu- facturing, but especially from the large number of workers employed in the individual establishments, i. e., | j the Bemberg and Glantzdowf rayon mills in Elizabethton, that was re- cently on strike employs over 5,000 workers; the rayon plant being com- pleted in Asheville, is to employ 10,- 000 workers. Of course, the textile movement in the south at the pres- ent moment must be considered from the industry as a whole and not from the view point of a particular branch. The movement now is a movement of all the textile workers. In a way the | movement even expresses the main issues confronting all the workers in| the South, steel, and various other industries that have been developed last years. The Treachery fo the A. F. of L. The movement of the textile work- jers is ar. elementary response to the | |greatest of oppress No section | of the American wor mn. | These workers have never before | participated in a mass movement. At most they participated in isolated | |strikes, at times even under |“leadership” of the A. F, of L., but | but needless té say they were sold out and betrayed. The workers were forced back beaten, after the A. F. of L. officials got their reward and disappeared from the scene. The South has many examples of fis) treachery of the American Federa- | tion of Labor, e. g. Greensville, S C., in 1919, Kannapolis, N. C. (where the largest towel factory is located) in 1919, Columbus, Ga., in 1922, Charlotte, N. C., in 1922 also in Gastonia N. C. in 1921. Those were some of the outstanding betrayals there many more. The methods of the sell outs was similar to the one in Elizabethton, Tenn and Ware Shogls, S. C. recently. After the A. F. of L. officials leave the field, the workers are left without relief and without leadership. Most of the leading strikers in Ware Shoals and Elizabethton have been blacklisted, many of them are being forced out of the industry and must return to the mountains from where they ori- ginally hail. Despite the fact that the textile workers of the South are unorgan- ized and have little experience in organization, the know the U. T. W. ani the A. F. of L. When Fred Beal first came to Gastonia he had to assure the workers that our union was not the A. F. of L. This is true of many other localities, For several years the A. F. of L. under pressure of the left wing was forced to pass resolution for organ- izing the Southern workers, but now that the workers in the South are in moticn, under a militant lead- ership, determined to win better con- ditions, the A. F. of L. will become “active.” Their task will be to make the South safe for the mill owners. They will take the front line in the fight against the Communists and the textile workers. The ‘revolu- tionary” phrases of the Muste group are the bait for the militant workers. The treachery of the A. F. of L. has starled—the worst is yet to come. in the mining, tobacco, | in the| are 88 OP-i company is pressed as are the workers here.) south, the | The Textile workers here are re- cruited from the Mountaineers and Farmers. They still have many in- | dividualistic traits of the old Amer- ican Pioneer, but with it goes a lot of militancy and courage. The work in the factories, the terrific stretch- | out, as the speed up system is called | here, the life in the mill village are | breaking down the individualism of | | these workers, however, their mili- |tancy remains, These workers are |beginning to take their place in the labor movement. Their first en- counter with the bosses, as a section of the N. T. W. U. was a credit to them and to the whole labor move- ment. The illusion of “American Democ- |racy’” | The Southern Textile Worker Saxons is being broken down, They are learning whose laws and whose democracy reigns in the South. Even the race prejudice and arti- ficially fostered contempt for the Negro masses is being broken down, on the one hand by their béing thrown together in the mills as well as by the propaganda of the N. T. | W. U. and the Communist Party. good example of this is the method | in which the G: | Otto Hal’ the the enraged mob of thugs was look- ing for him to lynch him. Of course that does not mean that this preju- | ginning was made. There is a tend- ency to overestimate the race preju- dice amongst the workers in time of struggle. The Miil Village. The mill village owned by the characteristic of the In no other section of the |country is the mill village possible. It is a product of the remnants of |the attitude of the old slave owner, | who owned the body and soul of the chattel slave, coupled with the vi- FORCES TENFOLD Plan 50 Million War Plane Fund DIEGO, Cal., SAN 21.— Aug. of “naval cut” blab behind which the Hoover government of war ef- ficiency has been rushing its prepa- rations for imperialist slaughter, Representative W. F. James of Michigan, chairman of the house military affairs committee, announc- ed here last night that Wall Street is about to increase its appropria- tions for bombing planes tenfold. “Aviation is coming so fast that we are left at a standstill,” the jingo spokesman said. “As soon as congress convenes again I am going to recommend the scrapping of the five-year air construction program. It is obsolete. Where five millions were authorize lons are needed now.” For what purpose the fifty mil- lions are needed he did not specify, but his hints were broad enough to that the combined imperialist attack on the U. S, S. R. now being launch- ed in Manchuria and the intensify- ing rivalry between Wall Street and Britain which is leading inevitably to a clash between the two powers necessitate the immediate strength- which will play a leading role in these shambles. Speaking of the navy, James, who is recognized as Hoover's mouth- piece on the war preparations pro- and respect for the “law” that | is so strong amongst the Auglo-| Al stonia workers saved | ight of June 7, when | dice has been overcome, but the be- | TO INCREASE AIR Bursting through the smoke sereen | before, fifty mil- | enable his hearers to understand | ening of the military air forces,” “free” wage slaves. The residents of the mill village form a catagory by themselves. They are the “poor | white trash,” ised and shunned de: by th2 mill owners and sections of | |the middle class. This “poor white |trash,” or “docile Americans,” are beginning to show their true colors. |The Southern masses are beginning to move. The ruling class is tremb- ling. The Growth of the N. T. W. U. founded, Fred Beal was sent South. |There were many workers in the| | South, many issues, much expoita- | jtion and misery, but there were few connections. The union was new with limited resources. The union had something that the textile work- lers needed—it had a correct pro- gram. Within a short time, after many hardships and dangers, con- tects were made, and several small locals established. The locals began to grow. The bosses started fight- | jing these locals. A number of workers in the Loray mill were fired for their activities in building their union local. The answer of the/| workers was a strike on April the first. This was the beginning of movement of the textile in the South—A movement that is writing a new page in the |history of the American Labor move- ment. The bosses were determined to crush this movement. The use of | the National guards, police, the courts, laws aga‘nst parading that | were interpreted as being against picketing, the whole force at the disposal of the mill owners from the governor and the newspapers down to the pulpits were used against the workers. Nothing could break the union. Then came the attack upon |the union headquarters and tent col- ony on June 7th, in which a union jorganizer Joe Harrison, two police- START AUGUST 23 |second “Attempt to | Reach New York MOSCOW, U. S. S. R., Aug. 21— A second attempt of Soviet Union aviators to fly from Moscow to New York, via Siberia and Alaska, will be started at dawn Aug. 23, Announcement tonight said that an airplane similar to the one which was smashed near Jhita, Siberia, two weeks ago on an attempt flight to New York, will be used. It will take the same name “The Land of the | | Soviets” and will be manned by the | same crew. It was announced that thick fog near Chita was responsible for the smashup of the other plane. It hit a | tree in landing but the fliers escaped | injury. DEVELOP LENINGRAD PORT. LENINGRAD, USSR (By Mail). —Nearly 143,000 tons-of machinery, industrial equipment and raw pro- ducts have been imported into the port here during the two months commencing May 14. Exports from the port for the same period were 437,000 tons, of which 365,000 were timber materials. gram, said that he is strongly against any suspension of cruiser construction, thus tipping the hand of the U. S. in the present farcical | “disarmament” negotiations, Following the convention last Sep- | tember, at which the N. T. W U. was | SOVIET FLIERS TO wounded, one of the policemen fat- ally. This was jumped upon by the | mill owners as a chance to crush the union. that in the meantime his es- tablished itself not only in Loray mill but in a number of mills in the two Carolinas. However, the bosses went a step too far, when they de- cided to send 16 of us to the electric chair for the alleged killing of the policeman. This attack upon the workers was the last drop in a buc- ket already full with oppression and misery. The workers revolted. The movement that started with the | strike in the Loray mill on April the first is now reaching unprecedented proportions. Organizing the Movement. A Provisional Conference of South- ern Textile Workers held by the N. T. W. U. in Bessemer City, six mil | gates responded. October 12-13 as the date for the General Conferenze of Southern Te | tile workers to held in Charlotte, broadest mass movement, ever seen |in the South, has been started. A few days following the Bess |mer City conference came the fir | victory of the union. The yarn mill | bosses of Gaston County announced that henceforth their workers would | work only 55 instead of 60 hours a | | week, and instead of working 51% day 5 days. This affects about workers in this region. The workers have only started to move, capitalists are trembling, and the | A Southern Leadership Needed. The fact that the workers of the South have not had any experience in labor struggles before, makes it necessary to further intensify the training and developing of a South- ern leadership for the union. In this a considerable role. The experiences so far have shown that the best | leadership will come from the youth, ;The steps taken in develop- ling the Youth Section of ference on the eve of the General Textile workers conference in Char- lott, are steps in this direction. The question of work amongst the youth |ership cannot be overemphasized. The Task of the Communists. The Southern workers are getting | their first experiences in the class | struggle. It will be the duty of the |leadership to formulate and teach the «workers the lessons from these eperiences. The textile workers | gle against the strech-out, the long hours,, the low wages and for the | other union demands. The textile workers who are so affected by the tremendous speed-up and ~> zation of the industry, must be | brought into active struggle agi. | rationalization is a preparation. the war danger, whom the state was used in such varied forms, the use of the Nation- al Guards, anti strike laws, and even the us: of the courts to legally mur- to political activity. That is the task of the Communist Party, whose members are taking a leading role in the struggles of the Southern tex- tile workers, The textile workers of the South have awakened. The death knell of the “old” South has been sounded. The “New” South in which the work- ers will rule is on the way 2m Te Mass Protest YQUTH COURSES Will Save Us, | Bush Declares “We want to be free. We want our lives to give to the service of the working class.” This statement was made by Vera Bu: meeting in New York Ci The significant declarations in her ) speech were: I will give you the answer to the indictment of the mill owners of North Carolina. I will give you the answer of the defense. We say, if it should happen that things go badly through this com- ing month, and we are not strong enough to defeat the bosses, and if it is necessary for us to pay the penalty for the fight, we will pay it. We are ready. But it is for you to give your answer. for you to say “we must not pay the penalty.” “We want to be free. We want our lives to give to the service of the working class. We want our | lives to be our own, to organize the workers as we have been deing until now. We don’t want | to die and it is up to you to show your strength that the state of North Carolina dare not convict us. It is up to you to say that there shall not be one electrocu- ‘bor Premier =| from Gastonia, an uly 28, the eve ment proceeds to push its campaign of our trial in Gastonia, 227 dele- for newer type subma They represented lomatic C. The organizational basis for the marines for the coming imp a week they would work only | Yersity, the young textile workers will play | the | union, the calling of the Youth Con-! ihe the building of a Southern lead- | struggle is not confined to a strug- | | for which this | These workers must develop a sys- | tematic fight for social insurance | and housing. These workers against | der their leaders, must be drawn in- | tion, not one prison senence; not | one day or week in prison for any of the defendants.” Vera Bush. TALK ‘PEACE, BUT BUILD WAR CRAFT cious exploitation and poverty of the | men, and a so called “deputy” were eeeaaaa Dawes Chat | While Race Rages | WASHNGTON, Aug The United States advanced another stage in the armament race when Acting Secretary of the Navy Jahn- cke today approved the scrapping of six old navy cruisers and simulta- neously signed a contract for con- struction of a new 10,000 ton cruis er, to be built by the New ¥ Ship Building Co. of Camden, N Virtually at the same time as the new cruiser was authorized, “La- MacDonald acknowl- edged receipt of a Washington ar- maments message which he dis- cussed with Ambassador Dawes. He 21, era ed the discussion as mark- ing a net advance in our con- versations.” Meanwhile, MacDonald’s govern- ines. “humanitarian” On dip- pleas, it about 30,000 workers directly and|charged that old craft should be about 40,000 additional workers in-| Scrapped when their short directly. The conference has decided | were received by the L-12 ¢ rs were drowned. in which 23. sai It was a good gag. Now it can go ahead building more and better sub- war. REWARD FASCISTS AG HERE. Honory membership in the fas- j cist Academy of Arts and Letters of Italy has been conferred upon Prof. John L, Greig of Columbia Uni- it was announced yesterday 20,000 | at the University. Greig is re- warded for his active and efficient work in promoting fascism in this country, according to the announce- | ment. ARRANGED FOR WORKERS SCHOOL’ \ at the mass AnnounceTrainingand 'New Members Classes The Work School, 28 Union Square, yesterday announced a se= ries of courses for young workers and functionaries of the Young Communist League. Registration for these courses will begin Sept. 2 at the school office. special training course for mem- bers of the League who will be given responsible duties functionaries either in the unit or in the district, will consist of History and Prob- lems of the Revolutionary Youth Movements; Organizational Prob- lems of the Cor Youth Move- ment and a s in the Principles of Marxism. New Members’ Class. All new membr of the League, it was announce e required to take the following three courses be- fore they can be considered in good standing: Fundamentals of Commu- nism; Principles of Marxism (ele= mentary economics) and a class in the History and Problems of the Revolutionary Youth Movement, The fee for the courses will be $5 to units of the Leagu ch League unit will award two scholarships to two selected members for the func- tionaries course. For the new mem- bers course, the members themselves are required to register during the week of Sept. 2 to Sept. 9. Pioneers Leaders’ Class The following group of courses has been arranged for Pioneer lead- ers, including those already acting and those who can become leaders: Problems of the Working Class Chil- dren; Pioneer Movement and Its Tasks, and Fundamentals of Com- munism. For this group of courses, those who are actually engaged in the work, or who will be on completion of their studies can get the reduced fee of $3.50, part of the cost being met by the units. Students will be registered for these courses from Sept. 2 to Sept. 9. Equity Boss to Plead A.F.L. Aid in “Fight” For N.Y. Closed Shop HOLLYWOOD, Cal. Fresh from his failures the ten weeks’ strike to enforce the closed shop, Frank Gilm#re, execu- tive of the Actors’ Equity Assovia- tion, said today he plans to renew a fight to get the Equity conditions in the New York motion picture r | studios. He announces he will ask aid from A. F. of L. officials whose inaction in the Hollywood strike he excused when he tried to saddle responsibil- ity for the failure on Ethel Barry- more’s sabotage. Underpaid stage and screen work- er express the opinion that the only people who will benefit from the proposed “fight”—if any benefit at all—will be high paid stars. The chorus girl will be left in the cold, as usual, they claim. Not only has the bourgeoisie forged the weapons that bring death to itself; it has also called into existence the men who are to wield those weapons—the modern working class—the proletarians.— Karl Marx (Communist Manifesto). REGISTER NOW Labor Day Winelseni Wingdale, N. Y. BY TRAIN From 125th St. or Grand Central Station Direct to Wingdale, New York. City Office: 1800 SEVENTH AVE. aly Tel: Wingdale 51 || Tel. Monument 0111 a Newly built bungalows make possible accommoda- tion for 150 additional campers. Pump Just In- A New stalled. Bathing, Boating, Fishing, Dancing, Singing and Dramatics BY BUS Today, 2 pam.; Fri., 6:30 p.m.; Sat., 1:30 p.m.; Sun. 9 a. from 1800 Seventh Ave.