The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 24, 1929, Page 4

Published by the Comproda f Pace Four Address and mail all checks poe es ly Publishing Co. Y. Telephone to the except Sunday, at 26 1696-7-8. Cable: “DA Union Square, Ine ails Daily Worker, 2 New York, 4 : PARTY RECRUITING DRIVE 2 Weeks Gone—6 W cokes Lett L eft | i;ANIZERS 1 Drive aa must be sent direct to the Organization ; Department of the Central Committee and not to the Daily Worker. ORGANIZATION DEPT. C. C. The Party Recruiting and Daily Worker } 3uilding Drive is, just getting its first stride. reports show great enthus' on the of the membership and the Drive is being 4 conducted in the spirit of Revolutionary Com- 1 the Re ing petition. RESULTS OF FIRST WEEK. New New ’ Shop Nu Shop Papers New York 1000 er ees ip) woes +) aes Burt 5 2 Pittsburch 10 Stes Tr. Detroit 1009 ' 15 4 10 1 ® ” 4 6 1 100 pene 16. : 70 5 ni tne Tow . 1702705900 2 ° 6s 1 The chart F picture ; report not a single sub. We expect a big step of the Party Recruiting and Daily Worker forward next week. No neglect of the Daily Building Drive. Only seven districts have been Worker activity can be permitted by the Party. erie eooneh 14 propane edulis Caring Of the 270 new members only 33 are Negro two weeks of the Drive. A fourth workers. This is another shortcoming which ee fee Ot hn) Priva bas peed ‘Tut the districts must remedy immediately—and district “has yet fulfilled one fourth of its | jot jt show in the reports next week. Phila- quota. To date 53 Negroes were recruite field with 20 from New York, 20 from Philadelphia, 8 from Cleveland and 7 from Detroit. Philadelphia is the only district that goes above ten per cent of its quota, the other districts lagging behind. Regarding shop nuclei, only Boston and Detroit show good progress—and we hope that these new shop nuclei do not exist only on paper. The other districts must do all they can to carry on an effective Drive in building new shop nuclei. The scandalously low results on new subs for the Daily Worker show that the districts are not taking the sub e seriously. Such leading districts as New York and Chic delphia is leading also on thi Negro comrades out of 26 new members. Chi- cago has not a single new Negro member, which opens a rather bad perspective for their successful carrying out of the tasks of the Drive. Admitting a certain slowness in the prepara- tions for the Drive in most districts, we have full right to expect a big step forward in the figures of the chart next week. The quota of each district must be filled and we must strive to better the quotas. Mobilize all forces to push the ! Comrade: Overhauling the Party ‘A Letter to the Members of the Com- munist Party from the Organization Department of the Central Committee Dear Comrades: Some districts have already held their or- ganization conferences. Districts which have not yet held them should add one point on the agenda: Strengthening our Party organiza- tionally. Other districts have to pay vei energetic attention to this task during the re- cruiting drive. The points to be taken up are the following: Radical Defects In Our Organizational Work. 1. Too few shop nuclei, and in many cases existing only on paper or very weak in their activity—consequently work in the factories | almost non-existent. 2. Too deep rooted traditions of mechanical routine work in our Party, and street nuclei not even carrying out residential activity. It is necessary to concentrate first of all upon our shop nuclei work, otherwise the Party will not be able to carry out the deci- sions of the Tenth Plenum. The factories must become the center of our activity if our Party is to become the leader of the class in this country. It is very important that our organization conferences receive reports from the largest and most active shop nuclei in the district. Self-criticism must be given by the shop nuclei representatives and especially the activity of the direct responsible leading committees of the Party (Section and District) should be con- sidered from a Bolshevik critical standpoint. Pay special attention to all forms of mass work. The shop nuclei should be represented not only by their secretaries, but also by rank and filers. Most important to discuss are the forms of establishing contact with the non-Party work- ers in the shops, which is the first task every organized, active shon nucleus if it i going to reflect Party influence among: the’ masses. struggle | | | | | out of di | area. We must establish a form of work where: 1. Every member of shop nuclei must do regular systematic work in the shop. Recruit- ing of new members is the first aim. 2. In case of strike sentiment or sentiment of struggle among workers this should at once be reported to the nucleus committee. 3. Non-Party workers should be drawn into discussions (shop delegate meetings, shop com- mittees,| W.LR. committees, Anti-War Com- mittee, etc.). The demands of the workers should be worked out, slogans issued through leaflets, shop papers, etc. Eventual struggles should be organizationally prepared. 4. The slogan of “Every shop nucleus pub- lishes a shop paper” must become a slogan also of our Party. The existing street nuclei must be re-organ- ized for more active and effective work. Orien- tation towards the shops in their residential Street nuclei members who work in fac- tories must get busy to organize a shop nucleus in their shon, with assistance of nearest street nucleus. Passive paper maneuvers in street nuclei must be cleansed out from the Party. The Party must be very energetic and more bold than before in taking in new, proletarian forces into all leading committees. reporting, control of carrying ions should be given place in the Question discussio Our very poor sliterature distribution must be improved 100 per cent. The distribution of the Daily Worker must be fundamentally changed. Here we need a revolution in the Party. The Detroit district has shown the way. now distributing 500 copies a day instead of 3 copies as before, There the comrades | show some enthusiasm in their work for our Daily. With Communist Greetings, P. SMITH, Organization Dept., Central Committee. Letter From Red Azmy Division to U.S. A. Communist Youth Fighting Red Army greetings to the Com- munist youth of America from the fighters, \ politicals workers and commanders of the Tenth Mounted Artillery Division, on the oc- asion of the glorious Tenth Anniversary of e Young Communist International. Two years of our exerted studies and labor have contributed to the strengthening of the ~~ Workers! Join the Party of Your Class! S. A. Communist Party U. 43 East 125th Street, New York City. I, the undersigned, want to join the Commu- “nist Party. Send me more information. PMPbcUpation «6.6.66... eee esse ees ABCs coos Mail this to the Central Office, Communist , 43 East 125th St., New York, N. Y. iting powers of the Red Army of the Soviet In the factories, mills, mines and ' farms we will continue to build up the defense | | dig the grave for capitalism. | the left or the right. capacities of the Soviet Union, for that is the sole guarantee of its safety, the guarantee for the successful construction of socialism. Preserving the revolutionary traditions of the Budenny Red Cavalry of which we are a part, under the leadership of the Leninist Com- unist Party, we, together with the whole pro- letariat, will transform_the Five Year Plan into a living reality. We expect from you, comrades, that with your incessant revolutionary work, you will We are also confident that not one real honest revolution- ary will follow those who have deviated from the correct Bolshevik path, whether it be to You must declare a ruthless war against Lovestone, Pepper and their like, and all of their ideas. Their ideas are killing the energies and willingness of the working class to struggle and consequently are delaying the victory of the working class. Their path is the path of opportunism. Your path must be the only true revolution- ary path—the path of Lenin. We have conquered and are conquering. You are fighting. In this fight you are not alone. The toiling masses of the Soviet Union stand behind you. The Red Army is with you. The Red Army stands for Communism, for the vic- tory of the working class the world over. Long live the world revolution! Long live the Tenth Anniversary of the YGL.! FOMENKOFF, Commander YOUNAKOVSKY, Party Sec’y. (Unanimously adopted at the genera] meet- ing of the fighters, commanders and political workers of the Tenth M.A.D., on Oct, 24, 1929.) Central Oren of al | of the Communist Party of the U 8. A. By Fred Ellis i The big railroad mergers, now planned by the Wall Street Government, in addi- tion to being a measure attempting to meet the economic crisis, are a part of the prep- aration for imperialist war. The Coming of An Economic Crisis in the United States By WILLIAM W. WEINSTONE. Jibs development of the beginning of an econ- omic crisis in the land of much vaunted prosperity is at hand. The crash on the Stock Exchange, which experienced the wildest scenes in its history, is already referred to as the panic of 1929. The wiping out of the huge sum of 25,000 million dollars of stock exchange values is not only the effect of the decline in production, it is itself an accelerat- ing force for the development of the crisis. The huge lying machine of capitalist propa- ganda is busily at work trying to cover up the meaning of the stock exchange collapse. From the president of the United States down, assurances are being poured out, that “all is well,” “business is sound” and the events in Wall Street have no disturbing effect upon business. This was the burden of the state- ment issued by the president upon the first crash, but his subsequent actions have belied ‘is words. During the week of November 18, he has -alled together a series of conferences of the mightiest of industrial magnates, agri- cultural, railrocd and trade union leaders “to take -‘eps for the progress of business and the ma’ tenancegof employment.” At these ¢-nferences extraordinary mc yes were dis- cu...d to k. _ business mov; such as the establishment of a public construction pro- gram, which in jtself admits that serious causes are at work undermining the prosper- ity boom and that the latter is at an end. The secretary of tlre treasury has recom- mended a cut in the income tax. Various big trusts have announced extra dividends on the basis of the last earnings of the last year; but all of this is directed to maintaiying an at- mosphere of “business as usual” and to keep up the myth of “eternal prosperity.” Henry Ford admitted in a statement issued after the president conferences that the stock market deflation is attributed to a decline in business, and attested to this fact by closing down sev- eral of his minor plants. . The bourgeois press, while keeping up a n tom of “business as usual” on its first page, gives the true picture of the situation cn its business pages and “in its economic journals. The “New York America™,” as early | .S October 28th, declared that a decline of | production had taken place, not only in some of the basic industries, “which have reported consistent declines in activity contrary to the seasonal trend,” but likewise thatshoes, silk, ete, show overproduction. The, “New York 5 i 1 s mmer..’ declares that the peak of tivi'y has passed, “while the in- lex tgrtee of the “Analyst” bring out clearly the fact cf the very sharp decline in «duction which has been, under way the past few month. * Steel production in the last six months has fallen steadily from the index figure 131.6 ‘for June, 1929, to 104.5 for October,” while ‘automobiles declined even more—from 150.5 to 118.4 for the same period. The largest de- cline occurred in the last month. Building con- struction for the past 9 months declined 11.1 per cent as against 1928; the crop yield is 9 per cent below that of 1928, and the total production volume has gone down to the index re of 1927. When we consider that the utomobile production is 73 per cent of its ca- ity, and that automobile and building con- truction have been two of the strongest joints in the recent buginess boom, then the ‘oming of the economic crisis is more plainly ortrayed. This is grudgingly admitted in he recent monthly review of the big Wall ‘treet bank Guaranty Trust Company at New “It is fair te say that with inking gonditions strong . . . the back- ind for business recovery from either a sharp, short recession or a mild and longer depression is stronger than in other panic conditions” (Emphasis mine, W. W.). sting by-product of the stock ex- h is the admission of the bour- ying to minimize the losses on the exchange, that the broad masses of workers, who previously were reputed to be large holders of stocks, have in reality an in- significant, unimportant share of the stock distribution. Over-production stares American bourgeois society in the face. The problem of the ad- vance of production and the lagging of the market is the fundamental question for Amer- ican capitalism, which is only sharply agera- vated by the end of the business boom. The conference of the president and the assur- ances that employment will continue, will not solve this problem. The aim of the presi- dent’s conferences is to try to mobilize the smal] savings of large strata of the popula- tion to help out in the present difficult situa- tion. It is likewise designed to forestall a drop in instalment buying, which has been one of the means of extending the internal mar- ket during the recent prosperit ican capit s by a new wave alism will aim to overcome of rationalization, wage-cuts, lengthening of hours and speed-up and by more feverish preparations for war. The “Chicago Daily Tribune” reporter, in the issue of November 5th, hits upon the purpose of the conferences and the formation of an economic council when he says that it repre- sents “a sort of rationalization formerly ap- plied to production: in separate industries, now is applied to the entire economic field.” The consolidation proposals, as well as the construction program, will be mainly directed towards war industries and war preparations. Already new wage cuts are being introduced in textile, shoe, mining, etc.; and speed-up is being increased in automobile and other indus- tries. The workers are resisting this drive of the bosses, which resistance is incurring the fierce repression of the state. A cam- paign of terror against the Communist Party is under way, aimed at making the Party il- legal and cutting off the working class from their advance guard. Already sedition charges have been brought against the leadership of the Chicago district of the Party, as well as a number of other districts. This terror cam- paign only foreshadows the most repressive “measures that will be undertaken by the capi- talist class against the fighting workers who will combat unemployment and the lowering of the living standards arising from the de- veloping economic crisis. The coming of the economic crisis which will be under way at the turn of the year gives the answer to the social reformists of all stripes, the Lovestoneite renegade opportun- ists in particular, in regard to their excep- tionalist theory for American industry. It is an answer particularly to their conception of the softening of the inner contradictions. The end of the business boom, which with a short period of depression in 1927 lasted for eight years, will signify a tremendous inten- sification of all fundamental inner and outer contradictions of American capitalism, as well as a sharpening of the world crisis. A period of sharp class battles is ahead of the Amer- ican working class, for which the Communist Party is preparing itself. The present situa- ‘ton places before the Party the task of in- creasing the tempo of ths Bolshevization pro- cess which is now under way and for a more intensified struggle against social reformism (S. P. and A. F. L. bureauerats, and particu- larly all shades of Left social reformism and Musteism, By Mail (in New ¥, By Mail (outslde of New York City): SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS AND LABOR oH SUBSCRIPTION RATE ke City only): $8.00 a year: $4.5 $6.00 a year; six months; $5.50 six months; $2.50 three monthe $2.00 three months By MYRA PAGE, (Continued) lagra, a disease which springs from mal- ition and attacks not only the body but finally the brain as well, is very comman in southern cotton mills. A study made of the ravages of this sickness among southern work- ers by the U. S. Bureau of Health showed ve: clearly the relationship between the workers’ poverty and the illness, for it was the lack of means with which to buy milk, eggs, fresh fruit and vegetables, (especially in the winter months) which gave rise to a physical condi- tion leading to the dread disease. The lower the amount of earnings, the higher the rate of sickness in a family. Tubercul is also common among cotton mill workers, due to their malnutrition and weakened condition from mill work. Unsanitary living conditions make an epidemic of typhoid each summer a matter of course. In the face of low wages, any illrfess or un- employment brings immediate di er; yet there are no forms of social insurance in the cotton mill states against unemployment, old age dependency, or occupational dise: 3; ma- ternity benefits are unknown, and the sys of workmen’s compensation, in the few states which have them, are miserably inadequate. Southern mill hands are a poverty-stricken and propertyless group. Their rented homes are furnished with a most meagre equipment which has usually been purchased from a “loan shark” on the five dollars down, one dollar a week basis, The loan shark is an acknowledged institution in the village, ma ing his profit out of the frequent reclaimin, of furniture ne is able to make from h debtors who cannot meet some of the week payments. He lives upon the workers’ mi: fortune. In cases of default, mill families have been known to be left without a scrap of fur- niture in the house. One case I remember of a sick person being left to lie on the bare floor. When the neighbors hear of a family misfortune they dig down into their overalls or aprons and pennies .are scraped together; or charity workers or mill management make the necessary five dollar loan against future wages, and another loan shark is called in to refurnish the shack complete on the five dol- lars down, one dollar a week basis. Being in debt and living on credit are an inescapable part of life on a hill. Clothes, household furnishings, and an occasional piano or Ford are purchased on this long time credit basis. Likewise groceries are advanced at the company store, next week’s wages serving as security. Living within the four-room — shacks is crowded, and adjusted to the lack of water, heating systems, and other conveniences. Com- plaints become bitter when houses leak or bugs and ants become unbearable. Yet in spite of all difficulties many families adhere to certain standards of cleanliness which demand stren- uous efforts on their part in order to be main- tained. There is a rather widespread practice of supplementing wages by a little farming, either on small patches of ground back of their house, or on a piece of company land at the edge of the village set aside for this pur- pose, Communal practices in the cultivation and distribution of these gardens’ products are also common. The typical dress of mill workers reflects both their rural past and their present necessity. Children run about in a one-pie 2, nondescript garment. During the week men wear overalls, shapeless felt or straw hats and heavy shoes, girls and women d in faded gingham slips or black and white checkered percales, with the traditional sun-bonnet serving as protection from the hot southern sun. On Sunday, or for parties or funerals, this everyday garb is discarded by all those who have a “Sunday best” suit or dr Especially the young girls, stimulated by what they have seen in city, store-windows and worn by city women folk, strive to own a dvess of slazy silk or satin. Many men pur-* se a cheap black, or dark blue ‘suit, white collar and shirt, and a large white bow tie. To quote another villager, “Us mill folks is too poor to dress nice and eat good too. You. hev to choose one or other. Some of the young gals puts all they earn‘on their backs, but me, honey, I likes my vittles the best. This here ‘un is the only dress I got but we eats decent.” a By moving from farm to mill, these Poor Whites may have improved their standard of living somewhat (although the extent of this improvement has been much exaggerated by mill apologists), but their general economic and social status has remained much the same. Many mill workers feel their present position to be even inferior to their former one as small farmers. They are still Poor Whites—ostra- cized and looked down upon by their “betters.” * & : (To Be Continued) Lessons of the Demonstration and Fight of the New York Workers for the Streets By HERBERT BENJAMIN. 'HE demonstration arranged by the Commu- nist Party on Dec. 14 against the murder- ous invasion of Haiti by American marines; for defense of the Soviet Union and Support of the Chinese Revolution; was a splendid demonstration of international working class solidarity. At the same time this demonstra- tion gave ddded proof of the radicalization of the working masses, of their fighting will and courage and of the growing influence of the Communist Party. Thousands of workers, members of the Com- munist Party and class conscious workers who are not (but should be) members responded to the call of the Party and assembled around the place of the demonstration long before the appointed hour. In addition to those who came directly in response to the call of the Party, many hundreds of workers were drawn into active participation in support of the dem- onstration as they became acquainted with its purpose through the placards and the leaflets which were scattered among the vast crowds of workers on their way home from work. The dauntless courage displayed by the demonstra- tors in the*face of the savage attacks of police and mounted cossacks evoked the admiration and sympathy of all who were attracted by the struggle. In the scores of battles that took place dur- ing the two hours of struggle, the workers more than held their own. Scores of com- rades were wrested from the hands of the police and saved from serious injury by groups of workers who came quickly to their aid. Quite a number of police “slipped on the ice” (although there was none in sight) or “bump- ed against something.” The embittered workers did not submit meekly to beatings, clubbings and arrest. The streets rang with their shouts of protest; their songs of challenge and de- fiance. Broadway had the appearance of a battle ground. The thousands of leaflets float- ing through the air and raining down on the onlookers not only explained the purpose of the demonstration but served also to prove that the protest of the workers could not be sup- pressed. This, the first demonstration of its kind or- ganized under the leadership of the Party in this district, gave undeniable proof of the cor- rectness of the line and policy of the Party, which is based on a correct estimate of the fighting mood of the masses. Instead of sec- retly organizing a small group of Communists and making a “surprise” visit to the point of demonstration, as was done in the past, the Party undertook to openly mobilize the masses for a real political mass demonstration, On the night before the demonstration, eight mass meetings were held in as many sections of the city’where the workers were explained the purpose and importance of the demonstra- tion and why it was their duty to participate. Through the Party press which featured the demonstration in articles, editorials and stream- ers, the readers of our press were informed and urged to join in the struggle for support of the aims of the demonstration. All this had to be done in the space of a few days. While registering the positive achievements, we must also note and learn from the serious shortcomings that were exposed in the course of the battle. es shortcomings are the result of lack of experience. They result also from habits and methods of work which char- acterize our past and which are entirely im- permissible in the present period when the responsibilities of the Party increase, when the workers enter more bitter and severe strug- gles against a better organized united front of all forces of imperialism. If our shortcom- ings did not have more serious results in the present demonstration, then we must realize that the police were, not altogether prepared . for the kind of demonstration which was staged. i They will be better prepared the next time i] and so must we be. Fs Our shortcomings were in insufficient mobil- i | ization and preparation. The poor co-ordina- s| tion between the various departments, units and fractions of the Party was evidenced by the fact that most of the organizations under the leadership of the Party failed altogether to mobilize their members. Only a few organiza- tions (the A.N.L.C.; Womens Councils and La- bor Sports Union) issued statements endorsing the call for the demonstration. The revolu- tionary unions and the scores of fraternal and other mass organizations failed even in this perfunctionary effort at mobilization. Only one mass organization, a Latin-American and Span- ish speaking workers federation made a seri- ous attempt to mobilize by issuing leaflets in their language, calling upon the workers to join the demonstration. The shortcomings in the preparations, which are shortcomings.of the Party leadership were even more serious. These must be clearly and critically examined. We showed a certain amateurishness in the arrangement of very im- portant details. The locale of the demonstra- tion was not carefully enough studied. Details of strategy were overlooked and were not com- municated to a sufficiently large force of com- rades. Tardy preparation resulted in an in- sufficient number of placards. The speakers were not notified in time and were not brought into conference with the detachments to which they were assigned. The liaisons between lead- ing forces and the various sections and de- e tachments of the demonstration were not ade- quately maintained. All these ‘are examples of tardiness and lack of precision which must be avoided in the future. A repetition of these errors in the future will prove much more costly. ; The present period will call for greater and more frequent political mass demonstrations. The Communist Party has a right to‘call upon the workers as often as necessary to come out into the streets and express their protest and determination to fight against every action of the ruling class which conflicts with the in- terests and aims of the working Gags. The Party must, however, be fully conscious of | our duty to provide the workers with the most - effective leadership and organization forms for these struggles. The work of all departments, units and frac- tions of the Party must be perfectly co-or- dinated. They must be capable of prompt and thorough execution of all Party decisions, .We must eliminate all tendencies and practices that lead to slovenliness in our methods.. We must completely uproot and eliminate all vaccilation, apathy and cowardice. Our contact the masses must be increased a thousand fold throngh the establishment of nuclei in. all the important large factories. We must draw in and train fresh proletayian forces: for leader- ship in all our struggles. A powerful Wor* ers Defense Corps must be built up and trainen under Party leadership. By proper organiza- tion we can also prepare to retire.at the end of our demonstrations so that small groups are not isolated and left to the tender mercies of the brutal police. In fact much of the art and strategy of military organization must be studied and applied in all. such Struggles. The members of the Communist Party must show that they have learned and are punlvinn the valuable lessons to be Fearned from experiences in this and other struggles, by Q greater and more energetic activity in work ; of the Partys The class conscious proletarian fighters who acquit themselves so splendidly in these struggles must realize from these ex- periences that the Communist Party must be built and strengthened and that they can help do this by joining and bin 2 as part of the organized advance guard of the working class, by becoming members of the Communist Say of the U. S, A. Mash 6 ima Z2oftmonraer