The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 7, 1931, Page 1

< Dail A Worker Central. Communist Party U.S.A (Section of the Communist Fate aeienats AT te The @cx-£&D GPirarist WORLD isbe Mat eT WORKERS OF THE WORLD, E ze second-class at lee i boy teres aged apr he le a lcoaetnasl Price 3 Cents NEW YORK, TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1931 OHIO HUNGER MARCHERS DEMAND FOOD FROM CITIES “Americanization” Comes | 9 Negro Workers Face iesnch| Home to Roost! WAGE CUTS IN GOODRICH Mob in Ala. As Trial Opens Pe delonghi tis poss Woot os tone ace ts Began RUBBER, REMINGTON ARM on Horse Swapping, Fair Day C0.; THaEAT ALL WORKERS Force Many to Promise Lodging to 400 Jobless In effect, the wage-cuts now being put over in England will be used as an excuse to reduce the wages of American workers. It is, therefore, valu- able for American workers to understand how the capitalist class of Great Britain has been using the “union leaders” to carry out the wage-cuts. The New York Post of April Ist gives some splendid examples. It Bosses Plan Mass Lynching to Strike Terror at Rising Temper of Masses; Must tells how a wage-cut up to 5 per cent was forced upon 540,000 railroad men, “The minority made a determined stand for a strike,” says the dispatch, but—‘“the union leaders, while deploring wage reductions, were brutally frank in telling their men they could not hope for better terms by striking and in the end cooler counsels prevailed.” “Cooler” counsels mean treacherous counsels, of course. Again, where 800,000 building trades workers were asked to accept ‘wage-cuts, “the union leaders induced the unions to accept a six months’ ’"—which amounts to an acceptance of the wage-cut. The rank and file unionists in the South Wales mines protested, 162,000 strong, against ® wage cut, by “impartial” arbitration. “But”, says the Post, “in the end the union leaders obtained acceptance.” And for the benefit of the reactionary leaders of the American Fed- eration of Labor, the London correspondent sums up the matter thus: “ANl of this testifies to the realism of the union leaders.” For good measure it is added that, “The employers are aware that the peaceful settlements were due in part to the existence of the Labor Govrnment.” At this time the employing class of America are opening a tremendous publicity campaign for wage-cuts in the United States, although, accord- ing to the International Labor office of the League of Nations, the Amer- ican working class has already suffered a total loss in wages of nine billion dollars in the last year, and the A. F. of L. admits, under its breath, that the figure reaches ten billion. Im the N. Y. Herald-Tribune of April 5th an article by a Dr. Willford I, King, professor of economics in N, Y. University, opens with these lines: “Must wages be cut if business is to recover? This question is now being ‘argued warmly both by leaders of labor and leaders of industry and finance.” This bourgeois professor, trying to sit on two chairs, and to appear “fair” with both sides, pursues his subject through two columns of type in order to “prove” that, after all, “wage-cuts may aid the work- ers.” All American workers should remember that when the speed-up and @lase-collaboration policies of the A. F. of L. were being held up to Euro- ‘pean labor as “Americanization” of industry, that it was given as a guar- antee of “high wages.” We can now see that the wage-cuts being put over on British workers will be the source of more capitalist propaganda im America, to show the American workers that they must accept lower wages in order to “allow American industry to compete.” “Americaniza- tion” is coming-tomie to-roost! ‘Workers must be convinced from past experience that however much bluster and bluff is-put out by the A. F. of L. officials, that they, just as the British labor traders, will in the end aid the employers to put over wage-cuts. Indeed, it is the main line of A. F. of L. argument today, that “strikes cannot be won during unemployment.” The revolutionary trade anions of the Trade Union Unity League have shown this to be a lie by winning strikes, by ity of action between the employed and unemployed. ‘The most necessary preparations for May Ist must be to carry the message of organization and strike against wage-cuts to every shop, fac- tory and work place! The attack on wages must be defeated; and only by shop committee organization, by unity with the unemployed, and a common struggle of the whole working class against government per- secution with which the capitalists accompany the wages-cut drive, can wage-cuts be defeated. Unite and strike against wage-cuts! Unite and fight for unemploy- ment insurance! Unite and demonstrate on May First against capitalist robbery and starvation! The German Workers March Forward! ie split in the fascist (National Socialist) party of Germany is the latest sign of the growing crisis of the German bourgeoisie of which is added to by the stormy upsurge of the German proletariat and the increasing influence of the Communist Party of Germany. ‘The opposition, within the fascist party, to Hitler—who was softem- ing the formulation of the fascist program (as distinct from the program itself) in order to make an agreement with Bruening more palatable to the center party—declares that the Hitler leadership has become so “milk and waterish” that many of the active rank and filers have been “going over to the Communists.” On every front the German bourgeoisie is confronted with contradic- tions from which it seeks to extricate itself, only to fall into further ones. It. must maneuver against the Versailles treaty, but in order to do this it talks of Anschluss and timidly sticks one foot into a customs union with Austria, with the probable net result of coming more than ever under the dominance of France. Its deepest desire is to find a modus operandi (meare of agreement) with western imperialism against the Soviet Union, but at the same time finds it necessary to reach a trade agreement with % the Soviet Union, not unfavorable to the latter. 4% ‘The Bruening government, the historic role of which is to develop “a method of the immediate dictatorship of the bourgeoisie . . . ich is independent of relations and combinations between parties” (Pro- Communist International), nevertheless finds it necessary to make @ formal distinction between itself and its fascist taeg eprosition,” the ‘Nationalist Socialist party. The disagreements between the various, elements of the bourgeoisie bring about not only this result im the policies of the Bruening govern- ment, but likewise have caused the present crisis in the fascist party. A similar crisis afflicts fhe whole fabric of the social fascist “socialist” party. The polity of the “socialist” leaders, of coalition government in parliamentary affairs, and class collaboration in trade union affairs, has been bankrupted by events arising out of the crisis, not the least of which is the determination of the German bourgeoisie to push rapidly toward @ purely fascist regime. ‘Thus, just as the Hitler leadership's demagogy is being exposed to the masses it once deluded, so the rank and file of the social democracy see the old shibboleths of their leaders, the theory of “organized capitalism,” “economic democracy,” and “gradual approach to socialism,” completely discredited and their leaders letting these old slogans fall into oblivion. Of course, although these “socialist” leaders are theoretically bankrupt, they do not forsake, in action, the path of coalition and collaboration with the bourgeoisie. Indeed only by their assistance does the Bruening government live and develop its fascist program. For the German proletariat, and indeed for the whole of the toiling masses of Germany, it is becoming clearer every day that only by fol- lowing the revolutionary leadership of the Communist Party of Germany can they escape from the slavery imposed by the Young Plan, the Ver- sailles Treaty, the starvation policy of the German bourgeoisie and im- perialist war danger. Our brother party of Germany, in its January plenum, determined to organize the German masses to meet a revolutionary crisis. The German proletariat marches forward and standing firmly in the leadership is the Communist Party of Germany! Let American workers, massing in dem- onstrations on the streets this May Day, hail the revolutionary advance of the German. workers and pledge to them our solidarity in tearing up the enslaving Young Plan! In establishing Soviet Germany! ers’ Livin £ The big drive to cut wages leading bosses and bankers has cuts in big industries. GRAND JURY OF DALLAS WHITE- WASHES THE KLAN Claims Coder, Hurst, Not Kidnapped DALLAS, Tex., April 6—The Dal- | Jas county grand jury, made up of, Ku Klux Klansmen or those directly under their influence, brought in aj report Friday, drawn up by District | Attorney McCraw, another Klans- man, and signed by all the jurors, declaring that Coder and Hurst were “not flogged but were kidnapped by themselves or other Communists, for publicity purposes!” The grand jury findings are in! such flagrant violation of all the facts that they serve merely as an- other exhibition of the power of the Klan and lynch gangs in this sec- | tion. The grand jury passes calmly over the statement of the reporter Edward Barr of the local “Dallas Dispatch,” that the klansman, Nor- | man Register, assistant to the Dis- trict Attorney gave him the details of the flogging and kidnapping, de- | tails later confirmed by Hurst themselves when they appear- ed in Kansas City six days after be- ing left lying in their blood 16 miles out in the country from Dallas. | The two had been rescued by poor Negro farmers and hidden from the lynchers. Attorney Saw It The grand jury's findings are in| flagrant contradiction to the evid- ence of the noted local attorney,’ George Clifton Edwards, volunteer council for the two men when they were arrested. Edwards saw the men | seized on the steps of the jail, where they were turned over to the armed gang of klansmen by the police, and | Edwards was himself kidnapped and carried as far as the city limits by | the same gang. Coder and{ Supporter of Hoover’s “No Wage Cut, N Strike Conference” Cuts Wages Demonstrate May 1 Against Attack on Work- is just a part of the concerted atta ! against Standards of all workers, directed by the started with full force. Today the Daily Worker received information of two important wage Wages of all workers in the B. F. Good- rich Co. Akron, Ohio, have been cut 10 to 30 per cent. This . ——~*follows a cut in wages for all workers in the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. One of the other corporati- ons to cut pay is the Remington Arms Co., with plants in Bridgeport and Ilion near Utica. Wages were cut 10 per cent. The president of this company, Mr. Novell, was one of the active figures in Hoover's business- conference in 1929 when the famous slogan of “no wage cuts” and no strikes” was evolved by the big ex- ploiters and the strikebreaking offi- cials of the A. F. of L. The fascists | , like Wm. Green have done their job} in smashing strikes. Now Novell and | the other bosses are leading the wage cutting drive. It is insignificant, also, | that Mr. Novell of the Remington Arms Co. made numerous speeches about the necessity of “maintaining wages,” just as Hoover does now—a smoke screen behind which wages are cut wholesale. The Remington Arms Co. pay) slash effects 4,500 workers. The work- ers now are employed on a nine hour | day, and the bosses offered them a ten hour day to “compensate” for the pay cut. The chairman of} the Board of Directors of this muni- | tion plant is John D. Rockefeller, 3 | ment agency The cut in wages in the Goodrich plant and the Remington Arms Co. | | the standard of living of theAmerican workers. In 1930 wages for the entire working class w cut $9,000,000,000. The bosses want | to cut wages still another $9,000,00,- 000. Carrying along this drive on the wages of all workers, the Commer- cial & Financial Chronicle, leading organ of Wall Street, in its latest issue calls for drastic slashing of pay for all railroad workers. They point out that the bosses are not making enough profits and they say the workers must have their pay cut so the bond and stockholders can | live in their accustomed luxury “There appears to be only alternative left” (to one | insure the | (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Throughout the country, the four- teenth anniversary of the entrance of the United States in the World War, which was celebrated Saturday, was used as a day of mobilization for the next imperialist slaughter. The New York World-Telegram said that the fourteenth anniversary found this nation in a better posi- tion to fight than ever before in its history.” This is no accident. The Amer- ican bosses have been deliberately preparing for war. Billions of dol- lars have been spent for the army and navy. While the standing army is only 118,750, the leading officers of the War Department say that they can put 2,000,000 armed men into the field immediately. ‘The anniversary of the American expitalists’ entrance into the World War took place in the midst of the worst crisis of world capitalism. It took place at a time when all the imperialist powers are preparing war against the Soviet Union. The fighting trim of the armies shows how quickly the capitalists are ready to spend money for wat; but they cannot find a cent to feed the 10,000,000 unemployed. On every occasion the capitalists flaunt their war machinery. They are rapidly driving forward to plunge the working class into another slaughter so that the United States Steel Corporation can increase its nrofits to 50 per sent; so that Morgan, Hoover, Rockefeller, Morir~, | Pont and the hundreds of otherj U. S. Capitalists in Better Position to War Than Ever American millionaires can reap added wealth out cf the murder of the workers: Smash the war preparations! De- mand adl the ready funds they find for armaments go to feed the unem- ployed—demand unemployment in- surance! All out on May Day in an international demonstration against imperialist war and for the defense of the Soviet Union! Answer On May First | BULLETIN. | SCOTTSBORO, Ala., April 6.—Mob of 8,000, the most people ever | seen in this town, jammed it today as nine young Negro workers went | on trial for their lives. Local attorneys who have openly expressed their desire for a speedy execution have been appointed by the court as defense counsel. The oldest of the nine youths is 20 years old. The others are not yet eighteen, A motion for a change of venue was immediately denied. The state is demanding electric chair. Mob spirit is whipped up to such a degree that it is common knowledge there will be a mass lynching of all nine if such a verdict is not speedily rendered. 118 National Guardsmen, witlg machine guns, surround the court in usual fake gesture of protection. Sergeant of Company I expressed desire to International Labor Defense investigator for lynching. Actual facts about the charge against the 9 youths of raping two white girls not yet known, but prominent county official admitted to investigator that the two girls supposed to have been attacked are notorious pros- titutes. The trial may last several days as the bosses want to give the mob a real thrill. The Communist Party and the International Labor Defense are trying to mobilize Negro and white workers against the danger of a mass lynching. Thousands of leaflets exposing boss lynch SESE —--— terror have been CRE JOBLESS COUNCIL SCOTSBORO, Ala., * april 6 on Route to Columbus | Meetings in All Towns of State Mobilize For Great May 1 Demonstrations To Reinforce Demands on Legislature State Unemployment Conference In Capital On Bill For Full Wages Insurance | Committee in Charge of March Writes State Legislature To Be Prepared To Receive Delégation April 27; March Starts 16th CLEVELAND, ( Ohio, April 6.—Provision ot food and lodging for the 300 to 400 hunger marchers who will gather in Columbus on April |25 from all over Ohio is put directly up to Gov- | council, |held a meeting yesterday in front | ihe Unemployed BLOCKS SCABBING ‘:wss'srcs suarhont | State Agency Sent 50 Men-to Dock Strike | NEW YORK.—The quick work |and good solidarity of the Brooklyn Borough Hall Council of the Unem- ployed has broken up an attempt at wholesale scab supply~by the New York State Unemployment “Agency, | located at J and Johnson Sts., Brook- lyn. The whole force, 50 longshoremen, at the Green Coffee Warehouse, Store 35, at Pier 8, walked out last week against a wage cut from 85 cents to 65 cents per hour. Last Saturday the state employ- sent 50 unemployed workers to take their places without telling them that it was a strike- breaking job. Included in the 50 were members of the unemployed who, as soon as they found j out what sort of work it was, spoke | to the other men and pulled them all off. They all went~back to the agen- cy and turned back their cards and | announced that they would not scab. | The speakers of the Borough Hall | | Council of the Unemployed then got in touch with the Marine Workers Industrial Union, which got to work, holding meetings, and addressed the strikers. The unemployed council of the state employment agency, with speakers: Ann Rollins, secretary of the council; Weingast, and Lambke, of the Madison Square Council of An enthusiastic crowd of 200 heard speakers, and followed to the in- door meeting at the council's head- quarters, 73 Myrtle Ave. Many joined the council, after a good meeting in which several spoke from the floor. As a result of the Borough Hall Council's activities, sending of strike breakers from’ the state employment agency has been stopped, at least temporarily, though the dock has a few scabs secured somewhere else. Today, and on following days, the jobless council will hold open air meetings at the agency, J and John- ston streets, at 11 a.m. Thursday at that hour, Sam Nesin, general secretary of the unemployed councils of New York will be a speaker and will also speak atthe indoor meet- ing following. of the United States “are mobilizing | their forces for huge militant coun- | ln against the persecution and lbeatine of Negro workers, against starvation, wage cuts, deportation of foreign born and imperialist wars, and while the Negro reformists are treacherously attempting to the Negro masses from this necessary divert | mittee of Unemployed unsatisfactory put up to the state. jernor White, in a letter from the State Com- Councils, which is or- ganizing the march. The committee reports ory answers from the mayor“and city council of Columbus, the former stating that the matter is Application to the state authorities has re- struggle, the imperialist bosses of , Sulted merely in reference from one department to another Alabama are busy setting the stage | for the mass lynching of mine mork- | ers in the town of Scotsboro. A tense lynching atmosphere pre- vails in this town as the largest mob ever assembled here awaits the open- ing of the trial of nine Negro work- ers arrested ten days ago near Stevenson, Ala., on the fake charge of raping two white girls “bumming a ride on a freight train, after throw- ing their seven white companions off the train. The local bosses and their press haye been busy whipping up lynching sentiment for days. The trial was deliberately set for tod: because this is horse-swapping and fair day in this town, and it was known that over 500 additional per- (CONTINU Madison Sa. Jobless! Council Saves Home of Unemployed Worker NEW YORK. — John Hargreaves, 538 West 52 St., sole support of his aged mother, long out of work, but living in this same house for ten years, had his furniture put out on the sidewalk yesterday afternoon for non-payment of rent. A committee from Madison Square Council of the Unemployed went up and put it back. colored worker, The Medison Square Council will hold a meeting at its headquarters, 16 West 21 Street to- | day at 2 pm. The council calls on unemployed workers facing eviction to report such cases to it. Hargreaves is a} without any action. ‘OBLESS COUNCIL STOPS EVICTIC Many Work orkers Council Join The Downtown Unemployed Coun- il prevented another eviction today, placed the furniture of an unemployed worker, Frank Pat- | rick of 372 E. Tenth St., back into ‘the house from which it had been evicted. After they had placed the furni- ture into the house they held a meeting in front of the place, at | which many workers attentively lis- | tened, The unemployed worker has been out of work for a long time and had been forced to send his three children to a city institution because he had no money to support them. | The Unemployed Council held a} meeting at their regular place in front of the Free Unemployed Agency | on Leonard St., and another meet- ing at Ave. B and Fourth St. After that they held their indoor meeting at 27 E. Fourth St. and many work- ers joined the Unemployed Council. ‘The council is holding a dance on April 30 at 131 W. 28th St. This is a May Day Eve Rally and Ball, when they Prosser Committee Head Fires 150 of NEW YORK.—President Prosser of the Guaranty Trust Co, and chair- man of the famous “Prosser Com- mittee,” the main “unemployment relief” body in New York, which col- lected money for “emergency work Terre Haute Jobless Demonstrate; Make Demands i in Muskegon Heights Continued organization and action! to force relief from the local govern- | ments continues on the part of the| Councils of the Unemployed. In all! cities there is preparation for mass demonstration for unemployment re- lief on May 1, International Labor Day. ee, Lee TERRE-HAUTE, Ind., April 6.—An unemployed mass meeting was held| on the east steps of the court house here April 1 at 2 p. m. The demon- | strators demanded unemployed in-} surance at the rate of $15 a week for| e¥ery unemployed worker, and $3) more for each of his dependents. The | leaflet distributed to call the mect-| states: | Haute, the city and! Protest Starvation In Huge Mass Meets May 1 county administrations have been kidding the workers that there is no unemployment or suffering. Through a fake registration they claim there is only 5,000 unemployed. This is a lie. There are at least 15,000 unem- ployed. Then they kid us some more with a 20,000 dollar appropriation, to feed and clothe about 45,000 people (counting members of families.) This allows about 50 cents per starving worker.” | Althovgh the capitalist press ad-| mits that there was no disorder at! the meeting, i meeting, it records the arrest “during the afternoon” of “six al- leged leaders of the meeting,” and gives their names as: Dan Winninger, Leonard Klink, Geotge Chandler, Adolph Jackson (a Negro), Steve Martin and Tony Domingo. + © 6 Force Promise of More Food. MUSKEGON HEIGHTS, Mich., April 6.—The Council of the Unem- ployed has served a formal demand on the city council here for more food for those doing “city work.” The Jobless Council points out that there is no provision at all for children in the food distribution, no fresh vege- tables, fruit or butter, and that the (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Own Employes for the jobless, has just discharged 150 employees of the Guaranty Trust. Prosser's group several months ago put on a noisy drive and collected over $8,000,000 with which to pay 24,000 men for three days’ work a week on city parks and other such jobs. This was supposed to “solve the unemployment crisis.” Much of the money was contrib- uted by employers who simply checked it off their employes’ wages, threatening with dismissal those who protested. Many employers even on the Prosser Committee, it was brought out in meetings of that com- mittee and its subordinate parts, fired workers in order to hire at cheaper wages those who had been Jong without jobs. The committee now is closing down and firing all the 24,000. ‘The Guaranty Trust is part of the Morgan system. ‘The announced policy ‘of this: group of banks was to keep its personnel intact, waiting for things to pick up. It appears from the recent discharges that they now see no immediate possibility of better times. And Morgan ought to know! 4 ae PUEBLO, Calif., April 6—On April 1 the city relief, which gave two (CONTINUED ON PAGE TERMED: Lgarance Rit Tn its letter. to-the governor, the~eom- mittee » demands food and Jodging for the-marchers in either the State’ fair grounds or the State Ar- | mory. Acting in behalf of hundrec of thousands of jobless workers and im- poverished farmers the asks Governor White to hearing before the state for the hunger march “preferably before a joint sessi the State Senate and April 27 about 10 a. m.” Demand Insurs The main deman workers and poor farmers wi legates will march on Columb five ends of the state April 16 are for unemployment in- surance and state relief for the farmers. Draft demands haye. been drawn up for submission to — the state conference ‘to be held in ‘Co- lumbus on April 26. Those include a draft of a Workers’ Unemployment Insurance Bill to supply benefits to the jobless at their average rate of wages, funds to be raised by taxing large incomes and using money now delegati on ne: Assembly, 0 THREE) TUUL MOBILIZES FOR MAY DAY .Work (CONTINUED ON PAGE Program for Prepared NEW YORK.—The revolutionary unions and industrial leagues are at present organizing their forces. for extensive work in connection. with May Day, The Buro of the "Trade Union Council has worked out a de- tailed program of work for. every union, league and group. The Trade Union Unity Council will have May Day as its main point on the order of business at the com- ing meeting Thursday April 6, 7:45 p.m. at 16 West 21 Street. This meet- ing will also take up the case of the framed up textile workers in Passaic. All delegates to the Goun- cil must be present without fail. Try Jail 5 Jobless Workers for Taking Ride On Street Car CHICAGO, April 2—Pive unem- ployed youths, wearied from tramp- ing the streets seeking work, were given six months in jail by Judge Justin F, McCarthy for hopping a street-car and attempting to ride free, McCarthy, fearful of the protest of the working-class, later changed the jail sentence to one of six months’ probation, but threatened to jail the young workers if they participate in any working-class activities against the bosses hunger system. ely npe crema ‘