The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 30, 1931, Page 14

Page Six DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1931 Youth and May Day By TONY MINERICH HE working class youth has played a very important part in all struggles against capitalism. Whether it was an armed fight against the imperialists in China, or against the murderous “Social- list” Labor Government in India, in the fight against fascism in Germany, or in conducting strikes in the United States, the working class youth, shoulder to shoulder wth the adults, has fought in the front lines. Youth in U.S.S.R. In the Soviet Union, the work- ing class youth has also conduc- ted a big fight. Here the fight is different, because it is the only working class government, and the youth does not have to fight against wage cuts, unem- ployment, speed up, terror and war preparations. On the con- trary, the youth is helping to build Socialism; helping to carry out the Five Year Plan in four years, being the originators and active members of the famous “shock troops,” also helping to liquidate the last remnants of capitalism—the kulaks. In the United States, since last May Day, the youth has taken part in many working class battles. In the Lawrence textile strike, the miners’ strike, the youth strikes in New Haven, and, the fight against unemployment, wage-cut and speed-up, the fight against lynch- ing of Negro workers, against de- portations, the youth has helped the adults carry on the fight. In many cases, the youth has played an active role in the fight against bosses’ war preparations. An exa- mination of the situation of the working class youth will clearly show the reason for this. Probably, at no other time, has the situation of the young workers and farmers been as it is today. Of the ten million un- employed, over 2,500,000 are Young workers. These young workers are going from town to town looking for jobs that are not to be found. Forced to go away from home, they must look ¥ ver for flop houses, alleys and parks | ting the youth harder to find a place to sleep. While the bosses have taken very few steps to feed or house the un- employed, charity jorganizations The Bosses’ lower for | only way out. The Hoo- even hit- Sharpest Terror. than the —-|the Young Pioneer for their fight struggle, commit suicide as the Army, from Boy Scouts Up - inst the bosses’ war and lynch- Prepare War Together with this, as a part lof it, the bosses are very busy preparing the youth for the con’ ing war. On all sides can be sec the war preparations. The milita: | budgets are fast being increased. The U.S. last-year spent $741,000- 000 for war preparations. Con- gressman Collins, admitted in Con- gress, that 72 cents out of every dollar was spent for war prepara- tions. The total man power for war in this country was increased to 18,500,000. This includes the army, navy, marines, air forces and reserves. The National Guard has grown to 182,715 in 1930, Over 118,000 civilians are holding re- serve commissions. Citizen’s Mili- tary Training Camps, Rifile Clubs, Boy Scouts have grown. In all of this, can be clearly seen that the bosses understand the role of the youth. Generai John F. O’Ryan, in a recent ar, -lticle in the N. Y. Times, said tl following: “The next war {means (the killing of boys, and more boys —for wars have always been Fought by boys. These boys who are to be killed are not the boys of statistics, they are the boys everywhere, now living in their homes, at schools, at colleges, at work, your boys and other boys, who, if there is to be a “next war” will operate the machinery of war on the battlefield, and furnish the battle casualties.” This war is being prepared be- tween the various imperialist countries, but especially against the Soviet Union. The Young Communist League must be built. Revolutionary Trade Unions, as well as left-wing groups in the old unions, the Labor Sports Un- ion, Cultutal and Social Clubs, Husa and Holmes; ‘in California, many such cases can be noted, the Oe: ee jatest of which is the capture and|into ail st ruggles, they must play slashing with a knife of comradejan important part in the May Any signs of fight agaipst the | Doris Clay by the membersof the Day Demonstrations. This May bosses is met by the sharpest ter-j| fascist American Legion. Recently Day must also be a mobilizing Young workers must be brought openly discriminate against the youth. Those that have jobs, are getting wage cut after wage cut. The average wage for a week*be- the working class youth. In many cases the weaker elements, not understanding the way of ror. This can be seen by the many lynchings of young Negro workers, that have taken place both in the north and in the south, In Marion, Indiana, two Negro youths were lynched. In Scottsboro, Ala. eight Negro youths the U. S. Government took away the mailing gights of the Young Worker, Sports and Play and * successful First National You place fo organize May 30 into Day Celebration. Labor Sports Union Marching were the Youth and Labor Sports Union. (Prince Takamatsu and his wife, representatives of the Japanese Murderers, are being wined and dined by the capitalists. This May Day 1,000 Japanese workers face execution for revolutionary activities, The following is a section of the novel written by the Japanese worker N. Tokunga, entitled “The Street With- out Sunshine.” It describes life in the slums of Tokio. The novel deals with the hard fought printers strike of 1926.—Ed.) * * 7 * THE SUN played its hide-and-seek from mountain to mountain. Its rays never reached into the valley. The “Street in the Valley” was in truth “the Street with- out Sunshine.” The Senkawa brook had entirely lost its old form, On top of it hunger the small porches of the workers’ barracks; the kitchens and toilets were also part- ly built over the ditch, It was filled up with ashes, broken » bottles, rags and (gndeproved its only in | perloitbe floods. Hie Se ewer SE ME Cotter ot 4 | therstreets in the and at the same time its symbol. The farther you m away from it,’up the’ slope of the mountain, the richer became the residents; it meant at the same time that you moved away from the dirty water and came nearer to the sun, Here was the baro- meter which indicated the different classes ef society. The foremen and clerks did not see anything extraordinary in In the forefront of the march to Union Square last May Day afe now being framed up and preparations ade to “legally” lynch them. s brazen attempt of the bosses must meet with the sharpest. resistance from all sec- tions of the working class. In the last year, many arrests of militant youth leaders have taken place. In the south, we have the Atlanta insurrection case, the Dal- ton case; in Washington, we have the arrest and conviction of Mike Kulikoff, Fred Walker and James Bourne, leaders of the Y. C. L.; in Philadelphia, comrades Tess Ryder and Ann Lynn; in New York, the raid on the Pioneer camp and the arrest and conviction of comrades “STREET WITHOUT SUNSHINE” it. For on top of the hill stood Okawa’s house besides Matsudaira’s, the well-known baron’s iarge houses. The Daido Printing Company was in the center of the Sen- kawa district. A 10 yard broad street lead from its gate over the mountain slope right into the middle of the bar- racks; this was the only main street of the district. On it were the shops of the small traders; small restaurants, saloons, fish markets, dry good stores, apothecaries, booze joints and the general stores where you could buy every- thing. The fish merchants and small traders did not have to go to the market early. There are no goods in the markets so early that are fit for these barrack people. The tradesmen knew exactly their customers and the buy- ing power of their pocke The workers spend the biggest part of the day in the factory and are forced to enjoy all the poor pleasures of their lives.during the short hours,of. the ex GORE the Oitapect How wine te ddibon Gta ees t the aicohol out again in the public bathing this is cramped into this. short ‘hont, it is their -tormal day. In the small dark chambers, measuring 12 square feet, live and sleep five to six persons of one family. If the sister does not find a husband or the youngest son does not marry into another family, the older brother can not take his wife into his house. The Young Communist League in marching ‘formation May Day, 1930. : stteet, the women in the Youth in the Lead { 4 4 A VIEW OF THE JAPANESE SLUMS “But my dear, it is shameful, to bother the family with the wife even at night!” But this is no joke, it is bitter reality. "All the men and women in the factory knew each other. The common thing that bound them together was “the love of the factory”. But since the strike had started they were all changed. They looked pale and faded. The factory was their accustomed element of life. The familar environ- ment put the same stamp on all so that they looked beautiful to each other. The women wore black smocks and white aprons, the men their working cloth with white shirts—it looked familar and therefore intimate. But now not only the young people had those tired, uniform and easily excitable faces. And not only the people—the whole street without sunshine, even the brick buildings of the factory which looked: very mad and en- tirely empty and haughty. The small merchants of main bartacks and the peddlers md Saal ate live on the pennies of the ‘kids—they all were mad. «qfhey felt that something was, stuck in their throa' they were very rushed, irritated and impatient. They did not even know what it was. “Damn it, down with it!” | rc erdieata oahu rbooplecabbineue alist elteed