The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 5, 1931, Page 1

Te eee ne Continue the May First Fight Against Starvation, Wage Cuts, Lynching, De- portations, fer Defense of the Soviet Union, for Amnesty for all Class , War Prisoners, and to Smash the Scotisboro and Paterson Frame- ups. oa | See © Dail Central . i) (Section of the Communist International) WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE! Vol. VIII, No. 108. Entered as second-class matter at the Pest Office at New York, N. ¥., ander the act of Mareh 3, 1879 braiih NEW YORK, TUESDAY, MAY 5, 1931 CITY EDITION Price 3 Cents The Need For Organization TRE oe workers of Duluth and Superior are making a hard fight against a 15 per cent wage cut. The Lake Carriers’ Association is using every available weapon to defeat the strike. As in all strikes, the police are actively engaged on the side of the bosses, Indeed the police chief invited the strike committee to meet the bosses at the police station. And when the strike committee, quite cor- rectly rejecting the “assistance” of this strike-breaking organization of the capitalist class, the “helpfulness” of the chief of police was shown: by his threat to use force against the strikers. But the eweakness of the workers lies not in the strength of the po- lice, but in wrong policies being followed by the strikers themselves. In the first place a large strike committee, well representative of all the workers involved, and elected by them, is absolutely necessary to insure solidarity, Such a strike committee, completely responsive to the control of the strikers themselves, is an insurance against such openly strikebreaking organizations as the A. F. of L., which is trying to take advantage of the lack of real organization by butting in with enough bluster about a long dead “freight handlers’ local” to enable the A. F. of L. to make an “agreement” with the bosses betraying the strike. 4 In addition, however, the local Finnish paper of the IWW has in- jected another form of strikebreaking. In the face of the fact of air- tight organization on the part of the bosses, these bosses being assisted by the police and ready to work with the alleged “organization” of the fas- cist leaders of the A. F. of L., these brilliant minds among the IWW “lead- ers” have discovered that there is “no need” for organization! Of course, this is simply a deceit by the IWW editors, whose follow- ers on the docks, who are at least honest workers no matter how con- fused by the demagogy of their supposed “leaders,” ought to know—in tact should have long known—the imperative necessity of organization. The only reason that the IWW injects such nonsense as ‘‘no organ- ization” at this time is because they, who have utterly failed in organ- ization in every section of the United States and have no organization, wish to prevent the strikers from organizing their own Dock Committees, fully subject to the control of the rank and file, the rank and file being very friendly—and correctly so—to the ‘program proposed by the Trade Union Unity League. Under the circumstances any such foolishness as the proposal that “solidarity is all right, but no organization is needed” is a direct support to the bosses and the police and an invitation to the fascist A. F. of L. “union” to take control. In short, the “no organization” proposal of ‘the IWW leadership and the dock workers will follow such advice at the peril of both their present and future interests. ‘Wage cuts can only be defeated by strike. And to have a strike that is successful—or even to hold the demands atter they aye won—organ- ization is absolutely required. There can be no substitute for a large Dock Committee in the defense of the’ interests of the workers after the strike is over, whether it is won or lost! And it should be clear to the strikers that from the behavior of the IWW “leaders” and their assistance to the A. F. of L. and the bosses in this strike, that the revolutionary union, the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union of the Trade Union Unity League, is the only organization which can give them. real leadership and real organization! 5,000 May 1 Demonstrators Resist Police, Minneapolis Walk Out On May First Against Wage Cut; Others Join Demonstration In Protest at Murder of 2 at Sonnman Shaft EDITOR’SNOTE:—Space prevents printing in this issue of a large number of reports received of demonstrations all-over the country on May 1. In general the demonstrations are much larger than those in previous years, and many are from cities which never before had a May Day demonstration. Reports will be printed as soon as possible. On the other hand, some cities have not sent in news yet. . * MILWAUKEE, Wisc., May 4.—The Communist, Party led one of the greatest May Day demonstrations ever geen in this “socialist” city. About 6,000 participated. Bile ioe Smash Through In Minneapolis. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. May 4— Five thousand demonstrated at Bridge Square, despite heavy mob- ilization of the police with tear gas bombs and pistols. The authorities had threatened that any demonstra- tion attempted would be smashed. The workers refused to disperse when called upon to do so, Although four speakers were arrested, the masses broke through the police lines and marched to the court house. The demonstration was broken up , three times, but reformed again each ‘time at the court house and remained util the prisoners were released on bail. ‘Then the demonstrators marched to Randall Park, where the released prisoners spoke. The police were forced, by the militancy of the work- ors, to withdraw the ban ‘on two eye- ning mass meetings. These were held at the I. O. G. T. Hall and Humboldt Hall. The meetings were enthusi- astic and supported the Communist Party. ‘The renegades from the Commu- nist Party and the local Jabor fakers combined to try and divert the work- ers’ demonstration away from the struggle, but the workers reptidiated them, j . 8 4,000 In Toledo, ‘TOLEDO, Ohio, May 4.—Over 4,000 joined the May Day demonstrations called here by the Communist Party. For three hours they listened to the Daily Worker Needs Volunteers Emergency! Stenographers and typists are needed in the national | office of the Daily Worker to as- sist in correspondence, ‘sixx speakers representing that many workers’ organizations, ’ ‘The demonstrators marched from six different sections to the court house square, and carried many ban- ners and placards. At 5 p. m. they formed again in a long column and marched through the business sec- tion, singing revolutionary songs. An entertainment ad dance in the eve- ning finished the celebration. Dur- ing the day many joined the Com- munist Party. 8 3,000 Reds; 200 Socialists, BALTIMORE, Md., May 4.—Three thousand workers demonstrated at City Hall Plaza in a May Day dem- onstration, Several hundred paraded through the streets. ‘The socialists had only two hun- dred at their demonstration, ‘The Cumberland, Md., meeting was broken up and the speaker arrested. Workers on the sidewalks in Balti- more cheered the Conimunist parade, ae 2,000 In Elizabeth. ELIZABETH, N. J., May 4.—Some 2,000 demonstrated here May 1. The cops at first tried to prevent the meeting, but when they saw the numbers and determination of the crowd they let it alone. Both Negro and white workers co-operated in the demonstration. . . In the Klan State. BRECKENRIDGE, Texas, May 4.— The May Day meeting filled the court house to capacity here, with a crowd estimated at 500. Bland and Laurderdale spoke. The meeting went on record without dissenting vote in favor of recognition of the Soviet Union and for government un- employment insurance. It was the largest political gathering here in re- cent years, 500 Laid Off in One Week in Philadelphia PHILADELPHIA, Pa. May 4— Last, week the Yellow Cab, under comrades who can spare any time during the day are urged to come to the Circulation Dept., 8th floor, 35 EB. 12th St. Mitten management, laid off 200 men, The Gulf Refining Co. fired 300 and is going to fire another batch at the end of ‘this week. — For A United Front to Save Scottsboro Boys Ohio and Indiana Despite Disrupters Having Other Interests Framed Negro Children Betrayed By Lawyer Roddy, “Hired” By NAACP An Editorial. 1 Bie nine innocent Negro boys, framed up at Scottsboro, Alabama, will burn on the electric chair unless the widest possible mass movement is put in motion to save them, i In the interest of establishing a united front of every organization and of every man, woman and child willing to lend their strength to save the lives and liberty of the 9 helpless Negro children brutally framed up and slated for execution at Scottsboro, it is necessary to appeal openly to the masses and to explain fully all aspects of this case—to let the masses of working people themselves, Negro and white, fully understand the issues of the fight and the policies necessary to save them. There are some organizations whose names and general reputation would indieate that they would quickly enter into a united front for sucn a cause, but the leaders of whom, are trying to hold their organizations «ack from cooperating in such a mass united front movement, on one pretext or another. i} Most prominent of these is the National Association for the Ad- vancement of Colored People. The masses of membership of the N. A. A. C. P. are overwhelmingly in favor of throwing the full power of that organization into the united front wiih all other organizations willing to fight on the one issue of saving these boys. But the leadership of the National Association for Advancement of Colored People are fighting against the membership of their own organization for the purpose of keeping the N. A. A. C. P. out of this mass movement. } These leaders, headed by Mr. Spingarn, newly elected wealthy white president of that organization, and supported by Mr. Walter White and others, under pressure of many angry demands of the membership, have recently announced that they were doing something quietly for the de- fense of these boys, but that the organization will not have anything to do with other organizations and persons who are trying to make a united front of all to save the boys. In other words, these leaders put something else before saving the boys. What do these gentlemen consider more important than saving the lives of nine children being murdered in Alabama? First: the “respectability” of this organization. in the eyes of the liberal white millionaires and upper class peoyke generally who support the N. A. A. C. P. financially and ‘otherwise, but who also exercise a certain degree of control over the policies of the organization. The gentlemen at the head of the N. A. A.C. P. “want to” save the nine boys, but even more than that they want not to offend the upper class persons upon whose friendship they depend. They wish not to offend the “dignity” | of the southerr white ruling class court which has just heartlessly rail- toaded these childres to death without a chance of defending themselves, ‘They wish not to disturb “the judicial calm’ of a southern white ruling class government which condemns our children to death with a fake trial surrounded by a mob summoned with a brass band. Through this policy the N. A. A. C. P. national office claims that it placed in charge | of the boys’ lives a faithless lawyer who practically worked with the prosecutor for their conviction and who even refused to ask the jury to acquit them! In short, through the court proceedings for which the N. A. A. C. P, leaders claim responsibility, the boys have been railroaded to the electric chair. Second: But now that the innocent boys stand in the shadow of death through the outrageous lynching procedure of the Southern rul- ing class court, and nothing but a mass movement ‘of protest can save them, the gentlemen and ladies who have control of the national office of the National Association for the. Advancement of Colored People still hold something else as’ more important than saving these boys. This is stated frankly in a statement issued by the national office of | the N.A.A.C.P. under date of May Ist. which declares that the N.A.A.C.P. | also has “no connection with the efforts” of certain working class ele- ments, Negro and white, which are engaged in defense of the boys and which are working hard to build up a unitéd front of all for their de- fense, which are described as “Communist groups” and as the Interna- tional Labor Defense. ,The statement further says that the N.A.A.C.P. “would have no such connection,” and proceeds to rebuke and repudiate for having declared himself in favor of a united front of all organiza- tions, including these working class organizations to save the lives of the boys. ¢ This is a refusal by the leaders of the N.A.A.C.P. to join in the mass movement and a united front to defend the boys. The national office of the N.A.A.C:P. is “for” the saving of the boys, but is unwilling to as- sociate with the common masses of working people black and white, and particularly not with those who have already forced this hideous crime | of the Alabama lynchers into public notice. | The N.A.A.C.P. leaders in New York have a reason for this refusal. | The reason is, of course, that the N.A.A.C.P. leaders, closely connected with the republican, democratic and socialist parties, do not wish to en- courage any mass movement which they fear would interfere with the interests of the ruling class by disturbing the social order. They are more interested in this than they are in the defense of the nine in- nocent children condemned to death. . The national headquarters of the National Association for the Ad- vancement of Colored People claims to have secretly employed one Stephen R. Roddy, a police-court lawyer of Chattanooga, as a “defense” attorney to hold in his hands the lives of these children, but. at the same time to avoid any conduct offensive to the ruling class lynchers, and to keep the “respectable” name of the N.A.A.C.P. out of any ugly “rape” Case, hs Our information is to the effect that Roddy was not employed by the N.A.A.C.P. to defend the boys in court, but the N.A.A.C.P. leaders claim responsibility for this faithless lawyer. The court record in the trial of Haywood Patterson shows that this lawyer Roddy, soaked with the ideas of the lynching ruling class of his community of complete contempt for the life and liberty of “niggers,” got up in court and requested the judge to excuse him from representing the boys Furthermore, at the end of this most outrageous lynching, trial, lawyer Roddy, whom the N.A.A.C.P, claims responsibility for, after com- pletely meglecting the interests of his defendant throughout the trial, openly arose in court and refused to address the jury and ask it to asquit the defendant! The national office of the N.A.A.C.P. asks the members of that or- ganization to join no mass movement to defend the boys, but to trust to the quiet efforts of this Jim Crow lawyer Roddy and the benevolence of the white supremacy government of Alabama (the prison board and goy- ernor) and Roddy’s statement shows the policy to be not to free the boys, but merely to reduce the sentences of these innocent children to Ufe terms in prison. The methods employed by the so-called defense attorneys of the boys was a method of playing partner with the prosecution and falling in completely with the plans for a conviction. We haye just.came into possession of a statement which was pub- lished !n the Atlanta World of April 22, signed by Stephen R. Roddy, ‘This statement is one of the most amazing confessions of perfidy that we have éver seen. Ugly statements have heretofore been made that » before the trial, had expressed views in harmony with the desire by secaeaeleg or openly to lynch the boys. Incredible as it might appear some persons that such coarse brutality could be entrusted with the defense of ‘human life,.the: statement of Roddy published in’ the. Atlanta W4s'g ILD Attorney’s Statement kaw ormous GEORGE W. CHAMLEE April 29, 1932 tetion ime thi a press, itieo in the ottabsre » ate, thei @>aneel By the Tateraat lso0l Leber nef i. ng that either the beye ox Gane ea an appela’ Bt $9 Seottadors on ti Fy loynent in thie cee. trom Doye murext bere today ¢afend their boys fend, hn iew be ‘Toure very troly, Wbloute, Froige U4 Chattanooga attorney, employed by International Labor Defense, refutes claims of faithless “defender” who betrayed Negro boys. World is proof enough of his complete treachery to the children whose lives he was appointed to defend. Roddy declares that on the day of the arraignment of the boys, although he “had been employed to represent the defendants,” he re- | quested the court to let him out of it because; as he said: “I was notat ‘all sure that I would be, or would accept such employment, if offered.” And when the boys were railroaded to trial without preparation and with- out the lawyer even communicating with the parents of his 14 year old clients, and these were brought into the courtroom from which they were to emerge under the death sentence only 12 days after their arrest, Roddy claims that he asked postponement, but says that this request was “of course” over-ruled. The most outstanding and hideous revelation of Roddy’s statement is that he, the “defense” attorney, did not make any fight for their acquittal. ‘Although the N. A. A. C. P. claims that it has placed Roddy in charge of the: “appeal plans,” the statement of Roddy is, in effect, that his plan is to send all of the boys to life imprisonment (although he clearly shows that he knows them to be innocent), and to “save” them only from electrocution. - The following words of Roddy’s statement are fully enlightening: “In the case of Roy Wright, 14, the solicitor made a proposition that he plead guilty and take a life sentence. Defense counsel sug- gested that he be placed on trial with the understanding that the state not ask for a sentence that carried the death penalty. This was agreed and the solicitor, in compliance with the agreement, an- “nounced to the court and the jury the state did not ask for a sen- tence greater than life imprisonment. . . . It might be explained the reason for not accepting the state’s proposition the defendant plead guilty and take a life sentence, the defendant would have been deprived of his right of appeal. Under the agreement that he go to trial with the understanding that he not be given more than life sentence, he preserved his right of appeal. It may be that it will .be necessary to try him again, but there is no need to entertain fear that he will be electrocuted.” So it is clear that Mr. Roddy’s idea of defending “niggers,” even | though they be only 14 years of age and completely innocent, is to co- operate with the prosecution in convicting them, but merely to salve his conscience by asking that the innocent 14 year olds be sent to the foul dungeons of southern prisons for life in place of being murdered out- right on the electric chair. “The reason,” says Mr. Roddy, “for not ac- cepting the state's proposition the defendant plead guilty and take life sentence”—the only “reason” is that Mr. Roddy would then get himself in trouble for not having complied with the law requiring him to preserve the technical right of his client to an appeal, But it is clear that the policy under which the N. A. A. C. P. now claims that, Roddy as their lawyer is making “plans” for further “defense” of the boys—is the policy of sending them to the penitentiary for life. Roddy expressed his ‘opinion that the Supreme Court who are the prison board of Alabama will be very reluctant to permit the death penalty to be imposed’”—and makes it evident that, although he would not like to share. responsibility for such a “wholesale slaughter the like of which has never been known in this country,” all should be satisfied if these children die of old age in the Alabama dungeons, The dominant leaders of the N. A. A. C. P. in New York, fighting against those who defend the boys, publicly endorses the actions of Mr. Roddy. It should be made clear that Roddy’s whole statement shows that he knows perfectly well that the boys are innocent. He admits that “all 9 of the defendants testified and told a positive story as to their position on the train and stoutly denied that they had any part in the rape,” and that “on cross examination the Negroes stuck to their original stories in detail and did not accuse each other as stated in an Associated Press dispatch.” He furthermore says weakly: “It seems that the cases of the state are very weak,” and that the boys were condemned to death on the “unsupported evidence” of one woman (known to be a prostitute) “whose word is absolutely unreliable.” It is clear that the “defense” that the boys got in court was not a Gefense, but a cooperation with the prosecutor by a lawyer whose pro- gram was a conviction of the “damn niggers” whom he was so unfor- tunate as to “represent.” It is also clear that the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, whose program declares against lynching and against many aspects of persecution of the Negro people, is nevertheless responsible fer Mr. Roddy, and the policies of the leaders of the N. A. A. C. P. lead directly into the policy pursued by Roddy. The office of the National Association for the Advancement of Col- ored People, in its press release under date of April 24th, claims that the N. A. A. C..P. employed Mr. Roddy, as shown by the following quotation: “Stephen R. Roddy, attorney on the scene, announced that he had been retained by the N. A. A. C. P. in the case, and the Na- (CONTINUED ON PAGE THRE» Marchers As They Hunger Marches Grow as They Go War Industries Lords in Barberton Call Out Police am Fire Department, and Deputize American ‘Legion in Fear of Meetings Thousands Greet Cleveland and Youngstows Meet At Massillon Distribute Literature, Mobilize Workers to Fight Wage Cuts and Demand Relief; Toledo and | Cincinnati Groups Starting | With Demands for unemployment insur- 'ance ratified by thousands of demonstrating | workers on May 1, hundreds of hunger march- ers are now proceeding through the industrial ‘cities and poor farming sections of Ohio and Indiana to the state capitals. Two lines of the Ohio march began at the demonstrations on May 1, in Cleveland and Youngstown, and hunger marchers in Indiana started from the steel mill sections in and around Hammond and Gary yesterday. PROTEST LEGAL LYNCHING MAY 16 Parade in Harlem, and Confer Next Day | NEW YORK.—A protest parade jand demonstration in Harlem on Sat- urday, May 16, will precede the United Front Scottsboro Defense Con- }ference called by fhe League of |Struggle for Negro Rights for Sun-| |day, May 17, at the Finnish Workers Hall, 15 West 126th St. The white and Negro workers of New York, angered at the open co-) loperation with the southern boss lynchers of the Tammany police who broke up the parade in Harlem on April 25th of Negro and white work- ers protesting the legal lynching of the nine colored children in Alabama, are determined that the police and |bosses of New York shall not: stifle the protests of the working class | jagainst this crime planned by the | |southern landlords and _ capitalists against. the oppressed Negro nation. |Permit for the parade will be applied | |for, but permit or no permit the | | workers will take the streets to voice | their demand for the freeing of the Negro youths, All Negro and white organizations are urged to mobilize their forces for | this parade, and to elect delegates to jrepresent them at the conference on May 17. For a United Front of the working class and all forces opposed to the }legal massacre of these innocent! boys! | Stop the lynching of 9 Negro working class boys! | Demand a new trial before a jury | composed of workers, at least half) to be Negroes, to expose this mur- deyous {rame-up! Down with peonage, Jim Crow and | persecution of the Negro People! For | Full Equality! ; GREENPOINT BED STRIKE SPREADS Two More Depts. in Walk-Out Yesterday GREENPOINT, L. I—Workers in two other departments of the Green- point Metallic Bed Co. walked out yesterday to join the spring depart- ment that went on strike last Tues- day. The strikers, most of whom are young workers, had a big picket line yesterday morning. The police later broke it up at the behest of the bosses. The sentiment for strike against the bad conditions and low wages is spreading to other departments. The departments that walked out are the coil and hellical departments. Strikers Are Firm The strikers are sticking together in a militant manner and are led by the Metal Workers Industrial League and their strike committee, A leaflet has been issued to the other workers urging them to join the strike and make it 100 per gent effective against the boss. suua 5 } v its eat itl lina ised Three more Ohio groups have “$now started. These marches will be followed by others in Michigan and Illinois. In Detroit a united front conference. May 10, will Jay the basis for a marek to reach the state capital on May 27, and the Chicago May Day demonstre- tion of 20,000 endorsed demands te be made on the government of that heevy industrial state about the end of the month. “ Masses Greet Them. As the marches proceed, workers and unemployed turn cut in the cities they go through, demonstrate for un- employment insurance, and add more marchers to the ranks. In all cities, the marches give 4 great impetus forward to the essentJ: task of organizing the jobless in 4 unemployed councils and the met still on the jobs into militant unions All realize that only organization and persistent pressure, readiness to strike against all wage cuts and dotermina- tion to force the cities and stat? goy- ernments to feed the hungry, will save the lives of the starving’ masses On to Columbus! WOOSTER, Ohio, May 4.—The Cleveland line of the Ohio hunger march (composed of delegations from Cleveland, Akron and Barber- ton) and the Youngstown line (com- posed of delegations from Youngs- town, Campbell, Warren, East Liy- erpool, Alliance and Canton) met yesterday at the steel town of Mas- sillon. Massillon has a population of 27,000, and 3,000 werkers were in the city hall square open-air meeting to greet the hunger marchers as they arrtved. The city authorities refused to al- low the distribution of the leaflet read and enthusiastically adopted by the mass meeting. A collection was made and literature was sold for the expenses of feeding the marchers. The Cleveland and Youngstown sections of the state hunger march to (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREB) ‘BELL TELEPHONE (0. CUTS WAGES Soon Spread to Other Departments NEW YORK.—The Bell Telephone Laboratories have cut wages for 350 workers in the lowest paid depart- ment. On Monday, April 133, the workers were told they would work three-quarters of an hour less each day and that their wages would be cut accordingly. This amounts to a 13 per cent wage cut. / f the While the wage cuts are being ppo- started in one department it willy soon extend to all others. This * the experience in all plants durijg the present wage cutting drived 7 purpose of cutting one departmenyat a time is to divide the workefs and to keep back their fighting ability! ‘The workers in the other depart- ments should form shop committees to prepare for struggle against wage cuts. * The bosses held a conference be= fore the wage cut, and told the workers “on account of slackness the work would be out and the pay alo with 1h" ne