The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 15, 1931, Page 6

T Bubliesed by the Comprodetiy Publ! New York City Address and mail all checke te the Daily rest Page Six © 2 ng Co., Inc., datly except Sunday, at 50 N.Y. Telephone Algonauin Cable Worker, 50 Hast 1th Street New York, N ¥ ram DAIWORK.”" Dail Cesk One SUBSCRIPTION RATES: Not Moratorium, But Cancellation of Debts, Rents, and Taxes ot Poor Farmers | By H. PURO. CAUSE of wholesale ruination of share croppers, tenants and poor farmers and also the -great number of middle farmers by the Presént agrarian crisis, the bourgeoisie begin to realize that it is impossible to collect in all instances the debts, land rents and taxes trom them.--And also beeause the revolt is brew- ing among these agricultural masses, many cap- ftalist politicians realize that Hoover’s mora- torium on war debts will not assure the Amer- fean farmers that they are being “saved,” al- though @foover and his Farm Board have said #0. Therefore, some of them are appearing as saviours, of ‘the farmers, making various kinds ef moratorium proposals on the “home front.” These capitalist. “saviours’” are coming forth €specially in the Southwestern and Southern States, where farmers were compelled to sell their wheat. to grain speculators at 23c a bushel CXansas, Oklahoma) and where the price of fetton has dropped to ten cents a pound (well under the cost of production) This situation has already brought the re- volt. of almost the entire farming population im these parts of the country against the Hoo- ver administration, so much so that such bul- warks of administration as vice-president Cur- tis and Senator Capper, both from Kansas, are * trying to do something to save the Southwest for the Republican Party. They do not think it safe to wait for the effect of the Hoover moratorium on European debts. Both of these gentlemen have sent an alarm signal to the Hoover government. Some other leading Re- publican politicians such as the former secre- tary of the Republican State Commitee of Kan- sas, has gone so far, as assuring that the South- west ‘already is lost to the Hoover administra- tion, mo matter what is going to be done. But the revolt among these farmers is not going to stop only as a revolt against Hoover’s admin- istration and against his Farm Board. It is Much more threatening. And many capitalist politicians are fearing open revolts. The march of Arkansas farmers last winter was a very dan- gerous signal. The tense situation among Ala- bama croppers (recent occurrences at Camp Hill, Ala.), is also a warning of what is coming. Frightened with these happenings and the brewing revolts among the agrarian population, many capitalist politicians think that it is time to at least try to make the farmers believe-that they are trying to do something on their -behalf. Therefore Alexander Legge, the president of the powerful International Harvester Trust, who, a year ago resigned as chairman of Hoo- ver’s Farm Board, came out another day in the capitalist press with the statement, that he has given instructions to the agents of his com- pany, that they should be lenient with the farmers in collecting the machinery debts from them, and that in the “extreme cases,” they should even extend the time for the payments. This is hailed by the entire bourgeoisie press as some kind of, “moratorium.” After the statement of Legge, the news items fm the capitalist press inform us, that Gov- ernor Murray in Oklahoma, has by the execu- tive order, set aside a state statute, on the pay- ment of rentals on state school lands, declaring moratorium for 2,120 farmers in the “interest of humanity in times of emergency.” But this was done only after a farmers delegation ap- peared before the governor, informing him that they cannot pay their rents. Similarly news comes from the State of Kansas, that many coun- ties" have been compelled to declare tax mora- tortum for farmers, for periods ranging up to thirty days, because although farmers are hav- ing large crops, they are being offered the lowest prices in history. In some of these Southwestern states the movement has been started by the so-called insurgent-reformist politicians for debts mora- torium on farm implements and farm properties. Even if these proposals would be realized, they would not in any way help the poorest strata of agrarian population, that is, croppers, ten- ants and poor farmers. But these proposals may create some illusions, in any case they are being used by reformist politicians for mis- leading toiling farm population, and as pre- ventative for struggle. In this situation, the croppers, tenants. and toiling farmers should come forth with the demand of cancellation of debts on crops, im- plements and farms, for the abolition of taxes for tenants, croppers and poor farmers and for the abolition of ground rents and confiscation of lands of big landlords. Instead of fake mor- atoriums, put forth by politicians of so-called “farm block,” Farmer Labor Party, Farmers | Union, etc., toiling farmers must fight against these fakers, who only try some kind of “re- forms’ in order to better be able to betray the toiling farmers, just as well as the Hoover ad- ministration and his Farm Board has betrayed them. The toiling farmers should also put up a most determined fight against the further in- crease on railroad freight on farm products and farm machinery which is being applied by the railroads and the granting of which is secret- ly being prepared by the Inter State Com- merce Commission upon the basis of watered valuation of railroad properties. The toiling farmers should learn more about the conditions of their brothers in the Soviet Union, where the workers’ and peasants’ rev- olution has done away with all the debts of the toilers of the land, has abolished ground rent by taking all the land away from the landlords and by the nationalization of land, has abolished the-taxes of the poor peasants and has done away with tenantry and has made toiling tillers of the land along with the workers, their own masters. And because they, have done this, the Hoover government, together with all the other capitalist governments is preparing to at- tach the Soviet Union. The purpose of Hoover's moratorium of European debts, is not to aid European workers and peasants nor to, aid the American workers. and. farmers, as he claims, but to effect a united front of capitalist gov- ernments in an attack against the workers, and farmers’ republic, the Soviet Union; also’ to pre- vent a revolutionary uprising of the German workers and, peasants and the growth of the revolutionary movement of workers and farm- ers in all countries, It-is therefore necessary that the toiling farm- ers in this country, while fighting for their eco- nomic demands, join in with the revolutionary workers, to fight against these war preparations and for the defense of the workers’ and farm- ers’ Soviet Republic and for the defense of. the revolutionary movement of the toilers in every land. By fighting against war preparations, . you will strengthen the fight against your rob- bers, the railroads, implement trusts, bankers, and their protector, the Hoover government and his Farm Board, who want the war in order to crush the revolutionary government of the workers and farmers in every country, so that they would be able to uhopposedly further ‘in- tensify their exploitation of the workers and poor farmers. Economic Struggles and Workers International Relief tea By HARRY POLLITT (London) "HE economic crisis and its consequent un- parelleled unemployment has in no way Gamped down the fighting spirit of the workers. ‘The attempts of the capitalists to impose the full burden of the crisis upon the workers has met with a mighty resistance in every capitalist country. This is an important feature of the present situation because on occasion it has been ar- gued that the workers were not ready to fight ima period of mass unemployment: yet since the economic crisis commenced in 1929 there has been a series of important economic strug- gies in Germany, Poland, England, France, America, Australia, India, Spain and the Latin- 4 "ean Republics. ~ are some important factors to be noted in-connection with these struggles: 1. In all cases strikes have taken place in spite of the opposition of the reformist trade union leaders who, when they have needed strikers under. mass pressure, have only done 80.in order to betray them. 2. The unity of the unemployed workers: In the_recent period there has been no single case of blacklegging either on a national or inter- national scale. 3. The militancy and solidarity of the unor- ganized workers working and fighting alongside the organized. 4, The fighting spirit of the strikes during the actual progress of the economic struggles. Because of the economic crisis these strikes assume a political character in many cases, and have to be conducted against the whole forces ofthe capitalist state machine which is used ageinst the strikes with the full support of the reformist trade union leaders, ° “Another new feature of the situation in many countries, particularly in England, is the attempt to operate wage reductions through the medium of arbitration boards appointed by the Labor Government in the case of this country where, as a result, we have seen the wages of the tex- tile workers, railwaymen and miners consider- ably reduced. One or two facts in regard to the strike wave in England in the recent period will show how acute the situation is becoming. It is possible to draw some important lessons from these economic struggles, the most impor- tant being that where the workers have devel- oped their own independent forms of trade or- ganization and leadership, they have been able to obtain considerable modifications of the cap- italist demands and, as in the case of the Lan- cachire textile workers conflict in the early part of this year, have actually succeeded in forcing ‘ 4 bd the employers to withdraw their demands alto- gether. This shows the necessity of the revolutionary workers intensifying their work in the reformist trade unions in order to destroy the influence of the reformist bureaucracy, and to build up powerful organizations on the platform of the revolutionary trade union opposition. Already it is clear, that heavy economic-strug- gles confront the workers in many important capitalist countries. As the economic crisis deepens in every capitalist country the line of the capitalist attack if the same—wage reduc- tions, the speed-up, reduction of unemployment benefits, restriction of expenditure on essential social services. At this moment in England the dockers, builders, miners, engineers, shipbuilders, textile workers and employed are right in the forefront of the attack. In Germany the metal and textile workers and the miners stand on the eve of big conflicts; in France there is a big textile conflict now taking place; in America it is being made abundantly clear in all the recent speeches of the capitalists—and more significant still in the protest of Green, the President of the American Federation of Labor— that there is being developed a big attack on the wages of the American workers. From these experiences it is clear that the réformists will endeavour to stifle the resistance of the workers, and where they are compelled to head the strike movement will do so only in order to betray. This situation gives added importance to the question of strike preparation, and to the successful carrying out of strike tac- tics and strategy. This means, therefore, that every active work- er, whatever his political association, has the duty of popularizing the necessity of working class solidarity and effective preparation for meeting the attacks of the employers. In this work of preparation, and when conflicts actually break out, the Workers’ International Relief takes on an ever increasingly important role. Its activities in recent years have been such as to strengthen the fighting power of the workers engaged in economic struggles, and the very success it has achieved has aroused the oppo- sition of the reformist trade union leaders, who has endeavored to create prejudice against the WLR. by labelling the W.I.R. a Communist or- ganization. The W.LR. is absolutely non-Party. It helps in all economic struggles, whoever calls them, whoever leads them. This has been clear- ly'seen in England, where, when the reformists headed strikes as in Bradford, South Wales and Lancashire, the W. I. R. was, through its food everywhere: One year, $3 , $3: two months, $1: excepting Boroughs ?. Usa of hattan and Bronx. New Foreign: one year. $8: six months, $4.50. = St SSS ee BY GROPPER District, Section and Unit Dieetagsichd Agents See that you order immediately your liter. ature ‘for the August 22 Campaign and Dem. onstrations. You should especially concen- | trate onthe following ‘literature: Fight Against Hunger, Statement of Com- | munist Party to: Fish Committee. Race Hatred on Trial.........:... 10 Lynching Negro Children in Southern Courts, by Joseph North...... 05 The Frame-Up, System, by Vern smtih.. lo Steve Katovis-—Life and Death of a Worker, by A. B. Magil’and Joseph North...... .10 Life and Death of Sacco and Vanzetti, by | Eugene Lyons ............: Le PMR) Bo bY Yankee Colonies. by Harry Gannes........ 10 once the sale of the Anti-War literature: iti-Sovjet Lies and the Five Year Plan, pyre DEAE OU OING 55 0 ose ie ee cya 10 “Soviet’ Dumping” Fable, by M. Tademay 02 Chemical Warfare, by Donajd A. Cameron .10 War and the Second International, by V. I. 20 Socialism and War, by G. Zinoviev and V. I. Lenin .... 15 Life in the U. S. Army, by Walter Trumbull .10 Revolutionary Struggle Against War vs. Pacifism, by Alex Bittelman: 05 DON’T fail to send in your order immediately. kitchens, its money collecting campaigns, and so on, able to carry out a tremendous task, even when the reformist trade union leaders: were CENTRAL AGITPROP DEPT. advising the workers to have nothing to do with the W.LR. and to repudiate it. The W.LR. helped the strikers in the unof- ficial strikes as in the case of Dawden and Liwynypia miners’ strikes. The W.LR. played a tremendous role in the recent Berlin metal work- ers’ strike, which was led by the reformist trade union officials, and it played an equally im- portant role in the Ruhr coal miners’ strike when this was called under the direct leader- ship of the revolutionary trade union opposition. It is precisely because of this non-Party char- acter that the’ W.LR. in the coming period takes on added importance, and must redouble its activities and efforts to win the broadest masses of workers irrespective of their political associations, to support its work. It not only developes solidarity and promotes actual mate- rial assistance, but it is able to widen the poli- tical understanding of the workers in regard to the whole character of the present situation, and from this’ there is a tremendous strength- ening of the workers’ struggle based on a clearer Political recognition of the character of the situ- ation and the tasks confronting the workers. Because of the strike-breaking role of the re- formist trade union leaders and because the W. IR. exists to help all struggles, to win all strikes, it welcomes the work of the revolutionary trade union opposition, because it recognize this is the only means whereby the workers can dev- elop leadership and organization that will en- able them to conduct the economic struggles successfully. At the same time the W.LR. re- mains absolutely non-Party, and independent of any organizational relations with other move- ments conducting revolutionary activity in the factories and trade unions, But it is necessary, in order that the work of leading the economic struggles should develop successfully, that the closest cooperation should exist between all or- ganizations that stand for the victory of the workers in the economic struggles. The coming World Congress of the W.LR. in October will give special attention to the ex- periences and lessons gained by the W.LR. in past economic struggles, and in the meantime it is necessary that the W.LR. sections in every country should intensify their activities develop- ing a propaganda of mutual help and solidarity between the workers of all countries, laying a firm financial basis for the building up of re- lief work during economic struggles, and above all, its supporters must, in the factories and reformist trade union organizations, try to form effective, functioning groups, that will embrace every worker who is anxious to see the workers advance against the attacks of the capitalists and in the preparation of their own offensive. Dictator Ibanez ot Chile Is Overthrown | By ALBERT MOREAU -ESIDENT Carlos Ibanez of Chile, one ‘of the most hated dictators of Latin-America, was forced out of the Presidential palace én July 26. His forced resignation and subsequent escape to Argentine was primarily the result of the mass pressure of the Chilean people who have bled since 1927 through the most barbarous methods of repression against them. Thanks to Ibanez, Yankee imperialism haS almost doubled its in- | vestments since 1927. . Ever since his coup d'etat that ascended him to power, this representative of the Chilean bourgeoisie has served the in- terests of Yankee exploiters. The staple product of Chile, nitrates, has suf- fered a serious setback since the Guggenheims assumed control of the mines. In contrast to the gigantic development of the nitrogen pro- duction, agriculture conserves its most primi- tive methods. In spite of the country being the foremost in South America in the production of metals such as iron, ore, nitrates, etc., Chile is basically an agrarian country. Semi-feudal re- lations still remain in the village. The agrarian crisis that has hit so severely the Latin Amer- ican countries for many years, has been consiq- erably aggravated by the economic crisis of cap- italism, particularly by the economic crisis in the United States. The control of the nitrates by Guggenheim was conditioned and preceded by a steady fi- nancial control of the government loans and @ series of network of municipal loans extended throughout the country. The penetration of American imperialism at the expanse of the British, necessitated a complete guarantee to Wall Street bankers in the form of subduing the revolutionary struggle of the workers and launching of a heavy repression against the re- volutionary trade unions and the Communist Party. Ibanez was the “chosen strong man” to do the job for the United States imperialists. The Chilean bourgeoisie under Ibanez built a strong army of mercenaries, a police force with high salaried officers. cessful crushing of the militant working class organizations, the cold blooded street assassina- tions of the most valiant leaders and the hun- dreds of deportations and exile to the dreadful Islands Mas Afuera Ibanez proceeded to install a fascist Labor Code whereby all workers were compelled to receive their working card from the government “labor’* agencies. But all these repressive measures could only dissipate the class, struggle for a while. Mono- poly imperialism cannot give solution tothe cap- italistic contradictions. In the attempt to solve the crisis of nitrates in Chile, the Guggenheims have performed the greatest. merger ever known in Latin America. This merger is known as the Cosach. More than $375,000,000 of the nitrates were recently merged under the leadership of the Guggenheims. The company has a. total asset of $750,000,000. A few weeks after the conclusion of the Cosach, this merger meant a deep slash into the national revenue of the government, Until then, the Chilean govern- ment received more than $30,000,000 a year from the export tax on the nitrates. The Cosach makes the Chilean government a “partner,” with the result that the return from this “partners ship” reduced the government revenue to $21,- 000,000 for the first year. The government is unable now to pay the in- terests on the loans owed to American and British bankers. The darkest picture of the situation in Chile is given to us by the robber Ramirez, president of the Cosach, He saw the pregent collapse of Chile in April when he said: “Few persons seems to have fully realized the fact that, unless the Chilean nitrate in- dustry is radically reorganized, it will neces- sarily cease to exist at not far distant date, and that, as a consequence, 50,000 men will be thrown out of work, our fiscal revenues will drop 180,000,000 pesos, our exports will fall off 800,000,000 pesos, our fiscal assets will suffer to the amount of 3,000,000,000 pesos repre- sented by the nitrate reserves, and two im- portant provinces of the country will be trans- formed into a desert.” What did the fascist government Of Chile do in order to avert the catastrophe? It has in- troduced a wage cut up to 25% for the minor ested 4 After a temporary suc-» government employees and for all workers in the shops, factories and mines.. Increased: speed up, longer working hours for.the workers. In- creased taxation upon the poor peasants and. tenant farmers. A new wave of terror was in- stalled against the workers in February of this year. In order to save itself from this financial collapse, the Ibanez ‘government rushed for loans to Wall Street and London. Ramirez was unable to obtain a $33,000,000: loam for whith he made a special trip to New York last April. Tbanez’s power began to totter. Four Ministers of Finance succeeded one another. In this frenzied search for loans, Ibanez be- gan his flirtations with London. This ‘highly displeased American bankers and their govern- ment. The worst crime committed by Ibanez against Yankee imperialism was the proposal of his Minister of Finance Planet, to’ call an economic conference of the Latin American gov- ernments in order to discuss a customs union, unemployment, military armaments and the eco- nomic and financial problem. -This conference was to exclude the participation of the Ameri- can government. The New York Times of July 11 says of Planet’s plan: “Planet’s Plan Troub- les Washington.” The plan, however, did not materialize. The Argentine government. was lukewarm to it. The Argentine bourgeois papers answered the call to-the conference with the fol- lowing question: “Why antagonize. the United State government, when it is not necessary. We must remember that we are to make pay- ment of $50,000,000. by December.” -Olaya Her- rera, who is the Wall Street puppet president of Colombia, refused to participate, suggesting to leave the points for discussion to’ the next Pan-American Commercial Congress to be held next October. American imperialism, alienated by the ‘inde- pendent maneuvers of Ibanez and above all, the deep political unrest within Chile, caused by a series of workers’: demonstrations and. the movement of the students who came openly out demanding the resignation of Ibanez, let Ibenez fall and are now trying to find another servile. For the first time since the installation of fascism in 1927, the workers demonstrated in the streets on May Day. The police forcs trhown in to crush the demonstration did not succeed. The activities of the revolutionary workers with- in the government and reformist trade. unions began to seriously undermine the government. The working class of Chile began its counter- offensive. The lower strata of the petty bour- geoisie that also feels the burden of taxation and the oppression of the imperialists, the stu- dents and anti-imperialists made a further wedge in Tbanez’s power. But Tbanez’s substitution does. not change the situation. The bourgeoisie and the landlords in manoevers with Yankee imperialism still maintain themselves in power. The new govern- ment was immediately recognized by the White House. This new government has already taken the first steps to deport 100 Communists. There is no doubt. that a still stronger wave of per- secutions against the militant workers and pea- sants is forthcoming. The struggle of the workers, peasants and the lower strata of the petty-bourgeoisie against the landlord-bourgeois-imperialist regime will con- tinue. The only solution to the economic col- lapse of Chile is the anti-imperialist agrarian revolution that will overthrow the power of the bourgeoisie and imperialism and will establish a workers’ and peasants’ government. Only then will the toiling masses of Chile be able to put an end to the system of exploitation and colo-~ nial robbery. Visit the homes of the unemployed workers. List it relief for the starving families from the city government, the large corporations and employers, Have large delegations of uncmployed workers precent ot every mostin~ nf tts city council to fight for adequate re- Uef for all cases of starving and undernourished workers’ families. - { Persecution, 1931 Style By J. LOUIS ENGDAHL AGAINST deportations the International Labor Defense raises the demand for the right of political asylum. It is very fitting that this should be Among the leading demands on Sacco- Vanzetti Day, August 22. The-arrest and imprisonment of Nicola Sacco and-Bartolomeo Vanzetti took: place during the relentless war waged against the foreign-born in the years immediately following the world war and during the economic crisis of 1920-21. It, was during these same years, following the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia when oppressed workers-in “many countries were rising against the social order tormenting them, that the so- called “boasted tradition” of America asia land of asylum: for political refugees was completely shelved. America Was made safe for ~ssian whiy guardists treking across the Atlantic or Pac! monarchist supporters of the tumbled do houses of the Romanoffs, the Hohenzollerns ani Hapsburgs were welcomed. But the bars were up against all working class revolutionaries, re« inforcing the quota berrier. “Fourteen Point” Woodrow Wilson of the Ver- sailles Peace was still president of the United States whenSacco and Vanzetti were arrested. Attorney General J. Mitchell Palmer, the Philg- delphig Queker, had just cartied through his notorious. January “Red Raids” with”6,000 -war- rants issued for as many arrests. Three thou- sand arrests were actually mage with 762 actu- ally Ordered “deported, So great was the rising ragé of the workers, however, that only 271 were actually sent out of the country. Yet it was in the midst of this vicious terror that Sacco and Vanzetti were arrested, framed up on the charge of murder, thrown into a steel cage in the court room. of the infamous Judge Webster Thayer. Outside the courthouse the heavily armed sol- diery continually paraded the streets while the poison -press‘pf the boss class everywhere clam~ ored for the lives of these two workers. While hubdfeds of others were being deported, Sacco gnd-Vanzetti were held in the prisons of Massachysetts courts for special punishment. It would not do to permit them to go to Italy, where the workers were even then seizing the factories. Mussolini had not yet emerged as “the. savior of capitalism.” Not political asylum, but burning alive in’the electric chair was the substitute that boss class rule meted out through judicial lynching to these brave working’ class fighters. In memory of Sacco and Vangzetti, in the new period of the growing deportation terror, the fight for-political asylum and against this phase of the war upon the foreign-born must grow to avalench: strength. Within recent months the Hoover department of labor, Under both James J. Davis, now a Unit- ed States senator from Pennsylvania, and his successor, William W. Doak, has again made raids ‘involving 6,000 foreign-born. These raids are illegal, in violation of capitalism’s own laws. Some have, been made under inspiration of the fascist spokesmen, of foreign tyrannies. They have “béén accompanied by brutal acts of vio- lence and intimidation. Not-only membership in the Communist Party, but in the Trade Union Unity League and its affiliated organizations has been declared suffj- cient basis for deportation. This is rscn in ‘the arrests of William Murdoch and Pat Divine, the leaders in the New England textile strike. In their efforts to crush militant working class ac- tivities-the government bloodhounds run down the native born, as in the arrest of Nat Kaplan, Boston district organizer of the Communist Par- ty, and Anna Burlak, textile strike leader. Wher- ever a strike threatens, these government agents ate rushed in. to use the deportationwarrant as a_strike-breaking weapon. In fact the federal prosecutor in the Boston courts ih the case of Murdoch, Devine and Berk- man, openly declared that’ the warrant’ for ‘ar~ rest on deportation charges was being deliber- ately-used-as-a strike-breaking weapon. This is in the year 1931, eleven years after the arrest of Sacco and Vanzetti — four years after their murder: The Hoover-Doak federal prosecutor made this declaration in the shadow of the same state capl~ tol where Governor Alvin T. Fuller, his face wreathed in.a sadistic smile, sat in his office on the night of August 22,1927, rejected the worlds ‘wide demand ‘for saving the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti;«instead ordering them to die. Massachusetts. made the electric chair the ghastly symbol of an American “democracy” stripped of illusions. ‘Massachusetts, its hands still crimsoned with the blood of Sacco and Vanzetti, tries to sharpen the deportation weapon to resist the growing strike struggles sweeping through its industries. It is in these strike struggles that workers are inspired. to-great efforts against deportation. The memory of Sacco and Vanzetti. lives in these-strike struggles as it should in every class battle the nation over. “ “Save the lives of Sacco and Vanzetti!” _This cry failed in 1927. “Against deportations! For the right of political asylum!” is raised sharper; in mightier waves of protest, in 1931, as a result of this ruling class murder of our comrades four years ago. In their memory, in their name, ‘forward to new battles, victorious struggles. ~~ -Demonstrate on August 22! Out in the streets in mighty protests in memory of Sacco and Vanzetti_. Forward to new battles, victorious struggles, : Communist: Party 0. BA P. O. Box'87 Station D. New York “City. \ Please send me more information on the Come “munist-Party. naan inne mteetgenenerant -Mail this ‘to the Central OfMce. Communist Party, ee ne ee ee