The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 17, 1931, Page 4

Aft By BILL GEBERT te demon- a atathie: finiit and ifacro -worket mon enemy— the white ruling demonstration, which smashed t e in Chicago, aia> not e who died for ration against the wo capit sHaRe starva i Negro and white the lead- calling in their of the wor (who murdered t severe test in a way , and the police de to the community. ese officers persist in their on conflict among eur know the means to re: The commander-in-chief Governor Emmerson. e (as reported in the Tribunc al of Commerce” declares a ien whether prosecution onment ef all Communists would It might give them all the ci At any rate, the oned—particul: ave shown sympt- t the Com- pr the I. W. W. and all previous rad- s have a place they can the United States. notion that Russia man.” ack against the neconcmic blockade of course, than which i 3 cre of the three e than any other previous ruggle of the workers to Negro wo event, aw: such an extent that not only the local city gov- ernment was forced to speak, for the purpose cf pacify the workers. of some kind of un- employment relief in the form of charity, but even Hoover w: rced to make public state- ments that he will consider some proposals to meet the unemployment situation. But not only the government came into the forefront with demagogic statements and empty words. The ruling class called to its rescue and support its- loyal defenders. A leading writer of the “Chicago Daily News’—Graham Taylor—writes that unemployed workers shall demonstrate: “Not “only to let others know of it who would not otherwise agree, but more still to demon- strate to the powers that be the necessity of taking adequate action both for the relief and prevention of such da us disaster,” and after this he calls on nobody else bue the Chi- cago Federation of Labor to organize such demonstrations and writes as follows “Late as it is (emphasis mine—B.G.) would not such demonstration be very desirable if held by the Chicago Federation of Labor and ‘Chicago Association of Commerce separately of jcintly.” In other words Should be “demonstra- tions” of the unemployed under the leadership ofthe Chicago Federation of Labor, which Mr. Taylor correctly identifies with the Chicago As- s6€iation of Commerce, for the purpose of taking the leadership from the Communist Party, which-is today the recognized leader of the un- employed masses. ‘The task outlined there by the capitalist paper— “The Chicago Daily News’ already being eafried out by the Socialist Party, which al- ready had a joint meeting with Negro traitors, real ectate owners, ministers, priests, members pf the Cook County Board of Commissioners, Anthony Overton, a manufacturer, published and Banker, Negro republican politicians, Roberts and others, including representatives of the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union, at which a fake “Workers’ Committee on Unem- ployment,” was set up. One of the Negro work- ers, speaking in Washington Park, declared: “We don't want Oscar de Priest or any other Negro politicians to speak for us. What do they know about what we want? They have never been hungry.” “And this is the outlook of the broad masses ef Negro workers, This does not mean that the attempts of the agents of the bourgeoisie can be minimized, but it is clearly established in fact that the Negro masses are beginning to break away not only from the influence of the republican and democratic parties, but they are breaki. rom the traitors cf their race, and they will not be fooled by any other de Priests if only our Party will be able to expose in @ concrete manner any new faker that will * Rgise on the horion of the Negro masses and if at 50 Bast DAIWORK.” cate Daily, Worker Br mat! everywhere: One ye: of Manhattan and Bronx, * by SUBSCRIPTION RATES: $6; six moftths, New York City. “ * $3; two months, $1; excepting Boroughs Foreign: one year, $8; six months, $4.50. to lead the gro mas The wo ide are well of the sc tt put ove es side went a step fur are now at- te to organize workers in the name of the Communist Party. They printed the follow- ing membership c “International Labor Defense Society, South Side Protective Unit—Communist Party “This card certifies that the bearer has pledged his or her support against the high cost of rents and is in favor of a rent mora- tortum. “Name, “Fee paid $1.00 to worker. top evictions of mployed! unemployed! Feed for Down with high rent! “Unemploysd Counci!, Trade Union Unity League and League of Struggle for Negro Rights, “WM. MATTHENSON, Secretary 25 South Lincoin attempting to mislead the unemployed in the name of the C order job was done s any knowledge this membership card is a of the five organizations nor Mathieson, the secretary of cil has anything to do s how desperate is the ot to keep its grip on ‘0 workers on the south side banner of the the Unempl with it. It or who around the Comm In tion of Labor, for the y ener- + capital- ist pres: ade on Labor Day. They war 100,000 workeas in their pa- rade, and in ort to accomplish this they are attempting to force workers who are still mem- bers of the A. F. of L. to come to tl demon- Local Mo. 5 of the Tailors’ Union passed a2 motion that any worker who is a local will icipate in that fined $2, e are a num- pecialiy machinists’ unions, arade of the Chicago Fed- sed to take any part still members of the Chicago Federation of Labor must boycott tae parade w being organized by the order of the C ‘0 Association of Commerce and se to the T. U. U. L. mass meet- the same day. growing from The Illinois Department of r July describing the situation icates that Chicago factories have laid off more than one-fourth of their work- ers since the beginning of the depression. The weekly earnings of employed factory workers also have declined appreciably since September, 129, 144 per cent for male work- ers and 11.3 per cent for female workers. Chi- cago manufacturers’ payrolis have been re- duced 43.6 per cent during the period, indicat- ing a drop of more than two-fifths in the in- come of Chicago factory workers.” The number of unempsved in the city cording to official figures, vas in January, 1931, 360,999; today it is more than half a million, and totals in Cook County 600,000. Consider- ing the fact that these unemployed are already unemployed for months, and some for years, having exhausted all their resources, lo: of their cred nd find themselves in a desperate uation, it may be concluded that the third inter of unemployment will be much more se- vere than the previous two winters, and this winter the workers will fight for social insur- ance and against evictions, as can be clearly seen by the events of August 3rd in Chicago. For the purpose of pacifying the workers and preventing them from building their organiza- tions in order to carry successfully their strug- the local bourgeoisie, through Mayor Cer- beginning to promise relief. They al- re et a task of raising $13,000.000 through yiblic contributions. But it has already +2en stated by Commissioner of Public Works Mil- lionaire A. A. Sprague that: “It will be practically impossible to raise $5,000,000 amongst so-called rich for the relief of Chicago unemployed during the coming winter.” The proposal to raise $13,000,000 is also an attempt to shift the burden of unemployment on the shoulders of the working class. Last year the bourgeoisie undertook to raise $5,000,000 for the United Charities, and the bulk of that amount was forced contribution from the work- ers in the factories, railroads, offices, etc. This year the bourgeoisie doubled the amount of forced donations. The workers in the factories must refuse to donate a penny to the charity racket and must give the fullest support to the struggle for social insurance at the expense of the bosses and the government. In order to carry this plan of forcing the workers to pay for unemployment, Governor Emmerson is calling a meeting of his Commis- sion on Unemployment for next Monday, Aug. 17, at Stevens Hotel to undertake the drive. ‘The Unemployed Council will send a mass dele- gation to present their demands and fight against the attempts to put the burden of un- employment on the shoulders of the working class. The events of August 3rd in Chicago have had a tremendous effect not only on the masses of unemployed, but on employed workers as well. Workers from many factories came direct to the demonstration and there is more than ever a sentiment for struggle against wage-cuts. Dis- content among the workers is developing espe- cially in the stockyards. The present situation in Chicago demands the most responsible leadership and guidance in the struggle of the workers. The organization of the masses is becoming a paramount ques- tion confronting the Party. The movement at present, which is concentrating around the un- employed councils and taking hold of the weak- est link, cannot neglect for one moment to carry on the work in the shops to organize workers, and, together with this, putting to the forefront the struggle of the righis of the Negro masses, especially involving in this struggle the white workers. The Chicago Federation of Labor. which is openly being used by the Chicago As- sociation of Commerce in the struggle against the working class, must be exposed and fought, and the rank and file membership in the A. F. of L. should be won for the revolutionary strug- gles HE FEARS A REAL MASS UPRISING BY GROPPER gle. One of the immediate tasks is to mobilize the masses for further struggle against evictions, for social insurance, against high rents, and | especially against double rent in the Negro ter- | ritories, against the high cost of food, develop- ing this struggle leading to a Cook County Conference on Unemployment, for social in- surance, against evictions and police terror, | which is being prepared by the Chicago City Committee of the Council of Unemployed, hay- ing as its object to unite employed and unem- ployed workers in a struggle for social insur- ance. The Chicago working class, which has many revolutionary traditions, and which in the year 1886 was the center of the struggle for the 8-hour day, once again assumes the most strategic position in the struggle for social insurance and for the rights of the Negro masses. The Com- munist Party has proven in the week of August 3rd to August 8th #iat it is capable to give lead- ership to these struggles and is capable of or- ganizing masses and defeating the attempts of the ruling class to destroy the movement of the others. This movement can be consolidated only if we clearly understand that we must | struggle against social fascism, the leadership of the Chicago Federation of Labor and the So- cialist party, the Republican “1d Democratic parties, in such a manner that the role of these agents of the bosses will be exposed before the entire working class in Chicago and through- out the country. They already stand exposed to the large masses of workers. This must be done in the broadest? possible manner and con- solidated organizationally, the unemployed coun- cils establish branches in every working- class neighborhood and the movement must em- brace every working-class organization, winning the workers away fom the influence of the Chi- cago Federation of Labor, Socialist party, Negro misleaders, Republican and Democratic parties, and by building a mass Communist Party. Build the Workers International _Relef By WILLIAM Z. FOSTER ‘HE time is at hand when the most serious attention must be given to the building of the Workers International Relief into a mass organization. The need for such an organiza- tion is now so plain that all should see it. It must be conceded that the systematic building of the W.LR. has been badly neglected in the past. In consequence, when strikes develop we are ‘placed at a great disadvantage because there is no established relief organization at hand. This weakness must be overcome without delay. ‘We may now look forward with a perspective of increasing strikes on a mass scale. The miners’ strike and the strikes in the textile in- dustry are only a forecast of what is to come. The workers’ wages are being slashed in prac- tically every industry and their conditions’ are being made worse. Anyone who has even the slightest contact with the masses and under- stands what they are thinking of, realizes that the workers are not going to submit passively to this increased exploitation and impoverish- ment. Strikes are in prospect—strikes in many industries. Militant mass struggles. If we thus foresee a developing strike wave, we must at the same time see the need for a relief organization and the systematic collec- tion of strike funds and supplies. There seems to be a notion current that all strikes in the present period are short and sharp, and that no relief is necessary, Often this idea is more or: less clearly expressed by word or action. But it is incorrect. Even if the tendency is to- wards shorter and more bitterly fought strikes, nevertheless, in the strikes that we now face, Official Proof of the War Pre- parations Going On Now! WAR DEPARTMENT NEW YORK GENERAL DEPOT QUARTERMASTER SUPPLY OFFICE Wer Avenue A S8rH State Gentlenen: ‘The Tar Departaent, under the National tefenes Ast, te endeavoring to prepare workable plans for the procurenent of supplies needed in event of an emergency. In order to accamplish this, the Department is now engaged in making a survey of various industries with » riew to plactns sentatine orders with selected faotly doa, in quantities which will meet the require- loquate defense army. Mith the power of the President to control, in tine of exergency, the supply of raw materials, power ant transportation, any facility working with the Government by producing for it a percentage of its capacity, to be previdusly agreed upon, will then be free to take care of {ts regular Dusinesewith little or no interruption and will be certain to find iti in * preferred position with respect to materials, power and transportation, Your company having beon tentatively selected for survey with the view to mamfacturing Molen Suitine and Crercoatine. in an amerrency, ite proposnd to have AY your conventenos, possibilities ant the sents upon jou 13) te aecartain your produstion OF ame you would bé willise to devote to the War Department in such an emergency, Tt 1s requested that you designate an offiver of your organisation with whan confer, and if the date speoified de not may satisfactory that you matidly notify thie office, For the Quartermaster Supply Officers NEW YORK.—Above we reproduce an offi- cial letter of the United States War Department in which it informs mcnufacturers that a survey of plants, capable of being turned over imme- diately to production for war, is going on now, and that this is being done for war “supplies needed in the event of an emergency.” The name of the company to which this letter was sent to, as well as other distinguishing marks, have been omitted. In this way does the war department admit that it is rapidly preparing for war. The War Department not only sent letters to every plant in the country that in any way could be used for war purposes, but sends out officers person- ally to inspect these plants and line them up for the coming war, In this letter we re-read the language of the last World War, we see the capitalist govern- ment maneuvering for war — and taking the practical steps to plunge the American working- class into a new slaughter to enrich the ri¢h and to slaughter the unemployed masses; to gain new markets and colonies for the impe- rialists, 4 Against whom are these war preparations go- ing on? In Friday's issue of the Daily Worker we published copious quotations and clippings ‘from capitelist papers all ov-r tne United States. The note struck in allof these boss sheets was: “We, the capitalist class of the United States, must make war against the yictoriously advanc- ing socialist construction in the Soviet Union.” One newspeper.in Tulse, Oklahoma, did-not | ‘Defend ithe Soviet-Unlont / ¥ ,, the question of relief, because of the workers’ great impoverishment, is very important. The present mine strike illustrates this fact. No sooner had the strike begun than the de- mand for relief was of the most urgent char- acter. In fact, so poverty stricken were the workers, that almost immediately, as they step- ped out of the mines, they had to be put upon the relief list. In many cases, workers on the job actually negotiated with the pickets re- garding relief, stating that they had no way” of living even for a few days if they stopped work, unless they were assured of a minimum of relief. In some instances employed miners, in starvation conditions, came to the strike relief soup kitchens to beg meals. The question of relief, in the form of tents for evicted miners, is also of great importance in this strike. While the whole body of workers ordinarily do not have to be put on the relief list at the outset of a strike, it is nevertheless highly demoralizing to all the strikers if even a minority are ac- tually forced into starvation and back to work because of lack of relief. Even a small amount of relief goes very far in such a situation to prevent demoralization. Lack of relief has played a very great part in weakening the coal strike. If we agree that relief is important in hold- ing solid the ranks of strikers, we must per- force admit the necessity for the maintenance of a permanent organization for the collection of such relief. This is the Workers Interna- tional Relief. It is a terrific waste of efficiency on our part to have to create a new relief ma- chinery every time a big strike develops. This of course translates itself into a great falling off in the possible amount of relief collected in connection with the given struggle. Undoub- tedly if the W.LR. had existed on,a mass basis at the outset of the coal strike and had been able immediately to set a strong apparatus in motion collecting money and food, several times as good results could have been secured. The strengthening effect upon the strike would have been very great, even small amounts of money, skillfully expended in relief work, go- ing a long way in sustaining a strike. In considering the necessity for such an or- ganization as the W.LR., we cannot confine cur- selves simply to the question of the physical support given strikers thru money and food col- lected. Basically important is the fact that a strong relief organization, by being able to take up the question of the given strike, far and wide among the ranks of the workers and their organizations, can do a tremendous amount of valuable educational work. It is a powerful instrument for awakening the class-conscious- ness and class solidarity of the workers. Ap- proaching the workers upon the basis of con- tributing to strikers is one of the easiest and most effective means of reaching them with solid propaganda about the class struggle. The W.LR. is holding its national relief con- ference in Pittsburgh, August 29 and 30. This is timely. The conference will take up the question of developing the relief campaigns in support of the present strikes in the mining and textile industries. It will give special atten- tion to the need and methods of building the W.LR., to the relationship of the W.LR. to the. revolutionary unions, and to the World Con- gress of the WLR. Every support should be given to the WIR Conference, The mine and textile strikes, the most important struggles that have developed since the beginning of the indus- trial crisis, are re-emphasizing the necessity of building the WIR. The Pittsburgh Conference should be a milestone in the accomplishment of this task, mince words, It came right out declaring that’ the American capitalists will declare war on the Soviet Union and the sooner the better. The above letter shows us these are not idle words, The capitalists are spending millions for war, are preparing for war right now. But they refuse to pay one cent for unemployment re- lief. They pay billions for new war arma- ments, millions for lining up industry for war. Every worker should demand the war funds be turned over to the unemployed for unem- ployment insurance! Expose the war prepara- tions! Fight against them! Rally the workers against the impending imperialist slaughter! Le PARTY. LIVE Conducted by the Org. Dept. Central Com- mittee, Communist Party, U. S. A. Development of Bl ck Committees in Chattanooga By HELEN macy j bt eee after the arrest and conviction of the Scottsboro boys, we began to look for forms of organization whereby we could organs ize a wide, popular movement about the case, One of the first steps was the organization of Block Committees throughout the city. These consisted of neighbors within a block or cer- tain vicinity, who were interested in saving the lives of the Scottsboro boys, meeting together once a wee's, selling Liberators, Labor Defenders and other literature. Another main task was the raising of funds for the defense of the boys. These block committees had an extremely loose organizational form. No dues, membership books or other organizational ties. The only function- ary was a block secretary, who attended a week- ly meeting of block secretaries from all parts of the city, where the plan of work for the next week was discussed. The Block Committees Today. Since the local newspapers purposely omitted the news of the revolt of the share croppers in Camp Hill, Ala., the block committees served im- mediately as a medium of acquainting the work- ers of Chattanooga with the Camp Hill massa= cre, The struggle of the Camp Hill croppers bee came their own, and now Camp Hill and Scotts- boro have become merged in the giant struggle for Negro rights, and the right of workers to organize, Of great importance is the initiative and lead- ership the block committces are giving in the fight against evictions in Chattanooga. In spite of the intimidation, stool pigeons, and false ar- rests the block committees have twice organized large groups of workers to put back the furni- ture of an evicted, jobless worker. Although & week has pased since the furniture was put back the second time, this worker is still in the house. Our fight against evictions has laid the basis for the building of many more block committees. One Neighborhood Committee to Fight Evic- tions has already been formed in a block where eight families were served eviction notices. The membership in the Block Committees is swell- ing because of the enthusiasm and admiration of the workers for our fight against evictions, The Block Committees are losing their single track character and are becoming efficient fighters in all working class battles. The mem- bership has become a more or less responsible one. Each committee now has a Block Captain besides a secretary. The best worker in the block is selected captain and delegated to at- tend the weekly Block Captains meeting, com- posed of captains from all over the city. The Block Committees have conducted a con- sistent fight against the Ministers Alliance and the N.A.A.C.P. These attacks are dealing hard blows to the church and the “race leaders” and are effective in winning workers away from their deadening influence. The Block Committees, ef course, will prove a very fertile field from which to draw CP and YCL members, especially since any member of a block committee is immediately considered a Red by friends and enemies. The worker who joins is usuall apt to consider himself so and must of necessity be a militant, determined fighter. Conditions of illegality and semi-ille- gality tend to weed out weak elements. I believe the direction the Chattanooga Block Committees are taking is a correct one. I wrote this history of our Block Committees hoping other cities would tell us what is happening to their Block Committees and how’ they are de- veloping. SIGN YOUR ARTICLES! Several articles for Party Life have been re- ceived recently with no sginature whatever, sometimes without even any indication of what city or district they come from. We cannot print such articles since we are unable to check up on the reliability of the facts described. In many cases the articles contain controversial material and often apparently correct criticism, but we cannot print such material unless we know who is responsible for it, so that we can take the matter up properly wifn the district concerned. A case in point is a recent article, totally unsigned, describing a case of rank op- portunism in the Scottsboro campaign. The comrade who wrote this article should send in his name to the Org. Dept., Central Committee. Comrades who don’t want their name printed can always add a note saying 90, but all articles Should have the name and district (or address) of the writer. | D strict, Section and Unit Literature Agents See that you order immediately your liter- ature for the August 22 Campaign and Dem- onstrations. You should especially concen- trate on the following literature: Fight Against Hunger, Statement of Com- munist Party to Fish Committee.... .05 Race Hatred on Trial................5... 10 Lynching Negro Children in Southern Courts, by Joseph North.............- 05 The Frame-Up System, by Vern Smtih,... .10 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 . a + 1.00 Yankee Colonies, by Harry Gannes.. + Lo Continue the sale of tne Anti-War literature; Anti-Soviet Lies and the Five Year Plan, by Max Bedacht........cccssesssssess lO “Soviet Dumping” Fable, by M. Litvinov.. .02 Chemical Warfare, by Donald A. Cameron 10 War and the Second International, by V. I. Socialism. ard War, by G. Zinoviev and V. I. Lenin 5 Life in the U. S. Army, by Waltor Trumbull .10 Reveiniionary Strugsie Against. War vs. Pacifism, by Alex Bittelman.....,. sere 05 DON'T fail to send in your order immediately. CENTRAL AGITPROP