The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 28, 1931, Page 1

Ree, MY MAN, I'VE AAA * eo WI TTEG To Set Apouy GIVING) Beaytocp. « - THs Winer? \ (Section of the Communist Lethe ite cole ) Worker Rinuniet Party U.S.A. OF mere WORKERS THE WORLD, UNITE! —_ - = Entered as second-cl: at New York, N. Y., wi _Vol. ‘Vu. N 3 matter at the Post Office jer the act of March 3, 1879 ae » NEW YORK, FRIDAY, AUGUST 28, “1931_ crTy ED ITION = ree Price 3 Cents or United Mass Struggle to Release Mooney and All Class-War Prisoners We publish today the call of Tom Mooney: “From the cell where I have been buried alive for fifteen long years I appeal to every working class organization with a spark of militancy or revolutionary purpose—I appeal for united action. . “The dictatorship of capital knows the economic conditions are so ominous that to issue a pardon at this time would be as though a lighted match were thrown into a powder keg. We must prove that neither will tmy continued imprisonment serve their purposes. Let this appeal be the spark which will start an unparalleled conflagration—agitation that will arouse the masses to demand my unconditional pardon and the release of all class war prisoners.” With all the revolutionary determination with which our Party has led so many struggles, and has made itself known to the American masses—the Communist Party calls for a united front of the entire working class to fight for the liberation of Tom Mooney and the release of all class war prisoners. This must mean a determined drive—now, during the present stage of the growing economic crisis, Tom Mooney is correct in saying that now is the time of all times for a relentless struggle ef the working class for the liberty of the many hundreds of workers who are rotting in capitalist jails. In this coming winter—the most terrible winter of starvation and suffering that ever faced the millions of workers of this country—the working class will be compelled to struggle for the very lives of themselves, their wives and children against the starvation regime of the Hoover Wall Street gov- ernment, And it is true that precisely this is the time for action on behalf of those soldiers of our class who have already fallen in the struggle—the militant workers in capitalist bastilles for their “crimes” of class loyalty. It will strengthen and deepen our struggle for bread if at the same time we fight with the same anger against the imprisonment of those who have struggled for our class before., The struggle to free Mooney is again an issue of mass struggle because the workers are starving and realize they must fight the system that jails the Mooneys. Therefore Mooney’s battle will be successful to the extent that it is intertwined with the immediate economic needs and struggles of the working masses, This struggle must be given still greater strength and depth by en- larging it into an international campaign. It is the duty of the workers of all the Americas to express now the international solidarity of the workers by a vigorous protest against the fascist murders and other crimes committed against our fellow workers in Poland, Jugo-Slavia, Latin America, Italy and other countries in which the capitalist class dictatorship has assumed an open form of fascism. ‘The Communist Party calls upon all members of the working class, whether organized in the revolutionary trade unions of the TUUL, or whether they are still under the reactionary leadership of the A. F. of L. or so-called “independent” unions, or not yet organized in ahy unions, victims of the disorganization of labor brought about by the reactionary union buréaucracy, to form a united front forsstruggle forthe release of all working class political prisoners, In calling for this united front, the Communist Party points out what kind of united front is needed for the liberation of Mooney and Billings and warns against sham united fronts which would paralyze the mass struggle. Tom Mooney, in his appeal issued today, hai addressed it “To All Militant and Revolutionary Labor Organizations and Groups,” to the rank and file workers, but then proceeds to call upon the officials of organizations ranging from the Amalgamated) Clothing Workers to the Socialist Party and the sectarian groups that ang on its skirts. Mooney says that he has spent 15 of the best years of his life in a capitalist dungeon—“for the ideals and purposes all these groups represent.” But many of the groups named by Mooney do not repfesent the ideals for which Mooney was sentenced to death, and thenit6 prison. _The Wall Street capitalist dictatorship (and its branch under the rule"of California bankers) does not imprison workers for the “ideals” of Gompers, of Matthew Woll, of Paul Scharenberg, or Sidney Hillman. It does not imprison anyone for the “ideals” of Morris Hillquit, attorney for czarist oil interests, for the “ideals” of the Reverend Norman Thomas, who joined with Mayor Walker in the brutal attacks upon the leaders of the unemployed in New York. It does not imprison workers for the “jdeals” of a Muste, a Gitlow, a Cannon or a Lovestone, whose sole pro- _fession is in supporting the “ideals” of the A. F. L. reactionary leader who Mooney himself condemned. But it is true that there are many workers in some of these organ- izations who do hold in their hearts the ideals and purposes for which ‘Tom Mooney has spent the best years of his life in a California dungeon. This is exactly why a genuine united front is necessary. The efforts of our class are truly “divided and weak,” and this division and weakness must be overcome by a united front of all honest workers including those who are victims of misleaders—including all honest workers who are in the socialist party, in the L.W.W., in the A. F, of L., and all other or- ganizations whose official leadership makes them counter-revolutionary, strike-breaking organizations. ‘The class interests of the entire working class are identically the same, They are divided, not because of any substantial and lasting dif- ference of interest between the separated parts—but in the main simply and solely because of the efforts of those men who make a profession of putting ovr capitalist policies under labels of “labor,” “socialism,” and lately even of “Communism.” Mooney, a son of the working class and a bold fighter in its ranks, was singled out and slated for death through no “miscarriage of justice,” but by deliberate conspiracy between big corporation agents, the authori- ties of the law padietioey important of all—the official heads of the labor movement, With full knowledge of what hey: were doing, these agents of) the tuling class suborned and paid for perjury through which to hang for his loyalty to the working class. The exposure of this murd spiracy set the whole working class of the world aflame. But it was not through the mere exposure that Mooney’s e: was prevented. Only the international action of the working class in | midst of the world war—and those of Soviet Russia in the first pl is responsible for Mooney’s being still alive. ‘The imprisonment of Mooney for 15 years after this cri spiracy was exposed is one of the ghastly Jandmarks of the the American working class. In itself this “continued imp. the proof of the shameful weakness of a labor movement gutted sold out by the Gompers, the Greens, the Lewises. looney became ‘the symbol both of class struggle and of a betrayed worl class. ‘* After 15 years of living death Mooney’s voice rang out with a burn- ing denunciation of the sabotagers and co-jailors of Mooney—the reac- tionary leaders of the A. F. L. It should be clear to Mooney that Hill quit, Thomas, Hillman and Muste stand in the way of militant mass © struggle for his liberation and that the workers must fight these reform- ists as the only road to achieve liberation. A united front of the workers belonging to various organizations with conflicting programs can nevertheless be a genuine united front. But a so-called “united front” “arranged” from the top with “leaders” whose purposes are opposed to the interests of the working class, would be en- tirely spurious, a snare and a delusion. A so-called “united front” from the “top”—an alliance of a few so-called “leaders,” would be a united front of William Green, Matthew Woll, Paul Sciaarenberg and their hangers-on, Such a so-called “united front” would consist of bureaucrats, whis- pering into the ears of prosecutors and state officials, and meantime ex- erting all their influence to keep the masses inactive. ‘This is the kind of so-called “united front” that has already existed during the greater part of the past 15 years. This is the kind of so-called “united front” that has kept Mooney and Billings in prison after the militant action of the masses of the workingclass in America and the revolutionary demonstra- aa (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Tom Mooney’s Call The Daily ‘Worker publishes the folllowing appeal re- ceived from Tom Mooney, and at the same time a state- ment on the subject issued last night by the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which appears in an adjoining column, California State Prison, San Quentin, Cal. August 18, 1931. To All Militant and Revolutionary Labor Organizations and Groups: Dear Comrades and Fellow Unionists: The time for action has come. Too long have we been deceived with slick promises—away with them. From the cell where I have been buried alive for fifteen long years I appeal to every working class organization with a spark of militancy or revolutionary purpose—I appeal for united action. The most flagrant “frame-up” this country has ever seen is drag- ging into its sixteenth year. and not even a glimpse of freedom is in sight. In fact, I am more securely imprisoned today than when first arrested. The dictatorship of capital knows the economic conditions are so ominous that to issue a pardon at this time would be as though @ lighted match were thrown into a powder keg. We must prove that neither will my continued imprisonment serve their purposes. Let this appeal be the spark which will start an unparalled conflagration— agitation that will arouse the masses to demand my unconditional pardon and the release of all class war prisoners. I ask for a genuine united front. Every working class organization should elect delegates and be represented on Pardon Mooney Committees that will direct the activities of the workers in this fight. The task of such committees will be to call mass meetings, distribute literature, carry on monster public demonstrations, and engage in an energetic campaign that will make the ground tremble under the feet of the arrogant rulers of California. One of the immediate tasks of these committees will be to force, through the pressure of an awakened public opinion, the publication by the Wickersham Commission of the suppressed report on the Mooney case, prepared by its experts. This report, I am given to understand, is a factual record and, when published, will definitely prove that the California authorities combined to organize the frame-up. Too many working class groups divide and weaken their forces. The effect they quite naturally should have in combined numbers is lost when they quarrel among themselves. This case ought to serve as a common rallying ground for all revolutionary and militant groups which should PEELING POTATOES AT THE MINERS’ RELIEF KITCHEN Potatoes ais brought in by the relief truck from the Penn.-Ohio- Harlan Trials Sent to “Safe” MineCounties Operators Fear Mass Sentiment; to Pick Death Jury From Big Landowners W. Virginia-Kentucky Striking Miners’ Relief Committee, 611 Penn Ave., Pittsburgh, Pa., are being made into the big meal for hundreds: of men, women and children in this strike camp, who are struggling in the coal fields for local demands. Help send another shipment of potatoes and other food! One camp lived for three days on a bag of hominy grits. Their children need more nourishment! Help them in their struggle! Send your donation today to the relief committee! Leo Thompson on Trial Shows, NMU As Real Fighting Union Court and Prosecutor Join In Attack On Na- tional Miners Union; Defend UMWA WASHINGTON, Pa., Aug. 26.—The Communist is¢fie was jerked vigorously into the trial of the nine men and two women on trial here since Monday on charges made by the United Mine Workers of conspiracy, unlawful assembly and incitement to ® riot. Today (August 26) Mary Rasef- | ske, 16-year-old daughter of Anna and sister of Stella, both on trial, re- | ferred to members of the Nation2' Miners Union as “comrades”, and mentioned the “Youth Sections” c the NMU. From that moment on MASS MEETING OF FSU TONIGHT I. L. D. Calls For Funds to Aid In Fight For Jailed Kentucky Miners Fearing the mass sentiment in favor of the defendants among the coal miners in Harlan, Ky., the coal operators who are trying to ex- ecute 34 miners in connection with the Evarts battle on May 5, have succeeded in arranging for tdials in Clark and Montgomery Counties. These are called the “Blue Grass” counties, where industries are absent and | where only wealthy landowners and merchants will be on the jury. The International Labor Defense came into rossession of -—*this informa sterday and at § once called attention to the danger 1] KERS W 4 | to the lives of the defendants in this BE TRIED TOD AY | Operator on Bench AL : £ a change of venue. These miners. | procedure. have been handled on the issue of IN P A T E R S0 Ni Thus far the cases of only 17 miners | Judge D. C. Jones has ruled in Cir- cuit Court, will be tried in Clark and Montgomery Counties. The ruling of |the judge, himself a big Kentucky | coal operator, came in response to the motion of Commonwealth Attorney W. A. Bock, the coal operators’ rep- ‘nother “Shop Signs NTWU Agreement; Grant All Demands unite for effective work in the face of a common enemy. I call upon the following ‘groups, listed alphabetically, and other sim~- flat groups I may overl6ok or forget in my haste, to~unite ald organize Pardon Mooney Committees in every city and state in this nation for immediate action: All the militant units and individuals within the A. F. of L. The Amalgamated Clothing Workers. ‘The Communist Party, and all of {ts subdivisions including the Trade Union Unity League, the International Labor Defense, and other similar organizations. All of the groups who have split away from the Communist Party, such as the Majority Group, the Communist League Opposition, the Communist League of Struggle. ‘The Conference for Progressive Labor Action. ‘The Farmer Labor Party. ‘The Industrial Workers of the World. The Proletarian Party. The Socialist Labor Party, etc. I have spent fifteen of the best years of my life in a California dungeon for the ideals and purposes all these groups represent and my When they fight for my freedom, they fight fate is in their hands. for their cause—the cause of labor. very best evidence of the futility and weakness of their aivided efforts. Only by their combined strength can they defeat the common foe. I hail each and every one of my fellow workers and comrades in this Let us all work in common for the Social, Revolution that will bring to an end this barbarous doz-eat-dog, profit-mad, capitalist struggle. system. 'To each and every one of you I send fraternal revolutionary greetings. 4 My continual imprisonment is the TOM MOONEY—31,921. Meeting Opens Drive to Send Delegation - Max Bedacht, author of “Anti- Soviet Dumping Lies”, and A: Heller, recently returned ftom the Soviet Union, and the author of “The Deci- Sive Year in the Soviet Union,” will be the main speakers tonight at a mass meeting held under the aus- pices of the Friends of the Soviet Union. , This mass meeting will open the drive to send a delegation of 25 work- ers to the Soviet Union. These work- ers who will be selected from the basic industries will go to the Soviet Union at the invitation of the Soviet workers in those industries. In the Sevtnt, Tinian these workers will have an opportunity to contrast the con- ui.ious with those under which the American workers must slave. ‘The mass meeting will be held at Irving Plaza, 15th St. and Irving Pl., and will begin at 8 p.m. All workers and friends of the So- viet Union are urged to attend this meeting where the conditions in the Soviet “-'-1 will ‘be explained in great detail, District Attorney Warren S. Burchi- | il raged like a maniac inst the Reds”. and sought persistently, with the able assistance of Judge Cw , to prove that the NMU' and iis Youth Sections were only a part of the Communist International | and the Young Communist League. The high point of today’s testi- mony was when Leo Thompson, sec- | tion organizer of the Central Rank and File Strike Committee, and the defendant with the most charges agains: him, was on the stand. Thompson jamed into the record, in | spite of every possible attempt to | stop him that the National Miners | Union was the only union for th’ miners, that the union was led by | rank and file miners elected from | the ranks, that it alone put up a fight against the terror and starva- | tion conditions in the coal fields. He outwitted prosecutor and judge and got into the record that the UMWA was the main strike-breaking wea- pon of the operators, and that it had betrayed and sold out the miners in one strike after another. The judge carefully explained that and | (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) Three Hired As 700 Try for Jobs Indianapolis, Ind. Unemployment conditions are worse here. At the Vancamp Pack- ing Co. on Aug. 21 there were 700 workers looking for work. Four were hired for 35 cents an hour. This company has modern ma- chines that produces about ten times a8 much canned goods as the workers are paid for in a day. Kingan’s plant has put over two wage-cuts: one of 10 per gent and one of 7 per cent. Yet prtat retails at the same price in the chain stores and the groceries. © —A Worker. British Labor Party ‘Opposition’ Aid M’Donald by Talking; Do Nothing (Cable by In} Inprecorr) LONDON, Aug. 27.—The new “Na- tional government” has been com- pleted here with the appointment of Lord Crewe, ex-ambassador to Paris, as War Minister. The whole minis- try is composed of the most reaction- ary politicians of all the capitalist parties, including Lord Londonderry, the largest British coal owner. The Trade Union Council and the Chattanooga Bosses Try Jail Worker Aiding Scottsboro 9 HATTANOOGA, Aug. 27.—In eir efforts to crush the mass fight to free the nine innocent Scottsboro Negro boys, the local bosses and their courts have again arrested Oscar | McDowell, a militant Negro worker active in the Scottsboro defense movement. McDowell is charged with shooting with intent to kill Rufus Ball, a Ne- gro worker ‘who, under the influ- ence of local N\A. A. C. P. leaders, beat up his wife, Mrs. Bessie Ball, because she attended the All-South- ern Scottsboro Defense Conference, held in this city on May 31. Me- Dowell, who lives next door to the Balls, went to the defense of Mrs. Ball, who had been so brutally beaten up that McDowell's mother had to her to their home and nurse her for several days. Mrs. Ball took out a summons against her husband for ill-treating her. The charge was dismissed by Judge t Ra Fleming, who told Ball to get a shot- gun and shoot the Reds. Ball. backed by the courts and the N. A. A. C. P. misleaders, next at- tacked McDowell's mother, wresting a copy of the Liberator out of her hand and threatening to beat her up. McDowell warned Ball to keep out of his yard. Ball ignored the warn- ing and attempted toattack the Mc- Dowells again. McDowell fired at him and slightly weundd him, Al- though his act was clearly one of self-defense he was immediately ar- rested and held under $500 bail. The International Labor Defense, the or- ganization of Negro and white work- ers defending the Scottsboro boys, immediately took up his defense, rallying the masses behind the court fight. The I. L. D. furnished bail for him. The boss courts have now set new bail of $2,000 and schéduled his trial for today, 1m. P.’s Join O Opposition to Get Votes Not to Block Government Labor Party issued a statement de- claring its “opposition” to the new government and declared it would support Arthur Henderson, former Foreign Minister, and his followers. The sham nature of the opposition is glaringly revealed in the complete absence of any campaign on their part to resist the oncoming attacks against the werkers to be put into ef- fect by the government headed by the “socialist” MacDonald. ae ae NEW YORK.—A joint meeting of the former associates of MacDonald in the National Labor Party execu- tive committee, the consultative com- mittee of the Parliamentary Labor Party, and the Trade, Union Council met Wednesday and passed a reso- lution asserting thet “this joint meeting unanimously favors that the new government should be vigorously opposed in parliament and by the labor movement throughout the country.” At the same time, these Labor Party members voted to call another meeting to work out proposals to save British capitalism without put- ting into effect openly the cut in un- employment insurance. The entire object of these three organizations is to keep the workers quiet in order not to stir up action while Mac- Donald goes through with his plans. ‘That most of the “opposition” re- main within the Labor Party and do not follow MacDonald, not because ° they do not’ favor his move, but be- cause they fear the action of the workers, is exposed in a cable from London to the New York Times. Pointing out that the Labor members of parliament do not want to lose their jobs and are therefore carry- ing on their “opposition,” the Times cable states: They took their pres- ent action “in the fear the Labor members ‘have of being expelled from their party for irregularity and thus of being prevented from receiving nominations in the new elections.” ‘The opposition, therefore, resolves it- self into trying to hold the workers under the illusion that the Labor Party is a working class party and {CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) PATERSON, N. J., Aug. 27.—The police have continued the attack on the militant picket lines of the NT WU:~-This morning they arrested two pickets on the line at the’ Eagle Silk Co. charged with singing, The Eagle*Silk picket line is being held gainst the fake settlement that the UTW has put over in this shop. The six workers who were arrested at the August 22 demonstration will be brought up for trial on Friday before the notorious Judge Freeman who cooperated with the police at the time of the arrests so that they were jailed without the IL.D. law- yer having a chance to see them. Another NTWU Settlement The NTWU has settled the Hamp- ton Silk Co. at 62 Pitman ‘The | agreement was signed with the Uni- ted Front General Strike Commit- tee and with the shop chairman. All of the demands of the union were | granted, including the recognition of the NTWU. The Pioneer group will hold its field day at Pennington Park, Sun- day afternoon. This field day will be preceded by a meeting in thé Turn Hall which will start at 1 p.m. A good program has been arranged by the Workers Cultural Federation for both children and adults at the meeting. A meeting of all Italian silk work- ers has been called by the General Strike Committee for Friday, Au- gust 28, at the Turn Hall. The pur- pose of this meeting, which all Ita- lian workers in the industry are urged to attend, is to mobilize the workers for more intensive strike ac- tivity. The General Strike Committee is also calling on all the Lithuanian to attend the meeting on Monday, Au- gust 31, at 8 p. m., where further preparations will be made for ac- tivity in the strike. The Workers Cultural Federation is preparing a pageant for the youth mass meeting. The rehearsal will take ‘place on Friday at 7 p.m. ‘The workers of Kaufman Bros, will hold a shop meeting Friday at 9 a. m,, at 205 Paterson St. The meet- ing of the M. and K. shop will take place at 62 Lafayette St., at 10 a.m. Ala. Legion Hits Communists for Fight for Negro Rights BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Aug. 25.— The Birmingham bosses and their police are continuing their efforts to extradite Elijah Thompson, Negro worker, from Chicago. Last night they produced an inspired witness who obligingly declared his willing- ness to testify that he saw Thomp- son in Irondale the night of the shooting of 3 society women, 2 of whom subsequently died. Thompson is being held by Chi- cago police at the request of Ala- bama authorities. The International Labor Defense, an organization of Negro and white workers, is fighting his extradition. After orough in- vestigation, the I. L. D. collected ab- solute proof that Thompson and an- other Negro worker sought by the Alabama lynch lords on the same charge were in Chicago the night of the crime, Alabama boss papers have ad- mitted the difficulty of extraditing Thompson in view of the present militant mood of the Chicago masses and, the magnificent unity of the Negro and white workers of Chicago in the fight against starvation and for Negro rights. The effort at ex- tradition was almost given up, the boss papers only a few days ago re- porting the withdrawal of the extra- (OONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) | resentative in their drive to electro- cute the 34 miners. Complete confirmation af the charges made recently by the I. L. D. that the prosecution is seeking a change of venue because of the tre- Mendous sympathy for the defend- ants which prevails in Harlan County is found in the latest issue of the Harlan “Enterprise.” This house- organ of the coal barons says: Spilling the Beans. “The Central Kentucky counties (Clark and Montgomery), down in. the Blue Gress region, were chosen because of their remoteness from the trouble that has seethed in this county.” .. The cases sent to Montgomery will be tried in the December term of court and those in Clark County at the September term. The Harlan “Enterprise” further blandly de- clares that “it is the intention of the Commonwealth to have all the murder cases connected with the la- bor trouble transfrred from the county. The cases of the other de- fendants facing murder charges will be transferred later.” The transfer of the cases, the I. L. D. is informed, came after vigorous efforts of defense counsel to have Judge Jones disqualify himself and quash all murder indictments on the (CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE) ALL MUST RALLY ON SATURDAY TO SAVE A. YOKINEN LSNR Scores Move of Federal Gov’t to Deport Worker NEW YORK. — Scoring the at- tempt of the federal immigration authorities to deport August Yoki- nen to fascist Finland where prison or death will face him, the League of Struggle for Negro Rights issued the following statement: “August Yokinen must not be deported to Fascist Finland. He was arrested by immigration au- thorities after he admitted the mistake to chauvinistic attitude toward Negro workers and declared that he made an error and pledged himself to fight shoulder to shoulder with the Negro People of America. The attitude of the im- migration officer in arresting Yo- kinen proves once more to Amer- ican masses the class character of the capitalistic government towards the Negro masses and to those white workers who pledge their support to fight shoulder toe (CONTINUED ON PA REMEMBER ! Solidarity Day for Miner: Relief, September 7th, at sate Pa Two)