The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 11, 1931, Page 1

F] —_ & Vi Tree 2 * (Seon Sipe eee Please INKEY, Fol AT Nottie “Eames IN AY LIFE GS ¥, a a SHORT Fey AenonneD E Dail Central Orga ~Comm (Section of the Communist Siiecan aly _ Vol. Vill, Ne 219 | at New York, N. ¥. Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office itp under the act of Mare 1879 Norke prunist Party U.S.A. teith WORKERS OF THE WORLD,’ UNITE! cit Release Mooney! IM MOONEY, in a California prison for 15-years, has become a symbol of capitalist “justice” in America. The demand for the release of Mooney is at the same time a demand to release the Imperial Valley prisoners, the Centralia victims, the Scotts- boro Negro boys, the Kentucky miners, the miners in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia. Following the recent personal appeal of Tom Mooney, the Interna- tional Labor Defense has intensified its campaign for Mooney’s release and for all‘ class-war prisoners. It is organizing demonstrations. and conferences of workers everywhere on the broadest possible basis of mass struggle. In the past weeks it has already mobilized tens of thousands of workers in demonstrations. But evidently not all those empowered by the Mooney Molders De- fense to act for it, agree with or understand Mooney’s appeal to “mili- tant and revolutionary” workers to a united front for struggle to “bring to an end this barbarous dog-eat-dog, profit-mad, capitalist system.” An example of such lack of understanding is shown by the activities of Mr. Byrd Kelso, “field representative of Tom Mooney Molders Defense Com- mittee,” who came to New York a few weeks ago. He had instructions to work in ccnsultation with Bob Minor, who has from the beginning of the Mc: case been a chief fighter. But Mr. Kelso did not see fit to do this. Instead he entered into a secret agreement with the socialist party to hand over to them the authority of the name, “Tom Mooney Molders Defense.” He formed a committee, headed by the Rev. Norman Thomas, A. J. Muste, Sidney Hillman, Fania M. Cohen and Forrest Bailey. This is the outfit th is Byrd Kelso thinks should lead a mass struggle against capitalist ‘3 The spitoon-cleaners for Thomas and Muste, the Lovestone-Gitlow group, learning that their masters were meeting to consider the Mooney case, presented themselves for their usual services. But this “united front” was to be too “respectable” to allow these scavengers to be present. They will doubtless be called in later to do the dirtiest fighting against the Communist Party, a task which they carry on quite ably each week in their sheet. In the meantime, Thomas and Muste kicked Mr. Gitlow out, knowing that he will crawl back tomorrow. It is too bad that the name of Mooney should be connected with such 13,000 CLEVELAND JOBLESS FIGHT FOR JOBS; SCORES DROP OF HUNGER, WOUNDS Unemployed Council Calls for Demonstration; Plans Hunger March October 15 County Had Offered Few Part-Time Jobs Digging: Ditches For Bare Keep; Many Wait All Night CLEVELAND, Ohio, Sept. 10.—Over 13,000) unemployed workers massed at the county storeyards here when they learned that a few jobs ‘digging. ditches were offered for just enough to keep a man alive. So great became] the mass of jobless who started to form their lines the night | before that a rush started and dozens of workers were hurt| while scores of others fainted from hunger. The Unemployed Council of Cleveland is preparing to hold demonstrations at both the East and West Side county store- a area a IE 2 25 ned: Raa oe 13,000 unemployed cbscene burlesque on the united front. behind pricon bars, cannot be held though carried on.m his name. It is understood that Mooney, responsible for such activities even Workers will not be misled by this hokum. They can only laugh at the suggestion of a Hillman leading a mass struggle against capitalism. ‘These gentlemen wish to place themselves at the head in order to be- head the movement. They are one and all tied with a thousand ties to the A. F. of L. officialdom which bears the main responsibility for Moo- ney’s plight. They are tied with a thousand ties of the ruling class. They are afraid, more than all else, of a fighting mass movement of the work- ing class. They have done, are doing, and will do everything in their power to prevent the growth of a mass movement. The workers must come forward independently of these traitorous “faxers for’ a réal iiass Tight to rel The call issued by the International Labor Defense last week gives oners. a good starting point. All militant leasé” Mooney anid* all class-war “pris- workers, especially Communists, will throw alltheir strength without hesitation or delay, behind the confer- ence of the International Labor De: fense. Furious Boss Terror Raging Against Negro, White Workers I. L. D. Calls for Mass Protests and Amnesty Demonstrations to Demand Freedom of Class War Prisoners NEW YORK.—A statement re- leased to the press by the League of Struggle for Negro Rights re- cords 30 known lynchings for the first eight months of the year. The statement, which gives the names-of victims, the dates and places of the lynchings, exposes the wide extent and intensity of the murderous boss | class suppression of the Negro mas- ses of which the Scottsboro case has become a world-wide symbol. This brutal lynch terror is only one form of boss suppression aimed at stifling the protests and crushing the growing struggles of the Negra mas- ses against their frightful economic and national oppression. The hide- ous crime of the Alabama bosses in condemning eight of the 9 innocent Scottsboro boys to the electric chair 5th UPHOLSTERY SHOP STRIKE WON Chorast “Shop Boss Talks Settlement BROOKLYN, N. Y.—Another up- holstery shop, the Hirsch and Frank Upholstering Co. acceded to the de- mands of its striking workers and granted union conditions in a set- tlement with the Furniture workers Industrial Union. : The Morris Chorast shop, one of the biggest in the industry, is now negotiating for a settlement with union and shop committee repre- sentatives. Organizing Committee. The General Strike Committee of the upholsterers have organized the various committees for a militant strike in the remaining shops. A re- . lief, finance, defense and other com- mittees were set up and will start working at once, A meeting of the Furniture Work- ers Industrial Union was well at- tended yesterday and steps taken to consolidate the growing strength of the orgerAation. The General Strike Committee has addressed an appeal to all furniture workers and sympathizers to aid the on a brazen framed-up charge of “rape” is a lurid example of the in- creasing use of the boss courts in clothing the lynch terror in the garb of legality. The attacks on the Negro masses ere increasing in fury and extent with the deepening of the economic crisis of capitalism. The offensive against the Negro masses is a part of the furious onslaught of the ca- Pitalists against the entire working class— an onslaught featured espe- cially by the furious persecution against the Negro and foreign born workers, The boss offensive is dir- ected at crushing the strugzi¢s of the working class against unemploy- ment, wage cuts, starvation and evic- tions with a view to forcing the working class to bear the full bur- dens of the economic crisis in star- vation, suicides and general mass misery. Throughout the county struggles of the workers, Negro and white, are being attacked by the bosses and their local and national governments. The most brutal suppression of the struggles of the striking miners of Kentucky is occurring at this min- ute. Negro and white miners are held in jail in Harlan, Ky., on a framed-up charge of murder. One of the white mine strikers is facing a charge of murder for defending a Negro fellow worker against the thugs of the mine operators. In Chicago, several Negro and white workers are still facing trumped-up charges arising out of the heroic defense of the white and Negro unemployed workers against the police massacre on August 3, when three Negro unemployed work- ers were killed and scores of white and Negro workers wounded by the police, cossacks acting under the or- ders of Negro and white landlords, In Camp Hill, Ala., several Negro croppers are still in danger of being railroaded to long prison sentences by the courts of the Tallapoosa land- owners who murderously attacked a meeting of the Share Croppers Union in an attempt to smash the organ- ization of the enslaved croppers. One Negro cropper, Ralph Gray, was murdered by- the landowners and their police agents, and several scores thrown into prison. Mass pres- strikers and to turn out today at 6:30 a.m. at headquarters, Ten Eyck and Keciper Si dor organization work. sure, exerted under the leadership of (CONTINUED OM PAG SHALL) RALLY FOR FOOD | FOR CHILDREN | Demonstrate Before Board of Education Hundreds of working class parents and children throughout the city are ‘sing mobilized. behind the-demand of the Young Pioneers and the Com- munist Party for free food and cloth- ing to school childrsn of the unem- ployed. Indoor mass meetings will be held in all sections to mobilize for demonstrations before the Board of Education and the Boro Halls inj Bronx and Brooklyn. A meeting in the downtown sec- tion will take place on Wednesday, September 16, at 643 Eighth Ave. In |the Bronx, the meeting will take | place the same day, at Ambassador | Hall, Third Ave. near Claremont Pkway. At these meetings, delegations of workers and children of the unem- ployed will be elected to present the “free food” demand. Plans will also be made for parades and demonstra- tions at the Boro Hall in the Bronx on September 18. The opening on September 22 of the city's public schools will bring sharply to the fore the terrible con- ditions among the children in work- ing class neighborhoods. Thousands of children go to school without breakfast. In these sections, as many as ten children in a school have been known. to faint in one day. All work- ers should attend the indoor meet- ings in preparation for the parades and demonstrations. Demand free | jobs. 2 hunt for part-time The Unempiared Council will deniands jobs for all the men at full union wages. At the same time preparations are jbeing made for a County Hungar March to start on October 15 on |Cleveland, the seat of Cuyahoga |County. The demand of the hunger march will be $150 immediate cash ‘a (CONTINUED ON THREE) CALLS FOR FIGHT TO SAVE YOKINEN L.S.N.R. | Committee Visits Ellis Island NEW YORK.—A committee from the City Council of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights yesterday visited Comrade August Yokinen who is held for deportation on Ellis Is. |The committee consisted ef Mary Adams, Flora Douns and Harold Williams, district organizer of the LS. N. R. The City Committee at the same | time it elected its visiting committee issued a statement denouncing the attempt of the boss government to deport Yokinen. The statement pointed out that Yokinen has lived in this country for many years and jthat the government did not con- sider him an “undesirable citizen” until he repudiated the race hatred poison of the boss class and pledged himself to take a leading part in the relentless struggle for Negro rights, lead by the Communist Party. The City Committee of the L.S.N.R. calls upon all workers’ organizations to increase their protests against the government's efforts to send Yokinen to fascist Finland to probable death food, and clothing in school for the children of the unemployed! { or imprisonment. Send wires of pro- test to Secretary of Labor Doak! NEW YORK.—Fearing the hungry masses of workers and peasants, the Chilean government has been driven to threaten immediate death for all Communists who are caught at- tempting to organize the workers for better conditions. At the same time, army and navy court martials are being planned for the leaders of the naval mutiny. Some of the capitalist news services report that several of the leaders “have committed suicide.” With the economic crisis in Chile growing worse all the time, the ex- isting government is forced to turn to the Soviet Union for a trade agreement. A United Press cable from ‘Santiago states: “The ministers of industry and foreign relations discussed a pro- ject for a commercial agreement with Soviet Russia, which would be designed to improve the Chilean economio situation, The foreign of- fice cabled the minister in Paris asking him to undertake prelimin- ary conversations with the Soviet commercial agent there. “The Chilean government would eck @ pexmanent barter of Chilean nitrate for Russian oil. Chile Gov’t Fears New Rising; Threatens Death for Reds Chile im- ports oil products each year valued at $36,000,000. The plan would in- volve establishment cf Russian re- fineries here.” oe Steel Heads I Meet ir in Wall St. for Drive to Slash Wages New York Post Says 250,000 Workers Will Get Wages Slashed Soon Because Profits Must Be Kept NEW YORK.—Heads of th Up for Bosses e operating subsidiaries of dl United States Steel Corporation will meet here next week to prepare the wage cut drive against 250,000 steel worker: The wage cut was started by cutting the pay of office workers, speeding up steel workers, firing thousands, and now the ; Open | pay slash will nounced. The financial editor of the} New York Evening Post de-| clares: “Since a wage-cut has been widely predicted in the steel indus- try, the general assumption was that such a conference probably would be to discuss wages as well as other general operating econo- mies.” He also reported that when the officers of the United States Steel Corporation were questioned they | refused to say anything. Hereto- fore, President James Farrell of the | United States Steel Corporation re- peatedly denied there would be wage- cuts. Pointing out that the action | against the office workers was just | a preliminary step to a general wage- | cut, the Post writer says: “At the time the impression was | that this action was the forerunner | of a general reduction witich even- tually would reach the wage- earner.” He goes on to state that profits are | running down and the bosses look to a wage slash t6 make up thé prof= its, thus giving the parasites more | money at the expense of the living | standard of the steel workers. He | writes: “With the industry operating around 31 per cent of capacity, it | is obvious that the steel producers | are having a difficult time making | both ends meet, and Wall Street would not be surprised if third- | quarter results show that the Steel | Corporation earnings failed to | cover fully the dividend on its pre- ferred stock.” To “cover fully the dividend” the executives who meet next week will slice the slim pay of the steel work- ers, and at the same time speed them up. This is admitted by the same Post writer, who declares: “In their efforts to bring down expenses to offset loss of business, it was predicted directors eventu- ally would have to cut wages, de- spite reluctance to do so for fear it | would have an adverse effect upon | sentiment and lead to widespread reductions in other industries.” Several small strikes have already broken out in the steel industry, showing that the workers are restive and preparing for action. Many of them, through the capitalist press, and through the lying propaganda of Green and other misleaders of | the American Federation of Labor, have been led to believe there will | be no wags-cuts. This propaganda | is an effort to keep them from strik- ; ing. ‘ ‘The Metal Workers’ Industrial League, affillated to the Trade Union Unity League, is carrying on organization to prepare for strike against wage-cuts. Every worker must take part in this organization drive, as the time is short and wage- cuts are coming soon. Shop com- mittees must be organized every- where. Organize and strike against wage-cuts! be soon an-® TOILERS RESPOND TO NY COMMUNIST |ELECTION DRIVE) But Campaign Should Be Speeded Up to Obtain Signatures NEW YORK.—The signature drive | |to enable the Communist Party to run candidates in territories where | the Socialist Party polled a heavy vote last year is meeting with ex- ceptionally good response among | workers, who had had their eyes opened by the greatest treacheries of the Socialist Party. The fact that Norman Thomas, the Socialist clergyman, is now appearing | before the public hearings on the | Queens bus racket, held before the deputy comptroller, F. G. Priel, does not. fool the workers. Norman Thom- as and Company, the whole yellow socialist leadership have sold out the workers repeatedly in all struggles in | New York in every strike and in the struggle for immediate relief for the million jobless workers and their | families in New York. The fact that | Norman Thomas is now posing as a champion for the bus workers’ “right to unionize” and for the “6 day week and 8 hour day”, means only an elec- | tion campaign tactic, not a real fight | for workers’ demands. The socialist party does not fight for the workers. The task for all class conscious workers is to speed up the signa- ture drivefi smash the socialist party influence in all sections of the city and to get the w Vote Communist, to elect Communist fighters for the assembly and alder- manic posts who will expose the hy- Pocrisy of the triple alliance of the | socialists and fight for the interests jof the working class. Workers in shops should organize Vote Commu- nist Committees and then work in | their neighborhoods to organize Vote Communist Clubs. All workers’ or- ganizations should act immediately to elect their delegates on the basis of five delegates for every fifteen work- ers to attend the Mass Ratification Congress on’ Friday, September 18, jat Central Opera House. Make the ratification congress a monster meet- ing in support of the Communist | Party. YE pInic “Price 3 Coie = se KENTUCKY MINERS STARVING TO DEATH IN HARLAN JA BUSSES DELAY KY. TRIALS TO STOP MASS PROTEST; MUST RUSH AID TO MINERS International Labor Defense for Funds and Nationwide Protest; Fight far Hovlan Miners Is Task Of the Entire Working Class Also Demand Wide vc to Win Freedom for {looney and Other Class War Prisoners | Practically every miner in Harlan jail on murder charges, confederating, banding and |Criminal Syndicalist charges is in danger of death by starvation, it was discovered today by the International Labor Defense organizing a world protest of the working ma gainst the coal oper: ators’ terror. Sheriff John Henry Blair has declared, “Let them rot and rkers this year to | | Starve in jail.” to the sheriff's FACING HUNGER | ON A PART-TIME JOB, KILLS SELF orders. Most Call Workers rs at Otis+ Elevator to Protest YONKERS, Sept. 9—James Doug- |las Gilmour, 37, an electrician at the Otis Elevator Company's plant, who | | was on part-time employment, faced | with the prospect of slow starvation, killed himself Monday. The Metal Workers Industrial League here has issued a leaflet to the Otis Elevator Company workers calling them to |demonstrate against starvation on |the job. The leaflet says “This cide is the direct result of |the misery into which fellow-worker |James Gilmore was driven by our bosses through cutting his speeding him up and part-time work! While we know the torture that Fellow Worker James had to go through, suicide is not the way we workers will better our conditions! “Fellow Workers! Not by suicide but by organizing ourselves will we force our bosses to pay us a decent living wage! The bosses must answer for the blood of fellow worker James! All out on Larkin Plaza Thursd: September 11, 12 p.m. Demand shorter hours with no re- duction in 7! Smash this damnable | part-time system that drives workers to suicide! Demand safe conditions in the shop! Demand that the wid- | ow of fellow worker James Gilmore | | shall be provided by the bosses of the | Otis Co. with means to live! ‘Mayor Murphy Has Gay Time in N.Y. While Jobless Starve NEW YORK.—Mayor Frank Mur- phy of Detroit is in New York City having a “hell of a good time” as the Broadway columnists term it, while his Welfare Bureau in Detroit Millionaire Lawyer Strawn in Demand That t Wages Be Slashed NEW YORK.—Silas H. Strawn, | millionaire Chicago lawyer and close | friend and adviser of President Hoo- ver, in a nation-wide radio broad- cast on Wednesday night put for- ward the policy of the leading bosses and their government against the workers. Strawn's speech was given wide publicity by the capitalist papers as they regard it as the announce- ment of Hoover's policy toward wage- cuts and unemployment. Strawn’s speech dealt mainly with two points. He proposed first that all efforts at establishment of unem- ployment insurance in the United States be quashed by the govern- ment, He declared the rich would not feed the jobless out of their swollen wealth, and went so far as to deny the billionaires and million- ‘Speaks for ( Gov't and Lies About Rich Who Own All aires owned the country. Secondly, he proposed immediate wage-cuts as a “solution” for the crisis. Regarding wage-cuts, Strawn de- clared: “The wage earners,” he said, “must come to a realization that the manu- facturer cannot resume production at a cost too high for the consumer to pay. The situation demands, and I believe will receive, the cooperation of labor with capital. This precisely has been the policy of Hoover as well as William Green, LLL sss Matthew Woll and other leaders of the American Federation of Labor— |turns down hundreds of workers— many of whom commit suicide be- cause they face death by starvation. Walter Winchell, Broadway writer for the New York Mirror, reports that Mayor Murphy is visiting all the dives | | and speakeasies on Broadway, spend- ing money freely. Recently May Detroit from Henry Ford and Wall Street bankers with the express pro- viso that unemployment relief should be cut down. Mayor Murphy cut 15,- 000 families off the relief list and since then the Daily Worker has printed at least 20 suicides directly traceable to this action. Mark Hellinger, another Broadway direct support to lowering produc- | tion costs through speed-up, longer | Scribbler, tells of meeting Mayor hours and direct wage slashes and by |Next to Jimmy Walker,” writes Hellinger, “Frank Murphy is my fa- the “cooperation of labor (by this Strawn means the leadership of the A. F. of L.—editor) with capital.” Strawn does not speak abstractly when he calls for wage cuts. He has in mind the forthcoming pay slash for 250,000 steel workers, and the pay cuts going on i the leading cor- porations with which he is connected. Strawn is attorney for the First Na- tional Bank of Chicago, Montgomery Ward & Co. which exploits thou- sands of young workers; the Union Stock Yards, where tens of thousands 4CONTINUED ON PAGH VHKIE) vorite mayor.” In other words, this Broadway roue could find no better comparison for the Detroit than the incomparable New York grafter, Mayor Walker, whose | latest escapade was handing $400,000 | to the French government for a lot | of graft and a little medal as com- mander of the “Legion of Honor,” Mayor Murphy is in New York blowing himself to the best in town so that he can tell the Detroit work- wages, | Murphy got a loan of $35,000,000 for | slick faked of | The prison authorities were quick to respond of the imprisoned miners have en in jail since last April on a | Starvation diet and manage to keep alive, when they fed on beans and cabbage, which is practically the enly. food given them since they thrown into jail. The wiv of the prisoners manage to bring a little food once a week if they can beg apples or vegetables from the poor local farmers. Mrs. Jessie | Wakefield, the I. L. D, representa~ tive imprisoned on criminal syndi- calist charges, is near collapse, as the prison starvation diet is break- ing down her health. Most of the miners must sleep on the bare con- crete floor. The miners have been rounded up since May 5th, the day on which they defended themselves at Evarts, Ken- tucky, when: four auto loads of gun- men sped by, letting loose volleys of bullets on the miners’ picket line. Thirty-four of the most militant strikers were charged with murder, arising from this and following at- tacks. More than a hundred others |have been charged with criminal syndicalism, banding and confeder- ating. Judge “Baby Face” Jones said if any evidence is found against the miners charged with criminal syndicalism he hopes they will re- ceive the maximum sentence of 21 years in prison. The unity of Negro and white min- ers is one of the sore spots for the Po (CONTINU BLN MASS MEET TO FIGHT EVICTION FRIDAY SEPT: 11th Mother of 6 Penniless, | To Be Evicted | BROOKLYN, N. Y.—Ida Fostoff, 138 Manhattan Ave., mother of six | children, pennyless, without a piece of bread in the house, has been summoned to appear in court Friday; September 11, at 2 p.m., where the judge will decide that she is to be jevicted at the instruction of the Flescher Realty Co. The husband of. Fostoff left the house about a month ago and: never |came back. He being unemployed for about six months could no longer | Stand-to see his children starve and |took the way of least resistance. This poor women unable to find any work+in her line (dressmaking) has been getting 10 cents worth of bread every two days from a Jewish charity society. For the whole summer she could not obtain work. She is three months in arrears in her rent. The landlord has decided that she must be thrown |out of the house. The Williamsburg Tenants League representative will represent her in |court, however, and steps are being taken to mobilize the tenants to fight to keep her in the house. The Williamsburg Unemployed | branch has issued leaflets for a mass |meeting of the unemployed and em- | ployed workers for a fight to prevent the eviction of this poor working class family. All unemployed and employed | workers are called upon to come :to this meeting to help fight against on THREE) ers to go‘and eat garbage this winter | eviction of the unemployed workers’ or to shoot themselves when they run | families by the landlords and their out of food. courts. q