The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 6, 1932, Page 4

Telephone ALgonquin 4-7956. Publishing Co. Inc. dally except Sunday, at 60 Hast Cable “DAIWORK.” WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE SOCIALIST PARTY? a Wy ¥. AMTEE. ig PART i. SERIOUS conflict is taking place in the so- | eialist party. The old fascist guard, Lee, ‘iliquit, Oneal, Gerber and Classens, talk about splits taking place. They hold up warning fin- gers to the young working class elements, who ave dissatisfied with the petty-bourgeois, liberal policies and practices of the socialist party, as manifest in the activities of Thomas, Broun, etc. ‘They warn them sbout the splits of 1919 and threaten them with the strong arm of the Party. What is the cause of this conflict? ‘The economic crisis has forced the American working class to think—and to act. In this crisis, with unemployment greater than ever in the history of the country with the misery of the most savage character with wage cuts following in the sharpest succession, action is demanded of the working-class—militant action, with militant policy. With war hovering in the a®; with this wer directed against the Soviet Union, the younger working class ‘¢ ments in the socialist party are asking for po. (, and all the leader- ship of the party can answer is that the “Com- | zaunist Party has established a dictatorship over | the working class of Russia,” and that the | American socialist party, as part of the socialist and labor international, is against “any and every kind of dictatorshin—and therefore ogainst the Soviet Union. This situation must of necessity call forth a struggle in the socialist party. The workers in ‘ae socialist party are to some extent members of the trade unions of the A. F. of L. and Amal- gasaated Clothing Workers. These workers have seen jam Green and his lesser lieutenants, and Sidney, Hillman, sell out the workers right and left. ‘Lhey have seen their open class col- | ‘eSoration with the bosses. They know of the grait and corruption rampant in these unions, with the heads openly cooperating with gang- s the police, the capitalist courts and the goverrinent, against the workers. Socialist slomon and Karlin in New York—get nections against the workers. Socialist law- i procession of gangsters and police ‘¢ workers. The socialist workers unions, many of them militant, as well as progressive workers, are thrown out of t ons for daring to criticize their corrupt fas- leaders. of thousands of progressive workers, nscious workers, are unemployed. Among workers are many socialists and socialist | Te, members of the trade union and unor- | workers. They are starving, and & the unions do not provide one penny of for their members, that the leaders of the prominently among them the socialist continue to pocket their high salaries “sundries,” while the rank and file suf- tiunger. Many of these unionists cannot yay the dues and assessments owing to unem- | aloyment and part-time work, and are dropped | < the unions—which means stark starvation them. Many of them have joined the ranks of the “employed councils in Milwaukee and Reading, ad have seen the unemployed beaten down by dhe socialist police. They have seen “their” -dayor Hoan in Milwaukee flee through the back joor from the anger and rage of the unem- vioyed. This is their representative in govern- ment, who was supposed to consider first of all the welfare of the workers, and especially the unemployed workers. While this has been going on in the United States, the leaders of their sister parties in gov- ernments in Europe have been savagely beating dewn the conditions of |the workers of those countries. MacDonald in England, as head of the Labor Government, with the FULL Coor- BRATION AND CONSENT of Henderson and the Independent Labor Party, and today as head of the National government, forced wage cuts on the workers, has cut hundreds of thousands off the dole list. MacDonald, head of the British over on: | armament of labor government, does not differ from Mac- Donald, head of the national government, in the merciless policy toward the Indian workers and peasants. The German social democrats are the main support of the fascist Bruening govern- ment, which fulminates against the fascists, but carries out a program of destruction against the revolutionary workers. The social democrats of Poland, France, Bulgaria—the socialist and labor international, which sends its representative ‘Vandervelde to China, not to organize the work- ers, but to speak to the chambers of commerce— show conclusively where the socialists the world over stand, whether they adopt “radical” or conservative programs, The program of the socialist and labor inter- national and of the socialist parties is the pro- gram of “democracy’—the defense of supposed capitalist “democracy” against the fascist dic- tatorship and the growing fascist dictatorships in those countries where “democracy” is throw- ing off its mask. This pose toward democracy is a sham and a menace—a pretense of accept- ing the “lesser evil.” “Democracy” is not the DEMOCRACY that the workers consider it. It is the capitalist dictatorship, which, according to the situation, shows itself either as a constitu- tional “democracy” or an open fascist dictator- ship. In some countries, it means no parlia- ment; in others it means a mock parllament— Germany, Poland, Jugoslavia, etc. But it is al- ways the iron hand of the government, expressed in its at times constitutional “democracy.” The economic crisis is bringing the iron hand of the capitalist dictatorship more to the front, | and the workers are feeling it in the sharp low- ering of their conditions, the use of violence against them, the repressive measures against their organizations and activities. The workers fight for “democracy” and get the fascist dic- tatorship. ‘The socialist leaders, who blind the workers to the real nature of the capitalist dic- tatorship, who educate them to an antagonism against “ALL” dictatorships, disarm them | against the attacks of the fascist dictatorship— | as witness physically in Austria. This ideological, political and silitary dis- the workers before the growing fascist dictatorship has cost the lives of tens of thousands of militant, revolutionary workers in Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, This disarmament has taken on far greater form in the struggle against imperialist war. The socialist and labor international and the Amsterdam internaitonal support the League of Nations. The American socialist party calls on the U imperialist government to join the League of Nations. It gives undivided support to the Kellogg-Briand “peace” pact. It looks to the League of Nations as the body which will “outlaw” war, will “disarm” the powers. But the present struggle in Manchuria is waking up the workers to the real nature and function of the League of Nations . It is an instrument for war. The Japanese imperialist government, which put up a sham battle against the League of Nations, has the support of the League of Nations and of the U. 8S. government in war on the Chinese people, represented in the Chinese Soviets. The American socialist party supports the Pan-American Union, which with the assis- tance of the Pan-American Federation of Labor, is carrying on repressive warfare against the revolutionary workers in |the Latin-American countries. This is the “democracy” that the so- cialists stand for. This is the “democracy” and “peace” they are fighting to retain. This is the capitalist dictatorship—which is rapidly de» veloping into a fascist dictatorship, which the socialists support. Is it any wonder then that the younger, prole- tarian elements, the intellectuals who are rebell- ing against the system and have been misguided into the socialist camp, begin to size up the sit- uation, to analyze the policy and actions of the socialist party in this and other countries and are In a ferment within the ranks of the so- cialist party? (To be Concluded) Ss. The Third National Convention of the National Miners Union By BEN GERJOY ! PS ‘Third National Convention, which it (ake place on February 27-March 1 in Pit ourgh, Pa., will be another landmark in the upward march of the National Miners’ Union. 3¢ First Convention marked the climax of the revolt of the rank and file miners against the U.M.W.A. treachery and corruption. It recorded the experiences of the “Save the Union Com- mittee,” through which the miners tried to purge the U.M.W.A. of the bureaucrats and make of it & militant organization. At the first convention he miners became convinced that the U.M.W.A. was hopeless of a new union must be established ‘Vhe third convention, on the other hand, will record a series of mass actions underthe inde- pendent leadership of the N.M.U. The strike of 49,000' miners in Western Pennsylvania, East Ohio and West Virginia, and now in Kentucky, sre examples, The Present Mining Situation. awiefly, the present situation in the mine fieids van be characterized thus: On the one hand the coal operators’ starvation program, which spells misery, wage-cuts, mass lay-offs, jails and death for the miners. For this program the operators have the fullest co-operation of the government and the U.M.W.A. 1s their field organizer. On the other hand, there is a rapid growth of the resistance of the miners, militantly fighting against this program. The present revolt of the “Kentucky miners is the outstanding example of thé mood’ of the miners, Numerous other strug- gles could be cited, on a smaller scale, on the part of the employed as well as unemployed. ‘The National Miners’ Union is the only leader of these struggles. The rank and file opposi- tion movement which is rapidly developing in the Anthracite and Lllinois is another example. at is: movement inside the U.M.W.A. against the operators, for a militant program of struggle and against the U.M.W.A. officials who stand in the way of militant action. The N.M.U. fully co-operates with this opposition movement Some Weaknesses In Our Work. Though the Union has many achievements to its credit, nevertheless it cannot be truly stated that the N.M.U. has always appeared ac the ac- uve organizer of the miners’ struggles. Indeed, Mt -ofen not even kept pace with the fighting cf toe mines We can ap at lage two examples to illustrate the point. In West- ern Pennsylvania the N. M. U. prevented a wage- cut in the mines of the Pittsburgh Terminal Co., which has an agreement with the U.M.W.A. But did this come about as a result of con- scious organization inside and around the mines, raising immediate demands for the Terminal miners and its blacklisted and unemployed? The answer is no. The N.M.U. stepped into the situation only at the last moment, when the Wage-cut was announced. It was really the ideological influence of the N.M.U., and the miners’ profound hatred for the U.M.W.A., which rallied the miners to our program, The Ken- tucky strike is even a better example. The miners there were organizing into and entrench- ing the N.M.U. in the mines without the Na- tional and District Centers of the Union know- ing anything about it. They continued organ- izing and pressing the National Center to lead them in a general strike. Strikes in individual mines broke out as early as October. The gap between the influence of the N.M.U. and apply- ing it organizationally in leading the miners into bigger struggles for their immediate needs still remains one of the main weaknesses in our union. One of the principle objectives, there- fore, in the preparation for the National Con- vention, is the increasing of struggles in which the N.M.U. is not only the leader but the or- ganizer. In the very first paragraph of the Plan of Work which the National Board adopted for the organization of the convention we find the following: “The main idea upon which this Plan is based is that the convention must climax a period of intensive activity, numerous local struggles in which the N.M.U. is playing the leading role. In the center of all activities must be the involving of every union member and the workers generally for the support of the strike in the Southern coal fields—Kentucky, etc.” Besides the above there are other serious weaknesses which must be overcome, especially in the course of the preparations for the con- vention.To give a few major ones: ‘The ques- tion of the Negro miners is hardly compre- hended by our union. The Negro miners are the worst sufferers in the present general crisis and in the mining crisis particularly. At the same time the masses of the Negro miners are still unfamiliar with our program, no immedi- aie, local demands are developed for the Neo forker’ SUBSCRIPTION RATES: New York City. Foreign: one year, By mail everywhere: One year, $6; six months, $3; two months, $1; excepting Boroughs of Manhattan and Bronx, $8; six months, $4.50. THE “HUNGER” The Eighth Filipino “Independence” Commission | Comes to Kow Tow to Wall Street By HARRY GANNES. | Seaton Wall Street’s farthest outpost in the Pacific, conveniently near China, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics and the Manchur- ian battle front, a commission of Filipino rich land-owners and capitalists are coming to pay their obeisance to the Hoover hunger regime. The so-called Eighth Independence Commission will arrive in the United States in the latter part of January. All past exhibitions of kow- towing to the enslavers of the Filipino people will be outdone by this new group of tributaries. For over 30 years the millions of Filipino workers and peasanis have been unanimous in their determination to strike off the yoke of Yankee imperialism. The Filipino people will never forget the trickery, the hypocrisy, the savage brutality, of the American conquerors. After centuries of revolutionary struggle against groes and inside the local unions there is wide- spread white chauvinism, Organizationally the union is still weak, comparatively not enough miners belong to the union, the leadership is narrow from top to bottom, lack of discipline, bureaucracy, no stabilization of dues payments, and so on. The young miners are still outside the life of the union. We are only now making beginnings to win the young miners. The same holds of our work among women and children, Weak defense work. Progress can be recorded in the developing of a rank and file opposition movement inside the U.M.W.A. The National Miners’ Union fully co-operates with this move- ment. ‘The Kentucky Strike. ‘The National Board correctly puts down that the Kentucky strike, which is bound to spread to other Southern fields, must occupy the center of all our activities. The Kentucky strike is not “just another strike.” It is the greatest event in the history of the American labor movement in many years. It is a strike which will be fought out in the most militant manner that any strike has been fought. It is a strike led by @ revolutionary union, and for the first time Negroes and white will fight side by side against & common enemy in the South in a basic in- dustry. One of our major objectives in the con- vention preparations is the mobilization of all miners, and all other workers, for the support of the Kentucky strike. The chances to win are excellent. The strike will affect the working conditions not only in the other mine fields, but also in, many other industries, ‘The strike will serve as an inspiration to the workers generally to organize under revolutionary, trade union leadership in a decisive struggle against the starvation program of the bosses and their gov- ernment. All workers must be mobilized to sreed the collection of relief which will play an im- portant role in winning the strike. Our Immediate Tasks—in Summary. 1, Increasing of the mass struggles for im- mediate demands of the employed, part-time employed and unemployed, linking these up with the general demands of the union and for per- manent unemployment insurance. 2. Pullest mobilizetion in support of the Kentucky strike, 3. Fullest support to the rank and file oppo- sition movement inside the U.M.W.A.. now rap- idly developing in the Anthracite and Illinois. 4. Strengthen the union organizationally by @ntrenching the union inside the mines, broad- ening the leadership, stebilizing dues payments, making of our union an active organizer of the miners’ struggles. 5. Uproot white chauvinism, the biggest hin- drance to drawing the Negro miners into the union and developing local struggles for Necro demands in which the white miners are in the forefront of the fight. 6. To tncrease our struggle against the ter- ex, Improve our deferye work of the miliens ys Spanish domination, the Filipino people, on the eve of victory, were enchained by 2 mightier imperialist power. Wall Street has always oiled the lock of Fili- pino domination wi promises of “indepen- dence.” These “promises” of independence have proved inconvenient to Wall Street. They now prove a greater obstacle to the Filipino rich land-owners and capitalists who fear the grow- ing revolutionary struggles of the Filipino masses. A great change has taken place in’ the Philip- pines during the past ten years. American im- perialism has been increasing its penetration. The Filipino bourgeoisie have tasted the fruits of greater exploitation of the masses of Filipino people. The establishment of the Soviet Union, the growth of the Soviet territories in China, the fate of Kuomintang, the rise of the Com- munist Party in the Philippines, as well as the gencral growth of the militant anti-imperialist struggle, have presented the Filipino bourgeoisie with the necessity of squelching any real move to independence, Strikes and Peasant Uprisings. ‘The world economé crisis of capitalism, with its sharpening of the class struggle, with its intensification of the misery imposed by imper- jalism, has brought about mass strikes and anti- imperialist demonstrations in the Philippines. Tens of thousands of peasants, faced with evic- tion or further enslavement, are ready for a determined fight. The Colorum uprisings, in which 41 peasants were jailed for long terms, shows the revolutionary temper of the masses. In this period the Communist Party of the Philippine Islands was definitely established. It was scon met with @ campaign of terrorism. On May 31, 1931, over 300 Communists were arrested. The leaders of the Communist Party Christanto Evangelista, Jacinto Manahan, Abel- ardo-Ramos, and many others, were sent to jail or to exile in the disease-infested jungles of the Philippines, The campaign of terrorism against the revo- lutionary mass organizations of the Filipino workers and peasants was carried on jointly by the American governor-general and his staff and the Filipino bourgeois lackeys. The Filipino judges, the Filipino police chiefs, the Filipino prosecutors were the most active in this drive— in the interest of American imperialism and its best supporters, the Filipino bourgeoisie. It is not at all strange that in the present world crisis, with the bonds of imperialist dom- ination becoming more burdensome and un- bearable, that the agitation for independence should be greater. Yet it is at precisely this time that American imperialism with its apo- plectic industries, with its need of markets, should prepare not only greater exploitation of its old colonies, but for a war to grasp new col- onial plunder. It was for this reason that President Hoover sent Secretary of War Hurley to the Philippine Islands, The Philippine Islands are an impor- tant war base of American imperialism in the miners, linking same up with the defense of the Scottsboro boys, Mooney and Billings, etc. 7. Improve our activities among the young sport life; youth sections must be established miners, around youth demands and social and in every local union, activization of the existing women's auxiliaries and organizing new ones. A movement for children’s demands must be de- veloped. 8. Improving and guaranteeing the regular appearance of the Mine Worker. 9. To stabilize the union financially. “The above are the tasks which the National board set for the union to accomplish as part of the preparation for the ‘Third National Con- vention, The Third Convention will then be in @ position to take up concretely the preparations and mobilization of all miners for the great struggles facing them the coming spring. al Pe 1 » when Indien eal dead Pacific. They will be used as a pivot in an at- tack against the Soviet Union. In February, the American fleet will carry.on Pacific war maneuvers, and the Philippine Is- lands will play a prominent part. Wall Street intends to use the Philippine Islands as a spring- board for a leap to greater colonial plunder in Asia—in China, Siberia, India, Africa. The Filipino bourgeoisie, the tributaries who are coming to the shores of American imperialism, are in favor of helping American imperialism extend its colonial empire and to defeat the struggle for independence of the Philippines. For example, the head of the commission, Manuel Quezon, spent 14 months in the United States consulting with the agents of Wall Street on how best to defeat the revolutionary uprisings of the workers and peasants. When Secretary of War Hurley drew up his report to President Hoover he declared he would keep it secret until he consulted the Eighth Ind: ,endence Commis- sion. The New York Times on Dec. 22, 1931, de- clared concerning this: “Before submitting his report to President Hoover, which will be based upon his observations in the islands last summer and studies he has made of the question here, Secretary Hurley will show the report to the Philippine Independ- ence Mission, which is due here early next month, “Immediate, absolute and complete independ- ence, he added, in his judgment, would be de- structive to the welfare of the Filipinos.” Why Such Friendship? Since when does the secretary of war of United States imperialism became so friendly with am oppressed people that he seeks to get their opinion on a military matter before it is made public? This is especially astounding in view of the fact, as the Times story shows, the War Department's policy is that the Philippines belong to Wali Street by right of conquest. This should open the eyes of those Filipino workers who are yet fooled by these Filipino bourgeois politicians. The Eighth Independence Comiission which is nominally headed by Manuel Quezon, will be under the leadership of Sergio Osmena when it | arrives. It is hard to find adequate terms to describe Osmena. He is a typical native belly- crawler, The nearest comparison is Chiang Kai Shek—only Osmena hes yet to wield the bloody sword. Meanwhile he prepares the wholesale executions by his collaboration with the Amer- ican imperialists. Osmena several years ago was ready to turn millions of acres of the finest Tubber lands in the Philippines over to Ford, Siberling or to Firestone. Osmena wanted Fire- stone to transfer to the Philippine Islands the system of outright slavery of the Negro masses that he has established in Liberia, “Security” for Whom?” { American imperialism knows it can count safe- lyon the Eighth Independence Commission. For example the New York Times (on which Nicholas Roosevelt is an editorial writer—the imperialist who declared the Filipinos should “no longer be pampered”) reported with approval that when the Commission left Manila “an editorial in the Philippine Herald, and a letter from Manuel Quezon to Senator Sergio Osmena, all indicate it is working for ‘early independence’ but is in- clined to oppose any too precipitous grant.” On the same occasion the Philippine Herald stated: “It is very obvious that there can be no fair and equitable separation, from the standpoint of both the Washington government, and the Filipino people, which does not include a period of economic readjustment for the Philippines.” ‘To this the New York Times (voicing the views of Wall Street) added: “Press comment, as well as the individual statements of leaders, is taken to indicate clearly the Filipinos are beginning to realize the grav- ity of sudden separation from the Untied States and are therefore abandoning their slogan for immediate and complete independence, under- taking to work out = reasonable formula by Conte Ms Dowty USA — MARCHERS “= 7 Niwot Give Pus THE UNEMPLayED ve TH Y Une t Now We Know He Was Correct A Chicago comrade, Philip K., in rummaging around old publications, ran across the fole lowing wise words of Thomas N. Carver, in the Ivon Trade Review of Oct. 7, 1926: “The multiplication of holidays is always @ sign of decadence in any country.” Twelve million men out of work in 1931 knew the truth of this statement, Philip K. adds, quite properly. Only the “holiday spirit” is conspicuous by its absence, toate cates Editorial Carelessnesy The local Chamber of Commerce will, very likely, censure the editor of the Passaic (New Jersey) Daily Herald, for putting in the two | following items right on top of one another, thus possibly attracting attention to the living connections between them. They ran together Just like this: ROCKEFELLER ENJOYS CHRISTMAS PARTY “ORMOND BEACH, Fla. (AP)—John D. Rockefeller, the multi-millionaire, laughed at the antics of s toy goose that lays golden eggs, at his annual Christmas party and chuckled with the guests sang ‘Good Times Are Coming,’” SUICIDE ENDS TROUBLES HILLSIDE, N. J., (AP).—Jobless and worried over finances, Heymann Cohen, 55, yesterday locked himself and his son, Emanuel, ten, @ cripple, in a bedroom to which he had piped gas by means of a garden hose from the kitchen. ‘When poiice broke in the room, both father and son were dead.” seer te Speaking of Speakers One of the most distressing things that can happen is for an audience to expect a speaker— and he doesn’t show up. In New York the com- rades who mistake the Daily Worker for an emergency lecture bureau, call up and demand that our parer supply a speaker to take the place of the missing orator. We don’t mention this to encourage it, but to stop it; as the Daily staff workers can’t act as pinch-hiiters. By the bye, the New York district has a choice lot of complaints about non- appearance of speakers, and the rule is now that speakers who don’t show up will appear before the Control Commission. And this is O, K., with the exception that those who “just put down the name” of comrades as “speakers,” without get- ting their approval should also be called in. ‘There are plenty of these cases, too. But the major deviation is promising to speak and then “forgetting” it. Lest New York should feel too proud of its bad record in this, we have a number of other villages. Take Philadelphia—yes, just take it. It won’t bite. But the organizer of Unit 902 (Gosh, we didn’t know they had that many mem- bers, let alone units!) in Philly, is mad enough to bite. And we'll let the crocodile bite for him. To save space we try to summarize; 1. The Working Women’s League had re- peated assurance from Comrade Olken ,of the Section Committee. Then on the last day he “couldn't come” but said the district Organiza tion Secretary, Solway, would get a speaker. Comrade Solway twice promised that he would see to it, and assisgned Comrade Russelle, But nobody showed up. 2. Earlier, the same organization arranged an anti-war meeting, a speaker being guaranteed by Comrade Silver of the Jewish Bureau, No speaker showed up. 3. Also through the Jewish Bureau a speaker was assigned for a meeting against Polish fascism. But again no speaker. Our crocodile has been running behind lately, and we intended to take up Chicago in this Spark, but we'll have to wait. And of course Chicago will wait! Won't you, Chicago? a ege * Correct by Mistake:—That was a bit of a shock to Yankee sensibilities, that “shellacking” U. 8. Consul Chamberlain got from the Japanese sol- diers at Mukden. But then, Stimson had given tacit approval to the Japanese troops cleaning up the “bandits” in Manchuria, so how was the poor Japanese soldiers to know that some ban- dits are exempt. Sex Over-produced—From a letter sent us from Las Vegas (the site, you know, of the big damn named for Hoover, which has taken about 20 years to get started), we cull the following in- timation of the price drop on sex:—“You may be interested to know that the price of the ‘Brass Check’ has come down from five dollars to two. Assuredly, this crisis has hit even the oldest of trades. Thank god we don’t live in Ruse sia, but in Glorious America.” * 8 6 Corns Caused the “Depression” Maybe—“Med- ical examinations for the unemployed are being utilized in Minnesota in an attempt to discover whether men and women who are frequently or generally out of work are suffering from physi- cal disabilities that prevent their success as workers."—-From the Journal-Lancet, medica) journal of Minneapolis. What do the Filipino leaders mean by “a per= iod of economic readjustment?” Do they mean it is necessary to transfer more of the American capitalist, imperialist system to the Philippines, with its 12,000,000 unemployed, with its mass starvation, with its wholesale wage-cuts, and its tragedy for the whole working “lass? What do they mean by “security?” “Security” for whom? Certainly not for the Filipino vorkers and peas- ants who are being driven down to the lowest rung of existence. The “security” that the New York Times and the Eighth Independence Com- mission are concerned about is the security of the hold of American imperialism which a grow- ing revolutionary wave is threatening to wipe out. To greet this Commission of betrayers, the Anti-Imperialist League in the United States along with the anti-Imperialist League of the Philippines is preparing demonstrations to ex~ pose their unity with American imperialisin. Every Filipino worker in the United States along with every sincere anti-imperialist fighter must brand the real intent of -these bourgeois ex-_ ploiters and lackeys of Wall Street. Demand that; real revresentatives of the Pilipino people be given the right to peoscul the demands the Filipino masses fight for. Demand the immeds jate, unconditional and absolute