The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 8, 1933, Page 4

Page Four Imperialist War of 1914-1918 Paved Way for Present World Capitalist Crisis of Hunger, Fascism and War DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1988 = A. F. of L. OFFICIALS A |Will a War PART OF WAR MACHINE Bring Back Participate in Campaign of Slander Against Recognition of Soviet Union TODES of States in- By entranc to the Wor ‘World Well ack Wilbth on; CHARLOTTE 1 iv the ed néxt war dast— Wor Even be the A. Epiving ment ov was of- called a GREEN HELPS PREPARE FOR WAR of War nd for that precaution we feel that a study should be riade of the best plans that would ed so that we could ade- protect the ion in the nt of an emergenc’ matter of prances there can out the policy of iom of the A. F. of L. ialist war. While they | May pretend to p pacifistic beliefs, they are openly part of the ifalist class. prompted Mat ident of the A #ddress lege that * 5 of kindness willir same favored high pay for army officers and the development of citizens military training camps. Declaring SOUTHERN NEGRO BACH IN 1918 REWARDED BY LYNCHING support of this 1ovement,” the whole Council of the A. F. of I wa c Plattsbur nae of L. speeches to the officia’ heir duty to W A. F. 0 SOVIET f L. not only sup- y and stimulates tr war agai the William Green, president of the A. of L. with General William R. Smith, commandant at West Point, where American imperialism trains its officers te command the armies. The head of the trade union burocracy gives his support ; to Wall Street’s war preparations. t Union. The infamous lies bout “forced labor” in the U. S. S. R. designed to enforce an of- ficial trade embargo on the Soviet Union was actively supported by A. F. of L, leaders who participate in putting over forced labor in the U: ed State: actively campaigning against re- cognition of the U. S. S. R. Their silence in the face of the w: Latin America and China in which the lives of tens of thousands of workers are being sacrificed to the greed and exploitation of the im- perialist powers, merely implicates them the more in the bloody slaugh The creation of the Pan American Federation of Labor and its close affiliation with the A. F. of L. was for the purpose of mo- bilizing the working class of the Latin American countries to do the bidding of American imperialism. In the face of the tightening war circle which threatens to in- volve the workers in another mur- derous war for the interests of the imperialists it is clear that the A. F. of L. officials will call the working class to give their lives to Wall Street, just as they are be- ing made to sacrifice their stand- ard of living during the present crisis. It must be the task of the rank and file opposition movement in the A. F. of L. to arouse the workers against the jingoistic pro- gram of officialdom and unite them with the masses of workers in a struggle against imperialist war. Ss SOLDIERS COMING Vets Thruout U.S., Prepare to Demonstrate in Washington on May 12 for Bonus By (Member cf SOL HARPER 349th Field Artillery, A. E. F.) — we before us a @lassic example of how veterans Who risked their lives in Wall Street's wars, are treated On the way to France the sol- diers fared hard; poor food and Jack of fresh water were the order | ‘of the day. Upon arrival, the men were thrown into immediate ac- tivity and were not allowed to re- cupérate. They were driven into labor camps and forced to work harder than they did in the United the were rushed to y the southerr befo States. Men front, particula Negro soldiers properly trained in elemen thods cf protection from exposure, Gas, machine gun fire, aeroplane Bormbs, etc. Tens of thousan were sent to slaughter, particularly | fae, rainbow regiments (mainly “southern w! , the jim-crow Ne- and those made up of. forcign workers who vol- “unteered to serve in the United States armed forces. The sick ret gro regin ords of tho: 0 were wounded in | $G3.25) a a so wel nese lestroyed and other- yrisc left in such a state that the grafting officials of the Veterans Bureau w t to disqualify hiendreds of thousands from receiy- ing benefits. Theuca soldiers, forced to nd, in mud and lothing, forced rain, eating proper me- ed illness to fixe peini where umbers were Ublit for oversea duty long before fey sailed. I myself ran away from the base hospital at Camp Dix, rejoined the 349th Field Artil- and went to France with the anion of never returning to the Unalted 5. dc The Ve-eran: ennicy cf eta din. sured the ex red of n and at the ¢ chim: | jaws to In addition to being double- 3S by the government. Ne- gro and foreign-born veterans and backwoods southern hite vets caught the real hell. Negroes were lynched with their uniforms on; an example of this at the present time is the holding of Willie Peterson, tubercular war veteran, in Alabama on a murder charge. Misteaders Betray Aided by the betrayal of the lead- ers of the American Legion, Vet- erans of Foreign Wars, etc., the Na- tional Economy League and Amer- ican Veterans Association have secured the enactment of the bill gives Roosevelt dictatorial hh millions off vet- ’ benefits in order that the continue to get their interest on government bonds. The non-service-connected cases, with the exception of 29,000 totally and disabled, are com- cut off. As for the others, veteran with a disability listed rvice-connected will in addi- tio e 20 per cent cut in his benefit, have to undergo a rigid examination, and the government is preparing to drop large numbers of them entirely from the rolls, In fact, to some extent it has been doing this quietly right along, and during the past seven years 175,000 service-connected cases have been stricken off. From present indica- tions, not the announced $400,000,- 000, but a much bigger sum will be robbed from the veterans, hundreds of thousands of whom are unem- ployed and destitute, But the veterans are not going to fold their arms and tamely submit to this plunder. Members of the Workers Ex-Servicemen’s League, American Legion, V. F. W., Disabled American Veterans, Khaki Shirts, B. FE. F., etc., throughout the coun- " joining in united front inst the cuts. They are to answer the call of the tational Liaison Com-~ arch to Wash- gton on May 12 These officials are | Prosperity? By Labor Research Association As is well known in 2 to the working class, the World ar brought vast wealth into the hands of the exploiters of almost every industry. We may take the big basic industry of iron and steel as an example of what the r profits of war-time did to the for- tunes of the exploiting class. The following facts on this industry are | taken from Horace Davis’ forth- | coming book in the Labor and In- | dustry series of International Pub- | lishers. It is called Labor and Steel, vis writ The tion’s Steel Corpor: on its nomin t’ as it existed at the ing of the war mounted 21 per cent in 1916, 18 per nt in 1917, and 121% per cent | in 1918, after payment of fed- eral taxes. Ninety-one ‘inde- pendent’ steel companies stu- died by the Federal Trade © mission showed aggregate pro- fits during 1915, equivalent to 94 per cent on the pre-war total balance-sheet value of stocks, bonds and surpluses. And during these very years, when the steel capitalists were rolling up their millions, the real | wages—or what they could buy with their money wages—of the workers in the iron and steel plants | stood still. As Davis puts it, “For | three years—the war years, which | Were so profitable to the companies | —¥eal earnings per capita remained | stationary in spite of rising wage rates.” (Our emphasis.) The official report of the Inter- Church World Movement on the | Steel Strike of 1919, covering con- ditions before the strike and dur- | ing the war, admitted that “Nearl: three-fourths of the steel worker: couldn’t earn enough for an Ame- rican standard of living. The bulk of unskilled labor earned less than enough for the average family’s | minimum subsistence. The bulk of | the semi-skilled labor earned less than enough for the average fami- ly’s minimum comfort. These facts disprove the poison- ous propaganda created by the im- Pperialist hirelings that the workers received higher wages during the | war. On the contrary, while mil- lions of our class brothers were | killed and maimed on the battle | fields the “dollar a year” patriots | were reaping in large profits. i] pro BANKERS’ WAR TALK | 1917 ‘Sentiment among bankers is pa- triotic and it is bullish. ... To many persons, long on stocks, war ap- parently merely spells another long period of abnormal profits for our The big men hold (New York Sun, April 1933 “That there is a large possibility of a European war:in the very near future can hardly be denied recog- nition... We were lifted from the business depression in 1914 by the outbreak of war. It would be a curious repetition of function if another European war shculd again come to our industrial rescue.” (The “Annalist,” Friday, March 17, 1933) WALL ST. PREPARES YOUTH FOR NEXT WAR Forward to Broad United Front Mobilization | for National Youth Day May 30 By DAVE DORAN While America occupies a lead- ing position in war plans, it sur- passes all in efforts to militarize the youth. Already this year Con- gress has appropriated ‘approxim- | ately 700 million dollars for the Army, Navy, C. M. T. C. and R. O. | T. C. The boss government spends these huge sums of money to mili- tarize the very youth who are now ravished by hunger and are in dire need of bread. Inspired by the Young Commun- | ist League, mass indignation was aroused against the Couzen’s Bill for militarizing the homeless youth, and has led to its defeat in the House. However, although this is momentarily defeated, the govern- ment is manuevering to put across an even more vicious act, namely the Cutting’s Bill. This calls for actual chain gang camps (without the chains) but where forced labor will be the order of the day. Here the youth will be trained for the next war and taught how to attack struggles of workers for bread. These plans for militarizing broad. sections of the working po- pulation has met with evident hos- tility from the working youth. Hundreds of resolutions protesting military camps have been passed by youth meetings and organizations throughout the country. Several cities have organized broad united front anti-war conferences where the keynotes were organization against imperialist war, defense of the Soviet Union and all war funds for the unemployed. The deep hatred of the toiling youth against imperialist war has led to increased activities of the Young Peoples Socialist League and a host of pacifist outfits. These all approach the youth on the basis of fear and disgust of “all wars” and attempt to stifle any revolutionary struggles against boss war prepa- iations. By talk of the “uselessness of the American Army in case of war,” and “refusal to bear arms,” they attempt to convince the youth not to organize and struggle against imperialist . Thus they are of objective assistance to the war plans of the boss class. PREPARE FOR N. Y. D. The Young Communist League under the leadership of the Com- munist Party, has just issued a call for united front action against fas- cism, hunger and war, to all work- ing class organizations. This strug- gie to be begun immediately for calling a halt to the feverish plans for another world war. Especially this united front will prepare for the broadest mobilization of youth against imperialist war on Nation- al Youth Day, May 30. May 30, Me- morial Day, like April 6, is. also used to instill a war fever into the youth. This day has al- ready become traditional through struggles of the Young Commu- nist League in setting it aside as a special day of struggle against imperialist war and for the Gefense of the Soviet Union. Al- ready it has been“endorsed widely, Millions in Profits from Workers’ Lives By Labor Research Ass'n. During the 20 months the Uni- ted States was in the war, the munitions indusizy in the United States alone was paid $2,351,000,000 by the Allies. Tiis was only a part of the expenditures cf the Allies that piled up millions in profits for the munition-ma in all coun- tries during that brief period. Profits of U. S. Companics in 1917 Here are a few more examples of typical profits from the war day the “happy days” which the cap- italisis in the United States and elsewhere hope will soon be here American chemical. companies 1916 and 1917 made net income on their capital stock at the following rates: 162%; 101%; 148%; 105%. Such companies as Atlas, Hercules, Du Pont, Allied Chemical & Dye, and others hope to make similar profits in the coming war. Hercuies paid a dividend of 6242% in 1917. Oil companies also made huge ‘ofits in 1917. Net income.on in- vested capital of one company was 54%, another made 69%, another 146%. One manufacturer of castings made 269%; a tin mill made 155%. An iron and steel plant made 338%; another 201%. An ammunition plant made 142%, One automobile plant topped the list of profiteers with a rate of 1225%. This company belongs to a group that has been most ruth- less in its wage cutting policy. An aluminum manufacturing company, probably a Mellon con- carn, made a net income of 290%; while a bituminous coal company made 111%. A copper company in 4 made 793%; another 171%. A salphur company, with a cap- ital stock of $200,000, made a net income of $7,028,477 in the year America declared war. ‘These are only a few samples of the way the. capitalists fared during the World War. No wonder, with their profits now at low ebb, they look upon a war as @ way out, the way to solve the crisis at the ex- pense of the. millions of workers exploited in the factories and slaughtered on the battlefield. igen and this year may bear witness to the largest outpouring of youth in America, By “Red Chemist” IN THE last war the first known gas attack on Ypres, of April 22, 1915, was made with pure chlorine. 5,000 were killed and $5,000 cap- tured. The second attack, on May 9, was at Skernewitz, on the Eastern Front. General Ludendorf, who commanded that front, in his “Me- moirs of the War,” writes: “The experiment was highly successful. The Russians losses were 70 per cent gassed, 600 killed, and 9,100 sick.” “DROWN” IN THEIR OWN BLOOD Chlorine, phosgene, chloropicrin and other gases cause death from suffocation, or “drowning on dry land.” The gassed persons “drown” in their own blood, which bursts through the lung pores. Death comes in extreme agony of suffo- cation. In cases of recovery the patient is left with permanent after effects. Lewisite, an American-inyented gas called the “dew of death,” be- longs to the group of arsenic or- ganic compounds to which Salvar- san likewise belongs and analogous mixtures for the destruction of sy- philis. Twenty years or so ago they were introduced for the fight against the enemies of the human organism. They are now employed for the purpose of mass destruction of human beings. Lewisite spreads its poisonous effects from any spot of the body and renders the gas mask absolutely useless. Cyanic Acid and other cyanic compounds causing instantaneous death fix the dead in the same po- sition as they were before being poisoned. Yprite mustard-gas, discovered in 1886, is an oily, combustible liquid, It burns the skin and mucous memi- branes, resulting in blisters and abcesses, the affected places morti- fy, leaving deep ulcers which take months to heal. If inhaled, Yprite causes anasaroa of the lungs, hem- orrage of the lungs, kidneys, brains, stomach, intestines, etc. It destroys the red blood corpuscles, clots the blood and is the cause of embolism, Death results in spasms from para- lysis of the nerve centers, . . HIS GAS has effect from three hours to a few days after in- haling, and one of its properties is that it can be absorbed and re- tained in the earth for many weeks. It keeps in damp weather and has effect with the rising of the sun, It even burns the surface of the body through gas masks, penetrates clothes, attaches itself to the soles | of boots and its poisonous effect is contagious. | By firing Yprite shells whole | fields, forests, ravines, roads and vil- lages may be poisoned for a long “Blood Bursting Through Lung Pores” Horrors of Chemical Warfare Now Being Prepared period, Gas Throwers: These may be ar- ranged in batteries of 50 or so and about three gallons of Yprite fired by electricity in torpedoes a dist- ance of about two miles. Chemical Shells: At the end of the last war the German Army were using over 50 per cent of these, The Japanese have invented a me~ thod of using chemical shells in their anti-aircraft batteries. The air is poisoned at a great height in zones, making it impossible for aeroplanes to fly through them, The use of pilotless aeroplanes, piloted at a distance by wireless, permits aeroplanes, however, to pass through any poisoned field of air, In addition to this, poisonous substances are employed in hand- grenades and toxic smoke candles. The American General Feries said in a speech in 1929: “Chemical weapons are humane, they are of enormous advantage for the safeiy of the U.S. A.” Professor Haldane, an English chemist, wrote a book on the “hu- maneness” of poison gases. Ac- cording to him two conditions must be observed in order to assure the “humaneness” of poison gasees. (1) Only lachrymatory gases, as being the least dangerous must be employed, and (2) the use of all articles of eye defence must be prohibited. After this, he declares, “Ot course, one can hardly expect that these conditions will be accepted.” The German Professor Mayor stated that asphyxiating gases were “the best and most humane me- thods of warfare, and the best protector of the moral and ethical foundations of civilization.” At the moment, in Britain re- search on poison gases is being steadily pursued under the chemi- cal warfare section of the Depart- ment of Scientific and Industrial Research at Porton, near Salisbury. HE AMERICAN police have in- vented a special series of che- mical fire-arms. With a few re- volver shots, the enemy if in small numbers can be rendered harmless at a distance of 80 ft. There is no necessity for sighting, one may fire through keyholes and other min- ute openings. The same type of rifle is effective at a distance of 100 yds. One discharge of such a rifle is sufficient to disperse a crowd of several hundreds. Poison gas is also employed in the U. 8. A. against working-class prisoners. During the American mining strike of 1928 new poison gases were “tried out” on the ar- rested miners and their families in several prisons. ; Liddell Harte, the author of a famous book on gas-warfare, writes: “The majority of the nations represented at Geneva own colonies, in which there is am ever-present danger of native rebellions and raids. by banning the use of gas the civilized (!) powers would be forced to employ punitive ex- peditions.” TO EXPERIMENT ON NEGROES Professor Haldane, of England, affirmed the fact that after suf- fering an attack of mustard gas, enemy positions became unin- habitable for a long time. In or- er to capture these positions he proposed the use of native forces— Negroes, His theory is that certain sections of the populations have constitutions with “natural” resist- ing powers against the effect of gas. These comprise 20 per cent of the white population and 80 per cent of the Negro population. The Proicsso: “discovered” that since the Negroes were acclimatised to a hot sun, Yprite should be hamless to them. He proposes the organization of mass experiments upon Negroes, and that colored forces be used extensively in the next war for the occupation of poisoned positions. Thus solemnly declared this “civilised” professor, “the supvemacy of German industry will be balanced by French Negro regiments.” In order to sootiie his compatriots he expressed the hope that “Hindoos, no doubi are simi- larly capable of resistance 1o mus- tard gas.” The need is obvious for every worker to take an active part in the carrying out of the Amsterdam Anti-War Congress decisions, and of the resolutions passed at the London Conference held two weeks ago. 6 OSs (From the British “Daily Work- os,” March 16, 1938), LABOR CAMPS STEP IN MILITARIZING JOBLESS Roosevelt Program Provides Billions for War But No Unemployment Insurance By l. AMTER RCED LASOR in preparations for war—this-is Roosevelt's. pro- gram. This is his program against the working class and in feverish bilization of the forces of the for imperialist war. The illusions that Roosevelt created by his promises during the election campaign, and by. the energy that he displayed since his inauguration in “getting things done” are now being ‘dispelled. The ~ legislation which he has put through with the help of @ willing congress is. begin- ing to break the illusions and put. Roosevelt in the proper light before the workers—as the enemy of the working class and as the war pres- ident. ARMY OF FORCED LABOR The “relief” program just adopted by congress is nothing less than army forced labor. That is, recruit- ing by the army stations; tra) portation by army trucks; “preli- minary training” by. army officers; army discipline for one year's time —the period of recruitment, pay, food and lodging and $30 a month, ‘The $30 will not go to the worker, but for the upkeep of his family, thereby taking the responsibility of relief away ‘from. present relief agencies. Not only 250,000 “free” American workers will be militarized. Already such camps are in existence in many states now. Roosevelt has called a conference, of governors and mayofs for the purpose of ex- tending the scheme over the entire country—to put millions of Ame- rican workers into army camps in preparation for imperialist war. This is also Glassford’s program for the homeless youth, to place them in military camps such as, are already being established in all parts of the country—California, Florida, New York. BUILDING BIG NAVY But this is not all: Secretary of the Navy, Swanson proposes a bil- Non ‘dollar navy. To bring up the standard of the U. 5. navy to the London quota. This, he says, is also to, “provide work for the unem- ployed.” The navy department sud- denly discovers that 85 per cent of the cost of naval vessels goes to labor. Such liberals, such interest in the unempioyed, such big heart- edness. Why it is not for war that he wants a bigger navy—it is ail in the “interest of the worker.” Tne “economy program” of fed- eral wage slashes, the forced labor program, farmers “relief’—-this is Roosevelt's record since inaugura- tion. It is a program of army slave labor and war. pues hear | IRANCES PERKINS, Rdosevelt’s “liberal” secretary of labor de- fends this program, Williath Green objected and upon his recommend- ation many parts of the fdrced la- bor bill were rewritten. Now.a mem- ber of the A. F. L. officialdom, Ro~ bert Fechner, vice-president of the International Association of Mach- inists is national head of the forced labor camps. Just as in 1917 the trade union burocracy was mobi- lized by President Wilson, so in 1933 they are mobilized by Presi- dent Roosevelt to carry .out the capitalist program into, effect. What is the forced labaf.program. now being elaborated im-thany ci- ties? In New York, a building pro- ject is suggested on the basis of a loan from the 2. F. C.-An. eight million doliar project which will afford building trades workers a “yearly wage of $800.” Well, Mr. Green and building trades.leaders. where are the 8, 10, and 12.dollar a day pay agreements with the con- tractors? This is not “free” labor— it is FORCED labor. But “free hor will take the jobs—union’ men will. be told to forget agreemenis. Do yot expect Green, Woll, Hutelreson Hillman and Co., that the vor ‘aves about end the REPLY " But workers must not think that Roosevelt's signing of the forced labor bill means that tha wer S must accept it. The \ folldwin. measures outlined by the’ Une ployed Councils in a statement in the Daily Worker should bé@ made the basis of struggle. “These a: Demonstrations at the army re- ruiting stations where the men are heing recruited! Prevent the de- gradation of the Ametican workers through forced labor! This is preparation for war, which~comes nearer e: y. Demand adequate relief at home for all workers! Fight for unemployment insurance at the expense of the bosses and the government! Show up the posi- tion of the labor burocrats who are working with Roosevelt and the Wall Street bankers in preparing ‘for a new imperialist. slaughter. Roosevelt's “energy” must be, met. with energetic united struggle on | the part of the workers. “WE WERE PATRIOTS THEN, BUT WE KNOW BETTER NOW,” VETS WRITE Letter of Veteran Tells Why He Joined Workers’. Ex-Servicemen’s League» IST another native American who who was a red hot patriot and enlisted after outbreak of the world war to go.to France to get the Kaiser. Before leaving hone I bought a hundred dollar Liberty Bond, donated fifty dollars to the Red Cross and gave the rest to a priest. who blessed us before we went over to kill fellow workers. While I was in France my mother bought bond after bond, paraded in Red Cross parades, depriving her- self of many necssities so we could have “Democracy.” I spent twenty cne months over there, and after being there only six months one could see it was just a war for business. Every man in my outfit, and any outfit that went to the front was dissatisfied and discontented and were ready to do as the soldiers did in Russia In 1817, but the big shots immediaiely organized the American Legion with officers as leaders to quiet us down, I lixe many others went through Hell the lest few years because of the crisis worrying about our home and other necessities. If vet tried to tell me that conditions.are bad I would tell him to be patient busi- ness would soon pick up. I was misled by the capitalist controlled newspapers and radio and didn’t know better. I even called the vet or other worker a red if he did not agree with me. 3 Comrade Veterans, do not fear the big “Red” headline in the cap- italist press. The farmers ang small home owners in the west did not apart same he rank and fils. Why do the big capi politicians hate the “R answer is simple. Protty c 3 Grant it, only worthwhile religion in the world, “to do unto © would thet'they do “ony, K, Ex-Servicemcn’s Léigue Staten Island Post No. 174°: Pas: H. Q. 249 Clove Roa West Brighton, Staten Istentdy N. Y. (By Ex-serviceman Correspondent) DAYTON, Ohio—The Jarg@eést na- tional Soldiers Home is siltated here They are sending out 50 mtif ‘dally These men have nowheté't6 go Mest of them are not drawing pen- sions. The few who did dtaw had their pension taken away from them, One man was so discouraged that when he was notified that he had to go out, he cut his throat witha ra- nor, The manager of the Home: Med in the capitalist press of Dayton, He said that anyone drawing'less than fifty dollars would be retained in the home. That is not being done. They are sent out on the street, -Weteran Seep ee