The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 20, 1933, Page 1

| Neighbor | Have You Spoken to Your About the Daily | Worker? Have You Given Him | Your Copy? Do So Today! “Vol. X, No. 226 eH Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at New York, N. ¥., under the Act of March 8, 1879, (Section of the Communist International) NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1933 __(Six Pages) _ | America’s Only Working | Class Daily Newspaper WEATHER: Eastern New York: Warmer; prob- ably showers Wedn esday. Price 3 Cents REDS DID NOT FIRE REICHSTAG, SAY INTERNATIONAL JURISTS in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and were of a local character. then in another. strike. The Silk Strike ETWEEN 50,000 and 60,000 silk workers and silk dyers are out on strike | New York. Most strikes in the past The workers were defeated in one center and Today the strike of the silk workers is truly a national It is the first national strike of recent time in any one industry or branch of an indusiry of such importance as textile. a forerunner of national strikes in other industries. development of the class struggle to It is without doubt It represents the a higher phase, i hides second important feature of this strike is that it is clearly a strike against both the application of the NRA cotton code to the silk industry. and the so-called truce decided by which Senator Wagner is the head. the NATIONAL LABOR BOARD of This is not the first strike where the workers showed their dissatisfaction with the NRA codes. But it is the first major strike which is being continued despite the actions of the NATIONAL LABOR BOARD. This second feature of the silk It indicates that the workers will not accept \starvation conditions even if, strike is of the greatest significance. handed down with the blessings of the NRA. The workers will fight against the attacks being made upon them. HE third feature of the strike is one of the most important. It is a strike over the heads of the strikebreaking officials of the American Federation of Labor. The national did not call or sanction the strike. office of the United Textile Workers But Mr. McMahon, the president of the U.T.W,-from the beginning. conspired with the employers and the NRA officials on how to call off the strike. in New York and Washington. Conferences were arranged ‘The National Textile Workers’ Union and the independent unions also sent their representatives to the hearings. They were heard, but, fol- lowing the open hearings, McMahon met with the bosses and the NRA officials behind closed doors. THEY ANNOUNCED THE FAMOUS FIVE WEEKS’ TRUCE WITHOUT CONSULTING THE WORKERS. McMahon promised to send the workers back to the mills. ‘The NTWU delegation was joined by all the other independent unions in refusing to agree to send the workers back to work without winning their demands. WHAT WAS THE RESULT? MCMAHON WAS REPUDIATED 100 PERCENT NOT ONLY BY THE MASS OF THE STRIKERS BUT ALSO (BY THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE U.T.W. ITSELF. The silk workers have demonstrated that the AFL bureaucrats can not speak for them. They have told the NRA officials what they mean by the right to be represented by representatives of their own choosing. They have shown to the bosses and the can “settle” strikes, but they can’t settle them for the workers. The workers govrnmnt that the labor bureaucrats insist on their right to decide matters themselves. Similarly in the dye strike the bosses and the government have learned the same lesson. This had to be recognized even by the bosses and the government’ representatives, when they backed down on their refusal to meet the representatives of the National Textile Workers’ Union and an- nounced that they would meet such representatives when formal applica- tion was made. * Such application has already been made. . ° tT fourth important feature of the strike is the progress being made in developing the united front of the workers who belong to different trade unions. At the last conference, held Sunday in Allentown, there were representatives of 27,000 striking workers from the locals of the UTW, the NTWU, and the independent unions, of which the InGependent Silk Workers’ Union of Allentown is the than 4,000 workers. largest, already having enrolled more At this conference the delegates unanimously repu- diated the attempt of McMahon to send them back to work for the same starvation wages they now receive. ‘They demand that the bosses grant them a living wage, and improved working conditions. The Allentown conference elected a national strike committee and also elected a broad committee to negotiate with the bosses and the NRA officials for the settlement of the strike. It is true, however, that much still remains to be done to unite all the workers. In Paterson the local officials, headed by Schweitzer, are now beating a retreat for the purpose of maintaining their position and to be able to sell out the workers later. The local officials now “go along” with the membership and even deny that they had first agreed to the truce. ‘The workers must have no trust in these leaders. than the McMahons. They are no better ‘The membership of the United Textile Workers in Paterson must strengthen their strike committee and eliminate those elements that wanted them to go back on the present starvation conditions. So long as these gentlemen remain in the leadership, the strike is in danger. * . . | aateterar the silk strike has exposed the position of the Muste adherents. Muste himself was one of the leaders of the Paterson strike of 1931. He is completely separated from the present big strike. ‘What happened to his followers? The leaders of the type of Brooks are the tools of McMahon and Schweitzer. As for the few rank and file followers that he may have had, they support the militant policy of the National Textile Workers’ Union, either in the UTW or in the NTWU. A word about the weaknesses in the strike. cannot all be recounted here. One must receive more attention is the American Federation of Labor (UTW). ‘There are many. They of the important problems that still work within the organization of the There is still too much separa- tion of the work of the NTWU and the work inside the UTW organiza- tions. insist on actual unity on the picket THIS IS TODAY A DECISIVE QUESTION. Our comrades must line and in the street demonstrations. ‘There must be more mingling of the workers in the halls. We must break through the barriers set up by the Schweitzers and Kellers and Keelys and over their heads establish unity of action among the strikers. S COMMUNISTS working in the e strike we must recognize as @ great . weakness the slowness in building the Party among the strikers. It is impossible to lead the strike successfully without the Party. And this means to bring forward the Party among the strikers, to explain the role of the Party in the strike, to recruit members into the Party, to organize the Party fractions to assure real militancy, solidarity and discipline in the strike. In some cases the Party activity has been “postponed” until after the strike. ‘This means to rob the workers of the leadership of the Commu- nists. It is not enough that the individual Communists are in the front ranks of the fight. The Party must also act as a Party. * The Daily Worker must be utilized more to strengthen the strike. ‘THE COMMUNISTS MUST DO ALL IN THEIR POWER TO WIN ‘THE STRIKE TO CONVINCE THE WORKERS OF THE CORRECT METHODS OF STRUGGLE. Ii the Party is “dissolved” in the strike period, if the Party is not built, if the workers are not taught the logic of the struggle through their experiences in the struggle and through the guidance of the Party, then not only will we fail in our aim of revolutionizing the masses, but the very success of their fight for their immediate demands is endangered. sitk workers through their heroic struggle are making history labor. They have already dealt many biows to thelr enemies. But fight is not yet won. Their enemies strike, They will uee McMahon with new maneuvers. They will use NRA. They will use the police force if need be. The workers can defeat all these attempts to break their strike, for the ‘will still use many tricks to break the the by keeping their ranks solid, by establishing and strengthening the united front. ‘Take matters in your own hands; develop and maintain militant mass sr ath ‘ l_-ciaatenen name asses CUBA TROOPSSome Plain Talk! GO T0 FIGHT REBEL BAND Mendieta Supporter} Holds Regime Too Weak HAVANA, Sept. 19—Armed resist- ance against the government which was swept into power on the wave of a mass movement against the capitalist-landlord supporters of U. S. imperialism in Cuba began yesterday. Captain Juan Blas Hernandez, supported of General Carlos Men- dieta, who represents some’ of the most openly reactionary elements in Cuba, has taken the field with an) armed band in Camaguez province. | Government troops were sent against | him. No reliable figures were given out as to the size of his following, which the government strove to minimize. Immediately, however, this threat of civil war by those who look on the Grau San Martin regime as too Gil Green, National Secretary of the Young Communist League, will speak at a youth meeting to protest against American interven- tion in Cuba, at 1413 Fifth Ave., the Cuban Center, at 8:30 tonight, Before the meeting there will be two parades, one from Upper Har- lem, starting at 131st St, and Lenox Ave., and the other from Lower Harlem, starting at 110th St. and Fifth Ave. weak to smash the workers’ strug- gles for a living wage, was taken up by American residents as an excuse for demanding the landing of U. S. troops. Constant messages that “American lives.are in danger” are being sent by Americans in various points of Cuba, as striking workers continued their struggles for their demands of a living wage. The Americans, hay- ing refused the workers’ and peas- ants’ demands, are carrying on a campaign by this means to provoke the landing of U. S. troops in order to smash the strikes. 400 Roller Bearing Strike When Union Men Are Discharged DETROIT, Mich., Sept. 19.—Four hundred workers of the Bower Roller Bearing Co. struck yesterday against the firing of 150 men for joining the A. F. of L, union. The company carries the NRA in- signia. William Collins, A. F. of L. organizer, is preventing real pick- eting, urging the men to put faith in the newly organized strike-breaking NRA Compliance Board, which is meeting today on the situation. The board includes Frank X. Mar- tel, president of the Detroit Federa- tion of Labor, and Richard Nay Smith, of the Socialist Party. Many members of the Auto Work- ers Union are on the job trying to organize a militant struggle. 262 Arrested by the Nazis in Raids GOSLAR, Germany.—Two hundred and sixty-two workers were arrested in various mountain towns of Ger- many where tis police claim are “nests of reds.” A network of Nazi spies and Police are continually on the job searching for militant Communist workers. The merest suspicion is ground for arrest and jail. ESS than 3 percent of the quota of $40,000 necessary to maintain the Daily Worker has come in from the districts during the first ten days of the financial drive from Sept. 9 to Sept. 18). To be precise, during this period the office of the Daily Worker re- ceived a total of $1,094.45 in response guarantee the continuance of the pa improvement. During this ten-day period the Party have made a showing that can hardly be d to its plea for a fund which will as well as to ensure its constant five concentration districts of the ribed ag impressive. District 2 (New York) with an assigned quota of $20,000 turned in $665.63. The Chicago district, with a quota of $5,000, sent in during the first ten days the stupendous sum of $28.20! The Detroit district «quota $2,000) has succeeded in gathering up in this active scene of struggle, where the Daily Worker has shown itself to be ers, the sum of $38.01. $1,000) has sent us $14.35! a staunch fighter of the auto work- ‘The Cleveland district (quota $2,000) has con- tributed $11.22 toward the “Daily” drive. The Pittsburgh district (quota Clearly, comrades, it will take a long time indeed to reach our ob- jective at this rate. . : HEN we first announced the drive for $40,000, which is needed most urgently, we promised that we would conduct our campaign without hysteria and screaming headlines. We were confident that it was not at this time necessary to agitate our readers about the necessity for raising this fund. Moreover, we were determined to use the valuable front-page space for news of strike struggles now raging throughout the country rather than for elaborate appeals for funds. But the readers of the “Daily” must not as a result permit themselves to fall into a languid state regarding the paper. Comrades, we have made energetic eftorts to improve the content of the Daily Worker and to make it a popular mass paper. to introduce features which are attracting new readers everywhere. are planning new features. We have sought We But we must tell you frankly that unless our appeal for financial aid is responded to, it may be necessary to be more conservative in our plans. . in THIS connection some comrades, seeing a ten-page issue on Satur- day (as they did last week) jumped to the conclusion that the “Daily” Is upon a sturdy financial foundation. This is not so, of course. As a matter of fact these enlarged issues of the “Daily” are made imperative by the constantly increasing struggles of the workers everywhere, and the printing of these enlarged editions simply increase the normal deficit of the paper. This is the present situation; workers and workers’ organizations, send your contribution in at once to the Daily Worker, 50 E. 13th St., New York. Tuesday's Receipts .. .... Previous Contributions (corrected) TOTAL oe eeeeceseness $ 225.60 eeecoceses wees e $1094.45 + $1320.05 Pennsylvania Milk Farmers Plan Strike Against Gov't Code PHILADELPHIA, Pa., Sept. 19.— Unless the Federal Milk Code, which fails to relieve the present plight of the milk farmers, and only succeeds in raising the city prices for city consumers, is drastically revised, the farmers of Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey are ready to go out on strike, Lem Harris, Executive Secre- tary of the Regional Committee of Action declared today. The arrangements for the strike have been completed, Harris said, and await execution pending the de- cision of the farmers who meet to- day, decide on the next form of ac- tion. This meeting, called a General Congress of Farmers and Workers, will consider ways and means of cut- ting down the enormous profits of the milk monopolies by increasing the price the farmer gets for his milk, and decreasing the price the city workers must pay. “The strike can begin within three hours,” Harris said. “We demand a maximum city price of nine cents, and a minimum price to the farmers of five cents.” A National Farm Conference to consider action against the burden ‘of mortgage debts, rising prices, etc., has been called to gather in Chicago on November 15 to 18. A thousand fon delegates are expected to at- Leningrad Expects Visit of Lindbergs LENINGRAD, U.S.S.R.—Charles A. Lindbergh and his wife are expected to fly here from Sweden today. They will come to the Soviet Union as tourists. Ship Owner Gives Girl Debut; Makes Sailors OLD WESTBURY, L. I—Elisa La- dew Grace, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russel Grace, owner of the Aboard the there was no rejoicing, for Saturday brought with it the second $5 wage cut in six weeks, “About 400 members of the debu- brilliant silk banners with medieval emblems on siaffs separated with ar- morial shields. Dark red silk studded with gray coicred rosettes made a panelling for the lower walls,” the society editor of the Times reported. The sailors on board the Grace through their chosen represggiaitves, | tine Sango from Ronis n08 Bow emor™ Pay the Piper Dollar Crashes re Reap Huge Profits NEW YORK. — Signalling further inflationary measures of the Roose- velt government, the dollar swooped downward again yesterday, reaching a low point of 64.8 cents on the inter- national money markets. This raised the price of an ounce of gold to $3144, and means a rich harvest of profits to those who can procure newly-mined gold in this country. The price here is about $20. It is openly rumored that many Washington officials close to Roose- velt administration are reaping a harvest as a result of the recent ad- ican gold owners to sell their hold- ings abroad. Among those mentioned as raking in huge profits are Bernard Baruch, Roosevelt's closest financial adviser; William Randolph Hearst and Ogden Mills, secretary of the Treasury under Hoover. The drop in the aollar also means aoe prices for goods in this coun- ry. “Only One Warship for Each 10Milesin Cuba,” Sneers Roosevelt Aide WASHINGTON, D. C., Sept. 19— “Cuba has a coastwise of 300 miles. Thirty warships for 300 miles means only one warship for 10 miles of coast. That's not much, is it?” So answered Stephen Early, a sec- retary of President Roosevelt, yester- day, when a delegation of seven Ne- gro and white workers of the Wash- ington Committee for the U. S. Con- gress Against War came to protest to the present against the interven- tion of the United States in Cubd. Early said Roosevelt was “running a fever” and could not see the dele- gation. Joint Delegation to See Roosevelt Today WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 19.—The 64 Cents; Insiders | ministration ruling permitting Amer- | Compulsory Arbitra- tion Board Aims To | Stop Strikes By HARRY GANNES. | NEW YORK.—President Roosevelt has signed the soft coal code. The code grants certain paper concessions on wages to the miners. At the same| time it provides a em of the worst form of compulsory arbitration con- tained in any code to keep the min- ers from fighting to see that the con- céssions are carried out. The promise of a code that would! improve the miners’ conditions was first made last August by Roosevelt when 70,000 miners went on strike despite the orders of John L. Lewis! and the other UMWA officials. The miners were driven back to work then. For over a month no code was passed. A week before the present code was adopted more than 40,000 ania miners again came out on strike. This forced the signing of the code in its present form. ‘Thé miners were getting from $2 to $3 a day, and now the code pro- poses wages of from $3.60 for com- mon outside labor, to $4.60 for skilled inside labor in the main fields. These are not the miners demands, though on paper at least they raise wages above the present levels. The miners demands were expressed in the Na- tional Miners Union code, presented in Washington, providing for a $6/ a day basic scale for a six-hour day, five day week, with a guarantee of 40-weeks work a year. Not Willingly Yet, the present code with its—so | far—paper concessions was not grant- ed willingly by the coal operators. It was won through the two militant strikes of the miners. It is because of the fact that the) miners won concessions through strike, that John L. Lewis and the coal operators insisted on the com- (CONTINUED ON PAGE 3) ‘Banks More Taxes, Wage Cuts Is Rumor NEW YORK, Sept. 19.—In return for a promise from the city gov- ernment to levy new taxes and slash employees’ salaries, the Rockefeller- Morgen banks have indicated their intention of lending the city more money to meet its loan payments, it was reported today. Between now and December 1, the city must pay $298,205,000 to the banks and investors who hold the city bonds, loans, and stock notes. The vast majority of these invest- ments are held by a small group of Wall Street banks headed by the Rockefeller and Morgan interests. During this period, about $70,000,- 000 will be necessary for payrolls. The city expects to receive only about $100,000,000 in revenue, but it is determined to default on payrolls rather than default on the payments to the bankers, Untermeyer has suggested to Gov- ernor Lehman, who is now in this city, that the legislature be convened to repeal all mandatory increases in the city civil service payrolls. Leh- man has indicated willingness to do this. Minor, together with Emil Ny- gard, the first Communist Mayor in the United States, who will come to New York from his home city, Crosby, Minn., are to be the main speakers at the “Vote Communist” banquet in New Star Casino Wednesday evening, October 18. Resérvations for the banquet, $1 (including a seven-course dinner), should be made immediately at the Communist Election Campaign of- fice, 799 Broadway. City Has Promised ROOSEVELT German. P. Lives, SIGNS SOFT. Leads Fight, Says COAL CODE = Letter from Pieck Hears from C. C. As It Prepa | London Commission Implicates Nazis in Fire—. of German Party res Findings LONDON, Sept. 19.—The international commission ot jurists investigating the Reichstag fire will officially announce tomorrow that its findings are: That Ernst Torgler, George Dimitroff, Vassil Taneff and Blagoi Popoff are proved innocent. That Marinus van der Lubbe, found at the scene of the fire, has had no connection with the Communist movement since 1931, and had publicly made pro-Nazi statements, just before the fire. . That the evidence indicates Nazj complicity in the fire. THOUSANDS TO PROTEST NAZI TRIAL Demonstrate Against Most Infamous of All Trials NEW YORK.—Thousands of work- ers of New York will gather at noon tomorrow before the German Consul- ate to voice their protests against the opening of the most infamous trial in all history. This is the “trial” of Torgler, Ta- neff, Dimitroff and Popoff— four Communists, whom the Nazis will | attempt to send to be beheaded on the framed-up charge of setting the Reichstag fire last February. The New York demonstration against this ghastly farce of a trial will begin with a march from 7th St. and Avenue A, at 10 am., and will wind up in a monster demonstra- tion in front of 17 Battery Pl., where a delegation will go to the Consulate to present the workers’ protests. Led by the Red Front Band, the following organizations will march from 7th St. and Avenue A: Commu- nist Party, Section 1; the Young Communist League; the Internation- al Labor Defense, downtown branch; Post 191, Workers Ex-Servicemen’s League; Manhattan Youth Club; Cli- Grand Club; Russian Mutual Aid; Ukrainian Toilers; Red Front. All other workers, organized and unorganized, are called on to join in this parade. The demonstration at 17 Battery Place will begin at 12 noon. Among the speakers will be Robert Minor of the Communist Party: William Patter- son of the I. L. D.; Edward Dahlberg, author, who was beaten by the Nazis in Berlin; Rabbi Benjamin Gold- stein; Henry Sheppard of the Trade Union Unity League; Fred Bieden- kapp; Louis Hyman of the Needle Workers Industrial Union and others. The demonstration is called by the International Labor Defense, the Na- tional Committee to Aid Victims of German Fascism, and the German- Jewish Front. ANOTHER DEMONSTRATION TONIGHT Another demonstration against the trial is to be held tonight, at 7 “ o'clock, at 79th St. and First Ave., under the auspices of the German Bureau of the Communist Party. Two mass actions will also be held in Chicago. Tonight Maria Halver- stadt, German teacher and refugee from the Nazis, will speak at a mass meeting in Wicker Park Hall, 2040 W. North Ave. On Thursday a mass demonstration will be held in front of the German Consulate at 520 Michigan Ave., at 12:30 p. m. In Philadelphia, a mass protest meeting will be held in Girard Manor Hall, 911 Girard Ave., at 8 p. m., on ‘Thursday. In Cleveland, a mass demonsira- tion will be held in Public Square on Thursday at 2:30 p. m. After the speakers have concluded, there will be a march to the German Consulate in the Midland Bank Building. Joint Delegation of Trade Unionists and representatives of other workers’ organizations scheduled to see Presi- dent Roosevelt today to protest the violations of ~ workers’ rights under the National Recovery Act, were unable to see him. The ap- pointment was postponed for Wednes- day at the executive offices after William Dunne was informed that all the President’s appointments had been cancelled due to illness. Iceland Workers Lower Nazi Flag REYJAVIK, Iceland. — Militant workers of Iceland yesterday lowered the Nazi flag on a German steamer in port here. The workers demon- strated their protest. Police were called, and dispersed the crowd with rehoisted > aan the German cogent, of the United States Department of Agriculture have been so busy slaugh- tering pigs and “dumping them to rot, that they failed to notice that the high winds were carrying the stench of rotting meat over the city. Many jobless, hungry workers caught the evil odor. Accordingly, ‘he officials have promised to interrupt their slaughter of the thousands of pigs that the Federal Government has bought from the farmers in order to destroy the “surplus” of live stock, long enough to dump the huge quantities of gov- ernment-owned meat some 200 miles 1 ten Shey eA em Hae Stench of Pigs Dumped by U.S. Spreads Thru Chicago CHICAGO, Sept. 19.—The officials, again where they can dump the rot- ting meat without fear of offending any one’s sensibilities. The idea of fulfilling the govern- ment’s promise distribute the The officials at Chicago are envi- ous of their colleagues at St. Louis, where the government has the ad- vantage of being near the Mississippi River, © It will send a copy of its findings to Berlin tomorrow, before the open: ing of the Leipzig trial of the four Communists. A courier arrived here tonight with a statement from the Central Com- mfitee of the German party, signedy by Wilhelm Pieck, Communist leader who had been thought in a Nazi jail. This statement declared ‘that all members of the German Central Committee not in jail or dead are ac- tively leading the fight against the Nazis in Germany, It declared, over the signature of the Central Commit- tee, that the Communist Party of Germany had no part in the burning of the Reichstag. The courier, whose name was kept a secret, brought the message type- written on four sheets of white silk, which had been sewn im the lining of his clothing. Fire Ford Workers | to Give Vets Jobs in Publicity Drive | DETROIT, Mich., Sept. 19—With |Ford’s car production going down, hundreds of old Ford workers are being fired to make room for a few hundred war vets Ford is hiring to carry on his publicity stunt. Ford announced Saturday that he would hire 5,000 vets through the American Legion. When 5,000 ex- servicemen rushed to apply for the jobs, only 300 were hired. Three thousand vets are in line today. ‘The Legion is taking part in the publicity stunt for its own purposes, seeking to get a rake-off of $4 a year from the men. Many auto plants here are trying to establish company unions. The Auto Workers’ Union is planning a big united front campaign against the company unions. ‘Va. Farmer Is Fined for Refusing to Sit ‘onJuryWithNegroes FREDERICKSBURG, Va., Sept. 19. —Wellford Gilman, # well-to-do farmer, was today held in contempt of court by Circuit Judge Frederick W. Coleman for refusing to serve with two Negroes on the local grand jury. Gilmore was given the alternative of paying $10 fine or serving two days in jail. He paid the fine. This was the first instance of this kind since various circuit judges an- nounced that Negroes would here- after be drawn to act on indictments. This decision is undoubtedly a rever- beration of the energetic fight for Negro jurors made by the Interna- tional Labor Defense in the Scotte- , Herndon and other cases, as Crawford, a Negro, from setts to Virginia, Ban Japanese Goods in Competition With American Products WASHINGTON, D. C.—The Treas- ury Department announces that anti-dumping orders have been issued against incandescent electric bulbs and lamps and rubber fabric-topped shoes from Japan, The orders, signed by Acting retary Acheson, said that im) the articles in question would injure domestic industry and “be sold in the United States at than their fair value.” Official Demand for Inflation Growing He ? ‘ rE leading members of Congress. Senator Thomas of Oklahoma re- ‘There the problem is simpler. They