The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 16, 1933, Page 1

FIGHT AGAINST PROPOSED MURD | es: ORDER NOW! | | ‘Tenth Anniversary Issue of | the “Daily.” 24 Pages! | J Daily, (Section of the Communist International ) Vol. X, No. 301 = * Butered as roconé-sines maticr at the Post Office at Ree York, W. ¥., under the Act of Merch 8, 1879, EW YORK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1933 Class Daily Newspaper America’s Only Working | ‘ WRATHER: Rain or siect, warmer, awd Price 3 Cents WORKERS! MASS AT ALL GERMA Weirton Co. Forces Votes for Co. Union; N.R.A. Helps Bosses Threats Coerce Men to' Vote in Yellow Dog Union PITTSBURGH, Pa., Dec. 15. —Bosses of the Weirton Steel Company today had a free hand to force through “yellow dog” company union election today, when the N.R.A. had promised 14,000 strik- ing steel workers last October that they would have free elections to pick their own representatives for a union of their own choice. The men started voting at 1 am., facing discharge if they did not cast @ ballot for the company-picked men. Voting took place in the Clarksburgh, West Virginia, and Steubenville, Ohio, mills. General Johnson wired Mr. Weir, president of the company, “that in my opinion you are about to commit a deliberate violation of the Federal laws.” Johnson added, however, that the N.R.A. may be illegal, saying, “I? ‘We are illegal, let the courts decide the issue.” After much biuster in Washington, @nd passing the buck between Sena- tor Wagner and the Department of Justice, nothing at all was done, giv- ing the Steel bosses a free hand. The original decision of the N.R.A., granting free election rights, was made deliberately to break the steel! strike. Ones the men were back in ‘th mill, the boss found himself free to break ali the N.R.A. promises. The NRA. was helped in breaking the strike by William Green and John L.. Lewis, on the National Labor Board, and by officials of the Amal- gameted Association of Iron, Steel, ‘Tin’ and Sheet Workers; who were misleading the srtike. After a long telephone conversation today with General Johnson, Mr. Weir declared he felt satisfied that he could go ahead with the company union election. Senator Wagner declared that the Matter would now go to the courts, but he took no action weeks before, though fully apprised of the intention of the Weirton Steel Co. officials. ‘The purpdse of considering court action is to stall off action by the workers themselves. 100 CWA Workers at Welfare Island Strike for Back Pay Unpaid Since Dec. 1; Send Committee to CWA Head NRA Seeks Weirton Type of Betrayal for Budd Strikers Orders Strike Off and Offers Workers “Elections” WASHINGTON, Dec. the betrayal of 14,000 W Steel Co. workers glaringly facing every worker, the N. R. A. today, through Senator Wagner, ordered strikers in the plant of the Edward G. Budd Manufacturing Company of Philadelphia to return to work im- mediately. In return, the Senator offers the workers the very same promises which were broken by the Weirton Steel Co. employers, namely, that there will be no discrimination, and that an election will be held soon to permit the workers to choose their own representatives. “It is evident that an election is essential to restore peace in this plant,” said Senator Wagner, when he just got through telling the Weirton steel workers that he could not grant them an election he promised in order to break their strike last. October. Tho main interest of the N. R. A. and Senator Wagner is to break the strike immediately. BUILDING NOW AT 15-YEAR LOW, REPORT SHOWS Business Index Fails to Show Even Usual Seasonal Rise NEW. YORK—Construction ex- penditures for all building have dropped to the lowest levels in 15 years, it was reported today by Stone & Webster, leading Wall Street engineers and financiers. Total building cons.ruction is now 66 per cent below the estimated “normal” of the 1925-30 period. The decline is especially sharp in residential construction. The amount of building going on has always been considered a good indication of the basic trend of general business. The above figures indicate that the Roosevelt program has not succeeded in stopping the NEW YORK—Unpaid since they started to work on Civil Works jobs City Hospital at Welfare Is- ipwards Nov. 27 an owed here ded that that 8 g E a 5 =] 48 83 a Z Hl 5s 3 an: Fy a g ig ee ant Sn8 id g tl eg a Hl E984 8 4 a ti sf g i é g i i HE a re i H Fl a: i m1 és ; ‘ uly ii LF aT vl i Feel Fal ‘The Frethelt Gesangs Verein the members of roading! will be son at the: by the Central Foy hg 8. 24, 7 pm. *s : and James Ford will greet the| Mo downward course of the crisis. This is still further borne out by the latest figures of the Wal! Street Journal of Commerce, which show that the index of general busi- of |ness activity is now below 60, and | is at. the level of May of this year, after showing a continuous decline -\for the last 14 weeks, from the July peak of the year. During the past week, the Wall Street Journal of Commerce index failed te show the usual tise. ‘Wages Drop Wi continue to drop. The New York State Department of Labor reports that for the month of October-November, total Is dropped again by 4 per ec: Em- ployment dropped 3 per cent, in- dicating that not only are work- ers being fired, but that those still oe job are having their wages cut New York is considered the best indicator of labor conditions throughout the country. The drop in wages and employment is 3 times greater than the usual seasonal changes. Living Costs Higher Neh at prices as a whole are sagging again, due to the momen- tary let-up in the Roosevelt in- Witte Pygikibat bah soe of now cent er than in March, with food ices even higher, ranging from 16-24 per cent higher, Hurts Farmers The small farmer continues to teal the sharp edges ct the Roose- Whereas the index of farm is now 6 points higher than in March, the index of the he has to buy are much higher; leather goods are 22 per cent. er, textiles are 25 per cent higher, .and building materials 25 per cent higher.’ The net result is that the small farmer is now much worse off than before. ‘among those who know of the gains Miners Win Gains | in Strike Despite UMW Leaders’ Role Jobless and Employed Act in Unison for Common Good By TOM MYERSCOUGH PITTSBURGH, Pa.—Although end- ed by the police protected U.M-W.A. misleader, Dave Watkins, when only two days old, the strike of some 1,000 miners employed by the Reich Coal Co. in five Somerset County, Pa mines brought the desired gains and proved the effectiveness of this weapon as the one sure method, when properly supported, by which demands can be won. This strike at the Reich Co. mines was called hastily. It was ended when the police-protected Watkins utilized the divided opinions of the miners and the “dollar a day fine for striking” clause of the N.R.A~; UM.W.A. (Appalachian Agreement) | enslavement scheme, to compel a vote! to return to work. But with the vote | to return went the threat to restrike: the mines, unless the demands for supplies, essential to safe mining and “guaranteed” by the mining law of the State and by the Appalachian Agreement, were met by noon of the first day. The demands were met! This Somerset field is new, com- paratively speaking, to the revolu- tionary labor movement. But that the workers, both employed and un- employed, are ready to respond to our call, we need have no doubt. {| Meeting the “Red” issue squarely, we have found them unafraid, for the continued waving of the “Red Herring” has caused if to lose its smell. Under our leadership, the unem- ployed miners have conducted and won struggles. They have gotten re- lief. for those who. before “were rer fused. They have increased amounts for those whose previous relief was totally inadequate and they have won relief for the single unemployed work- ers. A recent action by a county delega- tion stopped a proposed, wage cut on C.W.A. work, All these things became common knowledge and as a result, we have been voted free use of local union halls. The bosses are included made by the Unemployed Councils, made up of unemployed miners and their wives and they find a large number —“going Bolshevik.” The strike at the Reich mines brought victory which will serve to encourage bigger and better struggles to remove other objectionable feat- ures, from the daily grind for bread. Most noticeable of the strike results, is the fact that, despite the operators’ yell of “Breach of Agreement” and Watkins’ threat of “dollar a day fines,” there has, as yet, been no discrimination made and no fines paid, The strike cannot and won't be outlawed, despite the “penalty” clause, if the miners continue to recognize it as still the best method and the only effective weapon in their possession to get what they need and want, until they become still better organized. Then they won’t need to back every demand with # strike, Supreme Court to Decide Review 0 Borich Deportation, NEW YORK—The Supreme Court of the United States on Saturday will consider whether or not it will grant the right of review to the case of Frank Borich, secretary of the Na~ tional Miners Union, who has been ordered deported to fascist Yugo~- Slavia for his strike activities in the | coal fields, INRA. Throws Out | thi Fur Workers from Needle Hearings Protests Foree Howard to Take Fur Workers Back Later BULLELIN. WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec, 15.— The spontaneous protest of the workers forced the N.R.A, author- ities to re-admit the delegation ef the Needle Trades Workers Indus- trial Union, after they had been forcibly thrown ont of the code hearing here today. RES Kae ° By SEYMOUR WALDMAN (Daily Worker Washington Burean) WASHINGTON, Dec. 15.—The.N. R. A. Deputy Administrator, Howard, afternoon ordered special Com- merce Department police to eject workers representing the fur depart- ment of the militant Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union from the retail fur code hearing when the worker delegates demanded sufficient time to present their own program. The meeting was adjourned by Howard for half an hour to give the hearing “time to cool off.” The Workers’ Code The fur manufacturers propose a code which provides for 40 hours for ‘six months during the season and 35 hours for the other six months, with overtime of 82 hours during six months of the season. The Needle Trades Workers In- dustrial Union demands 30 hours and no overtime, pointing out that since New York workers now labor 35 hours, the manufacturers are actually asking for an increase in hours. Under wage provisions, the manu- facturers propose 40 cents. an hour (without saying whether skilled: or unskilled) and less for so-called ab- normal and inexperienced labor, who is “abnormal” or “inexperienced” the manufacturers propose to decide. The Needle Trades Workers In- (Continued on Page 2) Inflation Policies Will Be Continued, Roosevelt. Declares Denies Stabilization Talk; Intensify Fight for Markets —-$ CONSULATES ON DECEMBER 19t#! Nazi ‘Strikes to Demand| ‘Release of the Nazi 1 ‘Frame-Up Victims’ —_- | Dec.19 Demonstrations | Supported by Actions Throughout U. S. NEW YORK.—Hage protest de- monstrations to demand the release of the four Communist defendants in the Reichstag fire case will take place before the German consulates thronghout the United States on | Decumber 19, as part of the huge | international action of the workers | to stop the Nazi executioners. The New York December 19 de- | monstration will concentrate at the German Consulate, 17 Battery Place, at 12 noon. In New York, on December 18, | the Communist Party has arranged ® series of city-wide indoor mass meetings in preparation for Dec. 19. A complete list of these meetings appears on Page 2 of the Daily Worker. ° o ° | NEW YORK.—The workers of three | more metal shops here have voted for a 15-mniute stoppage of all work- | ers at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 19, as @ protest against the murderous Hit~ jer regime and to save the life of Ernst Torgler, German Communist leader, framed by the Nazi butchers. ‘This brings the total to six New York shops which under the leader- ae of \Steel-and Metal Workers Union hi voted for a stoppage of work, ‘The workers of the Federal Silver Co., the Metco Silver Co., and the workers of the Mautner Mfg. Co. are those who voted yesterday for a stop- page. The workers of more than a dozen more shops under the leader-| ship of the S.M.W.LU. here are ex~i pected to take similar actions between today and Tuesday. The S.M.W.LU., which sent a dele- gation to the German Consul Wed- nesday, in a call to its membership, urged all workery in the union to come out in masses Tuesday, Dec. 19, the world-wide day of protest against the Nazi butchers. . 8 ° LL.G.W.U; Supports Demontsration NEW YORK.—The Executive Board of Local 9 of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union yesterday sent a cable to Germany, demanding WASHINGTON, D. C., Dec. 15—All the immediate and unconditional re- reports of any proposed “stabilization”, lease of Torgier, Dimitroff, Taneff of the dollar were repudiated by and Popoff, and sent a resolution of Roosevelt yesterday in a conference protest to Hans Luther, Nazi Ambas- with his financial advisers at which sador in Washington. he announced that the United States} 3B. Cooper, manager of Local 9, will would continue its inflationary attack be @ member of the delegation of on its imperialist rivals through gold- workers to go to the German Con- buying abroad. ‘The Roosevelt government ts play- ing @ crafty game with regard to its inflation program, softening it as the time approaches for the re-financing of large sized government loans, and then speeding ahead as the price structure begins to sag for lack of inflationary support. At the present moment, the reports of stabilization were having an ad- verse effect on prices, so Roosevelt timed his latest inflationary state- ment to revive the markets. At the same time, he maintained the gold price at the same level for the 14th day at $34.01, in anticipation of com~ ing Treasury financing. The funda~ mental policy of Roosevelt is toward greater and greater inflation, in an effort to inczease monopoly profits and intensify the fight for foreign markets. | Help Us Get the New Press! ‘THE Daily Worker last Monday, Comrade Hathaway, editor, ap- pealed to all readers to help put the drive over the top so as to enable our paper to install its new Press, He pointed out that the old press broke down Rehan arta 3 the Paper, that repairing was uneco- portal, that despite the lack of finances, we were forced to look for @ new press. ‘The new, modern press will print 36,000 Daily Workers per hour, while the old one at best ran 10,000 per hour. It will improve tremendously the appearance of our paper and as- sure earlier delivery. os 6 e AGO DISTRICT responded to '& Comrade Hathaway's appeal for funds by sending $139.89 yesterday. Section No. 3, of that city, which has already raised its quota in the $40,000 drive pledges to double it. ‘The Women’s Council sent over $70 early in the week; New York District Pledges to fulfill its quota within two weeks to help install the new press. Unit 406, Section 4, New York, under- took to double its quota to help get the new press, and has already achieved this. : ° IN THE whole, however, actual re- ceipts this week have been so low that our Daily Worker is in no post- tion to install the new press. The excavation for the new press has al- ready been dug in our plant; the us put the new press which will turn cut a more powerful Daily Worker on this foundation! If evezy reader of the Daily Worker sends only 25 cents, the $10,000 drive will go over the top handsomely. It will mean that we can have the new press, DO NOT DELAY ACT"°N ON THIS, COMRAD'S! CONTRIBUTION ‘TODAY! moment counts! Friday's Receipts Yrevious Total . TOTAL TO DATE . Every SEND YOUR, sulate in New York on Dec. 19th. The Executive Board of Local 9 has called upon all its membership and all cloak finishers to be present at the demonstration. 7 Shoe Workers Issue Call NEW YORK.—The Trade Board of the Shoe Department of the Shoe and Leather Workers Industrial ‘Union in the name of its 1,300 mem~- bers yesterday protested against the frame-up of the Reichstag fire trial defendants. i At the general membership meeting Sunday, the executive will call upon the entire membership to support the mass demonstration Tuesday. os ee Youth Organizations Mobilize for Action NEW YORK.—A youth delegation Of representatives of young workers and students will call at the German | Consulate, Monday, Dec. 18 to de- mand the release of Torgler, Dimit- roff, Popoff and Taneff. ‘This delegation is being organized on the initiative of the Young Com- munist League, the Internationel Workers Order Youth Section, the Labor Sports Union and other young workers’ organizations. All branches and clubs of young workers and students are urged to elect one delegate to represent their organization in the youth delegation. | It the membezship does not meet before Monday, the executive. should elect the delegate. All youth dele- gates are to first mect Monday, Dec, 18 at 2 pm. at the L.W.O,, 80 Fifth Ave., and proceed in a body to the consulate. LL.D. Cally Entire Membership to Support Den.cnstration NEW YORK—Mobllization of every LL.D. branch and every affiliated or- ganization for action against the Nazi the German and Bulgarian workers in the Leipzing frame-up was called $ 268.95 |for in a statement issued Thursday 35,459.52 | by the, National Buro of the Inter- “national Labor Defense, “Immediate reaction must come attempts to murder the leaders of , ‘Defense’ Counsel Aids Prosecutic To Frame Three Bulgarian Communists er of the German workers, leader of the German n immediate danger at the hands of the Fascist E life of To: Communist Part executioners! ‘The safety of AL. the heroic defendants, of Torgler, of Dimitroff, neff, is now in the hands of the workers of the world! pzig Court there is no appeal to any higher courts t is at Leipzig that the Nazis intend to legalize From the Fas to delay the executi their murder pl It was the w ’ world protest, as well as the remarkable revolu- y defense of the defendants, that forced the Fascist murderers to try a new, sinister game. It is only this protest that can guarantee that these Comrades will be saved from torture and murder! It is against Torgler that the Fascists now turn their axes, eager for his e it would be criminal folly to imagine that for one roment the Fascists will not try to bring about the death of the unconquerable Com- munist fighter, Dimitroff, who tore the mask of perjury and frame-up from their faces, for the whole world to see. Let us not forget that hideous murder cry of the enraged Goering, when at the trial, Dimitroff bared him before the masses as a pervert and perjurer, as the real incendiary of the Reichstag. “Wait till you get into my hands and the hands of my Storm Troopers,” Goering screamed. The Fascist court that plans to “free” Dimitroff and his Bulgarian comrades may soon give him this opportunity! And éf it is not Goering and his bloody hirelings, then it will be the Bulgarian Fascists that will get the chance to “welcome” Dimitroff and his comrades! And that means torture and murder! Workers of America! We cannot fail now to surround our herotc comrades with the wall of our anger and protest! We alone, united with the toiling masses of the world can save them from the Fascists’ torture chambers and the Fascist axe-blow! In the unions, in the locals of the American Federation of Labor, where the workers gather, in the shops and factories, we must go with the message af organization to help our German comrades against Fascist terror! Workers of all political connections! Socialist workers! You whose brothers in Germany face the Nazi brutes, we alone, united in working class solidarity, can save Torgler and his comrades! Can we fail our prole- tarian brothers in Germany? To all fighters against reaction, to liberals, to intellectuals, profes- sionals, we call upon you for immediate action against the Fascist terror, for the freedom of Torgler, Dimitroff and their heroic comrades! The American Committee Against War and Fascism must leap to action! December 19 is the day of international solidarity and struggle for the release and safety of our comrades in the hands of the Naa judges! For this day we must organize the protests and demonstrations that will make the Fascists at the Leipzig Court hear itt For the Freedom of Torgler! For the safe release and protection of Dimitroff and his comrades! Mass actions everywhere? ‘To the German Consulates in every city! In the factories, trade unions, and streets—announce mase protest against the Fascist murder plots! from ev ‘LD. member to stop the, against the workers who joined the eeging yer sentences ageinst 'anti-Hitler demonstration here, forced Ernst Torgler, and the threat of de- | the Mayor Smith to issue an order portation made against our heroic for the police not to use their clubs Bulgarian comrades, Dimitroff, Po-)on such future demonstrations. poff, and Taneff,” the statement is-| Phyllis Frank, Betty Jameson and sted by William L. Patterson, Na=| Sophie Hornstein, who chained them- tional Secretary of the I.L.D. said. |selves to a post with placards de- ghee Nes DETROIT, Mich., Dec. 16.—Mass| demonstration, were on protests against the police terror] charges of disorderly conduct nouncing the Hitler terror during the ER OF ERNST TORGLER BY NAZIS! ‘Innocent Bulgarian Communist Leaders \Face Death by Nazis | Judge Plans to Refuse Dimitroff Right to Final Speech, (Special to the Daily Worker) AT THE GERMAN BOR- DER, Dec. 15 (Via Zurieh. Switzerland).—The danger of death at the hands of the Nazis themselves for Dimitroff, Po- | poff and Taneff, Bulgarian | Communist defendants at the Reich- stag fire trial, as well as for Ernst |Torgler, German Communist leader in Leipzig, loomed menacingly again today as Teichert, “defense” attor- ney, virtually demanded a recdy- sideration of the prosecution’s pro- posals for their acquittal. Although Teichert wound up by formally “requesting” the acquit- tal of the three Bulgarians, his en- tire speech was a thinly disguised and lying attack upon the mien whom he is supposed to be defend- ing. Other outstanding developments of today’s fifty-fifth session of the trial were: 1. The statement by Justice Buen- ger that the court “was considering the question of not allowing Dimi- troff to make his final speech.”. 8 The attempts on the part ‘oi all Nazi lawyers, both prosecuting and “defense” to explain away ly- ing or extorted evidence presented at. the trial. eI Ss Public Prosecutor Werner ¢on- tinued his speech yesterday by dealing with the questions of the Reichstag arson and high treason. Van der Lubbe’s confession, he de- clared, must be taken as a start- ing point for judging the guilt of Torgler and the three Bulgarian defendants. Van der Lubbe has confessed and proofs exist, he said, that he had accomplices. Therefore the guilt of the four other defend- ants is proved, according to Wer- ner, although only by circumstantial evidence. Werner declared that the old juridical principle of emi beni (eho would have benefited from the deed) proves who are the guilty parties; that the trial proved that the Communists hoped to gain ad- vaniage from the fire. That they failed, he claimed, was no counter- proof. He thus twisted the principle of ewi bono into “proof” of the Gom- munists’ guilt, although in reality the Nazis had gained from the fire and the cui bono applies to the Nazis only. Werner declared that he maintained and upheld the tes- timony of witnesses Grothe, Zimmer- man, Lebermann, Kunzack (proved Mars and semi-lunatics) despite cer- tain “doubts of reliability.” Werner then went on to declare that the Nazi depositions were reliable, testify- ing that Torgler had been ae the Reichstag with Van der and Popoff and Lubbe with Taneff, Lebermann, he said, was not “s high class witness, but worthy of credence despite previous convictions.” “I am aware,” Werner said, countries abroad place no value on this evidence,” and went on to ems phasize Torgler’s article of February, 1933, which, Werner stated, contains distinct incitement and high treason in the slogan, “Don’t wait, but act!” In summing up Torgler’s case, Werner came to the general con- clusion, tantamount to a complete retreat in the arson accusation and shifting the accusation to treason: “Torgler was certainly in- volved in the fire ig some manner, The trial did not show clearly Im what form, but Torgler is imex~ tricably implicated, A The Bulgartan’s defending counsel began by railing against the Inquiry Commission and against” Brown Book, stating that the Paris Defense Committee will assert 4 the verdict was anticipated today. exposed himself as a prosecut helpef by declaring that under the circumstances the indictment of the Bulgarian Communists was e but that no final evidence had been adduced in the trial, chiefly because Dimitroff’s alibi was perfect, because Popoff’s and Taneff’s a were “almost successful.” The fense attorney, Teichert, anconceated demand to the rt condemn the Bulgarian defendants. “The Public Prosecutor's proposals,” he declared, “Do not release the , from the duty of carefal exami ir ef the indictment against the” nt * °s ; 13. Teichert's “defense” ecntinuss ‘te morrow. Parre nie ATSSTT ML =X