The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 18, 1933, Page 1

"the { r a x 1 | Don’t Miss the | Tenth Anniversary Issue of | “Daily.” 24 Pages! Papin | Dail ‘(Section of the Cowerousist International) Vol. X, No. 302 > * Entered 26 second-class matter st the Post Oftice at Hew York, N. Y., under the Act of Mareh 8, 1870, rker | Party U.S.A. NEW YORK, MONDAY, DECEMBER, 18, 1933 NAZI PRESS SOUNDS LYNCH CALL AGAINST DIMITROFF, TORGLER MASS AT GERMAN CONSULATE TOMORROW! FIGHT NAZI MURDERS Minnesota Jobless Demand Relief From Floor of Legislature Farm - Labor Governor} Leaves Insurance Out of Message ST. PAUL, Minn,, Dec. 17.— A delegation of unemployed forced the state legislature to grant them the rostrum Mon- day afternoon to present relief de- mands, folowing the meeting of the state Unemployed Conference here on Sunday. ‘The delegation of ten was led by Pete Sjodin, chairman, a former member of the Farmer Labor Party, and recently their can- didate for alderman in Minneapolis. The delegates in presenting their demands, exposed the hypocritical promises of the Farmer Labor legis- Jators,, and pointed out how the Farmer Labor Governor Olson’s mes- Sage to the legislature even abandoned @ pretense to favor unemployment in- surance, which was not even men- tioned in his message. Smarting under the exposure of the delegation of unemployed workers, Farmer-Labor representative Bennett finally offered to introduce the entire relief program of the dele- | gation in the form of bills, if they were drawn up in legal form, Rep- resentatives of the unemployed are meeting some time this week with Attorney-General Peterson to formu- late theix demands in the form of legal bills, which will then be in- troduced into the Legisiature by Rep- resentative Bennett. An open heaz- ig on the bills vill be held by the Legislature Monday night, Dec. 18th, ‘The fist bil, thet wilt be introduced into th’ State Legislature, will be the Workers Unemployment Insur- ance Bill, ‘The State Unemployed Conference which met on Sunday and elected the delegation of ten, was called by the Unemployed Councils. Seventy delegates nded, representing 42 organizations. The session of the legislature now in. s¢ m was called @S & special session iquor control and.unempioyment relief. CWA Men Apply to Charity for Aid; Salaries Held Up, Bronx Relief Workers Form Group, Demand 2 Wks. Back Pay New YORK.—Deciaring urday was, “the worst four years of the crisis,” leen Wehrbein, head of the Queens ‘Welfare Society, with nine branch of- fices, added that “a thousand per- sons, most of them family heads, who have been without pay for ten days, have registered with out various of- fices.” Hundreds of families have been left without euy funds either from the Relief Bureau or the C. W. A. due to the red tape in paying off the relief workers. At a meeting of 250 Bronx Relief workers held last Friday at the Her- man Ridder Junior High School, rep- resenting 18 jobs, a delegation was elected to see Travis Whitney, Cliy C. W. A. head, to demand two weeks back pay owed them, One hundred and sixteen joined a Relist Work- ers organization and an executive committee of 22 representing all the jobs was elected. The workers decided to go pack to the jobs and speak to the work- ers awaiting the statement given the delegation by Whitney. If the money is not paid them immediately, the workers will be called together to pian, action. Reichstag Trial News Crowds Out “Appeal”; But Rush Funds Now! Due to the amount of space occupied today by news of the Reichstag Trial, the appeal usually carried, urging workers to contribute to the $40,000 campaign has been omitted. Funds, how- ever, are needed quickly. Rush your contributions and eollections. Saturdas’s receipts ......$ 401.15 Previous to total .....cse00¢ 35,728A7 seca es $36,129.62. Newark Fails to Pay $360,000 in Salaries NEWARE, N. J.—City employees yesterday failed to get their semi- monthly pay, amounting to $360. 000. In order to speed up tax col- lections to meet budget expendi- tures, 127,000 tax bills for 1934 have been sent out to cover the first two quarters of the year. This is the first time the period has been divided quarterly. Rail Firemen Vote for Unemployment : Insurance Measure More Lodges. Expected to Give Support to Workers’ Bill By a Railroad Worker Correspondent BELLINGHAM, Wash.—At the last regular meeting on Sunday, Dec. 3, of Lodge No. 501, Brotherhood of Loco- motive Firemen and Enginemen, at Everett, Wash., the lodge unanimous- jy endorsed the Workers Non-Con- tributory Unemployment and Social Insurance Bill. This is the first lodge of the firemen in the Northwest tc endorse the workers’: bill, but it will be followed by many more of the Brotherhood lodges. Lodge No. 501 is the lodge where the majority of the firemen on the Spokane Division of the Great North- ern belong. The lodge secretary was instructed to write Senators Dill and Bone and Congressman Wallgren of their action, demanding their sup- port for the Workers’ Non-Contribu- tery Unemployment and Social In- surance Bill. Lynched Negro Was Kidnapped from His Home in Nashville U. S. Gov't, Hunting Kidnappers of Rich Men, Unconcerned COLUMBIA, Tenn:, Dec. 17.—Cord Cheek, 18-year-old Negro youth, lynched near here on Friday night, had been abducted from the home of relatives in Nashville soon after his release from jail upon the grand Jury's failure to indict him for an alleged attack on a white girl, when the frame-up nature of the charge became so obvious that the lynch courts had to release their intended victim, Chee's body was found hanging | from a cedar tree limb in the Glen- dale section. His body had been riddled by bullets. A deep gash in the head and fine gravel in his cloth- ing indicated that he had been dragged over the road behind an cutomobile in the fiendish manner of the lynching of George Armwood in Princess Anne, Marylend, on Oct. 18. Military Expert to Be N. Y. Police Head NEW YORK.—Major General John F, O'Ryan, Mayor LaGuardia’s choice for police commissioner of this city, is a military commander with wide experience in the army and national guard. O'Ryan, who will take office after Jan. 1, was chosen Saturday as the first military msn to head the police Gepartment in years by LaGuardia, who is himself an army major. 2 Scottsboro Boys Sent to Death Cells BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 17.— Heywood Patterson and Clarence Norris, two of the Scottsboro boys sentenced by the Decatur lynch court to burn on Feb. 2, were re- moved yesterday to Kilby Prison, Montgomery, Ala., where they will again be lodged in the death house, despite announcement of appeal by the International Labor Defense against the lynch verdict: Weirton Wedees Protest Co, Union) Vote as “Hitlerism” Bosses Force Men to Vote by Threats of Firing PITTSBURGH, Pa. Dec. 17 Weirton Steel Co. workers, forced by terror, threats of discharge and bribery to vote in the company union elections held Saturday, in- volving around 14,000 workers, showed that they fully understood the fas- cist nature of the attack against them when hundreds of them in protest wrote the words “Hitler” and “Hitlerism” on their ballots as a protest against the betrayal of the N. R.A. For weeks before the company union elections were held, the com- pany had organized ail its foremen, managers, superintendents and stool pigeons to threaten the workers. At the same time, workers were invited to Mr. Weir's exclusive country club, bribed with beer, cheese, cigars and promises by the company officials. dust before the company union vot- ing began, a group of union. men were called into the steel company's office. They were showed letters from customers stating that if the company union elections did not go through, orders for steel would be cancelled. The men were told, if the company union was not main- tained, they would be fired. They were then told to go out and inform the rest of the workers about this threat. Hundreds. of affidavits have been signed by: Weirton Steel Co. workers telling of threats made against them if they tried to buck the company union elections. One worker had his wrist fractured, when he tried to run away from a foreman who was intimidating him into voting in the company union elections. The yoting took place on the day (Conti ed | on Page 2) Street | Fightin g in Havana; Paper Burned HAVANA, ‘Cuba, Dec. 17.—The newspaper offices of El Pais were burned by a crowd here. Much shooting is going on in the strects. Hundreds of shots have been fired in a number of different s2ctions of the city. Details of the fight haye not yet been received. Thirty-Five Workers Sentenced’ by Nazis to Die by Axe-Blow BERLIN, Dec. 14.— Forty-two revolutionary workers have been sentenced to die at the hands of the executioner in the time since Hitler came into power. . Six have already been execut by the Fascist axe, including the Altona Communists, Luettgens, Mueller, Woiff, Teseh and Volk. Thirty-five other working class prisoners all await execution, to be carried out within the coming months, These workers are being tortured in their cells while they are awaiting the Nazi axe. Auto Workers from 48 Organizations | Unite for Action’ Broad ConferenceWith 224 Delegates, for Unity By A. B. MAGIL | DETROIT, Mich., Dec. 17—Two hundred and twenty-four delegates from 48 organizations and various shop groups are now meeting in thé United Front Auto Workers Confer- ence at Finnish Hall to hammer out a united action program, The conference is larger and more representative than was expected. Be- sides the Auto Workers Union, the Michigan Chamber of Labor led by Socialists have a large delegation and also members of the Mechanics Edu- cational Society, the A. F. of L. Auto Urton and the LW.W. are represent- ed. Eesides Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, Grand Rapids and Berkley are rep- resented. Kay, president of the Michi- gan Chamber of Labor, was elected chairman; Cliff, president of the Auto Workers Union, vice - chairman ; | Barnes of the Pontiac Chamber of Labor, secretary. The main report of Phil Raymond, secretary of the Auto Workers Union, traced the developments since the last united front conference in January and showed the significance of the strike movement in the auto indus- try and the strike-breaking role of the N.R.A. He stressed the building of department and shop committees, the need of united action to defeat the boss’ program and improve con- ditions, and the building of one indus- trial union. A spirited discussion is now going on. The sentiment of the conference was demonstrated by the big ovation at the statement of a Flint tool, a dié striker, “It-js impossible to. duct a successful tool and die-makers | 5 America’s Only Working | ae as Class Daily Newspaper ~ Price 3 Cents Burning Speeches of Dimitroff, Torgler Blast Frame-up As Court Nears Verdict Workers in Many Cities Plan Anti- Nazi Protests NEW YORK. test demonstrations ts de- mand the release of the four Communist defendants in the Reichstag fire case will take place before the German Consulates throughout the world on Tuesday, Dec. 19, the international day of pro- test. The New York demonstra- tion will take place at the German Consulate, 17 Bat- tery Place, at 12 noon. A serie of meetings ad- dressed .. leading members of the Communist Party will be heard at 8 p.m. tonight in all sections of New York. The full list appears on Page 2 of this issue. Al eo 8 ute Workers Protest IT, Dee. 18,—All big plants pted at the Auto Workers erence here inGluding* tis Ford strike without the production work- ers.” The discussion is centering on the action program. An action com- mittee is to be set up. Aircraft Strikers Win Partial Gains Go Back to Work to Strengthen Union BRIDGEPORT, Conn., Dec. 17.— As a result of the rejection of the company’s terms and the determina- tion of the Sikorsky strikers to con- tinue the strike and spread it if pos- sible to Hartford, the company was forced to grant a partial victory, and the workers went back to work at the Sikorsky Aviation Corporation under the following terms. 1. All the strik- ers to be taken back—no discrimina- tion; 2. Recognition of the shop com- mittee; 3. Wage increase to be given factory, adopted resolutions support- tng the Reichstag fire ‘trial demon- strations, and urged all auto work- ers to participate and to try to stop production in the shops on Tuesday, Dec. 19. Unions represented at the confer- ence include the Auto Workers Union, the Michigan Chamber of Labor, the Mechanics Educational Society, the A. F. of L. Auto Union, and the In- Gustrie! Workers of the World. Painters Vote Stoppage NEW YORK..— The Executive Board of the Alteration Painters and Decorators Union has voted for a stoppage of all work on Tuesday, Dec. 19 as a protest against the murder- ous Reichstag fire frame-up. At three membership meetings called for on Monday, Dec. 18, the membership will be asked to ratify this decision. Local Nine of the International Ladies’ Garment Workers Union is sending & delegation of seven to the German Consulate at 17 Battery Place today to again demand the im- Jan. 15; 4. Settlement in writing and signed by company officials. The men know that their task is from now on to see that this agree- ment is enforced and to strengthen their organization. They have de- cided to continue in the Aeronauti- cal union and to fight for a national industrial aircraft unton. ‘The Sikorsky strikers are disil- lusioned with the N.R.A. and the A. F. of L. efficials and have invited Sam Krieger, the T.U.U.L. organizer, to attend and address their next reg- ular meeting, The “Red Scare” don’t frighten them and they are convinced that they have more to fear from the White Guard scabs and the A. F. of L. officials and the N.R.A. boards than from the “left wing” organizers. Largest U.S. Pacificist Group Splits; J. B. Matthews Ousted Matthews’ Stirring Statement Scores Role of Fellowship as Preserving War-Making Capitalist Rule NEW YORK.—A split took place in the National Council of the Fel- lowship of Reconciliation at its last meeting, when J. B. Matthews was dismissed as executive secretary of the slvr and five other mem~- ‘yers resigned because of this action. At a meeting of the National Douncil of the Fellowship of Recons siliation held at Union Theological Jerfnary jast night, a long-fought ssue between “warring” factions of his largest pacifist organization in he world came to a climax. For ‘everal years the fight has centered ‘round the two executive secretaries of the Fellowship, John Nevin Sayre, ind J. B, Matthews, who hold irre- ronciliable views on the question ¢ yeace. By a vote of 18 to 12, J. Matthews was dismissed as an exec ative of the organization. By a vote ~f 16 to 11, John Nevin Sayre, brother “f the new Assistant Secretary of State, Francis B. Sayre, was retained xs the active head of the organiza- ton. The defeat of Matthera was fol- lowed by a decision of the Counce) which makes it incumbent upon all its officers to repudiate even the de- fense of a workers’ socialist state by armed forces. In the future no so- cialist who believes that a socialist society must protect its socialized property by armed power is eligible to represent the organization, Lined up against Matthews on the issus of armed force in the class struggle were such prominent Council mem- bers as William C. Biddle, New York and Philadelphia financier, Bernard Waring, Philadelphia manufacturer, Vincent Nicholson, Philadelphia’ cor- poration lawyer, Luther Tucker, wealthy scion of a prominent New York family, William C. Bowen, of the American Telephone and Tele- graph Company, Kirby Page, editor of the World Tomorrow, and Edmund B. Chaffee, director of Labor Temple. Baldwin, Others Resign ‘The dismissal of Matthews was followed by the resignations from the (Continued on Pasa ¥ | mediate and safe release of the fire trial defendants, and to protest fener thé murder verdict of Torg- ler. In @ statement issued yesterday, the: Needle Trades Workers “Indus- trial Union has endorsed the United Front demonstration, which will take Place Tuesday, Dee. 19th, at 12 noon, in front of .the German Consulate, M1 ict Place. ‘The struggle for the release of the four heroic working class.leaders és our Struggle,” says the statement. CHICAGO, Dec, 17.—The ‘oO Committee to’ Aid the Victims or ition fcr. the oun mass meetings have bese held throughott the ety. Philadephia Mass ELPHTA Bee, eT Pilladelphia. Téstrict ct the ©. Reape: tibelines. rll Se Bas ad 100 Boge ony South Philadelphia, 2530 Kensington, and at 911 a Norti, Philadelphia. Hindenbarg BOSTON, Dec. 18.—Declaring that “the Reichstag fire trial is a glaring Leergdetiy Saree to which mad- capitalism.” tocal It et the Talernne tional Association of Projectionists and Sound sent cables. to Hindenburg and the iriel judge, Wil- helm Buenger and to the Nazi am- bassador in Washington, demanding Se ee ee »fire fendants, he ‘stated that the German Jews were especially bad Jews and any action taken against them by Many Trades to Stop Work In Reichstag Trial Protest | Hearings Close with Fasci Wilhelm Pieck Head, Sounds Call for World Protest Warns Only MassFight. Can Save Leipzig Defendants (Special to the Daily Worker) MOSCOW, Dec. 17 (By Radio).—} “Pravda,” official organ of the Com- munist Party of the U. S. S. R. to- day publishes an article by William Pieck, one of the le man Communist Par among other things: Thanks to the force internationalism it h: to enlighten univ regarding the criminal the fascist incendia possible to bring the Saint “of cism's attempt to oS the trial by the murder of the But our comr: caved. Only a r international campaign of can save them. It is necess wrench out all the accuse Torgler out of th ’ hands; it is necessary to liberate Comrade Thaelmann and the tens of thousands of imprisoned anti-fa The abandoning of the accu agains George Dimitroff and the other Bulgarian c ows that in the trial the f: ting their whole attack against the Com- munist Party of Germany. The death senience for Torgler must in the opinion of the fascist executioners give “weighty” proof of the “guilt” of the Party and justify new bloody acts! against the Communis! prosecutor's speech | $ no doubts of the intentions of the fascists. Following Hermann Goering’s re- cipe, the prosecutor took liitle care for “weightiness” of juridical argu- ments. He even cynically declared that the evidence of the prosecution's witnesses when taken apart is little convincing. Nevertheless, he brought his whole force again munist Party of Germ: gler as a member of the Centri Committee. We cannot doubt that ti death sentence, which the demanded for Torgler, will be e out by the puppets sitting in judge- ment in Leipzig. “Broitiérs in struggle, companions The chief in arms, proletarians! Don’t let the verdict be executed!” Tht ail of the Commur’ onsef« ous workw.. 5 ad- dressed to the workers of the whole world. | London Police Charge Thousands Protesting at German Consulate LONDON, Dec. 17.~A huze anti- ; dal ‘} as any other country. Fascist demonstration of thousands of English workers marching te the German Consui’s office to pre- sent their demand for the release of the Reichstag fire trial defend- ants was met today by the resist- ance of more than 300 police sta~ tioned at a strategic corner near ry Led by Communists, however, the protest parade re-formed, only to be met again by assault from the London mounted police, who charged their horses into the packed Trafaigar Square. Scores of work- ers with bleeding heads had to flee before the advance of the horses “Hitler Paper Asks “ ew ew Trial” for Dimitroff, Echoing Goering Torture Threats te: udges to Render Frame-Up Verdict Soon (Special to the Daily Worker) AT THE GERMAN BORDER (Via Zurich, Switzerland), Dec. 17.—Giving unmistakable threats that the fascist rulers of Germany are determined to go ahead with the execution of the four Reichstag defendants, the leading paper of the Hitler government, | “Voelkischer Beobachter” announced today that | “new proceedings” against Dimitroff are being prepared. At the same time, the Fascist Judges will go into session as the final hearings close tonight, to prepare to deliver their verdict Following the complete shattering be hole perjured case of the st the four Communists r the firing of the Reich- open threat of further per- of Dimitroff comes after jeven the Nazi prosecutor has admit- his complete innocence, as well the innocence of his Comrades. The announcement of Hitler's ng paper thus meets Goering’s, leader of the Storm Trooper's, {demand for the lives of all the de- Pieck, German ¢, P. : ants. It, was Goering who, un- e relentless prodding of Dimi- ” ‘oss-examination in the eip- rt, shouted the ing words at the defendants: “Wait till you are out of this court's power. Then you will ex- perience something. Such scoun- drels must be hanged.” ‘Thus, if is not only Torgler’s life, init the* lives of Dimitroff and his Bulgarian comrades, Popoff and Tan~ eff, which are now in the greatest at the hands of the Fascist axe executioners. Trial Summing-Up Today, on the 65th day of the trial, began the summing-up pro- cedings which bring the trial to a Dimitroff, who has had the fo lefended himself hout the trial as a completely , With every available disposal. Had he been choose his own counsel, he would have acted differently, this He but he declared. vas denied him, thanks Tetchert, the counsel en for him by the court, but the present circumstances in he boldly declares that he have any confidence in ng to the judge, he remarked ustically “T wanted neither the honey nor the poison of the defense imposed REVOLUTIONIST Continuing, Dimitreff faced the entire court and declared: “I am defenting my political convictions as 2 revolutionist. That's why my languase is sharp. My aim has been to prove that neither myself, my Bulgarian comrades here, nor Torgler, nor the Communist move- ment has had anything to do with the Reichstag fire. “Abroad nobody believes that we are gnilty. “It is precisely because we are Communists that nobody can im- pute such deeds to us. People re- proached me for making propa- ganda in this court, but the speeches of Goering and Goebbels are also propavanda,” Attacks Fascism Continuing, Dimitroff declared: “The German press rails against me as coming from ‘the dark Balkans,’ cally and intellectually as advanced It is true that in Bulgaria, fascism is savage and barbaric, but I ask you, in what country is. fascism not savage and barbaric?” At this point, the presiding judge in to warn Dimitroff against ing do against Germany.” itroff, however, goes on: mind you of the many outrages where Coramunists were accused, but where it was subsequently proved that these acts of violence were com~ mitted by political opponents. I re- mind you of the two railway outrages in Germany, of the violent acts in Hungary, and the white guard mur- der of the French President Doumer by Gorguloff.” Cites Russian Revolution Dimitrof refuted Goering’s asser- tion that the Communist Party wanted to make a desperate attempt to seize power immediately after the formation of Hitler's government. “Anyone Communists knows that the German Communist Party would never dream of any such adventurist game, The Com- munist Party knew that the Hitler government would prohibit fis ac- tivity, but, where Communists Par- ties are prohibited, they continue to work illegally as in Poland, Italy, ete, Bulgaria, “In Russia, too, the Communists worked illegally, and them nesom- within the next few days,6———~ |perhaps next Saturday morning. plished the Revolution in 1917. The Gictan Communists knew all this.” Dimitroff then proceeded to give a detailed description of the Com- munist International as the leader of the revolutionary world Commuy- nist Parties. “In February, the Com- munist Party organized resistance against fascism,” Dimitroff said, “but from this, it is absolutely illogical ta conclude they contemplated any preparations for armed uprising. The burning of the Reichsteg is an iso- lated deed, and as such is rejected on principal by Communists. No proofs whatever have been adduced that Communists were in any way connected with the fire. Nothing, no trace has been found showing the slightest connection with my com- rades, myself and the fire, much less with any Communist uprising.” Picking up -@ remark of the Prosecutor that he had lied because he did not respect the authority of the Fascist Court, Dimitroff declared Passionately: “T have often been accused of not taking the German Supreme Court seriously. It is true that while I recognize only the Soviet Court of Control as the highest Court, this charge is false. Every- thing I have said here was in bitter earnest. I have never told a false- hood in this court. The Fascist, Judge, Buenger again rushed in at this point to warn Dimi troff against attacking the Fascist Government, but Dimitroff continued pointing out that Van der Lubbe could mob possibly have set fire to the Reichstag alone. At this point the Fascist Judge again rebuked Dimitroff. “Van der Lubbe is no Communist Dimitroff continued, but only a lumpen (degenerated type) prole- tarian.” Demands Damages Dimitroff then calmly proceeded te show how it was the growing inner disputes in the “National” camp and the diminishing Nazi influence at that time that created the special sitnation, and which made it necessary for the Nazis to have just such an action as the Reichstag fire to save their faces. Dimitroff then astounded the court by not only demanding his release on account of his proved innocence, but demanded that the Court pay him for his lost time, taken up by the trial. Torgler Sperks After Popoff and Taneff, had stated briefly: that they were com- pletely innocent, and had never in- tended to interfere with Germany's political affairs, Torgier rose to speak. Speaking slowly, and with firm ac~ cents, he declared: “I am perfectly innocent. It is ab- solutely self-evident that such a deed as the Reichstag fire would be disastrous for the Communist but the Buigarian masses are polit-| Party. My whole life, I have fought for the vital interests of the Ger- man working class, against the Ver- sailles system, the Young Plan. Neither the German Party, nor any ~aeunbers ae thought at that time of any armed uprising, because the necessary pre- requisites were lacking. I did not have the slightest thing to do with the fire.” Torgier then demanded his acquit- tal and release, Defense Lawyer Uails Hitler Torgler’s Fascist lawyer, Dr. Sack, began his speech by praising Hitler, and denouncing the oe Book of the Hitler Terror,” a vol- ume which masses irrefutable evi- dence of Nazi guilt in the Reichstag fire and proves the existence of “an organized fascist atrocities cam= paign. He attacked only those Nazi witnesses who have been drompes even by the prosecutor for obvious erudity of their perjury. He ad- dressed an appeal to Goering, and stated mildly That rahe the other Nazi witnesses, whose Bas. Ls ag evident to all, “were The entire Nazi Meson now stands clear before the world, with the guilt of the Nazis themselves clearly indicated even by their own evidence. This explains the growing lynch note in ona Nazi Pra i as the Fascist judges pre; the defend- ants.cet, into nto. Goering’s