The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 17, 1934, Page 1

aris Commune, Scottsboro Rally at New Star Casino S CIRCULATION DRIVE NEW SUBS RECEIVED YESTERDAY: Daily .QWorker Daily 95Saturday 80 Total to date. -2,117Total 4 Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Vol. p< i New York, N. Y., under the Act ch 8, 1879 CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL) NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1934 WEATHER: Cloudy. Probably rain AMERICA’S ON CLASS DAILY LY WORKING NEWSPAPER (Eight Pag Price 3 Cents 7,000 C.W.A. MEN STRIKE; THOUSANDS PROTEST FIRING nae Demands Senate Hear Workers Against WV Wagner ‘Strikebreaking B Bill AFL Heads AFL Chiefs Aghast When Agree on No TUUL Spokesman Insists Auto Strikes Stall Men Bosses of “Morgan Auto Firm Meet in War Council HELP CO. UNION | Use Boss Press To Quell . Strike Storm Working hand-in-glove with the N. R. A, officials of the A. F, of L. Auto Union agreed to stall off any strike action until Tuesday, By that time, they hope that the auto bosses will work out some scheme to drag on negotiations and kill all efforts to call a strike. The N. R. A. officials fear that an auto strike would spread to the steel mills, . By SEYMOUR WALDMAN | (Daily Worker Washington Bureau) | WASHINGTON, D. C., March 16.) —General Hugh S. Johnson, N.R.A. Administrator, has made or will shortly make a proposal to the anti-union automobile manufactur- ers to hold an eisction to determine | whether the workers desire 8 union, according to reports all over Wash- ington. An announcement is ex- pected late today. Obviously, an “election” to be held at some future time would be a maneuver to keep the rank and file, who are openly eager for striking, afb work until the passing of the impending peak season when the employers will lose little by a cessation of work. Opening their campaign to line up public sentiment against the automobiie workers, the manufac- turers called in the press today to help them disseminate demagogic propaganda so that the gathering strike storm may be diverted or aborted. “The employee representa- would like some assurance that the opponent of this bill would be given an opportunity to testify. So far only an impressive array of opinion in favor of the bill has been heard.” Most of the witnesses have con- tended that opposition to the bill comes only from business barons. Dunne said: “I would like to make it known here that there are people here who represent large sections of the (Continued on Page 2) See Hand of Auto Bosses in Murder Of A.F.L. Organizer John Bielak Had Just Joined and Obtained 90 New Members (Special to the~Daily Worker) DETROIT, March 16.—John Bie- Jak, Hudson Motor Co. worker and members of the Hudson A. F. of L. local, was taken for “a ride” last night and murdered by gangsters. As in the case of George Marchuk, leader of the Auto Workers Union in Lincoln Park, who was murdered by Ford gunmen in December, this is undoubtedly the work of company agents. Bielak acted in organizing the workers. Though a member of the On Right to Protest Bill U. S. Launches First **Blue Eagle” Warship QUINCY, Mass., March 16.— The U‘S. destroyer Farragut, first “Blue Eagle” warship, was launched at the Fore River plant of the Bethlehem Shipbuilding Corporation yesterday. Mrs. James W. Roosevelt, daughter- in-law of the president, “christ- ened” it with a bottle of cham- pagne. Two cruisers and four more destroyers will go into construc- tion in this yard, under a $40,- 000,000 contract, with N.R.A. funds. Socialists Lose Columbia ‘Students Vote Support of League Against War NEW YORK.—Attempts of So- cialist students to force the Colum- bia University Anti-War Committee to withdraw from the American League Against War and Fascism were definitely defeated when 300 delegates overwhelmingly voted in favor of affiliation at the second anti-war conference held in Co- lumbia University Wednesday night. A resolution not to support the United States “in any war it might conduct” was unanimously adopted. At the previous conference held last November, a purely pacfist resolution against “all wars” had been adopted. The conference also voted to fight the war moves in the New Deal, to demand all war funds for unem- ployment relief and education, for support of the liberation struggles of American colonies against Yan- kee iimperialism, and for the de- fense of the Soviet Union. Socialists Attack American League Except for the question of affilia- tion to the American League Against War and Fascism, there was little disagreement among the delegates. The permanent commit- tee elected by the first conference ;had affiliated with the League. When this question came up a few Socialist students attempted to car- Ty out the instructions of the So- cialist Party to smash the American League whenever and wherever possible. They tried to divert the discussion from one on the best methods of fighting war to one cen- tering about the Madison Sq. Gar- den incident several weeks ago when Sociakst leaders attacked C. A. Hathaway, editor of the “Daily Worker,” and precipitated disorder. The Socialist students aroused a great deal of resentment among non-affiliated delegates. Socialists Support A.F.L. Leaders Answering the assertion of So- cialists that because the American Federation of Labor is not in the American League Against War and Lewis, Wagner Confer When Dunne Declares, | “Large Sections of Workers Are Against This Bill in Toto!” |— The representative of the Fight Against Anti-War Meet WASHINGTON, March 16. Trade Union Unity League smashed into the get-together atmosphere surrounding em-| ployer spokesmen and American Federation of Labor leaders headed by John L. Lewis, Philip Murray | and William Green today in the | Senate Labor Committee’s hearing | on the Wagner Compulsory Arbitra- | tion Bill, Bill Dunne, the T.U.U.L. spokes- man, took the floor on the hearing and registered a determined protest while demanding an opportunity to testify against the bill on behalf of “large sections of the working class who are opposed to this bill in toto.” While Lewis, Murray and other | A. F. of L. officials who prosecuted Dunne in the famous Portland Con- vention of 1923 for “slandering A. F. of L. officials,” looked aghast, Dunne protested against the hear- ing of only those speakers who are supporters of the strike-breaking Wagner measure. Defending the bill for more than two hours, Lewis had insisted upon the obvious falsehood that the Wag- ner bill guarantees the right of workers to organize. Interrupts Frank P. Walsh As Frank P. Walsh, Wilson’s At- torney by the Industrial Relations Commission, and Roosevelt’s attor- ney in the St. Lawrence “Water- way” project, insisted incoherently but forcefully that the bill would be “a great step forward,” Dunne rose in the hearing room and de- clared: “I am the representative of the Trade Union Unity League, I (Continued on Page 2) Auto Bosses Hire Scabs and Stools DETROIT, Mich. March 16— Preparing to terrorize auto workers into company unions and for whole- sale firing of union men, the auto companies have authorized indus- trial spy agencies to hire a large number of stool pigeons and scabs. An advertisement appearing in the “Dertroit News,” March 4th shows to what extent the automo- bile bosses are going in their efforts the company. This ad reads as fol- lows: “INDUSTRIAL secret service company requires men of the fol- lowing trades at once: power ham- Mer men, welders, machine repair men, die setters, fender finishers, trimmers, stock chasers, inspectors, polishers and buffers, Duco men, handy men, time study men; good wages and bonus. Give full details of trade experience, age and educa- tion. In reply address Box 1063 to keep the auto workers chained to | Detroit Daily News.” F. DU PONT One of the Du Ponts who made millions selling arms to Japan for war on Soviet Russia, ‘Call Meet To Spread Taxi Strike Delegates from N. Y. C. Unions to Meet in Conference Sunday NEW YORK.—The taxi cab of militancy yesterday. Picket lines were strengthened and enlarged all along the strike front. Masses of strikers surged through the streets of Manhattan halting all Parmelee cabs that at- tempted to operate; and in the Bronx a parade of pickets was at- tacked by police. Late in the day strike leaders were discussing the question of spreading the strike to other com- panies. A meeting of all cab drivers in the city has been called for 3:30 this morning at St. Nicholas Arena, 66th St. and Columbus Ave. It is expected that the strike of the Parmelee drivers will be spread and extended to other systems to-/ day. Turn Down N.R.A. Plan The N.R.A. plan to call off the strike and then take a referendum vote on the question of the com- pany union was emphatically turned down by the strike committee at the City Hall on Thursday. The strikers call for a referendum while the men are on strike, away from the company premises, and demand that there shall be assurance that no coercion or intimidation is used (Continued on Page 2) Hartford Tobacco Workers Protest HARTFORD, Conn.—A resolution in support of the striking tobacco workers of Cuba was passed Sunday by the tobacco workers of this city. “We understand that it is the same bosses who are exploiting the Cuban workers, that are exploiting us,” says the resolution. “We also pledge our solidarity with the Marine Workers’ Industrial Union, who are heroically supporting the strike of the Cuban tobacco workers by refus- ing to load and unload scab tobacco. We also pledge to fight against American imperialism and inter- vention against the Cuban workers.” Fascism, the latter organization was ineffective, because “only the A. F, of L, can get workers to stop war, shipment of munitions, etc.” Hudson local only a week, he had signed up 90 new members. His murder is a move to smash the re- sistance of the workers who are de- manding strike action and begin- ning to realize the correctness of the Auto Workers Union predictions that the Washington hearings would drag out negotions to prevent militant action for higher wages, against speed-up and company unions. Huge Thompson, A. F. of L. orga- nizer, hastened to absolve the Hud- son Co. from blame. Thousands of auto workers are filled with indig- nation at the murder, and senti- ment is growing for a united front of the A. F. of L, and A.W.U. mem- bers, and unorganized, to win bet- ter conditions. The Auto Workers Union has of- ficially addressed an appeal to the A. F. of L. and Mechanics Educa- tional Society locals, calling for im- mediate united front action to pre- pare for strike. Dr. Treadwell Smith, former Co- lumbia professor, brought enthusi- astic applause from the delegates when he said: “The A. F. of L. supported the last war, is supporting war moves now. The only way to get unity with the leaders of the A. F. of L. is to be pro-war, not anti-war.” wr. Addison T. Cutler and James Mendenhall of Columbia, spoke in favor of affiliation with the Ameri- ne League Against War and Fas- cism. Sect. 2 Convention to Be Held at Spartacus Workers Club, Sunday NEW YORK.—The Section 2 convention will take place at the Spartacus Workers Club, 269 W. 25th St. Sunday, March 18, at 10 am., instead of being held at Irving Plaza as was originally planned. Workers in Basic Industries Greet 8th C. P. Convention CLEVELAND, March 16.— From the outlying industrial towns near here, delegations will come via trucks, cars, etc., to give their greet- ings to the delegates of the Eighth National Convention of the Com- munist Party, the night of April 2. Workers from Republic Steel in Youngstown, from steel mills of Warren, Ohio, from the Goodyear Rubber in Akron will be among the thousands who will be on hand at that time at Music Hall, Public Au- ditorium, in Cleveland, to show their firm solidarity with the Communist Party at the opening of its Eighth Convention, Tremendous interest and enthu- siasm for the Eighth Convention is apparent among the mass organi- zations. This was shown yesterday in the announcement by the Cen- tral Committee of the Communist Party, that already a number of na- tional committees of mass organi- zations have pledged more than $700 to help the Party meet the expense of going through with the work of the Convention. The national committees of nu- merous mass organizations have sent appeals to their locals to support the work of the National Conven- tion by financial aid. They are urging their locals to make a min- imum contribution of $2 each, which will be sent to the Central Commit- tee of the Communist Party, P.O. Box 87, Sta. D. Housing for 600 delegates every night from the night of April 2 to April 8 when the Convention closes, is one of the important technical problems of the Cleveland district. Workers are urged to make room for these Convention delegates in their homes, as a sign of their solidarity to the work of this Bolshevik Con- vention. Get in touch with the Cleveland District Office, 1514 Pros- pect Avenue, Room 306, and make arrangements today, stating the | Labor Union, | from the Chicago Workers Commit- | onstration, Mass Action Against Firing in Chicago, Nixa Pittsburgh, Phila. March Through Loop in Chicago on Mar. 31, | Demand Jobs | BIG UNITED FRONT Mobilize A. F.L. Locals, | Negro Masses CHICAGO, Ill., March 15.} —An emergency conference} of working-class organizations | is taking place Sunday, March Auditorium, 2457 W. Chicago Ave-| nue, to mobilize for the March 31 demonstration and march through the loop. The March through the loop on} March 31, the day 65,000 C. W. A.| workers are to be fired by orders | from Roosevelt, was called at a united front conference on March| 10. This united Front conference | which called the march, was at- | tended by the Unemployment Coun- and by “observers” |tee on Unemployment. The Chi- cago Workers Committee had at | & united “front, but later sent the | “observers” instead. The decision of | the Workers Committee will be! given soon. Branches of the Work- ers Committee have already en- dorsed the united front action. Five Demands The March 31 demonstration will demand the following five point program:—l, Continuation of the C. W. A. with a thirty hour minimum week at unien waves, 2. Yobs or adecuate cish reef— single workers included, 3, Un- 7 Negroes Are Butchered In South In 1 Day BULLETIN NEW YORK—With two Negroes legally murdered in Georgia yes- terday, and two in North Caro- lina, the legalized butchery of three in Mississippi brought the total of legal lynchings in one day to seven in three southern States. his mass butchery was surpassed only on Feb. 9, when nine Negroes were legally lynched in three southern states: five in Alabama, three in Texas and one in Arkansas. . ea HERNANDO, Miss. March 16.— The legalized butchery of 3 young Negro workers, victims of the tradi- tional “rape” frame-up by which the southern lynch lords seck to justify their violent suppression of the Negro masses, was carried out this morning in a holiday atmo- sphere as thousands of white mer- chants and landowners poured into Hernando from the surrounding country. ‘The legal mass lynching was wit- nessed by Clyde Collins, merchant of Holly Springs, Miss., father of the alleged “rape” victim who, with (Continued on Page 2) 7.900 in Anti-War Meet, Los Angeles LOS ANGELES, Mar. 16.—Seven thousand workers demonstrated here yesterday against war and fascism. So militant was the spirit of the demonstrators that the fas- cist “Silver Shirts,” whose leaders had threatened to attack the dem- failed to show their faces. While the A. F. of L. Labor Council and the Socialist Party and Yipsel leaders sabotaged the anti-war, anti-fascism action, sev- eral rank and file members of the Socialist Party and the Yipsels spoke, pledging allegiance to the proletarian united front against war and fascism. Many left wing organizations were represented. Chester Williams of Southern California University and delegate to the Youth Congress and the Conference of Progressive Youth Organizations was among. the number of delegates who can sleep at your home during that weck, speakers. Ross spoke for the Com- munist Party Roosevelt’s CWA Stopped by Organized Struggle! AN EDITORIAL Lay-Offs Can Be 'HE most immediate victims of Roosevelt's program of solving the crisis at the expense of the workers, are the several million workers who have been dependent upon C.W.A. jobs. | ing fired off the jobs and are left destitute. ing the leader in a campaign of wholesale layoffs. example and providing the “moral” justification for such layoffs and Big business will not be long in following suit. Roosevelt’s program is a challenge to the whole working class. wage-cuts. These workers are be- | The government is becom- | It is setting an | | | It | is a challenge to the Trade Unions that exist for the purpose of defend- | 18, at 10 a. m., at the Peoples’| ing the wage standards and working conditions of the workers. Immediate, drastic action of the most militant character is pos- sible and necessary. Roosevelt’s plan for the liquidation of the C.W.A. jobs can be defeated. forced labor. ot Ss 'UCH a struggle must be undertaken at once! It is possible to arrest the rapid extension of the first place, take the form of active, united resistance to every layoff order on every job where such layoffs are announced. Those be- ing laid-off together with their fellow-workers who await the layoff, must march together to the C.W.A. offices, building and demand immediate reinstatement to their jobs until a cils, the Civil and Public Works | satisfactory substitute form of relief is provided. The laid-off workers should establish picket lines around these offices and buildings. They should demand of the local authorities cash relief at rates of not less than their C.W.A. wage rates or reinstatement to their jobs. Emergency conference of representatives from all C. W. A. projects, drivers’ strike hit a new tone| first appointed a committee to form | together with representatives from unemployed organizations, unions and other organizations, should be held in every city immediately. These conferences should plan the fight to resist lay-offs. up preparations for gigantic mass They should take demonstrations on March 29th or thereabouts. They should make arrangements to get telegrams sent from projects, unions and mass meetings to Roosevelt and to the local Congressmen. They should at the same time launch a most sustained fight for the Workers’ Bill (H. R. 7598). Bill shall be acted on by the present Congress before it adjourns. must demand that until this provision is made no further lay-offs shall | take place. The r.ccntment of the C. W. A. We must demand that this We workers, many c? whom are mem." bers of the A. F. of L. and other unions, has reached a point where it is possible to speak of action of a most drastic character. The unions and the interests of the emplyoyed workers are so directly involved that it is possible to realize mass solidarity strikes of a broad character. We sug- gest that this shall be consider-d in every emergency conference on C. W. A. and uncmployment. or one hour strike. We believe that many of the locals and even | central bodies of the A. F. of L. wiil respond to a call for a thirty minute Such a strike, carried through in all parts of the country in connec- tion with the mass demonstrations on March 25in, will serve to give notice to Roosevelt that we are determined to fight for our jobs, for the right to live and for Unemployment and Social Insurance, which can secure these rights for all victims of mass unemployment. U. S. Armament Firms Make ‘Huge Sums Helping to Arm Japan for. War on U.S. S. R. By HARRY GANNES NEW YORK. — American munitions and war material manufacturers are reaping a golden harvest helping Japa- nese imperialism arm for war against the Soviet Union. A veritable stream of ships are now leaving the shores of the Seaman Auto Body Walkout Spreads; Skilled Come Out MILWAUKEE, Wis., March 16.— The Seaman Auto Body strike is spreading here. Skilled workers who were told by the United Auto- mobile Workers Federal Union to stay on the job in order to. keep up their end of production so there would be no delay when the 1,400 strikers came back, began coming out yesterday. Eighty-five pattern, tool and die- makers walked out amid the cheers of pickets. Their demands are the same as those of the strikers, who have been out two weeks: a 20 per cent increase in wages, union recog- nition, seniority rights, abolition of the group production system. The new walk out leaves less than 350 at work in the plant. More than 600 strikers, in 112 automo- biles from Racine and Kenosha Nash Motor plants showed solida- rity with the Seaman workers and drove to Milwaukee for a one-day mass picketing demonstration, United States heavily laden with the deadliest machinery of war, with raw materials, las sives, machine guns, iron, gun cotton, and ott 20F bought by Japanese militarists fe this country. The Daily Worker, through network of corresnondents and porters in the leading war materials factories, has gathered start'ing i formation of the rapidity with which American capitalists, for huge prof- its, are aiding Janan to arm against the Workers’ Fatherland. Never before in the United States has this information been published to the extent to which we now pre- its sent it to the readers of the Daily | Worker. From automobile plants, we learn that very recently Japanese war material purchasers have placed orders for 3,000 seven and one-half ton trucks, with 12 wheels, tractor models, designed for transportation of soldiers and war supplies for the Manchukuoan plains. Another order has been placed for 12,800 12-ton trucks with 12 wheels, also tractor models. Around $5,000,000 is the cost. of these trucks, which goes to the very American manufacturers who, through the help of the N. R. A., are now attempting to crush the rising strike struggies of the American auto workers. Morgan Gets His Share A worker correspondent in the Morgan electrical plants informs us that an order has been placed for 60 electric locomotives, for shipment to Japan. During the past three years, Japan has purchased no less than 105 foreign liners, tankers and cargo boats, many of them from U. S. firms, which are shipped to Japan, (Continued on Page 6) This struggle must, in | to the City and County | 2, 000 Demonstrate Pittsburgh, 3,000 in York, Pa. RESIST CWA FIRING 1400 Strike in Kentuck; on C.W.A. Projects in Three thousand C. W. A. workers struck in Syracuse, N. Y., against the Roose- velt wage-cut to thirty cents an hour. In Rome, N. Y., 15 projects are expected to come out momentarily. In Buffalo, 2,000 C. W. A. men struck against an order | spreading their 24-hour week over five days. In Kentucky 1400 C. W. A workers struck. United front actions thru- out the country, led by the Unemployed Council, are bringing thousands of workers on the streets against Roosevelt’s C.W.A. firing on April 1 and the an- nounced relief cuts. In New York and Chicago united front conferences are being held Sunday. In Chicago a gigantic march throue) the loop is scheduled for March 31. In Phila. a march takes place March 29. Mare>-s and demonstrations will be held throughout the coun- try. * * Big Victory in New York BULLETIN—YORK, Pa.— After a mass demonstration | of 3,000 workers, and two con- |ferences with C. W. A. Ad- |ministrator Smith, the C. W. | A. workers won fifty cents an hour; no discrimination, full recognition jof the Civil Works League of York County, and pey for time lost on jobs, a tremendous victory. ae Kentucky Strike CINCINNATI, Ohio, March 16.— | Fourteen hundred C. W. A. workers in Kenton County, Kentucky, who | (Continued on Page 2) ‘New Vork United > Front Moet Will Demand CWA Jobs | 1,900 Worker Delegates | To Plan Struggle For H.R. 7598 NEW YORK.— More than 1,000 workers’ delegates, revresenting C. W.A. jobs, unemployed groups and trade unions ere expected to attend the Merch 18 Greater New Work United Front Conference on C.W.A. and Unrer wment, fo be held at Irving Pl (Sunday) at 1 p.m. The conference, called bv the Re- lief Worker's’ League and the Un- employment Councils, has been en- dorsed by the 3.000 C.W.A. workers who attended the mass meetings called by the Federation of Archi- tects, Engineers, Chemists and Technical Workers at Webster and Beethoven Hells on The confer: end to the Ri demand an W.A, firings LaGuardia’s ises for relief; ‘for immediate cash relicf; and for the enactment of the Unempicyment Insurance Bill GIR. 7598). Continue Local Actions Since the Merch 4th conference, hundreds of local actions have been carried on against stopping of re- lief and C.W.A. firings, by the Re- lief Workers League and the Un- employment Councils. The March 18 Conference will broaden these struggles to involve all C.W.A. and jobless workers in the struggle for the continuation and enlargement of the C.W.A,