The Daily Worker Newspaper, March 21, 1934, Page 1

——————————————————e CIRCULATION DRIVE NEW SUBS RECEFVED YESTERDAY: Vol. XI, No. 69 =_—« Daily,QWorker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTE NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 1934 Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 8, 1879. “STRIKE TODAY!” CALLS AUTO WC WORKERS UNO ATIONAL) WEATHER: Fair, warmer ———————————————————— ee AMERICA’S ON CLASS DAILY ~ ages) LY WORKING NEWSPAPER Price 3 Cents | Nazis Flog Thaelmann, Load Him With Chains in Lightless Cell Taxi Strike! MayCallOut All Fleets in New Action May Re-Strike All Small Fleets to Speed Defeat of Big Companies BOSSES USE THUGS LaGuardia Threatens Use of Scabs to Break Cab Strike NEW YORK. — To smash down the resistance of the large taxicab operators, who have flatly refused to negoti- ate with the union, leaders of the Taxi Drivers’ Union of Greater New York were discussing the ques- tion yesterday of re-striking all small fleet cabs and independents that have settled with the union, thereby halting all cab service in the city. Protesting against the brutal slugging of strikers by thugs sup- plied by the Sherwood Detective Agency, Samuel Orner, president of the union, sent letters today to Mayor LaGuardia and Police Com- missioner O’Ryan, demanding an investigation of the activities of this agency, Orner, in his protest, referred to a letter sent to the union by the “Daily Worker” which revealed the strikebreaking activi- ties of the Sherwood Agency. The big fleet operators attempt- ing to hold out against the strikers have issued statements saying that as far as they are concerned there is no strike, despite the fact that practically all of the big fleet cabs in the city are tied up. Comment- ing on the proposed plebiscite, the Parmelee officials say they will have nothing to do with it. “The men on strike are no longer in our employ,” said a Parmelee official yesterday. Irving Robin, leader of the company union, said that he was not interested in the plans for @ plebiscite, William Gandel, one of the for- mer leaders of the union, who came to the union headquarters yester- day with a threatening attitude, hurling charges of racketeering at Samuel Orner, today came to the union headquarters and apologized (Continued on Page 3) Budd Workers Defeat Boss Plans For Co. Union Only 11 Out of 6,000 Cast Ballots in NRA Elections PHILADELPHIA, March 20.— Out of 6,000 Budd Auto Body Plant workers, only 11 cast ballots in the N-R.A, elections today, thus causing the collapse of the whole scheme to again drive the workers into company unions. This action followed a mass meeting of union members in the Budd Manufacturing Co. plant where the name of General John- son was vigorously booed. A meeting of the Budd workers has been called for Thursday to discuss strike. The Central Trades and Labor Council is discussing the question of a general sym- pathy strike of 100,000 in support of the Budd workers. The workers boycotted the elec- tions primarily because they were forced to sign their names to the ballots, which would open them to victimization if they voted against the company union. The boycott definitely shows that the overwhelming majority of the 6,000 are definitely against the company union, and just as defi- nitely against the repeated schemes of the N.R.A. to get them to vote in the fake elections. The workers are also protesting against the firing of 800 of their fellow employes in the last strike for militant union activity and who are not permitted to take part in determining the question of forming a genuine union of the workers. BAR BOOTBLACKS NEW YORK.—While revelations of the fat returns for park conces- sions given by the city here are just appearing, police yesterday rounded up 12 bootblacks in Madison Square Park and took them before a mag- istrate in Yorkville Court, who sus- pended sentence but warned them te staw out of the parks henceforth. ‘A U. S. Workers ! Organize Immediate Actions! Save Life of Ernst Thaelmann Nazis Dare | Not Face Communist Leader in Open Court NEW YORK.—“We have just learned that Ernst Thaelmann has been cruelly ill-treated with whips and blackjacks. He is chained hand and foot in a lightless dungeon. Special storm de- tachment guards prevent all communication with the outside. His wife has been refused permission to see him for weeks. “Protest in every form! Send doctors to examine him, and workers’ delega- tions. Save his life!” This is the cable received by the International Labor Defense yester- day from the International Thael- mann Liberation Committee in Paris. Dare Not Face Him in Court. The Nazi butchers dare not face Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the German Communist Party, in open court, despite all their perjured spies and stool-pigeons. Like George Dimitroff, this. Communft., alone, cut off from all the world, is too formidable an opponent for the Nazis. As the moment for his announced “trial” comes near, they are de- termined either to destroy him, or to reduce him with constant tor- tures, to cripple his power to stand up and fight for Communism in court. The struggle for the liberation of Thaelmann is seriously lagging in America. Intensify Campaign! This news from Europe must be the signal for an immensely in- tensified campaign. The fight of Thaelmann is the fight of the leader of the anti-fascist forces, the leader of the revolutionary working class, the only power that can smash the murderous regime of the Nazis. “The question of the fight for the freedom of Ernst Thaelmann is a question of the revolutionary honor of the international proletariat,” says George Dimitroff. Form Free Thaeimann Commit- Raise the question of the fight for Thaelmann in every union, in every shop, in every or- ganization! Flood President Hindenburg, in Berlin, with cables of burning protest! Telegraph to the Ger- man Ambassador in Washington! Crowd the German consulates of ribet city with delegations of pro- Organize mass meetings! Or- ganize demonstrations in every city and town! The fight for Thaelmann is the fight for Soviet Germany! Free Ernst Thaelmann! San Francisco Dockers Vote to Tie Up Coast Shipping on Friday SAN FRANCISCO, March 19.—A strike was voted, to begin Friday, by the San Francisco Bay district local of the International Longshoremen’s Association, Other locals along the Pacific coast have already voted for|C. L., strike. The ILA. officials are working with the N. R. A. boards in an effort to avert the strike. ERNST THAELMANN Leader of the German Commu- nist Party, held in Nazi dungeon one year, whom his captors seek to kill, fearing to face him in court at trial. Nazis Behead Two Leaders Of Workers Two Others | Sentenced To Die by Dortmund Fascist Court KOENIGSBERG, March 20.—Two Communists paid with their lives today for their devotion to the working class struggle. Fritz Langer and Walter Seidel- man, Communists, were beheaded with the medieval brutality of the official Nazi butchers, strapped face up to an axe in the hands of a drunken, silk-hatted and dress-suit- ed Nazi executioner. They were officially murdered for being active leaders of the working class. The charge was that a Nazi died in a clash with a workers’ dem- onstration in which they took part. eee oa DORTMUND, March 20. — Two workers, named Voit and Rapier, have been sentenced to be beheaded, on the charge of being involved in the death of a Storm Trooper. Three other defendants were sentenced to 15 years at hard labor each. Yipsel Members Invited To Open Y.C.L. Meeting NEW YORK.—“The Road To- wards a Revolutionary Workers’ Government In America” will be the theme of the speech of Earl Browder, General Secretary of the Communist Party, at the general open membership meeting of the Young Communist League tomor- row night at Irving Plaza, at Ir- ving Place and 15th Sts., at 7:30. All young workers, particularly members of the Young People’s So- cialist League, are invited to attend. In addition to Ear! Browder, John Little, Kg organizer of the Y. will speak on the problems facing the Young Communist Habel in New York at the present time. Party Congention Will Discuss Question of Automobile Strike DETROIT, Mich.—“Our Party is faced with the task of leading the auto workers in their struggles.” On the eve of tremendous strug- gles in all the auto plants of De- troit and Flint, when a wave of strikes is again sweeping the entire area, the Communist Party of Dis- trict 7, Detroit, announces the open- ing of its District Convention. Del- egates from auto plants and mills and factories all over the Detroit district will discuss their work in the past period, and establish their tasks in the coming strike period. A mass meeting will open the Convention, just as a mass meet- ing will open the National Conven- tion in Cleveland. The auto work- ers are whole-heartedly urged to attend. Keynote speeches will be made at the mass meeting, giving openly to the auto workers, the line of the Convention. The mass meet- lat ing takes place the night of March 30, 7:30 p.m. in the Workers Home at 1343 E. Ferry St. William Wein- stone, in the name of the Central Committee will address the dele- gates and give the Communist Party’s position to the auto work- ers in their struggle, Housing in Cleveland for these delegates, as well as all others is one of the immediate arrangements that must be made by the Cleve- land District. Six hundred homes are needed to house delegates every night from April 2 to April 8. These delegates will be engaged in making working class history. Cleveland workers are urged to get in touch at once with the Cleveland District Office, 1514 Prospect Ave., Room 906, to say for how many delegates they can provide sleeping quarters for the duration of the Communist Party’s Eighth Convention. e Roosevelt With Aid of A. A. E L. Heads Seeks to Stop Strike, As AutoWorkers Are Ready to Act Roosevelt “Urges Con- tinuation of R.R. Wage Cut | WARNS R.R. MEN| Brotherhood Chief 5 Seek To Smother Strike Feeling By SEYMOUR WALDMAN (Daily Worker Washington Bureau) | WASHINGTON, March 20.—Pres- | ident Roosevelt and William Green, | chief of the N.R.A.-tainted Ameri-| can Federation of Labor today swung into last minute action to head off the impending automobile strike and a possible cessation of railroad work. Roosevelt's telegram to William Collins, National A. F. of L. auto- mobile organizer now in Detroit working to stop the strike, request- ing him to “postpone” the strike so that a meeting with him may be held this Thursday in Washington, was followed by Green’s message ordering Collins to abide by the President's request. Collins, of course, will obey his orders. How- ever, he replied that the decision to postpone the strike must be made today at the Pontiac, Mich., confer- ence of the A. F. of L. union officers. Rooseyelt’s last minute call to stop the strike recalls thé late President Wilson's tactics in the steel strike of 1919, and N.R.A. Administrator General Hugh 8S, Johnson, issued last Saturday before leaying for New York City to confer with the manu- facturers, that “Federation (A. F. of L,) officials have agreed to post- pone aggressive action.” In other words, it is pretty certain that the administration laid plans last week to come out at the last minute with the A. F. of L. as its strikebreaking front. Calls for 10 Per Cent Cut Roosevelt. also issued a formal statement reiterating his proposal for a continuation of the 10 per cent wage deduction for six months beyond June 30, 1934, despite the railway labor executives’ morning counter-proposal to the owners ask- ing for a restoration of the basic wage cut. Fearing that “sight is being lost of the most important factor of all, the good of the coun- try,” Roosevelt announced dema- gogically that “if no agreement is reached, and in default of arbitra- tion, it may be necessary for me, with due regard to the protection of the general interest, to appoint a (Continued on Page 2) AFL Typo Union Heads Refuse to Act on Auto Bosses Lying Scab Ad NEW YORK.—Printing work- ers here, members of the A. F. of L., became incensed over the publishing in New York news- papers of a scab blast advertise- ment, paid for by the National Automobile Chamber of Com- merce, against the auto workers. Members of the typographical union at the World Telegram, which today will publish this at- tack on the A. F. of L. members in the auto industry and against their proposed strike, called up their officials and asked them what to do about it. They were informed that it was the policy of the officials of the typo- ghaphical union that the pub- lishers have a right to print what they want. “It is their paper,” said one of the officials. “They can do what they want about it.” The advertisement, which ap- pears throughout the country, and is the means whereby the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce bribes the press to print anti-labor news, is full of vicious lies against the A. F. of L. It openly declares that the company union is guaranteed by the N. R. A. and has come to stay in the auto industry. Left Wing of Local 22, ILGWU To Meet Tonight After Work NEW YORK—The left wing of local 22, I.L.G.W.U. will hold a final mobilization meeting for members and sympathizers on Wednesday, March 21, immediately after work, cae Plaza, Irving Place and Reject Roosevelt, AFL Heads’ Strikebreaking Proposal! Close the Auto Plants Now! Strike! DAY every auto worker, what union, no matter seen in the auto industry. President Roosevelt has the help of Green, to stab the 9 A.M. conditions ar.’ recognition. in the country, is an enemy mobile workers. of the auto workers to win them are striving for. ganized or unorganized, should down tools and walk out in the mightiest strike ever the auto strike, and is calling on William Collins, Detroit A. F. of L. organizer, with in the back. He has telegraphed Collins to come to a conference in Washington on Thursday. Nothing is assured the auto workers. Nothing will be granted to them. This is the vilest trick in order to attempt to stop the strike set for Wednesday, at Overwhelmingly, the auto workers have expressed in a thousand ways their de- termination to unite their forces and strug- gle for better conditions, higher wages, against savage speed-up, and for real union Now is the time for action. Whoever works against this strike, whoever tries to stop the shutting down of every auto plant In strike lies the power no matter in whether or- should s must turn! stepped into auto workers be issued by of the auto- what all of Nine o’clock Wednesday should walk out of the plants. 2e picket lines of tens of thousands surrounding the auto plants. every man Wednesday Not a wheel Every auto worker must be on guard against last minute treachery. Today every effort will be made to ranks of the workers. another will be used to try to postpone and prevent strike action. disorganize the One maneuver or A statement may the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce, or by individual auto manufacturers, by President Roose- velt, by Bill Green, or by William Collins. Or there may be one signed jointly. They will attempt to reassure the workers that something will be done for them in the immediate future. But all of this will be done only to de- lay strike action, to push the strike, when it comes, into a period more favorable for the companies. By such maneuvers they will try to do what they did to the Weirton steel work- ers, to the Budd and Ford auto workers. Be on guard against such maneuvers! Strike today at 9 (Continued on Page 8) by them 1 Hour Pectin Strike | March 29 in New York NEW YORK.—Workers on twenty New York C.W.A. projects yesterday turned in to the united front com- | mittee $164.64, collected from the | C.W.A, workers for the expenses of | the Madison Square Garden protest meeting against liquidation of the C.W.A. jobs, to be held Sunday, March 25 at 2 P. M. In response to the call of the United Front Ar- rangements Committee of 100, lo- cated at 232 Seventh Ave. for a one-hour protest strike, to take place on March 29 at 3 P. M,, the C. W. A. workers on the projects are circulating petitions demanding continuation and extension of C. W. A. jobs, and at the same time collecting funds for the united front action against Roosevelt’s C, W. A. firing. Other C.W.A. projects are expected to report on the cir- culation of their petitions today. The Committee of 100, at its meeting Monday night, reported that La Guardia had refused to take action on the workers’ demand that he secure Madison Square Garden free for the jobless protest, on the ground that “the C.W.A. will not be liquidated.” Hopkins has been circulating similar rumors. However, the official statement of Hopkins released yesterday, admits that after March 31, employment will be provided “only for those persons in need of relief.” Hop- kins further stated that “The hours a C.W.A. Workers Respond to Call For United Action Against Firin 5 10,000 Win Strikes Against Pay Cuts of CWA; Others Still Out Youth March at Turtle | im Sharon, Pa., Creek; Strikes in Lancaster, Reading SYRACUSE, N. Y., March 20.— C.W.A. workers are striking in Sen- eca, Ontario, Cayuga, Genesee, Jef- ferson and Broome Counties. Yes- terday 17,300 C.W.A. workers on strike in Syracuse and Onandago County won their demans of 50 cents an hour and 24 hour week minimum and are back at work. Six hundred are out in Genesee County. Six hundred are reported striking Auburn, 300 in Cayuga County. 150 are on strike at Binghamton. Strikes were already settled with victory for | the workers in Utica, Rome, Auburn and Syracuse. 1,200 Win In Farrell FARRELL, Pa. — Twelve hundred C.W.A. workers walked out on strike of employment shall be no more than 24 hours per week.” Hopkins stated while in New York that only “those in need” will get “work r-- lief” and admitted that at least 25 (Continued on Page 2) wa | One thousand Civil Works Admin- and were aided in their strike by the Relief Workers League of Farrell. Seven Sharon projects were tied up. The relief officials restored the 50 cents an hour which had been cut to forty. The C.W.A. officials agreed that lost time could be made up. At one meeting sixty joined the Relief Workers League. Stone masons had their pay cut to 75 cents an hour from $1.25. After a strike, the stone masons won $1.00 an hour. * . HARRISBURG, Pa., March 20.— istration employes in Harrisburg have won their one day strike against the wage cut of ten cents an hour. The C.W.A. workers, em- ployed on the State Hospital and the Wildwood Park pro: ver grareed their demands of fifty cents an hour by the county wage board The pay will be retroac' first. Strike Expected In Reading READING, Pa. March 20.—A strike of ten thousand C.W.A. work-} (Continued on Page 3) ve to March | Bower Roller Bearing Men Strike; Others Pre- pare To Walk Out EETS PLAN ACTION United Front Confer- ence To Be Held Sunday By A. B. MAGIL (Special to Daily Worker.) DETROIT, March 20. While automobile manufac- turers, playing their trump card, are bringing in Roos velt to smash strike action, tens of thousands of automobile workers throughout the Detroit area are preparing to strike Wednesday jat 9 A. M. The Detroit capitalist press is getting out special editions in an effort to stampede the workers away from strike acton, and to get them to place hopes n Roosevelt, in line h the manufacturers’ policy. The A. F. of L. officials are ing a dirty game. Today's Detroit st paper, car ‘A... ¥.6f,L, Bi ord as next hope to de- y quotes A. F. as saying {of L. f | graphic plea from Pr |velt would cause them to postpone the strike. This is a direct stab in the back of the strike preparations, which ate being backed by popular sentiment The militant Auto Workers Union today distributed 50,000 leaflets at the plants calling on the wo: to strike tomorrow for $35 mini for a 30-hour week; for abo of speed-up; the right to orga i in unions of their own choice; e m of the spy system and cc jpany unions; no discriminat against youth, women and Nezro workers; adequate cash relief to un- empl , and -unemployment in- surance. The leaflets call on the workers to set up rank and file strike com- | mittees and to carry on mass picketing. It directly appeals to the A. F. of L., and the Mechanic's Edu- cational Society workers for united |front action, for one set of demands, |and rank and file strike committee, | with representatives of all workers. Leaflet Calls for Strike. The leaflet warns against faith in the N.R.A. and President Roose- velt, thet put over the open shop auto code, with its 43 cents an hour minimum. “Conditions says the leaflet. are unbearable,” “Now is the time (Continued on Page 2) | '| Cleveland Clothing Plant Workers Vote Against Boss Union CLEVELAND, O., March 20.— Workers in the Jose & Fess Co one of the largest clothing nts in Clevel: , by a ma- of three to one, voted st the company union, and ation into a genuine aga for orga || trade union. | The vote was 1,216 for mem- |} bership in the Amalgamated || Clothing Workers, as against 402 for various other forms of rep= resentation. By BILL DUNNE WASHINGTON, March 20.—| President Roosevelt late today called | on William Collins, A. F. of L. or- ganizer in Detroit, by wire to post- pone the auto strike set for Wed- nesday at 9 am. The Auto Work- ers’ Union had predicted that this step would be taken in an effort to stop the strike. Below the surface of the “differ-4 ence” in inspired press stories be- tween the President and the auto barons, between William Green, William Collins and the auto com- panies is the deep determination to use all measures to secure delay, more delay, and still more delay of the strike. Tomorrow’s elections in the local will be discussed. All dressmakers that want a fighting administra- tion should attend this meeting. This is at present the main weapon for dividing and disrupting the ranks of the auto workers. Be- Roosevelt Uses Tactic That Broke Steel Strike Revives Wilson Strategy of Stalling the Men from Decisive Action © | hind this are the veiled threats of force and the encouragement of the National Automobile Chamber of Commerce and other employers’ or- ganizations. Same Tactics of 1919 Steel Strike President Wilson and Samuel Gompers used the same tac’ics in the great steel strike of 1919. Presi- dent Roosevelt has now called on Collins to postpone the strike. William Green wired Collins to ac- cede to Roosevelt's “request” to postpone the strike, and meet in conference in Washington on Thursday, the day after the strike is set to begin. President Wilson in 1919, with- out consulting the National Com- mittee for organizing steel workers, of which William Z. Foster was sec- retary, gave a letter to the press calling on them to postpone the | strike date already set for Sept. 22, for which the workers were prepar- ing. Gompers immediately sent a wire to the committee calling on it to abide by Wilson’s actio leaders. ‘are cI around Roosevelt and broade the new ditty: “Wait for the Was- ner bill,” like a collection of croon- 4 ‘Waiting for the Rob- ert E. Lee.” All the ferocious ultimatums of the auto companies and their Na- tional Automobile Chamber of Commerce to A. F. of L. officials fail to disguise the fact that they are depending on them to delay action till the production peak has The dropping of the wage and working conditions demands by A. F. of L. leaders plays into the hands of the auto companies, If the struggle breaks on a wide be prefer that. it tion of A. F. recognition uto and metal workers in- volved in this great struggle can= not win unless a fight is made directly against the A. F. of L. pol- eadership; upon the con= to put these workers | directiy under their control and that of the employers and their government. Wilson and Gompers failed to disrupt the great steel strike at the start because of the militancy of jthe workers and their leadership. Roosevelt and Green will fail when this decisive factor is present, 4