The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 14, 1934, Page 1

- LaGuardia Backs Down On Union Square M CIRCULATION DRIVE NEW SUBS RECEIVED YESTERDAY Dilip ee 230 33 Total to date ..3,339 Saturday . Total oes + 2,359 Vol. XI, No. 90 | «6 ay D Daily ,<QWorker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL) Entered as second-class matter at the.Post Office at New York, N. ¥., under the Act of March 8, 1879 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, APRIL 14, 1934 WEATHE: Fair, Be j 4 ay Ban —~————~ (See Story on Page 2) AMERICA’S ONLY WORKING CLASS DAILY NEWSPAPER (Ten Pages) Price 3 Cents 4,000 DETROIT TOOL, DIE WORKERS STRIKE 84 SHOPS Thaelmann Beaten When He Refuses To Answer His Nazi In Gigantic Mass Pressure | Needed to Save Him, Says Gallagher SECRET TRIAL DUE| Quick, Powerful Action Imperative PARIS.—It has just been learned that on the day fol- lowing the death of Kattner, stool-pigeon who had been counted on by the Nazis as aj chief witness against Ernst Thael- | mann, leader of the German Com- | munist Party, Thaelmann was} brought before a group of officials | of the Nazi secret police. He was | ordered to tell what he knew about | Kattner. “I don’t speak to Nazis,” the working class leader. The Storm Troopers who held him were then given the order to t him, and he was flogged with 1 rods and rubber blackjacks until he was taken back to his cell, bleeding and nearly unconscious. ‘Thaelmann, who was arrested a year ago, is awaiting trial on a is e of “high treason” for being the leader of the Communist. Party Germany. He is kept in a light- cell, chained hand and foot, day night. No one has been al-" lc~ed to see him for many weeks. ‘is trial, often postponed by the ais, who fear giving him a voice, in a secret Nazi court, has postponed many times. It may in at any time, and probably will begin secretly, without announce- ment. replied Hi OS ee Gallagher Appeals for Thaelmann DETROIT, Mich. April 13— “Only mass mobilization and mass pressure now before the trial begins can save Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the Communist Party of Ger- many,” declared Leo Gallagher, gray-haired fighting labor attorney in an interview today. Gallagher, who was present at the Reichstag fire trial as attorney for George Dimitroff, is now here on a national speaking tour under the auspices of the International Labor Defense, He spoke at noon today on Fascism in Germany, at a luncheon at the Lawyers Club for Labor De- fense. Tonight he and Mrs. Ada Wright, mother of two Scottsboro boys, will be guests of honor at a banquet at Germania Hall. Sunday at 3:30 p.m., they will speak at a mass meeting at Danceland Audi- torium, 4659 Woodward Ave. “The danger to Thaelmann’s life cannot be exaggerated,” Gallagher said. “% may be that the govern- ment may try to assassinate him on the ground of ‘attempting to escape. If they bring him to trial, the fas- cists wili avoid some of the mis- takes they made in the Reichstag fire trial. It will be a quick and secret trial with the death sentence decided in advance, and will form a@ precedent for similar trials of other working class leaders. “Only mass pressure throughout the world can prevent this from happening, just as mass pressure (Continued on Page 10) Hartford Strikes Spread As Chance Vought Men Vote Strikers in Aviation Industry Continue Solid (Special to the Daily Worker) HARTFORD, Conn. April 13— The workers of the Chance-Vought Co. here, one of the airplane fac- tories, did not join the strike of the airplane workers today because of the traditional hard luck Friday the thirteenth. The workres stated, however, that their demands were presented, and they will strike on Monday. .,.The 1,400 Pratt and Whitney, Gain Propeller and United Air- port strikers remain solid in their strike, demanding 60 cents to $1.05 hourly minimum wages. The strikers of the Arrow plant were still in a meeting with the bosses as the Daily Worker went to press, Yesterday's Daily Worker incor- rectly stated that the workers of Terry Turbine plant were voting to strike. Instead, they were continu- ing solid in their strike which had quisito rs In Berlin They Are Torturing Thaelmann! Demand His Release! (AN EDITORIAL) HE latest news on the condition of Comrade Thaelmann’s health is more than alarming. The fascist bloodhounds, through daily torture, are trying to physically break the leader of the Communist Party of Germany. They think that if they can break him physically, they will weaken his morale, and prevent him from appearing before the Fascist court as another Dimitroff. They know that if Thaelmann appears in court, he will turn the Fascist courtroom into an indictment against the crimi- nal bands who rule Germany. The Fascist degenerates, Goering, Hitler & Co., fearful of Com- unism, fearful of the indictment by the leader of the Communist Party | | of Germany, are adopting the methods of the Spanish inquisition. But Thaelmann will not break down. His morale will be high, even if he is physically weakened. Through him, Communism will speak,— through him millions of German workers chained by the brutal Fas- cist regime, will speak. ‘The American proletariat, together with the workers all over the world, must raise their voices: HANDS OF THAELMANN! ATE RELEASE OF THAELMANN! IMMEDI- ‘We want Tnaelmann saved for the cause of the German revolution, for the cause of the world revolution! Comrades: in all meetings of our Party, in the trade unions, in the mass organizations where our comrades are active, a resolution of pro- test, must be presented against the pestial treatment of the leader of the Communist Party of Germany, Comrade Thaelmann. We must demand his immediate release! Send your protests to the Geran Embassy! Send delegations to the German Consulates! the slogan: The streets of America must resound with ‘'THAELMANN MUST BE FREED! Soviet Airmen Rescue Last 6 Off Polar Ice Stalin Greets Heroes Who Receive Order of Lenin (Special to the Daily Worker) MOSCOW, April 13 (By Radio)— In a last dash over the ice, the last of the marooned members of the Chelyuskin Arctic expedition were snatched from the fast-breaking ice floes and carried to the mainland. Thus ends the thrilling rescue of 109 of the Chelyuskin expedition members who were marooned since Feb. 13 when their ship sank crushed between icebergs. Upon the news of the final rescue, the following telegram was sent to Prof Otto Schmidt, leader of the expedition, and the other members: “Greetings and hearty congra- tutions to the valiant Chelyuskin- ers who courageously struggled against stern nature in the Arctic and steadfastly bore all the rigors of the North icebound for two months. “In accordance with the request of the Central Executive Commit- tee of the U.S.S.R., the Order of the Red Star is conferred on all the Chelyuskiners, and on Ush- akov and Petrov. “A monument will be erected in Moscow in commemoration of the Arctic exploits of the Chelyuskin. All Chelyuskiners will receive a bonus amounting to a half year’s salary.” This telegram was signed by Stalin, Molotov, Voroshiloy, Kuib- yshev and Zhanov. Manhattan Cabmen Back Orner, Gilbert Racketeers Guided By S. P. Leaders Take Union Funds NEW YORK.—While the capital- ist press and the Socialist weekly New Leader was shouting with ec- stacy that Samuel Orner and Joseph Gilbert, outstanding leaders of the general taxicab strike, were ousted from the Taxi Drivers’ Union of Greater New York, Manhattan driv- ers, meeting at Irving Plaza Hall at 4 am. and 5 p.m., yesterday, voted full confidence in the two leaders. Late Thursday a group of gang- sters under the personal leadership of Max Weiner, a petty racketeer, and Cecil Maurer, who acted as a strikebreaker in the 1931 dress strike, both of whom worked their way into the union during the sec- ond strike, broke up a meeting of garage chairmen who came to the union hall to hear a report from Orner on the next steps to be taken to strengthen the union. Steal Union Funds It was also learned that these two men, along with William Rubin, had taken all the union funds out of the bank and had declared them- selves the leaders of the union and with a force of gangsters had taken over the union offices on 42nd St. The garage chairmen, 34 in all, continued their meeting at 131 w. 28th St. with the gangsters absent. Packing Irving Plaza Hall at 4 (Continued on Page 2) Six New York Sections Order 85,000 Copies of May “Daily” NEW YORK.— Orders by New York Sections of the Communist Party for the forthcoming 24 full page size edition of the May Day edition of the Daily Worker are‘set- ting a new all-time record in the history of « 2 Six New York.sections alone have already placed orders for a total of 85,000 copies. These are: Section 2, with an order for 25,000; Section 4, 20,000; Sections 1, 8, 11 and 15, with orders for 10,000 each. Additional Orders Orders for 5,000 copies each have been placed by Sections 5, 6, 7, 12 and 14. Section 10 has ordered 4,000. The United Shoe and Leather Workers Union has ordered 1,000. An order for 1,500 copies has been placed by the Cafeteria Workers Union, affiliated with the Food Workers Industrial Union. The already been called Pocketbook Workers Union, A. F, of L. opposition group has ordered 200. The Prospect Workers Club has ordered 500. April 28 and 29 have been set aside as a Red Weekend. Class conscious workers throughout the country are urged to mobilize for the largest mass sale of the May Day Edition on these two Red Honor Days. Every working class organization is called upon to mo- bilize its membership to spread the May “Daily” on April 28 and 29. Special publication arrangements hhave been made so that the districts will receive the May issue in time for distribution on April 28 and 29. Do your revolutionary part to spread this edition. See to it that your organization places a bundle order. Get greetings for the May Day edition. Help reach half a million new American workers with tine May issue of the Daily Worker. expression on the cop's face). Detroit Police Brutality —> Cops attack and beat this worker in the auto workers’ strike in detroit, (Note the gleeful ! To Demand Jobs or Cash Relief for All Unemployed NEW YORK.—Mass picket lines, called by the Committee of One Hundred of the United Action Conference Against Unemployment, will converge in front of Com- missioner of Welfare Hodson’s of- fice at 52 Lafayette St. at ten o'clock this morning. The pickets Minneapolis CWA. Workers Released On Reduced Bail Rochester Relief Men! Strike for More ‘Students’ United Front will demand jobs or equivalent Pay cash relief for all fired C. W. A. od workers. Picketing will continue BULLETIN throughout the day. The Action Committee of 100, | which met Thursday night, is com- posed of delegates from many un- employed, C. W. A. and other workers’ organizations. Five re- gional committees, one in each bor- ough, were set up Thursday night. It was reported that the picket- ing, for return of their jobs to all fired C. W. A. workers, which the committee has been conducting at various C. W. A. and relief of- fices, has brought considerable re- sults. The Pharmaceutical project reported that 57 fired workers had been re-instated and given their jobs back as the result of picket- ing. The Regional Committee of the Action Committee of 100 will call meetings of all laid-off C. W. A. workers on all projects, and then go with these laid-off workers to Hodson’s office to demand their re-instatement. The Committee of 100 announced that all unorgan- ized C. W. A. workers who have been fired should go to the picket lines at Hodson’s office and there picket captains will go with them to demand re-instatement. The Committee of 100 set up a committee of five to bring before the larger committee all cases of discrimination. Sol Harper, a mem- ber of the committee, pointed out that the Department of Welfare has been forced to give a few Negroes unemployed relief. Har- per himself was denied relief for a long while as well as a C. W. A. job, but the action of the com- mittee finally secured him relief. Harper urged all those who finally secure relief, to keep up the strug- gle for the others. He urged all Negroes to picket the welfare of- fice this morning in the fight for jobs and cash relief. Huge Loan Totalling $17,272,000 Given Railroads By PWA WASHINGTON, D. C., April 13 —The Public Works Administra- tion today brought its total of “loans” to railroads to $171,272,- 000 by signing contracts for the loan of $3,600,000 to the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad. Twenty-three railroads have received this huge sum, which Roosevelt had promised would go towards giving workers jobs. ROCHESTER, N. Y., April 13. —Four thousand workers on the Rochester Monroe County Relief projects laid down tools today at the call of central committee, which is using the strike to put over a higher budget. The committee told the work- ers to go to movies because “we will take care of everything.” The Rank and File relief work- ers organization supports the strike and appeals to workers to fight abolition of the budget sys- tem, and demand wages equal to CWA. The Rank and File have issued a call for mass pcketing Satur- day, 2 p. m, at Washington Square. oe ee (Special to the Daily Worker) MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., April 13.— The Minneapolis Central Labor Union of the A. F. of L. joined the long list of workers organizations protesting the arrests and frame-up proceedings of the 32 vorkers who were arrested following, ‘he victory of the C. W, A. and jobh s demon- stration in forcing the Cit, Council to grant all their demani The A. F. of L. resolution of protest de-| manded the immediate release of all the workers and protested against the proposed ordinance of Chief of Police Johannes which would pro- hibit parades, marches and demon- strations. In addition to the resolution from the Central Labor Union, the paint- ers union, the Iron Workers Union, and the Amalgamated Clothing Workers Union and many others have joined the flood of protests. 25 Join Communist Party ‘Twenty-five workers joined the Communist Party at three of the series of mass meetings which the Communist Party is calling for the release of the workers. The defense witnesses proved at the court that the demonstration was peaceful until the police at- tacked the workers. Among the witnesses who have so far been called by the defense were a former school teacher, two ex-servicemen, a carpenter and machinists, all of whom volunteered to appear as witnesses. An attempt is being»made to frame S. K. Davis, the spokesman of the delegation, who is also a C, W. A. worker. New York C. W. A. Workers Protest Among the flood of protests that are being sent in by workers and workingclass organizations through- out the country, 25 resolutions sent by 25 New York C. W. A. projects Mass Anti-War Strikes Sweep Colleges: | 15,000 Students Out in New York CWA Picket Line at Welfare Department at 10 AM. Today Defy Administrations, Police in Strikes NEW YORK. — The anti-war movement in the high schools and colleges of the United States reach- ed the proportions of a nation-wide mass movement as thousands of students poured out of their class- rooms at 11 a. m. yesterday in a} | protest strike against war and war preparations. In New York alone, about 15,000) high school and college students went on strike. The simultaneous strike of the | students was organized by the Na- tional Student League and the Stu- | | dent League for Industrial Democ- | racy, participating in a united front with the full support and coopera- tion of the American League Against War and Fascism. C.C.N.Y. Students Defy Administra- | tion | Defying the threats of the ad-| ministration to punish any student who strikes, 1,500 students of City College in New York massed into the center of the campus at 11 a. m to hear student speakers speak against imperialist war and con- demn the administration and mem- bers of the faculty who had done all in their power to halt the strike. Hundreds more disregarded their lecturers in the classrooms and looked on at the mass below. Dean Morton Gottschall, attempt- ing to emulate the peculiar be- haviour of his chief, President Rob- inson who attacked a student anti- ROTC demonstration with an um- brella last Spring, charged into the students gathered around the flag- pole flanked by several plainclothes- men. In frenzied rage he tore the banners and attacked Edwin Alex- ander, a member of the N.S.L., who was speaking at the time. The angry roar of the students who surged forward when their lead- er was attacked, halted the Dean | and the detectives from breaking |up the meeting. Several cars filled | with police arrived. The cops| (Continued on Page 2) Men In Big Auto Plants Restive After Walk-Out Hunter College Girl, Unpaid By Relief Jumps from 4th Floor NEW YORK.—Dorothy Scheer, Hunter College student, at- tempted suicide by jumping from the fourth story window of the college, a group of her fellow students told the Daily Worker yesterday. She is in a critical condition at the Metropolitan Hospital. The students declared that Dorothy had been working for the FER.A. at the rate of $15 @ month, but she had not been paid for six weeks. Her fellow students declared that Dorothy, who is an orphan, had been despondent because of financial difficulties. It was reported at the hospital that she had a fractured skull and internal injuries. Nash Strike Is Sold Out In Kenosha Forced Vote to Return, But Picketing Continues (Special to the Daily Worker) MILWAUKEE, Wis., April 13.— The Kenosha Nash auto workers yesterday voted 629 to 376 in favor jof accepting the settlement terms) proposed to the 2,200 strikers by the automobile National Labor Board. The Demands met were not those originally put forward by the strikers but were the same as the Roosevelt Board proposed, with an A. F. L. Leaders Find h Difficult to Hold Workers Back ANDERSON CHEERED Smith, MESA Secretary, | in Betrayal Role (Special to the Daily Worker) DETROIT, Mich., April 13. —Following the meeting of two thousand five hundred members of the Mechanics’ Education Society of Amer at Deutsches Haus night four thousand tool and makers went on strike at midnight. The strike involves eighty-four shops which have refused to grant the demands for twenty per cent increase in wages, the thirty six hour week and other demands, The meeting also decided in favor t to take up ig of a general strik jaffecting all tool and die mak and the big companies if the strike jis not settled then. The vote to | Strike which was overwhelmingly in | the affirmative was taken following |talks by Mathew Smith, General | Secretary of the Mechanics Educa- tional Society and John Anderson {militant production organizer of log~: seven. John Anderson, who | Was greeted by applause as he came to the platform, pointed out the need for a militant strike policy and carrying the tool and die fight into the big companies, uniting the ranks solidly and involving the pro- duction workers of the big com- panies, | Anderson Cheered Cheering rocked the packed hall for many minutes as he concluded |his talk with the remark: “Let’s | give them a good fight, and we will win.” No program, however, was de- veloped at the meeting to carry additional five percent, which means through the policy outlined by An- 1,400 will receive a five per cent in-| crease and the balance on strike up| to 17 and a half per cent. About a thousand men did not vote and the vote was pushed over by the higher union officials of the A. F. of L. who utilized members of craft unions, machinists tool and die makers, etc., to stampede the rest of the membership. In fact they sep- arated the demands of the skilled workers from those of unskilled workers in the production depart- ments. The Rank and file fought militantly and brilliantly on the floor, pointing out that the small raise will mean little to the men, as living costs in the past few weeks have jumped rapidly to absorb the increase. The rank and file insisted the strike be continued until all demands were won. The Federal Union Local has 1,600 men but only a thousand partici- pated in the voting. There are at Jeast another thousand Nash work- ers unorganized who participated in strike picketing etc., but being non- union men, had no chance to ex- press an opinion in the meeting. Milikenti, the Chairman of the Nash local union, although sympathetic with rank and file demands, as- sumed a neutral position instead of fighting agressively. Although honest, he made a big mistake by acting this way. Because of agree- ment with Racine and Milwaukee (Continued on Page 2) N.A.A. C.P, Leaders Ordered Torture,Scottsboro Lads Reveal BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 13— The present monstrous torture of the Scottsboro boys in Jefferson County jail here, is directly linked to a pact between the leadership of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Alabama lynchers, it was re- vealed today. William Pickens, field secretary of the N.A.A.CP., visited the boys four weeks ago in an effort to persuade them to renounce the International Labor Defense and accept a lynch lawyer named by the N.A.A.C.P. Failing in this effort, Pickens, who was accompanied by three thorities. | Almost immediately the present | reign of terror against the boys was | begun, and they were thrown into) solitary confinement, denied all} throughout the country, and sub- jected to daily torture in an effort to “break” them. Deputy Warden Dan Rogers has openiy told the boys that their present confinement in solitary cells will continue until they ac- cept the “defense” of the N. A. A. C, P., the boys told a visitor who managed to get in to see them. It was revealed at the same time that although it was almost impos- sible for their LL.D. defense law- yers, or any relatives or friends of the boys, to get in to see them, rep- resentatives of the N.A.A.C.P., in- white Birmingham “liberals,” had | cluding the Rev. E. W. Taggart, | a conference with the prison au-jlocal head of that organization, | have had constant and easy access to the prison. The unholy alliance between the leaders of the N.A.A.C.P, and Ala- (Continued on Page 2) 2,000 Auto Parts Workers Walk Out In Toledo Factory A.F.L. Leaders Try to Stop Mass Picketing, Police Active (Special to the Daily Worker) TOLEDO, Ohio, April 13—Two |thousand workers in the Electric | Auto Lite plant struck today for a | 10 per cent raise, recognition of the j union, seniority rights and equal pay for workers performing the same work. The strike was called by the United Automotive Workers | Union at a meeting of the workers | Thursday night. Of the thousand | workers on the first shift all struck | except about 100, and on the second | shift about 100 scabs went in. | The wages for production workers in this factory is 44 cents per hour, | which is 19 per cent less than be- fore the N.R.A., and for women jonly 31 per cent. The denartment. | struck six weeks ago, but were sent | back in by the A. F. of L. pending |arbitration on April 1. The local | union officials told the strikers that | they can have only six pickets in | front of each gate according to law. Ramsey, A. F. of L. union leader, attempted to settle for a 5 per cent jTaise but later told the strikers he was only “feeling out the company.” Police Make Arrests At 2 o'clock about 1,500 strikers massed in front of the factory in a blinding snow storm to pull out the second shift. The captain of pick- ets, together with the police drove the workers across the street on the excuse that the sidewalk was com- pany property and that the A. F, of L. was opposed to mass picket- ing anyway. As a result many scabs went in unmolested. K. Eggert, organizer of the Trade Union Unity League, when he attempted, with the sup- port of many workers, to form a mass picket line was dragged across the street _by police at the request |of the A. F. of L. captain of pickets. Many Other Strikes Another worker attempting to form a mass picket line was ar- | rested, but was taken from the po- |lice by militant strikers. Strikers of the Electric Auto Lite demand a large rank and file strike were received by the court. jcomforts sent them by workers/ (Continued on Page 2) pa committee and a mass picket