The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 30, 1934, Page 1

All Out to Madison Square Garden Tomorrow Night! CIRCULATION DRIVE NEW SUBS RECEIVED YESTERDAY Daily 49 Saturday Total to date 744 ‘Total ...... Vol. XI, No. 103 ee Daily ,<QWorker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTER Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at New York, N. ¥., under the Act of March 8, 187). NEW YORK, MONDAY, APRIL 30, 1934 ATIONAL) WEATHER: Cloudy, AMERICA’S ONLY WORKING CLASS DAILY warmer, NEWSPAPER Price 3 Cents WORKERS WORLD OVER PREPARE MIGHTIEST MAY DAY Striker Is Shot At Birmingham; Walk Out Grows | } \ | \ UMWA Leader, Press In, Attack On Influence of Communists BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 29.—The shooting of Vance Houlditch, yqung striker, by deputies at the Thomas Blast Furnace of the Republic Steel | Co., and the vicious beating up of Mark Ellis by company thugs, failed to halt the spread of tne strike movement. Two hundred Republic steel strikers marched on the Sayre- ton Coal mine, captive mine of the Republic Steel Co. and shut it down. This march followed by less than twenty-four hours the distribution by the Communist Party of leaflets | to the Thomas strikers urging the| shutting down of all Republic enter- | prises. At least fifty per cent of the commercial coal mines, and all of the captive coal mines are still | shut down, the coal strikers to accept the N.R.A. ruling an- nounced by Roosevelt, which sets a lower wage for the southern coai miners than for the north. Venee Houlditch, a young white) worker, was shot in the right shoul-| der by Deputy C. A. Akin at the Thomas Blast Furnace picket line. when the pickets refused to carry) out the order of deputies to dis- perse. Mark Ellis is a former em- ploye of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Co., and the candidate of the Communist Party for chief of the city commission at the last election. He was attacked and viciously beaten by thugs while distributing leaflets to the Thomas. strikers. Ellis had been on the committee which visited Commissioner W. O. Downs to ask for a permit for the May First demonstration. A tense situation prevails as May First ap- proaches. The Sayreton mine, which the Thomas steel strikers closed down, had already re-cpened under the N.R.A. ruling, by agreement with the coal operators, and the U.M.W.A, leaders. After the Thomas strikers marched on the Sayreion, William Mitch, district U.M.W.A. head, made/ public a statement that the Sayre-} ton workers are satisfied and that there should be no strike in sym- pathy with the Thomas workers.! Mitch urged all coal mines to keep open. His statement attacked the growing influence of the Commu- nist Party among the strikers. He said, “Unforturately at some mines efforts have been made to stop the operation of such mines in what might be termed a sympathy strike. Our obligation is to keep the mines in operation.” Groups of white and Negro pickets from the Parish mine of the Railway Fuel Co., halted and ex- amined all cars on the highway, including the sheriff’s car. Chief of Police Hollum after consultation with the heads of the Rep: lic Steel Co., issued orders to stop all picketing. Many Thomas Co., pick- ets were arrested yesterday. Tarrytown, Fisher Strikers Picket Despite Leaders Auto Workers’ Speaker Applauded By Strikers TARRYTOWN, N. Y., April 29.— Fisher Bedy and Chevrolet workers militantly continued to picket the plants here Saturday, in spite of the attempts of Otto Kleinert, conser- vative president of the Federated Automotive Association unicn, and the union’s lawyer, Grady, to call the picketing cff. The rank and file strikers are demanding more vigor- ous conduct of the strike leadership. Mike Walsh, of the Auto Workers Union, was given the floor at both: morning and afternoon strike mazt-| ings on Friday, and wes enthusias- tically. received by the strikers. Grady, the lawyer, raised the red scare when Walsh spoke, and said they did not want any outsiders. But the strikers, who warmly ap- Union’. Trade Union Section To Appear First In “Daily”? On May Day NEW YORK.—The New York Trade Union Supplement con- taining many feature articles and news about the New York trade unions will make its first appear- ance in the Daily Worker on May Day. This supplement of two pages devoted entirely to New York trade union events and problems will continue to appear every Monday after May Day. Today is the last day for the trade unions and the trade union fractions to order special bundles containing the supplement. Order your bundles now and spread the “Daily” by tens of thousands among the workers on May Day. 10,400 Strike As Cleveland May Day Nears Greatest Strike Wave Is Met By Increased Boss Terror BULLETIN CLEVELAND, O,, April 29.—The Chase Brass and Copper strike was called off Saturday afternoon at an emergency meeting of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union. The men decided to go back to work Monday. Details will be printed in tomorrow's Daily Worker. * * CLEVELAND, April 29.—Oleve- land, on the eve of May Day, is in the grip of the greatest wave of strikes in its history. Eight thou- sand and four hundred Fisher Body workers are still out solid. Over 2,000 gasoline station employees are conducting a very militant sirug- gle. White Motors is threatening a walkout on the question of the “closed shop.” The Chase Brass and Copper Company strike, invoiving 900 men, has been singled out for a vicious terroristic attack. This strike has been militantly led by the Steel and Metal Workers’ Industrial Union, against whom an injunction has just been issued. Terror Whipped Up In face of this unprecedented up- surge of the Cleveland workers, the bourgeois press is shrieking for ter- roristic methods of suppression. The Cleveland Plain Dealer ran a front page editorial on April 26, hysteri- cally calling upon Mayor Davis to repeat his famous strike-breaking tactics of the May Day demonstra- tion of 1919. In commenting on the gasoline strike Thursday's edi- torial states: “In a previous term as mayor 15 years ago, Harry L. Davis did several important jobs settling labor disputes in which he stepped into the role of represen- tative of the great inarticulate pub- lic . . . This is the best opportunity for a public service which has come to Mayor Davis in his current term . . The Mayor has one certain tool at his use. The police are his to command .. .” In face of this open provocation the workers are determinedly con- tinuing their struggles. The A. F. of L. leadcrship in Fisher Body is cecking to demoralize the strikers by forbidding mass picketing and conducting the entire strike behind ciezed doors. “Spark Plug,” the shop paper of the Communist nucleus at the plant, (Continued on Page 2) ToolMen Vote Down Expulsions M.E.S.A. Local 7, Gives One Vote for Smith’s Attack on Militants BULLETIN DETROIT.—Four thousand workers have been laid off at the Hudson Gratiot Body Plants, with more coming. Wage cuts and lay- offs have been announced at | Budds, where the workers are be- ing asked to sign slips accepting the 75 cents minimum wage scale, which means a 25-cent wage slash for the higher paid workers. The May Day conference here | Sunday wired the Mayor, affirm- ing the decision to demonstrate in Grand Circus Park for the May Day celebration. Meanwhile ar- rests and police terror and intimi- dation face every attempt of the workers to rally and mobilize for the May Dey demonstration. The Communist Party is circu- lating 50,000 leaflets calling for a | mass meeting at Arena Gardens | to follow the May Day demon- | stration which will be held at | Grand Circus Park. | By A. B. MAGIL DETROIT, Mich., April 29.—Local Seyen of the Mechanics Educational | Society of America, on Friday night | voted to reject the expulsion policy | initiated by Secretary Smith and} the district committee, | throw out the militants. Only one | vote was cast for Smith’s proposal. Three hundred yoted .with. Smith present, that all workers have the right to belong to the union. This is the local in which Anderson, militant organizer, belongs. Ander- son spoke on the policy of Smith, pointing out the methods used to expel Mack, militant worker, Wed- nesday, from Local 8 by using the police. Police also were present around the hall, which caused great re-! sentment of the rank and file, who | demanded to know who brought the | police, after Anderson stated that the same police club workers’ heads. Smith and other henchmen in turn denied they had anything to do with the police, although it was obvious that they were brought down to do similar work at at Lo- cal 8. Smith, sensing the resent- ment of the membership at the/ rialroading A. F. of L. leadership tactics, put on a pious face and tried to appear as peacemaker, but | this was evident camouflage, since | the whole expulsion policy is part | of the game to cover up the treach- | erous strike policies and pave the way for bringing the organization into the A. F. of L. Ever more workers are under- standing that Smith is developing bureaucracy and wiping out the rights of the rank and file, com- bined with his no fight policy, is re- sponsible for weakening the organ- ization. Smith’s camouflage of peace is only a cunning maneuver better to carry out his continued attack, weeding out militants. The need is for militants to clearly expose the whole policy of Smith and bet- ter organize the ranks against the machine of Smith-Griffen. No measures were taken to strengthen the Michigan Stove strike. It is evident the Smith machine wants to get rid of the strike and will not even take steps to protect the work- ers against discrimination of the tool and die strike, going the same path because of the A. F. of L. methods used by Smith in the lead- ership of the strike. Dillinger ‘Located’—But Not Found-In Indiana FORT WAYNE, Ind., April 29— Federal authoritics, who have been shooting up innocent people in their huge man-hunt for John Dillinger, elusive gangster whose reputation for giving the authorities the mer- riest chase of their lives has al- ready been made, have concentrated in the northern Indiana lake region, believing Dillinger to be in hiding there. Three C. P. Members hlected To Ojfce by !linois Miners ® Raymond Held forGrand Detroit Bosses Jury for Exposing Thugs “No Crime to Break Strikes,”’ Says Judge At Hearing NEW YORK.—The motion to dismiss the charge of criminal libel brought against Harry Raymond, Daily Worker staff writer, by the notorious labor spy and strike- breaker George Williams was denied by Judge Lindau in City Magistrates’ Court Friday. Raymond entered a plea of not guilty to the charges on Saturday and was paroled in the custody of Attorney Edward Kuntz of the International Labor Defense. The case was sent to the Grand Jury. The decision of the court fol- lowed a three day hearing in which the whole slimy criminal nature of A. F. of L. Rank and File Painters Support May Day Unity | A. F. OF L. BAKERS | | TO JOIN PARADE | Binghamton Workers aimed to} | Reject Fascist Plan | | the Sherwood Detective Bureau, an| underworld strikebreaking agency/ and forged document mill which is pressing the charge, was revealed.| Williams and his crony Max Sherwood brought the charge! against Raymond in an attempt to stop the Daily Worker from €XpOs- | ing the fact that the Sherwood De-| NEW YORK.—Proof of the growing sentiment of New| York workers for one mighty | United Front May 1st dem- orstration against Hunger, Fascism and Wer piled up yester- day with several additional groups ; of organized workers coming out in militant support of the United |Front May Day Parade to Union Square tomorrow. The Painters Rank and File Pro- tective Association of District Coun- cil 9, in a Call to all painters and paperhangers affiliated with Dis- | trict Council No. 9 to join the May ; Day United Front issued a scath- will clean up a profit of a quarter | ing attack on the splitting tactics of a million dollars. Coughlin every | 0f the Zausner Machine, exposing HARRY RAYMOND DAILY WORKER staff writer, who is being held for the Grand Jury for an article exposing strike- breakers. Raymond is being sued for criminal libel by George Wil- liams, one of the labor spies, whose activities the DAILY | WORKER revealed. (Continued on Page 2) Father Coughlin Repcaled As Secret Speculator in Silver DETROIT, April 29. — Father} Coughlin, notorious demagozgue and | campaigner for inflation, who has been fighting for a revaluation of | silver raising its price to at Jeast! twice its presént valuation of 444 cents an ounce, was revealed today as being a secret investor in silver to the tune of 500,000 ounces. The investment was in the name of Coughlin’s Radio League of the Little Flower. If Coughlin’s proposals for the revaluation of silver go through he tant members of the union, and financed | its attempt to force the members, banking | by fines and threats, to participate inflation] in the Socialist Party May Day millions | meeting. Local 499 Supports United Front speculators. Coughlin’s activities are secretly by Wall Street firms who realize that his schemes will bring them in speculative profits. Coughlin’s inflation schemes will! yo) ‘ ‘ 1 499 of the Painters Union mean rising costs of living for the | decided at its special meeting April Yelopes shrinking daily in’ buying | 2° t0 Participate in the United Front power. |May Day demonstration, as had | several other locals previously. The | Painters and decorators will as- | semble at 10 a. m. Tuesday at 18th PowerfulRy. Lobby | Gov't Wa @ Surve 7 | resolution for participation in the y | Socialist Party meeting. a | A. F. L. Bakers Group For United upon all bakers, organized and un- organized to assemble at Irving Plaza Hall at 9 a. m. tomorrow to Baltimore Semie’ Fight to Control, Administer Relief. Plan to March Again In A Body to Washington St. and 8th Ave. | Meantime, the Zausner Machine | | circulated all members of Locals} with a threatening letter, peddling | the lie that the majority of the |Locals had adopted the Zausner| Secret Influences Out) a eee | =e u | The City Committee of the op-! To Kill Startling positional groups in four Bakers | F 6 WwW | Locals of the A. F. of L., Nos. 79, acts On Wages 505, 507, 509, derided to march in the United Front Parade and called (Special to the Daily Worker) | NEW YORK, April 29,—Powerful | forces high up in the government (Special to the Daily Worker) BALTIMORE, Md., April 29. “Washington has ordered me to evict TAYLOR SPRINGS, Ill, April 27, Frank Pricket, member of the Com- you men at any cost,” Harry F. Greenstein Maryland, State Relief Director informed about 150 Balti- more seamen who marched to Re- lief Headquarters Friday to protest the Government drive to starve out the Seamen's Workers Control Project. Still not intimidated, the seamen replied they would remain there in Greenstein’s office a week if neces- sary, until he answered their de- mend for food and shelter on the waterfront w..hout forced labor. Policemen posted throughout the building fingered their clubs; two were in Greenstein’s office, six out- side in the hall, two at the door downstairs, two on the street. Greenstein plied the men with quotations God bless your efforts and I want you to know I’m your friend, but declared more practi- cally “you must re-register and give up these demands—I can’t do any- thing about them.” Greenstein then left to lay the matter before a meeting of the State ‘Relief Commission. The men held a mock. trial of Greenstein, there in his office as they waited for him to return. He had asked them if they intended to keep him there. “No” the seamen answered “you can do more about having our demands | met outside; but here we stay until you come back, and as long after that as necessary. We are not look- ing for trouble, but we will stay here. You can call a dozen or two hundred cops—but the only way they will get us out, is to carry us feet first.” Greenstein came back with 150 police and 12 police wagons. The governmeni evidentiy wishing to put the seamen in the position of ag- gressor so that the police thugs could be turned loose. Before leaving, the seamen put responsibility on Greenstein and plauded Walsh, said, “He has the right dope, and we don’t cere where he comes from or who he is as long as he gives us the right dopo.” Walsh advocated mass picketing, | that more vigorous efforis should be made to pull Chevrole’ out on strike, | p-moe the election by the strikers of a! broad strike committsc, and the | a3 memb: presenting cf the seme d- w ‘Fisher Body strikers, nds to} for the village of ‘Caylor Springs: the compeny as are being rdvoesied Frank Panse: by the Cleveland and St. Louis! of the Commu —In the recent elections in this mining town, candidates on the | United Front Workers’ Ticket has been elected, defeating the Demo- cratic ticket. The following were the votes cast: for the United Front ticket 102 votcs and 70 for the ti The fol zd ce: Trustees Section Organizer t Party; Andy Psak, member of the Communist Party, wn ee emma lniiaeineiitliatataamiiais ‘cao i wit ‘ been elscted | | munist Party and two rank and file | Members of the Socialist Party, J. ;Boggio and Amos Shafer. This igives a majority on the Board of Trustees of the Communist Party,| duced relief with withdrawal of, end together with the two rank andj ‘file Socialists, will constitute the} | village governmen' H This is an important victory in this mining town and the second |vietory in the reecnt elections in the Illinois coal fields whore in the relief officials for any violence that might result from their at- tempt to starve the seamen into} acceptance of forced labor, and re-/| workers’ control. In orderly ranks, the delegation ched out of the Union Trust Buiiding. Shouting slogans end de-| nouncing Greenstein in his true| colors as a lackey of the ship owacrs.! the seamen declared they would. are deliberately throttling the com- pleting and publication of a remark- able survey of railroad wages and working conditions covering the last ten years, it was revealed today to the Daily Worker by authentic sources. Three months ago, the Federal Co-Ordinator of Transportation, Joseph B. Eastman, began a survey of the employment, wages, and pen- sion records of 500,000 railroad em- ployees. More than 500 statisticians have at work on these records here in the office of the Federal Co-Or- dinator. Almost $200,000 has already been sent on the project, and rec- ords going back to January 1924 have been studied. The survey is the first thorough attempt ever made to really get at the truth on railroad workers’ death and sick benefits, pensions, real wages, furloughs, etc., etc. At the present moment the sur- vey is about three-fourths com- plete. But already this survey reveals an extraordinary history of exploitation, a history that has never yet been made public. It reyeals that the present agree- ment on wages conceals the in- tense robbery of the workers by the managements, Suddenly, the appropriations for this immensely important survey have been stopped. The project will close down on May 1 with its main task of establishing its findings un- completed. Who has ordered the death of this project? A powerful railroad lebby in Washington knows full well of the work cf fis srrvey. It i; succeeding in its efforts to smother from the public eye the true situation of railroad labor. The officials of the Railroad Brotherhoods have thus far given no sign that they are aware of the project or of its sabotage. The Brotherhood paper “Labor” is silent on the subject. But this survey is precisely what the railroad workers need to blast the false propaganda of the railroad m2nagem-nts. All workers should write to the Federal Co-C: ater of Transnor- Benld 2 Communist aldermen have! hold th-' project. and march in aj tation at Washinzton. demanding been elected, body to Washington, \that the survey be completed march in a body to the assemble point of the Food workers at 18th St. and 8th Ave., together with the Bakers’ Women Council which is also supporting the United Front. The Committee decided to send in weekly news of the bakers and to take 30 copies of the “Daily Worker” every Monday. Doctors, dentists, medical and dental students, as well as members of the allied professions will as- semble in the Medical Division on 19th St., west of 8th Ave. This is the first May Day in the history of the country that these profes- sions will march with their own economic demands. ; 15,000 Needle Workers Expected in March Knitgood workers will assemble on 17th St. The union has urged all unemployed and partly em- ployed workers in the industry to turn out. The Joint May Day Committee of all departments of the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union has called all active members from (Continued on Page 2) Mount Machine Guns In Birmingham As May Ist Approaches BIRMINGHAM, Ala., April 29. —Machine guns are being mounted by the police, and spe- cial guards have been thrown around Jefferson County jail, where the Scottsboro boys are confined as the approach of May First finds Birmingham Negro and white workers and strikers in surrounding districts deter- mined to carry through their May Day demonstration. Machine guns are being mounted on all police cars, while the offices of the White Legion, fascist organization, is plastered with crayoned slogans urging at- facks on the Communist Party and the International Labor De- ense. World May 1 Plans Make ‘Bosses Fearful Sunday denounces the “Wall St.” | its use of gangsters to beat up mili- | Frenzy of Arrests and | Terror Fails to Dampen Outlook for Huge Meets By HARRY GANNES NEW YORK. — Interna-| tionally, May Day prepara- tions are driving the capital- ists and their fascist dogs to a frenzy of arrests in ax ef- fort to stop or impede these revo- lutionary demonstrations In Austria, despite wholesale ar- rests of Communists and Socialists, a united front demonstration last- ing for one hour took place Wednes- day night against the Heimwher fascist regime in Gmunden, in the Austrian lake district. Here Socialist and Communist workers massed in front of the home of Herr Thomas, the new Mayor, resisted the attacks of the police and for one hour shouted their hatred of the fascist regime and called for united action of all Plan May Day Terror; New York _ United Front Is Gaining [Notorious Stool Pigeon Lets Cat Out of Bag On Couzens May Day Ban CHICAGO WORKERS WIN RIGHT TO STS. (Milwaukee Workers to Hear Earl Browder BULLETIN Workers and their organizations throughout the whole country are | urged to immediately protest the provocation against Detroit work- ers by the auto bosses and their agents at the head of the Detroit city government. Support the determination of Detroit workers to demonstrate May Day despite the police ban and arbitrary abro- gation of workers’ civil rights. Rush pretest telegrams TODAY to Mayor Couzens, Detroit, Mich., demanding the granting of a per- mit for the use of Grand Cireus Park for the May 1 demonstra- tion. DETROIT, April 29 Jacob Spolensky, notori stool pigeon, lets the cat out of the bag in. regard to Mayor | Couzens’ ban on the use of vow Circus Park for the United | Front May Day demonstration Tues- day. The May Day Committee has announced the demonstration will be held there nevertheless. In an article in the Detroit “Sat- jurday Night” of April 28, Spolan- |Sky shows the alliance of all the anti-labor forces in a calculated Polily of clamping down on work- ers’ activities. This disreputable spy, who is a direct agent of the Open Shop man- ufacturers and is on the inside of |the slimy workings of the gang of scab employers that dominate the ity, writes about the ban on Grand Park: a definite turning point from the policy inazgurated three years ago by the then mayor. . For the courage to ac- complish this change we may ex- press gratitude to the Mayor and | his new Commissioner of Police. | The intelligent employers in all | parts of America are alert to the | crisis now impending in Detroit and in no quarter is it expected workers for the overthrow of fas- | cism. This was a preliminary dem- | onstration in preparation for May | Day. More than 60 windows in the} mayor’s house were smashed. : i Heimwehr and police attacked) Big Evening Celebration To Follow with their clubs and fired shots at | Demonstration the demonstrators. The workers| The May Day Committee has ar- stubbornly resisted, holding their |@Msed an evening celebration in ranks for an hour. jthe Arena Gardens, following the |demonstration in Grand Circus trian ‘workers began thelr armed |PAre- A Group of workers’ choruses Struggle in an effort to defeat the sae hye ee thi — play ae institution of fascism, over 1,000|2@ Put on by the local John Reed workers were arrested’ to prevent | CU» while music will be provided May Day demonstrations. Chan- id Be eee searches cellor Dollfuss addressed a meeting | that the properly constituted au- thorities are planning to capitu- late to the red leaders. Detroit is due for a hectic day.” of peasants and civil servants, So fearful was he of the Linz workers, that he had hundreds of picked members of the Vienna secret po- lice circulate among the throng gathered to hear the hangman of the Austrian workers. In Havana, Cuba, the bloody Men- dieta regime, tool of Wall Street, | is scouring the country to jail Com- | _— | (Continued on Page 2) By VERN SMITH (Spzcial to the Daily Worker) MOSCOW, April 29 (By ;Radio).—May First will be celebrated this year more than ever before with a feel- ing of the highest enthusiasm Sopielioe Advances He | l i May Day Enthusiasm in USSR’ Against Fascism U ghten day of glorious celebration of the rapid advance of socialism. For instance, there is the an- nouncement today from far off Sakhalin that the Okha oilfields there started new wells and ex- ceeded the production plan by 75 tons by May First. Largest Plane to Fly | Browder In Milwaukce | MILWAUKEE, Wis. April 29.— |The largest May 1 assembly ever |held in Milwaukee is expected to turn out to hear Earl Browder, General Secretary of the Commu- nist Party, speak at the Milwaukee | Auditorium, Tuesday evening, at 7. (Continued on Page 2) 100,000 Mass In “Spain for Fight In one of the mightiest demonstra- tions ever staged against fascism in this country, over 100,000 workers massed from four neighboring prov- inces here today, pledging to fight |to the death against any attemnt | to establish a fascist Spain. | Two thousand bonfires blazed on | BARCELONA, Spain, April 29- | | the hilltops of the city, as a warning for the achievements of building socialism, With coal production in the famous Don Basin on April 25 hav- ing risen to 170,934 tons a day, ex- ceeding the plan; with pig iron pro- duction on the same risen to 29,813 tons, excseding on2 announcing the achievement of their pledges to fulfill the plans by May First—with such news arriving from all corners of the country, May Day will be a day having} There is the projected first flight | that fascism will not be tolerated of the largest land plane in the/ by the working class, as huge pro- world, named after Maxim Gorky,| cessions bearing banners for Cata- built by popular subscription. \lonian national independence and This May Day is the fifth an-/for a revolutionary working class niversary of the institution of so-| struggle against fascism, wound its cialist competition, the first shock| way through the main streets of brigade having been created by the Barcelone. | Commurist youth of the Red Vigor; Ricardo Samper, new Premier of foctory in Leningrad, in the sprinc| in, a “Left Republican,” picked | of 1929; and the first articles of| asa fig- to cover the incrrasing!y socialist competition between the fascist maneuvers of the Gemora Jandlord-capitalist government, to- (Continued on Page 2)