The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 9, 1934, Page 1

BARBUSSE ON THAELMANN! “Do You Know Thaelmann?” Begins on Feature Page This Saturday al or er AMERICA’S ONLY WORKING / CLASS DAILY NEWSPAPER Entered as second-class matter at the Post Office at New York, N. ¥., under the Act of March 8, 1879 Roosevelt |We Struggle for Relief, Asks Fake Says Krumbein,C.P.Head Jobless. Ligediptoyaiane Couke Insurance Puts Off All Action on Social Insurance Until “Next Winter” Vol. XI, No. 138 <* NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JUNE 9, 1934 4 WEATHER: Warmer. Many Large Stop Work'Tiohe Takes the Lead of Strikes nOn Docks Steel Loom In Support Steel Strike Negotiatio rai In Alabama Of Strike Committee of Ten Quits (Eight Pages) Price 3 Cents “Must Build Unemployment Councils Into Real Mass Organizations” By HOWARD BOLDT “Yellow dogs?” Together With Johnson, Agrees To New, Small Committee SELL-OUT LOOMS cmaseniai Party, ILD, Mass Demonstration Expose Bombings in Monday Noon at Their Leaflets | Brooklyn Pier (Special to the Daily Worker) NEW YORK.—Rallying into ac- BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 8.—| tion in support of the striking steve- | dores on the West Coast, several | The general ore strike here con-| nundred longshoremen refused to tinues with attempts by the Na-/ handle cargo for three hours on tional Guard to smash the picket | Thursday at the piers of the Luck- lines. Several small skirmishes have| enbach and Dollar Steamship Com- | taken place. Charley Krumbein, organizer of the largest district of the Communist Party, steamfitter by trade, smiled slowly. Picket Nazi Consulates in Boston, Phila., Demand Freedom | “Yellow dogs are those who clubbed the unemployed | BURDEN ON MASSES) with sadistic brutality on May® 26, the La Guardia police,” he Makes Bid for Support said. “It is not the unemployed and their courageous leaders—the yellow at Fall Congressional Elections dogs are those who cut relief to the bone to give the bankers their pound of flesh slashed from the District Eonieed Bre Decisions of A. A. of Thaelmann = *s WASHINGTON, June 7. — President Roosevelt, in a mes- sage to the outgoing Con- gress, expressed himself surance” but, sometime “next winter.” | With Congress slated for an early adjournment, around June 15, without a single Piece of legislation favorable to the working population to its credit, the presidential eye scanned the com- ing fall Congressional elections, and “favored” a form of “social insur- | ance... raised by contribution.” “Next winter.” Roosevelt’s state- ment reads, “we may well under- take the great task of furthering the security of the citizen and his family through social insurance.” Although by inference, Roosevelt declares himself now opposed to the Wagner-Lewis “Reserves” Bill, in his message, he repeats his ap- proval of a system the burden of which can be thrust unon the shoulders of the working popula- tion. “I believe.” Roosevelt's statement continues, “that the funds necessary for this insurance should be raised by contribution rather than by an increase in general taxation,” indi- cating thereby his two alternatives —taxing the working class further Seneral taxation,” or a national tem supdorted entirely by the ed and offcring insurance for ome categories of the em- Pleved with absolutely no provision in| favor of “unemployment in-| possibly | New York working class.” Briefly, the New York relief sit- uation was outlined: | The watch dog of Wall Street, | Fiorello H, LaGuardia, Mayor of |New York, has declared that a | “crisis” exists in the city relief. While paying 127 million dollars to the bankers in annual debt service, while holding to the letter of the Bankers Agreement by which the city has mortgaged the lives of the city’s unemployed, LaGuardia is preparing the way for the 7-cent fare and a tax on every worker's pay envelope. | From the pockets of the under- | paid workers, from the pay envel- opes of part-time workers, even from the unemployed themselves, he | plans to raise the funds for unem- CHARLES KRUMBEIN | ployment relief. | New York District Organizer of | the Communist Party By militant action at the relief bureaus, by swift, decisive strikes on the relief projects, by city-wide demonstrations and mass meetings, | the workers of New York have | the present forced LaGuardia to |forced-the city to appropriate on! back down on his Plan of forced | June 1 the largest relief appropria- | labor on relief which he announced | tion in the city’s history, $17,750,000. } Similarly, the workers have for) (Continued on Page 2) | 150 Imperial Valley Du Bois Resigns Workers Deported In Bitter Fight in In Huge Frame-Ups NAACP Leadership, | Police and Gangs Jail Struggle Over Tacit, Or Open Acceptance | Others on “Incitement The rank and file| panies in Brooklyn and Jersey City. committees, however, are strength-| The men were driven back to work ening the picket lines, forcing the building of unemployed branches and women’s auxiliaries of the In- ternational Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers. The rank and | by officials and delegates of the International Longshoremen’s As- sociation, following a telephone call | from Joseph P. Ryan, president of | file committee of white and Negro! workers visited the Governor, de- manding the withdrawal of the Na- tional Guards. The Governor re- fused, declaring that the guards were present to protect property first and lives second. The packing house strike is solid with twenty-four-hour picket duty at five plants, sandwiches on Federal line. Richardson, labor agent, is trying to “arbitrate” | the packing and butchers’ strike. The steel situation here is tense. The Party has issued a leaflet call- ing for solid strike preparations under rank and file leadership and control of the union, against jim- crow practices and the Amalga- mated Association officials. The Tennessee Coal and Iron Company is mobilizing all forces to prevent the strike. The company union vote held on Monday revealed wide- spread intimidation; many were forced to vote for the company union or be fired. The union called on the workers to abstain from vot- ing and the Amalgamated Associa~- tion leaders have called for Federal supervision of the voting. The Tennessee Coal and Iron Co. has already exacted promises offer- ing extra pay to workers if they stay on the job and get other scabs in case of a strike for more pay. Two hundred cots have been | Tennessee Coal and Iron Co. is mo- Pickets are being | | served coffee and | their |placed in the steel mill and the| the LL.A., who is on the West Coast trying to betray the strike, ordering | the longshoremen to load the ships. | Hailing the solidarity action of! the longshoremen and denouncing | the officials of the ILA. for herd- | ing the men back to work, the Rank and File Action Committee of the ILA. issued a ringing call to all workers in Greater New York to rally in support of the longshore- | men in a gigantic demonstration at Pier 6 of the Bush Terminal in| Brooklyn, Monday at noon. | Endorse Demonstration Organizations endorsing the dem- | onstration Monday are the Marine | Workers Industrial Union, the} Trade Union Unity Council, the In- | ternational Labor Defense and the Communist Party. | “Every member of the Commu- nist Party in Greater New York is obliged to come out in support | of the longshoremen and to take | active part in the demonstration at the Bush Terminal pier Mon- | day noon, where steamship com- panies are attempting to load ships bound for the West Coast,” | said a statement issued by the (Continued on Page 2) Steel Co. Thugs — Brutally Attack | Communist Mayor Heads Delegation To Nazi Consulate Special to the Daily Worker Detroit, June 8—The Com- munist Mayor of Platt, Michigan William Young, today headed a delegation to the German Con- sulate. Included in the delega- tion was Thomas McFaddean, Workers’ member of the Village Council. The delegation presented a resolution in the name of the Platt Village Council demanding the safety and immediate re- lease of Thaelmann and ali other anti;Fascist prisoners. Another delegation, represent- ing the Unemployed Council of Washington County, in which Platt is located, also appeared at the same time to demand Thael- mann’s release. ‘Outlines Program ‘For Action in Fight To Free Thaelmann Nat'l Committee Calls for Widest Campaign Ageinst Fascism 2 Pickets Arrested in | Phila.; Boston Workers Attack on Anti-Nazis Special to the Daily Worker BOSTON, June 8.—Carrying signs | demanding the safety and freedom |of Ernst Thaelmann and protesting | the jailing of anti-Nazi workers and students beaten up and arrested in the May 17 demonstration against the Nazi warship “Karlsruhe,” Bos- |ton workers today started picketing the Nazi Consulate here. Picketing | will be continued daily, from 12 noon | to 1 o'clock, | Hearing on the appeal against the |vicious sentences meted out |Judge Sullivan to 21 anti-Nazi | workers and students has been set for Wednesday, June 13, in the Pemberton Square Court, second floor, | A. W. Warner, Boston attorney, who volunteered his services, will conduct the appeal for the Inter- national Defense. peer tie sar Arrest Pickets in Philadelphia | PhILADELPHIA, June 8—Two | workers, picketing the German Con- |sulate here demanding the release of Ernst Thaelmann, were arrested yesterday charged with “disorderly conduct.” delphia bosses and their police with the Nazi murder regime has aroused intense indignation among the Ne- |gro and white workers of Phila- | delphia. | Picketing will be resumed today at 3 o'clock, and will continue daily. | The International Labor Defense, | which has initiated the picketing by | This open collaboration of Phila- NEW YORK. — Sponsoring the|of the consulate, here will defend By MARGUERITE YOUNG (Daily Worker Washington Burean) WASHINGTON, June 8 Local leaders of the Amalga- mated Association of Iron Steel and Tin Workers (A. F, of L.) today officially ad- mitted having junked the Committee of Ten elected by their convention to protect the in- terests of the rank and file. They elected a new small committee to join International President Mike Tighe and government officials in greasing the skids for a national steel strike sell out The formula now under con- sideration is the same old Steel Labor Board so raucously rejected, | verbally, a day or so ago. Members | of the “Committee of Twenty-Five,” who named the new negotiating committee, told your correspondent they will not agree to the Steel Labor Board as now proposed. But, completely confused in the toils of Tighe and N. R. A. Administrator Johnson, they added, “You know, there’s no telling how you might have to change your mind.” Weirton Worker Beaten Word arrived that at least one A. A. member at Weirton, where 116 | were fired Wednesday for union ac- | tivities, was driven out some miles from the West Virginia plant yes- terday and severely beaten. District leaders Forbeck, Long and Irwin were named to nego- tiate with President Tighe, and an- other International officer, Vice- President Miller, and N.R.A. Admin- fo- the present, 15 million jobless. to Riot” Charges | Of Segregation br i ; | \ s , | is . Long was never Onto the federal’ and staté gov | bilizing Negro preachers to break | SMWIU Organizer | broadest campaign against the AY: arp Sesiees eee ae deamtioantcins racial com= eng i Roosevelt states, will ‘peal SAN FRANCISCO, June 8.—|! NHW YORK.—The bitter fight aay sab Met a. omic | seery of German fascism, and] take turn in picketing, and will | mittee of ten. The secretary of the 8. e buren of “management” of | Bi s t (ek oni the funds, declarini € . the sev- 1 states should meet a large por- 1 of the cost of management, leaving to the Federal government the responsibility of investing .. . the insurance reserves.” Absolutely no mention is made of ellocating federal funds for unem- ployment insurance, leaving only the possibility of thrusting what- ever system is adopted sometime “next winter” upon the employed. Recsevelt ends by stating that he is preparing “necessary .. . studies . . . for the consideration of the ‘74th Congress.” Slashes Relief Program Declaring that “There is ample private money for sound housing projects,” Roosevelt’s message in- dicated further drastic reductions in relief appropriations for “work relief.” “We have not imposed undue re- strictions of business,” Roosevelt continued. “We have not opposed the incenitve of reasonable profit,” referring presumably to the tremen- dous profits accuring to the trusti- fied industries since the beginning of the “New Deal.” For the farmer, Roosevelt's mes- kage held out the prospect of physi- cally transporting thousands of poor farmers, restating his message of February 28 in which he held out the prospect of a handful of seeds and wholesale forced mass migra- tion for the poor farmers. Attacks on USSR. Citizens Mount on Manchrian| RR Line Soviet Union Protests Assaults on Chinese Eastern Railway (Special to the Daily Worker) VLADIVOSTOK, June 8 (By Ra- dio)—Japanese army-inspired pro- vocative acts on the Chinese Eastern Railway have been becoming more frequent since Spring. reports from Harbin, Manchuria, state. Attacks especially on the Eastern section of the railway, leading to Vladivostok have been severe. Trains are being derailed, the countryside population is being pil- laged, and employees of the railway as well as passengers killed and kidnapped, stations, barracks, post office workers, and ssction gangs are attacked. Soviet citizens employed on the Chinese Eastern Railway are singled out as the first victims of these attacks. Observers note that the increase in these provocations on the CER. always coincide with the campaigns directed toward taking away freight shipments in favor of Japanese controlled railroads. In view of these events, the Man- ager of the C.ER., Rudy, assistant chairman of the Board of the C.)| E. R., Bandura, and U.S.S.R. Consul; General Slavutski in Harbin have lodged a resolute protest with the Menchukuocan authorities demand- ing that measures be taken Herded like beasts in a cattle corral, within the top leadership of the 150 fruit strike leaders.’ men and National Association for the Ad-| women, were subsequently deported vancement of Colored People reached | to an unknown destination by Con-' a breaking point yesterday with the} tracosta County Sheriff Veale and axnouncement that Dr. W. FE. B.} deputies, among whom were mem-| Du Bois, editor of “The Cri offi bers of the fruit growers vigilante! cial organ of the association, had| gangs. ‘ handed in his resignation. | Five other organizers were jailed; In a letter to the board of direc-| on various trumped-up charges, in-| tors, Du Bois resigns his editorship! cluding “vagrancy” and “incitement, of “The Crisis,” his membership in| to riot.” | the “Crisis” board, the board of} These wholesale arrests and de-| ‘irectors and the Spingarn Medel | portations are the latest attacks on| Committee and his position as di-| the rights of the fruit pickers to or-| Te¢tor of publications and research | ganize and strike against intolerable| for the N. A. A. C. P.—all to take conditions and starvation pay. The , *ffect on Monday when the board of | spear-head of the attacks is directed “irectors holds its monthly pig against the organizers and members, It is regarded as certain that the| of the militant Cannery and Agri-| board will accept his resignation. | cultural Workers Union. In many) The controversy, which has been| counties in Imperial Valley, the rich | growers and their armed vigilantes, | loyally supported by county offi- raging since last January, centered | around Du Bois’ open advocacy of| “voluntary” segregation for the the preachers’ ranks over the divi- sion of money given them by the company. A whole series of religious meet- ings was. called this week under T.C.I. orders to prevent the strike. Negro reformist leaders of the Civic League, mobilized as strikebreakers are working with the N.AA.C.P, leadership in T.C.I. territory. The superintendent is telling the work- (Continued on Page 2) Call 5-Hour Political Strike in Norway of 109,000 Railway Men OSLO, Norway, June 8.—A five- hour political strike of 100,000 rail- way and communication workers is scheduled here today from 1 to 6 | No. 901 of the Steel and Metal Head of Youngstown Republic Local, One | Other, Hurt | YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio, June 8.—! Captain Butler, chief of the Repub- lic Comvany’s police and two uni- formed thugs today at‘acked Martin Sole, president of Republic Local Workers. Industrial Union, and another union member while they were distributing handbills in front of the company gate. The thugs pulled guns on the two workers, and slammed Cole against a brick wall, taking the bills away from him. In spite of the company’s claim that 92 per cent of the’ workers voted, only 75 men out of 1,000 em- ployed voted at the company union’s primaries at the Brier Hill Sheet cials, police and courts, have abro- gated the right of,free speech and) assembly in their attempts to smash the strike preparations of the fruit | pickers. F Negro people and the position of the opposing faction of continuing the association’s sham fight against segregation while tacitly agrecing to the policies of the white imperialists. P. M, against the government's new | Mill. eice ‘ 2 The Youngstown delegation to bill for compulsory arbitration and | Washington will report at the Cen- against strikes. This will be the! tral Auditorium at 7 p. m., Sunday, | first strike of its kind in Norway. | June 10. raising its voice to all who oppose the Nazi butcher regime to join in the drive to free Thaelmann, the National Committee to aid Victims of German Fascism last night | adopted a-call to action. This call, of which 100,000 copies will be printed and circulated says in outlining the proposed course of action: “We call upon all workers, upon all workers’ organizations, farmers, the Negro people of America, the middle class, intellectuals, profes- sionals, Catholic and protestant con- gregations, the Jewish people; we call upon all of the people in America opposed to tyranny and oppression, all who stand for free-| dom of speech and press to join in solid ranks for a mass opposition to the new reign of terror and tor- ture being loosened upon the Ger- man people by the Nazi tyrants.” The program outlined by the com- mittee, is as follows: 1, Establish Anti-Nazi committees for the liberation of all prisoners in (Continued on Page 2) convention committee, Cecil Allen | of Indianapolis, has never been in | Washington. Five members are ab- sent now. No one could explain how it happened that instead of them, five other members of the Committee of Ten and about 20 other “delegates” including many district presidents, are now nego- tiating here. BERLIN, June 8—Military roll| Iron and Steel Institute officiais, call, to dragoon the workers and| headed by Eugene Grace, president force them to repeat Nazi slogans | of the Bethlehem Steel Corporation, twice a day in the factories as an| arrived early and held secret con- antidote to growing struggles | ference with N.R.A. Administrator ; against fascism was ordered yester-| Johnson. A.A. leaders said they day by Robert Ley, Nazi leader of | propose not to “accept” a Steel La- ; the “labor front.” |bor Board of five, including two The excuse given by Ley for this company union representatives, two move was that it will break the mo- | industry representatives and one jMotony of labor. The slogans are | impartial chairman—a four to one | changed each day and are made to| line-up, technically, instead of the suit the needs of the Nazis in the| two to one lineup on the widely de- | factory to speed up production or’ nounced Auto Labor Board | to terrorize the workers who are be-| ‘The steel masters are holding out jcoming increasingly and actively | jn» great “concession,” leaders said, anti-fascist. | “ ” s ‘ to “accept” one A. A. member on onuey, Said the Nazis are not at all tie hoard. In this manner the board impoverished in their ideas. “We} ‘ 1 eae: ‘s would arbitrate to extinction all the j have a lot up our sleeves yet * lative) the press, | demands of the union members for i 2 | which the convention voted to strike if necessary, One leader said the “committee of twenty-five” were argued into agreeing to elect a “committee of | send delegations to the onsul de- (Continned on Page 2) | Nazis Order Military | | Roll Calls in Factories |To Terrorize Workers | Steel Sizike Victory Prospects Now Gteater “STEEL WORKERS! TAKE STRIKE IN YOUR OWN HANDS! PUT NO TRUST IN OFFICIALS OF A.F.L. Than 1919---F oster AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION!” William Z. Foster, chairman of the Communist Party of the U.S.A. national secretary of the Trade Union Unity League, and leader of the great Steel Strike of 1919, has addressed a state- ment to the steel workers who are now on the eve of their second great offensive. Foster, now convalescing in a sanatarium in the state of Washington, draws from his wealth of experience in strike struggles and tenders his earnest advice to the steel workers, hands! * * By WILLIAM Z%. FOSTER T IS with the greatest joy that I observe the huge and growing strike movement among the steel workers. In 1919 the steel workers showed that they could or- ganize themselves and bring the great steel mills to a standstill in spite of all the Steel Trust’s company unions, spy systems, terrorism and the treachery of the reac- tionary labor leaders and the government. That was the opening general battle. In 1934 the steel workers will carry this struggle on to victory, The situation in the steel industry is very favorable for such a victory, far better, in fact, than in 1919. The most important factor is that the workers are in more of a fighting spirit. In 1919 the organization campaign had to come from outside the industry proper; this time the stecl workers themselves have done the job of organi- zation. The 1919 strike was led almost entirely from the top; now the rank and file steel workers are pushing forward. The coming strike can be won. But it will be a hard struggle. We may be sure, 2s is now evident, that every weapon of the Steel Trust, the govern- ment and the reactionary labor leaders, will be used against it. Only by a policy of militant macs struggle can all these enemies be defeated and the workers’ demands carried through. as Steel workers! Take this strike into your own Put no trust in your union official leaders. In the 1919 strike the A. A. top leaders, the Tighes, WILLIAM Z. FOSTER Davis’, Leonards, etc.—acted like agents of the steel corporations. They were against the organization campaign and strike from start to finish and they betrayed the struggle times without number. And their treacherous course in this present strike move- ment, trying to sabotage and sell it out, is fully in line with their years-Jong course as bootlickers of the steel bosses. You must realize that the A. A, head leaders are your enemies. No less than the employers and the government, they are out to break your strike. If you fail to understand this vital fact and neglect to keep the strike in your own hands, then they will surely sell you out and defeat your efforts. And these statements apply to the top A. F. of L. leaders as well as those of the A. A. They are all tarred with the same brush of labor treason. They supported Tighe’s sell-out policy in 1919 and they are doing it egain in 1934. Steel workers! Also put no reliance in the Roosevelt, government. President Roosevelt is the representative of the big employers. He is not your friend. He talks much of friendliness to Labor. So did Président Wilson in 1919. But Wilson showed his true capitalist colors in the sieé] strike. With the approval of the Federal Government, troops, police, courts and every means of force and sup- pression were used against us in 1919. Roosevelt has already amply shown that he is the eneray of the working class. His betrayal of the steel workers in Weirton is only one of many such acts all oyer the country. Many bitter lessons we learned in the 1919 strike. Let us profit by them now. These lessons may all be summed up in one phrase: “Take the strike into yeur own hands.” Beware of your corrupt official leaders and of the hypocritical Roosevelt Govern- ment. Be on your guard against every mancuver to postpone the strike as that would paralyze your fighting spirit. Don’t be trapped into government arbitration as that would surrender you helpless into the hands of your enemies. This strike must be won on the picket lime. Strike 100 per cent on June 16th and then stay on strike until your. de- mands are met. That is the way to win. May I, as one who fought side by side with you in the great 1919 strike, offer you the following proposals based upon the experience gained in that battle: 1. Let a broad workers’ committee take full chazze of the strike so far as the A. A. is con- cerned, pushing the Tighe cliqne of misierders aside. 2. Then form a united front between this committee and the Steel 4 Metal Workers Indus- trial Union and jointly conduct the strike. 3. Draw the great masses directly into strike activities, such as mass picketing, broad strike committees, etc.. and permit no settlements to he made without the vote of the striking masses of steel workers. 4. Play fair with the Negro steel workers. Draw them into the strike leadership and see ts it that their demands are furthered and their iebs protected. They will prove the very best of strikers and fighters. 5. Reach the railroad workers and coal min- ers with m2ss delegations, and win their support for your strike, so that when the strike comes no materials of steel shall be produced or hauled to and from the mills. Steel workers! Your victory will be the victory of the whole working class. Strike solid on June 16th in every steel center in the United States. Solidarity will defeat the Steel Trust and all its government and reactionary labor leader allies. P. S.—My only regret is that due to my pro- longed illness from which I have not yet fully recovered, I am not able to take an active part in your fight. You can be sure however that I will do all in my power to assist, three” to do the negotiating on the assertions of Assistant Secretary Labor Edward F. McGrady and Labor Department Conciliator Dewey that this committee of three | Would meet the steel masters per- sonally. No such meeting occurred, | of course. The committee of three ¢ | Were corraled instead by General Johnson, and Secretary Perkins an- nounced they were only promised | the opportunity to negotiate with |her. Johnson, McGrady and pos- | sibly Chairman Wagner. Wagner, | however, stayed out, evidently hav- ling been warned that his “liberal” | reputation wouldn't stand up under |participation in such a raw deal | The A. A. representatives who | vesterday haughtily walked out on Secretarv Perkins and McGrady, saying they were being “stalled,” | were back in conferences, lamblike, |today. It was obvious that. in ad- | dition to complete confusion, there |existed close co-ordinators working | with Tighe and President Green of |the A. F. of L. among the local | leaders. The steel labor board sell-out pro- | posal comes ironically enough at a |time when a responsible govern= | ment official has just been passing |the word around privately that it | was Leo Wolman. Chairman of the | Auto Labor Board and of the La- ber Acvisory Board, who was the leader in and promoter for the sharpest attacks labor has received from the N. R. A. | William Long, Weirton, of the jnew committee of three, telephoned Tighe today and asked him to ace company local leaders to the White | House today. Tighe refused. He jhas been lesding the members of |the Committee of Ten around by the nos2 despite all their continual | private protests against him. He \chellenged their authority to act |for the ccnvention, leaders told | your correspondent today, and they |accepied it. Thus the convention {Committee of Ten was scrapped soon after the convention. | | of | 4