The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 15, 1934, Page 1

-_—$_ _ ‘LESSONS OF THE TOLEDO STRIKE’ Series of Articles in this Important Struggle Begins Tomorrow Vol. XI, No. 143 ka Entered as second-class matter New York, N. ¥., under the Ai Daily <QWorker at the Post Office at et of March 8, 1879, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1934 CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL) WEATHER: Generally Fair. AMERICA’S ON CLASS DAILY! LY WORKING YEWSPAPER (Six Pages) Price 3 Cents ‘TIGHE CALLS IN GREEN 10 CHOKE RISING STEEL STRIKE Free Thaelmann a) lag Waves Atop [fl 1 Eternal Light Thousands Demand G Freedom in Phone Calls to the Nazi Consulate, Hamburg-American L | erman C, P, Leader’s ine Throughout Day NEW YORK.—A huge red flag fluttered in the breeze bearing the imperative demand “FREE ERNST THAEL- | MANN” atop the Madison Square flag pole yesterday as the | tried to haul the flag down. | The flag had been hoisted during the night, the flag- | New York police force vainly pole ropes carefully cut after® the flag had reached the top, and the pole itself heavily greased. While crowds gathered to watch the sight, police squads des- perately tried to get up the pole, but it was greased too well for them. The German Consulate was re- ported yesterday to be flooded with thousands of telephone calls pro- testing against the Nazi threat to| murder Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the German working class. They poured into the Consulate switch- board, Bowling Green 9-6584, all day long. Workers were standing in line in front of telephone booths in the proletarian sections of the city to get their chance to register their protest and that of their or- ganizations against the torture of Thaelmann, They declared that they would keep up a steady stream of telephone calls until the Hitler government realized that back of Ernst Thaelmann there stands the entire working class of the United | States determined to rescue him~ from the Nazi executioners. Police to Aid Nazis | When the National Secretary of the Finnish Workers Federation of | the U.S.A. phoned the Consulate to| register the protest of the tens of} thousands of Finnish workers in his | organization. he was told by a Con- sular official “the police will answer | and take care of our phone calls!” | This indicates that the Nazi repre- sentatives in this country are en- Usting the assistance of “the forces of law and order,” threatening to arrest workers for exercising their elementary right of fee speech and free protest. At the same time, it was reported that the Hamburg-American line, with offices on lower Broadway are subject to such a constant barrage of protest phone calls it was mak-j ing it impossible—according to the} Nazi shipping lines representative— for all regular business to be ha dled through their phone lines. With this happening at the height of the tourist season, the shipping season line was -facing serious in- terruption of its passenger traffic | bookings. While this telephone bombard- ment of the Nazi agencies has been going on, the sale of the “Free Thaelmann” postcards had _ been steadily spurting. The Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union reported that one of their members had sold 60 Thaelmann postcards to passers-by in the street during one hour collecting 1 cent for the postcards plus 3 cents for the nec- essary postage to Germany. Those who bought the postcards signed their name and address to register their personal protest against the | Nazi terror and its threat to Com- rade Thaelmann’s life. Eggaling, Geran Seaman At Anti-Nazi Meet Tonight NEW YORK.—Protesting against fascist terror in Germany, denounc- ing the beating and kidnapping of @ seaman by Nazis in Yorkville, and demanding freedom for Ernst Thaelmann, jeopardized Communist leader, a mass meeting will be held in the big hall of the Labor Temple, 243 East 84th St., at 8 p.m. tonight. Featured speakers will be Theo- dore Eggaling, German sailor at- tacked by Nazis in Yorkville and saved in the nick of time from kidnapping by the Nazi officers of. the S.S. Albert Ballin. He will describe for the first time, | his experience and last minute res- cue by American anti-fascist groups and the LL.D. His talk will correct the distorted and biased reports which appeared regarding his case. Among other speakers are Otto Durick, H. Chang, and Walter Or- loft. * Chicago Workers Intensify Drive to Free Thaelmann CHICAGO, June 13.—A flood of telephone calls protesting the frame-up of Ernst Thaelmann in the German lynch courts tied up the phone of the German Consulate e4 Chicago for two hours today. of calls poured in to the representative of Hitler’s govern- ment. Tonight an emergency conference Involving 30 organizations was held to prepare mass actions for the de- fense of Comrade Thaelmann. It Was unanimously decided to hold a | | rested yesterday in the office of the ‘Down With Fascism!’ Cry Communists In Hitler Court BRESLAU, Germany, June 14. —‘Down with class justice!” “Down with Fascism!” resound- ed in the court room yesterday when 110 Communists, accused || of “high treason” were sentenced to long terms of imprisonment, Nazi newspapers report here to- || day. Nazi court guards brutally drove the defendants out of the court rooms and into their cells after this demonstration which followed the reading of the ver- dict. Sentences ranging from 1 to 15 years were meted out to all || but 18, who were’ acquitted, and six who were given “suspended” sentences, | Hathaway and| Raymond Out On $500 Bail Editor, Staff Writer To Face Jury Trial for Exposing Spy | NEW YORK.—Indicted by the New York Grand Jury for criminal libel for exposing the criminal | strike-breaking activities of the Sherwood Detective Bureau, Clar- ence A. Hathaway, editor of the Daily Worker, and Harry Raymond, staff writer of the paper, were ar- District Attorney, when they ap-) | peared there with Attorney Edward | | Kuntz of the International Labor | Defense to answer the charge. Hathaway and Raymond were taken to the Fifth Precinct Police fler, one of the arresting officers, where they were officially booked, and then to the Court of General | Sessions, where they pleaded not} guilty to the charge before Judge! Otto Rosalsky. Judge Rosalsky set the bail at | $1,000 for each of the defendants, | but following a heated discussion between Attorney Kuntz and the} judge, in which Kuntz protested} against the high bail, both de- fendants were released on $500 bail each. The date of the trial was not announced. “It’s a serious crime to under- mine people’s characters,” said the judge. “But complainant in this case has no character to be under- mined,” retorted Attorney Kuntz. “The minutes of the hearing of the case in Magistrates Court prove definitely that George Williams, who brought the charges, is a strikebreaker, a man who hires underworld characters and armed thugs to slug and ter- rorize workers when they go on strike. It is ridiculous to talk of undermining the character of such a man.” Part of LaGuardia Drive The redoubled effort on the part of the District Attorney's office to convict Hathaway and Raymond is | clearly part of the LaGuardia ad- | ministration’s campaign against the | Communist Party, the Daily Worker and the working-class movement in general in the City of New York. Has $1 in Pocket, Gives Half to Defend Raymond Hathaway, NEW YORK.—An unemployed worker yesterday donated 50 cents—half of his worldly goods —for the defense of Clarence Hathaway, editor of the Daily Worker, and Harry Raymond, who have been indicted for crim- inal libel for exposing strike- breakers. The unemployed worker, who did not give his name, donated the money through the Interna- tional Labor Defense, N. Y. Dis- trict, 870 Broadway, which is de- fending Hathaway and Ray- (Continued on Page 6) mond. |Conversations Occur at | Disarmament Conference; | Station by Detective John C. Lef-| Plots With Hitler Tor War Dictator Mussolini strutting at a recent Fascist gathering in Italy just before he made his speech that war was the only way out for capitalism, promising the masses at the same time drastically lowered living standards. Mussolini and | Hitler Meet To Plot War) Time of German Finance Crisis VENICE, June 14. — The chief Nazi butcher, Adolf Hitler, arrived here this morning at the Lido air- port, and was greeted by the fascist premier of Italy, Mussolini, at al- most the same time that the an- nouncement of the financial cri was made in Berlin. On the special} request of Hitler no foreign news-! papermen are permitted in the) | landing field, when Hitler’s plane arrived from Munich, The whole population of Venice | was terrorized by the unprecedented military and police mobilization concentrated here in order to safe- guard the two fascist dictators. Anti-aircrafft artillery and special pursuit planes were brought to the landing field as part of the protec- tive force. Mussolini's usually heavy bodyguard was doubled. Groups of plain clothes detectives dressed as workers. were scattered throughout Venice for miles sur- rounding the possible routes through | which Hitler and Mussolini woud pass. While the purpose of this im-j| portant conference is being kept strictly secret, the cay bon papers throughout the world are unanimous in forecasting that the chief subject will be war alliances, in view of the failure of the Geneva the Nazi anti-Soviet policy, and an attempt to win Mussolini’s support for the} armament and war program of Ger- }man fascism, in return for Nazi concessions in Austria. Mussolini has specifically instruc- ted all of the Italian newspapers to print editorials announcing that the visit of Hitler should not be con- strued as in any way inimical to France, (See article on Page 6 on Mus- solini-Hitler meeting.) 1,400 Greek Gidkers Close Tobacco Factories PIRAEUS, Greese, June 14— Fourteen hundred tobacco workers are out on strike, closing all tobacco factories, including that of the American Tobacco Company. Three girls have been injured in a clash with the police. Fifteen girls have been arrested. In Cayella | three month terms were given to several, and internment arranged for three others, on the charge of o— Communist agitation. ‘Moratorium Exposes Nazi Money Crisis Vain Attemp t to Halt Gold Standard Collapse BERLIN, June 14.—A severe crisis was reached in German finances today with the announcement of a six-month moratorium on payment of all foreign obligations, including the Young and Dawes _ loans, s| Through this means the Hitler gov- ernment saves for itself $160,000,000, |to be used to subsidize German fi- nance capital, and the heavy Nazi | war expenditures. The announcement made by von Krosigk, Nazi Minister of Finance, | provides that no cash transfers be made to foreign countries from July 1, 1934, to December 31, 1934, ‘These drastic steps were taken on order of Dr. Hjalmer Schacht, pres- ident of the Reichsbank, in a des- perate effort to save the collapse of the gold standard in Germany and the consequent opening up of @ new wave of inflation. The immediate result of the Nazi’s financial policy will be to sharpen its conflicts with the leading impe- rialist powers who hold most of the German debts. It will still further shatter the world financial insta- | bility of capitalism, having its re- , Percussion on all the money markets of the world, All imports into Germany, espe- cially food and raw material, al- ready at a very low point, will be drastically cut still further. The im- mediate effect will be increased prices of food-stuffs for the masses, increased unemployment, and a gen- eral intensification of the economic crisis of fascism, It is admitted in London and in Wall Street that these drastic fin- ancial measures of the Hitler regime will only temporarily delay the col- lapse of the gold standard and in- flation. The gold coverage of the mark is now nearly at zero, Nazi Hanfstaengl Is An Old Acquaintance, Says Madam Perkins WASHINGTON, June 14, — Ernst Franz Sedgwick Hanf- staengel, Nazi propaganda agent enroute to visit Harvard Uni- versity, is an old acquaintance of Secretary of Labor Frances Per- kins, she admitted today. The cabinet lady was asked In a press conference to comment upon a rumor that she and the Nazi were related and that he. was once her house guest. She de- nied this, but added that she knew him. Steel Workers Press for Strike |Birmingham Men State Strike Certain on Friday DEFY WARN | Press Features Tighe “Red-Baiting” To Thwart Action SALEM, Ohio, June 14.— The National Sanitary Local 607 of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union last night voted unanimously that the company’s failure to ‘comply with its demands to- | day would mean strike at 6 a.m. Friday. More than 300 workers are involved. The local’s demands include average wage increases of 20 per cent. This local has won two increases totalling 35 to 50 per cent since August, 1933. Special to Daily Worker BIRMINGHAM, Ala., June 14.— Despite all the statements of the officials of the Tennessee Coal and Iron Company here that there are the steel workers, the workers report that the strike will begin on Friday night. The press is featuring in scream- ing headlines, the “red-baiting” at- tacks of Tighe of the A. A. To. fight this vicious attempt to split the unity of the men, the In- ternational Labor Defense is dis- tributing three thousand leaflets urging unity in preparation for strike action in the shops. Meanwhile the officials of the International Union of Miners, Metal and Smelter (A. F. of L.) are conferring secretly with the em- ployers to break the ore strike on the eve of the steel strike, The shooting of a Negro, in the Alabama Fuel and Iron Company is being featured by the press as the outcome of “labor troubles,” al- though this shooting has no con- nection with the strikes here. Two were arrested, but later released. Grand Jury Indicts All May 26 Demonstration | NEW YORK. — Upholding the| conspiracy of the courts to frame | the ten workers who were clubbed and jailed by the police at the May 26 demonstration at 50 Lafayette St., the June Grand Jury today brought in charges of misdemeanor against the ten. In addition, felonious assault chares were placed against five of the workers—Joseph Polisky, Core D’Amicis, Joseph | Schindler, Jerimiah Lynch and Davind Jenkins. In all cases, the Grand Jury was forced, because of lack of evidence, to drop the frame-up charges of “riot.” As yet, no trial date has been fixed. COMMUNISTS, SOCIALISTS ARRESTED SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain, June 14—Two Communists-and a number of Socialist leaders were arrested here today. Police explained the arrests as connected with the “finding” of arms on the railway tracks near Tolosa when a dozen men fied after an alleged firing on a guard. no preparations for a strike among! Ten Workers Jailed in | - E . ommittee Pledges Support to Steel Strike NEW YORK.—Full support to Union Committee in a telegram opened yesterday in Pittsburgh A copy of the telegram, secretary, Union. The telegram follo “A. F. OF L. RANK AND TEE CONSISTING OF BONA FI ISTS EMBRAC * IN ALL INDU TRI PLEDGE TO DISSIPATE FIGHTING § THROUGH POSTPONEMENTS ONLY STRIKE ACTION FOR MANDS ORGANIZED ON BASIS “A. F. OF L. Amendments Provi ot e| for Strikebreaking Court Orders By MARGUERITE YOUNG (Daily Worker Washington Bureau) WASHINGTON, June drive to force the Roosevelt anti- | strike resolution through Congress without a record vote—in order to allow members to pass it without taking individual responsibility for it—was under way today as some | iiberals shied from the plain lan- | guage of the company-union fester- | | ing measure. Senator Borah of Idaho, frankly dissatisfied by the stripping of dem- |agogy from the Wagner bill for which the Roosevelt resolution is a substitute, declared: “I think we/ ought to take up the Wagner bill and pass it.” Republicans of the Senate mean- while appointed a subcommittee to consider the bill. These five, head- ed by “Puddler” Jim Davis, old hand American Federation of La- bor faker from the steel-bossed state of Pennsylvania drew up four amendments to make the bill even more openly a diehard, open-shop weapon. Pessimism spread as to the pos- sibility of using the new Roosevelt measure for the purpose for which )it is intended; to thwart the na- tional steel strike and forestall others. Reactionaries still were not, content with it. They want a straight-from-the-shoulder compul- sory arbitration bill. Lead Gov't Strikebreakers James Dewey, ace strikebreaker of the Department of Labor's “con- | (Continued on Page 2) Demonstrate at Pier 86, Sat. Against Hanfstaengl © Millions Send Protests| Against Landing of Hitler Agent NEW YORK—Thousands of workers and other anti-fascists will mass at Pier 86, on West 46th St., Saturday, at 4:30 p.m., to protest the landing of Hitler’s propaganda agent, Ernst F. S. Hanfstaengl, who is due to arrive on the Europa at that time. Telegrams and protests from or- ganizations with over a million and a half members have pcured in on Frances Perkins, Secretary of La- bor, and President James B, Con- nant, of Harvard University, Cam- bridge, Mass., against the landing of this Nezi agent of the execu- tioner Hitler. Calling on all anti-fascist forces to confront Hanfstaengl with one} of the greatest demonstrations ever seen here against fascism and for the release of Ernst Thaelmann, the | tee. National Committee to Aid Victims of German Fascism today issued an expose of this criminal agent of the Ni Hanfstaengl is one of the inner ruling circles of the Nazis, which include Hitler, Goering, Goebbels, and Heinz, and whd planned and arranged the burning of the Reich- stag on February 27, 1933, for which Dimitroff and others were tried. He is private propaganda representative and advisor for Hitler in the cam- paign to justify the planned execu- tion of Thaelmann. “Hanfstaengl's ‘last minute’ de- cision to attend the reunion of his class et Harvard University is noth- jing but a ssham. He hoped by de- laying till the eleyenth hour to put to sleep some of the protest which burst out spentancously ail over the country ai the appearance of the first announcement that he might |come,” says the anti-fascist commit- “Hanfstaengl wishes to be greeted and honored as an affectionate son of Alma Mater, a Harvard graduate who ‘made. good’ and now comes back to reap plaudits and honors. It has ever been suggested by an inspired editorial in the Harvard Crimson that he be given an hon- orary degree. Such_ recognition would facilitate the Hitler propa- ganda which is the real aim behind his coming. “We propose another kind of re- ception and another kind of degree for the notoriously slippery Herr Hanfstaengl.” Hanfstaengl should be met with ‘a huge demonstration voicing the slogan: “Drive the Nazi Agents Out of the United States;” “Free Ernst; Thaelmann and the Other Impris- | | Was One of-Group That’ Arranged Burning of Reichstag College Chapters, vigorously de- nounces the importation of the Nazi propagandist Hanfstaengl and de- mands his immediate ousting. The New York District of the National Student League calls on all students to demonstrate Saturday afternoon at 4:30 p.m. at the North German Lloyd pier on W. 46th St. “We urge all students to show their solidarity with the working class by demonstrating tomorrow against Harvard's Hanfstaengl; ; against his book-burning Hitler Fascist regime; against the persecu- tion of the revolutionary student members of the Rote Studenten oned Anti-Fascist Tighters.” The National Student League, in| behalf of its 150 High School and| Verband; and for the immediate re- lease of Thaelmann and all political priscners,” League. which was signed by was forwarded to the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial JPPORT THOUSANDS A. F. OF L. LOCALS OF STEEL WORKERS STOP WE WILL DO ALL IN OUR POWER TO MOBILIZE ORGANIZED WORKERS IN SUPPORT OF YOUR STRUGGLE WHICH CONCERNS EVERY INDUSTRY STOP OUR EXPERIENCE AND OUR YOUR STRUGGLES MOVE US TO URGE YOU TO BE ON GUARD AGAINST MANEUVERS OF PART OF A. A. LEADER- SHIP TO PREVENT STRIKE TO SIDETRACK MAIN DEMANDS STOP AUTO WORKERS WHO WERE TRAPPED IN THIS MANNER HAVE ALREADY LEARNED BITTER LESSON HANDS OF ROOSEVELT APPOINTED AUTO BOARD STOP WORKERS OF ALL ORGANIZATIONS AND UNORGANIZED MEETS THE INTERESTS OF Wi RANK AND FILE COMMITTEE, “LOUIS WEINSTOCK, SECRETARY.” Rush Roosevelt Bill In Effort to Block Strike | Against Steel Monopoly 14,— A} says a statement by the | be the steel workers in their coming strike was pledged yesterday by the A. F. of L. Rank and File Trade sent to the special convention of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, which Louis Weinstock, FILE TRADE UNION COMMIT- |! DE A. F. OF L. TRADE UNION- FULL SUPPORT TO STRIKE WORKER IN EVERY EREST IN PIRIT OF STEEL WORKERS AND ARBITRATION SCHEMES AT ORIGINAL CONVENTION DE- OF UNITED FRONT OF STEEL ORKE) ‘Minor Hits Fake Vote Plans at N. Y. Proposes True Method Of Proportional | strike Charter Hearing As A. A. Convention Opens; Ohio Plant Strikes for Pay Rise fee Call fe for Repudi- ation of Roosevelt Plan GET STRIKE CALL S.M.W.LU. Places Unity Call in Delegates Hands BULLETIN PITTSBURGH, Pa., June 14.~ There is strong sentiment fot general strike among delegates at the convention here. This ex- plains the great concentration of government forces and A, F, of L. officials to try to prevent or delay by some “compromise” measure to confuse and split the | ‘steel workers’ ranks. In addition | to Green, who was invited by Tighe, four labor “conciliators” are now in Pittsburgh, including Federal Conciliator James Dewey, who visited the convention today. The convention is now in execu- tive session and a vote on strike action is expected tomorrow. By CARL REEVE (Special to the Daily Worker) PITTSBURGH, Pa., Juné 14.—From every side, pres- sure is being felt from the rank and file steel workers for strike action as voted by | the last A. A. convention. The Cross Roads of Amer- | ica Ladge No. 43 of the A. A. of Indianapolis, the day before yes- terday, distributed to#ll the lodges | of the Amalgamated Association of | Steel, Iron and Tin Workers res- olutions proposing the sending of mass delegations to Washington. The resolution proposes that the delegates insist on: (1) a 6-hour | day, 5-day week; (2) at least 35 |per cent general increase in wages; and, (3) recognition of the union | with signed agreements. The res- | olution calls on all lodges to take similar action for the sending of mass delegations to Washington to | back up the strike and its demands, and not to go back to work until these demands are completely won, Criticize Tighe Komo Lodge No. 41 and Wildcat. Lodge No. 45 of Kokomo, Ind., in a joint meeting passed a resolution which was distributed to all the Representation NEW YORK.—The position of the | ;Communist Party on the propor: tional representation in the pro: posed New York city charter startle the hearing presided over by Nor- man Thomas, Socialist Party chief, |yesterday, in the Municipal Courts | Building when Robert Minor, vet- eran revolutionary leader, exposed the false proposals for proportional representation made by various lib- eral and business groups and pre-| sented a truly democratic procedure. Minor charged that proposals “which are being palmed off as pro- portional representation are nothing but attempts to defeat true propor- tional representation and at the same time to reduce even the meagre democratic rights now existing. “Such false proportional repre- sentation will help introduce some form of city manager plan and re- move the executive functions of city government to the furthest degree from the electorate,” he said. proportional representation with preferential voting as has been done here repeatedly is being done to put over an undemocratic, reactionary proposal.” Minor proposed a system of pro- portional representation whereby the total vote of a minority party will be lumped and representatives |be elected at large according to the total vote cast. The proposals for pic introduced by speakers from the League of Women Voters, Mer- chant’s Association, City Affairs Committee represented by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, and other organi- zations, called for “preferential vot— ing” or some form of emasculated proportional representation. Alger- | non Lee spoke for the Socialist | Party, with a little prompting from Thomas on the bench, called for proportional representation but ne- glected to go into any explanations, ostensibly concurring with the pro- Posals of the business interests and “liberals.” At Wednesday nignt’s session of the sub-committee on city executive and administrative departments, Robert Minor, Williana Burroughs and Fred Biedenkapp, representing the Communist Party, strongly op- Posed the city manager plan of gov- ernment which the sub-commities was considering and proposed a method of proportional representa— tion whereby minority parties will allowed a voice in the manage- ment of city affairs, Pat “The whole manner of confusing | lodges of the A. A. “calling upon |the international officials to accept the co-operation of the Committee |of Ten in carrying through the lan of concerted action,” adopted jat the last A. A. convention. | The resolution demands that the |Committee of Ten be included in all negotiations arising out of the | strike and the strike situation, and criticizes Mike Tighe for refusing to | recognize the Committee. The Con- vention opened this morning in an executive session with all reporters {and visitors barred. Officials Block Unity Message The unity call of the Steel and Metal Workers Industrial Union was eargerly seized when telegraph messenger boys distributed it to the delegates in envelopes this morning. After approximately 100 had been distributed, A. A. officials escorted the messenger boys out of the hall. It is obvious that the convention is now being stretched out beyond the original plan of a one-day ses- sion by the international officials in order to delay strike action. This is seen in the announcement that William Green, A. F. of L. presie dent, will speak here tomorrow. Preparing for Strike—Backing “Arbitration” Tighe told reporters last night that “any plan the government might offer’ to avert the steel strike will be welcomed by the delegates and given earnest con- sideration. Tighe made it known (Continued on Page 2) HAVANA COMMUNISTS INDICTED Havana, June 14—Indictments were drawn against 19 Communists yesterday in an effort to prevent a strike on June 15th. They were charged with attempt- ing to foment a general strike on that date. Railway workers had already voted to strike. Camajuani is under martial law as the Mendieta goverment sought to terrorize labor leaders and tadicals who have been conducting a militant fight for improved work- ing conditions on the public services and in local shops, — NEW BOMBING PLANES LONDON, June 14—A squadron of 11 bombers was added to the British forces today. Three more squadrons will report during see to aerodromes near London 1934 it was announced.