The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 13, 1934, Page 1

nc tn Make This Figure Grow PRESS RUN YESTERDAY. 40,000 Vol. XI, No. 167 Bntered as second-class matter at the Post Office at Wew York, M. ¥., under the Act of March 8, 1878. ‘ >** NEW YORK, FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1934 Daily -QWorker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL) WEATHER: Fair and warmer CE AMERICA’S ONLY WORKING CLASS DAILY NEWSPAPER (Six Pages) Price 3 Cents DRIVERS TAKE FIRST STEP IN FRISCO GENERAL STRIKE; WALKOUT IS VOTED BY MINNEAPOLIS TRUCKMEN Food Lack Grows As Nazis Face New Crisis Hunger, Tension Grow; Hitler Prepares New Mass Appeal BERLIN, July 12—Marked scarcity of foodstuffs con- tinues in all working class dis- tricts and among the general population, as the effect of military preparations and Hitler’s economic policies are making the most common necessi- ties unavailable to the masses. In the attempt to quiet rising mass discontent with the food situ- ation, the government issued an or- der directed to the small shopkeep- ers against “unjustifiable price raising.” | In this way the government hopes to conceal from the masses that its own policies are responsible for the growing mass hunger. Meanwhile, tension is increasing as Hitler prepares to deliver his “justification” for the recent mass arrests and murders before the Reichstag. It is recognized that Hitler's speech will be an attempt to find a new way to divert atten-| tion from the situation at home, and doubts are openly expressed that he will succeed in view of the year-long suffering of the masses who no longer give Hitler's prom- {ses the same credence as before: Indication that the terrorism within the Nazi dungeons as well as outside are unabated are confirmed by the report that Erich Muesahm, one of the leaders of the Bavarian Soviets and a no‘ed writer, “hanged himself” in one of the concentra- tion camps. Whether this report is the actual truth, it is certain that Muesahm has been murdered by the Nazis. LSNR Branch Votes Money for Herndon More Funds . Needed at Once for Defense NEW YORK.—The Harriet Tub- man Branch of the League of Strug- gle for Negro Rights, voted the sum of two dollars to the Angelo Hern- don Bail Fund at its meeting last Friday night at 425 East 6th St. Members of the branch contributed another $1.60. Fifteen thousand dollars in cash or liberty bonds must be raised im- mediately to bail out Herndon. Un- less bail is furnished soon, Herndon will be sent to the chain gang de- spite the fact that an appeal is pending against his chain gang sen- tence. Fifteen thousand dollars must be raised at once to take the appeals for the Scottsboro boys and Hern- don to the U. S. Supreme Court. Funds should be rushed to the national office of the International Labor Defense, Room 430, 80 East llth St., New York City. Certificates will be issued by the ILD. for the Special Bail Fund for Herndon, guaranteeing the return of this as soon as the bail is released. NAZI ACTIVITIES IN BRAZIL RIO DE JANEIRO, July 12.—De- nunciation of Nazi activities in Brazil marked yesterda; aye Assembly session, it was reported today. A Deputy pointed out that in parts of Brazil where the German population is concentrated those who refuse to join the Nazi centers are warned that their relatives at home will be made to suffer Why? Fascist murder rages throughout Germany. No word has been heard from Thaelmann, Torgler and many anti-fascist prison- ers. Why does not the newly elected National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party answer the letter sent to it by the Central Committee of the Commu- nist Party offering to dis- cuss united front actions for the liberation of Thael- mann and all anti-Fascist prisoners? he % Stagger Plan Adopted In Steel; Employment Declines in New York 40,000 Steel Workers to Go On “Share Work” | Plan in East Chicago and Gary Plants EAST CHICAGO, I'lL—Forty thousand steel workers in the East Chicago and Gary steel mills were put on a “share the work” plan Tuesday. The workers will all be put on the short week of about three days, while work is spread among the 40,000 workers on the payroll. By HOWARD BOLDT NEW YORK.—Factory employment for the state of New York as a whole fell 1.2 per cent, and payrolls were slashed 18 per cent in the period from May 15 to June 15, State Industrial Commissioner WILLI MUENZENBERG German Communist leader and former Reichstag deputy, who will tour U. S. in campaign for Ernst Thaelmann, leader of the German Communist Party. Noted Men to Tour Country For Thalmann iN. Y¥. Youth to Mass At! Nazi Consulate Tomorrow NEW YORK. — With Hitler and Goering preparing to rush Ernst Thaelmann to the executioner’s axe, through a prepared verdict by the bogus “People’s Courts,” which are scheduled to start their bloody operations Monday, July 16, the National Committee to Aid Victims of German Fascism, yesterday is- sued an urgent call for intensified protest actions to rescue Ernst ‘Thaelmann and thousands of other anti-fascist fighters threatened with death by the Nazi murderers. To speed the mobilization of forces to save ‘hazimann, the Committee has arranged a na- tional tour of Willi Muenzenberg, member of the Central Committee of the heroic Communist Party of Germany; Dr. Kurt Rosenfeld, Socialist and former Minister of Justice in the Prussian Cabinet, and Aneuren Bevin, member of the Welsh Miners Federation and British Labor Party member of Parliament. Muenzenberg. Rosenfeld and Bevin will speak before immense mass demonstrations and meetings in Detroit, July 19; Cleveland, July 21 and 22; Milwaukee, July 23; and Chicago, July 24 and 25; Alfred Wagenknecht, National Secretary of the Committee announced yester- day. From Chicago, Dr. Rosenfeld and Bevin will continue to tour the West, speaking at St. Louis, Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Port- land, Seattle, Minneapolis and St. Paul. The recent murder of Eric Mueh- sam and other political prisoners in the Hitler concentration camps was pointed to by Wagenknecht as em- phasizing the danger to Thaelmann and 6,000 other anti-fascists slated to appear before the “People’s Courts.” The name of Muehsam was one of the outstanding names on the literature of the Committee for whom immediate release was demanded because of ill health, ‘Wagenknecht declared, calling for a flood of protests against the mur- der of political prisoners and de- mands on the Nazi authorities for information on Thaelmann and for his safety and freedom. eres Youth Demonstration In New York Tomorrow NEW YORK.—Energetic support of the F:ee Thaelmann demonstra- (Continued on Page 2) E. D. Andrews announced yes- terday. The information, included in the preliminary report based on 1,675 representative factories of diversified industries in various parts of the state employ- ing 348,600 persons cn June 15, is representative of factory employ- ment of the sta-e as a whole. In May, 1934, this same group of factories employed 378,766 workers, according to the Labor Depart- ments monthly bulletin. The pre- liminary report for the mid-month period shows that the same zroup of factories employed 347,600 work- ers, a drop of 30,166, Metals Show Drop Industries in the metal and ma- chinery group showed the greatest slash, operating with a smaller working force than in May, ihe group as a whole showing 4 de crease of 26 per cent. Since a metal and heavy machinery indus- tries are the barometer of future employment, the heavy drop in these two industries will be re- flected in future cuts in payrolls and working forces in the coming period in all industry. In fact, this trend is already noted in the steel industry. In Buffalo, the Bethle- (Continued on Page 2) AFL Needle Trades Chiefs Boost NRA At NY CodeHearing |Potash, of NTWIU, Hits Codes, Shows Straus Aids Pay Cuts NEW: YORK.—The N. R. A. has “immeasurably improved the con- ditions of the workers,” leaders of the Amalgamated Clothing Work- ers Union and the International Ladies Garment Workers Union Jr. of the National Emergency Council, yesterday at a private meeting of representatives of needle unions. “The general opinion was un- animous in saying that the N. R. A. has been of greatest assistance in all of the industries.” Straus said later to the Daily Worker reporter: “The leaders are of the opinion that the N. R. A. is the greatest boon in generations. The only criticism they have is that there is not sufficient enforcement, not enough prompt action. “That is, except for Mr. Potash, of the Needle Trades Workers In- dustrial Union. He was against the whole N. R. A.” Straus said, however, that Potash’s statement had been gen- eral and not limited to specific in- stances. Potash later branded Straus’ statement as an untruth, citing cer- tain specific instances that he had mentioned at the hearing. told State Director Nathan Straus, |’ 1,400 Steel Wi Workers to Strike After Company | Refuses Contract By TOM KEENAN (Special to the Daily Worker) PITTSBURGH, Pa., July! 12—The national office of} the Steel and Metal Workers | Industrial Union today en- dorsed the action of 1,200 | Amalgamated Association| members employed in the! Warren, O.; plant of the Republic) Steel Corporation in voting for) strike as an answer to the Republic's withdrawal from wage negotiations now under way here. Statement of Industrial Union The statement of S. M. W. I. U. Officials, who are now laying prep- arations for the Union's national convention Aug. 3, 4, and 5, reads as follows: “The action of the Warren steel workers in voting strike in answer to the attempts of Republic Steel Co. to crush their union again places strike in the steel industry immediately on the order of the day. A strike of the Warren workers now will have the sup- port of every worker in the steel industry, organized and unorgan- “Wwedyand the S. M. W. I. U. stands ready to join hands in common struggle against the steel cor- porations with their brothers in Warren, Ohio, While the Warren action is a trifle tardy it is a well deserved rebuke to the officialdom of the A. A. for their failure to declare a strike on July Ist, as was the custom in years gone by.” Meanwhile, Mike Tighe, 76-year- old traitor to the steel workers, is considering his retirement from strike-breaking service at the end of his present term, The “Progres- sive” members of the A. A. have Prepared a slate which will be pre- sented for the Union's election July 15. It is headed by George Williams, of Cannonsburg, a renegade from | the Communist Party, for president, and includes Wm. Long, Weirton opportunist of the Committee of Ten, who will seek office as secre- tary-treasuzer. These leaders joined with Tighe to sidetrack the steel strike last. month, The withdrawal of Republic Steel from A. A, negotiations leaves the A. F, of L. union practically bank- (Continued on Page 2) | Living Costs Continue To Rise for Workers New Survey Reveals NEW YORK (F-.P.).—Liv- ing costs for industrial wage earners rose 3/10 of 1% in June, according to the Na- tional Industrial Conference Board, employers’ organiza- tion. “Increases from May to June were shown in all the major items of the wage earners’ budget except clothing,” the report states. Food prices in June, 1934, were *%% of 1% higher than in May and 12.5% higher than in June, 1933, Rents were 6/10 of 1% higher than in May and 1.9% higher than in June, 1933. Though clothing prices fell off 6/10 of 1% from May to June, they were 25.5% higher than in June, 1933. Trolley, Electric, Roofers, Hod Carriers, Iron, and Other Union Men Ready to Strike; ‘Warren, Republic Steel Men Vote Walkout Today’s Strike Summary Twelve hundred members of Tin and Iron Workers of the Repi vote to strike against the compa: tiations. Possibility looms of sympathetic Six thousand miners and sm other strikers in Jersey City. called two days ago. set by oil strikers at the Gulf Oil M inneapolis To Walk Ou Demand for General MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., July 16. The St. Paul by the A. F. of L. officials, in-@- cluding Trotzkyist leaders jand Farm-Labor Party Jead-| ers. The workers are favoring an immediate general strike in sup- Port of the fight of the truck drivers and helpers for union recognition and for their wage and hour do- mands. However, the officials of the Central Labor Union are desperately trying to postpone a general strike. They succeeded in pushing througa a resolution which pledges “moral support” to the drivers but did not call the general strike, and took no other action. At the drivers and helpers meet- ing, last night the leaders, including the Trotskyist secretary of the union Myles Dunne, did not permit ex- pression from the floor by the union members who wanted the strike to begin at once. They gave the excuse for delay that the “drivers are not ready for action.” Men Want Strike This is untrue. The drivers and workers generally are enthusiastic for immediate strike. The delay enables the employers to prepare strikebreaking. Already the authorities are talk- ing of martial law and calling out of the national guard. Floyd Olson, Farni Labor governor, called out the guard in the last strike, to protect scabs in the moving of trucks, James P. Cannon, leader, is in town, working with the Trotskyites and A. F. of L. leaders to head off immediate action. This (Centinued on Page 2) strike, get support of local unions. ers ready to strike in the vicinity of Huntsville, Ala. | Two thousand rubber workers in Akron, Ohio reject fake || settlement and turn meeting called by bosses into strike rally. Ninety local unions in Hudson County, New Jersey, condemn || Mayor Hague’s persistent use of police terror against furniture and Strike actions were also reported to have been initiated or continued in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Kil- || gore, Texas; York, Pa.; and other widely scattered points. Street car men of Ft. Worth, Texas continue out on strike Twelve arrested by Philadelphia police, who attack picket line Superior, Fargo and Moorhead Affected and helpers have voted to strike at midnight on Monday, | truck drivers are to take al strike vote for joint action today. delay in the strike until Monday, ech was brought about Trotskyist | delphia by the Marine Workers Industrial Union to prevent scab- Picketing of Panama Pacific docks in New York and Phila- | i} loaded ships from returning to West Coast with passengers and cargo. || Amalgamated Association of Steel, || ublic Steel plant at Warren, Ohio, || ny’s withdrawal from wage nego- | | | | Minneapolis truck drivers vote for strike effective July 16 and action by other truckers in St. Paul, Superior, Duluth, Fargo and other North Dakota cities. elter men at Butte, Montana, on || Eighteen thousand textil2 work- Co, refineries. Drivers Vote t on Monday Strike Strong; Duluth, July 12—The truck drivers The workers resent the | N.Y. Reieaee | Mass at Scab | Vessel Today Phila. Workers Held in Waterfront Picket Demonstration NEW YORK.—Mass picketing of the Panama Pacific Steamship docks at 21st and West Sts. will be continued today at noon by the Marine Workers Industrial Union in support of the West Coast ma- rine strikers. All workers in the city, organized and unorganized, have been urged by the union to participate in the picket demonstration. The demonstration is timed to commence when the S. S. Virginia arrives at Pier 60 from dry dock where she was taken following the | unloading of scab cargo from the ‘West Coast on Monday Morning. It is reported that the ship will attempt to sail for the West Coast Saturday and the officers are at- tempting to hire scabs to sail her. The Marine Workers Industrial | Union is calling on the crew of the ship to strike in sympathy with the West Coast men and for increases in pay and union recognition. Two seamen, Allen Parett and (Continued on Page 2) tense at interest in Nazi propa- ganda, the Dickstein-McCormick ional Committee yesterday turned its attention to the Commu- nist Party of America in an effort to validate the mouldy lie that the Party is a non-American movement. It read into the record testimony given at a secret session by Earl Browder, general secretary of the Communist Party of America and James W. Ford, Cenival Commit- tec member, Browder’s testimony gave the lie, ie e@ NEW YORK.—Relaxing its pre- Browder and Ford Score Red-Baiting Efforts Of Congressional Investigation Committee Soviet Government, which is the Purpose of the Ham Fishes, Mat- thew Wolls and Bill Greens, who not only support the armed attacks on the American toilers but seek to rupture diplomatic relations between the United States and the Soviet Unicn. Browder Tells of Relation to C. I. Browder placed into the record the fact thet the Communist Party of the United States is a secticn of the Communist International, and is in voluntary and complete agree- ment with the political analysis and to the pre-conccived purpose of the Dickstein committee, to show that) the Communist Party of the United ; States is under the control of the; program of action on world events | laid down by the 13th plenary ses- sesion of the Communist Inter- This agreement, Browder’s testimony declared, was officially expressed at the Eighth National Convention of the Party held in Cleveland in April of this year. The testimony of James W. Ford, central sommittee member of the Party, corroborated Browders testi- mony. Browder stated there is a “politi- cal continuity of action” between the plenary sessions of the Third International and actions taken by the Party in the U. S. Red Baiter Testifies A star witness for the red- baiters and enemies of the So- national held in December, 1933. 4 ' viet Union, the committee which occupied the stage yesterday, presented Archibald E. Steven- son, general counsel for the Na- tional Civic Federation, the la- bor-hating organization of mil- lionaires and industrial bosses headed by Ralph Easley, Ham- ilton Fish and Matthew Woll. | The committee, knowing the unsavory reputation of the Fed- eration, “appear'ng in his private capacity as a citizen and not as a representative of any group or | body.” Yet after his testimony, (Continued on Page 2) 5 | the largest custom tailoring shop| labor affiliated with the Rochestc1 wal | of the workers in the plant, are in- | Land and Sea Transport At Virtual Standstill Thruout San Francisco and Neighboring Port 4,000 TEAMSTERS DROP REINS Boiler-Makers, Welders Follow Suit as Sym>- thetic Strike Move Spreads BULLETIN SAN FRANCISCO, July 12.—Two thousand members of the Boiler- makers, Iron Ship Builders, Welders and Helpers Union this afternoon followed the lead of the Teamsters Union, going on strike in sunport of the West Coast marine workers. SAN FRANCISCO, July 12.—The first step toward a general strike was taken today in San Francisco, when 4,000 teamsters and truck drivers walked out in sympathy with the maritime workers, who have been striking since May 9. Land and maritime shipping throughout the entire bay district was at a virtual standstill after the teamsters walked out today. At 8:30 A. M. the main arteries of traffic were silent. All heavy trucks were off the streets, Teamsters and truck drivers have spread their strike to Oakland and other towns in the bay region. Street railway workers, electrical workers, roofers, hod carriers;iron-workers’and other union men were preparing to join the walkout. Labor Fakers Brushed Aside The strikers walked rough-shod over the Frisco Labor Council’s Strategy Committee which was set up by A. F. of L. leaders to smother the general strike movement. Meanwhile Pres. Roosevelt’s Mediation Board, which was trying to break the strike by arbitration, was making frantic efforts to stop the surging masses, who are bent on tying up all industry on the West Coast. The capital- ist press admits that the general strike cannot be pre- vented unless the demands of the 10 marine unions are met. Sympathetic general walkouts in other cities along the coast gained ground momentarily. Unions in Portland, Ore., where four strikers were shot by police, prepared to vote on a city-wide strike. Labor unions of San Pedro announced that if the Frisco workers walked out en masse they would also de- clare a general strike. On the waterfront the troops still held forth in front of the warehouses, but no cargo moved. Pickets from the Teamsters’ Union moved along the streets stopping non- union trucks. Newspapers are raising the cry of fuel and food short- ages. Capitalist papers have announced that there is only a three day supply of gasoline in the filling stations. Rich Are Hoarding Food The idle rich were buying and hoarding food; gasoline stations were stampeded by motorists rushing to fill up their tanks before the supply runs out; deliveries of meat, fruit, vegetables, liquor, flour and furniture from the ware- houses was practically halted. Thus the strike which is costing the capitalists a mil- tion dollars a day reached a new high stage. The shipowners agreed to accept the proposal of the Roosevelt Board that the men return to work and then submit to arbitration. This is the old agreement which Joseph P, Ryan, head of the International Longshoremen’s Association, signed and which was voted down by the strikers. It is clear that the rank and file of the unions wil! not submit to the arbitration strikebreaking scheme of the Roosevelt Board. The truck drivers were in session to approve their strike when a message came that the shipowners had agreed to accept the strikebreaking terms of the Roose- velt Board. A message from the mediation board was ignord and the drivers approved of the walkout with shout- ing and handclapping. The executive board of the Butchers’ Union announced that it had voted to strike Saturday. Taxi drivers are considering their attitude toward the strike. Biggest Custom Tailor Rochester Workers Back Shop Strikes In N, YY. |Striking Truck Drivers NEW YORK—Workers'of Schanz| ROCHESTER, N. Y. (F. P.). Clothing Factory, 745 Fifth Ave.,) About 25,000 members of organi Central Trades & Labor Council are solidly behind the month-old > drivers striking inst Sthiey. Lindsay & Curr Go |The counc'l has donated $300 to the strike fund. 1 New York City, saip cf the Custom Tailoring Wor! ers Union. One hundred and twenty-five, all | volved in the walkout. FSAI SGaRNGg SPILT TE Se The strikers are demanding that | be abolished: Picke* lines have been Piece work, which means a wage cut. | set up 2nd enthusiasm has mounted