The Daily Worker Newspaper, August 14, 1934, Page 6

Page Six Daily, QWorker | Genres. oneae ay PARTY S.A (SECTION OF COMMUNIST MITBAEATIONALS “America’s Only Working Class Daily Newspaper” FOUNDED 1924 EXCEPT SUNDAY, BY THE HING CO., INC., 50 E. 13th PUBLISHED DAILY, COMPRODAILY PUBLIS Street, New York, N. ¥. Tele ALgonquin 4 - Daiwork, hone: Address Subscription Rates: Bronx) 1 month, Canada: and 18 cents; monthly, 75 TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1934 Drought and the S. P. E WONDER what a drought-stricken farmer, facing ruin and stark poverty, would think of the in this week’ words of Norman Thomas s issue of the So- cialist Party ‘New Leader.” Commenting on Roosevelt’s drought program, Thomas states: “Roosevelt has returned to the United States in excellent cam- paigning form, He and his administration are act- ing vigorously in the matter of the drought.” Acting “vigorously” is he? In the way that a butcher acts vigorously when he slashes the throat of a calf, maybe. If ever Roosevelt distinguished himself as the most brutal servant of big capital and the landlords it is in the way he is handling the drought situa- tion. Roosevelt has not lifted a finger to help the vast majority of small, stricken farmers. He has dis- played the most brutal indifference to their plight. He has urged with cynical ruthlessness that they get off their land “or it will be their funeral.” More, Roosevelt has deliberately used the drought calamity to tighten the grip of the mortgage-holders and big landowners. Roosevelt has appropriated only $225,000,000 to solve a $15,000,000,000 calamity. And this money goes not to aid the stricken farmers, but to destroy cattle and to guarantee the investments of the creditors who bleed the farmers! Roosevelt acts “vigorously” only to preserve profit and protect the capitalist elements in the countryside. And Norman Thomas, speaking for the Socialist Party, who comes before the toiling farmers with a program for the way out of the crisis, does not utter one single, solitary word of criticism or con- demnation of Roosevelt’s criminal, brutal drought program. He endorses it as being “vigorous”! * . * ‘ae real needs of the stricken farmers are em- bodied in the Farmers’ Emergency Relief Bill proposed by the Communist Party. It calls for im- mediate cash relief to all impoverished farmers, food and fodder distribution by the government. Why doesn’t Norman Thomas mention this Bill? Why is he silent on it? But he prefers Roosevelt's capitalist drought program to this real working ¢lass measure. Norman Thomas, in short, forced by the bitter experience of the workers to retreat somewhat on the matter of Roosevelt's “Socialism” in the N.R.A., is again attempting to build the capitalist Roose- velt’s prestige before the masses as having his “good points” as well as his “shortcomings.” ‘Thomas, by this talk, is helping Roosevelt to put over the most brutal, criminal program of farm destruction in the interests of the big, wealthy farm- ers and landlords. The Republic Agreement IHE agreement made by the officials of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, just concluded, with the Republic Steel Co., continues the very conditions in mills against which the steel workers have been fighting. The agreement applies only to the very skilled departments in the Republic Steel Co. plants. The bulk of the steel workers continue to work without contract, dominated by the company union. The agreement provides for the same wage scale which existed before. This means a reduction in real wages when the increase in the cost of fiving 4s taken into account. The steel companies applaud this agreement. The A.A. officials will point to it as a victory. They will use it as a fig leaf to hide the fact that they have betrayed every demand put forward by their rank and file and by the steel workers. The A.A. leaders, who referred all the steel work- ers’ demands to the National Steet Labor Board, are following out the strategy of the companies and the government—to persuade the workers to ac- cept one “victory” after another, which in reality fre a series of defeats, Meanwhile speedup, low wages, company unions, Temain a yoke upon the steel workers. The Re- public agreement does not satisfy the demands of the Republic's skilled steel workers for higher wages to keep pace with living costs, The masses of the steel workers demand: $1 an hour minimum wage for common labor; abolition of company unions; no discrimination against Ne- gro workers or young workers; recognition of the union and workers’ unemployment insurance. These are the demands which were adopted at the A.A. convention in April by the rank and file delegates, These demands still cover the grievances of the more than 400,000 steel workers. These are the demands betrayed by the A.A. officials and the Steel Labor Board. Only the program put forward by the Steel and Meial Workers Industrial Union will win these de- mands for the steel workers. The S.M.W.LU. calls for the setting up in every mill of broad united front committees of action, uniting all workers, in- i DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, TUESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1934 cluding workers of the A.A., to fight for these and mill demands. Only such a program of broad united front preparation of le, to include members of all unions and unorganized steel workers, will bring victory. The Anti-War Congress MHE Second National Congress Against War and Fascism, to be held in Chi- cago, only about six weeks off. To be held on September 28-30, this Congress will witness the gathering of every force and group in the country fight- ing the menace of another imperialist Slaughter. is now It is not too much to say, that the work of this Congress and the extent of its influence will become an important historic factor in the struggle to prevent the Wall Street imperialists from hurling the sons of the American working class into the shambles of imperialist slaughter to protect capital- ist investments and profits. Therefore, the work of preparation for the Con- gress must from now on be taken up with the greatest energy. Every mass organization, every trade union, every group of persons interested in ways and means of fighting imperialist war is entitled to send dele- gates. The Communist Party will send delegates and is mobilizing the most wholehearted support of the Congress, Every Communist must see to it that the work of the Congress gets the widest publicity and support. Write to the American League Against War and Fascism, 112 E. 19th Et., New York City, for further information. They Are Whipping Thaelmann Again HE Nazis are again whipping our com- rade Thaelmann. A new wave of terrorism is rising in Germany. Fascist murder is running loose. The Nazi press yelps rabid anti-Soviet incitement, seeking to provoke a war of intervention to seize the Soviet Ukraine for. the Prusian Junkers. The Storm Troops are drilled in preparation for the August 19 “elections.” Faced with growing bankruptcy, there is no doubt that the Nazis will seek to float their sinking ap- paratus in a sea of working cia8s blood. And the first that they will strike is the great leader of the German working class, Ernst Thaelmann, whose Bolshevik spirit no whips or tortures have been able to cow. It has already been reported that Goebbels, Hit- ler’s propaganda specialist, is thinking of dangling the body of Ernst Thaelmann before the masses as a rabid and ghoulish incitement to new mass mur- ders of Communists and militant workers. JREPARING for the “People’s Court trial,” the Nazi beasts are trying to break Thaelmann’s spirit, to wreck his mind and body, to bring him before the Fascist judges, broken and unprepared. But they will fail, Thaelmann is made of Bol- shevik granite! We cannot passively watch these sadists torture our comrade! The working class of the world, the great masses everywhere who hate the barbarism and reaction for which Fascism stands, cannot stand idly by while Thaelmann’s life is in danger at the hands of torturers! Redouble the protests at the German Consulates! Wire to the German Embassy at Washington de- manding a safe release for Thaelmann! Pass pro- test. resolutions at all workers’ meetings! Write to the German Minister of Justice at Berlin de- manding Thaelmann’s release! Organize protest actions everywhere! Stop the hands of the Fas- cist torturers! The Hunger-Strikers HE self-sacrificing courage of the work- ers who went on a hunger strike in San Francisco rather than endure the filth and brutality of their prison conditions is eloquent testimony to the power and de- termination of working class solidarity. By this heroic action, the San Fran- cisco class-war prisoners did more than focus wide- spread attention on their case. They succeeded in attracting great masses of people not only to their plight in the viciously-run prison, but—and this is far more important—to the = Pere cause of their ar- Tests, Because of this, the cruelty and venomous cam- paign of terrorism which has been let loose against the entire working class of the Pacific Coast was exposed for all to see. Class war prisoners do not go on hunger strikes because of a capricious martyr-complex, as some pseudo-learned and rabidly reactionary men of science would have you believe. Their reason for such a course of action has nothing in common with the betrayal purposes of a perennial “hunger- striker” like the publicity-seeking Mahatma Gandhi. Their purpose—like that of the Rueggs in China— is to call the attention of workers throughout the world to the situation of a mass of workers in a single locality or nation (as in China) or state (as in California today). Such attention is the prerequisite—the spring- board for mass protest action, In many cases it is the only means by which the fight against terror, brutality, reaction, can be won—the only way in which great concessions for the working class can be forced. The hunger strikers of San Francisco, like others in every capitalist land, deserve the gratitude and honor of all who fight in the ranks of the revolu- tionary working class! |Join Wie & Communist shh % EAST 12TH STREET, NEW YORK, N. Y. ee mist Party. ADDRESS... teeeteeeeeee (Jail 4,000 in Austrian) Police Raids| Sceialiet, Cotienawiled Workers Unite | Against Fascists | VIENNA, Aug. 13.—So ‘fearful is the government of the growing | strength of the working class and | of the active unity of the Socialist | and Communist workers, that more | than 4,000 were arrested and sent} to concentration camps to prevent | anti-war and anti-fascist demon-| strations on Aug. 1. This report has just arrived after | it had been stopped by the Aus- | trian censorship. | More than 400 Socialist and Com- munist workers have been sent to the notorious Willersdorf concen- tration camp, | The Communist Party of Austria | is issuing leaflets by the thousands, calling upon the workers to clasp hands in working-class solidarity in the fight against fascism and for @ workers’ government. The spirit of the workers is in- dicated by the way more than 1,000 workers defied the police orders that no one would be permitted to attend the funeral of Joseph Gerl, mur- dered Republican Guard (Schutz- bund). The police attacked with great brutality, but the workers continued to shout “Revenge for Gerl,” as they slowly retreated be- for the police charge. Paris Worker Appeals For Aid to Rakosi PARIS, Aug. 13—An urgent ap- peal for aid to the Hungarian Com- munis! leader, Mathias Rakosi, now facing another term of imprison- ment and death in the jails of Hun- gary, was made here by a worker- delegate, Becker, who has just re- turned from an attempt to visit Rakosi in jail. Rakosi has just completed an eight and a half year sentence at hard labor. With the expiration of his sentence, the Hungarian Fas- cist authorities are keeping him in jail pending the pinning of new indictments on him to keep him there for life. Rakosi is suffering terribly from tuberculosis and other pains contracted in the hell-holes in which he has been confined. Life in Danger “I had. the honor,” the worker states, “of being sent by the I. R, A. and the C. G,. T. U. as a delegate to Hungary, in order to see for my- self the conditions under which Rakosi, wrongfully kept in prison, is living.” As soon as the traveller arrives in Budapest, which has been named the “Queen of the Danube,” he observes that the country is under the fist of a fascist dictatorship. The actions and conduct of every citizen especially the workers, are under the strict superintendence of a strongly organizd and disciplined police force, The workers live in the depths of want and misery. Those who are fortunate enough to have work receive a minimum wage, barely saving them from starvation. Poverty and want drive many wo- men to prostitution. In broad day- light, from the earliest hours of the morning onward, these women may be seen in the main streets of the city, looking for someone who might give them some money. The population is intimidated. Nobody ventures a loud word. For the soldiery rule. Spies are every- where. These are the first impressions of a country ruled by the knout of Admiral Horthy and his fascist bands, The prisons are crowded with workers who have dared to rise against the fascist dictatorship. There is one prisoner who has _be- come a symbol: Mathias Rakosi! “Our delegation made every pos- sible and impossible effort to gain permission to visit our comrade in prison. The authorities replied by a categorical refusal. But our comrade will hear, through the walls of the prison, that the pro- letariat is watching over him. “We must act quickly! His life depends on us!” In April this year the term of eight and a half years imprison- ment, to which Rakosi was sen- tenced, expired. He was sentenced for returning as a revolutionist to his native coun- try, in order to lead the workers in the struggle against the regime of oppression, Hungarian capitalism is fully aware of the value of Rakosi. It is aware that this man is a de- termined fighter. Hence it is doing JUST A GAME OF LEAP-FROG! By Burck From the First World War to the Second By NEMO X. Storming the Socialist Peace Fortress (Continued) T the moment the only imperialist grouping which has no interest in kindling a war is that led by France in the League of Nations, the policy of which aims at the maintenance of the existing situation in Europe. France has relinquished her role as leader of the anti-Soviet front to England, since the chief enemy of French imperialism today is situated on the Rhine. Now that the League of Nations has proved itself incapable of being the political expression of the “organized” capital- ist world, and incapable of bringing the interests of the latter into harmony and directing its ex- pansion against the Soviet Union, now that the two chief war-makers in the world have withdrawn from the League of Nations, the main danger of the crusade against the Soviet Union proceeds no longer from the League of Nations, but from its avowed opponents, Japan and Germany, and the English instigators of intervention, who are still in alliance with these. The present-day League of Nations, which now, as previously, is incapable of diminishing armaments, safeguarding peace and abolishing the danger of war, nevertheless, contains also members who are at the moment interested in ayoiding war. On this account, Stalin answered as follows the question of the American journalist, Duranty, who asked: “Ts your attitude to the League of Nations a negative one always and under all circumstances?” Stalin: “No, not always, and not under all cir- cumstances, I do not think you quite understand our viewpoint. Despite the German and Japanese exit from the League—or, perhaps, because of it— the League may well become a brake to retard or hamper military action. If that is so, if the League is even the tiniest bump somewhat to slow down the drive toward war and help peace, then we are not against the League, Yes, if such will be the course of historical events, it is not excluded that we shall support the League despite its colossal de- ficiencies.” The Soviet Government has shown by its policy and practice that it is far removed from all im- perialist tendencies and that it knows only the one goal of safeguarding the peace of the world in the interests of the widest masses of the people in all countries. Only the Soviet Union, which in Stalin's words, does not want “a single foot of foreign territory,” but “will not surrender a single ‘inch of its own,” has increased its defensive capacity to a degree which, in union with the readiness for defense of the world proletariat, makes it invin- cible. At the 17th Party Congress of the C.P.S.U., Stalin declared: “Our foreign policy is clear. It is a policy of preserving peace and strengthening commercial re- lations with all countries. The U.S.S.R. does not think of threatening anybody—let alone of attack- ing anybody. We stand for peace and champion the cause of peace, But we are not afraid of threats and are prepared to answer blow for blow against the instigators of war. Those who want Peace and are striving for business intercourse with us will always receive our support. And those who try to attack our country—will receive a stunning rebuff to teach them not to poke their pig’s snout into our Soviet garden again.” That is the foreign policy of the Soviet Union, which is backed by the toilers of the whole world. its utmost to annihilate him, Let us rise and save Rakosi! Savings Withdrawn From German Banks As Crisis Spreads Thus, the land of proletarian dictatorship is stand- ing with its rifle in readiness, completing the peace- ful construction of socialism, but ever mindful of the warning of Lenin that only a hair Separates the Soviet Union from ermed onslaught by the im- perialists. Objective difficulties have, it is true, so far prevented the execution of the plans of in- BERLIN, Aug. 13.—The tendency to withdraw savings from Hitler’s savings banks, already conspicuous in May, continued to increase in June. 48,400,000 marks more were withdrawn than in May, but only 9,000,000 added to deposits, so that the falling off is very marked. The economic crisis has been in- tensified by the Nazi policies, nar- ticularly the crisis in the financial structure. Inflation is rapidly gain- ing headway. A Red Builder on every busy street corner in the country mecns a tremendous step toward the dictatorship of the proletariat! tervention, but they cannot in any way banish the danger of intervention. The trio, Britain-Germany- Japan, directs itself ever more openly against the Soviet Union. Any day can bring with it a tem- porary agreement between the Imperialist Powers; any day can bring an open attack on the peace fortress of the world proletariat. Nothing better characterizes the historical out-of-dateness of the bourgeois social order than the fact that it still per- ceives a saving way out only along that narrow path which leads it irrevocably into the abyss. . . . XI, Socialists at Headquarters DAY we are faced with the iron fact of war. We have to decide today, not for or against war, but on the question of the means required for the defense of the country.” (Vigorous approval on the part of the bourgeois parties.) “Our warmest wishes accompany our brothers who have been called to the colors, without distinction of party.” (General cries of bravo and applause.) “In the case of a victory of Russian despotism, which has stained it- self with the blood of the best of its own peopie, much, if not everything, is at jeopardy for our na- tion and its free future.” (Renewed approval.) “Now we proclaim, what we have always empha- sized: in the hour of danger we shall not leave our own fatherland in the lurch.” (Vigorous applause.) It was on August 4, 1914, that Hugo Haase read the above declaration in the Reichstag in the name of the German Social Democratic Party. The waves of chauvinism flooded the whole of Europe, the mass graves were being filled, when Kautsky was teaching that the International was not an in- strument of war but of peace. The whole world was marching to war when the French Socialists and the British Labor Party members voted the war credits of their bourgeoisies and Albert Thomas became Minister of Munitions. The historic reso- lutions of the Basle and Stuttgart congresses of the Second International on war against war were torn up. At the moment of their historic ordeal of fire, the Second International marched into the war camp of world imperialism. The first world war was only possible through the treachery of the Second International. Then came Versailles. Twelve years of Versailles had already passed when Vandervelde at the Vienna Congress of the Second International could still dare to declare that not only his but also the sig- nature of Herman Mueller and Karl Renner was attached to the Versailles Treaty, and that “if I had to repeat it today, I would do so.” United with the imperialist war, the social- patriotic leaders have also linked themselves with the imperialist peace. The bourgeois social order in the post-war period has rested on the reformist shoulders of the Second International. The policy of civil peace during the war period made way for a policy of class collaboration and coalition with the ruling class. The Second International saved the world bourgeoisie from the onslaught of the masses by betraying the proletariat, joining hands with the forces of counter-revolution, opening a bloody civil war against the proletariat and pre- paring the way for fascism. The pacifist decep- tion which enabled the imperialists to undertake arming without hindrance, and which was directed towards diverting the attention of the masses from struggle against the danger of war, must be booked to the account of the Second International. The words of Hilferding, that great theoretical luminary of the Second International, who in November 1925 delivered himself as follows in the journal Gesell- schaft (Society), will not be forgotten: “The war has made clear the position of peace. The old thesis ‘capitalism is war—socialism is peace’ is incorrect in both parts. Imperialism is leading to a lasting peace. Now it is not so simple as formerly to say that capitalism is war, socialism is peace. “It is precisely capitalism that in the recent period has shown that it desired peace, and on the contrary, the purely sccialist policy of Bolshevism which has brought with it the increasing danger of war,” (To be continued) On the | World Front HARRY GANNES. By | Drought in China A Record of the Soviets Rickshawmen Strike VY NEARLY every country of the world, outside of the Soviet Union, the drought will claim tens of thousands of lives, and unequaled misery for all the toiling population, For example, in China, the classic land of droughts, floods and famines, more than 500,000 people are starving to death in one proye ince alone, Anwhei. The total face ing death by starvation in the en- tire country is well up in the mil- lions. Yet in some portions of China there may be a superabundance df food. But the cost of transportd- military tax, the boat tax, the ca riers’ tax, makes it impossible t move the smallest morsel of food to save the lives of the Chinese peasants. Neither do Chiang Kai- shek nor the rich landlords worry about the death of a couple of mil- lion peasants. There are other tens of millions of landless peasants who will be moved into the areas of desolation, despoiled of whatever crops they may produce, waiting for the next catastrophe. ee nes 'E DO-not here need to go into detail on the recognized victory of the Soviet Union over the drought. That is conceeded now by the most biased capitalist ob- servers. The real story of this re- markable feat of Socialist agricul- ture is yet to be written. But even in Soviet China, where Chiang Kai-shek has mobilized nearly 1,000,000 soldiers in a fero- cious attempt to wipe out the So- viets, splendid achievements were accomplished in the fight for in- creased foodstuffs. rier ane IN THE Central Soviet District, Kiangsi, where the fighting is the bitterest and hardest, the rice crop this year was increased 150 per cent. The gain in rice production in the Fukien-Chekiang-Kiangsi So- viet districts (a district that circles the corners of these three prov- inces) was 200 per cent over the last year. Increases in other cereal produce tion is even greater than rice. Fal- low land has been decreased through intensive cultivation and distribution of land to the latdless peasants. More than 200,000 mow (six mow equal one acre) of swampy land were reclaimed last year and put into cultivation Bays te ESIDES, there has been a revival of such industries as iron, clothes, lime, paper, coal, tungsten, salt, oil and drugs. At the same time there is a great stimulation of the cooperative move- ment, More than 500,000 members have been recruited in the various co-operatives. Quite out of keeping with Roose- velt’s A. A. A. program, and fole lowing in the footsteps of the So- viet Union’s program in agriculture, the last Congress of the Chinese Soviets decided on the following economic program: 1, Further increase in produc- tion. The Soviets must undertake this task in connection with agri- culture by launching more ploughing campaigns by practi- cally solving the difficulties of the French Reservists Protesting Bad Food Shout “For Soviets” PARIS, Aug. 13—Of late the mil- itant activities of the French re- servists (workers serving military cuty), have increased. The demon- strations in the camp at Courtine, where the reservists released two of their comrades arrested by the po- jlice, have been followed by demon- strations in the Rochard camp; 600 reservists protested against the bad food, and sent a delegation to the efficers. The whole battalicn fol- lowed the delegates, and refused to obey the order to disperse given by the colonel. Next day two men were arrested. At the camp at Avord, 400 re- servists organized a gala cn the oc- casion of the expiration of their term ef service. The officers adopted a Provocative attitude, and endea- vored to insist on the jestivities being stopped. The soldiers shouted down the officers, and these then withdrew. In this same camy a company refused to appear at drill on an occasion when they were already tired out. At Mourmelou, the soldiers re- turning from a day’s leave were forced to walk a long distance to their camo. They protested by singing the “International” and shouting ‘Soviets everywhere.” An officer attempted to arrest a soldier, but was obliged to desist in face of the protests. | peasants such as lack of drawing oxen, seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, jabor and credits. The Soviets must encourage the peasants to form mutual aid co-operatives, such as labor mutual aid, draw- sing oxen, fertilizers, etc., set up experimental stations, open pas- ture grounds, educating the peas- antry in the scientific knowledge of how to fight the harmful in- sects, floods and drought, etc. In- dispensable crops such as cotton, shall be planted in Soviet terri tory, and forestry protected by planting. 2. Small production by handi- craft shall be encouraged, partic- ulariy of those articles which are of vital importance to the war, exports and the consumption of the masses. The Soviets must help in the formation of produc- tion cooperatives composed of unemployed, independent workers, handicraftsmen, peasants, absorb- ing capital as home as possible in the ent a con- fiscated by the Javiche may be given over to them for operation either by sale or by contract. Un- der certain conditions the Soviets may operate state enterprises as, for instance, tungsten, cloth, paper, etc., but must refrain from attempting a@ monopoly of produc- tion just at this moment, At present, the central task consists of aiding the development of pro- duction cooperatives both with money and men as well as strengthening, the leadership over them. A CABLE on Friday from Shang- hai told of the strike of the rickshawmen against lowering their wages. All police have been called out on duty to prevent the rick- shawmen from slashing tires on the rickshaws, somewhat like the New York taxi drivers did ducing the last taxi strike. There could be no more just pun- ishment for the imperialist robiers and a number of their native pup- pets in China on the day of the complete victory of the Soviets then to harness them to the rickshaws and condemn them to pull them for the rest of their lives, which wouldn’t be very long. The ‘soviets, at the same time could be extremely generous with their pay, increasing it 100 per cent, say to about 16 cents in ‘American money, per day. EQIP Ora bas Sear | The American, British, aJpanese, and other imperialist police in Shanghai are mobilized to break the strike of these men, in order to protect the profits of the rick- shaw owners. When we say that the fat imperialist robbers in China ride on the backs of the workers, in the. case cf tte. iokapesnes 58 must be taken literaly« | tion, plus the heavy likin taxes, tite