The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 22, 1934, Page 8

Page Ficht Daily,QWorker “America’s Only Working Class Daily Newspaper” FOUNDED 1924 PUBLISHED DAILY, EXCEPT SUNDAY, BY TRE COMPRODAILY PUBLISHING CO., INC., 50 E. 13¢h Street, New York, N. Y. Telephone: ALgonquin 4-7954. Cable Address: “Daiwork.” New ai Washington Bureau: Room 954 ae (sth and F St c. National Washi Midwest Bureau: 101 3: Telephone: Dearborn 3931. Subscription attan and hs, $2.00 and 33.09, monthly, By Mai 6 months, Manhattan, 6 montl By C: except Mal $3.50; 3 m Bronx, F $5.00; 3° month: Weekly, 18 cents; m ® cents. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 1934 Recruit Into the Party the Best Strikers and Picketers TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY, U. S. A. HE Central Committee calls upon all Party organizations and every Party member to carry through an intensified recruiting drive to last from Oct. 1 to Nov. 7. The Central Committee desires to place before the Party membership in all seri- the following two facts: (1) A growing and icalization of the masses, as shown strike struggle and in the prosent in which we observe an increasing rge of the more advanced workers toward our | Party, and (2) a slackening in the growth of our | Party membership. This is an impossible situation. | It is a contradiction which is explained chiefly by the slackening of the recruiting efforts of our Party organizations and of our membership. It is ex- plained also by the prevailing incorrect methods of Party recruiting The present recruiting drive aims to bring about @ radical turn in the habits and methods of re- embers into the Party. radicalization of the masses is a even more important is the widening the masses to Communist Party slo- ous: widenir the recent le strike, gans a ods of struggle. This expresses it- self pa ularly in the widened mass response of our Party's struggle for the united front. These eniable facts. The meaning of these facts is that there exists » large increase in the Party member- recent mass struggles, in which and the Party have played and | g an organizing and leading role have not 1 to raise the class consciousness of large | n of workers, but have also brought forward m out of the ranks of the striking masses con- ‘able numbers of new, active, militant, work- These are candidates for our These‘ ate the workers who need the Parity and whom thé Party needs in its ranks. On every picket line, in every flying squadron, there are large numbers of candidates for the Party. There are candidates for our Party among the leading ele- s in the Negro Nberation struggles, among the in the unemployed moveinent, farmer-militants and in the anti-war Ts has to be done is to approach them Communist program, with the Bolshevik of a working class Party and its role tuggle. All that needs to be done 3 systematically work with these advanced | v with the view of bringing them into the | We must also utilize the election campaign for this purp ec. The Central Committee proposes to concentrate in thi e for bringing these working Communist Party. In order aim, we must adopt the correct iting. The fundamental principle is of recruiting is personal recruit- ty member has many working class shop, in the union, and other mass and among his neighbors. Party st make it their first task to recruit from among their shopmates, their eomrad n the picket line, their co-members in the union, etc. Not all of these friends are ma- the same degree for Party membership It is the task of our Party membership urrying on personal recruiiing to concentrate on the more advanced and more mature elements, at the same time developing recruiting activity and propaganda for our Parly among the less advanced ments. This must be made the chief mothod of recruiting in the present drive for new members. The chief responsibility for seeing to it that every Pa: member en in systematic personal | Tecruiting lies upon the Party n Every Party | nucleus in preparing for the recruiting drive will take up the question of how best to organize this campaign. The Party units will discuss collectively | en the basis of reports from each Party member in the prospects and ndidates for Party p. The Party unit will supervise and direct this recruiting in the course of the present drive. The Central Committee is convinced that DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. 1934 this will become a permanent and systematic feature | of Party activity, that this will become the chief { method of recruiting into the Party. Bring into the Party the best strikers, the best keters, the militant leaders in the ranks of the rking class. Negro masses and toiling farmers. The Balance Must Shift! AY in and day out the Communist Party has hammered away at this funda- mental political truth: The united front of workers of all shares of opinions will heat back the offensive of the employers, will defeat rising fascism. Such a united front can speedily group about itself the allies of the working class, the poor and middle farmers and the lower middle class and intel- lectuals of the cities. We Communists have further pointed out that certain sections of the Socialist Party leadership have consistently refused to accept the offers for united action extended by the Communist Party. These people have always sought—and still seek— a ted front with the so-called “liberal” wing of the ruling class, the La Guardias, etc., and with the officiaidom of the American Federation of Such a united front, we have insisted, nder the rights of the workers to , Will actually pave the way to Such. we have stated, is the policy of “lesser evil’ which brought the workers of un: fascisan. the Germany and Austria the terror of fascism. Today we have admission of this from the lips of the Socialists themselves. Speaking of the re- cent united front agreement which the Italian So- cialist and Communist Parties recently signed, Wil- liam M. Feigenbaum writes in the New Leader, of- ficial order of the Socialist Party, in the issue of Saturday, Sept, 22: Pietro Nonni [an Italian Socialist—Ed.] writes explaining that with the signing of the pact THE WHOLE FACE OF THE ANTI-FASCIST STRUGGLE CHANGES. Hitherto, with the bit- ter hostility of the Commumists facing them, the Concentration [the Socialist group in Paris—Ed.] tended to seek allies among liberals and those to whom democracy is an end in itself. With the new pact THE BALANCE SHIFTS TO THE WORKING CLASS, AND ON THAT BASIS THE WAR WILL BE WAGED FROM NOW ON.” (Our emphasis—Ed.). * . * 'HE above quotation from their own organ is something for every Socialist worker to take to heart. The conclusions for the United States are obvious. Here the Socialist Party National Exec- | utive Committee has either turned down or post- | poned the building of the united front between the S. P, and the Communist Party. On the other hand, however, the columns of the New Leader have been open to William Green. Matthew Woll and Mayor LaGuardia have been the invited guests at a Socialist demonstration. It is high time that “the whole face of the anti-fascist struggle shall change. Let us say here, too, that “the balance shifts to the working clas and on that basis the war will be waged from now on.” There is not a moment to lose. Climaxed by the first concentration camp in the history of American struggles, there has been a reign of ter- ror unleashed against the working class unparalleled in any other period of our history, Only united action of all toilers can defeat this growing wave of fascist reaction. Forward to united action! What Is Being Done? ROM the first days of the textile strike the Daily Worker, speaking officially for the Communist Party, has emphasized the urgent need for nation-wide solidarity actions in support of the textile workers. Since then, in one form or another, we hammered away daily on the increasingly greater need for such support, We have called for protest resolutions and tele- grams against each individual case of terror; we have urged protest mectings and demons‘rations; we called for active work by the Communists and militant workers to prepare sympathy, and local general strikes to demand the right of the textile workers to organize, strike and picket; we have called upon our comrades and on workers’ organi- za‘ions to undertake the gathering of relief. Possibly more has been done in response to our Propgsals then has been reported to the Daily Worker. Certainly, in view of the increased efforts to break the st by means of terror, more, much more, must be done. We urge all wor 's’ organizations and all mili- tant workers, including Communist Party mem- bers, units, sections and Dis’ricts, to report all ac- tivities taken in support of the textile strikers to the Daily Worker. Such reports will inspire the textile strikers to greater effort and, at the same time, stimulate broader solidarity actions. ifically, to emphasize the importance which ical Bureau attaches to there reports, we requi the lerding comrades of the four concen- tration districts, the districts in heavy industry, Chiesgo, Detroit, Cleveland and Pittsburgh, to re- port immediately, end in full, to the Daily Worker. Tell us what is being done! ing upon the for action if 40,000 ae Ryan is talking s\ dockers to be ready ' the owners do not grant the increase Hosorale Calls d wage demands. | trike but has done To Strike Oct. 8 from Page 1) to be abclish: ards on passenze ne voi shew: ips, $65, all depertment in an bi ‘Three watches of eight-hour day on ¢! ships in ell dep2rtments, pay for ali work be: nd 44 hours a werk Recognition of united front ship's com- mittee and right of men to join union| of choice. Ryan Seeks New Contract NEW YORK.—With egreement expiring the on Oct. International Longshoremen’s Sociation, is negotiating with New York Shipping Association @ new contract, providing for a 30- hour week, $1 an hour and $1.59 for overtime, instead of the 44-hour week, 85 cents an hour and $1.20 for overtime, specified in the old agreement. The bosses are asking a ten cen‘s an hour cut in pay. Organized rank and file grou in a large number of I. L. A. York locals are in opposition to the Ryan negotiations. They view these negotiations as an indication that " a victo: the mainte the present, scale. The rank and file groups are call- -) est 7 cents / the fact that the with overtime | 1933 Joseph P. Ryan, presiden’: of the As- the for | Mothing to prepare the men on the docks for such action, they sta’‘e. | The of conditions, | larger gangs, etc., are raised by the rank and file groups as of great- importance. Ryan has + stepped these annually, in questions | closest to the docke end file commii rank | Strike in San Francisco | | SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 21—, rs of the Doliar wine t Taft and Presi- on, struck here yesterday | he continued employment | scabs recruited during i ; West Coast marine s rike. One thousand longshorem thew a picket line around the Dol- Line dock and stopped any ment of cargo from the 1 support of the seamen’s strik | The arsitration board of the West | Coast settlement is dallying and! holding back i‘s decision until ihe The seamen are following the policy of the Marine Workers Industrial Union to strike the scabs off the! chips while arbitration is pondir Euppocedly the scabs to ke ; dismissed during this period and ‘all the strikers rehired. ) were | shire, men are scattered around the world. | es ly Strikers to Return (Continved from Page 1) nnouncement, that “what- iy, disciplined i istruc- tions from strike headquarters and pursuant to the decision of the cx: cutive board of the U. T. W.” f shadows the issuance of an uneq vocal call to end the strike, as soon as the prover sell-out verbiage can be agreed upen. It is clear that only the mechani- confirmation of the U. T. exscutive council, headed by President Thomas F. McMahon (who opposed the strike in the re- unicn convention) remains to al one of the worst A. F. of L. at- pied sell-outs in the history of the predatory New Deal. “It was pointed out, however, that the strik: cannot be called off until the ez ecuti council meets. The counc’ mmoned by wire last night minute the Winant board's re- port was available and it should ke cble to meet in Weshington tonight , made the morning Gorman’s boast, declered e truth is that et this moment we haye the strike won.” « « eo 5 = It is clear that the added tegic point, ent in Gorman’s third peson ploye rs are concentrating or tomorrow morning .. .” The U.| Diplomats Hail Soviets’ Entry Into League Crowds Mass to Greet U.S.S.R. Delegates; | All Cheer Litviney | (Special to the Daily Worker) | ZURICH, Sept. 20 (By Wireless). —A despatch from Geneva states that the entire political life at the city of the League is now concen- trated on one thing—the entrance of the Soviet Union into the League of Nations and the appearance of Litvinov at the session of its tribute. The speech of the Soviet Union's People’s Commissar of Foreign Af- |fairs caused a deep impression on |the international audience and was |greeted with loud applause. | According to the general impres- sion, this was the most striking moment in the League of Nations since its formation. | Several days before this event, |intense interest in Geneva in- creased at the forthcoming entrance of the U.S.S.R. into the League of Nations, and reached its high point jon the evening of Sept. 18, when \the Soviet delegation arrived, led lby Litvinov. At the entrance of the hotel, |where the Soviet delegation was to stay and at the entrance of the building, where the sessions of the | League are held, large crowds gath- ered, several hours before the ar- rival of the Soviet delegation, awaiting their coming with the \greatest impatience. On the arrival \of the delegates, applause and shouts | rang out, ‘ In the lobbies of the League and \in political and journalistic circles, | Litvinov’s speech created a deep im- | pression, especially in the principles |he expressed and in the calmness jand confidence of his tone, which| \firmly demonstrated the Soviet) | Union's will for the struggle of the| organization of general peace. |__According to general opinion, Lit- jvinov succeeded brilliantly in| |proving that while fully and exactly |maintaining its social and political |course, the U.S.S.R. is prepared and | jcapable of collaborating with those | capitalist powers which at the pres- ent moment are not interested in the outbreak of a new war. Litvinov’s appeal for activity in the defense of peace is specially important, when it is contrasted | with flowery phrases and declara- \tions ordinarily made in diplomatic} circles, | The popularity of the Soviet} representative, while previo usly| widespread, has incroased terrific- ally in the last few days. Crowds} |of people, anxious to speak a few] |words with him and to shake his} hand, besieged Litvinov. | | The session of the newly renovated | |council of the League of Nations, which opened Sept. 19, attracts |attention chiefly because the repre- |Sentative of the U.S.S.R. for the} first time occupies a seat. Benes, | of Czechoclovakia, the chairman of the Council, greeted Litvinov with glowing expressions of welcome. In his brief reply, Litvinov par- | ‘ticularly mentioned his satisfaction thet Turkey, which is friendly with | the U.S.S.R., and the Soviet Union, | |simultaneousiy occupies a place on |the Council of the League of Na-| | tionss, At the banquet given by foreign journalists, after the sessions, in| honor of the leaders of the chief |delegations, Barthou, the French statesman, gave a speech which, |among other things, sharply exposed | the oration of Motta, the Swiss | delegate, and the continuous anti- Soviet campaign waged by the re- actionary Swiss press. With the closest attention of all present, Litvinov delivered a brief | jand keen speech in which he said: | “I have here been compared to a newborn infant because the U.S.S.R. \is a new member of the League of |Nations, a distinguished new-born | infant, as you see, and not crying, j but smiling. Other people are crying.” This part of Litvinov’s speech was drowned by laughter and ap- plause. Further referring to a |friendly caricature representing him | dancing with “Miss Geneya,” Lit- vinov, still joking, stated that he |Was not prepared to dance around jin one spot, but to move forward |towards the definite aim of univer- |Sal peace, and not to the music of others, but to his own music. Demands Ignored An Editcrial | (Continued from Page 1) |division in the ranks of the strike. | But it is true that the |Southern mills are the stra- since the em- their terrorism there, and Jare increasing it with new] attacks and killings. Therefore, all support and) ‘pretest should be concen-. ‘trated against the Soenthern ‘terrorism and the fascist |concentration camps in the Georgia strike area. i The Roosevelt “inquiry” does not end the strike. On jthe contrary it emphasizes the burning need for sweep- jing the mass actions of the pickets to greater militancy. Keep the mills closed! Re- ject “arbitration.” Spread the strike until the | | some future date the new board | that the industry as a whole is op-| new automobile strike threatens. | IN MEMORIAM The report of Roosevelt's Textile Mediation Board which was released to the press yesterday, passes over all the central issues of the strike, It admits that the workers have genuine grievances over low wages and the inhuman stretch-out sys- tem, but the Board’s only conclusion is that a more thorough study must be made of the industry. It orders the strikers to go back to their jobs without offering them a single concession. Its solution is the typical New Deal formula of set- ting up a new “impartial” board of three, having powers and duties in the textile field similar to those exercised by the Steel Labor Rela- tions Board. In other words, they propose the strike be killed, and at will issue a new report which will turn down the workers’ demands for higher wages and the abolish- ment of the stretch-out. An analysis of the text of the re- port reveals the basic contradic- tions of the capitalist system of production and distribution. The report itself has no new factual ma- terial. Its figures are taken from the anti-labor report of the NRA Research and Planning Division is- sued last summer and figures from the United Textile Workers’ Union which refuted this brief for the tex- tile manufacturers, The Mediation Beard admits that “according to the figures of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average wage paid in the cct- ton textile industry has since 1921 been below that paid in any | other major industry—at some periods not more than a half of the average for all manufacturing industries, Hours of work have been long and the conditions of work for other reasons have fre- qently been bad.” The Board does not go beyond, this statement of generalized aver- age statistics. But figures of the U. T. W. illustrate the miserable conditions and low wages of the tex- tile workers. The facts of the situ- ation show that the industry has/| failed to absorb unemployed workers to the extent that was Promised | under the code agreement. Wages are too low to afford a living wage. Living costs, especially food and clothing prices as well as house rents and other payments to the textile bosses have increased since the NRA code was adopted. The provisions in the code for excep- tions to the minimum wage have been so maneuvered that .many workers are receiving sub-minimum wages. And the minimum wage! has become the maximum wage, $12 | a week in the South and $13 in the North. | In answer to these facts, the. Mediation Board cites the conten- | tion of the manufacturers that the cost of raw materials has risen, and erating on an unprofitable basis. | This argument is refuted by the| | strikers back enormous increase in profits of the textile magnates since the incep- tion of the NRA. According to the Labor Research Association the net profit record of certain northern and outhern tex- tile companies in the recent period | was as follows: For the first six months of 1934, net profits were reported by the following: Industrial Rayon Corp., $1,079,000; Pacific Mills, $890,000; Kendall Ce., $413,000; Belding-Hem- | ingway Co.; $266,000, The Mediation Board handles the problem of the stretch-out system | in the same “impartial” way’ It points out that the workers must be | protected “from an improper in-} creae in the work load.” But the Board defends the manufacturers by citing “the numerous and often incalculable factors that must be taken into consideration in reach- ing the proper result.” i We thus see that behind its im-| partial front the Mediation Board evades the issues of stretch-out, | hours and wages, and violations of | labor provisions. On the question of union recognition, it takes an | out-and-out, strike-breaking stand. | It claims that “an industry-wide | collective agreement between the| employers as a group and the United Textile Workers is not at this time feasible.” It proposes the strike-breaking scheme of “col- lective dealing . . . on a plant-to- plant basis.” This is the old tritk of splitting the ranks of the work- ers, opening the way to company unions, and driving them back to unfavorable individual settlements. The textile strikers are prom- ised nothing more than future in- vestigations, and the manufacturers | are politely requested to take the “without discrimina- tion.” Every striker knows that | the bosses will promise this, and/ then proceed to blacklist every mil-! itant worker. The history of every strike under the New Deal proves this conclusively. The Weirton strikers, the workers at the Budd plant in Philadelphia and the truck drivers in Minneapolis were also lured back to work on the promise that there would be no discrimination. In these cases and in scores of others, militant work- ers were immediately blacklisted or discriminated against in other ways. What of the new board that is proposed? The proposal is the same kind of chicanery that was used to trick the sieel and auto-| mobile workers. An Automobile | Labor Board was set up—and the) workers were blacklisted, fired, and speeded-up. The Automobile Board no longer even makes the pretense | that it is studying these questions. | It has become defunct. It wiil be dragged out again only when a The steel Labor Relations Board was also set up to study and ar- jand Planning Report of | Tpctile Mediation Baad Passes Over Central Strike Issues 6- bitrate. And again nothing hap- pened. Tens of thousands of workers were fired, and the board | slept blissfully through the sum- mer. We thus see that the proposal to set up a new board is an out- and-out proposal to break the strike. Suppose a new board is picked. It will then proceed to study the situation while the tex- | tile workers will find the streich- out becoming worse and worse, and their pay envelopes thinner. After |some time, the board will then re- peat what the R. A. Research ion has already said and what the Textile Code Authority claims. Statistics will be cited to show that the manu- facturers cannot pay higher wages, that textiles is a sick industry and that wage increases must wait upon the return of general pros- perity. The workers will be asked to bear the brunt of the crisis while the bosSes pocket increased profits. It is no wonder then, that Roose- velt and Labor Secretary aaa the | acclaimed the Mediation Board. right tinge of “impartiality.” denounce the demands of strikers. But it is a trap for the workers—if they let themselves be deceived again by promises of in- vestigations, arbitration and the like—promises that will be forgot- ten the hour the strike is broken. It is also no surprise that the leaders of the U. T. W. who had the strike rammed down their gul- lets by the rank-and-file should indicate that there appear to be findings of It has just the “liberalism” It does not crudely no obstacles on their part to ac-| cepting the report as the basis for ending the strike. These labor lieu- tenants of the textile bosses have been waiting for this opening which gives them a chance to sell board’s decisions. This attempt of the leaders of the U. T. W. to betray the workers to the tender mercics of the fex- tile magnates must be defeated by mass pressure from the picket lines. The answer to the strike- breaking report of the Mediation velt to engineer a sell-out in spreading the strike, in strengthening the picket lines, and in maintaining the original de- mands of the workers. It is the prime duty of ever: militant worker and of every Com. munist to expose this vicious at- tempt to break the strike. If the sirike is broken, that will mean a cefeat for every worker, employed or unemployed, throughout the country. But vic ory—which can be won—will mean a great bloy against the plans of Roosevelt and} the capitalists to solve the crisis at the expense of the living stand- ards of the working class. Gas Sales Bared At Arms Inquiry (Continued from Page 1) investigate the steel and shipbuild- ing industries, backbone of the munitions game, stares them in the face. It has not yet been de- termined just how far the Com- mitice is willing to go into these industries—but even should ii de- cide to get to the bottom, it is now admitted, it could not do so without additional funds. The demands are granted. No re- | turn to work until the de-! mands are granted! | [other question, in view of the great Committees is prepared to ask for more money as soon as Congress convenes—but getting it is an- | America, pressure which is being exerted to step down the disclosures. Direct intervention by Roosevelt officials (Secretary of State Hull and Secretary of Commerc: Roper personally did this last week) has ceassd—but industrialists outside the munitions business are urider- stocd to be “putting on the heat” with highest officials. They are urging that the munitions investi- gation’s disclosure of bribery, cor- ruption, etc. attendant upon the export of arms, especially in South is “hurting business” in everything from sew- ing machines to lip sticks. The Committee has cut its staff from 26 to 15 investizators. It is freely admiticd that it would need 100 investigators to do a complete b American ; Lt. Col. B. C. Goss, head of the Lake Erie Chemical Co., who was head of the Chemical Warfaro Service of the First and Second Armies of the A. E, F. today boldly defended his operations. He declared he is “the best friend and other material with which sol- diers, strikebreakers, and jrivaie armies suppress peaceful labor demonsirations. His catalogue showed a photograph of the evac- uation of the Bonus Marexers of 1932 from the National Capitol Our Readers Must Spread the Daily Worker Among the Members “by Berek | The F and | the | Board and of the efforts of Roose- | lies labor has, when he sells tear g2s | (two were killed) with his products. ighting Vet H. E. BRIGGS | World War veterans have under various excuses been used by the authorities to do their dirty work, but increasing numbers of veterans | are realizing today that it is to their own advantage to take the side of the workers. Last Wednesday the | Whole town of Hazelton, Pa, marched in a parade of solidarity | with the textile strikers. This fine show of comradeship between worke | ers and veterans will eventually win | concessions from the bosses who exe | ploit both. The veterans of Rhode Island, at | this time, are being called upon by | Gov. Green to help break the strike | and picket lines of the militant texe tile workers in Rhode Island. Lege ionaires who have not yet received their bonus, whose brothers and sise ters are perhaps among the strikers! To come out against the strikers at this time means betraying the fight of your fellow-workers for |the right to a decent standard of, | living. The fine example set by thi Legionaires and Veterans of Forei, Wars in Hazelton, should be fol. lowed by the Legionnaires and VFW |in Rhode Island. Comrade Veter | ans, do not permit yourselves to be used for mopping up. Do not be stampeded by a “red” scare. This worn-out excuse is always used in a pinch when the powers that be | find themselves confronted with a | united front of workers and vet- |erans, Tt is in your power to bring |about better conditions for your |fellow workers and yourselves through a united support of the textile workers. At the last Rank and File Con- vention in Washington, veterans of the American Legion, V.F.W. and | D.A.V., together with members of the | Workers’ Ex-Servicemen’s League, | went on record as supporting the | Toledo and Minneapolis strikers, The Crosbie Case In contrast to the demagogy and double-crossing of the Legion offi- cials, it is gratifying to know that | the rank and file still have a sense |of their rights and the guts to de- |clare themselves for these rights. |Such a Legionnaire is Comrade | Crosbie. He does not take “no” for an answer. He does not despair of fighting for the right of the rank and file to voice their opinions on the things closest to their hearts, | Who is Paul P. Crosbie? This letter will tell you. The undersigned committee of | Legionnaires presents the case of the American Legion against Paul | P. Crosbie. He is a descendant of the Amer- ican Revolution; a _ scholarship ; graduate of Harvard College; a | member of the Delta Upsilon Fra- |ternity; for 25 years a successful | insurance broker in New York City; |a former Scout Master; a veteran jof the 7th Regt. N.G.N.Y.; Ex-Ist Lt. Field Artillery U.S.A. 1917-1919; saw service at St. Mihiel and throughout the Meuse-Argonne; is a charter member of the Legion and | for more than thirty years has been | active in civic work. This splendid background means notihng to the local ward-heelers, whose own background reeks of the | gutter and the barroom. They are | bringing him up on charges. What are the charges? 1. Disloyalty. 2. | Conduct, unbecoming a member of j the American Legion. Why are these charges made: The charges are made because in his fight for the cash payment of the bonus, for ; unemployment and social insure ance; for increased wages and im- proved working conditions for the jemployed; for adequate relief for | the unemployed; in his fight against the Economy Act and its abuse of disabled veterans; and in his mili- tant fight against the miseries of the N.R.A. and Rooseyelt’s program for Imperialist War, Comrade Cros- bie has chosen to join the Com- munist Party—a legal political party. What does the Constitution of the Legion say about politics? Article 2, Sec. 2. “The American Legion shall be absolutely non- political.” Article 2, Sec. 3. “Each member shall perform his full duty as cit- izen according to his own conscience and understanding.” | The political issue is an excuse to | get rid of a militant thorn in the ‘out the strike while appealing to, Side of the officials who are more | the -workers to wait for the new | intezested in capitalist politics than the fight for the Bonus, repeal of the Economy Act and unemploye ment insurance; in other words, the program of the rank and file. What has the Legion done? In absolute defiance of these clear provisions of the basic law of the American Legion, a member of Bliss- ville Post 727, Long Island City, N. » acting upon the written direc- tion of State Adjutant Maurice Stember has preferred the above chazges against Comrade Crosbie. His trial is set for September 26th, before the Executive Committee of he Post, a committe? composed largely of functionaries of the local Democratic club. Rank and file members will not be admitted. What do we propose? Fellow members of the American Legion throughout the country: We ; must rally to the support of Com- ‘ade Cre e in his fight for our demcc:atic rights. In its “Red’= baiting tactics the top leadership of the Legion has allied itself with the strike-breaking activities of the ruling class and the leadership of the A. F. of L. Already in many places, as in San Francisco, gang- Sters, operating in the mame of the Legion, have lawlessly attacked workers and workers’ quariers. Our right to freedom of thought and political belief is threatencd. Let the voice cf the members be | heard. Write or wire your protests |to National Commander Hayes, In- dianapolis, Indiana; to State Ad- jutant Mcurice Stember, Hall ef Records, New York, N. ¥., and to Post Commander Alex Rossoff, | 48-12 Queens Keulevard, Long Isl- and City, N. Y. PAUL P. CROSBIE AMERICAN LEGION DEFENSE COMMITTEE, e.—The address of the of All Mass and Fraternal Organ- izations As a Political Task of First Job, Importance! g Workers’ -Servicemen’s League, National Hcadqua:ters is 799 Broade way, New York, Room 523.] a) ——— '