The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 21, 1934, Page 6

Page 6 DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1934 Daily ,QWorker @UNTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U6. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERWATIONSS) “America’s Only Working Class Daily Newspaper” FOUNDED 1924 PUBLISHED DAILY, EXCEPT SUNDAY, BY THE COMPRODAILY PUBLISHING CO., INC., 5¢ E. 18th | Street, New York, N. ¥. Falephone: ALgonquin 4-7954 New York, N. Y. 954. jwork,”” Press Building, D. C. Telephone: National 7910. s ‘Wells St., Room 705, Chicago, 1. Dearborn 3 Telephone: 1 Subscription Rates: h 6.00; | By Mail: (except Manhattan and Bronx), 1 year, # 6 m $3.50; 3 months, $2.00; 1 month, 0.75 cents. Foreign and Canada: 1 year, $0.00; . $2.00. monthly, 75 cents ar, $1.50; 6 months, 7! FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1934 New Deal Funds for War 'VEN the slightest peep into the war plans and skull-duggery of the war- makers, such as the Senate Munitions’ Committee gives us, should arouse and warn the workers of the dangers con- fronting them. Colonel T. C. ris, director of mobilization plans for the War Department, reveals that the Roosevelt government has made every preparation to plunge the whole country into war at a mo- ment’s notice. Plans have been perfected to mobilize an army of 2,000,000 men to fight the wars of Wall Street and to start new war profits rolling into the laps of the richest parasites in this country. It is brought out, for example, that the Roose- yelt government, under the excuse of public works P.W.A.) handed over to the biggest ammunition firm in the country, the du Ponts, $286,923 for ex- plosives. The du Ponts make 30 per cent profit on its powder business at the present time, compared to the 39,000 ver cent made on one deal in war time. Mr. Irenee du Pont, incidently, is made a member of the ordnance advisory board of the War De- partment, so that he can help push the war plans of the Roosevelt regime and thereby speed the day when his mere 30 per cent profit will be shoved up by the slaughter of American workers. Roosevelt can spout about “taking the profits out of war” to throw dust in the eyes of the masses, but the War Department now reveals that most of those who made millions out of the last war are put on the ordnance advisory board for the next war. ‘Their job is to tell how much should be bought, how much should be paid in order to carry on the next war. More than that. It is revealed that the income tax records of Bernard Baruch covering the last war period have mysteriously disappeared. The gov- ernment still retains the record of every worker who fought against the last imperialist war. But it deliberately destroys the war profits record of Bernard Baruch, and other members of the War Industries Board, to cover up the fact that these gentlemen made millions out of the last bloody im- Perialist slaughter at the expense of the tolling revelations by the Senate Committee will not in the least hamper the Roosevelt government’s plans for increased war preparations, for billions of dollars for the navy and the army. They only give the workers an opportunity to get an idea of what actually is going on behind the scenes. These investigations show that the New Deal funds are going for war preparations. They show that Roosevelt is uttizing the same individuals for mobilizing for the next war who coined millions in profits out of the last war. They show the Roose- velt government has hundreds of millions in profits for the murder machine manufacturers, but refuses to grant the jobless unemployment insurance. What the Steel ‘Truce’ Means HE conferences between representatives of the large steel corporations, the A. F. of L. leaders and Roosevelt government of- ficials, for the extension of the steel “truce,” have adjourned, according to press reports, without an agreement being reached. Presi- dent Roosevelt, who has taken a personal hand in the negotiations, reports, however, that these con- ferences will be resumed. Roosevelt and the Steel Labor Relations Board are supporting the proposals of the steel companies. These proposals, presented officially by the Steel Labor Relations Board, are: 1) The employers will bargain with all groups of employes; 2) Both labor and employers will recognize the National Steel La- bor Relations Board as an arbitration agency. 3) Both sides would agree on a six months’ “truce,” during which no elections of representatives for col- lective bargaining purposes would be held. These “truce” conferences are being held because the steel workers are tired of waiting for some ac- tion by the Steel Labor Relations Board on their demands and are preparing for action. The workers are worse off now, after six months of the Steel Board, than they were before. Green and Tighe, representing the A. F. of L. and the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers at the conference, fear the grow- ing rank and file movement in the A. A. They have ‘been unable so far to stem the growing sentiment of the steel workers for strike action. They fear the strength of the rank and file in the coming A. A. convention in April. The conferences are aimed at preventing strike action, * + * IN THE three proposals now made by the Steel Labor Board and the companies absolutely nothing is promised to the workers. On the con-| trary, the first proposal, for recognition of all groups means official and open legalization of the company union and would force the A. A. to work as one group through the company unions “councils.” The proposals of the government and the em- ployers make no concession on the question of wages. They leave the way open for the wage cut drive already rumored in the steel employers’ jour- nals. They make no concessions on the question of the speed-up or of working conditions. Through in- sistence on compulsory arbitration they would rob the steel workers of the right to strike. The employers and the government claim that they are making concessions to the workers on point two, the recognition by the employers of the Steel Labor Relations Board. But the employers know that the Steel Labor Relations Board represents not the steel workers, but the employers. There is no representative of the workers on the Steel Board. Under this board the conditions of the steel work- ers have been worsened, profits of the employers have increased, the company inion has grown, Green and Tighe have so far rejected the “for- mula” of the steel trust and the government. They make only one demand, for recognition of the A. A. with the majority union speaking for the workers and against minority or group recognition, Tighe a and Green do not put forward the demands of the steel workers for higher wages, for shorter hours, against the speedup and for better conditions. Green and Tighe attack the mihtants in the steel union. They raise the red scare, and attempt to crush the rank and file movement in the A. A. They do this in order to show the steel employers that they are “good boys” and that the employers need not fear them. * * * HE rank and file in the Amalgamated Association, which is fighting against Mike Tighe’s no fight policies, must reject all “truce” agreements. Tele- grams and letters should be dispatched at once to Tighe and Green, with copies to Roosevelt, demand- ing that no “truce” agreement be concluded without a vote of ail the steel workers on the proposals. ‘The campaign to organize the unorganized steel workers, the building and strengthening of the A. A. into a mass organization, is an immediate task of the rank and file. The building of the union on the basis of local struggles for the demands, on the basis of inner democracy in the union, and against Green’s red scare and expulsion policy, is a neces- sary task of the rank and file in the A. A. The rank and file has called a conference in Pittsburgh for Dec. 30 of all lodges of the A. A., na- tionally, to discuss tNe tasks of the rank and file. This conference deserves the support of all the steel workers. The Lodges, and broad district conferences, should lay the basis for the national convention in April. Joint conferences of the miners and railroad workers in support of the steel workers’ coming struggles should now be organized. In the fight for the demands of the steel work- ers, in the campaign to build the union into a powerful mass organization, in the local struggles for the steel workers’ demands and the fight for rank and file control, the Communists and other revolutionary workers should take the leading part, should work the hardest for all of these demands, Organize Against Rabid Chauvinist Incitement HE attempt by a Chicago court to have Jane Newton, white wife of Herbert Newton, Negro Communist leader, de- clared insane because she married a Negro clearly shows the increasing drive of the American ruling class, behind the social demagogy of the “New Deal” to fascism with its rabid chauvi- nist incitement against minority groups. That this attempt collapsed before the aroused fury of the working class and the finding of psychiatrists that Jane Newton “is not only sane, but brilliant,” does not change the vicious political content of the court’s order for her examination to “determine her sanity.” The court’s action supports all the false “race theories “by which the imperialist oppressors of the white and Negro toilers attempt to prevent their united struggle against capitalist oppression, misery, hunger, imperialist war and fascism. The court's attack on Jane Newton is the answer of Chicago's white ruling class to the determined struggle of Chicago white and Negro workers against the evic- tion of Herbert Newton and his family from their home at 615 Oakwood Avenue. The court had issued an order for their eviction on the sole ground, ad- vanced by the chauvinist landlord, that Newton is a Negro. The imperialist ideas, expressed in the court’s actions, is the typical degrading expression of a tottering system, developed by capitalism in its decaying stage in proportion as the class and na- tional struggles grow acute. This vile ideology finds its sharpest expression today in Nazi Germany, where the Jews and other minority groups are hounded, the labor unions destroyed, the Commu- nist Party outlawed and its heroic leader, Ernst Thaelmann, threatened with legal lynching, and thousands of revolutionary workers and writers held in the Nazi concentration camps and prisons, sub- ject to torture and murder at the hands of the Nazi butchers. The action of the Chicago court is a slap in the face of the Negro people, a blow at the growing unity of Negro and white workers, which is being achieved under the correct, fearless leadership of the Communist Party, and a challenge to the whole working class. It is highly significant that this at- tack on the Negro people occurs at the same time as the organized campaign by the United States Chamber of Commerce, the Hearst newspapers and various fascist groups, aided by government agencies for the suppression and outlawing of the Com- munist Party. This is no mere coincidence, but further proof that the ruling class recognizes that in order to carry out its program against the Negro people and the working class it must first “settle accounts” with the Communist Party, the real leader in the fight for the interests of the workers, Negro and white, and of all oppressed groups, The answer of the workers and the Negro peo- ple should be clear and unequivocal: Hands off the Communist Party! Unconditional equality for the Negro people! The right of Negro and white work- ers to fraternize and unite in struggle for better conditions! Marriage as a private matter for tne individual, so far as the State is concerned! For mass violation of all jim-crow laws and practices. For the right of Negroes to live where they please! New Fascist Attacks! ECULIAR coincidence surrounds the re- fusal of the management of the Chi- cago Coliseum to permit the use of the hall to the Communist Party for the Lenin memorial meeting three days after a simi- lar occurrence in Philadelphia. The denial of the use of the Chicago hall follows a campaign of fascist incitement against the Communist Party and the Workers School in the Hearst newspapers. In Philadelphia, the denial of the use of the city-owned Convention Hall followed appeals in the local newspapers “in the name of God and the United States of America” by the labor-hating Judge McDevitt. In Chicago the reason was ad- vanced that “it is against the law to hold Com- munist meetings anywhere.” Both bans come timed with the whole new reac- tionary drive of the Roosevelt regime as it moves forward to execute the latest wage-cutting, relief- slashing, open-shop polities of the Wall Street monopolies. The drive today is aimed at the most militant fighting elements in the ranks of the working class. Tomorrow, with the ruthless advance of the most chauvinistic and reactionary forces of the owning class, unless spiked now, it will direct its forces against all the organizations of the workers. It is the serious duty of all trade unionists, and especially the solemn duty of the members of the Socialist Party to bend every effort in the support of the Communist Party in the fight for the elemen- tary rights of the whole working class, It becomes now more than ever before the task of the Com- munists to build the united front and the duty of the Socialists to respond to the united front ap- Ppeals addressed to them, | | Party Life | |Red Fighting Fund | Will Speed Drive Against Fascism By CHARLES KRUMBEIN AJOR GENERAL SMEDLEY D. BUTLER’S revelations of a pro- | Jected fascist coup in the United States should be an eye-opener to our Party membership. The uncov- ered plan of the Wall Street bankers | and munitions manufacturers to en- list an army of 500,000 for a march | on the national capital to establish | a military dictatorship is not an iso- lated attempt on the part of the ruling class of this country to throw | off its mask of “democracy” and ruthlessly suppress any protest of the working class against the evils of Roosevelt's “New Deal.” It is part j of the policies of the Roosevelt re-! gime which is rapidly rushing to- ward fascism in the United States. | General Butler alone has received 42 different offers to lead various fascist movements in the United States. The national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Van | Zandt, was also offered the leader- ship of a fascist coup. The menace! of fascism is growing every day, The campaign of the Hearst press and specifically the editorials of the | Evening Journal are nothing but fascist incitements against the Communist Party, leader of the workers’ struggles in this country. Indications of growth of fascism in the United States are seen every day. The harnessing of the Ameri- can Legion and of large fraternal organizations like the Elks, in anti- Communist campaigns; the in- creased use of the militia and vigil- ante gangs in labor disputes; the inauguration of concentration camps in the South and the attempt to drive our Party into illegality in Rhode Island during the textile} strike; the formation with bankers’ subsidies of dozens of fascist organ- izations like the Silver Shirts, the Blue Shirts, etc.; the suppression of anti-fascist protests in the schools and colleges; the expulsion of 21 students of the College of the City | of New York; the attacks a few weeks ago against the Hunger Marchers in Albany; are all indica- tions that the ruling class of this | country is determined to use against | the American working class the) same methods that Hitler is today using in Germany. Under these circumstances the Communist Party of the United! States must learn from the experi- | ences of the Communist Parties of Germany and Austria and be pre- pared for any emergency that may | arise at any time. Two main steps are to be taken now: (1) the carrying through of our plan to put the entire Party on a group system; (2) the establish- ment of a reserve fund. Three months ago our District Finance Department addressed a| letter to every Party member in the New York District drawing some lessons from the events in Germany and Austria, and explaining the ne- cessity for the establishment of an emergency fund by our Party—the “Red Fighting Fund.” | This letter explained the work of the Communist Party of Germany in spite of fascist terror, which work was only made possible by the fi- nancial assistance of the Commu- nist Parties throughout the world. It very clearly and concisely ex-! plained the political importance of | finances for the Communist Parties. | It also rightly emphasized the duty of every Party member not only to participate in the everyday work of the Party but also to undertake the responsibility . of financing such work and especially establishing a strong emergency fund for the fu- | ture. The plan calls for every Party member to collect a minimum of $1 once every two months or there-' abouts. Figuring on a membership of 6,000 (we have now 8,000 mem-! bers, but we had 6,000 when the Plan was started) we should have collected to date about $9,000 on this fund. The total collected has been a little over $1,200, This means that not every Party unit and member has understood the urgency and the importance of this “Red Fighting Fund.” It shows that our Party membership is not reacting as it should to the open danger of fas- cism in the- United States. I would like to know: Are you one of those who have not taken a book- let to collect for the “Red Fighting Fund?” Are you one of those who haye taken a booklet from the unit and returned it the following week with- out any collection or with much less than the $1 minimum? Are you one of those who have taken a booklet from the unit and forgot to use it in the collection of funds? If so, why? Do you thoroughly understand the political importance of the “Red Fighting Fund’? Are you aware that this is one of the most important political jobs the Party has asked you to perform? Do you know that this is not only a means of collecting funds now, but also a way of securing perma- All these are questions that many of our Party members are not clear on, for I do not see any other reason for the failure to carry the “Red Fighting Fund” over the 100 per cent mark, I want to believe that our Party members will understand the needs of such a “Red Fighting Fund” in face of the mobilization of big finance capital against our movement and this is the reason I am writing you this personal letter. I want you, comrade, to go to your next unit meeting and: 1) take part in the discussion on this prob- lem in the unit; 2) volunteer to be the next one to take a “Red Fight- ing Fund” booklet and bring it back with more than the $1 minimum; 3) ask your finance secretary to ex- plain the workings of the plan to | the gendarme Kreutz forced the BILL GREEN CASTS HIS VOTE! Workers, what do you say about it? By PAUL GREEN R. P. J. PHILIP, the French correspondent for the New York Times, writing in the New| York Times of Dec. 16 on the) French situation, claims that “the Saar issue is being settled without any of that feeling of panic that was current.” Mr. Philip seems to ignore completely the implications resulting from the Franco-German Saar pact, which of course was nothing else than a robber deal! beween two capitalist sharks at the| expense of the Saarlanders and at) the expense of the French and Ger- man working cass. What ballyhoo the bourgeois papers displayed at the conclusion of the Saar pact at| Rome, in regard to the “political,) racial and religious” minorities living in the Saar! Hitler’s signa- ture as in the case of Danzig, as in the case of Austria means noth- ing, unless it means a more subtle path to terror and subterfuge. The terror in the Saar territory still goes on. The “Arbeiter Zeit- ung” reports that three agents of the “Gestapo” (the German Secret Police) entered the Communist headquarters, revolvers in hand, ready for attack, but fortunately there was a guard stationed at the headquarters. As a conseqcence they took flight. The police got the license number of the automo- bile, which was —Saar 16,636—. The police gave the following re- port: The Saar automobile—Saar 16,636—was stopped at the Ger- man frontier, near Einoed where chauffeur Thale, a Nazi living at Neunkirchen, to return to Saar- brucken because there were no po- lice stations at Einoed. The three German agents were from the Reich. Kreutz had intended to get additional help at Schwartzenacher but before getting there, the three secret agents attacked him and al- most strangled him to death. They then threw him out of the car. Thus Hitler signs a pact guarantee- ing liberty to the minorities and the anti-fascists. He knows nigh well (the signing of the pact itself is an admission) that the vote for the Status Quo is no longer in an em- bryonic stage, that it no longer limits itself to the Socialists and Communists, but is a manifesta- tion of the sentiments of the Saar- landers, whose population consists mainly of catholic workers. The same holds true of the French steel and coal trusts. They know that the effectiveness of the united front is the death knell of both German fascism and French im- perialism. Two Point Appeal The Anti-Nazi united front in the Saar anticipating the fake deal | Of robber barons, sent an appeal to the Socialist and Communist Par- ties of France, asking these parties |“to reenforce their action of sol- \idarity in favor of the working masses in.the Saar’ through par- | Mamentary and political influence 'as Well as through campaigns in, their press, meetings and demon- strations. This appeal outlines two points upon which the campaign of their brother parties in France are to concentrate their efforts: “1.) That the French workers de- clare themselves for absolute right of self-determination of the Saar population against Hitler, including nent contacts with non-Party work- ers for collections in the future? Do you know that this is a means of tightening the relations between Party members and the scores of thousands of sympathizers who voted for our candidates in the last elections, and the hundreds of thou- you; 4) explain to other comrades who do not understand the plan that this is a great task entrusted to the Party membership; 5) see that you are not forgotten when your turn comes again for collec- tion as you should be anxious to go back to the same people who do- nated the first time for their next contribution and for their further activization in the movement, | Sands who participate in our dem- onstrations and actions and who ‘eventually will join the Party? Do / you know that this will greatly in- | crease recruiting in our Party if the | Plan is properly put into effect? Do _you know that where the units or , Party members have given serious attention to this “Red Fighting | Fund” the financial results have ® | been excellent? Saar United From Strengthened the interpretation of the Status Quo with the right of a subsequent decision with regard to the terri- tory. “2.) The Status Quo serves as the maintenace of peace in Europe while the return of the Saar to Hitler would considerably increase the danger of war.” The Saar remains one of the greatest war danger spots of Eu- rope. The signing of the pact has increased that danger as has been already pointed out in the Daily Worker. Strengthening Ranks This the Saarlanders immediately understood and as a consequence the working class of the Saar is broadening and strengthening its ranks. Not only is this being done in the ranks of the Socialists and Communists, but on the same night that the Rome Saar Pact was signed, an important meeting took place at the headquarters of a Catholic association. At this meet- ing, 66 Catholic priests and prot- estant pastors, representing dif- ferent churches, and the last presi- dent of the Saar Centre Party, founded the “Christian Front of the Saar.” Dr. Tinnes was elected the leader of this new Anti-Nazi organization, Their emblem is: “For Christ and Germany—Against Hitler National-Socialism and neo- | Paganism.” : A few weeks remain before the | Saarlanders will vote. It is our, solemn duty not merely to express our solidarity with our brothers in! the Saar who are waging an heroic fight against Hitler and all fascist forces, but to mobilize all workers, irrespective of nationality, race or} creed into monster mass protest meetings that will make their voices heard to the effect that any putsch or attacks against our brothers in the Saar will not be tolerated. Telegrams should be immediately dispatched to the Saar United Front expressing our solidarity; resolutions be sent to all agencies responsible for the Saar plebiscite reiterating our stand with the Uni- ted Front of the Saar proletariat. Mass organizations should arrange; special meetings for the Saar pleb- iscite and they too should send resolutions and telegrams to Hitler protesting against his bloody at- tacks against our brothers in the Saar. The Yorkville Committee of the League Against War and Fas- cism will hold a monster mass meeting for the “Status Quo” on December 21, at the Labor Temple, 243 East 84th Street. All out to this meeting for the Status Quo. Philippine Peasants Fight _ Against Landlord Robbery By SAMUEL WEINMAN Everywhere in the Philippine countryside the struggle of the landless peasantry, sharecroppers, tenant farmers and farm laborers against the parasitic landlords cast the shadows of the coming agrarian revolution. Philippine peasants stag- gering under the burdens of oppres- sive rents, heavy taxes and usury are organizing and joining revolu- tionary farm unions, Farmers dot the fields with red flags, defying landlords to collect rent or crop shares, or to evict them. In an effort to moderate the in- tensity of the peasant fight for the land, the native landlords, through the Quezon-Roxas government have promised land reforms based on the distribution of public lands. Hardly a@ week passes without a new prom- ise. The latest empty demagogy was teleased by Labor Secretary Torres. How Reforms Work How do these “land reforms” work out in practice? As a matter of record, it is well nigh impossible for a peasant to obtain a public jand grant. Many of the peasants who did get land have been driven off by money lenders, tax collectors, government grafters and neighbor- ing rich landlords. The bulk of the public land grants are available only to land speculators, politicians and absentee landowners who have en inside influence in the land of- ice. So openly flagrant and widespread has the systemate robbery of land become that the scandal has com- pelled the insular government to “catch” and prosecute a few small fry in order to create the impression that steps are being taken to halt land grabbing. Under an eight-column _ head reading, “Shady Land Deals Probed Behind Closed Doors,” the Philip- pine Herald of October 29 gives an account of the latest corruption brought to light in the land office. This time the manager of the branch of the Philippine National Bank has been caught and sacri- ficed to cover up the wholesale swindling by the rich landlords and speculators, The Philippine Herald’s story fol- lows in part: “The most glaring irregularity is the case of land grants to the man- ager of the branch of the Philippine National Bank, the cashier and the wife of the district engineer who obtained lands at 10 pesos per hec- tare, whereas others paid 20 pesos | per hectare for them. “Another irregularity is the case of an ex-provisional official of Al- | bay who obtained 70 hectares of land for which he did not pay for six years, but continued to reap the benefits therefrom. On. the other hand all other landholders who failed to pay the taxes for one year had their lands confiscated.” It was no accident that the hear- ings were held behind closed doors. Any sort of an open hearing was calculated to blow the lid off the seething indignation against the land robbers, nvolving the most powerful of the imperialists and na- tive exploiters. * Three days earlier (Oct. 26), the Herald revealed other information directly connected with the confis- cation of land. nounced that “dividends amounting to 18,000,000 pesos were declared by Philippine companies up to Oct. 15 this year.” “The dividends are greater than those declared the past year...” “The dividends were from 2 to 12 per cent.” Of the total dividends over 12,- 000,000 pesos, or 66 per cent, were declared by sugar companies. Sugar landholders are the leading land robbers. In the face of the deep crisis in the world sugar market, the sugar landlords increased their profits over the previous year and distributed more than $5,000,000 to stockholders. How deeply the idea of abolish- ing private ownership of land has penetrated the masses is indicated by the fact that Philippine bour- geois publicists, college professors, clergymen, etc., have found it nec- essary to carry on a vigorous cam- paign to justify the landholders. For example, Dr. Eustaquio G. Aquino wrote a long article on “Philosophy of Private Ownership of the Land,” which has as a thesis ; the weak-kneed argument that “landed property answers a pro- found need of human nature.” It is amusing to find the “philosojher,” Or. Aquino, asserting that “we are not concerned here as to whether landed property has originated from robbery or theft, as claimed by Marx and his followers.” In spite of the concerted landlord attack, Philippine peasants are | marching forward under the lead- ership of the Communist Party to the day when landlords and all ex- ploiters have been wiped out in the Philippines as they have been in the Soviet Union, © r The Herald an-| 4 World Fron |i——- By HARRY GANNES —— War Moves, Rail and Sea Roosevelt and Chaco Ramsay Rewards Friends N THE same day that t Japanese Privy Coun answered Roosevelt’s nav arms race challenge by d jnouncing the Washingtc {Naval Treaty, the Japane: army in Manchukuo opene the new military railroad leadi: to the Soviet border. Here symbolically we have an e> pression of the relation of the grov ing conflicts between the imperia ist bandits and their war mov against the Soviet Union. Japa takes up Wall Street’s gauntlet fc |@ naval arms race, But at the sam time it loads its biggest gun fc firing at the Soviet Union. The upshot of this situation i that though the growing clash be tween the imperialist colony anc market-snatchers in the Far Eas | makes it more difficult to carry o1 ; the war agairist the Soviet Union there goes on the simultaneous movement to try to end these clashes by merging their commor interest in war against the work- ers’ fatherland, * ee E League Against War and Fas- cism has tripped up Roosevelt's pacific claims with regard to the ;Chaco war. In its latest release, |“Facts and Figures on War and Fascism,” the League points out: “The United States decided to ac- cept the role of ‘peacemaker’ in the Chaco dispute on Dec. 7. This would seem to be in accordance | with the policy enunciated by the government when it placed an em- bargo on all munitions’ shipments to Paraguay and Bolivia—but: “On Nov. 6, it was reported that arms’ shipments to the Chaco bel- ligerents have continued despite the embargo and thus far the U.S. Government has done nothing about it. The West Coast Leader of Lima, Peru, reports that the Paraguayan minister in Washing- ton requested the State Department to investigate the shipment 6f 184 cases of machine guns from Nor- folk, Va., to Bolivia via Arica dur ing the week previous. The em- bargo was supposed to go into effect in May 1934. The Paraguayan minister pointed out that it was entirely improbable that this con- signment formed a part of the | munitions’ shipments permitted on the ground that the contract had been signed prior to the embargo. “It has been estimated that over 40,000 men have been killed and another 40,000 disabled by jungle diseases in the present dispute over the rich Chaco oil deposits and grazing lands. Standard Oil Co. i(U. S$.) and Bolivian Concessions Limited (British) have been the most interested in the oil, despite Standard Oil denials ss * PEAKING of armaments, reminds us of Ramsay MacDonald. There are no political depths too low for {that man, erstwhile pride of the {Second International. | write a modern version of Dante's One could Inferno listing his crimes and sins against the toiling and colonial peoples. But his latest service to British imperialism is his protec- tion of cabinet members holding war stocks and shares. Under no circumstances, declared MacDonald in the House of Com- mons last Wednesday, would he issue a ruling or countenance one, forbidding cabinet members from holding stocks in armament corpora- tions. “Incidentally, I might say,” de- clared MacDonald with that su- preme perfidiousness which typifies him, “it is impossible to differen- tiate between many munitions’ firms and firms producing materials for use in war time.” Which is the reverse of the medal flipped to us by Vincent Astor in this country who made millions during the war but denied it was in munitions’ stocks. When it is to their immediate interests (as in the case of MacDonald) they argue, why discriminate against war stocks and other materials supplied in war time? When they want to disaso- ciate themselves from unsavory ex- posures of arms’ investigating com- mittees, then war munitions’ stocks are sharply distinguished from other war supplies. Se ee AS January 13, the date of the Saar plebiscite, approaches, rumors come thicker, faster and more ominously out of Fascist Ger- many., It seems that the whole top structure of the Nazi regime is due for a new explosion, and that the Hitler forces are barely able to hold it down with all their might awaiting the outcome of the Saar plebiscite. Rumors of Hitler being shot are reported and denied. Other rumors have it that,Goering is to take command of the Reichswehr, with Werner yon Blomberg, min- ister of the Reichswehr, stepping out. This change, however, is not auite possible without some blood flowing in order to ease Goering into the job. But the rumors, forecasts as well as the actual speeches of the Nazis sound like the language of the Del- phic oracle. There is something brewing, But exactly what cannot be told from the news reports. All we know is that basically German fascism is in a catastrophic eco- nomic and financial crisis, which is having its effects in sharpening every phase of the class struggle, and intensively deenening the cleav- ages in the ranks of the rotten rule ing strata. Goebbels, minister of poison prop= aganda, for “example, in recent speeches declared Germany was “going to undertake the most dar- ing attempt ever known to history.” The “Prager Presse” asks, for in= stance, if this announcement pres- ages the “foreign adventure” so often prophesied to take place after the Saar plebiscite, and to give the Nazis the opportunity of “letting ” (themselves go,