The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 29, 1935, Page 1

yr a Italian Consuls Advance Fascist Activities Here Mussolini’s Agents Persecute Anti-Fascists Here, Harass Relatives in Italy—Evidence Ignored By Congressional Committee By MARGUERITE YOUNG Italian Fascist diplomats are persecuting American citi- zens in the United States for daring to express opposition to Fascism. In an interview with a witness who was subpoenaed twice by the McCormack Committee, but heard only once, I con- firmed this and other spectacular facts related to Italian Fas- cist activities in the United States. This witness testified to these facts before the Congres- sional Committee which is supposed to be investigating just such matters more than six months ago. But instead of checking and making public the evidence, the Committee re- fused to even hear the witness when he returned later, under subpoena, with documents. The McCormack-Dickstein Com- mittees is white-washing the matter just as it suppressed testimony on the Wall Street plot to build a Fascist army.| This witness told the Committee that Italian Consul in New York, Yonkers and Detroit, and Fascist secret agents in key positions in the United States are employing espionage and terrorism as well as propaganda to force Italian-Amer-| ican workers, students and small business men to bend the knee politically to Rome and Fascism. PREZZOLIN The witness is Girolomo Libera, Liberal Italian-Americ: He identified Professor P: Italiana, Columbia University | 11S NAMED | Valenti, editor of La Stampa! an newspaper. | rezzolini, director of the Casa institution officially devoted to furthering Italian-American cultural relations, as a secret agent of the Ovra, Fascist secret police. From other sources, I see these developments. The letter signed by Joseph Brancucci, Chancellor A It went to¢—— Consulate in Yonkers. an Italian-American citizen Yonkers. I wiil expiain its sig: nificance in this article. | The same Wall Street clique of | international financial and indus- | trial obligarchs who plotted for a Fascist army for domestic use and steered the Congressional Commit- tee to suppress evidence on it stand in the background of the Commit- tee’s deliberate whitewashing of this subject. in} | Pope Takes Lead Italian Fascist activities in the United States are increasing. Its object is Fascist control of all Italian-American institutions. | Prominent Italian-Americans in- cluding judges are engaged in them. In at least one case, a public ser- vice agency, artly supported by the | City of New. York is conducting Fascist propaganda in classes sub- sidized directly by the Italian gov- ernment. Facts presented here re- flect a broad campaign on behalf of the canitalist dictatorshiv of Italy to bring every Italian-American in the United States to complete ser- vility to Fascism. Prominently identified with this and closely linked with the Mus- solini dictatorship is Generoso Pope, anti-union publisher, building ma- terial king and bosom pal of Major James J. Walker, chief represen- tative of Italian fascism in Tam- many Hall. Pope was recently ac- cused publicly of attempting “to ex- ercise censorship over the Italian language press by means of gang- sters,” in order to prevent anti- Fascist expression. Pope never an- swered this charge although pre- viously he had engaged in political controversy with the author of it. Told to Call The Consul'’s letter, repreduced here, is on the stationary of the, “Royal Consular Agency of the Italian Kingdom” in Yonkers, New York. also “13"—meaning the thirteenth year of the Fascist era in Italy. It tells the Italian-American ad- dressee, whose identity I am con- cealing for obvious reasons, to It is dated Jan. 7, 1935, and | ured documentary evidence on) reproduced with this article is gent of the Italian get news from you,” the transla- tion of the letter from Italy begins. “I have written you two letters and have had no answers.” Then the |relative writes (translated): Quizzed by Police | “Very often the Carabinieri come to me with the excuse of asking whether you are in Italy and, if so, where, or whether you are dead. Every year they come with these questions. In conclusion they want to know whether you have served in the Army here or there, because, they say, you are considered here as a ‘renitente’.” This Italian word means one who evades the com- pulsory military service. The letter from the relative also says: “One of us. (the family.in Italy). | Was compelled to go to the ‘Cas- erma’ (the stationhouse) of the \Carabinieri and was questioned about your whereabouts, and was compelled to give your address .. .| They also want the address of your father. Will you please send it to me?” | In Valenti’s office at 52 W. 15th | | St.. New York, I examined photo- | | graphs showing Italian Consuls in| the United States exchanging ihe | Fascist salute with American chil- dren returning from government- | sponsored visits to Rome. The children were dressed in the Fas- cisti uniform. Valenti’s identity as a McCor- | mack-Dickstein Committee witness is established by two subpoenas. One, signed by the late Speaker Henry T. Rainey and South Trim- ble, clerck of the House of Repre- | sentatives, commanded him to ap- pear before the Congressional Com- mittee, which is supposed to be in- vestigating Fascist activities, on July 6, 1934. The other called upon him to return on September 7, 1934. | Since Mr, Valenti himself is a/ friend of American Federation of | | Labor officials who continually bait | Communists and militant unionists, ‘he was none too eager to cooperate | | with a representative of the Daily | |Worker. He refused to allow me “kindly call personally at this of-|to use his documents because, he | fice during the coming week, bring- | said, he hoped to have them used ing with you this ‘invitation, or|by an “important’—capitalist— call by telephone.” I will explain newspaper. This is cited merely to | later the meaningful absence of the emphasize a statement, he volun- subject of the requested visit. ;teered as we began our talk. He Another document in the posses- | said: sion of the Daily Worker is a letter, “The McCormack - Dickstein to an Italian-American in Fairview, Committee was extremely vigilant New Jersey, whose identity is con- bout listening, in public sessions, cealed for the same obvious reason. to bedtime stories about the Com- | raise this amount, with proper work, | Daily .Q Worker CENTRAL ORGAN COMMUNIST PARTY U.S.A. (SECTION OF COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL ) Vol. XII, No. 25 <> NEW YORK, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 1935 NATIONAL EDITION Batered as second-class matter at the Post Office at New York, M. ¥.. under the Aet of March 8, 1878 (Six Pages) Price 3 Cents 22,000 TEAMSTERS OUT; FULL DOCK TIE-UP LOOMS GREEN ADMITS POWER BEHIND WORKERS BILL AFL Head Puts Forward | Tacit Acceptance of Roosevelt Plans By Seymour Waldman (Daily Worker Washinrton Bureau) WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 28.—| William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor, ad- mitted before the Senate Finance Committee today that the workers are refusing to accept his program for State “reserves” as against na- tional unemployment insurance such as is proposed by the Workers Unemployment Insurance, Old Age and Social Insurance Bill, H. R. 2827. This committee is holding hearings on the Roosevelt Admin- | istration’s Wagner-Lewis Bill, a measure which rejects Federal un- employment insurance. While Green admitted that “labor | favors a national unemployment in- | surance measure,” he nevertheless attacked national unemployment insurance ag “apparently” uncon- stitutional in presenting his recom- mendations for the grant-in-aid or subsidy plan—a state plan contrib- uted to by the Federal govern- ment. He made it clear that he and the rest of the A, F. of L. of- ficialdom are fundamentally . op- | posed to national unemployment in- surance. Green confined himself to levelling mild criticism at some of the provisions of a measure which the government has brought forward in an effort to block gen- uine Federal unemployment insur- | ance.. In no case did he even in- | timate that he would fight for his mild proposals. He left no one in doubt that his recommendations are simply pious wishes. Senator Hugo Black of Alabama pointed out to Green that his pay- roll tax and the Roosevelt admin- istration plan would mean the pay- ment of the tax by the “small con- sumer.” “Ts not the only way to avoid this by putting taxes on those who | earn more than they need for con- | | (Continued on Page 2) Scottsboro Fund Drive Is Piedged By A. Gerlach (Michigan District Secretary, ILD) Michigan District has accepted its | quota of $300 to be raised imme- | diately for the defense of the, Scottsboro Boys and Angelo Hern- don, and has raised it to $400. We feel confident that we can and we challenge the Cleveland Dis- | trict to complete raising of its quota | before we get all ours in. We are organizing a united front Earl Browder Cables Stalin on the Death of Valerian Kuibyshev NEW YORK.—On the occasion of the death of Valerian Kuiby- shev, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Earl Brow- der, in the name of the Commu- PARIS TOILERS MARK EVENTS OF FEBRUARY |vide for care nist Party, U.S.A., addressed the following cable to Joseph Stalin: “With profound feeling of loss we have learned of the untimely death of Valerian Kuibyshev, We deeply sorrow together with you in this great loss. It is our loss as well. We hope to help make good this loss by more strenuous efforts in our common cause.” VETERANSWIN CONCESSIONS Force Recognition of Rank and File—White House Passes Buck By Harold Hickerson (Special to the Daily Worker) WASHINGTON, D. C., Jan. 28.—| After refusals by the White House | over a period of ten days to mest} with a delegation of veterans who! have come to Washington for the Veterans National Rank and File Conference for action on the bonus, a committee of five was received to- | day by Marvin McIntyre, secretaty | to the President. A delegation. ot | 40, part of the 200 who have come! to Washington by freight in sub-| zero weather to participate in the conference, waited outside _ the| White House, | Demands submitted by the rank} and file committee were for a build- | ing to be used for housing, feeding ;and assembly for the forthcoming | sessions, under complete rank and file control. Other demands were submitted, calling for clothing, medical attention, bus transporta- tion, ete., with the stipulation that funds used for these purposes were not to be allocated at the expense of the unemployed of the District of Columbia or the non-veteran tran- sients, Passes Buck McIntyre stated that House Reso- lution 118, passed in the House la: week, prevented the Administratio: from meeting the demands. It was pointed out by the committee that this resolution had not yet passed the Upper House and that even if it did, the Administration could pro- and maintenance under the Federal Emergency Relief | Administration, At the same time the committee protested against the | resolution which was sponsored by | the Administration, pointing out | that it was aimed not only against | the veterans now coming to Wash- ington but against other sections of the masses. McIntyre smiled his admission of the juggling of FERA funds by the | Administration, when it was stated | by a member of the committee that Louis McHenry Howe, Secretary to | the President, last Spring admitted | openly when similar demands were | U ited Front Prepares Action Against Fascists (Special to the Daily Worker) PARIS, Jan. 28, (By Wireless).— The workers of Paris, led by the united front of Socialists and Com- munists, will shortly mass in the streets again to commemorate the great and tumultous events of Feb. 6, 1934, when throughout the capital there echoed and reechoed the} slogan, “Les Soviets Partout!” (Soviets everywhere!) New efforts | of Premier Flandin to set up al fascist dictatorship have brought sharply to the fore the possibility of | fascist. provocation. The Paris Regional Committee of the United Anti-Fascist Action, in| the name of 500 affiliated organi- | zations, this afternoon appealed to all Paris anti-fascists for a counter- | demonstration to oppose the in- tended fascist demonstration, al-| ready set for Feb. 6, The Perma-| nent Committee, grouping 35 ex- servicemen’s organizations, is de- | termined to resist by every means any rising of the fascist elements. Calling on all Paris workers to| demonstrate their unity in the face of the fascist mobilization and to organize in demonstrations on Feb. | 10 similar to those of Feb. 12 last | year, the Coordination Commitiee of the United Front of Socialists and Communists laid plans today | to broadcast far and wide the ur-| gency for mass action on these} days. The Unity General Confederation of Labor has addressed a letter co | the Socialist Party and a new letter to the reformist trade unions, ap- | pealing for a united demonstration, | commemorating the general strike of Feb. 12 last year. NOTICE TO Y. C, L. MEMBERS All aailable league members should | report at 229 Tenth Avenue at 7 o'clock this morning for important | activity. DISTRICT SECRETARIAT. A Quarter Million *PDuailies’?! A quarter of a million copies of the first installment of the Daily Worker's sensational disclosure of Wall Street’s fascist plot, have been printed by the Daily Worker and have been sent out to all over the country, This special issue consists of two pages, newspaper size, and sells for only one cent. It contains the stenographic Hungarian Mayor Starts Men Walk Out to Dockers The Waterfront Strike An Editorial 'HE strike of thousands of teamsters in New York City is a splendid demonstration of the solidarity of the workers on the waterfront against the employers’ anti-union drive. The longshoremen have stated they will refuse to work with scab teamsters, The workers on the docks are striking against a stringent anti-labor injunction, issued by the Supreme Court of Kings County. The em- ployers immediately followed up this injunction by firing workers, cut- ting wages, breaking union contracts and bringing in scab teamsters The strikers are defending the right of the two unions to conclude soli- darity pacts and for union conditions. The strike yesterday was 100 per cent effective. Mass pressure of the thousands of teamsters and longshoremen brought about the strike. The chief officials of the International Long- shoremen’s Association and the International Brotherhood of Team- sters, Chauffeurs, Stablemen and Helpers, were opposed to a ma: campaign of labor and of their union locals against the injunction The head union officials as late as yesterday went again into con- ference with anti-labor, Injunction-Judge Humphrey, and the employ- ers to “iron cut the situation.” These top leaders denied all “respon- sibility” for the splendid strike. What should the strikers do now? The strike should be continued and strengthened until the demands of the workers are won. A twenty-four hour protest strike is not sufficient. There should be no return to work without guarantee of union con- ditions and complete defeat of the scab injunction. The strike should remain effective at every point where the employers try to smash union agreements. Every longshore and teamsters’ local, every garage and dock, should not only set up their Action Committees, but should call im- mediately for the election of delegates to a representative city-wide conference to lead the strike and organize the fight against the injunction. This will insure REAL rank and file control of the strike and its outcome. Every labor organization in New York City, especially A. F. of L locals, should take action now to give solid, immediate support to the strike against the injunction. Demands should be made on Joseph Ryan, I. L. A. president and also head of the New York Central Trades and Labor Council, that he call a special, emergency meeting of the council, and to invite every union to join the fight against the injunction. Support the strike of the teamsters on the docks. Organize a mass campaign for victory in the fight to smash the anti-labor in- junction. Union Men | Veiled Attack Back Rakosi Against Strike BUDAPEST, Jan. 28. (By Wire-| Mayor LaGuardia yesterday laid less)—Only one idea seethed in/down his fundamental strategy every trade union in the city today: | qirected against the great strike of See ee mere eae Maki’ etiam | voamaters here in the course of an | powerful defense of the Hungarian | apparently innocent press confer- | Soviets in 1919 and of the present! ence yesterday. strong anti-fascist movement has “Lam exceedingly anxious about dominated each session of the vasa fuels and food,” the Mayor said | cist-controlled trial proceedings. | ss The police and gendarmerie of the| in response to a question about | entire city were in a state of alarm) the strike. today as 300 workers in one plant| Asked whether he thought the stopped work to sign a statement; ti inst th sued demanding freedom for the great injunction against the union iss It came from one of his relatives in Luca, a province of Central Italy. It is dated Dec. 12, 1934. It declares that the Carabinieri (police) of Italy are repeatedly questioning this relative in Italy concerning the Italian-American in the United States, and that they receive no mail from him. “I do not understand why I don’t munists, but it had ‘no time’ to investigate or even hear the evi- dence I offered them on fascist activities.” Valenti appeared before the Con- meeceal investigators in New York y- “I told the Committee that the ) (Continued on Page 2) Beet Workers Parley Sets Wage Demands (Special to the Daily Worker) DENVER, Colo., Jan. 28.—Sixty- one delegates representing 38 beet workers’ organizations from Colo- rado, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska, adopted in a two-day con- ference here, the demand for a min- imum wage of $23 for each 12 tons with 50 cents bonus each extra ton, despite the attempt of the leaders to put over the share contract and a contract including a sliding scale of wages. In response to the appeal of the vice-president of the Rocky Moun- tain Beet Growers Association for cooperation between the laborers and the growers, the workers agreed to unite with the growers in a struggle to secure’ higher prices from the Great Western and other sugar companies providing that the growers agree to the wage and other demands of the beet growers, Strike Rises In Porto Rico; Cruisers Near SAN JUAN, Porto Rico, Jan. 28.— As the general strike of sugar work- ers here widened, four battalions of American marines have arrived off Culebra on the battleships Arkansas and Wyoming for the announced purpose of carrying on “landing ex- ercises” for a period of three weeks. Twelve marine land planes are also soon due to arrive in Puerto Rico. The real purpose of this mobiliza- tion of marines is obviously to rein- force the terror campaign, which has already resulted in the death of three workers, and to crush the Struggles of the sugar and other workers. Thus the “Good Neighbor Policy,” pledged to “non-intervention,” again is seen as sailing forth at full steam to crush the struggles of colonial workers with American warships. | | Scottsboro-Herndon Defense Con- ference for Feb. 18, and are pre- paring for it with all sorts of other actions and preliminary meetings. sw Funds urgently needed for the Scottsboro-Herndon appeals to the United States Supreme Court should be rushed to the national office of the International Labor Defense, Room 610, 80 East lith Street, New York City. Move To Sp By Tom Keenan PITTSBURGH, Pa. Jan. 28.— William Spang, president of District One (Pittsburgh district) of the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers, (A. F. of L.) who signed the call for the national joint district conference of steel workers on Feb. 3, made crushing reply to the attacks of Tighe and Company on the conference in a press statement. Spang denounced the officialdom’s sabotage and set forth clearly the purposes of the meeting. The declaration blasts President Tighe's attempt to “outlaw” the Feb. 3 conference, characterizing the maneuver as “an attempt to force the old guard reactionary Policies of the umion’s present of- ficialdom down the throats of the members.” Spang’s answer clearly indicates the failure of Tighe to prevent | attendance at the national meet- submitted by the Veterans National | record of that part of General But- Rank and File Committee that the | ler’s testimony which was sup- Administration was able to juggle these appropriations. | The Veterans National Rank and | File Committee issued a statement in which it applied to all organiza- tions, veteran and non-veteran, to send telegrams and letters to the Administration, demanding care and maintenance for veterans during their entire stay in the District of Columbia, pressed by the Dickstein Commit- | tee. A country-wide mass circulation must be immediately given this issue. Organizations should order copies for their members who have not started to read the series. Workers should get copies for their friends, shopmates and neigh- bors. working-class leader. Socialist trade unions in every dis- trict of Budapest were pressed with demands for immediate ventralized ‘only reply forthcoming was the evasive one that “only the leader- ship could take such a step.” Proceedings in the trial-room this | afternoon were mainly concerned | with the events of 1919 which took (Continued on Page 2) ike Steel Parley Meets Crushing Reply ing, and stresses the important issues to be taken up at that time: an immediate organizing drive in steel, the fight for trade union democracy in the union and against the bureaucracy, the hait- ing of expulsions, the populariz- ing of the economic demands drawn up at the 59th Convention of the A. A., the futility of ex- pecting anything from the Labor Board. Answe: “Red” Scare In the district president's declara- tion, Tighe’s red scare is turned into a boomerang hurtling back at the head of the trrower—it is Pointed out that the A. A. “czar” uses the same weapons as the steel barons in attempting to split the workers by shouting “Communists” and “Reds.” Spang also denies Tighe’s re- | tempt to establish a “dual organi- zation,” the cry of every A. F. of L. national misleader against the growing consciousness of the mem- bership. Following is the statement in full. For One Union “The national joint distvict con- ference of the Amalgamated Asso- | ciation of Iron, Steel and Tin Workers on Feb. 3 is called for the purpose of trying to make the A. A., as part of the American Federation of Labor, a strong, unified organi- zation embracing every worker in the steel industry and representing the interests of its members. “This Feb. 3 conference will bring together delegates from the sub- lodges of every district, and will rep- resent the majority of the mem- bers of the union. One of the principal tasks of the peated charge that the rank and conference will be the setting up of file movement of the A. A. is an at- a national organization committee to get in touch with the A. F. uf L. | national executive council and has- | drive in steel. “The members of the A. A. are | well aware that the 54th convention |of the A. F. of L. voted what | amounted to a lack of confidence in the international executive board of the Amalgamated when the A. F. of L. national executive council was instructed to take charge of an organization drive in the steel n- dustry. Aim To Stop Expulsions “The membership also realizes | that it is necessary to stop expul- sions which threaten to wreck our | organization, and to institute real | trade union democracy in the af- |fairs of the Amalgamated. These | issues will also be taken up at the| | conference. | “Statements issued to the press Officials of | action in defense of Rakosi, but the | |ten the long deferred organizing | by Supreme Court Justice Burt C. Humphries, the issue basic to the strike movement, violated the spirit of the Norris-LaGuardia Anti-In- junction Act, the Mayor said: “Certainly, if there was any case | it was here.” To a reporter’s question as to what he was doing about the action of the workers, the Mayor said: “I was in contact yesterday with some of the officers of the union.” “What do you intend to do?” “I am just waiting to see what happens.” “Are the officials trying to stop the strike?” “Your guess is as good as mine,” was the Mayor's wery answer. In informed labor circles the Mayor's statement about “fuels and foods” is considered laration of the under breaking policies of the administra- tion. It was just such a slogan, it state and federal governments, with the aid of the newspapers, whipped up a hysteria against the water- front and general strikes in San Francisco last summer. Under the argument of “the pub- lic weal” and the necessity for pro- viding “food and fuels” to the pub- lic—most of which are workers whose capacity to buy “food and fuels” would be increased through successful strike action and union organization—the Mayor will ac- tually carry out a union-smashing (Continued on Page 2) Policy, many rank and file members of the union feel. that belonged in the Federal Court | is recalled, that the employers, city, | Smash Anti-Union Injunction; Support Strike Ryan and Top Leaders Call Rank and File Action ‘Outlaw’ A complete tie-up of the New York waterfront loomed late last night as 22.000 truck drivers went out on strike yesterday against a vicious anti-labor injunction. The strike is rapidly spreading, with 40,000 truckers expected | | out by midnight or early this | morning. Longshoremen on the hune dreds of New York ers have de- |clared that they to 0 the docks er the leadere | wholesale w: union men fo! |The injunction prohibits }tion of the teamsters and the long= | Shore unior Thomas Cc union committee of 25 been set up to d Smith, head of a& which has ect the strike, dee clared thi | tees in othe: | will be urged to sp if the grievances of not met ediately that orcement of Judge phrey’s in n will mean a loss of 8,000 jobs to union truckmen, Smith predicted 70,000 would be out soon. While longshoremen, who are likes wise affected by the union-smash= ing injunction have not yet been called on strike, officials of the In- ternational Longshoremen’s Associ< jation claim checkers, members of | the I. L. A., who are first to handle cargo when it reaches the piers, declared that non-union trucked cargo will not be checked. Cargo Unmoved The Ward liner, ba, which docked at Pier 13 yesterday, could not have its cargo moyed from the |docks. A similar report |the British liners Brit Caledonia, which d A showdown is exp ected the Clyde Mallory docks, at the foot of Canal Street ational Mercantile between 20th and 23rd Streets, North River, where the companies are expected to make an effort to move cargo this morning. Early yesterday morning groups of teamster pickets were stationed at most piers, stopping trucks. In virtually all cases truck drivers, upon being told that there is a strike on, willingly turned back to place the trucks in garages and join the ranks. Garages of trucking companies companies were likewise picketed. Many companies reported that very few trucks left garages, The United Trucking Company de= clared that all its trucks were idle, and that most trucking companies hich employ union workers were in the same position. Outside, across the street on 17th Street and 10th Avenue where the company is located, about ten team= sters around a fire were making sure that not a single truck will move out of the huge garage. Point- ing to some of the trucks passing by on 10th Avenue, one of the picks ets told the Daily Worker reporter, (Continued on Page 2) Special Officers Raid Drivers Office in Fargo3 Throw Gas, Seize Eighty FARGO, N. D., Jan. 28.—Highty strikers were arrested here today by special officers, who carried out & raid and tear gas bombardment on the headquarters of General Drivers Union 173. A dozen women and children who were at the headquar= ters at the time are among thase | gassed and clubbed by the raiders, |The arrested strikers are charged | with “rioting” and “inciting to riot.” Coal, ice and transfer handlers are on strike for union recognition and reinstatement of two union men | fired for their union affiliation. The | strike began a week ago. | Among those arrested are Willi Cruden, president of the union, % two other union officers, W. We ‘Hughes and C. R, Sewalde.