Evening Star Newspaper, April 1, 1937, Page 24

Sit-Down Strike Technique Is Product of Last Two Years Poli's‘fr and Hungarian Miners With Hunger Movements Gave Cue to French and U. S Labor Leaders. This is the fifth of a series OI aflk‘lfl on the sit-down strike. BY THOMAS Btaft Corresponds DETROIT, April 1.—The sit-down development of the past two years. R. HENRY, ent of The Scar. strike in industry is almost entirely a It originated as a spasmodic, spontaneous, passive resistance demon- stration against localized abuses. Even in the hands of despairing amateurs without adequate leadership it proved so powerful a weapon that the atten- tion of labor leaders all over the world" was focused upon it. In 1934 the cables carried dramatic stories from Poland and Hungary. One after another groups of pitifully,, underpaid miners refused to leave the mines, announcing that relatively quick death by starvation underground was preferable to slow starvation with the 2 or 3 cents a day they received as wages. Even in their own countries, where pay is notoriously poor, there was great indignation when such condi- tions were forced so dramatically on the attention of the public. A group of men in a mine is in a relatively impregnable position. They might be gassed, flooded out, or allowed to starve to death—if the owners dared. They didn’t—in view of the, rather threatening public temper. One after another they capitulated to the starv- ing miners, raised wages and granted bonuses. These mine strikes are about the earliest real precedents for their own technique that the college-trained historians of the United Automobile ‘Workers of America have been able to find. The movement spread west- | ward and to.other industries. Welsh coal miners introduced a new wrinkle | when they occupied a mine and held prayer meetings for a week. The owners were completely checkmated. It's pretty difficult to use violence against & prayer meeting. All the| churches are likely to swing into | action. Drew Attention in U. S. At first these were combined hunger- | sit-down strikes. The Welsh miners | substituted praying for hunger as an | emotional appeal. Their families passed them down tea and sandwiches, and apparently nobody dared do any- thing about it. By this time labor | leaders the world over—especially in | France and the United States—were casting envious eyes at the new technique worked out by rank ama- | teurs. In France they waited their chance to apply it on a wholesale scale. This came in the Spring of 1936, when Leon Blum's Popular Front govern- || ment came into power. Such was it's political make-up that it could be depended upon to be reasonably | eympathetic—at least not to use | troops, except as a last resort. The French labor leaders had laid their plans wisely. There was no real | profit for labor as a whole, they saw, | in spasmodic strikes, however suc- cessful they might be in individua! instances. What happened was a “strike wave,” a regular progression of sit-dwon strikes hitting industry efter industry in wave-like fashion and spreading all over France and the French possessions. Premier Blum refused to evict strikers by force, at least before their alleged greivances had been thoroughly considered. According to the U. A. ‘W. A. historians, French labor on the whole profited enormously from the conferences which resulted. Industry had to make concessions, but it was somewhal mollified by the fact that its property had not been damaged. There had been hardly a trace of sabotage from one end of France to the other—a striking contrast to mass | labor demonstrations in the past. Up to this point the sit-down strike, &s such, hardly had been heard of in | f| America, although the U. A. W. A. | historians believe that it played some part in the great Akron rubber strike last Winter. This ended up, however, as an old-: fasmoned picketing strike. Chrysler Strike Success Seen. | All this time the bright young men\’ who head the auto workers’ union had been studying the technique, | assessing its weak points, and perfect- | ing organization methods. Right after | election they were ready to strike, picking the powerful General Motors Corp. as their first objective. They | certainly caused General Motors a | lot of trouble. How far they actually | succeeded in reaching their objectives | depends apparently upon the point | of view. The union itself, at least, is Jubilant and looks forward to a suc- cessful culmination of the Chrysler ||| strike. However this may be, the officers of the automobile workers are now the acknowledged authorities on sit- down strike technique. Together with the history of the movement they have If tired, aching feet make you cry try a pait of these Physical Culture FOR MEN: Physical Cu tan calf and black kid a Shoes for Women—For Men just issued what is esentially a hand- book by one Joel Beidman for the guidance of others. It is not an in- strument, it is stressed, for indiscrim- inate use. A successful sit-down must be planned as a general plans & major campaign with all such details as terrain, water and food supply, morale and public sentiment taken thoroughly into consideration. A sit-down obviously would be bad business in the face of a thoroughly hostile Government which wouldn't hesitate to defy public sentiment to enforce the strict letter of the law. The building to be closed and oc- cupied must be selected with care. If possible, the handbook says, the strike Furniture and Dra- peries remodeled. up- heistered. repaired. STEIN BEDDING GO. ME. 94 1004 Eye St. N.W. The @omu-: FrRock SHop 3111 Connecticut Avenue STYLES ARE CHOICER VALUES ARE BETTER PRICES ARE LOWER Uptown here at The Vogue— Opposite the Uptown Theater —and Individual Services Assured. Featured 2-PIECE SUITS in “‘Swogger'’ and “Jigger’” models—man- tailored. Special $16 2-PIECE SUITS, all wool man- nish worsteds; man-tailored throughout. Special $]0.95 3-PIECE SUITS—a superb col- lection of distinctive styles, $2450 Evening and Dinner Dresses Designs that are different— catering to personality. Special '$]2.95—%16 At your service, competent ad- visers to arrange for bridal parties. Open Saturday Until 9 P.M. Alvin C. Detwiler Fine Antiques 50, Discount Sale | Furniture, China, Glass, Pictures, Etc. For Cash April 1 - April 15 Come in Today , Silver and Sheffield 25% - 816 Connecticut Ave. National 7560 *650 Built on the last that made Physical Culture Famous for shoe comfort “at any price,"” Shoes—at the low price of $6.50. Iture Shoes in blue and t the low price of $6.50 THE should be staged in some bullding with windows opening on the atreet, thmugh which food and messages can be passed from friends on the outside. Certain big steel mills, the handbook points out, are hopeless. The strikers would find themselves completely isolated. The element of surprise must be guarded as carefully as jn military operations. It is to be assumed, the sit-downers say, that every plant is fall of spies. The fewer in on the secret the better, and everybody must be watched. Minor Skirmishes Advocated. A good time #o strike is after lunch. The experts advocate minor skir- mishes to feel out the strength of the opposition—a series of short, spon- taneous strikes known as “quickies.” They are, they say, strongly opposed to a small group of workers stopping an entire plant for some fancied grievance by seizing some vital spot. Buch tactics are apj to bripg the whole movement into disrepute. A good part of the handbook is de- voted to the art of keeping com- fortable and maintaining discipline. There must be amusements and exer- cise to fight the worst foe of the sit- down strike—monotony. There must be rigid discipline to keep quarters clean and prevent destruction of property. Strikers are in luck when they seize a plant with a recreation room. According to the handbook, a sys- tem of semi-military discipline must EVENING STAR, WASHINGTON, D. C., be enforced. There must be detatls, trials and fixed punishments for of- fenders who bring in liquor or circu- late rumors, and rigid obedience to the commands of ‘“properly consti- tuted officers.” One serious problem, dealt with at length by the handbook, is brought about by the fact that sometimes men and women are engaged in the same “sit-down.” This is apt to lead to serious scandals, it is' pointed out, unless the rules are applied relent- lessly and fearlessly. It is best to get the women out of the plant, if poulble Otherwise the sexes must pe kept rigorously apart. o TRl HOOKS AUTOMOBILE Driver Unaware of Towing An- other Car 18 Blocks. ST. JOSEPH, Mo, April 1 (&).— Patrolman Fred Schmitt stopped Mo- torist J. C. McLaughlin at a street intersection. “Playing train, huh?” asked the policeman. McLaughlin looked around and was surprised to see a second car behind his own. The cars had linked bump-~ ;r.a knt & parking station 18 blocks ck. German Luft Hansa planes flew 9,500,000 miles and carried 231,900 passengers last year. RIZIK BROTHERS take pleasure in inviting you to an wunusual showing of NEW SPRING AND SUMMER HATS introduced by Lenore Kroll one of America’s famous Millinery Creators Who will personally be in our Millinery Salon at 1108 Connecticut Avenue Friday, April 2nd ———— Dioe Washiaitorie April Showers @ SALE! Qanity” o CHIFFON HOSIERY ‘;:?go“',;"s\ 15 pown comes mmous net B “"“mflF nity Fair 85¢ Va hi flons S pectacular Sale! SPRING RIDING TOGS from IRVING’S Riding Dept. o f, Thrilling Surprise RIDING COATS New fabrics—New Styles! $9.95 quality 6.88 1.15 ASCOT TIES, Breeches o Jodhpurs Whipcord fabrics with leather knees. All colors. Made to sell at $3.95 RIDING BOOTS Authentio English sty q’“ufill;a o biack or trown 5.45 JODHPUR SHOES English style—leather lined. Made o sell at $4.50 ____ 2.95 RIDING SHIRTS Mannish tailoring—in lus- tre broadcloth. n 00 qual- MEN’S RIDING BOOTS Military styling—leather lined. $8.95 quality MEN’S RIDING BREECHES Whipcords models. $3.95 quality in high-back military 2.88 Corner 10th and E N.W. . MB, 601 THURSDAY, MANCHUKUO HELPS EAST HOPEI REGIME Diplomatic Relations Established Between Japanese Protectorate and “New” Country. By the Associated Press. TOKIO, April 1.—Dispatches from Hsinking yesterday reported formal diplomatic relations have been estab- lished Detween the government of Manchukuo and the “East Hopel Ant{-Communist Autonomous Govern- ment.” Manchukuo is under formal Jap- anese military protection. The East Hopel regime, headed by Yin Ju-keng, with headquarters at Tungchow, & few JO BELLE e HAT WORKS e 522 10th St. N.W. Adjoining Peoples Drug Store “Just a Step from F” SERVING WASHINGTON OVER u‘,’“ APRIL 1, 1937. miles east of Peiping, has been sup- ported by the Japanese military. Yin Ju-keng is & Chinese married to & Japanese. His territory includes important counties between the Great Wall of China and the Peiping-Tient- sin district. Yin and officials of the Manchukuo regime—including high Japanese ad- visers—have exchanged state visits be- fore, but hitherto have not reached the state of formal diplomatic rela- tions. The new step indicates an in- crease of Japanese influence in this strategically important region of China, _— Palestine Ships Fruit. Nearly 10,000,000 cases of gitrus fruits will be shipped from Pslestine| to foreign lands this year. NEW HA{S 25 All at One Low Price! Thousands To Choose From =X AS SKETCHED $1.28 MAIL oRozrg riLLED NEE 5/ HALF A CENTURY Putting the Home “Summer Dress” ENDERSON'S selection of new Spring materials for Slip Covers and unusual fabrics for Upholstering will be found of real interest. The use of the proper materials, combined in harmonious colors, will bring new life and color into your home. We Will Be Glad to Assist You and Submit Estimates to Gf Habinpetice o fou HENDERSON Has Only One Location: 1108 G Street. There Is No Other Store Connected with HENDERSON, James B. HENDERSON 1108 G Street N.W. FINE FURNITURE it’s April Oil Silk Chorge Accousts Invited (RS = 1314 F STREET N.W. INTERIOR DECORATING fool’s day but NO FOOLIN’ this is the month for llain Umbrellas 3.00 Here's the best insurance against- the rain money can buy. These unbrellas are made of woterproof oil silk and may be had in plain or novelty de- signs, in all costume colors. Better order yours now—you'll be needing it. Orders Filled lbger | i byl EE7 SELBY SHOE You watk more gracefully, more com- fortably in Styl-EEZ Shoes—because they have' special fitting features that set them apart from ordinary shoes . . . The ingenious Flare-Fit urmersolo holds your foot in balance, " the strong, firm arch support and the yielding metatarsal cushion combine to give you glorious day-long walking and standing comfort. And see how ~ smartly they are styled! 6.95 Sport Styles, 6.75 Navy or black gabar- dine patent trim or gray with calf trim 6.9 Black or novy gabar- dine with matching patent leather trim. 6.9 Smartly perforated 6- eyelet oxford of black kidskin, Cuban heel. 6.95 Brown gabardine, tan calf trim or navy or black with posten? 1207F @ 7th&GK @ 3212 14th