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Expulsion- Splits Dominate AFL-CIO Second Convention
By Fred HalsteadA T LA N T IC CITY, Dec. 10— The process o f expelling
a ffilia ted unions has completely dominated the AFL-CIO convention which began here last week. Expelled so fa r
the 1.3 - million - member ®areIn te rn a tio n a l B rotherhood o f Team sters and the 130,000-member Bakery and C onfectionary W orkers. F orm a l ouster o f the bakery union, w h ile voted yeste rday, is to take place Dec. 12. In the m eantim e a decision is to be made on issu ing a cha rte r fo r a r iv a l bakery union. A F L -C IO President George M eany has declared there w i l l be no a ttem p t to fo rm a r iv a l to the Team sters.
The convention has seen no debate and little discussion on economic, organizing, civil rights and political-action questions. Resolutions on these subjects have been sandwiched between guest speakers and proceedings against unions whose officials have been under attack during the past year by the McClellan Committee.
M IT C H E L L ’S PROPOSALSSecretary o f Labor James P.
M itche ll, a guest speaker, o u tlined the E isenhower a d m in is tra t io n ’s proposals fo r le g is la tio n a ffe c tin g the labor movem ent in l ig h t o f the M cC le llan C om m ittee hearings. The proposals would ou tlaw a ll secondary boycotts o f the “ ho t cargo” - type a n d re s tr ic t o rgan iza tiona l p icke ting . They w ould set up a hew governm ent bureau to police friiion records and requ ire the f i l in g w ith th is agency o f an- liha l fin a n c ia l reports and details 6b “ union s tru c tu re and organiza tion procedures.” The p ro posed law s would also requ ire secret b a llo t elections every fo u r years fo r local, na tiona l and "o th e r” union o ffice rs (and presum ably governm ent superv is ion o f such elections).
M itch e ll said the a d m in is tra tion would oppose a na tiona l “ r ig h t- to -w o rk ” law , b u t did no t propose e lim in a tin g the section o f the T a ft-H a r t le y A c t which a llow s states to pass such laws. He also proposed e lim in a tio n o f the non -co m m un is t-a ffid av it p ro v is ion o f the T -H law e n tire ly and said he supported changes in the law to a llow s tr ik e rs to vote in N L R B elections.
In aswer to these proposals, the A F L -C IO E xecutive Counci
Pushed Ousters
M E A N Y
generaldrew up a suppo rting le g is la tio n wh ich “ m ay be needed to pro tect trade unions and th e ir m embers” and dec la ring th a t the A F L -C IO “ w ill re s is t” le g is la tio n seeking “to destroy honest, decent Am erican trade unions.” No more specific plans, proposals or preparations
for fighting the expected wave of anti-labor legislation next year have been discussed at this convention.
F A L L IN G FOR MC C L E L L A N SOFT-SOAP
The p re va ilin g a ttitu d e o f the A F L -C IO leadership was expressed by W illia m Schn itz le r, Secretary - T reasu re r o f the federa tion , a t a speech to the Labo r Press Association ju s t befo re the convention opened. R e fe rrin g to the “ clean-up” campa ign, he said, “ as soon as we ge t th rou gh th is problem th a t we now have, you ’l l see th is labor movement grow . . . . W hy do you know I ’ve heard m em bers o f the M cC lellan com m ittee speak out and ask the Am erican B a r Association and the N A M w hy they haven’t adopted an E th ic a l Practices Code s im ila r to th a t o f the A F L -C IO . . . . In these speeches they hold up the A F L -C IO as a m ora l symbol fo r A m erica .”
W o o d ru ff Randolph, president o f the In te rn a tio n a l T ypog ra ph ica l U n ion and one o f the fiv e delegates who spoke aga inst the ouster o f the Team sters, warned aga inst t ry in g to appease the labor-probers. “ The on ly purpose o f the M cC lellan C om m ittee,”
reso lu tion said Randolph, " is to create an atmosphere th rough w h ich they can adopt a lo t more repressive leg is la tion . . . . Jus t so long as they can keep d ig g in g i t up, as they are now doing, th in g s th a t are going on in the labo r movement, they w i l l keep on d igg ing
(Continued on page 3)
THE MILITANTPUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE
Vol. X X I - No. 50 267 NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1957 PRICE 10e
Rocket Failure Called Heavy Blow to U.S. Prestige AbroadBiggest Transit Strike
Foster Attack on Gates Published by Kremlin
DEC. 11 — The factional struggle w ith in the leadership of the Communist P arty appears to be heading toward a renewal of open warfare. According to the Dec. 9 New Y ork Times, the la te s t is -® -------------------------------------------------------sue o f the Soviet magazine, Kom - m un ist, contains a b lis te r in g a t tack by W illia m Z. Foster aga inst D a ily W orke r ed ito r John Gates.
A ccord ing to the T im es account o f the artic le , F oster w ro te th a t the reso lu tion adopted a t the CP’s na tiona l convention las t F eb ru a ry sanction ing “ comradely c r it ic is m o f o ther Com m unist P arties and also soc ia lis t countr ie s ,” had been fa lse ly in te rpre ted hy the d a ily press as s ig n ify in g a “ re vo lt against Moscow.” The cha irm an em eritus o f the Am erican CP w ent on to assure his Soviet readersth is was no t the case.
The Tim es rep o rts th a t the a rtic le goes on to a s lashing assault a g a i n s t Gates. He renews his a tta ck on Gatesfo r his o rig in a l c r it ic a l a ttitu d e tow a rd the armed Soviet in te rven tion in H u ng ary , as w e ll as h is proposal, la te r w ith d ra w n , to dissolve the C om m unist P a rtyin to a p o lit ic a l association. |
D ec la ring th a t the “ r ig h t Cates is m anifested in the le t-w in g ” is s t i l l “ qu ite s trong ,” te rs appearing in the pages o f F oster appa ren tly repeats a ll o f ¡the D a ily W o rke r v ig o ro us ly a t-
Doxie Wilkerson Resigns from CPDEC. 13 — The weekend
W orker today reported the resignation from the Communist Party of Doxie W ilker- son. A member of the party’s national committee and a prominent supporter o f the Gates viewpoint, Wilkerson made his resignation known in a letter dated Nov. 25. I t said in p art: “ I still cherish and w ill continue to work for the social goals which have long guided my adult life . . . However, I have come, re luctantly but irrevocably, to the conclusion that, especially in the light of recent developments, the Communist Party no longer affords a fram ework within which I can make a constructive contribution to these ends.”
New York’s Subways Near Halt
By George LavanN E W YO RK, Dec. 11 — The
men who drive New York’s subw ay trains bave gone on a strike w h i c h has slowed the transit system to a crawl and at the same time captured the imagination of the city’s working class.
The s tr ike , begun a t 5 A .M ., Dec. 9, by the M oto rm en ’s Benevolent A ssoc ia tion w h i c h cla im s a m em bership o f 2,600 o f the subway’s 3,167 t ra in engineers, is unique in a num ber o f ways. The M B A is a union w ith o u t a bureaucracy. The o ff ic ia ls are w o rk in g m otorm en. I t is ex trem e ly m ilita n t. I t is the on ly un ion to ca ll a subway s tr ik e in 30 years. I t engaged in a n ine -hou r stoppage la s t year. Despite the heavy pena lties th a t fo llow e d inc ludin g one-year la y o ffs in several eases and despite the perm anent in ju n c tio n imposed by the courts , the m otorm en have once m ore proved as good as th e ir w a rn in g and have again w alked o f f the job.
A t one o’clock in the m orn ing, fo u r hours before the s tr ike deadline, fo u r leaders o f the M B A were dragged to a ju dg e ’s home fo r sentencing to ten clays in ja i l fo r v io la t in g the nos tr ik e in ju n c tio n . The M B A re a lized th is w ou ld happen and had a second-string leadership a ll prepared to c a rry on the s tr ike . These have done an exce llent jo b o f p u b lic iz in g the g r ie v ances..
C onsequently the m a jo r ity of New Y o rk w orkers , despite the inconvenience in g e ttin g to and fro m w o rk , are sym pa the tic to the s tr ik e rs . They adm ire the s ig h t o f ra n k -a n u -fiie w orkers on tn e ir own de fy in g the powers that be. In a day and age when i t seems that labor leaders go to prison only for being caught red-handed in some corruption, the average worker here is im pressed with the M BA leaders who have willingly gone to prison fo r what they consider the best interests of the men they represent.
On the o ther hand New Y o rk ’s B ig Business i n t e r e s t s are scream ing fo r extrem e penalties aga ins t the s tr ik e rs . T h e ir fu ry m ay be gauged b y the lead edi-
(Continued on page 2)
Indonesian Workers Seize Holdings of Dutch Imperialists
the charges o f “ rev is ion ism ” hurled a t Gates p r io r to the adoption o f the “ un ited ” comprom ise reso lu tions a t the la s t convention.
On Dec. 10, Gates made the fo llo w in g sta tem ent to the N .Y .
tack in g the contents o f a speech made by the D a ily W orke r edito r in a Boston debate w ith G ranv ille H icks. On the basis of the re p o rt o f the speech. Gates had said no th in g essentia lly new or d iffe re n t fro m w h a t he has
T im es: “ M r. F oste r’s opposition been saying over the past period, to the new path chartered by ! However, the le tte rs a ttack ing the national convention o f the his speech are ty p if ie d by one
By V. Grey From Dec. 3 to 9, Indonesia has
carried through extensive seizures of Dutch investments in the country. These include banks, shipping concerns, airlines, trading companies, oil holdings, shuttle railways and coffee, cocoa, copra, sisal and rubber plantations. I t also ordered most Dutch nationals to leave the country.
Thé cam paign o f seizures was touched o f f by renewed Dutch re fusa l to negotiate fo r tu rn in g over W est N ew Guinea (W est I r ia n ) to the Indonesian Republic. D utch im p eria lism k e p t possession o f th a t is land a fte r recognizin g Indonesian independence.
SU EZ IS M O D ELIn its take-over o f Dutch
p roperties, Indonesia has been emboldened by the successful E gyp tion na tiona liza tion o f the Suez Canal, w h ich also was carried o u t to enforce le g itim a te
cla im s o f a na tiona l independence movement. ( In E g y p t’s case, i t was im p e ria lis t re fusa l to g ra n t a loan w ith o u t p o lit ic ia l s tr in g s fo r the construction o f the Aswan Dam th a t led to the Suez na- t ion a liza tio h .)
However, the Indonesian seizures m ark an im p o rta n t advance in the a n ti- im p e r ia lis t s trugg le beyond the Suez na tiona liza tion . F o r in a g re a t many instances, the D utch ho ld ings were taken over by the w orkers who established th e ir con tro l over the properties.
The Dec. 9 Christian Science Monitor reports that “ Workers w ith red armbands and red flags . . . were taking over more Dutch premises. . . . Indonesian workers . . . hoisted the Communist and Indonesian national ftags above the offices of Bor- sumij, one of the largest Dutch trading firm s in the country. Outside the building they put up a notice saying ‘Property of the
500 Attend Socialist Forum’s ‘Age of Automation’ Conference
-<•>
Stevenson SaysWorkers iVlust Tighten Belt
By A rt PreisDEC. 10 — “Rarely in history have United Stales
prestige and morale suffered a heavier succession of blows than since late summer 1957,” bemoaned last Sunday’s N. Y. Times. First came the Soviet Union announcement of the development of a successful intercontinental bal* listic missile and its launching of two mart-made moons. Then, last Friday, when “a token American satellite crashed in total and widely publicized failure,” wailed the Times, it was viewed throughout the world as “a humiliating blow to U.S. prestige.”
That i t was. B ut U.S. prestige had already been brought almost to its knees by a succession o f blows antedating 1957. Indeed, even in England, America’s closest im peria list ally, the Sputniks had served to bring even more into the open what C hristian Science Monitor correspondent Henry S. Hayward described, Nov. 11, as the “ inevitable th in ly disguised satisfaction tha t ju s t th is once these supremely confident Americans have got the ir comeuppance.”
Loss of Prestige Began in 1945American prestige had taken a staggering blow in
August 1945 when Truman announced the w ip ing out of two Japanese cities, w ith ju s t two atomic bombs, slaughtering 200,000 civilians. There followed bru ta l U.S. m ilita ry occupations of the defeated nations. Then, Washington launched the cold war against the Soviet Union w ith dire threats o f atomic annihilation. U.S. money and arms were poured into the hands of greedy imperialisms, like the Dutch and French, in attempts to wipe out in blood nationalist uprisings in colonial countries.
Even more damaging to U.S. prestige have been direct m ilita ry interventions against the popular forces in c iv il wars. Some six b illion dollars were poured out of the U.S. Treasury to holster the u tte rly corrupt d ictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek, which crumpled before the m igh t o f a vast revolutionary upheaval. And in Korea, U.S. m ilita ry forces, which wiped out m illions of people and themselves sustained close to 150.000 casualties, were nevertheless stopped dead in th e ir tracks.
W ith its brandishing of the A-bomb and H-bomb, with its open aid to capitalist dictatorships like Franco, Chiang and Syngman Rhee, with its direct and indirectattempts to destroy every colonial struggle for nationalfreedom, American imperialism had long since irreparably damaged U.S. prestige in the eyes of the common people everywhere.
W hat now profoundly disturbs and unnerves theAmerican ru ling class is the effect of the loss of itsciear-eut m ilita ry lead on the ru ling classes o f its alliesand the uncommitted and neutra list countries. W hy else
t,, , ,. . . . . would they risk the life o f a sick President to attend theThree o f the b iggest o f these in . • t» ■ o . . .Java were taken over by w o rk - ' NATO summit conference ill Paris? The fa ilu re of theers and placed under th e ir c o n -1 U.S. “ Goofnik,” admits the Dec. 8 N. Y. Times, has “ in-tro l. Then, on Dec. 9, the g o v e rn -1 tensified the ‘crisis o f confidence’ tha t has engulfed thenient^^ssum ed^ d irec t ju le ^ o v e r! western coalition partly because of the m ilita ry im
plications of the Soviet gains in rocketry, partly because of a spate o f dissension among the NATO allies.”
Indonesian Republic.’ ”The w o rke rs ’ actions have been
carried ou t under the auspices o f the trade unions, whose leadership — inc lud ing Comm un is t P a rty forces in SOBS1. la rge s t labo r federa tion — cooperates w ith the Sukarno governm ent. The la tte r represents the Indonesian c a p ita lis t class. A ltho ug h i t in it ia te d the policy o f seizures o f D utch p ro pe rty , i t has shown a la rm over the m ilita n cy w ith wh ich the w o rk in g class has carried th rough the an ti-D u tch measures. F rom the beginning, governm ent o ff ic ia ls have berated “ w ild c a t” seizures.
TO O K T H E B A N K S, TOOThe w orkers did not stop sho rt
o f the m ost hallowed o f ca p ita lis t in s titu tio n s — the banks.
(Continued on page 3)
Conflict of Interests
C om m unist Party of the L nited States was notorious. A pp a re n tly he continues this opposition.
“ In the a rtic le published in K om m unis t, he speaks en tire ly fo r h im se lf and w ith o u t au tho ri ty from the Com m unist Part> in th is coun try .”
F u rth e r evidence o f the stepp in g up o f the d rive against
which charged Gates with having “taken another long step away from working class principles of patriotism and internationalism.” Gates replied to these attacks by citing decisions of the recent convention on which he said his remarks were based.
By Harry RingN E W YO RK, Dec. 6 — About
500 people turned out here today for a conference sponsored by the Américain Forum— For Sociaflist Education on the subject of Am erica’s Future in the Age of Automation and Atomic Energy. The conference was preceded by ,a recept ion l a s t night, in honor of A. J. Muste, chairman of the American Fo-' rum.
The opening session o f the conference heard three papers on the problem s re la ted to au to m ation and atom ic energy. The conference then w ent in to panel discussions on trade un ion p roblems, c u ltu ra l problem s, youth problem s, p o lit ic a l action and socia lism and democracy.
C O N F R O N T A T IO NE v e ry tendency in the rad ica l
m ovem ent was represented a t
these panels— both on the p la tfo rm s and among the numerous p a rtic ip a n ts in the question and discussion periods; a n d confro n ta tio n o f d if fe re n t po in ts o f v ie w was thus made possible.
In the opening session, a paper by C arl D reher, engineer and au tho r o f a new book on au tom ation , was read by S idney Lenz, secre ta ry o f t h e A m erican Forum . D i'ehcr said th a t au tom ation w ill b rin g hardships to the w o rk in g class, unless i t takes place in a s itu a tio n where there is a r is in g demand fo r labo r power and a w ide t ra in in g p rogram to p ro v ide w o rkers w ith new technolog ica l sk ills su itab le fo r au tomated plants. “ B u t there is no th in g in the present o rder o f soc ie ty ,” he said, “ to assure h im [th e w o rk e r] th is w i l l happen.” He also warned th a t advancing technology increased the ten dency tow a rd the concentra tion o f economic and p o lit ic a l power w ith a consequent increased
push t ' o w a r d con fo rm ity . “ T hou gh t co n tro l,” he declared, “ is au tom ation in p o litic s .”
F ra n k Bello , science e d ito r of F o rtune m agazine, presented fig u re s to dem onstra te th a t developm ents thus fa r in the fie ld o f au tom ation have not b ro u g h t w ide-scale unem ployment.
P roduction o f m anufactured goods has increased by 45% in the past decade, he said, w h ile the num ber o f people employed in p la n ts has rem ained around 13 m illio n . The on ly m a jo r s h ift in the labo r fo rce d u rin g th is period was among fa rm w o rk ers whose numbers declined fro m e ig h t to s ix m illio n .
I f mass unemployment comes, he contended, “ it won’t be due' to automation, but to some o th er fau lt in our system.”
Jack C yp in read extracts fro m the pam phlet, “ The Robot R evo lu tion ,” o f w h ich he is co- a u t h o r . He saw au tom ation lead ing to a sim ultaneous de-
Conflicts among the im peria list powers are being brought into the open as economic competition amidst narrowing markets becomes more acute. U.S. interven-
een tra liza tion o f p roduc tion and ' <ioil compromise the French war against the Algerians a ce n tra liza tion o f the con tro l I — w ith a U.S. eye on new oil finds ip the Sahara — haso f p roduction . Such con tro l he brought Paris and Washington into an open r i f t . Canada,or* a u t o o i t i c eandth ^ t h le ls ! C latlC I Austra lia, New Zealand and South A frica have made is up to us.” ’ 6 ec ls lon j formal protests against U.S. dumping o f food surpluses
The g rea tes t degree o f con-' tha t tend to depress world prices fo r the ir wheat, butte r tro ve rsy a t' the conference w as' and other food exports.found in the panels on soc ia l-j Writing of a spreading international capitalist ism and democracy and on no- , ■ ^ i • o , . ,li t ic a l action. (F o r a re p o rt on m ,I\omic slumP- Frederic Sterbenz observed in the Nov. the panel discussions, see s to ry , 23 Cleveland Press that “symptoms of depression, parti- page 2.) | cuiarly in the drop in heavy industrial production have
A lth o u g h sha rp ly d ive rg en t been showing up in nearly every major producing countryabroad. It looks like no mild storm.”
Not the least concern o f the American rulers is the growing a ttractive power of the Soviet Union, as the second greatest industria l power, fo r the undevelopedcountries. Two points o f view are contending in the American camp. George F. Kennan, form er U.S. Ambassador to the Soviet Union, in a Dec. 8 radio address in London, expressed the idea tha t the U.S. should not“ appease” ' needy countries which demand economic aid under threat o f turn ing to Moscow. “ Moscow is not exactly the bottomless horn o f plenty i t is often held to be,” said
(Continued on page 2)
views were expressed the tenor o f the discussion was f r a te r na l th roughou t. The general a tmosphere o f the g a th e rin g was sy iribo lized by the long table at one side o f the m ain ha il which was shared by seven o r e igh t d iffe re n t rad ica l publications, m ost o f w h ich appeared to be doing a b risk business.
Attendance at the conference was greaiter than had been anticipated. E q u a l l y gratify ing was the large number of youth participating.
Page 2 THE MILITANT Monday, December lfi, 19."7
Michigan Steel Locals Rally in Dues Protest
By James CampbellDETROIT — Steel workers o f D is tric t 29, Michigan,
responded w ith hearty applause as Donald Rarick and Bud Richardson, leaders o f the Dues Protest movement o f the U n ite d Steel W orkers o f A m e r ica (A F L -C IO ) to ld o f t h e i r s tru g g le fo r honest representatio n o f w o rke rs ’ grievances and fo r ra n k -a n d -file con tro l o f the un ion. They sDoke on Dec. 1. a t a ra l ly in Ecorse, a D e tro it suburb dom inated by the la rge G rea t Lakes Steel p lan t. D u rin g the la s t yea r and a h a lf, the Dues P ro te s t m ovem ent has waged a f ig h t aga inst the steel w o rke rs ’ un ion president, David J. M cDonald, and the o ff ic ia ldom associated w ith him over th e issue o f un ion democracy.
The m ee ting m arked the f i r s t t im e th a t d e l e g a t i o n s fro m th ro u g h o u t D is tr ic t 29 had a t tended a Dues P ro te s t R a lly .Com m itteem en opposed to the M cD onald ad m in is tra tio n and o th e r un ion m ilita n ts from nine locals tu rned ou t to hear R arick and R ichardson speak. For the f it ts t tim e , also, Rarrek dealt w ith on-the-job conditions confro n t in g the steel workeTg. He described the m anner in which t h e D is tr ic t o f f ic ia ls ignored and m isrepresented shop g rie v ances and showed th a t the same type o f grievances are' accumula tin g th roughou t the tin ion .
R a ric k reported add itiona l evidence to substan tia te the Dues P ro te s t charge th a t the M cDona ld m achine stole the la s t union election, s ta tin g th a t d is tr ic t d irec to rs had made open admiS' sions to th a t e ffe c t a f te r the o ff ic ia l count was recorded on M ay 1, 1957.
C O N F E R E N C E IN M A R C HH e assured the men and wom en a tten d in g the ra l ly th a t the Dues P ro tes t campa’en w a s supported so le ly by the dollars o f the m em bership and urged the local groups to send delegates to the next Dues P ro tes t conference to he held in Cleveland ne x t M arch.
The Dues P ro te s t leaders are g ird in g fo r a f ig h t over charges th a t the M cDonald forces have b ro u g h t aga inst Nicholas- M a- m u la , p u b lic ity cha irm an o f the n a tio n a l Dues P ro te s t C o m m ittee, in Local 1211. T h is is the 11,'OOO-member J o n e s and L a u g b lin local in A liq u ip p a , Pa. to w h ich M am ula belongs. The charges arise from a le tte r be w ro te a Beaver V a lle y newspaper in w h ich he exposed the h igh salaries th a t local union O fficers a lready receive and c r i t icized the increases the y are c u rre n tly seeking. He was re p ly in g to a le tte r fro m a spokesman o f the o ffic ia ls ju s t ify in g the increase.
The Dues P ro test movement In th e steel w o rkers union is
Steel Cutback In Youngstown
YO U N G S TO W N , Dec. 7 — Unem ploym ent has become the num ber one problem in th is c ity , whose w o rk in g class is gripped w ith a fee lin g o f insecu rity unknown since the end o f W orld W a r I I . The long, slow b u t un in te rrup ted decline in steel operations in th is steel center th a t lasted a ll sum m er and fa l l appears to be c lim a x in g in a rap id and com plete shutdow'n o f some o f the la rges t basic steel p lan ts. Thus Republic Steel was slated to shut down its open-hearth operations today fo r the balance o f the year. Steel ou tpu t now1 is a t 65% o f ra ted capacity in the d is tr ic t. The cu rre n t answer o f the Steel W orkers U n ion leadership is to l i t ig a te th rough the courts fo r Supplem entary U n em ploym ent B enefits fo r the unemployed.
E c o iio in iè s o f Ih e C h a n g in g S o u th « I I
Will South Block Labor Unionism?
now engaged in a cam paign to ra l ly a ll m ilita n t, an ti-ad m in is tra t io n fo rces in the union and to ga in th e alleg iance o f la rg e r num bers o f honest and t r u s t w o rth y spokesmen fo r the rank and f ile .
As y e t the Dues P ro tes t leaders have no t spoken ou t on the m ost u rg e n t problem s c o n fro n tin g steel w o rkers today. The steel in d u s try continues to show a decline in na tiona l production w h ich has seen a steady drop fro m 92% o f ra ted capac ity la s t Janua ry to 73% th is m onth. ( In the Youngstow n, Ohio, area it is c u rre n tly 65% ). Serious un em ploym ent is a lready appear r in g in c ruc ia l steel areas in E aste rn Ohio, and in M ich igan the th re a t o f sho rt-tim e la y o ffs is v e ry rea l. N o r have they spoken ou t on the c u rre n t m ergers ta k in g place between several o f the huge steel co rporations. These m ergers w i l l mean the abandonment o f obsolete d iv is ions in fa v o r o f newly autom ated p lan ts and w ill accelerate the fu r th e r au tom ation o f the steel in d u s try in a f ig h t fo r the tig h te n in g m arket. T h is also presents the ve ry rea l specter to steel w orkers o f f u r th e r la y o ffs and unem ploym ent.
-Such issues w i l l f in d th e ir plakse a t the fo rthco m ing conference n e x t M arch as more shPp m ilita n ts a ttend i t and seek to broaden the Dues -Protes t p rogram .
. . . Blow to U.S. Prestige(Continued from page 1)
Kenna», “ and i t is ra ther a p ity tha t i t has never been requested to respond all at once to the many expectations directed to it . ”
B ut others, like Adlai Stevenson, fear the risk to U.S. capita list interests in such a policy. In his Dec. 9 address on foreign policy before the New York County Lawyers’ Association. Stevenson complained: “ Already Soviet non-m ilitary foreign expenditure is pressing us closely in amount, and th e ir e ffo rt is on an ascending curve while ours is descending.”
Stevenson puts fo rth the grandiose scheme o f bigger and bigger m ilita ry spending and bigger and bigger economic aid to o ther lands. O f course. Stevenson concedes, there’s another delicate problem involved: “ But how are we going to do all th is? I t is going to take a lo t o f money. W hat about in fla tion?” A t th is point, Stevenson’s word-power gives out. “ W ell.” he answered his own questions, “ th a t’s another speech — probably fo r a Republican!”
“Some Belt-Tightening”But s till he could not resist the tem ptation to give
a h in t o f the real answer he had in m in d : “ And to control in fla tion , is a labor-management scheme o f temporary vo luntary deferment and control o f wages and prices beyond our ingenuity? W hat is certain about all th is is th a t there is going to have to be some belt-tightening, some more self-discipline. . .”
Stevenson, who reflects leading opinion in the Democratic Party, proposes in essence the same th ing as the Eisenhower adm inistration — a s h ift to “ less bu tte r and more guns,” as Commerce Secretary S inclair Weeks put i t last Nov. 13.
American workers are to be confronted with a renewal of the World War I I “equality of sacrifice” program, one of the worst skin-games put over on U.S. labor. We are threatened with a new wage freeze while prices and profits will continue to climb. And this as the American economy heads toward a slump and mass unemployment. That will certainly boost U.S. prestige!
By Arne Swabeck(Second o f tw o a rtic les )
The m o s t s ig n if ic a n t long te rm e ffec t o f in d u s tr ia l p ro g ress in the South w il l be its tendency to b r in g the tw o sp-lit segm ents o f the w o rk ing popu la tio n — w h ite and colored— to gether. A s both become assim ila ted in to the same process o f in d u s tr ia l production, they w ill be fac in g the problem s o f capita lis t. exp lo ita tio n in common. Breaches made in the archaic social and p o lit ic a l s truc tu re , and in the J im Crow system, w hethe r foT the sake o f g re a te r p o lit ic a l cen tra liza tion o r o therw ise, w i l l o f necessity in crease th is u n ify in g tendency. The destiny o f both segments w ill tend to blend w ith th a t o f the w o rk in g c l a s s movement th rou gh ou t the na tion .
T h is e ffe c t m ay seem pa radoxical in v ie w o f the benefits so long accru ing to the ru lin g class by keeping the races p i t ted aga ins t one another — and n o t on ly in the South. W ha t is happening now? Have the. capita l is t ru le rs suddenly become conscious o f c e rta in m ora l and e th ica l ob liga tions, o r are they m ere ly los ing s ig h t o f th e ir own best in te rests? The t ru th is tha t by its developm ent o f modern in d u s try cap ita lism in v o lu n ta r ily prom otes labo r u n ity and o rgan iza tion .
T h is proved to be the case in the N o rth . B oth Negroes and poor wh ites, b ro u g h t up from the South, learned th rough b it te r lessons o f m is trea tm en t, speed-up and e xp lo ita tion in in d u s try to overcome ra c ia l p re j- udices s u ff ic ie n t ly to f ig h t
shoulder to shoulder in union strugg les. To th is general ru le the South fo rm s no exception. The tra n s fo rm a tio n o f its economic founda tion is ca llin g in to being, and w e ld ing toge ther, a new social force.
Review ing the In d u s tr ia l Revo lu tion o f the e ighteenth and n ine teen th cen turies in England, Engels w ro te : “ B ut the m ig h tie s t re s u lt o f th is in d u s tr ia l tra n s fo rm a tio n is the Eng lish p ro le ta r ia t." On a m ore modest scale i t is possible to ' say now about the South, th a t the m ig h tie s t re s u lt o f the in d u s tr ia liz a tion w i l l be the emergence o f a Southern p ro le ta r ia t.
B u t less than o n e -fifth o f the Southern w o rkers are organized in unions today. W ages are conspicuously low . O ut o f its to ta l o f 2% m illio n production w o rk ers em ployed in m an u fac tu ring by A p r i l 1954, before the la test m in im um wage la w w e n t in to e ffec t, 723,000 earned less than $1 an hour. Per-calpita in come in the Deep South was in 1955 on ly 64.1% o f the nat io n a l average.
M O R E ‘ H A N D S ’ T H A N JOBS
Besides, in d u s tr ia liz a tio n has by no means assured jobs fo r a ll, least o f a ll fo r the Negro popu lation. In the survey made by U.S. News and W orld R e -1 p o rt (Ja?i. 27, 1956) i t is stated th a t: "F o r m any a p lan ta tion ‘hand* there is beg inn ing a real s tru g g le to f in d a place to earn a l iv in g .” A nd th is j o u r n a l quotes a N egro leader as sayin g : “ Som etim es people go hung ry . . . The man who depends on a seasonal fa rm job fo r a
South Shows Fastest Industrialization Rate
In last week’s in s ta llm e n t o f “ Economics o f the Changing South” by A rne Swabeck, in fo rm a tio n was given on tha t reg ion ’s accelerated in d u s tr ia l development. S ta tis tics recen tly made available by the U.S. D epartm ent o f Commerce show th a t m anu fac tu ring em ploym ent, which is up 9% fo r the U.S. as a whole in the period since W orld W a r I I , is up 22% fo r the seven Southeast sta tes; new construction , up 57% n a tion a lly , is up 177% fo r (he South; bank deposits, up 47% fo r the na tion , are up 52% in the South.
Today the South produces 36% o f the na tion ’s coal and o il; 36% o f the chem icals; 40% o f the paper; 80% o f cotton te x tile s ; 70% o f the rayo n ; 95% o f syn the tic fibe rs ; 40% o f the fu rn itu re ; and 99% o f the tobacco.
The am ount o f atom ic m a te ria ls produced in the South and n a tio n a lly is kep t secret bu t some $3 b illio n have been in vested in the South. Oak Ridge is in Tennessee and the huge D uP ont-run atom ic p lan t is in South Carolina .
The South had 11,000 fac to ries in 1939, i t has 33,000 today. There are now 4,041,100 fa c to ry w orkers in the South, a 27% increase since 1947 against a na tiona l increase o f 18%.
liv in g ju s t ro ts , body and soul.” M ost Southern States have
enacted “ r ig h t- to -w o rk ” laws designed to p reven t un ion o rganiza tion . Open s h o p conditions p redom ina te and perpetuate the Southern w a g e d iffe re n tia l. W ith f e w exceptions, no tab ly those o f the U n ited M ine W o rk ers and a couple o f CIO unions, the leaders o f the labo r movem en t have made b u t l i t t le se rious e f fo r t to extend o rgan ization to the South. And such e ffo r ts as are in evidence have been fru s tra te d by concessions to co lo r pre judices, fa ilu re to f ig h t fo r equal wages, etc. On the whole, these feeble e ffo r ts
have been based on an adap tat io n to the p re va ilin g reaction- airy p o lit ic a l r u l e . “ O pera tion D ix ie ,” the cam paign to o rgan ize t h e South, w h ic h was lanncfued in a b laz ing fa n fa re o f p u b lic ity , never go t to f i r s t base.
D o rac ia l b a rr ie rs a c tu a lly fo rm the insurm ountab le obstacle to union o rgan iza tion th a t the labo r bureaucra ts so often c ite as an excuse fo r th e ir f a i l ure ? Several surveys o f th is problem presented b y D anie l G uerin in h is study, Negroes on the M arch, c le a rly ind ica te th a t co lor p re jud ice on the p a r t o f the poor w h ites is no t as en-
trenched as m any im agine. G uerin adds: . . on the o therhand, a repressed class hatred is so lid ly roo ted in the depths o f th e ir consciousness and could store up some su rp rises fo r the fu tu re . In the same degree th a t th e ir h o s t il ity to w a rd the N egroes tends to become weaker, th e ir anger tow a rd the ru lin g class, be ing no longer contained by the c o u n te r - im ta n t o f rac ia l fan a tic ism , tends to explode. . . S o lid a r ity between w h ites and Negroes, the perspective w h ich fr ig h te n s the m asters o f the South, w il l f lo w e r fu l ly on ly in the trade un ions.”
1955 S O U T H E R N S T R IK E SW o rk in g class re c e p tiv ity fo r
un ion action was c le a rly dem onstra ted in the dynam ic s trikes th a t raced across the South in 1955. This m ig h t soon be re peated, and in more explosive fo rm , fo r union o rg an iza tio n o f the S ou th cannot be long delayed.
H owever, un ion o rgan iza tion , i f i t is to be undertaken se riously, w il l come in to co n flic t, a t eve ry step, w ith the th o r ough ly ro tte n social and p o lit ic al system by w h ich the Southern Bourbons m a in ta in th e ir domina tion . I t w i l l face the fie rce resistance o f th e ir p o lit ic a l powers a t every level, s ta te w ide and loca lly . I t w i l l thus be p o lit ic a l in cha rac te r fro m its incep tion posing constant p roblem s o f p o lit ic a l c o n f lic t ; and serious un ion o rg an iza tio n in the S ou th can advance on ly on the basis o f the m ost in tense class strugg le .
E v e ry serious co llis ion w ith the p re v a ilin g p o lit ic a l o r d e r
b ring s up the question o f la b o r’s re la tio ns to the D em ocratic p a rty . N o th in g bu t h o s t ility to un ion o rg an iza tio n can be expected fro m th is s ing le ru l in g p a r ty in the South. A nd th is m ig h t Well he the decisive fa c to r th a t w i l l hasten a p o lit ic a l rea lignm en t. I t m ig h t w e ll serve as the fo rce necessary to help unloosen the p o lit ic a l tie -u p o f the labo r bureaucracy w ith the D em ocratic p a rty na tio n a lly , fo r i t w i l l tend to w o rk its way tow ard independent la b o r poli t ic a l action, tow a rd a labo r p a rty . In tu rn , 1his would help to b r in g a b o u t a new and s trong e r bond o f s o lid a r ity betw een w o rke rs o f both races.
W h ile th is w ou ld present a g ig a n tic fo rw a rd leap, in and o f its e l f i t w ould no t dispense w ith the necessity o f continued s tru g g le fo r N e g r o eq ua lity . T h is s tru g g le has, as G uerin po in ts out, " . . . a d is tin c t existence, i t has its h is to r ic a l o rig ins , its special t ra its , its fo rm s o f evo lu tion and methods o f action, its own v i ta l i t y and v a lid ity . ” W hen th is is p rope rly emphasized i t is easy also to accept G uerin ’s conclusion:
“ Thus the N egro question appears essen tia lly as a p ro le ta r ia n question tie d up w ith the de s tiny o f the whole w o rk in g class movem ent, and i t w i l l be resolved on ly to the ex te n t th a t the w o rk ing class w i l l f u l f i l l i t s h is to r ic a l m ission o f g raved ig ge r o f cap ita lism and founder o f a new socie ty. T he ho u r o f th e ir ‘second em ancipation ’ w il l sound fo r the Negroes o n l y when labo r w i l l have settled its accounts w ith cap ita l.”
Vital Issues Before Radicals Discussed at Five AFSE Panels
By Herman ChaukaSince the 20th Congress o f the
Soviet Com m unist P a rty , the issue o f socialism and democracy has increas ing ly occupied the a tten tion o f the en tire rad ica l movement. T h is was rea d ily apparen t a t the panel on th is subje c t at. the conference o f the Am erican Forum — F o r Soc ia lis t Education. (See story, page 1.)
P a rtic ipa n ts in the panel were David D e llin g e r o f L ibe ra tion magazine, F a rre ll Dobbs o f the Socia lis t W orkers P a rty , John L. .Lew ine, an educator, Steve Nelson o f the C om m unist P a rty and D r. F rede rick Scbuman, h is to ria n and w r ite r on Soviet a f fa irs . The m odera to r was Russell Johnson o f the Am erican F riends Service Com m ittee. Als~ scheduled to p a rtic ip a te were M u rra y Kem pton, the colum nist, and H e rb e rt A p th eke r o f the Com m un is t P a rty . K em nton was no t nresent because o f illness in his fa m ily . A n th eke r’s absence was no t explained.
S E LF-R E F O R M T H E O R YB oth Nelson and Schuman,
who described h im se lf as a “ non socia lis t.” expressed the view th a t the Soviet reg im e is engaged in a process o f democra tic se lf-re fo rm .
D e llin g e r held th a t d ic ta to r ia l ru le in the Soviet U n ion flow ed fro m e ffo rts to “ impose a system on people.” I t is w rong , he argued, “ to engage in revo lu tio n a ry violence to b r in g about a non-v io len t society.”
Lew ine contended i t is necessary to replace w h a t he sees as “ com m unism ” in the Soviet U n ion w ith “ socialism ” as represented bv the various pa rties o f the Second In te rn a tio n a l and the Asian S ocia lis t Conference.
In s is t in g th a t socialism and democracy are inseparable, Dobbs said the Soviet U n ion could not y e t be considered a socia list society. The ab o lition o f ca p ita lis t p ro p e rty re la tio ns and the sub s titu tion o f na tionalized, p lan ned economy, is com ple te ly progressive. I t is the du ty o f A m erican socia lists, he declared, to convince the A m erican w o rk ers th a t i t is in th e ir class in terests to defend the r ig h t o f the Soviet w orkers to have made such social changes. A t the same tim e, he continued, they should also support the s tru g g le o f the Soviet w orkers to w re s t p o lit ic a l con tro l fro m the priv ileged b u reaucracy. He cited the H ungarian revo lu tion as a movem ent in th a t d irection .
In re p ly to a d irec t question fro m Dobbs as to where he stood on th is issue, N elson said he th in ks the present Soviet o ffic ia ldo m w qnts to break w ith S ta lin ism b u t th a t the .process o f se lf-re fo rm was “ arrested” by the H ungarian revo lu tion . He said he supports the present reg im e “ because i t ’s go ing in a socia lis t d irec tio n .” B u t, he added, “ I don’t fo llo w them b lin d ly lik e I used to . . . . Now I c r it ic iz e them when I th in k they are w ro ng .”
A t the panel on p o lit ic a l action, the discussion revo lved alm ost
com ple te ly around the issue ofQ independent p o lit ic a l action as counterposed to the “ coa litio n ” theo ry o f sup po rting labo r- endorsed c a p ita lis t candidates.
The “ coa litio n ” theory was advanced by A lb e r t B lum berg, of the Com m unist P a rty , who argued th a t re jec tion o f such a course isolated rad ica ls fro m the labor movement.
James Aronson, ed ito r o f the N a tiona l G uard ian, who pa rtic ipa ted in the discussion w h ile a l s o acting as m oderator, re ite ra ted the stand o f his paper in fa v o r o f a th ird p a rty “ th a t does no t exclude the socia lis t so lu tion .” T y re ll W ilson, a ve teran member o f the Socia lis t P a rty , said the key problem is fo r organized labo r to fo rm its own pa rty . “ W é can in fluence such a p a rty tow ard socialism ,” he said.
Joyce Cowley o f the S oc ia lis t W orkers P a r ty said th a t when B lum berg spoke o f labo r be ing in the Dem ocratic p a r ty he was appa ren tly Confusing the labo r o ffic ia ld om w ith the movement its e lf. I t is im possib le to expect a movem ent tow a rd socialism , she said, u n t il there is independen t p o lit ic a l action by the w o rk in g class.
M ilto n Zaslow o f the Socia list U n ity Com m ittee said he favo rs a th ird p a r ty s im ila r to the now- defunct P rogressive P a rty . He said he objected to b o th the CP and the SW P who “ both were glad to see the Progressive P a rty go.” The CP, he said, favo red its liq u id a tio n because i t considered i t “ sectarian,” w h ile the SW P opposed i t as a th ird ca p ita lis t pa rty .
B lum be rg said h is p a rty had no t y e t discussed the 1958 elections b u t th a t in h is v iew the re could be un ited action behind “ some soc ia lis t candidates” and th a t such action would no t be in c o n flic t w ith a “ coa lition ” po licy. B y th is he ap pa ren tly m eant th a t he fa vo rs suppo rt to the Dem ocratic p a r ty candidate fo r Governor, w ith some socia list candidates ru n n in g fo r lesser, offices.
B lum berg also to ld thé meetin g th a t he had proposed to the C om m unist P a rty a po licy o f jo in t action on im m edia te issues “ by a ll soc ia lis t tendencies, on the basis o f non-exclusion.”
A . J. M U S TE , Secretary o f the Am erican Forum — F o r S ocia lis t Education. In conclud ing its conference Dec. 6, he declared: “ W e have a fun c tio n to f u l f i l l . T h is m eeting to day has been an il lu s tra tio n o f i t . . . In p ro v id in g th a t nobody, no tendency is to be excluded from the discussion. . . as, fo r example, the Eastland Subcom m ittee were to de te rm ine who m ay o r may no t pa rtic ip a te in respectable poli t ic a l discussion in these U n ited States.”
H IT S ‘G IM M IC K ’U N IO N IS M
A t the trade-un ion panel, Russ N ixon , an o ff ic ia l o f the U n ited E le c tr ica l W orkers ( In d .) called fo r an end to co llabora tion w ith the em ployers and the re b irth o f p o lit ic a l freedom w ith in the unions. He also h i t the sub s titu tio n o f "fancy plans a n d speeches” fo r rea l economic gains. “ Phony g im m icks like fiv e -y e a r contracts and the so- called SUB smack o f co llaborations,” he daclared.
Jules G eller, o f the m agazine Am erican Socia list, said the m ain task o f socia lists a t th is tim e is to bu ild a “ rev ita lize d socia list m ovem ent” ra th e r tha n e labora tin g economic b a rga in ing demands.
F red F ine o f the Com m unist P a rty , said “ The cjuestion fo r soc ia lis ts is ; has the m axim um
be ne fit fo r the pecyple been realized w ith in even the e x is ting system .” He contended the re is a heed fo r a ‘ ‘coa lition o f a l l an ti-m onopo ly elements” to secure th is m in im um .
¡Stephen G ra ttan , a m em ber o f the New Y o rk T ypograph ica l Un ion, denounced “ the debacle a t A tla n tic C ity where a la rge p a r t o f the Federation was a rb it ra r ily th row n out.” T h a t p o in t was reached, he said, because the labo r m ovem ent has lo s t “ the soc ia lis t conscience in the unions gu a rd ing the in te res ts o f the members.”
Tom K e rry o f the SW P said the unions m ust be transfo rm ed in to ins trum en ts o f s tru g g le fo r the in te rests o f the w orkers in stead o f supporters o f “ free en terprise and the S tate D e pa rtm ent.” Th is , he said, requires “ support to ra n k -a n d -file movements aga inst the present m is- leaders o f the unions.”
Sam Pollock, a C leveland union o ff ic ia l, said i t was no longer possible to solve the problem s posed by au tom ation and atom ic energy by pure and sim ple trade unionism . “T h e unions m ust adopt a soc ia lis t p rogram and fuse w ith the rad ica l movement to do th a t,” be declared. He also said th a t in s p lit t in g the union movement, the A F L -C IO leaders had “ become captives o f the M cC lellan com m ittee.” Sid Lenz, m odera tor o f the panel, stated bis d isagreem ent on th is po int.
The you th panel addressed its e lf p r im a r ily to c u rre n t p ro b lems o f A m erican you th , how young socia lists can e ffe c tive ly p a rtic ip a te in today ’s strugg les
<V,and how to achieve a reg roup m ent o f soc ia lis t youth.
M ichae l H a rr in g to n , na tiona l cha irm an o f the Y oung S oc ia lis t League w h ich is now- seeking a f f i l ia t io n w ith the S ocia lis t P arty -S oc ia l D em ocratic Federation , spoke on the need to bu ild a broad soc ia lis t you th movement.
David McReynolds o f the SP- SDF, said he was n o t w illin g to be irt the same organ iza tion o r p a rtic ip a te in un ited a c tiv itie s “ w ith Com m unists and T ro ts k y is ts .”
The m anag ing ed ito r o f the Y oung Socia list, T im W o h lfo rth , stressed the need fo r a broad, independent socia lis t you th m ovem ent and declared he was in fa v o r o f un ited a c t iv ity on specific issues b y young socialis ts o f a ll v iew po in ts.
E a rl D urham o f the Com m unist P a rty discussed the cu rre n t c ris is o f U.S. education. N ina Landau, a U n iv e rs ity o f W is consin student, described her recent t r ip to the USSR and China and emphasized the im portance o f freedom to trave l. Tony Ram irez, o f the Fe llow sh ip o f R econcilia tion, spoke o f the problem o f in flu e n c in g “ the apathe tic m any.”
C U L T U R E P A N E LA t the panel on cu ltu re , Eve
M erriam , a poet, said the developm ent o f science could help make the a r t is t “ a whole human being,” provided a rtis ts were able to w o rk toge the r in “ a collective garden.” N o ve lis t H a rvey Swados saw bo th the U.S. and the USSR com peting in the production o f m a te ria l th ings w ith o u t any regard by e ith e r fo r p ro m otin g c u ltu ra l values. R obert W rig h t, o f U n ion Theologica l Sem inary, said th a t au tom ation and atom ic energy o ffe red l i t t le prom ise “ in ou r e x is tin g society.”
D r. O tto N athan, the economist, declared i t was id le to discuss the im pact o f au tom ation and atom ic energy on c u ltu re in iso la tion fro m the basic problem o f cap ita lism and socialism . The a r t is t has managed to create under cap ita lism and o ther previous class societies, bu t there can be no rea l f lo w e rin g o f cu ltu re u n t il the re is socia lism, he said. “ And I am as sure we w il l f in a lly reach socialism as I am th a t the sun w i l l rise tom orrow .”
. . . Bigger Transit Strike
NEGROES ON THE
MARCHA Frenchman’s Report on the'American Negro
StruggleBy Daniel Guerin
192 pages $1.50•O rder fro m
PIONEER PUBLISHERS116 U n ive rs ity £ lace
New Y o rk 3, N .Y .
(Continued fro m page 1)
to r ia i in the o rd in a r ily s ta id and u n e x c i t a b l e N ew Y ork T im es (Dec. 10). I t began:
“ The s tr ik e aga inst the New Y o rk C ity subway system by the M oto rm en ’s Benevolent A ssociation is a f la g ra n t v io la tion o f s ta te law . I t is contem ptuous o f co u rt order. I t is a v io le n t ou trage aga ins t the people o f N ew Y o rk C ity . These are governm ent emnloyes s t r ik in g aga inst governm ent. The on lv app rop ria te answer to such rebe llion , to such f lo u r in g o f the pub lic in te res t, is the severe nun ishm ent established u n d e r la w .”
Though the ed ito rs and de- 'O flrtrreo t gt-ove o w n p v « shout th a t the c ’t v au th o ritie s n o t be ing tough enough w ith the s tr ik in g rootorm en. the foo t rpm ains th a t the ci tv has need a ll the standard s triV e-h reak ine procedures— b u t so fa r w ith o u t success.
LA B O R SPIE S
Thus la b o r owps in the pm- n lov o f the N .Y . T ra n s it Au- th n r i tv wpre concealed in a p los°t o f the h a ll in w h ich the M B A n re -s tr ’ke m ee ting was held. Thev ho'-ed a sw a ll hole in the closet door so thev could id e n t ify the sneakers and re- n o r t on w h a t thev said. I t was on th e ir tes tim on y th a t Theodore Loos. M BA nresident, and th ree o ther o ff ic e rs wore im - nrisoned. The respom sib ilitv fo r the use e f la bo r *mies rests on M ayo r W agner whose success In po litie s ja hafipd m a in ly on the fa c t th a t h is fa th e r was the ainthor o f the W a g n e r Act. which a lb one o th e r th in gs made la bo r espionage ille g a l.
Telegram s were sent to a ll s tr ik e rs n o t ify in g t h e m th a t unless they renorted fo r w o rk by Tuesdav a ftp rnoon the v were a u to m a tica lly f ire d . W hen th is th re a t fa ile d to s ta r t a haok- to -w o rk movem ent, the deadline was extended fo r 24 hours. Only 19 m otorm en gave in .
The s tr ik e o f the m otorm en fo r recogn ition as a ba rg a in in g u n it on a c ra f t basis is a d irec t re su lt o f the A F L -C IO T ra n s p o rt W orke rs U n io n ’s fa ilu re to w in adeouate wages and w o rk in g cond itions fo r the m em bership. The' T W U ranks have fo r a long tim e been disgusted w ith the leadersh ip o f the Q u ill m achine and w ith the in fe r io r contra c ts i t has secured.
S tr ik in g m otorm en rid ic u le T W U President M ichael Q u ill fo r h a v in g incessan tly th re a tened subway s tr ikes and always ha v in g backed down.
STRONG U N IO N M A NJoseph Carin , a c tin g M B A
leader, in an in te rv ie w w ith the M il i ta n t on Dec. 11 p ro ud ly ex p la ined he had been a union man fo r 27 years, and his fa th e r a un ion m an be fore him . W hen he stopped g o in g to sea and began w o rk in g in the subw a y in 1948 he im m ed ia te ly jo ined the T W U . The p id d lin g increases b ro ug h t by the 1952 con tra c t “ made me th in k someth in g was w rong . M otorm en got on ly $81.60 — about $64 take home. U n ti l 1954, C arin said, “ Q u ill had the w ho le T W U beh ind h im b u t then he had to go
and s ign a sw eetheart contra c t.”
Asked w h a t the economic demands o f the jno to rm en w ould he i f the y won recogn ition , C a rin rep lie d : “ To ge t b a c k w ha t the T W U gave aw ay. T he dne-day s ick leave, scheduling r ig h ts . S ix ty pe rcen t o f ouh jobs are over 40 hours a week. T he T ra n s it A u th o r ity th a t way gets afti e x tra t r ip ou t o f Us. W e <lo m ore w o rk now on a five -d a y week than we used to on six days. F o r instance, on the A line a m oto rm an used to make 12 tr ip s a day — now he has to make 15.”
TW TT R A N K C S Y M P A T H E T IC
Tbp TW IT ■»•’ rik .»n't ;,ye re p o rte d 'v v e rv svm natbptio to the e tr ik ’ np- m otorm pu because o f th p ir d a rin g and because o f the epnpral resent rnenf a g ^ 're t the TWTT leadership. Tbp M B A has ro t. ca lBd on them to w a lk out. T hev onnrinnp to w o rk , in deed are rpop’vinor 250b p re m ium pay, fre e food, etc., fo r w o rk ing .
In d ic a tiv e o f t i p f ig h t in g s p ir it o f the rootorw en is th e ir svstem o f “ a lte rn a tiv e ” leaders to meet, 'arrests. G arin is the a lte rna tive fo r F ra n k Zelano (take-hom e nav $67!. who used the F i f th A m endm ent to nro - te c t h im s e lf and the nrdon du rin g h is contempt, t ida l t.odav. “ I h a v e m v a lte rn a tiv e a ll p icked out.” C arin to ld re p o r ters. “ and he’s re a lly ho t. h u t I w on ’t g ive you h is name v e t.”
T hough a m il ita n t and democ ra tic in d u s tr ia l un ion would he incom parab ly m o r e e ffe c tive tha n a num ber o f c ra f t unions, even i f they w ore a ll as m il ita n t as the M B A . one cannot h u t sym path ize w ith the g r ie v ances o f the s tr ik in g m otorm en. N o r are thev conscious th a t th e ir c ra f t movem ent endangers in d u s tr ia l un ionism . T hey “ ju s t w a n t to get hack w h a t was g iv en aw ay.” However, encouraged b y the action o f the M B A . eleven m ore c ra f t fo rm a tio n s in the subway have declared s o lid a r ity and some have called ou t mem bers o r hoped-fo r members.
Thus the m otorm en’s s tr ik e is a danger s igna l fo r in d u s tr ia l un ion ism in the t ra n s it svstem. The Q u ill bureaucracy, despite its b lu s te r and dem agogy, fa ile d to f ig h t fo r the wages and cond itions w h ich the ranks deserve and a re w i l l in g to s tr ik e fo r . I t has the reby endangered the continued existence o f in d u s tr ia l un ion ism its e lf by m ak ing im p o r ta n t section's o f the m em bersh ip so desperate th a t even an tiqua ted c ra f t un ionism appears a ttra c tiv e to them by contrast.
O f even g rea te r danger than c ra f t d iv is io n to un ionism in the subways is th e th re a t to use N ew Y o rk ’s Condon-W adlin A c t aga ins t the M B A . The p o lit icians have never as ye t dared use th is s lave-labo r la w ag a in s t m un ic ipa l employes in N e w Y o rk C ity , though i t has been on the s ta te law hooks fo r ten years. I f the bureaucracy o f the T W U sanctions its use aga inst th e M B A , i t w i l l be he lp ing to set a precedent fo r s tr ike b re a k in g th a t can l a t e r be used aga ins t the T W U its e lf .
THE MILITANT Pagre 3
•B fe o o rtp tio n M p* i yo m r 0 .6 0 tot 8 m o 'n th i. !» \> re irn : tf.B D p e r y e a r ; *2.So fo r 0 m on th» . C a n a d ia n ; $3.50 per f e a r : $1.75 fo r 0 m o n th s . B u n d le O rd e r» : B o r m ore oopiee 0c eaoh tn U .S .. 7o eaoh in fo re ig n couD trie *.
th e MILITANTP u b lished W e e k ly to th e In te re a te o f th e W o rk in g People
THB MILITANT PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION 1X6 E n lr e r s i t r P I., N . Y . 3 . N . S . P h one : A L 5-746«
E d i t o r : D A N I E L R O B E R T S B u H ln rs N M a n a g e r : F R A N C E S J A M E S
■Urne« « ru o lo * by e o n tr tt -a to re do no t n e ce ssa rily represen t T he M il i t a n t 's polled*«. These « re expressed In ltd e d ito r ia ls .
"E n te re d ae second olass m a tte r M a rc h 7, 1944 a t th e Poet O ff ic e a t N e w YoTk. N .Y ., u n d e r th e a c t o f M a rc h ». 1879."
Vol. 21 - No. 50 Monday, Dec. 16, 1957
Kutcher’s Suit for Back PayA lo t of. water has flowed under the
bridge since the summer of 1948 when the federal government began its persecution of legless veteran James Kutcher because o f his open and avowed membership in the Socialist Workers Party. His was one of the earliest w itch-hunt cases o f federal employes and the f irs t in which the v ic tjm neither resigned nor denied the allegations. On the contrary Kutcher stood up and declared: “ I am a member o f one o f the organizations unconstitutiona lly proscribed by the A tto rney General’s illegal lis t and I have every r ig h t to be.”
Kutcher’s bold, principled stand a t the beginning o f the w itch hunt did not b ring any quick easy victory. Indeed as the M cCarthyite fever mounted new blows were aimed a t him. He and his aged parents were ordered evicted from the low-cost, federal housing project in which they lived because o f his SWP membership. Then his veteran’s d isability pensioh was stopped. But his stubborn battle, in the course o f which he had succeeded in gaining the support o f many unions, civ il liberties groups and Negro organizations, generated enough public protest to force the federal authorities to back down. His victories, a fte r almost e ight years of struggle, came in fa ir ly rapid succession.
His pension was restored a fte r the f irs t public hearing held in a federal “ loya lty” case. His v ic to ry over the Gwinn Amendment in the Nev’ Jersey Supreme Court ended the eviction case and was an im portant element in the federal government’s decision to drop all attempts to enforce tha t infamous law. F ina lly on June 26. 1956 he was restored to his job in the Newark VA office.
The obstinacy w ith which the witch hunters, thrown back but not defeated, cling to the ir control points, is demonstrated by the fact tha t even now the Kutcher case is fa r from over. Ordered
'restored to his job w ith a ll righ ts by the courts, Kutcher cannot collect the back pay due him. The U.S. Com ptroller General’s refusal is based on the simple fact o f Kutcher’s SWP membership, the very identical charge in all the other cases tha t Kutcher fin a lly won. Thus Kutcher is obliged to begin the same f ig h t all over again. He has done so w ith the filin g on Dec. 5 of a su it against the government in the U.S. Court o f Claims.
M oral: i t is not enough to w in a c iv il liberties case, i t must be won over and over again to insure the in it ia l victory. Therefore fighters against the witch hunt must have the patience of Job and the stubbornness o f a bulldog.
Division in Algerian Nationalism
Discussion Among SocialistsSupporters o f the American Forum —
For Socialist Education have every reason to be gra tified w ith the results o f its Dec. 6 conference in New York. (See stories on page 1 and 2.) That almost 500 people turned out fo r such an all-day discussion certa in ly indicates the existence o f a not ins ign ifican t body o f individuals seriously concerned w ith socialist thought. Especia lly noteworthy in th is regard is tha t the audience comprised not only a representative cross section of the various rad ical tendencies but also o f a good number o f newly-interested unionists and youth.
Equally im portant is tha t the principle o f “ free and untramalled discussion,” on which American Forum is founded, was in fu ll play a t the conference and demonstrated in life tha t i t is a v ita l and positive concept.
The richness o f the panel discussions, fo r example, sprang from the fact tha t they were conducted on the principle of “ non-exclusion” and tha t they provided a direct confrontation o f basically d if fe ring views on key issues o f the day. The participants had the opportunity to examine, side by side, sharply d iffe ring
concepts on the controversial aspects of “ Socialism and Democracy,” or on such a widely debated issue as whether the in te rests o f American labor is best served by ac tiv ity confined w ith in the framework o f the present tw o-party system or by independent political action in direct opposition to these parties.
Such confrontation o f ideas is an im portan t key to the continuing success of American Forum. The socialist movement today is confronted w ith many new problems demanding answers. Equally im portant, is the fact tha t there are crucial issues to which answers have been formulated and are being offered — answers tha t are often the polar opposite of each other. And large numbers o f people already in or about to. enter the rad ical movement are deeply concerned w ith c la rify ing in the ir own minds which o f these conflicting views correctly reflect the rea lity o f our tim e and are deserving o f support. So long as i t is a vehicle fo r the direct confrontation o f such views, American Forum provides an invaluable service to the large number of radicals seeking such clarification.
The Oppenheimer CaseInterm ixed w ith the ir frenzied cries fo r
the appropriation o f billions fo r rocket research, the capita list politicians and press have been doing considerable public breasUbeating about th e ir past m istreatment o f American scientists.
O f the thousands o f scientists bullied, badgered, humiliated, investigated, re investigated, fired and smeared by the witch-jhunters in the past decade, J. Robert Oppenheimer was the most prom inent. I t is therefore about him as a symbol tha t the capita list spokesmen are now calling fo r a new course towards scientists. A number o f papers and politicians are urging his “ rehabilita tion.” On Nov. 21 form er A tom ic Energy Commissioner Thomas E. M urray, who three years ago called Oppenheimer “ disloyal” and voted fo r his dismissal as a “ security risk ,” told the press: “ I would not be at a ll displeased i f he [Oppenheimer] were to be reinstated.”
Oppenheimer was the scientist in overall charge o f the development o f the atomic bomb. A fte r ‘ the bombings of Hiroshim a and Nagasaki he was horrifie d by the prospect o f the atomic destruction o f mankind and to fellow scientists voiced the hope th a t hydrogen fission would be developed fo r peaceful use but never fo r an H-bomb. Such a statement would in a few years be used against him as tantamount to treason.
In top committee he argued against development of the Hell-bomb and when the Truman adm inistration ordered its construction, he undertook the work but w ithou t expressing “ enthusiasm” — another nail in his co ffin as a “ security risk .” F inally, he was “ arrogant” enough to use his own judgm ent in such things as declaring tha t he would give a form er student, who had invoked the F if th Amendment, a le tte r tes tify ing to his
By Philip MagriThe world is coming to know
and recognize the dimensions of the struggle for national independence which the Algerian people have waged for the past three years. The crimes— to rture, murder, rape, pillage, massacre, violation of every democratic and human right— committed by the French forces in their “ pacification” of Algeria have also become well known. But in recent m o n t h s many supporters of the Algerian liberation struggle have been profoundly disturbed by c r i m e s against Algerians committed, not this time by the French, but by other Algerians participating in the struggle against French imperialism.
These have included a series o f m urders in the past two m onths w h ich took the lives o f a la rge n u m b e r o f A lg e ria n trade -un ion is ts in c lud in g t h e general secre tary o f the A lg e ria n w orkers u n i o n (U S T A ), Ahmed Bekhat.
B IT T E R S P L ITThese and o ther b loody in c i
dents are the resu lts o f an extra o rd in a r ily deep and b itter s p lit w ith in the A lg e ria n lib e ra tion m ovem ent between tw o pow erfu l organ iza tions, the A l ge rian N a t i o n a l M ovem ent (M N A ) and the N a tio n a l L ib e ra tion F ro n t (F L N ) . This vita lly important oprtflict, amounting to a virtual civil war within the Algerian camp, can only be understood in terms of the historical development of Algerian nationalism.
In the ne ighboring N o rth A f r ica n countries o f T un is ia and M orocco the n a tio n a lis t movem ents rem ained under the leadersh ip o f m oderate and w e a lthy men sym bolized by B ourgu iba and M oham m ed V . The social background o f A lg e ria n n a tion a lism w a s e n tire ly d iffe re n t. T un is ia and Morocco were re la t iv e ly la te French conquests, and under the fo rm o f “ p ro tec to ra te ” re ta ined th e ir n a tio n al s tru c tu re and preserved the existence o f the old r u l i n g classes. F u rthe rm o re , re la t iv e ly fe w French s e ttle rs made
Victims o f A lgerian Split
Women survivors of Melouza massacre. This village supported the M N A , the le ft wing of the Algerian nationalist movement. A guerrilla band invaded the village, took all the men — over 300 — prisoner and killed them. The M N A charges the crime to the right-w ing F L N which is trying to crush the M N A by force.
th e ir homes in T un is ia and M orocco, leav ing a ce rta in am ount o f economic space fo r a na tive com m ercia l c a p ita lis t class and a s tra tum o f in te lle c tua ls to develop.
In A lg e r ia , on the o ther hand, the French co lon ia l reg im e, since 1830, made a conscious a tte m p t to w ipe ou t the A lg e r ia n n a tion a l id e n tity in a ll re spects. Old A lg e r ia n social p a tterns were d isrupted, the ve ry existence o f the A lg e r ia n nat io n was denied, as A lg e ria was “ le g a lly ” defined as an in te g ra l p a r t o f France. A m illion European se ttle rs dom inate the trade, m an u fac tu ring , a g ric u ltu re and in te lle c tu a l life
o f the coun try . The developm en t o f the A lg e r ia n people was suppressed in a ll ways.
Only a tiny m inority could get an education and achieve a privileged position as lawyers, functionaries, intellectuals in the service o f the French rulers. The vast m ajority of Algerians are landless agricultural laborers. As many as 500,000 Algerian workers were compelled by poverty and unemployment to m igrate to Fraince where they could get jobs to help support th e ir fam ilies in A lgeria.
T un is ian and Moroccan nation a lism had t h e i r o rig in s among w e a lth y law yers and m erchants. A lg e r ia n na tiona lism
. . . Indonesia Seizes Dutch Properties
ab ility as a physicist, and in having lunch w ith a man suspected o f having been a communist a dozen years previously.
On this “ evidence” the Eisenhower ad- m in istratton suspended Oppenheimer’s security clearance in Dec. 1953, the Gray Commission ruled against h im in May 1954, and the AEC fired him ignominiously the fo llow ing June. W illiam M. Borden, Executive D irector o f the Jo in t Congressional Committee on A tom ic Energy declared: “ More probably than not he has been functioning as an espionage agent.” Books appeared “ substantiating” the charge of the gu tte r press tha t “ conspiracy amounting to treason had delayed the H-bomb fo r fou r years” and tha t Oppenheimer’s a ttitude could stem only from communist ideas or connections.
Scientific h is to ry was fa ls ified. A lthough the Los Alamos laboratory, the creation o f Oppenheimer, did successfully developed the H-Bomb, the politicians and press christened Dr. Edward Teller “ the Father of the H-bomb,” even though Teller’s special laboratory had produced nothing but complete duds. This was a reward to Teller, fo r his denunciations of scientists who shared Oppenheimer’s ideas about the H-bomb’s danger to mankind.
There is a grow ing demand fo r an o ffic ia l repudiation o r reopening o f the frame-up “ case” against Oppenheimer, This is very good. But i t must be remembered tha t the Oppenheimer case was possible because the political atmosphere had been prepared by the w itch hunt of less famous scientists, the blood sacrifice of the Rosenbergs and imprisonment on Alcatraz o f Morton Sobell. I t is imperative therefore tha t the demand also be raised fo r reopening these foundation cases of the w itch hunt against the scientists.
(Continued from page 1)the banks th ro u g h the a rm y ousting the w orkers.
In the case o f the D utch- owned p lan ta tions (7.5% o f the to ta l) , Indonesian A g r ic u ltu re M in is te r D r. S w ard jo to ld re p o rters on Dec. 10 th a t the governm ent was ta k in g them over in order to stop “ o the r people” fro m doing so. T illm a n D urd in , w r i t in g fro m Jaka rta in the Dec. 10 New Y o rk T im es reports th a t “ Dutch estate sources here said to n ig h t they were glad the governm ent had ac’ted to p reven t w o rke r seizures.”
The p lan ta tion w orkers, whofo rm the g rea t h u lk o f the w o rk in g class in Java (p rin c ip a l is land o f Indonesia, w ith a 70- m illio n po pu la tio n ), are extrem e ly w e ll organized and class conscious. T h is m ay be gauged by the rem a rk o f a D u tch p lan te r to reporte rs in Singapore th a t “ . . . conditions in EastJava were ou t o f con tro l and ‘laborers are ta k in g the upper hand everywhere.’ ”
Indeed the entire working class is well organized andbattle-tested. I t fought the
Dutch for four long years after World W ar II. then conducted m ilitant strikes against both Indonesian and Dutch enterprises in recent years.
A s fa r as the Indonesian cap ita lis ts are concerned, the seizures are fo r purposes of ba rga in ing w ith Dutch im p e ria lism in the course o f w h ich they hope to ga in g re a te r scope fo r themselves. Thus, except fo r ha rbo r fa c ilit ie s in Indonesian ports , the governm ent has no t nationalized the seized D utch properties b u t is ho ld ing them pending se ttlem ent o f the W est I r ia n dispute. I t has no t touched m a jo r o il companies th a t include B r it is h and Am erican in te rests a t a ll. The C om m unist P a rty leaders are also suppo rting th is po licy.
A lth o u g h Indonesia won po lit ic a l independence in 1949, D utch im p e ria lism has continued to e x tra c t huge p ro fits fro m the labor o f the Indonesian w o rk in g people. D u tch investm ents have been cu t fro m 2 to 1 b illio n do lla rs since independence. B u t according to V r ije Volke, a Social Dem ocratic newspaper in
Holland, D utch enterprises, beginn ing in 1951, were pu m ping p ro fits to the homeland in volum e commensurate w ith the m ost p ro fita b le years since W orld W a r I.
F o r the Indonesian w o rk in g people, consequently, the a im o f the na tiona l independence s tru g gle is to free the cou n try comp le te ly fro m th is economic subju g a tio n . To th a t end th e ir pressure on the Indonesian governm ent b ro ug h t about a repud ia tion la s t year o f a $1 b illio n debt w hich the Dutch had saddled on the coun try as p a r t o f the tre a ty recogn iz ing independence.
The sweep of the working- class seizures and the establishment of workers’ control fu rth ermore indicates the direction in which the Indonesian working people w ill seek to complete the national independence revolution. This is the reorganization of the country on the basis of socialist property relations. I t is to prevent the seizures from developing along that road that the Indonesian government moved to assert its authority over the Dutch properties.
. . . AFL-CIO Convention(Continued from page 1)
them up. . . . W e know that a ll we can get out of them is not from begging . . . but by economic strength.”
Randolph also s tro n g ly opposed the th re a t to autonom y posed by the A F L -C IO expulsion procedure. T echn ica lly the IB T and the Bakers were expelled because th e ir top o ffice rs refused to com ply w ith d irectives o f the 28-man A F L -C IO executive counc il th a t gives the council power to po lice the in te rn a l a ffa irs o f the unions and to demand the ouster o f o ff ic ia ls subject to M cC le llan ’s a ttacks. Randolph said re fo rm o f the Team sters w ould “ have to come fro m the bottom and no t fro m a mandate a t the top th a t w i l l sk im o f f a few crooks.”
George Lynch o f the P a tte rn m akers voiced an ob jection cn the f lo o r th a t was more comm on ly heard in the corridors. He attacked the “ g ig a n tic strides tow a rd res tin g d ic ta to r ia l power in the hands o f 28 men” and concluded: ‘‘you are th ro w in gthem [th e IB T ] ou t under a set o f standards w h ich you cons is ten tly re fuse to app ly to y o u rselves.”
B y membership s treng th the vote fo r ouster was 10.46 m illio n to 2.27 m illio n o r about fo u r to one. I f the IB T had been seated instead o f hav itig its vo tin g r ig h ts suspended, the tw o -th ird s
vote necessary fo r expulsion would probably not have carried. O f the 127 international unions seated, 20 voted against ouster, including the Carpenters, Hod Carriers and Laborers, Meat Cutters, Upholsterers, the IT U and a single former C ÍÓ affilia te , the Mechanics Educational Society.
The debate over the ousting of the Bakery Workers union revealed how thin the line of division is between the “clean” bureaucrats and the corrupt ones. The charge of crookedness is leveled against the union’s president James Cross. He is accused of having diverted organizing funds to buy himself a Cadillac. In a speech denouncing the Bakers’ expulsion, A F L - CIO Vice President Herman W inter, a past president of the bakery union referred both to Cross and to W illiam Schnitzler, an aid to Meany in the ouster drive, who is also a past president of the Bakers. “The man Jimmie Cross is a protege of mine,” said W inter; “so is Schnitzler. W hatever waste Jimmie Cross has been responsible for, so has Bill. There is no question about that; I can prove it. I don’t think anything about it, however. They had their way of carrying on organizational work; I had miné.”
The A F L -C IO Executive Council had set no other conditions fo r reinstatement o f suspended unions than resignation of one or
tw o top o ffic ia ls who had been under personal a ttack b y the M cC le llan Com m ittee. The b u reaucratic machines in these unions would s t i l l hold power.
A ltho ug h the issue o f au tonomy is involved in the case o f the Bakers as in the case o f the Team sters, the re is also an im p o rta n t d iffe rence to be noted. The union is divided down the m iddle, w ith m any ran k -an d -file w o rkers seeking to take advantage o f the f ig h t am ong the bureaucrats to ga in some meas- uer o f union democracy.
In the balcony a t the conventio n sa t abou t 275 u n o ffic ia l bakery delegates, m any o f them w orkers fro m the shops. They are supporters o f the “ In te g r ity Com m ittee” fo rm ed by fo u r members o f the B ake ry W oi’k- ers’ E xecu tive Board who have broken w ith Cross and pledged a f ig h t to com ply w ith the d irectives o f the A F L -C IO . They have been prom ised an A F L -C IO cha rte r when Cross’ un ion is expelled.
This group booed and yelled “ Hypocrite” when Cross appealed for the convention to uphold the right of the Bakers to choose their own officers. Last March, Cross summarily expelled the Bakers secretary-treasurer Curtis Sims a few days a fte r Sims charged CrosS With ihisuse of funds. Sims then exposed Cross before the McClellan Committee.
<«>was to rn among the e x p a tr iated, exp lo ited, overworked and underpa id A lg e r ia n w orkers in France.
M ESSA LTS PRO G RAMIn a v e ry rea l sense, the
founder o f m odern A lg e r ia n nation a lism and the fa th e r o f the A lg e r ia n re vo lu tion is IMessali Had-j. In 1924 the young Mes- sa li, an A lg e ria n w o r k e r in France, p ro fo un d ly influenced by the Russian R evolu tion and by the s trugg les o f the French w o rk in g class, founded a movem en t called the N o rth A fr ic a n S ta r. The p rog ram o f the S ta r embodied three concepts which fro m th a t tim e on have been cen tra l to the p o lit ic a l developm en t o f A lg e r ia n na tion a lism :
(1 ) A reso lu te and uncomp ro m is in g s tru g g le fo r a democ ra tic and independent A lg e ria .
(2 ) The perspective o f a soc ia lis t A lg e r ia , in c lud in g the natio n a liz a tio n o f banks and mines, and sweeping a g ra ria n re fo rm s .
(3) In te rn a tio n a l s o lid a r ity w ith o th e r peoples o f N o rth A fr ic a ( lo o k in g tow a rd an eventu a l N o rth A fr ic a n fed e ra tio n ) and w ith the F rench w o rk in g class.
In the 1930’s the N o rth A f r ica n S ta r changed its name to the P a rty o f the A lg e r ia n People (P P A ) and f in a lly succeeded in es tab lish ing a m ovem ent in A lg e r ia its e lf. A lth o u g h t h e PP A f o u g h t a longside the French w o rkers aga ins t the fa s cists in F e b ru a ry 1934, adhered to the P opu la r F ro n t and took p a r t in a ll the dem onstra tions and s tr ikes o f June 1936, in Ja n u a ry 1937 the P opu la r F ro n t governm ent o f the “ soc ia lis t” B lum and the “ com m un is t” Thorez outlaw ed the PPA.
T h is repression was continued and in te n s ifie d by the V ichy fasc is t governm ent d u r i n g W o rld W a r I I . A f te r " l ib e ra t io n ” the new P opu la r F ro n t governm ent o f Thorez-B lum -D e Gaulle organized a savage re pression w h ich took the lives o f 45,000 A lg e ria n s in the p ro v ince o f C onstantine. Although afte r 1945 the Algerian nationalists weue able to gain a precarious half - legality as t h e Movement fo r the Trium ph of Democratic Liberties (M T L D ), all the elections in A lgeria were outrageously falsified, and the p a r ty was under continual police repression and harassment.
F R E N C H H O U N D M ESS A L IW hethe r the m ovem ent was
ca lled the N o rth A fr ic a n S ta r, the PPA , the M T L D , or, today, the M N A , M essali has had' to pay fo r his ideals w ith a lm ost con tinua l im p risonm en t. He was ja ile d hy the T h ird Republic, sentenced to H3 years ha rd la bo r by the V ich y regim e, kep t con s tan tly in “ forced residence” by a ll the governm ents o f the F o u rth Republic. T oday M essali is im prisoned on the 'bleak and lo ne ly is land o f Belle Is le o f f the coast o f B r it ta n y ( f i t t in g ly , th is is the same is land where the g re a t F rench re v o lu tio n is t A u g u s t B lanqu i was im prisoned by the governm ent o f Napoleon I I I . )
Though the M essalists were by fa r the dom inant p o lit ic a l tendency among the A lg e ria n people ( in those ra re instances in which A lg e ria n elections were re la t iv e ly free , the M T LD cons ta n tly received 85-90% o f the vo te ), o ther p o lit ic a l cu rren ts existed. F ir s t the re was the t in y la y e r o f A lg e ria n s who had become F rench puppets, and were rew arded w ith posts as “ rep re sen ta tives o f the A lg e ria n people” in the F rench colon ia l adm in is tra tio n . The A lg e ria n peop le called the m embers o f th is p riv ileged c l i q u e “ Ben i-O ui- O uis,” since th e ir fu n c tio n was to say yes to a n y th in g the F rench a d m in is tra tio n proposed.
There also existed two moderate nationalist groups; a conservative religions M o s l e m g.rdlup called the “ Ulemas,” and the “ Democratic Union of the A lg e r i a n Manifesto” (U D M A ), headed by Ferhat Abbas.
M O D E R A TE N A T IO N A L IS TAbbas is a w e a lth y law yer,
w ho before W o rld W a r I I opposed A lg e ria n na tion a lism and
’ A CorrectionLast week we reported the
controversy in the pages of the People’s World around the question of the Socialist Workers P arty and its San Francisco election campaign. In reprinting extracts from several letters published in People’s World, a typographical error occured which led to the running together of two d ifferent letters. Adam Lapin’s concludes with the sentence, “And I feel the PW is alienating many potential friends by its attitude toward the SW P. . The sentence that follows is actually the beginning of a le tter by B. B.
supported inco rp o ra tio n w ith France. A f te r the w a r he accepted the idea o f A lg e r ia n in dependence, bu t in a p u re ly nom in a l, verba l fash ion . In practice, the U D M A looked on ly fo r re fo rm s w ith in the fra m e w o rk o f A lg e r ia n in co rp o ra tio n w ith France. A s a resu lt, the U D M A , though supposedly n a tio n a lis t, was fa vo re d by the F rench adm in is tra t io n as aga ins t the “ extre m is t” M T LD .
The A lg e r ia n C om m unist P a rty was an extrem e ly in s ig n if icant fa c to r in A lg e r ia n po litics because, as a cap tive too l o f the F rench C om m unist P a rty i t opposed the idea o f A lg e ria n independence fro m 1935 u n t il v e ry rece n tly and sided w ith the co lon ia l reg im e aga ins t the na t io n a lis t m ovem ent. I t drew its sm all support m a in ly fro m the European m in o r ity in A lg e ria .
On the eve o f the ou tb reak o f the A lg e r ia n revo lu tion , in the sum m er o f 1954, the M T L D o f M essali underw ent a severe cris is . U nde r the d i f f ic u lt cond ition s o f s e m i-le g a lity com bined w ith extrem e repression a pro found gap opened up between the leaders o f the p a r ty and the ra n k and file .
M T L D D IV ID E SThe French police energetic
a l ly suppressed a ll e f fo r ts a t o rg an iz in g the A lg e r ia n people in local groups o f the M T L D fo r p o lit ic a l and trade -un ion act iv ity . Such w o rk could on ly be ca rried on under cond itions o f s t r ic t il le g a lity , and o f course th is was even m ore true of p repa ra tions fo r re v o lu tio n a ry action. On the o ther hand, the lega l leaders o f the p a r ty were to le ra ted and even encouraged by the F rench ad m in is tra tio n . Thus the M T L D representatives in the municipal government of Algiers were led to cooperate w ith the “neo-colonialist” adm inistration of M ayor Jaques Chevallier. They gradually came to accept a completely reform ist orientation, abandoning any a ttem pt at illegal or revolutionary activity.
These leaders made up a m ajo r i t y o f the lega l C en tra l Comm itte e o f the M T LD , and used th is po s ition to p re ven t any e ffe c tiv e underground action, and to suppress re v o lu tio n a ry m il i ta n ts o f the p a r ty . Despite his im prisonm ent, M essali was able to in sp ire a ra n k -a n d -file re v o lt aga ins t the so-called “ Centra lis ts ” w h ich was successful in re -e s ta b lish ing a re vo lu tio n a ry leadersh ip a t the head o f the p a rty , a t the Congress o f I le rn u on J u ly 14, 1954.
S h o rtly be fore the ou tbreak o f the re vo lu tion on Nov. 1, 1954, the respected F rench capi ta l is t newspaper, Le Monde, sum m arized the resu lts o f the s p lit thus:
“ I t seems th a t M essali has won d e fin ite ly in F rance as w e ll as in A lg e r ia . Led by men who seem to w a n t to avoid v io le n t m ethods and il le g a lity , the expe lled group fin d s its e lf being surpassed b y the M essa lis t M T L D , whose roo ts are m ostly am ong the w o rke rs .”
The M N A is the direct continuation of the revolutionary wing of the M T L D . The antagonism betweeln this revolutionary tendency aind all other political forces in A lgeria is the background fo r the present assaults against the M N A .
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The House I Live InBy Joyce Cowley th e MILITANT
A p s ych ia tr is t by the name o f D r. Leonard J. D uh l has a new ang le on the problem o f s lum clearance. D em olition o f slums, he says, removes old fa m il ia r m ora le bo ls te ring figu res lik e the com e r grocer, th« b a rtender and the cop; “ Slum c lea rance p ro jects fre q u e n tly mean the d is in te g ra tio n , and loss by the people in the neighborhood, o f essentia l e m o t i o nla 1 suppo rts .”
W h ile I agree th a t we may need the ba rtender fo r emot io n a l support, i t ’s d i f f ic u lt to p ic tu re the cop in th is role. D r. D u h l even m entions gangs as one of the old fa m il ia r fea tu res th a t make up "p a r t o f a n o rm al and com fo rtab le day.”
“ We fo rg e t,” he continues, “ th a t to the people who live there , w h a t we c a ll slums is home. People fin d i t hard to g ive up the ix homes.” Slum clearance m ay mean dispersion o f the slum dw ellers to “ s te r ile ” bu ild ings (he means th a t th e y ’re c lean ), “ w ith o u t f r i e n d s and fa m ily . ” (B e ing close to your fa m ily is c e rta in ly no problem in m any tenem ent houses. You m ay have f iv e or s ix re la tives in the same room w ith you.) “ Relocated p e o p 1 e,” he concludes, “ can l i te ra l ly grieve and p ine fo r the razed slum .”
W h ile D r. D u h l ins is ts th a t he is no t opposed to slum c lea rance h u t ju s t w an ts m ore a tten tio n pa id to the social and em otional needs o f the com
m u n ity , I hope the rea l estate in te rests don’t g e t hold o f his s tu ff. I t could be the basis of a cam paign to keep our homey slum s ju s t as they are.
I live in a b u ild in g th a t is sla ted fo r eventual dem olition and I ’ve been th in k in g about w hat I w i l l m iss when the place is to rn down. F ir s t o f a ll — D r. D u h l is r ig h t— 1 w il l f in d i t hard to g ive up m y home. T h a t’s because I don’t have any o the r h o m e and I c e rta in lycan’t a ffo rd to move in to the proposed p ro je c t w h ich w i l l ren t a t $48 a room. The actua l cons tru c tio n o f th is p ro jec t has b e e n in d e fin ite ly delayed because thousamds o f people went down to C ity H a ll to te ll theBoard o f E s tim a te th a t they were in exactly the -same s it ua tion . They d idn ’ t say an y th in g abou t fa m il ia r old landm arks; the y ju s t pro tested against a h igh income p ro je c t in a w o rk in g class neighborhood.
Besides a ro o f over m y head, the re are o the r th in gs th a t I c e rta in ly w ill m iss:
T he g rin d in g and thum p ing o f m ach inery th a t shakes theb u ild in g and rouses 'm e p ro m p tly a t 8 A .M . I f I ’m re located I m ay have to buy an a la rm clock.
The fresh o d o r o f lacquer fro m an ad jacent p lan t. I a lways know when the w ind is fro m the East.
T he s ta irs th a t g ive a sedenta ry w o rk e r so much needed ex
ercise.The q u a in t p lum b ing th a t I
re p a ir w ith bobby pins, a piece o f w ire o r adhesive tape. No one m anufactures p a rts fo r an 1870 model.
The cheerfu l g re e tin g o f the o ilm an e a rly S a tu rday m orn ing when he de live rs kerosene fo r m y heater.
On the o th e r hand, I ’m not a t a ll w o rrie d about D r. D u h l’s l is t— the grocer, the bartender, the g w g s and the cops. The slum in wh ich I am f in a lly re located w il l be sure to have a d in g y s to re where a man and and h is fa m ily w i l l ju s t be ge tt in g by w o rk in g f if te e n hours a day.
There w ill probably be severa l bartenders, as they are the m ost p re va len t fo rm o f em otion al support th a t our society o ffe rs . The gangs and the cops w i l l be there , too. Even the pro jects have these essentia l fea tu res. S ym ptom s o f violence and soc ia l d is in te g ra tio n , the y have become an in te g ra l p a r t o f our d a ily lives. I don’t th in k D r. D uh l rea lized th a t i t would take a re v o lu tio n a ry change to ca rry o u t his suggestion tha t we give a tte n tio n to “ the social and em otiona l needs o f the comm u n ity .” T h is won’t happen as Icjng as the land lords and rea l es ta te in te res ts c a n m a in ta in the presqn t ve ry p ro fita b le system , which they f in d idea lly su ited to th e ir socia l and emotio n a l needs.
V O L U M E X X I M O N D A Y , DEC. 16, 1957 N U M B E R 50
Xmas Baah Bargains(Use this ad as your order form)
G IA N T IN C H A IN S b y H a r - r o w s , D u n h a m . A M a r x is t a c c o u n t o f th e m ean ing: a nd h is to r y Qf p h ilo s o p h y . In p o p u la r N ty le , n o t p ro fe s s io n a l ja rg o n . In te n s e ly in te re s tin g - a n d w i t ty b o o k . ( O r ig in a l ly $3.75) $1.50 (p lu s 15c » m a ilin g c h a rg e ) ( )
T R A IT O R O R P A T R IO T . T h eL i f e a n d D e a th o f S ir R o g e r C a s e m e n t. B y D e n is G w y n n .S to ry o f th e m an w h o becam e a hunvain 'ita rian h e ro by h is exposes o f im p e r ia l is t e x p lo i t a t io n o f c o lo n ia l p e o p le in B e lg ia n C o n g o a n d S o u th A m e r ic a a n d w h o w a s h a n g e d by B r i t is h d u r in g W o r ld W a r Ifo r h is e f fo r ts in b e h a lf of I r is h R e v o lu t io n . O r ig in a l ly $3.50. N o w $1.2? (p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E S T O R Y O F M Y U IF K by C la re n c e D a r r o w . A m e r ica 's m o s t fa m o u s la w y e r and th e s to ry o f th e m a n y la b o r cases he d e fe n d e d (p a p e r c o v e rs ) $-1.45 (p lu s 10c) ( )
T H E S O C IA L H IS T O R Y O FA R T by A rn o ld H a u s e r . F a m ous a n d e x p e n s iv e w o rk n o w a v a i la b le in p a p e r covers .V o l. I $1.25 (p lu s 10c) ( )V o l. I I $1.25 (p lu s 10c) ( )
T H E T H R E E P E N N Y N O V E Lb v B e r to l t B re c h t. N o t th e p la y b u t a f u l l - l e n g t h n o ve l w it h th e sam e p e r io d as b a c k g ro u n d . B i t in g ly h u m o ro u s a l le g o ry on c a p ita l is t s o c ie ty a n d its e th ic s , (p a p e r ) $1.75 (p lu s 10c) ( )
T W O P L A Y S : C A U C A S IA NC H A L K C IR C L E m id G O O D W O M A N O F S E T Z I A N by B e r t o l t BrecOvt. A m o n g th e m ost n e m a rk a h le d ra m a s o f o u r p e r io d . (p a p e r ) $1.45 (p lu s 10c)
( )C A P T A IN D R E Y F U S — T h e S to ry o f n M n *s H y s te r ia . B yN ic o la s H a la « z . T h e fa m o u s a n t 'i-S e m it ic fr a m e up . B y a n a l og y iit th ro w s m uch l ig h t on th e r is e o f M c C a r th y ism . in th e U .S. (p a p e r ) $1.45 (p lu s 10c)
( )M A IN C U R R E N T S IN A M E R IC A N T H O U G H T by V . D. P a r - r in g to n . R e q u ire d re a d in g fo r a l l s tu d e n ts o f A m e r ic a n c u ltu re . (p a p e r ) V o l . I T h e Co lo n ia l M in d : 1620— dSOO. $1.45(p lu s 1 0c ). ( )
V o l. I I T h e R o m a n t ic R e v o lu t io n in A m e r ic a : 1800— 1860.$1.45 (p lu s 10c) ( )
B L A C K A N G E R , by W u l f Sachs. T r u e a cc o u n t b y a V ie n n e s e re fu g e e d o c to r o f h is psycho a n a ly s is o f a N e g ro w o r k e r h S o u th A f r ic a , a n d h o w th e p a t ie n t f in d s h is o w n th e ra p y a s a le a d e r in th e h e ro ic bus b o y c o tt in J o h a n n e s b u rg , (p a p e r ) $1.75 (p lu s 10c) ( )T H E S H A M E O F T H E C IT IE S by L in c o ln S te ffe n s . T h e f a m ous “m u c k r a k in g ” c l a s s i c a v a i la b le in p a p e r covers .S how s th e in te g r a l c o n n ec tio n betw /een b u s in ess a nd c rim e th a t s t i l l e x p la in s p o lit ic a l c o r r u p tio n . $1.25 (p lu s 10c ) ( )
H o o k s l> y L e o n T r o t s k y
H IS T O R Y O F T H E R U S S IA N R E V O L U T IO N . T h e th r e e v o lu m es c o m p le te in one. $12.50 (p lu s 25c) ( )L IT E R A T U R E A N D R E V O L U T IO N . $3.75 (p lu s 15c) ( )T H E T H IR D IN T E R N A T IO N A L A F T E R L E M X ( c lo th ) $4.00 (p lu s 15c)(p a p e r ) $2.50 (p lu s 15c) S T A L IN . A b io g ra p h y .(p lu s 15c)T H E P E R M A N E N T R E V O L U T IO N $3.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )T H E F IR S T F I V E Y E A R S O F T H E C O M M U N IS T IN T E R N A T IO N A L V o l. I (c lo th )
$3.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )V o l. I I (p a p e r )
$3.00 (p lu s 15c) ( ' )T H E R E V O L U T IO N B E T R A Y E D(c lo th ) $3.00 (p lu s 15) ( ( )(p a p e r ) $2.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )IN D E F E N S E O F M A R X IS M(c lo th ) $2.75 (p lu s 15c) ( )
( ) ( )
$ 6.00 ( )
W H I T E C O L L A R — T h e A m e r ic a n M id d le ClaHNCH by C.W r ig h t M il ls . A m e r ic a s le a d in g s o c io lo g is t s tu d ie s th e p o l i t ic a l . eco n o m ic a nd c u ltu r a l p o s it io n o f m id d le c lass, ( p a p e r ) $1.75 (p lu s 10c) ( )
T H A D D E I S S T E Y E N S byR a lp h K o r n g o ld . M a g n iif ic e n t b io g ra p h y o f th e g r e a t f ig u r e o f R ad ilo a l R e c o n s tru c tio n . (O r ig im a lly $6.00) $2.00 (p lu s15c) ( )
K A R L L IE B K N E C H T by K a r l W . M e y e r . O n ly b io g ra p h y of th e g r e a t G e rm a n r e v o lu t io n ist. in E n g lis h . $3.25 (p lu s 15c)
( )T H E R O O T S O F A M E R IC A NCO M M l N I s M b y T h e o do r e D ra p e r . V a lu a b le fo r its p a in s ta k in g re s e a rc h in to e a r ly h is to ry o f A m e r ic a n C o m m u n is t P a r ty . $C.75 (p lu s 20c) ( )
T H E N E G R O F A M IL Y IN T H E U.S . by E . F r a n k l in F r a z ie r . A. s o c io lo g ic a l c la s s ic . ( O r ig in a l ly $5.00) $1.95 (p lu s 15 c )
( )B L A C K B O U R G E O IS IE by E .F r a n k Ion F r a z ie r . A s c a th in g s tu d y a nd in d ic tm e n t. ( O r ig in a l ly $4.00) $3.50 (p lu s 15c)
( )T H E S T R U G G L E F O R A P R O L E T A R IA N P A R T Y by J am e s P. C an n o n(c lo th ) $2.75 (p lu s 15c) ( )(p a p e r ) $2.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )
H IS T O R Y O F A M E R IC A N T R O T S K Y IS M by J am e s P. C an n o n(c lo th ) $2.75 (p lu s 13c ) ( )(p a p e r ) (.2.00 p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E E C O N O M IC B A S IS O F P O L IT IC S by C h a r le s B e a rd (p a p e r ) $1.25 (p lu s 10c) ( )
T H E S T R A N G E C A R E E R O F J IM C R O W ’ by C. V a n n W o o d w a rd (p a p e r ) $1.50 (p lu s 10c)
( )A U T O M A T IO N A N D S O C IA LP R O G R E S S by S. L i l le y . ( O r ig in a l ly $3.75) $3.25 (p lu s 15c)
( )R U S S IA 2« Y E A R S A F T E R byV ic to r S erg e . A v e te ra n o f th e O c to b e r R e v o lu t io n a n d S ta lin 's p ris o n s d r a w s th e b a lan ce shee t o f a re v o lu t io n b e t ra y e d . (c lo th ) $3.50 ( )
T H E L O N G D I S K by V ic to r S erg e . A n o ve l. A n t i - fa s c is t and a n t i - S ta l in is t re fu g e e s c a u g h t In F ra n c e b y N a z i in vas io n . T h e b e g in n in g s o f r e s is ta n c e m o v e m e n t. ( O r ig in a l ly $2.75) $1.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )
A M E R IC A N L A B O R S T R U G G L E S b y SamaicJ Y e lie n , (p a p e r ) $1.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E C O M I N G O F T H E F R E N C H R E V O L U T IO N B yG e o rg e s L e fe b v re (p a p e r ) $.95 (p lu s 10c) ( )
H U N G A R IA N T R A G E D Y byP e te r F r y e r . T h e a u th o r was- H u n g a r ia n c o rre s p o n d e n t fo r th e L o n d o n D a i ly W o r k e r .H e r e is th e e y e w itn e s s s to ry o f th e u p r is in g h is p a p e r w o u ld n 't p r in t , (p a p e r ) $1.00 (p lu s 10c) ( )
L A B O R : F R E E A N D S L A V Eby B e rn a rd M a p d e l. Im p o r ta n t h is to r ic a l s ju d y o f la b o r and a n ti-« s la v e ry m o v e m e n ts . ( O r ig in a l ly $3.00) $1.00 (p lu s (1 0c )
< )L W .W '. b y P a u l B r is senden. T h e c lass ic s tu d y o f th e ‘W o b b ly m o v e m e n t. (O r ig in a l ly
( )$7.50) $5.75 (p lu s 15c) L O O K IN G B A C K W A R D b y E d w a rd B e lla m y . T h e fa m o u s no ve l o f a s o c ia lis t u to p ia . $1.25 (p lu s lo o ) ( )T H E H A W K A N D T H E S U N by B y ro n R ecce . A n o ve l by a S o u th e rn e r a b o u t a ly n c h in g in a s m a ll to w n . (O r ig in a l ly $3.00) $1.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )T H E IR O N H E E L by J a c k L o n d o n . T h e fa m o u s n o v e l p r e d ic t in g t o t a l i t a r ia n r u le and r e v o l t a g a in s t it . $2.00 (p lu s J5 e ) ' ( )C A S E O F T H E L E G L E S S V E T E R A N by J am es K u tc h e r . T h e c e le b ra te d w i tc h -h u n t v ic t imte lls h is s to ry , (p a p e r ) $1.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )
B y M a r x a n d E n g e ln
C A P IT A L by K a r l M a rx V o l. I $2.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )Vo-1. I I $1.75 (p lu s 15c) ( )B o th fo r $3.50 (p lu s 25c) ( )
H IS T O R Y O F E C O N O M IC T H E O R IE S by K a r l M a r x (V o l . 1o f C a p ita l) $3.00 (p lu s 15c)
( )M A R X - E N G E L S S E L E C T E D C O R R E S P O N D E N C E $1.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )
M A R X A N D E N G E L S ON B R IT A IN $2.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E H O L Yand E n g e ls .
F A M IL Y by M a r x $1.35 (p lu s 15c)
( )D IA L E C T IC S O F N A T U R E byF r e d e r ic k E n g e ls $1.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )
K A R L M A R X A N D T H E C L O S E O F H IS S Y S T E M byB o h m -B ia w e rk w i t h a re p ly by R u d o lp h H i l f e r d in g $3.50 (p lu s I5 c ) ( )
T H E LO G 1C O F M A R X IS M byW i l l i a m F . W a r d e . (m im e o g ra p h e d ) $1.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E D E V E L O P M E N T O F C A P IT A L IS M IN R U S S IA by V . 1.L e n in . $1.75 (p lu s 15c) ( )
W H A T IS E C O N O M IC S ? B y R o sa L u x e m b u r g (m im e o g ra p h e d , s t i f f c o v e rs ). T h e o n ly E n g lis h t r a n s la t io n . $1.00 (p lu s 15c)
( )T H E F O U N D A T I O N S O F C H R IS T IA N IT Y by K a r l K a u t - s k y . A M a r x is t c lass ic . ( O r ig in a l ly $5.50) $3.00 (p lu s lo c )
( )C A P IT A L IS M A N D S O C IA L IS MON T R IA L by F n itz S te rn b e rg . (O r ig in a l ly $ 7.00) $2.50 (p in s15-c) ( )
T H E J E W IS H Q U E S T IO N — A M A I t X IS T IN T E R J P R E T A T IO Nby A . L e o n . E x c e l le n t h is to ry a nd a n a ly s i’s.(c lo th ) $1.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )(p a p e r ) $1.00 (p lu s lo c ) ( )T IT O S P E A K S b y V la d o D e d i- je r . B io g ra p h y o f th e Y u g o s la v le a d e r by h is th e n secr e ta r y . (O r ig in a L ly $3.50) $1.00(p lu s 15c) ( )T H E H IS T O R Y O F A L I T E R A R Y R A D IC A L . B y R a n d o lp h B o u rn e . E s s a y s by th e ta le n te d A m e r ic a n re b e l o f th e W o r ld W a r I p e r io d . ( O r ig in a l ly $3.75) $1.65 (p lu s 15c)
( )T H E P H IL O S O P H Y O F H E G E Lby W . T . S tace . .(c lo th ) $3.98 (p lu s 15c) ( )(p a p e r ) $1.98 (p lu s 15c) ( )
T H E E S S E N C E O F C H R IS T I A N IT Y by L u d w ig F e u e r -
so im p o r ta n t o f M a r x ’s $1.45 (p lu s
( )O F M O N IS T
bach . T h e bo okin d e v e lo p m e n t th o u g h t (p a p e r )15c)D E V E L O P M E N T V I E W O F H IS T O R Y by G. V .P le k h a n o v . A M a r x is t c lassic w h ic h b e a rs its fo rm id a b le t i t le b e c a u s e In D e fe n s e o f M a te r ia l is m w o u ld n t g e t by th e C z a r is t cen sor. L o n g u n a v a i l ab le . $1.35 < p lu s 15c) ' ( )P E R D IN A N D L A S A L L E — R o - ■n a iitie R e v o lu t io n a ry by D a v id F o o tm a n . A n e x c e lle n t b i o g ra p h y o f th e c o n tro v e rs ia l G e rm a n s o c ia lis t p io n e e r. ( O r ig in a l ly $3.50) $1.00 (p lu s 15c)
( )T H E S O C IA L P H IL O S O P H Y O F W I L L I A M M O R R IS by A .von H e l.m h o lt.z -P h e la n . B io g ra p h y o f th e g r e a t E n g lis h poet a n d a r t i s t w h o w a s a fo u n d e r o f th e s o c ia lis t m o v e m en t. (O r ig in a l ly $3.50) $2.00(p lu s 15c) ( )N E G R O E S O N T H E M A R C H —A F re n c h m a n 's R e p o r t on th e A m e r ic a n N e g ro S tru g g le . B y D a n ie l G u e r in . B e s t bo ok on th e m o d e rn h is to ry a nd p re s e n t s ta g e o f N e g ro s tru g g le , ( c lo th ) $2.00 (p lu s 15c) ( )(p a p e r ) $1.50 (p lu s 15c) ( )
P a y m e n t m ust a c c o m p a n y o r der. M a k e c h e c ks and m oney o rd e rs to :
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Law Expert Says Sobeli Is Innocent
M IN N E A P O L IS , Dec. 5 — A bo u t 150 persons turned out a t a m ee ting here to n ig h t to hear D r. M alcolm P. Sharp exp la in w hy he believes sc ie n tis t M o rton Sobeli is w ro n g ly servin g ia .30-year iprison te rm in A lca tra z . The m eeting was sponsored by the M innesota Com m itte e to Secure Justice f o r Mortom Sobeli.
D r. Sharp, a pro fessor o f law a t the U n iv e rs ity o f Chicago who considers h im se lf a le f t - w in g Republican, to ld the audience th a t he had s ta rted out w ith the be lie f th a t ju s tice had been d o n e in the Rosenberg- Sobell “ espionage” ease, b u t th a t a f te r s tud y ing the evidence he became convinced o f the defendan ts ’ innocence. B u t even i f you were to assume the v e rd ic t aga ins t the Rosenbergs was ju s t, he said, “ the re is a f lim s y case aga ins t iSobell in v o lv in g in - admissable, uncorrobora ted testim o n y fro m accomplices w ith a s trong m o tive to lie .”
LO C A L B A C K IN GD r. Sharp was in troduced to
the m eeting by Haven Perkins, St. Lou is f i e l d rep resen ta tive fo r the Sobeli com m ittee . The noted T w in C ities c iv il lib e rtie s la w yer, A r t S ternberg , appealed to the m eeting fo r funds to supp o r t the w o rk o f the com m ittee. The audience responded generously w ith a c o n trib u tio n o f $120.
In a b r ie f ta lk , M rs. Jean B ru s t, secre ta ry o f the M innesota Sobeli com m ittee, h i t a t the w itc h -h u n t a t m o s p h e r e wh ich s t i l l p re va ils and which gives everyone a stake in the f ig h t to w in ju s tice fo r M orton Sobeli.
Mem bers o f the com m ittee were h ig h ly g ra tif ie d by the p u b lic ity ga ined fo r the case as a re s u lt o f the m eeting. The da ily papers ca rried announcements o f the m eeting and good- sized rep o rts on i t a fte rw a rds . D r. S h a r p was in te rv iew ed about the case on one te levis ion and. tw o rad io program s. The tu rn o u t :at the m eeting its e lf was p a r t ic u la r ly hearten ing in view o f the fa c t th a t i t was held in com petition w ith a m ee ting fo r E leanor Roosevelt ‘art. .the same hotel.
Picketing the Witch-Hunters
Part of the picket line against the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings in Newark in May 1955. 1,500 members of the United Electrical and Machine W orkers (In d .) participated. Resistance to the W alter Committee at that time helped in later struggle on behalf of Dr. Robert Lowenstein and other victimized teachers. (See story this page.)
Socialist Youth Group Formed in Minnesota
M INNEAPOLIS, Nov. 26 — A new radical youth organization has been organized in the Tw in Cities area — the Independent Political Youth. I t was set up lastm onth by 20 young w orkers and i>students o f v a ry in g rad ica l v iew po in ts inc lud ing those o f the Com m unist and S ocia lis t W o rk ers pa rties, o f p a c if is t and anarch is t tendencies as w e ll as o f independent socialists.
S tron g ly un ited on the issue o f fa v o rin g in te g ra tio n , both in the N o rth and South, the group held its f i r s t pub lic m eeting on the top ic, “ In te g ra tio n — A Solution to the Problem o f Segregatio n .” The speaker was a member o f the group who is also active in the local N A A C P branch.
M O TO R C A D ETo public ize the m eeting a
fiv e -c a r m otorcade drove th rough M inneapolis d isp la y in g placards and banners. L e a fle ts were distr ib u te d in the downtown area o f the c ity and in the N egro com m unity.
A t the m eeting, w h ich was attended by 30 young people, the speaker expla ined the treacherous role o f the Republicans and Democrats on c iv i l r ig h ts and ! appreciate and pointed to the need fo r a N e g ro -] sp ir ited e ffo r ts .”
Rowoldi Deportation Decision Is Reversed
Charles Rowoldt, a 73-year old Minneapolis worker, won his fig h t against government efforts to deport him when the Supreme Court on Dèe. 9 voted five to four to reverse a decision upholding his deportation. He had been ordered deported on grounds of membership in the Communist Party in 1935. The high court, in making its decision, construed the In ternal Security A ct as requiring proof of “meaningful association” w ith the Communist P arty . The act contains a blanket provision fo r the deportation of any alien who is or was a member.
labo r a lliance to secure these rig h ts .
The m eeting adopted a reso lutio n g re e tin g the heroic f ig h te rs fo r in te g ra tio n in L i t t le Rock, A rk . The reso lu tion was sent, a long w ith a le tte r, to M rs. L. C. Bates, cha irm an o f the L i t t le Rock N A A C P and leader o f the in te g ra tio n f ig h t in th a t c ity .
The reso lu tion extended to the L it t le Rock students a “ w arm and sincere thank you fo r the courage you have displayed in yo u r f ig h t fo r in te g ra tio n . . . .”
The accom panying le tte r to M rs. Bates by Jean B rad fo rd , ac ting secre tary o f the group, said in p a r t:
“ We wanted m ore than a speech bu t some k ind o f concrete action to be taken a t our meeting. In line w ith th is , a reso lution passed a t th a t tim e is enclosed. We rea lize th is comes as a ve ry lim ite d k in d o f suppo rt, b u t we send i t so th a t those in L i t t le Rock w i l l know there are you th in our area who
salute you r
Robert Lowenstein Denounces Witch-Hunters in the Schools
[The fa llo w in g are excerpts fro m the s ta tem ent o f D r. Robe r t Lowenstein , v ic tim o f the w itc h hu n t in the school system, a t a pub lic hearing on his case before the N ew ark Board o f Education. See s to ry , th is page. — E d.]
This t r ia l illu m in a te s a c r isis in A m erican education. In every ju dg m en t society makes o f an in d iv id u a l, i t passes ju d g m ent upon its e lf. The c r it ic a l question here is no t m y p a r tic u la r fa te , bu t the fa te o f public education in A m erica . . . .
On the one hand you have a record here o f over 20 years o f unblem ished, com petent service to ch ild ren , to teachers, to A m erican p rinc ip le s and ideals. On the other, you have an a llega tion o f in sub ord ina tion and conduct unbecom ing a teacher th a t p resum ably makes me unf i t to teach. I t is inconceivable to me th a t a m an can be condemned in A m erica because he lived by the C o n s titu tio n o f the U n ited iStates d u rin g a sh o rt appearance before a Congressiona l com m ittee and the S uperin tendent o f Schools, no d if fe r e n tly than he lived fo r m ore than tw o decades in the classroom , and no d if fe re n t ly than he had been ta u g h t to live as a s tuden t h im se lf in the classroom s o f th is c ity .
W H A T K IN D O F T E A C H E R ?
In reso lv ing the question befo re you, you resolve the la rg e r question o f w h a t k in d o f teacher A p ie n ca needs in her hour o f c ris is . Do you w a n t independent-m inded men and women o r do you w a n t c o n fo rm is t sheep? Do you w a n t fu tu re genera tions o f d ig n if ie d , s e lf-re specting a n d v igorous-m inded in d iv id u a ls o r do you w a n t a docile mass? Do you w a n t each A m erican to represent in his own person the f u l l arsena l of a dem ocracy’s s treng th o r do you w a n t a na tion o f easily- swayed reeds ?
T h is is n o t id le rh e to r ic ; fo r the k in d o f teacher you select
w i l l g ive the k in d o f s tuden t- p roduct you want. I f you feel, as m ost o f us do today, th a t the educational p roduc t o f re cent years is no t com m ensurate to ou r c o u n try ’s needs, conside r w hethe r the reason is no t to be found in the vacuum we have been m ak ing o f our ha lls o f le a rn ing . O u r schools have been g e ttin g less and less oxygen when they need m ore most.
P ersona lly I cannot breathe any a ir th a t is n o t suffused w ith the oxygen o f lib e rty . T h a t is w hy I have championed s tu dents and colleagues in ba ttles th a t were n o t spe c ifica lly my own; bu t in a spread ing a tm osphere o f lim ite d freedom I fee l the loss o f m y own freedom , m y d ig n ity and in te g r i ty as an A m erican . . . .
I t is a cons tan t wonder to me how m any people can speak of democracy w ith o u t l iv in g it . E v ery experienced teacher knows th a t d ic ta to rsh ip in the classroom is lik e d ic ta to rsh ip in soc ie ty . The s team ro lle r o f autocracy th a t crushes the a d u lt s p ir it crushes the tender b ra in and s p ir i t— w ith perhaps more devas ta ting e ffec t. Roughshod a u th o r ity cows b u t never pe rsuades, s tu lt if ie s , bu t never in sp ires; represses b u t never elevates. A n atm osphere o f fre e dom and tender rega rd fo r the personal d ig n ity of s tud en t and teacher m ust pervade the school i f we are to succeed in n u r tu r in g the a ttr ib u te s o f fre e men in a fre e society.
B L IG H T ON A M E R IC AThe s tra it ja c k e t o f con fo rm
i ty is the m ost un-A m erican b lig h t fro m w h ich we have ever s u lfe re d as a na tion . T h a t is the disease w hich is sapping the v ig o r o f our schools today.
Take our s ta te lo y a lty oath, fo r exam ple. We teachers m ust swedr th a t we do no t belong to any o rgan iza tion th a t advocates o r p ractices the ove rth row o f our governm ent by fo rce o r v iolence. W e ll, because i t is the law I signed th a t oa th ; b u t I
olence. . . . Teachers know th a t you cannot teach ch ild ren by brow -bea ting them ; and they know by the same token th a t fo rce and violence are b ru ta liz ing, no t lib e ra liz in g forces. How can one subscribe to lib e r ty and b ru ta li ty a t the same tim e?
I n com pliance w ith the law , I to ld the S uperin tenden t of •Schools th a t 1 am n o t a member o f the C om m unist P a rty and th a t 1 have n o t been since the sum m er o f 1953. Two y e a r s e a rlie r I o ffe re d to te ll the then Board o f Educa tion th a t I was n o t a C om m unist since the sum m er o f 1954. W hy the change ? Because 1 wanted to leave no question th a t 1 was com p ly ing w ith the la w ; b u t I n e itn e r te lie ve d then no r do I believe now th a t our s ta te suprem e c o u rt in tended to sanctio n an invas ion o f m y p riva cy to such an ex te n t th a t 1 would be s tripped naked o f any vestige o l m y c o n s titu tio n a lly p ro tected se li-respec t and d ig n ity . B y w ha t d e tm itio n does prese n t” com prise m ore than tn ree years, th a n fo u r years ? I ’m sure the s ta te supreme cou rt ia s a tis lie d w ith three years. I f 1 o lle re d to go back s t i l l another year, 1 was prom pted by a w illingn ess to maKe w h a t I called a "hum an concession” to the superin tendent.
1 ask m y students, m y co lleagues ana fr ie n d s , the gu a rd ia n s p ir its o f m y A m erican he ritage and you no t to condemn me fo r m y weakness. I w il l no t lu r th e r ba rte r m y se lf-respect fo r m y job, nor w i l l I su rrender m y r ig h ts under the F ir s t and fo u rte e n th Am endm ents. in fa c t, 1 consider i t m y du ty more than m y r ig h t to live the Cons t itu t io n o l m y coun try .
O ver the gatew ay to he ll Dante w ro te th a t dread line . . . “ G ive up hope ye who en te r here.” A m I , to pa ra phrase s lig h t ly , to g ive up a ll lib e r ty on en te rin g the superin te nd en t’s o ffice ? A re a ll young and a d u lt A m ericans to g ive rip a ll l ib e r ty on en te ring
Victimized Teacher Defends Principles At Newark Hearing
By John ThayerThe issues in the w itch hunt in the public schools
were brought into dramatic focus in Newark, N.J., where on Dec. 2-3 the Board o f Education conducted a publiche a ring on the fitn e ss o f D r . 'iP R obert Low enste in to t e a c h .The he a ring was forced by D r.Low enste in s v ic to ry in the New Jersey Supreme C o u rt aga ins t ms dism issal tw o - and - a - h a lf years ago lo r hav ing invoked the F i f th A m endm ent be fore the House U n -A jne nca n A c tiv it ie s Com m ittee.
I t was in M ay 1955 th a t the tra v e lin g circus o f w itcn -h u n t- ers set up snop in N e w ark over the pro tests o f labo r and c iv il lib e rtie s groups and proceeded to tram p ie un de rioo t the Cons t itu t io n a l. r ig h ts o f those sum moned be lo re i t . In the ensuing reac tiona ry hys te ria D r. Low enste in and severa l o the r teachers were sum m a rily dismissed iro m th e ir johs. xne sole charge ag a ins t .cowenstein, an extrem ely po pu la r and capaule teacner w itn over 20 years in tne scnooi system, was tn a t he was "u n l i t ” to teach because he ha il ava iled h im se lf o f h is r ig h t to use tne i u tn A m endm ent.
f ollowing the decision of the JN.J. ¡supreme Court Lowenstein was summoned to the office of ¡scnooi ¡superintendent ituward F . kenneiiy and subjected to a political inquisition, tie relused io answer a number o l the questions put to him and his firin g was tnereupon declared to be fo r ‘‘insubordination and conduct unbecoming a teacher."
R E FU S E S TO IN F O R MA n exam ple o f Low enste in ’s
a l l e g e d ‘ 'in su bo rd in a tio n and conduct unbecom ing a teacher” was g iven a t the pub lic he a ring by S uperin tenden t K ennedy. The dism issed t e a c h e r had been been asked w hethe r a woman he knew was a m em ber o f the C om m unist P a rty , f ie had re fused to answer tnus demons tra t in g "a lack of cooperatio n .” When M o rr is S tav is , L o w enste in ’s a tto rn ey , asked K ennedy how such questions re la ted to h is c lie n ts f itn e s s to teach, the a tto rn ey f o r the scnooi board oojecued and ms objection was upneld by a (j-3 vote o f the board.
Th is is a s tr ik in g exam ple o f the pervers ion o f values b rougn t about by the w itch hunt. B efo re the days o f M cC a rth y ism fo r a teacher to act as an in fo rm e r on the p o lit ic a l b e l i e f s of fr ie n d s and acquaintances would have teen regarded as rep re hensible. Today w illingn ess to be an in fo rm e r is be ing made one o f the o l l ic ia l c r ite r ia fo r “ f itn e s s ” to teach.
F IT N E S S A T T E S T E D TOThe fitne ss o f D r. Low enste in
to teach, indeed his ou ts tand ing a b il i ty and accom plishm ents as a teacher, were ove rw he lm ing ly proved by the tes tim ony o f nu merous witnesses. These in cluded the rece n tly re t ire d p r in c ipa l o f B a rr in g e r H ig h School a t w h ich Low enste in ta u g h t, the teacher who has replaced h im there as head o f the fo re ig n language departm ent, a L a t in teacher fro m a N e w ark school w h e r e Low enste in p re v io us ly ta u g h t, and th ree students of his over the period 1938 to 1955.
A ccord ing to the Dec. 3 New-
do n o t approve o f it . I abhor i t | the pub lic schools o f ou r eoun- as m uch as I do fo rce and v i- t r y t
Calendar Of Events
ClevelandSaturday, Dec. 21, 8 P. M . —
“ S pu tn ik and the M idd le E a s t ” ' Speaker: George M ax im . 10609 S uperior Ave. A usp .: M il ita n t Forum .
•Chicago
F rida y , Dec. 20, 8:15 P. M . — H ear Ed Larson speak on “ Power P o litics in the M iddle E ast.” 777 W . Adam s St. A usp.: M il ita n t Labor Forum .
Tuesday, Dec. 31 — New Y ea r’s Eve P a rty . Music, Dancing, Refreshm ents. A usp.: M il ita n t Labor Forum . 777 W . Adam s St.
•D etro it
F rid a y , Dec. 2ff, 8 P. M . — “ Inside Hum an ¡Nature,” a ta lk by E ve lyn Sell. 3737 W oodward Ausp.: F r id a y N ig h t Socia lis tForum .
Tuesday, Dec. 31, 9 P. M. — New Y ea r’s Eve P a rty . Door Prize, en te rta inm en t and favors. Debs H a ll, 3737 W oodward. D onation $1.00.
a rk E ven ing News, “ Each test i f ie d he was a f in e teacher a jtd en joyed g o o d re la tions w ith both students and fa c u lty ." One w itness, B ernard Levow sky, who ha 4 stud ied under D r. Lowen- s te in in 1938-9, under hostile question ing by the school board la w ye r, rep lied th a t he w ou ld w ant his ch ild ren to be ta u g h t by Low enste in even i f the present charges should be proved “ because they do n o t a ffe c t h im as a teacher.”
W itnesses te s t ify in g to D r. Low enste in ’s good cha rac te r in cluded Rabbi P rin z , w h o has tee n h is ne ighbor fo r 15 years ; another Jew ish c le rgym an whose daughter Low enste in t u t o r e d a f te r h is d ism issa l; a pro fessor f ro m R u tgers who had been a fe llo w o f lic e r w ith Low enste in in the Essex C ounty F edera tion o f Teachers; a n d the fo rm e r com m anding o ff ic e r o f an A ir Force In te llig ence u n it in w h ich Lowenstein had served overseas as m aste r sergeant d u r i n g W o rld W a r I I .
RECORD OF PRO M O TIO NS M oreover, Low enste in ’s a t to r
ney drew fro m S uperin tenden t K en n e lly the adm ission th a t he h im se lf had been head o f the board o f exam iners in 1952 th a t ra te d Low enste in as f i r s t am ong the candidates fo r the post o f cha irm an o f the fo re ig n la m guage departm ent a t B a rr in g e r H ig h . A t the tim e o f h is d ism issa l Low enste in was ac tin g cha irm an due to become f u l l cha irm an in a fe w m onths. Records o f the eva luations o f Low enste in as “ superio r” and “ ou ts ta nd ing ” by school examiners were read in to the record o v e r the ob jections o f the school boa rd a tto rn e y who said “ Low enste in is n o t charged w ith no t kno w in g the sub ject m a tte r and th e re ’s no question th a t he g o t a long w ith s tuden ts .” Thus the w itch -h u n t hypocrisy is g iv en away by the adm ission th a t its c r ite r io n fo r a teacher's “ f i t ness” has n o th in g to do w ith teaching bu t sd.e ly w ith the questions o f w hethe r he en te rta in s “ fo rb idden though ts” on p o lit ic s o r c iv i l lib e rtie s and w hethe r he is w illin g to act as an in fo rm e r.
The Class-Slruggle Road to
Negro EqualityResolution Adopted
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