Workers O f The World Unite! Socialist Appeal Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International For The Fourth International l VOL. II—No. 47 Saturday, October 29, 1938 375 Five Cents per Copy U. S. BUILDS WAR MACHINE Kuomintang Gives Up Vital W ar Positions Canton and Hankow Are Surrendered to Invaders; Turn to Guerrilla Warfare Must Be Made By LO SEN Kuomintang resistance to the Japanese imperialist invasion has all but collapsed. Canton, cradle of the modern nationalist movement in China, was handed over to a thin column of the invaders without a battle. Hankow, for which scores of thousands of men have been futilely sacrificed, was voluntarily abandoned, "to protect foreign lives." Chiang Kai-shek and his staff have fled into the distant interior. Enters New Phase The war now enters a new phase which depends entirely up- on the effective mobilization of the people in the occupied areas for guerrilla activity which will make it impossible for the Jap- anese to hold the positions they have conquered. This the Kuomintang leader- ship, unquestioningly supported by the Communist Party, has proved itself incapable of doing. In Hong Kong, Tokyo, and in London, rumors and reports mul- tiplied that peace negotiations are in progress with the British acting as mediators. Defeattst Tactics Under Kuomintang leadership more than 1,000,000 Chinese lives have been sacrificed. All the prin- cipal cities, railways and water- ways of the country have been given up to the invader. The de- featist tactics of the Chiang Kai- shek regime reached their logical conclusion at Canton. There, through obvious and outright treachery, the most vital remain- ing center of Chinese communica- tions was surrendered without a struggle. Chiang’s tactic has been to hurl masses of ill-armed, unsup - ported soldiery in the path of the invaders. The sheer weight and courage of these unsung heroes and the magnitude of the opera- tions themselves have lengthened the struggle for 15 months. But the treachery and ineptitude of the Kuomintang command, the refusal to mobilize the masses of the people, have finally borne their bitter fruit. Worse betrayals are yet to come. Canton Sell-out A t Canton the Japanese landed a force of about 50,000 men on Oct. 11. Ten days l a t e r they marched into Canton without a battle. Much had been written about Kwangtung's 1,000,000 sol- diers. It had even been widely claimed that hundreds of thou- sands of peasants had been armed to repel the invader. But all this the event proved false. So far has the disintegration un- der the Kuomintang proceeded that in Kwangtung, traditionally the most radical and m ilitant sec- tion of the country, the invaders had their easiest time. (Continued on page 3) THIRTEEN GREEK COMRADES JAILED BY DICTATORSHIP Tortures Used to Extract Names From Victims Thirteen leading members of the Revolutionary Socialist Or- ganization, Greek section of the Fourth International, have been arrested by police of the Metaxas dictatorship, according to press advices here. Front-page stories in the con - trolled press of Greece have glee- fully announced the c r u s h i n g blow dealt to “the Infernal Trots- kyist gang.” Quarters Raided Headquarters of the organiza- tion were raided, these reports said, and large quantities of liter- ature, including copies of the ''Proletaries," and "Class Solidar- ity,” illegal organs, were seized. A ll the prisoners have been sub- jected to unspeakable tortures in the dungeons of the Metaxas re- gime. The list of the arrested was given as follows: P. Pouliopoulos, secretary of the organization. Voursoukis, 35, lawyer. J. Vrehopoulis, 36 G. Krokos, teacher, who es- caped from an Aegean is- land prison camp a year ago. E. Gianakos, teacher D. Nakos, lawyer Catherln Morphy, 36, well- known propagandist G. Alginltls, tobbaconist. D. Pantajls, 20, shoemaker A. Kastoras, 21, painter The last two named were charged with distributing revolu- tionary literature to soldiers. These comrades are being tor- tured by police who are seeking to wrest the names of their fel- low-workers from them. Every conceivable method of barbarous (Continued on page 2) Life or Death Appeal! Four German refugees, whose names cannot be revealed, are in imminent danger from the Gestapo in the Sudetenland. For two months the American Fund for Political Prisoners and Refugees has been making arrangements to rescue these anti- fascist militants, three men and one woman, who had been under the surveillance of the Gestapo for their work in the anti-Nazi movements in Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia. Working under the most difficult conditions at home and then in emigration, these anti-fascists have carried on heroic work under the most difficult and dangerous conditions. But just before they were able to get out, the Nazis marched into the Su- detenland. The Czech government, under Nazi influence, clamped down its dictatorship, and began sending all refugees who fled the Nazi terror. The American Fund has been presented with an unusual op- portunity of contacting these people again and extricating them from the clutches of the Gestapo. Every day makes it increasingly difficult to reach them and save their lives. Any delay sentences these people to death. The American Fund is making this special emergency appeal for aid. $500 is needed within the next week. Show this appeal to your fellow trade unionists and your friends. IT IS A QUESTION OF YOUR MONEY OR THEIR LIVES! Send all funds to the American Fund for Political Prisoners and Refugees, 100 Fifth Avenue, New York City. VOTE LABOR! For Independent Politics And a Fighting Program Working Men and Women of New York: In the present election the Socialist Workers Party calls upon you to break once and for all with the two boss parties, Democratic as well as Republican. FOR INDEPENDENT LABOR POLITICS American labor is coming of age. You have learned that you can't build a successful trade union by relying on the good w ill of the bosses or their agents. It is equally clear that you can't build a successful political party for labor by relying on the good w ill of boss politicians; that gives you in the end only a new name for a rotten boss party. On the economic field, labor can fight for its interests against the bosses only through its own organizations, the trade unions. To fight for its interests, to preserve and further the gains achieved by the trade unions, labor must have its own political party-—a party fighting the parties of the bosses. In New York, a beginning has been made towards inde- pendent labor politics with the formation of the American Labor Party which has the backing of the most important trade unions in the city and state. Do not vote for parties of capitalism, which is responsible for the years of depression and which is preparing still greater calamities for you! A vote for Tammany or the Republican machine is a vote for perpetuating the system of degradation, misery, slums and unemployment. VOTE LABOR! Vote for the genuine, independent candidates of the A.L.P.! The Socialist Workers Party has no interests separate and apart from those of the working class. In urging you to support the A.L.P. we would fail in our duty to our class if we did not at the same time raise our voice in warning and in sternest con- demnation of the shameful deals with Republicans and Democrats in which the A.L.P. has been involved by its leadership. Eor workers to be organized to support the candidates of the Democrats or Republicans is not labor politics, but just a labor cloak for boss politics. For a trade union leader or an A.L.P. member to run on the Republican or Democratic ticket does not make him a labor candidate, but a sell-out boss candidate. Do not vote for candidates who run on the ticket of capitalist parties. Repudiate the shabby deal of the A.L.P. leaders with the Re- publicans! Instead of running independent candidates for state-wide offices the leadership of the A.L.P. has endorsed the leading Dem- ocratic candidates for Governor and Senator. No self-respecting, militant worker should permit himself to vote for Lehman and Wagner, the nominees of the party of Tammany and Mayor Frank Hague. We urge you to repudiate this endorsement of the candidates of boss parties. That is why we propose that you register your determination to make a clean break with boss parties and your protest against these deals by writing in the names of our candidates for these offices— James P. Cannon for Governor, and Ernest R. McKinney for the regular-term Senator, the standard bearers of independent labor politics for which our party stands. FOR A BOLD, FIGHTING LABOR PROGRAM ! The present leaders of the A.L.P. remain tied to the tails of the boss parties not only through their choice of candidates and horse-trades for posts but also in their election platform and program. The current platform of the A.L.P. is a muddle of liberal New Deal planks which can scarcely inspire the workers to close (Continued on page A) GPU ODOR BEGINS TO SPREAD FROM NAZI SPY TRIAL Rumrich Drops Some Curious Hints on the Stand A peculiar odor, political rather than physical, emanates from the Federal courtroom in New York, three alleged German spies are being tried for selling m ilitary secrets to Germany. The. papers carry columns of news on the story, and here and there a sentence reflects something significant. But the story cannot be understood without knowing its background and connections. When a year ago the Robinson- Rubens pair were arrested by their G. P. U. employers in Mos- cow, we forecast an attempt to rehabilitate discredited Moscow “justice” by a new frame-up trial with an American angle. We said Moscow was even trying to naturalize its frame-up system here, as it already had in Spain. Washington’s Choice We charged that the State De- partment was suppressing infor- mation which would confirm this, preferring to hold a club over the Russian Embassy, rath- er than to speak out and help liberate American workers from their last illusions as to the true character of the Stalin bureau- cracy. We charged the G. P. U. with operating an undercover ring in this country devoted to spying not on the U. S. m ilitary establishment, but on the labor movement, to construct frameups and for other anti-labor political ends. Less than a year ago, the Unit- ed States arrested several persons as German spies. No m ilitary power is so “moral” as to deny, it- self the use of spies, and we said at the time that undoubtedly Nazis were conducting m ilitary espionage here and elsewhere. Stalinists Indicted Disclosures concerning the Robinson-Rubens case had two results. The Stalin apparatus was forced to shelve its new frame- up trial, and the U. S. govern- ment, observing that the project was of the usual sloppy G. P. U. (Continued on page 3) POUM Trial Foreshadows Munich Plan for Spain Barcelona Frame-Up Is Smokescreen to Conceal Impending Betrayal of Anti-Fascist Spain By FELIX MORROW It is no accident that the Span- ish Department of the G. P. U. finally permitted the opening of the P. O. U. M. trial only after the Munich conference. The Bar- celona trial is Stalin's way of covering up his complicity in the new drive that is now to be made by the Powers to smash the re- maining anti-Fascist forces in Spain. That is why these seven leaders have been lying in jail without trial for 16 months! Of the trial itself, one cah al- ready be sure that only the most widespread protest from the world labor movement can pre- vent a mechanical verdict of guilty. The press dispatches men- tion no jury, no defense attor- neys; all previous promises by government officials of prior no- tice of the opening of trial so that observers from other countries could be present representing working class parties and defense organizations, promises of outside defense counsel, etc., have been violated at the behest of the G. P. U. G. P. U. Procedure We are to be treated simply to a Spanish im itation of the fa- mous Moscow trials. The juridical procedure is that laid down by a special ''law” precisely for these trials, establishing a “Tribunal for Espionage and High Treason"; meanwhile, the democratic Peo- ples Tribunals established in the revolutionary days of July, 1936 have been wiped out. Rovira’s Fate Revealed From the Stalinist press, we learn that the indictment named nine defendants, and that two of them, Andres Nin and Jose Ro- vira, are "missing.” We had al- ready known what fate befell Nin, the outstanding leader of the P. O. U. M.: as even the New York Times was constrained to report, shortly after the outlawry (Continued on page 3) RAILROAD UNION RESISTS THREAT OF WAGE SLASH Road Bosses Reveal Attempt to Quash Board Inquiry By BILL MORGAN WASHINGTON, D. C. — The railroads are in the national spot- light again. Once again the own- ers and operators are in Wash- ington seeking a “handout” to re- vive an industry which has be- come a racket in the hands of speculators, stockholders and financial “wizards.” After years of milking the pub- lic treasury by way of special grants and subsidies (a kind of up-slde-down home-relief) from every administration since the year 1900, the Association of American Railroads now propo- ses to solve its problems, and the national depression too, by a 15 per cent pay cut for all employ- ees. “Fact Finding" The powerful Railroad Brother- hoods, representing 18 railway workers unions, has answered (Coittlnued on page 2) 10,000 PlantsGeared To Army, Navy Needs Administration Prepares to Put Over Record Appropriation for Armed Forces and Fighting Planes Utilizing the aftermath of the war crisis, and thereby giving its own interpretation to the character of the "peace" achieved by the Munich agreement, the Roosevelt Administration has opened up a pro-armament propaganda campaign unprecedented in United States peace time history. The predictions carried in these columns as to the effect of the crisis on the war plans of the government are being fulfilled immediately and to the letter. First place among the war-mongers is, as usual, taken by Roose- velt himself, backed by daily statements from the publicity depart- ments of the Secretaries of War and the Navy, and seconded by the editorial columns of the entire capitalist press. ♦ Exceeds All But War Record N.M.U. OFFICERS ARE ACCUSED AS BOSSESAGENTS Rank-and-File Pilot Makes Sensational Accusation Charges that leading officials of the National Maritime Union were company agents were made last week in the paper cftlled “Rank-and-File Pilot” distributed on the waterfront here. Octave Loones, editor of the paper, was formerly editor of the “N.M.U. Rank-and-File Pilot," published last summer by the- N.M.U. faction known as the Ma- riners’ Club. In this issue Loones said "it has been revived in ordfer to ex- pose the rot and corruption of some of the newly elected and trusted officials of the National Maritime Union, their relation- ship with shipowners and how the Mariners club which was or- iginally formed to bring organ- ized Rank and File opposition to the organized Communist activ- ities in the Union meetings and in Union affairs, became through the trickery of Jerry King and the influence of a detective agen- cy, the tool of shipowners.” Gives Names and Dates The “Rank and File Pilot,” charging prominent officials in the N.M.U. with being labor spies and agents of the shipowners, ap- peared during the week following a joint membership of the union where charges of spy activities were preferred against Ray Car- lucci by Joseph Curran, C.P. front and national president of the or- ganization. Loones makes sweeping accusa- tions in his story. Giving names, places of meetings and references to telephone conversations, he tells how self-styled rank and file members of the union received money from the shipowners and (Continued on page 2) Trade Unions and the Social Crisis A Conversation on the Problems and Program of the American Labor Movement (Fourth International Press Release) September 29, 1938. The undersigned was present at a conversation between one of the European leaders of the Fourth International and a well-known organizer o f,the trade union movement in the United States (C.I.O.). The conversation lasted several-Lours - and dealt/wifh the economic situation of the United State's, the approaching war, the task of the C.l.O. and so on. I wish to report here that part of the conversation which might be of general interest. For more convenient exposition 1 shall designate the organizer of the trade union as "A ,” the representative of the Fourth Inter- national as "B." A—The policy of our union ls'f directed toward avoiding com- plete unemployment. We have achieved the dividing of work among members of the trade un- ion while maintaining former rates. B —-And what portion of the former wages do your workers get now? A—About 40 per cent. B—But this is monstrous. You have obtained the sliding scale of working hours with the mainte- nance of former rates; but this means only that the entire burden of unemployment is placed on the workers themselves. By let- ting each worker sacrifice three- fifths of his earnings, you are freeing the bourgeoisie from the necessity of spending their means for the unemployed. •'A—There is ecme truth‘yin'this. But what can we do? B—Not some truth , but the whole truth! American capitalism Is sick from a chronic and incur- able disease. Can you console your workers with the hope that the present crisis is of a transi- tory character, that a new epoch of prosperity w ill open up in the near future? Capitalism in Decline A—I personally have no illu - sions on this score. Many in our n idst understand that American capitalism has entered into an era of decline. B—But this means that tomor- row your workers will get 30 per cent of their former wages, day after tomorrow 25 per cent, and so on. It is true that episodic im- provement is possible, even inevi- table; but the general line points .to decline, degradation, and mis- ery. Marx and Engels foretold that already in the “Communist Manifesto.” What is the program then of your trade union and of the C.l.O. as a whole? A—Unfortunately, you do not know the psychology of the American workers. They are not used to thinking about the future. They are interested in one ques- (Contlnued on page 2) Roosevelt has announced, in two long Interviews given a few days apart, that the war plans must be completely overhauled and speeded up. He makes no bones about the fact that he will propose to the next Congress m il- itary and naval appropriations that will sail far and away be- yond anything ever seen except during the actual war years of 1917 and 1918. The War Department has made public its intention to demand an upward revision of its authorized airplane strength to the extent of at least another thousand planes. In noting the published figures for airplane complements it should be remembered that the Army and Navy air forces are completely separate and that the totals always refer only to first- line planes, exclusive of reserves and training ships. In addition, the War Depart- ment plans to increase sharply the enrollment in the regular Army, to speed mechanization in all services, and especially to ex- pand purchases of the very latest types of anti-aircraft equipment. Most Deadly Weapon The Army is also now about to abandon the old Springfield rifle, standard for the past twenty years, in favor of a newly devel- oped rapid-fire automatic rifle— the product of ten years’ inten- sive research—which, it is claimed, is the most deadly weap- on of its kind in the world, mak- ing each soldier, in the words of one report, "a one-man machine gun nest.” The Navy has allotted orders which fill nearly to capacity all available space in both govern- ment-owned and private ship- yards. The schedule for comple- tion of vessels already begun is being speeded up two and three times, and arrangements are be- ing made for the vast extension of new shipyard facilities. Survey For M-Day Simultaneously, an important phase of the Industrial Mobiliza- tion Plan comes into the open. Representatives of the War De- partment have just reported that they have completed a survey of ten thousand factories in the country, with the aim of working out the skeleton organization of their coordination for war pur- poses. W ith great satisfaction, they comment that they met with a spirit of 100 per cent coopera- tion from the owners of the fac- tories. In order to groove these fac- tories into integration with the war machine, "sample orders” for munitions, with an initial allot- ment of $19,000,000, are being as- signed to them. These orders w ill enable the factories to install equipment and train personnel for the high-speed manufacture of special war implements, and incidentally net the owners some rosy profits in the meanwhile. The new plans call also for im- mediate expansion of the already gigantic fortifications and air and naval bases on the Hawaiian Is- lands and at the Panama Canal; heavy fortification of the Seward Islands and other strategic points (Continued on page 3) Trotsky W ill Speak by electrical transcription to our GRAND CELEBRATION MASS MEETING, heralding the foundation of the Fourth International and the Tenth Anniversary of our struggle for a revo- lutionary workers party in this country. Hear JAMES P. CANNON, MAX SHACHTMAN JAMES BURNHAM, ANTOINETTE KONKOW, and others, at the Center Hotel, 108 West 43rd Street, New York City, Friday, October 28,1938, at 8 P. M.
Transcript
Workers O f The W orld U n ite ! Socialist Appeal
Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International
For The Fourth In ternational l
VOL. I I —No. 47 Saturday, October 29, 1938 375 Five Cents per Copy
U. S. BUILDS WAR MACHINEKuomintang Gives Up
Vital War PositionsCanton and Hankow Are Surrendered to
Invaders; Turn to Guerrilla W arfare Must Be Made
By LO SENKuomintang resistance to the Japanese imperialist invasion has
all but collapsed.Canton, cradle of the modern nationalist movement in China,
was handed over to a thin column of the invaders without a battle.Hankow, for which scores of thousands of men have been
futilely sacrificed, was voluntarily abandoned, "to protect foreign lives."
Chiang Kai-shek and his staff have fled into the distant interior.E n te rs N ew Phase
T he w a r now en te rs a new phase w h ich depends e n t ire ly u p on th e e ffec tive m o b iliz a tio n o f th e people in the occupied areas fo r g u e r r il la a c t iv ity w h ic h w i l l m ake i t im possib le fo r the J a p anese to ho ld the pos itions th e y have conquered.
T h is the K u o m in ta n g leade rsh ip , u n q u e s tio n in g ly supported b y the C o m m u n is t P a rty , has p roved its e lf incapable o f do ing.
I n H o n g K ong , T okyo , and in London , ru m o rs and rep o rts m u lt ip lie d th a t peace n e g o tia tio n s a re in p rogress w ith the B r it is h a c tin g as m ed ia to rs .
D e fe a tts t T a c tic s U n d e r K u o m in ta n g leadersh ip
m ore than 1,000,000 Chinese lives have been sacrificed . A l l the p r in c ip a l c ities , ra ilw a y s and w a te rw ays o f the c o u n try have been g iven up to the inva d e r. The defe a t is t ta c tic s o f the C h iang K a i- shek reg im e reached th e ir lo g ica l conc lus ion a t C an ton. There, th ro u g h obv ious and o u tr ig h t tre a ch e ry , the m os t v i ta l re m a in in g ce n te r o f C hinese co m m u n ica t io n s was su rrende red w ith o u t a s trug g le .
C h ia n g ’s ta c t ic has been to h u r l masses o f ill-a rm e d , unsup p o rted so ld ie ry in the p a th o f the invade rs . The sheer w e ig h t and courage o f these unsung heroes and the m ag n itu d e o f th e operatio n s them selves have leng thened the s tru g g le fo r 15 m on ths. B u t th e tre a c h e ry and in e p titu d e o f th e K u o m in ta n g com m and, the re fu s a l to m ob ilize the masses o f th e people, have f in a lly borne th e ir b it te r f r u i t . W orse be traya ls a re y e t to come.
C an ton S e ll-ou t A t C an ton the Japanese landed
a fo rce o f a b o u t 50,000 m en on O ct. 11. Ten days l a t e r they m arched in to C anton w ith o u t a b a ttle . M uch had been w r it te n a b o u t K w a n g tu n g 's 1,000,000 so ld ie rs . I t had even been w id e ly c la im e d th a t hundreds o f th o u sands o f peasants had been a rm ed to repe l the inva d e r. B u t a l l th is the even t p roved fa lse. So fa r has the d is in te g ra tio n u n de r the K u o m in ta n g proceeded th a t in K w a n g tu n g , t ra d it io n a lly th e m ost ra d ic a l and m il i ta n t sect io n o f the c o u n try , th e invaders had th e ir easiest tim e.
(C on tinued on page 3)
THIRTEEN GREEK COMRADES JAILED BY DICTATORSHIP
Tortures Used to Extract Names From Victims
T h ir te e n le a d in g m em bers o f the R e v o lu tio n a ry S o c ia lis t O rga n iza tion , G reek section o f the F o u r th In te rn a t io n a l, have been a rres ted by po lice o f the M etaxas d ic ta to rs h ip , a cco rd in g to press advices here.
F ro n t-p a g e s to ries in the contro lle d press o f Greece have gleefu l ly announced the c r u s h i n g b lo w d e a lt to “ the In fe rn a l T ro ts k y is t gang .”
Q u a rte rs R a idedH e a d q ua rte rs o f the o rg a n iza
t io n w ere ra ided , these rep o rts said, and la rge q u a n tit ie s o f l i te r a tu re , in c lu d in g copies o f the ''P ro le ta r ie s ," and "C lass S o lid a ri ty , ” ille g a l organs, w ere seized.
A l l the p risone rs have been subjec ted to unspeakable to rtu re s in the dungeons o f th e M etaxas re gim e.
T he l is t o f th e a rres ted was g iven as fo llo w s :
P. P ou liopou los, se c re ta ry o f th e o rg a n iza tio n .
V o u rso uk is , 35, la w ye r.J . V re h o po u lis , 36 G. K ro k o s , teacher, w ho es
caped f ro m an Aegean is land p ris o n cam p a yea r ago.
E . G ianakos , teacher D . N akos, la w y e r C a th e rln M o rp h y , 36, w e ll-
k n o w n p ro p a g a n d is t G. A lg in lt ls , tobbaconist.D . P a n ta jls , 20, shoem aker A . K a s to ras , 21, p a in te r
T he la s t tw o n a m e d w ere charged w ith d is tr ib u t in g re vo lu t io n a ry l ite ra tu re to so ld iers.
These com rades are be ing to r tu re d by po lice w ho are seek ing to w re s t the names o f th e ir fe llo w -w o rke rs fro m them . E v e ry conce ivable m ethod o f barba rous
(C on tinued on page 2)
Life or Death Appeal!
F o u r G erm an refugees, w hose names ca n n o t be revea led, are in im m in e n t dange r fro m the Gestapo in the Sudeten land.
F o r tw o m on ths th e A m e ric a n F un d fo r P o lit ic a l P riso n e rs and Refugees has been m a k in g a rra n g e m e n ts to rescue these a n t ifa s c is t m ilita n ts , th re e m en and one w om an, w ho had been under th e su rve illa n ce o f the G estapo fo r th e ir w o rk in the a n ti-N a z i m ovem ents in G erm any, A u s tr ia and C zechoslovakia .
W o rk in g under th e m os t d if f ic u lt co n d itio ns a t hom e and th e n in e m ig ra tio n , these a n ti-fa s c is ts have c a rr ie d on h e ro ic w o rk u n d e r th e m ost d if f ic u lt and dangerous co n d itio ns . B u t ju s t be fo re th e y w ere able to g e t ou t, the N az is m arched in to the Sude ten land . T he Czech g ove rnm en t, u nder N a z i in fluence, c lam ped dow n its d ic ta to rs h ip , an d began send ing a ll refugees w ho fled the N a z i te rro r .
T he A m e rica n F un d has been presented w ith an unusua l opp o r tu n ity o f c o n ta c tin g these people aga in and e x tr ic a t in g them f ro m the c lu tches o f the Gestapo.
E v e ry day m akes i t in c re a s in g ly d if f ic u lt to reach them and save th e ir lives. A n y de lay sentences these people to death .
T he A m e ric a n F un d is m a k in g th is specia l em ergency appeal fo r a id . $500 is needed w ith in the n e x t w eek. Show th is appeal to y o u r fe llo w trad e u n io n is ts and y o u r fr ien d s .
I T IS A Q U E S T IO N O F Y O U R M O N E Y O R T H E IR L IV E S !Send a ll fu n ds to the A m e ric a n F u n d fo r P o lit ic a l P riso n e rs
and Refugees, 100 F i f th A venue, N e w Y o rk C ity .
VOTE LABOR!
For Independent Politics And a Fighting Program
W orking Men and Women of New York:
In the present election the Socialist Workers Party calls upon you to break once and for all with the two boss parties, Democratic as well as Republican.
FOR IN DEPENDENT LABOR POLITICSAmerican labor is coming of age. You have learned that
you can't build a successful trade union by relying on the good w ill of the bosses or their agents. It is equally clear that you can't build a successful political party for labor by relying on the good w ill of boss politicians; that gives you in the end only a new name for a rotten boss party.
On the economic field, labor can fight for its interests against the bosses only through its own organizations, the trade unions. To fight for its interests, to preserve and further the gains achieved by the trade unions, labor must have its own political party-—a party fighting the parties of the bosses.
In New York, a beginning has been made towards independent labor politics with the formation of the American Labor Party which has the backing of the most important trade unions in the city and state.
Do not vote for parties of capitalism, which is responsible for the years of depression and which is preparing still greater calamities for you! A vote for Tammany or the Republican machine is a vote for perpetuating the system of degradation, misery, slums and unemployment. VOTE LABOR!
Vote for the genuine, independent candidates of the A.L.P.!The Socialist Workers Party has no interests separate and
apart from those of the working class. In urging you to support the A.L.P. we would fail in our duty to our class i f we did not at the same time raise our voice in warning and in sternest con
demnation of the shameful deals with Republicans and Democrats in which the A.L.P. has been involved by its leadership.
Eor workers to be organized to support the candidates of the Democrats or Republicans is not labor politics, but just a labor cloak for boss politics. For a trade union leader or an A.L.P. member to run on the Republican or Democratic ticket does not make him a labor candidate, but a sell-out boss candidate. Do not vote for candidates who run on the ticket of capitalist parties. Repudiate the shabby deal of the A.L.P. leaders with the Republicans!
Instead of running independent candidates for state-wide offices the leadership o f the A.L.P. has endorsed the leading Democratic candidates for Governor and Senator. No self-respecting, militant worker should permit himself to vote for Lehman and Wagner, the nominees of the party o f Tammany and Mayor Frank Hague. We urge you to repudiate this endorsement of the candidates of boss parties. That is why we propose that you register your determination to make a clean break with boss parties and your protest against these deals by writing in the names of our candidates for these offices— James P. Cannon fo r Governor, and Ernest R. McKinney fo r the regular-term Senator, the standard bearers of independent labor politics for which our party stands.
FOR A BOLD, F IG H T IN G LABOR PROGRAM !The present leaders of the A.L.P. remain tied to the tails
of the boss parties not only through their choice of candidates and horse-trades for posts but also in their election platform and program.
The current platform o f the A.L.P. is a muddle of liberal New Deal planks which can scarcely inspire the workers to close
(Continued on page A)
GPU ODOR BEGINS TO SPREAD FROM NAZI SPY TRIALRumrich Drops Some
Curious Hints on the Stand
A p e c u lia r odor, p o lit ic a l ra th e r th a n phys ica l, em anates fro m the F ede ra l c o u rtro o m in N e w Y o rk , th re e alleged G erm an spies are be ing tr ie d fo r s e llin g m il i ta ry secrets to G erm any. The. papers c a rry co lum ns o f news on the s to ry , and here and the re a sentence re fle c ts so m e th in g s ig n ifica n t. B u t th e s to ry ca n n o t be unders tood w ith o u t k n o w in g its backg ro u n d and connections.
W hen a yea r ago the R ob inson- R ubens p a ir w e re a rres ted by th e ir G. P. U. em ployers in M oscow, we fo re ca s t an a tte m p t to re h a b ilita te d isc red ite d M oscow “ ju s tic e ” by a new fra m e -u p t r ia l w ith an A m e rica n angle. W e sa id M oscow w as even t r y in g to n a tu ra liz e its fra m e -u p system here, as i t a lrea d y had in Spain.
W a s h in g to n ’s ChoiceW e charged th a t the S ta te De
p a rtm e n t w as suppress ing in fo r m a tio n w h ic h w o u ld c o n firm th is , p re fe r r in g to ho ld a c lub ove r the R uss ian Em bassy, ra th e r th a n to speak o u t and help lib e ra te A m e rica n w o rk e rs fro m th e ir la s t illu s io n s as to th e tru e c h a ra c te r o f the S ta lin bu re a u cracy . W e charged th e G. P. U. w ith o p e ra tin g an undercove r r in g in th is c o u n try devoted to sp y in g n o t on the U. S. m il i ta ry es tab lishm en t, b u t on the la b o r m ovem ent, to c o n s tru c t fram e u p s and fo r o th e r a n ti- la b o r p o lit ic a l ends.
Less th a n a yea r ago, the U n it ed S tates a rres ted severa l persons as G e rm a n spies. N o m il i ta ry pow er is so “ m o ra l” as to deny, i t se lf th e use o f spies, and w e said a t the t im e th a t u n d o u b te d ly N az is w ere co n d u c tin g m il i ta ry espionage here and elsewhere.
S ta lin is ts In d ic te dD isc losures co n ce rn in g the
R ob inson-R ubens case had tw o resu lts . The S ta lin ap p a ra tu s w as fo rced to shelve its new fra m e - up t r ia l , and the U. S. go ve rn m en t, o b se rv ing th a t the p ro je c t was o f th e usua l s loppy G. P. U.
(C on tinued on page 3)
POUM T ria l Foreshadows Munich Plan fo r Spain
Barcelona Frame-Up Is Smokescreen to Conceal Impending Betrayal of
Anti-Fascist SpainB y F E L IX M O R R O W
I t is no a cc id e n t th a t the Spanish D e p a rtm e n t o f the G. P . U. f in a lly p e rm itte d the opening o f the P. O. U. M . t r ia l o n ly a fte r the M u n ich conference. T he B a r ce lona t r ia l is S ta lin 's w a y o f c o ve rin g up h is c o m p lic ity in the new d r iv e th a t is n ow to be made by the P ow ers to sm ash the re m a in in g a n ti-F a s c is t fo rces in S pain . T h a t is w h y these seven leaders have been ly in g in ja i l w ith o u t t r ia l fo r 16 m on th s !
O f the t r ia l its e lf, one cah a lready be sure th a t o n ly the m ost w idespread p ro te s t f ro m th e w o r ld la b o r m ovem ent can p re v e n t a m echan ica l v e rd ic t o f g u ilty . T he press d ispa tches m entio n no ju ry , no defense a t to r neys; a ll p rev ious prom ises by g o ve rn m e n t o ff ic ia ls o f p r io r no t ic e o f the opening o f t r ia l so th a t observers fro m o th e r co u n trie s cou ld be p resen t rep re se n ting w o rk in g class p a rtie s and defense o rg a n iza tio n s , p rom ises o f outs ide
defense counsel, etc., have been v io la te d a t th e behest o f the G. P. U.
G. P. U. P rocedureW e are to be trea te d s im p ly to
a S panish im ita t io n o f the fa m ous M oscow tr ia ls . The ju r id ic a l p rocedure is th a t la id dow n by a specia l ' 'la w ” p rec ise ly fo r these tr ia ls , e s ta b lish in g a “ T r ib u n a l fo r E sp ionage and H ig h T re a so n "; m eanw h ile , the de m o cra tic Peoples T r ib u n a ls established in the re v o lu tio n a ry days o f J u ly , 1936 have been w iped out.
R o v ira ’s F a te R evealed F ro m the S ta lin is t press, we
le a rn th a t the in d ic tm e n t nam ed n in e de fendan ts , and th a t tw o o f them , A ndres N in and Jose Ro- v ira , a re "m is s in g .” W e had a lready k n o w n w h a t fa te be fe ll N in , the o u ts ta n d in g leader o f the P. O. U. M .: as even the N ew Y o rk T im es w as cons tra in e d to re p o rt, s h o rt ly a f te r the o u t la w ry
(C ontinued on page 3)
RAILROAD UNION RESISTS THREAT OF WAGE SLASH
Road Bosses Reveal Attempt to Quash
Board InquiryB y B I L L M O R G A N
W A S H IN G T O N , D. C. — The ra ilro a d s are in the n a tio n a l spo tl ig h t aga in . Once aga in the ow n ers and ope ra to rs are in W ash in g to n seek ing a “ h a n d o u t” to re v ive an in d u s try w h ic h has become a ra c k e t in the hands o f specu la to rs, s to ckh o lde rs and f in a n c ia l “ w iza rd s .”
A f te r years o f m ilk in g the pu b lic tre a s u ry by w a y o f specia l g ra n ts and subsid ies (a k in d o f up-s lde-dow n h o m e -re lie f) fro m every a d m in is tra tio n since the yea r 1900, the A sso c ia tio n o f A m e rica n R a ilro a d s no w p ro p o ses to solve its prob lem s, and the n a tio n a l depression too, by a 15 per cent pay c u t fo r a ll em p lo y ees.
“ F a c t F in d in g "T he p o w e rfu l R a ilro a d B ro th e r
hoods, rep re se n ting 18 ra i lw a y w o rk e rs un ions, has answ ered
(C o ittlnu e d on page 2)
10,000 Plants Geared To Army, Navy NeedsAdministration Prepares to Put Over Record
Appropriation for Armed Forces and Fighting Planes
Utilizing the aftermath of the war crisis, and thereby giving its own interpretation to the character of the "peace" achieved by the Munich agreement, the Roosevelt Administration has opened up a pro-armament propaganda campaign unprecedented in United States peace time history. The predictions carried in these columns as to the effect of the crisis on the war plans o f the government are being fulfilled immediately and to the letter.
First place among the war-mongers is, as usual, taken by Roosevelt himself, backed by daily statements from the publicity departments of the Secretaries of War and the Navy, and seconded by the editorial columns of the entire capitalist press.
♦ Exceeds A l l B u t W a r R ecord
N.M.U. OFFICERS ARE ACCUSED AS
BOSSES AGENTSRank-and-File Pilot Makes Sensational
AccusationCharges th a t lea d in g o ffic ia ls
o f the N a tio n a l M a r it im e U n ion were com pany agents w ere made las t w eek in the paper cftlled “ R a n k -a n d -F ile P ilo t ” d is tr ib u te d on the w a te r fro n t here.
O ctave Loones, e d ito r o f the paper, w as fo rm e r ly e d ito r o f the “ N .M .U . R a n k -a n d -F ile P ilo t," p u b lished la s t su m m e r by the- N .M .U . fa c tio n kn o w n as the M a r in e rs ’ C lub.
In th is issue Loones said " i t has been rev ived in ordfer to expose the ro t and c o rru p tio n o f some o f the n e w ly elected and tru s te d o ffic ia ls o f the N a tio n a l M a r it im e U n io n , th e ir re la t io n s h ip w ith sh ipow ne rs and how the M a rin e rs c lu b w h ic h was o rig in a lly fo rm ed to b r in g o rg a n ized R a n k and F ile oppos ition to the o rgan ized C o m m u n is t a c t iv it ie s in the U n io n m ee tings and in U n io n a ffa irs , became th ro u g h the t r ic k e r y o f J e rry K in g and the in fluence o f a de tec tive agency, the to o l o f sh ip o w n e rs .”
G ives N am es an d D atesThe “ R a n k and F ile P ilo t , ”
c h a rg in g p ro m in e n t o f f ic ia ls in the N .M .U . w ith be ing la b o r spies and agents o f the sh ipow ners , appeared d u r in g the w eek fo llo w in g a jo in t m em bersh ip o f the un ion w he re charges o f spy a c tiv it ie s w ere p re fe rre d a g a in s t R a y C ar- lu cc i by Joseph C u rra n , C.P. f ro n t and n a tio n a l p re s id e n t o f the o rgan iza tion .
Loones m akes sw eeping accusatio n s in h is s to ry . G iv in g names, places o f m ee tings and references to te lephone conversa tions, he te lls ho w se lf-s ty led ra n k and file m em bers o f the un ion received m oney fro m the sh ipow ne rs and
(C o n tin u e d on page 2)
Trade Unions and the Social CrisisA Conversation on the Problems and
Program of the American Labor Movement
(F o u rth In te rn a t io n a l Press Release)Septem ber 29, 1938.
The undersigned was present at a conversation between one of the European leaders o f the Fourth International and a well-known organizer o f ,the trade union movement in the United States (C .I.O .). The conversation lasted several-Lours - and dealt/w ifh the economic situation o f the United State's, the approaching war, the task of the C.l.O. and so on. I wish to report here that part of the conversation which might be of general interest.
For more convenient exposition 1 shall designate the organizer of the trade union as "A ,” the representative of the Fourth International as "B ."
A —T he p o lic y o f o u r u n io n ls ' f d irec te d to w a rd a v o id in g com p le te u nem p loym en t. W e have ach ieved the d iv id in g o f w o rk am ong m em bers o f th e trad e u n
ion w h i l e m a in ta in in g fo rm e r rates.
B —-And w h a t p o rt io n o f the fo rm e r wages do y o u r w o rk e rs ge t now?
A —A b o u t 40 per cent.B — B u t th is is m onstrous. You
have ob ta ined the s lid in g scale o f w o rk in g hours w ith the m a in te nance o f fo rm e r ra te s ; b u t th is means o n ly th a t the e n tire bu rden o f unem p lo ym e n t is p laced on the w o rk e rs them selves. B y le tt in g each w o rk e r sacrifice th ree- f if th s o f h is ea rn ings, you are fre e in g the bourgeo is ie f ro m the necessity o f spend ing th e ir means fo r the unem ployed.• 'A —T he re is ecme t r u t h ‘y in 'th is .
B u t w h a t can we do?B — N o t some t r u th , b u t the
w ho le t r u th ! A m e rica n ca p ita lis m Is s ick fro m a c h ro n ic and in c u r able disease. C an you console y o u r w o rk e rs w ith the hope th a t th e p resen t c ris is is o f a t ra n s ito ry ch a ra c te r, th a t a new epoch o f p ro s p e r ity w i l l open up in the near fu tu re ?
C a p ita lis m in D ec line
A —I p e rso n a lly have no i l lu s ions on th is score. M a n y in ou r n id s t und ers ta n d th a t A m e rican c a p ita lis m has entered in to an e ra o f decline.
B — B u t th is means th a t to m o rro w y o u r w o rk e rs w i l l get 30 per cen t o f th e ir fo rm e r wages, day a f te r to m o rro w 25 pe r cent, and so on. I t is tru e th a t ep isod ic im p ro ve m e n t is possible, even in e v ita b le ; b u t the genera l lin e po in ts .to d e c lin e , d e g ra d a tio n , and m is e ry. M a rx and E nge ls fo re to ld th a t a lre a d y in th e “ C o m m u n is t M a n ife s to .” W h a t is th e p ro g ra m then o f y o u r trad e u n io n and o f the C .l.O . as a w ho le?
A—U n fo rtu n a te ly , you do n o t k n o w th e psycho logy o f the A m e rica n w o rk e rs . T h e y a re n o t used to th in k in g a bou t the fu tu re . T h e y a re in te res ted in one ques-
(C on tlnued on page 2)
R ooseve lt has announced, in tw o lo n g In te rv ie w s g iven a fe w days a p a rt, th a t th e w a r p lans m u s t be co m p le te ly ove rhau led and speeded up. H e m akes no bones a b o u t the fa c t th a t he w i l l propose to the n ex t Congress m ili ta ry and n a va l a p p ro p r ia tio n s th a t w i l l sa il fa r and a w ay beyond a n y th in g ever seen except d u r in g th e a c tu a l w a r years o f 1917 and 1918.
T he W a r D e p a rtm e n t has m ade p u b lic its in te n tio n to dem and an up w a rd rev is io n o f its au tho rize d a irp la n e s tre n g th to the e x te n t o f a t least a n o th e r thousand planes. In n o tin g the pub lished figu res fo r a irp la n e com p lem en ts i t shou ld be rem em bered th a t the A rm y and N a v y a ir fo rces are co m p le te ly separate and th a t the to ta ls a lw a ys re fe r o n ly to f irs t- lin e p lanes, exc lus ive o f reserves and t ra in in g ships.
In a d d itio n , the W a r D e p a rtm e n t p lans to increase s h a rp ly th e e n ro llm e n t in the re g u la r A rm y , to speed m e ch a n iza tio n in a ll services, and espec ia lly to expand purchases o f the ve ry la te s t types o f a n t i-a ir c ra f t equ ipm en t.
M os t D ead ly W eaponThe A rm y is a lso now a b o u t to
abandon the old S p rin g fie ld r ifle , s ta n d a rd fo r the past tw e n ty years, in fa v o r o f a n e w ly deve loped ra p id - fire a u to m a tic r i f le — the p ro d u c t o f ten ye a rs ’ in te n sive resea rch—w h ich , i t is c la im ed, is the m ost dead ly w eapon o f its k in d in the w o rld , m a k in g each so ld ie r, in the w o rds o f one re p o rt, "a one-m an m ach ine gun nest.”
T he N a v y has a llo tte d o rde rs w h ic h f i l l n e a rly to ca p a c ity a ll a va ila b le space in bo th go ve rn m ent-ow ned and p r iv a te sh ip yards. The schedule fo r com ple t io n o f vessels a lrea d y begun is be ing speeded up tw o and th ree tim es, and a rra n g e m e n ts are bein g m ade fo r the va s t extension o f new sh ip y a rd fa c ilit ie s .
S urvey F o r M -D ayS im u lta n e ou s ly , an im p o r ta n t
phase o f the In d u s tr ia l M o b iliz a tio n P la n comes in to th e open. R epresen ta tives o f th e W a r D ep a rtm e n t have ju s t re p o rte d th a t th e y have com ple ted a su rve y o f ten thousand fa c to rie s in th e co u n try , w ith the a im o f w o rk in g o u t the ske le ton o rg a n iz a tio n o f th e ir co o rd in a tio n fo r w a r p u r poses. W ith g re a t s a tis fa c tio n , th e y co m m e n t th a t th e y m e t w ith a s p ir i t o f 100 pe r cen t cooperat io n fro m th e ow ners o f th e fa c to ries.
In o rd e r to g roove these fa c to rie s in to in te g ra tio n w ith the w a r m ach ine , "sam p le o rd e rs ” fo r m u n itio n s , w ith an in i t ia l a llo tm en t o f $19,000,000, are be ing ass igned to them . These o rde rs w i l l enable the fa c to rie s to in s ta ll eq u ip m e n t and t r a in personne l fo r th e h igh-speed m a n u fa c tu re o f specia l w a r im p lem en ts , and in c id e n ta lly n e t the ow ners some rosy p ro fits in th e m eanw h ile .
T he new p lans ca ll a lso fo r im m ed ia te expansion o f th e a lre a d y g ig a n tic fo r t if ic a t io n s and a ir and n a va l bases on th e H a w a iia n Is lands and a t th e P anam a C ana l; heavy fo r t if ic a t io n o f th e Seward Is la n d s and o th e r s tra te g ic p o in ts
(C on tinued on page 3)
Trotsky W ill Speak by electrical transcription to our GRAND CELEBRATION MASS MEETING, heralding the foundation of the Fourth International and the Tenth Anniversary of our struggle for a revolutionary workers party in this country. Hear JAMES P. CANNON, M AX SHACHTMAN JAMES BURNHAM, ANTOINETTE KONKOW , and others, at the Center Hotel, 108 West 43rd Street, New York City, Friday, October 28,1938, at 8 P. M.
2 S O C I A L I S T A P P E A L OCTOBER 29, 1938
American Trade Unions and the Social CrisisA Conversation on the Problems and
Program of the American Labor Movement
(C on tinued fro m page 1) tio n o n ly — w h a t can be done now, im m e d ia te ly . A m o n g the leaders o f th e tra d e u n i o n m ovem ent the re are, i t is true , also those w h o g ive them selves a c le a r acc o u n tin g o f the th re a te n in g da n ger. B u t they ca n n o t change the psycho logy o f the masses. H a b its , tra d it io n s , v iew s o f the A m e rican w o rk e rs b ind and l im i t o u r possib ilit ie s . A ll t h i s c a n n o t be changed in a s ing le day.
T h re a t to U n ionsB —A rc you sure th a t h is to ry
w i l l g ra n t you m any yea rs fo r p re p a ra tio n ? The c r is is o f A m e rican c a p ita lis m has an "A m e ric a n ” tem po and scale. A s tron g body w h ic h has not kn o w n s ic k ness begins to d e te r io ra te ve ry ra p id ly fro m a ce rta in p o in t on. T he collapse o f c a p ita lis m s ig n ifies a t the same tim e a d ire c t and im m e d ia te th re a t to dem ocracy i w ith o u t w h ic h tra d e un ions can n o t ex is t. Do you th in k , fo r in stance, th a t M r. H a g u e is a chance phenom enon?
A — Oh no, I do n o t th in k so a t a ll. D u r in g the la s t period I have had n o t a few ta lk s w ith trad e u n ion fu n c tio n a r ie s on th is subje c t. M y op in io n is th a t in each s ta te we a lrea d y have now —u n der th is o r th a t ba n ne r—a fu ll- fledged re a c tio n a ry o rg a n iza tio n ready to become on the m o rro w the m a in s ta y o f fasc ism on a nat io n a l scale. W e w il l no t have to w a it 15 o r 20 years. Fascism can become v ic to r io u s in th ree or fo u r years.
B —In th is case . . .A —W h a t is ou r p ro g ra m ? T
unders tand y o u r question . The s itu a tio n is ve ry d if f ic u lt , some g re a t m e a s u r e s are necessary. B u t I do n o t see the necessary forces, th e necessary leaders.
P sycho logy o f LeadersB — T h is m e a n s c a p itu la tio n
w ith o u t a s trug g le ?A — The s itu a tio n is d if f ic u lt . We
m u s t recognize th a t the m a jo r ity o f trade un ion fu n c tio n a r ie s do n o t see o r do n o t w a n t to see the danger. O u r un ions, as you know , have g ro w n trem e n d ou s ly w ith in a v e ry s h o rt tim e. I t is n a tu ra l, th e re fo re , th a t the leaders o f the C.I.O. go th ro u g h a honeym oon period . T he y are in c lin e d to v ie w th e d if f ic u lt ie s lig h t ly . The gove rn m e n t n o t o n ly considers them b u t even p lays b a ll w ith them . T hey have n o t been accustom ed to th is in the past. I t is n a tu ra l, th e re fo re , th a t th e ir heads sw im a l i t t le . T h is p leasurab le dizziness does n o t predispose them to c r i t ica l th in k in g . T he y e n joy today w ith o u t th in k in g o f the m orro w .
B — V e ry w e ll sa id ! In th is 1 am in com ple te ag reem ent w ith you. B u t the successes o f the C.I.O. are te m p o ra ry . T he y a rc on ly s y m p to m a tic o f the fa c t th a t the w o rk in g class o f the U.S.A. has come in to m o t i o n , has b roken w ith ro u tin e , and is now seek ing new m ethods to save its e lf fro m the m enac ing abyss. I f y o u r un ions do n o t find new m ethods, they w i l l be crushed in to pulp. E ven r ig h t now today H ague is s t r o n g e r than Lew is because Hague, desp ite h is lim ita t io n s , know s c le a r ly w h a t he w a n ts and L e w is docs not. The w ho le th in g m ay end by y o u r leaders w a k in g up f ro m th e ir "p leasu rab le d izz iness” . . . in a co n ce n tra tio n cam p.
M ee tings P o o rly A ttendedA —U n fo rtu n a te ly , th e past h s-
to ry o f the U n ite d States w ith its u n lim ite d poss ib ilitie s , w ith its in d iv id u a lis m has no t accustom ed o u r w o rk e rs to socia l th in k in g . I t is enough to te ll you th a t trade u n io n m ee tings are a ttended a t best by 15 per cen t o f the o rg a n ized w o rke rs . J u s t cons ider th is fa c t!
B —B u t is i t no t possible th a t the cause fo r the a bs ten tion o f 85 pe r cen t lies in the fa c t th a t the speakers . . . have n o th in g to te l' the masses?
A —W e ll . . . to a c e rta in ex ten t th is is tru e . The econom ic s itu a tio n is such th a t we are fo rced to keep the w o rk e rs back, to p u t a b ra ke on the m ovem ent, to re trea t. O f course, i t is not to the w o rk e rs ' lik in g .
B — T h a t is ju s t it. The fa u lt lies no t w ith the masses but w ith the leaders. In the c lass ic epoch o f c a p ita lism , too. the tra d e u n ions found them selves in a d i f f ic u lt s itu a tio n d u r in g a cris is , w ere fo rced to re tre a t, lost p a rt o f th e ir m em bersh ip , spent th e ir basic ca p ita l. B u t at least there then existed the c e rta in ty th a t in the next rise they w ou ld retr ie v e a ll th e ir losses. N o w there Is not the s lig h te s t hope fo r th is . The un ions w i l l become w eake r and w eaker. Y o u r o rg a n iza tio n , the C.I.O.. m ig h t collapse ju s t as ra p id ly as it came in to being.
Masses an d LeadersA — W h a t is to be done?B — F irs t o f a ll c le a rly te ll the
masses w h a t is. I t is im p e rm iss ib le to p lay h ide and seek. O f course, you k n o w the A m e rica n w o rke rs b e tte r than I do. N everthe less I p e rm it m yseir to say w ith ccr ta in ty th a t you look at them th ro u g h old glasses. The masses
are im m e a su ra b ly b e tte r, m ore audacious, m ore dec is ive th a n the leaders. The v e ry fa c t o f the ra p id b ir th and g ro w th o f the C.I.O. shows th a t the A m e rican w o rk e r has changed ra d ic a lly under the in fluence o f the te r r if ic econom ic jo lts o f the pos t-w a r period , espec ia lly o f the la s t decade. W hen you showed even a l i t t le in it ia t iv e in the c rea tio n o f m ore m il i ta n t un ions, the w o rk e rs responded im m e d ia te ly and gave you an excep tiona l, never before heard o f sup p ort. Y ou have no r ig h t to c o m p l a i n a b o u t the masses. A nd the so-called "s it- dow n s tr ik e s ” ? I t was no t the leaders w ho inven ted them but the w o rk e rs them selves. Is n o t th is an u n m is ta ka b le s ign o f the
i readiness o f the A m e rican w o rk - I ers to -pass ove r to m ore decis ive m ethods o f s trug g le ? M r. H ague is a d ire c t p ro d u c t o f the s it- dow n s tr ike s . U n fo rtu n a te ly , in the upper layers o f the tra d e un ions no one dares to d ra w ju s t as d a r i n g conclus ions fro m the sh a rp e n in g o f the socia l s trug g le as the c a p ita lis t rea c tio n has d ra w n . T h is is the g is t o f the m a tte r . The leaders o f c a p ita l th in k and a c t im m e a su ra b ly m ore f irm ly , m ore lo g ica lly , and d a r in g ly th a n the leaders o f the p ro le ta r ia t —these sceptics, ru t- fo llo w ers, b u re a u c ra ts w h o d im the f ig h t in g s p ir i t o f the masses. A nd ou t o f th is g ro w s the danger o f the v ic to ry o f fasc ism , m oreover in the ve ry near fu tu re . The w o rk e rs do n o t come to y o u r m eetings because they feel in s t in c t iv e ly the in su ffic ie n cy , the incons is tency, the lifc lcssness, the d ire c t fa ls ity o f y o u r p rog ram . The leaders o f the trad e un ions get o ff genera l phrases w h ile each w o rk e r feels ca tas trophe o ve r h is head. You m us t fin d a language co rre sp o n d ing to the rea l s itu a tio n o f r o t t in g ca p ita lis m and no t to b u re a u c ra tic illu s io n s .
A — I have a lrea d y to ld you— I do n o t see leaders. T here a rc in d iv id u a l groups, sects, b u t I do n o t see anyone capable o f u n it in g the w o rk in g masses, even i f I should agree w ith you th a t the masses are ready fo r s trug g le .
B —I t is n o t a question o f leaders b u t o f p ro g ra m . A c o rre c t p ro g ra m not. o n ly w i l l ra ise up and w e ld the masses toge the r, b u t i t w i l l t ra in leaders.
T he P ro g ra mA — W h a t do you consider a co r
re c t p rog ra m ?B —You kn o w th a t I am a
M a rx is t, m ore p rec ise ly , a B o lshev ik . M y p ro g ra m has a ve ry s im ple and s h o rt nam e—-the soc ia lis t rev o lu tio n . B u t I do no t dem and o f the leaders o f the trad e un ion m ovem ent th a t they adopt im m e d ia te ly the p ro g ra m o f the 4th In te rn a t io n a l. W h a t I do dem and o f them is th a t they d ra w conc lus ions f ro m th e ir ow n w o rk , fro m th e ir ow n s itu a t io n ; th a t fo r them selves and the masses they answ er a t least these tw o questions:
1. H ow can the C.I.O. be saved fro m b a n k ru p tc y and ru in ?
2. A nd how can the U.S.A. be saved fro m fasc ism ? S lid in g Scale o f H o u rs
A —W 'hat w ou ld you do today in the U n ite d S tates i f you w ere an o rg a n ize r o f a trad e un ion?
B —F irs t o f a ll the trade un ions m ust pose squa re ly the p rob lem o f une m p lo ym e n t and wages. The s lid in g scale o f hou rs as fo rm u lated by you is c o rre c t: a ll m us t have w o rk . B u t the s lid in g scale o f hours m us t be supp lem ented by a s lid in g scale o f wages. The w o rk in g class canno t p e rm it a con s tan t lo w e r in g o f its s ta n da rd o f l iv in g , as th is w ou ld be ta n ta m o u n t to the collapse o f h um an cu ltu re . The h ig h e s t ea rn in g s on the eve o f the c r i s i s o f 1929 shou ld be taken as the p o in t o f de p a rtu re . The p o w e rfu l p ro d u c tive forces created by the w o rk ers d id n o t d isappear, d id n o t p e rish : th e y ex is t. Those w ho own and dispose o f the p ro d u c tive forces a rc responsib le fo r unem p loym en t. The w o rk e rs k n o w how to w o rk and w a n t to w o rk . The w o rk m us t be d iv id e d am ong a ll the w o rke rs . The ea rn in g s o f each w o rk e r shou ld no t be low e r than the m ax im u m reached in the past. T h is is the n a tu ra l, the necessary. the inexo rab le dem and o f the trade un ions. O the rw ise they w i l l be crushed aside by h is to r ic deve lopm en t as so m uch trash .
C a p itu la tio n o r S tru g g leA —Is th is p ro g ra m rea lizab le?
I t spells ru in fo r the ca p ita lis ts . P rec ise ly such a p ro g ra m could hasten the deve lopm ent o f fascism .
B —O f course, th is p ro g ra m presupposes s tru g g le and n o t prostra t io n . The trad e un ions are faced w ith tw o p o s s ib ilit ie s—e ith e r to naviga te , m aneuver, re tre a t, close the eyes and c a p itu la te on the in s ta llm e n t p lan in o rd e r not to “ a g g ra v a te " the bosses and no t to "p ro v o k e " reac tion . The G erm an and A u s tr ia n socia l dem o cra ts and trad e un ion fu n c t io n a ries tr ied to save them selves fro m fascism in th is m anne r. The re s u lt is know n to a l l— they b roke th e ir necks. The o th e r road is to
Sailors Union GrantedCharter by AFL Conclave
I unders tand the m erciless ch a racte r o f the presen t socia l c r is is and to :ead the masses in to an
, a tta ck .D ange r o f Fascism
A — B u t s t i l l you have n o t an swered the question o f fascism , th a t is o f the im m e d ia te danger w h ic h the trade un ions w ou ld b r in g upon them selves by m ore ra d ic a l demands.
B —I have n o t fo rg o tte n th is fo r a s ing le m om ent. The fasc is t danger is here now, even before the ad va nc ing o f r a d i c a l dem ands. I t flow s fro m the decline and decom position o f ca p ita lism . I g ra n t th a t i t cou ld become in creased fo r some tim e u nder the
: in fluence o f the ra d ic a l p ro g ra m o f the trad e un ions. The W orkers m ust be openly w arned o f i t . T hey m ust be ca lled to the defense o f the trad e un ions. T hey m ust im m ed ia te ly beg in the p ra c tic a l c re a tio n o f specia l o rg a n iza tio n s o f defense. There is no o th e r road ! One can ju s t as l i t t le save h im se lf fro m fasc ism by means o f d e m o cra tic laws, reso lu tio n s and
| appeals as he can save h im s e lf I fro m a c a v a lry de tach m e n t by
d ip lo m a tic notes. The w o rk e rs m us t be ta u g h t to defend th e ir lives and th e ir fu tu re w ith w eapons in hand a g a in s t the gangste rs and b a n d its o f ca p ita l. Fascism th r iv e s in an a tm osphere o f im p u n ity . W e need n o t d o u b t fo r a m om ent th a t the fa s c is t heroes w il l p u t th e ir ta ils between th e ir legs when convinced th a t the w o rk e rs are ready to advance againsj; one o f th e ir “ corps,” tw o , three, o r fo u r o f th e ir ow n corps. The on ly w ay o f sa v in g the w o rk ers’ o rg a n iza tio n s and red u c in g the n u m b e r o f in e v ita b le v ic t im s dow n to a m in im u m is th ro u g h tim e ly c rea tio n o f a m ig h ty o rg a n iza tio n o f w o rk e rs ’ se lf-defense. T h is co n s titu te s the f irs t ta sk o f the trade un ions i f they do n o t w a n t to perish ig n o m in i- ously. The w o rk in g class needs a w o rk e rs ’ m il i t ia !
T he L a b o r P a r tyA —B u t w h a t is the ou tlo ok fo r
the fu tu re ? W h a t w i l l the trad e un ions f in a lly come to w ith these m ethods o f s trug g le ?
B —N a tu ra lly , the s lid in g scale and w o rk e rs ’ defense squads are in s u ff ic ie n t. These are o n ly the f ir s t steps necessary in d e fend ing the w o rk e rs fro m hunge r, death, and fro m fa sc is t kn ives. These are e le m e n ta ry and u rg e n t means o f self-defense. B u t by th e m selves they do n o t decide the m a tte r. The basic ta sk consis ts in m a k in g a pa th to a b e tte r econom ic reg im e and to a m ore co rre c t reasonable and honest u t i l i za tion o f the p ro d u c tive fo rces in the in te re s ts o f the e n tire people. T h is is im poss ib le o f ach ievem ent th ro u g h the usual, the “ n o rm a l," the ro u tin e m ethods o f trad e u n ion w o rk . Y ou m us t agree th a t u n d e r the c o n d itio n s o f c a p ita lis t decline iso la ted tra d e un ions a rc incapab le o f s to p p ing the fu r th e r w o rsen in g o f the co n d itio ns o f the w o rke rs . M ore decis ive and m ore p ro fo u n d m ethods are needed. The bourgeo is ie w h ic h ow ns the means o f p ro d u c tio n and s ta te pow er has b ro u g h t econom y to a com ple te and hopeless chaos. The bourgeo is ie m u s t be declared an in so lve n t d e b to r and the econom y m ust be tra n s fe rre d to fresh and honest hands, th a t is to the hands o f the w o rk e rs them selves. H o w can th is be done? The f irs t step is c lea r: a ll trad e un ions m us t u n ite and crea te th e ir own L a b o r P a rty . N o t a p a r ty o f R ooseve lt and L a G ua rd ia . n o t a la b o r p a rty in nam e on ly , b u t a genu ine independen t p o lit ic a l o r g a n iza tion o f the w o rk in g class. O n ly such a p a rty is capable o f ra l ly in g to its e lf the ru in e d fa rm ers, the sm a ll h a n d ic ra fts m e n and s to rekeepers. B u t to accom p lish th is i t m us t c a rry on an ir re c o n c ila b le s tru g g le a g a in s t banks, tru s ts , m onopo lis ts , and a g a in s t th e ir p o lit ic a l agents, th a t is the R epub lican and D e m o c ra tic P a rties. The ta sk o f the L a b o r P a r ty m us t co n s titu te ta k in g pow er in to its hands, the e n tire power, and b r in g in g the econom y in to o rde r. T h is m eans to o rgan ize a ll
: n a tio n a l econom y a cco rd in g to a s ing le reasonable p lan , the a im o f w h ic h is n o t enhanc ing the p ro fits o f a h a n d fu l o f e xp lo ite rs b u t the m a te r ia l and s p ir itu a l in te re s ts o f
I a p o p u la tio n o f 130 m illio n s .R ooseve lt’s "P o p u la r ity ”
A —M any o f o u r leaders a rc beg in n in g to unders tand th a t the deve lopm en t is in the d ire c tio n
I o f the L a b o r P a rty . B u t the popu- I la r i ty o f R ooseve lt is s t i l l too I g rea t. I f ho shou ld agree to ru n | fo r a th ird tim e, the question o f a L a b o r P a r ty w i l l be postponed fo r a n o th e r fo u r years.
B —T h a t is ju s t the m is fo rtu n e —th a t Messrs. le a d e rs look up w a rd and not d ow nw ard . The a p p ro a ch in g w a r, the collapse o f A m e rica n c a p ita lism , the g ro w th o f une m p lo ym e n t and m isery , a ll these basic processes d ire c t ly dete rm in in g the fa te o f tens and hundreds o f m illio n s o f people do n o t depend a t a ll on the ca n d idacy o r “ p o p u la r ity " o f Rooseve lt. I assure you th a t he is m uch
1 m ore p o p u la r am ong w e ll paid fu n c tio n a r ie s o f the C.I.O. th a n am ong the unem ployed. M oreover, trade un ions e x is t fo r Ihe w o rk ers and not fo r the fu n c tio n a rie s .
S A N F R A N C IS C O , Oct. 25.— L a s t n ig h t the m em bersh ip o f the S a ilo rs ’ U n ion o f the P a c ific m ee ting in un ion headquarte rs here fo rm a lly accepted th e ir new A m e rica n F ede ra tion o f L a b o r ch a rte r.
T w o weeks ago the A .F . o f L. conven tion in H ouston, Texas, is sued an in te rn a t io n a l c h a rte r fo r a ll seamen s a ilin g in N o r th A m e rican w a te rs . A t th a t t im e the S a ilo rs ' U n ion o f the P a c ific was nam ed as rece ive r o f the ch a rte r. Nam e chosen by the S.U.P. fo r the new in te rn a t io n a l is the Seafa re rs ’ In te rn a t io n a ! U n io n o f N o r th A m erica .
The c h a rte r was g ra n te d a fte r the old In te rn a t io n a l Seamen’s U n ion , w h ich lo s t the lo y a lty and su p p o rt o f A m e rican seamen by d e fa u lt, was fo rm a lly and o ff ic ia lly declared d e fun c t. A n A .F . o f L . federa l c h a rte r issued a yea r ago to an o u tf it kn o w n as the A .F . o f L . Seam en’s U n ion was a u to m a tic a lly l if te d w hen the new In te rn a t io n a l came in to being.
As S ecre tary o f the S a ilo r's U n ion o f the P ac ific , H a r ry L u n - deberg w i l l be in charge o f o rg a n iza tio n w o rk .
M em bersh ip o f N ew U n ionThe S ea fa re rs ’ In te rn a t io n a l
has an in i t ia l m em bersh ip o f 7,000 W est C oast sa ilo rs , p lus 2,500 fish e rm en in A la ska . 5.000 sea-going firem en organ ized in the independen t M a rin e F irem en, O ile rs. W ip ers and W a te rtc n d c rs ' A ssocia tio n on the W e s t C o a s t are kn o w n to be sym p a th e tic to the sa ilo rs there , and m ay be expected to a f f i l ia te w ith the new In te rn a t io n a l. On the east coast the 7,500 men in the D eck, E n g ine and S tew ards d epartm en ts , fo rm e r ly m em bers o f the A .F .L .- S.U. w i l l come Im m e d ia te ly in to the new set-up. E ast coast fishe rmen, now under the banne r o f the A .F .L ., w i l l also a ff i l ia te .
A dd to these figures the 3,000 lakes seamen c la im ed by the A. F .L . and the new o rg a n iza tio n beg in s its day w ith ro u g h ly 25,000 m em bers. I t p lans to b r in g in 50,000 seamen d u r in g the com ing year.
Upon re ce iv in g the C h a rte r at. H ouston , H a r ry Lundebe rg im m ed ia te ly announced to the press th a t the ce n tra l p o in t in h is p ro g ram , a round w h ic h he proposes to organ ize one b ig seamen's un ion, is a v igo ro u s f ig h t a g a in s t G ove rnm en t re g im e n ta tio n . W est coast seamen have waged a head- on f ig h t a g a in s t th e M a r it im e C om m iss ion ’s p ro g ra m o f G overn m en t h ir in g h a lls and G ove rn m en t t ra in in g ships.
P ro g ra m o f O rga n iza tio nT h a t the new u n ion w i l l con
tin u e th is fig h t w ith the fu ll s u p p o rt o f the e n tire fo rces o f the A m e rican F ed e ra tion o f La-
ta in period cou ld in flam e m illio n s o f w o rke rs , the idea o f an inde pendent, f ig h t in g L a b o r P a r ty w h ich w a n ts to p u t an end to econom ic a n a rch y , to unem p loym ent and m ise ry , is capable o f in f la m in g tens o f m illio n s . O f course, the a g ita to rs o f the L a b o r P a r ty m ust show to the masses by deeds and not w ords th a t they are no t e le c tio n ee rin g agents o f R oosevelt, L a G u a rd ia and Co., b u t rea l f ig h te rs fo r the in te res ts o f the exp lo ited masses. W hen o ra to rs begin to speak the la n guage o f w o rk in g -c la ss leaders in stead o f agents o f the W h ite House, 85 per cen t w i l l come to the m ee tings and 15 per cent, co n s is tin g o f conse rva tive old men, a r is to c ra ts o f the w o rke rs , and ca ree ris ts w i l l re m a in beh ind. The masses are b e tte r, m ore dec is ive than the leaders. T he masses w a n t to fig h t. The f ig h t is h am pered by the leaders w ho lag beh in d the masses. The leaders h ide th e ir ow n indecisiveness, th e ir conse rva tism , th e ir b o u r g e o i s p re jud ices beh ind excuses th a t the masses are unprepared . T h is is now the re a l s itu a tio n .
A —T here is qu ite a lo t o f t ru th in what, you say. B u t . . . we sha ll ta lk about i t n ex t tim e..
— C rux.
THIRTEEN GREEK COMRADES JAILED
(C on tinued fro m page I)m a ltre a tm e n t is be ing used fo r th is purpose.
3,000 Im p riso n e dThe M ctaxas reg im e has a l
ready sent at: least 3,000 m ilita n ts to co n c e n tra tio n cam ps on A e gean is lands and to the ja i l at A c ro n a u p h lia , a m edieva l castle w here o u r com rade Scala ios died. A m ong these ex iles are a t least ten o f o u r comrades.
The n o to rio u s police to rtu re s inc lude ca s to r o il, h a n g ing by the feet, the b e a ting o f the soles o f feet u n t il they bleed, in s e rtio n o f sh a rp s tic k s under finge rna ils , unnam eab le to rtu re s o f g ir ls . M any a rc th ro w n o u t o f w indow s, as was o u r yo u n g com rade, T c lc-
bo r was co rro b o ra te d by both H a r ry Lun de b e rg and W ill ia m Green. F u ll p ro g ra m o f the S.U.P. as i t appeared in W E S T CO AST S A IL O R S , o ff ic ia l o rgan o f the un ion , fo llo w s :
1) A co n tinued f ig h t fo r be tte r l iv in g co n d itio ns , b e tte r q u a rte rs , f o o d and h ig h e rw ages;
2 ) .H ir in g o f a ll seamen th ru U n io n H a lls . D e fin ite and un q u a lifie d o p p os ition to f in k h a lls . . . and th is inc ludes g o ve rn m e n t h ir in g h a lls and sh ip ow ners ’ agencies fo r h ir in g seam en. W e pledge o u r com bined econom ic fo rce to re s is t th e esta b lis h m e n t o f an y o th e r than h ir in g h a lls fo r A m e rican seam en !;
3 ) . O ppos ition to a p o lic y o f t r a in in g new seamen fo r the A m e rica n M erch a n t M a r in e on G o ve rn m e n t schoo lsh ips in the face o f th e fa c t th a t thousands o f q u a lifie d bona fide A m e rica n m e rc h a n t seamen a re flo o d in g th e beaches o f th is co u n try , un able to secure e m p lo ym e n t;
4 ) .S t r ic t ly a g a in s t the a rb it ra t io n o f in te r-u n io n ju r is d ic t io n a l m a tte rs by a n y go ve rn m en t bu reau o r board, and a g a in s t th e a rb it ra t io n o f any fu n d a m e n ta l un ion d isp u te ;
5 ) . A g a in s t th e in tro d u c tio n in to tra d e u n io n a ffa irs o f e ith e r p o lit ic ia n s o r th e ir pol i t ic a l ph ilosoph ies ;
6 ) .F r ie n d ly and so lid re la tio n s w ith bona fide la b o r o rgan iza tion s on th e basis o f m u tu a l se lf-respect and self- p ro te c tio n a g a in s t p re d a to ry em p loye rs ;
7 ) .A id to a ll o th e r w o rk e rs in th e ir f ig h t aga ins t th e ir em p loyers.
M ach in e ry - fo r o rg a n iz in g on the cast coast, w here the m a jo r ity o f seamen now be long to the N a tio n a l M a r it im e U n ion (C .I.O .),
(C on tinued fro m page 1) w o rked in close coopera tion w ith a de tec tive agency. He says th a t R a y C a rlu cc i w o rked in the u n ion as a la b o r spy u nder d ire c tio n o f " In d u s tr ia l S erv ice” de tectives Jam es A. W a lsh and H a r ry J. Conner whose o ffice s a rc at 110 E ast 42nd St.. N ew Y o rk C ity . The cha rge is th a t a ll these people are em ployed by the Is th m ia n S team ship L ine , w o rk in g w ith the com p a n y ’s personnel d ire c to r , J. A . Jum p .
A n open le tte r to the La Fo l- le tte C iv il L ib e rt ie s C om m ittee ca lls fo r a th o ro u g h in ve s tig a tio n o f the s itu a tio n .
K in g In vo lve dM en tioned in Loones in d ic t
m en t a rc : A. L. Hennessey, new ly appo in ted a ss is tan t e d ito r o f the P ilo t, o f f ic ia l o rgan o f the N a tio n a l M a r it im e U n io n ; P e te r J. Inncs, Jerom e K in g and W a lte r C arney. B o th K in g and C arney w ere elected to o ffic e in the re cen t vo te taken by the un ion . K in g is n a tio n a l S ecre tary. C arney heads the deck d iv is io n .
A cco rd in g to Loone 's s ta tem en t, K in g and C arney m e t re g u la r ly w ith agents o f the sh ipow ners to discuss un ion po licy . H e te lls how he. also was invo lved , accuses H en nessey o f re ce iv in g "m oney fro m W alsh on repeated occasions; som etim es i t was g iven to me and I in tu rn w ou ld g ive i t to H ennessey.” A gen ts o f the sh ipow ne rs f ir s t became associated w ith u n ion spokesm en las t M a rch a t w h ich tim e in fo rm a tio n fro m the files o f the N a va l In te llig e n c e Service was o ffered to the g roup p u tt in g out the N .M .U . R a n k and F ile P ilo t, Loones c la im s.
W h y P aper W as P ub lishedT he paper based its e lf upon the
ju s tif ie d resen tm ent o f cast coast seamen a g a in s t the d ic ta to r ia l po lic ies pursued by the C om m un is t P a r ty leade rsh ip in the N .M . U. "A g re a t a m o u n t o f d issa tis fa c tio n was ev iden t and rum b les o f im p en d in g re v o lt w ere heard d a ily w ith in c rea s in g fo rce w h e rever sm a ll g roups o f the m em bersh ip ga the red and discussed u n ion a ffa irs ."
O r ig in a l purpose o f the ra n k and file paper was to voice the oppos ition o f the m em bersh ip to the now i n f a m o u s "T a n k e r A g re e m e n t” signed by Joseph C u rra n la s t S pring . Loones says, "T h e ag reem en t reached w ith the o il com panies w as considered by
.m an y m em bers a dangerous docum ent w h ich , i f ra tif ie d , th re a tened the ve ry existence o f the U n ion . . .”
T oo l o f O p p o rtu n is tsE xp re ss in g these g rievances
b u t fa i l in g to adopt an y c le a rly defined p ro g ra m fo r im p ro v in g co n d itio ns o f seamen, the N .M .U. R a n k and F ile P ilo t eas ily became the too l o f unscrupu lous opp o rtu n is ts in the U n ion . The s tru g g le aga ins t C.P. oppression degenerated in to a d o g -lig h t over posts and c o n tro l w ith in the
was approved by the m em bersh ip o f the S.U.P. last week. T h is was adopted in the fo rm o f “ P roposals fo r u n ific a tio n o f seam en." These proposa ls were s u b s ta n tia lly ;
1 ) . In te rn a t io n a l C h a rte r to be g ra n te d to the S a ilo rs ’ U n ion o f th e P a c ific . T he m em bersh ip o f the S a ilo rs ’ U n io n to have fu l l a u th o r ity in a d m in is te r in g the a ffa irs o f th e In te rn a t io n a l;
2 ) . A n o rg a n iz in g com m ittee to be estab lished u nder the auspices o f th e S.U.P. in conju n c t io n w ith E a s t Coast seam en and fishe rm en ;
3 ) . T e m p o ra ry d is tr ic ts o f the In te rn a t io n a l to be established on th e G u lf and A t la n t ic coasts.
4 ) . A n E m ergency B oard to be set up on th e east coast;
5 ) .T he E m e rgency B o a rd to cons is t o f tw o rep resen ta tives fro m th e S.U.P. and tw o fro m th e o ld A .F .L .-S .U .;
6) .H e a d q u a rte rs fo r th e A tla n t ic D is t r ic t to be in New' Y 'o rk ; D e tro it fo r th e Lakes ;
7) .The E m ergency B oa rd w ill opera te on th e east coast du r in g th e pe riod o f re -o rgan iza - t io n , a f te r w h ic h tim e each d is t r ic t w il be g ra n te d loca l a u to n om y. E le c tio n s sha ll l>e held fo r d is t r ic t o ff ic e rs n o t la te r th a n one ye a r a f te r g ra n t in g o f ch a rte r.W ith o rg a n iz in g m ac h in e ry set
up and w ith the m il i ta n t p ro g ra m w h ich has cha rac te rized the S a ilo rs ' U n ion o f the P a c ific since the 1934 s tr ik e on the W est coast, as a fo u n d a tio n stone, spokesmen fo r the new In te rn a t io n a l U n ion appeared con fiden t th a t they cou ld w in the a lleg iance o f a ll east coast seamen. T h e ir figh t w i l l be conducted a g a in s t the po lic y o f c o lla b o ra tin g w ith g o ve rn m ent agencies fo r re g im e n tin g seamen as now fo llo w e d b y o f f i c ia ls o f the N a tio n a l M a r it im e U n ion .
N .M .U . Loones was expelled fro m the un ion fo r e d it in g the ra n k and file paper. H e w as conven ie n tly fo rg o tte n by h is fo rm e r associates a fte r they w ere elected to o ffice .
A b o u t K in g he has the fo llo w ing to say, " (h e ) lacked the c o u rage to id e n tify h im s e lf w ith the p u b lic a tio n a lth o u g h he to o k the lead ing p a rt in the p u b lis h in g and no issue was produced w ith o u t h is in s tru c tio n s ."
K in g D enies . . .T he P ilo t, o f f ic ia l paper o f the
N .M .U .. ca rr ie d a f la t den ia l by Je rom e K in g o f a jl a llega tions a g a in s t h im . H is s ta te m e n t said in p a rt: “ A ce rta in g ro u p us ing O ctave Loones and the "R a n k and F ile P ilo t ” have a tte m p te d to in fe r th a t I have been fr ie n d ly w ith la b o r spies w o rk in g in the in te re s ts o f the opera to rs . T h is is an abso lu te lie ."
A b o u t S herm an Lem m on, now em ployed by the M a r it im e Com m iss ion and fo rm e r ly associated w ith K in g and the N M U R a n k a nd F ile P ilo t, Loones says: " I w ish to s ta te th a t I believe Sherm an Lem m on to be ig n o ra n t o f the fa c t th a t de tectives w ere in volved in th is p ic tu re and th a t to m y know ledge he had no p a rt in b e tra y in g the in te re s ts o f the m em bersh ip b u t w as h im s e lf also a v ic t im o f an a tte m p t to s lander h im .” B o th Lem m on and t h e ! C om m iss ion have a p p a re n tly decided to m a in ta in d isc ree t silence. No com m ent on the w ho le a ffa ir has come fro m th a t source as yet.
T he S ta lin is t G am eM ost c a re fu lly guarded o f a ll
op in ions expressed a f te r appea rance o f the Loones expose came fro m o ff ic ia l S ta lin is t spokesmen. T he D a ily W o rk e r (O ct. 22) ca rr ie d a s to ry in d ic a tin g th a t the C.P. was w il l in g to deal w ith Loones on th e ir te rm s. T hey state th a t i f Loones has the rea l dope "he shou ld have tu rn e d the p ro o f over to the p rope r un ion a u th o r itie s fo r ac tio n . He shou ld n o t have pub lished the p ro o f in the so-called “ R a n k and F ile P i lo t ” w h ich was the m ou thp iece fo r the u n io n -d iv id in g red -b a ite rs du r in g the un ion e lec tion pe riod ."
T h is s ta te m e n t also fo re -shad ows the fu tu re . T he S ta lin is ts in the un ion a rc de te rm in e d to c lear o u t a ll oppos ition and ru le aga in w ith a h igh hand, e xp e llin g m ili ta n t m em bers, c o lla b o ra tin g w ith the G o ve rn m e n t in its d riv e to re g im e n t seamen, and s ig n in g se ll-out agreem ents w ith the boss.
I f the s ta te m e n t by Loones can be proved, the d isc red ited leaders o f the oppos ition w hom he exposes w i l l be used as a w h ip ag a in s t a ll oppos ition g roups in the fu tu re . S in g u la r ly enough the D a ily W o rk e r has no m en tion o f the fa c t th a t the p o licy pursued by •K ing since h is e lec tion to o ffice has no t d iffe re d in any im p o rta n t respect fro m th a t advocated by the C o m m u n is t P a r ty .I f the idea o f the C.I.O . fo r a cer- [ gades.
NM U Leaders Accused As Shipowners Agents
Appeal A rm yA F e w S t il l L e f t :
O ut o f the m any e x tra th o u sands o f copies o f the W o rld Congress and A n n iv e rs a ry issue p rin te d , there are s t i l l a few h u n dred copies le f t over. Those b ranches w h ich have neglected to get "e x tra s ” on th is m a g n ifice n t issue s t i l l have the chance to do so.
N ew Y o rk C ity has disposed o f 3,000 copies o f th is issue, w ith C hicago h a n d lin g 1,000 and Los Angeles close beh ind w ith 750. P ra c t ic a lly eve ry b ra n ch to o k m ore th a n double its usual quo ta and e a rly re p o rts in d ica te successfu l sales and g re a t in te re s t d isp layed in the basic p ro g ra m o f o u r new ly founded In te rn a t io n al. Send in rep o rts o f ho w sales w e n t and w e’l l p r in t e x tra c ts in n e x t w eek's issue.
* * *
Increased Sales and Subs:W e ’re ve ry pleased to re p o rt
th a t o u r s trenuous e ffo rts o f the past few weeks (specia l a n t i-w a r issues and W orld -C ongress 12- pager) a rc b e g in n in g to have exce lle n t resu lts in the w ay o f added c irc u la tio n . T he w ay subs have been co m ing in ind ica tes th a t ou r goa l o f 50 per week m ay soon be a tta in e d . A lso, bund le o rd e r increases have been m o u n tin g s te a d ily . Each and every b ranch should now be in an, exce lle n t pos ition n o t on ly to s ta r t a s u b sc rip tio n cam pa ign (N ew Y o rk C ity is in the m id s t o f such a d rive n o w !), b u t a lso to add m an y m ore copies to its w eek ly bund le -o rde r.
* * *
N ew A d v e r t is in g M an a g e r:Bob B row ne , fo rm e r A ppeal
business m anager, has re tu rn e d to w o rk fo r us as A ppea l a d ve rt is in g m anager. W e 're espec ia lly g lad to w elcom e Bob back to the A ppeal s ta ff and k n o w he’l l be m ore than successfu l in h is w o rk . H e n c e fo rth , a ll co m m u n ica tio n s and questions re g a rd in g a d v e rtis in g (aside fro m ro u tin e b ranch announcem ents) should be ad dressed to Bob B row ne, care o f the S oc ia lis t Appeal.
B ranches w ou ld be d o in g w e ll i f they pa id some a tte n tio n to the p rob lem o f g e tt in g ads. H ow a b o u t t r y in g to get a fe w fro m stores and re s ta u ra n ts used by o u r com rades? A l i t t le e ffo rt in th is d ire c tio n w ou ld be a p p re c ia ted and be v e ry h e lp fu l to A ppea l finances.
* * *
H ere is the lis t o f new sub sc rip tions ob ta ined la s t w eek:
N E W Y O R K C IT Y ........... 10C hicago ....................... 7M assachuse tts ....................... 6C a lifo rn ia ............................... 4Seattle , W ash .......................... 3In d ia n a ......................................... 2P h ila d e lp h ia ............ 2A rka n sa s ............................... 2I l l in o is ...................................... 2D enve r ...................................... 2F o re ig n .................................... 2N ew Jersey ........................... 1
T o ta l ....................... 48* 0 *
A n d look a t th is l is t o f new and increased bund le -o rde rs !
(1) M. S apire o f Johannesburg , South A fr ic a has increased h is bundle by 6 each week. In c id c n t- ly , Johannesbu rg sells ove r 100 A ppea ls each week am ong na tive and E n g lis h w o rk e rs l iv in g in S outh A fr ic a !
(2) R ead ing has gone up to 25 pe r week.
(3) P. S co tt, w ho is e a s ily th e best a gen t C leveland has ever had, has increased h is o rd e r by 15 and now takes a to ta l o f 50 per week.
(4) John M u rp h y o f Los A n geles has jum ped a ga in b y 30!
.Jo h n now takes (and pays fo r ! ) a w e e k ly to ta l o f 215. In c id e n ta lly , John is the best lite ra tu re -a g e n t the w est coast eve r had. H e ’s to C a lifo rn ia w h a t R u th Q u crio is to P ennsy lvan ia , and anyone w ho rises to Her class is g o in g some!
(5) C. E . T a y lo r o f o u r new Seattle , W a sh in g to n b ranch , has ra ised h is o rd e r fro m 10 to 20 per week.
(6) D. T . B u rb a n k o f St. L o u is has doubled h is o rd e r by a d d in g 15.
(7) T o ro n to , Canada, takes 6 m ore, m a k in g a to ta l o f 95 pe r w eek; w h ile the Syracuse, N. Y „ Y ipse l c irc le has a new lite ra tu re - agent in H e rb L e w in w ho begins w ith a m odest 5 per week.
A ll in a ll, one o f the best bu n d le -o rde r weeks we've had in a long w h ile !
» * *
B ound -V o lum es;B ound vo lum es o f the 1937
A p p e a l w i l l be m a iled o u t th is week. W e urge m ore o rde rs ( the re are s t i l l some le f t ) and th a n k those w ho have w a ite d so p a tie n tly .
* * *
N ew Y’o rk C ity S u b sc rip tio n C am pa ign :
N ew Y o rk is in the m id s t o f a s u b sc rip tio n cam pa ign , conducted by Abe M ille r . The co n tes t is c losin g on N ovem ber 1st o f th is yea r and a p rize co n s is tin g o f 3 books ( “ N o t G u ilty , ” “ Case o f Leon T ro ts k y .” and "T h e R e vo lu tio n B e tra y e d ") w i l l be aw a rded to the one g e tt in g the m ost subs. In case o f a t ic , d u p lica te prizes w i l l be aw arded to the w in n e rs .
W ho 's in the lead, Abe?* » •
Send a ll c o n tr ib u tio n s and subs to :
S O C IA L IS T A P P E A L 116 U n iv e rs ity P lace
N ew Y o rk , N . Y .
Have You a Suppressed Desire to be Napoleon, Stalin
or Cleopatra?
Suppress It no Longer!
Come in Costume to the
HARVESTMASQUERADE
at
Irving Plaza15th Street and Irving Place
November 5th8:30 P. M.
Swing Band • Entertainment Competitions
♦
Sub.: 50g with Costume 65(t without
Auspices:Socialist Workers Party
Tickets May be Obtained at Labor Book Store
THE M A R X IS T SCHOOL116 University Place, New York City
FALL TERM ANNOUNCEMENTClasses Begin Nov. 9.
I. THE AMERICAN TRADE UNIONS B. J. Widick Mondays, 7:00 P.M— 8:30 P.M. 6 lectures, $1.00II. AFTER THE MUNICH CONFERENCE Jack Weber Mondays, 8:45 P.M.— 10:15 P.M. 6 lectures, $1.00III. LIVING MARXISM—A COURSE IN FIRST PRIN
CIPLES John G. WrightTuesdays, 7:00 P M.— 8:30 P.M. 6 sessions, $1.00IV. THE BRIDGE TO REVOLUTIONARY ACTION
A course in both theory and practice— news reporting, news writing, editorial writing, newspaper make-up, book reviewing and drama criticism. Students will be given assignments. This course will be continued next semester. Wednesday, 7:30 P.M.— 8:30 P.M. 6 sessions, $1.00
REGISTRATIONRegistration may be made either at the school office,
116 University Place, N. Y. C., between 8 P. M. and 10 P. M., or at the Labor Bookshop, 28 E. 12th Street, N. Y. C., between I P. M. and 8 P. M. Registrations can also be made by mail or by calling STuyvesant 9-0567. The school term will begin on November 9th.
OCTOBER 29, 1938 SOCISSEIST A P P E A L S
10,000 Plants Geared To Army, Navy Needs
(C on tinued fro m page 1) in A la s k a ; and a genera l ex ten sion o f m il i ta ry and n a va l centers in v ir tu a l ly a ll o f the is land possessions o f the U n ite d States.
Spy-Scare Sm okeT he p ic tu re o f th e new w a r
p re p a ra tio n s w ou ld be in no sense com ple te unless i t in c luded no tice o f the shameless spy-scare w h ich the A d m in is tra t io n is w h ip p in g up. H ere as elsewhere R ooseve lt h im s e lf has taken the lead. H is D e p a rtm e n t o f Ju s tice is h a n d lin g the fa n ta s t ic t r ia l o f the fo u r su p e r-a w kw a rd "N a z i agents” c u rre n t ly in session in N ew Y o rk . H e h im s e lf gave the c h ie f s ta te m en t on the "spy m enace” and the need o f “ adequate” steps to m eet it .
T h ro u g h the spy scare Roosev e lt is a im in g a t a nu m b e r of b ird s a t once: he seeks to ju s t i fy in the eyes o f the p u b lic th e new a p p ro p r ia tio n s fo r A rm y and N a v y ; he gets ready to sm ear w ith charges o f " tre a so n ” and " fo re ig n a g e n t" a ll opponents o f h is w a r p lans ; and he lays the basis fo r th e en la rg e m e n t o f the A rm y and N a v y In te llig e n c e Services in to a fu ll- fled g e d counter-esp ionage secre t police w h ich w o u ld have as its m a in fu n c tio n u ndercove r w o rk a g a in s t la b o r and re v o lu tio n a ry oppos ition to the w a r.
A rm a m e n ts F o r ConquestO n ly the na ive can have any
doubts a bou t the rea l perspective in R ooseve lt’s p lans. T he U n ited States is a b so lu te ly im m u n e to the p o s s ib ility o f a tta c k fro m fo re ig n na tions . F ro m a s tra te g ic p o in t o f v iew , i t s im p ly cou ld n o t be done. T h is means th a t the a rm a m en ts w h ic h R ooseve lt is b u ild in g are and can o n ly be in tended fo r use in e x te rn a l in te r v e n tio n in the co m in g w a r th a t R ooseve lt know s is on th e w ay. I t does n o t m ake a n y d iffe rence ho w o fte n he o r anyone else den ies th is in te n tio n and p ra ttle s abou t peace and “ defense.” The s tra te g ic fa c ts te ll the tru e s to ry .
In sp ite o f the w a rn in g s fro m th e past, the A m e rica n w o rke rs a rc be ing ca u g h t o ff g u a rd by the v ig o r and scale o f the Roosev e lt w a r cam pa ign , and they are be ing h a m s tru n g in e ffec tive opp o s itio n to i t by the p o lit ic a l re lia nce on R ooseve lt w h ich the Lew ises and G reens and D u b in - skys have im posed upon them .
I f res is tance to the w a r p re p a ra tio n s is to be o rgan ized, i t is now o r never. I f th e forces a- g a in s t the w a r do no t ge t in to ac tio n , the A m e rica n la b o r m ovem e n t w i l l aw ake one m o rn in g in th e n o t d is ta n t fu tu re to find i t se lf c lam ped s o lid ly in the iro n vise o f the w a r m achine.
POUM T ria l Foreshadows Munich Plan fo r Spain(C on tinued fro m page 1) i
o f th e P. O. U. M., N in was in - * ca rce ra ted in one o f the n o to r ious "p re v e n to r iu m s ” — p riv a te p risons o f the G. P. U.— and I ta ke n o u t and executed by a G. P. U. m u rd e r squad. T he S ta lin is ts s t i l l have the e ffro n te ry to repeat th a t he "m ade h is escape to fa sc is t te r r ito ry . "
A s im il ia r S ta lin is t re p o r t abou t R o v ira means th a t th a t g a lla n t fig u re is dead a t the hands o f assassins. A m an o f l i t t le th e o re tic a l equ ipm en t, a su p p o rte r o f the r ig h t w in g in the p a rty , he was, neverthe less, a fine exam ple o f a p ro le ta r ia n fig h te r. In th e successfu l s tru g g le to w ip e o u t the fa s c is t potsch in C a ta lo n ia , he w as in the fo re fro n t , and rose to be m il i ta ry com m ande r o f an a rm y d iv is io n a f te r lea d in g P. O. U. M. troops in th e v ic to r io u s assau lts w h ic h w rested M o n t e A r a g o n and E s tre ch o Q u in to f ro m th e fa scists. Seized by the G. P. U. in J u ly , 1937 we k n o w h is te rr ib le fa te .
T he section o f the in d ic tm e n t w h ic h has been pub lished in d icates a ty p ic a l S ta lin is t am a lgam . T h a t w h ic h the P. O. U. M. d id — alas, o n ly in w o rds w h ile in the m a in th e y a tta che d them selves to th e P eople ’s F ro n t, as in the ent r y o f N in in the C a ta lo n ia n c o a lit io n ca b in e t o f Septem ber 24, 1936—c r it ic is m o f th e g o ve rn m e n t and the People's F ro n t, c r it ic is m o f the S ov ie t U n io n ’s p o licy , is " l in k e d " to the u t te r ly fa lse asse rtio n th a t P. O. U. M . co lla b o ra te d w ith H it le r and M usso lin i.
T he m a in reason w h y the t r ia l , is launched a t th is m om ent, is to m ud d y the w a te rs o f u n d e rs ta n d in g o f the process w h ich led to the fo u r-p o w e r m ove aga ins t a n tifa s c is t Spain.
L ik e new born innocents , the S ta lin is ts re p o r t the fo u r-p o w e r p lan as i f i t w ere a ve rita b le th u n d e rb o lt never suspected befo re . See, fo r exam ple , the f r o n t page s to ry in the D a ily W o rk e r o f O ctober 8:
"Lon d o n , Oct. 7— D em ocra c y ’s hangm an, C ham berla in , hopes to d ra g the S panish R e p u b lic to the ga llo w s a f te r C zechoslovak ia , i t w as lea rned here to day.
"A d ia b o lic a l scheme to b lockade the S panish R epublic and fo is t a fo u r-p o w e r d ic ta to rs h ip upon the Spanish people has been devised by C h a m b e rla in 's p ro -N az i henchm en, i t w as lea rned here today.
". . . .T h is p la n —a lrea d y under d iscussion in R om e— prov ides fo r token w ith d ra w a l o f 10,000 I ta l ia n in fa n try m e n fro m Spain . . . T hen F ra n co —p ro m p te d by the fou r-p o w e rs— w o u ld show h is 'peace fu l in te n tio n ’ by p ropos ing a ‘tru c e ’ to the S panish G overnm ent.
"T h is p roposa l fo r b e tra ya l, in the B r it is h T o ry v iew , w o u ld g ive the fo u r-p o w e r lin e -up o f G erm any, B r ita in , and F ra n ce an o p p o r tu n ity to "m ed ia te ’ and a rra n g e a ‘se ttle m e n t’ . . . ”
F re sh “ R eve la tio n s ”T he S ta lin is ts p re tend to be
w ide-eyed innocents , jusL d is co v e rin g th is m onstrous business —“ i t w as learned here to d ay .” F a r fro m be ing a new p lan , ho w ever, th is has been the scheme sy s te m a tic a lly propagated by the “ g re a t dem ocracies,” E n g la n d and F rance , since th e ve ry b e g in n ing
o f the Spanish c iv i l w a r.F ro m the f ir s t the S o c ia lis t A p
peal, and before th a t o u r fo rm e r o rgan , L a b o r A c tio n in C a lifo rn ia , ra ised the c ry o f w a rn in g a g a in s t th is im p e n d in g b e tra y a l by the "g re a t dem ocracies.”
T he in te rested reader w i l l find the re le va n t m a te r ia l, docum ented, in m y “ R e vo lu tio n and C o u n te r-R e vo lu tio n in S pa in ,” w h ic h was com ple ted in O ctober, 1937. F u rth e rm o re , o u r m ovem ent, bo th here and abroad , t im e and a g a in p u t th e question to the S ta lin is ts , w h y they w ere s ile n t on the p re p a ra tion s fo r the betra y a l. w h y th e y d id n o t even com m e n t on the p la in in t im a tio n s ap p ea rin g d u r in g the la s t tw o years in the c a p ita lis t press.
T he S ta lin is ts w ere s ile n t, delib e ra te ly s ile n t. T h e y w ere s ile n t because they w ere p e rfe c tly w e ll- p repared to p e rm it the su ffocatio n o f the a n ti- fa s c is t cause in Spain, i f in re tu rn th e re w o u ld re m a in some hope o f secu rin g fo r the S ovie t U n io n a m il i ta ry a lliance w ith F ra n ce and E n g la n d .
S ta lin ’s R o leM ore th a n th a t, S ta lin d ire c t ly
co lla b o ra te d in th e p lans fo r th is b e tra ya l. T he "n o n - in te rv e n tio n ” a ppara tus , and the ag reem ent fo r w ith d ra w a l by both sides o f “ fo re ig n vo lu n te e rs " were the necessary p re -co n d itio ns fo r the com ing b e tra y a l— w h a t is to come is th a t an a rm is tic e w i l l be im posed on the p re te x t th a t i t is req u ire d in o rd e r to c a rry out the w ith d ra w a ls o f vo lun tee rs u n der the d ire c tio n o f the "n o n - in te rv e n tio n " com m ittee . T o a ll th is S ta lin agreed, as he was ready to agree to any in fa m y in re tu rn fo r a m il i ta r y a llia n ce w ith E n g land . A t the tim e, in o u r published m a te r ia l on Spain, we p o in ted o u t the fu tu re consequences o f th is b e tra ya l, and now, un fo r tu n a te ly , o u r p re d ic tio n s are com ing true .
O n ly a fe w days ago the S ta lin is t h ire lin g s in S pa in were s t i l l d isp a tch in g to the S ta lin is t press eve ryw he re cable d is pa tches ba thed in fa i th in the "g re a t dem ocracies.” “ I f th e w o r ld dem ocracies answ er th is p lea ( fo r a rm s ), Spain feels confid e n t th a t i t can p rove to the w o r ld ,” etc. etc. . . thus w ro te the D a ily W o rk e r ’s B a rce lona co rrespondent (D a ily W o rk e r, Septem be r 27, 1938).
I ’ ra v d a ’s A d m iss io nI f anyone m ig h t s t i l l believe,
in sp ite o f the obvious evidence, th a t the S ta lin is ts ’ sys te m a tic p ro p a g a tio n o f fa ith in the "w o rld dem ocracies” w as n o t conscious g u ile b u t honest obtuseness, then no te w h a t P ravda , S ta lin 's p e rsonal o rgan , has to say on O cto ber 11:
"T h e o ld B r it is h p lan o f an ‘a rm is tic e ’ betw een both sides in Spain has been taken o u t o f the a rch ives. U n d e r p re te x t o f o r g a n iz in g an a rm is tice , i t is in tended to sm ugg le in re co g n itio n o f F ra n co as a fu ll- fled g e d b e llig e re n t pow er, to ‘ lega lize ’ the ex is tence o f F ra n c o ’s puppet g o ve rn m en t.” (D a ily W o rk e r, O cto be r 12).
Betw een O ctober 7, when " i t was learned here to d a y " w h a t the B r it is h p lan was, and O ctober 11. th e p lan has become " th e old B r it is h p la n ” w h ich has now been " ta ke n o u t o f the a rch ive s .” The e xp la n a tio n fo r th is c o n tra d ic tio n is th a t th e S ta lin is t press in the w es te rn w o rld , aw are o f the d i f f ic u lt ie s o f co ve rin g up the line o f p u t t in g the fa te o f S pa in in to th e hands o f the “ g re a t democ-
DEFENSE GROUP ORGANIZED FOR G.P.U. V I C T I MBlackwell Committee Is Rep
resentativeN E W Y O R K . — S m a s h i n g
th ro u g h the iro n r in g o f o ff ic ia l s ilence th a t has shrouded the p lig h t o f R usse ll N eg re te B la c k - w e ll fo r m onths, and to save h im fro m the fa te th a t o ve rto o k A n dres N in w ho was assassinated by agents o f the G.P.U., a broad defense co m m itte e has been o rganized to push h is case in to the open w here the aroused in d ig n a tio n and p u b lic protest, o f the A m e rica n w o rk in g class w i l l fo rce h is release.
B la c k w e ll is the 34-year old A m e ric a n m il i ta n t , w h o w e n t to Spain tw o years ago to he lp f ig h t fo r S oc ia lism and w ho has tw ice been a rres ted by the ’Secret Po lice .
A m o n g the m em bers o f the C om m ittee are A n ita B re n n e r, Ex. Sec'y, M . O lay, A m e rica n rep rese n ta tive o f the C .N .T., Jam es Oneal, C arlo T resca, Jam es P. Cannon, John C h a m b e rla in , Jas. T . F a rre ll, S idney H ook , and o thers.
T w ice A rres te d
B la ckw e ll, a rres ted last M ay, was released fro m a M a d r id p r is on on J u ly 26. H e was placed aboard a B r it is h vessel in V a len c ia h a rb o r on Aug. 1 scheduled to take h im to sa fe ty o f M arse illes and then home. H e was snatched by the Secret P o lice beh ind the back o f the A m e rica n Consu l in to whose custody he had been re leased fo r re p a tr ia tio n . H e has been he ld ever since.
E ig h t tendencies in the A m e rican labo r m ovem en t a rc rep re sented on the C om m ittee : The Soc ia lis t W o rk e rs P a r ty , Socia l D e m o c ra tic B’ede ra tion , Independen t L a b o r League, 11 M a rte llo G roup, C hallenge. P ro le ta r ia n G roup, R e v o lu tio n a ry W o rk e rs League and League fo r a R evo lu t io n a ry W o rk e rs P a r ty . The perm anent A m e rica n rep rese n ta tive o f the C .N .T. has jo in e d the Comm itte e and pledged the su p p ort o f h is o rg a n iza tio n in Spain.
Sirovy, ‘Friend’ O f Moscow, Outlaws C.P.
Social Democrats and Union Leaders Join in Craven Capitulation to Pro-
Hitler RegimeB y W . K E L L E R
T he re g im e n ta tio n o f the C zechoslovakian la b o r m ovem ent by the new a u th o r ita r ia n reg im e is a p p ro a ch in g com p le tion . The spontaneous a tte m p ts o f the Czech w o rk e rs to u n ify th e ir fo rces fo r res is tance a g a in s t the F asc is t re o r ie n ta tio n have fa iled . The S ta lin is ts and re fo rm is t leaders a rc de te rm ined 1o d r in k the b it te r cup to the las t drop.
The Czech Socia l D em ocra tic P a r ty has o f f ic ia l ly abandoned the Second In te rn a t io n a l in o rd e r to w in the to le ra tio n o f H it le r . T he re fo rm is t trad e u n io n leaders have taken a s im ila r decision. J o in t ly w ith th e trade un ions o f the Benes p a r ty they have m erged w ith the com pany un ions o f the A g ra r ia n s , C a tho lics , and Fascis ts . The f irs t ac t o f th e u n ite d un ions w as to endorse the com pu lso ry la b o r serv ice o rdered by the m il i ta ry d ic ta to r ship.
C.P. D isso lvedA t the same tim e the P rague
g ove rnm en t, fo llo w in g the exam ple o f the S lovak gove rnm en t, has o rdered the d isso lu tio n o f the C o m m u n is t P a r ty in B ohem ia and M o ra v ia and the suspension o f its e n tire press and the cance lla tio n o f th e ir p a r lia m e n ta ry m andates. P r io r to th is G. E . R . Gedye, the T im es co rresponden t w ho has been so p a rt ia l to the S ta lin is ts , had repo rted the v o lu n ta ry cessatio n o f a ll a c t iv ity by the Com m u n is t P a r ty on the o rde rs o f its leaders, G o ttw a ld and K ope t- sky. These tw o ve rs ions a re no t a t a ll c o n tra d ic to ry . T he y fu l ly com p lem en t each o ther.
The s itu a tio n is c lea r as a bell. The P rague g o ve rn m e n t is eager to adap t its e lf to its F asc is t ne ighbor. A t the same tim e i t is com pelled to avo id a n y th in g w h ich w ou ld d is ru p t “ in te rn a l peace” and p ro v id e a p re te x t fo r m il i ta ry in te rv e n tio n b y G erm any, P o land , and H u n g a ry . I t th e re fo re u tiliz e s th e a id o f the S ta lin is t and re fo rm is t bu reau cracies, w h ich a re tre m b lin g fo r th e ir lives and th e ir positions, in
o rd e r to lace the w o rk e rs in to the F asc is t s tra it- ja c k e t.. H a v in g secured th e p u b lic p rom ise o f the S ta lin is t leaders to sacrifice the la b o r m ovem ent on the a lta r o f the F a th e r la n d , i t cou ld sa fe ly o u tla w the C o m m u n is t P a rty .
P e rfid io u s B e tra y a l T he h is to ry o f th e la b o r m ove
m e n t is fille d w ith be tra ya ls by bu re a u c ra ts w h o have a liena ted them selves fro m th e ir ow n class. B u t the e xp lo its o f the Czech S ta lin is t leaders in the dom a in o f p e rfid y and tre a ch e ry c e rta in ly ra n k w ith an y th a t have ever gone before . In 1933 the dem oc ra t ic g o ve rn m e n t o f P rague u n de r P re s id e n t M a s a ry k accused the S ta lin is t leaders o f “ h ig h treason and espionage in b e h a lf o f a hos tile s ta te " (the U.S.S.R., G o ttw a ld and K o p e ts k y fled to Moscow. T here th e y helped to c rush a ll voices o f o p pos ition in the C o m in te rn a f te r the G erm an de fea t, tenac ious ly m a in ta in in g the th e o ry o f "soc ia l fa sc ism ." A t the end o f 1935 th e y re tu rn e d tr iu m p h a n tly w ith th e People ’s F ro n t thesis fo r th e ir n e w ly -d is covered " fa th e r la n d .”
T h ro u g h th e S ov ie t E m bassy in P rague th e y had ob ta ined p ro m ise o f im m u n ity in re tu rn fo r d ru m m in g up the vo te fo r Benes, then ru n n in g fo r p res iden t. She ltered by the bourgeo is police, they fo rced the w o rk e rs to renounce the class s tru g g le in fa v o r o f the ro tte n d e m o cra tic reg im e o f Czech im p e ria lis m . In o rde r to "d e fe n d " th e S ov ie t U n ion , th e y became a rd e n t p a tr io ts o f the c a p ita lis t repub lic .
“ S ocia l F asc ism ” R e in ca rn a te N o w they have proved th a t fo r
them , as fo r a ll genu ine p a trio ts , i t is the fa th e r la n d , “ r ig h t or w ro n g ,” regard less o f its p o lit ic a l reg im e. To a vo id h a m p e rin g the Czech c a p ita lis ts and to save th e ir ow n sk ins , th e y a rc v o lu n ta r i ly coo p era tin g w ith Gen. S iro vy , th e dem ocra t o f yeste rday and the fa s c is t o f today, in b r in g in g a b o u t the d isso lu tio n o f the la b o r m ovem ent. Indeed, i f “ soc ia l fa sc ism ” has ever re a lly existed, i t is in c a rn a te in the leaders o f
GPU Odors Spread from Spy Trial(C ontinued fro m page 1)
type, w ith h e ld open support. I n deed, a N e w Y o rk G rand J u ry in - •diated tw o S ta lin is ts , Messrs. S h a rfin and G arbe r, in connection w ith the R ob inson-R ubens passp o rt fra u d .
T he U. S. A tto rn e y had a chance to conduc t an in v e s tig a tio n and t r ia l w h ich w ou ld have exposed some o f the re a c tio n a ry a n ti- la b o r fra m e -u p m a ch in a tio n s o f the G. P. U. H e chose to igno re the chance, and p igeonholed the G. P. U. case. In the N a z i case, he ordered an e labo ra te and costly in v e s tig a tio n , and b ro u g h t the persons in d ic te d a f te r S ha rfin and G a rbe r to t r ia l .
W h a t does th is t r ia l show ?W hat. T r ia l Rbvcals
I t shows, o f course, th a t the N azis seek to co n d uc t m il i ta ry espionage. B u t i t does n o t show th a t such espionage is clever, serio u s o r successful. The p lans o f the "sp y ,” R u m ric h , have been labeled by every re p o rte r as “lu d ic ro u s ,” " fa n ta s t ic ,” “ in c re d ib le ,” etc., etc.
Indeed, one m ay say th a t i f Congress w ere to base its a tt itu d e so le ly on w h a t th is t r ia l proves con ce rn in g the espionage conducted by the de fendan ts now in co u rt, in c lu d in g th e one w ho tu rn e d S ta te 's evidence, i t w ou ld be ju s tif ie d in re fu s in g to a p p ro p ria te a penny fo r coun te r-esp ionage aga ins t an o rg a n iza tio n w h ic h sets a reco rd fo r b u n g lin g and incom petence. B u t the gove rn m e n t is la b o rin g to g e t ju r y and p u b lic to ta ke the case ser io u s ly , and it has the a id o f the 1-Iearst and o th e r m il i ta r is t ic sheets.
C re a tin g Spy ScareThe g o v e rn m e n t’s m a in a im is
to crea te a genera l spy-scare, no t so m uch to ju s t i fy a coun te r-spy budget, a re la t iv e ly sm a ll ite m w h ic h i t cou ld w heedle fro m Congress on genera l p rinc ip les , but. to in f la te genera l m il i ta ry p ropaganda and create a bellicose p u b lic m ind , fa c i l i ta t in g an easy
rac ies ,” had to pre tend na ive su rp rise a t the B r it is h p la n : w h ile “ P ra v d a ” . w r i t in g fo r the bu reauc ra ts in the U. S. S. R . and com p le te ly con tem p tuous o f the R ussian masses, c y n ic a lly re fe rre d to the p rev ious know ledge w h ich the R uss ian b u reaucracy and the C o m in te rn a p p a ra tu s had been in possession o f a l l a long conce rn ing the A n g lo -F re n c h -lta lo -G c rm a n p lan.
T h is know ledge, c r im in a lly concealed w h ile the w o rk e rs o f the w o r ld w ere ta u g h t by S ta lin to p u t the fa te o f S pa in and the fa te o f the w o r ld w o rk in g c lass-in the hands o f the "g re a t dem ocrac ies ,” S ta lin now seeks to obscure. to m uddy over, by o rg a n iz in g a t th is tim e the t r ia l o f the P. O. U. M . w o rk e rs in B arce lona.
tra n s it io n to such an a n ti-a lie n , a n ti- ra d ic a l d r iv e as fe a tu re d the las t w ar.
T h a t is w hy, on the eve o f th is t r ia l, the P re s id e n t announced th a t the c o u n try is fu l l o f spies, a statem ent, w h ic h lia s iieen ca lled to th e a tte n t io n o f e ve ry ju r o r in th e box a t th e N az i spy t r ia l . A l l th is is e le m e n ta ry : the N. Y. W o rld -T e le g ra m , fo r e x a m p l e , cha rac te rized the p resen t t r ia l as a "d e m o n s tra tio n .”
I t is n o t s u rp r is in g th a t the p rosecu to r shou ld have chosen a m il i ta ry spy case a g a in s t the N az i gove rnm en t, ra th e r th a n a la b o r spy case a g a in s t the G.P.U. T h is s e rv a n t o f U. S. m il i ta ry po licy has n o t h i n g in p rin c ip le a g a in s t G.P.U. a n ti- la b o r and a n t ira d ic a l espionage and fram e-ups.
A n Im p o r ta n t AspectT he re is one aspect o f the t r ia l
w h ich is becom ing in c re a s in g ly p ro m in e n t. As H e rb e r t Solow po in ted o u t in an a r t ic le in the N ew Leade r la s t week, .the p rese n t t r ia l has uncovered no e ffe c tive N azi espionage aga ins t the A m e rica n m il i ta ry es ta b lish m ent, b u t i t has con ta ined several re ferences to a lleged ly successful N az i espionage d irec ted aga ins t the S ov ie t U n ion. T h is was fu r th e r emphasized by M oscow 's reactions to the t r ia l.
The N ew Y o rk T im e s o f O ct. 22 rep o rte d the t r ia l be ing fo llow ed "w ith g re a t in te re s t” in Moscow, "because j t is held to p rove . . . th a t G e rm any has sow n the Sovie t U n ion and o th e r co u n trie s w ith spies. S ov ie t com m en ta to rs l in k G e r m a n espionage w ith T ro ts k y is ts .” The d isp a tch added th a t "s ig n ifican ce is seen in the fa c t th a t the N ew Y o rk t r ia l is o c c u r r i n g s im u ltan e o u s ly w ith the t r ia l o f an a lleged T ro ts k y is t g ro u p in B a rce lo n a on charges o f be ing agents o f G e rm a n -Ita lia n Fascis ts . P ra vd a says: "B o th t r i a ls i llu s tra te the w o rk and m e th ods o f F asc is t in te llig e n ce se rv ices and t h e i r fo u l T ro ts k y is t agents."
The D a ily W o rk e r fea tu res an a r t ic le re ta il in g M oscow 's com m ents u n d e r a b ig head: "P R A V D A L IN K S SPY T R IA L S W IT H B A R C E L O N A C A S E .” T here is. says S ta lin ’s N e w Y o rk rag , "an o rg a n ic connec tion .”
E n te r the G.P.U.I t begins to appear as though
ce rta in aspects o f th is t r ia l w ere r igged in advance to serve th is v e ry end. T h is t r ia l , c o n tr ib u t in g l i t t le indeed to a know ledge o f le a l N a z i espionage, is be ing staged fo r the benefit o f m il i ta r is t p ropaganda. B u t a t the same tim e i t begins to look as i f the G .P.U . had som ehow succeeded in h itc h in g its caboose to the U.S. A tto rn e y 's tra in .
The p o s s ib ility o f such a com b in a tio n is rea l. R u m ric h , the
d e fen d a n t w ho has tu rn e d s ta te ’s evidence a f te r p lead ing g u ilty , a d m itte d , u n d e r cross-exam ina tio n , th a t he established con tac ts w ith the G erm an espionage se rvice so le ly in o rd e r to tra p G erm an agents and thus w in fo rg iveness fo r h a v in g deserted fro m the A m e rica n a rm y.
Some C u rious F ac ts He w as a rres ted la s t yea r in the
m id s t o f the hu lla b a loo a bou t the R ob inson-R ubens ease, w h ile posin g as an A m e ric a n U nder-S ecreta ry o f S ta te in a c lum sy "e ffo r t ” to get b la n k passports fo r use in R ussia . H e d id n o t come to t r ia l u n t i l he had spent some tim e in "a G o ve rn o r’s Is la n d dungeon." He has a d m itte d th a t he consu lts d a ily , d u r in g the t r ia l , w ith the p rosecu to r. H e has never been tr ie d as a deserter. On the stand he cha rac te rize d h is b ro th e r as “ a l i t t le rou g h n e ck and a ty p ic a l l i t t le N a z i.” He has used such c o lo r fu l phrases as “ p a tr io t is m is an a b s tra c t co ncep tion ” and such w o rds as " id e o lo g y ."
U n d e r c ross -e xa m ina tio n he has ca lled h im s e lf a p a t r i o t and A m e rica n coun te r-spy — a f t e r sw e a ring fo r fo u r days under d ire c t e xa m in a tio n by M r. D u n ig a n th a t he is a G erm an spy. In an sw er to a question by the judge, he has answ ered th a t i f he had ever g o tten h is hands on an y ser io u s m il i ta r y secrets, u n lik e such “ ju n k " w h ic h he fo u nd in h is pho to a lbum , he w o u ld never have tu rn e d i t ove r to the G e rmans.
W h o Is R u m ric h ?W h o is R um rich-? W h y is he
con fessing? W h a t is h is confes s ion w o rth ?
L ik e a bom bshe ll a t T uesday ’s session, M r. B. M a tth e w s , w a r-t im e p rosecu to r o f G erm an spies and now gove rnm e n t-a p p o in te d counsel fo r the d e fendan t -E rich G la ser, asked R u m ric h :
"D id you eve r in p o lit ic a l d is cussion de fend th e C o m m u n is t p o s itio n ? ”
“ Yes, I d id ,” answ ered R u m ric h . “ D id you do th a t in a d iscus
s ion w ith a M r. B a u e r? ”“ Yes,” w as th e rep ly .“ D id yo u have a n y d iscussions
w ith an y o th e r people?”“ W ith some.”“ W h o w ere th e y ? ”“ I ’d r a t h e r n o t g ive t-lie ir
nam es,” R u m ric h answ ered.In the m id s t o f th is co lloquy,
the p rosecu tion ob jec ted to the lin e o f M r. M a tth e w s ’ ques tion ing , b u t the judge dec la red th a t i t was pe rm iss ib le . R u m r i c h h im s e lf tu rn e d to th e judge and sa id th a t he d id n o t th in k i t was p ro p e r o f M r. M atthetVs to ask h im about p o lit ic a l d i s c u s s i o n s , b u t the judge in s tru c te d h im to answ er w h ich he d id a f te r some hes ita tion , M r. M a tthew s, w ho has been ch a ra c te rize d by th e D a ily W o rk -
th e Czech C o m m u n is t P a rty .H b$r 36 S ta lin -D im it fo v e xp la in
th is c a ta s tro p h ic tu rn o f a ffa irs? As a t eve ry decis ive m om e n t fo r th e in te rn a t io n a l w o rk in g class, S ta lin rem a in s m ute . A s fo r D im it ro v —i f he is s t i l l a liv e — th e b u lle ts o f th e G.P.U. w i l l assure h is silence.
G o ld F in d s A F a rm e rB u t the leaders o f S ta lin is m in
E u ro p e and th e U n ite d States ca n n o t as e as ily re m a in s ile n t. T hey ca n n o t s tif le the doubts and questions o f th e ir fo llo w e rs . W a itin g fo r an answ er fro m the K re m lin , they are m a rk in g tim e and are s ta m m e rin g in em barass- m ent. M r. M ich ae l Gold, o rac le o f the D a ily W o rk e r, p rescribed a hom em ade rem edy. A f te r the M u n ic h deal he advised h is readers to re t ire in to the id y l l ic so litu d e o f the c o u n try and to " fo r ge t.”
Since S ta lin rem a ined s tu b b o rn ly qu ie t, th e ru s t ic M r. G old p re sents us n o w w ith a new “ lin e ” th ro u g h the m o u th o f a "c e rta in ch icke n fa rm e r . . . w ho m anages to keep a sh rew d and d ilig e n t eye cocked on the cockeyed w o r ld ,” Said th is fa rm e r: “ T here w e re also Czechoslovak leaders w ho sold o u t th e ir ow n people.”
T h ro u g h the in s p ira tio n o f h is new p o lit ic a l m en to r a beam o f l ig h t has pene tra ted the c h icke n lik e b ra in o f M r. G old. H e has d iscove red : "T h e o v e rth ro w o f H it le r is so m e th in g no re a c tio n a ry w a n ts — fo r i t m ig h t shake w o r ld c a p ita lis m to its a lready ro tte n core. T he upper classes neve r have been p a tr io t ic . . . th e y have a lw a ys placed class in te re s ts above th e n a tio n ."
C onc lus ion A vo idedH ere M r. G old stops. H e canno t
go fu r th e r because he w o u ld have to recognize the fa ls ity andtrea ch e ry o f the People ’s F ro n t po licy , w h ich harnesses the w o rk in g masses to the c h a r io t o f the "u p p e r classes.” B u t the w o rke rs and fa rm e rs w ho have beenduped and be trayed by the Golds and B row de rs , the S ta lin s andD im itro v s , m u s t fo llo w these h a lf confessions to th e ir lo g ic a l conc lus ion .
As long as the “ upper classes” have th e w e a lth o f the n a tio n , they w i l l also have the upperhand in the a ffa irs o f the sta te . I t w as th e y w ho decided u n t i l yeste rday, as they decide today, the po lic ies o f C zechoslovakia . The g ove rnm en ts o f “ d e m o c ra tic ” B r ita in , F ra n ce and the U. S. eq u a lly serve th e in te re s ts o f th e ir respective “ upper classes."
The in te re s ts o f these upper classes—we agree re a d ily w ith M r. G o ld—have n o th in g in com m on w ith the in te re s ts o f the rea l n a tio n , i. c., w ith the e xp lo ited masses. T h e ir w a rs and th e ir “ peace” a re de te rm ined n o t by th e needs o f m a n k in d b u t by th e ir ow n p ro fits .
The Real C o n flic tThe m a in tenance and b ro a d
e n in g o f d e m o cra tic r ig h ts o f the w o rk e rs and fa rm e rs and th e ir f in a l lib e ra tio n w i l l be possible o n ly th ro u g h the cons is tent un d e rs ta n d in g o f the ir re co n c ila b le c o n flic t between th e ir in te re s ts and those o f th e "u p p e r classes” — th a t is, th e c a p ita lis t reg im es o f a ll coun tries .
I t is possib le o n ly th ro u g h p u rg in g the body o f the w o rk in g class o f the S ta lin is t poison th a t has penetra ted it.
e r as n o t h a v in g "h is h e a rt in the defense," dropped the sub ject.
A n d M a tth e w s?I t is in te re s tin g th a t M r. M a tt
hews, in h is open ing address to the ju ry , expressly d issocia ted h im s e lf fro m the lin e o f defense o f the tw o o th e r defense law yers, bo th o f w hom are rum o red to have o ff ic ia l G erm an back in g . W here h is h e a rt is, rem a in s to be seen.
M r. M a tth e w s h im s e lf has denied in the c o u rtro o m th a t he sees an y connection between the p resen t case and th e R ob inson- R ubens case. H is den ia l cam e in response to an o b je c tio n ra ised by the p rosecu tion a g a in s t a quest io n M a tth e w s p u t to th e confessed spy. H e asked R u m ric h w h e th e r he had been rea d in g the s to ries a b o u t the expose o f the R ob inson-R ubens passp ort fra u d r in g e a rly th is yea r a t the tim e R u m ric h a tte m p te d h is fa rc ia l passport coup.
H e Read th e PapersT he p rosecu tion ob jected to the
question on th e g rounds th a t i t was im m a te r ia l unless M a tth e w s f ir s t established th a t the R o b in son case is re la ted to the p resen t case. M a tth e w s declared th a t he m akes no such connection , b u t th a t he th o u g h t the question ju s t if ie d on o th e r g rounds. T he judge a llow ed th e question and R u m r ic h rep lied th a t he had been re a d in g the papers a t th e tim e b u t w e n t ahead w ith h is scheme an y w ay. M a tth e w s asked h im i f he then th o u g h t th a t w as a good tim e to t r y a passport fra u d and R u m ric h answ ered s im p ly th a t he tr ie d it.
To sum m arize :1. T h is t r ia l has been staged by
a p rosecu to r w h o chose i t as opposed to th e R o b i n s o n - R ubens case.
2. T h is t r ia l has revealed m uch m ore re a lis tic a n t i-S ta lin esp ionage w o rk b y N az is th a n i t has a n ti-A m e r ic a n espionage w o rk by Nazis.
3. T h is ( r ia l is h a ile d w it l i glee b y S ta lin ’s press in Russia and here.
4. In v o lv e d in th is t r ia l is a
Kuomintang Gives UpVital W ar Positions
(C ontinued fro m page 1)N o t a plane, n o t a gu n came
fro m C h ia n g to a id in C an ton 's defense. Gen. Y u H an-m ou , le f t in und ispu ted com m and a t C anton, had ach ieved that, p o s itio n in 1936 by a ju d ic io u s b e tra y a l o f h is p rev ious supe rio r, Gen. Chen C h i-tan g . T h a t he had sold o u t to the Japanese, w ith the p roba ble conn ivance o f the B r it is h , the re can now be l i t t le doubt. O th e rw ise the Japanese w ou ld never have a tte m p te d the a tta c k w ith so sm a ll a fo rce , vu ln e ra b le to d e v a s ta tin g f la n k in g a tta c k s th ro u g h its 125-mile m a rch in la n d fro m the sea.
B r it is h C onn ivanceThe Japanese, as usua l, chose
th e ir m om e n t to invade South C h in a w ith an eye and ea r cocked to the E u ropean s itu a tio n . I t w as c lea r th a t B r ita in w ou ld do n o th in g to defend its “ sphere o f in fluence" in S outh C h ina , econom ic a lly dom ina ted by H o n g K ong , except to m ake the best possible a rra n g e m e n t th ro u g h n e g o tia tio n . L o n g -d ra w n o u t h o s tilit ie s w ou ld have p ro longed the p a ra ly s is o f H o n g K o n g . T h a t is w h y i t is n o t h a rd to see the fine E n g lis h hand in the C anton deal.
T he Japanese w ere p o s itive ly p u n c tilio u s in th e ir rega rd fo r H o n g K o n g 's te r r i to r ia l b ound a ries and the B r it is h a u th o r it ie s the re w ere co rre sp o n d in g ly w a rm in th e ir p ra ise o f the conduc t o f the Japanese forces. W h a t a l l th is means is th a t the Japanese have ta ke n C anton as a basis fo r b a rg a in in g w ith the B r it is h in the n e g o tia tio n s n ow in progress.
T asks That. R e m a inThe fa l l o f C an ton and H a n k o w
m eans the end o f p o s itio n a l w a r fa re a long c le a rly defined fro n ts . In the w este rn p rov inces, H u n a n , K w e ich o w , Szechwan, and in the n o rth w e s t in Shensi, re g io n a l Chinese c o n tro l w i l l con tinue . B u t
th e re a l b a t t le fro n t now becomes a ll o f C h in a n o m in a lly u n d e r the Japanese flag. The T o k y o free boo te rs dare n o t y e t co lo r th e ir m aps solid .
T hey ho ld o n ly the ra ilro a d s and r iv e rs . T he c o u n trys id e is by no m eans th e irs . T h is has been and rem a in s the basis fo r the hope and c o n v ic tio n th a t Japdn, w h a te ve r the sweep o f its a p p a re n t v ic to rie s , is doomed to u lt im ate d e fea t in its w ho le C h in a adven tu re .
B u t th a t th is shou ld be so re q u ire s a sh a rp tu rn f ro m the po lic ies o f res is tance d ire c te d by C h iang K a i-sh e k and h is fe llo w - genera ls . T he ex-C om m un is t E ig h th R ou te A rm y has been fo rced to re m a in b o ttle d u p in Shansi. C h ia n g re fused to le t i t ta k e its p lace on the v i ta l Cent r a l C h ina fro n t. The C o m m u n is t P a r ty leaders de fe rre d in th is , as in a ll th in g s , to the a ll-m ig h ty genera liss im o .
Masses V ic tim iz e dThe masses o f the people— de
sp ite a l l the fa n fa re a b o u t m o b iliz a tio n b roadcas t ab road b y the S ta lin is ts — have been le ft, th e helpless, hapless v ic t im s o f the w a r. T h a t is w h y the de fea ts and th e losses have been so heavy.
B e ca u se .fo r the masses th e w a r a g a in s t the inva d e rs has n o t been id e n tifie d w ith the w a r in th e ir ow n in te re s ts as w o rk e rs and peasants, th e y have rem a ined in la rge p a r t passive. F reed o f th e v ise o f C h ia n g ’s d ic ta to rs h ip , aroused by th e m ost v igo ro u s cam p a ig n o f a rm in g and o rg a n iza tio n , th e ir energ ies d irec te d a- g a in s t the im p o s itio n s o f th e h a ted fo re ig n in va d e r and a g a in s t the n a tiv e e xp lo ite r, the w o rk e rs and peasants can a lone tu rn th e tide , can alone m ake the va s t va lleys o f C h in a too h o t fo r th e in va d e rs to hold.
New Expulsion Wave in Stalinist Youth Ranks
In th e ir f r a n t ic a tte m p t to lin e i up the m em bersh ip o f the Y oung C o m m u n is t League beh ind the * R ooseve lt-N ew D ea l w a r m ach ine , the leadersh ip o f the Y .C .L . is m ee tin g s tro n g res is tance fro m g ro w in g sections o f the ra n k and file . In the la s t fe w m on th s sighs o f mass d isco n ten t w ith the soc ia l-p a tr io t ic lin e o f "c o lle c tive s e c u r ity " have been seen. F ro m N ew Y o rk to C a lifo rn ia , and p o in ts n o rth and sou th , m ilita n ts o f long s ta n d in g in the Y .C .L. a rc be ing b u re a u c ra tic a lly expelled.
In N ew Y o rk C ity the num ber o f expu ls ions is la rges t. In the past fe w weeks the p re s id e n t o f the F o r t W a sh in g ton B ra n ch , E d w a rd Ja ffe , and the E d u c a tio n a l D ire c to r , H e rb e r t G a rfin ke l, have been expe lled fo r “ T ro ts k y is m .” W hen asked fo r a s ta te m e n t on th e ir expu ls ions, Ja ffe and G ar- fm ke l had the. fo llo w in g to say:
R e fused to Be. P a tr io ts"A lth o u g h we w ere bo th m em
bers o f the League fo r tw o years, and held responsib le positions, i t d id n 't ta ke us v e ry lo n g to see w here B r o w d e r and C om pany w ere l e a d i n g the P a r ty and League m em bersh ip .
“ W e became convinced o f the com ple te b a n k ru p tc y o f th e Com m u n is t P a r ty and Y o u n g C om m u n is t League w hen, a t the s ta r t o f the L e n in M e m o ria l M ee ting in M adison Square G arden, the S ta r Spangled B a n n e r led the w ay. W e re fused to r ise and s in g it . W c had too m uch respect fo r L e n in to do th a t. A t its co n c lu sion we ra ised o u r clenched fis ts and shouted "R ed F ro n t. ” A sudden m u r m u r w as heard a ll a ro u n d us, and severa l P a r ty m em bers s h o u t e d ‘T h ro w o u t those d i r t y T ro ts k y itc s . ’ W e th o u g h t w c had come to a m eetin g to h onor L e n in , b u t we soon learned d if fe re n t.”
Jo ined Y .P .S .L .Ja ffe and G a rfin k e l sa id th a t
they were happy to jo in the Y o u n g P eople ’s Socialist. League, a ff il ia te d to th e F o u r th In te rn a t io n a l, because “ th a t w as the o n ly yo u th o rg a n iza tio n in the c o u n try w h ic h in h e rite d the best t r a d itio n s o f the C o m m u n i s t and Y o u n g C o m m u n is t In te rn a t io n a ls — the s tru g g le fo r the w o r ld p ro le ta r ia n re v o lu tio n . W e have saved o u r re v o lu tio n a ry h o n o r and in te g r ity by jo in in g th e ra n k s o f the F o u r th In te rn a t io n a l.”
In the Ben L c id e r B ra n ch , in
"confessed spy,” w h o is a lso a confessed coun te r-spy , arid w h o has re lu c ta n t ly confessed th a t lie lia s on occasion a r gued p o lit ic s p r iv a te ly fro m a C o m m u n is t v ie w p o in t, and w h o looks no m ore lik e a N a zi spy th a n V is h in s k y , K res- t in s k y , B u k h a r in , R o m m o r a n y o f the o th e r a c to rs in th e M oscow trea so n tr ia ls .
5. S ta lin h im s e lf lin k s th is t r ia l to t i le fra m e -u p t r ia l in B a r celona an d h is ow n “ dem ons tra t io n s ” in M oscow.
One m ay sa fe ly say th a t a sensa tion is in s to re .
the B ro n x , tw o o f the m os t a c tive m em bers w ere expe lled fo r re fu s in g to s w a llo w the re a c tio n a ry P eople ’s F ro n t and D em oc ra t ic F ro n t po lic ies o f th e Y .C .L . H a ro ld B u r t and M . W o lf, th e expelled m em bers, s ta ted :
“ W e tr ie d to conv ince ourse lves th a t th e present; o p p o r tu n is t p o licies o f ( lie Y .C .L . w ere m ere te m p o ra ry m aneuvers, designed to b lu ff the bourgeo is ie , a n d th a t a f te r a w h ile th e P a r ty w o u ld tu rn le ft. B u t we a re n o w com p le te ly c e rta in th a t th e C om m un is t P a r ty has sun k so deeply in to th e m ire o f re fo rm is m , th a t i t can n e ve r a g a in re tu rn to th e p a th o f M a rx and L e n in .
A F resh S ta r t"T h e People ’s F ro n t in Spain,
F rance , and e l s e w h e r e , have b ro u g h t to the w o rk e rs de fea t a f te r de fea t. T he o n ly m ovem ent w h ic h o ffe rs the w o rk e rs a p ro g ra m o f re v o lu tio n a ry s tru g g le a g a in s t im p e r ia lis t w a r and fa s c ism is the F o u r th In te rn a t io n a l; w o r ld p a rty o f the p ro le ta r ia t! re v o lu tio n . W c have no reg re ts a t ou r expu ls ion fro m the Y .C .L. In the Y o u n g People 's S o c ia lis t League we are able to b rea the the f ie s h a ir o f re v o lu tio n a ry soc ia lism .”
In the C ity College B ra n c h o f the Y.C .L., fro m w h ic h n o t a fe w m em bers have been expe lled in the past fo r T ro ts k y is m , A1 L in - dcn fe ld announced h is re s ig n a tio n th is week. L in d e n fe ld expressed h is com p le te d isg u s t w ith th e c o u n te r-re v o lu tio n a ry po lic ies o f S ta lin ism .
" A f te r th e m u rd e rs o f the O ld B o lsh e v iks in M oscow, I w as Certa in th a t S ta lin w as headed to w a rds one th in g : the com ple te d e s tru c tio n o f a l l the conquests o f the O ctober R e v o lu tio n ,” he said. " I was c e rta in , no w m ore than ever, th a t the b iggest ob stac le to w a rd s th e defense o f the S ov ie t U n ion is the d e fu n c t Com in te rn , w h ic h , in its process o f p u tre fa c tio n , is p o i s o n i n g th e clean w e ll o f th e w o rk in g class. F o r th a t reason I b re a k w ith S ta lin is m and jo in the o n ly fo rce w h ic h has th e re a l p ro g ra m capr able o f m o b iliz in g the w o rk e rs i l l defense o f th e S ov ie t U n io n — the F o u r th In te rn a t io n a l.”
A ppea l to Y C L e rsE x p u l s i o n s have a lso ta ke n
place in the H u n ts P o in t and M i l t Y o u n g B r a n c h e s in th e B ro n x , as w e ll as num erous o th e r b ranches in the c ity . A fo rrilfe r m em ber o f th e N e w Y o rk S ta te C om m ittee o f the Y .C .L., D ave D av idson , has been expe lled fo r T ro ts k y is m .
T he Y o u n g People 's S oc ia lis t League . (F o u r th In te rn a t io n a lis ts ) appeals to a ll Y .C .Lers w ho believe in the teach ings o f M ttfx and L e n in : B re a k w ith the co rr r u p t m ach ine o f S ta lin ism , fee- w are o f the B ro w d e rs and G reens w ho w a n t to d ra g you in to ano th e r w a r “ fo r dem ocracy.” J o in the re v o lu tio n a ry m ovem ent, u n der the red banner o f the F o u rth In te rn a t io n a l.
S O C I A L I S T A P P E A L OCTOBER 29, 1938
SOCIALIST APPEALVol. I I —No. 47 Saturday, October 29, 1938
P u b lish e d eve ry w eek by the S O C IA L IS T A P P E A L P U B L IS H IN G AS S ’N (excep t fo r 3 tim e s w e e k ly d u r in g f ir s t tw o
weeks o f O ctober, 1938 o n ly ) a t 116 U n iv e rs ity P lace, N ew Y o rk , N . Y .
Te lephone: N a tio n a l O ffice : A L g o n q u in 4-8547
S u b s c rip tio n s : $2.00 pe r y e a r; $1.00 fo r s ix m on ths . F o re ig n : $2.50 pe r year. B u n d le o rd e r
3 cen ts pe r copy. S ing le copies 5 cents.
A l l checks and m oney o rde rs shou ld be made o u t to th e S o c ia lis t Appea l.
E n te re d as second-class m a tte r Septem ber 1, 1937, a t th e post o ffice a t N e w Y o rk , N e w Y o rk ,
u n d e r th e A c t o f M a rc h 3, 1879.
M A X S H A C H T M A N E d ito r
H A R O L D R O B E R T S G E O R G E C L A R K E A ssocia te E d ito rs
S. S T A N L E Y , Business M anager
Open the Doors!The problem of the European refugees is of
profoundest concern to every worker. A ll hopes for the future, all possibility for the progress of civilization depend today on the action and solidarity of the working class of every country. I t is not merely from considerations o f humanity that we must seek to aid the victims of fascism driven from land to land, often left in the ditch to starve.
The only real answer to the barbarism practised by the reactionary capitalists in the name o f national culture, is the mobilization o f working class forces on the basis of international solidarity against all class and national oppression. In the performance of this duty of organizing practical aid for thq disinherited and mistreated victims of fascist reaction, the working class forges unbreakable international links in the chain of its struggle to pull civilization out of the mire.
The American proletariat must unite to help the refugees so that in this very process they may prevent the same thing from taking place in their own country. By making their power felt in warding off the blows o f reaction delivered against the oppressed of other countries, the American workers at the same time mobilize their strength to defeat similar attempts at oppression at home.
The partition of Czechoslovakia and the advance of fascism into Central Europe daily uproots thousands upon thousands of helpless families which are rendered destitute overnight. I t is especially the Jews who become the chosen victims o f triumphant reaction. They find themselves a people without a country and without any rights that need be respected. Their terrible p light in Europe is made the more tragic by the events in Palestine. There British imperialism pursues its own aims at the expense of both Arabs and Jews, purposefully utilizing the antagonism between the two. What can we propose in view of the awful tragedy of tire refugees, particularly the Jews?
The bourgeois governments, under the leadership of Roosevelt, called the Evian Conference ostensibly to "aid political refugees.” This conference presented the ironic spectacle of each of the governments represented making polite requests o f all the others to increase their quota o f refugees. Roosevelt asked Mexico, Brazil, Argentine to open their doors wider, but the U. S. did not l i f t a finger to increase its own "share” by as much as a single refugee. Thus
the American quota list is already exhausted for a year and a half to come. In actuality, behind the scenes, the Evian Conference was called to permit the various bourgeois governments to keep tabs on the radical refugees and to advise each other on their movements. The Evian Conference was called for the purpose, not o f aiding refugees, but of regulating their inevitable flow over various borders in the interests of the ruling class.
The American Jewish bourgeois "leaders” follow carefully the pattern laid down for them by the political spokesmen for the capitalist ruling class. The policies advocated by these leaders dovetail into those of the American government. The various nationalist Jewish organizations have sent out widespread to Jewish homes telegrams to be signed and forwarded to Secretary H ull of the State Department asking the United States to intervene to prevent Great Britain from closing the doors of Palestine to Jewish immigration.
H ull and Roosevelt could have wished nothing better to give them prestige as liberals w ithout lifting a finger to give real help. It costs these w ily politicians nothing at all to make this empty gesture. H ull states this publicly when he calls attention, even while sending his gratuitous message to England, to the fact that after all the United States cannot prevent England from carrying out whatever policy it pleases. This remark w ill be understood in its true worth by the British government.
Thus the Jewish mislcaders aid the capitalist politicians in siphoning off the stream of mass agitation into safe and useless channels. The Jews are aroused as never before at the awful plight of their fellow-Jews in Palestine and in the fascist countries. To prevent this sentiment from crystallizing into a m ilitant mass movement, the reactionary Jewish leaders provide a safety valve in the form of harmless telegrams.
We certainly stand against the closing o f the doors of Palestine to the Jews. It has always been the Marxist viewpoint that the masses of workers should be permitted to move freely across all borders without restriction. We recognize, however, that the Jews in or out of Palestine w ill not be helped one iota by appealing to the imperialist British government which is responsible for the oppression of countless millions of people of all races all oyer the earth. An appeal to this government means to entrust the fate of the Jews to one of the worst enemies of all humanity.
No, the American workers, including the Jewish workers, can perform a far more useful service to the refugees, including the Jews, by making forceful demands not on the British government which need not and w ill not pay the slightest attention, but on "their own” government. We must demand the open door for refugees not merely in far-away Palestine, but here at home in the United States. W hy has not Roosevelt attempted to have the quota law completely abolished— or even revised upwards? This would be really practical aid to the refugees. It would be an excellent way to combat anti-semitism because it would mean an educational campaign against race prejudice conducted in the ranks o f the working class.
Organize the masses around this demand for the open door and this demand w ill soon make itself fe lt! For the abolition of the quota law and for the reestablishing o f the United States as a haven for political refugees! This is the only real democracy— the fight for the Open Door for all refugees!
Millions Hit as Stalin Purge Continues in Soviet Union
B y J. G. W R IG H TN o o f f ic ia l s ta tis t ic s re la t in g to
the S ta lin is t purge have been is sued. N one w i l l be fo rth c o m in g . N everthe less on the basis o f in d ire c t da ta in th e S ta lin is t press the nu m b e r can be ro u g h ly app ro x im a te d . A fig u re o f 1,000,000— 1,500,000 fo r the past tw o years w ou ld be a conse rva tive e s tim ate.
In D ecem ber 1937, W a lte r K r iv - its k y , lea d in g S ovie t d ip lo m a t w ho refused to re tu rn to R ussia, s ta ted th a t in M ay o f th a t yea r he had learned fro m an a u th o rita t iv e source th a t th e n u m b e r o f p o lit ic a l a rre s ts had a t th a t time, reached the to ta l o f no t less than300.000, the m a jo r ity be ing p a rty m em bers and m em bers o f th e ir fa m ilie s . In th e pe riod since M ay, the n um ber o f a rre s ts had cons id e ra b ly increased and K r iv i t s k y estim a ted i t to be in the ne igh borhood o f h a lf-a -m illio n .
K r iv its k y 's es tim a te is in d ire c t ly borne o u t by a d ispa tch fro m D enny d u r in g th is same p e rio d : “ T ile pu rge con tinues unabated a lth o u g h i t has now been g o in g on so long th a t its t r ia ls and execu tions have becom e ro u t in e new s s tr ip p e d o f a ll d ra m a tic va lue .” (N . Y . T im es, Dec. 2, 1937).
R ep lacem en t and P urgesH ow ever, we have a fa r m ore
a u th o r ita t iv e v e r ific a tio n . In J a n u a ry o f th is yea r P ravda asserted th a t : “ M ore th a n 100,000 people have been advanced to lead ing posts d u r in g la s t ye a r a lone—in d is tr ic ts , p rov inces, federa ted and au tonom ous People 's C o m m issa ria ts. M ore th a n 100,000!” . . . The advancem en t has acqu ired a mass ch a ra c te r, i t is becom ing a lm ost eve ryw he re a mass phenom enon. (Jan . 27. E m p h a s is in the o r ig in a l.)
I t goes w ith o u t sa y in g th a t fo r eve ry in d iv id u a l w ho w as "a d vanced” a n o th e r one w as re m oved, i. e „ purged . I t is equa lly c lea r th a t fo r e ve ry “ le a d in g ” fu n c t io n a ry a n u m b e r o f subord ina tes, to say n o th in g o f re la tives, w ere ca u g h t in the d ragne t. A ra t io o f 5 to 1 is h a rd ly exaggerated. T hu s on the basis o f P ra v tla ’s boast, the n u m b e r o f those pu rged d u r in g “ la s t year a lone ” can be set a t n o t less th a n500.000. The a p p a llin g im p lic a tio n o f the fig u re m en tioned in P ravda becomes c le a r i f we bear in m in d th a t P ra vd a c ited i t on ly to ca ll fo r an in te n s if ic a tio n o f th is cam pa ign o f "adva n ce m en t." I t was o n ly a m odest b e g i n n i n g ! In M arch came the B u k h a r in -R y k o v fram e -u p as p a r t o f the m a ch in e ry o f speeding up the purge.
A t th a t tim e W ebb M ille r, U n ited Press s ta ff co rresponden t, re po rted fro m M oscow : “ M an y thousands o f persons have been a rre s te d —th e nu m b e r perhaps ru n n in g in to five figu res—th ro u g h o u t the S ovie t rep u b lics s ince the rece n t treason tr ia ls . ’ ’ (N . Y . Post M a rc h 8).
“ Tens o f Thousands . . .”In Ju ly , W a lte r D u ra n ty was
able to s ta te w ith sa tis fa c tio n th a t “ the re is no doub t th a t i t ( the p u rg e ) c u t a deep fu r ro w
th ro u g h every phase o f n a tio n a l life . T o p rove th is i t is s u ff ic ie n t to com pare pub lished m em bersh ip lis ts o f o f f ic ia l bodies, fro m the h ig h m il i ta ry co u n c il to loca l soviets, o f tw o years ago and now , o r to read re p o rts o f changes o f the personnel in Com m u n is t p a rty secre ta ria ts , bo th p ro v in c ia l and m u n ic ip a l, and in g o ve rn m e n t a d m in is tra t iv e positions .” (N . Y. T im es. J u ly 26). The spheres and the changes enum erated by D u ra n ty em brace n o t isola ted in d iv id u a ls b u t the e n tire p a r ty and a d m in is tra t iv e a p p a ra tus o f th e co u n try , th a t is to say, thousands upon tens o f thousands o f people.
W e c o n tin u a lly m eet w ith th is re fra in o f “ new thousands." Thus, in A u g u s t, Iz ve s tia s ta ted th a t “ in th e rece n t pe riod thousands o f new people have been advanced to lead ing posts in People ’s C om m iss a ria ts and the a d m in is tra tiv e bodies” (A u g u s t 28. O u r em phasis ). A n d o n ly the o th e r day, D enny repo rted on the A rm y purge as fo llo w s :
“ T he purge th a t is s t i l l c o n tin u in g in the Red A rm y , though a p p a re n tly on a sm a lle r scale, is be ing accom panied by p ro m o tio n s o f thousands o f ju n io r o ff ic e rs to responsib le posts.” (N . Y . T im es. Oct. 17. O u r em phasis).
Y a rd s t ic k fo r D a taT he scope o f the “ p ro m o tio n s ”
p rov ides a y a rd s t ic k fo r the rea l e x te n t o f the purge. L e t us a pp ly i t to those iso la ted cases in w h ich the S ta lin is t press p rov ides us w ith some s ta tis tic s .
In P ravda , fo r J u ly 22, A . A k o pov, d ire c to r o f the U ra l H eavy M a ch in e ry P la n t m ade the fo llo w in g boast: "T h e re are m ore th a n 400 eng ineers and tech n ic ia ns in the c o n s tru c tio n d e p a rtm e n t o f U ra lm a sh . O f these o n ly 3 com pleted th e ir s tud ies p r io r to 1917, a ll th e o the rs are fro m am ong the S ovie t y o u th .” W e also lea rn th a t “ m ore th a n 250 S ta kh a n o v ls ts fro m am ong the la b o r and te ch n ic a l personnel have been p ro m oted to lea d in g posts.” H ere we have a pu rge o f m ore th a n 60 pe r cen t in a s ing le d e p a rtm e n t. So we are n o t shocked to d iscove r th a t in th is p la n t th e re w e re : “ a fo re ig n spec ia lis t, the spy Z . . . . ; fo rm e r c h ie f m e ta llu rg is t, the 'd i- ve rs io n is t P . . . . ; head o f the cent ra l la b o ra to ry , the spy D . . . . ; fo rm e r head o f the fo rg in g -p re ss dep’t, Z . . . . ; c h ie f eng ineer, the w re c k e r L, . . . . fo rm e r head o f th e o rd e r bureau , the spy K . . .
O ne-Y ear O ldsH ere is a re p o r t o f the re su lts
o f the P a r ty C onference in the c ity o f S ta lin s k : “ In the K uzne ts m e ta llu rg ic a l p la n t nam ed a f te r S ta lin , the cadres o f the p a rty have been v ig o ro u s ly renova ted in the la s t year. T he m a jo r ity o f the secre ta ries o f shop c o m m ittees and g ro u p o rg a n iza tio n s are new people— th e ir past reco rd in p a rty w o rk does n o t exceed one yea r.” (P ra vd a , J u ly 22)
F in a lly , we ta ke the ins tance o f the D on B as in . T im e and aga in has th e a d m in is tra t io n been purged, c u lm in a tin g in the sweepin g changes effected by K a g a
nov ich in O ctober o f la s t year. P ra vd a com m ented as fo llo w s : “ T he People ’s C om m issa r o f H eavy In d u s try , com. L . M. K a g a n o v ich has reo rgan ized 'G lavu - g o l’ ; he has expelled fro m the re the apo log is ts o f w re c k e rs ’ theo ry . . . th e bu re a u c ra ts and th e o ffice ho ld e rs ; he has re in fo rc e d the ap p a ra tu s o f the c h ie f a d m in is tra t io n w ith young engineers, tested com m un is ts , people w ho kn o w th e ir jobs and a re desirous o f f ig h t in g fo r the convalescence o f the coal in d u s try ." (O ct. 2, 1937).
“ W o rth le s s D ire c to rs ”On June 11, 1938, P ra vd a an
nounced th e rem o va l o f these "w o rth le s s d ire c to rs ” and boasted o f a new lea d in g s ta ff em bracin g : 260 m ine su p e rin te n d e n ts ; 240 c h ie f engineers, 610 heads o f sectors, 400 "leaders o f tens,” 650 S ta khanov is ts , 120 o rgan ize rs and 140 ch a irm e n o f m ine com m ittees.
Said P ra v d a : "T h e c h ie f ta sk o f th e d ire c to rs o f ’D onbasugo l’ was to t ra n s m it the experience o f the advanced m ines in the s trug g le fo r coa l to th e lag g a rd m ines, to p u t an end once and fo r a l l to c r im in a l neg ligence and to p ro ceed to ro o t o u t the consequences o f w re c k in g . . . The fo rm e r leaders o f ’D onbasugo l’ fa ile d to do th is . D e p a rtm e n ta l-b u re a u c ra tic m ethods o f m anagem ent p redom ina ted in th e ir w o rk . The w o r th less d ire c to rs have been re m oved.” (June 11). In O ctober o f th is year, the D onbas has been reo rgan ized once aga in , th is tim e in to th re e separa te u n its . N o pu rge w as repo rted in connection w ith th is re o rg a n iz a tio n b u t i t doubtless to o k place. I f th e pu rge elsewhere assumed the same p ro p o rtio n s i t w ou ld in vo lve n o t 1% b u t severa l m illio n s . W e presum e th a t these a re e xcep tiona l cases.
C o m m issa ria ts CleansedO f the 28 C o m m issa ria ts (estab
lished in J a n u a ry ) 11 have been pu rged fro m top to bo ttom . These in c lu d e the com m issa ria ts o f A g r ic u ltu re , T rade , M echan ica l C ons tru c tio n , L ig h t In d u s try , Food In d u s try , L a n d T ra n s p o rt, F i nance, and F a rm P ro d u c ts S to rage. On Oct. 2, cam e the news o f the re o rg a n iza tio n o f the S ta te B a n k , w ith th e a p p o in tm e n t o f B u lg a n in as c h a irm a n , and th ree deputies. A l l fo u r o f these new appointees are G.P.U. fu n c t io n a rie s—an e v il omen to the pe rsonnel!
T h e n a va l c o m m ls a r ia t has been pu rged . T he p u rge in the A rm y con tinues. W h ile th e re has been no c o n firm a tio n o f B lue - che r's a rre s t, i t is k n o w n th a t h is e n tire genera l s ta ff and scores o f h is closest c o lla b o ra to rs have been a rrested .
T he re fu s a l o f co llec tives to del iv e r g ra in to the g o ve rn m e n t is be ing m et b y th e extens ion o f the purge in to th e co llectives. T h is l is t fa r fro m exhausts the countless thousands w ho are in vo lved. In the l ig h t o f these fac ts o u r es tim a te o f those w ho have fa lle n v ic t im s to the pu rge a t th ree tim es the fig u re set by K r i v its k y la s t D ecem ber is, i f an y th in g , an u n d e re s tim a tio n .
VOTE LABOR!
For Independent Politics And a Fighting Program
(Continued from page 1 )ranks and conduct the stubborn fight necessary for victory. A fighting labor program is indispensable. Such a program must provide for the defense of the only serious right which is left to workers in a society based upon exploitation: THE R IG H T TO EM PLOYMENT A T A L IV IN G WAGE.
The A.L.P. must categorically demand employment and decent living conditions for everybody.
As preliminary steps toward securing this right, the A.L.P. must fight for the follow ing immediate demands:
1) Adequate provision fo r relief. New York with its great army o f unemployed requires at least an annual appropriation of $1 ,000,000,000 for relief and public works projects. This sum w ill provide a minimum income of S i,000 a year for the m illion odd families whose breadwinners are out of jobs.
2) Jobs in industry fo r the greatest possible number of workers. This can be achieved by a reduction of working hours in industries with no reduction in pay.
3) Adequate Housing. A Statfe Housing Authority- Act for a complete clearance of slums, the infamous hovels and fire- traps for which New York is notorious. In addition to providing decent housing, it w ill create jobs fo r a category of workers particularly hard hit by the depression^—the building trades.
4 ) Opening of factories closed down as a result of the crisis. The measures enumerated above w ill absorb only a portion o f the unemployed. To provide jobs for millions who w ill never again be reabsorbed by private industry, the A.L.P. must aggressively support a long term public-works program. W ith in the framework of such a program, there should be included resumption of work in private enterprises shut down by their present owners, such resumption on the basis o f declaring these enterprises and factories to be public utilities which are to be operated by workers’ committees and exempt from any profit in terest and rent charges.
5) Placing the burden of the depression not on the backs o f workers, but where it belongs— O N THE BOSSES. LaGuardia’s sales “fax collects pennies from the poor, leaving untouched the dollars o f the rich. Repeal the sales tax! Tax the rich! Over and above the demand for a taxation program which w ill ease the
tax burden o f the workers and the small home owners, the A.L.P. must demand that all war funds be turned over for relief— for a program of WPA, public works and housing.
6) Put an end to the gouging of the power trust and the plans of the transit companies to increase the fare. The exorbitant gas and electric rates in New York must be reduced. The five cent fare must be maintained. This can be accomplished only by expropriating these trusts and really running them for the benefit of the masses in our city.
W hile we gird ourselves to fight for the foregoing .program, while the trade unions continue their day to day struggles for better wages and working conditions, the reactionary vanguard of the capitalist class is not sitting by idly. Boss Hague’s onslaught against the workers in Jersey City is but a portent o f what is coming everywhere. Anti-semitism and racial hatreds are being prepared openly as bosses’ weapons to divide the ranks of the workers. At the same time, the Roosevelt government is speeding up its preparations for a war to redivide the world among the imperialist powers.
Anti-semitism, all racial persecution, fascism and war are byproducts of the decaying capitalist system, arising from capitalist decay as inexorably as economic crises, unemployment and working class slavery. The struggle against fascism and war is the struggle against capitalism.
Only the working class, relying upon its own strength and its own independent organizations, in an alliance w ith the poor farmers and the millions brought to ruin by capitalism can wage a successful struggle for the abolition o f capitalism and the establishment of a socialist society— mankind’s sole safeguard against a relapse into barbarism, and the only road that leads to further progress.
Cast your vote FOR INDEPENDENT LABOR POLITICS. W ork FOR A BOLD F IG H TIN G LABOR PROGRAM.Vote for all genuinely independent A.L.P. candidates.W rite in the names of fames P. Cannon for Governor and
Ernest R. McKinney for regular-term senator.Local New York, Socialist Workers Party,
( Section of the Fourth International)
HARLEM LOCALS QUIT ALLIANCE
NICW Y O R K —The g ro w in g re v o lt in the ra n k s o f th e S ta lin is t W o rk e rs A ll ia n c e reached new p ro p o rtio n s la s t w eek w hen in a s to rm y session o f th e H a r le m C ounc il here B ro w d e rite Sam W isem an, W . A . C ity S ecre ta ry w as "show n the ga te ,” and five loca ls w ith a com bined m em bersh ip o f m ore th a n 800 voted to leave the C o m m u n is t P a rty -c o n tro lle d A llia nce .
B e fo re th is la te s t ch a p te r in a long series o f A ll ia n c e de fections was over, a n o th e r loca l, No. 53, in the W a sh in g to n H e ig h ts section w ith a m em bersh ip o f ove r 200, a lso voted to leave the A llia nce , c h a rg in g the W .A . as be ing a "C. P .-run ra c k e t.”
T w e n ty E xpe lled I t was a lso learned here th a t
d u r in g th e h e ig h t o f th e "H a r le m re v o lt,” some 20 m em bers o f th e C o m m u n is t P a r ty w ere expelled fro m th a t o rg a n iza tio n , w ith the reason g iven as "T ro ts k y is m .”
W h ile the " re b e llio n ” in H a r lem was in its fo rm a tiv e stage,
the I ta l ia n H a r le m W .A . local, a lso experienced a " re v o lt ’’ o f its ow n, w hen o rg a n ize r C. E v e re tt, a t a m ee tin g o f th a t loca l tw o weeks ago, denounced th e S ta lin is t fa ke rs , and lead m ore th a n 140 m em bers o f th a t loca l.
Ex-C ongressm an V ito M arca n - ton io , cand id a te and d a r lin g o f the B ro w d e rite s , p re s id in g a t a b ra n ch m ee tin g o f the A m e rica n L a b o r P a r ty , o rdered th a t E v e r e t t be th ro w n ou t, w hen he a ttem pted to address th e m ee ting in I ta lia n , th e language w h ic h m ost o f the w o rk e rs ga the red there , cou ld unders tand .
C a lls CopsM a rca n to n io then proceeded to
c a ll the cops. The po lice a rr iv e d , b u t E v e re tt addressed the m eetin g , w h ic h consisted fo r th e m ost p a r t o f A ll ia n c e m em bers, and a t the conc lus ion o f h is re m a rks , in w h ic h he exposed the fa lse roles o f M a rc a n to n io and the A llia n c e o ff ic ia ls , he lead a p rocession o u t w ith h im .
W ith the H a r le m locals, goes th e la s t re m a in in g s tro n g h o ld o f the unem ployed section o f the N . Y . A llia n c e .
D u ty p red ic te d th a t the " re b e l" H a r le m loca ls m ay soon become a section o f th e U nem ployed and P ro je c t W o rk e rs U n ion .
TH E M A R X I S T S C H O O LW E E K L Y F O R U M S
on Sunday evenings at 8:00OCTOBER 30— SHOULD LABOR SUPPORT THE A.L.P.
B. J. Widick— Nat'l Labor Sec’y of S.W.P.♦
NOVEMBER 6—CELEBRATION OF 21st ANNIVERSARY OF RUSSIAN REVOLUTION Max Shachtman— Editor of New Internat'l
♦NOVEMBER 13—A.F.L.-C.I.O. UNITY
♦
Irving Plaza — Irving Place at 15th St.
"M A N ’S BEST FR IEND IS HIS DOG"
One o f th e fu n n y fe a tu re s w h ic h re lie ve th e te d iu m o f th e c u rre n t e lec tion cam pa ign in N e w Y o rk is p ro v id e d by the fu r io u s b a tt le fo r P rogress w h ic h th e S ta lin is ts a re w a g in g in b e h a lf o f B a n ke r-G o ve rn o r Leh m a n and the ra th e r im p a tie n t request o f Leh m a n th a t th e n e w ly ha tched dem ocra ts c u rb th e ir a rd o r, o r a t least be m ore p r iv a te a bou t it .
T he raucous cam pa ign o f th e S ta lin is ts fo r “ L e h m a n and P ro g re ss ” w as b r ie f ly in te rru p te d la s t w eek b y th e c u r t p u b lic announcem ent o f L e h m a n th a t he d id n ’t w a n t th e ir su p p ort. M oreover, he added— th o u g h n o t q u ite so e m p h a tic a lly —he w o u ld n o t accep t i t . T h u s ca lled to heel, a m om e n t o f tense and som ew h a t em barrassed silence on th e p a r t o f th e T w e n tie th C e n tu ry A m e rican s fo llow ed . D u r in g th a t blessed m om e n t th e to ta l vo lum e o f sound decibels w h ic h assa il the co lle c tive ea r o f th e p u b lic , in to ta l d is reg a rd o f th e a n ti-n o ise o rd inance , was co n s id e ra b ly d im in ish e d .
B u t i t w as o n ly fo r the m om ent. T he re p u d ia tio n o n ly gave them pause. I t co u ld n ’t s top them . W hen th e y are o u t to de fea t rea c tio n a t a l l costs n o th in g can s top them . T h e ir no isy and d e lir io u s new con fessions o f fa ith , shou ted w ith the fe rv o r and fre n z y o f a cam p m ee tin g con ve rt, d row ned o u t the p o lite ly m odu la ted d isavow a l o f Lehm an . T he y a re no w in fu l l c ry aga in , and th e re w i l l be no peace in N e w Y o rk S ta te u n t i l they have shouted p rogress to v ic to ry in th e e lec tions once aga in .
T he re a re some ove r-a n x io u s and j i t t e r y people in th e em b a ttle d ra n k s o f p rogress w ho be lieve a ll the bad news th e y hear, and a lw ays expect th e w o rs t. These p o lit ic a l hypo cho n d ria cs fea red th a t L e h m a n 's re b u ff to h is K re m lin cho rus s ig n ifie d — oh, dange r o f d a n g e rs !— a “ s p lit in the p rog ress ive fo rces .”
T h e y w ere u n d u ly a la rm ed . The c o n flic t w as m ore a p p a re n t th a n rea l. I t w as n o t fu n d a m e n ta l, b u t o n ly a d iffe rence o f o p in io n a bou t m anners and m ethods. Le h m a n w as m ere ly t r y in g to t ra in the S ta lin is ts to cu rb th e ir en thus iasm , to a c t m ore lik e se ttle d residen ts o f the D e m o c ra tic P a r ty , no t lik e ro w d y new a rr iv a ls w ho have ju s t crashed the gates.
T he pa rvenu -dem ocra ts haven ’t unders tood th is ye t. T h e y a re lik e c e rta in breeds o f to o -a ffe c tio na te can ines w h o a re n o t sa tis fied m ere ly to be a llow ed in the m a s te r ’s house b u t m us t leap in to h is lap and s lobber in h is face. Leh m a n , by h is press s ta te m ent, s im p ly m e a n t to say "d o w n F id o !” B u t F id o -B ro w d e r, fo r w h o m e v e ry th in g th e m a s te r does is r ig h t , m is to o k th e rebuke fo r a caress, and began to w h in e and h o w l w ith d e lig h t a t the a tte n tio n . T h a t ’s th e sound you hear ove r the ra d io on th e C om m u n is t P a r ty h o u r.—C.
RAILROAD UNION RESISTS THREAT OF WAGE SLASH
(C on tinued f ro m page 1)w ith a vo te to ca ll a n a tio n a l s tr ik e w hen th e c u t becomes e ffe c tive . A n d the R ooseve lt adm in is tra t io n , u n d e rs ta n d in g fu l l w e ll th e im p o rta n ce o f n a tio n a l tra n s p o r ta tio n in tim e o f w a r, ap po in ted a “ fa c t- f in d in g b o a rd " in o rd e r to solve the w h o le p rob lem as q u ic k ly and as q u ie tly as possib le.
The hea rin g s he ld b y th is “ fa c t- f in d in g b o a rd ” b ro u g h t fo r th no new fac ts b u t have succeeded in b r in g in g to the f r o n t pages o f the new spapers the s o rry p l ig h t o f the w o rk e rs in th is in d u s try and th e com ple te in a b il i ty o f the bosses to ru n th e ir business.
Some E yew ashT e s tify in g be fo re th is board,
M r. C ha rles D o n n e lly , p re s id e n t o f the N o r th e rn P a c ific R a ilw a y , sa id th a t he d id n o t be lieve the pay c u t w o u ld a ffe c t genera l bu s iness. “ I ca n ’t see w h y prosperous in d u s tr ie s w o u ld fo llo w a c tio n ta ke n by d istressed ra ilw a y s ,” he said.
M r. D o n n e lly d isagreed w ith th e co n te n tio n o f the co u n c il fo r the b ro th e rho o d s th a t the p ro posed re d u c tio n w o u ld reduce p u rch a s in g pow er. “ The m oney saved to th e ra ilro a d s in wages,” he said, “ w ou ld g e t in to c irc u la t io n in some fo rm .”
"W e d id n o t te ll the m en th e y w o u ld g e t o n ly 85 per ce n t o f th e ir wages,” he w e n t on. "W e approached th e m in th e same m an n e r as in - 1932, p o in t in g o u t th e ir fa vo re d p o s itio n as com pared w ith th e d ire s tra its o f th e m anagem ent.”
$95 P e r M o n thThen th e fa c t w as b ro u g h t fo r
w a rd th a t th e average w age in the in d u s try is less th a n $95 a m o n th and th a t section w o rke rs , a cco rd in g to L . E . K e lle r , s ta t is t ic ia n fo r the B ro th e rh o o d o f M a in tenance o f W a y Em ployees, ea rn n o t m ore th a n $347 a yea r! (a 15 pe r cen t c u t fo r these w o rk e rs w ou ld b r in g th e ir pay to $295 a n n u a lly ).
I n answ er to th e p lea o f the ow ners fo r th e w age red u c tio n , W . J e t t L a u ck , an econom is t fo r th e unions, cha rged th a t the w age c u t had been decided upon b y a sm a ll g ro u p o f ba n kers w h ic h do m in a te d th e ra i lro a d in d u s try .
H e w e n t on to describe h ow in o rg a n iz in g th e N e w Y o rk Cent r a l R a ilro a d , th e p ro m o te r as a p re lim in a ry step, doubled the s to ck in h is possession b y a 100 p e r cen t s to ck d iv id e n d w ith o u t an y co rre sp o n d ing increase in assets. On th is s tock, w h ic h he described as fie tious, d iv idends a m o u n tin g to m ore th a n $210,000,- 000 had been p a id s ince 1870.
D iv e rte d R evenues“ T h is o b v io u s ly m eans," he con
tin u e d , th a t revenues to th is a m o u n t—w h ic h shou ld have been used fo r advances in wages and w o rk in g c o n d itio n s o f employees, th e lo w e r in g o f passenger and f re ig h t ra tes, th e p a ym en ts o f debts and genera l im p ro ve m en ts —have been im p ro p e rly d ive rte d and d is tr ib u te d .”
I n a d iscussion o f th e N e w Y o rk , N e w H a ve n and H a r t fo rd R a ilro a d , th e w itn e ss sa id th a t ;
w ith J. P. M o rg a n & Co. d o m in a tin g its po lic ies, “ th e re w as d is s ipa ted w ith in ten years $400,000,- 000 o f the c a p ita l assets o f th e com pany.”
T he resources o f p ro f ita b le roads w e re used to finance th is recen t fa n ta s t ic fin a n c ia l o rgy. H u n d re d s o f m illio n s w ere lo s t and the w o rk e rs o f these exp lo ite d ra ilw a y s are n o w s u ffe r in g and w i l l be p e rm a n e n tly hand icapped b y th is w re c k in g — to say n o th in g o f the hundre d s o f sm a ll in ve s to rs w ho w ere th u s “ taken fo r a r id e ."
E f fo r ts To B a lk In q u iryT he wages and w o rk in g con
d it io n s o f employees on tw o o u ts ta n d in g W e s te rn ra ilro a d s , ( th e S ou the rn P a c ific and G rea t N o r th e rn ) have been c o m p le te ly ru in e d in re ce n t years because the bosses o f these roads gave a w ay to th e ir s to ckh o lde rs p ro f it ab le inco m e -p ro d u c in g assets v a lued a t $527,000,000.
D esp ite th e fa c t th a t n e ith e r the fa c t- f in d in g board n o r the a d m in is tra t io n have show n an y in te n tio n to fa v o r the un ions in th is s itu a tio n , the A sso c ia tio n o f A m e ric a n R a ilro a ds , w h ic h is the bosses’ o rg a n iza tio n , has m ade f r a n t ic a tte m p ts to p re v e n t the in v e s tig a tio n f ro m b e in g he ld . T he p u b lic ity such an in v e s tig a t io n m ig h t a t t ra c t w o u ld n o t add to th e case fo r th e ow ners w hen and i f a f ig h t develops between th e ra ilro a d s and th e un ions.
T h is w as exposed by a counsel fo r th e B ro th e ro o d s in the cross- e x a m in a tio n o f M r. P e lley , fo rm e r p re s id e n t o f the N e w Y o rk , N e w H a ve n and H a r t fo rd R a ilro a d , and no w p re s id e n t o f th e A ssociatio n . M r. P e lle y sa id th a t no In ve s tig a tio n .” A n d a n sw e rin g M r. n o th in g can be done a n yw a y .” T he counsel asked h im i f i t w as n o t a fa c t th a t he had tr ie d to v e s tig a tio n ." A n d a n s w e rin g M r. sw er w as an e m p h a tic "N o !”
“ T he n ," asked th e counsel, “ is i t n o t a fa c t th a t you c o rre sponded w ith M ilto n H a r r is o n o f the S ecu ritie s O w ners A sso c ia tio n and th a t M r. H a rr is o n w ro te you th a t he h ad ‘scotched ’ th e in - ve s ig a tio n .” A n d a n s w e rin g M r. H a r r is o n d id yo u w r ite :
“ I th in k yo u d id a sp le n d id jo b and hope th a t th e S ena to r (W hee le r) s tays p u t! I s n 't th a t tru e ? "
“ Y es," re p lie d M r. P e lley .O th e r P lans
T he p lans o ffered b y va riou s g roups to save the ra ilro a d s w ere rev iew ed b y th e board . T he B ro th e rh o o d s have proposed a series o f steps w h ic h w o u ld re duce c o m p e tit io n b y re s tr ic t in g tru c k s f ro m d o in g lo n g h a u l w o rk , b y th e in tro d u c t io n o f new , lig h te r equ ipm en t, a fixed ra te base fo r f r e ig h t and passenger service, re s tr ic t io n o f s to c k so th a t a t no t im e w o u ld m ore th a n 40 p e r ce n t o f the roads ’ va lue be sold in bonds o r s tock , a series o f co n so lida tions , coo p era tio n be tween the m anagem en t and th e un ions.
T h is p roposa l, how ever, is n o t looked upon w ith a n y co ns ide rable degree o f s a tis fa c tio n b y th e w o rk e rs w ho have in co n ve n tio n a f te r co n ve n tio n gone on reco rd fo r g o ve rn m e n t o w n e rsh ip and re s p o n s ib ility fo r th e roads. T h e un ions have re c e n tly asked the F ede ra l a d m in is tra t io n to ta k e o ve r th e roads and gu a ra n te e the w o rk e rs a m in im u m w age equal to the average necessary fo r a decen t s ta n d a rd o f l iv in g .
