WORKERS OF THE WORLD, UNITE THE MILITANT Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America VOLUME VII, NO. 39, WHOLE NO. 243 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1934 PRICE CENTS Textile Strike Debacle Relief System Jobless Will Blackshirts a Green Co. in Control Endangered Merember 24th, Challenge to as Convention In New York Labor OpensinSanFransisco pero tiene centre este mere under Left Wing Lacks Clear Program and Capable Leadership By JAMES CANNON The great general strike of the textile workers, which raised the whole Insurgent movement of labor to a new height and wtirred the workers everywhere with its mighty sweep and militancy, has come to an inglorious end defeated and shamefully betrayed by the lead.
Five years of crisis and unemership of the and the per crest of the of.
ployment have wrecked the homes In the history of the American labor movement it would be disOnce again the unemployed re und lives of millions of unemployed Three hundred and ofty Italian cult to find a more cruel example of the evil role of the labor lieutenliet structure of the city of New workers and the coming sixth win university students landed in this ants of the capitalist class and the heavy price the workers must York broke down, throwing thou ter promises to be the most miser country last week. They are Faspay for allowing them to hold the leadership of the unions. Incomsauds or desperate workers to the able of all. Millions are on the cist studente, sent by a Fascist petence, cowardice, and, at the eruclal moment, outright treachery und bauks demanding their pound sist on miserable relief pittances. velous results of Fascist training.
these are the contributions which McMahon and Gorman, pushed from behind by Green and Co. made to the strike from the vantage point of test. But poorly fed, badly. Unless the unemployed organize Let us consider a few facts about of the leading staff.
clothed, destitute human beings are and battle with greater determinathem.
not to be trifled with. The caption and militancy than ever before THE STRIKE SETTLEMENT The Italian universities are not talists and their funkeys know the boss class and their government On October the first the Fifty convention suy about this? What To call the ending of the strike a settlement is to rob the word that jobs or relief must be forth will singh the present dole scientGic institutions; they are Fourth annual convention of the will they about the fulfillment into Pascist of any meaning. The whole report of the Winant board, stripped to propagunda institutions. American Federation of Labor will of Section Tax in the auto settlecoming or the jobless will take ribbons, and with will go wage The professors must all take an be held in San Francisco. This ment, the steel settlement, and now Its essence, was nothing more than a promise to look into the griev. matters in their own hands indicuts for the employed.
oath or loyalty to Mussolini before convention comes upon the heels of the textile strike settlement? to say ances of the workers. And not even that was accepted by the bosses. vidually or collectively.
Several Without that, withont even an agreement to reinstate the strikers, the After a bitter tight the city ad tions of the United States held a are censored; to criticize the gov of the nation will be focused on that have swept the rution in two unemployed organiza they may teach; all their teachings the Frisco general strike. The eyes nothing of the strike movements leaders called off the strike at the peak of its strength and abandoned ministrution adopted a three point two day conference in Chicago andernment means to be tired and the convention and its outcome. The signetic waves with indications the workers to the savage reprisals of the mill owners. Tens of thou program to raise ofty million dol. elected a Committee of Action jailed. The iniddle class youth is class conscious workers well re that a sands of workers, untonized for the first time and staking everything lars. It calls for a tax of 10 of which is calling upon all unem taught to believe in the brutal remember that it was William Green the horizon.
new and higher wave is on on the struggle, have been left in the lurch by their leaders and locked che trotut of gross receipts of moyed organizations of the coun actionary theories of Mussolini, role in the Frisco strike that helped out of the mills by the bosses. terrible introduction to the trade Lusiness in excess of 15, 000; a city ry for a united demonstration on and to prepare to take its part in the bosses break the strike. It was Fakers Lie About Facts unlon movement for them; a terrible warning for all of what the tax amounting tv 15 of the Fed. November 24. Organizations par the oppression and persecution of Green who issued the statement of cannot tell the truth about the These conservative labor leaders present leading staff of the labor movement will be capable of in the eral income tax, additional to ticipating in this conference in workers, which alone enables Ital. opposition to greater tests to come if they are not thrown overboard in time.
sympathy strikes. Their very present Income tax, and a munici clued the National Unemployed man capitalism to continue its ex And in spite of their strike break lenders depends on their skill existence labor The executive council of the of cold bloodedly isolated pul reller membership association, Leagues, Illinois Workers Alli ploitation of the Italian masses. ing role in the Frisco strike Green in lying about these facts, their the textile workers, refused to move a finger to provide funds to feed which is a disguised public lottery, ance, Federation of Unemployed Parrots Not Students The Chamber of Commerce and and Emergency Workers of Amerthem millions could have been raised in the trade unions at the and Company come to this city as ability to confuse the issues and scratch of a pen hy Green and devoted themselves exclusively to other business organizations are upica, Ft. Wayne Unemployed Fascist Student Groups, where they movement.
The students must belong to the leaders of the American labor make the XRA scheme of suppresmachinations to get the strike ended at any cost. These scoundrels in arms. They will not stand for Leagues, Minneapolis Central Coun are under the orders of the Fascist! This clearly reveals to the class workers sulvation. They will speak sion look like an instrument for the fear the mass struggles of the workers no less than the bosses fear it. They propuse a 20 levy on sub eil of Workers and organizations party. On this trip to the conscious workers that one of the about its shortcomings and critithem. militant labor movement, drawing great masses into action, way and other fares. They want from Alissourt, Wisconsin, Florida, they are under the orders of Glo main tasks confronting us today, cine the knot for the protec18 incompatible with their rule. They aim to crush this movement top the burden of maintaining ete.
and restore peace in the relations between labor and capital, even the jobless on to the workers. In The Committee of Action calla Yunani Poli, Fascist brigand and and the task which determines our tion of the workers but in order if it is the peace of the breadline and the graveyard for the workers. the meantime the unemployed are for a demonstration throughout the tirely tyrant. Most of the students, en road to the masses is the extension to obtain more posts in the NRA RANK AND FILE SARMED organixing for the tight.
nation before clty and county re satistiod to repeat like parrots the unions.
without independence, are of left wing influence in the trade and on the Labor Boards review of the unemployinent lier boards on Saturday, November viclous nonsense taught them by One thing is sure. The reactionWhat is most remarkable and outstanding in this tragie situation reltet situation in New York City Bt. At the same time a committee their corrupted professors. Should Meets After NRA Period Doeleiders will confront inore opis the proof on every side that the ranks and file of the textile workers in the present convention were without any means of resistance to the perfidy of the leadership: will give one a picture of the el representing the nation unem. ang student dure ratse a question, Phis periode moderne riter an than they have had to contend with that the millions of other trade unionists, who were inspired by the forts of the crisis upon the work ployed will present their demands he is expelled from the university, the promises offered labor under for a long time. The opposition is ing class and the problems of a at Washington, magnificent struggle and wished to aid, were powerless to make a new permanent army of millions of beaten und Black reaction and eynical treachery are enthroned in the unemployed. More than one milThe demands follow move.
tortured, perbape the NRA have turned into rain not yet an organized, conscious rejailed.
bows. In its major aspects, Nira progressive opposition to the rear1. ending the passage of Unlabor union machine. The mass discontent at the bottom, generating ion workers are on the rellet list, employment Relief, direct cash reThese students are qualified to Ism has not fulllled its objectives enough energy in these years of crisis to blow the bureaucratie machine to bits, and the whole system of exploitation along with it, one family out of every seven in liet at the rate of 10 a week for do three things. In the first place and has broken down. While the tonary leaders and their policy.
remalos without organization, without program, without leadership The New Opposition the city. Mr. Hodson, head of the single persons, 15 a week for at they can tyrannize over oppressed labor skates meet in Frisco, PresiWelfare Department, estimate the family of two, and work for triots. that is to say, they are tion are reorganizing the NRA from under the impact of the new deve This opposition came into being The Greens and Gormans rule the movement and ruin the most heroic struggles because there are none challenge them.
Lion by the end of the year. Over abolic works to provide work traitted to fight to defend Italian top to bottom to save what they can of the auto workers, the steel workers, the San Francisco general The fearful textile strike debacle follows the tragic experiences 500, families are obtaining re for the unemployed upon the basis capitalism agalust foreigu capital to enable the NRA to continue movement: the changing class restrike, and other movements of insurgent labor in 1934 which have demand for relict increases at the the payment of skilled workers at organisation publishes newspa cartels and monopolies, eliminating unemployment, the Europeanization been turned into bitter defeat. They all cry out the same warning: rate of 1, 500 daily. New applicants union rates.
per: its time is Book and Ritle. the small producers, and tightening of the American workers, the foThe insurgent movement must be organized it must work out its for relief are skilled workers and That the Lundeen Unemploy. The third thing these students can the grip upon labor. In this crease in the number of semi skilled program and find its authentic leadership. The heart of this program professional men. Many workersment Insurance Bill be enacted. do very well is to live well off the sense the NRA work to date has workers brought into unions for the must be an unrelenting struggle against the labor agents of the from these categories have been. That the right of all workers products of other preople labor. been a success. But as an instru first time, the precarious position masters who sit on top of the trade union movement. The insurgent unemployed for years and having public works to organize and in return for their patriotic ser ment to bring back prosperity, to of the skilled workers as the basis leadership must be dedicated to this struggle as a part of the struggle usul up their savings and are now engage in collective bargaining bevices, they set fat jobs and free bring order out of capitalist chaos, for the reactionary control of the against the bosses and the National Rund Around.
forced to apply for relief.
new develop Forces for a mighty left wing and progressive movement in the in September, about 125, 000 That representatives of or led out of the wretched masses of to start a new era of capitalism, the ments under the NRA.
trade unions are not lacking. The crisis years have created the conThe most negative element in the heads of families were on Work re gamized unemployed bofore relier Italian workers and peasants XRA has failed.
ditions for its emergence on a wide scale. Every new treachery of the lief, and the Bureau of Homeless administrators be recognized Fontamara Challenge What will the labor leaders in opposition forces are the Stalinists bureaucracy prepares new recruits. What is lacking is a conscious and Transient were lodging over That Federal adequate disa Just as they arrived there is beand their fate oliey. These meth.
unifying and gulding nucleus which alone can organise the movement 4, 000 a night, which is only a small bility compensation on all public in published a novel called Fonods have had disastrous etfeet upon and provide it with a program. What is lacking is a revolutionary communist activity in reactionary shelter. Considering the addition provided.
nazio Silone, and forbidden in trade unions. If the Stalinist pollThe Stalinists perform all the functions of a party in reverse al number of unemployed who are That all war funds be turned Italy. While the Italian students cy in the trade union movement, order. Where organization of the vanguard is needed, they disorgan not on the relief list in any form over for unemployment relief. are here trying to tell us how wonIze. Where clarity is required they sow confusion. Even the weapon and you have a vast army of un The unemployod workers, togel derful life is under Fascism in had been swept aside by the Amerof denunciation the sword of Lenin against traitors Is blunted in employed whose morale is being ther with the organised employed Italy, we cau read Silone true Food Strike ican Communist movement the pretheir hands. They crack their voices in slandering honest opponents. lowered unless they flud their way workers must make this a powerful picture of the misery of the Italian sent opposition would be when they try to screech against real betrayers their stock of epithets out through active struggle demonstration, grown power instead of a movepeasantry today. These Fascist is exbausted and they are too honrse to be heard. As for the socialist ment in its infancy. It is a force students are going to visit many BULLETIN which is feeling its way along and Allitants. they belie their name by their silence in the face of the universities where American stu The cafeteria sirike conducted by will have to learn through its own black betrayal of the textile workers. They have not yet learned to dents friendly to the labor move local 302 of the of has mistakes and will have to retrace criticize the traitors. Will such people lead a fight against them?
ment will be in contact with them. spread to practically every unlon many steps already covered, thanks NEW VANGUARD IMMEDIATELY (Appeal of the National Committee, Communist League of America)
They should be confronted with a house in Manhattan and the Bronx. to stalinism.
No! The workers need a new revolutionary party. Even a vanA year ago, after the full force of the German debacle had been copy of Fontamara wherever they The Restaurant Owners Assocl Opposition is Heterogeneous guard organization of a few thousand, if it understands the trade union clearly registered. and the rempmusibility of the second and Thir. wordt het om det know we atton is doing its utmost to break firm crystallization of this new question and penetrates deeply into the mass movement, can become which progressive opposition has not been other sources of the truth about the leaked out of the offices of the As established upon a national scale.
the crystallizing agent for a colossal progressive movement in a short the Communist League proclaimed the need for a new revolutionary foul and brutal regime in their sociation lawyer, Mr. Shapiro, The Stalists are attempting to time. The times are favorable for the launching of such a party. Its party and a new International.
All that has transpired since that time has only served to confirm couutry program has been worked out in the years of principled struggle confirms the fears or members of make up for lost time, but are still against revisionism and reaction. Sufficient forces are at hand to the correctness of that position, and we repeat it today with firmer It is interesting to note that the local 302, namely that Kearney mainly on the outside looking in, Italian Fascist students were re and Lehman, both International The Socialists in the main, and esmake a beginning. As the two most important ludependent groups, the American Workers Party and the Communist Lengue bear a heavy can become a reality in the near future. We are sure in any case rived at New York schty halk by Vice Presidents, reached an agree: pecially the right wing, have played It is their duty together and set the new moveTesponsibility that a beginning can be made to give organizational forin to the idea Association to lock a reactionury role. The New Leadment into motion. The tragedy of the textile workers is another of the new party in America, the first section of the Fourth Interna liberal gentleman, who the other out an the workers belonging to er in a recent Issue even defends day had no time to attend a dinner Local 302 and sign new contracts William Green against the poul.
warning against delay.
tional in an important capitalist country Our forces have grown. The Militant has doubled its circulation.
of the Italian local of the garment with a local to be known as localtion of the Left socialists.
We have added a monthly theoretical magazine, the New International, workers, delighted to bonor the 304 at wages of 25 per week for spawn of the labor bating, murder countermen and 14 for girls. ary leaders has developed in strugThis opposition to the reactionto our arsenal. The Spartacus Youth have acquired a national organization. We huve taken part in strikes and mass activities and proved ous Italian Fascists!
will be deducted from this princely gle. It has placed its main emphatour mettle in them. Our circle of sympathizers and our influence in Ou Columbus Day this band of eum for meals.
sts on strike struggles as a means Sponsored by the Young Peoples not participate in the united front other movements have expanded. From every standpoint we are in a Fascists will attend a celebration. To smash the strike and get local to obtain its objectives under the Socialist League, a united front the and the bud stronger position and surer our future than we were a year ago. at Yankee Stadium. good time 302 out of the way, Kearney and NRA, and has contended that the conference was held in New York already made arrangements for a In addition, while drawing the line lividing us from reformim to let them know what the workers the Association decided to close the unions will obtain gains to the exCity last Thursday to consider a demonstration on October 12th of a counter demonstration to the Yan which thes. Les delegate de basis of cooperation and a common standpoint with other independent teristic of Columbus an enquiring is in progress and reopen under recognition. In carrying out this greeting to 300 Italian Fascist students.
the participation of the YCL by the inability of this group to take a firm principled position. Discus foreign to Fascism; their minds already closed in the Bronx and progressive forces run counter to The invited organizations inviting objectionable groups thesions and negotiations and experiments in practical cooperation with are against inquiry on principle; muny more will close tonight. the class collaboration policies of included the Young Communist Lovestoneltes and the National the American Workers arty, on the other hand, were more fruitful. for courage they substitute bestial. At the Navarre cafeteria, where the leadership and sooner or later Student The stammerings of the We hope that the negotiations now pending will result in an early ity.
a strike was in progress, the In a clear cut struggle between a polLeague, student League for Indus delegate to questions on the state fusion of the two organizations. This will make the format organiza Down With Mussolini. dustrial Union pulled out the unicy of class struggle and class coltrial Democracy, the Communist ment showed that the National Stu tion of the new party possible.
Our comrade, Leon Trotsky, skilled help belonging to their un laboration will develop in the difYouth Opposition, and the Sparta dent League which denies its StalIt is our desire to contribute our full share to this historie enterinist character refused to particicus Youth League.
hounded and persecuted by every lon and the bosses were forced to ferent unions. In the auto work government in Europe, cannot en close the establishment.
ers and in the steel workers strug.
Prior to the conference the pate in the united front because of prise. Not only ideas but material forces as well. The stronger the the presence of the Lovestoneltes Communist League, the stronger the new party at its inception. We ter this country. Are we to be si The fight now taking place is les these tendencies could be seen Young Communist League had sent must devote the coming weeks to an intensive campaign of organiza ient while these 350 parasitic Fas against a new wage ont demanded Incipient Revolts a letter to the published and Spartacus Youth League.
Ben Fisher of the re tion and agitation to prepare the way for the auspicious launching of cists tour around the country, by the bosses. The unton, on the in the Daily Worker of Sept. 27, The opposition to the leaders de1934, under the bead and plied to the by stating that the new party. By building the League we are building the founda preading their poisonous prope other hand, is demanding the reveloped, but was not strong enough when his organization made the toas of the new party Take step for Joint Ac ganda against the workers inter storation of a five dollar wage cut to gain its ends. In the auto work This present campaign has two parts: esta?
they took a year ago ers union the opposition forces did tlon. clearly stating that the in offer of united front they had good First: Build up the organization. Systematically canvass all It would be well if many labor Whether or not local 302 wins not crystallize until after Green vltation of the Lovestoneltes and reason to believe that it would be the Spartacus Youth League places accepted by the in Belgium, sympathizers and ask them to join the League now. Appeal for new organizations were to unite in a the strike depends on the militancy sceltoont and then assumed the dans Insuperable obstacles in the way the Yipsels, the and the members at every meeting. Organize the membership drive in every of achieving unity. Their scurri Trotskyist youth formed a united branch under the slogan: Recruit Every Sympathizer into the League Socialists, Communists, trade un spirits. And also on whether Local company union Influence appeared.
In the steel workers struggle the lous attacks on the Trotskyltes front In Spain the Communist Second: Raise a new party fund. Provide the organization with lonists are being tortured in Italy 302 cor smash the sell out agreerank and Ale committee took the are on again repeated. In fact party recently joined the united the means to increase its activities, strengthen its press and send today by the thousands just as they ment between Kearny and the power out of the hands of Tighe It is only the latest step in a sys front which includes the Socialists organizers into the field. Every member should make a special sacri are in Germany. The Communist Association and Company, but was outmaneutematic campaign of the and the Trotskyists.
fice. Affairs should be organized to raise funds. Sympathizers should League, for one, is ready to parbe asked to contribute. New Party Certificates in the amounts of ticipate in a united anti Fascist THE NEED FOR THE FOURTH vered.
against the Spartacus Youth, The The Spartacus Youth League one dollar and Ave dollars are being printed. Buy them and sell them. demonstration on Columbus Day.
In the textile strike the opposlYoung Worker (Sept. 25, 1931) demitted a statement on the INTERNATIONAL tion to acMahon brought on the votes a great deal of space to ex refusal to join the united front. Let us redouble our activities, strengthen and tighten up our organ It is not enough to publish arLecture by strike. They had to fight the lead plaining why the cannot Despite requests that the ization in preparation for a leap forward.
ticles in radical papers. Let us go We are going to call the roll in this campaign which, we hope into the streets on Columbus Day MAX SHACHTMAN make united front with the remain as observers they stated ers every inch of the way, but the horse trading of Rieve, the social Trotskyltes.
that they had no proposals to make will be the prelude for the definite transformation of our organization and demonstrate against Fascist Editor of New International ist, weakened the strike struggle While the absented itself and saw no reason for staying from a propaganda cirele into a political movement. Sign your name oppression and militarism and before it started and enabled the Sunday, October 21, P.
from the conference, the National The conference then proceeded to to the roll call with a contribution and send it to: against those who are honoring reactionary lenders to control the Student League sent observers. discuss the draft of the united front THE MILITANT, at Bronx Free Fellowship these Fascists here!
144 Second Avenue, 1591 Boston Road, Bronx The latter, at the opening of the strike and betray it at the oppor.
meeting, explained why they could (Continued on Page 1)
New York City.
JOIN THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE (Corner Suburban Place. Continued on Page 1)
party.
e corrente workers kano smed projeces me land from sous le company was het hy van fer Leaders Plot Against other of the legenda polies full FOR THE NEW PARTY Youth Unite Against Fascists