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SOCIALIST APPEAL JANUARY 11, 1941 SOCIALIST APPE AL VOL. No. Saturday, January 11, 1941 PubMehed Weekly by the BOCLALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASSN.
a1 116 University Placs, New York, Telephone: Algonquin 8647 Industrial Insurance Racket Robs The Poor Valiant British Brewers Expose Fifth Columnists Editorial Board: FELIX MORROW ALBERT GOLDMAN General Manager: RUTH JEFFREY Subscriptions: 00 per year: 00 for six months Foreign: 00 per year, 50 for six months. Bundle orders: cents per copy in the United States: cente per copy in all forelgn countries. Single coples: soonto.
And the bosses and their government are dead set against this.
The awarding of the bulk of the war orders to open shop, non union corporations, including the Ford Motor Co. the demonstrative fashion in which the War Department slapped down the feeble protest of Sidney Hillman against the latest contract to Ford every evidence exists and cries out: The government will stand with Henry Ford against the workers!
But all this should not daunt the Ford workers. They can lick Ford and lick him to a frazzle if they are willing and ready, and seriously prepare to utilize their one decisive weapon, strike action.
On that day when the word Strike! sweeps like a hurricane down the miles of assembly lines, the Ford workers will learn the real might and solidarity of labor.
It will be the greatest picket line this or any other nation has ever seen. By the hundreds of thousands, the auto workers of Detroit, Flint, Pontiac, Saginaw, Toledo, Cleveland will pour into the lines. From a thousand miles away, by old jaloppy or by freight, union men will come, rubber workers, glass workers, steel workers, AFL teamsters and machinists, Negro workers, women workers and housewives the whole outpouring of the concentrated power and wrath of the working class will swell the picket line against Ford.
Ford finks and stool pigeons and thugs will not avail him.
And with trembling hands, Ford will sign a union contract and be goddam glad he has not suffered worse.
purposes. Reentered as second clan December 2009. at Where. 1979 New York, Yn the Act of March FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY ON THE WAR FRONT: For: Military training of workers, Enanced by the gov.
ernment, under control of the trade unions, The establishment of special officers training camps, financed by the government and controlled by the trade unions, to train workers to become officers. Confiscation of all war profits all company books to be open for trade union inspection. Expropriation of all war industries and their operation under workers control Trade union wages for all workers drafted into the Good Neighbor army. Full equality for Negroes in the armed forces, Down with Jim Crowism. An end to secret diplomacy. peoples referendum on any and all wars.
AT HOME: For: job and decent living for every worker. Thirty thirty. 30 weekly minimum wage 30 hour weekly maximum for all workers on all jobs. 30 weekly old age and disability pension. Full social, political and economic equality for the Negro people. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante and fascist attacks. enty billio doll Federal public and housing program to provide jobs for the unemployed. Expropriate the Sixty Families. An Independent Labor Party based on the Trade Unions, Workers and Farmers Government.
Workers in the British colonies in the Western Hemisphere are receiving an impressive lesson on the true meaning of President Roosevelt policy of aid to Britain short of war, as well as on his Good Neighbor program.
On January 3, a presidential order suspended the eight hour day for workers employed in the construction of naval and air base sites leased by the United States from Great Britain.
This abrogation of the law which requires the eight hour day for all workers employed upon any public works of the United States. was justified on the grounds of extraordinary emergency.
Just how extraordinary, is explained in the following section of Roosevelt order. The application to these projects of the eight hour limitati involve such a parture from local labor practices and regulations as would be likely to adversely affect the local (colonial) labor situation.
In a word, aid to Britain short of war is to include the full assistance of United States imperialism in enforcing the continued brutal exploitation of the native peoples in the British colonies.
But there is more to this move than simple expedient co operation with the British exploiters, by affording no example of better working conditions to inflame the native workers with ideas of improved standards.
The workers in the United States can see in this move one step further to break down the conditions of labor in the United States. Roosevelt thus encourages the drive of the National Association of Manufacturers to destroy the eight hour day under the pretext of an extraordinary emergency in the interests of national defense.
Months ago the Navy Department suspended the eight hour day for government work in Alaska and the Pacific island bases of the In August, when the number of unemployed still exceeded ten millions, the War Department instituted the 48 hour week in place of the 40 hour week in the government arsenals.
This latest action of Roosevelt is not merely a clue to the real purposes of American imperialism with respect to the colonial peoples. It is one more ominous forecast of what the boss class is planning for the American working class in the immediate future.
Organize Ford!
SEC Investigation Shows Workers Swindled Out Of Hundreds of Millions Yearly By Big Insurance Outfits;No Remedy Proposed By JOSEPH HANSEN Some people argue that capitalists are nothing but parasites. Others believe, however, that this is going By DON DORE dying and leaving their depen acts in concert with at least a bit strong, especially in wartime. After starting the He so low he steal the pendents without even funeral ex. some of his fellow directors, he war, they maintain the capitalists continue to do their nies off a dead man eyes. penses. Most of these policies are may even change the form of bit. Standing bravely at their posts at home and seeThat, in a manner of speaking, sold on this basis.
the company from mutual to ing that law and order function smoothly, the capitalcharacterizes the life insurance The section on Industrial Insur stock or stock to mutual; which ists by their example inspire the soldiers to more companies who last year alone ance is but one of the highlights ever best serves his private heroie and self sacrificing efforts on the battle front.
sold 676. 466, 446 worth of in of the report, particularly reveal Likewise the workers in the munitions industries feel dustrial Insurance policies to ing because this racket is directed Every life insurance company better when the boss is right there to see that no new millions of duped workers. at the poorest sector of the work without exception was found to Por 95 percent of all these pol ing class. The Metropolitan, Pru be guilty of some or all of these saboteurs disturb the workers with disruptive talk icles, as the past ten year record dential and John Hancock insur practices.
about higher wages or shorter hours.
proves, toilt lapse before they are ance companies carried over threeThe magnitude of the swinlle, Only intolerant people would deny the weight of pald out.
fourths of the total of outstand the enormity of the profits garo evidence in support of the latter view. Take, for inLast year 66 life insurance coming Industrial insurance in 1939. ered by a handful of companies, stance, the publie minded stockholders of the Highpanies held active industrial pol. These companies, and other can beat be realized when we con gate Walsall Brewery, whose annual general meeting cies amounting to 21, 140, 150, 492. leading firms, according to the sider that in 1939 this one type of was reported in the most recent issue o According to the past records, SEC Andings, have also perfected insurance company controlled to Economist. Despite bombs, convoy sinkings, destruconly Rue percent of these policies means eliminating all real com tal assets (admitted) of 29, 243, tion, and even loss of property, these stout hearted will ever be paid out at face value petition and have been able to fix 411, 498. Their total income for for deaths or by maturit bishe premium rates, regardless one year, 1939, was 5, 453, 133, 586, British stockholders, aside from putting by enough Hundreds of millions of dollars of costs involved in the companies or about 2, 000, 000, 000 less than reserves to take care of plant destruction by bombs, are paid yearly, in weekly dime operations. Section 11 of the re the estimated total of federal gov have carried right on as usual. so that the output and quarter installments, as pre port states: The principle lifcernmental fiscal receipts. of the brewery has shown an increase notwithstandmfums on the small 100 to 1000 Insurance companies have for sev. The life insurance companies ing the enforced advance in prices to our customers.
life or old age ingurance pol eral years undertaken to elimi. are the greatest single aggregate The public naturally appreciates that this adicles sold under the Industrial nate rate competition by means of of wealth in the country. As the Vance in prices has been forced on us by increased insurance plan. These policies inter company agreements and report states, The life insurance taxation imposed by the three Budgets. The cost of are deliberately pushed upon the gentlemen understandings.
companies are becoming the prinpoorest strata of the workers by. The officers and directors of ciple savings institutions of the war must be footed by some one, and the stockholders high pressure salesmen who know the companies use their offices for country.
are performing a patriotic duty in seeing to it that in advance that sooner or later, by their own gain, employing the the cost is passed on to their customers. How can such These institutions are directly virtue of unemployment or ina funds paid in on premiums for linked with the most powerful patriots be termed parasites? Only a red unable to dequate income, 95 out of every 100 personal deals and investments. capitalists and banks. The five adjust himself to society could cavil at the pleasure polley holders will lose all or The report outlines the innumer largest life insurance companies. of the Chairman in reporting that: Notwithstanding most of their investment through able ways this may and has been reports the SEC, have interlock continual rises in the cost of labour and materials, lapsed policies or surrendering done: ing directorships with 100 other He may borrow money insurance companies, 145 banks or especially barley. the trading profit has shown a them for a fraction of the amount (from the insurance fund)
satisfactory increase.
paid out in premiums. And this other financial institutions and is also the most expensive form directly or in the name of a 534 industrial, real estate or other Whoever loses his equilibrium enough to call these of insurance.
corporation he owns or con corporations. The interlockings sturdy pillars of British capitalism parasites fails to This is the dirtiest racket, trols; he may sell goods or with commercial banks are parti take into consideration their role in guarding the among many, described in a monit.
services to the insurance com cularly important, the five largest home front, especially against Fifth Columnists.
mental three volume report of the pany, possibly at a premium; insurance companies having 40 Stockholders possess an innate gift which permits Securities and Exchange Commis he may cause the insurance common directors with commer them to recognize a genuine Fifth Columnist instantsion, which has just completed a company to purchase his own cial banks in New York.
ly. This is proved by the Chairman exposure of an study of the life insurance comsecurities or to provide money All this is but a minute frac insidious campaign unleashed by organized propapanies. The study, begun in July for financing a speculative tion of the SEC findings, which 1938. covers the practices of the business venture he is promotgandists against the British Government: Using the constitute one of the most damn306 legal reserve life insurance ing: he may place friends or ing indictments ever leveled at war as a means to an end, he informs the company business associates on the paymeeting, they still persist in worrying the Governany capitalist institution by a govcompanies now in operation. summary of its findings has al roll of the insurance company ernment agency. What will be ment. Such conduet in exploiting the national emergready been given to the Temporat exorbitant salaries; he may the upshot of this devastating ex ency is reprehensible.
ary National Economic Commis. pad expense accounts or draw posure? Nothing!
sion.
compensation in advance with For like all similar investigat The Fifth Columnists Unmasked This summary describes the no contemplation of repay. ing committees (the oil trust, Loyally defending his Government, the Chairman methods of selling industrial in ment; he may direct the de banks, utilities, etc. have been of the stockholders of Highgate Walsall Brewery surance through playing on the positing of company funds to investigated in the past this com levels an accusing finger at the Fifth Columnist acrears of poor workers. Unable to his advantage; he may cause mittee too winds up its hundreds save a penny ahead, most workers tivity of the Oxford Temperance Council. The Chairpreferential contracts to be ex of thousands of damning words are frightened at the thought of ecuted in his favor, or, if he by recommending nothing!
man brings out into the blinding light of day the scurrilous tactics of this unholy crew: At the moment these agtitators are concentrating on bringing about a reduction of the use of materials for brewing, such as barley, and the shortening of the permitted hours of sale in licensed houses.
These agents of a foreign power boring from with in, shall not succeed, however, in their sabotage of the defense program. The stockholders of the HighgateWalsall Brewery stand in the breach! They defend the interests of the farmers: It would be grossly unfair to farmers who grow malting barley to cut down By QUEBRACHO the Argentines to reject any per out South America, came with the supplies to brewers, for they would be forced to sell BUENOS AIRES. By Mail) spective which will place them on primary purpose of propagandir. their malting barley at the price of feeding barley, few weeks ago it was hard the same level as the Central ing for the British cause and at which on this year figures would have been about to foresee that Argentine and Ura American republics. The reaction the same time, to try and salvage one half of its value. The stockholders likewise suyan public opinion would re in the army and navy also has English interests in this country.
champion the interests of the workers: The Governact the way it now has, on the been particularly adverse. Hence. The principal results of the visit ment know only too well the serious unrest, disconquestion of ceding to the United one can be certain that for the have been a series of drastic meastent, loss of working time and interference with the States naval and air bases on the present it is improbable that the ures, such as the pretended naSouth American coast. The move United States will obtain military tionalization of the railroads, output of munitions which was caused in the last war ment developing in that respect bases in Argentina.
which will assure English stock by the too drastic curtailment of the supply of beer.
is very extensive and ardent and holders a certain profit which From the report of the Chairman, it is clear that completely abalagous to that pro. YANKEES MORE they do not earn at present, and the agitators of the Oxford Temperance Council are duced in May, 1940. against the SUCCESSFUL IN URUGUAY the granting of a large credit to in communication with the foe. Only Nazis could disHowever, the situation in Uru. England.
possibility of Argentina entry seminate propaganda of such virulent nature: Not into the world war. It is evident guay is different. It is the small On the other hand, an Argenthat the South American masses est country in South America tine mission, headed by Senor content with demanding that the quantity of beer don want to be dragged into the without an army and navy which Prebisch: general manager of the brewed should be curtailed, these agitators go further, imperialist massacre no matter might put up any resistance. The Argentine Central Bank, went to and still using the war as an argument, urge that bow much the democratic and cession of air and naval bases to the United States and has just also the sale in licensed houses should cease at an bi berat press wbich serve Anglo the United States or their con obtained a 110 million dollar loan earlier hour in the evening.
American Imperialism (that is the struction with a loan from Wasb: after creat offorts were exerted nature of almost the entire prose ington would give that country to make Argentina accept the In the welter of blood of the Second World War, bere) try to coat the pill. the opportunity to acquire a great principle of continental defense.
it is a comfort to know that the British capitalists while increasing their profits are defending the ramAfter my Inst report to the so importance in this continent that is, the cession of air and parts of democracy and the interests of the poor even cialist Appeal when it appeared wbich, besides bringing them ma naval bases in the South Atlantic.
that the masses were ready to by benefits would flatter the na This loan, which will deal with down to seeing that Fifth Columnists don separato docilely accept as a lesser evil tional vanity of the Uruguayan on another occasion, is a real at the working stiff from his mug of beer.
the ceding of military bases to bourgeosle. Therefore, and in spite tempt against Argentine economy the United States, there arose an of popular opposition and the re and will throw this country at the unexpected and growing clamor. signation of the Herrerista min mercy of the Yankee wolf. It will That feeling spread not only isters who are connected with only benefit the and Eng among groups of the nationalist nazi fascism. President Baldomir land. The because that loan, bourgeoiste and the liberal petty announced that he is ready to go and the closing of the European bourgeoiste, but also to a good forward with the construction of market, will enable Argentina to part of the trade unions and stu the bases. It remains only to over purchase American commodities dent organizations. They all is come the opposition of Argentina. which formerly were imported Seed manifestos and held heavily in a recent meeting held in the from Europe because of an un attended public meetings against city of Colonia, the foreign min favorable trade balance with the the pretentions of Yankee imper. isters of Argentina and Uruguay u.
Speaker ialism.
considered this matter, but as yet And England will benefit be It is necessary to recognize the It is hard to say what decisiour fact that this was attained in were reached during the conversa cause that money will serve as good part as a result of the actions because the agreements are credit to finance English pur.
Trotskyist Candidate for Senator tivity of the Stalinists wbo, since kept a secret. However, it was thases of meats and cereals in from Minnesola. Member National the Hitler Stalin pact, concentrate decided to summon new meet Argentina, wbilo English gold is their fire against England and the ing attended by all the countries reserved to buy commodities from Executive Board of the Workers United States, after having for who have interests in the Plata the Credits are thus de Defense League years supported the democratic River basin, namely Brazil, Bolt manded from Argentina, the na imperialist nations. Tomorrow, via, Paraguay, Argentina and Ur lon favorable commercial halStalinism will probably again be uguay, because a cession of millances are blocked in British Lenin Ideas Are Stronger at the Beginning of come the accomplice of the detary bases on the Uruguayan coast pounds, and in exchange the coutWorld War II Than They Were in 1914.
mocracies. But it is evident at the mouth of the great river try is offered paper on its foreign that if their present activity could will affect the interests of all debt which cannot be placed here Hear Ilow Lenin Ideas Will End the Present find so much of an echo. It was those countries. If Argentina and which consequently must be Imperialist Conflict.
so because that feeling, although aims to oppose the construction financed in the In this way as yet not openly manifested, was of that base at the new conter the financial center of this semel Friday, January 24, 1941 already in the spirit of the popu. ence, that attitude will be over colonial country shifts its seat 8:30 lar masses a spirit which we come because influence pre from London to New York. And Trotskyists bave done our sbare dominates in the other nations instead of utilizing the opportunIRVING PLAZA in creating mentioned.
ity to obtain economic liberation Secondly that activity bore fruit Meanwhile a British mission since the old master Britain 18 Irving Place and 15th Street because of the patriotic sentiment headed by Lord Willington, ex. weakening. Argentina is falling of a people that always bas con vice roy of India, arrived in Bue more and more under the beel of New York City sidered itself the first in Latin nos Aires, heralded with great a new master, more exacting and AUSPICES: America and one of the standard publicity and the compliance of many times more powerful: Wall Socialist Workers Party Admission 25cl bearers of Western civilization in Roosevelt. This mission, which Street.
Ithe world. That feeling, impels plans to continue its tour through Dec. 23, 1940 Distrust Of Yankees Revives In Argentina Class Is Class Henry Ford possesses the greatest individual fortune in the world. And the extent of his wealth is an index to the intensity with which he exploits labor.
The rule of his realm is a rule of violence. Not intelligence, nor mental adroitness, nor mechanical creativeness, nor administrative genius, but sheer brute force and physical terror are the stock intrade of Ford rise to wealth and power.
He has at his disposal a private army, a ruthless and mercenery gang of professional thugs, gunmen, paroled gangsters and similar degenerate scum. The black jack, the brass knuckle, the club and the gun are the symbols on the Ford coat ofarms.
Ford stands today as THE challenge to the and all organized lab What every boss and corporation executive in the country is asking himself these days is: Can Henry Ford get away with it? And if he can, they quite logically reason, so can they. And they too can copy Ford methods.
Unorganized workers everywhere are watching the Ford union drive with breathless attention.
The workers in the aircrafts industry, in Little Steel, are asking: Can the Ford workers do it? If they can, so can we.
The gigantic strikes which won union conditions for the General Motors and Chrysler workers in the Spring of 1937 paved the way for tremendous organizational advances in other industries. Those strike victories forced such viciously anti union corporations as Steel and Westinghouse Electric to grant union contracts in fear of strikes. In the same way, a clean cut victory now for the Ford workers will give a nation wide impetus to the organization of all the unorganized workers and, in addition, will force every reactionary employer in the country to put back into his files any illusory plans he may have for smashing the union in his industry.
The supreme danger to the Ford union drive is that the union leadership may permit or encourage the notion that Ford can be brought to heel through legal decree, court order or government pressure. To place any hope in a possible favorable court decision means, at the least, months of disastrous and demoralizing delay, during which Ford can undermine and beat down the union drive bit by bit.
And in the end, what hope is there that the government will enforce any pro labor decision of any board or court? None whatsoever. The bosses government knows that a victory for the Ford workers means an unparalleled expansion of industrial unionism, it means possible strikes and demands in Bethlehem Steel, DuPont and elsewhere.
LENIN MEMORIAL MEETING GRACE CARLSON The ruling caste of the British Army doesn permit the idea of class superiority to be overlooked for one instance, even in the distinction it makes between dead Italian soldiers and dead fascist commanding officers.
In reporting the capture by the British Egyptian forces of the Italian desert fortress at Nibiewa, Egypt, the New York Times of December 16 reports. Many of the men (Italian soldiers) jumped into the refuse trenches, said an Italian surgeon who is still here caring for the wounded. They did not know it but they were jumping into their own graves because the shells came pouring into the trenches after them.
The following choice bit appears later in the Times story: The refuse trenches provided graves for the dead. General Maletti was laid out in state in front of his tent before burial.
Workers and peasants in uniform are just so much garbage to be buried in offal pits. But a fascist general, well, that something different to the British ruling class officers!
Class must be respected at all cost, and particularly since Churchill plea to the fascist generals, Italian royal family and the rest of the ruling Italian regime to make a revolution against Mussolini. Churchill does not intend to put any ideas in the heads of the Italian masses. Class is class, as the saying goes, and Churchill and the British officer caste want even the British soldiers to understand this.