November 29th. 1919, THE COMMUNIST Page Three SPECIAL CABLE FROM OUR STOCKHOLM CORRESPONDENT.
Stockholm, November 21st. Belligerents in Russia called December 15th at Warsaw. Fighting ceases November 25.
Red military situation excellent. Soviet food situation better.
Chabrow Stockholm Cablegram adressed to Comrade Carlson :Long Live Samuelsson Scandinavian Youth November 17, 1919. E. Resolution on Strike Situation.
HE outstanding feature of the class struggle in the United States at this moment is the large strikes which are convulsing industry. Out of this situation is the workers against the yellow, compromising, traitorous union officials.
These strikes and their developments reflect the acute stage of labor unrest non prevailing in the United States; andthis unrest is in turn a direct result of the ever increasing cost of living. With great outlet for export trade on account of the European shortage in foodstuffs, manufactured products and raw materials, there is no prospect of a lowering of prices. In fact, prices are still on the increase.
so the currency conditions which enter into the high cost of living, arising out of the vast flotations of credits during the past five years, cannot be changed for a long time. if ever. The high cost of living has come to stay. Moreover, because of the process of dissolution through which European Capitalism is passing, there is no prospect of a quick economic recovery of society.
The workers, under pressure of the unbearably high cost of living, are engaged in strikes for higher wages which constantly assume larger dimensions.
The United States has entered an era of great and prolonged strikes.
These strikes, because of the world conditions of capitalistic crisis, must necessarily assume a potentially revolutionary character. The capitalists of America are bound stubbornly to resist the wage demands in order to discourage strikes and especially to break the labor organizations. Under these conditions strikes are apt to be very bitter and protracted.
The government has no policy other than to use its resources of force to break the revolt of the workers. The policy of compromise with the American Federation of Labor, against the ten times as many unorganized workers, attempted through the Industrial Conference, failed primarily because of the determined stand of the Steel Trust against unionism of any kind. There is the suspicion that the officials can no longer hold their members in leash.
The action of the government in breaking the coal strike by use of war legislation and mandatory injunction indicates the policy that the state is to pursue in the coming industrial struggles. The setting up of martial law and military invasion as a means of intimidating the steel strike is another indication.
State participation in the industrial conflicts, with the imperialist policy of the government in the international arena, will make every large strike take on the character of a political strike, actually if not consciously.
In practically every important union of the of and in other unions, there is developing enormous dissatisfaction with the officials, ilaring into open revolts. Of 70 strikes deciared during recent months, 66 were without sanction of the officials and against their protest. The inevitable transformation of isolated economic strikes into general political strikes will make the trades union officials of the old type still more cautious in calling strikes. It will lead them to betray the strikes forced upon them by the rank and file. The revolts against these leaders will grow, and this is a tendency which must be utilized to the utmost by our party The high cost of living and the strikes for higher wages are developing proposals for the nationalization of certain industries. These proposals indicate a partial awakening of the American workers to the necessity for larger means and purposes in their struggle. The conception of the class struggle as a political struggle is developing among the workers in a concrete but as yet incomplete way.
This development may become the issue of Labor Party parliamentary polities in the near future. The impulse behind this development is futility of the isolated economic strike to accomplish any substantial results; it is the task of the Communist Party to indicate that the strike is futile simply because it is isolated and purely economic. but that it becomes a strong weapon of struggle the moment it assumes the character oi general political strike.
The concrete situation now existing is that over a million workers are on strike, without any fundamental action developing. The strikes are isolated, are being defeated peace meal by the combined power of the capitalists and their gorernment. If these strikes were united, it they had a common organization, dierction and purpose, they would develop enormous strength and allow the workers to assume the offensive against the capitalists.
The Communist Party, therefore, issues this slogan to the workers: UNIFY THE STRIKES This unification of the strikes cannot be accomplished through the of since the craft autonomy of of unions, together with their conservative purposes and leadership prevents united militant action. It is necessary that the workers create means independent of the of in order to unify their strikes.
The Communist Party shall encourage and assist, in every city where there are large strikes, the formation of Strike Councils, to assume general direction and control of the strikes, secure unity and common action, combining the organized and unorganized workers. Strikes being of inter city and often national scope, local Strike Councils should form state and national Strike Councils, thereby providing the means and the organization to unify the strikes and break the power of the old Unions and their reactionary officials.
The Communist Party and the Communist workers must enter into the concrete strike situation with the purpose of developing a mass movement which will express increasing demands for working class power and weaken tire class power oi the capitalists. The actual conflict will itself determine the inoment when that mass movement shall merge all of its economic and political demands into the revolutionary demand: All power to the Workers. for the Communist reconstruction of society!
Supreme Court Leak on Wall Street ONDAY is decision day in the United cided interest had been before the court. It was that concerning ownership of 6, 000 acres of oil lands in California patented by the Southern Pacific Company.
Wall street was confident the high court would uphold the lower courts, which had slistained the Southern Pacific and refused to entertaain the government contention that the company had obtained its patent by fraud. On this expectation Southern Pacific stock had been selling at a decided premium, for the lands are valued at a good many million dollars.
But one hour before the Supreme Court handed down its decision some persons in Wall Street knew the court had overruled the lower courts. The stock was thrown on the market in enormous volume. One concern unloaded 10, 000 shares. Southern Pacific dropped points in a very short time.
Evidently there was a leak from the Supreme Court. There have been leaks before.
Sometimes the august justices forget themselves, or seem to iorget themselves, and advise counsel, in the strictest confidence, of the court finding, and counsel, in the strictest confidence, advise persons interested in the stock market. Sometimes, possibly, some one around the court is bribed by a gambling person of Wall street. One of the notorious figures of the stock market is credited with having made a killing in this Southern Pacific leah.
Wherever or however the icak in this instance, the Supreme Court should bare it.
If there was corruption of some one connected with the court, the unfaithful one should be cast out. If one of the justices inadvertently gave the tip. he should acknowledge the fact and hereafter have the good sense to keep a still tongue.
It is not pleasant to have the Supreme Court of the United States mixed up in a Wall street scandal. The court is one thing that should not be soiled, even by suggestion.
There would be little difficulty in getting at the truth as to this leak. The trading in in that hour before the decision was announced is recorded by the Stock Exchange. All the brokers can be called to court and made to reveal from whom the selling orders came and the persons who gave the orders can be made to disclose where they got their information as to the court finding, What a killing the clever crooks made may be imagined from the fact that 152, 000 shares of ordinarily a noe too active stock, were sold on Monday. and the bulk of this lot in the hour before the decision was announced officially. Chicago Examiner,