THE COMMUNIST Official Organ of the Communist Party of America.
SECTION OF THE THIRD COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL Vol. NO 15.
DECEMBER 15th, 1920.
PRICE CENT: Unemployment.
was talism is Traveling the same road as Europcan capitalism. It is beginning to break down. YOU WORKERS MUST FINISH In every large industrial center in Ame ments can never repay the principal or the THE JOI!
rica to lay, thousands and tens of thousands interest of the huge debts they already owc.
Isn it about time that you realized of workingmen and workingwomen have lost They also know that the new working class that you workers can get nothing worththeir jobs and are tramping the streets. Governments, when they are established, will whilc for your class under capitalism?
Every day the list of unemploymen grow repudiate the debts of the present capitalist TALISM IS UNEMPLOYMENT, STARALL YOU CAN GET UNDER CAPIby leaps and bounds. In New York, Loston. governinents. Therefore the American financ VATION, HIGH COST OF LIVING Philadelphia, Pittsburg, St. Louis, Cleveland, icrs have closed down on their loans and Detroit. Chicago fron Main to California Europe cannot purchase any more American OWNED SHACKS, POVERTY, MISERY, DIRTY TENEMENTS OR COMPANY.
and from the Great Likes 10 the Gulf mil goods. This is proof positive that European DISEASE AND WAR. IF YOU DONT are beginning to fecl the pinch of hunger can capitalism, closely united with the former STRIKE OR PROTEST. YOU GET and cold.
through the bonds of imperialisin, is beginn POLICEMEN CLUBS. INJUNCTIONS, The railroads, the steel mills, the mincs, ing to feel the effect of it over here.
the textiles, the lumber SHERIFF GUNS, SOLDIERS, BAYcamps the autoAs for the other world markets. they ONETS, MACHINE GUNS AND MARmobile and rubber tire factories, the packare also uable to absorb the surplus of TIAL LAW. IF YOU DONT LIKE ing industry, the clothing industry, depart American industries. For various reasons.
THAT YOU GET DEPORTED OR nient stores and the thousand and one fact. In the first place, conditions are unstable JAILED.
ories that produce the necessities of life are all over the world. The masses are starving Isn that so?
closing down or working part time at re and unemployed; factories and farms are duced wages.
ille; many small wars are raging in every Just look back upon the bistory of the terrific industrial slump has hit this part of the globe; small nations and colonies class struggle the last two years. The Long country. Manufacturers claim that they canare strugling for freedom from the great shoremen Strike the Coal Sstrike, the Steel Secondly, Strike the Outlaw railroad strike, the not get orciers. Bankers claim that money is Imperiaist Powers of Europe.
scarce. Merchants claim that their merchanthere is still some competition to face. Outlaw. printers strike, the nation wide dise not selling. Railroads claim that freight Thirdly, the rate of exchange has made the raids, the deportations, the jailings.
shipments are decreasing. Farmers claim that dollar very dear in the international com Where were the courts? On the side of they are compelled to sell their products at mercial market, although the dollar is very the capitalists and against the workers.
ruinous prices. Perisirable goods are rotting cheap in the home market.
Where were the policemen, the sheriffs at docks or in warehouses. Stores are stocked so not sutter. They shut down their fact talists and against the workers.
Of course, the big American capitalist and the soldiers? On the side of the capiup with gools. The farmers crops this year have broken all past records. AND YET, orics and go off on vacations to Palm Beach Where was the Church? On the side IN THE MIDST OF THIS UNPARAL and other expensive resorts. But you work of the capitalists and against the workers.
LED PLENTY INDUSTRIES ARE CLOS crs feel it. You suficr. You and your Where were your labor leaders. On the ING DOWN AND THE WORKERS ARE families have to go with insufficient food, side of the capitalists and against the workBEING THROWN OUT ON THE Clothing and warmıh. You get long varations crs.
STREETS TO STARVE AND FREEZE!
without pay. You get kicked out of your Where the Government local, jobs.
What is the meaning of all this?
state and national? On the side of the capiPut there is another a:gle to this. in talists and against the workers.
Only recently the capitalist press shriek dustrial crisis. THE CAPITALIST CLASS Certainly! They all were against you.
ed that what this country needed to cure it IS DELIBERATELY USING THIS OP. They always will bc and they will succeed of all ills was increased production. You PORTUNITY TO REDUCE YOUR in keeping the workers divided, break your were told that the unrest, discontent and the WAGE; AND TO DESTROY YOUR strikes and destroy your lal or organizations Red Wave that was sweeping this country LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
was due to insuficient profluction. You were so long as capitalism exists and the state The capitalist class (through their Mer with all its power, remains in the hands told to speed up production as the only chants, Bankers and Manufacturers associa the capitalist class.
cure for the post war cconomic and political tions) have come out for the OPEN SHOP. The only way in which you can put an conditions. Well, production has increased THEIR SLOC. IN IS GIRYISM. to this profit system which keeps you in and what happened?
You produced so much that the markets This is the situation you are facing. poverty misery and degradation, and gives are glutted and you are being thrown out THE QUESTION FOR YOU WORKERS all the good things of life to the rich, is, of your jobs. Instead of conditions getting TO DECIDE IS HOW ARE YOU GO TOP CONQUER POLITICAL POWER better they are growing worse. Instead of higher wages and better conditions many of This is a critical moment for the work WORKING CLASS THE RULING CLASS IN SOCIETY. YOU MUST FIRST you int your jobs and the others are working class of America. The capitalist game ing at reduced wages. Does this really mean is to play he unemployed against the cm DESTROY THE PRESENT CAPITA: IST GOVERNMENT AND ESTABLISH ployed. In this way they hope to split your that you workers have produced too much?
Not at all. The working class could very for jobs to bring down wages and bring ranks, make you compete with one another WORKERS. OR SOVINT GOVERN.
MENT IN ITS PLACE BY FORCEcasily consume more food, more clothing, JUST AS DID THE WORKERS AND Dout the Open shop.
more of all the products that they have proPEASANTS OF RUSSIA!
duced. But under the present capitalist Against this vicious attack you must THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE system of proluction coinmoxlities are pro figlit hard. You must bring pressure to bear WORKERS OR ANTERICA TO CONduced for profit and not primarily for usc.
upon your labor organizations to take up SIDER THE NECESSITY OF ESTAB.
The workers get back in wages only about the challenge of the capitalist class. If your LISU SOVIET GOVERNMENT IN one fifth of what they produce. The rest, reactionary leader and labor fakers stand AMERICA!
after deducting the portion used by the capi in the way YOU MUST GET RID OF WORERS GOVERNMENT would talist class and their henchman, is held for Export to foreign markets. This surplus must LEADERS FROM THE RANK AND function for the working class and against be sold fn: profit to foreign countries.
FILE WHO WILL DO YOUR BID WORKERS CONTROL OF INDUSTRY And now we coine to the main cause DING!
under its protection and guidance. After it of the present wave of unemployment and YOU MUST BRING THE ENTIRE will have ccomplished its purpose, during the industrial crisis Europe, PRESSURE OF THE WORKING CLASS the transition period from capitalism to which all during the war and aficr, was inc: TO REAR THROUGH MASS MEET Comunitate il will have abolished greatest purchaser of American. is INGS DEMONSTRATIONS. PRO: private ownership in the means of prexluc credit has ted and TESTS. YOU MUST USE THE MASS tion and distribution, after it will have ahoEurope is staggering under stupend STRIKE THE GENERAL STRIKE lished all classes, after it will have crushed OLS war debts Its industries are broken THE POLITICAL STRIKE TO EN and suppressed all counter revolutionary at down. The European workers are starving FORCE YOUR DEMANDS!
tempts to overthrow the rule of the workdiscontented and threatening to overthrow This industrial crisis is the beginning ers, after it will have build up the worktlicir capitalist governments. American bank of thic revolutionary bovement that will crscconomic administation of industryers know this and they refuse to extend then cu cotually lead to the overthrow of the TUE WORKERS OR SOVIET GOVERN any nute credit with which to buy gools present capitalist povernment and the aboli: MENT woull itself die out and make American know that the European Gover tion of the capitalist system. American capi(Continuod on pur 7)