Saturday, March 22, 1980.
THE MILITANT Page Unite for the Unemployed!
Fight Registration of the Foreign Born Salvation Army Bread Line Long (Continued from Page 1)
by he employers is well known; now it is openly acknowledged and permitted that this be done legally.
The Drive Against the Foreign Born The revival by the reactionaries of the campaign to compel the registration of aliens and for the deportations of aliens who are not satisfactory to the Bourbons of Wall St. Bills have been again introduced into the United States Congress for the registration of allens. In effect it will establish a vast espionage system over the millions of foreign born workers; be means of persecuting them, driving them out of their jobs if need be, jailing and deporting them. The bills are aimed at the allen radicals, and typically enough, are supported by that arch labor faker, now an open tool of Wall St. namely, Secretary of Labor Davis. The foreign born workors, who are in the basic industries are the ones most sharply affected by the mass unemployment. These allen registration bills have in mind to stifle their protest against capitalist exploitation and oppression, and to take whatever measures are needed to do so, including deportation.
Workers and Civil Liberties drive to deprive aliens and American radicals of socalled civil and constitutional rights. The campaign is going on all the time, but now the 100 per centers, the Pay Triots of every description are coming out of their holes and beginning to bark for greater suppression of radical labor and for withdrawal of socalled liborties and rights from them. Where suc.
cessful, it will be labelel Americanization work (that is, good results in breaking up union organizations, lowering wages, increasing hours of labor, speed up, etc. where unsuccessful in Americanization. then there will be the policy of revocation of citiaenship of alien radicals, refusal to grant citizenship, to permit radical gatherings, indoor and outdoor meetings, attempts to persecute Red students and school children, etc. In New York a college youth has been suspended from City College by the Dean for so called violation of a city ordinance. He had the audacity to diatribute handbills for the New York demonstration of the unemployed! Others in public schools are to be dealt with by the educational authorities who will work hand in hand with the employers and the police.
Revival of Criminal Syndicalisin Laws The attempted revival of Criminal Syndicalism laws in an effort to drive the Communists and other tabor organizations into Illegality. The reaction of 1919 20, the period of of the vicious Attorney General Palmer, is raising its head. Nothing Berious of course is done with the gunmen, racketeers and murderers who infest society, products of the capitalist system. Indeed, these gangsters and racketeers are regularly brought into service by the officially recognized thugs the police against workers on strike, against unions, against the radical workers, etc.
The Mathew Wolls and William Greens, the labor agents of Street, chime in to endorse any movements aiming to check the progress of the workers and to smash the Rede.
The Bosses Organize The organization of the capitalist groups themselves to give organized direction and policy to all campaigns against Tabor, organized and unorganized. The New York Chamber of Commerce has formed a special committee to launch a militant fight against the Communist movement. They hope thus to hide or obscure the burning problem of unemployment. New York wealth and plutocracy have given the lead and expect the other Chambers of Commerce and business froups to take the cue. It has a Committee on Deportation; Committee on Communism in Business and Industry; committee on Publicity, etc. Every agenoy, governmental, business, religious, etc.
is to be enllsted to raise the Red Scare 30 that the misery of the workers under capitalism and particularly severe because of masa unemployment, shall be passed by.
Mags Unemployment Remains nt naada to be done to easily hold their own and make gains among the workers at the expense of the reformists and labor elements that come into it, provided the Communists use inrising tide of reaction and to bring again telligent tactics.
to the forefront the problems that affect In New York, the Socialists and sharply the daily lives of the wo:king men of unions have organized an EmergenAttempts are again being made by reand women of this country? It is largely cy Conference for the Unemployed. We actionary forces to compel the registration of all non citizen foreign born living in the up to the Communists and Left wing, and have recommended that the Communists in particular the official Communist party, propose a United Front movement to them.
United States. Bills are main before to angwer this question and to make pog. It is conceivable that the social reformist Congress, supported by the Department of sible effective work, agitation and organmovement will attract the unemployed, alLabor, which, if their passage is not preization among the masses. The tactics to beit they have only reluctantly and under vented by the united efforts of all labor, will establish a vast espionage system pursue have been proposed before by The pressure begun such a movement. The Militant. The basic problem and issues Communists will have to find ways and primarily aimed to harrass and persecute remain as before.
all radical workers and especially the commeans to penetrate the masses wherever they are.
munists. Mass unemployment, estimated at Advocates of compulsory allen The United Front remains yet in this period the best tactic to achieve registration who appeared on March 12 beover 6, 000, 000 at the present time, remains fore the Senate Immigration Committee the outstanding phenomenon and cancer of contact with the masses and to influence American capitalism. There has been much their though and direction. For the Comwere the red baiter, Capt. Trevor, spokes.
man for the New York Chamber munist party to continue its ostrich policy, bally hoo otherwise, but mass unemployComto reject the tactic of the United Front, merce, and Assistant Secretary of Labor ment remains and mounts higher. Cleverness, advertising and now a Red Scare will result in a number of defeats for itHusband, speaking for Secretary of Labor Davis.
have not gone over: Hoover and capitalism selt and the Communist movement are seeking other means to cover up the in the future; moreover, it will directly The registration of the alien worker, acute situation. The figures of the Hoover affect the adequate defense of the arrested which would be a forerunner for regisadministration, of the Labor Dept.
Communists, the attempted frame ups and tration of all people in the United States, on unemployment and an alleged rise in the progress of the unemployment move makes it easy for the employers to perseindustry and business have been challenged ment cute and oppress the foreign born worker from various sources, and have been In any case, it the unemployment particularly. The threat of discrimination, shown up as valueless, unreliable and un movement is not to be diverted into chanarrest and deportation would always be trustworthy.
nels of reformist illusions, or even directly held as a whip by the employer over the In New York State, where figures by into capitalist grooves; if there is to be allen worker who fought for betterment of the State Dept. of Labor have been issued a genuine defense movement; if there is his conditions, wage increases, decrease of monthly, Perkins, State Industrial Com to be an energetic campaign against the hours, for unionization, etc. The employing missioner, reports a further increase in efforts of the employers and government class and government forces endeavor to unemployment and at the same time chal to smash the Communist movement, to sow further division between the native or lenges the accuracy of the Hoover figures. drive it into illegality, the rank and Alle citizen workers and the allens whose inReports from other regiong are similar, of the Communist party must make posterests as exploited workingmen and wo.
varying in totality of numbers, but resible the unity of the Communists in these men are identical and whose actual enemvealing essentially the same ies are the bosses and the government situation common needs, and demand at the same throughout the United States. The need time a broad united front movement on that persecute them on any and every opto defend the interests of the unemployed, the issue of unemployment.
portunity.
to unite the organized and unorganized, Capitalists Aim to Establish Spy System to get the unions to enter the fight on beф Government snoopers, private detec.
half of the unemployed, to bring together tive agencies, employers dicks would be the employed and unemployed, white and used to intimidate, spy upon and blackmail colored workers, in common action for dethe alien worker. The Pay Triots would mands upon the employers and the govbe given an additional weapon in their ernment for work or compensation, less hands to fight any progress of labor and hours of labor and speed up is yet parawould intensity their ranting and violent mount. The Communists remain the main activities particularly against the revoluInstruments that can give such a moveNEW YORK (FP. Unemployment is tionary minded workers. There would dement vitality, purpose and direction, and from 30 to 35 greater now in New York velop a vast espionage system over the develop the consciousness of the worker than it was a year ago, according to a entire country whose primary task would regarding his social position in capitalist survey conducted by the Salvation Army.
be the persecution of radically minded society. The basic tasks of the Commun Every department maintained by the army workers.
ists and class conscious workers remain for the relief of jobless men is taxed to Among the most vicious of the Bills to explain the causes of unemployment; capacity, its Bowery Hotel has a daily breadbefore Congress is the Aswell BIN, the failure and inability of capitalism to line of 1, 800 men and all its employment 9101, introduced by Congressman Aswell solve the problem and the Communist 80bureaus are swamped with appeals for of Louisiana. It is approved by the Departlution thereof.
work.
ment of Labor, and among its proposals Create United Front Defense Movement Our capacity of 611 beds in the Bow. are: Organize a broad UNITED FRONT ery hotel, said Capt. Paul Brown, has Every allen 21 years of age and DEFENSE MOVEMENT to defend the lead long been overtaxed and to accomodate over must register annually.
Failure ers and workers arrested in the unen homeless men we permit them to sleep on to register is a crime. Failure to regisployment demonstrations and meetings, and the floor, About 400 of them crowd each ter for years subjects an allen to de.
in order to make an effective campaign to night into one large room where they flop portation. The fees are 00 for the first smash the anti Communist and anti labor on the floor with their clothes on and so year and 00 for each year thereafter.
offensive of the Bosses, the of close together they can scarcely turn over. The certificate must bear the labor fakers, Woll, Green Co. and the Hundreds of others who can find no shelallen photograph and signature. It Government. sectarian defense move ter wander the streets all night.
must be shown any time on demand to ment, limited largely to the Communist From 1, 800 to 2, 000 men dally stand any public officer. All changes in name party and the with its present in the noon breadline. Each man is given or physical appearance, together with narrow line, will defeat its own purpose.
Large sections of the labor and liberal ticket for a free meal, consisting of the record of all arrests and convictions, bread and soup or stew. Each meal costs must be reported to the Commissioner movement can be mobilized in such a camfrom to 10 cents.
of Naturalization, who is charged with paign, it only the official Communist party enforcing the law. Violations of the will permit and not cut such a movement law are made serious crimes.
to pieces, as it did, for instance, in the The movement of the capitalists to put Gastonia textile case. Already liberal elements. professors, scientists, etc. have THE NEXT 19SCE over such measures against labor han been defeated in thre nast through the protested the Black List and red balting By Trotsky An Open Letter to strenuous efforts of liberal and labon campaign of Whalen, et al. The Socialist All Members of the Leninbund (Ger forces. The reactionaries look to every party has been compelled to declare against many. An article of the utmost im opportunity to revive and put over regi the forms of the drive against the communist movement. The Socialists find it portance to all Communists, dealing tration laws, and all labor must be COR with the causes of the split in the tinually on guard to prevent cuch attempts necessary to present a liberal front against Leninbund developed by Urbahns. Protests, meetings, resolutions, eto.
reaction, while they at the same time wish Those who read comrade Trotsky union meetings and gatherings, fraternal to stave off oppressive measures against booklet on the Defense of the Soviet organizations, to Congress, etc. are among themselves. Wide circleg of labor can bo Union and the Opposition which ap the methods of publicity to be used to brought into acition for a broad UNITED peared in the Militant serially. Vol. II, protest against any kind of registration FRONT DEFENSE MOVEMENT, can be No. 21 Vol. III, No. inc. will es bills.
made to see that a blow against the communtats by the capitalist reactionaries is pecially find the Open Letter of inΦ terest.
a blow against the whole labor movement and the working class. We demand that Another article by Arn, Swabeck deal.
the Communist party shall discontinue its ing with phases of American Labor deIt the number on your wrapper is sectarian policy and make possible the velopment, the Labor Party, Communist creation of such a movement.
party history and policy, etc.
Untted Front for the Unemployed Letters from the Soviet Union, and The unemployed movement under many other articles on events of the the direction of the Communist must like labor and Communist movement. then your subscription to the militant hat wise be given room to breathe, must be To make sure to get the next issue, expired. Renew immediately in order to developed into a United Front movement. as well as succeeding numbers SUBSCRIBE avoid missing any issues, In such a movement, the Communists can TO THE MIT IT ANY yor.
37