THE MILITANT WORKERS OF THE WORLD.
UNITE Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition IV VOLUME NO. 23 (WHOLE NO. 82 Entered 28 second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March 3, 1879.
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1931 PRICE CENTS The Acts» on Mooney 2nd National Conference, Sept. 24 Jobless Spurned by Roosevelt, Hoover Unemployment Insurance Must Be Won in of Steel Wage Cuts Forecast The Appeal for a United Front Evaded by the Stalinists Arrangements are being completed for the holding of the second National Conference of the Communist League of America (Opposition. whose ses sions will open in New York on Thursday, September 24 and run for four In his appeal to all militant and rev. Mooney but who do not yet understand days until Sunday night, September 27. More than thirty delegates, reguolutionary labor organizations and thoroughly who must be won to a real lar and consultative, are expected to attend the sessions which will be groups, published in the last issue of struggle for Mooney liberation. And held in the hall of the national headquarters, at 81 East 10th Street, where all visitors and delegates are requested to rpeort. Discussion of the these the Militant, Tom Mooney wrote from they can be won for this goal, they can throughout his prison cell in San Quentin: The convince themselves in the light of insubmitted by the National Committee is still being conducted time for action has come. Let this ap contestable and eloquent experience as the organization, and the reports to the conference are being prepared to insure the most fruitful results from the sessions.
peal be the spark which will start un to who will best be able to organize unparalleled conflagration agitation that the fight, and what program of action As part of its welcome to the conference delegates, the New York will arouse the masses to demand my offers the best means for victory, oniy branch is arranging a banquet to which all New York friends of our With the gaunt specter rising of aary capitalist society. Roosevelt, unconditional pardon and the release of the class conscious militants declare, movement are being invited. mass meeting in one of the large halls of winter of misery and starvation for the however, who is angling for the Demall war prisoners. ask for a as Mooney has done: Let all these or city also being anned for September 23. Branches are urged the two leading ocratic nominati with the genuine united frout. In this request, Fanizations get together. Let them pool send an immediately information concerning their delegations so that ade contenders for the capitalist nominations hope that the discreditment of the entirely correct in every respect, Mooney their resources. Let them show where quate provisions may be made by thenational office for their maintenance for presklent in 1932, Hoover the Repu Hoover relgme in the crisis period will very specifically named the organizations they stand on the touchstone issue of during the period of the conference.
blican and Roosevelt the Democrat, are swing him into the White House, plays and groups which, in his opinion and a real fight for Mooney freedom.
racing against each other to the goal of the classical game of all the bourgeois we endorsed it should be called upon to When such an appeal will be made, their ambitions with the plight of the politicians under such circumstances.
join in the united movement.
the workers everywhere will be able to unemployed as the football they kick His promises and assurances are as vast Significant Appeal separate the wheat from the chair around as they proceed. The latest act as the votes he hopes to catch with The appeal by Mooney has a tremen. Otherwise, the Hillquits and Hillmans in this criminal play with the lives of them.
dous significance from every point of and their kin will be able to continue to millions of victims of prosperity. has Roosevelt is not ngainst state aid.
view. For years, those who spoke in the muddy the waters and protect themselves just been unfolded at the jubilee cele Not at all. In fact, he has advocate name of this splendid militant buried by promises and phrases which cost bration of the founder of the Red Cross the setting up of a 20, 000, 000 fund for for more than 15 years in the dungeous nothing and obligate them to less, Analysis Shows Steel Barons Plans to Slash at Workers in this country. Each of the tacitis the relief of the New York state unemof capitalism, frittered away their en That is precisely where the call issued ergies and sowed disastrous illusions in by the for a united front falls. The steel industry entered the crisis in 1938 to 30, 648, 000 tons in 1930. Inget a radio address on the occasion which in his party is already slavering at the the minds of Mooney supporters in the down completely. Where Mooney was utely installed a peace time record break 087, 0680 tons at the end of 1929 to was concerned far less with the Red mouth at the idea of administrating working class, by limping hopefully be specific and open, the bounding amount of new capacity in the face 997, 000 at the end of 1930, an increase Cross than with a pronouncement of this Juicy sum. How much the unemtrayed promises of ald by capitalist poi ism imposed upon it. is vague and thor of violently shrinking markets, and of 831, 000 tons, the largest amount of their respective positions on the most ployed will get out of the tund is not so iticians. The Mooney appeal to the resoughly wrong. It does not appeal to it to operate at a profit preparing an assault on wages to enable new capacity installed in any one year burning problem before the working class problematical as it would seem.
olutionary movement for the organization the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, but centage of capacity which is now feast for the war boom year 1915.
the small per in the history of the industry, except of the United States today: What meas The Crux of the Problem ures shall be taken to mitigate the body And there lies the real crux of the of a vigorous mass protest movement, to the rank and Alle members of the ble to operate at all.
As a result while the industry had breaking misery which the ten million problem which neither Hoover bor with all its implies, definitely put an end , not to the socialist party, but At the beginning of the boom year 1998 operated at an average of 89 of capac unemployed and their families are sub Roosevelt the latter, in fact, less than to this miserable and unworthy policy of to the working class members of the steel ingot capacity was 63, 067, 000 tons. ity during 1929, it operated at an average jected to?
the formers willing to mention. First: appeals behind the scenes, seeing the The various other organizations Only in May and June of that year was of 64 during 1950, an average of 46 Hoover plan it is not relief for the unemployed right man. quiet conferences with lit mentioned by Mooney appeal are sim. it necesssary to call on this capacity to during the first half of 1931, and at pre Hoover contribution to solving the that the workers want They want an erals, and the rest of the futile, nonsens ply omitted: The the Proletar. the extent of 100. and then it was the sent and for the last three months has problem was the advocacy of Individual organized system of unemployment inIcal truck frequently Imported into the lan party, the Left Opposition, Love first time since March 1926 that the been operating at from 30 to 31 of and locat Initiative to aid the distress surance, and not one administrated by labor movement by well intentioned and stone group, the Welsbord group. etc. steel ingot capacity of the country has capacity.
od. In other words, the government and for corrupt capitalist politicians.
evilly Intentioned petty bourgeois fri etc. Why? For one reason only: The becu taxed to its full extent. During In view of the enormous investment in intends to take no steps towards allevlut Second. It is not simply an Insurance ends.
nolley of the official party, which dom 1920 there was an addition of 308. 000 constant capital which is a technical ing the unspeakable horrors of unen fund they want, a fund which both Furthermore, the appeal opened wide inates the as stupid as it is tons to the ingot capacity, which would characteristic of the industry, relatively ployment. It is too concerned and oc sides. the boss and the worker he exthe doors to the organized militant move blind, legally prohibits anything but a have seemed amply sufficient to take care small fluctuations in percentage of oper cupied with rebates on income taxes in ploits, contributed towards. They want ment, without which the united front is united front from below and even that of the requirements of the country durations are reflected in relatively large the higher brackets, which flow back to unemployment insurance which is sa Inconceivable, to take the initiative in to the exclusion of all species of rel by the crisis which was plainly in sight fluctuations in profits, as pointed out in the pockets of the multi millionaires et obligation on industry and the state, and carrying out the provisions of Mooney negades. The united front from boa previous article in this series. In the the country to the tune of tens of mil not an obligation upon the workers who appeal. We wrote and repeat that a low means, in practise, and has meant At this point, however, a typical cap normal years 1925 1928, steel oent lions of dollars. To take governmental are the only real sufferers excellent opportunity offered itself to the In the past, no real united front at allsteel ingots declined from 54, 312, 000 tons annum on their capitalization operating ed to say nothing of the establishment talist contradiction set in. Production of pantes reported profits of to per measures for the relief of the unemploy capitalist productive system.
from the International Labor Defense, as the most It is generally equivalent to a mere re The bourgeois politicians are not conprominent and militant national working cruting drive under the banner of the at an average of 83. In 1929. at an class defense organization, to take the party, the or the It cannot labor under the illusion that 10 2 in 1930, with operations at would evidently be a tlow struck aters and the unemployed, except to the of a system of unemployment insurance cerned with the tribulations of the workaverage of 89 profits jumped to first step in calling a genuine united It is the reverse of the genuine united the leadership of the magnilcant more pronts were 71 on capitalimtion, the the foundations of American liberty extent that they furnish a political footfront conference of all the organizations front. for which Mooney calls. It is ment which is about to be started will lowest since 1925. For the first half of which, at the present moment, means the ball and a basis for demagogic argumentioned in Mooney appeal however not the way to fill the movement with all to it automatically. false, a stupid 1931, profits of Steel Corporation liberty to starve without molestation by ments with a capitalist opponent. They conservative or reactionary their leader. life and vigor. It is the swiftest and policy mas cause it to forfeit not only were at the rate of on its capitali the state.
will grant the workers nothing that they ship might be to work out the plans surest way of strangling it when it bare leadership in the movement, but even zation, against for the first half Roosevelt, playing the softer music do not win by struggle. That truth holds necessary for the execution of the pro ly born.
prestige and influence. What the Lett of 1930; for thirty two other steel com of the liberal harp, is more pleasant good for unemployment insurance today.
visions in the letter from the world reChange the Course!
wing allows to slip through its hands panies, profits for the first half of 1931 to the ear, and infinitely more deceptive. The fight for it must be organized, strong nowned prisoner of American capitalism. The and in its name, the will be picked up by conservative and were at the rate of against With Hoover, one can tell just where the ty founded, spread to national scope, and How has the leadership of the LD official Left wing and Communist move reactionary groups which will only leadlines in profits were (1) shrinking mar to the dole and to any state assist the self satisfied demagogues of the rulThe basle reasons for these sharp de man stands. He is distinctly opposed driven home with a force that compels approached the problem of the united ment, have started the Mooney campaign the movement into a ditch of futility as kets for steel. 2) increasing capacity ance to the jobless. Hoover is the living class to grant the rellet so imperafront? By a cheap and disgraceful evas. with the wrong foot forward. It must they have done so often in the past.
for making steel lending to higher costsing incarnation of all that is reaction tively needed by the starving millions.
ion of the central issues so correctly pull back and start anew, start correctly. per ton of steel made.
raised by Mooney.
The reason for the huge increase in In the first place, the Call for United steel making capacity in the face of an Action by the Daily Worker, unprecedented crisis in industry was the 5 31. indicates that it is its intention increasing acutenss of competition within to bury the Mooney case in the midst the steel industury, intensified by the of half a dozen or more other labor del crists itself with its narrower markets, fense cases that are pending the French Red Union Congress Votes for Appeal to the Soviets lower prices and higher costs of produe Cliques Expose Each Other While Left Wing Marks Time country today. It is obvious that al united front movement for Mooney would. At the national convention in Limoges the revolutionists of October, notably two leading factors of industry, u. The removal of the officials of the held in check and prevented from com be recreant in its duty if it failed to of the Federation de Enseignement un Leon Trotsky and Rakovsky, in order to steel and Bethlehem, face each other com cutters Local by the Going to a head earlier by strategical maar conduct a struggle also for the other itaire. the revolutionary teachers union permit them to participate with their in. petitively in every important steel mak of that organization, on charges oeuvers of the officialdom.
class war fighters. No man in the claws aliated with the Red trade union con exhaustible energy in the common working district in the United States except graft and racketeering, and the fight that In the militant of August 15, we point.
working class than any other. All our resolution was adopted on August 6: tion and of the dietatorship of the pro Birmingham and Bethlehem at Phila Beckerman Orlofsky clique, have held a break between Hillman and the Orlof The national Unitary teachers con letariat.
delphia and Baltimore. Steel the center of attention of the unions and sky Beckerman gang, and the perilous class war fighters who have been cap vention affirms its absolute solidarity It demands that the revdlutionary strategy is based on access to control labor press in the last two weeks. These consequences an inevitable split in the tured by the enemy stand on an equal with the proletariat of the first socialist workers persecuted for political offenses led ore deposits at Lake Superior and events have created a sensation in cirfooting. But in this specific campaign, republic in the world, the be turned over to the regular organs of Birmingham; New York organization held for the Bethlehem is based on cles unfamiliar with the situation that clothing workers. We urged the Left the whole point is missed by falling to which, at the cost of immense efforts and proletarian justice and not to the ad locating its plants to be able to ship ore has prevailed in that gratt and racket. wing workers in the area. The ratese and ministrative justice reserved for the elasa cheaply by water transportation. Beth cer ridden organization which, curiously, the stogan of unity between the tailors Mooney as the outstanding symbol of the developing the foundations of socialist enemy.
lebem in 1929 tried to entrench itself has been masquerading as the most pro and cutters in order to frustrate the capitalist system of anti working class over one sixth of the globe.
The first two paragraphs of the resolo in the important mid western district gressive labor union in the country. The sinister designs of their officials. Tho frame up, and using the example of Tom It proclaims the unconditional duty tion were unanimously adopted. The end through mergers with Youngstown and readers of the Militant had the oppor. Left has been unable to develop any conMooneyand point of departure once or the revolutionist of every country to was adopted by 270 votes in favor, 132 Intand, two big Independent steel com tunity to see the 4, officialdom insiderable agitation and has therefore the movement is really under way for rally by revolutionary struggle against against, and 26 abstentions.
a nation wide fight to release all the thelr own bourgeoisle to the defense of Not only did the syndicalists, the Oppresenting Cleveland and New York carl and their practises unveiled. To then, the scene is entirely held by Hillman class war prisoners. This desirable end the fortress of the world positionists and non party Communista tal, who has since been financially wreck the recent developments will not be sure and those loyal to the Amalgamated on proletariat.
vote for this resolution, but more than ed. Steel, however, seeing the prising.
is not accomplished by the mechanical It demands of the Soviet government a dozen delegates supporting the official danger, strengthened itself in Chicago as a result of the fermentation going on forces which openly defled the We have forseen these events one hand and the Orlofsky Beckerman lumplug together of all the conceivable the recall of the measures of exile, of party policies in the union also recorded and put under construction 21 new fur cases under the title of a united front deportation and of imprisonment against themselves affirmatively.
in the bureaucratie machine, and are preparing to launch an opposl(Continued on page 1)
a fermentation whose process had been tion unton, on the other. Hillman vie for Mooney. Radical Mistake tory in this fight is virtually secured The second blunder of the The Left wing, due to its inactivity, lack of understanding and the absence of however, is far worse than the first, and bids fair to nullify all the efforts made correct policy, has missed another opto organize a genuinely united movement. Our Weekly Militant 18 no manifestly sand dollars which was set originally, The extra effort can and should be fund.
portunity to gain ground in the Amalga stronger Militant As we said above, Mooney referred spes superior from every point of view to the That it can be done and done quickly made. The Militant is our most valu. stronger foundation for the movement and many times betrayed masses of mated and confidence of the exploited fically in his appeal to various organisemi monthly and the reception with has already been demonstrated by the able instrument in building our move stronger Militant means an invincible clothing workers.
zations and groups to form component which it has met in the movement at recent action of the New York branch ment for the purpose of clarifying and weapon in our hands for the struggle parts of the united front movement. We tests the fact that no effort can be which, in one evening, following an ap strengthening the revolutionary labor we are conducting. The speedy and genHillman Maneuvers cannot conceal the fact that we bave spared to maintain it and even more peal, raised closed to another hundred movement as a whole. It cannot fula erous contribution of every comrade and Hillman clever maneuvers made him not a penny worth of faith in the good to put a solid and unshakable foundation dollars towards fulfllifi its quota. The this enormous task without assurance friend is imperatively required.
che hero of the day, not only in the will or the genuine desire to cooperate under it. We started the Weekly Militant other branches, and friends of our move of its regular, guaranteed appearance that the leaders of some of the men again in what appeared to be a bad ment who are not in the League itselt, every week. long step in this directast issue, we have recelve the follow. cering, but also to the labor world, to Since the contributions listed in our fighter against gangsterism and racket eyes of the general publle as a vallant tioned organizations have professed for period. the combination of a crisis with can do at least as well if every nervetion will be made if the comrades eversing sumo: Mooney in the past. The heads of the the laxity of the summen months.
In is strained to complete the Expansion where put their shoulders to the wheel whom he appears as the great uncomNEW YORK: II. Capelis 00; promising leader of the great Amalgasocialist party, the corruptionists and spite of that, the paper has been so well Program Fund quickly.
to finish the campaign for the 2, 000 Sterling 14. 50; II. Stone 00; Fieldmated Clothing Workers of America.
employers of gangsters who have looted received that we have been able to get 10. 00; Glotzer 00; Clarke In removing Orlofsky and Beckerman the Amalgamated Colthing Workers of out every issue thus far without inter2. 50: Milton 50; Berman from their offices and suspendin America, and those similar to them ruption.
thein This is not to say that the job has these are hardly the people who are con5. 00; Wm. Edwards 00: LOS ANG. from the organization on charges of ELES: Boisner 00. MINNEA racketeering and scabbery, Hillman has cerned very vitally with the freedom or been an easy one. It was accomplished imprisonment of Mooney and other class to a certain extent by the contributions For the Benefit POLIS BRANCH 10. 30. PHILADEL consciously endeavored to reach directly of Conference Fund PHIA BRANCII (LS. 00. CHICAGO to the hearts of the tailors and cutters war prisoners. We know them from the made in the preceding period to our on Sunday, September 20, 1931, all day BRANCH. 75.
past, and their heavy hands have rarely Expansion Program Fund. It will conKANSAS CITY who have been victims of those officials BRANCH 20. 00 NEW and their evil practises and cherished HAVEN BR.
If ever weighed in the scales in favor tinue to appear regularly and with asserat TIBBETTS BROOK PARK. Plot (G. 00. Total: 89. 65.
dim hopes for their elimination. HIL of the workers side. But that is not ance if the Fund is brought to its con man, the great conjurer, has succeeded in the crux of the problem. The crux lies culsion in a swift spurt of energy on the Directions: Take the Woodlawn Jerome Avenue subway to the end of the Total each reported in last issue from turning the tables and appearing himself in the ranks of the organizations over part of all our comrades and sympath. line. Then take street car or bus to Tibbetts Brook Park. Short walk to New York: 27. 00. Total previously re as a champion of clean unionism.
which they rule, in the ranks of the Izers. few hundred dollars are still Plot reserved for our plenic.
ported: 1, 282. 59. GRAND TOTAL TO In his latest action, Hillman found workers are beart and soul with needed to reach the goal of two thou Auspices: New York branch, All Invited DATE: 1, 369. 14 (Continued on page 2)
Demand Trotsky Return Split Threatens in COMPLETE THE EXPANSION FUND PROGRAMI means PICNIC