WORKERS OF THE WORLD.
UNITE THE MILITANT Paris Masses Shake Corrupt French Regime Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition)
VOLUME VII, NO. WHOLE NO. 211 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1934 PRICE CENTS Latest Developments in the Hotel Strike Reaction in Significance of Taxi Drivers Strike Analyzed Power with Dumergue Lewis Triumphs at Mine Convention EDITORIAL Cab Drivers In Militant Action Scab CarsRun Huge Meet In Cab Walkout Off Streets At Garden OF го be as as in Latest developments in the strike of the New insolently rebuffed the men and revealed that her The signal for working class struggle sounded by age wage of ten to twelve dollars; twelve hour shifts the general strike of New York hotel workers bas and more; some men worked the Coolie shiftYork hotel and restaurant workers, as we go to press. institution had their sympathies definitely with the include the following: found a stirring response in the strike of the New hotel bosses.
twenty four hours a day, sleeping at the wheel; fallOn Monday. 4, 000 strikers, their wives and child scandal was caused in the dining room of the York taxi drivers. Already in the arst week of its nre to bring in a minimum resulting in discharge; dren, surrounded the Waldorf Astoria hotel in stormy career It has given the working class of New the black list; and finally, the five cent tax cutting an aristocratic Waldorf Astoria when a number of pa imposing mass picket demonstration, York and the country an Inspiring demonstration of After a short trons rose to appeal for solidarity with the strikers.
into their tips time, police suddenly attacked the plekets with brutal Hired thugs of the management beat them up and working class militaney. In its staccato language violence, knocking down organizer Costas whose sels threw them out of the hotel.
of speed, action, and solidarity can be heard the authThe strike received a certain stimulus from LA Guardia, when he offered not to appeal the decision ure was prevented by the workers. Many workers entle voice of the proletariat. Consider it! Here of the Supreme Court of New York declaring the Thursday press reports that officials of two were cruelly beaten, and one woman was arrested.
were men horribly exploited, unorganized, a prey of locals, and 2, have instructed their members five cent tax on all rides illegal, if the cab company Tony Tarcentino was badly beaten over the head.
France, whose bourgeois states politicians, racketeers and crooks, without traditions owners would turn over to the men all the tax money not to take seab jobs in houses struck by the AmOn the same night, a mass demonstration around algamated. In striking contrast to the seab tactics men and philosophers have latterly the Castno de Paree came into conflict with hired of officials of Local 16, this action redects the de enjoyed feelings of superflority to understanding of the class struggle. Notwithstand held in escrow pending the decision. The colorantes gangsters and city police. In the ensuing fight, doorsmands of rank and Ale members for solider the country which submits to Hit ing, within a week, in the fire of struggle, they refused La Guardia offer and made a substitute ofrer and windows of the establishment were badly damagity with their Amalgamated brothers.
ler, trembles on the brink of epoch forged unfon which embraces almost half the driv of only forty percent. The men felt that all of the ed by the enraged workers. number of organizations have announced their making changes. Rising to a high ers in the industry.
money belonged to them as the tax really came out On Tuesday, union representatives met with Mrs. refusal to hold planned dinners in hotels on tbe un er pitch than on any occasion since The basis for the strike is to be found in the misof their tips. In their view La Guardia was with Herrick of the local Labor Board of the NRA, who ion strike list.
the glorious days of the Commune, erable conditions of the taxi drivers: a weekly averContinued on Page 4)
the resentment of the exploited French masses has broken out into openly anti governmental, anti state demonstrations. To halt the determined ranks of embittered workers and middle class demonstrators from invading the Chamber of Deputies, Seventeen hundred delegates at At the end of the second week no belief that the workers can the Daladier government ordered tended the thirty third convention of the general strike of New win by fighting. The attempts its police and militia to fire upon of the United Mine Workers hela York hotel and restaurant Indnsare reactionary and defestist About 8, 000 enthusiastic, cheerunarmed men, women and children.
recently at Indianapolis. The maj try, the strikers stand firm in un through and through.
ing hackmen, gathered in the AudiImmediately thereafter, having been torium of 27 on 42nd St. beority gave the John Lewis ad broken ranks. The strike in office eleven days, the Daladler ministration vote of confidence, mains effective tween Second and Third Avenues, There is as yet no Indication government resigned.
cheered his pompous convention fore, and the service in the hotels on February The meeting callthat this pernicious tendency While Donmergue tries to 15, 000 taxicab strikers jammeded by the United Taxi Drivers Un verblage and bestowed a goodly The auditorium of 27 was is still crippled, particularly against which we warned, has build a new union saeree, a holy he basement of the Madison Square non, merger of the Fusion Taxi jammed, men sitting on the stepe portion of the acclaim upon his re the kitchens.
been checked. Here again the alliance of reactionaries to sup Garden at 11:00 Saturday. Committee, Taxi Drivers Un and stage and Alling the back alles tinue of mediocre horn blowing The bosses have been dealt a contrary is the case. Some of the press the indignant masses lackeys who constitute the pillars powerful blow. magnificent un publicity Issued by the union is France, in the stration of solidarity and deterisan Asy They cheered and ap estimate would place the number at of his high handed regime.
Ion of the workers is in the makTronts of every important French mination to fight for the unloniza plauded all of their speakers. Whex 600.
little less than scundalons. Such whole coterie of officials hading, and the militancy of the is the press release that the union city. France the most bourgeois tion of the entire field. In spite of Caeir attorney Leon Seifer, sugcome direct from the anthracite strikers, especially of the rank The meeting was electric with coal fields where they had been in and file workers, is a sound assurlarge American citizenry that. hopes of its bankers, was unable dampen the tarikers militancy by only 40 percent of the tax moues crom the speakers eroked an wanted enthusiasm. Every call for action strumental in breaking the backle cannot possibly be considered to esenpe the world economic crisis demanding over and over again that now held by the cub companies, tant response. The business conance of its future. The well bone of the strike conducted by the organized mass parades around a red union. Nor enn we regard which was mobilized class against o violence be permitted or tolereries of No! No! came from the sisted of Insurgent union. That suited the the struck botels, bespeak u readi. it as anything but the greatest class in sitter conflict in every capl ated during the strike, the toue of back of the hall. The taxi meu hand picked delegates who consti ness on the part of the workers mistake when Secretary talist country. Similarly, it has he men was for report of the conference tuted the in the conven to fight vigorously against the Field of the Amalgamated Hotel been able to escape the trans bitter struggle to win their demands knew what they want, and what with the mediator at City Hall tion. Star Majority has become bosses, the strike breakers and and Restaurant Workers Union formation of this economic crisis for complete and thorough unionthey are out for.
che previous day at 12 noon. The their trade. Lewis ruled supreme all their portectors.
fails to repudiate some of the into a deep governmental crisis.
Especially great was the cheering conference was unsatisfactory.
ization of the taxicab drivers, rewhistling and applause for their at the convention. Opposition was statements which the capitalist Mases and the Crisis cognition of the unlon, full protee own hackman speaker, when he told An announcement of the final squelched. Progressive proposals press has attributed to him or to The events of the last few days entire five cent on all rides and the which the lackmen have slaved for ittee of the strike which includes tion of employees on the job, the or the miserable conditons under strike demands as drawn up by the were defeated hands down, shelved The strike has become a test of the nnion whose most prominent in committees, or so garbleil in endurance, with the backbone of sensational though they are, should official he is. We have nothing in common with such statements not obcure the meaning of the genax money already collected to go to scars and and that the striker all four involved.
formulation that after their adop the workers as stiff as ever. Here Wise would never go back until the un tion they will remain dead letters. again, as we have emphasized be and we feel confident that in this eral political crisis affecting the the strikers, minimum ion was recognised 100 percent, discussion on An Industrial Statesman fore, the question of mamtaining we share the sentiments of country. Through the depression, scale and maximum work week.
plans for France the capitalists of have loss, the chairman, had difficulty until there would be a shop stew amalgamation of the unions, Since the recent revival of the the morale of the strikers is of every class conscious militant. stendily cut down the real income in obtaining order, so high was the rd in every garage in the city, anu Selfer stressed the necessity of John Lewis has been paramount importance. The disfight such as the hotel workers and standard of living of the mass enthusiasm and spirit of the strik until the union received representa u union, and pointed out that is halled far and wide by the pressinists in control of the 28th St organizing activities of the Stal are engaged in, cannot be won Lion at the City Hack Bureau.
he cabbles get nothing else, they which is always on the side of the by such methods. We cannot es of the French population. The cra.
Ex Judge Panken, Socialist polt When the speaker said that, of must get a union. The response enemies of the miners as the outUnion are unmistakably one of cease to underline the need of patriotle French peasant has seen standing example of labor Indus the danger spots in the struggle. the union and its leadership con prices for farm products tamble. siclan, spoke, It is high time that course, they had given Mayor La co this was overwhelming.
The middle class has been squeezed the taxicab workers organize them Guardia their promise against the At this point the chairman antrial statesmanship. But this praise Placing their own private intercerning itself exclusively with the did not refer to the union revival ests above the interests of the public opinion not of the bourby French monopoly capital, while selves (wid applause. You can use of all violence, but they must nouead that the 6th Avenue bus geoiste, the hotel ownery, and civil servants and workers on goy not buy them by nickels now, what realize the mayor was a reasonable drivers had voted to strike at but to such instances as the strike workers, constantly implanting breaking in the anthracite and else demoralization and division Into their kept press but of the rank crnment owned or controlled indus: they want is union conditions. buman being, and couldn expect the next morning. The strik tries have suffered severe cuts in Wild applause. cheering and whis the union to be responsible for the cheered madly, the ovation lastwhere. The revival was due to the the ranks, these wrecking crows and file, and of the fighting labor indomitable spirit of the rank and wages. The working class As atling. throwing hats into the air actions of 70, 000 men and 20, 00 ng a good live minutes. The bus take upon themselves an movement in general.
whole has shared the miseries and commotion and enthusiasm for (Continued on Page 3)
rivers and conductors have failed Alle miners and their fight for union weightier responsibility, which the capitalists of the world several minutos. However, when o come out thus far, however, organization. Lewis enters to col The most effective prosecutiou Essentially the same outlook have forced upon all proletarians. Panken sald the machinery for Ou top of this the chairman relect the check off.
of the strike requires that should animate the attitude of In ported that Parmelee owners His career of Industrial states we point out here some extremely the union to the NRA and its LA employeesthe not nad wired some backs to start manship began many years ago serious weaknesses in the conbor Board. Nobody is so stupid, has not hesitated to pack Its bud protest, not resentment, not violwork the next day at 11 If the as a petty Official systematically duct of the movement.
it goes without saying, as to think get with huge appropriations for ence the fighting mood of the your anslooting the treasury of the Pan. looseness in the organization of that this powerful governmental war materials. Behind the budget strikers was reflected in the omni Art Smith, commander inwer?
ama, Illinois local union. Through the stike could be excused in its institution can be ignored in pre Jary struggles there has raged alous silence on the part of most of chler of the Khakl Shirts (U.
strikers: N X NO. that he learned the first lessons in first stage there is no justifying sent day labor struggles. Far political difference within the capl. the workers, and the clearly heard Fascists) and gangster, was ar.
Jacques Buitenkant, an the shady art of buying henchmen. It at present. Quite the con.
from it. Precisely because of its talist class, reflecting different froh yeah s! and We know how rested Thursday in Shamokin, Pa. lawyer spoke in favor of the unity In the highest office of the union trary, the failure to tighten up all pretenses, precisely because many terests and varying theories as to to handle this from various secas a result of the reported coufesof all cabbles. He stressed the need he made it into a system. He re around, to improve the functionworkers still believe that this how best to preserve capitalism. tions of the hall.
his ex aldo, brunk Motter, for approaching the independenta inforced this with the methods of ing of the directing committees, to capitalist instrument is impartial, French heavy Industry, led by the Leon Seifer, attorney for the concerning the murder of Anths fellow workers who have to be deliberate vote stealing. frame up, organize on a far better scale it is necessary to make use Comite des Forges (steel trust. United Taxi Drivers Union, spoke ony Flerro. Flerro, a taxi driver won over and make an integral and slugging of opponents. Martin than hitherto the all important every means at our disposal to and certain banks (Credit Lyon emphasizing the program and de and anti Fascist, was killed durpart of the general strike. The atRyan who led the powerful strikes mass meetings at which the strikstrip it to its real essentials. It nals) desires to organize the atmands: ing a shirt rally in Astoria, itude of the taxi drivers was for union organization in the Penn ers are fused into a solid and must be pressed to the wall, it tack against the Soviet Union. Tar1. Every man in the last summer.
Informed fighting group can easindustry clear; they are absolutely opposed sylvania coke region sat in Jall dur.
must be made to speal out. It dien is the political chief of these gets a job, gets a cab. and no Athos Terzani, must be left no loophole to crawl brigands. In their train march all body horns in.
o any cab operating; and they are another ing the convention, framed up on ily prove to be of the deepest anti (Men out of work a charge of assault and battery. seriousness. The responsibility out or with its shabby pretenses the expropriated share owners of in other Industries driving cabs and prosecuted for the murder.
Fascist, was framed by the police even more opposed to the Independ:nts who are interfering with their Removing regular elected officials both for the present state of atunmarred French factories in Russia (Putilov because of lack of regular employfairs and for its remedying, rests.
in the various unlon districts or Terzani was defended by a united. ight with the big fleet owners.
But at the very same time it steel and others) as well as the ment to be kept out. their attitude to the independents sub districts who in any way be naturally, upon the leadership of front committee, in whose work would be fatal to create any 11 organized emigre Russian Whites Representation in the City the Communist League cooperated is definitely hostile.
the strike.
came recaletrant to the Lewis relusions whatsoever as to the na now living in France. The com Hack Department.
gime, and the Institution of what The last two speakers were two ture of the NRA. Every day mercial banks, export houses and He was recently acquitted when Recognition of the union.
is called provisional government, Negro organizers cabbles who laid tightening up in the functhe State witness confessed that brings new evidence to prove just petty bourgeois interests, consti4. 12. 00 minimum wage became a celebrated method. To tioning of the union is essential good base for the feeling that the scale the charge was frame up and ac what it is.
Johnson rute tbe second current. These ele and 40 per cent of the bookings over cused Moffer. Moffer was ar The latest white and colored cabbles should day most of the union districts are to the morale of the strikers, we statement throwing the doors ments seek to exploit the dem wide open to company unionism: oeratie sentiments of the French of Selfer speech, his remark that delphia rooming house, and is said the minimum. During the course rested yesterday in a South Philastick together like glue. The reunder such provisional goveroment. wrote last week. The commitponse to this, and to the announceThe appointive power enabled Lewis tees must be properly coordinated, the brutally Insolent attitude tak masses for war against Hitler. the police force of New York is to have identified as his own the ment that not a colored chauffeur to make general organizers out of the shop committees roust become en by the local Labor Board head, Differing from each other as to a mighty Alne outfit was met by gun found near Fierro body.
would drive through Harlem or all his decrepit henchmen who living bodies drawing the workers Mrs. Herriek, when interviewed the location of the first enemy, these catcalls and boos, much to the emwere defeated in regular union elec closer and closer to the union as Brooklyn, was Instant and terrific.
by the union representatives, can two groups agree that French will tarassment of the representatives rense Committee was considering Informe that the Terzani De.
The meeting ended on high tions. Today there is a host of a whole. Organizational efficiency, leave little doubt in the minds of tary preparations should constant of the who were plentiful in terminating its activities, the Cote of militaney. One of the cabsuch appointed organizers through on the one side, and a moraleany worker as to which side ly be increased. The endless dis the hall.
out the coal fields who were at building leadership on the other, NRA really stands by.
enssions over budgetary questions Morris Ernst, appointed by LA the Committee endorsing its work Communist League recently wrote bies noticed the pencil and paper of the reporter and said: You can hand to manage the convention can make the Amalgamated a NRA will not decide this strike in which the French parliament has Guardia to mediate the strike on behalf of Terzanl and proput me down as saying that m elections. There was rich oppor force that will smash through all for the workers!
The outcome been tied up year after year, have sent word to the men to return to posing tha: it continue to functunity to secure the hand picked the barriers standing on the road of every strike is deelded by the not served to hide from large sec work, pending arbitration.
going to strike until drop dead.
This tion in anti Fascist work.
TS. And put the name down, too, Jack majority of the delegation which to victory.
relationship of forces in the tons of the masses one thing in report, brought in by one of the Communist League also applied Shaley.
claimed to represent a total mem To our regret, the condition for struggle. Victory or defeat that the sacred name of patriotism. La taxi drivers in the organization was for formal afilation to the com The strikers surged out into the bership of 360, 000.
which we urged a necessary corThe Conciliation Hoax is decided by the strength and treet and broke into groups to rection, has not yet been given without necessities of life in order The convention had as its the attention it commands. It passivity of the workers, and be that a war machine shall be built on the part of the strikers present. uccepted, it is hoped that all be picket in Brooklyn, the lower East The strikers shouted, We want a stimulus eten be given to militant Side, and elsewhere. They marchstanding feature a note of concilia becomes increasingly clear that nothing else.
to consume them.
tion peace and harmony to be ex unless it is rectified, and with the The Stavisky Affair unfon, we won be kidded into anti Fascist work in New Yorked west along 42nd Street, shouting tended to the operators. But when greatest speed, it can greatly enThe Stavisky affair introduced no lon conditions and union breaking our ranks. We want unand cheering on the way. In spite delegate Sloan from Westville, danger the prospects of the strike.
of the three mounted police and The militancy which makes or breaks a movement, is not deter. new elements into the situation. AlWe got the power, we ll make them penl for solidarity with the City hooted and dashed toward the very wages. greeted with enthusiasm. His ap half dozen radlo cars, the strikers Inols dared to make a fight for freewholesale pawn broker in Bordeaux dom of political opinions within mined by any miracles which are was exposed as a wholesale swin Fecognize us and give us what wel Executive was met by silence.
the union for the right of unfon ever greater significance as Another question which assumes promised. Nor does the union or want. Not a single cab on the It was revealed, despite anal streets of New York unless we win thastastie cheering for sollderly, Grand The meeting adjourned with en treets. One cer.
rare independent cabs on the members to choose thelr own poll strike progresses was touched up its leadership promise any. The ous efforts of the Chautemps Cabour demands. Gandall, who spoke and the determination by the work out on speed and crossed red swung into the tical affiliation, including Commundemands which the workers can Central reade. Another Inet to hush the matter up, that briefly emphasized the demand forers not to allow a single taxicabl light. But one cab was caught and ist affiliation, he was threatened last issue: This strike cannot on by us when we wrote in our gain are determined by what the situation makes it possible to at. Continued on Page 1) peaceful methods and was with ejection from the convention not on the streets of New York. dismantled.
be won by respectability. The athall. To affix the seal of honest tain. It is not out of the question tempts to make the Amalgamated and peaceful Intentions upon the that the situation may call, for Does the Dictatorship of the SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11 P.
proceedings, the secretary of the respectable in the eyes oft the time being, for a compromise Proletariat Still Exist?
National Coal Association, the opbosses and the government is ar settlement, which it will not be admission on the part of those National Seeretary Is the Soviet Union still a International Workers School (Continued on page 4) who make them that they have (Continued on page 4)
Communist League of America 126 East 16th Street, New York.
ever Cab Driver Murder Chuteman: what outSwabeck Workers State?