SOCIALIST APPEAL JULY 9, 1938 The New Deal On Parade BOOKS FOR WORKERS SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. II No. 28 Saturday, July. 1938 Published every week by the SOCIALIST at 116 UniveBAL PUBLISHING ASS Place, New York, Telephone: National Office: Algonquin 8647 Subscriptions: 00 per year; 00 for six months. Foreign: 50 per year Bundle order cents per copy. Single copies cents.
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Entered as second class matter September 1, 1937, at the post office at New York, New York, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
MAX San HAROLD ROBERTS FRANK GRAVES Associate Editors STANLEY Business Manager which, while not as powerful as Standard Oil, Sinclair or Shell chains, are nevertheless fairly strong Altogether there are 1, 150 operative petroleum associations in the United States, with 325, 000 members and an annual business of 69, 985, 000.
It would be a splendid act of solidarity and financially not disadvantageous on the part of these American cooperatives if they decided to negotiate directly with Mexico for the purchase of all their gas and oil supplies. There is every reason to believe that the Mexican authorities to say nothing of the Mexican people as a whole. would receive such a proposal in the proper spirit.
Such arrangement, if properly consummated, would not, of course, resolve the whole complex of problems facing the Mexican masses. But it would go a long way towards cementing the bonds of solidarity between the toilers of both countries. It would be an impressive demonstration on both sides of the Rio Grande against the gang of financial and industrial lords of the United States who are the common oppressor and exploiter of the two peoples.
What do the farmers and workers petroleum cooperatives have to say?
FREE SOUP Carlo Advanced Lesson and Warning last week.
Smash the Cotillo Injunction!
There is no lack of signs of the capitalist offensive against labor. The Hague ban on the and all radical labor organizations, is not accidental or incidental, but an ominous harbin ger of tomorrow. After Hague, Harvey and Hoffmann, we have the action of the New Orleans authorities, who have created a virtual reign of terror against the in that southern metropolis.
Now comes the monstrous injunction obtained by the Busch Jewelry Company from Judge Cotillo of New York, prohibiting the United Retail Employees, Local 830, and the United Optical Workers, Local 208, from picketing the struck stores.
Already 12 pickets have been cited for con tempt of court because they allegedly violated the Cotillo injunction. Company attorneys are preparing to press another contempt action against the unions because, although they promised to suspend picketing the Busch stores until the Appellate Division could express its opinion in October on the validity of the injunction, they have nevertheless carried on mass demonstration picketing in various sections of New York!
We think the union officers, by promising to suspend picketing until a higher court hears the case in October (three months from now. have chosen the wrong way of fighting the injunction. For the whole trick of the bosses and their judges is to cripple a strike for weeks and months on end, while a couple of squads of lawyers fight the issue out in court after court.
In this way, the strike fight between the masses of workers and a handful of employers, is sus.
pended, and the ground shifted to a purely legal fight that drags on and on and on There is only one way of effectively fighting the injunction threat to labor, especially one like that issued by Cotillo, which is especially detestable by virtue of its sweeping nature. That way is direct struggle against the injunction by the workers against whom it is directed.
To rely on the employers courts is like leaning on a trap. To rely on anything but the or ganized mass strength of labor is to lean on thin reeds or imaginary ones.
Lawyers and court fights are all right, with in limits. But lawyers are no substitute for la bor own fighting strength and militancy.
The workers have only those rights which they win in battle. The only way they can keep those rights they have won is by continuing the fight for them.
The only way of keeping the right to picket, of breaking the injunction menace, is to keep right on picketing, with a line just as big as the workers think is necessary for their victory! And victory was never won by avoiding battle.
Helping Mexico In reply to inquiries about the government attitude towards Mexico, Secretary of State Cordell Hull has denied that a proposal to sponsor a loan of 200, 000, 000 to help Mexico build roads and fund some of its indebtedness, and a proposal to purchase 10, 000, 000 of Mexican oil for the Navy, were withdrawn by the government under pressure of Great Britain, with whom the is now negotiating a trade agreement.
The Keep America Out of War Congress, which put the questions about the proposals, confines itself to urging the imperialist government of the United States to. stop being imperialistic. It asked: Is not this the time when the United States should make this test case of the application of the good neighbor policy a con vincing demonstration of our good faith?
We are ready to leave the people with their hopeless illusions and their heroic efforts to persuade the leopard that his spots are not really necessary. They simply refuse to understand that Roosevelt good neighbor policy means nothing more nor less than the policy of persuading and where need be, forc ing the Latin America countries to be good neighbors to American businessmen, industrialists and financiers. This has been the good neighbor policy of American imperialism ever since it began trying to cajole or coerce the Latin American peoples to put their necks under the Wall Street yoke, and Roosevelt is right in the old tradition.
There is, however, a very positive and concrete way in which help can be extended to the Mexican people in their fight to oust the bloodsucking oil barons of the United States and Great Britain.
Throughout the Northwest in particular, there is a powerful farmers and workers cooperative movement. In a multitude of localities, these cooperatives operate their own gas and oil stations, Next Step for the Painters All objective observers agree that but for the reaction among the rank and file New York painters to the bureaucratic ouster of Weinstock by the General Executive Board of their union, the Stalinist crew would have been turned out of office by a clear majority in the recent elections The viciously red baiting nature of the decision turned many of the honest and militant elements in the union to vote for people in whom they had not much more faith than they have in the headquarters gang.
Even then, had the progressive opposition polled about another three hundred votes, the victory would have been on its side.
The biggest mistake that the progressives could make now would be to slacken their efforts or suspend them altogether. The Stalinist administration, now that it is assured another term in office, is making the usual hypocritical pleas for unity. In so far as building and consolidating the union, making it more aggressive and able to raise the living standards of the painters, and all other constructive measures are concerned, the true progressives will not be found in the rear ranks. But if the Weinstock plea means as it does silencing all criticism and lulling the vigilance of the militants in the union, it is nothing but a cheap bureaucratic ruse which will not deceive the progressives.
The main strength of the Stalinist machine in the union as elsewhere lies in its closely knit organization, maintained during all the 365 days of the year. The main weakness of the progressives if we leave aside the heterogeneity of their ranks lay in the fact that they organized only at the last minute.
The period ahead is not only one of union building. It is also the period of maintaining and consolidating a powerful, constructive, wideawake progressive organization in the painters union. It is tragically true that there is every reason to believe that the Stalinist administration is unsobered by the latest experience. There is every reason to believe that in the period ahead especially when it is frightened by the appearance of the substantial opposition its rule of the union will be at least as ruinous as it was in the past. The same gang in control, allied to the same old Zausner elements; the same arbitrary and bureaucratic management of the Stalinist clique; the same contempt for the wishes and interests of the rank and file; the same steady and devious undermining of the working standards of the painters; the same policy of class collaboration The only force that can act as a corrective to these evils, and finally eliminate them, is an organized movement of the progressives, with a militant platform and a vigilant eye. The great need now is not the dispersal of the movement launched to defeat the Stalinist machine at the painters polls, but its consolidation on a former, more permanent and sounder basis.
703 TOOL Historic Document State Publishing House. vested interest in Stalinism would repreNOT GUILTY. Report of the sent a host of shining ronsons Commission of Inquiry into the why Sinclair should defend the Charges Made Against Leon bloody regime in the Soviet Union Trotsky in the Moscow Trials. He does not pause to think what xv 422 pp. New York. Harper would happen to a book of his Brothers, 50 (At the Labor that would be critical of the Book Shop, 28 East 12th St. Stalin regime. This smug endorY. paper covers, 00. ser of the blood purges might, however, reflect on the fact that The trial of Zinovlev Kamenev none of Andre Gide latest writin August, 1936, and the trial of ings are obtainable in Stalin Radek Platakov in January, 1937, have passed into history as mile paradise.
Lost On Sinclair stones along the road of degeneration of the first workers state in his exposure of Soviet BonaEugene Lyons does a good job under the Bonapartist regime of partism. On Upton Sinclair it is Stalin.
The extirpation of the leaders cerned for the fate of the proletlost. But those genuinely conof Russian Bolshevism marked a high point in the counter revolu arian revolution in Russia will tionary development of the Soviet reading what Lyons saw derive useful knowledge from and bureaucracy. All the efforts of learned during his long stay in Stalin totalitarian press to con the Soviet Union as United Press ceal its true meaning will, as correspondent heretofore, prove unavailing. Historie Verdict From Sinclair contribution to this discussion they will learn The report, embodying the re sults of many months of pain Jungle is simply an adherent of only that the Author of The staking, meticulous inquiry, finds that both trials were conscious Stalin going concern and by and calculated frame ups, that secuted he cracks himself up to no means the friend of the perthey served not juridical but be. He espoused the cause of political ends, and that Leon Trotsky and the recently deceased revolutionists imprisoned and Leon Sedov, his son, are innocent exiled by the Tzar. For those persecuted and murdered by Stalin of the monstrous charges on he has not a word to say. There which the Stalin regime sought to convict them. By implications the measure of a sentimental socialist!
LF.
naturally, the Commission finds that the Old Bolsheviks who stood trial in the Moscow courtroom far from being the hideous crimA Timely Pamphlet inals that they were forced to WHAT IS SOCIALISM? By Albert represent themselves as being. Goldman 48 pp. New York.
were tragle victims of Stalin Pioneer Publishers. 10 cents.
frame up system.
These conclusions were pub The pressing need for explainlished months ago in summarized ing the revolutionary position on form. Now they are available in current problems and Jersey City Hoodlums Assail full in this volume, together with aspects of socialist policy has a digest and analysis of all the meant that up to now the reformAstoria Meeting evidence upon which the com ists have pre empted the field of NEW YORK. gang of mission based its findings. It is cheap popular pamphlets which young hoodlums, supported and not possible, in the space of a set forth the elementary notions egged on by a couple of Legionbrief review, to give anything like of the socialist philosophy. For naires, succeeded in breaking an adequate description of this the worker who wants to know (Continued from page 1)
up a street meeting of the book, which is a companion vol. what socialism is, before entering Astoria Branch of the Socialist ume to The Case of Leon Trot upon a consideration of more ablittle weight against the fists and clubs of Hague hoodlums.
Workers Party on Thursday of sky, wherein was contained the struse questions, there has been Force is the argument of the advance guard of American fascism.
transcript of testimony and evl little that one could furnish since Woe to the workers of America if they do not learn in time to Our comrades held their dence taken in Mexico by a pre the publication of Engels Socialtalk the same language!
position at the corner of Stelnliminary commission of inquiry ism Utopian and Selentiflc, other headed by John Dewey.
than the usun essays on Fabian way and Jamaica (31st) AveA Fight of National Significance Overwhelming Evidence socialism by Laidler or the tracts nues and continued to speak But this much can be said: No put out by the Old Guard social The fight against Hagueism has an extraordinary national for 45 minutes in the face of a chorus of yelling and showone reading this volume with a democrats when they were still in significance insofar as it poses in all seriousness the problem of ers of over ripe fruit, but were conscientious desire to learn the control of the Socialist Party.
combating the beginnings of American fascism. It imposes on truth about the Moscow trials The new pamplalet by Albert revolutionary militants in the first place, the general task of finally compelled to abandon the meeting will reach any other conclusion Goldman is the first published widespread agitation for the formation of the workers defense The Astoria Branch, unthan that the Dewey Commission which answers the question guards as the only way to combat fascism. Along with this must daunted, planned another meetcould have arrived at no other What is Socialism? on the basis ing at the same spot for this verdict than it did. The evidence of the real problems of today and go a thorough going exposute of all illusions that people front Thursday night (July 7) at combinations, liberalistic wailings, and court struggles can seriousp. All party members not whelming as to preclude the least tionary Marxism. That in itself is ly interfere with the advance of American fascism. It is necessary urgently engaged elsewhere doubt as to its correctness. For enough to indicate why it should were urged to attend and help this reason, Not Guilty will be be in the hands of every questionto explain to the workers, on the basis of European experience, that if they do not fight fascism by their own organized defense sustain the fight for the right of immensurablo value to the ing worker.
of the to be heard in labor movement everywhere, and Concrete Approach guards, fascism will crush the labor movement.
especially the labor movement in The three lectures were originAstoria.
study In Jersey City, and in New Jersey generally, the main task America, where militants are cur ally delivered before a of those who understand the problem and want to meet it realrently battling the Stalinist union group of trade union workers in wreckers and their frame up Chicago, and it is one of the methods.
characteristics of the pamphlet to introduce resolutions to this effect in all labor organizations, It stands as a permanent and that it approaches the question irrefutable condemnation of the not from the side of abstract doctionary workers who are the only possible leaders of a fight to bloody Bonapartist regime in the trine but from the viewpoint of the finish against fascism will naturally take part, in the most Soviet Union, an eternal bar sin the workers experiences and ister on the disreputable house of problems. Goldman begins by Stalin, a sharp weapon which the posing the three major problems.
revolutionary militants can use facing the workers: unemploy(Continued from page 1)
against labor Fight Cannot Be Delegated most vicious ment and insecurity, the low enemy. the Communist Party standard of living which exista But it would be adventuristic folly for them to substitute the he admitted that down to the last Need it be said? every militant under capitalism for the masses numerically weak forces of the vanguard for the genuine mass minute, he sought to arrive at a must read. and possess. this even in the best of times, and compromise with Dollfuss, when volume.
war. It goes on to show how struggle of the workers organizations. It is worse than folly for the latter had already taken the socialism would solve these probthe workers organizations to delegate their fight for labor necessary measures to crush the rights, which is their fight for existence, to lawyers, grand stand proletariat and its party. As a Lyons versus Sinclair In simple terms he sketches the ing congressmen, civil liberties experts and the rest of the result, the workers and their TERROR IN RUSSIA? Two socialist answer to the basic quesdefense corps were taken by surViews Upton Sinolair and tions: what the profit system is publicity seeking, windbag fraternity. This is labor own fight.
prise and, despite their magniftOnly the workers, organized and steeled for physical combat, Eugene Lyony. 68 pp. New York. and why it leads to the subjection cent heroism, succumbed to the Rand School Press, 25 cents. of the working class; the cause of can stand up against fascist reaction and defeat it in New Jersey clerical fascists.
unemployment and crises; why and on a national scale.
The personal courage Bauer dis prised to discover in Upton Sinderous imperialist war; how Revolutionists will not be eur capitalism must engage in a murBourgeois democracy, already obsolete in most of Europe, is played during the 1934 evil war clair an ardent endorser of socialism would raise the standalso approaching its twilight in America with the decline and could not efface the perfidious Stalin bloody purges. The ideal ard of living of the masses. Is decay of American capitalism. The fate of America, like that of the rest of the world, will be decided in the oncoming struggle all his life, and which ended not first decade of the present een nature? Isn it enough to defend only in a personal tragedy for tury, who waxed indignant over democracy and thereby gain between fascism and the workers revolution. The Jersey City Bauer but in the tragic bank the savage persecution and ex. what we want? Goldman answers events signalize the opening skirmishes of this grandiose struggle. ruptcy of Austro Marxism.
ploitation of America workers, with clear explanation of the and was moved thereby to write Marxist philosophy of why things such novels as The Jungle and happen in present day society. King Coal, found no difficulty emphasizing throughout that the in climbing on the patriotle band struggle of the classes lies at the wagon in the World War and bottom of the question.
An Editorial urging those same workers to the Applying Principles imperialist shambles for the profit More than half the pamphlet, conference being convoked this week at symptom of its social decay and political re of their exploiters.
however, deals with the applicaEvian, France, to consider the refugee problem, action. Capitalism, which in its prime promoted He finds the Moscow trials and tion of socialist principles to actis focusing world attention upon this running the free interchange of goods, culture, and popexecutions no more revolting than ual problems of the day the Popthe world war slaughter. They ular Front, united front, what sore, recently rendered more acute by Hitler ulation among the nations of the earth, nowadays are even desirable as a means of kind of party is needed by the conquest of Austria.
elevates economic, political, and immigration preserving the workers state in workers, the Communist and Driven from their homes and their homelands barriers between the nations in proportion to Russia. just as the world war Socialist Parties, revolutionary by the black plague of reaction, thousands upon the deepening of its decay.
was desirable to make the world internationalism, etc. Above all thousands of refugees seek vainly for a safe Revolutionary socialists must everywhere fight safe for democracy against the emphasized the question of the threat of German militarism! present situation of the Soviet anchorage from which they can rebuild their for unrestricted immigration into their countries, Belief Versus Evidence Union, which to many workers lives and breathe again.
and especially for the right of asylum for all Sinclair turns not a hair at stands as a question mark over Despite the needs of these sufferers from victims of reaction. This demand, which is not Lyons smashing exposure of the whole ideal of the socialist reaction, it is hardly to be expected that the likely to be raised, let alone even partially Stalin frame ups and the hors society and the author fuiflis his countries represented at Evian will do much to realized, by anyone at Evian, is the indispensable upon which they throw such the situation in the Soviet Union aid them. The hopes of the majority of Jewish, prerequisite for alleviating the refugee problem. baleful light. Evidence? Sinclair is so contrary to the theories and anti fascist and other exiles, centered upon The most persecuted people among the is simply not interested in it. ideals of socialism, and that conEvian, are destined to disappointment.
refugees are the revolutionists. Harried by the Enough for him is his belief ditions in the Soviet Union, inauthorities everywhere, deprived of their livelithat the Bolsheviks would have stead of disproving socialist Not only do the participating governments let the agents tear them to theories, actually confirm them.
hood, denied citizenship, they are in constant pieces shred by shred before they As is true of most attempts to impose severe restrictions upon immigration into danger of deportation to the fascist countries would have confessed to actions compress an explanation of their domains, but they are closing their doors they have fled. Denied aid by the bourgeois and which they had not committed. ism in a small number of pages, ever tighter. Nor do they wish to offend friendly Stalinist controlled agencies, they have none to Countering Lyons showing that some points are over simplified powers, or possible allies in the next war, by help them but their fellow fighters for socialism.
the Soviet Union under Stalin has (for example, the section on the welcoming, or making life easier for their politbecome a stilling intellectual de cause of crises) and others are While the powers confer at Evian, the Amer.
ical opponents.
sert of conformity, Sinclair cites treated in too abstract a manner ican Fund for Political Prisoners and Refugees the fact that translations of his In any caso, a whole series of ele Capitalism in its death agony can no more is conducting a national campaign for these books have been published in mentary propaganda pamphlets is solve the refugee problem than any of the other working class victims. contribution to that hundreds of thousands of coples needed along the lines of this one.
social problems clamoring for solution. The Fund is the most practical way of bringing Sinclair, presumably, derives ism? should be a good start: and are actually circulated. Thus The success of What is Socials existence of these refugee hordes is in itself a immediate relief to the revolutionary exiles. handsomo Income from Stalin HD istically is to carry on an intensive agitation along this line, and Death Claims both of and to which they have access. Revolu Otto Bauer In energetic and courageous manner, in actual demonstrations French Exile lems.
THE CONFERENCE AT EVIAN Page the Communist Party We see where the March Federal grand jury in the Southern District of New York, through its foreman, John Cornell, has urged upon President Roosevelt the deportation of aliens on relief who have lived in the United States three years without obtaining first citizenship papers, Aliens who seek American benefits in the form of relief should either indicate their alleg.
iance to the United States or they should be dePersonally, we don think much of the idea, but we re willing to pass along the tip to the grand jury that they ought to get a lot of help for their proposition from the Communist party.
Its last convention passed a rule providing that no alien can be a member of the party. And Prissie Fardsbengle, the 20th Century American, says: If they ain good enough to join the Communist party, they ain good enough for relief. Prissie will fill out all deportation warrants in his 13th Street office.
ported.
NOT TWO THREE. BOTH PARTIES CLAIM JEFFERSON SPIRIT, reads a New York Times headline over a report of Republican and Democratic speeches at the Jefferson memorial meeting in Virginia on July What about Browder party? Its claim is as good as anyone else s!