Plain Speaking on Czechoslovakia Socialist Appeal PLAN WAR ON SOVIETS Truck Drivers Tie Up New York City Post War European Lineup Shattered minorities. which together constitute a decisive majority of RANK AND FILE LEADERS BACKED It is a nation of big capital, with mighty monopolies like BY MEMBERSHIP Huge Meeting Balks Strikebreaking Attempts OFFICIAL WEEKLY ORGAN OF THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY An Editorial VOL. II No. 39 Saturday, September 24, 1938 375 Five Cents per Copy What is the plain, blunt truth about Czechoslovakia?
Czechoslovakia is one of the monstrous national abortions produced by the labors of the infamous Versailles Conference.
It was constructed, in total disregard of the interests of the workers and peasants included within its national boundaries, to serve the plans and needs of the dominant Allied powers and of the Czech big bourgeoisie.
France and Great Britain believed that Czechoslovakia could serve as a barrier to German relations with the rich agricultural and mineral territories to her west and south, thus preserving those territories as outlets for surplus French and British capital. WEAPON FOR EXPLOITATION The Czech bourgeoisie saw in the new state a splendid weapon not merely for the exploitation of their own race, but for of DIPLOMATS TALK TODAY; GUNS TOMORROW the Czechoslovakian population.
Czechoslovakia is not in the least a colonial or semicolonial nation the the huge textile concerns grinding down the workers, and keeping the masses of the peasantry in poverty and dejection.
It is, moreover, an integral part of the world imperialist system, with a thousand economic and political ties to the great Collective Security Is Interred at Berchtesimperialist powers.
Czechoslovakia democracy has never been more than a gaden: Anti Soviet Four Power shabby cloak for advanced capitalist exploitation BULLETIN Pact Is Next Aim WHAT CAN OUR PERSPECTIVE BE?
NEW YORK, Wednesday morning, Sept. 21. As we go to WIN TEMPORARY RESPITE From the beginning, the only solution for the workers and press it is announced that Actpeasants of all nationalities and races within Czechoslovakia lay ing Mayor Newbold Morris, with the wired approval of the in firm revolutionary class unity in the light of the perspective The process of liquidating the system of post war alliances that Mayor from Los Angeles has of the European revolution, of the United Socialist States of began when Hitler marched into the Rhineland two years ago engiven the truck drivers an ulEurope.
timatum to end the strike in tered a new phase this week.
This remains the sole solution and the sole perspective. twenty four hours.
Rather than go through with an immediate war. with its inThis perspective necessarily entails the firmest revolutionary No such ultimatum has been 13evitable revolutionary upheavals. Great Britain and France acopposition to the Czechoslovakian bourgeois state, under any and sued to the Merchant Truckmen all circumstances.
Bureau and the Highway Transcepted Germany territorial demands on Czechoslovakia.
port Association, the bosses orFirst the Social Democracy, and then the Stalinists, destroyed Whether even this will avert conflict for any appreciable period ganizations, to stop their horsethe basis for this solution and hid this perspective.
play and recognize the strikers is highly doubtful. It does mean, however, that a brand new balance They counselled national unity. defense of the main enerepresentatives for the purpose of of power is being rapidly created in Europe. All of Central Europe my. the enemy at home of the workers and peasants, the realistic negotiations. In fact, the passes under the domination of Germany. Britain will now exert Acting Mayor action appears to Czech bourgeoisie and its state, under the hypocritical slogan of be the direct result of pressure every effort to create a four power understanding uniting Britain. defense of democracy.
from the trucking bosses and France, Germany, and Italy at the ultimate expense of the Soviet This policy was elaborated during these past few years as Union.
other employers pressure groups.
the People Front. Using as blackmail the specter of Hitler, the The latter have been moving In the ticklish game of bluff that both sides played during the reformists and Stalinists foisted it upon the masses.
heaven and earth to defeat the past two weeks, involving mobilization of more than 2, 000, 000 men just strike of the drivers. The The result of this policy now reaches fruition, on both sides of the Rhine, Germany won hands down. When a Publishers Association has anGerman invasion of Czechoslovakia seemed only a matter of hours, RESULTS OF PEOPLE FRONTISM See Editorial: Bona Fide the bourgeois world was treated to the startling spectacle of a Instead of uniting the workers and peasants in one solid British Prime Minister taking hat in hand and flying off to the Strike on page four.
front, it has divided them along national and racial lines.
Bavarian villa of the German Fuehrer and begging him to accept a Instead of steeling them and arming them to resist as an nounced that it is sending a del independent force, allied with their class brothers throughout egation to City Hall to protest Clear Statement From Minister Europe. including most especially the workers of Germany, against the limiting of newsprint who would have been fired to resistance and revolt by the example shipments. Clonk trade associeof Justice the channel and after an of tions have protested to Police across the border instead of this, it has hamstrung the work Commissioner Lewis Valentine ers and peasants by turning them over to the tender mercies of against unwarranted interfer tember 20, a delegation from the American Fund for Political Pris: Sudeten areas of Czechoslovakia. To sweeten the sour pill, they the Czech bourgeoisie and through it to French and British im. ence with deliveries. certain oners and Refugees questioned Gonzales Pena, Spanish Minister of added a proposal for an international guaranty of what will reFrench and British imperialism are now speaking in no unpress as a veteran resident buy Justice, on the fate of the revolutionary political prisoners in Spain. Sentence of Death main of Czechoslovakia after the operation has been carried out er, is quoted as raising the alarm Asked by George Novack, Soc Asked for Three The fundamental interest of certain voice, once again demonstrating the real meaning of their French and British capitalism that if something is not done retary of the American Fund. love of democracy. once again showing that collective security quickly. much trade will be why he had not answered the Militants the necessity for self preservation is designed to secure.
diverted to other cities (Clevetelegram sent to him upon his. required depriving the Czech arrival in this country on August PARIS. The Spanish Loyalist All debates over plebiscites, self determination, and the land, St. Louis and Chicago. bourgeoisie of its right to exploit PAINTERS 91 28, signed by John Dewey, John prosecutor in Barcelona has askthe various national minorities rest are so much tommycot, thrown up by the bourgeois ideo Furthermore, the newspapers reChamberlain, Carlo Tresor anded the Special Tribunal on Esandwiched into the monstrous logists and diplomatists to obscure still further the class lines. NOTABLY IN THE SHOP Modifications May ion instead. Do you know of penalty of death to be imposed others, he asked Novack a ques plonage and High Treason for the abortion of a state created by the plebiscite under the current circumstances is simply one AND TEXTILE INDUSTRIES)
Versailles treaty. It required givalternative imperialist device for the possible temporary liquida WERE USING RAILWAY EX. Mean Compulsory any government that is obliged to upon three leading Spanish Boling up the strategic advantages tion of a knotty imperialist problem.
PRESS AGENCY SERVICE.
Arbitration reason The strike committee is aware of answer all the communications it shevik Leninists, Manuel Fernan Administration Planl which were the prechoslovakia receives? Novack replied that dez Grandizo Munis, Adolfo Carlfor the creation of the signers of the telegram were ini, and Jaime Fernadez Rodrig Rejected by WHAT THIS WAR WOULD BE this danger and is attempting to in the first place. This will now tie up the American Railway Ex SAN FRANCISCO. Agreement among the first to rally to the uez, who have been held for Far more vicious and treacherous tommyrot is the slogan of be done. If this meant the cynical Ranks press. far, legal complications between representatives of water defense of the Spanish workers months in prison at the Loyalist a Holy War to save Czechoslovakia. to preserve democracy.
disregard of pacts and pledges, in their fight against fascism and capital. Continued on page 2)
front employers ind longshoremen on amendments and clarif that John Dewey, for example, The three militants were to be Any war fought over Czechoslovakia would be at once transNEW YORK. Giving pointed this should surprise no one. Such formed into a general imperialist war.
cations to the pact due for re was Chairman of the first great tried along with the leaders of notice to all and sundry that they cyniclem is part and parcel of the newal Sept. 30 cased tension in mass meeting held in New York the outlawed PC. Mon dus will not stand for any more pan politics.
methods of international boas the West Coast labor movement. at Madison Square Garden on The changes in the contract will their behalf and thereby deserust 20, according to an official handling schemes to provide soft announcement of the Ministry of Those who find themselves be submitted to the membership a reply.
Justice. But this trial never ma jobs for do nothing chair warm clutched by feelings of indignaCzechoslovakia) just by the threat of the war.
of the International Longshore He stated in regard to the lead terialized.
ers in the District Council office cion over the fate of poor little Its issue would be the preservation of the spoils and plun: New Set up Ties Up in a coastwise referendum. nad been postponed by request of men and Warehousemen Unioners of the POUM that the trial Postponed Indefinitely while thousands of painters are Czechoslovakia (remember poor (Other reports received in this are subjected to ever worse con learn in the measures taken by aployed and usands Little Belgium. have a lesson to der of French and British imperialism against the needs and threat of German imperialism.
Trucks Over Declaring their willingness to their counsel in order to study country said the trial would open aitions accept similar modifications in the Indictment and that he per on Sept. 14. but there has been and Ale of decisively de the Czech bourgeoisle in anticipa The masses have no stake in such a war except to fight Vast Area agreements with the warehouse sonally had agreed that they no announcement of it in the feated a proposal for a tax tion of a war with Germany. Bewith all their class strength against it, on both sides, in every operators, LLW. officials are could postpone it for as long as press. pressing for an end to the lock they found necessary. He said capitalist nation.
proposed by the Stalinist admin sides military mobilization, the OMAHA, Neb. The powerful out that has closed 121 mujor that they had already been als Aug. 27. said that the trial of the ers Union in a referendum con the Weral and Stalinist supportA dispatch from Barcelona on istration of the New York Paint Czech government. symbol for North Central Area drivers moveWHO WILL STOP HITLERISM?
ment swung their newly eatab front employers hailed the modi counsel and that the trial, when militants had been postponed stituted arout for President mocracy. decreed the immediOur war is the class war of the workers and peasants against lished strike machinery into ac fications as eliminating quickle held, would be open. He said sine dle. The same report said Louis Weinstock and his hench ate and drastic suspension of all tion last week in the first major strikes and other stoppages of nothing about permitting an in that the prosecution was asking men.
their exploiters, against the whole system of exploitation. test of strength since the sign work.
ternational commission to to be pre the death sentence only for the Hitler, Hitlerism, the most terrible scourge of mankind, now democratic rights.
ing of the 11 state pact two Mass Picketing Curbed full tabulation of the votes ascendant, now throwing its black shadow over the whole con weeks ago, and Omaha trucking (Continued on page 3)
Democracy at Work (Continued on page 3)
Picket lines are being mainshows the following results: Local tinent of Europe, must be stopped if humanity is to survive.
companies found their equipment Union No. 51 defeated the proA rigid censorship was clampBut only the revolutionary workers of Europe can stop Hitler tied up throughout the vast arestained in the strike of the retail posal by 292 to 141; No. 261: ed down on the entire press At terminals from Denver to clerks against 27 department by 297 to 181; 454, by 69 to and Hitlerism and upon all messages and 45; 808 by 80 to 0; 848, Chicago trucks from Omaha, stores, but the militant mass The task of the workers cannot be carried out by French and mall. The right of free assemb stood idle as the Permanent Area picketing that marked the first 187 to 152; 874 by 306 to 20; ly was suspended. Arrests and British and imperialism. To rely on, to support the de Committee smoothly coordinated days of the strike has been 892, by 151 to 110; 1011, searches without warrants the strike that extended far be curbed by the strike leadership.
by 389 to 202.
were authorized mocratic imperialisms means to make certain the triumph not of In other Hitler perhaps but with absolute certainly of Hitlerism, of fascism; where both eity and over the rond the maritime groups, to supply yond the city limites of Omaha, offers of other unions, notably words Czech democracy WAS Police Attack Pickets After McCord Fear Own Locals In Local 490 the Stalinists retransformed by a few governthroughout the world operators joined in an attempt to ceived a majority of 55 to 11 for ment decrees into a perfect litOnce again this is proved, this time by Czechoslovakia, The smash the teamsters union and fused, except as relief pickets Workers Repel Attempt to Force tle Imitation of. Fascist retheir proposal; in Local 905 the People Front, abandonment of the class struggle, national unity, avoid the contract designed to during the night.
gime. That is precisely what Return to Work Communist Party stronghold in Seniority is the only demand un support of the democratic Czechoslovakian nation, has today led der union conditions and wages. standing in the way of agreement will happen in all the demothe union the opposition showed directly to the triumph of Hitler.
DETROIT, Sept. 20. The strike at the McCord Radiator plant being 280 in favor and 140 against cratic states when war comes unprecedented strength, the vote Present Agreement and probably, as in this case Thus we see the literal truth of what was pointed out by When General Drivers Local ion has given up demands for a here and in Wyandotte continues into its seventh week despite In Local 942, where Welfstock long before actual hostinties the revolutionists: The People Front paves the way for fascism.
The only struggle against fascism, in Czechoslovakia, in ors of this city with the contract in addition to the atterhpts or the strong arm methods used against it by police, and deliberate attempts controls the whole rawelontork In extremes, the Czech bourgeFrance, in Great Britain, in Germany, in the United States.
recently negotiated with repre mayor and various other citizens on the part of reactionary officials of the United Automobile Workers vote was taken at all on the grounds that even a complete vote oaie appealed to its other ally in sentatives of the majority of op committees to intervene in the to sell it down the river.
is the class struggle for workers power, for the world socialist erators in the North Central negotiations, William Green has After the most frivious treatof the membership for the pro the late lamented system of collective security. the Soviet revolution Area, the union threatened strike sent his personal representative, ment accorded to the strike, Lokun from Houser after It had al position could not change the reready.
action unless the pact was signed Meyer Lewis, to bring industrial ren Houser, Regional DIDEFEAT HITLER BY SMASHING CAPITALISM!
sult. The Stalinists there not only Union. But there too it met a Picket Line Grows Agreements peace to San Francisco. This rector for Detroit, went over the within 48 hours admitted defeat but were afraid stone wall. The Kremlin would be AGAINST THE PEOPLE FRONT OF LIES AND But Local 210 was not to be to increase the already huge total pleased to see Britain and France were to cover both over the road Lewis has a notorious record of heads of the regularly elected of railroaded back to work by against their proposition by sub clash at last with Hitler but all BETRAYAL!
and city trucking sell outs, and was once sent to Metals of Local 210, its bargaining typical bureaucratie ruse which mitting it to a vote.
its calculations to that end have, AGAINST THE IMPERIALIST WAR AND THE WAR Fearing that some of the inde Minneapolis to break up the pow. committee and its membership Mr. Houser undoubtedly learned MONGERS!
pendent companies would sign up, erful teamsters union there.
The progressives thus defeated for the time being at least, been and signed a temporary truce the school of the old line the administration measure by a upset. Having taken up the game THE MAIN ENEMY IS IN OUR OWN COUNTRY!
the Nebraska Commercial TruckWhile complete details of the which specified that the workers of labor skates. The next mor popular majority of 505 with one of inter imperialist politios, the ers Association called a lockout changes in the longshoremen would return to their jobs while ning the workers appeared on the local not voting. In a total of Kremlin follow all the rules. The FOR THE UNITED FRONT OF WORKERS, PEASANTS, before the expiration of the agreement were not made known, negotiations with the manage picket lines in greater numbers 3, 187 votes cast. Their victory is Soviet Union now stands terribly FARMERS, TOILERS OF ALL NATIONS!
hour period. Supporting this plan considerable fear is expressed ment proceeded. The first indica than ever before and nobody re all the more impressive when com isolated, and at the mercy of FOR THE SOCIALIST UNITED STATES OF EUROPE!
to break Local 654 are employers that the new agreement will ad tion that strikers heard of this turned to the plants. Statements pared with the results of the every veering wave in the dizzy and financiers who have long versely affect the waterfront un truce agreement was in a wire were issued to the press denouno elections last June (see Socialist plunge of Europe to ward war. Out FOR THE WORLD SOCIALIST REVOLUTION. Continued on page Continued on page 8) received by President Mos. Continued on page 2) Appeal of last week. Continued on page 8)
Pena Challenged On Trial Of Spanish Revolutionists Socialist Workers Party Letter Demands TREASON TRIAL deal rather than precipitate a war right now. Hitler dictated his own DELAYED AGAIN Paladiet äfia Foreign Minister Bonnet of France scurtied across During a press conference at the Hotel Pennsylvania on Sep. BY GOVERNMENT es demandes, including castighet cesion to the Reich of the perialism.
REFERENDUM IN BRIDGES ACCEPTS CHANGES IN PACT DEFEATS TAX les issue would be not at all the farce of capitalist democracy OMAHA DRIVERS it is being rapidly done away with in most of them (including HALT TRUCKING Auto Strike Is Menaced by Ruse of Union Jobholder