SOCIALIST APPEAL OCTOBER 29, 1938 Millions Hit as Stalin Purge Continues in Soviet Union The Notebook of An Agitator RAILROAD UNION RESISTS THREAT OF WAGE SLASH resources of the American quota list is already exhausted for SOCIALIST APPEAL a year and a half to come. In actuality, behind Vol. II No. 47 Saturday, October 29, 1938 the scenes, the Evian Conference was called to Published every week by the permit the various bourgeois governments to SOCLALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS keep tabs on the radical refugees and to advise (except for times weekly during first two each other on their movements. The Evian Con weeks of October, 1938 only)
ference was called for the purpose, not of aid By WRIGHT through every phase of national novich in October of last year.
at 116 University Place, New York, Telephone: National Office: Algonquin 8547 ing refugees, but of regulating their inevitable No official statistics relating to life. To prove this it is sufficient Pravda commented as follows: flow over various borders in the interests of the the Stalinist purge have been is to compare published membership The People Commissar of sued. None will be forthcoming lists of official bodies, from the Heavy Industry, com. KagaSubscriptions: 00 per year; 00 for six ruling class.
Nevertheless on the basis of in high military council to local novich has reorganized Glavu MAN BEST FRIEND IS HIS DOG months. Foreign: 50 per year. Bundle order The American Jewish bourgeois leaders direct data in the Stalinist press soviets, or two years ago and gol; he has expelled from there cents per copy. Single coples cents.
follow carefully the pattern laid down for them the number can be roughly op now, or to read reports of the apologists of wreckers theo All checks and money orders should be made One of the funny features which relieve the tedium of the by the political spokesmen for the capitalist proximated. figure of 1, 000, 000 changes of the personnel in Conry. the bureaucrats and the of current election campaign in New York is provided by the furlous out to the Socialist Appeal.
Entered as second class matter September 1, battle for Progress which the Stallpists are waging in behalf of ruling class. The policies advocated by these 1, 500, 000 for the past two years munist party secretariats, both nee holders; he has reinforced 1987, at the post office at New York, New York, would be a conservative estim provincial and municipal, and in the apparatus of the chief admin Banker Governor Lehman and the rather impatient request of leaders dovetail into those of the American gov. ate.
government administrative posi istration with young engineers, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
Lehman that the newly hatched democrats curb their ardor, or at ernment. The various nationalist Jewish organ In December 1937, Walter Kriv tions. Times. July 26. The tested communists, people who least be more private about it.
MAX SHACHTMAN izations have sent out widespread to Jewish itsky, leading Soviet diplomat spheres and the changes enumer know their jobs and are desirous The raucous campaign of the Stalinists for Lehman and Editor homes telegrams to be signed and forwarded to who refused to return to Russia, ated by Duranty embrace not iso. of fighting for the convalescence HAROLD ROBERTS GEORGE CLARKE Progress was briefly interrupted last week by the curt public Secretary Hull of the State Department asking he had learned from an author party and administrative apparstated that in May of that year lated individuals but the entire of the coal industry. Oct. 2, Associate Editors announcement of Lehman that he didn want their support.
1937. Moreover, he added though not quite so emphatically ho would STANLEY, Business Manager the United States to intervene to prevent Greatitative source that the number of atus of the country, that is to say, Worthless Directors not accept it. Thus called to heel, a moment of tense and someBritain from closing the doors of Palestine to political arrests had at that time thousands upon tens of thousands On June 11, 1938, Pravda an what embarrassed silence on the part of the Twentieth Century Jewish immigration reached the total of not less than of people.
nounced the removal of these Americans followed. During that blessed moment the total volume 300, 000, the majority being party We continually meet with this worthless directors and boastOpen the Doors!
Hull and Roosevelt could have wished nothof sound decibels which assall the collective ear of the public, members and members of their refrain of new thousands. Thus, ed of a new leading staff embrac in total disregard of the anti noise ordinance, was considerably ing better to give them prestige as liberals with families. In the period since May. In August, Izvestia stated that in ing: 260 mine superintendents; diminished.
The problem of the European refugees is of out lifting a finger to give real help. It costs the number of arrests had con the recent period thousands of 240 chief engineers, 610 heads of profoundest concern to every worker. All hopes But it was only for the moment. The repudiation only gave these wily politicians nothing at all to make this siderably increased and Krivitsky new people have been advanced sectors, 400 leaders of tens, 650 for the future, all possibility for the progress of them pause. It couldn stop them. When they are out to defeat estimated it to be in the neigh to leading posts in People Com Stakhanovists, 120 organizers and reaction at all costs nothing can stop them. Their nolsy and civilization depend today on the action and solempty gesture. Hull states this publicly when borhood half a million. missariats and the administrative 140 chairmen of mine committees. delirious new confessions of faith, shouted with the fervor and he calls attention, even while sending his gratu Krivitsky estimate is indi bodies (August 28. Our emphas.
idarity of the working class of every country.
Said Pravda: The chief task of frenzy of camp meeting convert, drowned out the politely itous message to England, to the fact that after rectly borne out by a dispatch is. And only the other day, Den the directors of Donbasugol was It is not merely from considerations of humanity modulated disavowal of Lehman. They are now in full cry again, all the United States cannot prevent England from Denny during this same ny reported on the Army purge to transmit the experience of the that we must seek to aid the victims of fascism and there will be no peace in New York State until they have period: The purge continues as follows: advanced mines in the struggle shouted progress to vietory in the elections once again.
driven from land to land, often left in the ditch from carrying out whatever policy it pleases.
unabated although it has now The purge that is still contin for coal to the laggard mines, to There are some over anxious and jittery people in the emThis remark will be understood in its true worth to starve.
been going on so long that its uing in the Red Army, though put an end once and for all to battled ranks of progress who believe all the bad news they hear, by the British government.
executions have be apparently on smaller scale, is criminal negligence and to pro and always expect the worst. These political hypochondriacs The only real answer to the barbarism pracThus the Jewish misleaders aid the capitalist come routine news stripped of being accompanied by promotions ceed to root out the consequences tised by the reactionary capitalists in the name feared that Lehman rebuff to his Kremlin chorus signified oh, all dramatic value. of thousands of junior officers to of wrecking. The former lead danger of dangers! a split in the progressive forces.
of national culture, is the mobilization of work.
politicians in siphoning off the stream of mass Times, Dec. 2, 1987)
responsible posts. Times. ers of Donbasugol failed to do They were unduly alarmed. The conflict was more apparent agitation into safe and useless channels. The Replacement and Purges Oct. 17. Our emphasis. ing class forces on the basis of international sol.
this. Departmental bureaucratic fundamental, but only a difference of opinion However, we have a far more Jews are aroused as never before at the awful Yardstick for Data than real. It was methods of management predomidarity against all class and national oppression.
about manners and methods. Lehman was merely trying to train plight of their fellow Jews in Palestine and in authoritative verification. In Jan. The scope of the promotions inated in their work. The worth the Stalinists to curb their enthusiasm, to act more like settled res In the performance of this duty of organizing uary of this year Pravda asserted provides a yardstick for the real less directors have been re idents of the Democratic Party, not like rowdy new arrivals who practical aid for the disinherited and mistreated the fascist countries. To prevent this sentiment that: More than 100, 000 people extent of the purge. Let us apply moved. June 11. In October of have just crashed the gates, victims of fascist reaction, the working class from crystallizing into a militant mass movehave been advanced to leading it to those isolated cases in which this year, the Donbas has been The parvenu democrats haven understood this yet. They ment, the reactionary Jewish leaders provide a posts during inst year alone in the Stalinist press provides us reorganized once again, this time forges unbreakable international links in the are like certain breeds of too affectionate canines who are not safety valve in the form of harmless telegrams. districts, provinces, federated and with some statistics.
into three separate units. No chain of its struggle to pull civilization out of satisfied merely to be allowed in the master house but must leap autonomous People Commissarconnection In Pravda, for July 22, Ako purge was reported We certainly stand against the closing of the into his lap and slobber in his face. Lehman, by his press statethe mire.
iats. More than 100, 000. The pov, director of the Ural Heavy with this reorganization but it ment, simply meant to say down Fido! But Fido Browder, for doors of Palestine to the Jews. It has always been advancement has acquired a Machinery Plant made the follow doubtless took place he theme parece emo me caves, hand began to whine and how with delight at the The American proletariat must unite to help the refugees so that in this very process they may the Marxist viewpoint that the masses of workers should be permitted to move freely across all most everywhere a mass phenom 400 engineers and technicians in portions it would involve not 14 attention. That the sound you hear over the radio on the Comprevent the same thing from taking place in borders without restriction. We recognize, how. enon. Jan. 27. Emphasis in the the construction department of but several millions. We presume munist Party hour.
their own country. By making their power felt original)
Uralmash. Of these only com that these are exceptional cases.
ever, that the Jews in or out of Palestine will in warding off the blows of reaction delivered It goes without saying that for pleted their studies prior to 1917, Commissariats Cleansed with Morgan Co. dominatnot be helped one iota by appealing to the im every individual who was ad all the others are from among the or the 28 Commissariats (estabing its policies, there was disagainst the oppressed of other countries, the perialist British government which is responsible vanced another one was re Soviet youth. We also learn that lished in January) 11 have been sipated within ten years 400, 000, American workers at the same time mobilize 000 of the capital assets of the moved, e, purged. It is equal. more than 250 Stakhanovists purged for the oppression of countless millions of peotop to bottom. These their strength to defeat similar attempts at op ple of all races all over the earth. An appeal to ly clear that for every leading from among the labor and tech include the commissariats of Agcompany.
pression at home.
The functionary a number of subornical personnel have been pro riculture, Trade, Mechanical Conprofitable this government means to entrust the fate of the dinates, say nothing o rela moted to leading posts. Here we struction, Light Industry. Food ronds were used to finance this The partition of Czechoslovakia and the ad Jews to one of the worst enemies of all hu.
tives, were caught in the dragnet. have a purge of more than 60 per Industry, Land Transport, FIrecent fantastic financial orgy.
vance of fascism into Central Europe daily up manity. ratio of to is hardly ex cent in a single department. Sonance, and Farm Products StorHundreds of millions were lost roots thousands upon thousands of helpless No, the American workers, including the aggerated. Thus on the basis of we are not shocked to discover age. On Oct. came the news of (Continued from page 1) and the workers of these exfamilies which are rendered destitute overnight. Jewish workers, can perform a far more useful Pravda boast, the number of that in this plant there were: a the reorganization of the State with a vote to call a national ploited railways are now sufferIt is especially the Jews who become the chosen those purged during last year foreign specialist, the spy Bank, with the appointment of strike when the cut becomes ef ing and will be permanently service to the refugees, including the Jews, by alone can be set at not less than former chief metallurgist, the di Bulganin as chairman, and three fective. And the Roosevelt ad. handicapped by this wreckingvictims of triumphant reaction. They find them. making forceful demands not on the British 500. 000. The appalling implication versionist head of the cen deputies. All four of these new ministration, understanding full to say nothing of the hundreds of selves, a people without a country and without government which need not and will not pay of the figure mentioned in Pravda tral laboratory, the spy appointees are function well the importance of national small investors who were thus any rights that need be respected. Their terrible the slightest attention, but on their own govbecomes clear if we bear in mind former head of the forging preas aries an evil omen to the per transportation in time of war, ap taken for a ride.
that Pravda cited it only to call dep t, chief engineer, the sonnel plight in Europe is made the more tragic by the ernment. We must demand the open door for pointed a fact finding board in Efforts to Balk Inquiry for an intensification of this cam wrecker former head of events in Palestine. There British imperialism The naval commisariat has order to solve the whole problem refugees not merely in far away Palestine, but paign of advancement. It was the order bureau, the spy been purged. The purge in the as quickly and as quietly as pos ditions of employees on two outThe wages and working con.
pursues its own aims at the expense of both here at home in the United States. Why has not only a modest beginning! In One Year Olds Army continues. While there has sible.
Arabs and Jews, purposefully utilizing the antag Roosevelt attempted to have the quota law com March came the Bukharin Rykov Here is a report of the results been no confirmation of Blue The hearings held by this fact anding Western rallroads. the onism between the two. What can we propose pletely abolished or even revised upwards?
frame up as part of the machine of the Party Conference in the cher arrest, it is known that his Anding board brought forth no Southern Pacific and Great Norin view of the awful tragedy of the refugees, This would be really practical aid to the ref. At that time Webb Miller, Uni metallurgical plant named after his closest collaborators have bringing to the front pages of the then chooses Tere these fondse ceuve sity of Stalinsk: In the Kuznets entire general staff and scores of new facts but have succeeded in thern) have been completely particularly the Jews?
ugees. It would be an excellent way to combat ted Press staff correspondent, re Stalin, the cadres of the party been arrested.
The bourgeois governments, under the leader anti semitism because it would mean an educa ported from Moscow: Many have been vigorously renovated The refusal collectives to de the workers in this industry and away to their stockholders profitship of Roosevelt, called the Evian Conference tional campaign against race prejudice conductthousands of persons have been in the last year. The majority of Hver grain to the government is the complete inability of the bonsable income producing assets valued at 527, 000, 000.
ostensibly to aid political refugees. This con ed in the ranks of the working class.
running into five figures through tees and group organizations are the purge into the collectives.
arrested the number perhaps the secretaries of shop commit being met by the extension of es to run their business.
Despite the fact that neither ference presented the ironic spectacle of each of Organize the masses around this demand for out the Soviet republics since the new people their past record in this list far from exhausts the Some Eyewash the fact finding board nor the the governments represented making polite re the open door and this demand will soon make recent treason trials. Post party work does not exceed one countless thousands who are inTestifying before this board, administration have shown any quests of all the others to increase their quota itself felt! For the abolition of the quota law year. Pravda, July 22)
volved. In the light of these facts Mr. Charles Donnelly, president intention to favor the unions in of refugees. Roosevelt asked Mexico, Brazil, and for the reestablishing of the United States Tens of Thousands.
Finally, we take the instance of our estimate of those who have of the Northern Pacific Rallway, this situation, the Association of Argentine to open their doors wider, but the In July, Walter Duranty was the Don Basin. Time and again fallen victims to the purge at sald that he did not believe the American Railroads, which is the as a haven for political refugees! This is the the administration been three times the figure set by Kri pay cut would affect general busi bosses organtzution, has made did not lift a finger to increase its own only real democracy the fight for the Open that there is no doubt that it purged, culminating in the sweep vitsky last December is, if any. ness. can see why prosperous frantic attempts to prevent the share by as much as a single refugee. Thus Door for all refugees. the purge) cut a deep furrow ing changes effected by Kaga thing, an underestimation.
industries would follow action investigation from being held.
taken by distressed railways, he The publicity such an investigathe Italian Harlem local, sald.
tion might attract would not add VOTE LABOR!
also experienced a revolt of its Mr. Donnelly disagreed with to the case for the owners when own, when organizer Everett, the contention of the council for and if a fight develops between at a meeting of that local two the brotherhoods that the pro the railroads and the unions.
weeks ago, denounced the Stalin. posed reduction would reduce This was exposed by a counsel ist fakers, and lead more than 140 purchasing power. The money for the Brotheroods in the crossNEW YORK The growing remembers of that local.
saved to the railroads in wages, examination of Mr. Pelley, former volt in the ranks of the Stalinist Ex Congressman Vito Marcan he said, would get into circula president of the New York, New Workers Alliance reached newtonio, candidate and darling of thon in some form.
Haven and Hartford Railroad, proportions last week when in a the Browderites, presiding at a We did not tell the men they and now president of the Associastormy session of the Harlem branch meeting of the American would get only 85 per cent of tion. Mr. Pelley and that no inCouncil here Browderite Sam Labor Party, ordered that Ever their wages, he went on. We vestigation. And answering Mr.
Wiseman, City Secretary ett be thrown out, when he at approached them in the same nothing can be done anyway.
locals with a combined member in Italian, the language which their favored position as com not a fact that he had tried to was shown the gate. and five tempted to address the ting manner as in 1932, pointing out the counsel asked him if it was (Continued from page 1)
ship of more than 800 voted to most of the workers gathered pared with the dire straits of vestigation. And answering Mr.
ranks and conduct the stubborn fight necessary for victory. tax burden of the workers and the small home owners, the leave the Communist Party con there could understand. the management.
swer was an emphatic No!
fighting labor program is indispensable. Such a program must must demand that all war funds be turned over for relief for a trolled Alliance.
Marcantonto then proceeded to 95 Per Month Then, asked the counsel, is provide for the defense of the only serious right which is left program of WPA, public works and housing.
Before this latest chapter in a to workers in a society based upon exploitation: THE RIGHT TO 6) Put an end to the gouging of the power trust and the long series of Alliance defections call the cops. The police arrived, then the fact was brought for it not a fact that you correwas over, another local, No. 53, in but Everett addressed the meet ward that the average wage in sponded with Milton Harrison of EMPLOYMENT AT LIVING WAGE.
plans of the transit companies to increase the fare. The exorbitant the Washington Heights section ing, which consisted for the most the Industry is less than 95 the Securities Owners Association The must categorically demand employment and de gas and electric rates in New York must be reduced. The five with a membership of over 200 part of Alliance members, and at month and that section workers, and that Mr. Harrison wrote you. cent living conditions for everybody.
cent fare must be maintained. This can be accomplished only by also voted to leave the Alliance, the conclusion of his remarks, in according to L, Keller, statists that he had scotched the inAs preliminary steps toward securing this right, the expropriating these trusts and really running them for the benefit charging the as being a which he exposed the false roles clan for the Brotherhood of vesigation. And answering Mr. run racket.
of Marcantonio and the Alliance Maintenance of Way Employees, Harrison did you write: must fight for the following immediate demands: of the masses in our city.
officials, he lead a procession out earn not more than 347 year! think you did a splendid 1) Adequate provision for relief. New York with its great While we gird ourselves to fight for the foregoing program, Twenty Expelled with him. a 15 per cent cut for these Job and hope that the Senator With It was also learned here that army of unemployed requires at least an annual appropriation of while the trade unions continue their day to day struggles for the Harlem locals, goes workers would bring their pay to (Wheelor) stays put! Isn that true. 1, 000, 000, 000 for relief and public works projects. This sum better wages and working conditions, the reactionary vanguard of during the height of the Harlem the last remaining stronghold of 295 annually. revolt, some 20 members of the the unemployed section of the In answer to the plea of the Yes, replied Mr. Pelley.
will provide a minimum income of 1, 000 a year for the million the capitalist class is not sitting by idly. Boss Hague onslaught Communist Party were expelled. Alliance.
owners for the wage reduction, Other Plans odd families whose breadwinners are out of jobs.
against the workers in Jersey City is but a portent of what is from that organization, with the Duty predicted that the rebel Jett Lauck, an economist for 2) Jobs in industry for the greatest possible number of The plans offered by various coming everywhere. Anti semitism and racial hatreds are being reason given as Trotskyism. Harlem locals may soon become the unions, charged that the wage workers. This can be achieved by a reduction of working hours prepared openly as bosses weapons to divide the ranks of the While the rebellion in Har a section of the Unemployed and cut had been decided upon by a groups to save the railroads were lem was in its formative stage. Project Workers Union. small group of bankers which Brotherhoods have proposed in industries with no reduction in pay.
workers. At the same time, the Roosevelt government is speeding dominated the railroad Industry 3) adequate Housing State Housing Authority Act for series of steps which would reup its preparations for a war to redivide the world among the He went on to describe how duce competition by restricting a complete clearance of slums, the infamous hovels and fire. imperialist powers.
In organizing the New York Cen. trucks from doing long haul Anti semitism, all racial persecution, fascism and war are by.
traps for which New York is notorious. In addition to providing tral Railroad, the promoter as a decent housing, it will create jobs for a category of workers products of the decaying capitalist system, arising from capitalist stock in his possession by a 100 base for freight and passenger preliminary step. doubled the work, by the introduction of new, lighter equipment, fixed rate particularly hard hit by the depression the building trades. decay as inexorably as economic crises, unemployment and working WEEKLY FORUMS per cent stock dividend without service, restriction of stock 80 4) Opening of factories closed down as a result of the class slavery. The struggle against fascism and war is the struggle any corresponding increase in as that at no time would more than crisis. The measures enumerated above will absorb only a por against capitalism.
sets. On this stock, which he de 40 per cent of the roads value be tion of the unemployed. To provide jobs for millions who will Only the working class, relying upon its own strength and on Sunday evenings at 8:00 scribed as fletious dividends sold in bonds or stock, a series amounting to more than 210, 000 never again be reabsorbed by private industry, the must its own independent organizations, in an alliance with the poor 000 had been paid since 1870.
of consolidations, cooperation betOCTOBER 30 SHOULD LABOR SUPPORT THE farmers and the millions brought to ruin by capitalism can wage aggressively support a long term public works program. Within ween the management and the Widick Nat Labor Soc y of Diverted Revenues unions.
the framework of such a program, there should be included a successful struggle for the abolition of capitalism and the estab This obviously means, he con This proposal, however, is not resumption of work in private enterprises shut down by their lishment of a socialist society mankind sole safeguard against NOVEMBER CELEBRATION OF 21st ANNIVERSARY tinued, that revenues to this looked upon with any considerpresent owners, such resumption on the basis of declaring these a relapse into barbarism, and the only road that leads to further OF RUSSIAN REVOLUTION amount which should have been able degree of satisfaction by the enterprises and factories to be public utilities which are to be progress.
used for advances in wages and workers who have in convention operated by workers committees and exempt from any profit in Cast your vote FOR INDEPENDENT LABOR POLITICS.
Max Shachtman Editor of New Internat working conditions of employees, after convention gone on record terest and rent charges.
Work FOR BOLD FIGHTING LABOR PROGRAM.
the lowering of passenger and for government ownership and 5) Placing the burden of the depression not on the backs freight rates, the payments of responsibility for the roads. The Vote for all genuinely independent candidates.
NOVEMBER 13 UNITY debts and general improvements unions have recently asked the of workers, but where it belongs ON THE BOSSES. La Guardia Write in the names of James Cannon for Governor and have been improperly diverted Federal administration to take sales tax collects pennies from the poor, leaving untouched the Ernest McKinney for regular term senator.
and distributed.
over the roads and guarantee the dollars of the rich. Repeal the sales tax! Tax the rich! Over and Local New York, Socialist Workers Party, Irving Plaza. Irving Place at 15th St.
minimum wage equal In discussion of the New workers York, New Haven and Hartford to the average necessary for deabove the demand for a taxation program which will ease the (Section of the Fourth International)
Rallroad, the witness said that, cent standard of living.
March HARLEM LOCALS QUIT ALLIANCE For Independent Politics And a Fighting Program THE MARXIST SCHOOL