SOCIALIST APPEAL JANUARY 27, 1940 In the World of Labor heir by James Burnham Government Roosevelt Third Term. Who Supports It?
Editors of Twenty Two Years.
rested.
Coughlin Confesses sists in defending their jurisdictions against inSOCIALIST APPEAL vading CIO unions. Thus the anti trust law has become a club wielded by the government in Vol. IV, No. Saturday, January 27, 1940 jurisdictional fights between unions!
Published Weekly by the The most alarming fact about this situation is By Paul Stevens.
at 116 University Place, New York, not the government anti union moves; they are Telephone: Algonquin 8547 to be expected, as part of the government pre Greetings to Illegal Dissolution of the Federation parations for war. The real alarming fact is the Organ of French Comrades Of Technicians by the attitude of the CIO. The prosecutions so far Etincelle. The Spark organ the The Federation of Technicians had taken a FELIX MORROW MAX SHACHTMAN are directed against AFL unions, and the CIO French Fourth Internationalists is appearing reg. clear revolutionary position right from the start of the war. It had opposed the Stalin Hitler as General Manager: Assistant Manager: leadership has yet to say a word against the in ularly! From the November and December issues of the paper, which have just reached these well as the Paris London Warsaw pacts. Unable GEORGE CLARKE SHERMAN STANLEY dictments. AFL officials have charged that the shores, we get a picture of close contact with to discipline the Federation as part of its policeCIO leadership is supporting these prosecutions the masses of workers, the poilus and the French controlled, anti Stalinist drive in the unions beSubseriptions: 00 per year: 00 for six months. mainly directed against the building trades un colonials as well as of intensive activity on the cause of the Technicians well known opposition to Stalinism, the General Federation of Foreign: 00 per year. 50 for six months. Bundle ions of the AFL in hopes of having the way illegally and is bound up with tremendous sacLabor) officialdom has finally decided to expel orders: cents per copy in the United States: cents per copy in all foreign countries. Single copies: cents. thereby cleared for the invasion of the building rifices. That it appears at all is a tribute to the the Technicians for delay in payment of its per capita.
trades industry by the newly formed CIO union heroism of the comrades engaged in the work in this field. The CIO has yet to deny this charge. nent Information and with pungent revolutionary That its pages are filled with a wealth of perti. Arrests of Workers Reentered a second classmatter December 1989, at the post office at New York, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
The latest cases put the issue squarely up to directives is a token of the vitality of our move in the Factories the CIO. In the New Orleans case the indictment Militants are being arrested right at their Our warmest fraternal greetings to Etin place of work in the Paris district. In the Loris based on refusal of the indicted union officials celle, a great pioneer in the struggle for the SoFIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST raine factory (whose protest actions were reWORKERS PARTY FOR: to handle building materials brought to jobs by cialist United States of Europe, a powerful front ported in a previous column) the cops have been trucks driven by CIO members. In the New York fighter against imperialist war!
picking militants of one by one, taking them job and a decent living for every worker.
away in their work clothes. At the Mureaux faccase the indictment charges refusal to work to News from the Front tory the whole shop committee (non Communists Open the idle factories operate them under getiter with members of the United Retail and included) has been sent to the front after a periworkers control.
Wholesale Employees of America, CIO, in hand Uncensored od of imprisonment. At the Gnome et Rhone fac8. Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works From the organ of our French comrades we tory the militants are sent to the barracks un.
and housing program, ling lumber at the docks and on trucks. The longScull the following g items which show what is real der guard and often directly to the front long Thirty thirty 80 weekly minimum wage 30shoremen have held jurisdiction over the emly going on at the front: before their ninety days period (of assigned hour weekly maximum for all workers on all jobs. ployees of lumber dealers involved, but the CIO work) is up.
The 31st Infantry Regiment, after a march of Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability Our comrades are carrying on a vigorous camunion has organized some firms and obtained 120 kilometers in three days, threw their arms pension.
paign against the arrests in the factories, against contracts the persecution of the Communist Party mili. Expropriate the Sixty Families.
tants by the police and the trade union fakers All war funds to the unemployed This puts the issue up to the CIO, regardless fused to continue. No reprisus were possible.
and for the maintenance of trade union unityMetropolitan troops from Tunis were surof the merits of the jurisdictional fight, for the rounded by gendarmes on their arrival. They had people referendum on any and all wars.
the right of the local unions and shop councils to No secret diplomacy.
CIO is named by the Department of Justice as thrown their knapsacks at their superior officers.
retain their regularly elected officers even if 10. An independent Labor Party.
the injured union. The bottom will drop out of At Kairouan native troups rebelled and were these are Stalinists. The campaign is bearing 11. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante and fruit with steady influx of former millthe case, at least so far as public opinion is con quelled only by machine gun fire.
tants into the ranks of the Fourth International Fascist attacks.
cerned, if the CIO blasts this statement of the regiment composed in the main of former 12. Full social, political and economie equality for Department of Justice as a fraud and sham and shock troops, refused to march. It was subdued, volunteers in Spain, part of the famous Bat At Class Struggle Continues in the Negro people.
demands that the government cease interfering disarmed, dissolved and interned at the Mailly Germany Despite Hitler Terror in the internal affairs of the labor movement.
Concentration Camp. The young workers, who In the great Siemens automobile works near two and three years ago left everything to de Berlin the workers are demanding the return of The CIO has a remarkable opportunity, by do fend labor rights in Spain, had apparently seen the eight hour day and increases in wages. Illeing this, to deal a heavy blow to the general anti through the patriotic speeches and the useless gal leaflets are circulating in all departments slaughter under the heading: We Don Want to Work union campaign of the Department of Justice, for the War! Soldiers, Refuse to Shoot! couple of weeks ago we published a news But if the CIO leaders don do this, when the In the Navy the Same In several munitions plants in the same area the following slogan is found inscribed on walls: item in these columns reporting increased activi opportunity so clearly presents itself, then the Rebellious Spirit To Fight for Higher Wages Is to Fight Against ty of Czarist bonds on the Paris Bourse. Antici charge that the CIO leaders are conniving with In Marseilles one of our comrades received a War!
pation of a Russian defeat in Finland and the the men becomes established. In that case the month for prison for demanding more totoWed Demonstrations by Workers overthrow of the Soviet government was the rea issue should be carried to the floor of every CIO up this punitive action with a demonstration And Women in Vienna son stated for this activity, union; every CIO militant should demand that against the maritime authorities. Furlough Last Sunday we got the sequel to this story. At the CIO solidarize itself with the AFL against permits were granted at once.
At a munitions plant in the proletarian quarter of Brigittenau in Vienna, a protest resolution a meeting of Russian White Guards held in New the boss government. It is up to the CIO to In Cherbourg the issuance of furlough permits of the entire personnel against the non payment York for assistance to Finland, a direct plea was is announced. Everybody rushes to get a permit.
speak out!
of overtime was adopted at a shop meeting and Soon word is passed around that those return transmitted to the Labor Front. The former made for the organization of a White Russian ing from furlough are to be shipped out. mass shop committee men were subsequently all ararmy to fight on the side of Mannerheim against refusal of permits follows.
the Soviet Union.
Volunteers for Syria are called for constantly.
At an educational meeting of the Nazi party At the same time communiques are issued: All in the Ottakring section, women interrupted the The main speaker, Boris Sergievsky, a Czarist quiet in Syria.
speaker, Nazi leader Krebs, with continual comaviation officer, was cheered to the echo by his What happened in the week intervening beplaints about the difficulty they encounter in White Guard friends in attendance. What he said tween the arrest and Coughlin Sunday sermon ing the International by being sent to the The 126th Line Regiment is punished for sing buying food staples. Several women were arrested.
is of more than passing interest. change his mind about taking responsibility Warndt Forest for action. large number of At the Karmeliter Market there was a demon For twenty two years we have been waiting for the Christian Front? The first disavowal casualties results.
stration of housewives who formed linea displayfor this moment. Now there is a place where we was, as we said last week, a spontaneous exhibi 105th has had to replace it.
The 103rd Regiment has refused to march. The ing empty baskets and shouting: We thank our Fuehrer.
can go back from.
tion that the yellow streak is the outstanding There in two sentences is the whole story of moral characteristic of the fascists. The second all the tear jerking, money raising committees to statement of responsibility was undoubtedly aid poor little Finland against Russian Im made after consultation with his backers.
perialism, from Hoover down to the wretched The world isnew of Coughlin organizing acLovestoneites and Thomasites.
tivities with the Christian Front and of his exby Dwight Macdonald Twenty two years ago the Russian Bolhortations to them to act in the Franco way.
sheviks, Icading the armed workers and peasants, In a Moscow report dated January 17, it was The press published extended references to these Pocket Money for Brenda stated that, although the state Planning Comsmashed on one sixth of the earth the most bruremarks. For Coughlin to deny them under these It costs a lot to keep a debutante in operation. mission 1939 production figures claim a gain tal tyranny of landlords, capitalists and degencircumstances would be a terrific blow to the fas. It has been revealed, for example, that the up over 1938 they do not specity, as has hitherto erate noblemen in the world. For twenty two cist movement he is building. For him to leave will come to about 52, 000 for the coming year.
been the case, what percentage of the Plan was fulfilled. This would seem to indicate that the years this pack of vultures has been waiting his seventeen New York lieutenants in the lurch At least that is the amount which Surrogate Plan was not carried out.
abroad for the opportunity to overthrow the would militate permanently against Coughlin ev. James Foley has authorized Brenda mama There were several significant accounts of the Soviet rule.
er again holding the reins of the fascist storm to spend for the support and maintenance blackout which has been attempted in Moscow.
her nineteen year old daughter next year. Bren It seems that this was unsuccessful because of Now. they think the time has come. Fin troops.
da is still a minor, hence her mother must get the fact that 90 of Moscow families have no land is a place where we can go back from. Caught red handed, the radio priest has de legal permission to spend any of her daughter window curtains because of the acute textile Mr. Sergievsky is a little previous. The Rus cided to brazen it out. As his statement indicates, income. The 52, 000 will be spent on living exshortage. and cannot paste up black paper besian workers will have a few words to say about penses, entertainment, and social and charitable cause there is also a paper shortage. The only Coughlin will attempt to convert the case into a activities. As Brenda mama explained to the alternative is to use blue electric light bulbs, but the moment for the restoration of Czarism or martyr trial of innocent men upholding pro surrogate, although Brenda is a minor in the eyes it seems there is also a shortage of blue electric its fascist equivalent.
American, pro Christian, anti Communist and ing in the society in which, because of her parof the law, she is in fact a grown woman mov light bulbs Another report, dated Dec. 10, states: During But what about Finland struggle for inde anti nazi principles. With Edgar Hoover ents and grandparents background, she the blackout, robberies and thefts have inpendence Yes, what about it? Who ever heard help, he will probably succeed. Since the prosecu en a definite place. Very definite, in fact just creased. Theft is a social manifestation which of a fight for freedom with the bloody Czarist can have only one origin: unequal distribution tion will avoid the real program of the Christian 52, 000 a year.
and scarcity of material goods.
banner flying from the battlements?
Front: anti semitism and anti labor, Coughlin What Is Happening to the In this connection, it is interesting to note will be given an excellent opportunity to crawl Soviet Economy?
Trotsky statement in a recent issue of Liberty: out from under and even score some propagan In the USSR there are twelve to fifteen million The question of what is happening to Soviet production becomes more and more important privileged individuals who concentrate in their distic successes. men: Union Busters hands about one half of the national incomes, The FBI cannot and does not want to press the remarkably effective resistance the Finns The military significance is clear. One reason for and who call this regime Socialism. On the other hand, there are about 160, 000, 000 people Over a period of a year we have been analyz the real charges of anti labor activities against have put up to the Red Army is the compara oppressed by the bureaucracy and caught in the ing in detail, first the ideological preparations the men on trial. The FBI is itself now engaged tively vigorous and healthy state of Finland grip of poverty. If this is socialism, as the and then the actual execution, of the De in a gigantic frame up campaign against organ production, not social relations) According lying Stalinist press claims, then we have so cialism over here right now and even a more partment of Justice onslaught against the build ized labor. The conviction of the Minneapolis the January 15 issue of the Cleveland Trust Com advanced stage of socialism, since, according to ing trades unions. This week the onslaught is ex WPA strikers, the indictment of Joe Ryan of pany Business Bulletin, Finland record of inthe National Resources Committee, the richest tended beyond the building trades unions, with the longshoremen and the prosecution of hun outstanding. Taking 1929 as 100, the index of tenth of the nation families concentrate in their the indictment of Joseph Ryan, president of dreds of others in trade unions shows where production for Finland now stands at 162, and hands not half, but only 36 of the national the International Longshoremen Association, the real fire of the government is concentrated even in the depth of the depression it never went Finally, the Times of Jan. 19 carried a govand five other longshoremen officials, together against the workers.
below 80. The American index, on the other ernment report on exports of gasoline which with five officers of New York locals of the hand, sunk below 60 at the depth of the depres. showed that exports to the USSR jumped from The trial of the Christian Fronters is staged sion, and is now only about 90. The difficulties 48, 000 barrels in October to 318, 500 in NovemTeamsters.
for exhibition purposes, the aim of which is to Stalin has been having with the third Five Year ber and have remained at that level ever since.
Plan, on the other hand, are well known.
The number of indictments secured in this soprove that the government is equally against This increase, it is believed, is going not to But the significance of the breakdown that the right and the left. Should the court take seems to be more and more evident in Soviet proGermany via Russia, but is being used by the called anti trust campaign against the unions Red Army in the Finnish invasion. Considering has now reached 411 practically all, of course.
any action against the Christian Fronters, you duction goes beyond its effect on the conduct of that oil is one thing the USSR is especially rich indictments of unionists, with just a few bosses can rest assured it will not make the slightest im the war. The more acute becomes the contradic in, and that Germany hopes to get much of her tion between the interests of the bureaucracy oil supply from the USSR, this is startling news added in a few of the cases to make it look right.
pression on the fascist gangs. It will however and the nationalized economy and the more the indeed. Apparently, Soviet oil production is in In most of the cases the men have dropped serve as a prelude for action against the radical latter is strangled by the bureaucratic clutch, such a bad state that it necessary to increase all pretense of having found what might be con and labor movement. In thishdirection Coughlin then the greater becomes the need for Stalin to imports of American gasoline six times in order cement fast his alliance with points his crooked finger, howling for action.
Nazi Germany, to supply the Red Army. This may be due to sidered trust cases that is, situations where colwhich has the industrial machinery and techni a decline in crude oil production, but more problusion is alleged between union officials and busi The Federal Government will not be slow in fol cians to prop up a while longer the collapsing ably it is due to the inability of Russian refineries Soviet industrial structure. The tightening of the to produce sufficient gasoline of high enough nessmen to bar outside firms, to raise prices, belowing his advice.
Nazi Soviet alliance may therefore be expected For protection against the fascist gangs the quality for airplane motors. Russian crude oil In most of the cases, no boss appears in the si to keep equal pace with the mounting dimculties exports, which were 7, 000, 000 tons in 1932, by ture. For example, in the indictment of the ele workers can look only to themselves. The boss of Soviet production 1938 had sunk to 1, 000, 000 tons. No wonder Stal mentioned above, and in the indictment of 28 government is the enemy, even as is Coughlin the chief sources of Information on this subject.
Since do not read Russian, am cut off from in looks with increasing desperation to Hitler technicians and machinery to save the Kremlin building trades union officials in New Orleans on and his fascist gangs.
But the Times has lately carried a few bureaucracy from the economic impasse they are January 15, the crime of the AFL unions con Organise the workers defense guards! items of interest.
now in.
SPARKS IN THE NEWS National politics, in its narrower aspects, continues to be dominated by the third term issue.
Roosevelt, as always, plays his cards shrewdlyclose to his chest, as the gamblers say. By his careful silence, broken only by the smiling wisecracks, he has kept in domination of the whole field, in both parties. The entire struggle for the Presidency centers around him; every eager candidate is measured first and last against him, not against his fellowhopefuls.
The best informed opinion runs at present about as follows: Within the next month or two Roosevelt will issue a statement his candidacy. In this he will give a Rooseveltian version of Coolidge famous 1928 do not choose to run. Meanwhile, he will continue leaning toward Secretary of State Hull, following up the boost he gave in the annual message to Congress. Hull (who, in spite of his white hair and his innocent honest expression is well known as a hardened and skillful machine man) is acceptable to the right wing of the Democratic party, and looks right now like the ideal compromise between the New Deal and the Garner factions. Garner, according to this perspective, would withdraw his name, since he has entered the race chiefly to block a third term.
For Vice President, Roosevelt is supposed to be supporting his newly appointed Attorney General, Robert Jackson, whom last year the CorcoranCohen group favored Governor of New York.
Jackson, however, would be stiflly fought by Garner and, probably, Farley.
To Run or Not to Run?
It should not be imagined, however, that the do not choose statement (and the rumors expecting it are doubtless correct) will end the third term 19sue. The potential candidate who does not choose, can always be drafted for, as it would be explained, the good of the Party and the country. Even if Roosevelt had actually reached an irrevocable decision not to run again, he would hardly say so with 100 clarity, since this would eliminate him not only as a candidate but as a factor in the party machine and at the convention.
But there is no reason to believe that Roosevelt has reached such an irrevocable decision. On the contrary, it seems fairly clear that Roosevelt 19 ready to run again if he thinks he can get away with it.
It is even clearer that most of the leaders in the national party machine do not want him to run. Some of them, like Garner and Glass, do really consider him dangerous politically. Others are afraid of the popular effect of a break from the anti third term tradition. Many, like Farley, get disturbed by his often erratic and headstrong moves, and would like someone in othce who would be more docile and reg.
ular.
Nevertheless, it is an indisputable fact that the overwhelming majority of the rank and file Democratic voters are in favor of Roosevelt running again; and that a decisive majority of the voters of all parties are still pro Roosevelt. As a public personality, no candidate in either party comes within striking distance of Roosevelt. Party machines are very powerful, but they run a suicidal risk when they go headlong against popular sentiment.
The drawing appeal of the Presidential candidate is, as Attorney General Jackson took recent occasion to point out of particular importance to the Democratic party. Since the World War, the Republicans have always been able to count on at least 14, 000, 000 votes in a Presidential election; but the Democratic vote has varied from 8, 000, 000 to Roosevelt 27, 000, 000 in 1936. These figures show that the Democrats must be able to swing the unattached voters in order to win, and it is hard to see that a man so old, and so colorless as a public figure, as Hull could be safely counted on to do the trick.
It is of the greatest significance to observe that the firmest support for a third term (apart from the playboys in the Administration, who don count much when it comes to votes) is appearing from the hardened big city bosses, like Hague in New Jersey and the Kelly Nash gang in Chicago. Tammany, in New York, is reported ready to go along. The New Leader, which is also 100 third term, has embarrassing allies!
Will Roosevelt Run Again?
Roosevelt New Deal lives now only as a memory In most respects he is to the right even the current Congress. He has dropped all mention of the Lend Spend program that he got so many headlines for last summer. He has proposed such drastic reductions in relief that Congress will probably increase them over his budget figures. He is ready, without resistance, to let the NLRB and the WageHour Administration be altered further in favor of the bosses. He is backing the Men to the hilt in their drive against labor rights.
On the domestic front, Roosevelt program is a complete shambles. All that he has left is the war, toward which he is driving with such recklessness that Congress. feeling something of the pressure of the people, is compelled now and then to draw him back as in attempts to cut down armament expenditures or to block an outright war loan to Finland.
But it is precisely his bold attitude toward the war that recommends Roosevelt to widening circles in Wall Street; and even the memory of the New Deal has more substance in the eyes of the people than any program that his opponents have brought forth.
Roosevelt is so strong because none of the other representatives of the bosses have anything at all to offer except the war, and Roosevelt has monopolized first claim on the war; and because labor has failed to strike out on an independent road. If the only shelter to be seen is a pig sty, then it will seem that we will have to remain in the pig sty, even that we will try to pretend to ourselves that the pig sty is a palace.
Since these things are so, it seemis probable that the Democratic party will have to re nominate Roosevelt, that it cannot risk losing that smile, those memories, and that ruthless hand on the reins of the war charlot. And if he runs, how can the New York cop, Dewey, or the Ohio platitude, Taft, or the Michigan vacuum, Vandenberg, expect to beat him?
income.