FLASH. The Two a Week is a Political Necessity We MUST Have It!
Flint Auto Union Starts Campaign For 30 Hour Week at 40 Hours Pay See Page Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International EYES OF ALL LABOR ON Steel Workers! The Fight for the Hour Convention Opening Day at Hour Pay is Main Fight Now! At Chicago, May 15 by FARRELL DOBBS Vol. IV, No. 19 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1940 FIVE (5) CENTS (National Labor Secretary)
In the short period of one month since the adjournment of the Third Convention of the Socialist Workers Party the orientation of the party towards mass work has been carried out with such vigor and enthusiasm that important results have already been reported Not dismayed by the desertions from our ranks by the splitters and renegades, the proletarian majority of the 18 daily discovering new sinews of strength and new sources of proletarian membership.
The manifold problems of the trade union movement are now more than ever an important part of the problems of the party.
Important mass actions arise constantly on an ever broader front.
Unlike literary activity and internal discussion within a party, the muss work presents daily problems which must have an immediate answer. plan of action which is worked out in the morning is very often tested in practice during the afternoon.
These factors demonstrate the profound need for accurate, up to the minu ge! Information on the trends and developments in the trade union movement.
The party press, the main source of this Information, is an inGreetings: of the steel workers is a force to be reckoned with. The Fight Against Unemployment is Main Issue; MASS dispensable implement for the party members engaged The eyes of the nation workers are on your convention. CIO means representation and strength for the men in the work and for the development of the most advanced trade union To Plan Organizing Drive; Many Lodges mills.
What you do there, what you plan for tomorrow, will have 1sts who are coming towards the party. Special distributions of the party press are being carried out regularly in auto, steel. deep significance for all American labor, organized and unIt is true the workers have a voice today where they were Ask for Constitutional Convention maritime, among the unorganized factory workers, and in many organized.
silent and beaten only a few years ago. But never forget other fields. Inspiring results have been obtained through this Steel is the very heart of American industry. It pumps that the final word still belongs to the same crooked gang work headed by Morgan and officered by Stettinius, Girdler, CHICAGO, Ilinois Meeting in Chicago for its second national Indispensable as it now is, the party press will be even more its strong blood into all branches of manufacturing, transconvention, opening May 15, the Steel Workers Organizing Commitvaluable when it is published more frequently. The two. week Grace, Weir and a few others. They control because they tee prepared to adopt a program of action to complete the unlonportation and construction. Steel fabricates the homes of a party own and because they own they don have to set foot in ization of the steel industry and to deal with the other problems mass work. It will enhance general efficiency by keeping peace and the cannon of war. When steel is prosperous, inparty and non party readers more closely informed of day by day dustry booms and when steel tailspins, the country hits the a mill or get a square inch of soot on their swallow tailed confronting the steel workers.
Looking back on its accomplishments in its three and a half events and developments as they appear in the light of class skidroad of depression.
evening clothes.
years of existence, the members of the SwOC have a right to be struggle perspectives and analysis.
This ownership pours a golden stream of coupons into proud. For the first time in the history of this once notoriously openBefore the CIO, control of your industry rested unchalPush the two. week Appeal campaign to accelerate the detheir laps every year and they don have to move out of shop Industry, a genuine union of its workers exists. Over 500 conlenged in the hands of a pack of pirates. They sweated the velopment of party mass work!
their streamlined swivel chairs in Wall Street and LaSalle tracts, including many providing for cloned shops, have been signed.
mill workers for twelve hours a day. They hired and fired Street to get it.
More than 600, 000 workers are protected by wage hour clauses and without regard to age or service. They herded the workers seniority rights. Steel, once the citadel of anti unionism, is now The Scoreboard that indexes the approach of the twice weekly In 1939 they hit the jackpot again.
families into slum ridden company towns when the furcovered by a signed contracta rose slightly this week. 81. 35 came into the fund, which brings United States Steel raked in 41, 119, 934. 00.
Hundreds of other plants, both ing campaign to complete the unthe percentage of fullfillment up to 16. 690. 35 is the total to naces were high and moved them out on the streets when large and small, where once to be lonization of the remaining nondate.
the fires died down. They smashed strikes Homestead, Bethlehem Steel took 24, 638, 384. 00.
a unlon member was considered union plants. Chlef among these Lynn made the biggest gain this week with its 29. 00 remitMcKeesport, the 1919 strike with Pinkertons, gunmen, National Steel made 12, 581, 636. 00.
suicidal, are now represented by is the Bethlehem Steel Corporatance. This puts the Lynn branch second on the scoreboard. How militant, well organized lodges. tion, second largest steel producabout it, are you other branches going to let Lynn keep this place deputies, troops. They spilled the blood of workingmen like Republic Steel made ten million, Inland Steel made ten However, the swoc is not er in the and one of the without a good fight?
water.
Boston is now tled with East Chicago for fifth place.
million, American Rolling Mills four million, Youngstown meeting to bask in the light of its world greatest armament manSince the CIO, at least in Big Steel and some of the in Sheet and Tube five million and Jones and Laughlin hit with the many new problems that one of the few remaining strong Detroit was the next to go up on the scoreboard. It now holds ninth plece.
dependents, the steel magnates have been forced to share the breadline with three million.
have arlsen since the first nation holds of company unionism, stil Indianapolis came through with a pledge of 20. How about you some of the control with the workers. Hours have been other branches that haven pledged yet?
The war in Europe put the industry at top production and convention held in Pittsburgh is not strongly organized.
More than likely, there will be forced down, wages are no longer jockeyed around at the Let go to work! Only 53 days left! And 3520. 65 to raise.
schedules. 1939 was a prosperous year for the steel bossa strong sentiment for a nationwhim of the big boss, seniority has been established and es. The big haul (not counting dividends. they call it 30 Hour Week Issue wide drive to bring under signed the union has a strong voice in hiring and firing. The union (Continued on Page 4)
In the thirty months elapsing contract Inland, Youngstown, and since that meeting, over 25, 000 Republic Steel Company, and to steel men have been added to the consolidate the grip of the SwOC respective bosses associations ranks of the unemployed as a re in the deep South, now one of the had held over signature of their sult of the rapid installation of major steel districts in the coun contract pending the outcome of mechanized strip mills try.
Branch Pledged Pala the milk strike. Also, the Team The only answer to this most Fight Against War 80. 00 Upstate New York. 50. 00 100 Worried by the growing move50. 00 Lynn Was wholeheartedly backing the a program calling for the thirty29. 00 58 hour week. Hundreds of thous. ment on the part of the bosses to strike.
100. 00 Chicago 50. 00 50 100. 00 50. 00 50 Flint Taking all these factors into ands of steel workers throughout embroil this country in the imCHICAGO, May Chicago milk drivers are back at work, ing into Chicago was covered by St. Paul 200. 00 89. 00 after a whirlwind strike in which they smashed the bosses demand union patrols. Every barn had consideration at a time when 43 the country are anxiously await perialist war raging in Europe, Boston.
170. 00 70. 00 for an immediate pay cut of 25.
enough pickets around to insure Independent dairles had already ing the launching of a campaign the steel workers are expected to pass vigorous resolutions designed, the big dealers committee based upon this demand.
East Chicago 25. 00 10. 00 They returned to their trucks with a guarantee of the 48 a respect for the strike.
nouncing such efforts. Already retreated and agreed to meet with Want Constitutional Convention hundreds of anti war resolutions New York City 1800. 00 800. 00 Besides this the inside dairy the drivers immediately to negoweek wage scale until a new agreement is concluded.
76. 00 Detroit.
11. 85 The Milk Dealers Assocation had demanded of the union that a workers, for the first time in the tiate a new contract.
An important issue to come up have been forwarded to PittsNational Office 550. 00 41. 00 union history, went out in a The drivers return to their for discussion, will be the ques burgh from the lodges throughSan Francisco 100. 00 00 be put into effect, in place of the brought the bosses association body, and demanded a contract trucks with their previous wage tion of calling a constitutional out the country. At the last conMaritime Workers.
780. 00 00 together with the drivers. Also, of 48 previous scale of 48 per week, down to earth.
week guaranteed until convention in the near future. vention, the steel workers passed 300. 00 Minneapolis the vendors (milk Jobbers) who, an agreement is concluded. The 00 before the association would neA number of lodges from varl a resolution supporting an amendPowerful Strike Machine 100. 00 Newark. 00 gotiate a new contract with the ere, and cloth probleme to the drive only unfortunate aspect was e out steel centers have passed ron ment for a popular referendum om Los Angeles 100. 00 00 union.
It was a magnificent demoners, and who had been counted provision for arbitration which olutions calling for such action. war. It is expected that they will New Haven.
55. 00 00 stration of working class organ. upon by the bosses to break the states that if the agreement is the demand for an autonomous reiterate their stand on this cruToledo 40. 00 00 The Milk Drivers Union an ization. The morning of May Strike, rejected the bosses over. not concluded in thirty days it be international union resulting cial question at the 1940 convenPhiladelphia 25. 00 00 swered that their wage scale found the city completely tied up, turce and moved towards the presented to arbitration, from such a constitutional con tion.
Omaha.
23. 00 00 could not and would not be low The union serviced the hospitals union, Hundreds of thousands of The drivers insist that if the vention is widespread and will Indianapolis 20. 00 00 ered, and that negotiations must and orphanages. Not a truck of The bosses also considered the bosses try any monkey business undoubtedly be a major tople of steel workers throughout the Seattle 15. 00 00 begin immediately, with the wage Bowman, Borden, Wanzer, Capi fact that on May 2, a day after of evading an immediate con interest.
nation are eagerly awaiting the scale remaining intact. The bos tol, and Western United moved the strike began, the Teamster tract, they will not allow the case 10. 00 Portland 00 decisions on these issues. They 10. 00 00 Organizing Campaign ses said lockout, the workers out of the garage, and nothing Joint Council met, and a proposal to go to arbitration, but will teach Oakland are prepared to follow pro10. 00 angwered with STRIKE. The could move into or out of these was submitted by the Bakery and the association that they cannot Akron 00 Another very important point gram calling for militant acstrike vote was unanimous, and plants. Flying squadrons were Pop Drivers section, urging sym fool around wih six thousand de of the convention will be the tion. This convention must not Total 4210. 00 699. 85 16. two days later the strike had everywhere. Every highway lead pathy strike action because their termined workers.
launching of a vigorous organiz disappoint them!
SCOREBOARD Chicago Milk Drivers Strike Smashes 41 40 28 15 5 0 0 0 0 Open Letter to the Workers of the By Leon Trotsky Behind the Lines Greetings to the Soviet workers, collective farmers, soldiers of the Red Army and sailors of the Red Navy! Greetings from distant Mexico where found refuge after the stalinist clique had exiled me to try!
and after the bourgeoisie had hounded me from country to Dear Comrades! The lying Stalinist press has been malicious ly deceiving you for a long time on all questions, including those which relate to myself and my political co thinkers. You possess no workers press; you read only the press of the bureaucracy, which lies systematically so as to keep you in darkness and thus render secure the rule of a privileged parasitic caste.
Those who dare raise their voices against the universally hated bureaucracy are called Trotskyists, agents of foreign power; branded as spies. yesterday it was sples of Germany, today it is spies of England and France and then sent to face the firing squad. Tens of thousands of revolutionary fighters have fallen before the muzzles of Mausers in the USSR and in countries abroad, especially in Spain. All of them were depicted as agents of Fascism. Do not believe this abominable slander!
Their crime consisted of defending workers and peasants against the brutality and rapacity of the bureaucracy. The entire Old Guard of Bolshevism, all the collaborators and assistants of Lenin, all the fighters of the October revolution, all the heroes of the Civil War, have been murdered by Stalin. In the annals of history Stalin name will forever be recorded with the infamous brand of Cain!
Revolution Was Not Made for Bureaucrats The October revolution was accomplished for the sake of the toilers and not for the sake of new parasites. But due to the lag of the world revolution, due to the fatigue and, to a large measure, the backwardness of the Russian workers and pecially the Russlan peasants, there raised itself over the Soviet Republic and against its peoples a new oppressive and parasitic caste, whose leader is Stalin. The former Bolshevik party was turned into an apparatus of this caste. The world organization which the communist International once was is today a plant tool of the Moscow oligarchy. Soviets of Workers and Peasants have long perished. They have been replaced by degenerate Commissars, Secretaries and agents.
But, fortunately, among the surviving conquests of the October revolution are the nationalized Industry and the collectivized Soviet economy. Upon this foundation Workers Soviets can build a new and happier society. This foundation cannot be surrendered by us to the world bourgeoisie under any conditions. It is the duty of revolutionists to defend tooth and nail every position gained by the working class, whether it involves democratic rights, wage scales, or so colossal a conquest of mankind as the nationalization of the means of production and planned economy Those who are incapable of defending conquests already gained can never fight for new ones. Against the imperialist foe we will defend the USSR with all our might. However, the conquests of the October revolution will serve the people only if they prove themselves capable of dealing with the Stalinist bureaucracy, as in their day they dealt with the Tsarist bureaucracy and the bourgeoisie.
Stalinism Endangers the Soviet Union If Soviet economic life had been conducted in the interests the people; if the bureaucracy had not devoured and vainly wasted the major portion of the national income; if the bureaucracy had not trampled underfoot the vital interests of the population, then the USSR would have been a great magnetic pole of attraction for the toilers of the world and the inviolability of the Soviet Union would have been assured. But the infamous oppressive regime of Stalin has deprived the USSR of its attractive power. During the war with Finland, not only the majority of the Finnish peasants but also the majority of the Finnish workers, proved to be on the side of their bourgeoisie. This is hardly surprising since they know of the unprecedented oppression to which the Stalinist bureaucracy subjects the workers of near by Leningrad and the whole of the USSR. The Stalinist bureaucracy, so bloodthirsty and ruthless at home and so cowardly before the imperialist enemies, has thus become the main source of war danger to the Soviet Union.
The old Bolshevik party and the Third International have disintegrated and decomposed. The honest and advanced revolutionists have organized abroad the Fourth International which has sections already established in most of the countries of the world. am a member of this new International. In participating in this work remain under the very same banner that served together with you or your fathers and your older brothers in 1917 and throughout the years of the Civil War the very same banner under which together with Lenin we built the Soviet state and the Red Army.
New Tricks of Rooseveltian Revolutionary Goal of the Secret War Diplomacy by GEORGE STERN Fourth International The goal of the Fourth International is to extend the October revolution to the whole world and at the same time to regenerate Rooseveltian secret diplomacy would have it, thnt Italian enthe USSR by purging it of the parasitic bureaucracy. This can be is working overtime at the job of try would mean extension of achieved only in one way: By the workers, peasants, Red Army preparing the entry of this coun the embargo to the Medisoldiers and Red Navy sailors, rising against the new caste of try into the war.
terranean? Or did they serve oppressors and parasites. To prepare this uprising, a new party Most of this activity never solemn notice on the Duce that is needed a bold and honest revolutionary organization of the reaches the public prints. Some his entry on Germany side advanced workers. The Fourth International sets as its task the of it does and then only in the would hasten American entry building of such a party in the USSR.
form of meager announcements on the side of the Allies? Is Advanced workers! Be the first to rally to the banner of Marx and fulsome denials.
Roosevelt playing with the and Lenin which is now the banner of the Fourth International!
Most recent development of lives of American youth in orLearn how to create, in the conditions of Stalinist illegality, tightthis kind wat Roosevelt ex der to serve the ends of the ly change last week with Mussolini. Jigsaw diplomatic games of his fused, reliable revolutionary circles! Establish contacts between these circles! Learn how to establish contacts through loyal and sador in Rome, called on Clano, William Phillips, the ambas French and British friends. reliable people, especially the sailors with your revolutionary coAnother recent glimpse of what thinkers in bourgeois lands! It is difficult, but it can be done.
the foreign minister, and later is going on behind the scenes was The present war will spread more and more, piling ruins on had a personal talk with Musso vouchsafed to the people when ruins, breeding more and more sorrow, despair and protest, drivlini himself. On Friday this was Mackenzie King, the Caning the whole world toward new revolutionary explosions. The paralleled here by an unusual in adian premier, paid what was world revolution shall re invigorate the Soviet working masses terview between Roosevelt and called a private visit to Roosewith new courage and resoluteness and shall undermine the buPrince Colonna, the Italian am velt, at Warm Springs and again at the White House. Roosevelt reaucratic props of Stalin caste. It is necessary to prepare for bassador at Washington this hour by stubborn systematic revolutionary work. The fate of To curious newspapermen at a said he had a nice social call our country, the future of our people, the destiny of our children press conference the next day, and then, according to the HørPresident Roosevelt said he was ald Tribune, he winked, 88 and grandchildren are at stake.
trying to prevent extension of the though to convey the idea that Down With Cain Stalin and his Camarilla!
European conflict more than a nice social talk had Down With the Rapacious Bureaucracy. That was all that he felt it taken place.
was appropriate to reveal at Behind this heavy humor apLong Live the Soviet Union, the Fortress of the Toilers!
this time, added the New York parently lay also consultations Long Live the World Socialist Revolution. Times account. But If any that forebode ill for the future.
Fraternally, doubt were present as to the The Herald Tribune gave the LEON TROTSKY nature of the American move, following details of this sothe jubilation in the French cial meeting: WARNING! Stalin press will of course declare that this press over It the next day The United States and Canletter is transmitted to the USSR by agents of imperialism. cleared that up.
ada are beginning to talk over Be forewarned that this, too, is a lie. This letter will reach the Just what did Phillips tell their common defense problems USSR through reliable revolutionists who are prepared to risk Mussolini and what did Roose in the light of the war Eurtheir lives for the cause of socialism. Make copies of this letter velt tell Colonna. Did they ope and Asia. One important and glve it the widest possible circulation.
merely warn, as the papers (Continued on Page 3)