Socialist Appeal TRADE UNION WAGES ON TRADE UNION WAGES ON ALL DEFENSE WORK!
ALL DEFENSE WORK!
Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International VOL. IV No. 30.
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1940 FIVE (5) CENTS SEEKS HEMISPHERE CONTROL Auto Union Convention Opening in St. Louis Militant Strike Nazi and Groups Near Of Die Casters Civil War in Argentina HAVANA IS LostbyLeaders FIRST MOVE IN PLAN undoubtedly follow An Honest Account of Leadership Record During the British Lackeys Turn to Master, While Native and Workers Wanted To Last Year Would Be a Tale of Do Nothing Policies German Fascists Seek Rapprochement with Germany Fight On, But Not By QUEBRACHO gentine neutrality. In reality, however, they On every major union question and political Stalinist Leaders (Special to the Socialist Appeal)
DETROIT, Mich. The top leadership of the are attempting to prepare a purely fascist seizquestion for that matter the whole board votes BUENOS AIRES, July 11 (by airmail. ure of power and then to effect a rapprochement Economic Proposals United Automobile Workers of America will subMoved to their depths by the events in Europe, of the country with Germany. To the first group mit a detailed report on its activities and the and acts as me man. Examples: the unanimous CLEVELAND, July 21. Panic the Latin American countries are preparing to the socialists of the Second International adapproval of the GM agreement, unanimous posiprogress of the organization to the national conWill Be Followed vention of the union, which opens July 29 at the tion on the handling of the 55 day Chrysler strike striken CIO leaders, largely Sta take part in the Havana Conference which Roose here; to the second, the Stalinists.
New Jefferson Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri. fiasco, unanimous shelving of the 30 hour week linist, threw the Die Casting, velt has just convoked. But if for all of the Latin The struggle between the two groups is exBy Armed Force at 40 hours pay, unanimous support of a third Workers into rout and defeat American countries as semi colonial lands tremely intense and is complicated by the fact An honest and forthright report would have term for Roosevelt.
after the workers had thrown re this moment is particularly grave, for Argentina.
that President Ortiz maintains good relations to admit that the union has made a solutely no peated militant mass picket lines it is a moment of fundamental crisis. We are faced with the Anglophile Afth column while viceprogress in its organizational work; that the Things stand considerably different with the against the union hating Preciston with imminent civil war between the two secpresident Castilla is similarly aligned with the By SAM MARCY membership of the UAW. They are not satisfied Die Casting Co. Stevenson, Ballions of the bourgeoisie corresponding to the organization drives on Ford s, the aircraft inNazi fascist fifth column. Through the illness The Havana Conference is dustry and the competitive parts plants were and cannot be satisfied with the status quo, beint, Cheyfitz, and company took of Ortiz, Castillo will probably remain at the the answer of United States imtotal flops. It would have to admit that the cause in spite of all of the big talk and ballyhoo four hours to hammer the union contending imperialist camps in the war.
Argentina, economically the most advanced head of the government, and this intensifies the perialism to a possible Hitler leadership sabotaged and side tracked the neces. they still remain the victims of insecurity, low membership into calling off the situation still more.
sary fight for the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay: annual wages, unemployment, and the murderous strike and returning humbly to and the principal market of South America, has work.
speed up.
been, together with Uruguay, the only one that It is in this atmosphere that the Havana Convictory over British imperialthat the two major strike battles engaged in by Because of the despicable program of the the NLRB would protect them maintaining close relations with England. This The membership was told that has resisted the influence of the United States, the union since the Cleveland convention. the ference takes place. Each group of the Argen ism.
UAW and CIO leadership in dampening the entine bourgeoisie takes its own stand toward it.
GM Tool and Die strike of last summer and the Washington has convened the from discrimination when they re thusiasm and militancy of the men for the past applied for work, and Mayor cattle owners who dominate this country have is due, in the first place, to the fact that the 55 day Chrysler strike gained the membership The nationalists and Nazi fascists, of course, conference in order to line up years, in signing phony contracts, and making Kaufman of Lakewood, where the had their principal market in Great Britain and virtually no important concessions and it would phony deals with the manufacturers and capie plant is, would intercede for them that British imperialism controls a great part of intense campaign against penetration. The the Latin American countries record that the top leaders today have jumped Anglophiles, who are the most numerous and the talist politicians, the auto workers are tempor with the company.
on the bandwagon of the Morgan Dupont Naon the side of the United States arily tired out. They have no perspective at the The company has now refused Argentine economy, particularly since the sign stronger group, incline favorably toward the tional Defense Council and are conducting themin a world conflict with Ger great democracy of the North and are ready selves as recruiting sergeants for the Wall Street moment of what to fight for and how to do the to rehire the majority of the 85 ing of the Roca Runciman pact in 1933, through war machine.
fighting. The present leadership has done a pret strikers, and the union ofacials which, in order to conserve the English market to deliver themselves to Wall Street as quickly man imperialism which would ty good job of spreading confusion in the ranks. to the NLRB in order to give the tine government assured preferential treatare even postponing their appeals menaced by the Ottawa agreement the Argen as the City of London collapses.
follow a Nazi vic STABILIZATION AND In the face of this state of things, the work tory over Britain.
MILITANTS HAVE company every chance to play ment to British capital invested here, which ing class is extremely disquieted and confused.
WHAT IT MEANS fair.
FAITH IN UNION amounts to 450 million pounds sterling and is The break in the strike came At the conference the United Through the voice of a great part of its unions, In one respect and only one respect the leaderMilitants all over the union, however, men who atter unusually severe sentences mainly in railroads.
the working class has manifested its desire for States seeks first of all to preship actually has achieved its program. This If the voice of Argentina was raised harshly, the maintenance of Argentine neutrality and for vent the real possibility of Gerachievement goes under the heading of stabilihave gone through the baptism of fire of the had been passed out against union strike struggles, are not despairing at all. dozen workers charged with against the United States, more than once, at zation of the union. In what does the stabilizathe repudiation of those who try to drag them man economic penetration of breaking the anti picketing in the Pan American Conferences, it was simply They know the UAW will lead the strike strug: Junction. significant aspect of because through her British imperialism was tion of the union consist? Not primarily that the gles in America in the coming period as they did this court attack upen the union speaking. But noy Britain domination is de But each day one sees them more drawn into the Latin America. That is a real dues are coming in more regularly. or that the victorious in 1937. They are propwing at the cost was that adge Silbert, who pure clining ind, unless the demonstrates herself control of those who speak of defense of çivi possibility for a members have become more consistent union Louis convention to lay the ground work for ed out the sentences, had been sup: capable of victoriously resisting Hitler assault, lization. defense of democracy. etc. For the Germaniy, organizing European men. No! The stabilization of the union as far real program of action that will build and shove ported by the Stalinist dominated her influence is destined to disappear in all the instinctively hate Nazism; moreover the press, production, could supply Latin as the leadership is concerned consists of the forward the UAW once again, and the job of Labor Non Partisan League for South American continent.
outside the Nazi and Stalinist dailies, is con America with the manufactured fact that a great amount of the enthusiasm, the trolled by the Anglo group.
Cuilding a leadership that will honestly adhere election.
spirit of daring and of fighting is gone from the and act upon a program of this kind.
The loss of the Precision strike Confronted by this perspective, the Argentine The United States is far from here and has products it needs so badly and, membership. Attendance at meetings is smaller militant program necessarly envisages Cleveland, and it can be tald en for meat and cereals in the European countries has hurt the unton movement in bourgeoisie, which has been losing its markets had little contact with Argentina; hence the in return, could take the agrithan at any time in the past three years, interest consistent opposition to the war preparations of tirely at the door of the Stalinist which were its principal customers, and is menworking class here does not begin to comprehend cultural produce and raw main the union is at a low point.
the Roosevelt government and deadly hostility leadership who prepared for it ve yet the magnitude of the plans of Yankee im terials of Latin America. With Is this anything to be proud of and to record to the Wall Street National Defense Council.
aced with losing Ergland also if it is subdued perialism for establishing its exclusive control low labor costs and efficient as an achievement? As far as the union leaderA militant program will defend by aggressive knees contrasted sharply with the the question of new perspectives.
ry poorly, and whose trembling by the German army, is profoundly divided on over the Latin American countries. In the com production and with a definite ship is concerned, yes! With the present set up union action and strikes and demonstrations areal fighting militancy of the ing struggle between the two sectors of the need for Latin American exthere isn so much kicking on the part of the of the rights of the union and will not tolerate workers.
On one side are those who remain loyal to bourgeoisie that correspond to the contending ports, Germany could compete membership oppositionists do not feel so free imperialist camps, the Argentina working class with the United States in Latin Among other stupidities, these England and who form a veritable British fth to attack the union leadership, kickers are more the laws that seek to establish a dictatorship officials used the argument that column This group is attempting to draw Arwill line up with the Anglo sector in order America on better than even over the labor movement.
easily eliminated, the leadership breathes more Such a program will launch a militant fight the company was holding up na gentina directly into the conflict behind Britain to fight against Nazism. This augments the poseasily about its jobs and its pay.
terms.
sibilities of penetration here.
for the 30 hour week at 40 hours pay, and agile, an argument which the work against fuscism. On the other side are those tional defense by refusing to set under the slogan of the struggle for democracy The leadership does not dare reveal its real gressive organization campaigns to organize the ers here understand is a boss ar But, assuredly, before that will be completed, How prevent that? How, in program which amounts to this: we ve got unorganized at Ford s, the key aircraft industry, gument through and through.
groups who call themselves nationalists. and the working class here will begin to realize that other words, keep Germany alenough membership right now, dues and per the Nazi fascists, who form the Nazi fifth the competitive parts and accessory plants.
it is confronted by a new master a fact which together out of Latin America? new critical spirit is begin. colmun, which is strengthened by the German capita are coming in pretty good, our salaries it has some glimmerings of now, but not suffi This is the problem with which are being paid regularly: Let leave wellMEMBERSHIP WILL file here as a result of seeing successes; they conduct a demagogie anti imciently to prevent that master from moving in Washington is wrestling and enough alone! This conservative do nothing atti ANSWER BLOWS!
such leadership in action.
perialist campaign and say they fight for Ar here.
for which it has convened the tude of the leadership is dished out under the The militants know that the present leaderHavana Conference.
high faluting terms of preserving our union ship is working with might and main to hogtie gains.
the UAW to the war machine and hamstring its Hull Berle Cartel This constitutes the actual program of all the abilities to strike and to fight for the rights of Feeling its way Washington has International officers and executive board mem its membership. They know that in the coming permitted to become public one bers without exception. True, the executive board period prices are bound to rise sky high and proposal the Hull Berle scheme is not one hundred per cent homogeneous. While that the present union policy will at best keep to form a digantic cartel for the the majority of the board and the officers follow wages stationary. On the pretext of national de control of exports from the Western Hemisphere. An Inter Amervery strictly the leadership of John Lewis, fense necessity the 40 hour week and all other several of the board members still play ball with ican Export Corporation would major union achievements will be attacked.
As a matter of fact, however, Lewis pointed out to Roose bar exports from and imports to letter by John Lewis to members of the CIO exewhat remains of the Stalinist machine in the The UAW membership will not take these cutive board, made public last Sunday, constituted an indict velt, such specific legislation is not legally required. The pre a Nazi dominated Europe. But this division between Stalinist blows lying down. The next stage will inevitably ment of the Roosevelt administration anti labor policies in sident has the power to issue an executive order that governmachine men and the John Lewis men is pureBut as the New York Times says witness the fight of broad sections of the UAW ly a clique division, a fight for posts, honors and ment departments shall require contractors to observe labor very frankly in its editorial of membership for a fighting program and for a connection with national defense contracts.
jobs.
leadership adhering to that program.
The very least the government could do under the cir Jaws. Lewis reminded Roosevelt that precisely this power had July 22, it is economically im.
cumstances is not to issue contracts to corporations violating been used by the president back in the honeymoon days of possible for the United States to nay the Latin American countries the labor laws. That what Lewis asked Roosevelt in a letter the New Deal, when he had issued an executive order exclud for its products. The authors of only in bringing upon the Sov. dated January 18, 1939 over a year and a half ago in ing from bidding on government contracts those firms which the cartel plan cannot but know iet Union a full German attack which he pointed out that Douglas Aircraft Corporation, the were unwilling to comply with the code of their industry set this. How, then, do they propose earlier by months than he had Electric Boat Company and Bethelchem Steel Corporation up under the National Industrial Recovery Act!
to secure the obedience of the Laany reason to expect. Stalin, in tin American countries for the In his third and last letter of this correspondence with plan to cease their exports to Euteffect, is already pegging his were three corporations he could name others which were STALIN FLIP FLOP AWAITS policy on American policy, just violating the labor laws.
Roosevelt, written on March 16, 1939, Lewis explained why rope and Asia. If not zy payment, as in the dim days before the BATTLE OF BRITAIN Roosevelt reply to that letter was an insult to the in the CIO was getting the run around by government officials, there can be only one other methwar European currencies were telligence of John Lewis and the labor movement. For that business appeasement is essential to defense.
od armed force. The Havana being pegged to the dollar.
Conference is, therefore, but a by GEORGE STERN Meanwhile the pot goes on Roosevelt denied that the government could require govern In other words, the government is conniving with big prelude to the military subjuga boiling. Walter Duranty, who still ment contractors to adhere to the letter of the Labor Law.
corporations to help them get around the few bits of protection of the hemisphere by Ameri Despite the multiplying signs bility of attempting such a stam. has an eye for such things, reInstead, no doubt with a sly grin, he advised Lewis to seek of a coming shift in the policies pede was materially reduced by ported from Bucharest the same tive legislation that the unions have won, because business can Imperialism that is what is remedial legislation from Congress. But the president didn of the Kremlin, it would now the unexpectedly swift victories day that Hitler spoke (NY Times, appeasement. helping the corporations against the workin store.
seem that this shift is to wait of Germany in the battles on the July 20) that Rumanians expect fered to provide Lewis with technical assistance in drafting At Havana, therefore, the Unit.
send Lewis away altogether empty handed: he generously of ers is needed in order to get the corporations to cooperate States delesation is primarily upon the conclusion of the Battle European continent. It has been Germany before long to resume with the government on national defense.
nccupied in finding those counof Britain, now about open. sufficiently apparent in the past its drive to the East.
such legislation No corporation working on government orders must be ries who are not primarily de.
This is due primarily to the few months that effective interIn Bucharest itself, Duranty development of the American vention by the in Europe permitted to work below the conditions set by existing legisla Deadent on European and Asiatic said, the Germans were in Needless to say, technical assistance wasn what was position in the war. Had there may no longer be feasible. It tion and that includes the Walsh Healey provisions for pay nonsent to become juntor partners needed. Lewis, or his attorney, Lee Pressman, or for that mattriguing furiously to keep Rubeen any possibility of imme became clear instead that the mania and the Soviet Union ter anybody, could write down what was needed. The point ment of prevailing trade union scales on such work.
of American imperialism in the diate American intervention on clash between the and Gerand Turkey and the Soviet many would more likely take Union as embroiled as possible is, as Lewis told Roosevelt in a second letter, Roosevelt own Never mind all the bunk about the national emergency subjugation of the hemisphere.
an effective scale, the chances are Stalin would have already The government connivance with the corporations in vioplace on broader battlefields folArmy and Navy Departments were working hand in glove Economic Solution Impossible effected his latest flipflop. But ating these laws that fact should be thrown into the teeth lowing the German conquest of without actual conflict. Most with the National Association of Manufacturers to prevent this possibility has not existed.
The mailed fist will, however, Europe.
important of all, Duranty cites passage by Congress of a specific clause directing government of anybody who has the gall to tell the unions not to strike te preceded by the silk clove of Neither the Roosevelt admini This caution dietates a like as authentic reports that both departments not to issue contracts to corporations which vio for decent wages and conditions.
economic methods. The Hull stration nor its Republican op policy in the Kremlin. Without Red Army and German troops late the labor laws. Three times in the last three years the the last ponents has dared Trade union action! Strike! That the only way that or Beric cartel proposal cannot howAmerican intervention, Stalin House Rules Committee and the House majority organization ganized labor can enforce trade union scales and conditions! ever be expected to work on a few months to take an openly were being moved westward could not hope by himself to interventi purely economic level. That can.
change the course of the Battle and eastward respectively in e, Roosevelt party have killed proposed legislation to That the plain lesson of Lewis indictment of the adbe demonstrated by analyzing the At the same time the advisa of Britain. He might succeed steadily growing numbers. so direct government departments.
ministration. But will Lewis heed that lesson. Continued on Page 2)
What Will John Lewis Do About His Proven Charges Against FDR. Behind the Lines