THE CAT SNEAKS OUT OF THE BAG SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. III No, Saturday, January 21, 1939 Published every week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS at 116 University Place. New York, Telephone: National Office: Algonquin 8547 Subscriptions: 00 per year; 00 for six months. Foreign 50 per year. Bundle order cents per copy. Single coples cents.
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Entered as second class matter September 1, 1937, at the post office at New York, New York, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
FAitor MAX SHACHTMAN HAROLD ROBERTS FELIX MORROW Associate Editors STANLEY, Business Manager Militarizing the Many new changes have been quietly taking place in the relief and administration which, added up, reveal the intention of the Roosevelt administration to place the unem ployed and relief workers in a military straight.
jacket.
In New York, workers have been ordered to pear for finger inting or they will be considered not interested in their jobs. On some projects, organized protests have held up this attempt to prepare a convenient blacklist for the generals The Stalinist controlled Workers Alliance, as usual, is cooperating with the government in this foul business.
Another step is the preparation of uniforms for the 5, 000 recreation teachers in New York City. Colonel Somervill, head ex.
plains: We believe a uniform will give the worker more authority. and increase the worker pride in his job.
More and more Army officials are being placed in charge of relief and admini stration. Governors Island, military base in New York, has been drained of captains, colonels, and generals who replace civilian supervisors in the relief and bureaus.
Pressure is now being applied to enlist relief workers into the army and navy Recruiting sargents and attractive posters advertise the fact that in the army or navy there is continuous employment, regular meals, sturdy clothing and adventure!
Roosevelt, it is clear, looks upon the unemployed as the first source of cannon fodder.
Capitalism has no other use for them.
Who Are the Murderers?
There are five young boys in the Sing Sing death house, waiting to walk to the electric chair. Raised in the dirt and disease and ig.
norance and poverty of New York worst slums, they were driven by their environment into one jam after another; and finally, trying to shoot their way out of one of them, they killed a man. When it is pointed out that the society which breeds those slums and that poverty and disease are responsible for that killing, the boss press in New York State raises its pious hands and preaches about the sanctity of human life and how these monsters must pay the supreme penalty.
OCIALIST APPEAL JANUARY 21, 1939 When the reporter for the Resolutions Com In Missouri. America Own Refugees mittee, Wauters, was asked point blank just what the decision meant, he replied, It seems to me to have been clear enough. We adopted our decision with all the responsibilities that it implied for the socialist ministers, that is, that they would have to resign.
Magnificent, isn it? It shows how firm John Flynn, financial comthe leaders of the Second International are when mentator for the Scripps Howard socialist principles are to be protected, when press chain, in a recent article solidarity with their Spanish colleagues is to be uncovered a damning indictment asserted. Hold on a minute.
of the imperialist designs of the Wall Street New Deal government Tuesday, December 6, the Belgian Chamber at the expense of America unof Deputies met and in violation of the party employed millions congress decision, 18 socialist deputies voted His article first exposes the for the government, several abstained and still fact that up to the close of the others sneaked out of the hall in order to duck year only 68, 000, 000 of the one responsibility billion dollars appropriated by Wednesday, December 7, the General CounCongress for the past year for cil of the party met to consider the situation.
PWA has been spent. Flynn further points out, that WPA funds The parliamentary group, led by Spaak, met at the same time. It threatened the party leaderduring the past year were purposely kept down with the imship. but it didn really have to for the pression being given that a great General Council capitulated to these open trai outpouring of Public Works tors without a word funds would take the load off the Expel the traitors from the party? Nosierer!
WPA.
The only ones expelled from the Second Interenormous campaign of national, in Belgium as well as in the United propaganda was fostered, beginning last Junc, for several States, are the left wing militants who mean it months. Almost daily announce when they speak of working class solidarity and ments were made of new PWA socialism. Franco friends, however, must be allocations. Finally, the announcekept in the party for the sake of unity!
ment was given out that all the Finally, a January 15 cable to the press from money was allocated and nothing Brussels reads: The Belgian Socialist Party to was left.
day adopted a resolution denouncing the govIn Flynn words. The impres sion got around that a vast pourernment decision to send a representative to ing out of public funds into pubInsurgent Spain but admitting that it was neclic works, instead of WPA, was essary for Premier Paul Henri Spaak and other to be the administration Anat socialist cabinet members to remain in their po.
bid for recovery.
sitions for the present at least. But now WPA funds are pracThat is how the socialist Pontius Pilates tically exhausted and WPA is still far from being under way.
wash their hands of the blood of their Spanish For 68 million dollars in six brothers. And these people have the unmitimonths is ony about 11 million gated effrontery to talk of us, revolutionary soa month, hardly as much as the cialists, as enemies of the struggle against Government spends in the most fascism!
prosperous periods. Our emphasis. What about Spaak good comrades here, Flynn does not stop short at Norman Thomas and James Oneal. Like him, this point. His article makes they are members of the Second International.
abundantly clear the reason for They have papers to write in. But they haven the foisting of this gigantic fraud on the unemployed had a single word to say in comment or in con Deliberate Move demnation of Spaak treachery. By their silence Says Flynn, in the very next they make themselves accomplices of this unparagraph. Rumors have got speakable scoundrel.
around that PWA funds are beYet, may be they just haven the time to write ing purposely held back in order about him. After all, they are so busy explaining to have them available for milltary construction when Congress that Leninism and fascism are the same thing meets. The argument will be that they can be bothered with the friends of strong that the armament plan fascism at work in their own camp!
will thus cost very little more than the funds already provided.
Reprinted the courtesy of the Sr. Post Du patch (Our emphasis. Traitors At the Helm Flynn then proceeds to expose General Jose Asensio has been appointed mili.
the hypocrisy behind the New Deal campaign last summer when tary attache to the Spanish Embassy in Washthe PWA appropriations were ington, we learn from a Barcelona dispatch to made in favor avor of more adequate the New York Times of January 17.
WPA appropriations. He asks, Asensio, chief in command of the Loyalist and answers, But in the mena armies, was arrested by the government on Feb.
time, what becomes of Government expenditures for relief and ruary 21, 1937, and, together with Villalba, work relief? If there is any valid commander of Malaga, was charged with treaity in the claim that public works son for betraying Malaga to the Fascists. That (Continued from page 1) Last year the parity payments belongings. The 1, 500 who camped Owen Whitfield, local leader expenditures will produce recov Malaga was betrayed, not even the Stalinists de whole is of little concern to the amounted to about 100 for a on the highways had nothing of the croppers and vice president ery, then is it not plain that any nied. When, directly implicated in the betrayal, health authorities.
cropper, about one third of his more than old, worn and tat of the Southern Tenants Farm plan which tends to diyert them the Stalinists tried to smear others, the CNT. Sheer Desperation income. The laborer received tered blankets and roadside fires ers Union, were made by the Into war expenditures will poston August 26, 1937, revealed that the Stalinist It was in sheer desperation that from 75 cents to a day for 105 to protect them from the snow planters. He left the field and pone their expenditure and postWar Commissar, Bolivar, had joined Villalba the croppers camped on the high to 120 days and no advanced cred and the freezing weather. Not is now in St. Louis seeking as pone recovery. Our emphasis. and Housing ways to bring their plight to it from the planter to which the single regular tent could be found sistance for the croppers. Today, in abandoning headquarters, and Antonio GuerThe workers dwelling in de fa, Stalinist representative in the Military Com their miserable shacks when they in day laborers would bring the which they had taken with them the Union sought to advise the mand of Malaga, had stayed behind and gone refused to accept a change in day rate down to as low as 40 from the farms was consumed sharecroppers, he was escorted crepit, disense ridden slums can over to the fascists.
status to that of day laborers, cents for 10, 12, and 14 hours. before the end of the first day by the state police to the Mis now reflect on Flynn further government The day Gijon fell, on October 21, 1937, which would eliminate their one Already living on a level below. The two score or more children, sourl Arkansas border. At pres comment on the low cost housing program. Six half share of the government cot that of the city slum dweller some no more than months old, ent the croppers are without any years ago the President, when the eight months after his arrest, the Negrin government announced that Asensio, and his chief ton reduction parity payment, or the croppers revolted in such had to go without milk for sev. leadership.
first PWA money was appropri a reduction of their share of the large numbers that the planters eral days. Children, old folks, men and women all were deliberThe landowners, insurance com ated, was urged to go into low of staff, Cabrera, were about to be tried. Now crop from one half of the yearly were taken off guard. Hundreds stely permitted to grow cold and panies and individuals, however, cost housing. This he refused to we learn that he is not only released, but is ap produce to two thirds, the crop of families were unable to reach pointed to an important official post! Why? pers are now being compelled to the highways for lack of trucks hungry so that they would sub prefer that the croppers produce do. Here and there a few housing Because he is blood brother to the government accept the masters terms. in which to haul their mengre mit to even more wretched con profits for them while they are projects have been built ht colate ditions of servitude than they exstricken with starvation and disand at rental rates which put which has thus honored him. Prison and shoot.
perienced last year.
ease by malnutrition unsani them completely beyond the reach tary conditions. The landowners of the low Income groups.
Promises of Relief have received some benefits from Thus another one of the libSpain!
Governor Stark promised relief the cotton reduction plan of the erat phases of the New Deal Traitors at the helm such is the tragedy of The program is exposed for the cheap the Spanish people in the form of tents and foods Roosevelt administration.
but found one pretext after an low which provides for a reduc demagogic vote catching stunts it other for not supplying it. Tents tion of cotton crop acreage and really is.
could not be given without the government. payments neither pro Flynn revelations were pub. Free Press The well known Mexico City daily. El Universal, prints approval of the army. The Red vides for the croppers and labor, Hished December 24, before the Secretary of the Interior Ickes went to town cable from Barcelona in its January issue which states that Cross found that they could do ers who are thus thrown out of convening of the latest Congres His nothing since these homeless, work, nor contains safeguard sional gab fest.
about 1, 500 former foreign volunteers in Loyalist Spain are to starving people were not in against the conversion of crop which has gone completely un analysis, on the kept press, in a radio debate last week with Frank Gannett, head of the Gannett News.
be sent to Mexico, where they will find asylum.
their nela. The federal Ruthort pers to laborers, that is, against disputed, called the turn on papers.
Among them are included Poles, Germans, Austrians and ties in control of the seven sur depriving the croppers of thelr Roosevelt reni program a preIckes was able to demonstrate that the pow so forth.
plus commodity warehouses in share of the parity payment.
sented to Congress.
erful financial and industrial interests control The first question that comes to mind is this: Why Mexico the croppers committees and inthis region refused to recognize Press for Action In Roosevelt proposed budget America newspapers. The few examples he and not the Soviet Union? Why hasn Stalin invited the return sisted that each applicant make for the next fiscal period, one The evicted croppers here ex. billion dollars have been lopped gave of anti labor policies of the free press ing volunteers to the country where socialism is already a personal appearance and reply pected that the federal authori off the previous year budget for could be added to by the thousands by trade achieved to a detailed and complicted ties, witnessing their plight, all forms of unemployed relle.
questionnaire It was several unionists everywhere.
Surely, the Stalinists will not apply to them the same argu days before they gave meagre would establish rehabilitation pro One billion dollars have been Ickes was telling nothing new. The most in teresting question in connection with the kept ments that were used against giving asylum to the persecuted hand outs to the croppers. The jects for them similar to the one added to the previous year trGerman Jews. The foreign volunteers are not bourgeois mind. St. Louis Industrial Union Coun. existing near here, at La Forge.
press is what can we do about it? And on ed and they are not fascist secret agents.
Flynn Anal sentence confirms cil sent much needed truck loads There. 100 families have been to the letter what the Socialist that question, Ickes was cheek by jowl with Would it not be closer to the truth to say that if there are demonstration, of food on the third day of the settled on about 67 acres of land Gannett. For Ickes declared that it was up to and a loan of 7, 000 each and dicted to be the real program of Workers Party has always preno fascist spies among them, there are more than a few the publishers to tell us how to free our press.
The morale of the croppers have cooperative stores and com the New Deal.
agents in their midst?
That was an answer which Gannett liked Gancould not be broken by the ef. cultural life. Plenty of Now, says Flynn, we are Anybody who has been in Spain, and fought in the Inter forts of the state and federal au land is available for such pronett blandly declared that the press was free, and landowners.
national Brigades, or who has read any of the numerous reports thorities and the jects. However, the government to have battleships Instead of since Ickes himself had made Gannett and his will make no move unless com houses.
kind the masters of the decision, the debate coming from Spain, knows it to be an established fact that the landowners, who at first pelled to by the organized efforts was over.
among the volunteers the Stalinists sent in scores of agents of scoffed at reports of the crop Smarting at Gannett attacks on the New Yagoda and Yezhov. It is an established fact, also, that these per te revolt, were soon painfully in the labor movement and the tenants, CHICAGO MASS MEETINGS ers Deal, Ickes was saying: If you keep this up, agents were the ones behind the kidnapping or murder of such organized their reactionary camwe ll tell the truth about you. But Ickes and men as Rein, Berneri, Barbieri, Wolf, Nin, Freund and others. paign against the movement. At the trade unions, particularly the Roosevelt crowd haven the slightest intenIt is possible that some of these agents, originally under Charleston yesterday (Thursday) The must be aroused in lings of Yezhov, are not anxious to return to the mercies of stated that the government re people. Direct relief must be exwill speak on: tion of freeing the press from the control of THE TWILIGHT OF THE finance capital. For to free the press would reBeria, his successor. On the other hand, it is just as likely that lief and charitable agencies tended. The St. Louis Industrial BRITISH EMPIRE quire wresting it from the control of the capi many of them are as subservient to Beria as to his predecessor. should) refrain from encourag Union Council must be supported Friday, January 27 8:00 talists by wiping out their economic power.
Are they being sent to Mexico now in order to make an ing this movement by giving aid in its relief work. At the same Capitol Building That is a task in which not only will Ickes not other attempt on Leon Trotsky life, to succeed where others James McDowell, a local land Partisan League should demand 169 State St. Adm. 250 join, but which he bends his every energy have failed, to murder the great revolutionist as they murdered owner, blamedagltators for the of Congress immediate approprito prevent. He is for capitalism and all its works Ignace Reiss, and Andres Nin, and Navachine and so many damnable scheme and called for ations the relief of the cropSOCIALISM He grumbles occasionally, but only like a faith. others?
an investigation. similar reso pers and laborers and the estab AND THE NEGRO ful servant who disapproves of the excesess of If that is the plan of the as we believe it to be, Jution was adopted on the same lishment of cooperative farms for Sunday, January 29 3:00 his master. Freeing the press will be a job for then let Stalin thugs know that we are doubly on the alert. day by a meeting of landowners the 20, 000 croppers and laborers Abraham Lincoln Center of Southeast Missouri and the the workers. The press will be free when the They will not be allowed to threaten the life of Leon Trotsky 700 Oakwood Blv Adm. 150 Whitfield Threatened more than 700, 000 croppers in the workers themselves are free and not before.
with impunity!
Threats of violence against cotton belt of the South, Unemployed Free Sharecroppers Dramatize Their Plight In Sitdown On Missouri Tobacco Road In the South Wing of the Capitol last week, 400 odd men passed the WPA Deficiency Bill.
Three fourths of these men were lawyers, the rest doctors, journalists, merchants, bankers.
They draw down ten grand a year plus expenses from the Federal Government, added to many thousands they have time to pick up on the side. Practically all of them went to college, they all go to church, none ever goes without a meal or a new suit of clothes when he wants it.
The Bill they passed, if it becomes law through Senate action and Presidential signa ture, means that 600, 000 to 800, 000 WPA workers lose their jobs next month. This in turn means several hundred despairing suicides, thousands of babies getting rickets and skin diseases and bad teeth and pellagra because their fathers can buy decent food, thousands of children and adults dying in the cold weather from pneumonia and diphtheria and tuberculosis because they can pay for medical care, hundreds of thousands suffering permanent injury in health and morale.
The boss press calls the men who passed this Bill saviors of the American system. true and independent statesmen.
ing are only for proletarian militants in Loyalist WHO IS THE SENDING INTO MEXICO AND WHY?
Who are the murderers?
Socialist Pontius Pilates Belgium has a socialist Premier named Paul Henri Spaak and a number of cabinet members of the same party.
Loyalist Spain also has a socialist Premier named Juan Negrin and a number of cabinet members of the same party.
All of them are members and leaders of the Second International that is, they are not only friends and comrades and socialists but internationalists. Spaak, however, shocked the members of his own party by his proposal a short time ago in the Belgian Parliament to send a representative to General Franco government in Burgos. the government that is now engaged in a drive to slaughter all of Spaak socialist comrades in Spain. Since this was too much even from a social democratic Premier, the members of his party rose up in arms against him.
At a special Congress of the Belgian Labor (socialist) Party early last December, ringing with the cry We shall not go to Burgos! the delegates voted decisively against sending a rep.
resentative to Franco government. JAMES.