FRIDAY, JUNE 16, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. III, No. 42 June 16, 1939 Published trosce a sock by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASSN.
at 116 University Place, New York, Telephone: Algonquin 8641 Subcriptions: 00 per year. 00 for six months. For eign: 60 per year. 50 for slik moathe Bunder code in all foreign countries.
Sce: 50 for six Bronx and Manhattan months; 00 for one year. Reentered as second class matter February 16, 1939. at the post office at New York, under the Act of March celine korte til de Quaker Testimony on Life Their By James Burnham In the Land of Franco Fascism Government centent per copy in MAX SACHTMAN Associate Editora: HAROLD ROBERTS FELIX MORROW Members: EMANUEL GARRETT Niger: JOSEPH HANSEN die.
Briggs Strike Victory FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY FOR: Job and a decent living for every worker. Open the idle factories operate them under workers control. Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works and housing program. Thirty thirty! 30 weekly minimum wage30 hour weekly maximum for all workers on all Jobs. Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability pension. Expropriate the Sixty Families. All war funds to the unemployed. people referendum on any and all wars. No secret diplomacy.
10. An Independent Labor Party.
11. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante and Fascist attacks.
Alarm Signal The fascist raid on the Debs Labor School in New York City is an alarm signal to the whole labor movement.
To our knowledge, this is the first labor headquarters in the United States to be invaded and wrecked by a fascist gang which was, we have no doubt, of Coughlinite inspiration.
The style employed is not new. It is typical of the methods employed by the fascists, in Italy and in Germany, when they launched an audacious offensive to smash labor and all its organizations. That how Mussolini and his Blackshirts began the campaign which brought them to power. They started with the smaller headquarters of the trade unions and the labor political parties. They entered the unprotected halls and wrecked everything in sight. They sought thereby to intimidate the workers, to imbue them with the feeling that the reactionary tide could not be stemmed.
It would be a catastrophic error if American workers were to let an occurrence like the smashing of the Debs School hall go by without reflecting deeply and acting immediately.
The raid cannot, must not be waved aside as an accident. It is an audacious trial balloon sent up by the fascist mobsters in this country. They are waiting to see how it is taken by the workers of New York and elsewhere. If there is no aggressive reaction to their brutal provocation, they will deliver a stiffer and more insolent blow next time.
What will it be next time? It is not hard to The first step in the mobilization is the building up of the WORKERS DEFENSE GUARD, the fighting arm of the unions and of every other workers organization, their shield from fascist gangster attacks.
Quaker Relief Representative Tells How the Fascists Every minute delay is like another weapon Stole Food Destined for Starving Children, How They Are presented to the fascists.
Act now. don wait for the concentration Reconstructing Spain with the aid of Lies and Terror camps. By DOROTHY WILLIAMS to eat. The idea was to put the little water to drink. They were Pascists and semi fascists political angle ahead of every packed in so tightly that most The other night saw a Philadelphia friend of The history of the human race is an unfolding everywhere have lauded the thing else. In Murcia province of them couldn lie down. mine who is a radical New Dealer. He is one record of mankind endeavor to grasp the mean termination of the Civil War as we were feeding close to 100. got this from a man whom of the bright young men who believe, they say, ing of substance and supply and thereby acquire a victory of the people of Spain 000 children when Franco came know very well and whose in the ultimate goal of socialism, but as reala sufficient supply of something to meet his needs over the forces of darkness in. We had two colonies, two word can be doubted.
istic politicians convince themselves and try to and demands, says Judge Frederick Hill, seeking to destroy them. What children hospitals, workshops good many stories have ap convince others) that the practical and progressive step today is to support Roosevelt against does this victory look like to for girls, etc. We had weight peared recently in the newspaChristian Scientist. Religion has been an important factor in the affairs of mankind, and from the Spanish masses them charts and food quotas. We pers regarding the reconstrucreaction. He is a little discouraged lately, and selves?
canonical writings the fact is disclosed that subhad tried to build an efficient tion which is taking place in he is anxious to find someone to blame for the stance and supply are to be found in the mental Some authentic information system that would save as Spain, of plans for future refact that all is not so rosy as he expected six realm, and not in the material world. Just an on life in fascist Spain was giv many children as possible from building, etc. Mr. Cope reveals years ago.
other way of saying what Joe Hill said first, and en recently by Alfred Cope starvation.
what they amount to in pracHe told me about a textile worker who lives in a damn sight better and plainer: Work and pray. of the American Friends Ser When the Franco people tice: was in Valencia many the house next to him. This neighbor had had a live on hay: you ll get ple in the sky when you vice Committee, the interna took over, they had no idea of times when the Fascist planes Job in a Philadelphia plant for many years. The tional relief organization of the procedure. They weren in came over from Mallorca. plant was unionized, and wages were comparaQuakers. It is a well known terested in saving the lives of know the Nationalists are now tively good. Suddenly, last September, the comfact that Quaker organizations starving children, Mr. Cope. going around getting people to pany shut the Philadelphia plant, and moved its are very averse to publicity Their idea was to gain a politi sign statements saying that equipment to non union, low wage territory down and hence Mr. Cope remarks cal victory and to hand out they dynamited the houses South. The Philadelphia employes were left behave added value. His parting bread and capitalize on public themselves and that they were hind, without jobs or prospects of jobs. In November, two months later, my friend The great victory won by Briggs Local 212 statement would indicate that, demonstrations. We tried to not destroyed by aerial bombs.
if anything, he has erred on the lean over backward to work ITALIAN TROOPS went on, my neighbor voted for Judge James and of the United Automobile Workers, reported in side of understatement: with them. In Alicante they STILL THERE the whole Republican ticket. He had got to his Evidently Mr. Cope doesn point, and found his scapegoat. How are we go detail in the last issue of the SOCIALIST AP cabilease don coverstate any sold our powdered milk. The want to be as fair to thing is, they want your food, think very much of final ing to get anywhere in this country, he concluded, when the workers are dumb enough to PEAL, may very well prove to be a turning both sides as can. but they don want you. We withdrawal of Italian troops, point in the fortunes, not only of the automo Civil War the Friends Interna Spanish people, in spite of the small flurry among capitalist Just Who Is Stupid?
Since the early days of the hung on in hope of helping the which has recently caused act like that?
bile workers, but of the labor movement in gentional Commission for Assis attitude of some Franco offi journalists: About May 10 tretance to Child Refugees in cials. But now we can be sure mendous numbers of Italians Offhand it might seem that my friend had a eral.
Spain, with which Mr. Cope where the food will go.
point. For a worker to think that he is going to were concentrated all the way solve his problems by voting the ticket of the In auto, it is an advance which puts the entire was connected, has been en THE MURDERED between Gandia and Murcia. gaged in feeding as many hall AND JAILED ultra reactionary Republican Party, after all these drove over that road. We went international union in a position to go over to years, does look at first like almost hopeless stustarved Spanish children as its When questioned on the num. through village after village, means permitted.
pidity. But reflection on this little incident led me an offensive fight against the auto barons all ber of Republicans who had town after town, and the to a conclusion very different from that of my FASCISTS STEAL been executed since the fall of streets were cluttered with friend.
along the line, and puts an end to Homer MarCHILDREN FOOD Madrid, the Quaker relief di Italian soldiers and their equipPennsylvania had for four years been under tin pretensions of having delivered any sig In August its work will be rector became skittish and rement. don know how many the control of George Earle, darling of the New Deal and close intimate of Roosevelt. In last nificant section of the auto workers to the transferred from Spain to the fused to make any guesses. Italians were in the rest of French concentration camps However, he did say, When Spain, but there were tens of year Spring Primaries, the had run Tom for Loyalist supporters. The was in Murcia know that a thousands of them in this dis Kennedy for the gubernatorial candidacy, against were repair the Earle machine. In the Primaries campaign, In the general labor movement, it signifies. Quakers find they cannot work great many shots were fired in trict alone.
with the Spanish fascists: Mr. the jail between midnight and ing the roads and apparently which was bitterly fought, Kennedy and his supfollowing on the heels of the victory of the Cope said that the immediate two in the morning. slept in digging in for a considerable From the Italians that porters had denounced Earle from one end of the United Mine Workers a healthy contrast to the cause was the disappearance of my car and was wakened by stay State to the other, and every charge they made six or seven shiploads of food them. Also the nurse in charge ve seen myself, would sayagainst the machine was justified a dozen times critical situation in which the found itself destined to feed 100, 000 starv.
of our hospital heard shots al. 11 they have withdrawn 23, 000 over. The workers, especially the workers, then they ve only withdrawn a few months ago. The two victories together for as we can find out was rallied to Kennedy, but he was defeated.
about 25 percent of them.
would estimate that three times Christian Ideal For some months thereafter the O, officials mean that the has again gained the upper eaten by the army.
that number are still in Spain.
did nothing. Then, shortly before the election, they hand in the labor movement, and since the This is evidently a common Herbert told the workers to vote for the very same Earle Matthews, The fighting spirit that carried unquestionably represents the most progressive practice: In Murcia, where the Spanish machine which they had denounced that Spring, masses the same machine that had been running the State movement, that is all to the good.
we have a canteen feeding 1, 000 Rome correspondent of the refugee children who are its Times, sends the fol. through centuries of the most into the ground for four years, the machine under It is no surprise to find that the Stalinist only clients, we turned over to lowing dispatch to his paper: cruel exploitation to which any which the textile worker job had disappeared.
VATICAN CITY, June 114 people has been subjected, culWhat, then, was my friend neighbor to decide?
press managed to report the Briggs strike with the Franco Social Auxiliary enough food for a month and What possible basis did he have for accepting this out a single mention of the local which led it or Pope Pius today greeted the minating in thirty two months three days. All this food had Spanish soldiers of the Ital.
of Civil War and defeat, is not gone yet. Between May 12 and new advice, contradicting everything that had of its president, Emil Mazey. Instead the Stalin disappeared in ten days time ian Arrow division in words 15 Mr. Cope tried to get a pass been told him before, as as his own experiists dwelt on quotes from pro Stalinist elements and we were asked for more of the warmest praise for for Madrid, but it was refused ence? It seems to me that his decision not to vote supplies. We soon found out having brought a triumph for the Earle machine was both correct and intelin the union who had little or nothing to do with because Franco was having that the food had not gone toll of the Christian ideal to ligent, with no trace of stupidity but on the conthe strike and the victory.
trouble there. Swiss relief the children. Among other Spain.
worker came down from Matrary a firm grasp of realities.
But it is something of a surprise to find that things, the Social Auxiliary del drid. He told me that Franco What positive was left for him to do? There was only one other party in the field, the Republican the News. June 12, devotes only a oneegate had sold sugar for as most every night much as seven times its estab weeks.
for two troops were being sniped at Party. He was not a syndicalist or indifferent, he column head on page to this great victory, and nightly and pamphlets strewn lished price. In Albacete, the Asked about the number of around the streets.
wanted to exercise his rights as a citizen, and that the story fails to mention the local or its Quaker director was driven out anti fascists held in concentra Spain has a long history of therefore the only act within his power was to leadership. That treatment of this story is probof town by the fascists, because tion camps, Mr. Cope said, resistance vote for James and the rest of the Republicans.
oppressiona the evil man had fed the About half a million is the fig fight which ended time after Granted that his vote was directly counter to ably to be explained by the name on the masthis own interests, as he ret fixed under the new understands now.
ure usually given. There are time in defeat, only to be re head of Len De Caux as editor and publicity Mr. Cope with James signature just went on: When camps everywhere, many of newed in guerilla warfare. union smashing labor act. But who was to blame director a Stalinist stooge. Thus the signifi the woman delegate took over them holding 5, 000 prisoners or sniping and sabotage of the cance of the Briggs strike is sacrificed by him our canteens in Murcia the first more. When the Nationalists conquerors. The spirit of Spain here? Who was at fault that this workers revolt against the status quo (for that is what it amount for factional reasons. That is the kind of dis From this moment the chil crowded 20, 000 Loyalist soldiers Spanish masses will rise again ed to) was turned into the blind rut of Republicanism? It was not his fault: he, as an individual, service which Stalinists and their stooges render dren must sing our Nationalist into the bull ring and kept them in their might and destroy for had no other choice.
the labor movement.
songs. They had to sing them there for twenty days, with al. cver the hideous sadism that is The blame lies at the door of people like my before they could get anything most no food at all and very capitalism in decay.
The Briggs victory was the achievement of a friend, but above all of the trade union officialdom. It is they who stultified and sterilized this local led by anti Stalinist progressives. Militant textile worker wish and need for political exaction freed from Stalinist poison that is the pression. If after Kennedy Primary defeat.
road to union victories.
they had done what every event called for put up a union slate, labor ticket for the elections, there is not the slightest doubt that this worker vote would not have reluctantly padded the Republican column Continued from Page 1)
And Who Is Lagging?
The United States has seen few sights more to be star performers in an friend of Rubens, was a close Western Europe, as a man other Moscow show trial. sympathi: the Stalinists There are rising indications that throughout the sickening than the exhibition of toadyism given named Ewald who had former Plans for this trial, designed working with David Mankoff, a country the workers themselves are ready for a by officials of the republic Democrats and Re y served under him in Mos to bolster up the shattered rep Stalinist functionary.
new kind of politics: for working class politics, for publicans, in high position and low during the cow.
utation of Moscow justice after union tickets and a labor party. This was shown Imre Kline, publisher of LitDuring the entire eighteen the Dewey Commission con erary America and recipient in November by the success of McLevy in Convisit of the British King and Queen.
months during which she had clusion that the earlier Moscow of funds from Rubens for pub necticut, in spite of sabotage by the Stalinists and The parasitic royal couple is the daily bene been imprisoned. her jailers trials against Trotskyists lishing the magazine, of which being the officials of both and It shown today in Minneapolis, where, in the face of ficiary of as vicious a system of murder, pillage, what she was held for, much proceeding apace when the con another known Stalinist involvhad never officially indicated were patent frame ups, were Rubens posed as an editor, is a late start and the overwhelming Farmer Labor exploitation and oppression as can be found any. as in previous Moscow trials spirators ran into trouble with ed in the ring.
collapse in November, the workers have impreswhere on this globe. Every gem in the royal one could never learn what the the American courts. Rubens Two others who testified. sively rallied to Eide and the rest of the unions ticket.
treasure trove is stained with the blood of Brit charge would be until the pris American collaborators in the Ernest Weichen, who sold his oners were brought in and passport ring were arrested, in naturalization papers to the The complaint is made that the American workish imperialist conquest and extortion. There is confessed.
dicted and convicted as pass ring, and Edward Petersen, ers do not learn, that they are politically stupid.
not an inch of the crown power that is not Theatrical Rehearsal port forgers and they were who housed one of the fugitive But this complaint is ordinarily merely the excuse The character of this latest known to be Stalinists.
maintained by machine gun and bayonet. Slaves for passivity. opportunism or betrayal on the part defendants, testified that they trial is indicated by the remark were members of the Latvian of the complainer. The American workers have of all colors, numbering more than a fourth of of Harold Denny, Times Stalinists Convicted Unity Society, which is the Lat learned, during the last decade, a large part of the world population, are kept under the heel Moscow correspondent, that Ossip Garber, Edward Blatt van section of the Stalinist the lesson. They now observe the collapse of New so that this pair of useless grinning anthropoids every move and every phrase and Aaron Sharfin were the controlled International Labor Dealism; and more and more of them are prea sounded pared to break not only with New Dealism but and their retainers may continue to rule a montheatrical rehearsal Federal Court in May.
who found the Lettish wing of with bourgeois politics as a whole if only they arch throne.
That Mrs. Rubens consented Sharfin was identified by lathe Stalinist movement a ready can find an alternate path. The Lewises, Greens Is there a Fourth of July celebration where to play her part supports the bor papers. and the charge reservoir for members of his and Browders have as a principal function to hide and block that alternate path: the path of indethe Democratic and Republican politicians fail conclusion that she and her hus was never denied by the Compassport ring and other activiband are a cog in the munist party with being a ties.
pendent working class political action.
to extol the countless virtues of our Great Re machine.
member of the Bronx section Defendants Wouldn Testify Conditions are again ripe, after a year or more public, to point out our emancipation from Eng Sentenced eighteen months of the Communist Party. The most striking feature of hibernation, for blasting away the obstacles. on the charge to which she land and the monarchical system?
Presidential year approaches as the War Deal Ossip Garber, at whose pho the New York trial of Rubens consolidates its hold and social reaction drives pleaded guilty, and having altographer salon Rubens occu American accomplices is the Yet all of them joined in the obscene, humili ready served that long. Mrs. pied desk space. and who fact that the three men refused deeper. In the months ahead, the slogans for labor politics are certain to meet with an everating rush to grovel before Their Majesties. In Rubens was reportedly set free forged the passport pictures, to take the witness stand in New York, school children were commandeered on June but American em: was characterized at the trial their own behalf. Thus, the widening response, if they are put forward boldly bassy officials vainly waited by his brother in law as being prosecution was denied the opand clearly, and carried direct into the camp of to greet the King and Queen, like the serfs of for her to put in an appearl communistic.
portunity of disclosing through the enemy.
old who welcomed home the returning lord of ance.
Edward Blatt, lawyer and cross examination their Stalinthe manor. In Washington, Senators and Repre mented on the unusual fact ist connections. The complete Says Cedric Adams, Minneapolis Star columnist: sentatives to say nothing of their women folk did not include the usual order suppression of these all important connections with the Stal hour: cab drivers work for 20 cents and work ten In Montreal messenger boys draw ten cents an. drooled with delight at the touch of the royal expelling a convicted foreigner Special Offer! inist apparatus now furnishes hours: a good stenographer capable of speaking hands. Some of them made a living for a day from the country the the opportunity to Planned Moscow Trial TWO BOUND VOUMES and writing both English and French can be emestablish any political connec ployed for 10. 50 per week. pharmacist gets 28 by allowing their hands to be touched by those Shortly after the Rubens couof the tion it desires. The pending an not fortunate enough to have touched the King ple were arrested in a Moscowi SOCIALIST APPEAL trial of Rubens in Moscow may hour. You can bet your bottom dollar that the hotel eighteen months ago, the or Queen see an effort by the to plumbers have a union.
Russian embassy in Washing1937 and 1938 It goes without saying that the capitalist press ton declared that the couple only 00 includ companions in this country as smear Rubens and his jailed Republican leaders, now formulating plans for including, need we add, the Daily Worker might well be Trotskyists.
ing postage Trotskyist sples, despite all ev. 1940, are preparing a bill of rights particularly was not outdone in servility and bootlicking by Similar comments in the Soviet and American Stalinist press This 25 reduction holds Idence pointing to the the right of worship and religious freedom. ll the statesmen.
good for only a few weeks!
itself as the originator and bet they ll pass right by the right of better wages indicated that the couple were sponsor of the passport ring. and working condition for workers.
to Reds Freeing of Mrs. Rubens Opens New Chapter of Drama judge for Germany and Italy give us the top Republicans fascists in this country will seek to take First a small, obscure labor hall, conducted by the Socialist party. few hours before that raid, the stabbing of a man on 14th Street not a hundred yards from the headquarters of the Communist Party and the Socialist Workers Party.
Tomorrow and the days thereafter the halls of the trade unions, the meetings of the trade unions, the very life of the trade unions will be involved.
UNLESSUnless the workers of the United States wake up to learn the lessons from Europe. to a realization of the growing danger in this country. to a realization of their own enormous strength and power.
The fascists are growing. They are becoming bolder. But faced by a militant working class movement determined to smash them, they wouldn amount to a bag of empty peashells.
They would vanish like so much filth before a storm. They would scurry for the holes from which they came.
In Italy, in Germany, in Austria, fascism triumphed because the workers were not prepared in time to fight. When they finally did fight, as in Austria, it was after the fascists had already gained the upper hand as a result of the previous indifference and paralyzing influence of the labor leadership Shall we wait, like animals in a trap, until the monstrous beast of fascism is strong enough to snap his jaws around our throats?
Or shall we mobilize our vast power now, while there is still ample time, before our halls are smashed, our papers suppressed, our best Both