Let the People Socialist Appeal BUILD WORKERS DEFENSE GUARDS Vote on War!
167 Construction Strike Will Force Congress to Change Law!
It a Trick. Raps New York Set for New Deal Strike to Finish Strike Stand STORIES 08 Money into Growing Coughlin Movement 11 109 tion in Detroit to applår five MPLS. DRIVERS WIN GAINS IN the news events of the day in NEW CONTRACTS LOCAL DISCUSSES 100 Official Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International Issued Twice Weekly Let the People Vote on War! a new series VOL. III, NO. 49 TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1939 3e a Copy of articles by James Burnham presenting the position of the Socialist Workers Party on the Ludlow Referendum and the fight against war will begin in the next issue of the Socialist Appeal.
Roosevelt, who is pouring billions of dollars into the war machine, pretends to be a democrat. Why then does he oppose a popular expression of opinion by those who will lose their lives when war comes? The Stalinists speak as friends of peace. Why then do they, who support the administration war moves, oppose a popular vote on war? Do you workers want to fight in a war for boss profits? Do you workers want an opportunity to vote on the war that imperialists are now preparing? Why shouldn you, whose lives are at stake, have that right? Read Let the People Vote on War! Don miss a single issue of the Appeal in which this vital series of articles will appear!
Strike Move by Building and Construction Labor Haters Pour Meany Issues Sharp Trades Council Is Labor Answer to the Attack on Threat by Roosevelt Woodrum Starvation Bill Welfare Head By TONY CHAPMAN Strike to the finish the words are those of Thomas Within a few hours of New Murray, President of the Building and Construction Trades York City Welfare Commis. Council of greater New York, Long Island and vicinityBy JOSEPH HANSEN to refuse home relief to that the answer of organized labor to the Roosevelt WoodThat the increasing boldness of Father Coughlin movestrikers, organized labor gave rum Starvation Law which, enacted by Congress Hodson more than he bar and signed by President Roosevelt, became a law on June 30 ment in attacking meetings of workers and wrecking their rained for.
headquarters is bearing fruit with a large dollar sign is Hodson threat appeared in and began to be enforced on the projects Wednesclearly shown by a number of significant occurrences.
the press Monday morning. By day morning.
afternoon the Publicity Within the last month he has begun for the first time a Labor answer was speedily demonstrated. Hundreds of Bureau had issued the text of thousands of construction workers throughout the country daily radio program. He has a letter from George Meany contracted with a radio sta president of the New York refused to report for work on Wednesday morning. Few State Federation of Labor.
local unions in the country Unspeakably Contemptible had as yet acted officiallytimes daily with a program of The letter was undoubtedly the national leadership organ music, prayer, an inthe sharpest attack ever issued STAGE DOORS against a New Dealer by the hadn even put up a fight spirational talk for shutoffici labor moveme Un against the when it was ins, and a commentary on speakably contemptible. that up in Congress but the overwas the State Federation de terpreted in the light of Fa scription of the action of Mayor Le Guardia lieutenant.
labor ther Coughlin sixteen prin ciples of so called social jus 200 Employers Sign The Building and Construcclear when, Wednesday, the Lion Trades Council of Greater tice. officials had to admit Renewals as Local New York, Long Island and Refer Proposal Sub that project after project was Significant Expression vicinity, in the meeting in Father Coughlin himself com544 Pushes Drive which they voted to stop all mitted by Milton to closing down.
ments in his personal maga.
work on projects by zine on the significance of this their members, also seconded International But Wednesday only began it.
expansion. From one station ne (Special to the Socialist Appeal)
State Federation letter to Thursday the unions began of now hopes to increase his netMINNEAPOLIS Despite last Hodson ficially to move into the strugwork of daily broadcasts across November election of RepubPresident Meany sardonicalCarla the entire country just as he lican Governor Stassen and the NEW YORK The Executive gle. The major development ly told Hodson that if you had Board of Local 66, Internation was the strike action taken by increased his weekly golden recent re election of Republitaken a little more time to conal Ladies Garment Workers the powerful building trades hour from one station to a can Mayor Leach, and working sider this matter, you could Union, devoted most of its June council in New York, reprenetwork of forty eight. in the teeth of the vicious State The latest issue of Social Labor Law, General Drivers THE STATE OF have also fluently quoted to 22 session to consideration of a senting some 130, 000 skilled these good Americans the mu proposal to support the forma workers in 45 crafts and 135 Justice announces the winners Union Local 544 is succeeding THE NATION nicipal regulations against pub tion of a contingent of Anti locals.
of his 16, 000 prize contest for in its drive to renew working lic begging.
Fascist Union Guards.
After the two hour session of essays on war. The contestants agreements that bring signifi The Worcester, Mass. Trade are scattered over eighteen cant gains to thousands of its school has room for 80 new Hodson Gets It At the conclusion of the dis the council on Thursday afterstates, centering mainly around members. With the season for students in its mechanical de Then President Meany gave cussion, the Executive Board noon had authorized the strike Hodson the works: decided to table the question Royal Oak, Michigan, but ex contract renewals now on, Lopartment for its coming fall Your speedy action in tell. for a week to permit absent See page for editorial on tending as far as California With the announcement of agreements from about 200 emcal 544 has already secured term. 900 Applications were socialist Workers Party with a burst of enthusiasm, 76 delegates either take the monstrous scabportunity to join the discussion the strike of the the winners, Coughlin announc players, covering several thous filed.
workers.
es also that besides the prize and workers and 34 alternate delegates Wednesday morning headed for home wages now offered to them or and make a final decision.
else take themselves and their At the June 29 meeting of the covering 32, 000 men, most of money distributed in this con In almost every case gains In New York, 500 men ap 33 different cities to put into action the many decisions oildren away to some quiet local Executive Board, it was them already out Thomas test he has already given out either in wages, hours or work plied for city Jobs as auto en the convention.
Concluding four days of convention session, the delegates late place to starve is unspeakably decided to refer the question to Murray, president of the Couna total of 27. 460 in previous ing conditions are recorded. Several hundred men spent all Tuesday reached the final point on the agenda, the election of contemptible.
the General Executive Board of Cil told the press in his office: contests and that in the next This is particularly significant night outside the office of the the new National Committee. The wage now given to la the International, which meets This will be a strike to the Envisaging the major task of the party as preparation for bor by a breadline Congress is in about eight weeks.
finish.
open new contest with horizes for several years models for mission. 58will get appoint the coming war, the delegates tied up each of various issues only one step removed from Milton Speaks ments. Continued on Page 3)
The official authorization of At the June 22 meeting the strike was particularly signiftbe doubled to 13. 000.
Renewals secure cover pro discussion was opened by Harcant since, a few hours before Demagogic Propaganda cuce, printing newspaper ry Milton, a member of the lo the strike decision, Col.
The subjects on which the drugs, coal, sausage, tent and cal, who had previously sub Harrington, national contestants were permitted to awning sections, the big Gam Initted a resolution for the for administrator, had wired to Continued on Page 2) ble Skogmo outfit, and others.
mation of union guards. In urg. New York that all men absent ing action by the union, Milton five days from projects would pointed out that the Coughlin be dropped from the rolls and fascist paper, Social Justice, William Hodson, city welfare was able to boast that more commissioner, had declared than 000 members of the New that the strikers would be reThe full text of the Program of Expansion adopted by the (4) Thirty thirty York police force were Cough fused home relief. In the face Socialist Workers Party convention is as follows. 5) Expropriate the Sixty Families Imites. This single fact alone of the action by Harrington and party of the Leninist type, such as we aspire to build. 6) Labor and the 1940 Elections indicates that the police in this (Continued on Page 4)
is distinguished from reformist organizations and propa(c) Periodic issuing of four page leaflets on key slocountry will act no differently Tie Up Two Ships on West Coast Journal ganda sects in its organization methods as well as in its gans for mass distribution nationally.
other European countries, who Circulate Petitions of Commerce Reveals Presidential Order political principles.
worked with the fascists in Against Reactionary The Leninist party is a combat organization that aims (a) Increase the staff by the assignment of twenty more Board members asked nu Mass. Election Law at the conquest of power. It conducts its activity on the full time organizers for field work and in the center. inerous questions, in the disBy THOMAS Journal of Commerce dealing campaign principle. It is democratic in its internal life The Sailors Union of the with the dispute in Seattle, the and centralized in action. It coordinates organization work (1) The object of extending the departmentalization of cussion which followed. The WORCESTER, Mass. ApPacific has put the finger on following statement appeared: national work, under full time direction as the Na. Board was in favor of the pro the Massachusetts State Legisprevailing sentiment of the proximately two months ago the Little White Father at The Commission, according to with the work of literary propaganda and agitation and tional Committee finds feasible.
posal. President Friedman, 1eture passed a law requiring Washington, And thereon, Bates, general manager implements political decisions by organizational measures. c) Full time functionary for the direction of national cist, stated however, that the other than those of the two maknown to be a sincere anti fas any candidate for governor my friends, hangs a tale. of the Pacific Northwest OriIt constructs a strong apparatus, and it relies on the leaderTwo Maritime Commis ental Line, which has been entrade union work.
sion ships, the Satartia and the gaged as managing agent for ship of a staff of professional revolutionists in the center proposition was so important for parties to collect 50, 000 sig3. Conferences: that it should be a matter for natures before his name will be Coldbrook, have been tied up in the new service, is acting unand in the field.
the Executive Board of the In placed on the ballot.
Seattle for a number of weeks der a presidential order. Proceeding from this Leninist concept of organization. a) Active workers conferences in Far West, Middle ternationa to take up before Petitions are now being cirbecause the Commission re that employment of crews the local should act.
West, Ohio Michigan, East.
and aiming at an expansion of our activities by a forced fused to hire crews from the through the shipping commisculated to get signatures in Tours: Task Is Defensive protest against the law. If 15, union hiring hall. The Maritime sioner is required by law. In march in the next period, as projected in the political resoMost of the Board members000 signatures are secured Commission was appointed by other words, the Maritime lution, the convention sets before the party the following National and regional tours at intervals of not more questions were concerned with within three months of the Franklin Roosevelt and is Commission is acting under than two months.
responsible to the President.
program of expansion. clarifying the immediate pur passing of the law, the question direct orders from Roosevelt to The Chairman of the Com hire crews through fink halls.
poses of the guards activities. is automatically placed on the Press: Recruitment: It was brought out that the ballot for a referendum and mission, Admiral Land, was Meanwhile, the partisans of (a) On the proposal to publish the Socialist Appeal systematically organized and centrally directed reappointed over the objections the third term for Roosevelt pressing problem is one of de does not become law unless three times a week: authority is given to the Nacruiting campaign fending union of the seamen and of the or movement, among whom the halls, union voted so on the referendum.
members, and other labor or The petitions are being cirganized labor movement. Re Stalinists are the most vocifer tional Committee to decide the frequency of issue Finances: ganizations, from onslaughts culated by the Civil Liberties cently, one of the commission ous, have been telling the sea(b) Pamphlets: The publication of at least six cheap, Raise an Organization Press Fund for 10, 000 within by the fascist gangsters. Union of Massachusetts, the ers. Truitt, a vigorous oppo inen that Roosevelt was their popular pamphlets on the following topics: three months to be equally divided between the organi own union nent of union hiring halls, was friend. It was the tories, the We must not wait until our Communist Party, the Socialist broken into and Party and the Socialist Workreappointed by the President, economic royalists, that were (1) Let the People Vote on War (already pre zation work and the Socialist Appeal.
smashed by fascist gangs, as ers Party. The Worcester again over the strenuous ob the main, nay, the only enemy.
pared)
One third of the 10, 000 Fund is to be raised by the they will attempt tomorrow or Council has passed a mojections of organized labor. At the recent convention of the President Ordered Finking (2) Build Workers Defense Guards National Office. Two thirds to be raised by quotas acthe day after, but to stop the tion endorsing the petitions controlled Maritime Fed fascists now, wherever they at which are now being circulated In a recent article in the (Continued on Page 3) Job for Every Worker cepted by the Convention delegations. Continued on Page 2) in the unions.
Anti War Convention Ends Spirited Sessions Convention Adopts Program of Expansion In Organization Drive to Build the Sailors Spike Order on Fink Halls Statt: