Let the People Vote on War!
Why Should Not Those Who Must Fight and Suffer In War Vote On Whether they want the War?
BUILD WORKERS DEFENSE GUARDS Official Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International Issued Twice Weekly VOL. III, NO. 51 TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1939 3c a Copy By JAMES BURNHAM New Deal Strikebreaking Moves Fail to Smash Strike Lines Solid as National Strike Continues Unskilled Join with Skilled in Strike Action Million on WPA to Be Fired by Sept. 1st Not All Who Work on WPA Are Underpaid II The History of the War Referendum ACCORDING to the provisions of the Constitution of the United States, the power to declare war against a foreign nation is vested in Congress. The President may not declare war; he may recommend its declaration, but it must be voted by a majority in a joint session of both Houses of Congress.
It is true, of course, that this technical separation of powers is not so decisive as it might seem. The Constitution designates the President as Commander in Chief of the armed forces of the nation. Directly and through the subordinate Executive departments, he is in charge of the nation diplomacy, in the case of the actual signing of treaties subject to confirmation by the Senate. Through this military and diplomatic control, a President may, in spite of the Constitutional limitation, have a share in the war making power equal to or even greater than that of Congress.
We have been taught since childhood that, in theory at MINNEAPOLIS NEW YORK least, Congress is the representative of the people. When Congress declares war against a foreign nation, it is supSkilled and Unskilled WPA Strike to the Finish posed to be acting as such a representative, to be expressing the will of the people.
Workers, 50, 000 Strong, For Union Rate Goes On People Are Dragged into War Announce Cut Under Whatever may be the truth about this in general, history Keep Projects Shut Tight In order to refute the oft hcard charge that Says Murray, Union Head and experience have made clear that in the case of declarTerms of Roosevelt (Special to the Socialist Appeal) workers don get enough to live on MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. July 13 Practically all NEW YORK, July 13 That New York W.
ing war Congress cannot at all be relied upon to act as the comiortably, the press has published the folof Minnesota 50, 000 workers are out on strike will be a strike to the finish, was reiter Starvation Bill genuine representative of the people. Experience has alstrike, including white collar projects.
lowing list of the wages received by a typical ated today by Thomas Murray, President of the ready shown that the people can be, and probably have Each day since the strike began on Wednesday, group of workers on Building and Construction Trades Council of New July 5, the state administrator, Louis Col.
York after the Washington conference called by been, dragged into wars against their will.
Meeting in conclave with his Glotzbach, would announce that 90 percent of the Harrington, William Green.
state and district deputies In This seems to have been true of the war tought by the projects were open and operating, but each day by Administrator. 10, 000 yearly Murray declared: Chicago to co ordinate their United States against Mexico in the middle of the last afternoon his office had to confess that the shut Howard Hunter, Dep Our work stoppage program throughout the strikebreaking activities, Col.
down was virtually complete. The daily press lies country is tremendously effective today and all incentury. There is not the slightest evidence that the mauity Administrator. 10, 000 yearly Harrington, national and lies, but the workers stay out.
dications are that it will become increasingly ef Administrator, an jority of the people of the country favored this ruthless Several Asst. Administrators 9, 500 yearly Skilled, Unskilled, United fective as time goes on.
zounced on July 13 that 31 per.
war of aggression. Nevertheless, Congress declared war One reason for the strength of the turnout is the The situation boils down to just this: Neither Lester Herzog, cent of the workers direct appeal made by the Minneapolis Building and called upon the people to support it. In doing so ConState Administrator.
North Beach Airport nor any other con8, 000 yearly would be red by September of those Trades Council last Thursday to the unskilled and struction project anywhere in the five boroughs Etc. Etc. Etc.
That percentage, amounting gress acted not as representative of the people, all other workers to join them in the walkwill ever be completed unless union craftsmen re by Harrington figures to 650, sume work, and no union man will work unless he special industrial, agricultural and financial interests which out. joint committee to run the strike was con000 workers, would be dropped is paid the legal hourly rate for every hour work had something to gain from the Mexican War.
stituted by the building trades council, the Federal TOLEDO from the rolls in accordance put in Workers Section of General Drivers Local 544 and The same conclusion is even clearer in the case of the Under the new law the attempt is made with the provision of the law none too willingly the pro Roosevelt Workers requiring dismissal on that date aggressive, imperialist war fought against Spain at the Alliance. similar joint committee was set up in to purchase two or three hours of labor for the Ohio Building Trades of all men employed by them for St. Paul.
price of one hour toll.
18 months or more.
beginning of this century. The Spanish War was deliberHuge mass meetings of strikers Monday and At all times labor has the clearly defined right ately cooked up by a small handful of big capitalists and Council Orders Members Hall Truth Tuesday night on the capital steps in St. Paul and to refuse to work and in this instance it is obvious But in releasing his figures, bankers, publicists and politicians. The opinions and sentiMonday and Wednesday night at the Parade that labor has a more than adequate reason for its refusal to work.
Harrington told only half the ments of the great majority of the people were contemptu Grounds here served to strengthen the spirit of the On to Strike truth. For his computation of strikers. The mere suggestion that labor should throw on ously flouted. The War itself was the occasion for some 31 percent to be dismissed was one or two or three hours of work free of charge based on a total figure as of The Committee of Five Hundred of the Federal (Special to the Socialist Appeal)
of the most shameless graft in history. Young workers with every hour for which it is compensated is, of Workers Section of 544 is daily patrolling the pros TOLEDO, Ohio, July 12 The powerful Ohio August 31 on rolls of and farmers were sent out to die from yellow fever and ects to that they stay shut.
Building Trades Council of the one fifth of course, a principle for which there is simply no Most Popular Strike whose state membership of 200. 000 are employed dysentery in order to give a few bankers and industrial positive justification. The same law which tells labor that henceforth on yesterday instructed its members on Administrator Glotzbach started out by Attorney General Murphy privateers control over the sugar and fruit plantations of declaring that all men not back in three days to go out on strike and to stay out until it must sell a dollar worth of toll for thirty cents, Invents Some Law. See Cuba and Hawaii and the Philippines.
Congress reverses itself on the prevailing wage. it is interesting to note, does not try to treat those editorial on page Continued on page 3) motion ordering city relief authorities to supwho supply materials in the same arbitrary unThe Mexican and Spanish wars were, in a sense, minor ply direct relief anyone in need was carried American manner.
undertakings in the history of the United States. The les2, 100, 000. Since, however, on PHILADELPHIA Monday by the Toledo City Council by a 2 vote. The material dealers are not told that they June 31 the rolls stood must henceforth part with a dollar worth of steel son they teach, however, is hammered in by the experience The motion was greeted with a roar of applause at 2, 500, 000, that means that the or a dollar worth of brick for thirty cents.
strikers and labor leaders, there to demand of the Great War of 1914 18. The story of this country Administration plans to fire Construction Workers Vote that the city council over ride City Manager John Meanwhile, Fred Hansen, Chairman of the Queens Strike Committee, reported that from Mon 650, 000 to be dropped under the 400, 000 men in addition to the entry into the last war has been studied in great detail Edy, who had ruled last week that any during the past twenty years. Much of the material is conTo Strike Against worker who struck would be ruled off relief.
18 month provision. taux de beste sential material for North Beach Airport been tained in publicly available records of Congressional conIn the face of these two big steps forward in That means that a grand total making the strike success, the o.
turned back at the gate. Fewer than fifty trucks of 1, 050, 000 of those now on mittees. Thorough and competent historians have com Paycuts Despite Firing Threat leaders here ordered their men back to work tohave gone through the gate since Monday, Han rolls are slated for the pleted the analysis.
day, because it was the fifth day they were out.
sen report stated.
axe by September 1!
PHILADELPHIA, July 13 25, 000 members of The Necessary Conclusion Toledo militants were presented with the paradox But this is only part of the the Pennsylvania Building Trades Council have that the notorious Francis Dillon, personal FLINT horrible story.
There is no doubt about the conclusions which must be overwhelmingly voted to go on strike tomorrow representative here of William Green, coupled a End Wage Differentials at 4:30 Friday) against the Wagedenunciation of joint central execuFor on September another drawn. The needs and wishes of the people were never cuts.
tive body meetings with an excoriation of the consulted in connection with the decision to enter the last provision of the Roosevelt John MçDevitt, President of the State FederStrike Called by Auto o. for sending its men back to work. Dillon Woodrum Starvation Law goes ation of Labor openly stated in the press that Wilwar. The gigantic loans made to the Allied Powers, the declared he would advise all striking meminto effect: the ending of the liam Green has nothing to say about the local profits of bankers and big corporations, the maneuvers of bers to remain away from jobs until Con Union Auxiliary Climaxed differential in wages between situation and the strike will be called at the desig gress changed its stand.
North and South. In Chicago, a small group of financiers, diplomats and politicians, de nated hour unless Congress rescinds its action.
Dillon opposition to united front actions be By Militant Demonstration Harrington admitted that this cided the issue, not the will of the people. Once again, in The threats of Harry Halloran, Philadelphia tween the and the will undoubtedly district director, to fire every worker who would mean universal sinshes be answered in the central labor body (A. Special to the Socialist Appeal)
in pay rates throughout the April 1917, Congress declared war not as the representawas absent five days from his post without per but the is in an indefensible position on the FLINT, July 11 projects here went North.
tive of the people, but at the will of and as spokesman for mission, did not cool the fighting and militant situation. The Stalinists, always strong in down quicker than Tony Galento under Joe Louis The end of the differential spirit of the men. The attitude of the strikers the Morgans and Whitneys and DuPonts and Rockefellers. leading circles here, are pulling the punishment when the Unemployed would not logically require cutaround the building council headquarters is that We thus reach two conclusions about the problem of away from united front struggle against the and Auxiliary issued the call for a one day ting wages in the North, South (Continued on Page 4)
New Deal W. policy. Continued on Page 4)
ern wages could be war as it faces the United States. 1) war is now a totaliraised to the Northern level, tarian enterprise, affecting everyone. 2) the method prothereby fulfilling the provisions vided in the Constitution cannot be relied upon to carry of the law.
But that is not what the out the will of the people on the question of war.
Roosevelt administration will Increasing numbers of people in this country have do. It will keep the Southern reached these conclusions. At the same time it is clear to average somewhere around its present level. the all of us that a new world war threatens to break out at On July 9, Fascist Father Ideas, but they certainly do not who make up the rank and file Transport Workers Union not get them. They must reappallingly low figure of 19 any moment. All nations are directing their chief energies Coughlin made a violent radio speak for our union. It is a pity of American labor and who are whose street meetings and main under the yoke of fas per month. That low figure is to preparation for it. Last year more than seventeen bil attack upon Harry Milton, that Father Coughlin had to go ready, as were their European speakers have been attacked by cism, in its concentration dictated by the Southern bosses member of Local 66, Interna to the waste basket for his lat brothers, to fight fascism to the Coughlinites.
camps or its slave pens. THEY they want no competition lion dollars were spent on armaments. Tens of millions of tional Ladies Garment Workers est Sunday speech.
death.
Talk to the members of your MUST FIGHT OR BECOME from for their semimen are under arms throughout the world. Every few Union, and veteran of the Span Not so fast, Mr. Dubinsky! Not so fast, Mr. Dubinsky! own union, whose working dis SLAVES!
sleve labor who are the backmonths a new crisis occurs, each one bringing the world ish Loyalist Forces, for having Take your time about running Take your time about de tricts are now being invaded by Not so fast, Mr. Dubinsky! bone of Roosevelt Democratie proposed to his union the form for cover and whining about nouncing the idea of mobilizing the insolent, audacious, agres Gangs Follow Speeches machine.
to the very edge of general war.
ation of Workers Defense your respectabllity and sanity. the trade unionists into a sive Coughlinites and their dir. Take your time. Think It ov Destroying In the United States, as elsewhere, the armaments are Guard to protect the workers, After all, Coughlin only made trained defense guard against ty Anti Semitio rap.
er. You can play possum That means transfer to the built up. The government intervenes constantly in the varitheir organizations and their a speech against you. After all, fascism as crazy.
Waiting for What? with American fasoism. Yox North of the same starvation democratic rights from fascist he hasn yet swung into the If They Had Acted What are you waiting for? can dispose of Coughlin and standards, or as near as the Qus danger spots. Whatever laws are on the books, banks assaults.
same kind of violent action that Talk to some of the refugees For Roosevelt to stop fas his ilk by running like a scared Administration can get to that and corporations become entangled through credits and Two days later, David Du his prototypes in Italy, Ger from Germany concentration cism. Like Bruening aid in rabbit from one of their threat. by pushing the workers back.
supplies with warring or potentially warring nations. The binsky, President of the union many and Spain have already camps. They will tell you that Germany? Like Benes did in ening speeches. After the fas What will happen to these pattern of the last war seems to be repeating itself. The to which Milton belongs, rusbed used so murderously against they wish German labor had czechoslovakia? Like Arena dia cist speeches, come the fascist million men and their families?
into print to reply to Coughlin your no less respectable and had such a crazy idea IN in Spaint range. The American trade Even Col. Harrington had to adpeople do not want war; but more and more fear that the attack.
sane brothers in Europe.
Or do you have a passport unionists, including the memmit that no jobs are available war is coming and that the people of the United States Not so fast, Mr. Dubinsky!
Running for Cover will be dragged into it against their will.
His statement was not sonouncing as lunatics Take your time about de living in the horrible concentra. your equally blind feltow bura bruges to be looking for hele for the met private Industry: the Lion camps of your French de eaucrats of the European trade who give the signal for a cour employment) is large enough An understanding of the totalitarian character of mod much a reply to Coughlin as it rank and file soldiers of your mocracy. They will tell you unton movement who escaped ageous fight.
to take care of the number who ern war, a realization that on the question of war Congress was a viclous disavowal of Mil union, men like Milton, who that they wish Spanish labor fascism by atrplane?
Your Real Color will be forced off the rolls.
his fought against fascism with bad put that crazy Idea into Otto Wels could fly to Czechocannot be relied on to carry out the will of the people, a You ve been getting away The Roosevelt. Woodrum As far as the is rifle in hand on the Spanish civ. effect NOT AT THE LAST slovakia. Benes could fly to with a poorly deserved reputa Starvation Law is thus revealed fear that the people are going to be dragged into a war concerned, may state that we war fronts.
MINUTE, when the fascist ene America. Julius Deutsch coulation of a progressive labor to be nothing less than a mechwhich they do not want: these are the sources that have are quite big organization When the Thugs Come my was already mobilizing and fly to Spain. Azana could fly to leader for a long time now. enism to practically destroy the and, like any other organized led to a search for some means of protection against the After all, when Coughlinites had already pounced upon the France.
But the time is coming when and to drive down to an group, we have, aside from the and Silver Shirts and other fas unprepared workers, BUT IN But in the first place, dem EVERYBODY will have to unprecedented low the living war and the war makers, and have brought so many overwhelming majority of sane cist thugs begin the wholesale TIME.
ocratic shelters are getting show what he is really made standards of the American this country to favor the plan for a popular referendum and sound trade unionists, some smashing of union headquar. Talk to members of the so mighty scarce, even for big or in the fight against American working class.
Coughlinites, Trotskyites and ters, the stabbing and clubbing cialist Party whose Debs La leaders.
fascism.
en war.
some plain lunatics. We cannot of workers, you may find your bor School has already been And in the second place, what Don you think you re showTlae proposal for a popular referendum is an extremely forbid them, from time to time, self shouting tardily for help wrecked by fascists.
Join the Socialist is more important, the ranking your real color just a little (Continued on Pare 8)
to come out with some crazy from the millions of lanatios Talk to the members of the) and file have no passports, can bit too soon!
Workers Party NOT SO FAST, MR. DUBINSKY!
wage TIME.