News From Strike Fronts Roosevelt stands for That why he is fighting Shows Picket Lines Hold Solid Their Government win the strike. and to gird its loins for St. Paul Rochester Labor Party pension.
East St. Louis Labor Road After Roosevelt Statement PENDENT POLITICAL STRUGGLE Trades and Labor Assembly of streato: has way in which his utterances are reported in the The Bridges Case Role of Stalinism in the Recent Minneapolis Labor Campaign are SOCIALIST APPEAL FRIDAY, JULY 21, 1930 employment, shortly by death on the battlefield, SOCIALIST APPEAL so that profits shall continue to flow into the Vol. III, No. 52 July 21, 1939 coffers of the Sixty Families. That what By James Burnham Published twice a loeck by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS so viciously to break the strike.
at 116 University Place, New York, What now for Labor?
Telephone: Algonquin 85447 First and most immediately, to continue and Congress. Fearing to face the wrath of the Bubscriptions: 32. 00 per year: 00 for six months. For workers of Streator, the local politicians have olgn: 13. 00 per year, 60 for six months. Bundle ordera. cents per copy in the United States: cents per copy in decided it would be healthier to play ball with all foreign countries. Single coples: centa strike struggles throughout industry, for the the strikers. Continued from Page 1)
Bronx and Manhattan subscriptions are: 50 for six bosses will undoubtedly be encouraged by the montha: 00 for one year.
and snooped, threatened and questioned workLast Thursday, a countywide mass meeting Reentered as second class matter February 16, 1919, government strikebreaking to try some wage ers, attempting to throw fear into the militant was held in Ottawa which, radio commentators The attempt to abolish the prevailing wage sys the pont once at New York, under the Act of March announced, was attended by 2, 000. Among the cutting on their own. 1579.
fighters on the picket lines. Such are the ways tem on the projects, and to substitute for of the boss class speakers were Lydia Beidel, popular Chicago it what the administration so sweetly calls the Simultaneously, however, Labor must prepare The local police, too, are loyal to their maslabor leader. Peter Vidmar, County Editor. security wage, is neither the beginning nor the MAX SHACHTMAN for struggle on the political field. And that can ters. They pick up workers who are leader, Gus Mandula, chairman, Frank end of the drive against the unemployed.
Associate Editors Bates of Peru, and Joe Tonell of Marseilles HAROLD ROBERTS FELIX MORROW only mean INDEPENDENT action, the collecting food and funds for the strike comThis drive began on the day following last NoStaff Members missary. The cops, with the cooperation of vember elections. It was initiated directly and EMANUEL GARRETT JOSEPH HANSEN launching of aLiness Manager: the Men, then parade the arrested workers exclusively by Franklin Roosevelt, at a time SHERMAN STANLEY before the police force and warn them to stay when Congress was not even in session. Its first away from strike headquarters. Those arrested are then charged with begging. Continued from page 1)
stage was carried through during November and December, when, at Roosevelt orders, 300, 000 FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST Mrs. Chester Watson, wife of the president program and have decided that anything is WORKERS PARTY FOR: clear of all entangling alliances with capitalist of the Minnesota Workers Alliance and emmen were dropped from the rolls.
better than continuing in the old rut down, The second stage consisted in the reorganization ployed on a handicraft project here which down, down hill.
parties.
the Alliance claimed to be organized by it The trade unions have thrown their moral Job and a decent living for every worker.
of the administrative personnel of the There is no other possible course. Any labor 100. remained on the job until Friday, July support behind the strike, but except for Harry Hopkins, who was associated with the New Open the idle factories operate them under Deal epoch, which was being buried, was shifted words they have given no other kind of assisworkers control.
leader who insists on supporting the War Deal 14, when pickets from the workers Benefit Association bannered the job.
tance. Both the and central to the Department of Commerce. At the head of Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works in the face of the Roosevelt actions ought to was placed Harrington. Harrington bodies have protested the new setup, and housing program.
was and is a Colonel in the regular Army. He have his head examined or get his spine re Streator and the former voted at its meeting last Thursday to go on e air to explain to the neither resigned nor took a leave of absence from Thirty thirty! 30 weekly minimum wagepublic the reasons for the strike. The Social the Army when he entered the He conboned. And any labor leader who tells the work30 hour weekly maximum for all workers on tinues on the Army payroll. His job is By BEN MARTIN ers to go back to the Republicans ought to be all Jobs.
Party has been active in distribut(Special to the Socialist Appeal)
ist Wallets explaining the relationship being a military assignment ordered by his commander in chief. Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability voted out of the trade unions.
STREATOR, III. July 17 As the strike entween the Roosevelt War Deal and the Woodrum bill and calling upon the workers to conters its seventh day, the Streator workThe workingmen and women of this country, ers continue determinedly to stay out until The shift from Hopkins to Harrington is thus an tinue their militant protest.
open symbol of the transformation of the New Deal Expropriate the Sixty Families.
their demands are met. Daily flying squads into the War Deal.
with their husbands and wives, fathers and All war funds to the unemployed.
from Streator continue to rally workmothers, sons and daughters, together with the ers in other sections of the country to the Links in the Chain people referendum on any and all wars. No secret diplomacy.
agricultural workers and poor farmers, consti Federal Workers League and to strike in solidarity with Streator. Special to the Socialist Appeal)
The next step in the drive against the unem.
10. An independent Labor Party, tute the overwhelming majority of the popula Today in Lasalle County, out of 1, 700 EAST ST. LOUIS, III. July 15 Mass picket ployed was the dropping, again at Roosevelt lines of strikers yesterday effectively exclusive orders, of 50, 000 non citizens from the workers over a thousand are out on strike and 11. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante tion of this country. If democracy meant anystopped car loads of scabs at Scott Field, Belle rolls. The fourth, undertaken jointly by hourly the strike movement grows stronger.
and Fascist attacks.
thing, they would rule the country. They CAN officials declare that by Monday or Ville, and halted all work on the projects nor Roosevelt and Congress, was the cutting of the Tuesday, the strike in Lasalle county will be mally employing 1, 750 workers. From 500 to rolls by an additional 400, 000 to 500, 000 during rule the country come 100 per cent effective.
600 workers also joined the strikers April, May and June Break with the capitalist parties!
The Lasalle County has endorsed the in their struggle against wage cuts.
The fifth great step was the appropria is.
The o. Industrial Union Council of St. tion proposed for the fiscal year beginning July Louis today called the one day stoppage The figure of 1, 477, 000, 000 was again set on the also endorsed the strike and numbers of locais planned for Monday. This was the response sole and exclusive responsibility of Franklin AGAINST THE BOSS CLASS!
are furnishing aid. The strike headquarters is of the Council leaders to President Roosevelt Roosevelt. No Congressman proposed less: in in the office of the Streator Labor News, whose statement that You cannot strike against the deed, no Congressman would have dared to proNot the least of the privileges of the Presilatest issue is mainly devoted to news of the Government. The cowardly and reactionary pose so little dent of the United States is his control of the strike. An interesting sidelight is the fact decision will further divide the unskilled work The total money appropriated is far and away that the Mayor and City Council of Streator ers on the projects from the skilled the major factor in the relief situation. Roosehave officially endorsed the strike and have construction workers who are continuing their velt figure, 800, 000, 000 lower than last year, daily press. The President can say what he sent telegrams of protest to the President and strike.
compels the adoption of harsh new regulations whether these are invented by himself or by Conpleases in his press conferences, but when the The attempt to deport Harry Bridges from gress.
The sixth step was the substitution of the secuadhere to the limitations dictated to them either to all those who continue to regard Roosevelt rity wage for the prevailing wage. Who is responby the President or by his aides during the press and his Administration as progressive.
sible for this phase of the savage attack on the wage and living standard of the American workconferences.
What difference there is between the Rooseers? Once more, the record gives the unmistakAlmost never does the President permit the velt Perkins persecution of Bridges and the recable answer.
press to quote him verbatim. He is never direct ord of the infamous Mitchell Palmer of Red As far back as 1935, in one of his press conferly quoted in the press except by his explicit per raid notoriety in 1919 1920, is not visible to III crat would keep a promise. apolis labor campaign ences, Roosevelt declared his opposition to the mission the naked eye.
By CARL SHEA prevailing wage and his perspective of eliminating In the final week of the cam vices to the Stalinists!
MINNEAPOLIS. The Compaign the opponents of the laThe Roosevelt Administration wants Bridges munist Party is not only a bit bor slate became alarmed at failed to concern itself with or it from relief projects. He has never swerved in The local Democratic Party It is in the light of these privileges of the his intention President that one must understand the state deported on the grounds of his alleged member ter opponent of the tendency the political resurgence of the take an active part in the cam.
During the hearings on the current relief biil, ment made by Roosevelt last Friday against the ship in an organization standing for the violent towards independent labor po uion movement. Two days be paign while the Farmer Labor the demand for the abolition of the prevailing wage did not come in the first instance from ConW. strike. The day before, Attorney Gen overthrow of the government the Communist litical action, but will con fore the final vote, the Stalin and trade union forces neglect gressmen. It was put forward from the witness eral Murphy had issued a denunciation of the Party. Apart from the fact that the Communist many methods to stop theam stal distributed tens of thoused to solicit its support. Quite stand by Roosevelt appointee and military subordinate, Colonel Harrington. Like all military strike. Roosevelt chief of the Party is anything but a revolutionary organiza bor party movement, even if it Eide.
Of course the New Deal Col. Harrington, was punishing the strikers tion, that it is, in fact, one of the fiercest defend est reactionaries. This is what tion merit two comments: The leaflet and its distribu fought the labor campaign. The men, Harrington acts under the orders and discipline of his commander.
with pink slips severing them from the employers of the prevailing capitalist democracy anel Any doubts about the origin have been removed ment rolls of the and the administra private property the charge against Bridges nismo Yache recente contineastails aborrhempallet distorted the the Republican Party to inde during the past week by Roosevelt himself, who tion officials, nationally and locally, were de is, in its very nature, a reflection of a reaction political campaign and work appear to be in support of the Deai friends of the Stalinists has backed Harrington to the limit, and taken the public and avowed lead in the effort to smash the claring they would give no direct relief to the ary, anti labor standpoint.
ican Labor Party movement in leaflet could only turn a union through Leach all party comstrike. strikers. The reporters asked RooseWe don care a tinker dam where Bridges New York and elsewhere, can ist or unemployed against the mittee, a hangover from the velt whether he was in accord with the actions Stassen was born we know that the deportation threat learn a trick or two about the labor slate.
gubernatorial cam Preparations for Things to Come Browderites by studying the The leaflet was distributed paign of 1938. Workers every taken by Murphy, Harrington Co.
has always been a measure applied to weaken Minneapolis campaign. precisely where it would do the where can learn a valuable lesThe seventh step was the announcement that Roosevelt backed his subordinates to the hilt, the labor movement. That is so also in the pres On April a citywide confer most harm to the labor slate son from this, too.
those away from Jobs for five days would be and to underline that fact, made the rare ex ent case.
ence of delegates from the In the middle class wards and dropped from the rolls; the eighth, that striking trade unions, unemployed or in the Catholic parishes. The Communist Party feels the Later on in its analysis, the workers are not eligible for home relief ception: he permitted the reporters to quote him Militants in the labor movement, and we ganizations and Farmer Labor leaflet did two things: to alien ueed to try to explain just how the ninth, Roosevelt proclamation that You directly among them, have their irreconcilable differ Ward Clubs held a conference ate the workers from Elde by New Dealish the people of can strike against the government. You cannot strike against the government. ences with Bridges. But they aim settle scores in Minneapolis, adopted a pro its New Deal talk, and to alien Minneapolis are These three steps all of them taken by deeree We are, of course, no more impressed when with him and his colleagues in their own way gressive labor platform and ate the middle class from Elde and not by parliamentary law are closely bound nominated union men and wo by tagging him with support The great majority of protogether. On the one side, they amount in effect Roosevelt says it than when Murphy says it and at their own time. They continue to believe men as candidates for office. t:om the Communist Party gressive Minneapolis supports to the institution of forced labor at the governAs we made clear in our last issue, these gentle that differences and disputes in the ranks of Because the conference refused On June 24 the Hennepin the New Deal and President ment terms.
men are just popping off; there is no law that labor must and will be settled by labor itself.
On the other side, they are a forecast of the with good reason to align itself County Council of the Commun Roosevelt. It wishes to see the with the discredited New Deal, ist Party circulated a post elec: New Deal extended and its benmethod of organization not merely for relief wor gives them the authority to deny the right to As for the Roosevelt government or any the Communist Party carried tlon statement to a selected as the city. In the 1938 elections more people in but for all industry in wartime. Since, during strike on any job, public or private. We don other capitalist institutionout its first dirty maneuver. of people, stating what was war, all industry will be part of the government While still pretending to go wrong with the labor camlican Party took advantage of Harold Stassen and the Repub war machine, the principles now being enunciated Hands off the labor movement!
have to explain that again. The best answer along with the labor campaign, paign.
will compel all persons to work at the tasks, wages to Roosevelt and Murphy is the fact that the Stop the deportation of Bridges by a mass the Communist Party prevailed! The very first point it makes this popular desire to ride into and conditions assigned to them, and will prohibit strikers are going right ahead with their strike.
solidarity protest.
upon Kleve Flakne, lawyer is that the objectives of the office.
all protests and strikes against these tasks, wages with no connections with or New Deal (such as government Greater confusion could and conditions.
ganized labor, to file for may. housing, increased aid to job hardly exist. It was precisely Not for nothing is a military officer now runThe War Deal or against Eide, the la less, opportunities for youth, because Stassen was the only ning bor candidate.
clean goverment, curbing mon anti New Deal candidate in The tenth and eleventh and twelfth steps are But Roosevelt statement puts a final end to Stalinist Worries The Stalinist controiled Hen opolies, etc. were not cham 1938 that he was elected. Had now nearly ready to be taken. Under the eighteen the New Deal myth. Whatever the New Deal nepin County Farmer Labor ex pioned in a sufficiently clear cut Benson and the Farmer Labor months provisions, all employes who ecutive committee was forced manner by the united front Party refused to tail the New have been on the rolls for a continuous period of may have been we never put any stock in it The Stalinists have again gone into action to pledge financial and moral candidates or campaign lead Deal in 1938, the Farmer La eighteen months or longer must be dropped. This it has now beyond all question of doubt become on the Coughlinite problem.
support to the labor campaign ership.
borites would have means concretely that on July 31 and August 31, the War Deal and the Raw Deal. The Presi They have flooded the New York needle in the primaries. Here again NEW DEAL SMELLS smashing victory. If the people Harrington plans to cut off a minimum of 650, 000.
they ratted, and gave not one TO HIGH HEAVEN of Minneapolis and Minnesota dent is now definitely aligned against Labor. trades market with thousands of leaflets.
In theory, these 650, 000 will be eligible for repenny to the primary campaign The truth is that the success said anything at all in 1938, employment after a month of patriotic starvation.
these weighty words of the Minnesota Union Are the leaflets a call to action, an appeal to nor contributed anything in the that was achieved by the labor they said they were deathly However, the eleventh step demands that the total Advocate, organ of the St. Paul Trades and the workers to mobilize for their defense against and the rest of the labor slate measure to the fact that the la bury anyone who tried to sell on the rolls be cut to a maximum of 3, 000, 000 around 600, 000 less than on July Labor Assembly of the express what the Coughlinite gangsters?
Following the sensational hor candidates didn touch the them the shabby promises of The twelfth step is ingenious. It is called a remillions of workers have only come to realize Are the leaflets a warning cry against falling showing of the labor slate in New Deal with a ten foot pole. Roosevelt again.
adjustment of geographical wage differentials. At this week.
asleep at the switch while the fascist mobs inthe primaries, the Stalinists The average worker Finally, the Stalinists indi present, wage rates in the South are com through the Hennepin County Minneapolis would laugh you cate the theory behind their parable to India or China. in many instances The Roosevelt Administration has made its crease their aggressiveness and their aggres FL machine tried to cover off the platform if you tried to sabotage of the Eide about 50 per week. Under the hypocritical prechoice. It wants war appropriations and not sions?
themselves by making a small tell him that the objectives paign tense of making wage differentials equal more and appropriations. It is pre Nothing of the sort!
donation to the labor campaign. of the New Deal were better The record of the Trotskythan variations in the cost of living. Roosevelt But their main aim was to housing, increased aid to the ites clearly reveals what would plans to slash WPA wages in the North and all paring for military adventures abroad and for They are aimed at the Trotskyist provoca defeat Eide and the labor slate. jobless, opportunities for youth, be the character of the so industrial areas. He hopes that a minute rise in this purpose slashes all other appropriations. It teur Milton, of Local 66, who) They continued their sabotage etc. The objective of the New called Labor Party which the Southern wage will buy off Southern workers literally steals from the unemployed, starves the tried to frame up the union. He plotted to have of the campaign. After the Deal is imperialist war for the they propose to substitute for from solidarity with their northern brothers. Just June 12 defeat, they whined benefit of America Sixty the Farmer Labor Association as, in the case of the prevailing wage. he adjusts unemployed, in order to build more battleships the union organize a so called anti fascist that nobody asked us to Families, and to this end they It would be an instrument to his blow to try to divide the skilled from the and airplanes.
guard work.
bave long since sacrificed fight against the New Deal. unskilled workers.
From the first the aim of the Roosevelt ad Terrible, isn it? sinister plot, isn it?
STALINIST SUPPORT whatever progressive aims This is what the Communist BODY BLOW ministration was to save the profits of the Sixty And have been criticized, even by Marxists, With the Coughlinite and, in general, the fasthey might have once pro Party really fears that the laAs the campaign neared its claimed. And don think that bor movement will really forge for noting that the New Deal is dead.
Families. At first it tried to save those. profits cist danger mounting in the United States, all end, the trade unionists in the Minneapolis workers don a political party that will re by priming the pump. giving funds to part of the Stalinists can think of doing is to try to unteer Campaign Committee fect both Democratic and Rethe unemployed which, it hoped, would upon incite workers against those militants who call The campaign was confined publican machines, and will Senator Borah (Rep. Idaho) opposes the Wagnerremembering the Stalinist almost exclusively to Farmer fight for an independent labor Rogers bill to permit entry to this country of 20, 000 being spent start industry up again. That didn for action AGAINST fascism.
tricks of other campaigns, ex Labor and trade union ranks, line. Yes, the Trotskyites jeal Jewish child refugees from Germany. Declaring work. Roosevelt now pursues his original aim Direct your blows against fascism? No, cry acted a pledge from the com falling actively to involve libously guarded the indepen that he sees a touch of politics in the proposal, munist Party in Minneapolis cral church groups, small busidence of the developing labor he adds that he does not know how the United of saving the profit system, dow military the Stalinists. Direct them at the anti fascists that it would not issue any lit Dess men, professionals and party movement in MinneapolStates can justify limiting humanitarianism to conquest.
instead!
erature supporting the labor other progressive middle class is. In our concluding article 20. 000. when suffering is just as great and Tens of millions are to be condemned to death, Do these scoundrels hope to repeat the Spanslate.
groups. This is the second next week we will indicate how humanitarian demands just as clear in other parts now by the slow starvation of hunger and unof the world. Don these bosses stooges have ish tragedy here?
Of course it was naive to be point of the Stalinist document, this movement can be prelieve that a Stalinist bureau. All the virtues of the Minne served and extended the noblest reasons for the foul things they do?
in cam