SOCIALIST APPEAL FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1939 strike against the government: she planine The Bankers Block Construction Their Blame the Unions, Says New Deal Government York, MARTIN ABERN day signed the petition, making it effective, with Defending Democracy to discharge the committee, that is, to permit the plaining away the fact that the great democ CIO Unionmen Back AFL defeated, even though a majority had already tarian countries by becoming less and less demo In Colorado PWA Strike SOCIALIST APPEAL that he is ready to go as far to the right as the VOL. III. No. 58 August 11, 1989 Sixty Families demand.
By James Burnham But as yet he wasn going quite fast Published twice a week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL at 116 University POBLISHING ASS enough to suit Wall Street, so in the last two Telephone: Algonquin 8547 weeks the opposition bloc in Congress took things into its own hands, and finished up the New Deal Investigators Ignore Real Cause of Crisis Bubscriptions: 00 per year 00 for six months. For sign: 38. 00 per year. 50 for six months. Bundle orders: first stage of the job.
In Construction Industry Shielding the Bankers cents per copy in the United States: cents per copy in af foreign countries. Single copies: cents.
Who is to blame for reaction mighty adRronx and Manhattan subscriptions are: 50 for six vance?
They Declare Prosecution Aimed at Building Unions months: 00 for one year.
Reentered a second class matter February 16, 1900, at The Supreme Court used to get the rap a By RUTH JEFFREY industry, is the high cost of companies, to inspire and en Of all forms of politics, centrism is the lowest the post office at New York, under the Aet of March 11 GO few years ago. But the Court hasn had much Why the paralysis of the con building materials. And this force a wage policy suitable to Centrism in politics is the equivalent of hypocrisy to say this year.
struction industry? Seeking a factor the banks are also re the banks.
MAX SHOTTMAN Then the Republican Party. But the Republic culpritAssistant Attorney Gen. sponsible for, since the banks That it would be almost program or clear perspective of his own, tries to make a career out of playing the left wing against Associate Editor MANUEL GARRETT ans are a minority in Congress, and the Demo ed a finger at the building industry. This fact is not gen companies to originate and enthe right. He talks big and acts little. Today he is FELIX MORROW trades unions and has an erally known and deserves force wage policy not ap a radical and tomorrow conservative. His words General Manager crats have the Presidency.
Assistant ManageEY nounced forthcoming prosecu some description.
SHERMAN proved by the banks, under the never correspond to his deeds.
Now some people are trying to tell us that tions, aimed primarily at the Through interlocking direc conditions that have existed.
In confused times, the centrist can for a while John Garner is the real devil.
unions.
torates, 24 New York banks That in conducting their make most people, including himself, think he is Arnold announcement got hold 6, 250 directorships in in operations the industry has had God Almighty. But, as the lines get drawn more FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST But look over the record: all factions of both Headlines. But one had to dig dustries, corporations of vari to figure, not only on a a reason sharply, every centrist meets the same fate: he is WORKERS PARTY FOR: parties, Roosevelt and his administrative apand dig, finally to find, on page ous kinds, insurance companies able profit for the construction first squeezed and then crushed between the right pointees together with elected Congressmen both 26 of the New York Times of and other banks. Within this companies, but on a multiplicaand the left: He squawks and yowls bit, and then jeb and decent living for every worker.
either capitulates or gets thrown into the junkRepublican and Democratic have done their July 26, the expert testimony network the construction indus tion of profits to meet the prorheap. As a matter of fact, he usually ends up in Open the idle factories operate them under before the Temporary Nation try is securely held in the con it requirements of a structure share.
al Economic Committee which trol of the banks.
of layer upon layer of corporaworkers control the junkheap even when he capitulates, since both But what do you expect?
thoroughly disproves Arnold Two banking houses largely tions, while wages have been right and left have only contempt for him. Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works Why shouldn both Republicans and Demo statement to that body.
and housing program.
dominate the construction com no more than a necessary evil Thirty thirty! 30 weekly minimum wagecrats, right wing and left wing, all do the bid If one succeeded in reduc pantes Morgan and Rockefel to be hurdled in the race for Roosevelt as Centrist ing the wages of building labor ler.
rofits.
In relation to boss politics generally, and specif30 hour weekly maximum for all workers on ding of the Sixty Families?
ers of all kinds by one half, In an arbitration proceeding Wage standards in the build ically in relation to his own party, Roosevelt is a 11 Jobs.
The two parties they belong to are boss parstated Kreps, of the in June, 1933, the Bricklayers, ing and construction industry centrist. He is an outstanding, shrewd and brilliant consulting staff, the net Masons and Plasterers Interna have long been under attack by centrist, true enough, but not all his qualities ex5. Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability ties, and never pretended to be anything else.
achievement so far as the car tional Union, defending union the ruler banks. The union, in empt him from the operation of the general laws poslom.
The Republican and Democratic parties daily rying charges of the house are wage and hour standards the above mentioned arbitra of his kind of politics. Expropriate the Sixty Families.
swear their loyalty to capitalism, and pledge concerned would not be equal against the Mason Builders As tion showed that the Chase Basing himself upon wide mass support among themselves to preserve and defend it.
to that of cutting the interest sociation of the bosses, was National and the National City All war funds to the unemployed.
the people, he has tried to raise himself above the rate from to per cent. able to show, in the union brief: Bank issued official bulletins people referendum. on any and all wars. The truth is that we, we the workers of this factional struggle within the Democratic Party.
Further and equally damag. That construction has demanding wage reductions He has thought that, with the help of Farley and. No segret diplomacy.
country, are the ones to blame for the record of ing testimony, reported in the been one of the many adjuncts and denouncing the the party center, he could mediate between and Appeal of August 1, was evi of the great banking institu week.
10. An Independent Labor Party.
Congress in the session just finished.
dently considered unfit to print tions.
The banks, in attacking unEsconcile teisteht wing (Garner) and the left 11. Workers Defense Guards against vigilante We are to blame because we turn the govern at all, and had to be culled That there is a great net ion standards, not only seek to While always serving the Interests of the right Ad Fasolat attaoks.
ment over to the boss parties, and through those from the hard headed Busi work of Interlocking directors weaken the unions which chal wing in major matters, for five years most of his parties to the bosses.
ness Week, which doesn between banks, construction lenge their absolute rule, but speeches and some of his acts were designed to bother to tell its industrial mag companies, supply and materialso seek to use the unions as We are to blame because we don take things nate readers the lies which the al companies and between con a scape goat upon which the appease the left. In the confusion of 1933 38, this worked well enough; but times have grown harder, into our own hands, and build our own party. daily press hands out.
struction companies ostensibly wrath of a nation may be exFACTORS WHICH RUIN We are to blame because we sit back and let a the crisis sharper, and the right wing more definengaged in competition, and pended in such a housing crisis Ite in what it wants, so that the right now demands THE INDUSTRY that among the banks them as exists today. well worn argument against a People boss government run things, instead of estaban end to playing around.
Three factors paralyse the selves there is an interlocking NEW DEAL DOES Vote on War is the charge that the people would lishing our own government.
After getting a taste of the right wing whip in construction industry. Exorbi relation which makes possible BANKS DIRTY WORK the defeat of the Supreme Court expansion plan, be more subject to pressure and propaganda than Nobody is going to do our work for us.
tant interest rates are main the enforcement of a single pol Thanks to the New Deal the first bill for Executive reorganization, and the tained by the banks which, oftcy in any given field, Congress, which has supplied Congress is. Is that so?
If we don get going now, we will have to course, have a monopoly on BANKS DICTATE to the New Deal Department of centrists, is a coward was willing and anxious to failure of the purge. Roosevelt who, like all In December 1937 the Ludlow Resolution for start in the concentration camps.
credit facilities. The banks al. WAGE POLICY Justice the funds with which to buckle down.
a war referendum was lying buried in a subIt would be a lot harder and a lot longer that so maintain high prices for the That it is and has been hire a staff of 200 lawyers for From last November on, he has tried to prove to committee of the House. Under the rules, a building sites, by their control possible for the banks, begin its September trust busting the right, in action, that he is ready to do their way of mortgage issuance.
ning with the great private campaign, the attack upon un bidding. He began the drive against the unempetition was circulated to take it out of comA third factor which keeps banking houses and continuing ion wage scales in the building ployed. He set the shamefully low figure for the mittee. majority of Congressmen 218 housing expensive and there on down through the commer industry will be taken out of new WPA appropriation. His man, Harrington, defore paralyses the construction cial banks to the construction the hands of the over worked manded the end of the prevailing wage. He apbanks and adequately pushed more Congressmen waiting to sign if their names pointed the right winger. Leiserson, to the Labor by the government. The trusts were needed. On January 10 a motion was made The newspapers are having a hard time exBoard, and compelled the Board to alter its rules which the banks have formed.
in favor of employers. He revised taxation along which make of the construction the Wall Street lines. He appointed McNutt, the industry an isi surrounded House to discuss it. Strangely enough, this was racies are preparing for war against the totaliby profit taking devices, will Hoosier Hitler. He announced to the world that You cannot strike against the government. He sit on the sidelines and watch stopped the sniping at the private Utilities.
put themselves on record in favor of a debate cratic and more and more totalitarian.
the run The unions are to be the In other words, Roosevelt abandoned the subon the question.
In France the Daladier government has constance of the New Deal, insofar as the New Deal By local vigilante Committee of and paralysis of construction.
scapegoat for the housing crisis In the American Magazine for November temptuously kicked aside the external trappings meant those social concessions to the masses MALLEY (Special to the Socialist Appeal) 200, who fired on the sympa As for the real causes exorbiwhich were the stock in trade of the Democratic 1938, Jim Farley explained what happened be of democratic government. Decrees are substiDENVER, Colo. Aug. thizers, hitting two. Four pick. tant interest rates, artificially Party reformist left wing.
hind the scenes.
tuted for laws. Military courts and star chamber Hell broke loose yesterday at ets had been shot by them ear spent an entire day on the telephone asking proceedings are substituted for the so called due the site of the Federal govern lier in the day. one shot in the worst prices of building sites and The Ungrateful Right Wing Democratic members the House of Repre process of law. Rigid censorship is substituted Project near Kremmling, Col the Assistant Attorney General Having thus given the right wing virtually all it The for the so called freedom of the press. Finally, orado, high in the Rockies dished most of the phones in the remedies are not within the Committee demol mentioned only to say: Such sentatives to vote against bringing up the wardemanded, having done its dirty work for it (as is the universal custom with centrists. Roosevelt referendum resolution. Many of them had al parliament itself is thrown on the scrap hear about 150 miles west of Denver, doubtless expected a little gratitude. He must have ready voted to discharge the resolution from the and along with it the whole election machinery. shot, one seriously wounded by from getting outside help, and Times, July Within the felt he had the right to some party harmony and a few minor face saving bills to patch up his rec committee, the first move in the parliamentary There were supposed to be elections this year the county sheriff deputies. they were maintaining a strict scope who are busily engaged in censorship over the remaining chose to include only the pros ord with the people. He sent along to Congress skirmish, thus in effect committing themselves but for reasons of national emergency Dala maintaining law and order phones in town. Having shot ecution of the labor unions. his fake spending lending bill, which didn off their faces and their guns to its passage. Some members frankly said they dier has postponed them until 1942.
at the struck project, amount to a pinch of snuff anyway, and a bill for were unable to go along with the administration. In Great Britain all the supposedly honored On July 12, five unions, affithe Committee has succeeded increased authorization for housing loans (though the present authorization is by no means used up Others said they would stand by the administra traditions of legality are thrown aside to permit iates of the including in getting the governor to de the operating engineers, the clare that a state of Insurrecby his snail paced housing program. a ruthless campaign of persecution, arrest, and tion and vote in the negative. This appeal by But when right wing gets going, it develops a prodigious appetite. And it delights in humiliating telephone had an influence in blocking considera deportation of all Irishnen suspected of sympa lers, the bridge and structural. As usual the Sheriff declared the tion of the resolution.
thizing with the republican cause. Over its own a centrist, as well as defeating him, in order to iron workers and the hod car that the strikers had fired teach him a few lessons for the future.
Result: the motion to discharge the committee sharp protests voiced even in the ranks of the closed shop and union rec and sympathizers had been Roosevelt capitulation, far from pacifying the lost by the narrow margin of 21 votes. Chamberlain own supporters, Parliament was ognition. The Warren Construc searched twice in the last two right wing, only hardened it. The bloc with the Republicans was, in the last weeks of the session How can the masses have confidence in Con forced to adjourn on the very eve of what were tion Co. of Chicago, contractor days by the vigilantes and no solidified into a working majority, and the PresiThe CIO United Mine, Mill gress to represent their interests on the vital expected to be the most critical weeks of the on the project, has consistently weapons had been found.
dent was mercilessly pounded with one sharp blow and Smelter Workers Union, Dear Comrade Trotsky: after another. Not only were all of his proposals question of war, when a day telephoning by summer. Chamberlain consoled them with the Since this dispatch was sent through Reid Robinson, inter You must be acquainted with thrown out of the window, but the Hatch Bill, Farley carries more weight with the Representa promise that he would call them back to approve in, and as reported in the last national president, issued the the results of the colonial elec planned to weaken his influence on the Party matives than does the known desire of the people? anything he does in meanwhile. e. when issue of the SOCIALIST AP following statement: We of tions of last April 30 in Cochin chinery, was thrust down his throat. Roosevelt, it will be too late to disapprove.
PEAL, National Guardsmen the CIO Miners and Tunnel chine (Cochin China. Despite cutting the same contemptible figure as all cenreplaced and disarmed the In this country the spokesmen for the RooseWorkers Union (affiliate of the the shameful coalition of the trists under the sam deputies. The guardsmen, circumstances, could do UMM SW) have every reason bourgeoisie of all types and the nothing but sit back impotently: and, in spite of Reaction Advances velt War Deal are providing us with another on their arrival, were cheered to know that the State Indus Stalinists, we have won a shin whining complaints to the press, did not have the spectacle of what our lords and masters really by the strikers after which the commander of the cause of vigilantism and indus. We went to battle, the flag of trial Commission, is a primary ing victory.
guts even to veto the Hatch Bill.
Meanwhile the miserable left wing of the DemCongress has adjourned, after a session of mean by this democracy they prate about in guardsmen announced: Any trial disorder in this state, act the Fourth International widely ocratic Party, whose whole policy boils down to seven months.
their arguments against the simple demand that man who wants to go back to ing as a strike breaking agency unfurled. Our victory is one of put faith in Roosevelt. tried to cover its own During those seven months not only Congress the people be permitted to vote the life andwork can go back to work.
instead of attempting to bring all the Fourth over the bour bankruptcy with a rhetorical demonstration: John about genuine bargaining. geoisie, naturally, but above Lewis denunciation of Garner.
but the government as a whole, in legislative and death issue of war. They are trying to tell us refused to recognize the unions. In this issue we stand all over their social democratexecutive and judicial branches, has had a per that democracy means that we are supposed The strike was declared illegal shoulder to shoulder with these ic and Stalinist agents. We What Left for Roosevelt fect record.
to put our blind faith in a tiny group of divinely under the laws of the state AFL victims of officially con have faith in the final victory The session of Congress just ended has written Without a single exception visible to the naked inspired representatives voted into office by tice be given the state indus We hold Governor Carr, the victory of the Fourth Internafinis to the New Deal chapter. The New Deal has eye, every step which the government has taken the skullduggery and lies of the big American trial commission before the industrial commission and the tional.
gone, and no one has the power to summon it back.
has been reactionary.
It went, basically, because its socio economic funcpolitical machines!
men down tools, IN SPITE OF sheriff who deputized and This faith you have imparted tion in the United States was finished and this That something to be proud of, all right: What are these rulers so afraid of? In THE FACT THAT THE LAW armed the strikebreakers joint to us. Today, more than ever, was reflected by the political collapse of its previWAS DECLARED UNCONSTI. y responsible for what has hap we understand the importance that you can go through seven whole months France Daladier and Co. have been telling the TUTIONAL BY COLORADO pened at Green Mountain and not only of the program of the ous supporters, and the rise to control of its opponents.
without a hitch, without a reversal, without even world that the nation is united as never COURT FEW YEARS AGO. for any further violence that Fourth International, but also If the internal situation were all that had to be before in support of the government war proThings remained peaceful un may occur.
of your struggle of 1925 28 a momentary change of direction, taken into account, we could now say that Roosetil August when back to Call One Day Stoppage against the theory and practice In November, before Congress opened, Roose gram. Then why is Daladier afraid to hold ar velt would have finished his important part in In line with this attitude our of socialism in one country, of politics and would be on his way out of the picwork movement of 200 men velt gave the lead by starting the firing of the election to prove this support? Why is he afraid composed almost entirely of lo local union, Colorado Tunnel your struggle against the peas ture except perhaps for window dressing in the WPA workers. 300, 000 hit the street before the such an election will reveal internal disunity. cal business men and farmers Workers at Idaho Springs, op. ants International, the anti Imfuture.
opening day of Congress.
Or is it rather that he fears he is not yet able took over the project camp. Williams Fork tunnel, will call committees, Amsterdam Pleyel and this is enough to take precedence, by itselt. But Congress the courts soon caught up to organize a gun at the throat plebiscite as Sheriff John Lee, who is a one day strike to protest this and others.
over all the rest: his war. On the issue of foreign with and surpassed the big chief.
effectively as Hitler does?
fast becoming the darling of flagrant violation of the funda In these days of hope engenpolicy and the war, Roosevelt remains the first the local vigilantes and the mental rights of Colorado labor dered by our recent victory.
The Fansteel and the Apex Hosiery decisions The answer to all these questions is the same.
and authentic spokesman for imperialism.
Warren Construction Co. im and this return to a regime of we think of you, of the moral. there the courts showed their stuff.
These politicians all know that the democracy mediately deputized all of the bloodshed instead of fair deal and physical sufferings that remnants of the sloppy pseudo reforms of his New The Great Reformer is as dead as the decaying Cutting down the deficiency relief appropria they want the people to die for is the bunk. Committee of 200. declaring ing.
Dealism. What remains politically alive is only the tion, the 18 months rule on WPA, no new funds They know it is only a fig leaf for the rule of want to go back to work betion of the rights of labor. to that even in this remote corner am deputizing the men who to stop this flagrant viola dured. We want to say to you chief War Monger.
for housing here was Congress going to town. the plutocracies they represent, the handful of cause feel they have a right smash this growing vigilante of the Far East, in this back In a recent issue of the Socialist Call, organ of And President and Congress worked together ultra powerful monopolists and financiers who to work and mean to hold the and fascist movement there is ward country, you have friends camp for them.
on the billion cut in relief, the abolition of the are the real evil geniuses of the war crisis.
only one solution which the la who agree with you, comrades the Thomasite Socialist Party, the legend, StalThe strikers immediately bor leaders and the rank and who struggle for that to which in office boy. appears under a picture of David prevailing wage, the two billion dollars arma They know that a real democracy of the called to Denver for reinforce tite must adopt or perish, they you have devoted your life, for Lasser. We always thought that Lasser was Thomas office boy. Just shows how we don keep ment appropriation.
people would never permit them to continue their ments where 600 men had must organize Workers Defense socialism, for communism!
up with the news.
During these seven months, the New Deal was villainous effort to drive the peoples of the world ton jobs in sympathy with the against another and more Leninist salutations.
buried. The War Deal, which is also a deal of into a death struggle in behalf of the profits and strikers. 60 Denver sympathiz Green Mountains.
Phan van Hum THE WORKERS ALLIANCE social reaction, was put in its place. meeting on the St. Paul capitol steps voted markets of the super capitalists. They know that ers were enroute to the dam The strike, involving about Tran van Thach site in automobiles when they 500 men, will continue until it Ta thu Thau, and unanimously to support President Roosevelt and Roosevelt did his best to keep the lead in the in a real democracy of the masses, of the workwere repulsed from barricades is settled to the satisfaction of the group La Lutte his efforts to give the workers and unemployed a reactionary wave. With his words, You cannot ers, capitalism itself would no longer exist. Terected near the project by the the men.
May 18, 1939 decent relief bill. VICTORY FOR FOURTH INT IN INDO CHINA