Workers of the World, Unite ! FORD STRIKE AND THE “ FOURTH WAGE ROUND” By Bert Cochran — See Page 2 — t h e MILITANT PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE

Vol. X III - No. 21 217 NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY, MAY 23, 1949 PRICE: FIVE CENTS Ford Maneuvers CIO in Detroit Fail to Shake Strike Solidarity Urges National D E T R O IT — Thousands of Ford workers are maintain­ ing their 24-hour picket line around the huge Rouge plant in Dearborn as the strike against speedup comes to the end of its^ second week. Bendix strikers in • > ------;------South Bend, Ind., Chevrolet work­ guarantee assembly line produc­ ers in Flint who have voted for tion at a constant speed geared ‘Labor Holiday’ the second time in a year to to “normal work practices” and strike against speedup, workers not require workers to make up in every UAW plant in the coun­ production lost through power try are anxiously watching de­ failures, parts shortages, etc. Oil, Ship Unions Calls for 24-Hour Stoppage velopments in the Ford strike, COMPANY’S ANSWER which can have a decisive effect on the outcome of “fourth wage The company responded by an­ Ask Shorter Week To Win Taft-Hartley Repeal round” negotiations this year. nouncing the firing of seven more The latest “peace formula” of UAW officials on charges they the UAW international team of had “invaded” the company’s of­ With Same Pay DETROIT, May 17 — The Greater Detroit an& negotiators headed by W alter fices to intimidate salaried em­ Wayne County CIO Council at its meeting tonight ployees into leaving their jobs on Calling upon all labor organiza­ Reuther has been rejected by the tions to join in a drive for a Ford Motor Company. This pro­ the day the strike began, This adopted a resolution ealling for a 24-hour Labor shorter work week to combat lay­ posal asked that the company was in addition to 14 other UAW Holiday as the best means of offs and unemployment, the CIO members fired last week, and 14 securing repeal of the Taft- Charging that the “months; Oil Workers International Unior suspended. Ilariley Act. since the election have shown?, has announced that it will sec! Ford himself issued a state­ ' The resolution also urged the only too well that Congress in*' ment claiming tljat it was a “po­ u 36-hour week in the oil industry Pennsylvania CIO lolding of a special session ol tcifris to deliver none of its elec-, litical strike" — an obvious ef­ with no reduction in take-home “ Trenton Six” Congress for this summer to act (ion promises,” the resolution fort to throw a smokescreen over PAID FBI ST00LPI6E0HS pay. •n civil rights legislation and all calls on the UAW International ConventionCheers the real issue, the speedup. The Like their brothers in prac­ abor anfl social legislation so far Executive Board, heading tho company has also refused to open tically every industry, the O.l Appeal Frame-up neglected. country’s largest industrial unioit;' negotiations on the contract, pen­ Workers are feeling the sharp PARADED AT CP TRIAL To exert pressure for (he to take the lead in urging aJj‘ James Kutcher sion and wage proposals request­ edge of the axe. Many companies passage of this legislation, the unions to join in a “24-hour Labor HARRISBURG, Pa., May 17_ ed by the union. And it has sought By Farrell Dobbs Death Sentence are already curtailing employ­ Council called for a mass con- Holiday.” James Kutcher, legless veteran to split the workers’ ranks by in­ ment, and others rumor of future ..FEDERAL COURTROOM, NEW YORK. May 18 — The The “Trenton Six” — Negroes l'erenicv of labor to convene in The Hudson Local leaders who was discharged from his gov­ viting back to work all of the firings. The OW IU believes that a dreary parade of FBI stoolpigeons and provocateurs called to who were framed up and sen­ Washington simultaneously with voted to send copies of the resq« ernment job because of his mem­ strikers except the 5,000 employ­ return to the pre-war 36-hour tenced to death last year — ask­ the proposed special session of lution to the UAW internatichjai' bership in the Socialist Workers ed in the “B” Building and the testify here at the thought-control trial of the 1 1 Stalinists drags week will keep all its members i ) ------ed the New Jersey Supreme Court Congress. board and to all locals of tlie Party, was the first afternoon Lincoln-Mercury plant. on and on. In every case their employed. The Rouge workers do not fa­ on May 16 to reverse the convic­ [The call for a special session UAW . It concluded by urging- guest speaker at today’s opening testimony bears, the stamp of the To make themselves look like Before World War II, the 36- vor the further application of tions. of Congress parallels the pro­ “all local unions of organized session of the three-day Penn­ police mind, the trade mark of loyal members, these informers lour week had been won in the Reuther’s one-at-a-time strategy Lawyers for the defense, re­ posal made by the New York labor to adopt similar resolu­ sylvania State CIO Convention in J. Edgar Hoover. reciuite.d people into the CP, in­ oil industry. Under pressure of — that is, his insistence that presenting the Civil Rights Con- , tions.” this city. When asked the simplest poli­ cluding relatives and friends, and ’.he war, it was stretched to 48 branch o( the NAACP last month the speedup issue be restricted to gress. the NAACP and other which will be acted on by the Stress was placed in the resolu­ Twelve hundred delegates, fill-' tical questions, their replies are then squealed on the poor devils hours. Today the standard is 40 the “B” Building. It is this rank- organizations, presented a variety tions on the ineffective methods ing the Chestnut Auditorium, vague and confused, revealing in ' their secret reports to the hours, with a much greater national NAACP conference in and-file sentiment which is re­ of arguments showing that the tame to complete silence and at­ downright ignorance of the FBI. They accepted the hospitality Los Angeles in July.] so fa r pursued in pushing labor’s sponsible for the statement made productivity per man-hour than ABC’s of politics. But they of -the -homes, and broke bread at. convictions were, a g^p§s ipisr Full details of this important legislative program. “'The metho{l. tention when Kutcher began his by Local * 600 President Thomas before the war. remember names, dates, places the tabeles of CP members, all carriage of justice. step by the Detroit CIO, giving a of pressuring Congress by host* quiet, unassuming description of Thompson, who now insists that The statement of the National and a few well-rehearsed phrases the while making notes of every­ The six defendants — Collis lead to the whole labor move­ cards, by visits to your Congress­ h's case. Everyone present dis­ the settlement of the strike must Ptlidy Committee of the OW IU thing that was said so they could English, Ralph Cooper, Horace ment and all the minority groups men, by polite resolutions, by played intense interest, in his include guarantees against speed­ like “violent action” and "sabo­ also points out that in 1948 the report it at clandestine meetings Wilson, McKinley Forest, Janies fighting for the adoption of civil clever speeches has not brought every word and recommendation. up in all Ford buildings, and not tage the war effort.” average oil company “made net with FB I agents. rights measures, will be printed us one step closer to the fulfill­ Jlis 15-minute speech closed merely in thc.“B” Building. Planted in the Communist Party Thorpe and John McKenzie— were profits greater than its entire ment of the goal set for itself- with a simple appeal for support The feeling is also becoming by the FBI, these police spies charged with the murder of an « age bill,” and will “still main­ in next week’s Militant. PAID FOR TREACHERY by labor,” states the resolution^ “not because I am a veteran nor widespread among the members bored in as deeply as they could, elderly junk dealer in Trenton. tain handsome profits” if the For these outrages against CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED “It becomes increasingly evident beeaues I have lost my legs, but as the strike continues that it sneaked copies of letters, minutes, Scores of witnesses at the trial workers win the Same take-home human decency, J. Edgar Hoover’s The campaign for the 24-hour that Congress does not intend t'd because this is a civil rights case might be best to stay out until bulletins and membership lists to proved that all of them had been pay for the shorter week. spies .received expense allowances Labor Holiday was launched last pass . legislation in the interest that will help in the fight for all issues are settled — contract the FBI for photostating, and at elsewhert at the time of the The Committee postponed dis­ from the government to cover week in Detroit by the Executive of the working people of this' anyone unjustly persecuted as I and pension questions as well as every opportunity supplied pic­ crime. cussion on “any demands for in­ party dues, literature, traveling Board of Hudson Local 154, CIO country.” have been.” speedup. This attitude is very tures of CP members to Hoover’s But Prosecutor Mario Volpe creased take-home pay,” but in­ expenses and time lost from their United Automob'le Workers, The benefits promised labor by Before Kutcher had even stop­ realistic, and not merely because political police. held the defendants without dicated that these may be taken regular jobs while doing special through a resolution urging the the Democratic Party and its ped speaking, State CIO Presi­ it recognizes the foolishness of charges for “protracted question­ up later “at any time conditions stoolpigeon chores. In addition CIO and AFL. to call a 24-hour candidates, says the resolution; dent Boyer came up to him and going back to work only to come ing” when they were arrested, warrant.” 'Billion Dollar Club' they were usually paid on a national work stoppage “in pro­ pinned a delegate’s badge on his out on strike again in a short and by means of intimidation “are instead being siphoned off piece-rate basis for their written test against the failure of the lapel, amid stormy applause. while. Has 56 Members illegally extorted “confessions” snip UNION ACTION into super-profits.” The 1949 first- reports to the FBI, a system 81st Congress to carry out its A resolution pledging the Penn­ Six American , corporations from five of them, which were Almost simultaneously, a quarter profits of the giant cor* NOT LIMITED ISSUE obviously devised to speed up clear election mandate” on Taft- sylvania CIO’s support to his in 1948 joined the most ex­ later repudiated. The prosecution demand for shorter hours was porations gives “ample proof” of The inability of the Reuther production. Hartley Act repeal, housing, civil fight against the witch-hunt was clusive fraternity in the world, also suppressed important evi­ made by the CIO Shipbuilding who has benefited from the Demo-; leadership to grapple with the Since my last report seven rights and other labor demands. in readiness, but was held over the “ Billion Dollar Club,” ac­ dence about the case which was Workeis Union who called for a craric victory. problem of speedup (or, as the more informers have testified for action at tomorrow’s business cording to a United Press demanded by the defense. 35-hour week in place of their company calls it, the problem of against the Stalinists. session. survey issued on May 16. Furthermore, the trial judge’s current 40-hofur week without any union control of production) is Garfield Herron, an Arkansas During the noon recess, both There are now 56 members, charge to the jury was improper cut in pay; an additional wage- further shown when Reuther farmer, went to Chicago during James Kutcher and Mrs. Therese comprising corporations with and prejudicial. And when the boosi; a health and welfare planj U.S. BIHIND-Scms n o m states that all he is trying to the war to work at the Douglas Stcinbach, Eastern Pennsylvania more than a billion dollars of jury returned the verdict it failed and other demands not. yet achieve at Ford’s is the satis­ Aircraft plant. In 1943 he sub­ secretary of the Kutcher Civil factory relationship already in assets. Only 20 were in the to spec'fy the degree of murder, published. scribed to the Daily Worker, Rights Committee, were warmly effect with GM, Chrysler and club in 1929 — the famous which the judge himself set as According to the report in the GAIN SUPPORT FOR FRANCO after which the FBI paid him a received by the arrangements Hudson on the question of speed “golden year.” On Dec. 7, 1941, first, degree. May 9 CIO News, the shipbuild­ visit and he agreed join the CP committee, including M.r. Boyer of production. the membership stood at 32. ing workers are clearing the path By Ruth Johnson as an FBI spy. While attending The New Jersey Court will and Mr. Harry Block. The strike vote on this very The combined assets of the for a fight. “Under the present LAKE SUCCESS — The Latin-American resolution to re­ a CP study class he stole the in­ hand down its decision some time A t the press tables the AP, UP question just taken at Chevrolet, club now total S130 billion — contract, which expires June 23, store diplomatic missions to Franco Spain was defeated but iio t a GM company, shows how mis­ structor's outline. this month. Meanwhile the fight 1950. the union is barred from and Harrisburg News Bureau equal to 40% of the whole na­ lost in the United Nations session on May 16. If that sounds like' took copious notes on Kutcher’s leading Reuther’s statement is. Angola Calomiris of New York for the freedom of the six should striking, except for ‘money tional wealth in 1940. double-talk, it is purely intention-®- (Continued on page 2) ■ issues.’ IUMSW A President John speech. (Continued on page 4) continue full-scale. al — for the entire debate I heard Diplomatic missions to Madrid Green made it clear that euch of reeked with hypocrisy. have already been sent or are prcF“ the demands is a ‘money issue’ There were 26 votes for the jected by 11 of the nations voting and that consequently the no- proposal, 15 against, and 16 ab­ for the resolution. Washington ■Jrike clause in the contract would stentions. A two-thirds vote was officially declares it will not take not apply.” necessary to pass the resolution. this demonstrative step, but Sec­ Norman Thomas Gives Pact His Blessings Both statements show the in­ Had a few of the abstainers retary of State Acheson himself creasing awareness of the need to voted, as they will the next time has opened the way for a change defend labor’s ranks against the By The Editors tence at the very bottom of a lengthy story jumped to quent statement issued by the Socialist Party. It seems this question is raised, the motion of line. On May 11 he told a news an inside page. that while Thomas has long since made up his mind on scourge of unemployment. The would have carried. The vote was conference that the question of The pin-striped State Department spokesmen and There is method and calculation in this contrasting the question of the pact and is using his prestige as the Oil Workers’ appeal to all unions scarcely a defeat for Franco; diplomatic missions was “of no the multi-starred Big Brass were not the only distin­ treatment of Thomas and Dobbs by the capitalist politi­ most prominent figure of the SP to swing support to to join mow in the fight for it showed only that the trend in real importance at all.” guished figures who beat the drums for the North A t­ cians and press. It is not that they consider Thomas a the pact, there is still some unresolved doubt on the shorter hours, should win whole­ the UN is developing in his fa ­ What IS important for WaS lantic Pact at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee more significant and influential figure, for they are well question in what is left of the SP ranks. The SP Nation­ hearted support. It should be­ vor, even if the big powers feel Street’s plans, Acheson admitted, hearings. The capitalist press was pleased to note and aware that the Socialist Party has degenerated into a al Committee, at last report, was being polled on the come a starting point for a na­ it is still premature for them to “is what can be done to bring report at length the appearance of Norman Thomas, small sect, rapidly disintegrating and even now seeking question. tional campaign,, to safeguard openly embrace Spanish fascism. Spain into the community of free, leader of the Socialist' Party, who also counseled the final dissolution in some “broader” body like the Social- As on most other issues, Thomas expressed “critical” remaining jobs, and restore em­ Washington and London pull­ nations in Europe in both the Senate to ratify the greatest military alliance in history. Democratic Federation where they can keep their “so­ support of the pact, which means he urged the Senate ployment to five million victims ed the strings for Franco behind economic and the defense fields,” the scenes, while U. S. delegate to make it a full partner in the Not that the'Senate needs any special urging, since cialism” completely anonymous. to ratify the pact, but to do so in a fashion that would of present layoffs. Warren Austin abstained at the anti-Soviet bloc. “None of then? it is generally recognized that the hearings are a mere blur and conceal its real aims and make it more easy Assembly, and British delegate (the Western European nations) formality and the anticipated ratification of the pact by They Need“ Socialist” Label to palm it off on the people as a pact for “peace” and Next Week: Hector McNeill sanctimoniously say, nor do we say,” Acheson un* the Senate will be a simple rubber-stamp. But that did What the sponsors of the Atlantic Pact want is to “democracy“ and even “socialism.” t voted “no.” But the real truth of derlined, “that Spain, which has be able to represent this Washington-dominated military The failure to ratify the pact, he said, “might be a Paul Blanshard’s new book, not prevent the Senate committee members from ac­ the situation was exposed in sud­ never been a full-flowered dem­ cording Thomas a cordial welcome and treating him alliance to the peoples of other countries not merely as tremendous jolt to governments and parties in Europe on American Freedom and Catho­ den wrath by the Bolivian dele­ ocracy, must become so.” 2£~. the product of the American financiers and monopolists, the which the hope of democracy depends.” A t the same lic Power, which is under with the elaborate courtesy they reserve only for those gate, infuriated by his lack of Acheson still hopes that Fran­ but as, the program even of the “socialist” movement in time, he warned of “dangers” — namely, the building attack by the capitalist press, who loyally support the program of American imperial­ support from the big powers. co may first yield one little token ism. America. The endorsement of the pact by Norman up of a network of military machines everywhere “ in­ will be analyzed by A rt Preis. satiably crying for more; the danger of aggravating “Some people here express reform, so that the “democratic? To them, Thomas speaks for “socialism” and they Thomas, they hope, will serve that purpose. * » * rather than minimizing the armaments race without a amazement that, four small Latin- imperialists will not be complete­ are not at all averse to having a “socialist” label at­ Nowhere in Europe, including the western pact coun­ Home of the Brave, the new compensating guarantee of that precarious thing — American countries dare to pro­ ly exposed before the workers of tached to the pact, along with other misleading tags tries, do the capitalists dare to speak in their own name. film on race discrimination, is pose this resolution,” he shouted. the world. - • s military security.” like “democracy” and “peace.” The imperialist politicians abroad long ‘since have been reviewed by Paul Schapiro. “But it is not we who have I f Franco still refuses to save- forced to appeal to the workers through the mouths of What “ Critical Support” Means # * * changed. It is you, the great pow­ Wall Street’s face, then perhaps, Treatment of Thomas and Dobbs the so-called “socialists” and, when necessary, even ers, the United States and the he must wait for further aid. The through the so-called “communists” of the Stalinist par­ And so, Thomps appealed to the attentive Senators “One Year of the French RDR — A Case History in United Kingdom, who set the Chase National Bank has already, Both the friendly reception of the Senators and the ties. The popular hostility to American imperialism and to surround the pact with certain safeguards. He urged policy. . . There is a new political Centrism” by Pierre Frank loaned him 25 million dollars* warm praise of the daily press for Thomas were in all its works is so great in Europe that the rulers of them to “steadfastly oppose” the entry of Fascist Spain wind blowing in the world, and But the big bait — a $1,250,000¿£ traces the development of a sharp contrast to the treatment accorded the spokesman the pact countries are having the greatest difficulty into the pact; not to use the pact to furnish moral or we have only dared to take notice 000 loan through the Export-ínu group that started out as “in­ for genuine socialism, Farrell Dobbs, National Chairman “selling” their military alliance with Wall Street’s gov­ economic aid “to the wretched colonial wars” in Indo­ of it,” port Bank — was postponed on dependent thinkers” and ended of the Socialist Workers Party, who vigorously de­ ernment to the masses. But who would be suspicious of nesia and Indo-China; to declare that the result of the Not one of the capitalist papers the day of the UN vote. ■ nounced the pact. The Senators rudely interiupted Dobbs’ such an alliance when it has the endorsement of the pact must be to reduce armaments; and for the United up in Wall Street’s camp. * * * that I have read, reported this Washington says there is “still answers to their few questions and could not dismiss American “labor movement,” that is, the top union States to appeal for an end to the armaments race “under revealing outburst. They pretend some possibility” that the lpari him from the stand fast enough. While Thomas rated bureaucrats, and even of the American “socialist move­ effective international controls.” Send to The Militant for that the vote was a “victory” for will be granted. Like diplomatic front-page headlines and a large photograph in the ment,” that is, Norman Thomas? Now, of course, no Senator embarrassed Thomas by extra copies. Only 8c. each in liberalism. But the facts prove it recognition, this financial sup­ N. Y. Times for giving his “socialist” blessings to the True enough, Thomas was speaking to the Senate asking him if they eliminated from the pact all dictator- bundles of five or more. was only a tactical stage in the port is only deferred for a more imperialist war pact, 'Dobbs was “covered” by one sen­ hearing as a private individual, according to a subse­ (Continued on page 3) cold war against the USSR. favorable time. Page Tw o THE MILITANT Monday, May 23, 1949 Labor Union Trends Pay Tribute to Slain Organizer FORD STRIKE AND THE Branches Go Over Top “FOURTH WADE ROUND” In $7500 Fund Drive By Reha Aubrey By Bert Cochran Campaign Manager Tlie poor Htate of health of the tions would be up for solution be­ On April 4 the Militant'Fund SCOREBOARD FOR MILITANT FOND H it), as ° f labor unions in gen­ fore very long. Than which no campaign was publicly announced Branch Quota Paid Percent eral, is nowhere so well illustrated greater calamity can be con­ by James P. Cannon, National Morgantown S 25 S 45 180 afe in the sorry spectacle of what ceived by Murray and Green. So Secretary of the Socialist Work­ Seattle 50 75 150 iO euphemistically called “the they connived around to split up ers Party. In his article he re­ New Haven 35 48 137 right for a fourth wage round.” the working class into a lot of ported that the National Com­ Newark 250 280 111 A fte r all, unions may engage in craft and industry and corpora­ mittee, after consultation with the party branches, had promised Milwaukee 150 158 105 this or that activity, but they are tion divisions and make sure that Akron $7,500 to The Militant by May 15 200 205 103 ptfflt&rily in business to safe­ never again would they be con­ Flint and stated confidently that the 200 202 101 guard and improve the living fronted with millions of workers Allentown 25 promise would be kept. 25 100 standards and shop conditions of simultaneously hitting the bricks. Baltimore He said: “We know for sure 100 100 100 tlie-workers. On this front,'the Murray signed a contract with Boston 150 150 that the Trotskyist vanguard of 100 CIO is not moving forward or the steel corporations in 1946 Buffalo the American Revolution, whose 500 500 100 even holding its own. It is slip­ which contained the joker of a Chicago 250 100 members have been educated and 250 ping backward. two-year clause. By this clever Cleveland 100 inspired by The Militant, will not 150 150 The old tradition of the A PL little device, the steel union was Detroit 500 500 100 let The Militant down. . . . This in wage negotiations was based taken out of the running in the Los Angeles 600 600 100 conviction enables me to conclude oh the principle of every local 1947 wage fight. Reuther, who Lynn 50 50 100 this announcement of the cam­ for itself and the devil take the along with other talents also in­ Out on a four-hour work stoppage, members of the International Ladies Garment Workers Minneapolis 400 400 100 paign with the confident predic­ hihdmost. It waS a commonplace cludes that of a “theoretician,” Union walk in silent tribute behind the coffin of 40-year old William Lurye, ILGWU organizer New Britain 50 50 100 tion: The promised fund of $7,- for a craft to reach a settlement worked up a fancy thesis that in who was stabbed in a phone booth in New York’s garment district. New York 2,000 2,000 100 500 will be paid on the line and with the employer without any auto, as distinct from steel or Philadelphia 400 400 100 the regular appearance of The reference to, and often at the ex­ coai, the only correct strategy is year by submitting their demand this summer. The rank and file, dealers are stocked up with the Pittsburgh 100 100 100 Militant will be assured.” pense of, the other crafts involved. to strike the companies “one-at- for a 10-cent wage increase at for understandable reasons, were new models, nobody knows. Reading 50 50 100 Agreements, by and large, were This prediction has been ful­ a-time.” As if this wasn’t suf­ the American Woolen Company little impressed with the fancy Strikes are not of much use, even Rochester 25 25 100 local in character and little filled to the letter by the rank ficient, he emulated Murray by to arbitration. The arbitrator, in lists of wage, pension and con­ if led by Reuther personally, if St. Louis 50 50 100 and file of the movement. effort was made to coordinate signing last year a two-year con­ his wisdom, ruled that the union tract demands drawn up by their tlie Ford Company doesn’t need St. Paul 200 200 100 On May 15 the campaign ter­ negotiations of locals, even among tract with General Motors. was not entitled to any increase. leaders and did not have too much cars. San Francisco-Oakland 500 600 100 minated and in this issue we print riierhbers of one international The geniuses that lead this out­ faith in the final results. Relying If we consider the Ford strike Toledo 50 100 BITTER RESULTS the final scoreboard with a total 50 union. fit thereupon decided to drop the on their own observations, they only from the point of view of Worcester 25 25 100 This atomization of the work­ of $7,585. This victory proves Naturally, under this type of fight for wage increases for 65,- were, in the first instance, con­ the fourth wage round, it is Youngstown 300 300 100 onde again that faith in the mem­ Unionism, craft divisions and ing class — with malice afore­ 000 workers in woolen and worst- cerned with threatening unem­ obvious that its outcome may well General 97 84 bers, friends and sympathizers 116 jealousies were more prevalent thought — has borne its bitter ed’mills as well as 100,000 others ployment, the layoffs and the determine what workers, will win of the SWP is well founded. The than labor solidarity and only the fruit. The subsequent wage settle­ Working in cotton textiles. speedup. This anxiety, and their in other major industries. The Total $7,500 $7,585 101 triumphant conclusion of fhe skilled workers managed to secure ments describe a sharply down­ Shortly thereafter the leaders feeling that union leaders did not concessions gained by any group campaign is all the more inspir­ some benefits, generally at the ward graph, although after the of the Amalgamated Clothing have the answers, expressed it­ of workers from the capitalists ing because of the considerable collections during the course of made regular payments on their expense of the broad mass of OPA was abolished in 1946, prices Workers decided to do the self in a series of widespread depend on the relationship of unemployment and partial em­ the campaign, but every single Militant bundle and literature unskilled and semi-skilled. and profits shot up higher and “statesmanlike” thing and forego strikes in the auto industry over power, not on hot-shot strategy, ployment which affected mem­ one of them rallied toward the acoounts. The CIO in its heroic days faster than during the war. In any fight for a fourth wage round the question of speedup — now or who can reel off more statistics bers of the organization through­ end and came through on time. Morgantown writes: “We feel changed all of that. It cut through 19 »6 the wage settlement was in view of “unsettled” business ¡climaxed by the big walkout at or talk fastest at the! negotiating out the country. Akron, for example, which was that we have expanded in mem­ all of the craft and jurisdictional .18-1/, cents. In 1947 the wage ¡conditions. Many A FL leaders 'Ford. table. Sometimes this test of Every city on the scoreboard toward the bottom of the score- bership and stability to the rivalries and organized workers settlement declined to roughly 16 ¡resolved to save themselves the From the point of view of strength is made by a number of fulfilled its quota 100% or better. hoard for a long time, took a degree of maintaining a monthly from the tool and die workers cents. In 1948, the grand prece­ headache of a tough wage battle Reuther, Mazey and the other pressure moves back and forth. Only the “General” quota of $115, sudden leap and then, pn May 14, payment to the national Sustain­ right down to the sweepers, all dent of a national pattern was by a similar display of states­ U A \V leaders, the Ford strike is Sometimes the test of strength assigned to miscellaneous con­ sent in its final payment with a ing Fund, beginning with May. eftjoying equal rights within the all but effaced and unions signed manship. The Ladies Garment very unfortunate and interferes can only be determined by a tributions, fell behind the goal by note from S. H. saying: “Enclosed If we are successful in maintain­ union. Out of the pioneering CIO up for 13, 11, 10, 9 ccnts^ and in leaders in St. Louis postponed with their wage “strategV.” To strike. But invariably, the rela­ $13; but this was more than made check puts us $5 over the top. ing this, we will increase it Struggles came corporation-wide the case of smaller locals, for wage talks for six months be­ their way of thinking, speedup tive strength of labor in relation up , by branches which exceeded I ’ll never know how we did it.” later.” and industry-wide agreements. At even less. Tn this same ^ear, the cause of “uncertainty over the is a side issue. For a year they to capital determines the size or their quotas. Buffalo, which was at 49% as Seattle added to its final pay­ lobg last, bargaining between mighty CIO permitted one of its business outlook.” The Carpent­ followed a calculated policy of the absence of concessions. Because of local difficulties, late as May 3, says: “We are ment on the quota a substantial labor and capital was taken out striking affiliates, the Packing­ ers District Council of Cleveland pooh-poohing it and squelching I f this law of the class strug­ several of the branches lagged in very happy to send the enclosed, remittance for literature. Of the picayune and local scale house union, to be starved and voted to forget about wage in­ all strikes that erupted over the gle is correct —and all experience our final payment on the M ili­ Grace Carlson writes: “I am and assumed the massive and slugged into submission, while creases in 1949 “if the rest of the question. Their idea was to side­ attests to it — then the decision tant Fund, which fulfills our enclosing a check which com­ Weighty character of a national the other unions stood around, unions go along.” track all this “small stuff” in of the Ford workers to strike pledge.” pletes Minneapolis’ Militant tug-of-war between the two basic without lifting a helping hand. With the union leaders in re­ now, obviously constitutes a favor of the big negotiations Favorable Press M. Baker of Detroit sent a Fund quota. We are very glad to classes of modern society. The 1949 wage picture illus­ treat, smaller locals are scram­ with Ford this summer, where superior strategy than the over­ partial payment last week, note in the latest M ilitant that This general trend reached its trates how badly the high-paid bling around settling for what­ they hoped to set the pattern for elaborate scheme concocted by assuring us: “There is no doubt the fund is moving along well. high point after the war in the union officials have messed things ever they can get. A survey in the the industry. Reuther. The business community Comment on Case that the Detroit quota will be We certainly hope that all of the 1946 wage fight. Spurred on by up. In the two and a half years May 20 U. S. News reports that But the Ford workers didn’t appraises the struggle in the collected in full, as in the old branches will put on a spurt and ' the head-strong behavior of the since the first quarter of 1946, out of 102 settlements in the think very much of this “stra­ same way. John W. Love, busi­ Of Purge Victim tradition of Trotskyist cam­ finish on time. This would be a corporations, one sector of the corporation profits have risen by chemical industry, 70 were for tegy.” First, as they watched the ness columnist of the Cleveland paigns. The comrades "here have good morale-builder.” working class after another 138%, while the total wage and increases of 10 cents an hour or company speeding up the lines In recent weeks James Butch­ Press writes: “The winner of the been making a very serious ef­ We feel confident that the sen­ struck, until the capitalist class salary bill has risen by 42%. In less and 7 were for no increases. and laying off workers, they be­ technical argument in the ‘B’ er's fight for reinstatement has fort to keep all obligations paid timent voiced by Comrade Carl­ was face to face with, what for the same period prices have risen In public utilities, AFL unions came concerned first of all with building at Dearborn will decide received support from a num­ .up. gs. promptly as., ppssible, in son is echoed in all the branches. all practical purposes, was a gen­ to such an extent that a better signed up for wage increases the securjty of their jobs. From ber of publications representing the terms of the settlement of view of the maViy $ceni^ifi$- TRe^flriai scoreboard is-Sri elo­ eral strike. These strikes — shat­ than 20% wage increase is now ranging from 6 to ll-l/> cents. their point of view, speedup and significant bodies of public the pensions and wage demands.” offs.” A few days later, the quent reply. tering all precedents — forced required merely to get back to In apparel, out of 43 agreements, working conditions were not side Love is right. And because he is o p in io n . The ADA World, official organ balance of Detroit’s quota came The hard-working staff of The through what amounted to a the 1946 standard of living. 22 were for raises of 6 cents or issues at all, but, as the resolu­ right, labor everywhere must of the Americans for Democratic in the mail. M ilitant asks us to express its national wage settlement. In the face of this the labor less and 6 gave no raises. tion of the National Ford Council view the Ford strike as — for the Action, reported in its April 20 The successful finish of the appreciation to all the friends of But the 1946 strike wave leaders have simply been flunk­ This is the somewhat less-than- stated, were to be considered of present — the decisive test of issue that the ADA National Militant Fund campaign was the paper and members of the frightened the labor leaders even ing out. The first big union in­ inspiring background upon which equal importance with the wage strength between capital and enhanced by the fact that most Socialist Workers Party for their Worse than it did the capitalists. volved in wage discussions was the big industrial unions in steel, and contract demands. Besides, labor, and viewing it so, cannot Board had adopted a resolution defending Butcher. The Board of the branches kept up to date wonderful demonstration of soli­ They saw that if the labor unions the CIO Textile Workers. The auto, electrical, rubber were pre­ Ford needs cars very badly right permit this struggle to end in said it was “the intent of A D A ’s on their Sustaining Fund, and darity and support. continued on this tack, some Textile leaders started the ball paring to enter upon their nego­ now. What the situation will be any way but as a decisive victory policy on the loyalty program” jjretty fundamental social ques- rolling in the early part of this tiations for a fourth wage round a few months hence when the for the union. to include such a case as Butch­ er’s. The Newark Jewish Ledger of TUS MILITANT ARMY April IS, which has a considerable FBI Stool pigeons on Parade at CP Trial circulation throughout Butcher’s mediately following the war. home state of New Jersey, carried Another increase in the bundle However, it’s not nearly as (Continued from Page 1) stealing Stalinist documents and FBI. He told about a summer then returned it to the party instruments for the perpetration a full-page interview with the order for Los Angeles came this week from Literature Agent Bert tough as in the pre-war days. spent the last seven years as a membership lists and boasted he school held on an Ohio farm, files. of a conspiracy.” A horrendous legless veteran by its editor, Deck. “The Militant Ask any of the old-timers! professional photographer and as had received several raises in which everybody knows is strictly Such are the stoolpigeons and tale of the alleged “conspiracy” Simon Bloom. Bloom tells how he is selling well,” he Literature Agent Natalie ■ a professional informer working pay from the FBI. un - American because right- provocateurs testifying in sup­ has since poured from the lips of first saw Butcher when he was writes, “and we hope Smolen of New Haven reports : inside the CP, which she joined William Cummings works for thinking people prefer to spend port of the indictment charging the FB I spies. recuperating in the Beth Israel to be able to make that “We are now hitting shop JÔt the request of the FBI. the Electric Auto-Lite Co. in the summer in the hot city. the Stalinists with conspiracy to Hospital from the latest opera­ As they tell it, the Stalinists gates and union meetings. Sales Hoover’s thought - control cops Toledo and belongs to the UAW . John V. Blanc of Euclid, Ohio, “publish and circulate books, tion on his stumps. “I had heard another increase in were to concentrate in the war are small but everything helps.” gave her $50 to contribute to the In 1943 the F B I planted him in a suburb of Cleveland, works at articles, magazines and news­ about the Butcher case, but like our bundle soon.” industries, run secret schools to The Los Angeles She suggests that from time to C P defense fund. She induced a the CP where Jie was pushed the Park Drop Forge Co. as an papers” and to “conduct schools the average American had not teach “violent revolution,” and if Local of the Social­ time, we print the box that used former member to rejoin the CP into prominence as a Negro ac­ inspector and is a member of the and classes for the study of the gotten aroused over it. And all war came, go underground, turn ist Workers Party to appear in The Militant listing and then reported him to the tivist. Cummings became vice- UAW . He first belonged to the principles of Marxism-Leninism, of a sudden I was shocked out of the imperialist war into civil war is trying out regular key points of our program. In FBI. chairman and organization direc­ CP in 1934-36, dropped out, then in which would be taught and my complacency.” He had mis­ and holler for help from the Red sales at union meet- her. opinion this “would help r . Thomas A. Younglove, a St. tor of the Lucas county CP, a rejoined in 1944. A short time advocated the duty and necessity taken Butcher’s artificial legs and Army. Cummings outdid all the _ ings and other singlepublic copy buyers to want a sub Louis cement contractor, joined member- of the Ohio state com- later the FB I called on him and of overthrowing the government canes for golf bags and clubs! other stoolpigeons with his wild gatherings. “Ruth to such a paper.” This was one the CP in 1945 as a police stool- niittee and was sent to a regional he too became an informer. He of the United States by force and “Then is when I really felt for story of plans to make the streets N. and Helen W. covered a meet­ of the features we were forced to pigeon. Younglove- seemed the school in Chicago, which the attended the 1946 U A W conven­ violence.” the first time this man had been of America “run red with blood.” ing where Johannes Steele spoke. sacrifice when mounting printing piost dull-witted of all the gov­ prosecutor had him tell the jury tion in the dual capacity of a At the start of the trial the given a dirty deal,” wrote Bloom. t The jurors, at whom these They sold ten Militants,, two costs compelled us to reduce The ernment witnesses, fumbling for was “held above a Russian co­ delegate from his local union and prosecutor falsely described “ Here is a man who has given police interpretations of political copies of the Fourth International Militant from six pages to four. the answer to simple questions operative restaurant.” a police spy. Marxism-Leninism to the jury two legs to his country, and now theory are aimed, brought with and a copy of the pamphlet, So­ Comrade Smolen also thinks that With the awkwardness of an ox­ Cummings recruited several Blanc passed himself off as a as a doctrine of unrestrained the country, in effect, tells him them to the jury box their own cialism on Trial.” Results at the a pamphlet on unemployment cart lumbering over rough relatives and acquaintances into hot-shot party recruiter, often violence that called for the he doesn’t have a ‘leg to stand individual prejudices, induced by Teamsters Building have been would meet with a favorable ground. But he was good at the CP and reported them to the turning in phoney names, but physical extermination of all op­ on.’ Is that right? Is that fair, limited political knowledge and encouraging. On her first try response. also signing up “between 35 and ponents, He compounded the ip that American Justice? hardened by the- hysterical propa­ Ruth sold one copy of the paper; L. B. Courts of Sharonville, 50 real people,” including his falsehood by calling the* Stalin-: i The spring number of the ganda of the press-, radio and the next week she sold four, Ohio, sending in for some pamph­ brother-in-law. He liked to get ists advocates of Marxism- Workers Defense League Bul­ Catholic hierarchy. In this at­ “practically holding an outdoor lets* explains that it is difficult up at party meetings and lecture Leninism, when in reality they letin notes that Butcher’s fight mosphere of trial by frameup “has aroused nation-wide inter­ meeting for ten Teamsters while for him to contribute to the the membership for their laxity have betrayed everything Marx POLITICALLY and prejudice, the magnificent est. . - Butcher is challenging she was at it.” financial campaign as he is now in recruitment. But he didn’t tell and Lenin stood for. concepts of scientific socialism the right of the Administration To judge from the rising curve 78 years old and hasn’t “made them that the people he recruited Then the prosecutor put the are under police attack, with Stal­ in Washington to deprive him of of the Los Angeles bundle order, any money for five years.” A were reported to the FBI. Stalinist renegade Louis F. inist betrayers of Marxism in the his job, and he has asked for a distributing The Militant regu- Socialist for 40 years, he is still Charles W. Nicodemus works at Budenz on the witness stand, the IMPORTANT prisoners dock, and freedom of public hearing, both for himself laily at key places is an effective opposed to imperialist war and the Ceianese Corporation plant judge qualified Budenz as an Are you doing everything you can to hasten the victory thought at stake in the verdict. and his party.” way to win friends and influence considers parents who “send their in Cumberland, Maryland and is “expert,” and he proceeded to lay The capitalist rulers of America The Workers Defense League- people. own sons to the mouth of the of socialism in America? a member of the CIO Textile the foundation for the frameup don’t really consider the Stalin­ supports this demand and sug­ A few weeks ago, writes cannon” as bad as the people of Have you introduced The M ilitant to your friends and Workers Union. He joined the of scientific socialism. ists a threat. They know the gests that its members write let­ Literature Agent Rena Breshi, Baal who “put their children on shopmates sc that they can learn the truth about the socialist CP in 1937 and dropped out in Quotations from the Com­ Communist Party is weak and ters to Attorney General Tom the Boston comrades covered a fire and then danced around the program for enduring peace, unlimited plenty and boundless 1946. Last year he pleaded guilty munist Manifesto, written by Clark, asking that Butcher be widely discredited; they also know Wallace meeting. “We sold seven metal god to drown their progress ? in a Pittsburgh court to a charge Marx and Engels, and from granted a hearing and restored that the Stalinists are not guilty copies of Socialism on Trial and screams.” There’s no task of greater political importance today than of carrying concealed weapons. Lenir’s State and Revolution were to his job. “Government action of the charges in the indictment; several copies of The Militant. N. M. of South Gate, Calif., Then he was visited by an FBI torn out of context and presented such as that taken on the Butcher widening the circle of M ilitant readers. Every new reader and they know full well they can Considering the opposition of sending in a change of address, agent to whom he gave two sign­ to the jury in a manner that case constitutes a serious danger means another potential sower of socialist ideas in the work­ buy the lickspittle services of the the Stalinists, we thought this tells us that he has been “en­ ed statements against the CP. completely distorted the real to civil liberties,” the article ing class. That’s why The Militant can be regarded as the CP leaders anytime they want to, quite good.” Boston has also been joying reading the paper for some Thereafter he was found not meaning of the Marxist program. warns. working house to house for time now” and that he hopes to best organizer of the socialist movement. • simply by making a deal with The Socialist Call for May 13 guilty of the concealed weapons These mutilated quotations form­ renewals on expired subscriptions continue receiving it without But The M ilitant can’t introduce itself to new possible Stalin. devotes its editorial section to an charge. ed part of a broad analysis of but has found it slower going missing any issues. Which re­ supporters of socialism. Your help Is needed to bring The Yet the capitalist government attack upon Attorney General Nicodemus testified that hg got the need for the majority to than a few years ago. -Other minds us that many of our sub­ M ilitant to the attention of workers who have not yet learned is using every known police trick Clark’s undemocratic political it ^straight from the Maryland defend itself against acts of branches report a similar ex­ scribers forget to notify us in about the socialist alternative to the misery, fear, insecurity in an effort to get a conviction, blacklist. CP organizer that 600,000 Red violence by the minority ruling perience. It requires more time time when they move. To make and bloodshed of capitalism. because they want to use the dis­ Army troops were poised in class in periods of great social and perseverance to get subscrip­ sure you get The Militant credited Stalinists as whipping Why not take out a subscription for a friend who should Siberia, itching for a chance to change. San Francisco-Oakland tions than in the flush days im- regularly, let us know what your be reading The Militant? M’ail the coupon with $1 for a six jump over to Alaska and rush But the “expert” Budenz defined boys to achieve their real aim, new address will be several weeks which is to outlaw the movement Marxism and the Problems months subscription or $2 for a full year to The Militant, down and wipe out Detroit. • Marxism-Leninism as “the theory of the American Workers before you move. for socialism and strangle all op­ BROOKLYN 116 University Place, New York 3, N. Y. Balmes Hidalgo, Jr., employed that society can ,be altered only Series of 9 Lectures position to the atomic war for Send The Militant to: by the Colonial Trust Co. in New by violently shattering the capi­ 3rd Lecture : Youth Forum York, joined the CP in 1946 talist state and setting up a dic­ world conquest now being pre­ Italian Publications San Francisco - Fri., May 27 THE DEVELOPMENT Name ...... after talking to the FB I. He tatorship of the proletariat by pared by American monopoly No. 5 of “4a Internazionale” 1739 Fillmore, 4th fl. ' OF GERMAN FASCISM wormed his way into the post of force and violence.” capitalism. Articles on the Agrarian Ques­ financial secretary of his party The judge admitted writings of That is why, traitors though Oakland - Tues., May 31 Speaker: Sam Laurence tion in Italy, and on the role unit, sneaked the record book of Marx, Engels and Lenin in they are to the working class, 1408 Webster 635 Fulton Street of the Italian Social Democ­ membership dues payments to evidence, cynically describing the Stalinists on trial here at Admission Free - 8:00 PM Fri., May 27 - 8:30 PM racy. Price 25 Cents. the F B I for photostating and these literary classics as “ mere Foley Square must be defended. Refreshments Admission Free PIONEER PUBLISHERS Pa»e Three Negro Life in the South-An Honest Report

IN TH E LAND OF JIM CROW by Ray Sprigle, Simon and Schuster,® 1949, 215 pp., $2.50. By J. Meyer The author of this book is a set out to do, that he cannot do. “The bourgeoisie of a number of civilized countries has successful journalist, a Pulitzer What he does convey is the ex­ International Solidarity already shown and is continuing to show how, in case of in­ prize-winner, a trained, honest ternal circumstances, what every ternal danger, it changes without much ado the parliamentary and acute observer, and a white Negro meets every day, and has form of its rule for an authoritarian, dictatorial, Bonapartist man. He pretended to be a Negro to deal with, or come to sudden or a fascist form. It w ill make the change that much faster and travelled as one in the South and violent death. For Canadian Strikers and more decisively in time of war when both internal and in order to experience for himself That is the primary reality. external dangers w ill threaten its basic class interests with TORONTO, Canada, May 2 — Captain Bligh - inspired Canada escorted 176 scabs to- man what it feels like to be a Negro To try to quote, to give exkm The Canadian East Coast sea­ Shipping Act upon their return Canadian National Steamship ten-fold force. Under these conditions the support by a in that section of our American workers’ party of 'its’ national imperialism for, the sake of pies, would do precisely what men’s strike, moving into its fifth to Canada. This shameless act in vessels that had been struck. democracy. It was not difficult a fragile democratic shell means the renunciation of an in­ other books have done, and thus week and spreading into all the support of the shipping moguls Or.ce on board, the scabs, armed because many whites are darker dependent policy and the chauvinistic demoralization of the give the impression that such and major ports in the world, is meet­ is only the latest in a whole to the teeth, fired upon CSU than many thousands of light- workers, that is, the destruction of the only factor which can such an act of violence is some­ ing with an unprecedented police, series of moves by the govern­ pickets, blasting out the right skinned Negroes. save humanity, from disaster.” thing that happens “very often” police court and government ment agencies which should end eye of one seaman, sending an­ With a Negro to help him TROTSKY — Leon Trotsky, War and the Fourth International, 1934. LENIN in the South, “more often,” terror. But despite injunctions, for all time the myth of govern­ other to the hospital in serious and to introduce him to other “much more often” than_ in the court sentences, police-scab hooli­ ment im partiality and which condition and injuring another Negroes, he claims that only North. This illusion is what ganism and government incite­ clearly reveal the class rtature five. once was his racial identity Sprigle’s book destroys. I give ments, (he seamen are holding of the capitalist state. Ih e strike broke out following challenged. The present reviewer only- one quotation, not of any fast and winning increasing sup­ In both Quebec and Montreal, a government conciliation board’s What Shall Labor Do Now? must take leave to doubt that he incident, but of his conclusions. port in inspiring demonstrations striking seamen have been served recommendation that would mean got away with it among the “. . . Every Negro in the South, of solidarity from the world work­ with court injunctions forcing a $20 a month pay cut and the The current United Mine Workers Journal condition that it be altered to authorize gov­ Negroes, as completely as he no matter what his station in life, ing class. them to quit their' ships. A t St. elimination of the union hiring correctly denounces the top A F L and C IO ernment strikebreaking by plant seizure in­ thinks he did. Negroes are very his accomplishments, his posses­ Latest move in Ottawa’s at­ John, New Brunswick, the police hall. Leading the shipping own­ leaders for their “sell-out of labor’s' fight" stead of by injunctions. alert on such questions — they sions, his college degrees or his tempt to crush the m ilitant sea­ in a carefully timed and planned ers, at the head of the pack, is against the Taft-H artley Act. Their role have to be. But they also have services to humanity, lives men and sweep the Canadian Sea­ sally and brandishing axe handles the government-owned Canadian How far and fast the Trumanite 1 union learned to observe and say during the recent House debate and action dangerously every moment of,his mens Union (Trade and Labor swept down on a small and peace­ National Steamship Line. Ottawa -leaders have retreated is indicated by Louis nothing on a number of ques­ life. Particularly is that (rue on labor legislation was one of the most Congress, A FL ) from the scene ful picket line to smash the way it> solidly behind the strike­ Stark’s story ih the M ay 13 N . Y. Times tions. Yet there is no need to when he ventures outside his own Was a joint statement from clear for scabs to get through and breaking CNS. shameful in American labor history. doubt that in general he spoke, observing that Truman, at least in his public community. ’I f he is black, then Transport Minister Chevrier and man two struck ships. Working hand in glove with and more important, was spoken More details have come to light of how utterances, has "placed himself to the left of he is fair game for any white Labor Minister Mitchell threaten­ On April 8 the Minister of the shipping magnates and the to as a Negro, by other Negroes. these self-styled “labor statesmen” secretly man — especially if that white ing the seamen, who are answer­ Transport stated in the House capitalist government, the A F L President W illiam Green of the A F L ” on the In regard to the whites, that he man wears a badge and carries ing the strike call in the world’s that “no one was dangerously bureaucracy is hiring the scabs lobbied for the Sims Bill, including its in­ question: of labor legislation. Truman declar­ kept company with Negroes was a club and gun!” (P. 104.) ports, with persecution under the hurt” at Halifax when police and gracing them with member­ junction section, while they publicly claimed ed himself “ 100 per cent” against "com­ enough. Every Negro in the South ship cards of the Seafarers’ In ­ Secondly., he could not possibly to oppose this Taft-Harteyized substitute for promise” — a cheap gesture in view of the knows this. This is where his ternational Union. Joseph Ryan, experience the feelings of a the Taft-Hartley Act. fact that his colleagues in Congress are life BEGINS. Therefore to relate boss of the International Long* Negro. He did not have the past, Thus, the C IO and A F L officials have not taking the responsibility for pushing the incidents gives a totally false shoremen’s Association (A F L ), the years of conditioning. And, dared to deny the report in the M ay 16 New impression. Negroes are shot Workers Forum has warned longshoremen at St. measures like tjhe Sims Bill. more important, he did not have, down and quietly lynched in the John that unless aid to the CSU Republic magazine that “lobbyists for the The question before organized labor is the future of a Negro in the South in numbers that no stati­ a plan that would make the Taft- strikers is stopped the local will South. He was there only for a What Brass Hats majority of C IO unions, including the United what to do now* Here, for all its denunciation stician reckons. But lynchings or Hartley Act seem, in comparison, lose its charter. month. He was going to get out. Steelworkers, the Textile Workers’ Union, of the Trumanite union leaders, the United murders in the South are not 20 Plan for U. S. Labor like a friendly gesture to labor. Trades and Labor Congress of­ In one sense it made him more the United Auto Workers and the national Mine Workersi Journal is woefully silent. times one murder in the North. Editor: P. C , ficials, who are facing continued acute, more sensitive, but on the In the North, murder even for An indication of what high- New York City attempts on the part of the Wil­ C IO organization urged every Representa­ John L. Lewis has no more answer than those s surface only. The deep, per­ a Negro is, on the whole, an ex­ ranking m ilitary officers have in liam Green hierarchy to destroy tive they could reach to vote FOR Sims’ he denounces. We offers no program of united manent, fundamental disruption ception to the underlying pattern mind for the workers of this Canadian trade union autonomy, substitute measure as the least of the evils. labor action. of the Negro’s personality, such Rent Hearings Set of existence. In the South it is country in the next war was given have been strangely silent about for instance is insisted upon The A F L ’s chief legislative representative, For the answer to what to do next, the not. You can turn a corner, and this week when Col. George A. For Chicago June 1 this assault on one of their a f­ by a writer like Richard Wright, Lewis Hines, stayed away from the (House) American workers must turn to the program meet it by bouncing into a white Harvey of the Army in a lecture Editor: filiates. They thereby aid the boss, TH A T he could not experience. cloakrooms during the fight over the Sims proposed by the Detroit CIO, as reported on man or his wife. to business executives and reserve Hearings to prove that rent attempt to mask the strike as a No intellectual going into a fac­ officers in New York urged a increases should take place in jurisdictional struggle between b ill” — ^ case of silence bidding consent. Page One. The heart of this program is the tory for three months can ever Other books do not express vicious three-point program for Chicago will begin June 1. The two unions. The Canadian Con­ The net result of this snivelling policy of proposal for a 24-hour national work stop­ know what it is to have been on this. You can read all of Gunnar regimenting labor. His recom­ hearings were initiated by the gress of Labor (CIO ) bureaucracy the assembly line tfor 15 years Myrdal’s statistics and notes and "compromise” and retreat was not a victory page. mendations were: landlord representatives on the has made no protests, no doubt and to have no other prospect in observations and not grasp this for the “lesser evil” but the retention of the Here is a call to militant mass labor action 1. Freeze individuals in their Cook County Rent Advisory traitorously justifying its silence life but to continue to be on it basic fact. The Southern Negro jobs. 2. “Prevent the use of Board, which consists of repre­ Taft-H artley Act, the emboldening of the that holds the key to a successful fight for with the observation that the until death. does not refer to the Mason and wages for recruiting of labor.” sentatives of tenants, landlords, CSU is Stalinist-dominated. avowed labor-haters in Congress and the pre­ labor’s legislative program, particularly re­ The author is not a political Dixon line, he calls it the Smith 3. Make every employer, includ­ and the public. Its purpose is to But despite the treachery of paration of the Truman Democrats to make peal of the Taft-H artley Act. If every union writer. Such politics as appear and Wesson line. Between murder ing the government agencies, use advise Tighe Woods as to the the leaderships, news continues to still further concessions ’to the T aft-H art- local and local) labor body answers this call, are childish and can be ignored. and the daily, hourly insults and the employment agencies. state of the rental situation in flow in of increasing support to His work is newspaper journal­ brutality, the connection is con­ On the same day in Washing­ Cook County, and it has the pow­ leyites. passes resolutions demanding this program the heroic seamen. Shipping ism — he was on the track of a tinuous. Sprigle as is the modern ton, Dr. John R. Steelman of the er to raise or lower rents, and Now A FL President W illiam Green publicly and puts the heat on the top union leaders bosses have issued instructions good story, but the subject is a practice faithfully tries to tell National Security Resources to recommend decontrol of rents.' admits his readiness to accept a "compromise” to their captains not to tie up to put this program speedily into action, serious one, and on the whole he the experiences of sharecroppers Board, a high ranking official For a year the tenants repre­ in ports where their crews may along the lines of the Sims Bilk with the sole the picture will change over-night. has managed to overcome the and the poor. But his book is of the Truman administration, sentatives on the Rent Advisory come under the influence of sea­ temptation to dramatize. This has essentially that of a middle-class published a series of recommend­ Board have been able to prevent men and longshoremen who sup­ to be remembered because at observer who is sympathetic to ations for the mining industry a general increase in rents. The in the next war which included port the strike. timps,,a reader might feel that middle-class Negroes. And this landlord representatives have the advice that “Universal Ser- Longshoremen at St. John have Stalinist Policy on Deportations what he was reading was modern, makes his book even more effec­ been demanding hearings for ivice should be imposed in the some months, and have been reaffirmed their refusal to cross ■ high-power, high-lighted news­ tive. event of a war to control man­ helped by new directives which CSU picket lines. More than 1,- Gerhart Eisler’s flight from the United abandonment of any serious CP opposition paper business. The book should be read and power, since the Selective Service make hearings mandatory when 300 dockers at Bristol who re­ States and his seizure by the British authori- to the victimization of hundreds of other I have thought it necessary to pondered over. It places the would not be adequate.” In other an interested group demands one. fused to work struck ships re­ ties on the demand of the U. S. government foreign-born workers, many of whom have say all this, so that what I am struggle for FEPC, abolition of words — draft labor, The representatives of the turned to work only on the' going to say now will hot be poll-tax, anti-lynching bill, etc., have attracted the most publicity in. the lived most of their adult lives here and raised i Nowhere in the programs of tenants are prepared to contest promise of their leaders that scab press. But even more significant is the fact? families, who have been torn from their misunderstood. I do not believe necessary as these are, in. their either of these two officials is any increases on the specific that I have read anywhere a book proper perspective. It helps us crews would be removed. London that three other well-known Stalinists facing homes and face the threat of expulsion from there a suggestion that capital grounds that: dockers are refusing to man black­ which, in short compass and to remember what the heat of should also be drafted or that 1. The average family in Chi­ deportation — John. Santo, Ferdinand Smith the country. The agreement of Santo, Smith simply written, brings home so the daily struggle should never listed ships. Australian unions are profits as well as wages should cago is paying the highest rent glacklisting British ships under artd J. V. Peters — all .suddenly, announced and Peters to leave the country voluntarily sharply the general, daily, minute let us forget, that only a new be frozen. It shows that the ul­ of any city in the United States the Canadian flag and paying their willingness to leave the country Volun- greatly strengthens the hand of the reac- to minute life of a Negro in the society, a completed proletarian' tra-reactionary military officer except Washington, D. C. 2. On less than the Canadian basic pay. South. Not the Negro’s intimate reconstruction, carried through to caste and the Truman administra­ the basis of the 1935-39 index tarily instead of fighting their ouster through tionary government against all others facing London tug boat operators have ■feelings, his deepest responses. It the end, can make the Southern tion, which pretends to be a friend figures, Chicago bears the high­ the federal courts. deportation. refused to move out an- S IU -' ;is precisely this, which Sprigle Negro “free and equal.” of labor, are in full agreement on est percentage of rent increases manned boat. These three, unlike Eisler, had been, trying The action pf Santo and Smith strikes a in the country. 3. An overwhelm­ to remain in this country and had promised blow most directly* at the labor movement as Socialist Call Condemns ing majority of landlords have to lead the fight against deportation of for- such. Both were prominent former union already received increases of 15® M AY 17— Latest developments NORMAN THOMAS GIVES since 1947, either through leases eign-born workers. There is no doubt that leaders. In attacking them, the government Firing of Jim Kutcher in the Canadian seamen’s strike or “hardship” increases. The are marked by the continuation their decision to give up the fight was made was attempting to establish a precedent for An editorial in the May 13 Socialist Call HIS BLESSING TO PACT Tighe Woods formula will add of international solidarity, des­ attacks Attorney General Clark’s political' in accordance with official Stalinist policy similar attacks on other foreign-born union (Continued from page 1> another increase to the already pite the scabby role of the In - • blacklist system, singling out for special at the highest level — that is, Moscow. The leaders and members who, whether Stalinist ships like Portugal, Greece and Spain and all imperial­ overburdened tenants. ternational Federation of Trans­ attention the listing of the IWW as sub­ ist powers waging “ wretched colonial wars” like the The Chicago Tenants Federa­ port Workers, to which both the coincidence of this policy with the current or not, might oppose the government’s foreign versive and the purge of James Kutcher, Netherlands, France and Great Britain, just whom would tion is rallying all civic, labor, striking CSU and the strike­ developments in Washington-Kremlin rela- policy or engage in militant union activity, legless SWP veteran. Kutcher’s discharge Washington be able to make a pact with? Or what and fraternal organizations to breaking Seafarers International ¡“is a violation of his political rights tions and with the frantic attempts of the No class-conscious worker will bewail the would be the point of cementing the greatest military fight against the general rent in­ Union belong. and of the American constitution,” says Stalin regime to make some sort of deal with personal fate of these S,talinists who had many alliance in history if the aim was to appeal for disar­ crease asked by the landlords. H arry Davis,. CSU president the editorial. “We are glad the Kutcher The CIO, which is represented On American imperialism, would indicate that times sacrificed the interests of American mament? who flew to England last week case is to be brought into the federal the Cook County Rent Advisory But nobody, least of all the capitalist politicians, to address striking Canadian sea­ the way is being paved for a shift away from workers to the twists and turns of the Krem- courts, but we are distressed that such Board by Michael Mann, secre­ takes the “critical” part of Thomas’ “critical support” men, was assured by the Avon- the fake-“m ilitant” line the CP has espoused lin’s diplomacy. Now they themselve have action should be necessary.” tary of the Chicago CIO Council, seriously. What they are interested in is his “socialist” mouth dock-workers of their con­ in the recent period and back to closer col- become the latest sacrifices to the newest turn has officially stated its position endorsement, signed in his own hand-writing, on the tinued support. The Canadian ship laboration with the capitalist government. in that diplomacy. But what is of real con- blank check of the imperialist war alliance. Whatever against a general rent increase. Within the ranks of the A FL, Gulfside has been held up in In this sense, the Stalinist policy in the cern is the fate of hundreds of others who Thomas’ windy sighs and misgivings as he affixes his however, there is some difference Bristol since April 1. Previously deportation cases is a token of the CP’s will be made the victims of the Stalinist Kutcher Defense Wins signature, the capitalist politicians will fill in the the Liverpool Trades Council amount of the check as they see fit. of opinion on this question. Some readiness to make even more far-reaching capitulation on the deportation issue. It. is of the locals, especially in the voted to back the strike. In Mel­ The Big Business press played up Thomas’ endorse­ bourne, Australia, the Canadian concessions. these innocent persons, and the labor move- Building Trades, have refused to Support in Washington ment of the pact as though it were some unexpected and freighter, I-Ialingonian Duke, What is most important, however, is that ment as a whole, who will suffer from the startling event. Look, see, Norman Thomas, the “ SO­ put up any sort of a fight against l Following similar action by the Cali­ the proposed increases. manned by a scab crew, is tied, the Stalinist policy in these cases means the latest Stalinist treachery. fornia CIO-PAC, the recent executive ses­ C IA LIS T ” leader has come out publicly for the pact! up because the Waterside Work­ As though that were a surprising event. J,C. sion of the Washington State PAC for Chicago, 111, ers federation refuses to work it. National CIO Policy voted to endorse James Kutcher’s fight for his government Dobbs’ Prediction Last Year A "Miner Incident" of Hooliganism job and to send communications to all af­ That Thomas would endorse the pact, that he will filiated organizations informing them of goose-step in line with every further stride of the Amer­ Visit your local headquarters of the Last April 20 a gang of goons led by one representatives against an opponent in the its stand on this important civil liberties ican imperialist war preparations, was a foregone con­ of Philip M urray’s lieutenants, Nick Zbna- union movement. - case. clusion. For Thomas’ whole record before and during rich, a C IO Steelworkers representative, At the C IO executive board meeting last The Seattle Kutcher Civil Rights Com­ the Second World W ar revealed him as a perfect sample SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY mittee has also received endorsements of of those “socialists of the word” who mouth all the assaulted and severely injured Maurice week in Washington the Murray-machine AKRON — 4 So. Howard St.. 2nd fl. NEWARK— 123 Springfield Ave. Phone its work from Dr. Max Savelle, professor phrases about “peace,” “democracy” and "socialism” every afternoon 1 to 4 p. m. Meetings Bigelow 3-2574. Reading room. Open Travis, Secretary-Treasurer of the C IO Mine, majority adopted a resolution w'hich tries to of history at the University of Washing­ while they uphold each move of the worst imperialist Sunday 2 p. m. daily, 12-4 and 7-10 p.m. BOSTON—Workers Educational Center, NEW YORK CITY (Ha.)—116 Unlver- M ill and Smelter Workers, in the studio of pass off the Travis beating as a “minor in­ ton, author of “Seeds of Liberty” and an enemies of peace, democracy and socialism. 30 Stuart St., open Mon. 0:30-9:00 p.tn., s lty Place. Phone G If 5-8149. Farrell Dobbs, who represents the socialists of the radio station W JLD, Bessemer, Alabama. cident.” But hooliganism and gangsterism outstanding authority on American his­ Wed. 7-10 p.m. H A R L E M — 103 W . 110 S t., Rm.- 23. deed and who denounced the Atlantic Pact at the Sen­ B U F F A L O —¡M ilita n t F orum , 829 M ain Travis was participating in his union’s radio can never be condoned as “minor incidents” tory;. Dr. Ivan C. Rutledge, president of Phone MO 2-1860. Open discussion. the Seattle chapter of the American Civil ate hearings, in a public debate with Norman Thomas St., 2nd fl. Phone M Adtson 3900. E ve ry Friday, 8 p.m. program bidding for support of red ore inside the labor movement, afternoon except Sun. B R O N X —H u n ts P o in t Palace, 953 Liberties Union and assistant professor last October subjected the latter to a complete scientific CHICAGO—166 W. Washington Blvd. Southern Blvd; Room 25. Every Frl. miners of the Tennessee Coal, Iron & Rail- Such “minor incidents,” moreover, have of law at the University of Washington; analysis. Dobbs said then: “It is not necessary for me Rm. 312-314. Dally except Sun., 11:30 to night at 8:30 p.m. 3:30; or phone for an appointment. and Reverend Fred W. Shorter, pastor of to ask Norman Thomas what, position he is going to B R O O K LY N —635 F u lto n S t. Phons road Co. in a bargaining election that Travis’ taken on the character of standard practice C L E V E L A N D — Pecks H a ll, 1446 E . ST 3-7438. the Church of the People. take in the impending war. You and I already know. 82nd St. (off Wade Pk. Ave.) Monthly union was contesting with M urray’s Steel- on the part of M urray’s machine. At the last Public Forum, 1st Sun., 8 p.m. C H E L S E A — 130 W . 23rd St. Phone New trade union contributors to the His whole course shows that he is going to support the A L 6-2488. workers. steel union convention, a delegate who op- D E T R O IT —6108 Llnw ood Ave. Phone defense fund tp carry Kutcher’s appeal same American imperialist gang that he supported in T Y 7-6267, Mon. through S at., 12-3 p.m . O A K L A N D (C al.) — 1408 W ebster. Travis was assaulted and sent to the hos- posed M urray’s wage policy, Nick Migas, through the federal courts are headed by the last war.” FLINT—Socialist Workers Party Hall. P H IL A D E L P H IA — 1303-05 W . G ira rd the New York City Joint Board of the An essential part of the war program, said Dobbs, 215 E a s t N in th S treet. Phono: 2-2496. Ave., 2nd f l. Phbne Stevenson 4-5820. pital as a result of what had all vthe earmarks was followed from the convention hall and Open dally. Forum. Frl.. 8 p.m. Dress & Waistmakers Union, ILG W U - will be “ the cementing of alliances with the most re­ Open House Saturday evenings. of an organized and planned physical attack. beaten up after M urray had violently incited LOS ANGELES—M ilitant Pubi. Assn., PITTSBURGH—1418 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl. A FL, representing tens of thousands of actionary elements in all countries.” And Norman Room 325, 124 W . 6th St. Phone V A ndyke Forume 2nd Frl. each month. Marxist The only dispute is over the extent of Travis’ the convention against him. Recently three garment workers in the metropolitan area; Thomas and the other “socialist” apologists for Amer­ 8061. class 4 p.m. every Sat. Meetings every injuries. The Mine, M ill leaders say Travis’ former officers of New Kensington, Pa., Local the Greater Detroit & Wayne County CIO ican imperialism, “gagging and protesting, but going SAN PED RO —M ilita n t. 1008 S. P a c ific Thurs.. 7:30 p.m. , ■ Room 214. SAN FRANCISCO—1739 Fillmore Ave., eye was so badly injured he is likely to lose ^02 of the steel union were imprisoned for Industrial Union Council,, representing along just the same,” said Dobbs, will accept the part­ LYNN. (Mass.)—M ilitant Pubi. Assn.. 4111 fl. Phone F I 6-0410. D a ily except its sight. Spokesmen of the M urray machine “assault” after they were waylaid and beaten hundreds of thousands of auto workers; nership of Franco, the Dutch butchers of the Indonesian 44 Central Ave., office open Tues., Wed. Sun., 12-4:30 p.m. and UE-CIO District Council 6 of Pitts­ people and all the other rotten regimes, just as they ac­ 7:30-9:30 p.m. SEATTLE—Maynard Bldg., 1st Ave., claim the extent of Travis’ injuries was ex- by a squad of M urray’s goons, MILWAUKEE—917 N. 3rd St., 3rd fl. R. 201. So. & W ashington. Tel, M a in 9278. burgh. cept American imperialism and its war for “democracy.” Sun. through Frl.. 7:30-9:30 p.m. Phone M on. th ro u gh S at., 12-5 p.m . B ranch aggerated. ' Murray, at the recent C IO board meet- Local union bodies aiding Kutcher in­ Before the last war, Dobbs pointed out, Thomas H opkins 2-5337. meeting. Frl., 8 p.m. Library, bookstore. clude UAW -CIO Local 365 of Long Island promised that he would oppose it, but when war came, MINNEAPOLIS—10 So. 4th, St. Phone TOLEDO — Monthly open meeting. Whether Travis was hurt more or less, how- in8’ «Jaimed that the Stalinists have com- M ain 7781. D a ily except Sun’., 10 a.m .- T h ird Thurs. 8 p.m .. Kappa H a ll, 418 .... , . ^ x . mitted similar acts against their union op- City; ILG W U Local 291, Malden, Mass.; he gave it “critical support.” Now he is giving his 6 p.m. Library, bookstore. S um m it, Room 3. ever, is beside the point. The fact remains ponents That>s quite true Does M urray J w AFL Bakery & Confectionery Workers “critical support” in advance of the war. If and when NEW BRITAIN. (Conn.) — For Infor­ WORCESTER, (Mass.) — For Informal Local 39, Cleveland; CIO United Steel war comes, Thomas will be so busy aiding U. S. im­ m ation w rite P. D . Box No. 659 o r tlon write P.O. Box 554. Worcester. that hooligan methods of physical intimida- propose to take Stalinist gangster methods phone 3-3287. YOUNGSTOWN — 234 B. Federal S t, Workers Local 3120, Cleveland, and Steel perialism’s “war effort” that he won’t even have time NEW HAVEN—For information tele­ Phone 3-1355. Wed., Frl., Sat., 1:30 to tion and violence were used by M urray’s for his model? Workers Local 2651, Bridgeport, Conn. to be “critical.” phone 7-8780. 4 p.m. Socialized Medicine—II the M ill TANT - ■ - ■ ■ ..in. . ■ By Grace Carlson ■ VOLUME XIII MONDAY, MAY 23, 1949 N U M B ER 21 There is no doubt in my mind but that the sup­ the average Negro down to ten years below porters of private medicine pay lip service to the that of the average white — should deserve more ideals of the Declaration of Independence. They consideration than is ever given by the American always profess to believe that “all men are' Medical Association and all of the other self- created equal” and that, therefore, they have an styled “guardians of the public health.” equal right to “life, liberty and the pursuit of But if one represents the statistics of the happiness.” But when the proposal is made to health of all of the people, the picture is not as put these equalitarian ideas into action, what bright as private medicine paints it. A much Job Down-trend to Continue, then ? darker picture is outlined by Oscar Ewing, Fed­ The answer to this question comes very clear­ eral Security Administrator, in the Nation’s ly in the wild attacks that the supporters of pri­ Health — a Report to the President, which was vate medicine made upon the National Health issued a few months .ago and forms the basis Insurance Program, which proposes a relatively for the National Health Insurance Program. Capitalist Press Now Admits Most of the report is a result of a national health mild correction of the glaring inequalities in M The "spring upturn” so confidently predicted by capitalist American medical care today. Pushed to the wall assembly held in Washington, D. C., in May 1948. in their attempts to prove that American pri­ More than 800 leaders from such organizations Four Men Die in Mine economists has failed to materialize. Unemployment ’continues vate medicine represents the best of all systems as the Farmers Union, CIO, A FL, American to grow. Production, including output in the key steel and auto of medical care in this best of all countries, they Medical Association, American Dental Associa­ ndustries, is on the downgrade.®- water down their equalitarian ideas. tion, and the National Association of Manufactur­ It :s difficult, if not impossible, not been sufficient to create any A recent report of the Brookings Institute, a ers joined to talk about public health problems. :o get reliable figures from gov- substantial optimism” and “most staunch supporter of the “free enterprise” sys­ It must be clear to every one that this was ■rnment agencies. But the trend observers feel some further not a socialist gathering, And it must be equally tem of medical care, has this to say: s admittedly in the direction of ‘receding’ in employment levels as clear that Truman’s aide, Oscar Ewing, is not “Probably no other great nation in the world nereased unemployment. is likely.” a socialist. But even Oscar Ewing is forced to has among its white [emphasis mine] population The New England section, with make these devastating charges against the sys­ According to the May 20 U. S. better health than prevails in the United States. a tenth of the country’s industrial tem of private medicine in the richest country News, unemployment is double A few small homogeneous countries such as output, has been hardest hit so in the world: - hat of six months ago, and New Zealand with respect to white population far. Industrial Connecticut, for are slightly ahead of the United States as a whole, Every year, 325,000 people die whom we have 'layoffs by industry are increas- nstance, “has the longest list of but certain states of the United States with larger the knowledge and the skills to save. :ng again.” By next spring, says unemployed in ten years and populations equal them.” Each year, workers lose 4,300,000 man years U. S. News, “as many as 6,000,- every section of the state’s • In a country supposedly based upon the idea because of bad health. 000 may be unemployed.” It that “all men are created equal,” what must one* Only 20* of the people in the country can af­ adds: “Some estimates of Gov­ economy seems to be declining or think of a medical survey that considers only ford the medical care that they need. ernment appraisers are higher iust holding its own.” the health of the “white population” ? One must Premature deaths cost the people of the United than that.” New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio conclude, of course, that in their eagerness to de­ States 27,000,000 years of life in 1947. The U. S. Census Bureau report and Michigan — the country’s key fend private medicine, its supporters manipulate Of the 17 million draftees — young men in the for April estimated 3,100,000 out industrial states — are all show­ their statistics in order to leave out the most prime of life — 3 0 * were found unfit. of work. However this report, on ing steadily increasing unemploy­ shamefully exploited section of the American Forty million American citizens live in com­ analysis, revealed at least 5,000,- ment. In Pennsylvania, unemploy­ population — the Negro people. And these Amer­ munities which lack a full-time public health 000 jobless last month, with an­ ment and part - time work has ican citizens represent one-tenth of the popula­ service. other 12,000,000 reduced to part- struck hardest at the coal miners, tion! Where are the rights to “life, liberty and the time employment of from one to but the basic steel industry is pursdit of happiness” ? They cannot be found in The sad state of Negro health — the fact that four days per week. now operating only at 96% of poverty and neglect drive the life expectancy of the United States of America. Not yet! capacity and “fabricating plants Fellow miners are shown waiting tensely at the entrance to the No. 5 colliery of the Gilberton The unreliability of official un­ Coal Company, Gilberton, Pa. for news of four men trapped 1,000 feet underground. Rescue crews employment estimates was in­ are ‘off’ considerably more, but found ail four dead. For an account of a near- tragedy in another mine, see the article, “Incident dicated in a May 6 report of exact figures are not available.” in a Mine,” elsewhere on this page. Edward Corsi, New York State The N. Y. Times survey states One Man’s Whim Industrial Commissioner, who that not only has the decline hit revealed that 110,000 workers in all light-goods industries, but ------By Joseph Keller — the state have exhausted their un­ “was now pronounced in the employment compensation bene­ heavier industries, including auto­ How completely the welfare, the very lives, of of one man who has the control, by inheritance, fits. How many of these are still mobiles and steel.” Most signi­ of a fifth of the auto industry. Ford’s Maneuvers Fail the American people are at the mercy of a handful without jobs, Corsi said, is un­ ficantly, “in almost all areas The Ford family is but one of about 60 fam i­ of incredibly wealthy private owners of industry known. Only those still getting there was skepticism about the lies in this country who between them control is shown, in part, by the .effect of billionaire Hen­ benefits or applying for them are extent to which Government ry Ford I I ’s willful provocation of the Ford strike." most of industry, transportation, communications, officially listed as jobless. He spending under the European banks, mines, raw materials — in short, the whole To Shake Strike Ranks When Ford’s speed-up tactics drove the work­ Recovery Program or the rearma­ country. Their only interest is their own profits. added that when the new benefit ers at River Rouge to go on strike, it cut off about main unchanged. Constantly re­ ment effort would bring about a Any one of them, at their own whim, can bring (Continued from page 1) 1 but harm to the campaign to win veer opens on June 6, repeat ap­ 2 0 * of all truck and auto production in the coun­ Moreover, the Hudson manage­ support for the Ford strike from vising the Time Study standard plications will send the insurance spurt in production in. the next try. In addition to the Ford, Mercury and Lin­ blight and suffering to hundreds of thousands, ment vigorously denied that the the rest of the U AW and the la­ without a change in method is lists to record highs. few months.” coln employes affected by the strike, some 100,- if not millions of people. bound to result in labor trouble, Would any truly democratic country tolerate section of its contract dealing bor movement as a whole. An extensive coast - to - coast Underlining the N. Y. Times 000 employes of 7,200 dealers all over the coun­ and charges of a speedup. What a condition where five dozen families, who got with speed of production gave The week-long strike of UAW survey in 20 major cities by the findings, the Department of Com­ try began to be hit, because dealers could not we need, and what Work Analysis their wealth by inheritance, hold such power, the union any voice in determin­ Local 203 against the speedup at N. Y. Times, reported in its May merce on May 16 estimated ¿he get cars. Thousands of concerns manufacturing will do, with your help, is set an over the welfare and lives of a great people — ing the number of cars to be pro­ Motor Products Corporation is 16 issue, reveals that unemploy­ country’s 1949 first-quarter out- parts and accessories for Ford were also a f­ accurate standard for each opera-' and, in fact, because of America’s position in duced. The Hudson workers have now apparently over. A number ment is “still going up” every­ pur declined from the previous fected, as well as materials suppliers in steel, tion in your department which world economy, over the destiny of the entire been forced to protect their stand­ of workers were fired when those where except in southern Cali­ quarter by 9 billion dollars. The lumber, electrical equipment, rubber and tex­ ards, not by contractual proce­ will be changed oply when a new planet ? in the final assembly department fornia and a few areas of the previous highest quarterly post­ tiles. dure but by direct action on a method is applied to the job, and The people of America and the world will never resisted speedup; and then the South, where, however, “layoffs war decline was only 1.3 billions In all, more than 300,000 workers and their number of occasions, against the not for any other reason.” be truly free and enjoy real security until the international intervened. While are continuing,- in most parts of in the first quarter of 1946. families" are directly affected by the strike — will of the international leader­ The second Ford document, an power of the plutocrats like Henry Ford I I is the company has been unable to This trend toward economic a strike, we repeat, provoked by the arbitrary ship. Reuther’s pretense that executive communication to all the section, but at a declining broken. That means, first of all, that all the reach any agreement with the decline, indicated by all indexes, act of one man. speedup is an issue limited to the manufacturing supervisors and rate.” industries, all the basic means of production and leaders of Local 203, it has reach­ labor relations staffs, dated Mar. On the West Coast too, all is underscores the program for the But the effect spreads indirectly far wider — distribution must be nationalized and operated Rouge “B” building does nothing ed the understanding, after the f>, 1948, had the following to say far from rosy, since Sttn Fran­ reduced work week at the satrie to the groceries, the butcher shops, the clothing international sent a time-study under the control of. the producers, the workers. on “Work Standards Policies” : cisco reports a continuing in­ take-home pay which the CIO stores that sell to the workers, to the companies Then, and only then, will the needs of the people, man into the plant, that “the un­ “It will help in Peaching full crease in unemployment and the Oil and Shipyard unions are that supply the suppliers. In the end, the not the arrogant whims 'and greed of a few ion will not interfere with the AFL Proposes efficiency on the new models as “slight abatement” of the March demanding, as reported on Page \Miole economy and the 147,000,000 people depend­ monopolists, determine how our economy shall rates of production established by quickly as possible and with a •ecord high in Los Angeles “has One. ent upon it, suffer as tig; result of the whim be run. the company.” Labor “ Unity” - The probationary employees minimum of disputes to have a and those discharged on May 6 uniform understanding on the are not being called back to work following points. . . State Dept. Style under the terms of this rotten “2. Running Lines at Faster Tenney Witch-Hunt Bills Are Incident in a Mine agreement. Ford workers must be than the 'Standard’ Speed. The For many years the two largest on guard to prevent attempts to Company has the right to set any By Walter Prince labor bodies in the United States, make any such “settlement” in line speed it desires as long as the A FL and CIO, have been at their fight. (a) the all-day output does not Aimed at Almost Everyone We heard a loud bang just as the motorman pened. I remembered my buddy who was in the war with each other. The old-line require more than 100* of any­ went through the first trap door on our section hospital now, recuperating from another acci­ AFL craft leaders have fought WHAT MUST BE WON one, and (b) when a faster speed By A l Lynn those who were radicals at any with a train of “empties.” I started away from dent which might have been a front-page dis­ It thus becomes clear and im­ is necessary at times, no one is time in the past, and set up a not only against organic unifica­ L O S ANGELES -7 - A series the face with a hollow throbbing of fear and saw aster. perative that the voice of the required to work too far above committee to investigate all cur­ tion on a sound basis, but of bills introduced recently into the section boss running to the haulage way of rank and file, which was' suc­ 100* nor for too long at a stretch. rent lawyers), private employees Then the pit boss came puffing up to us in the against any form of united ac­ the California State Legislature our section. The men congregated ih the dinner main haulage way where we were waiting for a tion in defense of the common cessful in raising the question of We want to make sure no super­ of firms holding government con­ visor is hesitant to enforce our by Senator Jack Tenney and hole, which was off the haulage way a few hun­ ride out of the mine. The whole section was there interests of all organized work­ the speedup as the primary is­ tracts (SB 515), union members rights in this respect.” others, will, if passed, constitute dred feet from the trap doors. The scene of the now, except for two guys at the face. ers. sue, be heard on the terms for (SB 516). explosion was between us and the entry of the an attack against civil rights un­ “Okay, men,” he said with authority, “ there The A FL moguls several times settling the strike, if it is to be Owners of buildings in which mine. settled satisfactorily. equalled in the legislative his­ won’t be any more trouble. Get back to work,” rejected CIO proposals for joint AFFILIATIONS | subversives meet would be sub­ Wo stood and sat waiting to see what was This means that the issue must tory of the country. action to fight anti-labor legisla­ ject to $1,000 fine and six months going to happen. I looked around at the other “Yeah, how do we know?” the Italian boy be broadened to take in griev­ Members of the independent They provide for denial of old in jail. The Tenney Committee guys. Most of them weren’t scared at all, b u t'I said. “Y ’uns said that once before tonight. We tion. The raiding, scab-herding ances which exist all over the Communications Workers of age pensions (Assembly Bill Investigating Un-American Ac­ was new in the mine and not yet accustomed to aren’t trustin’ management no more. We’ll let and .strikebreaking between and Rouge plant. It means that the America voted two-to-one to af­ 2267) and of Social Security being miles back under the ground. Pretty soon our Safety Committee decide.” within the A FL and CIO, while question of contract changes filiate with the CIO, and have benefits (Senate Bill 1127) to tivities would be granted $150,- the section boss came up. “You’ll get fired for,refusing to work — all of both organizations have been must be taken up in direct rela­ already received a charter. Later present and past believers in 000 for use by the committee or “Okay, get back to your place,” he said, “every­ you!” under the heavy fire of the Taft- tion with the speedup question. the CWA will merge with the Marxism, Leninism, Stalinism, its members. thing is fixed up now.” As we started back we The pit boss had a glint in his eye. When he Hartleyites, have been a crying The company security clause CIO Telephone Workers Organ­ communism, advocates of gov­ In these bills definitions of heard another bang. This time the motorman’s saw he couldn’t impress the four of us who had scandal of the labor movement. which strangles and discourages izing Committee, bringing to­ ernmental title to production and communist, and subversive are face was burned badly. We didn’t know it at left first, he turned to the others, especially to a But the AFL chiefs, who could on-the-job action by the rank and gether an estimated 300,000 tele­ distribution, etc. very broad. Broad enough to in­ the time, but our section had been closed before couple of “company men” — people who are find no basis in the need to file must be eliminated. The slo­ phone workers. Meanwhjle the These bills would deny the clude liberals, Social Democrats because of gas. The boss knew it though. Be­ afraid for their job and will let the boss bulldoze defend the interests of American gan of “a steward for every fore­ conveniton of the American Fed­ right to appear on the ballot and unionists, as well as Stalin­ tween the two trap doors on our haulage way a them all over the place. Such people don’t even labor for any form of united man” must become an actual con­ eration of Hosiery Workers, to individuals who did not file a ists and revolutionists. Tenney, realize that a union man can’t be fired for re­ “bleeder” had developed, and, as the air was not action with the 'CIO, now have tractual fact. which recently left the CIO be­ loyalty oath (SB 132). Loyalty for example, would undoubtedly fusing to work in an unsafe place. directed through it but ^ent to the face beyond, found a proposition on which These arc the very minimum cause of a dispute with the CIO oaths would be required of consider acceptance of the labor gas had accumulated. Sparks from the motor had These two decided to go with the boss and they are not only willing but gains which must be won before Textile Workers with which it teachers (SB 130), government theorv of value as “Marxist,” set it off. “look the situation over.” The rest of the sec­ there can be any talk of a set­ downright anxious to join with had been affiliated- voted to join employes (SB 280 and AB 255), although there are non-Marxists In the dinner hole we stood for a, while. Then tion stayed. One Negro miner, young, but old at tlement of the speedup problem. the CIO. The A FL Executive the AFL. lawyers (SB 298 would disbar all who agree with it. a husky Italian boy picked up his bucket and mining/ said, “Hell, I don’t have to look. I know Yet it was these simple necessi­ Council on Mfiy 16 unanimously coat. “ Well,- if there isn’t going to be any work, it’s no damn good.” ties which Reuther rejected point As is to be expected the Tenney annroved participation of the let’s go home.” He started off and two colored Our shotfireman is another company man. He blank when he said that speedup Committee would be one of the men and I picked up our buckets and followed had been working at the face and getting ready A FL jointly with the CIO in will not be an issue in the com­ chief judges of who and what setting up a new international NAACP IS OPPOSED TO AID DY him. On our way to the main haulage 'way we to shoot number two place. While the others ing contract negotiations and are subversive. The implications met the boss. He told us to go ¡back. The pit boss were “looking the place over,” he came running labot body in competition with that it is not a national Ford of this are described by liberal (in charge of the whole shift) was going to fix down and reported that he couldn’t fire. There the Stalinist - dominated World issue. U. S. TO JIM CROW EDUCATION columnist Leslie Claypool of the Federation of Trade Unions, from things up. The Italian boy kept right on going, was too much gas on the face, just as the Italian N E W YO R K . .May 12 — Active and resolute opposition Los Angeles Dpily News who and we sidestepped the boss and followed him. boy had said there would be. which the CIO is withdrawing. relates how Tenney had the FORD’S OWN DOCUMENTS to any bill for federal aid to education which does not specific­ The pit boss came and monkeyed around with Pretty soon everybody, including the bosses, The aim of this “unity” is C LA RIFY SPEEDUP ISSUIc* Senate Rules Comm'ttec defer the brattice and sent air into the haulage way. came out, and we were told that we could go frankly ;to light “communism” DETROIT — The Ford Motor ally prohibit segregation was urged this week by the National action which would place W. J. We knew that he was only “ robbing Peter to pay home. We weren’t fired. The Italian looked ai us, throughout the world. It has Company in a statement issued Association for the Advancement® Bassett, secretary - treasurer of Paul.” If he ventilated the haulage way, he the ones who had stuck, and smiled. nothing to do with strengthening on May 14 tried to cover up the of Colored People. has already been cracked :n the A FL Los Angeles Central would weaken the flow of air to the face. I The upshot of it was that our whole section organized labor everywhere for real issue in the current strike A resolution calling for such Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas, Labor Council, on the Advisory wasn’t feeling too happy about mining, especial­ was at the union meeting today. I used to wonder defense against the attacks of by using the phrase “featherbed­ action was adopted at the regular Maryland, Delaware, West Vir­ Committee of the Social Welfare ly when one guy said matter-of-factly, “It’s a why the meetings weren’t better attended. Now the capitalist enemy. It is a pro­ ding” and by trying to make it monthly meeting of the NAACP ginia and, Oklahoma. Department. I know there’s no need to worry. When something damned good thing this is a wet section. If that gram cooked up many months appear that the workers are de­ Board of Directors on May 9, “Only last week a federal judge Tenney gave as his reason the comes up, the union belongs to the men. I t ’s explosion had kicked up any dust, it would have ago. with the advice and ap­ manding the right to work less following defeat of an anti- fined the members of a Virginia endorsement by the Council of been curtains for all of us.” Then they told their organization. Our Safety Committee is go­ proval of the U. S. State De­ than 100* of standard when what segregation amendment to the county school board for failure Democratic Assemblyman Edward stories about other things that had almost hap­ ing to inspect the section with us tomorrow. partment, as a means of splitting they actually are fighting for is bill in the Senate the following- to provide equal educational E. Elliot, whom Tenney suspects un^on movements abroad and the right not to work at more week. facilities for Negroes in elemen­ of supporting “communist ob­ swinging them into political line than 100* of standard. “Any educational bill provid­ tary and secondary schools. We jectives.” The Council had sup­ with Washington and its rea’c- What is 100* of standard? An ing for help by the federal gov­ are confident that Jim Crow ported him because heihad a good Notes from the News ticnary allies. Symbolically, the indication of how Ford is trying ernment which does not assure education is already headed for record on their legislative check same A FL council meeting that to change the interpretation can that funds shall be administered ultimate destruction if it is not list. be found in two of the company’s endorsed the new basis for only to slates, schools or counties rescued by federal funds.” Even before these bills have documents on policy. The first MORE CONFIDENT THAN CAPITALISTS — O UTSIDE T H E LAW — Irving Feiner, Syracuse “unity” with the CIO, likewise which do not segregate or dis­ Although the anti-segregation gone through the legislature, the was outlined to a Supervisory “I think it unlikely there will again be a really University student sentenced to 30 days in the called on the Senate to ratify criminate against Negro students amendment was defeated in the capitalist state is attempting to Conference on Oct. 26, 1945 in the Revere economic crisis in this country; capital­ penitentiary because he made a street speech the North Atlantic m ilitary pact shall be actively opposed by the Senate, “we are working to have put them into effect. Irm a Sa- following terms: ism — rather, State capitalism — in America protesting the denial of a school building for a “with all possible speed.” Association,” the board resolu­ it introduced in the House bill,” “You expect your men to do a piro, a social worker member of Wallaceite meeting in Syracuse, was “outside the Wilkins letter said. “All hag learned how to use the State power to avoid It is a devastating commentary fair day’s work for a fair day’s tion declared. CIO Social Service Employees the law in setting race against race and class such recessions in my opinion,” says Dwight on the top labor bureaucrats in pay. But, what is a fair day’s Support of this policy was branches should urge their ¿re­ Union Local 95, was refused un­ Macdonald, editor of Politics, In a letter to the against class,” said Judge William H. Bamerick, this country that they cannot work? The standard amount of urged by Roy Wilkins, assistant presentatives in the House* to employment compensation for British Socialist Leader. whose sentence is being appealed. achieve labor unity to defend the work that an operator should do secretary, in a letter to all support this amendment. Write refusing to sign a loyalty af­ * * * living standards and democratic in one hour on any particular branches. “Federal aid to exist­ today,” the letter concluded, “urg­ fidavit with the County, which DEEP IN THE HEART OF REACTION — rights of the workers, but that job, should not vary from month ing segregated systems,” he point ing your representative to vote had demanded such an oath be­ THEY CALL THEMSELVES SOCIALISTS — The Governor of Texas on May 12 signed a bill they can quickly unite at the nod to month or year to year if the ed out, “would strengthen them for the anti-segregation amend­ fore placing her on a job. The The headline on the May 14 New Leader reads prohibiting any Communist Party member from of the State Department and in methods of operation remain the in their resistance tp the frontal ment. If the amendment is California State Employment as follows: “Only Union-Industry Confab Can having bis name on the official ballot of any the interests of1 American im­ same. I f the standard is properly attack upon Jim Crow education. defeated, then urge him to vote Service ruled that she rejected a Bring Fair Labor Law-.” general election in that state. perialism’s cold war. set to begin with, it should re- Segregation in higher education against the bill.” job by not signing the affidavit.