Workers of the World, Unite! THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND FASCISM

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PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE

Vol. XII — No. 22 NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY, MAY 31, 1948 PRICE î FIVE CENTS More Unions GM, UA W Agree on Sliding Scale; Condemn "Police Meat Union Forced to End Strike State" Measure The forces of reaction are trying to jam- passage of the Packing Workers M undt police state bill through the present session of the Senate. General Motors Forestalls The bill, which was Steamroller- Accept 9 Cents ed 319-58 through the House of Advancement of Colored People Representatives has been slowed and Americans for Democratic Walkout with 11-Cent Raise down by the protests of numerous Action. The recent convention of After Long Battle labor, liberal, Negro and church the AFL Hatters Union, despite B y Art Preis organizations. high pressure speeches fo r the By Barbara Bruce Mundt Bill by Louis Waldman In face of these protests in an Seventy-two hours before the strike deadline set and A.A. Berle, went on record SOUTH ST. PAUL, May 24 election year, the Senate politi­ condemning the police-state meas­ -•►-Grim-faced men and women by the CIO United Auto Workers for 225,000 mem­ cians would prefer to leave the ure. trudged back to work in the bill in committee until the session bers in 90 GM plants, the Walter Reuther, president of UAW Internationa! Executive ends. The defeat of Stassen in Swift, Armour and Cudahy plants the CIO Auto Workers, and A.F. Board, had adopted a program the Oregon primaries where he here today. S till proudly wearing General Motors Corpora­ Whitney, head of the Brother­ calling for a fla t 25-cent increase based his whole campaign on their union buttons, more than hood of Railway Trainmen, added tion broke the Big Busi­ in basic paÿ, plus five cents in outlawing the Stalinist Party, has 6,000 members of the CIO United their signatures to a telegram ness front of opposition to any fringe demands. Reuther was in­ shown them that the red-baiting Packinghouse Workers of Amer­ pay increases and agreed to a strumental in reducing the basic Mundt Bill isn’t the vote-catcher ica entered the packing plants tor the firs t time since the hard- general wage raise of 11 cents pay demand on GM to 15 cents, some politicians had thought. an hour, effective May 28. offering to settle for this smaller Big Business, however, is prod­ Next Week fought strike began on March 16. For the first time in any major sum if the company granted an ding the Senate to bring the Bitter expressions of hostility Read the address of union agreement, the proposed “ acceptable” pension plan. Mundt Bill to a quick vote. For toward the packers were heard new GM contract incorporates the example, the N.Y. Times, author­ FARRELL DOBBS as rumors spread that more than However, the contract includes principle of the sliding scale of itative Wall Street spokesman, 100 union leaders in this area none of the vital welfare de­ (Socialist Workers Party wages. This w ill provide auto­ editorially warns the Senate that have been fired as a result of mands. Nor does it contain any Presidential nominee) matic wage increases proportion­ it “ would be a grave mistake” not (heir strike activity. Members of of the essential improvements in on the entire executive board of al to rising living costs, adjusted grievance procedure and working tb take up the Mundt Bill this every three months on the basis session. CAPITAL AND LABOR IN 1948 Sw ift Local 167 have already re conditions long sought by GM of the cost-of-living figures of the workers. The contract still con­ The pressure from Big Busi­ Delivered Sat., May 29 at 2 p. m. ceived discharge notices from the company. U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. tains all the onerous “ penalty” ness is so great that the Senate over a national ABC hookup. UAW leaders hail the sliding clauses and other discriminatory politicians seem willing to try a The strike was ended by a scale cost-of-living contract, which features that have always made blitzkrieg passage of the bill be­ membership vote taken on May must go to the GM workers for the GM contract the most un­ fore public protest can mount 21 and 22 throughout the coun­ sent by the ADA and seven other final ratification, as a “faf-reach- satisfactory in the industry. Thus, further. Senator Alexander Wiley national organizations asking the try. Even after ten weeks of ing victory” for the UAW’s one the UAW leaders have accepted (Rep., Wise.), chairman of the hardship, there was only a slim Senate to defer action this ses­ million members and “ fo r all the sliding scale program not as Senate Judiciary Committee has sion on the Mundt Bill. majority in favor of returning to v. ork on the basis of the miserable American workers.” a fortification of, but as a sub­ announced that consideration of Although the recent awakening stitute for the needed increase in the Anti-Lynching Bill, which has of the labor movement to the 9-cent hourly increase in wages. Progressive Oust CP This present attitude of the This was the same offer which UAW leaders is surprising in view real basic wages, welfare bene­ been trying to get to the floor of dangers of the Mundt police state fits and grievance improvements. the Senate for over a year, will measure has slowed down the the union members had over­ of the bitter opposition of UAW be dropped while his committee bill, defeat of this vicious piece whelmingly rejected before the President Walter Reuther to the The immediate effect of the GM agreement is to crack the rushes hearings on the Mundt of legislation is by no medns as­ strike began. The union had de­ Heads in Westinghouse sliding scale principle. A t the solid front of the big corpora­ B ill into three days. The inade­ sured. The whole labor move­ manded 29 cents an hour in order f»M delegates conference last BUFFALO, May 24 —-A notable victory for progressive, unionism was scored by more tions, including U.S. Steel, Gen­ quate time allowed fo r hearings ment must join in the fight with to bring the inadequate living February and subsequently, Reu- eral Electric, Westinghouse, Ford on the bill shows the desperation much greater zeal to stop the standards of packinghouse work­ than 4,000 UE members at the big Buffalo plant of the Westinghouse Corporation, when the ther attacked the sliding scale and Chrysler, against any wage of W all Street’s hired hands in greatest threat to political liber­ ers up to a decent level. Rank and File slate swept out the Stalinist-dominated Miller-Gould-Krawczyk clique in the local program advanced by five GM .increases. It. is expected that it Washington to get the police state ty in this country in recent years. lineal'. unio'n presidents in Flint. STRONG OPPOSITION elections here held on M ay 20. w ill lead to a speedy settlement measure quickly passed. The unions w ill have to organize on a red-baiting platform. Their Increase”—and “Fight Against The sliding scale program has In some of the most important This union election, Which long been advocated by The M ili­ of the Chrysler strike and pos­ The CIO has officially declared giant protest meetings to make campaign slogan was, “ Ameri­ Skyrocketing Prices” and “ For meat-packing centers, the vote aroused considerable interest in cans, Wake U p!” and “ Get. Rid tant and demanded by UAW pro­ sibly the Ford wage negotiations. that the Mundt Bill “seriously themselves heard to the Senators Reclassification of Jobs.” Their was heavily opposed to ending labor circles in the Buffalo area, of the Commies.” They were ac­ gressives, BUT W ITH D EFIN ITE Chrysler had withdrawn even a threatens the existence of bona who are being pressured by Wall record in the past two years, the strike on the company’s and received widespread atten­ tively assisted by the Buffalo SAFEGUARDS THAT THE GM miserable 6-cent offer, and Ford fide labor unions and . . . sweeps Street to pass the Mundt Bill. however, inspired the Westing- terms. In South St. Paul the vote tion from the local capitalist Evening News, which gave them house workers with little con­ CONTRACT DOES NOT IN ­ had insultingly “offered” a wage aside civil rights guaranteed to in the Armour and Sw ift locals press, was the culmination of a generous publicity. The tenor of CLUDE. cut. every American by the Constitu­ fidence that the Stalinists could reportedly ran 2 to 1 against end­ two year struggle initiated by a their propaganda can be gathered The capitalist press has greeted tion.” or would fight to carry out this ing the strike. Press reports are group of militant workers or­ by an excerpt from one of -their program. GM FEARED STRIKE the GM settlement with great CIO Legislative Director Na­ SWP Petition that local unions in the Omaha ganized into the Rank and File leaflets: “ Men and Women Vet­ The action of General Motors misgivings» Prices have been ris­ than Cowan sent letters to every The Rank and File people, in area voted almost 90'% against caucus. This group carried on a erans—Think. Who are the Trot­ was undoubtedly based primarily ing steadily since the commodity Congressman stating that under persistent fight against the contrast, put up the stiffest fight Campaign in Conn. returning to work, as did strikers sky ites in your local? Who are for job reclassifications, fo r up­ eh the threat of a strike which, market break last February. The the Mundt Bill people would be in the Denver area. In Kansas bureaucratic mismanagement of the Communists in your union? coming simultaneously with the ERP and the expanding military “ punished, restrained and regi­ Local 1581’s affairs by the in­ gradings, against discrimination, City, Kansas, where police brutal­ Both of them are vicious deadly and above all consistently op­ two-week-old walkout of 75,000 budget are expected to give a new mented solely on the basis of poli­ Off to Good Start ity against strikers was the cumbents. . Communists.” ,n. Chrysler workers, could easily impulsion to the inflation. The tical opinions rather than on the posed the incentive system which NEW BRITAIN, Conn., May worst, the vote against a return VICIOUS RED-BAITING The m ajority of the members the Stalinists had introduced in have developed into a general GM workers are bound to benefit basis of overt acts of disloyalty.” to work was said to run 10 to 1. auto industry strike at the time by automatic wage increases dur­ 23 — Despite almost constant In addition to the Rank and turned a deaf ear to this type this plant. The fact that their Still on strike are 10,000 work­ of the highest profits in its his­ ing the next two years, the term UNION OPPOSITION rainfall since the beginning of File and Miller-Gould-Krawczyk of propaganda. Many of them entire slate of 22 officers, ex­ ers at Wilson plants in Albert tory. of the new contract. The CIO Steelworkers Union at the petition campaign two weeks slates, there was also the so-called remembered only too well that ecutive board members, negotiat­ I.ea, Minnesota; Chicago; Cedar Here is how (he new sliding its recent Boston convention sta­ ago, Connecticut petition gather­ “ Aggressive” group, beaded by J. these very same people had col­ ing committee and trustees all The actual immediate wage in­ Rapids, Iowa, and several other scale contract w ill work: ted that the Bill “ contains dan­ ers arc only slightly behind the Larby and Leo Skowronski. The laborated with the Miller-Gould”- won without a single exception, crease, however, is only about a centers.. Workers voted to con­ gerous threats” to freedom of quotas set at the Beginning of the Aggressives were formerly part Stalinist machine, and never showed that the workers un­ third of the original demand of The immediate 11-cent increase tinue- the strike because the W il­ includes three cents this year fo r speech, press and assembly. The campaign. Our petition gatherers of the Miller-Gould-Stalinist com­ raised a voice against the many derstood the issues in the cam­ the UAW. This called for a total son Company repudiated its con­ Convention of the CIO Amalga­ were generally given a friendly bination, and split off from them undemocratic and pro - company paign. of 30 cents an hour more. The (Continued on Page 2) tract with the union and states mated Clothing Workers denounc­ reception in the working class about three months ago under tactics which the Stalinists had In the final balloting* the Ag­ that from now on it w ill hire and ed the bill as a step to govern­ areas of Connecticut and suc­ the impetus of a violent red­ pursued before the red - baiting gressive slate polled between 500 fire as it sees fit. ment control of “thought and ceeded in getting almost 1,000 baiting campaign. The red-baiting campaign was started. and 550 votes. The Miller-Gould- Scores of Minnesota packing­ ideas” and to the “ totalitarian signatures a week. reached its climax when the 1581 The Stalinists carried on a Krawczyk machine between 600 house workers still face frameup II. S. HELPS CONCEAL principle of guilt by association.” Especially heartening was the membership was stampeded into purely defensive cam pa i g n, and 700 votes, and the Rank and charges. In one of the most Other unions opposing the Mundt reception in Bridgeport where passing a so-called “ Anti-Com­ padded their entire slate • with File between 800 and 850 votes. vicious “ legal” attacks on organ­ B ill include the CIO Auto Work­ one petition worker got over 70 munism” resolution. This cam­ many Polish names, calculated to Progressive unionists in the UE ized labor since 28 members of ers, CIO Electrical Workers, CIO signatures in less than three paign was initiated by the ultra­ appeal to the native Polish work­ can take inspiration from the FACTS IN POLK CASE Fur and Leather Workers, CIO hours. the CIO Motor Transport Work­ reactionary Buffalo Evening News ers who constitute the m ajority workers of 1581, who chose a Transport Workers, CIO Public Without any special effort sub­ ers and the Socialist Workers on the heels of an anti-deporta­ in the plant, arid dropped all of genuinely progressive course and The body of George Polk, an American correspondent for Party were tried in the famous Workers. Also opposed are the scriptions fo r The M ilitant are tion demonstration organized by the usual UE national political discarded the harmful policies of the Columbia Broadcasting System, was washed ashore at Salo­ Minneapolis labor case of 1941, Brotherhood of Railway Train­ steadily coming in and many the local Stalinists, in which UE issues. They confined their pro­ both the Carey-Block-ACTU right nika, Greece. Murderers had new friends are being made for ?9 members of Cudahy Local 55 members participated. paganda to “ Beat the Company” wing and. the discredited Stalinist men, the National Lawyers Guild, bound his hands and feet, then had protested to Polk’s employ- the National Association for the the local Socialist Workers Party. (Continued on page 2) . The Aggressives campaigned —“ Fight For a General Wage UE leadership. ers, CBS. shot him through the back of the head and thrown him into the The Christian Science Monitor bay. correspondent in Greece revealed There is strong indication that after Polk’s murder that the dead Polk was murdered by agents of American had told him shortly The Marshall Plan - U. S. Imperialism on the March the semi-fascist Greek govern­ before of threatening phone calls ment with the American authori­ in which he was accused of being “ screening” all requests' fo r aid, any other country) that would private and cannot fa ll below bag for the American financiers nations which participate in the ties as accomplices after the fact. a Communist. Drew Pearson re­ By John G. Wright vealed that Polk “ wrote me a allocating specific sums of money, help develop any “ newly” na­ 20%. That is to say, fo r every and monopolists. Marshall Aid Program. They Thè Greek and American autho­ short time ago that he was having “supervising” the manner in tionalized industry. dollar each country may receive must get their dollar supply from rities are engaged in a conspiracy Some naive people and many S till another little known aspect great difficulties w ith the Greek which these funds are spent, and Over and above this, the Euro­ in grants, it must accept not less of the ECA is its role as a club the ECA instead. Britain has to prevent a thorough investiga­ others not quite so innocent be­ so on. He may cancel allocations pean governments have also been than 20 cents in loans. The initial been the chief purchaser of tion of the brutal murder. The government who did not want to secure Wall Street’s position him to interview the guerillas.” lieve that there are no strings at anytime and for any reason. “ warned” not to set up any gov­ allocations made by ECA Ad­ as the world’s banker. The sole dollars from the International Wall Street press, which would attached to the European “ Aid” He even has the final say on the ernment purchasing agencies. Ex­ ministrator Hoffman run well remaining competitor in this field Monetary Fund. With this source be screaming to the skies if the SMEARED AS “REDS” Program, recently rebaptized as above this minimum, amounting shut» off, with her previous dollar murder had occured in Yugosla­ disposition of those funds which cept in cases of grants-in-aid, the is Great Britain. Driven from her The Greek reactionaries have the ECA (“ Economic Coopera­ loan completely exhausted, Britain via, has given the Polk murder each recipient government must ECA will; deal almost exclusively to one dollar in loans fo r every former financial supremacy, smeared all honest correspondents tion Act” ). To be sure the Act, three dollars in grants, or 25%. has now no recourse, except to as little space as possible and is set aside as an "equivalent in with private capitalist enter­ Britain still retains a key role as “ reds” and “ agents of Mos­ as passed by Congress, contains local currency fo r any “ grants- prises both here and abroad. This The pian is to boost this propor­ come crawling on her hands and now trying to forget the whole within her empire, hei “ Sterling cow.” Powerful pressure from no explicit clauses providing for in-aid” it may obtain. effectively bars nationalized in­ tion to at least 40% of the total. and knees to the ECA. business. Bloc.” To reduce Britsh banks Greece and Washington has been Wall Street’s intervention in the dustries, whose purchases arc The main channel for these This by no means exhausts the to further dependence on Wall But the ECA is prepared to dole brought on newspapers to fire economic and political life of made through government agen­ private investments in European PLANNED “ SCOOP” list of the ECA Administrator’s Street, it is necessary to strip out dollars to Britain only on such reporters. Such was the countries which are the recipients cies, from obtaining raw' materials industry is the Import-Export English currency of its last condition that she agrees to Polk, a former Navy pilot, was powers, but it docs suffice to planning a radio interview with case in the recent transfer out of of such “ aid;” For example, there show that he has the widest or equipment under the ECA. Bank, which is authorized under vestiges of stability, and subject devaluate the pound. This is the is no provision, as Congress the leader of the Greek guerillas, Greece of the N.Y. Herald T ri­ powers for intervening- in the (he Act to extend up to one bil­ it completely to the sway of meaning of Hoffman’s incessant originally contemplated, to use BATTERING RAM General Markos. The Greek gov­ bune writer, Homer Bigart. domestic policies of the recipient lion dollars in loans. , the dollar. This • can be accom­ demands that “ European cur­ Furthermore, the ECA is being ernment. has put a news blockade The Greek authorities aré now the ECA against the nationaliza­ countries and of attaching all In addition, the ECA also un­ plished by forcing the devalua­ rencies” must be devaluated. This tion programs in Britain and used as a battering ram to open derwrites other private invest­ around the rebel territory. • Polk brazenly investigating the Com­ sorts of conditions before extend­ tion of the pound on terms is the meaning of the reiteration other European countries. But up Western Europe to American despaired of getting official per­ munists as the “ logical murderers ing loans or grants under the ments in Europe to the amount dictated by Wall Street. of this demand last week by the this absence of direct provisions capital and secure its domination. of half a billion dollars. Such mission and was planning the of Polk.” The head of the Amer­ ECA. U.S. National Advisory Council, is more than compensated for This is assured by many provi­ private loans, if approved by the SHOWDOWN AHEAD the all-powerful economic body of Markos “ scoop” on his own. ican Mission to Greece, Dwight by a whole series of indirect These powers have already been sions in the ECA which have not ECA Administrator, are secured This bitter behind-the-scenes which ECA Administrator Hoff­ As all other foreign correspon­ Griswold, also participates in this regulations which guarantee used to promote Wall Street’s been publicized. In the first for a term of 14 years. American struggle, which has been going man is an official member. dents who refuse to accept the conspiracy. When questioned by anti - nationalization and de­ place, grants are virtually limited reporters, he stated that he as­ precisely such use. bankers and private investors on for some time, is now head­ As the foregoing facts help effipial Greek version of the nationalization policies in West­ to such items as food, fuel and sumed that Communists had run no risk whatever in these ing fo r a showdown. In this illustrate, the ECA is nothing news, Polk was heartily disliked SWEEPING POW’ERS ern Europe. ECA Administrator fertilizer. Industrial raw materials murdered Polk. “ foreign investments” since for struggle the ECA plays the role but an agency of Wall Street’s by the Greek government. In the F irst and foremost are the Hoffman began his tenure in of­ and equipment, on the other hand, every dollar advanced in such of a vise that is being squeezed imperialist policy. Any one who December 1947 issue of Harpers The American Newspaper Guild sweeping powers invested in the fice by telling the Senate Ap­ must not only flow through loans, a dollar is set aside from tighter and tighter. magazine he had exposed the maintains the contrary is either and the Overseas Club, an organ­ Administrator of the ECA. This propriations Committee on May private channels but are subject the funds allotted by Congress . Toward the end of April, the ,corruption and reactionary nature ization of foreign correspondents, individual is a virtual economic T2 that he was opposed to any to repayments. under the ECA. In this case, the International Monetary Fund a dupe or a conscious agent of of the American puppet govern­ is planning its own investigate Czar. He has the final say in aid to Britain (and therefore to By law, these loans must be ECA is simply another huge grab suspended all sales of dollars to American imperialism. ment in Athens. Greek officials of the murder of George Polk. Page Tw o THE MILITANT Monday, May 31, 1948 The Roman Catholic Church and Fascism LATIN AMERICAN NOTES By Art Preis Recognizing the political character of the Catholic Church and of honor in the unveiling ceremonies for the Unknown W arrior in By J. Gomez its tremendous material power, it is important to understand its Milan Cathedral. In 1940, he still gave his blessings to both Italian No event of modern times has more clearly demonstrated political program. What kinds of government does the Catholic and German soldiers, as reported in the Vatican newspaper, Osserva- The campaign against “ com­ ditionally,” the Trotskyists are in the political role of the Roman Catholic Church, under direct the front ranks of the fight Church seek? What aims does it have with respect to secular laws, tore Romano. Nor did he object when the Italian bishops wired Mus­ munism’' on the part of the La­ and absolute rule of the Vatican, than the recent Italian elections. education, science, labor and capital? solini their hope that he would “crown'the unfailing victory of our against both the native plutocracy tin American big landowners and American imperialism. The The American capitalist press hailed the all-out intervention of An illuminating series of articles has been written on this sub­ arms by planting the Italian flag over the Holy Sepulchre.” ject by Paul Blanshard and recently published by The Nation maga­ Pius X I hailed Mussolini on December 20, 1926, as “ the man and capitalists, inspired and paper of the Peruvian Trotsky­ the Catholic hierarchy, from Pope Pius X II down, on the side of the ists, Revolución, is one o f the Christian Democratic Party of ex-fascist capitalists and landlords. zine. Blanshard’s facts are thoroughly documented from Catholic sent by Providence.” The present Pope Pius X II, while still Cardinal directed by Washington, is taking sources. Archbishop of Milan, called II Duce “ the New Constantine.” And in finest organs of m ilitant class Despite a provision in the Lateran Treaty prohibiting priests America, the Bishop of Cleveland, Cardinal O’Connell of Boston and shape from one end of the con­ struggle. and other Church functionaries from partisan political activity, the SUPPORT TO FASCISTS Cardinal Hayes heaped rapturous praise on Mussolini as a “ man of tinent to the other, from Brazil, The native reactionary forces clergy in Ita ly was organized into a vast electioneering machine. These articles cite the record of the Catholic hierarchy and its destiny” and “ a genius in the field of government sent to Italy by Bolivia, Peru, reaching not only are organically so linked with An estimated hundred thousand priests and nuns were mobilized as connections with the rise and spread of fascism from Mussolini’s God.” to the island of Cuba hut even imperialist interests ar.d its' fate ward-heelers to bring out the vote against the Communist-Socialist march on Rome in 1922 to the fascist dictatorships of today in Spain, to little Costa Rica, the only that they w ill try to suppress People’s Front. Portugal and Argentina. PAPAL BLESSING Central American country which, every one that wants to change until recently, still enjoyed a REIGN OF TERROR The Catholic hierarchy in America and its apologists have at­ On February 11, 1929, the Vatican signed the Concordat and the present status quo. The ultra Lateran Treaty with Mussolini. This constituted the formal recogni­ measure of political freedom. reactionary forces of Peru are From the Vatican, the independent state of the Holy See, the tempted to show that the Roman Catholic Church does not and never tion of the Fascist regime by the Roman Catholic Church. Brutal repression is being prac­ even preparing to crack down Pope initiated and directed a reign of ideological and religious terror has supported fascism. But while there are almost'limitless quota­ In return for the papal blessing, Mussolini handsomely rewarded ticed not only against the Stalin­ on the Apra. This one-time petty- against the Italian people, 95% of them Catholic-born. tions from Pius X II and his predecessors against communism and ists but against any and every socialism, nowhere can there be found any attack by the Popes or the Vatican with: 1. Recognition of the sovereignty and extraterri­ bourgeois “ anti-imperialist” party Cardinal Schuster of Milan, for instance, ex-communicated a one who dares to fight for the any leading ’Catholic Church officials against fascism as such. torial rights of the Vatican state, plus $90,000,000 from the Italian has not only become a strong priest for taking part in Popular Front meetings and decreed that Fascist treasury; 2. Agreement by Mussolini not to employ any rights and needs of the laboring As Blanshard points out, from time to time the Vatican criticized supporter of the ideology of absolution be refused to “ Communists or members of other move­ “ apostate or suspended priest” in any post' which “ brings them into masses. “democratic” imperialism but is ments contrary to the Catholic religion.” A declaration of 18 arch­ certain acts of H itler or Mussolini when they encroached upon the direct contact with the public” ; 3. Separate prisons for priests con­ The Trotskyist militants are educational and political preserves of the Catholic Church itself. now in the forefront of the fight bishops and 55 bishops in southern Italy said: “ Nobody can at the victed of crime; 4. Re-establishment of the Roman Catholic Church the victims of this reactionary But the basic doctrines of fascism—the sanctity of the profit system against “ communism.” In this same time be a good Catholic and a Socialist.” Whoever voted for as the “sole religion of the state” ; 5. The teaching of the Catholic campaign in more than one and class society, totalitarian political rule and the corporative state game of capitalist politics, the the working class parties against the capitalists was threatened religion in the public schools with the right of. Catholic bishops to country. In Chile, -a number of —have been directly and openly supported by th'e Popes. Apra, to prove its servility to openly with damnation both here and hereafter. remove any teacher of religion for ‘‘heresy” ; 6. Partial payment of Trotskyists arc, together with American imperialism and to the A fte r the events in Italy, no honest person w ill dispute the Moreover, never have the Popes—so violent in their attacks on priests’ salaries from the Italian public treasury. Stalinists and Socialist militants, native ruling class, is accusing charge that the Catholic hierarchy heads an active political organiza­ working class -political parties—condemned or criticized the de­ The Vatican tacitly sanctioned Mussolini’s barbaric war on the confined in the concentration the Bustamante government of tion seeking specific political ends. struction of political democracy, the murder of labor leaders, the Ethiopian people and the Church blessed- Italian arms. Cardinal camps of Gonzales Vidcla. In being “ agents of Russia,” which The Catholic hierarchy, headed by the Vatican, wields exception­ wholesale atrocities of Mussblini and H itler or of Franco, Salazar Schuster of Milan on October 28, 1985, said that Mussolini’s “ Italian Bolivia (he POR (Revolutionary accusation is based on the fact al ideological power and political influence. It is a totalitarian mach­ and Pcron. standard carries forward in triumph the Cross of Christ, smashes Workers Party) was the first that the government, in its fight ine holding sway over 338 million people, concentrated largely in Indeed, in every fascist country, except H itle r’s Germany, the the chains of slavery and opens the way for the missionaries of the victim of the campaign against against the Apra, dissolved the western and central Europe and North and South America. It has Catholic Church served and still serves as the ally and direct prop gospel.” The Catholic press in America denounced the proposal of “ communism.” Now the POR of “transitory municipal councils” a single head, the Pope, Whose authority is recognized as absolute of the fascist dictatorship. sanctions against Italy. Peru, the Peruvian section of the in which the Apristas predo­ under the doctrine of papal “ infallability” which was first made a Here is the conclusion of the well known Catholic writer, William Eminent Catholic writers and scholars have confirmed .the sym­ Fourth International, is the minated, and set up in their place formal part of the Catholic creed in 1870. Teeling, in his “ Pope Pius X I and World A ffa irs” . “ The political pathetic attitude of the Catholic hierarchy toward Fascism. The noted! victim. “ Councils of Notables” to which policy of Rome seems to become more and more identified with British Catholic, Christopher Dawson, wrote in his “ Religion and the it appointed a number of Stalin­ Under his central, authoritarian command are hundreds o f thou­ TERROR CAMPAIGN sands of trained, disciplined, professional functionaries, fo r whom organizations on totalitarian lines.” Modern State” : ists and fellow travellers. The following two cases in­ the decrees from the Vatican constitute the highest law and the That was written in 1937, when the Roman Catholic Church had “ . . . there seems to be no doubt that the Catholic social ideas Due mainly to the treacherous dicate the character of the terror irrefutable word of Goil on all matters spiritual and temporal. joined with Hitler and Mussolini in supporting Francois war against set forth in the encyclicals of Leo X III and Pius X I have fa r more policies of the so-called leaders campaign waged by the govern­ the Spanish people and when, as every American knows, the Amer­ affinity with those of fascism than with those of either liberalism of labor, the reactionary forces ment of Bustamante First, they COLOSSAL WEALTH ican Catholic hierarchy conducted a violent campaign fo r the vic­ or socialism.” of the continent are on the of­ arrested Nelson Capellino, a well This mighty organization rests on the material foundations of tory of Franco against the Spanish Republican government. (Further articles in this series w ill discuss the role of the fensive. The responsibility for colossal wealth and privilege. I t fa r surpasses any private capitalist It is inconceivable that Mussolini could have come to power in Catholic Church in Spain and other fascist countries; the relations known m ilitant leader of the this falls on the shoulders of the Miners Federation of Bolivia. corporation in property, money and invested capital. Only the treas­ Italy, an overwhelmingly Catholic country, had Pius XI in 1922 of Wall Street imperialism and the Vatican; the attitude of the Stalinist-dominated Latin Ameri­ ury of the United States government commands greater financial offered any serious opposition. In fact, as Cardinal of Milan, prior church to capital and labor; the activities of the Catholic Church in Capellino was deported to Peru can Labor Federation, with which towards the end of 1947 under resources. to his elevation as Pope, Pius X I gave Mussolini’s Blackshirts a place America in the fields of education and science.) the CIO maintains fraternal the flimsy charge that he was a relations, and the AFL leader­ “ foreign agitator” and an “ un­ ship and its Latin American desirable Peruvian” although as creation, the Inter - American a matter of fact, his native Labor Federation, which was country is Bolivia. Now the Stalin’s Machine-Gun GM Agrees to formed to serve American im­ Peruvian government, most likely perialism in its fight against in complicity with the same “ communism.” Bolivian government, arrested him- on the charge of being an In this connection, it is pro­ Attempt Against Trotsky Sliding Scale “international agitator.” Actually foundly false to see in the Inter- Nelson Capellino, because he is American Labor Federaiton a Robert Sheldon Harte came of son, Leon Sedov, an earlier victim (Continued from Page 1) UAW progressives, the demands center of just anti-Stalinist forces, By George Lavan were for a 25-cent raise in basic seriously ill, hag not engaged in a wealthy family. As a student of the GPU. “ living improvement” .and eight as the Shaehtmanite paper, Labor wages to bring real wages up to any political activity since his Eight years ago — on May be became interested in the so­ As a child he had accompanied cents fo r a cost-of-living adjust­ Action, implies in an article by the highest previous level and for arrival in Peru. 24th, 1940—Stalin’s GPU made cialist movement and soon joined his parents in their exile ,from ment. Another three cents w ill be A. Ferrarra in the May 3 issue. a sliding wage scale to protect The government further wreak­ sn attack in force on Trotsky’s the Socialist Workers Party. He Czarist Russia. As the Stalinist added for “living improvement” This assemblage is, above all, a these real wages from future ed its vengeance on the working household in Coyoacan, Mexico. plunged into the work of building counter-revolution began to un­ next year. gathering of anti - communist, price rises. The UAW leaders class fighter by confining him to a A band of about 30 Stalinist the Trotskyist party in the United dermine the young workers state, The eight-cent cost-of-living anti-revolutionary and class col­ adopted the firs t demand and prison with non-political prisoners agents disguised as Mexican States and was elected to the be took an active part in the adjustment can go up or down laborationist labor bureaucrats. threw out the second. Reuther under the most unhygienic con­ policemen and armed with ma­ executive committee of the Down­ ranks of the Left Opposition, according to the movement of Bernardo Ibanez, the general town Branch of the New York falsely claimed that the sliding ditions, .although he is badly in secretary of the IA L I^ didn’t chine guns, bombs and electric headed by his famous father. He living costs. For each two-thirds need of hospitalization. His saws broke into the Trotsky SWP. He volunteered fo r the voluntarily accompanied Trotsky wage scale did not permit im­ raise bis voice against the per­ of a pei- cent rise in the consum­ provements in real wages. Now present fate is still unknown to dangerous work of guarding to forcible exile in Central Asia ers prices index of the Bureau of secutions that are taking place the UAW negotiators throw out us. Trotsky. Selection of guards was and later-to Turkey. ' LEON TROTSKY Labor Statistics, there will be an :n his own country, Chile. The Jbased on trustworthiness and the progressives’ firs t demand The second case is of Comrade Apristas in Peru, who also parti­ In- Turkey his parents prevailed equivalent rise in the wage rate. and settle for the second, which Leoncio Bueno, editor of Revolu­ reliability. Harte was delighted upon him to go to Berlin to carry That is, if the index rises 1.14 cipated actively in the conference, they had previously rejected. ción, organ of the POR of Peru. not only didn’t raise their voices when he was told of his assign­ on his studies and aid in the points above the April figure of Detroit SWP Naturally, in negotiating a He was arrested at the textile against the arrest of Comrade ment to go to Mexico. He had work of the Trotskyist move­ 169.3, then the auto workers auto­ sliding scale contract, the work­ plant where he is employed, on Nelson Capellino but, despite been in the Trotsky household ment there. He left with reluct­ matically get a one cent pay ers must be wary of such “ gim­ Saturday, A pril 24, and was held their knowledge of his revolu­ scarcely eight weeks when he ance and did great service fo r the boost. THERE IS NO CEILING Holds Election micks” as have been incorporated incommunicado in the prefecture. tionary anti - Stalinist position, met his tragic death. cause in Germany. Almost unaid­ ON UPWARD WAGE ADJUST­ into the GM contract. In taking The charges against him are went so fa r as to smear him as The 24-year old guard was one ed he published The Bulletin of MENTS. of the finest types of young re­ over the wage program of the unknown. Most likely, the police a “pro-Soviet agent” in their the Opposition, the main theoret­ Drive Banquet I f prices decline, then there volutionists. His ideals had led UAW progressives, the Reuther- will attempt to force from him paper Tribuna, of March 9. ical organ of the world Trotsky­ w ill be an equivalent percentage him to embrace the only cause By Esther Turner ites have distorted it and left out information about the POR in The explanation is simple: ist movement. decline in the wage scale, BUT Peru, and particularly its lead­ which could emancipate human­ the safeguards which the pro­ they are not progressive anti- NOT MORE THAN A MAXIM­ ers, as they unsuccessfully at­ ity. Having once joined the DETROIT May; 24 — An gressives have always included in Stalinists, but, above all anti­ UM TOTAL OF FIVE CENTS struggle he sacrificed to build entHusiastic croY'd'of i 5D'joined their sliding scale program. tempted in the case of Nelson revolutionary. Thus, even if there should be an Capellino. the party of the working class with- the Detroit Branch of the unlikely big drop in prices, the FORWARD STEP and, putting himself in the very Socialist Workers Party at a GM workers are assured not less However, the principle of the FIRST VICTIMS forefront of the fight, sacrificed banquet, on Sunday, May 23, to San Francisco to than a six cent increase this year, sliding scale of wages represents It is hardly surprising that his very life. qolebrate the victory in placing plus three cents more next year. a great forward step in this pe­ Trotskyist militants are often Hold Open Forum The GPU attack made a great the party on the ballot for both riod of inflation. It is the indis- the first victims of the terror The San Francisco Branch of sensation throughout the world the national and state elections. TWO “GIMMICKS” campaign. In contrast to treacher­ An excellent four-course meal pcnsible and only immediately the Socialist Workers Party will and the Stalinist press did every­ There are two real “gimmicks” ous Stalinism, which is trying to was followed by speeches of the effective program to safeguard thing in its power to shield the in the contratt, however. First, it get into the good graces of the hold an Open Forum for friends candidates fo r state - officers. real wages against constantly GPU and at the same time smear establishes as the “ norm” for real military dictatorship of Busta­ and readers of The M ilitant on Howard Lerner, candidate for mounting prices. Trotsky. The Stalinists declared wages (the actual buying power mante by supporting it “ con­ Governor and the first speaker, This sliding scale program, Friday evening, June 11,' at 8:30 the attack was a fake — that of money wages) the ratio of liv­ pointed: out the historic role of with all the necessary safeguards p.m. LEON SEDOV Trotsky had arranged a “ self-as­ ing costs to money wages in the sault.” tfie SWP. He said, “ We denounce included, must become a great The topic of the discussion w ill depressed year of 1940. Secondly, unifying and rallying slogan of Open Forum for N. J. household in the early hours of Trotsky placed the guilt for the (he: depraved capitalist rulers for changes in living costs, fo r the (he union struggle in the coming be THE NATIONAL ECONOMIC the morning. attack squarely on the GPU and their interest in ' their s t o c k Militant Readers purposes of the sliding wage period of mounting inflation SITUATION AND LABOR’S Their instructions from the the top leaders of the Mexican market profiteering ' rather than scale, are based on the unreliable brought on by the new war pre­ THE CRISIS IN THE TRADE ECONOMIC STRUGGLE. Frank Kremlin were to murder the great Stalinist Party. The correctness being • interested If in the welfare and doctored consigners prices parations. UNIONS AND THE TASKS revolutionist. Rapidly making of this, charge was soon proved of human beings.. They would AHEAD w ill be the topic dis­ A. Barbaria w ill be the speaker their way to the bedroom of Leon gladly sacrifice.'the,, lives of m il­ index of the capitalist govern­ when Mexican authorities arrest­ ment. cussed by E. R. Frank, editor of for the forum, and friends are and Natalia Trotsky the assassins ed 27 of the band, all Stalinists, lions of American youth at the The Militant, at the Open Forum urged to attend and participate The original UAVV demands stood in the doorway and riddled who confessed. The GPU, how­ gltar of , war; in , order * to ■ further to be held on Friday, June 4, at had called for a 25-cent increase in the discussion. the bed with machine gun bursts. ever, with unlimited resources at increase their profits.” Packing Workers 8:30 p.m. by the Newark Branch in basic wages to bring the real The address of the San Fran­ Fortunately Trotsky and his its disposal, struck again within W illiam H. : Yancey, -of ! Flint, (Continued from page 1) of the Socialist Workers Party. wages up to the level of real wife had been awakened by the a few months. This time it was >vho is running for-the office of The Branch address is 423 Spring- cisco Branch is 1739 Fillmore firing in the courtyard and had Secretary of 'State, - spoke next. wages at the end of the war. By are charged with “ rioting.” The successful and with a pickaxe a ROBERT SHELDON HARTE charge originated out of last field Ave. Admission is free. Avenue, fourth floor. hidden in a corner of the room. “The Socialist Workers Party,” arbitrarily going back eight years Stalinist agent murdered the man week’s action when angry work­ In the dim light the GPU murd­ he said, “ carries, on in the true to August 1940, GM and the UAW who with Lenin had led the Rus­ Leon Sedov was a great politi­ ers removed imported scabs from erers mistook the rumpled bed­ spirit of the early American revo­ negotiators established as a sian revolution. cal personality in his own rigjit. the Cudahy packing plant. Charg­ clothes for the figures of their lutionists. It is only the-fight for “norm” a figure for real wages He did much of the research that es brought against other militant intended victims. MANY VICTIMS a Workers and Farmers Govern» which is only eight cents above went into his father’s books. workers at Swift and Armour Thinking they had accomplish­ Robert Sheldon Harte was one ment, which the SWP is leading the existing real wage. But GM Trotsky later wrote, “ My son’s plants lain the whole anti-labor ed their mission the GPU gang of many victims of Stalin’s war that can fu lly emancipate the hourly wages, before the present name should rig htfully be placed gamut — resisting an officer, in­ was while M ilitant Agent George left taking with them one of on the Trotskyist movement. Most Negro people.” increase, were actually 20 to 25 More Branches Hold next to mine on almost all my citing to riot, assault and bat­ was on a honeymoon. Congratula­ Trotsky’s guards, Robert Sheldon of Trotsky’s fam ily had been The last speaker was Genora cents below the real wages two books written since 1928.” tery, mass picketing contrary- to Sub Mobilizations tions to the branch and George, Harte, a young American. The murdered or driven to death by Dollinger, SWP candidate for years ago. When the Moscow Trials were court restraining orders, etc. and best wishes to Betty. body of the kidnapped guard was the Kremlin butcher. U.S. Senate, who was one of the Socialist Workers Party branch­ staged, the Norwegian govern­ The three cents “ improvement” * * * later found in a shallow lime- This is the tenth anniversary victims of the Briggs beatings Milton Siegel, m ilitant leader es received more than 5,000 ex­ ment prevented Trotsky from boost was thrown in to cover up Oakland (Calif.) sent eight filled grave. of the death of Trotsky’s oldest against union, leaders. She said, of the strike in this area, already tra copies of last week’s M ilitant, speaking or w riting on the sub­ the fact that the “cost-of-living” subs. “ We found on our mobiliza­ “Our party is not giving out a increase of eight cents does not ort trial for “violating a court containing Farrell Dobbs’ April ject. It was Leon Sedov who firs t restraining order” is now threat­ 15 national radio address. Various tion yesterday much less apathy bunch of meaningless promises. nearly compensate fo r the actual and more interest, especially in exposed in his Red Book on the Our record speaks for itself. We ened with a contempt of Congress special distributions and sales MAIL THIS BLANK WITH $1 FOR 1 YEAR OF rise in the cost of living since the the election campaign,” writes Moscow Trial the colossal frame- have participated in many fights charge. When subpoened by a were planned. Major branches end of the war. The extra three Beverley Wise. up. of the working people in this sub-committee of the House of ordered 200 to 800 copies above cents does not begin to bring the * # * A fter the advent of Hitler, country and we have never fa lt­ real wages of the GM workers up Representatives on appropria­ their usual bundle quotas. Albanese Cigar Store, 245 Elm THE MILITANT Sedov moved to Paris. Through­ ered- W.e intend to carry this to the highest previous peak and tions And expenditures, headed .by Marianne Stanley, ordering 400 out this period his steps were spotless banner to victory.” is only a slight “improvement” Republican representative Clare extra copies for Seattle, reported: St., New Britain, Conn., is now A Weekly Neirspaper dogged by GPU agents. In board­ These speeches were followed over the real wages of nearly a E. Hoffman of Michigan,’ Siegel “ We are planning a forum along handling The M ilitant every week. ing houses the rooms next to his by a wire recording of the radio decade ago. challenged the authority of the the lines of the Dobbs broadcast, were hired by Stalinist agents. with some additions and elabora­ * * * I enclose...... for address of Farrell Dobbs, SWP committee and refused to appear, His phone was tapped. A t least Presidential candidate, and the EASY TO CHEAT tions. We had covered many “ The enclosed sub is from a Q 1 year, $1., (52 issues) one known attempt to assassinate introductory remarks of James The conshmers prices index of in a statement prepared for pre­ working class areas with a leaf­ striking Chrysler worker and was Q 6 mo’s, 50c, (26 issues) him was foiled by accident. He P. Cannon. the government, as the union sentation to the committee, Siegel let announcing the broadcast, and gotten at the battle of Highland olied in a hospital at the age of The audience was so impressed leaders themselves have repeated­ declared that Representative we plan to follow up in these Park,” reported Bea Allen, De­ areas with this issue of The M ili­ troit. N am e...... 32 after a successful operation by the program of the Socialist ly pointed out, is heavily weighted Hoffman “ has a strong bias for appendicitis. A ll indications tant.” * * * . Workers. Party and its sincerity to minimize the real rise in living against unions and union mem­ point to the use of poison by the that $1,500 was pledged to help costs. It will be easy to cheat the * * * Milwaukee followed up its April Address...... bers.” GPU. the national and state campaign. GM workers of increases to which More branches that have fin ­ Militant Sub Week with another The thousand National guards­ City ...... * Like Trotsky, Leon Sedov and This, despite the fact, that a great they are entitled if the sliding ished their election petition cam­ batch of I I subs. “ I feel this is a Sheldon Harte gave their lives percentage of the audience were wage scale is based, upon a falsi­ men called out by Governor Lu­ paigns are resuming subscription pretty good showing so far for May,” writes Carol Andrews. S ta te ...... Zone...... for the socialist emancipation of unemployed Briggs and Chrysler fied index. The only reliable cost- ther W. Youngdahl on May 14 drives. Philadelphia sent 16 subs “ As a result of our Sub Week the mankind. Workers throughout workers. of-living index would be one have been recalled from the South after its first recent mobiliza­ the world w ill honor their mem­ Although the banquet began at maintained by economists and tion. Fourteen comrades went out comrades have become subscrip­ Address: MILITANT CIRCULATION St. Paul area. Several hundred ory as the heroic pioneers who, 3 p.m. the audience stayed till statisticians of the unions them­ and got 12 renewals. Four other tion-conscious and as soon as new 116 University Place New York 3, N. Y. with incredible sacrifice, blazed 10 p.m. talking and dancing. Two selves. still remain on duty in strike­ subs were from personal contact people appear at the office they the tra il for the future society. people joined the Party. In the wage program of the bound Albert Lea. work and from the shops. This try to sell them subs.” Page Three Debs’ Great Revolutionary Stature Revealed in His Speeches, Writings By George Breitman and not from the ranks” ; ran every district should purchase penitentiary in 1921. The other ideals and to have my place in for president on the Socialist and equip and man enough is the article, Serving the Labor the ranks with the Comrades who The experience of my life, in which there has been no lack WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Party ticket five times, the last Gatling and machine guns to Movement, w ritten in 1922 when share them has been more than either of successes or of failures, has not only not destroyed OF EUGENE V. DEBS, Her­ time from a prison cell; defied match the equipment of Rockefel­ the delegates of the Brotherhood sufficient. . .” my faith in the clear, bright future of mankind, but, on the mitage Press. 1948, 512 pages, the first imperialist war and ler’s private army of assassins. of Locomotive Firemen and One thing mars this book, and contrary, has given it an indestructible temper. This faith in refused to ask fo r mercy when This suggestion is made advisedly Engineinen, to their undying mars it badly. That is the in­ S4. he was thrown into a federal and I hold myself responsible for reason, in truth, in human solidarity, which at the age of troduction by A rthur M. Schles­ ■ Here is a book to cheer about! prison for expressing his anti­ every word of it. If the corpora­ inger, Jr., the liberal historian. eighteen I took with me into the workers’ quarters of the For it gives us the real Debs in war convictions; and in his (14th tions have the right to recruit Any introduction by this person provincial Russian town of Nikolaiev — this faith I have pre­ his own words—the indomitable year declared in ringing words- and maintain private armies of would be offensive to those who served fully and completely. It has become more mature, but working class rebel who devoted “ From the crown of my head to thieves, thugs and ex-convicts to love Debs, for this servile sup­ murder striking workingmen, not less ardent. his whole life to the struggle the soles of my feet I am porter of Truman and Eisen­ Bolshevik, and proud of it.” sack their homes, insult their —Leon Trotsky, Address before Dewey Commission, for the socialist revolution—and hower stands fo r eveiything that thus annihilates the insidious And the Whole story is included wives, and roast their babes, then Debs fought against. Especially Mexico City, 1937. in this book—a collection so rich labor unions not only have the TROTSKY LENIN campaign of the Social Demo­ offensive are his attempt to sum crats and liberals to transform and rewarding that we can call right but it is their solemn duty up Debs as a mere “ democrat” him into a harmless pacifistic attention to only a part of its to arm themselves to resist these and his remark that Bebs’ “ own humanitarian and reformist. contents. First of all, there are lawless attacks and defend their career disproved his repeated This is the true Debs, revealed the long - out - of ‘ print Canton, homes and loved ones.” Can assertion that capitalism would in speeches, articles and pamph- j Ohio, speech (for which he was anyone picture Norman Thomas destroy political freedom” (for Packinghouse Defeat lets written over a 30-year span convicted of violating the Espion­ uttering such words? Schlesinger the jailing of Debs —the lion - hearted, fighter who age A ct); his address to the jury Debs was not primarily a was evidently of little signi­ stands as an inspiration to the \ before its verdict was handed theoretician, and he made poli­ ficance). down; and his statement to the tical errors, easily understood in revolutionists of our own day, the We regard it as malicious and And Third Round Wage Fight court before a vindictive 10-year the light of the development of | incorruptible son of the working downright insulting when Schles­ sentence was imposed on him. American socialism before the class who spurned the opportunity inger. quotes with approval a Reprinted here are his warm Russian revolution. But his heart After ten long weeks of fierce struggle, the quate, and the old GM contract with its nu­ to become a respectable politician Social Democrat’s statement that tributes to the militants and was always on the right side, i nation-wide packinghouse strike has been de­ merous viciously anti-union clauses remains, and labor bureaucrat, our revolu­ Debs’ long years of agitation for martyrs of the labor movement and he unerringly lined up beside tionary forefather who did so socialism were worth while be­ feated. The packinghouse workers had to re­ the auto leaders have, at least, made a some­ and his stirring appeals for the oppressed. This is best4 much to Americanize socialism cause the “ education [thus] turn to work accepting the same miserable 9- what better showing than Murray. The wage solidarity with the McNamara illustrated in his two articles on during the period when capital­ forced on the people . . . saved brothers, Tom Mooney, Sacco and the Negro question, where he cent wage increase that the packers offered agreement, in addition, includes a sliding wage ism was Europeanizing the sqcial EUGENE V. DEBS this country from civil war in Vanzetti, the Ludlow strikers, made the then-copirnon error of before the strike began. On top of that, some scale clause, which is of far-reaching impor­ and political structure of this' tbe depths of depression, and the IWW! victims of witch hunts failing to recognize the special discredit, voted down a motion to country. gave Franklin D. Roosevelt . . . of the leading union militants are being vic­ tance to the labor movement and its struggle and red-baiting, etc. His defense revolutionary significance of the invite Debs to address their con­ Read this book, and you w ill the understanding public and timized by the companies and a number of for living standards. of Moyer, Haywood and Pettibone Npgro struggle for equality, but vention. become acquainted with Debs in trained workers for the im ­ in the article, Roosevelt’s Labor at the same time vigorously ad­ others face ja il sentences and stiff fines. The settlement at GM, which paves the way all his true grandeur. Read his mediate job he had on taking own words, and you w ill under- Letters, constitutes one of the vocated admitting Negroes with DEEPLY WOUNDED This defeat was not due to any lack of for a settlement of the Chrysler strike, was over.” stand why he was the instinctive most savage pieces of polemical equal rights into the labor and This wounded the old fighter fighting spirit or willingness to sacrifice on unquestionably brought on by the rising tide foe of everything represented literature in the history of the spcialist movement, and the ex­ so deeply that he wrote a defense This book was long overdue. the part of the 100,000 CIO packinghouse of anger in the auto centers. (See-our corre­ by the Truman-socialists, Eisen- labor movement. pulsion of all white supremacists. of himself, sketchily listing his Nevertheless, its publication this workers. On the contrary, in every packing­ spondent’s report on page 4.) Had no settle­ hower-socialists, Norman Thomas Those who conceive of Debs as Debs had nothing but contempt long years of service and self- year is especially tim ely because a turn-the-other-cheek pacifist and hatred for every variety of sacrifice in building the Ameri­ 1948 witnesses the first presi­ house center in the country, pickets bravely ment been reached at GM, it is very likely and Stalinist People’s Fronters. Read what he actually fought should read his 1906 article, prejudice, as he showed in his can union movement. “ Had I be­ dential campaign launched by the fought company thugs, scab-herding police that the auto industry would have been clos­ for, and you w ill perceive that Arouse, Ye Slaves!, in which he letter denouncing “ socialists” who trayed the organization instead Socialist Workers Party, whose and armed deputies. Pickets in Iowa and M in ­ ed down by a general strike. The auto barons, behind their claims to represent warned: “ I f they attempt to wanted their party to adopt a of serving it, it would be dif­ members alone consciously and nesota met the bayonet attacks of the nation­ despite all their bluster and arrogance, did and continue the Dobs tradition murder ■ Moyer, Haywood and reactionary policy barring cer­ ferent. . . Were I prime favorite militantly bear aloft the flag of their brothers, a million revolu­ tain races from immigrating to with the railgoad magnates in­ Debs and honor his tradition in al guard. Three union members were killed not want a dent in their bonanza profits and is a calculated effort to bury his real, his revolutionary, . signif­ tionists, at least, w ill meet them the U.S., and in his article attack­ stead of their uncompromising the only way he wanted it and an uncounted number were injured on preferred to offer the unions a few small con­ icance—sim ilar to the effort that with guns. . . Let them dare to ing male chauvinism. enemy, the invitation to address honored—-by fighting for the so­ the picket lines. cessions. was made to dilute the doctrines execute their devilish plot and Two selections in • this book the convention would have been cialist revolution. Campaign every state in this Union will strike a poignant note. One is extended by acclamation.” But orators and propagandists would But all this was not enough. Stabbed in This demonstrates what really could have of Marx by the men who betrayed them in thei name of Marxism. resound with the tramp of revolu­ from Debs’ only book, Walls and even in this moment of genuine ! do well to read this volume care- the back by the A F L Butchers Union which been accomplished in auto if the unjpn lead­ tion.” Bars, dealing with the thunder­ unhappiness, the larger man I fully for what they can learn had accepted the original 9-cent settlement, ers had co-ordinated the wage fight, adopted “WITH THE RANKS” In the same sp irit was his ap­ ing ovation given this beloved emerges: “ I did not start out ex­ from a great agitator about how and given no decisive aid by the rest of the an industry-wide bargaining and strike strate­ Debs began as a “ pure and peal, after the 1914 Ludlow fighter fo r all the oppressed by pecting gratitude and I have to speak and write the language inassacre, for- the United Mine never been disappointed. To be of revolution so that the masses CIO, the packinghouse strike could not by gy, and placed in the forefront of its wage simple” trade union organizer; his 2^90 fellow-prisoners as he was shown the meaning of Workers and the Western Federa­ walked out of the Atlanta true to my principles and my can understand it. ’ itself hold out against the profit-swollen meat program the slogan of adequate wage increas­ capitalism and' politics when he tion of Miners to levy an assess­ trust. es plus the escalator clause. This demonstrates was railroaded to prison fo r ment fo r a Gunmen Defense This jolting setback comes at a time when what still can be accomplished if the national “contempt” of courts and in­ Fund, “ to provide each member with the latest high power rifle, CilO leaders w ill stop their panic-gtricken junctions used to break the great. the CIO is already rocking with the capitula­ Pullman strike that he led; be­ the same as us6d by the corpora­ tion of President M urray to the steel barons retreat, call a national conference of all lead­ came a socialist agitator whose tion^ gunmen, and 500 rounds and his avowal at the union’s Steel Conven­ ing unions and perfect a wage program and aim was to rise “ with the ranks, of cartridges. In addition to this tion that under his leadership the steel work­ strategy on the principle of "one for all and all for one.” He pointed out that the Chrysler pretty far in preserving what ers would take industry’s refusal to grant Macdonald's Lecture workers are fighting the battle little they have. wage increases lying down. Labor must resolve never again to per­ At Chicago Univ. of the whole UAW. He also said The labor bureaucracy, on the that the auto barons arc united other hand, is scared s tiff to call This week, the CIO third round wage cam­ m it one union— as in the packinghouse strike Editor: paign was saved from total disaster by the There appeared in the April 26 in this fight against the workers, out all the workers at once, be­ — to take it on the chin while the rest of the and now that the industrialists cause it could certainly lead to a settlement between the auto union and the army of labor stands idly by. The labor re­ issue of The M ilitant a letter from “ A Student” at the Univer­ have the Taft-Hartley I,aw,. they situation where the labor bur­ General Motors Corporation. While the II- treat must be stopped. Labor must unite its sity of Chicago vehemently at­ have been emboldened to take eaucrats would lose control over cent hourly wage increase is totally inade­ forces and fight. tacking the “ Shachtmanite ‘re­ the offensive against the unions. their rank and file. volutionists’ ” for participating He said that therefore, all the J. M. with “ Norman Thomas ‘social­ workers should stick behind the Detroit, Mich. ists’ ” in a united front meeting Chrysler workers. Many workers under whose auspices Dwight fe lt that he could have told us Macdonald lectured. “ A Student” more — namely what to do about Congress and The Arab-Jewish War completed his note with no little it, besides just joining the Chrys­ Promises modesty by stating that the ler picket lines. Editor: answer to Wallace “ could only It was up to one rank and file r According to the N.Y. Daily In Palestine have been given by a spokesman to suggest what should be done. News (May 9), Capitol H ill policy of the Socialist Workers Party,” This worker got up and made a motion that the Motor Building experts predicted that in “ Con­ The present big-power intrigues and shifty tion from .its aforementioned social reality, who would have “ counterposed to Wallace a real Labor Party.” etc. U nit of Local 600 go on record gress’ pell mell attempt to wind maneuvers in the UN on Palestine reflect the the fact remains they cannot carve out a state Permit me to point out that fo r the calling of an emergency up its business before June 20” sharp rift between British and American im­ at the expense of the national rights of the although the Socialist Workers CIO meeting for united action of the “anti-lynch bill tentatively set fo r floor consideration — and perialism on this issue. Arab peoples. This is not self-determination, Party has members attending the ali the unions. He attacked Mur­ ray’s and Reuther’s policy of any other civil rights bill — but conquest of another people’s territory. University of Chicago who could The British position in the Near Hast is at any time they please conduct calling one strike at a tjme as would be sacrificed fo r the sake steadily weakening as a reflection of the gen­ For these reasons the Zionist promulgation a meeting on the Wallace issue not meeting the needs of the of speed.” eral disintegration of the British Empire and of a Jewish state and its war to maintain with one of their “ spokesmen” workers at the present time. The “ servants of the people” this state against Arab opposition is reac­ they have evidently chosen to In the shop itself many of the are so anxious to get to their the bankruptcy of British capitalism. Unable business of electioneering they tionary and cannot be supported by the so­ keep their answer to Wallace a workers have expressed the sen­ to utilize the Jews as in the past, the British mystery. timent, “ Why don’t they call us are w illing to put o ff such im­ are now throwing their support behind the cialist movement. On the other hand, the Politics all out at once instead of messing portant legislation as the anti­ feudal princeling rulers of the Arab states Neither are the Arab rulers conducting a Club, one of the two groups around.” In spite of the fact that lynch bill. many workers at Ford have just This is just more proof that in an attempt to strengthen British imperial progressive struggle for national independ­ As the CIO Auto Workers, strike against the Chrysler Corp. criticized by “ A Student” has in addition to the Macdonald meet­ come back from being laid off, the high sounding words the bases and influence in the Near East. Wall ence and against imperialism. They are, by continues, pickets’ wives with babes-in-arms join the picketline ing held two public discussions they feel that we’ll have to go capitalist politicians spout about outside the Dodge plant in ;Hamtramck, Mich. Federated Pictures Street imperialism, on the other hand, anxious their anli-Jewish war, trying to divert the on the third party question at out sooner or later, so why not the democratic rights of the peo­ to extend its hold in this key section of the struggle against imperialism, and utilizing which time its viewpoint was all at once. ple before elections. can be put aside until some other time. globe and dislodge British supremacy, is •the aspirations of the Arab masses for na­ presented.. I might also add, that I t ’s obvious from the attitude it is not the policy of the Politics cf the workers that they mean Mrs. Peter G. seeking to utilize the Jews as a catspaw of tional freedom, to smother the social opposi­ M ovie Review Club to sponsor only those speak­ business and are w illing to go New York City its imperialist designs. tion to their tyrannical rule. That is why their ers who share its revolutionary war against the Jewish state lacks the pro­ socialist viewpoint. The present Jewish-Arab war, far from en­ STATE OF THE UNION lican party ticket. He starts out hancing reactionary Zionism or imparting to gressive characteristics of a national war I was present at the Macdonald Activities of ‘M ilitant’ Readers and the No one expects to see the class with a mixture of ideals which meeting and if my memory serves it a progressive mission, exposes in glaring against imperialism and does not deserve the J are a hodgepodge of confusion. struggle portrayed in any movie me correctly it was announced manner that the program of a Jewish state support of the class conscious workers. He’ll tell Labor off. He’ll tell that an open-house party was made in Hollywood and this Industry off. Everyone must in Palestine and the Jewish war for this end These facts must be pointed out to the being held that evening which SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY picture is no exception. As fa r as work together in the interest of — is reactionary and bankrupt from begin­ peoples involved. The most farsighted ele­ the “ State of the Union” is con­ Macdonald would attend and to the people. which all of the audience was ning to end. Zionism, far from solving Jew­ ments have the duty of turning their respec­ cerned, the class struggle simply AKRON — i So. H ow a rd St., 2nd f l. Mon. N E W A R K —423 S p rin g fie ld Ave. Bhonq does not exist. His girl friend (Angela Lans- invited (I assume that included through Frl., 7 to 9 p. m.; Branch meet­ Bigelow 3-2574. Reading room. Open ish difficulties, threatens to provoke new po­ tive peoples away from this fratricidal strug­ bury) convinces him that he must “ A Student” ). ing Sun. 8 p. m .: Socialist Youth Club d a ily . 12-4 and 7-10 p.m . However a number of daring meeting Sun. 3 p. m. N E W VO K i t C IT Y (H q .)— 116 U nivers­ ity P I. Phone GR. 5-8149. groms against the Jews and involve them in gle—of benefit only to the imperialists and statements are permitted in the put himsejf into the hands of the Interestingly enough, when the BALTIMORE—1121 E. Baltimore St.. experienced politicians. His wife evening rolled around and a Phone W o lfe 1753J. D a ily 9 a.m. -9 p.m ., EAST SIDE!—251 E. Houston St. 1st fl. new calamities. Zionism and the tiny Jewish their agents. The only solution for Palestine dialogue such as “If capitalism O. Coover Sr.. MILITANT and FOURTH H A R L E M — 103 W . 110 St., Rm . 23 does not do this job it will not (Katherine Hepburn) says, “ No heated discussion developed in­ INTERNATIONAL on sale. Phono MO. 2-1866. Open discussion. state must inevitably become a tool of Amer­ is the joining of forces of the two peoples no, yop w ill lose your ideals.” volving many of the 90 people at BOSTON—30 S tu a rt St.. S at., 1-5 p. m .. T h u r., 8 p. m . survive.” And again, “There cer­ Tues., 7:30-9:30 P. m. BRONX—1034 Prospect Ave., 1st fl» ican imperialism and the agency to facilitate for the calling of a Constituent Assembly and Phone I,U . 9-0101. tainly is a big difference between The g irl friend wins out, tempor­ the party, the absence of that BUFFALO—Militant Forum, 029 Main the entrance of the W ail Street brigands into the setting up by democratic decision an inde­ arily. much heralded “ spokesman” of St., 2nd fl. Phone MAdison 3960. Every B R O O K LY N —635 F u lto n St. Phone the Democrats and us (the Re­ afternoon except Sun. ST. 3-7433. the SWP was hardly noticed. I t C H E L S E A — 130 W . 23rd St. Phone the Near East. Furthermore, it is precisely pendent Palestinian state, and the organiza­ publicans). They’re in and we’re After a number of trials and CHICAGO—777 W. Adams (corner Hal- should be mentioned in all fa ir­ sted). Phone DEArborn 4767. Daily except C H. 2-9434. Zionism, which constantly solidifies the posi­ tion of a struggle to oust all the imperialists. out.” tribulations including some air­ Sun., 11 a. m.-5 p. m. Library, book­ OAKLAND (Cal.)—Write P. O. Box ness, however, that one member 1351, O akland 4. The audience reactions to these plane stunts (only Hollywood store. tion of the reactionary Arab rulers, and en­ The socialist forces in the U.S. and through­ of the SWP was present but he CLEVELAND—Militant Forum, Sun., P im .A D E L P H IA — 1303-05 W . G ira rd comments showed how obvious will ever know why they dragged 8:30 p. m., Peck’s Hall. 1446 E. 82nd St. Ave., 2nd fl. Phone Stevenson 4-5820. managed to sit throughout the Open daily. Forum. Fri.. 8 p. m. ables them to pervert the social struggle in out the world must at the same time redouble these truisms were. Certainly these airplane scenes into the (off Wade Park Ave.). entire discussion with his mouth D E T R O IT — 6108 Linw ood Ave. Phone PITTSBURGH—1418 Fifth Ave., 2nd fl. their own countries into a communal struggle their efforts to have the broad labor move­ there was nothing to justify the story), our hero finally sees the TY 7-0267. M on. through S at., 12-5 p. m. Open meetings, 1st & 3rd Sun., 8:30 apparently paralyzed, p. m. Marxist Study Class, Thur., 7-9 between the Arab and Jewish peoples. As ment take up the fight to open the doors of howls of rage which went up light. His wife was right all the F L IN T —215 E. N in th St. D a ily 7-9 B. M. p. m. Open house, Sat. eve. 'Forum, Sun. p. ni. from the Congressional watch­ time. SAN DIEGO (Cal.) — For information an example, the reactionary regime of King the U.S., Britain and elsewhere to the victims Chicago, 111. w rite P. O. Box 857. dogs against “ subversive thought” In the final scene our hero ^LOS ANGELES—Militant Publ. Assn., Farouk of Egypt, badly shaken at home and of Hitlerism. Room 201, 124 W . 6th St. Phono V A ndyke SAN FRANCISCO—1739 Fillmore Ave., in Hollywood. grabs the mike and blasts the 8061. 4th fl. iPhone F I. 6-0410. D a ily except facing rising working class opposition, was The achievement of these tasks are surely politicians who thought they S A N P E D R O —M ilita n t. 1008 S. P a c ific Sun.. 12-4:30 p. m. The movie, evidently patterned Ford Workers Room 214. SEATTLE—Maynard Bldg., 1st Ave., able to consolidate itself and smother its class fraught with great difficulty. But there are or. the life of the late Wendell could run him. He starts apologiz­ W A T T S —M ilita n t. 1720 E . 97th St. South & W ashington. Phone M a in . 9278. ing all over the place. He apol­ Fighting Mad LYNN, (Mass.)—44 Central Sq., Rm. Mon. through Sat., 12-5 p. m. Branch opponents by diverting attention to its m ili­ no shortcuts in solving the Jewish problem. Wilkie, does not even do justice 11. Sat. 1-5 p. m. Discussion, Tues., meeting. Fri., 8 p. m. Library, bookstore. to his' ideas, for while W illkie ogizes to the people. He apologiz­ Editor: 1:30 p. m . ST. LOUIS—1023 N. Grand Blvd., Rm. tary adventure against the Zionist state. Thus Chauvinism and reliance upon the imperial­ es for his past conduct. And in MILWAUKEE—Militant Bookshop. 608 312. F orum , T h u rs., 7-30-10 p. ra. believed in “ One World,” he did On Saturday, May 15, the Motor S. 5th St. Mon. through Frl., 7:30-9:30 ST. P A U L — 540 Cedar St. Phone G ar- Zionism, which for 40 years has posed as the ists w ill only lead to' greater disasters and ro t add, as does the movie, “ with tvpical Hollywood style he con­ Building U nit of Ford Rouge p. m. Phono BR oadw ay 9645. . field 1137. Open dally. Bookstore. Forum, savior of the Jewish masses, has in reality slaughter. The tortured Jewish masses can the Russians or without them.” cludes with a tear-jerking apol­ Local 600 held its regular mem­ MINNEAPOLIS—10 So. 4th St. Phone 3rd Sun. of each month, 3:30 p. m. ogy to his wife. The wife rushes M ain 7781. D a ily except Sun., 10 a. m .- TACOMA (Wash.)—Write P. O. Box brought them to a dead end. solve their problems only by forging an al­ Grant Matthews, the hero, bership meeting for the month 6 p. m. Library, bookstore. 1079. Meeting, Wed., 8 p. m., Odd Fellow played by Spencer Tracy, is per­ into his arms and the scene ends of May. Brother Tommy Thomp­ NEW BRITAIN, (Conn.)—M ilitant Dis­ Hall, 6th & Fawcett. Haven’t the Jewish people the right to self- liance with the labor and socialist movements cussion Group every Frl. 7:30 p.m. M ili­ TOLEDO — 113 St. Clair St., 2nd fl. suaded to engage in a campaign on a note of slobbering sentimen­ son, president of Local 600 spoke tant Labor Club. 165 Main St. (next to Open daily. determination and statehood as other peo­ — not in deals and maneuvers with the im­ tality. Strand Theatre). YOUNGSTOWN — 115 E. Federal St. which will bring him the nomina­ on the importance of the Chrys­ N E W H A V E N — L a b o r School. 855 Rm. 302. Phone 3-1355. Wed., Frl., Sat., ples? Yes—but even if we abstract this ques- perialists. tion fo r President on the Repub- —Ben Stone ler strike for all auto workers. Grand Ave., 3rd fl., Tues, 8-10:30 P, m. 1:30 to 4 p. m. Diary of a Steel Worker ------— ------Ten Who F e ll

------By Theodore Kovalesky ------The time has come again to pull off our and laughed. The kids ate ice cream cones. Spring burnt, clay-spattered old fe lt hats, our ore- was in the air. Life was in the air. Who could stained caps. tell that death, too, was in the air? The time has come again to And then it was time to put aside laughter and stand a silent moment upon the play, beer and speeches. Under the hot spring NAACP Fights to Get Victimized furnace floors, to swing the p it sun they formed a giant line, the men and women cranes and charging cars to a and even some of the kids. They took their picket deep halt, to pause in symbolic signs and marched out in fron t of the Republic quiet amid the crash of the Steel plant in Chicago, the city of Haymarket. mills. They brought the laughter and the holiday with them. They carried the bright springtime Member Reinstated in Post Office The time has come once again to remember in reverence and with them, held it high with their picket signs. By J. Hawkins stern resolution ten who fell The workers went forth to war with laughter. that we might stand upright in pride as union In front of the steel plant were the Chicago Gosser, Mazey Another Striker Slain SANTA MONICA, Calif., men. , . police lined up in their blue uniforms, armed M ay 22 — The Truman admin­ * * * with their blue steel revolvers, their clubs and tear gas. The pickets stood in the sunshine, the istration’s Post Office officials There are few steelworkers, few union men Create Crisis have discovered that their eyes who remember their names. And, in a way, women in bright spring dresses, armed with their picket signs and their determination. are bigger than their stomachs. that is as it should be. For those ten are not Three weeks ago F. H. Barnes, merely names, not merely individuals. Then the Chicago police force, protecting “ law In Spicer Unit and order” and Republic Steel, began to shoot M ilitant local president of the Those ten are you and me and those millions National Association for the Ad­ who came before us and those millions who shall and, swinging their clubs, charged the unarmed TOLEDO, iMay 19 — Today pickets. Then men, women, yes, and a few of vancement of Colored People, come after us. a critical situation exists at the was suspended from his mail ear­ Those ten arc part of the great army of rebel­ the kids, scattered and ran under the bright spring sunshine. Ten fell, never to run again. Spicer plant because of the bun­ ner’s job, charged with disloyalty lion, the people’s army fighting in darkness for and with enlisting support of the light. They are today strong, bloody foot­ gling and cowardly tactics of the , 4 * * subversive groups in the fig h t prints upon the vast battlefield of labor. Ten fell. International. leadership of the Cities are built of cement and steel, brick and against racial discrimination in * * * auto union. hiring at the local Sears Roebuck stone. The labor movement is built of blood and Here is the sequence of events Eleven years ago a hot spring sun glared down sacrifice, of men and women fallen in the fight. store. From the previous list of upon a field. I t was Memorial Day, 1937, in It is made of song and holiday and warriors who that have brought on the present seven so-called subversive organ­ Chicago. went to battle with laughter on their lips. It is crisis: izations listed in the firs t charges against Mr. Barnes, the American I t was a holiday. The Republic Steel strikers made of such as those ten who fell on Memorial About a month ago, negotia­ wore their good clothes. Their wives gossiped Day, 1937, in Chicago, the city of Haymarket. Post Office loyalty board last tions between the union com­ Wednesday removed the names of mittee and company representa­ the American Veterans Commit­ The Negro Struggle ------tives led to a heated argument tee, the American Jewish Con­ between Kramer, chairman of the gress, the Committee on Racial union committee, and a company Equality, and the Progressive Politics and the NAACP personnel man. This led to a Citizens of America. Hoping to free-for-all in which a company isolate the Stalinists, the Post ------By Albert Parker ------man who clipped Kramer from Office now lists only the Com­ The NAACP is now preparing to hold its A better name fo r this kind of procedure would behind came out with a black munist Party, the National Ne­ annual conference—this time in Kansas City, be “political INaction.” Because what it boils eye and several bruises. The com­ gro Congress, and the Interna­ Mo., from June 22 to 27. Over 1,000 delegates down to is a refusal to take sides in a most pany immediately fired Kramer tional Workers Order. crucial election struggle. Negro voters are con­ and a steward named Sommers. Mr. Barnes, who is not tied up from 40 states are expected to William Farrell was on the picketline outside the Rath Packing Co., in Waterloo, la., May 19, fronted on the one hand with candidates who politically, is standing on the attend. Enemies of Jim Crow helping his brother members of the CIO Packinghouse Workers. Today he’s dead, killed by a scab are their bitter enemies and on the other hand VOTED TO STRIKE right of his NAACP branch to throughout the country naturally who fired at the strikers. Here pickets and their families stare silently at the sawdust-covered with candidates who stand fo r a program of The union called a meeting and invite the support of all organ­ wish the conference the best of blood-stained spot where Farrell fell. Federated Pictures success in working out a pro­ equality fo r the Negroes. Yet on the political 80% voted to strike if an agree­ izations and individuals. Such gram to meet the needs of the field—which is the decisive field—the NAACP ment could not be reached with invitations constitute no endorse­ Negro struggle. leaders refuse to lift a finger to fight their the company. Grey, one of the ment of the politics of any of the enemies or aid their friends. supporters of Vitee - President supporters and in no way vio­ But.there is no‘use in hiding the fact that the Gosser, protested the vote on a delegates to this conference w ill be laboring The reactionary Southern Democrats know late the non-partisan stand of better than that. They fight the Negro people technicality and his protest was GM Locals in Flint Vote under, a severe handicap—the so-called “ non- the national NAACP. with every weapon at their disposal and the upheld by the International Ex­ partisan” political policy of the organization. ecutive Board. So the union held The fig h t against the Sears Especially in an important election year this weapon they use most vigorously is politics. How store is continually hampei-ed by can the Negro organizations possibly cope with another and larger meeting and policy puts the delegates in the position of fig h t­ this time 94% voted to strike. the disruptive antics of the Stal­ ing Jim Crow with one hand tied behind their their enemies unless they are equally active and On Question of Strike inists in the United Committee, The International Board then back. aggressive in this field? which the NAACP branch created We are well acquainted with the NAACP took the position that it would By Jerry Kirk mittee, appeared before the but it did nothing to bring the Secretary Walter White tried to cover up this Buick meeting and strongly de­ issues to the members. The lead­ last January to broaden the fig h t leaders’ arguments against independent political not approve the strike until against Sears. The Stalinists fact last week in his press release on the con­ Gosser had a chance to negotiate FLINT, Mich., May 23—A t nounced the campaign of the ership of the local, having no action, but they are not very impressive. Walter week after week “ capture” this ference, which began as follows: “ Political action the dispute. Gosser met with the Flint Journal. In his speech he confidence in Reuther and his White & Co. claim that if the NAACP gives up its regular membership meeting committee, but somehow keep to secure civil rights guaranteed by the Constitu­ company for a few days, then pointed out that Chevrolet work­ strike policy, floundered around its outmoded “ non-partisan” policy, it w ill lose May 16, Chevrolet Local 659 of grabbing at thin air. In angry tion w ill be one of the main themes at the 39th left for Detroit without notifying ers not only voted to back up the and offered no alternatives to the many of its present big-shot friends. But what the CIO auto union voted to re­ frustration, they first turned annual conference of the NAACP. . .” good are “ friends” who would desert you because the Spicer union committee of international and its strike de­ program of Reuther. When they quest the union’s international (heir disruptive attacks on the Sure enough, political action w ill be one of the you showed you meant business about fighting what, had transpired. mands, but had also called on finally decided to support the executive board to call a national Trotskyists and the Committee subjects at the conference. But not the kind of Jim Crow? Instead of losing influence by a firm, the UAW executive board to call strike vote, the damage had been A fter the committee learned by conference of all CIO locals for on Racial Equality, not daring to political action that is required, not the kind independent political program, the NAACP would an industry-wide strike in auto done. phoning Detroit that Gosser had tl-.e purpose of presenting unified attack the NAACP or its presi­ that can achieve anything. When White and his actually win millions of new adherents. and a national conference of all Sad to say, the Buick leaders made no progress in the dispute, wage and contract demands on dent. During this past week the fellow NAACP leaders talk about political action, The best thing the coming NAACP conference CIO locals to map out joint wage buckled under the pressure of the second, shift—working at the the industrialists. The local also Stalinists have begun insinuating here is what they mean: can do w ill be to brush aside such silly argu­ and contract demands. While the boss press to permit so-called time—walked out and set up demanded that they strike the that Mr. Barnes is preparing to The NAACP is going to put on a big campaign ments, flatly condemn the capitalist parties as Chapman and Mazey received no impartial observers and the press picket lines. Emil Mazey, Acting whole auto industry if it was shake o ff the Stalinists in order to have everybody register in order to oe able to Jim Crow enemies of the Negro people, and call response from the audience, Pal­ into the meeting. This is in con­ President in Reuther’s absence, found- necessary to call the GM to run for cover. Naturally this vote in November. Vote for what, vote for on the trade union movement to join it in build­ mer was warmly applauded sev­ trast. to the Chevrolet strike com­ ordered the men back to work workei'S out on strike. kind of behavior doesn’t sit well whom? The NAACP leaders refuse to answer. ing an independent workingman’s party devoted and issued a public statement, eral times during his brief re­ mittee which told the Flint Jour­ The resolution calling for a with the Negro community w'hich The most they intend to do is put out a record to the interests of the working class and the featured in two inch headlines marks. nal in no uncertain terms that of the different candidates’ stand on various Negro people. I t is no longer possible to be “ non­ strike vote was presented by the The Buick executive board their meetings were only open to sees in Mr. Barnes the courageous in the papers, viciously attacking leader he is. issues affecting the Negro people. partisan” in the political fight against Jim Crow. the strike. local executive board. The amend­ voted fo r strike by a 14 to 4 vote union members. ments for a national CIO con­ WITH A PRICE HAD TO RETREAT ference and industry-wide strike The company, seeing the posi­ action were added after a m ilitant A t every step the Stalinists Health, Wealth and Ulcers tion of the International leaders, speech by Sol Dollinger, Chev­ United Labor Action Needed have miscalculated. From Novem­ announced that under no circum­ rolet assembly plant worker. ber to January they withheld stances would they permit The overflow meeting of 700 support of the fight against ------By Grace Carlson ------Kramer’s return and threatened responded to denunciations of Sears Roebuck because they didn’t Most well-to-do ulcer patients like to think that And when a worker does develop a stomach a suit for damages under the lOd-baiting as a bosses’ weapon To Ensure Victory at Boeing want the NAACP to emerge with their stomach trouble has been caused by their ulcer, what happens? Usually, he doesn’t go to T aft - Hartley Law. Faced with made by Tex Owens, former pres­ a major victory to its credit. extreme sensitivity. It is hard fo r them to believe the doctor until the pain in his stomach is very this barrage, the union commit­ ident of the local and Dollinger. By Irene James (he typographical workers, have When they did come into the that, workers could be “ sensi­ severe and begins to sap his energy. A fter the tee had to retreat. Mazey refused The membership also approved also voted support. But the AFL United Committee, it W'as with a SEATTLE, May 23 — In the- tive” enough to have stomach stomach ulcer has been discovered, his doctor to discuss the matter with the the critical remarks made of M ur­ Council, controlled by Dave Beck price for their support. That ulcers. But, contrary to the fond w ill give him a diet list, in which milk, cream, committee and further refused ray and his no-strike negotiations fifth week of the strike, the of tile Teamsters, has made no price was control of the direction Official statement. In the Teams­ belief of the few wealthy suf­ eggs and lean meats predominate. The doctor to come down to Toledo to face by Kerm it Johnson. Boeing Airplane Company is ci the fight. Since then, their ferers from this stomach will also urge the ulcer victim to avoid overwork; the men and explain his position. stepping up its back - to - work ters Union itself, there has been continual efforts, to take that considerable protest against the disorder, (the big m ajority of not to cat when he is worried, tired, hurried The International leadership STRIKE COMMITTEE drive. Large “ Help Wanted” ads control away from the NAACP, ulcer patients are workers — nervous or angry. Above all, the doctor w ill A strike committee of 18 were appear almost daily in both action of Beck, who has sent the and now their attacks on the has since arrived at some kind of teamsters through the lines. poor workers, overworked and impress the patient with the importance of getting agreement with the company. elected. Among them are Coburn Seattle papers. Spot announce­ m ilitant NAACP branch pres­ underpaid. enough rest, particularly after meals. Mazey and Gosser have warned Walker, president of the local, ments on the radio are broadcast The days ahead w ill be crucial ident are not wasted on the Ne­ So eminent an authority on How can the average worker get enough milk, the Spicer committee that if they Jack Palmer, Kerm it Johnson, at 15-minute intervals. Strikers ones for the outcome of the gro population. I f the Stalinists stomach and intestinal disorders cream, eggs and lean meats into the fam ily menu do not go along and leave the Tex Owens, Sol Dollinger, Wilbur have been bombarded with a strike. Victory can only be thought that they could get away as Dr. Walter Alvarez of the at today’s inflated prices ? And, if he needs extra Kramer matter in their hands, H ill. . , series of letters, telephone calls achieved through the full-scale with these tactics without the Mayo Clinic told a meeting of the Intel-national money to buy these expensive foods, how can he they will appoint an administrator In strike balloting a record and personal visits from repre­ backing of the strike by the entire Negro people taking note, they Medical Assembly that if the average man with avoid overwork? W ith the short lunch hours over the Spicer unit and bring 6,500 workers turned out to vote. sentatives of the company. Some Seattle labor movement. were badly mistaken. stomach ulcers were left an income of $250 per allowed to working people, how can he keep from the committee militants up on 5,820 voted in favor of strike ac­ have been: offered foremen’s jobs. month for the rest of his life, he would soon be eating when he feels “ hurried” ? Where can he charges and have them expelled tion; 584 against. Immediately Others have been offered a 15- find a foreman, who will let him rest after each cured and would never have ulcers again. Prac­ from the union. the local capitalist paper attempt­ cent hourly increase. In some tically all ulcer cases are brought on by fear, meal? cases the company offered to pay An element in the disgraceful ed to smear the vote by claiming frustration, worry, anger, nervous and mental Doctors arc in agreement that the typical rent and outstanding bills. DETROIT UNIONS BACK behavior of Mazey, Gosser and the padding o f the ballots. This exhaustion, Dr. Alvarez declared. These, in turn, stomach ulcer patient is an intense, conscientious, the Executive Board is the fact slander was roundly denounced, by hard-working individual, whose stomach attacks HOLD FIRM he went on to say, are chiefly due to the tremend­ that Kramer and the bulk of the strike committee which sent have been brought on by excesses of worry and Because of the injunction, ous speed-up of modern industry and to the the Spicer leadership are anti- a delegation to the Flint Journal work. Such a “worrier” will find plenty more to there is only a token picket line CHRYSLER STRIKERS Reuther in the union’s political to inform them that the Chev­ terrifying problems with which American work­ worry about in trying to find a way to follow his around the plant. The union has lineup. rolet local was not going to let ers are confronted. doctor’s orders. called no general membership By Howard Lerner The Spicer committee has voted them get away with these smear meeting and has made little effort DETROI T, May 24 — In re­ Today, the Chrysler Corporation to put Kramer and Sommers (who tactics. to draw the entire union mem­ sponse to sentiment in the ranks is using supervisory help fo r in­ is to return to work after a 60- * * * bership into the struggle. But in ventory purposes. It is reported day penalty layoff) on their pay­ spite of this, the strikers are demanding an end to the divisive Notes from the News roll full time. Also to hold a mass FLINT, Mich., May 23 — holding firm. It is true that a few one-at-a-time strategy as well as that scabs are filtering in with meeting and invite the Interna­ 7,000 Buick workers crowded hundred scabs (out of 15,000) a more militant, conduct of the supervisory and office help. Pres­ tional officers to come down and into the IM A auditorium to vote are working behind the lines. Chrysler strike, the UAW top of­ sure is mounting to reassert the TERRORISM—The terrorism campaign of the the new outfit w ill be given a home in the catch­ explain to the rank and file what, ficials have scheduled a meeting original strike plans to shut the “Associated Farmers” against AFL strikers at all shipbuilders union. against strike action by a 2 to 1 Most of these are not members they are doing. vote. This action represents a of the union, although some this week of all Detroit local plants down tight. the huge Di Giorgio fruit farm in California * * * union leaders to organize a uni­ Ford Local 600 has called a reached the shooting stage last blow to the UAW leadership. The white collar groups and some RAIL NEGOTIATIONS — Negotiations be­ fied strike strategy. This propos­ mass rally for all Ford workers week. James Price, president of main speech requesting a yes recent hires have crossed the tween the rail companies and three railroad UPWA Field Official al was firs t made by Budd Local this coming Saturday to oppose the union directing the strike, vote was presented by Emil Ma­ lines. These scabs are handling brotherhoods have completely broken down. .306 and reported in last week’s the wage - cut and piece-work was shot down and critically Gets Jail Sentence zey, international financial secre­ clean-up and maintenance work. * * * M ilitant. A city-wide flying squa­ schemes of the corporation. wounded when a gang of goons tary of the UAW , and Don Chap­ Production is at a complete HASTINGS, Minn., May 25 standstill. dron meeting also took place this raided a strike meeting and UNION SHOP OUT—The NLRB decided to­ man, regional director in Flint. Solidarity is growing and day that it was illegal to hold union shop elec­ —Milton Siegel, field repre­ The opposition to the strike The Seattle labor movement is past week to better coordinate virtually all locals are passing pumped a fusillade of bullets sentative of the CIO United through a window. William tions in the 13 states where the union shop is came from Roger Townsend and beginning to realize that the strategy during the strike. resolutions giving full support to banned by state law. Packinghouse Workers, was Green wired Governor Earl Warren urging an Alfred Federico, who used stock aero - mechanics need support. Opposition is rising in the the strikers. 4 4 4 sentenced to six months in arguments of Walter Rcuther to They, need the backing of all the ranks of the union toward the A parade of all east side locals immediate investigation of the shooting and county jail and fined $100 for “ Fascist methods used to break the Di Giorgio ITU PROGRESSIVES LEAD—Woodruff Ran­ swing the vote against strike. unions in this area. The attempt leadership’s policy of permitting to the main Chrysler plant is “ contempt of court” in viola­ strike.” dolph, president of the Typographical Union, and Federico claimed that GM work­ of the Boeing Company to smash supervisory and office help to scheduled this Wednesday. tion of a restraining order the union is a threat to labor his progressive slate are leading 3 to 2 in the ers should keep on working as enter struck Chrysler plants. The A fter the battle with police a t against mass picketing on throughout the Northwest. The W IN WAGE RAISES—The CIO oil union current elections fo r union officers. The opposing the best means of supporting the original Chrysler conference prior the Chrysler Highland Park plant, March 23 at the Sw ift and CIO Council has voted support. signed a new agreement with Sinclair which slate has attacked the present fighting policy of Chrysler workers. However Town­ to the strike had voted to keep picket lines swelled. Armour packing plants in Some powerful AFL unions, in­ raises all base rates 1714 cents an hour for the Randolph administration. send went so far as to speak the plants shut tight. The first More and more auto unionists South St. Paul. cluding the Sailors Union of the about 9,000 workers. The CIO Brewery Union » * * against a strike assessment to are talking of an industry-wide In his testimony, Siegel con­ battle between police and pickets won a 17-cent increase in the Milwaukee breweries NO CP TICKET—The Communist Party in­ aid the Chrysler workers finan­ Pacific, the lumber workers and general strike. tended he called out the pick­ successfully defended that policy. after a 24-hour strike. dicated that it would not tun a Presidential ticket cially on the false assumption A GM conference of union ets 'a t the direct request of The union leaders permitted in 1948, leaving its members free to support that the GM workers did not re­ delegates from all locals w ill be Sheriff Norman Dieter who reopening of the plants to office FEDERAL WORKERS UNION—The conven­ Wallace. ceive any aid in 1945-46. READ held this week where the decision “wanted us to put on a big and supervisory help to enable tion of the CIO United Public Workers left the * * * The meeting was preceded by to strike GM plants or to accept strikers to draw' their last pay door open for setting up a separate union of ANOTHER SECESSION— A new organiza­ show” to demonstrate that his the direct intervention of the the company’s proposals w ill be federal employes if the union fails to block the tion known as the American Radio Association, small force of deputies could Flint Journal, a GM corporation checks. At that time, militants made. Keefe rider now pending in Congress. Meanwhile CIO, has been set up, consisting of 3,500 ship not open the picket lines to spokesman. For three days it demanded issuance of dated union Demands for an industry-wide an anti-communist faction, which claims it speaks radio officers who seceded from the Stalinist- run scabs through into the cast doubt ,on the huge Chevrolet passes to those office workers shutdown and fo r a conference fo r 10,009 workers, seceded from the union and dominated American Communications Associa­ plants. strike vote. Jack Palmer, chair­ required for making out pay of all CIO unions to coordinate set up its own organization. I t is believed that tion. man of the Chevrolet strike com­ checks. wage strategy mount.