Mr. Winchell ~ You Are A Liar! - See Page 3 - THE MILITANT PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE VOL. V II—No. 21 NEW YORK, N. Y„ SATURDAY, MAY 22, 1943 ..A T T . PRICE (5) C EN TS MINERS STAND FIRM IN REPUDIATING WLB <•> Farrell Dobbs Starts Truce Extended On Request On National Tour The CIO and the Miners Of Government Manager lckes Speaks on Labor Party Prospects in His The CIO Executive Board Resolution Does Not Miners Stay United On Right to Strike; Coast to Coast Tour; Opens in Los Angeles Express the Sentiments of the CIO Membership! Murray, Green Still Aiding Roosevelt The long awaited national tour of Farrell Dobbs, National In Attempts to Smash Miners' Struggle Labor Secretary of the Socialist Workers Party, opened in Los ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- An Editorial -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- — Standing firm as ever on the miners’ wage de- Angeles on M ay 9 with a highly successful meeting attended by mands, their right to strike, and their repudiation many non-party workers who had come to hear Dobbs for the The growing gap between the great mass of the CIO Ihe rank and file miners exactly at the point where no distinc­ of the War Labor Board, the United Mine Workers first time as he spoke on perspectives of the labor party move­ workers and their top officials has been demonstrated in their tion exists. Lewis’ present policy and methods of struggle for scale committee announced Monday night that a sec­ ment. contrasting attitudes toward the miners’ fight. a living vyage are supported by the U M W membership to a Held at the new and enlarged headquarters of the Los man. ond 15-day truce, ending m idnight May 31, had been Angeles branch of the SWP, 232 South H ill Street, the enthu­ The workers are for the miners. Their atti­ agreed to in response to a telegram from Harold L. siasm of the meeting was indicated when four workers joined The workers are for the miners’ fight because they un­ Ickes, government manager of the mines. tude was shown in the two big conferences of the the party immediately following derstand that the miners are now the vanguard in labor's Ickes’ telegram came only a day before expira­ the discussion period. Shipbuild­ United Auto Workers — the May-1-2 conference struggle for wage increases lo compensate for spiralling-price ing, maritime and auto were the Off to a Good Start tion of the first 15-day truce, and a few hours after in Detroit of 1,000 delegates representing 350,- rises. industries represented by the new the War Labor Board, presumably speaking for recruits. 000 Michigan members, and the May 6 conference Comrade Dobbs, fully recover­ The C IO leaders, on the other hand — and this is equal­ Roosevelt, had denounced John L. Lewis as “ defy­ ed from a recent illness, spoke in New York of 1,000 delegates representing all ing the lawfully established procedures of the gov­ at length on the factors now ly true of ihe A FL executive hoard —• are against the miners’ making for the formation of an the eastern locals. Both by overwhelming major­ fight because ihesc leaders take their orders not from their ernment of the United States” by his “ refusing to Independent Labor Party based ities — only a handful of Stalinists in each case members hut from Roosevelt. As servile supporters of the seek the approval of the W ar Labor Board” for the wage in­ upon the trade unions. He dwelt creases that the miners are demanding. In its vicious attack on on the struggle of the miners’ were the main opposition from the floor — adopt­ administration, they are dragged along by it in opposition Lewis the W LB did not dare, however, to attempt to answer for a living wage and explained to the miners and all that the miners' fight stands for. how their fight has given a great ed resolutions for all-out support of the miners’ his charges that it had prejudged the miners’ cause in advance impetus to working class steps by its "Little Steel” formula which would bar the miners from toward independent political ac­ fight. Moreover, this was voted against the opposi­ Murray and the oilier C IO leaders know very well that any real increase in wages. ® -------------------------------;-----------------*--------------------------------- tion. )n its statement tile WLB in until recently, we do not forget, tion of the entire UAW executive hoard! die rank and file of the C IO are,for the miners’ fight. That sisteri it would not step out ol The Los Angeles meeting, and the UM W secretary-treasurer, tiio controversy, and the mine the San Diego meeting which fol­ is why not one of the top (HO leaders has dared to put the Thomas L. Kennedy). Even if the operators simultaneously an lowed it on May 16, were the issue up to a vote by the membership in the local unions. WLB somehow manages to sur­ These two conferences of the biggest union in the CIO nounced that the WLB had opening guns in a three month vive the mine fight, its prestige On the contrary, they are doing everything they can to stifle “forbidden" them to go to New tour which will bring Comrade undoubtedly expressed the sentiments of the rank and file of and power of intimidation will A’ork to reopen negotiations with Dobbs to all the major branches the pro-miners’ sentiment of the C IO membership. never remotely approximate the CIO' as a whole. the United Mine Workers as of the party from coast to coast. what it was before. John L. Lewis had invited them Reports show that each city is This is implicitly admitted by The CIO workers must speak out! Let them to do. eagerly awaiting his arrival, On the other hand the CIO executive board met last the AVLB members in their frantic spreading word among friends week in Cleveland and could find nothing more important folloAv the lead of the auto workers’ conferences! WLB LOSES PRESTIGE efforts to save something^from the wreckage. All their energies- and contacts, and preparing to AVhatever the final form of to do than to denounce John L. Lewis. today are centered on staying in utilize the meeting for the edu­ FARRELL DOBBS A ll support to the miners! settlement of the mine controvert the mine controversy. Everything cation of the advanced workers sy, the miners have dealt an ir­ National Labor Secretary, else— cases, hearings, e{c.—has on the question of the labor Of course, ex-miner Philip Murray,' C IO President, de­ The C IO workers must see to it that their official lead­ retrievable blow to the AVar La­ party and‘to stimulate the par­ Socialist Workers Party stopped for the time being, for _____________________ * 1, . bor Board. In its eighteen months ers stop stifling the sentiment in the ranks which is for the the AVLB well knows that if the ty ’s recruiting campaign. nies that lie is attacking the miners, claiming only to he op­ of existence this Board has been miners are decisively victorious Comrade Dobbs is well known Ilis remaining tour dates fol­ posed to the “political vendetta” conducted against “our Com­ miners. The fighting miners are the spearhead of labor’s the principal weapon used the AVLB will have to close up to worker militants throughout low; against the labor movement, the country. His record as former mander-in-chief’’ by John L. LevVis. But the C IO hoard's struggle. Every C IO worker owes it to them to find a way shop for good. DATE PLACE thanks to the participation in it international organizer of the In­ resolution pretends to find a distinction between Lewis and for his union lo express itself in favor of the miners’ fight. of the A FL and CIO leaders (and, ICKES AVOIDS SHOWDOWN ternational Brotherhood of Team­ May 24, 28— San Francisco sters, AFL, organizer of the May 30—Portland The AVLB and operators’ state­ great 12-state movement of team­ May 31, June 3— Seattle ments inspired a renewed lynch sters in the middle west, and his June 7, 10—Twin Cities campaign against John L. Lewis role as one of the principal de­ June 14— Milwaukee and the miners, radio reports and fendants in the Minneapolis la­ June 15, 18—Chicago press headlines and ■ editorials bor trial means that he brings ■June 19, 20— St. Louis branding Lewis as -an “outlaw." to the workers great experience June 23, 24—Flint Lenin’s General Staff of 1917 Apparently the stage was being and authority on the problems of June 25, 27— Detroit set for a new showdown, with the the labor movement. June 28—Toledo press and radio incitement against Comrade Dobbs came to the June 29, July 1— ClOVclaiid the miners being designed to Trotskyist movement through the July 2, 4—Akron organization of the coal drivers July 5, 7— Youngstown Stalin Destroyed It By His Moscow Trial Frameups Miners Pleased W ith in Minneapolis during 1933-34. July 8, 10— Buffalo He was then employed in a Min­ July 11, 12— Rochester “ The M ilitant” Story neapolis coal yard as a yard man. July 14^15— Boston (See "Stalin's Crimes/' Page 4) He has been Labor Secretary of July 16,’l7—New Haven Of Their Struggle the Socialist Workers Party since July 18-—New York 1940, when he came to New York Dates not ye£ anounced for PITTSBURGH. May 18 — after a visit with Comrade Trot­ Newark, Philadelphia, Reading Distributors of "The Militant." sky in Mexico.