Ethel Mannin's Anarchist

ON POLITICIANS The swarms of cringers, dough faces, lice of politics, planners of sly innovations for their own prefer ment. WALT WHITMAN. (Preface to "Leaves of Grass” ) I esteem the man who refrains from becoming a politician. LA BRUYERE (Jurist Seventeenth Century) Vol. II. No. 45-46. LONDON, DECEMBER 3rd, 1938 PRICE 2d.—U.S.A. 5 CENTS. Herschel Grynspan and THE FRENCH STRIKE His T ormentors I C.G.T.’S RESPONSIBILITY The great poet Heinrich span are indicative of con Heine once wrote that to rouse siderable ignorance and lack of Jf ORKERS CAN The visit of the English ministers and dignity (sic). The General the Germans it is necessary to psychological perception of the was certain to provoke strike move strike should have followed imme poke them between the ribs forces that condition a political GUARANTEE ments in France since the Com diately on the outbreak of strikes with a lamp-post. Hitlers act of violence. To be sure the PEACE ! munists would find no more oppor in Paris and in the mines of the ascendancy to power has proven more humane have expressed tune occasion for their campaign North, where the workers forcefully that Heine was far from the against a Franco-British-German expressed their will to resist the surprise that a young creature, alliance that isolates Soviet Russia. Government Decrees by occupying Germany is incessantly mark in his belief that the usually given to sports and idle But the violence of the strikes the factories and repulsing the increasing her armaments and Germans could be roused by a amusements, should have been that broke out in Paris and in the Mobile Guards who came to turn England is consequently oblig North of France proves these strikes them out. Jouhaux did not intend mere lamp-post between the willing to stake his own life by ed (or so we are told), to do to have been much more than a the strike to be a revolutionary act; ribs. his act. It was such a useless the same. It is odd that it has political demonstration directed it was meant simply as an orderly act since his victim did not not occured to our rulers to Since 1933 Germany has against the Government’s Foreign protest against the Decree-laws; do a simple thing, nothing very been turned into a slaughter directly participate in the re policy. They were clearly the ex Parliament was to decide. Machiavellian, but which pression of working class revolt house with Hitler, Goering and cent frightfulness of the Is it surprising then that the strike would reduce armaments on against the present regime that is pogrom, they say. While I failed, at least in part? Jouhaux Goebels and their cohorts both sides. W hy don’t we undermining its political and econo left plenty of time for Daladier to wading knee-deep in the blood readily concede that the boy’s stop exporting to Italy and mic liberty. The Daladier decree- surround Paris with troops, to or shot was worthy of a more im Germany the petrol, heavy laws completely nullify the gains of their victims. No, not only ganise the auxiliary forces to man portant fry, I consider the oils, iron, copper, nickel, and won in the strikes of 1936, overrule Jews, but thousands of political the public services. The C.G.T., by bauxite without which they the forty-hour week and impose charge of insanity lacking in ordering the strikers in the North dissenters have been tortured could not produce these arms? heavy penalties for those who refuse understanding, and a very and in Paris to go back to work and and done to death in the It is true that this would to work overtime for the National cheap method of explaining withhold any premature demonstra hideous concentration camps materially reduce our exports, Defence. The financial measures tion, broke the revolutionary spirit the intricate motivations of but that reduction would not designed to bolster up French or on the block. Yet not a of the working class, leading them such an act. Besides, the compare with the overwhelm Capitalism, demand sacrifices ex voice of protest in Germany or to put their faith in a general ing expenses imposed by clusively of the workers and lower history of tyrannicide, once strike organised with “calm and a hand raised against the "National Defence.” middle class who are already over acclaimed as the highest ex dignity.” It is this policy of “calm modern torquemadas who lord Though this simple idea is burdened with taxes. If to these pression of courage and and dignity” instituted by the Popu unlikely to appeal to govern measures one adds the insolence of over that country. To be sure lar Front which has led the workers patriotism, and now considered mental circles, this means of Daladier and his minister cf Finance the continued persecution of economic warfare should be to the edge of Fascism. the Jews and the clandestine out of date, proves that these who, like veritable dictators, declare who had risen against tyranny understood by the working that they will not tolerate any op The C.G.T. has proved its weak and open extermination of classes who must acquire con position to the decree law and more ness; the working class will pay for other thinking Germans did at were nearly all of the most trol of the material they pro it. Daladier will hardly be inti impressionable age. The won or less openly menace the Com first rouse the indignation of duce. munist Party, one can understand midated by the oratorical gestures of der to me is not Grynspan s act. “Internationalism”: Capitalist politicians. He will profit by the the world outside Germany, the exasperation of the French Rather is it that so few in or working class? workers. hesitation of the workers, when the but it was of short duration. Capitalism is truly inter time called for immediate action, to spired individuals now rise The C.G.T. (French T.U.C.) national, since we find that institute a dictatorial regime with The protests against the should have encouraged this move against so much oppression in American and English petrol the full support of the upper bour horrors of the Nazi regime ment of revolt in the working class. the world. fuels war planes of Japan, and geoisie who are delighted to have made no deeper dent than a France to-day is standing at a cross that bauxite serves for the found the “strong man” able to de The most important fact en roads and must choose between a wagon passing through a stag construction of Goerings’ great fend their interests and their workers’ revolution and Fascism. nant pool. The wheels spread tirely overlooked is that the air force. The Wendel steel security; of the capitalists who ap The workers showed the way: stop true murderers of Von Rath works manufacture steel plat prove the new financial measures the slimy surface to both sides, page in the factories as in June, were really not the boy now in ing for the defence of the and the super-armament pro the ill-smelling pool remained. 1936, strikes in all of France. The Siegfried line and the C ity of gramme, of the British imperialists a lone cell in France and re leaders of the C.G.T. were reluctant Nothing moved in Germany, London lends money (includ who want France in the German- pudiated by his oivn people as ly forced to declare a General Strike. and public opinion outside also ing 80 milliard of francs ex Italian alliance. But the General Strike in the hands settled down to the fait well as the rest of the world. ported for safety by "patriotic” of the reformist leaders of the The French proletariat cannot He had merely used the gun French Capitalists) to Musso accompli. C.G.T. is hardly a revolutionary in hope to escape fascism by following lini. loaded for him by the blood strument. Before the strike they reformist leaders and corrupt poli Heinrich Heine's dictum Whilst the capitalist rulers thirsty rulers of Germany and declared “that whatever the out ticians. To overthrow Daladier and triumph at Munich and in unfortunately applies not only the relentless treatment of come, work would be resumed on his powerful allies, they must rely Spain the workers English, to the Germans. The peoples the following day.” Moreover, upon themselves. Like the Spanish foreigners by the French French and American, continue measures were taken to forestall proletariat in July, 1936, they must in the rest of the world also authorities. to mine the iron ore, to bore occupation of the factories, to pro take the offensive in revolutionary have to be poked between the for petrol and to turn the The only attempt made to tect the machinery, to assure order action before it is too late. ribs with more than a lamp- shells which will kill thousands interpret the act of Grynspan of brother workers on the post. Especially is this true was by Henri Jeanson in since the last world conflagra Ebro front or in the streets of “ S.I.A.” now published in Madrid and Barcelona. tion. Its frightfulness and all Paris. In a very penetrating Come to the Meeting at that has come in its wake have article the author analyses the completely jaded human sensi forces that have driven the boy bilities to wrongs, injustice and to take the life of Von Rath In 1936 Grynspan achieved CONWAY HALL outrage.

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