SWP Asks Board of Inquiry to Probe Stalinist Slanders

Workers of the World, Unite ! JOHN FOSTER DULLES BLURTS OUT THE TRUTH An Editorial — See Page 3 — PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE Vol. X III - No. 29 NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY, JULY 18, 1949 PRICE: FIVE CENTS CIO Steelworkers SWP Asks Board of inquiry Face Showdown Battle on Wages To Probe Stalinist Slanders JULY 14 — The frantic efforts of Truman and Philip Murray to forestall a steel strike by a formula of govern Howard Fast ment intervention without open use of the Taft-Harfley Act has foundered On the flat Touchstone for Conference refusal of the major steel cor agreement reached through gov Challenged to porations to accept Truman’s ernment intervention. proposed “fact-finding” procedure The Truman administration has unless carried out formally under assured the steel companies that To Defend Bill of Rights the “fact-finding” board he pro Face Hearing the law. -An Editorial- Contemptuous and arrogant, poses to set up will have power NEW YORK, July 13 — the U. S. Steel, Bethlehem Steel to recommend a settlement, but Popular indignation is mounting against the police-state terror and Republic Steel corporations that such a proposed settlement fostered by the Truman administration. The time is at hand to or Farrell Dobbs, National insist on nothing less than all- w ill not be binding on either party ganize this resistance in a broad movement of united action to stop Chairman of the Socialist out, open government strike in the dispute. Under these con the campaign for thought control and defend an victims of the Workers Party, today called breaking. They refuse to allow ditions, the companies would still witch-hunt. The Bill of Rights Conference is presented with a for establishment of a Com 'I ruman and Murray even a poli be able to refuse any concessions, magnificent opportunity to become an important part of that move mission of Inquiry, composed tically face-saving formula for however small, the government ment. But unfortunately it is also presented with an ultimatum of impartial liberal and labor applying Taft-Hartley procedure might suggest. which, if accepted, will nullify all its activity and blow it up as an leaders, to investigate the libelous without invoking the Taft-Hartley Murray, however, has virtually effective instrument for civil rights. slanders against Dobbs and the law. committed the steel union, in the The ultimatum is delivered by the leaders of the Communist legless veteran James Kutcher Thus, Murray’s hand has been eyes of the public, to accept any Party. In an editorial in the July 14 Daily Worker, a compendium made by Howard Fast, Stalinist terms, no matter how slight the of misrepresentation and slander, the Stalinists put two peremptory forced and he has been compelled literary hack, in Fast’s letter to fix a strike deadline for mid gains, proposed by Truman conditions to the conference and all defenders of civil rights: published by the July 11 Daily through his “fact-finding” board. 1. That a movement for civil rights which defends the liber night Saturday, July 16. Unless Compass. For it has been known for weeks ties of Trotskyists will not be supported by the Communist Pavty the steel barons reverse their Fast’s scurrilous lies about that Murray wanted intervention but must expect its most vicious animosity, sabotage and disruptive stand at the last minute and Dobbs, Kutcher and the Trotsky by the government, that he in opposition. accept Truman's second plea to ist movement represent the Com vited if and eagerly accepted it 2. That any moveipent for civil rights which receives the sup present their case before his munist Party’s answer to liberal as soon as Truman made his port of the Communist Party must accept its position on Trotsky special “fact-finding” board in columnists I. F. Stone and Albert proposal. ism, its whole catalogue of unfounded, irresponsible and criminal return for a 60-day delay of the Deutsch who, in recent issues of str.kc, an estimated 500,000 charges and accusations. AGAINST THEIR WILL the Compass, attacked the posi workers in basic steel will hit Imitators of Tom Clark and FBI Murray and the top CIO lead tion 'of the CP in refusing to de the picket lines this week-end. The model for this ominous ultimatum is to be found in the ers, much against their will, may fend the civil rights of Trotsky methods and reasoning of the Tom Clarks, the Un-American Com NO ASSURANCES be forced to lead a show-down ists and other political opponents mittee and the FBI. The witch-hunters are not for the suppression of Stalinism. There is no assurance, how battle. Rut they have no stomach of all critics at this time. They now lim it their victims to the left- Stone and Deutsch rebuked the ever, that if there is a prolonged (Continued on Page 2) wing minority which is critical of the administration and especially Stalinists specifically for their steel strike which progressively of its foreign policy. action at the New York Civil affects wider sectors of industry, Nor are the witch-hunters at present demanding the suppres Rights Congress when they voted Truman will not resort to Taft- sion of critics just because they are critics. Their criterion for the down an amendment to support Hartley measures to break the denial of civil rights, for the time being, is the accusation of “ spy,” the pardon cam paign o f th e 18 strike. He will be under the “conspirator,” “subversive,” “agent of a foreign power” and seek Minneapolis Labor Case victims heaviest pressure of the capital ing to “overthrow the government by force and violence.” No ef Truman Report Belittles and to defend James Kutcher, ist press, the whole capitalist fort has been made to prove these charges or to provide organiza who was fired by the Veterans class and Congress to smash a tions so blacklisted with a hearing or the right of self-defense. Administration for his member strike that might well set off a But that ddes not prevent the government from smearing and vic ship in the SWP. new wave of labor struggles in timizing members of these organizations. Danger of Depression Among other slanders, Fast al auto, electrical equipment, coal The Communist Party merely changes a few words but operates leged that Kutcher had “said June, unemployment at close to has worked as little as 1 hour and other industries now in nego on the same principle. It claims to be in favor of civil rights for By Art Preis quite frankly that he supported 4 million and business invest during the week of the survey, tiatio ns. all with one exception —• its opponents and critics from the left, With almost all economic in the overthrow of the government ments running 26% below tile On the other hand, even if the the Trotskyists» Like Tom Clark, it proceeds from the standpoint dexes dropping steeply, Truman those on temporary lay-offs of by force and violence.” To this 1948 peak. less than 30 days and any laid- steel corporations finally accept of “guilt by association” in its warning to I. F. Stone that if he at last has been forced to admit FBI-stoolpigeon lie he added that Truman’s proposal and a strike persists in defending Trotskyists he is to be read out of the “pro that there is “a declining na Truman’s figures on employ off worker not “actively” seek the Trotskyists are “admitted is averted or halted after it gressive” camp. tional economy.” But his Mid ment and unemployment illustrate ing a job. More than four million pro-fascists,” that they “were starts, there is no assurance that Like Tom Clark, the Stalinists are willing to permit “differ year Economic Report to Con his efforts to minimize the others cut to less than half-time financially supported by the Ger the steel workers will gain more ences” from all except those whom they arbitrarily blacklist as gress, issued on July 11, still seriousness of the situation. He employment are not mentioned man Nazi movement,” and that by Trum an. than crumbs, if that, from an PHILIP MURRAY “fascists,” “fifth columnists,” "agents of Hitler and Franco” — sees only a “ moderate downward claims, for instance, that civilian the SWP members generally are accusations which are also made without evidence or the right of trend.” He tries to freight this em ploym ent in June was 59.6 G overnm ent experts have been “ strikebreakers, thugs and agent those so charged to publicly defend themselves. The penalty for latest report, with the optimism million, down only 11/, million telling us that less than 60,000,- provocateurs.” those blacklisted by Stalinism is not only to be barred from the of his previous ones. But now, from a year ago. He does not 000 employed and more than In his reply sent to the Daily DICTATOR-RULE IN UAW civil rights movement but to be denied its defense against the instead of being able to point to state how the U. S. Bureau of 5,000,000 unemployed means a Compass, Dobbs gives a point- witch-hunters and,persecutors. Here the liberals and progressives new records in production and Census arrived at this figure. major crisis. Truman has "avert by-point answer to Fast’s inven are called upon to uphold the Smith Act against the Trotskyists, employment, he has to concede The bureau balanced off a ed” the crisis simply by covering tions and challenges Fast to sub- and to join a united front with Tom Clark against James Kutchcr.

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