Workers of the World, Unite ! The Stalinist Persecution of THE MILITANT Warren Billings PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE Vol. X III - No; 32 21 7 " NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1949 PRICE: FIVE CENTS By George Clarke An item in last week’s Militant reporting the conven­ tion of the Marine Cooks and Stewards Union in San Fran­ Unemployment cisco gave us our first inkling of a shameful, scandalous tale of persecution of a man who •> At Highest Peak has already suffered his fu ll as unpardonable as the attempt share of persecution at the hands of Mooney and Billings to organ­ In Seven Years of the capitalist government. It ize the street railway workers in The Census Bureau has SWP Demands Senate concerns Warren K. Billings. 1916 had been to the San Fran­ acknowledged that by the first Ten years ago Billings emerg­ cisco traction trust. week in July, the number of ed from Folsom prison in Califor­ Vern Smith, you see, had pre­ jobless had passed the four- nia where he together with Tom viously been expelled from the m illion m ark. The estimated Mooney had been railroaded for Communist Party for assorted figure of 4,095.000 is the life for a crime they did not com­ “deviations” and “factionalism.” mit. The story of how he and Billings was promptly and cruel­ highest since January 1942. Tom Mooney were framed up for ly, punished fo r daring to defend More significant is the rate Reject Clark Nomination the “ Preparedness Day” dyna­ someone who had differences with of increase. In the last two m iting in 1916 is too well known the Stalinist hacks. months — June and July — to militant American workers to (he num ber of unem ployed has STALINIST BOYCOTT Civil Rights Enemy Must Be need repetition. They know this swollen, according to official case because fo r twenty years The entire Stalinist apparatus admission, by not less than was set into motion tb “ get B ill­ they, and workers of all countries, 806.000 since M ay when there Barred from Supreme Court carried on an unrelenting strug­ ings.” The People’s World can­ were 3,289.000 m illion unem­ gle until the prison doors swung celled his ad. Members of the ployed. Or an increase of Communist Party were threaten­ President Truman’s nomination of Tom C. Clark to open and Mooney and Billings almost 25% in the last 60 the post of Associate Justice of the Supreme Court was were again free men. ed with expulsion if they contin­ d a y s . What is not known, except in ued to patronize his shop. The strongly protested hyv the Socialist Workers Party in a certain labor circles in San Fran­ boycott was completely success­ Dropping the previous pre­ t e l e g r a m t o t h e S e n a t e J u d i c i a r y ® ------* - cisco, is the ugly sequel to this ful. Billings was compelled to tense that the bulk of increase Com m ittee on Aug. 2. «Truman n Pays . For story. Upon his release from p ri­ close down his shop and move to is due to “entry Of young peo­ Denouncing the nomination of Burlingame, a small town some Clark as "one more blow against son, Billings set up a watch-re­ ple” into the' labor force, Services Rendered pair shop to make his living at a 25 miles from San Francisco. civil rights,” the SWP called' on W ashington now adm its that trade he had learned while be­ Billings paid with his livelihood the U. S. Senate to vote it down. Truman’s nomination of Tom hind bars. To obtain customers in for his devotion to the principle “adult workers accounted for It also asked fo r open hearings Clark for Supreme Court is a the labor movement and particu­ of labor solidarity to alj victims m ost of the increase in July.” and the opportunity for the SWP reward, in part, for the Attor­ larly among its more radical ele­ (Continued on Page 4) to testify against Clark. ney General’s refusal to take ments, Billings, although not a If any individual is disqualified action in the 1946 Kansas City, Stalinist, advertised his business and barred by his entire record Missouri, vote-fraud involving in the People’s World, the daily from sitting on the highest the Pendergast machine. The Stalinist paper on the W^st Coast. judicial body of the land, it is ballots constituting the evi­ The ad appeared daily for some PROTESTANTS IN ITALY this oil lawyer from Texas who dence were stolen from the nine years when Billings commit­ has for the last four years so New Madrid County court­ ted his second “ crime.” grossly abused the powers of house 24 hours before Clark Last year a committee- was or­ OPPRESSED, IMPRISONED U. S. Attorney General. was scheduled to testify at a ganized to defend Vern Smith, Senate hearing on his- white­ the former editor of the People’s Truman, the U. S. State Department, Cardinal SpelU A MONSTROUS RECORD wash of the fraud. He then World who had been cited for con­ man and the capitalist press are keeping stony silence tinder Clark the Department of announced an FBI “ investiga­ tempt by the Tenney Committee, about the increasing brutal persecution of Protestants by Justice has been converted 'into tion.” an Un-American Committee set the Vatican-dominated govern-®------a str kebreaking agency through up by the California legislature. ment of Italy.' bassador James Dunn, asking his the use of federal, injunctions and mount to a prejudgment in all Billings accepted as chairman of They are ignoring the direct intercession and emphasizing m ulti-m illion dollar fines against such cases. appeal of the Italian Baptists the defense committee. that Gasbarro’s “ only crime was unions. Clark’s most notorious Professor Thomas I. Emerson In the eyes of the Stalinists Union for intercession on behalf preaching the gospel of Jesus achievement in this field was his of Yale, an eminent authority on of Giuseppe Gasbarro, 30-year-old this was an unpardonable act — Christ.” But in “democratic” Italy, ferocious attack on the 1946 coal ci nstitutional law, has correctly acting pastqr of the Baptist Atlantic Pact partner of Wash­ Strike. pointed out that “the American Church in the town of San Gre­ ington, only the Catholic priests Under Clark the Department tradition of civil rights” will be gorio Magna, who was arrested are permitted to conduct religi­ of Justice has served as the main on July 24 while he was conduct­ jeopardized whether Clark sits in ous functions without government vehicle fo r carrying out the ing church services. judgment or disqualifies himself “authorization.” "loyally” purge among more than Gasbarro, who has been pastor in those cases which he himself two m illion federa 1 „employ,egs at the 5(T-year-old church fo r a FASCIST LAW -.(-.pr.tiggcuted. ^ __ Split “ five - to - four” decisions, year, was imprisorfed on the .Dr. Ronchi said that the arrest Under Clark the Department of especially in civil liberties cases, charge of conducting religious of Gasbarro was inspired -by the Justice has instituted the fascist- have been the rule in recent services without obtaining gov­ Catholic bishop of Battipaglia, in like practice of issuing political years. Clark’s vote can therefore ernment "recognition,” as pro­ Salerno province, who had sent blacklists, depriving the proscrib­ easily prove decisive. Even if he vided by a fascist law passed in agents into all areas of his prov­ ed organizations of the right to would disqualify himself in silch 1929 after the Vatican signed its ince to agitate against non-Cath- War Hysteria Stirred Up be granted a hearing, refusing concordat with Mussolini. A l­ olic sects. He said the fascist law even to inform them of the cases, every split decision result­ though the new Italian constitu­ was originally intended to apply grounds on which such action was ing in a “ four-to-four” deadlock tion claims to provide freedom of to non-Catholic clergymen who taken. would uphold convictions gained religion, the old fascist law is still wanted to perform marriage cere­ A t House Arms Hearings Under Clark the Department,of| in lower courts. in effect. monies in accordance w ith civil Justice has become the central1 The 'war drums were beaten asking “ Congress to abdicate its BAD ENOUGH BEFORE law. The arrest of Gasbarro, he significant alterations in the agency fo r propagating red-bait- POLICE INTERFERENCE openly and shamelessly by Secre­ responsibility in foreign affairs The Supreme Court was bad said, was based on a new inter­ proposed bill, Acheson harped on ir.g hysteria and spy scares, for In the past three months, police tary of State Dean Acheson and and to give him [Truman] a enough before. With the addition pretation of the law. hov “modest” the bill really was. staging thought - control trials, of the Christian Democratic all -the other official spokesmen blank check to apply United “ The program,” he insisted,”, con­ of Clnrk, who is the most pro­ The only two papers in Rome and for organizing a huge network (Catholic) government of Prime who plumped for the Truman ad­ States m ilitary and ^economic tains only those items which are minent symbol of the govern­ which published news of Gas­ of FBI police spies and informers Minister Alcide de Gasperi have ministration's new arms bill at force when and where he clearly essential to the establish­ ment’s war on civil rights, there barro’s arrest were the Socialist operating within the labor and invaded and broken up a number the hearings before the House pleases.” ment of a minimum of defense will be as little protection for the Avanti and II Paese. The Stalin­ political movements. of Pentecostal religious services. Foreign Affairs Committee last — the minimum essential to the Bill of Rights from that body as ist L’Unita ignored the story be­ . It goes on to add: But the arrest of Gasbarro was week. success of our efforts.” - Under Clark the Department of there has been in the Department the first open interference with cause it is trying to avoid further Acheson. followed by Defense “ The President thus avowedly Justice has failed to lift a finger Defense Secretary J ohnson of Justice. the Baptists, one of the “author­ friction with the Catholic Church. Secretary Louis Johnson and the jettisons the last remnant of the against the Ku Klux terror and’ solemnly chimed in that what the The Senate has the power to ized” Protestant sects in Italy. News of the Gasbarro case was Joint Chiefs of Staff, minced no United Nations; lie openly pro­ violence visited against the Negro administration asked for was “ the confirm or reject Truman’s nomi­ Warren Billings (right), fa­ The Pentecostals are not “ author­ contained in a small article from words to the effect that the arms fesses that force and only force people barest minimum çssential.” So nation of Clark. His confirmation mous fellow-prisoner of Tom ized.” Rome in the July 28 Chicago T ri­ can preserve peace. And he pact was aimed openly and ex­ did the top brass. For persecution and wholesale would be a blow to the fight to Mooney, is shown above with Dr. Manfredi Ronchi, executive bune. Other major U. S. newspa­ clusively at the Soviet Union. demands that he, and only he, be deportations of the foreign-born, preserve our precious democratic George Novack. Billings, after pers and press services, which entrusted with its preservation. secretary of the Union of Baptist Acheson and his colleagues BRANDISH A-BOMB Clark’s regime is comparable only rights; his rejection would be a suffering decades in prison be­ Churches in Ita ly with about 10,- have been howling so much about devoted the burden of their re­ This is a far more sweeping to that of the infamous Palmer Gen. Omar Bradley took the black eye toi the witch-hunt as a cause of capitalist persecution, 000 members, demanded Gasbor- “ freedom of religion” in Eastern marks to stigmatiz'ng the USSR measure than even the bitterest who conducted the “ anti-radical” occasion to publicly brandish the whole. ,The chairman of the is now being persecuted by the ro’s release in a telegram to de Europe, have buried this story as an “ aggressor nation.” They foe of the Administration’s for­ atom bomb. The U. S and the raids in the Twenties. Senate Judiciary Committee has Communist Party because of Gasperi and Interior Minister Ma­ about anti-Protestant persecu­ also expanded at length on eign policy would have dared U. S. alone, he announced, “ w ill ndicated that so fa r as the his support of working class rio Scelba, head of the Italian tion bv a Catholic government “hints” that act.4 of Soviet mili­ predict. It is not an arms pro­ PRlbuDGMENT le charged with the strategic Senate is concerned, Clark’s con­ solidarity. police. He also wired U. S. Am­ financed with American money. tary aggression are just around gram to implement the Atlantic Hundreds of cases involving bombing, We have repeatedly firmation will be a cut-and-dried the corner, if not already here. Pact. It Is an invitation to the alien deportations, "loyalty” recognized in this country that procedure. This cynical endorse­ “The fear is justified. The President to rule the world.” purges like the Kutcher case, the ment of the assault on civil rights danger is real,” Acheson em­ But Acheson completely slurred the first priority of the joint blacklist persecutions and numer­ defense is our ability to, deliver call be stopped only by the phasized over and over again, over the unprecedented scope of ous other violations of civil rights 'COMPASS’ EDITOR REFUSES TO PRINT !he atom bomb.” A few days later mobilization of labor, Negro and as did the brass hats who followed the arms bill and the sweeping by the government w ill un­ the Atomic Energy Commission liberal forces around the demand him. powers it invests in Truman’s doubtedly come up before the supplemented this by reporting that the Senate repudiate the SWP ANSWER TO HOWARD FAST’S UES Even Roosevelt, after his liaiids. Stressing that the ad­ Supreme Court for final dec'sion. witch-hunt by spurning its Chief “quarantine the aggressors” ministration would oppose any (Continued on page 2) Clark’s appointment is tanta- symbol. speech which gave the signal for By Farrell Dobbs attack the SWP. But when I appear that he is allowing free wrote a point-by-point reply to debate over the disputed issues. open preparations for U. S. entry I don’t know whether or not Fast on July 13 and submitted But none of these letters answer inr,o World War II, did not go to Ted O. Thackrey, editor of the it to the Compass, Thackrey the Stalinist lie that Trotskyists the lengths to which the Truman N. Y. Daily Compass, is a mem­ declined to print it. are “ allies of fascism” and all of administration is today resorting. ber of the Communist Party, but 1 pressed him to explain the them criticize' Fast’s letter solely To spur this war - urgency Jobless /l/lillions Face Acute Want 1 do know that he is not above reason for such political dis» from the viewpoint that it • is hysteria, the Joint Chiefs of doing their dirtiest chores for erimiration and denial of the most necessary to defend the civil Staff, immediately after they While Congress debates the pensation because they did not I The compensation the states national unemployment insurance them. Thackrey has proved this elementary' principles .of free rights of even fascists. testified, demonstratively flew to arming of reactionary govern­ work in “ covered” occupations or provide the unemployed workers law to provide benefits, ad­ to the hilt by publishing a slan­ speech and fa ir play. Thackrey Such criticism, which does not Europe to take part in the first ments all over the world, m il­ because, under state laws, their I is in no instance better than a ministered by the federal gov­ derous attack by Howard Fast on refused to meet with me and reflect the position of the SWP, of a ser es of secret talks with lions of unemployed American unemployment- is not considered | hunger income, sufficient to pro- ernment, of up to 52 weeks for the Socialist Workers Party, The through his secretary sent the fails to challenge the /central their opposite numbers among workers and their families are the “ fa ult” of the employers. |vide only a minimum subsistence all unemployed. These benefits M ilitant, James Kutcher and alibi that the July 12 Compass assumption of the Stalinist attack the Western European top m ili­ suffering acute want and misery. In many states, jobless in- over a brief period. The Average would equal 60% of regular myself and then flatly refusing to tary chiefs. surance is denied to workers who had printed a letter by Michael on the SWP and therefore can The' government which can find benefit is about S20 a week per weekly earnings for a - person print my reply to Fast. refuse to accept “ su table” emi worker — equivalent at present Ba. tell, New York City Organizer have no effect in clarifying the A BLANK CHECK . endless billions to feed the war without dependents, with addi­ No less incriminating is the of the SWP. - criminal character of their posi­ ployment, such as scabbing; on rv price levels to only S10 a week tional sums for dependents up to Acheson did not hesitate to —, machine has so fa r failed to ap- tion, let alone in combatting it. strike or working- in, a non-union in 1939, or two-thirds of a WPA 85%- of regular earnings. fact that Thackrey committed this admit that the new arms bill jpropriate one extra nickel to pro­ A FLIMSY ALIBI plant. They are refused ben^tp laborer’s “ relief wage” in the piece of yellow journalism in the ven! far beyond the scope of vide jobs or adequate unemploy- service of the Stalinists on the But Bartell’s letter had dealt THACKREY’S PROMISE if thev quit “ voluntarily,’’.even if depth of the depression. NOT THE WAY the North Atlantic treaty. Imple­ ment compensation for the grow­ eve of the Bill of Rights Con­ exclusively with the events at ' I,v the very first issue • of the the employer forces them to leave The highest compensation paid Such a measure would represent menting that pact, Acheson coolly ing army' of jobless victims of the ference, where the Communist another civil rights conference Compass (May 16), Thackrey their job by imposing onerous by any state is §26, while two- a vast improvement over the stated, “ is not the problem with capitalist profit system. Party members and fellow- on June 25. W ritten ten days be­ printed his “Editor’s Creed'\ in conditions such as wage-cuts, fiflhs 5f the states pay a maxi­ present “ states rights” unemploy­ which we are now dealing.” It Government statistics, which travelers defeated a resolution fore Fast’s letter was printed, it which he deplored the fact that speedup, hazards to health and mum of $20 or less. Picture the ment insurance system1. But even was something that would be are doctored to conceal the true calling fo r defense of the civil obviously was not and could not “ We are becoming a nation which safety, etc. average worker’s family of four the best program is worthless taken care of “ later on.” rights of Trotskyists. have been intended as a reply to fears debate; which would sup­ conditions, admit there are now Over 100,000 unemployed a trying to lifve today'on even $26 without the program of action to The super - conservative finan­ Because of this action by Thack­ Fast’s slanderous accusations. press opposing views rather than at least 4 million totally out of month, of those who have quali­ a week! The Department of put it over. On the question of cial da ly, Wall Streel Journal, rey, the Compass^ was actually I called this fact to Thackrey’s refute them. . .” This same work and another 4 million fied for unemployment compensa­ Agriculture says it takes $17 tr organized action to win decent un­ July 26, characterized the bill as reduced to 22 hours q£ work per made to serve as a publicity in­ attention and repeated my re­ “ Creed” ended with the promise tion, are now using up their $18 a week just fo r the bare employment insurance, the CIO strument to help prevent the Bill quest that the Compass print my by Thackrey that “ We shall make week, or less. benefits before find ng jobs. No minimum of required food. The paper merely states that “ all CIO of Rights Conference from de­ answer to Fast, giving it equal no effort to suppress the voices The only federal assistance to state allows benefits fo r more Bureau of Labor Statistics figures members . . . should indicate to fending the civil rights of op­ prominence. Thackrey’s only reply of our opponents. . .” Catholic Church the unemployed is in the form of than 26 weeks and only 12 provide the minimum decency budget a< Congress their support” fo r the ponents of the Communist Party. was: “Sorry, but I do not feel By his refusal to print my unemployment insurance funds fo r that many weeks. More than $65 a week. CIO proposals. If Congress doesn’t that publication of your July 13- reply (o Fast, Thackrey has shown and Education dispensed through the various halt the states afford compensa­ These . are some of the vita' act, then w ait for the next elec­ RANK DISCRIMINATION letter is warranted.’’ that he too “ fears debate” and F irst of a Series by state governments according to tion for only 20 weeks or less. facts about present unemploy­ tions. Thackrey gave Fast almost half While suppressing the views “ would suppress opposing views' ART PREIS regulations set up by each in­ W ithin any given state, many ment and the hardships df the Such a namby-pamby policy a page in the July 11 Compass of the SWP, Thackrey has p rint­ rather than refute them” when dividual state. About one-third of workers, by reason of one Restric­ workers presented in the cmrrent won’t win anything. What 4s (fivg days before the B ill of ed comments by other readers, in he is helping the -Stalinists do a — See Page 2 — the present unemployed are tion or another, are not allowed issue of the CIO Economic Out­ needed is a unified nation-wide Rights Conference) - in which to an obvious attempt to make it slander job on the Trotskyists. denied any unemployment com- the maxjmum benefits. look. The Outlook proposes a new program o'f militant action now. Page Two TME MILITANT Monday, August 8, 1949 Cardinal Spellman’s Smokescreen World Events By Art Preis By Paul G. Stevens When Cardinal Spellman accused Eleanor Roosevelt of acting from '‘misinformation, ignorance and prejudice” Polio Cases on the Increase Buffer Countries Bucharest radio stated, that oil production, vital fo r the fuel sup­ in her opposition to th e use of public funds for religious 0. JOHN ROGGE BACKS Cry Out Over the ply of the Soviet Union as well schools, he was falsely a ttrib u t-T as ;ts Eastern European satellites, itiff to her the very sins of which supporting the bill proposed by Economic Squeeze has reached only 68.5% of the he'himself ys guilty. John E. Bogarty, Democratic TROTSKYISTS’ RIGHTS plan envisaged, in spite of all the The economic situation of -the Not only did he wrongly charge Representative from Rhode Is­ totalitarian pressure; MMy'with support of the Barden land, which would withhold a BROOKLYN, July 28 — 0. John Rogge, speaking buffer zone countries in Eastern A round - up survey by the B ill fo r fede'ral aid to public portion of federal educational tonight before the Flatbush club of the Young Progressives Europe continues to deteriorate to authoritative Royal Institute of Schools, but his whole argument funds from • states whose laws of America, came out in defense of civil rights for James the point of catastrophe. Neither International A ffairs in London against this bill, whose author restrict the use of public funds Kutcher and the 18 Socialists)------—------the ruthless purges of the Stal­ warned that the economies of he,Called a “ disciple of bigotry,” fo'- school transportation, text­ Workers Party victims of the writch-hunt, and that it has offer­ inist machine nor the totalitarian Eastern Europe h a v e been is based on a deliberate misrepre­ books and health programs ex­ Smith Act. Rogge, a former U. S. ed the Communist Party a united clamp-down on thei population threatened seriously by “ hasty” sentation of its contents. clusively to publicly - controlled Assistant Attorney - General, has front to fight the persecution of have been able to solve the crisis. land reforms and'attempts at i n ­ He claims the Barden bill would sghools. acted as defense counsel in many« the Stalinist defendants at Foley The difficulties are so great that dustrialization, because of the deny to 2,500,000 Catholic paro­ Thus,.in his June 19 attack on recent civil rights cases, includ­ Square — an offer which the CP the satellite governments them­ lack of a material b a s i s to i m ­ chial school children “ health and Barden, Spellman declared: “ We ing the fig h t fo r the Trenton Six. refuses to even discuss. selves are beginning to speak up plement these measures. T h e safety benefits” which it would must oppose unequivocally any When Rogge finished, some As they always do on such oc­ publicly about them. provide public schol children. He bill that fails to guarantee at Stalinists got up to ^repeat all of casions, the Stalinists by their From Prague comes a report survey pointed to the fact, for dyW demagogically speaks in the ¡east non - religious text - books, the usual slanders about the Trot­ attacks on the civil rights of the that Czechoslovakia’s M inistry of instance, that the Polish G overn­ natue of the American Catholics bus rides and health services” skyists being fascists, scabs, etc. Trotskyists only succeeded in dis­ Fotcign Trade “ recommended” to ment ' itself announced it was lim iting this year’s target to the who fought “ on blood-soaked fo rT for pafiochial as well as public They were answered by other crediting themselves: and alienat­ the Kremlin - dominated Council feign fields” and berates Mrs. school children. The “ guarantee” members' of the audience who ing support from everybody but for Economic Mutual Assistance organization of only 200 “co­ Roosevelt for wanting to "deny means obligatory expenditure of • called attention to Farrell Dobbs’ hardened Stalinists. that it should “ devise some means operative” farm s out of a total o f 3,400 p r o p o s e d by t h e c o u n ­ their children equal rights and public funds for parochial schools. challenge to Howard Fast to sub­ Throughout the discussion to paralyze the effects of the try ’s ..economic plan. benefits with other sects.” The “ at least” njeans ^ that the m it these “ charges” to an impar­ Rogge correctly spoke up about Marshall Plan by interfering in Cardinal wants more than funds tial Commission of Inquiry, and the need to defend the Trotskyist Marshall Plan countries.” Stalinist “ planning” in industry A FALSE ISSUE 1for “ texbooks, bus rides and George P. Voss, epidem ic coordinator for the N ational Founda­ the incriminating silence of the victims of the witch-hunt, al­ This cryptic and puzzling and “collectivization” on the land Since Spellman claims he “ had health services,” but makes this tion for Infantile Paralysis, is shown in New York studying a Stalinists in the fact of this chal­ though he weakened his position request, reported by C. L. Sulz­ have had to remain a fiction as polio incidence chart for 1949. Up to July 30 there were 8,299 lenge. long as national barriers remain, studied every phrase of the as a minimum demand at this by coupling it with arguments berger in the N. Y . T i m e s , can Barden B ill,” he knows he is time. cases this year as compared w ith 5,793 on that date last year. I t was also pointed out from oniy be understood as a cry of as long as there is no over-all the floor that the SWP supports about the need to defend every­ cj'i-atmg a false issue when he But is Cardinal Spellman really The governm ent has billions to spend for war, but virtually noth­ distress in the light of an alleged plan to utilize the resources of all the Stalinist victims of the one, including the fascists. implies that the Barden Bill would so solicitous about the safety and ing to com bat this dread disease. secret document made public by the Soviet Union and the other provide federal funds for school health of Catholic children as he the same correspondent. This Eastern European countries, and lynches, transportation and pretend§ when he is using this provide federal tax monies to document purports to give details — on the other hand — as long hbalth services for public school issue as a wedge to open the states which segregate Negro of a conference between repre­ as there is no possibility fo r ac­ ¡children, but forbid such pay­ public treasury to the church? children into separate, inferior sentatives of the Foreign Trade tive commerce with the West. ments fo r parochial school stu­ Western Germany and The only results of the Stal­ schools and deny them equal M inistry and nationalized Czech dents. The Barden Bill, which is SAFETY AND HEALTH educational opportuniles and companies. inist measures, or rather half- measures, of “socialization” in before the House Labor and Tne needs of Catholic workers’ benefits with white children. The Am ong other things, they com­ Eastern Europe, under the cir­ Education Committee, prohibits children were not considered when Cardinal complains about “anti- plain that the U. S., by holding The Western Powers cum stances, are the dislocation of the use of its proposed $300,000,- the Catholic hierarchy bitterly Catholic” discrimination, although up export of raining and m etal­ 000 fund fo r such services by all fought ratification by the states the Barden Bill does not deriy any capitalism cope with inflation, and paralyzed reconstruction and lurgical m achinery and equip­ the economy, with consequent By Charles Hanley super-exploitation of the workers schools. of the proposed Federal Child Catholic child the right to attend that’s what it did. tormented the “ man in the ment, is seriously affecting the On Aug. 14 the first elections under speed-up plans, and an an­ If there is any just complaint Labor amendment to the Consti­ any public school. But he hás not The British Laborite Govern­ street” in his every-day life. output of the mines and foun­ tution. The health and welfare of w ill be held under the recently tagonized peasantry, . on this score, it is that the Barden been moved to make a similar ment would have liked some im­ There are two big political dries. D elivery of m achine tools, adopted constitution of the new B ill would deny these benefits to Catholic children — and of all complaint against not only the portant German industries to be parties in Western Germany; ball-bearings and electrical equip­ Peasant revolts and the forma- federal state of Western Ger­ the more than 90% of school children — are no concern of the Barden Bill, but even the bills nationalized;.they wished to col­ the Social pemocrats and the ment from Italy, Sweden and tio?i of guerrilla' bands are al­ who attend public schools, many. This constitution is a1 children Catholic hierarchy when it now which the hierarchy itself sup­ laborate with a board composed Christian Democrats. (The Stal­ Sw itzerland has been slowed down ready reported as a fact in more than half of all revamped and “ improved” edition including viciously opposes even the mild ports, which would finance a sys­ of German union bureaucrats and inists, liberals, and neo-fascists under pressure from W ashington. Rumania. Hunger demonstrations of the Weimar Constitution of Catholic students, in order to National Health Insurance plan tem of brutal segregation and dis­ German capitalist representatives are less important and we leave The tame holds true for other Daily Worker, David Car­ (Both, for example, were sup­ and Clarks would be if the revo­ penter concludes: porters of the second imperialist lutionary workers would take a “A reading of this biography war; and both are opponents of similarly abstentionist attitude of Debs makes it clear that it is Ihe fight for civil rights for all toward the crucial question of The First to Face U. S. Arms the Communist Party which is tendencies in the labor and liberal leadership in the labor movement carrying forward to an ever high­ movements — the Stalinists seek­ today! What will be done with the arms that sands of Portugese political and labor ing to deny them to the Trotsky­ Truman wants to send to “ any nation” er level the struggle fo r the abo­ Hook’s review and the attitude prisoners rotting on his dread prison is­ lition of capitalism which was ini­ ists, and Hook taking the “ ideo­ of his fellow Social Democrats to or “ group” abroad that he sees fit? Here lands. tiated by working-class forces in logical” leadership of the move­ Debs remind us forcibly of the are some of the things already being done the heyday of American capital­ ment to drive Stalinist teachers opening lines of Lenin’s great British, French and Dutch, troops — out of the schools.) by governments financed and armed by- all U. S.-equipped — massacre the peo­ ism, who saw even then that the work, State and Revolution: the U. S. workers could not achieve a de­ Like many other detractors of ples of Malaya, Indo-China and Indone­ cent life until they established so­ Debs who pose as his admirers, ADULTERATORS British troops are used as strike-break­ sia. cialism in the United States.” Hook damns him wdth fa int “What is now happening to ers against English-dock workers. Military cliques in Venezuela, Peru and But a reading of Ginger’s bio­ praise. He stresses Debs’ person­ Marx’s doctrine has, in the course graphy makes clear just the op­ al qualities but divorces them of history, often happened to the French troops shoot down French coal other Latin American countries over­ posite of this contention. from his political contributions, doctrines of other revolutipnary miners and smash their strike. throw popularly-elected goverhments and he exaggerates Debs’ weak­ were the theoretical superiors of attack back in the depression thinkers and leaders of oppressed' THE CONTRAST ON WAR classes struggling for emancipa­ Italian troops shoot striking Italian with American arms and' institute dic­ nesses in order to deny his real Debs. But these people (who liked days when middle class intellec­ After all, what was the one significance in the development to picture Debs as an ignorant tuals were dabbling with Marx­ tion. During the lifetime of great peasants and attack industrial strikes. tatorships that bar strikes and unions. thing about Debs that is most revolutionaries, the oppressing of the American socialist move­ orator) betrayed the most fun­ ism. The difference between the Italian government police break up Pro­ honored today, if it isfi’t the cour­ classes have visited relentless per­ Franco eagerly awaits passage of the ment. This is the standard Social damental principles of Marxism, ideas of a Debs and a Hook is ageous stand he took against secution on them and received testant religious services and arrest Pro­ foreign arms bill which he expects will Democratic approach to Debs — while Debs stood firm ly by his that the former, despite the han­ World WTar I? What is the Debs testant ministers. strengthen his dictatorship that keeps a hail him for his “saintly” char­ principles and refused to be in ti­ dicaps imposed by his back­ their teaching with the most sav­ tradition if it isn’t a consistent age hostility, the most furious acter but warn rebellious workers midated or. corrupted into aband­ ground and the period he lived in, Australian troops are used as strike­ m illion, Spaniards in prison or under struggle against imperialist war hatred, the most ruthless cam­ against following in his political oning them. The proof of a poli­ “ derived” his ideas from the real­ breakers against the Australian coal continuous police surveillance. despite persecution, vilification paign of lies and slanders. A fte r path. tical leader’s theoretical compet­ ities of the class struggle and and imprisonment? That is just miners. Support of the foreign arms program ence lies in the actions that flow the needs of the working class, their death, attempts are made what the Stalinists basely be­ DEBS AS LEADER from his theory, and the way that while the latter, despite his to turn them into harmless icons, Belgian troops, led by British officers, is support of a program to prop up capi­ trayed in World War II. Debs, he concedes, was a great Debs met the supreme test of war “ finesse” in the realm of “ theo­ canonize them, and surround disperse workers in the British zone of human being, he was a fighter; talist reaction and to murder strikers, op­ Lenin, in his Letter to Amer­ signifies that from the viewpoint ry,” shamelessly adapted himself their names with -a certain halo Germany who demonstrate against the he was endowed with purity of fo r the ‘consolation’ of the op­ ponents of dictatorship and colonial fight­ ican Workers, hailed Debs for of socialism he was a thousand to the requirements of the ruling dismantling of plants and loss of jobs. saying that he “would rather be intent, intellectual as well as times greater than all the Berg­ class. It is for these reasons that pressed classes and w ith the ob­ physical courage, and a “ great ers for independence. shot than vote fo r loans fo r -the ers, Hillquits and their modern Debs w ill be remembered as “ an ject of duping them, while at the Greek monarchist troops execute present criminal and reactionary and simple heart.” But, he hast­ same time emasculating and vul­ Greek strikers under the death-penalty These are the first “ aggressors” who counterparts put together. enduring influence on mankind” imperialist war; that he, Debs, ens to add, Debs “ lacked certain for centuries after the Hillquits garizing the real essence of their decree for strikes. will confront the weapons that Truman knows of only one holy, and from qualities necessary fo r enduring “DERIVATIVE IDEAS” and Hooks have been forgotten revolutionary theories and blunt­ Portugese troops bulwark the regime might send anywhere under the terms of the standpoint of the proletariat, influence on mankind,” his ideas Hook’s arrogance in sneering forever. ing their revolutionary edge. At legal war, namely: the war had a “ crude and derivative char­ at the “derivative” character of the present time, the bourgeoisie of Dictator Salazar and guard the thou­ his foreign arms bill. against the capitalists, the war acter,” and Ginger is "wrong in Debs’ ideas is tru ly something to WHAT HOOK PRAISES and the opportunists w ithin the for the liberation of mankind calling him the “ political leader marvel at. Unlike Debs, Hook had Since Hook’s aim is to divert labor movement are cooperating from wage slavery!” of American socialism” in his an opportunity to study the full his readers from the path of in this work * of adulterating But the Stalinists, acting ip the time because he was “ never the body of M arxist teachings; un­ Debs, it is not surprising that Marxism. They omit, obliterate, Clark and Truman's Supporters interests of a reactionary labor brains of the party.” Further­ like Debs, he had a chance to he concludes his review by sin­ and distort the revolutionary side bureaucracy of the kind Lenin more, “ Anyone who sees Amer­ acquaint himself with the rise gling out Debs’ weakest side fo r of its teachings, its revolutionary Truman’s appointment of Tom C. Clark sibility for Truman’s policies, in the first ica’s choice — as Debs did — as soul. They push to the foreground to the Supreme Court brings sharply to and Debs fought all their lives, and degerieration of the firs t his greatest “ praise” : “ Debs’ instance, in the field of civil rights. not only supported the war loans, one between the Complete free­ workers’ state and to learn of most precious legacy to the Amer­ and extol what is, or seems, ac­ the! fore the role and responsibility of Truman has given them his reply, not appropriations and taxes in the dom’ of Socialism and the ‘total1 the contributions of Russian Bol­ ican people may turn o^t 'to be ceptable to the bourgeoisie.” the most prominent labor, liberal and alone by his past actions but also by this second criminal and reactionary slavery’ of capitalism under­ shevism, the firs t movement in his refusal to make a cult of lead­ What the Social Democrats did minority organizations. imperialist war, but they took stands neither modern socialism history to show how a revolution­ ership.” Debs’ attitude to the du­ to Marx and what the Stalinists act of appointing to the Supreme Court nor modern capitalism.” did to Lenin in this way, botRthe As everyone knows, their very exist­ the lead in breaking strikes, curb­ ary party could be built. Despite ties of revolutionary leadership a man who is the very embodiment of ing the Negro struggle and fo­ Here Hook is trying to uphold these advantages, all of Hook’s was a negative one, as our article Social Democrats and Stalinists, ence depends on the preservation-and ex­ the “ loyalty” purges and the witch-hunts. menting lynch hysteria against the claim that the reformists like ideas are borrowed from the capi­ last week indicated. H e stood each after their own fashion, aye tension of civil liberties. Formally all of To crown the insult, Clark happens to be all militant workers and anti-war Victor Berger and Morris H illquit talist ideology that he used to aside from , most of the party’s now trying to do to Debs. them have taken cognizance of this, and a dyed-in-the-wool representative of the fighters. have expressed themselves as opposed to Southern Jim Crow forces and the chief If Debs had lived long enough to oppose World War II, the the current assaults on civil rights. government executor of strikebreaking The AFL at its convention last Novem­ Daily Worker would have been by injunction. howling for his arrest and ap­ Why the Stalinists Are Afraid ber went on record against the “ loyalty” plauding his conviction, as they purge and asked Truman to withdraw. 1 How serious were the CIO, the AFL, did in the case of the 18 Trotsky­ the executive order which &et this purge the ADA and the NAACP about their op­ ists in the Minneapolis trial of in motion. The CIO, which likewise held position to the “ loyalty” purge and their 1941. To Face Commission of Inquiry its convention last November, took sim­ demand on Truman? Were they just Another of Debs’ great ser­ talking for the record, giving lip-service vices, perhaps not so well remem­ On July 13 Harrell Dobbs public­ opposed entry into war of being carrying out Roosevelt’s order. Stalinists continue to proclaim ilar action. . ly challenged Howard Fast to sub (heir own crooked version of thé to the struggle for civil rights? Or did bered today as his anti-war fight its “ enemies,” and quote Fast as On June 27 FBI agents raided The ADA, a coalition of liberals and but at the time deeply apprecia­ mit to an impartial Commission the authority for locking such SWP headquarters in Minneapolis events. prominent labor officials, took the same they really mean what they said? ted by workers in all wings of the of Inquiry the slanderous charges people up. and St. Paul and seized the Our emphasis on these points position at its convention in April of last It is now squarely up to them to an­ labor movement, was his leader­ against the Socialist Workers Besides fashioning reactionary “ evidence” they wanted — works of fact does not .mean that \ye> ship and unceasing activity in the Parly which Fast had printed in of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Trotsky believe civil liberties and free year. So did the NAACP, the largest Ne­ swer this in action. And the urgently in­ weapons fo r the government, struggle for the preservation of a letter in the July 11 Daily Com­ Fast's statement contains a num­ and other publicly - sold SWP speech should operate only in gro mass organization, at its convention dicated action is to vigorously oppose civil liberties. Mention any of the pass. On July 16 and 17, when ber of implied and explicit falsi­ literature. On June 30 a grand peacetime. On the contrary, we last month. Clark’s nomination at the Senate hear­ famous labor defense cases from other Stalinists repeated these fications. jury was convened to study this fignt for their full recognition in the time he entered the socialist “ evidence.’' It was the leaders of these organiza­ ings Aug. 9. As we go to press, not a charges at the Bill of Rights He implies that the govern­ wartime as well. But the truth movement until he died — Moyer Conference, Dobbs again called ment. in addition to accusing the On July 15, almost five months isi that the 18 defendants were tions who threw their political support single one of the above-mentioned organ­ and Haywood, the McNamara fo r the establishment of such a Trotskyists of “ sowing dissen­ before Pearl Harbor, the indict­ nbt convicted at a time when the openly or tacitly behind Truman in the izations has yet derrtanded from the Sen­ brothers, Tom Mooney, the IW W commission, to be composed of sion” in the armed forces, also ment was handed down. On Oct. U. S. was in war, and that while ate that it reject the nomination of this and other victims of the wartime last presidential election. In fact, Truman leading figures in the labor and proved that this had happened. 27 the trial began. The jury the war was on, the government, and postwar raids, Sacco and Van- owes his election to their backing. They, notorious enemy of the labor, Negro and liberal movements who would in­ Actually, the jury totally dis­ handed down its verdict on Dec. 1 even though it continued to zetti, just to recall a few —- and in turn, bear a major part of the respon­ liberal movements. vestigate the charges and render regarded this charge and con­ The judge set sentence on the harass us because of our political always Debs was on the firin g a verdict pn them. defendants on Dec. 8, at almost opposition to the war, did not line, giving unsparingly of his victed the 18 SWP defendants To date, neither Howard Fast the same minute that Congress dare to bring us to court on an­ time and resources fo r their de­ solely fo r their advocacy of the nor the Daily Worker, has men­ ideas of Marx, Engels, Lenin and was declaring war. other trumped - up charge of fense. tioned this challenge, let alone “ sowing dissension in the aimed Steel Profits and Capitalist Parasitism Trotsky. EASILY ESTABLISHED Even the anti-war lecture tour answered it. In this and succeed­ forces.” _ Even those of us who have long been ports themselves, were cited last week which culminated in the famous He also implies that this charge These facts, which are well And one reason why the/Stal- ing issues of The M ilitant, we was made against the Trotskyists aware of the staggering profits made by before Truman’s steel “ fact-finding” speech at Canton was entered on w ill show why. known to the Stalinists, were inists are afraid to face an im ­ by Debs with the intention of in wartime. That is the only confirmed by Professor Thomas partial Commission of Inquiry is the United States Steel Corporation and board by Robert R. Nathan, former gov­ In 1941 the Smith Act, now be­ challenging the wartime attacks possible meaning which can be I. Emerson, the eminent legal that the truth about this charge, the basic steel industry generally are as­ ernment economist, in support of the CIO on free speech and free press by ing used against the Communist attached to his phrase: “ at^a time authority of Yale Law School, in like all their other charges tounded by the almost unbelievable prof­ Steel Workers demands for higher wages, the, Wilson administration. It is Party leaders in New York, was when this country was facing the his speech at the B ill of Rights against us, can be so easily its figures revealed in their latest state­ a welfare fund and pensions. to Debs, as much as any other fig ­ first used in the Minneapolis full threat of Nazi Germany and Conference last month. But the established. Trial, in which 18 SWP leaders fascist Italy,” especially when ments. ure, that we are indebted fo r the The^ prove indisputably that the steel noble tradition of solidarity in were convicted and sent to jail. two sentences later he is talking In the first six months of this year, industry hasn’t a leg to stand on in its defense of all tendencies in the Hundreds of organizations repre­ about “any country at war. . . ” U. S. Steel admitted raking in net profits arrogant refusal to meet the steelwork­ labor movement, no matter what senting millions of members pro­ But it w ill also be noted that he Visit your local headquarters of the after taxes of $94,052,265 — an increase ers’ just demands. In fact, it could meet political views are held by the tested this conviction as an does not give any date. workers under the attack of the assault on civil liberties and sup­ of 76% over its record profits in the same these demands, reduce steel prices and VITAL STATISTICS class enemy. ported the defendants’ demand for SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY period last year. still make profits at its high war-time a presidential pardon to restore Since he is reluctant to use CP AND CIVIL RIGHTS A KR O N — 4 So. Howard St., 2nd fl. NEWARK—423 Springfield Ave. Phone But even this doesn’t tell the whole level. their civil rights. Explaining in dates, we w ill have to supply every afternoon 1 to 4 p. m. Meeting's Bigelow 3-2574. Reading room. Open What a far, far cry from the the Compass why he and the Stal­ them fo r him. The order fo r the Sunday 2 p. m. daily, 12-4 and 7-10 p.m. story. U. S. Steel’s report hides another But these facts about steel profits in N E W YO R K C IT Y (H q .)— 116 Univer­ behavior of the Stalinists, not indictment of the Trotskyists in BOSTON—Worker«? Educational Center. sity Place. Phone GR 5-8149. inists -oppose the. SWP’s pardon 10 Stuart St., open "Wed. 5:30-9:00 p.m., $35,000,000 of profits under “ deprecia­ this period of rising unemployment — only in the Soviet Union where campaign, Fast used the follow­ Minneapolis was handed down by joclal last Sat. of monh. H A R L E M — 103 W . 110 St., Rm . 23. Phone MO 2-1866. Open disousslon. tion reserves” — a bookkeeping trick to and they mirror the kind of profits being they have completely destroyed ing argument: President Roosevelt on June 13, BUFFALO—Militant Forum, 629 Main Friday, 8 p.m. workers democracy but here in the 1941. St., 2nd fl. Phone MAdlson 3960. Every B R O N X —H unts Point Palace, 953 make its profits look smaller b y .25%. made by the other monopolized basic in­ “ The Trotskyites were accused afternoon except Sun. Southern Blvd; ¡Room 25. Every F rt. United States where they them­ That was almost six months The company paid taxes on this -“reserve” dustries — have an implication that goes of sowing dissension among the CHICAGO—166 W . Washington Blvd. night at 8:30 p.m. selves are a persecuted minority. before the U. S. declared war on Rm. 312-314. D aily except Sun., 11:30 to BROOKLYN — Mandel’s Manor, American Armed Forces at a time 343 Pennsylvania Ave., off Sutter, — which rtieans that the government re­ beyond the immediate wage issue, vital As I. F. Stone aptly put it, they 3:30: or phone for an appointment. when this country was facing the Japan and Germany. (meetings every Thurs. evening a t 8, gards it as profits. as that is. “taint” the struggle for civil C L E V E L A N D — Pecks H a ll, 1446 E . C H E L S E A — 130 W . 23rd St. Phone full threat of Nazi Germany and It was also nine days before rights, including the protection of 82nd St. (off Wade Pk. Ave.) Monthly A L 5-2488. On the basis of present reduced mate­ We can see in these fantastic profits fascist Italy. This, them is not a the German invasion of the Soviet Public Forum, 1st Sun., 8 p.m. OAKLAND (C al.) -----For Information, their own, by denying such rights phone TEm plebar 2-8153 or TEm plebar rials costs and operating at 100% capa­ the enormous parisitism, the insatiable case of civil liberties. Any coun­ Urdon. D E T R O IT —6108 Linwood Ave. Phone 2-3735, o r w rite P. Montauk, 900-B Cy­ to their working class opponents. T V 7-6267, Mon. through Sat., 12-5 p.m. press St., Oakland 7. K V city, the steel industry could grant wage greed of the 'monopoly owners. Each year try at war assumes the right to In other words, the. indictment They have made themselves odi­ FLINT—Socialist Workors Party Hall, P H IL A D E L P H IA — 1303-05 W . G irard defend itself against its enemies, was ordered by Roosevelt at a Ave., 2nd fl. Phone Stevenson 4-5820. increases and pensions amounting to 30 they squeeze more and more out of the ous in the eyes of decent working­ 215 East Ninth Street. Phone: 2-2496. Open daily. Forum , F ri., 8 p.m. those outside of its borders and time when the Communist Party Open House Saturday evenings. cents aq hour to every steel worker and workers. Each year, in spite of the men and women everywhere by P IT TS B U R G H — 1418 F ifth Ave., 2nd fl. those within its borders.” was denouncing Roosevelt as a LOS ANGELES—Militant Publ. Assn., For-ums 2nd F r i. each month. M arxist still enjoy annual net profits of $966,- crumbs organized labor wrests from their savage attacks on James Room 325, 124 W . 6th St. Phone VAndyke class 4 p.m. every Sat. Meetings every As Dobbs pointed out in his warmonger and opposing U. S. 8061. 600,000 as compared to the annual rate them, these monopolists bite deeper and Kutcher, the legless victim of Thurs., 7:30 p.m. Truman’s purge, and by their de­ reply to Fast, this is an ex- entry into the imperialist war. SAN PED RO —M ilitan t, 1008 S. Pacific SAN FRANCISCO—1739 Fillmore Ave., Nine days later H itler and Stalin Room 214. 4th fl. Phone F I 6-0410. D aily except of $797,300,000 based on the 1949 first deeper into the national income. mands that civil rights move­ remely dangerous line of reason­ Sun., 12-4:30 p.m. ing. All the government has to changed the CP’s line and the LYNN, (Mass.)—Militant Publ. Assn., quarter take. Why should labor, which creates all, ments reject defense of the Trot­ 44 Central Ave., office open Tues., Wed. ST. LOUIS — "For information, Since 1939, the output per worker per continue to tolerate a system that per­ skyists or face disruption and do is charge the Stalinists with Stalinists began to demand that 7:30-9:30 p.m. phone P R 5305." calumny by the Stalinists. “ conspiracy to advocate over­ the U. S. get into the war with­ * MIL W A U K E E —917 N . 3rd St., 3rd fl. SEATTLE—Maynard Bldg., 1st Ave.', hpur in the steel industry has increased mits the existence of such parasites? R . 201, So. & Washington. Tel. M ain 9278, In short, there is no more throw of thè government by force out a moment’s delay. The SWP Sun. through Fri., 7:30-9:30 P.m. Phone Hopkins 2-5337. * . Mon. through Sat., 12-5 p.m. Branch 49.5%, while real wages — that is, wages Why should labor, the overwhelming ma­ truth to the Stalinist claim that and violence” (as it is doing) refused to betray the anti-War meeting Tues., 7:30 p.m. Library, book­ M IN N E A P O L IS — 10 So. 4th St. Phone store. in terms of actual buying power — have jority of the people, not end this intoler­ they are carrying forward the and then it can argue (along1 struggle in this way and con­ M ain 7781. D aily exoept Sun.* ,10 a.m .- TO LED O — Monthly open meeting* tinued to express its opposition 6 p.m. Library, bookstore. J Fourth Tuesday, 8 p.m., Kapps* HaO. risen just 14.3%. In the same ten years, able drain on society by ending the prof­ struggle begun by Debs and his Fast's lines) that the prosecu­ 413 Sumibit, Room 2. fellow pioneers than to their pre­ tion “is not a case of civil liber­ to the war throughout its durn- N E W B R IT A IN , (Com».) — Fo r Infor­ steel profits in terms of the same buying its system, expropriating the monopoly mation write. P.^ D. Box No. 659 or WORCESTER, (Mass.) — For informa­ tense' that they are heirs and ties.” li.n i. phone 3-3287. tion w r ifl P.O. Box 554, Worcester. power have shot up 255.3%. industries and establishing the planned continuators of Marx, Engels and Meanwhile the Department of YO U N G STO W N — 284 E . Federal St,, Or, in case of war, the govern­ NEW HAVEN—For information tele­ Phone 3-1355. Wed., Fri., Sat., 1:30 t* These figures, based on industry re­ system of socialism? Lenin. ment can accuse all those who Justice and the FB I were busy phone 7-8780. I 4 p.m* “Tighten O lir Belts” t h e M ill TANT By Joseph Keller Just before disembarking in New York last satisfy their craving for food simply by pulling VOLUME XIII MONDAY, AUGUST 8, 1949 N U M B E R 3 2 week from a three-week vacation in England and in their belts another notch. How unfortunate Prance,, the multi-millionaire Wall Street specula­ that the human body succumbs to starvation be­ to r and “ elder statesman” of U. S. imperialism, fore the last possible notch can be reached, or, Bernard Baruch, gave a press interview aboard what is far worse from Baruch’s standpoint, that the luxury super-liner Queen Mary. workers might rise up to put an end to the social “ 1 don’t agree with those who say there w ill causes of their misery rather than lie down w ith­ N.Y. Socialist Workers Party be a slump in the country,” opined Baruch. But, out pi'otest and die. he genially added: “ I f we lose some money, we’ll It is quite true that fo r the Baruchs a depression just tighten our belts and go ahead as we have means only “losing some money.” But for the before.” worker out of a job it means seeing his wife and kids grow pale and weak and sick, seeing them If “we” lose “some money” — that is, go into Enters Slate in City Election shivering in the cold of winter without proper a serious depression — whose belt is going to be tightened? Certaihly not Mr. Baruch’s. On his clothes, seeing them sit in the rain amid their few NEW YORK, Aug. 4 — The Socialist Workers Party poor sticks of furniture after the bailiffs drive millions, he, his children and his children’s | today announced its entry into the municipal election cam­ children would not have tc* make another dime them out for non-payment of rent. New York SWP Slate How fa r removed is the capitalist mind from paign with candidates for the four major offices, running and they’d still be ahle to fill their bellies with the needs and feelings of the mass of people, on a platform that offers the®~ the finest food and drink every day of their lives. “ The American Labor Party, how cold and indifferent to human misery. And voters of New York a working which supported O’Dwyer in 1945, Hove quick the plutocrats like Baruch are to how useless to appeal to any sense of humanity, class alternative to the capitalist is running Vito Marcantonio for speak of “ tightening belts” as an answer to to any social consciousness in a ruling class whose political machine that holds the Mayor this year. The ALP is not depression. Only thos'e^ who see before them an spokesmen, like Baruch, can glibly speak of ap­ city in its grip. a genuine labor party either by endless vista of richly-laden tables, who have peasing hunger by “ tightening OUR belts.” The four SWP candidates are: virtue of its compositon or its never missed a meal except from indigestion due There ought to bealaw against anyone who tells program. As a result of the un- to over-eating, whose only problem with belts the hungry and needy to “ tighten our belts.” They Michael Bartell for Mayor. nrincipled split in that party and is to get them big enough, can speak of “ tighten­ ought to be locked up fo r the rest of their lives Harry Ring for Controller. the disillusionment of the work­ ing belts” with the lightmindedness of a Baruch. on a diet of one medium-sized potato and a pint Gladys Barker for President of ers with its activities, only the How nice it would be fo r the Baruchs of this of water a day. And in their cell there ought to City Council. small segment of trade unions World, if unemployed and hungry workers could be.a neon sign, in red, saying: “ Keep Pulling!” Harold Robbins for President dominated by the Stalinists sup­ port it today. r Socialized Medicine VIII ------of the Borough of Manhattan. Michael Bartell fired the open­ MlN'tR PARTIES Insurance for the Doctor ing shot of the SWP campaign /'The ALP is neither based on in a statement assailing the con­ nor controlled by the trade union ditions that exist in the nation’s movement of New York. Under the influence of the Communist In their frenzied attacks upon the British— ' Na­ Together with those enrolledBy Grace under commercialCarlson ■ ■ * — largest and richest city. “ What is the picture in New Party, it has been tied to the tional Health Service and upon the National Insurance prepayment policies or in cooperative fl.'msy kite of the Wallace third- Health Insurance Program recently discussed in insurance groups, some 55,000,000 Americans ate York today?” he asked. “ A half million unemployed walk the side­ capitalist Progressive Party. Its the United States Congress, the American Medical now covered by some hospital cost plan and so-called ‘independence’ from the Association bureaucrats laud voluntary health 37,000,000 by some medical or surgical insurance walks, and their number is grow­ ing. Vast, overcrowded, verinin- 'old capitalist parties would vanish insurance programs. I t was not always so! plan. But some 90,000,000 have no medical or the day a ‘deal’ was made by GLADYS BARKER iitfested slums are a national In 1932, when a national committee on costs of hospital coverage at all — and, of those enrolled MICHAEL BARTELL HARRY RING Moscow and Washington. Wallace for Council President scandal and new housing lags far medical care advocated prepayment plans, group in medical prepayment plans, only a very small for Mayor for Controller himself publicly proclaims that practice and other reforms, the Journal of the percentage receive fu ll coverage. behind the city’s needs, while workers vainly look for jobs. he is ‘against war’ today, but will AMA insisted that the adoption of these recom­ As Dr. Richman, director of the St. Louis Labor support Wall Street ‘if war mendations would lead to “ socialism, communism Health Institute and a long-time advocate of com­ RAMPANT BIAS comes.’ and revolution.” When the Blue Cross plan, now pulsory insurance, has pointed out, none of the “The Liberal Party of Dubinsky so highly praised by the AMA, was being launched Witch-Hunt Inquisition at “ Discrimination is not only insurance plans provides fo r a complete program and the Social Democrats, sup­ in the Thirties by the American Hospital Associa­ of health care fo r workers and their families. A ll tolerated but fostered by the city porting Newbold Morris, plays tion, the AMA Journal conducted a furious cam­ of these plans have strict limitations — age administration. Negro and Puerto just as treacherous a role in des­ paign against it. limits, no provision for cases of chronic illness, AFL Convention in N. Y. Rican people are Jim Crowed in troying the movement for in­ Public pressure in favor of better health pro­ time lim its on hospital care, etc. housing, in jobs, in education. dependent , labor political action. grams forced the AMA to capitulate in its opposi­ Millions of dollars are extorted Dr. Richman’s words on the inadequacies of Are you jor have you ever been a role. But to carry out their destroy organized labor. But a Today as in 1945, the Liberal tion to voluntary insurance plans. In the main, from the poor in sales taxes, yet the Blue Cross voluntary insurance program a Communist? Are you or have political feud with their Stalinist close sjudy of union bureaucrats Party |s the tail of the Republican however, AMA support of such voluntary in­ the lily-white Stuyvesant Town deserve special attention now that workers are you ever been a member of any opposition, the AFL leaders em­ like Murray indicates that “ worse” elephant. surance plans as Blue Cross, Blue Shield, etc., housing project gets tax-exemp­ being bombarded with AMA propaganda about it: subversive group advocating over­ ployed the methods of the' totali- than anything in their minds is “The Socialist Workers Party has been given in order to prevent more adequate tions to the tune of 50 million throw of the Government? Have tarlans," including the Stalinists any kind of internal union op­ alone calls fo r the formation of a public health programs from being carried “This fast-growing movement, which bills itself dollars. Race-hating, anti-Semitic you been called on lo sign the themselves. position that even remotely genuine independent party of through. But, AM A officials have also come to as a non-profit organization has reached the point instructors like Knickerbocker nbn-Communist affidavits required Through these methods borrow­ threatens their control and the labor, just as we are the only realize that health insurance is insurance for the where it now holds a virttial monopoly over hos­ and Davis are protected 'at City by the Taft-Hartley Law, and ed from the thought-controllers— emoluments and privileges political party which' calls for a doctor as well as for the patient. pital services and facilities. There is little con­ College, while those suspected of have you done so? What is your from Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, thereof. genuine united front civil rights Many of the A M A’s state societies have estab­ sumer control or labor representation. There liberalism are fired from their opinion of President Truman’s Franco, on down to our home­ Nor was Murray talking about movement to defend all victims lished their own prepayment medical plans. These are the usual limitations in fine print. Labor jobs. grown Attorney General Tom F B! and police stoolpigeonsi com­ of the witch-hunt.” unions find out to their sorrow that their members executive o rd y concerning the Blue Shield plans now operate in 42 stgfes and loyalty pledge/ Does your union Clark — Jhe reactionary New pany spies, finks, scabs and “ The nation-wide witch-hunt is cover a total of about 10,000,000 subscribers and are only half-way protected. . . The Blue Cross TESTED FIGHTERS contribute financially or give York AFL leaders sought to strikebreakers when he spoke abetted by O’Dwyer and Tam­ their dependents. The Blue Cross hospital in­ like so many plans is insurance, and frequently moral support to any Communist- insure themselves in advance about “ crafty, undercover agents.” many. The arch - reactionary The four candidates of the surance organizations now have a total enroll­ worthless insurance at that, rather than a plan front organizations? What is against any voice of criticism or They could pass his “ examina­ Catholic hierarchy reaches out SWP are tested fighters fo r the ment of about 31,000,000. for service.” your opinion of the tria l of the opposition, to intimidate the tion” with a perfect score. They for totalitarian domination over working class. Michael Bartell, eleven Communists in New York? delegate and to deny seating to welcome such methods — that’s every sphere of the city’s life ; it New York City organizer of the No, these are not the inquisi­ those who might have a “ sedi­ one of the things they try to hand-picks a college\president, it SWP, rose to national prominence torial questions hurled at some tious” and ‘disloyal” attitude intioduce into unions all the bans periodicals and books from two years ago as initiator of the The Five Per-Centers victim before the House Un- toward the top bureaucracy. time. And they w illingly swear the public schools, and with sup­ defense committee that won free­ American Witch-Hunt Commit­ Some delegates who ran the ten times over on a stack of port in ‘high places’ of city poli­ dom fo r James Hickman, a Ne­ tee. They are not taken from third-degree gauntlet safely dared Bibles their loyalty to the capital­ tics, it breaks strikes and tries to gro worker charged with murder­ FBI records of an “ investigation” to'object to the use of the ques­ ist government, the State De­ capture the labor movement with ing his landlord. Every once in a while the capitalist politicians the corporations raked in an acknowledged 50 of some government worker tion on the Taftt - Hartley Act, partment, the FBI — and the the priest-dominated ACTU. Harry Ring, candidate for Con­ billions of war profits in the last world slaughter, in Washington, who annually hand out billions in under Truman’s “loyalty” purge. cited above, and sim ilar ques­ union bureaucrats. “ The rig ht even to life itself troller, is a former shop steward profits to the war industries, decide to throw up that was just the reward fo r their “ patriotism.” They are a few of the many tions. Federation President Not just the Stalinists, but the for the Negro and Puerto Rican of CIO United Auto Workers a little smokescreen about war corruption and Naturally, the American people are apt to look similar questions which the Thomas A. Murray answered that real union militants and fighters people is violated. Fascist-minded Local 511, and fo r five years profiteering. with disfavor on a “patriotism” that rewards so elected delegates to the New “some time in dealing with against the Taft - Hartley Act, police subject them to sadistic served as secretary of the W ork­ A scandal involving some sm all-fry war con­ few with so much. Some are even wondering York State Federation of Labor crafty, under-cover men, sent the sincere defenders of civil physical attacks and outright ers Alliance in Essex County, tractor or minor government agent is “in­ \vhether the war wasn’t inspired and conducted (A F L) had to answer last week into your organization to do rights and trade union demo­ murder without fear of punish­ N. J. vestigated.” Some Congressional committee makes just for the sake of such profitable “rewards.” to the satisfaction of a credentials Worse than the Taft-Hartley Law, cracy — these are the ones who ment.” Gladys Barker, running for headlines, some obscure scapegoat is sometimes And not a few are speculating about how much committee,' handpicked by the we have to use the law to purge would be “ flunked” by such “ test President of City Council, is a sent to prison. the “ patriotism” of the corporations w ill cost the bureaucratic leaders, before they these people from our unions.” questions.” THREE BIG ISSUES young factory worker and a lead­ The latest of these scandals has coined the ing member of the m ilitant Len­ American people in the war now in preparation. could be “ cleared” and seated. Murray didn’t say just what No genuine opponent of the The New' York picture is part phrase, “ five per centers.” They are individuals ox-Fifth Avenue Tenants’ Asso­ That’s why the government “ makes an ex­ The immediate intent of this would be “ worse” than a law Taft - Hartley Act would uphold and parcel of the national prob­ who sell their “ influence” in government agencies ciation. ample” now and then of some chicken-feed war inquisition was to ferret out and drafted by the open-shoppers to the Taft-Hartley oaths or insist lems, Bartell explained. Here, as to small business firms to secure government con­ Harold Robbins, candidate fo r grafter. It looks like Washington is on its toes eliminate in advance any, duly- smash strikes through injunc­ that union leaders take them. No everywhere, the three big issues tracts. In the first case reported by the Senate President-of the Borough of Man­ to halt war profiteering. We are supposed to be elected delegate who at any time tions, ban the closed shop and genuine defender of civil liberties facing the people are the threat investigating committee, the fee was 5% of the hattan, is a veteran of World War assured by this that in the next war — as Roose­ in his life had ever had the undermine union security, sub­ would uphold Truman’s “loyalty” of another depression, a total amount of the contract — henc«^ the term “ five II. former City Housing Director velt promised before the last 'one — there w ill slightest leanings towards the ject the unions to ruinous em­ purge. Yet any delegate at the blackout of democratic rights, per center.” of tne American Veterans Com­ be no “war millionaires.” Communist Party or to any other ployer “ damage” suits and give New York AFL convention who and another world-war. It goes without saying that every grafter and organization or cause in which the employers scores of other mittee, and today an active mem­ We have no tears to shed for any “ five per didn’t indicate by his aitswers to “This triple threat of capital­ deadly weapons to maim, gut and ber of Local 848, Painters Union chiseler who could get the fare to Washington centers” who are forced to take the rap — al­ the Stalinists have ever played the credentials committee ques­ ism w ill be the central issue in during the war tried to get his fingers into the District 9 (AFL). though we don’t expect that more than a few, if tions that he supported the Taft- out campaign,” Bartell said. “ The war contracts gravy bowl. With the government Hartley oath, the government A minimum of 7,500 signatures any, w ill actually wind up behind prison bars. heart of this rotting system of on nominating petitions is re­ pouring out hundreds of billions of dollars, a But the big crooks and profiteers are the ones “loyalty” purge and political capitalism is Wall Street, whicii clever and crooked operator could manage to blacklist, the frame-up trials of quired to place the four candidates we’re after. Why the Communist Party runs City Hall as its private on the ballot. Last day for filing pick \¡¡p a few drops. political dissidents, etc., faced property. Buf the big war profiteers — the ones that . 'We advocate the only program that w ill end disbarment from the convention. petitions is Sept. 16. Readers of dealt not in thousands of dollars but in billions — the war profiteering and eliminate the war Commenting on the convention, "In the past 16 years we have The Militant can secure petitions didn’t need to pull a lot of tricks. They didn’t leeches, big and small, for good. We urge the Persecutes Warren Billings the Aug. 3 N. Y. Times said: “ In seen changes from Democratic- to circulate among their friends wage-earners and d irt farmers of America to Tammany to -Republican - Fusion by visiting or w riting to: the need to buy “ influence.” General Motors, Du (Continued from Page 1) of the Communist Party even as many respects the questions asked Pont, Standard Oil, Aluminum Corporation of establish a Workers and Farmers Government kv the credentials committee went and back again, from Walker to SWP City Election Committee, of capitalist persecution. The Attorney General Clark charges America, U. S. Steel — they virtually wrote and that will nationalize all the basic industries, in­ far beyond the inquiries employed La Guardia to O’Dwyer. But 116 University Place, New York 3. great movement which eventually his victims with aiding opponents handed out their own contracts. cluding the war industries, and operate them on in federal and state loyalty nothing really changes except the liberated Mooney and Billings of the Truman administration. A ll the giant corporations and monopolies had a cooperative, non-profit basis under workers 'codes.” When we consider that lithe!. The monopolists, profits was founded upon this principle. He was convicted without tria l or their own hand-picked “dollar - a - year men” control. such “ codes” are products of the Mgs, speculators, rent gougers Fewer Holding Out- Enduring infamy would have been hearing in the same manner as running the war production agencies and drawing This program, we guarantee, will not only end most anti-labor reactionary ele­ and Park Avenue par&sites have Last week the CIO United the reward fo r anyone who dared convictions are made by govern­ up the war contracts. Everything — or almost war profiteering; it w ill end the profit system ments, we can see to what anti­ cont inued to rob the people, break Steelworkers and the Food, To­ sit in judgment over the political ment loyalty boards. His “ crime” everything — was done strictly “legal.” And if that breeds war itself. democratic depths the N. Y. A F L strikes, and oppress the minorities bacco and Agricultural Workers convictions of these class war p ri­ is “guilt by association” with per­ leaders sank at their convention. without hindrance. both decided to comply with the soners as the price of supporting sons on the Communist Party It is union leaders like these who “ Big Business, united behind non-communist oath provisions of their defense. “ subversive list.” His punishment' is loss of his livelihood in San are the most dangerous of the the Democrats and Republicans, the Taft-H artley Act. That leaves Notes from the News This principle was as much a Francisco even as Kutcher and “crafty, undercover agents” of has had its owrt way because the only the United Electrical and part of Billing’s bone and fibre as the other government employees capitalist reaction inside the union New York workers are still poli­ Fur Workers unions in the CIO is his loyalty to the working class have been deprived of their means movement. tically unorganized. still refusing to comply. fo r which he had already paid of livelihood. DOES IT AGAIN — Judge Alexander Holtzoff, state taxes on a man’s summer suit. Local taxes with his liberty. He asked one The Stalinists have not dared who upheld the constitutionality of the govern­ were not included. question only: was the person in­ to publicly lie about Billings as ment’s “ loyalty” purge in June when he ruled * * * volved a victim of capitalist jus­ they have lied about Kutcher against an appeal by 26 postal employeefe, has PAUL KERN SUPPORTS JIM KUTCHER OBER ACT CHALLENGED — Three Quaker tice? He supported the 18 Min­ and the Trotskyists: that Billings done it again in rejecting Dorothy Bailey’s suit women employed by the state of Maryland have neapolis victims of the Smith is a helper to fascists. But this is NEW YORK — Paul J. Kern, against him. It also indicts him were convicted under the Smith fo r reinstatement to the job in the U. S. Employ­ refused to sign the “ loyalty” oaths required by Act, the Trotskyist James Kutch- im plicit in their unspeakable v il­ liberal lawyer and chairman of for associations which are not Act, Mr. Kern wrote!: “ I think I ment Service from which she was purged as the thought-control Ober Act on the ground that er, the “ dissident” Stalinist Vern lainy and in the punishment they the recent Bill of Rights Confer­ even named in the charges or re­ made my view clear that I agree “ disloyal” last year. the act is contrary to the Bill of Rights and Smith, and all others persecuted have meted to Billings. ence, has taken a strong stand vealed to the employee at his precisely with the term of Mr. * * * "objectionable on religious grounds, in that it •since his release from Folsom Hang your heads in shame, you in defense of James Kutcher, leg­ trial. It.is about as total a throw­ Henry Wallace’s letter to you... ” CLASS DISTINCTIONS — Chronic illness prison. denies the brotherhood of man.” Pending a court unregenerate scoundrels! It was less veteran purged from the VA back to the Star Chamber as any­ Wallace’s letter to Dobbs, dated lasts longer and is three times more frequent For the Stalinist leaders, how­ test of the act’s constitutionality, they will not not enough that you aided in the because of his membership in the thing in American history. Sept. 21, 1948, stated: “ I t is ap­ among low income families than among those ever, adherence to this principle be dismissed. prosecution of the Trotskyists, Socialist Workers Party. “ No one but an ignorant man parent that the defendants in the w ith high incomes. * * * is a crime. Our readers already thus helping to establish the anti­ In a letter to Farrell Dobbs on like Mr. Truman, who is utterly Minneapolis case were not con­ * * * know how the Stalinists sabotage MELISH CASE APPEAL — The dismissal of labor Smith Act as a legal prece­ July 28, Mr. Kern wrote: out of touch with the background victed on the basis of any acts of BEN FLETCHER DIES — Ben Fletcher, vet­ the defense of James Kutcher, the Rev. Dr. John Howard MeKsh from his post dent against all political minor­ “On the Kutcher case, I regard of American political freedQm, violence or intimidation but solely how they hailed the conviction of eran IW W organizer, died in Brooklyn last month. ag rector of the Protestant Episcopal Church of ities, including yourselves. It was it as an outrage that the Presi­ could have promulgated such an by reason of their expression of the 18 Trotskyists in Minneapolis, He joined the IW W -11 years ago at the age of 18 the Holy T rin ity in Brooklyn w ill be appealed to not enough that you have denied dent’s Loyalty Order should be indecent doctrine. It exalts rumor political views and opinions.” and how they wrecked the B ill of and played a prominent role as organizer and the general convention of the Protestant Episcopal support to James Kutcher and applied, as it is, to deprive pub­ and hearsay to the level of evi­ Wallace also said: “ I fu lly sup­ Rights Conference as an organiz­ speaker in many of its straggles. In 1917, along Church in San Francisco next month. Melish was thus given objective support to lic employees of their rig h t to dence and employs private spy­ port the restoration of their civil ing center for the struggle for with Big Bill Haywood and 99 other IWW mem­ removed because he would not fire his son and the government purge. You had express political opinions. ing and personal gossip as a cri­ rights to the defendants in this democratic rights rather than see bers, he was indicted in Chicago on charges of „assistant for his “outside activities.” The case to single out for chastisement a Thought control of the public ser­ terion for the selection and re­ case.” conspiracy to violate the Espionage and Selective it endorse a pardon for the 18. man who has endeared himself to vice is the firs t step toward Fas­ tention of public employees. is also being appealed in the courts. At the Bill of Rights Confer­ Service Acts. Ben got a 10 year term in prison, Even while they are victimized every m ilitant in the labor move­ cism. “ These observations apply to v * * ence the Stalinists attacked this which" was commuted in 1923, and he remained by Clark’s witch-hunt, the Stalin­ ment, to every fighter for human “ The President’s Loyalty Or­ the Kutcher case as well as to view viciously. Kern opposed the active in the IW W until recently when his heart QUILL BOOED — Although the New York bus ists continue a witch-hunt of their rights in every corner of the almost all the other cases brought der, as I see it, deprives the em­ Stalinist position and urged the drivers booed President Michael Quill for urging own. world. Thè. working class w ill not ployee. of the rig ht of cross ex­ under the President’s so-called began to ail. conference “ not to discriminate * * * acceptance of Mayor O’Dwyer’s demand that they Billings was a target of this soon forget your bottomless ig­ amination, the right to make a Loyalty Order.” HIDDEN TAXES — The Tax Foundation re­ return to work oh the basis of pre-strike condi­ Stalinist witch-hunt. He was nominy. And we will see that defense, or even the rig h t in some In regard to the Minneapolis against any victim of the Smith ports that it has found 116 hidden federal and tions, they voted to go back. charged with aiding an opponent they do not forget iti instances to know the charges Trial, in which 18 Trotskyists Act.”