WORKERS OF THE FOR THE FOURTH Socialist Appeal INTERNATIONAL! WORLD UNITE! OFFICIAL WEEKLY ORGAN OF THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY Vol. II. - No. 20. Saturday, May 14, 1938 Five Cents per Copy Hague’s Rule Workers! Unite All Forces Martin Balks Still Awaits Frankensteen Real Challenge Against the Union Wreckers! Plot ln U.A.W. By JA M E S P. C A N N O N where you will, from one end of the country to another, in one union after another, the record of internal discord Browder’s Candidate For Union Presidency Gets Farmer-Labor Congressmen, Acting On Advice Of The “ big push” of the Communist Party to take over describes the fever chart of sick unions in convulsive Stalinist I. L. D., Fail To Make Good On or smash the United Auto Workers raises a question struggles to throw off an alien poison. The name of Rebuff At Executive Board Meeting; Threat To Defy New Jersey Dictator which is rapidly coming to a head in many unions. this poison is Stalinism. Stalinists Begin to Squirm Supported by a strong press and apparatus, and with huge funds at their disposal, the Stalinists have become Crisis Aggravates Union Problems FREE SPEECH FIGHT IMPERATIVE a big factor in the trade union movement, especially The problems of the trade unions are many and UNION-BUSTERS STRIKE SNAG in the C.I.O. Catering to every prejudice of the most varied. These problems are aggravated under condi­ backward workers, combining with the worst types of Boss Hague, his private police force, and his army of tions of the deepening crisis. In the newly formed orga­ DETROIT, May 10—As the fateful session of the ex­ labor fakers and even with discredited racketeers, nization in the big industries the problems are compli­ ecutive board of the United Automobile Workers of Amer­ office-holders remain in undisturbed possession of Jersey cajoling, bribing, slandering and bull-dozing, the Ame­ cated by the inexperience of the workers and by the ica rounded out its second day, the Martin forces had a City. In the first test of strength between the Jersey rican operatives of the G.P.U. have taken the unsuspect­ concentrated power of big capital arrayed against them. clear majority and were confident of victory over the autocrat and his opponents, the Mayor emerged victorious ing trade unionists unawares. They have inched their Differences of opinion over programs and policies without a battle. way into strategic control of many unions and are reactionary elements seeking to control or smash the are inevitable. Trade union democracy alone can provide union. The widespread movement of popular protest engender­ reaching out for power in others. the arena for the responsible discussion of these dif­ The Frankensteen Stalinist combination received its ed by Norman Thomas’s expulsion from the city on April The first effects of this quiet and systematic pene­ ferences and the disciplined execution of majority de­ 30 and the continued provocations of Hague’s agents dur­ tration by the Stalinists are now becoming manifest. cisions. It is not possible, and it is not necessary, for heaviest blow thus far when it became obvious that they ing last week fizzled out miserably when the two Congress­ The affected unions are erupting in widespread dis­ all members of the beleagured unions to answer all proposed to throttle the union with a bureaucratic strangle­ men, Jerry J. O’Connell and John T. Bernard, who came sension disruption and split as the victim of syphilis questions in the same way. But there is one thing upon hold. Homer Martin, President of the U.A.W. made the from Washington to challenge Hague’s dictatorship, fa il­ breaks out in sores and rashes. The labor movement is which all constructive and responsible trade unionists public declaration that “ caucuses cannot be abolished by ed to appear at the meeting scheduled for Journal being frightfully weakened and undermined by inter­ must agree and co-operate. That is the preservation of decree.” Square last Saturday night. nal disorders at a time when it needs all its strength the unions against disruption and disorganization. This "Q He elaborated his opinion, trac­ for the external struggle. ing the origin and conditions that For three days Hague prepar-®- is a common platform for all bona fide trade unionists. From this point of view, the class-conscious and m i­ give rise to factions. Three fac­ ed to prevent the meeting. Bill­ ‘I Am the Law’ The Workers Must Be Prepared BRIDGES THUGS tors were responsible for the boards and full-page advertise­ litant forces in the unions must take the lead in the formation of factions, he con­ ments in all the Hudson County The economic crisis, plunging deeper and without life and death struggles of the unions to overcome the tinued: (1) Legitimate differences papers, jointly sponsored by the dread disease of Stalinism in their ranks. They must of opinion arising from the “American Federation of Labor prospects of alleviation, automatically endangers the ATTACK PICKETS manifold problems of a union as Unions of Hudson County'1 and position of the trade unions and sternly imposes upon become the champions of the united front of all union- large as the U.A.W.; (2) natural the “War Veterans Committee them a policy of preparedness for coming storms. Pro­ loyal and constructive forces against the Stalinite misunderstandings occasioned in for Law and Order," headed by duction is away down and is dropping steadily. Unem­ wrecking crew. ON WEST COAST the course of work; (3) opposi­ Col.- Hugh Kelley, Secretary to ployment figures are up to the 1935 level—the ultra- tion’s sake. Factionalism, he de­ Gov. Moore, called upon Jersey The Auto Union Situation clared, can be eliminated only by City citizens to “show their cautious statisticians of the A.F. of L. put the number Revolt Movement Grows uniting the membership around Americanism" and “be present of jobless at 11,232,000. If the entire history of capital­ This is a burning problem right now in the auto­ Among Rank and File a program. Any other method in Journal Square" on Saturday ism means anything this state of affairs spells only one mobile workers union. In their mad drive to control would not eliminate hut merely evening to repeal the invaders. Longshoremen suppress factions. The leaders of the Democratic thing: organized and determined assaults of the em­ or wreck the U.A.W. the Stalinists have formed a fac­ ward clubs, together with heads ployers to batter down wages and destroy the unions tional combination with the ultra-reactionary, red­ Weather-Vane Frankensteen SAN FRANCISCO.—Six sail­ of several A. F. L. unions, ral­ are on the order of the day. baiting Frankensteen and his similars against the ors picketing the contract­ Undoubtedly the third case is lied Hague’s cohorts for the ex­ Preparations for such a campaign are to be seen Martin administration. This crooked factional maneuver breaking Shepard Line were most applicable to Frankensteen. pected battle. on every side. To meet this campaign successfully it is is carried forward, of course, under the slogan of “ an beaten and pursued for three As outlined in previous issues Police F ill Scpiare end to factionalism.” In this, the jingo-Stalinites only blocks by a gang under orders of the Appeal, Frankensteen’s op­ self-evident that the unions need a firm solidarity in slavishly imitate the hypocritical tactics of the imper­ of Harry Bridges, West Coast position on caucuses and on most From noon on the atmosphere their own ranks. They need to hold together, despite C.I.O. director and Stalinist other problems facing the union around Journal Square was no­ ialist diplomats who always advance their war prepa­ leader of the International Long­ have changed as often as it was ticeably tense. Plain clothes cops MAYOR HAGUE differences of opinion among the membership, and rations under the guise of peace conferences and peace shoremen and Warehousemen’s necessary to serve his overween­ and uniformed police were present a united front to the employers. pacts. Union, last week. ing ambitions. It is even rumor­ sprinkled throughout the place. Will a single intelligent militant in the auto unions Victims of the attack were ed that out of the bigness of The first act of violence occur­ But this necessary internal cohesion is precisely what members of the Sailor’s Union of their hearts, Weinstone and Fos­ red around one o’clock when be taken in by this cynical strategem? Can they really LEAGUE SERVES is lacking. The unions are sick. Take the almost daily the Pacific, picketing the Shepard ter promised Frankensteen the Milton Filker, executive director wish, after the horrible experiences of workers in the Line because the company refus­ Lieutenant-Governorship of Mi­ reports of violent internal dissensions — auto union, of the Jersey City Committee of Stalinist controlled unions, to experiment with such ed to abide by an agreement chigan. What applies to the piti­ Labor's Non-Partisan League, TO CONSECRATE maritime, pocket-book makers, New York painters, “control” in the great organization of the auto workers? signed with West Coast seamen’s ful figure of Richard T. Franken­ / ---------------------------------------------------- union over a year ago. steen holds good for the Stalinist teachers, office workers, restaurant workers. Look (Continued on page 4) bureaucrats. Their unscrupulous A. F. of L. Bosses Bosses Fare Badly APPEAL SALESMEN course in the auto union has been Back Hague Terror ETHIOPIAN RAPE dictated solely in the interests Despite the support of the Sta­ DEVALUATION OF Big Business Asks Curb ARE THREATENED linist misleaders in the C.I.O.