New-York tribune., 1922-07-18
Debs Calls on
Unions to Mass
Forces In Fight
Strike, Vote and Go Into
Battle Together, He Tells
Workers i'm a Statement
From Nerve Sanaforiurn
Sneers at War Heroes
Says Craft Leaders Quit the
Common Herd to Go
With the Big Profteers
Special Dispatch to 7ao rrtbu,ss

CHICAGO, July 17.-Eugene v. Debs,
who led the disastrous railroad strike
Of 1894, in which number Of persons
were killed and a large amount Of
property destroyed, is stirred to fight
ing pitch again by the present railroad
and mine strikes. Although he is sup
posed to be In Chicago sanatorium
for shattered nerves, which he attrib-
utes to the poor food served in At
lanta prison, he was able to-day to is
sue statement calling upon all labor
union men to get together in one big
fighting mass, to "strike together, vote
together and fight together"
The fact that America took part in
the World War still renkies In the
heart of Debs, for he sneers at the men
who were foolish enough to allow
themselves to be sent across to fight
for democracy and liberty. He charges
that the union craft leaders stood in
with the Wall Street profiteers, howl
ing for war and sending the common
herd to the battlefelds to be shot and
gassed.
"There has been some slight disorder
and few scabs have been hart" Mr..
Debs's statement said. "This has been
the extent of the violence, but it has
been sufficient to bring to the strikers
what they fought for in the late World
War. The Federal government an
nounces through the Department Of
Justice that il ulA stand no trifling on
rf Of 81 4.
necessary arxoed force will be employed
at once for ekasY suppression.
"You willy have no trouble in guess
ing what kind Of action is thus meant
on the part of the national and state
governments which you shouted for.
voted for, invested your last dollar for.
and crossed the Atlantic to fight for
and be gassed and die for in the war
to make the world in general and
America in particular for democracy
and liberty.
And now that the war Is over and
kaiserism is dead and democracy and
liberty are on top this same crowd to
a man, to whom you rallied in such a
frenzy Of enthusiasm, to compensate
you for your noble patriotism, is now
lined up against you in battle array
and ready to shoot you down like dogs.
Craft Leaders Patriotic
1T is true, Mr.. Union Man, that your
craft union leaders, with scarcely an
exception, stood with the Wall Street
profteers in bowling for war and rush
ing you, the common herd, into the
trenches to be gassed, mutilated and
murdered, while they remained in the
rear to receive the plaudits of the
plutocratlc press for their patriotism.
{lat NO
YOU chose those leaders ana were re-
ssponsibla. for them, and, after all. the
leaders are about as fit. or otherwise
as the rank and file that elects them.
-"1f, in the light Of this situation. YOU
do not realize the crying need for
unity, for solidarity on every front,
regardless of creed or color, you are
indeed in pathetic plight and your
case is all but hopeless. Your weak
craft unions have got to be converted
into q powerful industrial union, and
TOR all from the rotten political parties
of your masters.
Your interests as workers and pro-
tducers. are absolutely identical, and
there is no earthly reason why those
who are employed in the same indus
try should belong to different unions
or give their votes to different uoliti
cal parties.
The struggle is entering upon its
critical stage and whether the toiling
hosts shall emerge in triumph and
establish industrial and social democ-
racy in the world or go down in I'M
initiating defeat for another historical
period of economic bondage depends
entirely upon the capacity Of the work
ers to muster their forces and stand
together, strike together, vote to.
gether and fight together all along the