The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-02-05

the reactlonary leaders OF the other
railway union, the National Union
of Rai.waymen IN. u. RI has
caused great dissatisfaction and pro-
test among their own members, as
well as among the organized work
ers generally. In the great rail-
way strike Of 1919, when the N. U.
r. came out against the employers,
the A. S. L. e. f. had had its de-
mands settled satisfactorily. Never
theless, the A. s. L. E. r. also
struck, out of sympathy with the
r. leaders have done their utmost
to discredit the strike,
Thomas Plays His Role.
]. II. Thomas, of some notoriety
as an arrant reactionary, has is
sued statements regarding the strike
which are hardly credible, as coming
from a leader of labor. In today's
newspapers, he is credited with hav-
ing said that "the strike is a COM
Slete fiasco." He, together with
Cramp, industrial secretary Of the
N. U. r., has issued a manifesto to
the N. U. r, membership stating
that every member of the N, u. r,
Is expected to remain at work dur
ing the strike. Bromley, the leader
of the A. S. L. q. T., has replied
with spirit to the statements of
Thomas, and has stated that all
N, y. R. engineers and firemen who
join the strike will receive strike
benefits from the A. S. L. e. F.
The Tabar po.fry avoot4&sxre Loz
shown its distaste fer the strike,
which will, it evidently considers,
embarrass the incoming Labor gov
eminent The DAILY Herald" in
its editorial article today, adopts a
most lukewarm tone. The strike
is characterized as ''regrettable,n and
it is limited that the representatives
Of the A. S. L. e. +. did not suffi-
GENTLY stress the mems grievance
before the Wages Board. 1t also
mentions the difference Of opinion
on the strike among the leaders of
the various railway unions, and also
states that these differences exist
among the rank and file. The leader
is mainly devoted to showing that
the findings of the Wages Board
are not binding, and that the men
on strike, therefore, are not acting
constitutionally. So far, so good.
But the whole tone of the article
is that Of a prim parent Gliding
an erratic child.
The article opens with the state
ment: eve regard strikes as re-
grettable necessities at certain juno
i lures so long as our present system
endures. Not all are necessary; not
all are prudent" Sueh a statement
might be perfectly correct, in prin-
ciple, but to print it at the very
|, time that thousands of exploited
workers are going into a desperate
struggle to preserve their meager
standard of living, is to affect the
, morale of the strikers most adverse
ly. The "Daily Herald" is the Off
, cial organ of the labor movement,
, political and industrial. It should
have supported whole heartedly the
efforts of the members of the A. S.
! L. E. F. once they had decided to
| strike. The men are up against the
tremendous forces of British capital
ism, and the "Daily Herald" issues
no call for their support, no ring
ing appeal for solidarity!
Support Their Own Ambitions.
Already the reformists and ca
reerists Of the Labor Party are
showing their colors. They are rem
dering the task Of the Communists
easy by already exposing themselves
as men who would subordinate the
industrial movement Of the workers,
the mass action of the workers, 10
their parliamentary ambitions.
At present, despite Thomas's base
statement to the contrary, the strike
is succeeding. Reports, in the cap
italist press, already show that the
service on the railroads has been
kcrippled. Bromley states that the
strike will not reach its peak until
Thursday. But already the country
is witnessing the beginning Of a
great industrial struggle.
And, despite the treachery of
Thomas, the membership Of the N,
". r. is showing itself sound and
wholesome. News is already coming
in, from various localities, of engi-
neers and firemen, who are members
Oh the ~. W W., JoiHlilk tic Sptihc.
Protests against Thomas's action
are arriving daily from N. U. r,
branches.
The Communist Party Of Great
Britain, and the British Bureau OF
the Red International Of Lahour
Unions, are in the fight IN the in-
ish, in support Of the striking work
ers. The policy Of the Party and
the Bureau Is as follows;
/. The immediate extension Of the
strike to all engineers and firemen
who are members Of the N. u. r.,
and to all other grades Of railway
workers. A general strike Of all
workers in the railroad transporter