The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-10-27
GITLOW CALLS.
ON THOMAS FOR
: UNITY IN U. S.
Communists Issues Open
Letter to Socialist

NEW YORK, Oct. 25.--6enjamin
GitIow, Communist candidate for
mayor of New York City has called
Norman Thomas, socialist candidate
"bluff" in a letter replying to Tho
mas assertions that he is for world
trade union unity. The following is
IN part a letter sent by Gitlow to
Thomas. What will the socialist cam
didate do about this letter? New
York workers read this letter care
fully.
Norman Thomas, socialist candidate
for mayor,
East IS St., New York City.
Dear Mr. Thomas:
The Headgear Worker, official or
gan Of the millinery workers, in its
ssue of October End, which has just
,ome to hand, carries extracts from a
letter, sent by you, to the effect that
you favor trade union unity. You are
quoted as saying among other things,
81 believe we must work for trade
union unity because it is a neces-
sity-and if were an English worker,
the naked necessity of making a.
united front against capitalist i'm
perialism would force me to find a
daily basis for an understanding for
working jointly with the Commun-
lists"
The views you express in this quo
tation compel us to write and ask
the blunt question: IF you are in
favor of unity with the Communists
in Great Britain to fight the Dawes
plan, why do you not promote such
unity in this country"
Is not tour" vice-president, Mr..
Dawes, spokesman of the House of
Morgan, the author of this plan which
enslaves German labor and breaks
down the labor standards of all Eu-
rope? Does not this plan mean also
reduction of the living standards of
American labor? Is it not driving the
American workers toward another
world imperialist war? Are there no
reasons for unity of working class
forces in America for a mutual de-
tense against. the same powerful cap
italist imperialism of Wall St. against
which you propose that the British
workers and the German workers and
the Russian workers unite?
There is an old saying, Mr.. Tho
mas, that ''The grass is always green
er farther off" Look about you and
you will see that it is precisely here
in America that world imperialism
has its center of power and it is
precisely here in America that the
major battle on behalf of the worlds
workers must be fought.
Glass War In America
What do we find in these United
States? The use Of the courts, the
police, the army and the entire ma
chinery of government to enforce the
open shop, break up picket lines and
defeat strikes, And against this, the
most powerful capitalist class in the
world, with a machinery of oppres-
sive government unparalleled in his
tory, is opposed divided, disorgan-
lied and in large measure politically
and economically unorganized work.
ing class.
The wage cuts in New England, in
New Jersey, in the south and the
west; the bombardment of the West
Virginia miners with injunctions--in'
our own city of New York, the bar
barous housing conditions, the rising
living costs, such fragrant use of the
Injunction as has just been made in
the case of the International Tailor
ing Co.-do these not require a united
working class, Mr.. Thomas?
Why then do you favor unity in
Great Britain or in continental Eu.
rope and not in America? Already
the question of trade union unity has
become a living issue in the Amer
lean working class and the presence
Of Mr.. Purcell, representative OF the
British unions and champion of such