The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-11-10

JEWISH Ddlly FORWARD,
175 East Broadway,
New York City.
Dear Sirs:
ME note that in your issue OF Octo-
~ Der 4th, you severely criticize the
International Labor Defense Of which
organization the undersigned Are mem.
bers of the national committee, bas-
ing your attack on the financial state
ment for the first fiscal year ended
June 80, 1925.
YOU point out that the International
= Labor Defense collected $50, 672. SO
during that period, and after expendi-
lures for publicity, organization and
administrative expenses C"expenses
in connection with collecting the
money" as you interpret it, there
was left for the political pri-
soners $22,120.50. From which state
ment you conclude: "In other words,
out of every dollar the Communists
collected to help political prisoners,
they squandered on salaries for their
people, on trips, and on other aimless
expenses, more than Sc cents"
AS persons who went on some of
these trips and shared in some of
these "aimless expenses, particularly
in connection with many mass meet
ings and conferences held on behalf
of Sacco and Vanzetti, we feel COM
PEELED to call the attention of the
Forward to certain errors in your
bookkeeping reasoning. Suppose you
apply the same test to another well
known defense and free speech or
ganization, the American Civil Liber-
ties Union, with which we are also
connected, what would you find upon
examination of the receipts and ex-
penditures for the fiscal year ending
January 81, 1926? Possibly the For
ward is not as critical of Liberals as
it appears to be OF Communists. !"
But your analysis of the balance
sheet of the A. c. L. U. would have
to run as follows: IN
THE following is the substance OF the
1 receipts and disbursements Of the
Liberal organization:
collected ,106.44
Expenses in connection
with collecting the
money .....--.-............... 1878. 1S
Amount left for political
priooDaro - ooz DC
I'm other words out of every dollar
the Liberals collected to help the
political prisoners, they squandered
on salaries for their people, on trips,
and on other aimless expenses, more
than SO cents"
e.. 1t is sufficient that the public
knows that when a Liberal collects
dollar to help an unfortunate polit-
ical prisoner. only AZ cents reaches
him, and the rest remains In the
Liberals pocket"
WE are not suggesting that the For
w ward engage in any such attack
on the American Civil Liberties I'm
ion, OF which We are active members.
Mr. Fred Marvin Of the New York
Commercial and other superpatriots
who hate all radicals, communists,
liberals and other subyersive move
ments and movers Including no
doubt the Daily ForwardD can tend
to that. But we would consider such
an attack no 'more-and no less
justifsble than the attack you are
now directing at the International
Labor Defense. Indeed, the Forward
might find even more alarming facts
in the report of the American Civil
Liberties Union. For with a total
gross income of $34,106.44 Qncluding
S2,29602 from the American Fund for
Public Service for special cases) it
expended for executive and ONCE
salaries S1O,64s.61 while the Inter
national Labor Defense spent only
$12,221.63 for the same item. Again,
the A. c. l.. U. had office rent and
care for the year amounting to ST.
714.46 while the /. l.. d., raising larger
amounts of money, had only $1,664.S1
in expenditure for the same item.
This, in our opinion, is no reflection
on the A. c. L. U. but 1t certainly
lays this organization open to the
same type of charges" you have
launched against the l. L. d.
Certain facts, perhaps will clear up
the essential aim and purpose Of the
|. L. d. as well as It's relation to the
A. c. l.. u:
1 NEITHER organization is a relief
L. organization devoted primarily to
raising money for the care OF the fam
lilies OF political prisoners or the pri-
soners. The I. L. ID. has, however.
devoted considerable portion OF its
funds to this task--some $4,000 last
year, a very creditable showing in
decd. II was administered on a non.
partisan basis to all prisoners, re-
CARELESS Of their political views, But
tho main itenn Of tho defence work