The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-30
Try to Gag Crouch
Anti-War Appeal
By Refusing Hall
Especial to The DAILY WORKER)

Especial to The DAILY WORKER)
WASHINGTON, D. c., Sept. 20
After the use of the hall in Typo
graphical Temple, 423 G St. N. W.,
had been denied the -Militarist
Conference of the District of Columbia
for the lecture of Paul Crouch on
"The Menace of Militarism," the
crowd went to 1887 Seventh Street,
NV, and conducted the meeting
there.
Crouch gave a forceful address
which was strongly applauded and
scored many strong points in his in
dictment of the increasing militarism
and jingoism in the United States.
Arrangements for the meeting
We're made with the janitor of Typo
graphical Temple by l. Peltz, men,
Der of the Anti Militarist Conference,
and Peltz was assured that the hall
was free on the night in question and
that Crouch's lecture could be given
there. Similar verbal agreements
have frequently been made for the use
of the same hall. However, early ar
rivals at the building were told that
new orders had been issued not to
allow the meeting to be held The
first excuse was that no deposit had
been made but members of the confer
ence promptly offered to pay the rem
tai in advnace. Then the panitor said
he had received orders mot to have
any more Communist meetings here"
He was informed that the meeting
was not a Communist meeting, but
an anti-militarist meeting, but that
made no difference.
Benjamin c. March, Director of the
Peoples Reconstruction League, and
an old-time Progressive and friend of
the LaFollettes, who was to preside
over the. meeting, protested, but
Walker apparently felt that promise
was mere words" and proceeded to
fatty disregard the agreement.
Crouch warned the crowd that any
so-called labor leader who is not will
ing to denounce militarism and fight
it, is no friend of the workers. "Let
that be test" he said, "of the work
ing class sympathies of the leaders
Of the movement. Are they in favor
of sending the masses out to be can
non fodder again, or are they honest
enough to expose and attack plans
for future slaughter?"
Crouch described wildly the bru-
tally in army prisons and related the
story Of his own Imprisonment with
Walter Trumbull for having sought to
form labor organization in the
army. He read letters from soldiers
telling him how thoroughly they
agreed him with and stating that he
had understated rather than exag-
gerated his description of army con-
ditions.
I'm 1875 when the colonial fighters
were seeking some degree of free
DOM" said Crouch, "the military al
thorities wanted the soldiers to in
form themselves. Today it is the re-
verse, and the officials are afraid of
knowledge. When soldiers know the
truth, they despise the military sys-
tenn; therefore, the officers seek to
keep them in ignorance"
Class distinctions in the army and
the subserviency of privates to Off
GERS were explained by Crouch. He
called on organized labor to unite in
demanding the recall of marines from
China. He also explained the mis-
representation under which men are
induced to enlist in the army, for in
stance, the statement that the soldier S
pay is clear money" He branded
this assurance as a falsehood and
showed how the soldiers must pay
for his own laundry and even buy ar
ticles needed to keep his military
equipment in order
The following night Crouch ad-
dressed the. new Workers School at
SIT 18th Street, N. W., then left for
New York
The Anti-Militarist Conference is
planning an aggressive campaign
against militarism, the R.O.T.C., C.
MTG. and similar schemes of the
capitalist class. It's executive COM
mittee will meet at the Workers
School Tuesday night, October at
8 o'clock to plan the fall work.