The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-05-13
Young Pioneers Answer
Attack by Forward on
Their Children's Camp

It has come to the notice of the Of
flee of the Young Pioneers Camp
that the Jewish Forward has devoted
considerable editorial space to an at
tack upon our camp. We wish to
make the following statement:
1. The Young Pioneer Camp was
started on the initiative of the Young
Pioneers of America, in 1925, by TAX
ing out to the country 25 children
per group every two weeks. It's rapid
growth from 20 chindren to rs chill
dren per group in 1926, during which
summer we had over $50 children
and have had to turn away perhaps
an equal number, has proven that
workers have recognized our camp as
place where workers children have
an opportunity to spend their vaca-
! tion in an environment which tends
to counteract all anti-labor and mill
tarist propaganda which these child
rem get during the school year; where
workers children are permeated with
ideals of devotion to the cause of lab
or, and that the Young Pioneer camp
charges rates which are low and
within the reach of workers.
No Mixing OF Names
2. The Young Pioneer Camp has
no intention to confuse its name with
that of the Young Pioneer Youth of
America. The Pioneer Youth of
America claim that we use letter
head which is similar in appearance
to the one they use, and that we
have names on our advisory commit
tee Of people who are known to be
interested IN the pioneer Youth Of
America" AS to the letter-head, we
would say that that does not merit
reply. On cur Advisory Committee
are Ben Gold and Louis Hyman who
are known for their views and the
position they hold in the Labor Move
ment. Then we have M. J. Olgin, and
others who could hardly create any
impression that they are in sympathy
with the Pioneer Youth.
The Young Pioneer Camp certainly
has no desire to be mistaken for the
"Pioneer Youth Camp" In the
''Times" of May 9Th there is a letter
by Joshua Lieherman, Executive Sec
rotary of the Pioneer Youth of Amer
lea, which states about that organiza-
ton that at concerns itself chiefly
with experiments in education-and
makes no political propaganda"
The aims of the Pioneer Camp are
on level entirely different. We have
enumerated what they are above.
Forwards Envious
What has enraged the Pioneer
Youth and the Forward is the fact
, that a call was sent out for con-
ference of trade unions and labor or
PLANTATIONS in support of our camp,
and that the response for the con-
ference ION May 10th at the Labor
Temple) as we'll as for our campaign
in general, is splendid.
We have reached the stage where
our camp has become a mass work.
ers children's camp and has long ago
outgrown the position of being
camp for members of the young
Pioneers of America" only. We have
launched campaign to establish our
camp on a permanent basis, and we
will undoubtedly be successful. We
have had splendid support from many
trade unions and labor organizations
in the past two years and recognition
Of our work is increasing.
Our policy is not one of attack on
sny organization which carries on ex-
periments in education. We carry on
some experiments ourselves. On May
2Csh at the Labor Temple Auditorium,
we have arranged a symposium on
the question "Does the present educa-
tional system in the U. S. meet the
needs of the children of the American
workers? We herewith invite rep
resentatives of the pioneer Youth
Of America" to take part in the SYM
postum and state their views. We will
have other very prominent speakers.
We feel that this attack by the
Forward is nothing new in the Pro-
gfessive labor movement, and will
serve further to rally the support of
the labor movement to the support of
the Young Pioneer Camp, the only
Camp for workers. children.
Submitted on behalf of the young
Pioneer Camp" by David Lyons, sec
rotary, Martin M. Gottfried, director.