The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-06-07
The Forward" and the Nation"
An Answer to Oswald Garrison Willard


capped in not being able to read i
! to see for myself how bad or good il
is"
l too am sorry, Mr.. Willard. Yet
you haven't hesitated to appraise the
merits Of the FORWARD" which you
cannot read-and to speak with
fluent enthusiasm concerning its
achievements-which you are not
familiar with.
1 For the further edification Of Mr..
Willard and his non-Yiddish reading
co-editors, let me add a few addition
al facts concerning the Forward"
The Forward" is the only Yiddish
newspaper whose writer's have ever
gone out on strike. This happened
in 1909 when three members of it's
staff struck out of sympathy for a
fourth who was summarily dis
charged for running afoul Boss Ca
ham,
When Yiddish writer's were trying
to form union, the socialist "For-
ward joined with the capitalistic
sheets in opposing it.
The Forwards" conception Of the
role of socialistic newspaper in the
political struggle of the worlingclass
may be surmised from the fact that
during an election in New Jersey a
number of years ago, it openly sup
ported a democratic party candidate
because he was a Jew.
The Forward" has on more than
one occasion gagged its sympathy
with a particular strike by the
amount of advertising it was receiv-
ing froa the bosses affected.
For years the Forward" was one
of the chief enemies of the Zionist
movement. But then Abe Cahan went
to Palestine, and knowing his onions,
began writing lyrical articles about
the wonders of the Zionist paradise.
The articles were widely advertised
and the Forward" sold like hotcakes
to the orthodox Jews and Zionist
businessmen who during the past
few years have been gradually sup
planting the roughneck workers as
the papers chief supporters.
The Forward" not only did not
oppose the imperialist war, but it
proved traitor to its own capitalist
favorites. After espousing the cause
of Germany at the beginning of the
war, the entrance of the United
States into the blood-fest made the
situation little embarrassing. The
solution was easy: the Forward
simply changed its tune and became
staunch supporter of the Allies.
Up until 1922 the Forward" was
enthusiastic about the Bolshevik rev.
olution. dear, dear Kerensky must
have felt like a motherless child
them With the founding of the
"Freiheit" April ., 1922, it suddenly
discovered that the Bolsheviki were
a menace to the world, had defiled
Karl Marx and insulted Abe Cahan,
and began to denounce the Soviet
government in the bitterest terms,
showing, of course, its customary in
genuity in the mass production OF
lies.
The role of the Forward" in the
present internal struggle in the
clOakmakers' and furriers union is
too recent to require elaborate COM
ment. It has joined with the most
reactionary elements and resorted to
all sorts of lies and distortion OF
facts to discredit the progressive left
wing. Vol, Frayne and McGrady
have been elevated to the galaxy Of
Forward" heroes and their names
appear in the paper even more often
than Abe Cahan's. But the Jewish
workers will not soon forget that il
was the Forward" which shouted
Communist gangsters" when the
cloak pickets were being tried before
Judge Rosalsky. And when the work
ers were convicted and given vicious
jail sentences, it was this same "For-
ward" that wept so copiously over
their fate and called them the inno-
cent victims of Communist machina-
tons. Like all liars the Forward
suffers from a deplorably poor mem
DRY.
For the further edification of Mr.
Willard and his non-Yiddish reading
colleagues, there happens to be an
other Yiddish newspaper, which is
also non-profit making, but whose
surplus is never given away for the
simple reason that there amt
any surplus. The editors Of this
paper can't hold a candle to Cahan
Vladeck and the other boys when pay.
day arrives. In fact, the editors OF
this paper never are sure that payday
is going to arrive. This newspaper
may be seen in the hands Of Jewish
workers on subways, in restaurants
streets and other public places. And
besides protecting the interests OF
these workers, il may of interest Ia
Mr.. Willard and his non Yiddish read
ing colleagues that the group of dis
III, er4,febaJ y,ratg ,Lo-A -Ae-... IL 49,