davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31

LIE is still the old fighter in behalf
AAof Mooney and Billings for whose
freedom he has fought since they
have been imprisoned. But even
here events tend to shake loose his
faith in "this so-called human race:
"The little faith in human nature
I still had" he writes about the
Mooney-Billings frame-up, "was
lessened still more when discovered
that ten Of the twelve prominent To-
cal labor leaders were either active
ly conniving at keeping these men
in prison or doing nothing to help
them. This threw me into des-
pendent mood. l had learned to ex-
pect that kind of attitude from the
rich and the powerful and those who
fawned upon them, but to find the
foremost local leaders of labor either
acting or thinking with them was
more than I could calmly bear"
The Mooney Billings frame-up is
only a concluding chapter in the
eventful years of Fremont Olders'
public activities beginning in 1896
San Francisco and all California
were in the hands of the Southern
Pacific railroad then. The real gov
eminent office was in the office of
the S. P. manager in San Francisco.
The picture he gives us of those
and the succeeding years is an il
Eliminating commentary on Amer
lean government Here are facts
presented by one intimately involved
Many later nationally prominent
figures run thru these pages: John
son, VIM. Burns, Clarence barrow
and others. The Frisco fire marks
a milestone in his record. And in
terwoven are faint .glimpses of the
labor movement, especially its 1eamy
side in the leadership which was so
closely interlocked with che crooked
politics Of San Francisco for many
years.
The book presents an unusual
background for the Mooney Billings
case. A stronghold of capitalism at
its worst, where even government
Investigator sent by the secretary Of
labor, who secured dictaphone evil
dence in the Mooney Billings frame
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
Reviewed by WALT CARMoN.

Reviewed by WALT CARM0N.
IN the twelfth anniversary of the
" MooneY-BilIings frame-up, a
book BY Fremont Older assumes
I special interest. For it was FIRE.
mont Older who, after Moneys SEN
tence to death, as editor of the San
\ Francisco Bulletin and then the Call,
threw capitalist newspaper into
the fight for two labor prisoners.
The activities of Older became an
invaluable aid in saving the life Of
Mooney, after the victorious Russian
workers centered world attention on
the issue with a demonstration be-
fore the American embassy in Mos
COW in 1917. A book by such tire
less worker, who still continues the
fight for their freedom, becomes of
some interest then to workers, tho
the author be a liberal with no spe-
-ial interest in workers as class.
Here is truth truly stranger and
many more times readable than most
fiction. A young man with no So
cial ideas becomes an editor. In
fight in which he is involved for
years, he gradually sees the system
we live under in an entirely new
light. His fight, at first means
of getting circulation for his paper,
becomes a more or less real bat
tie against big interests-against
graft, corruption, control Of the
courts and the government.
And here's the result of his LIES
experiences compressed into his
philosophy: "From being a savage
fighter against wrong and injustice
a. saw them in the old days, |
have gone clear over to the point
where l do not blame anyone for
anything"
breaches, seven for the intolerant."
curious philosophy, disillusioned
,erhaps. tho mot cynical" he has
ems to assure us. He is yet ready
,or battle, SCARED as he may be. He
till continues his interest in hu-
r.sanity.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
Germany'slR Front Fighters
(Reprinted. Courtesy of THE Nation)
By AGNES SMEDLEY

by AGNES SMEDLE1
Berlin, June II.
THE Red Front Fighters come to
Berlin once a year to celebrate
the future. They are an organiza-
ton of over 100000 men, 10000
women, and some $4,000 youth. AL
though the leadership is Communist,
only one-third of the members be-
long to the party. The president is
Ernst Thalmann, transport worker
and Communist Reichstag member
from Hamburg, and one of the ex-
ecutives of the party. This is the
organization that the minister of
the interior, Won Keudell, tried in
vain to declare illegal about two
months ago, while leaving the Fas-
cist "Steel Helmets" untouched.
These Red Front Fighters are
known as the "storm-troops of the
proletariat," organized in 1924 to
counterfeit the growth of Fascism,
to defend the Working class, and, in
case of another war, ito turn upon
the capitalist class and change the
war into civil war for the destruc-
ton of capitalism and the estab-
lishment of workers and peasants
government" They are organized
on military basis and wear {. gray
uniform that looks much like the
Russian Red Army uniform or the
uniform of the Chinese Nationalist
soldiers. The coat is half shirt,
open at the throat and caught in at
the waist and over the shoulder by
leather straps. The cap, of the same
material, has a solitary red star in
front. Practically all men over
twenty-five had military training in
the last war, and even the Red
Youth-young men from the ages of
Is to 21-look as if they had had
it when they swing down the street.
The Masses Come.
Their fourth national gathering
has just ended. They meet each
year during the Whitsuntide holi-
days, and on Whitsunday is the
great demonstration. This year
100000 uniformed men and few
thousand womens marched, followed
by as many more non-uniformed
Communist Party members. Sew
enty-five thousand came from out
side Berlin-walking, riding bicycles,
travelling in trucks of fourth-class
railway carriages. Berlin contrib
uted the other $4,000. For days in
advance the working-class sections
were busy preparing for their COM
ing. Beds for $4,000 were arranged
in the private homes of the workers,
and it did not matter if some of
these beds were bales of hay. The
other men were housed in barracks
or tents. The various divisions
brought their bands with them, and
when they began to arrive the rail-
way stations were a mass of uni
formed men waiting to start the
music and escort their comrades
through the streets. The workers
sections were a blaze of red; red
flags and banners, red flowers, red
streamers; red flowers or ribbons
in The buttonholes or hats.
Impressive Demonstration.
On Whitsunday The buglers awoke
the Red Front Fighters at six. From
eight to ten there were concerts and
gatherings in the many halls and on
the many squares. At ten the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31

IN the twelfth anniversary of the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
Storm Troops of the PrOletariat in Impressive
Berlin Parade

marching began, and in the "respec-
table" parts of the city the comfort
able ladies and gentlemen turned
uneasily in their beds when they
heard the steady marching of thou
sands of feet and the blare of bands
playing the international" and
"Out to the Sun and the Light" If
you were in the workers sections,
it seemed that the whole city was
marching. Eisenstein could have
made a marvellous picture of whole
streets marching, seemingly cross
ing and recrossing, their red flags
caught in the wind and blazing in
the brilliant morning sun. The
streets were seething with workers
in their Sunday best-not only
Communists, but all workers turned
out for this occasion. Thousands of
working women and girls stood
along the lines with baskets of
sandwiches and fruit, distributing
food free to the marching men.
Glasses of water and beer appeared
by the thousands along the routes
workers restaurant keepers giving
ee--and girls ran along beside the
narchers waiting to take back the
glasses.
THE. Lustgarten was the goal of
the marchers. On one side of
the square is the former imperial
palace; on another the cathedral; on
the third the Museum of Ancient
Arts, with long flight of broad
steps leading up to it; on the fourth
the canal. Roads and bridges lead
to it from six or seven different
directions. Rows of police helmets
CLEANED on the top steps of the
cathedral and the museum, and back
IF the museum hundreds of them
were camped, with rifles ready,
while across the canal were big po-
ice lorries, filled with men. Clear
across the front of the cathedral, al
most hiding the policemen, was a
long, broad slash of red bunting.
with the white words Red Front
Fighters, join the Communist Party
Across the face of the imperial pal
ace was another:@ each factory
fortress of the Red 'FRONT.'" Shades
Of imperial ancestors!
Look Out! They're On Time!
The Red Front is frightfully pune
tual. At 2:30, on the scheduled mo-
ment, the first columns began to
pour into the Lustgarten. Their red
banners fluttered beyond the green
trees and the bands blared their APP
proach. Within a few minutes the
garden was a gray sea of rhythm
ically marching men, a medley of
music, a mass of great red flags
and banners, while above the noise
came the repeated triple shouts of
"Red Front" as each new division
received and gave their greeting.
Divisions arrived from feudal East
Prussia, from the Catholic South,
from the great industrial centers of
the Rhineland, the Ruhr, and Sax
ony. Hamburg and Stettin contrib
uted not only industrial sections, but
contingents of the cred Marine" in
seanen's uniform, raising their
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
Told You So

THERE was man for you! Alex.
ander Peacock once owned an es.
tate worth $15,000,0o He died
leaving only a paltry 100000. But
he was game Peacock. Once his
butler brought him an egg that al. A
most warbled. In anger Peacock
ordered his real estate director to
purchase chicken farm for his own
personal use. 1t cost 100000. That's
wot we call bloomin' gentleman.
ONE never knows what to eat nova.
days unless one is wise enough
to eat what he darned well likes
provided he has the price This
writer was talked into a diet Of
sour milk and cheese recently by a
glib-tongued amateur health expert,
1t is true that he sneaks away some-
times and surrepitiously devours
beef stew but he also INDUCES in
sour cream. Fancy his embarrass.
ment when he read in the papers a
few days ago that whole family
went to the hospital for eating sour
milk and cheese.
For all-round ubiquity you can't
beat the House of Morgan. 1t is
here, there, and everywhere. You =
will find a member of the House
cheek by jowl with Al Smith at his
commodious headquarters in the y
Biltmore Hotel or on the golf links.
You will find another one advising
Gales of Mexico how to run the
government. And you will find still
another visiting Calvin Coolidge at
his summer white house, no doubt
giving the President tips on how to
catch trout with worms.
There is excellent team work in
the House of Morgan. 1t appears,
too, that the most complete objec-
tivity prevails among its members.
For instance, while the masses yell
themselves hoarse over the merits
of their respective capitalist favor
ties in the boss parties, the Demo-
cratic lookout in the House of Nor.
gan and the Republican watchdog
take their political duties as serenely .
as they would the granting of loan
to strengthen the Fascist power in
Italy.
The foregoing paragraphs were
inspired by a news dispatch announ-
cling the arrival of Thomas Cochran,
partner of j. P. Morgan & Co., at
Cedar Island Lodge, where Coolidge
is spending the summer. 1t is signifi-
cant that Secretary of the Navy
Wilbur arrived almost simultaneous
ly. 1t is additionally significant
that Wilbur brought a report on the
situation in Nicaragua to Coolidge,
and, of course, nobody has to inform
you that Morgan is interested in
Nicaragua.
The same news dispatch informs
us that Cochran is a close personal
friend of Dwight Morrow, Morgan's
ambassador to Mexico. Did Cochran
come with instructions from Morgan
to Coolidge how to act in the present
crisis in Mexico? Perhaps the pri- 4
vate wire that runs into Morgan's /
office from his Mexican embassy
keeps him supplied with information
of a character so secret that it can
not be entrusted to the State De-
partment in Washington. And since
Mr.. Cochran had an appointment
with Mr.. Coolidge to discuss the
Mexican situation, perhaps he phoned
Wilbur to meet him, so they might
consider the advisability of send
ing more marines to Nicaragua.
Anyhow, we are of the opinion that
here we have the slickest-working
dictatorship of Big Capital in the
world.
=
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31

clenched fists and shouting "Red
Front" Divisions from the brother
Red Front organizations in Czecho-
Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland, and
France marched also; there was a
small Chinese group, and now and
then the lines threw up the faces
of Negroes, Indians, Javanese.
There were individual delegates
from the Scandinavian countries,
England, Australia, Russia, and In
dia. The young Pioneers"-boys
and girls under sixteen-marched;
and the Young Spartacans"- little
chaps under twelve-screaned "Red
Front! Hochl" from their big motor
lorries. The Red sport organiza-
tons, with their many members
training for the Workers Olympiad
in Moscow, marched, both men and
women in white shorts with bare
arms, heads, and legs. The white
clad Workers First Aid, which num-
hers some $4,000 men and women
throughout the country, moved
through the crowd, carrying stretch
ers or first-aid kits on their backs,
ready to take any person who tainted
to one of the many stations where
physicians were in charge. On the
broad steps of the museum stood a
chorus Of 300 Communist working
men who shouted "Red Front" in
unison as the columns marched past.
With each call of "Red Front" the
right fist, clenched, is raised. This
is the greeting of all Red Front
men and women and their sympa-
thizers and supporters.
Endless Columns.
Two hours passed, but still the
columns kept marching in and long
after the demonstration was at an
end they continued coming. The
Lustgarten was filled to overflow
ing. The crowds spilled over into
the squares beyond the palace, down
Inter den Linden before the opera
and the university, and blocked all
the streets leading toward the gar
den. The crowd that gathered to
watch and take part in the demon
stration was estimated at from five
to seven hundred thousand.
nj four the bugles sounded warn
"A ing from the statue in the center
Of the Lustgarten-then sounded it
again. The audience became silent.
From the steps of the museum the
chorus of 800 men singers began
"Out to the Sun and the Light"
The museum served as sounding
board, the mems voices were strong
and well trained. There are some
thousand such Communist singers
under trailing in Berlin. You could
hear them as they sang, far on the
other side of the garden. l doubt
if | have ever heard anything so
gripping as those strong, deep voices
singing the songs of the revolution
TO a great audience standing in ST.
lence, the bright sun streaming up
on them and their cleaning BAN
ners, the wind catching their flags
and moving the green background
of trees
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31

up, does not dare to present it in
court knowing that "justice" as ad-
ministered there would net give him
projections New York Tammany
Hall in the old days, and the pres
ent Chicago Thompson-Crowe adj
ministration would have much in
common.
Fremont Older at this time, by the
nature of his class affiliations, was
ready to believe Mooney and Billings
guilty. On learning the facts, how
ever, he threw himself wholeheartily
into the battle for their release. He
writes later:
THAT these two men are entire
ly innocent of the crime is now
known all over the world. No one
who has heard the facts doubts
it, yet Mooney and Billings are
both serving life sentences, one in
Folsom and the other in San Quen-
tin, and the state seems willing
that they should remain there un-
til they die. Search criminal his
tory back, down thru the Dark
Ages, and a more glazing and
cruel case of injustice cannot be
found"
In addition to the record of his
political battles, Fremont Older also
records his succeeding humanitarian
efforts among ex-convicts and pros
titutes.
No realistic worker can become
enthusiastic about philosophy of
life chat Older finally evolves for
himself. These are sadder but wiser
days when workers are not so prone
to accept simple humanitarian IDEALS
as cure-all for their ills. They
have learned the value of organiza-
ton and struggle. Yet there is a
good deal of extremely interesting
reading in this book by Older. My
Own Story is frank, courageous
kind Of a book. Thru its pages
runs warm human feeling. You
may not agree with the authors
philosophy. But you will be. extreme
ly interested in this--the record of
relatively honest Fighter among
capitalist editors.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
Red Front Oath.

Never to forget that world i'm
perialism is preparing a war
against Soviet Russia.
Never to forget that the des-
tiny of the working class of the
whole world is bound up with So
Wet Russia.
Never to forget the experience
and the suffering of the working
class in the imperiaist World
War.
Never to forget the 4th of Au-
gust, 1914, and the betrayal of the
refOrmists.
Always and forever to fulfill
my revolutionary duty to. the
working class and socialism.
Always and forever to remain a
soldier of the revolution.
Always and forever, in all pro-
letarian mass organizations, in in
dustries and factories, to be a
pioneer of the irreconcilable class
war.
On the front, and in the army
of imperialism, to work only for
the revolution.
To lead the revolutionary fight
for the destruction of class rule
and of the German bourgeoisie.
To defend the Chinese revolu-
ton and the Soviet Union by any
and every means.
| swear: "
Always and forever to fight for
Soviet Russia and for the World
Revolution.
The bugles sounded again wher
the last rumble of voices had died
away. The chorus sang the "Inter-
national" and the program was al
an end.
Farewell Demonstration.
On Monday there was a great
farewell meet. Many of the Rec
Front men from outside the city re.
manned for few days to see the
sights. Most of them had never seer
Berlin before. Some had brought
their girls or wives along, simply OF
very poorly dressed, and for the next
few days you could meet them ir
groups of fifteen or twenty looking
at public buildings or, in curious
scorn or amazement, at the fashion
ably dressed men and women sitting
in the cafes on Inter den Linden OF
Kurfurstendamnl. Not one coulc
afford such luxury. For weeks their
members had been taxed ten pfen-
nigs day for this Berlin trip. They
carried their sandwiches wrannad in
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
The Story of Fremont Older

MY OWN STORY. By Fremont
Older (Revised Edition, 1929.
Macmillan Co. $3.50.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-07-31
>MrO&&.@

newspapers, and every extra pfen-
mig meant a sacrifice.
New Britain herald., 1928-12-21

The first fabric-covered coach Is
now In use between London and
Bournemouth, on the Southern rail-
vay.
New Britain herald., 1928-12-21
TRUMbULL TALKS
ON Legislature
Tells Of Two Outstanding Nat.
tiers Before Assembly

Hartford. Doc. u (UP)-Ths 1879
general assembly. which begins it,
sessions Jan. .. faces two problems
Of outstanding importance-appro-
priation Of 100000 to $4,000. 900
for new state office building here
and provision for q new state hos
pital for the insane in Fairfield
county-Governor John H. Trumbull
said today.
In an interview with the United
Press. the Connecticut executive out
lined these two proposals with 9TH
ers awaiting action.
A half-million dollars already has
been appropriated toward the need
ed state business headquarters, the
governor said.
AT least 100000 to 100000
more will be needed to finance con-
struction Of the office building"
Governor Trumbull said. It was ap-
propriated two years ago to take op.
ton on q site and prepare plans for
submission to the 1929 assembly.
About 100000 more will be set
aside to start the new hospital.
THE ever present question Of
highway construction. particularly
relating to state aid or country
roads, other than the main line sys-
tenn. will be before the legislature in
some form or another" he added.
AT the last session 100000 was
diverted from the main highway
funds for the specific purpose OF re-
constructing dirt roads. Whether
this has been used in a manner sat
isfactory to the legislature remains
to be SEEN"
Court Changes
Many proposals for changes In
court procedure also will receive
legislative consideration, the gov
ernor said.
Some OF the suggestions Of the
judicial council. a body created to
study the states judicial system and
report to the assembly. will meet
with opposition. according to Gov
ernor Trumbull.
The coming assembly Is faced with
the necessity of acting on the Gov
ernor's appointment Of q successor
to Chief Justice George w. Wheeler
Of Bridgeport, who reached the re-
tirement age before the 1891 A.
sembly.
State Boxing Commissioner Thom-
- E. Donohue IL expected to present
with the governors approval . bill
providing for state control Of ANA
teur boxing. now an outlaw since the
suspension of the Connecticut A.
A. U.
Women Service
Governor Trumbull said he *
pected various women's organixa-
tons to continue their fight for
Jury service for women. shorter
working hours for women and
changes in the compensation laws.
A report will be submitted to the
legislature by . committee which
has been engaged IN revising the
statutes for two years, the governor
indicated. Among the interesting
proposals, according to the execu-
tive, is one to revise the State school
laws to secure more equitable dis
trtbution Of education aid among the
various communities.
New Britain herald., 1928-12-21
NJ. Fach0t Shot In
Paris; Man Escapes

Paris, Dec. II R-M. Fachot.
councillor Of the court Of appeals
and one time states attorney was
shot and probably fatally wounded
by an unidentified man today.
Tachot. who prosecuted the case
against several Alsatian autonomists
last year. was encountered by a
young man In front - his residence.
The man asked him II he was the
councillor and when Fachot re-
sponded in the affirmative, his ques-
toner drew a revolver md shot him
three times at close range. The
man then escaped.
The motive Of the crime was not
known. A semi official ctmmunique
intimated that the assailant was be-
lieved to be a foreio Ter.
New Britain herald., 1928-12-21

Next Thursday Monier Bros. will
have a special Christmas match the
local range. On January :, Middle
field comes to New Britain.
The Washington times., 1928-11-14
Horses to Watch

HIGHLAND CAPTAIN - Looks
and acts well Should do 1t soon
LITTLE CAPTAIN--Had tough
luck In last start. Follow up.
NURSERY RHYMES Never was
better. Can win under light weight.
MUD-Much better than recent
races would suggest.
TF1ONSIDES-Had scant chance
last out. Was knocked sideways at
break.
SCOTS GREY Has only to run
to morning trials III order to win
HARRY BEALr-This platter viii
bear watching when sent q route
among own kind.
HII4IKA--Loves . route and -
ready
BULLETIN Needed last race.
Should win sprint race soon.
PORTTA-A keen sprinter when
not pitched too high.
PROMPTOR--M Much better than
last race suggests
BLACK BEETLE--Likes . route
and Is ready.
The Washington times., 1928-11-14
.HORNSBY SIGNS,
SALARY SECRET

CHICAGO, Nov. 14.-Rogers
Hornsby today was a full.fledged
member of the Cubs family, having
affixed his signature to a contract
in the presence of President Will
liam Veeck and Owner William
Wrigley.
1t was a very pretty little
ceremony which all three
seemed heartily to enjoy. A
haIf.dozen newspaper camera
men. with a booming flash
light salute, also witnessed the
Rajah's signing.
Hornsby comes to the Cubs from
the Boston Braves in exchange for
cash stated to be in excess OF
$l25,000 and five players.
President Neeck said Hornsby's
contract with the Bruins covers
two years of service, but the prexy
did not disclose the salary figure.
1t is reported, however, that
HOrnsby will receive $27 900 q year,
plus an attractive bonus.