The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-21
HOODL. UMS fail.
TO BREAK BIG
ASTORIA meet
Even Police Merely
Watch" Crowds

by a Worker Correspondent
In the heart of the working class
section of Astoria, L. l., a meeting
was held Thursday evening which
will go down in the workers his
tory of Astoria, should such a vol
ume ever be compiled, as the first
definite swing toward the platform,
political and economic, OF the Work
ers (Communist) Party by workers
who have heretofore been hood
winked and tricSed and drained by
professional patriots, corrupt poll,
ticians and a well-organized group
Of American fascist.
The Communist meeting, which
was also a protest demonstration
against the breakup of last weeks
meeting and assault on the Com
munist speakers by the representa-
tives of the rear end of the Tam
many tiger, was opened by Max
Schachtman, editor of the Labor
Defender, at a Quarter past eight
before a crowd which already num-
bered several hundred Queens work
ers. Long before the meeting was
scheduled to open, workers began
to arrive at the corner of Steinway
and Jamaica AYES to listen to the
message of the Communist speak
ers.
Schachtman.
Schachtman opened the meeting
by stating its purpose, the nature
of the party under whose auspices
it was held, and expressed the de-
termination of chat party to con-
tinue to hold weekly meetings at
the same corner despite the actions
"of certain super-patriots who will
receive some small change in ex-
change for their valuable political
activities" This announcement was
greeted enthusiastically by the, as
sembled workers with cheers and
applause. After making several
scathing remarks about the police
protection" afforded at the last
meeting, upon which the four cops
present were seen to shift their
weights from one foot to the ether,
Schachtman introduced Philip Frank
field, Acting District Organizer of
the Young Workers (Communist)
League, the first speaker.
Frankfeld outlined the aims and
methods of the Young Workers
tCommunist) League in the class
struggle, citing the Leagues anti
militarist activities, the part it
played in the miners strike and is
playing in the textile workers strike
in New Bedford, and ended with an
appeal for all young workers of
Queens to join the League Frank
fields remarks. at first listened to
with a good deal of skepticism by
the Astoria young workers in the
candy and automobile factories, hit
home. This was shown by the ap-
plause which the Astoria young
workers gave his talk, and also by
the knots of young workers who
later approached him with eager
questions concerning the League
and it's activities.
AS Schachtman introduced the
second speaker, Donald Burke, some
enterpr-ising young fascist, parked
in the safe vantage of neighboring
roof, threw none-too-good egg at
the crowd, which resulted in an
angry surging of the assembled
workers in the direction of the Of
/ Tending patriot. The captain of po-
lice on duty warned the speaker
that if another such surging of the
crowd occurred the meeting would be
stopped, thus indirectly sanctioning
the professional hundred percenter
who hurled the hen fruit.
4 Lo, the Poor Veterans.
Just before the second speaker
assembled the platform, the Veterans
of Foreign Wars, the same organ.
ization who was responsible for the
brutal assault on the Communist
meeting last week, arrived in tour
ing car with a huge American flag
and their organization banner il
resplendent gold and blue ana
! started to set up their platform OF
: the opposite corner of Jamaica Ave.
narrow street. However, afte,
: sizing up the crowd of evidentl.
sympathetic listeners who wer
gathered about the platform of tn
Workers Party, they removed them
roI,,oe haor baooa o.a and oatrioticy-