The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1929-01-22
Women Workers Rally to
Fight Against Imperialism

at terrible rate by ali the capital
ist nations, at the same time that
smoke screen is thrown out in the
shape of all kinds of ''peace" con-
ferences and "anti-war" pacts, of
which there has been big crop in
the last couple of years. The ma
tons are increasing their armies,
navies and aircraft, and are giving
millions of dollars to the prepara-
ton of poisonous gases and bac-
terra which can wipe mankind off
the face of the earth. Whole indus
tries (steel and other metals. auto,
chemicaD at a moments notice are
ready to turn to the manufacture of
munitions and other war equipment.
AT this very moment two bills are
before congress, one against war,
the Kellogg "anti-war") pact, which
has Just passed the senate; the other
for building Is new cruisers. This
is neither strange nor confusing to
the worker who understands that
the anti-war pact is just so much
aust to be thrown into his eyes so
that he will not become alarmed at
the building of the new cruisers.
| theological preparations for war
goes on by means of hot-ai1 bar
rage of talk about patriotism, peace
and preparedness over the whole
country. Never since 1918 have
there been so many patriotic and
wartime themes in the movies. The
radio works full blast sending sim
liar ideas to the remotest corner of
the country. To get the women
lined up and III a fervently patriotic
mood, the rulers use whole series
of women's organizations which are
bourgeois and lower middle class in
composition, but which are active
among the working class women,
winning them over for Americaniza-
ton, for the stars and stripes, for
home and country, for Hoover and
war. Among these are the National
Women's Party, the Federation of
/ Women's Clubs, the National Coun-
ell of Jewish Women. the League Of
Women Voters, the Wonlen's Inter
national League for Peace and Free
dom, the Daughters OF the American
Revolution, the Women's Christian
Temperance Union, the Young
I Women's Christian Association, etc.
The Conference on the Cause and
Cure of War, recently held in Wash
ington, composed OF delegates from
ten national womens' organizations,
is an example Of the apparatus used
during pre-war period to keep the
women modified and in fighting
trim. They are lined up now for
"peace." This conference endorsed
the Kellogg anti-war pact. Yet
there is not one of the organiza-
tons participating in the conference
which was not feverishly active in
supporting the last war. Not one
word was spoken at the conference
against the horrors of war and its
results for the working class. Not
one word against the cruiser bill. 1t
was plainly apparent that this con-
ference was called only to help in
the throwing out Of the smoke screen
of pacifism in which so many agen-
cies are employed in the present
period.
That the working women Of this
country are now aroused to the war
danger was proved by the presence
in Washington Of group of dozen
working women representing work
ing class women's organizations with
total of 100000 members in diff
ferent parts of the country. These
women were there to protest against
the preparations for imperialist war
and against the women's peace con-
ference as part Of these prcpara-
tons. The women succeeded so well
that they nearly broke up the first
meeting of the conference. Their
picketing demonstration brought out
the slogans of defense of the Soviet
Union, organization of the working
women to fight the war danger,
fight against wage cuts, speed-up
and unemployment and exposed
pacifism as the fig leaf of imperial
ism.
The work begun by this confer
ence must be energetically pressed
forward. The working women's or
CARNATIONS throughout the country
must be Systematically organized to
fight war. Furthermore, the fight
must be carried through them into
every factory, mill and workshop.
Particularly in the industries which
will be involved in war directly, such