The daily worker., 1929-04-22
By /. RIJAK

q lDSiittu LIE DdrS OIL bQe Il OrC
Leavenworth Military Prison today
is John Porter, one who will go
down in the history of the Amer
lean workingclass as devoted,
loyal and courageous soldier of the
Revolutionary Movement in this
country.
The case Of John Porter is unique.
He is one of the first of the service
men to realize the nature of the
armed forces and to take up the
struggle for the workers. AS VIC
tim of bourgeois militarism and
capitalist naturalization, 10 n
Porter deserves the full support of
all clas3 conscious workers IN his
fight for freedom, and for return
to his place in the ranks of the mill
tant labor movement.
1t is necessary to review once
more his case so that larger sec
tions df the working class will real
ize the significance of Porter''s i'm
prisonment and will fight harder for
his freedom.
Early Life of Porter.
John Porter was born in a work
ing class family in Concord, New
Hampshire. AS one of the millions
of children Of the working class he
did not have the opportunity of
getting "free education" and at the
age of fourteen he was forced to
leave school and search for work in
order to live. Day in and day out,
when the sun rose, he was already
| in line near the gates of New Eng
land textile mills searching in vain
for work. After many weeks search
he finally got a job. He immedi-
ately became acquainted with allthe
"glories" of a textile mill, long,
mopotonous hours, speed up, and
very lowSwages. Every day the
same noise of the machines and
speed up. Being young and vigor-
GUS he started to revolt against the
miserable shop life and desire for
a change for the better became
greater and greater.
Believed Reci uiting Lies.
Walking on the streets after hard
days of work, the army recruiting
station became more and more at
tractive. Naive, he fell for the post
crs and beautiful slogans which trap
many young workers, and John
Forter also decided to "Join the
Army and see the world" to have
@free vacation and not to "worry
about job" At sixteen he entered
the army and remained there for
two years and two months, during
which he felt all the burdens Of
capitalist militarism and gradually
to realize that the capitalist army
is rot a place for vacation but a
source of exploitation and reaction,
The soldiers were used for the in
terests of the bosses. He had many
occasions to see that soldiers, sons
Of workers and poor farmers were
used against their brothers and
fathers as strike breakers. He be-
gan to feel that his place was not
on the side of the bosses and in
spite of the fact that he had only
ten more months to serve, he de-
serted. AT that time, not being a
Communist, John Porter did not
realize that the best way to serve
the working class was not by de-
serting but by remaining and win
ming over the rest of the soldiers
for the cause Of the working class
as was done by our two Red sold
iers, Crouch and 'Trumbull.
Textile Worker. ~
! Porter went back. to a textile mill
in New Bedford. The conditions
then were even worse than two
years ago. The process Of rational
ization intrenched itself, the speed
up became worse, the hours longer
and this. intensification of exploit
alton wss accompanied with wage
cuts. The workers revolted against
these miserable conditions, and went
en- strike John Porter was in the
front ranks Of the struggle. He
joined the National Textile Work
ers Union and became union organ
ixer. Later he became the vice
president Of the Union. 4 In spite Of