The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-08-22
CERARD'S list
OF u. S. RULERS
The Real Government
of United States


to Germany. He can hardly be ac-
cused by 100 per centers of some
how having been corrupted by the
willy "Huns," as he was run out of
Germany by the kaiser and wrote
two books against Germany.
Gerard's naming of the SO men
who rule America came about be-
cause he had recently written
pamphlet circulated in England ia
voring Lord Beaverbrook's new en-
pire party and its campaign of free
trade within the empire and high
tariff against the rest of the world.
In it he had said:
"Give the forty men who rule
the United States ten years for
the development of this industrial
empire (the British, and no cOun-
try on this earth could approach
if in per capita wealth"
Of course this is cockeyed bour-
geois idea of what "great men" can
do with economic forces which make
them, rather than being made by
them. But it mentioned that "forty
men rule America" So someone
asked Gerard who they were.
He thought it over and added 10
more, and issued a statement NAM
ing the whole SO as the "invisible
empire" or "power behind the
throne" which Woodrow Wilson in
1918 admitted to be the real ruler
of America. Again, of course, Ger
ard uses false bourgeois estimation
of these great men" by saying that
they rule ''by virtue of their abil-
ity." Naturally they have ability,
but that is not the source of their
power, as many others have similar
ability, but no power.
They rule America by owning or
controlling the capital engaged in
production. Gerard himself admits
that "as class the bankers exert
the greatest influence, because they
control the purse-strings of the ma
ton"
While again talking nonsense
when he says these SO real rulers
of America are ''too busy" to run
for political office, Gerard is correct
in saying that" Their influence,
financial, industrial and semi-polit-
ical, determines the men who shall
go in office"
We thus see that from the mouth
of Gerard, himself capitalist,
comes the proof of the statement
made by the Communist Party that
the government is owned and con-
trolled by the big capitalists. Hoo
yer is the mere office-boy of Rookie
Teller, and is not even mentioned by
Gerard, who however names Andy
Mellon as second in the list Of rul-
ers of America, not because he is
secretary of the treasury, but be-
cause he is head of great banking
systems, coal and iron companies
and the aluminium trust.
While Comm dnists welcome this
confession Of a capitalist Dictator
ship ruling the United States, they
point out the stupidity of Gerard's
notion that these same "great men"
could make declining British imper-
ialism flourish Ike a green bay
tree.
In fact, for all their cleverness,
these capitalist dictators of Amer
lea are in the midst of catastrophe
economic crisis right now which
they do not know how to get out of,
but which they are trying to throw
the burden of onto the shoulders
of the working class with wage
cuts, unemployment" and spe9d-up.
This capitalist dictatorship, which
through the Manufacturers Asso-
citation is fighting against the
Workers Social Insurance Bill pro-
posed by the Communist Party, will
not give a cent to the starving I'M
employed, the disabled and aged
workers, III ess forced to by reVolu-
tionary, pressure of demonstrating
masses, who must ultimately go on
through struggles of class against
class to overthrow the capitalist die
tatorship and establish a Workers
and Farmers Government. Work
ers! Force these monopolists to pay
unemployment and other social in
surapce. Demonstrate on "Unem-
ployment Day." September 1st!
Only Communists will fight for the
Workers Social Insurance Bill, which
provides for adequate insurance,
paid by the bosses, to unemployed
workers. Vote Communist!
demand the release Of Eos.