The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-26
.FASCISM IN SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA
By FRANK SPECTOR.
Gone of the Imperial Valley Defendants)

did other parts of the country. Thousands
of workers, the greater number of which
have been lured here from all parts of the
land through the lying propaganda of the
"All Year Round Club" "a high powered boss
advertising agency crowd daily before the
numerous factory gates and the doors of
employment sharks in quest of work. The
conservative estimates here reveal the stag
gering figure of nearly 100000 unemployed,
OF which about rs per cent are in Los An
geles alone. Those fortunate" to be en-
ployed are brutally exploited through ever
increasing speed-up methods, accompanied by
constant wage cuts. Of the working class
population those particularly exploited, in ad-
dition to being Disseminated against, are the
great number of Mexican workers as we'll as
Negro, Filipino and Oriental workers In the
vast agricultural fields, in the rubber, pack
ing, furniture, construction, needle, chemical
and all other industries these workers per-
form the heaviest tasks for the lowest wages.
The Southern California workers as all the
other refuse the carrying of the burden of
the economic crisis on their backs. They
strike back at the master class. In the fruit
and vegetable fields of the Imperial Valley
spontaneous strikes have broken out in Jan
uary and February, of this year, among the
Mexican, Filipino and native-born workers
These resulted later in the now nationally IA
nous strike movement led by the T.U.U.L.
which resulted in reign of terror that sent
six organizers to San Quentin and Folsom for
AZ years. Feb. 26 and March 6, saw power
full demonstrations against unemployment of
over $4,000 workers led by the Communist
Party and T.U.U.L. These were followed by
a number of other demonstrations such as
May l, August 1, Anti-Imperialist War Day.
and Sept. l, in all of which large masses of
workers took part.
! The Southern California notorious open
shop forces under the leadership of the Los
Angeles Chamber of Commerce recognizes in
the growing activities and rapidly spreading
influence of the CP. revolutionary force
which threatens their very existence. To
crush the growing revolt of the unemployed
and exploited workers the bosses undertook a
reign of terror, almost unparalleled in other
parts of the country, against their leaders,
the c. P. and other militant working class
organizations. The meeting halls and head
quarters of the c. P, 7. U. U. L., industrial
unions, L L. D. and cooperative are con-
stantly raided by specially subsidized "Red
Squads" during which meetings are broken
up, equipment wrecked and workers are
beaten and jailed. At nearly every demon
stration the thousands of workers men, wo-
men and children are blackjacked, dispersed
by tear-bombs and many are thrown into
Jails. The already mentioned Imperial Valley
struggle saw the revival of the vicious Grim
NAL Syndfcalism Law aimed at driving under
ground militant workers organizations For
mere distribution of leaflets" blocking the
sidewalk" ETC., workers are given 90 days
and over. Two women workers are now
serving 90 days for daring to defend them
selves against the clubs of the "Red SQUAD"
Is workers received six months for participa-
ton in March demonstration and are about
to begin to serve their sentences.
= The workers, however, are not docile Every
demonstration, factory gate and indoor meet
ing sees their determination to defend them
selves through the growing organization of
Workers Defense Corps. When brought to
courts the workers, guided by the + L. D.
select from among their midst competent
mlhtants who, alongside with l. L. D. law
yers, serve as political spokesman for the
toiling masses whose fellow-workers are on
trial Thus the March trial of IS workers,
the trial of five Y. C. L. workers, the
February &c and the Paris Commune cases
were conducted along clear-cut, class against
class lines, during which the right of work
ers to demonstrate, the right of workers to
self-defense were made the chief issues. At
these trials the workers exposed the vicious
orders of the Chamber of Commerce direct
ing the police department to break up every
Communist neutrality-suspicious. or indoor.
Three Imperial Valley prisoners, C. Sklar.
former c. P. section organizer; Tsuji Horiu-
chi, japanese worker, former T. U. U. L.
organizer, and Frank Spector, l. L. D. or
ganizer, were brought from Folsom and San
Quentin to be tried among other workers in
the February 26 and Paris Commune cases.
In both cases Sklar and Spector were selected
by their fellow-d defendants to act as workers
spokesman. During the ensued trials the court
room was daily packed by workers who fire.
quently demonstrated on the streets their
solidarity with the workers on trial. Through
out the entire Sklar and Spector con-
stantly exposed the real role of the courts
as instruments of the master class They
brought forth in the court room the class
struggle in all of its strongest forms-un-
employment, speed-up, wage cuts, exploitation
of women, youth and children, exploitation
of Mexican and Oriental workers, race dis
elimination against Negroes and the lynching
of black and white workers; war danger the
role of the Soviet Union; Communist Party;
Trade Union Unity League and /. L. D., etc.
In both cases they demanded a jury COM
posed of industrial workers. Negro and Mexi-
can workers, who comprze the major part
of the citys population. They exposed the
jury panels complete composition of para
site elements-retired bankers, real estate
men and idle, rich women, etc. The entire
mated with militancy of the workers on trial
and outside. There was the constant presence
Of heavy police guard which bespoke clearly