The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-17
By J. w. FORD.

CUBA today-April lis the center of
new rising tide of revolt in the Caribbean
and the West Indies. The crisis in capitalism
expresses itself as sharply in colonial and
semi-colonial possessions as in the homeland
of imperialism. U. S. imperialism in an at
tempt to extend her markets is ruthlessly
suppressing the movements of the colonial
peoples The colonial struggles are main
part of the proletarian revolution. The numer-
Gus revots that have taken place in Haiti,
Santo Domingo and other Caribbean countries
are mutual struggles with the American work
ing class in its battles against American I'M
peralism at home. In the decline of capt.
taIsm the bitterest battles are taking place
on both fronts.
Part of Struggle For Independence.
The struggle of the Cuban proletariat
against unemployment, mass dismssals, star
walton and wage cuts is a stepping stone in
the struggle for independence from the fero-
cious rule of American imperialism over it
and direct blow at the very heart of i'm
perialism. This struggle is carried on Bit
terly against American imperialism, it's local
governmental puppets, the Machado govern
ment and its labor agents, the Pan-American
Federation of Labor-the tool of the fascist
American Federation of Labor. What is the
basis of rising revots and struggle in Cuba?
In spite of the cloak of the Machado gov
eminent which rules for the American i'm
perialists Cuba is colony of American i'm
perialism in the fullest sense of the word.
The sugar barons of the U.S.A. control the
country, determine the wages of the workers,
determine what they shall eat, where they
shall get it and how little they may have.
Out of a population of 31a millions over
100000 are workers and including their FAM
lilies these compose the majority of the popu-
lation. The wages of the workers were $3.50
per day in 1919, in 1928 they were 80 cents
per day, in 1929 they were 60 cents and today
wages are at average of 40 cents per day.
The workers live in the greatest misery, they
are undernourished and disease is rampant.
The people are not allowed to produce the
most elementary products of food, such as
eggs, fruits and number of other necessi-
ties that could be produced in Cuba, all these
things are imported from America. Cuba was
one of the wealthiest markets in the West
Indies for American exports. But during the
last years exports from the USA to Cuba
have dropped off by s70,O00,00O, so that the
workers are unable to buy the necessities of
life, the sugar crisis having produced mass
unemployment amongst them.
Slave Labor.
The American capitalists have not only i'm
ported their goods into Cuba but they have
carried their stock in cheap labor slave labor
imported from Haiti, Jamaica and other West
Indian countries. Seeking to further reduce
the cost of sugar production these barons re-
sorted to the introduction of Negroes from
Haiti and Jamaica. The influx of Haitians
and Jamaica Negroes has increased consider
ably since the inception of this slave traffic
in 1912. In 1921 there were 709 Jamaicans
and 233 Haitians in Cuba; the number rose to
27,088 Jamaicans and 35,971 Haitians in 1920,
imported by American capitalists agents
They imported illiterate Negroes who did not
understand the language of the country and