The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-02-27
'STARVE OR FIGHT!
A CHALLENGE to the Unemployed

export trades in general still remain In the
trough of the desperate depression recorded
in our country. During the past eight yea
there have been two slight flickers of recover
but they have soon vanished, and we are an
now convinced that the policy of waiting with
folded arms for a recovery of world trade
which shall absorb our million and quarter
unemployed is sheer imbecility."
And he adds SCIENTIFICALLY, SIT may be that
satisfactory solution of the problem is beyond
the power of any government, that the new
economic conditions of the post war world
with its new national industries protected by
tariff walls, and the rapid advances of produe-
tive power in Germany, the United States and
other countries, have permanently diminished
the volume Of our export trades, and reduced
the number of workers that can be sustained
on British soil" Hobson recommends "ration
alization, reorganization, sterilization, the CO.
operation of firms in an industry for the elim-
nation of waste, specialization of productioF
and in general improved technique and orga
ization," AMI concludes: "The restoration
our industrial prosperity and the absorption Of
our unemployed cannot in any case be rapid
process"
A recent report of the Federation of British
Industries sees in America England's greatest
American market is still doubtless full Of
potentalities," it contends "the United States
must in time be driven to dispose of an in
creasing proportion of her exports abroad. A
present the United States exports only pei
cent of her total production. If she were tt
increase this by only one per cent this would
represent an increased export of $350,000,00t
equivalent to approximately 10 per cent O.
total British exports, which would mean add
tional heavy competition for British industries
in the worlds markets" British prices are the
lowest since the ending of the war of 1914
and continuously declining.
In striking contrast to the desperate pligh
of the unemployed, to the business crisis, il
capitalist countries is the astounding progress
manifest in the Soviet Union. AS agans
wage cuts, and lay-offs, labor in this worker
republic gets constantly increasing share
national production. The five-day continuous
working week is already in operation in glass
brick, paper, match, textile, and agriculture
machinery factories, metal plants, electric pow
er stations and many other industrial enter
prises. In the five year period during whic'
Russa's new industrial plan will be work
out, upwards of a million new workers will
employed. The results of the introduction .
the seven-hour day, already fact for owe
workers are an increase of 20 per cent in tn
number of workers employed in these indus
tries. AS against per cent of the workers il
the United States organized into trade unions
there are in the U.S.S.S.R., 100000 organ
lied workers, over "a per cent of the tota
number employed, and these workers partci
pate directly in the building of socialism.
While in the United States, mechanizatol
and the drive for increased production has beel
achieved at the expense of labor, has throw
millions of workers, particularly the older ones
on the street, has continued the exploitation
of the children and the youth, has actually in
creased hours and overtime, in the face
wrecking speed-up, in the Soviet Unit
real wages are being constantly increased, u
employment is being reduced and social il
surance and other benefits are offering relic
against sickness, old age accidents, etc.
The workers of the world are learning b,
bitter experience how little capitalism has t
offer them. Each new layer of the unemployed
adds to their rising discomfort. Each act o
betrayal of the social democratic parties, thu
shooting down of workers in India by tn
Macdonald government of Great Britain, tn
shooting of the unemployed by the Zoergiebe
police of Berlin draws the working class witt
ever surer faith toward struggle, toward tn
revolution already accomplished by the worker
of Russia. eve have only our lives to loose,
was a recent comment of one of Germany
jobless workers, "and under the present regm'
our lives are worthless anyhow"
"The unorganized are not doing any fighting
at ALL" says Professor Commons, spokesman
for the intellectuals and the liberals. "The.
are not engaged in any political movements tt
amount to anything. They are Negroes AM
other classes of people and are advised tina
it is impossible for them ever to select person
that would represent them"
This was untrue in the winter of 1929.
is still more untrue in the winter of 1880.
new spirit is stirring among the unorganized
among the Negroes, among the unskilled
spirit of protest, of organized struggle Tn,
unorganized are organizing, the unemployed ar,
fighting. They are going to choose their owl
leaders, leaders whom they can trust, leader.
who will dare challenge the right of the EN-
ploying class to starve, to MAIN and to kill
The international demonstration of the unem.
ployed on March will be the signal for organ.
izing the desperation of the masses throughout
the capitalist world for the protection of the
workers republic of the Soviet Union and fol-
the lasting advantage of the international
working class.