The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-01-15
By H. PURo.

BY H. PURO.
m January 3rd, capitalist newspapers carried
alarming stories from Arkansas, stating that
about 500 farmers and their wives in the drought
stricken area Of the State of Arkansas stormed
the business section of the town of England,
Arkansas, demanding food for their starving fam
lies and threatening to take it if denied very
significant feature in these news stories is the
fact, that when a certain lawyer, who is also
big landowner, began to speak to these farm
ers, trying to pacify them these farmers an
swered him:
"Our children are crying for food and we are
going to get it! We are not going to let our
children starve! We want food and want it
noW!"
Another significant thing is, about 200 of these
demonstrating farmers were Negroes and both
white and Negro farmers were acting together
in fighting against starvation and demanding
immediate relief
The militant mass action of these farmers
frightened the local merchants to such an ex-
tent that they were compelled Immediately to
distribute food to these farmers and their fam
lilies. This proves that only by organizing mass
struggles against starvation, by themselves, the
poor farmers can expect some relief Too long
have poor farmers been fooled by Hoover, Hyde
and Legge and have waited that the Congress
might take some action on the relief question
The action Of these Arkansas farmers shows
that impoverished farmers begin to take the
situation into their own hands
The Arkansas situation has frightened the
politicians in Washington In order to kill this
direct mass action of the starving farmers SEN
ators Robinson and Caraway proposed that Con-
gress should appropriate money for relief in the
drought affected areas. And speaking for his
proposal, Senator Robinson was compelled to
expose the fact that the riot In England Ark.
was not the first one, but that the news of other
similar happenings have been suppressed
But President Hoover and Secretary of Agri-
culture Hyde. are opposing even these meager
proposals of the Arkansas senators for relief and
have brought the president of the Red Cross,
Judge John Barton Payne, to testify before the
senate appropriation committee that the Red
Cross with its remaining fund of $4,5o0000 is
able to take care of the situation. Senator
Robinson in his speech however says that the
Red Cross fund is wholly inadequate, because
in the State of Arkansas alone there are 100000
families that are in need of relief.
But Senators Robinson and Caraway do not
really want to help the starving farmers, be-
cause they propose that "needy areas do not want
charity, but loans" AS it is seen, the worthy
senators. who are supposedly coming out as
champions Of these starving families against
Hoover, Hyde and the Red Cross, are proposing
to give loans" for these starving families whose
cause of misery is that they have already been
given too heavy loans.
Then comes Representative Fish, chairman Of
the Fish Committee" arch enemy Of the revo-
lutionary workers, who wants to deport all revo-
lutionary workers out of the country and sup
press the entire movement of the revolutionary
workers and he puts all the blame for the starva-
ton of farmers and their mass action upon the
Communists. stating that information had come
to him that Communists had melted the food
riots in England, Ark.
So, II here were no Communists, these farm
would starve peacefully. without raising their
voices or hands against those who are causing
their starvation.
Now, this raises very seriously the question, in
what respect are we responsible for the mass
action Of these starving farmers Are we en-
couraging them? Are we supporting them in
their demands for Immediate elief?N
We answer to Hamilton Fish, who is the most
outspoken agent Of the Hoover administration
and all enemies OF the revolutionary workers and
farmers. With Ienip's words:
-.a-slll .l.a.A-Elsss $500