The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-07-04

agitation AGAINST tbs crirns Of the Alabama rul-
ing class. The officers Of tbs N A. A. G. p,
bent on cultivating the favor Of what they call
the Influential whites Of the southern ruling
class, did not want their respectable" name
associated with what white nilllionaires who
control the NAACP considered "disgraceful'
affair in which 10 and IA year old Negro boys
were supposed to have violated the white
wonanhood" Of two professional prostitutes.
Willis the N A. A. G. P. officially remained
silent, the well-known newspaper which acts as
the organ for the N. A. A. G. p, the Pittsburgh
Courier. truly expressed the point Of view Of the
NAACP leaders with the giant headline:
10000 Heat Boy Rapists Sentenced"
It Is well known that the Pittsburgh Courier
Is an organ OF the National Office Of the N. A.
A G. p, and the editor, Mr.. Robert L. Vann,
who is responsible for denouncing the nine in
nocent Negro boys framed up at Scottsboro as
"rapists," is one of the guests Of honor at It's
present Pittsburgh convention
After the mass movement was stirred up for
the saving Of the nine framed up Scottsboro
boys, the officers Of the NJ A. A. G. P. at last
were compelled by protests that poured in" to
their office to make some pretense Of engaging
in defending the boys. But this pretense is a
lie. The N. A. A. G. P. officers, after taking re-
sponsibiity for the Ku Klux Klan lawyer who
helped to frame them up, have from the be-
ginning not done one thing to defend the boys,
but have done everything to attack and break
up the mass movement which has given the
boys their only chance for life and liberty The
officers OF TIE N. A. A. c. P. on May issued a
statements declaring that they would have
nothing to do" With the organizations defend
a1.JI
have again refused.
The NACP. officers now claim that they
are Independently doing something for the
boys. They have repeatedly collected money on
these pretenses and have tried to prevent the
collection Of funds by the International Labor
Defense which has been officially authorized by
all Of the boys and their parents to conduct
their defense.
But the point is, not whether the NJ A. A. G.
P. officers are doing anything for the boys. The
point is that the N. A. A. c. P. is conducting to-
day the most vicious campaign in support OF
the lynchers and against the defense OF the
nine Scottsboro boys.
On May IL Walter White Secretary OF the
N. A. A. G. p, wrote letter to all Of the news
papers, marked mot for publication" in which
he tried to undermine the whole campaign and
prevent the participation OF these newspapers In
the mass movement. White said that the de-
mand for the Immediate release Of the boys Is
IAN absurd and impossible demand" and de-
nounced those who are defending the boys.
William Pickens for few days under pres
sure of the mass protest gave his written sup
port to the mass movement Controlling Of
ficers Of the N. A. A.. G. p frightened Pckens
with the threat OF loss Of his Job, and Pickens
became the most obsequient tool Of the anti
Negro policy Of the National Office Of the N.
A. A. c. P. On June Pickens made speech
in Chattanooga declaring that "the most serious
menace In the whole matter" is the mass move
ment to save the boys which he described as
Communist sapping through the densely fgnor-
ant portion OF the colored population" In other
words, Pickens Is interested only In winning
for the N. A. A. Q. p. position as protection
for the southern white ruling class against the
deadly ignorant" colored population. Pickens
said:
LET the white people Of Alabama sit up and
take notice: This Communist sapping through
the densely ignorant portion of the colored
population, while not Immediately menacing
to government itself, is certainly menacing to
good race relations"
The good race relations" existing In Alabama
consist enslavement habtual lynching, burn
and framing up Of Negroes by white ruling