davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

of the economic crisis.
I think l have said enough to show you
what interest we have in study of the prob
lens raised by the world economic crisis in
the sessions of this Commission.
The Cause of the Crisis.
I do not know whether any of my colleagues
in this Commission are in position to offer
us any effective cure for the abolition of the
crisis through which the world is at present
passing. For my part, I do not believe that
there can be any such cure. In any case,
please do not expect any such proposal from
a representative of the Soviet Union.
The whole world knows that in our opinion
the economic crises of over-production have
their roots in the capitalist system itself; they
are closely bound up with the capitalist sys-
tenn, and they are based on the conflict of in
terests which is peculiar to the capitalist sys-
tenn. In consequence they appear at more or
less regular intervals.
No one now denies that the present crisis
is the worst that the capitalist system has
ever experienced This time we are faced with
an industrial crisis which is indissolubly con-
nected, and not fortuitously, with an agricul-
tural crisis The mutual influences of these
crises lead inevitably to an intensifcation and
protraction of the crisis as a whole.
The intensity of the crisis is aggravated by
the policy of those organizations which have
a monopolist position and are aiming to main
tain high prices on the home markets of their
various countries. No one can deny that this
policy considerably binders the disposal of
warehoused supplies and places almost insu-
perable hindrances in the way of the purchas-
ers of such commodities, and thus protracts
the economic crisis.
1t is generally admitted that the intensity
of the present crisis, particularly in the Euro
pean economic system, is to large extent
caused by the special conditions which have
resulted from the world war; that it's causes
lie in the disorganzation of the world eco
nomic system during the war; that they were
perpetuated in the system of treaties which
followed on the conclusion of the war; in the
indebtedness of the nations to each other as
result of the war, and in the system of mill
tary alliances, ETC., which was continued after
the war. In my opinion therefore this Com
mission must pay particular attention to these
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
Delivered at the Session Held on May Is, 1881

contributory causes which have intensified the
crisis, and must see what can be done to eX-
clude these factors in order to prevent any
further intensification of the crisis, or at
least, what can be done to ameliorate the I'M
fortunate results of these factors.
The factors which / have mentioned must
be sought for both in politics and economics.
They are deeply rooted in the general policy
pursued during the world war and after it's
conclusion. I will deal with these factors
briefly.
In my opinion it is hardly necessary to pay
any special attention to the close connection
between the increase of the burden of taxa
ton and the crisis itself, as this connection
is self-evident 1t is clear that the increase
of taxation is chiefly due to the obstinate per-
sistence of militarism and the consequent con-
tlnual increase of ornaments. Despite the
Locarno Pact, the Kellogg Pact and various
other Pacts, on which pacifist circles set such
great hopes, there is absolutely no sign that
the growth of ornaments is coming to a stop
or even slowing down. The work of the Pre-
paratory Disarmament Commission offers lit
tie hope for an improvement in this connec-
ton.
The policy of the formation of new military
blocks is changing the face of the world. Great
armies prepared at a moments notice to
plunge into bloody conflicts, and the existence
of these military blocks of course sharpen the
armament competition. Every country is
compelled to be on the watch not only against
this or that other country, but against already
existing groups of States, or groups in pro-
cess of formation.
Apart from the political differences which
exist between the capitalist States, it can be
observed that the economic differences are
sharpening. This is expressed in the growth
of protectionism. This intensified economic
struggle, of course, also affects unfavoraby
the postwar economic system of Europe In
this connection it is interesting to note that
the national frontiers have been extended
since the war by 10000 kilometres, or almost
80 per cent.
Further, we must not conceal from ourselves
the fact that another consequence of the war,
namely the special burdens which have been
placed on certain States either in the form of
Preparations inter-allied debts, contributes
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

Suppose you are one of the thousands who get
the Daily but never see that chap called the
Daily Worker Agent? Don't know anything about
him All right. why not start something your
self, Maybe in your shop there are workers who
you can interest in reading some particular arti-
Gle In the Daily.
Get them around you at noon hour and read
1t to them or get one of them who is a good
reader to do it. See what they think of it.; of
the whole paper if possible Try it again, and
see If you won't find a number getting the
habit! They'll be looking for it, Get them to-
gether sometime and write down what they like
and don't like about the Daily. Send it to us
Well answer them
BY that time, when you get our letter to read
to them, they'll be pretty interested They'll be-
gin to recognize that the Daily Worker really
respects the opinion of the workers; that it is
their paper, the paper of the whole working class.
They will be willing to form little group to
boost the Daily Worker, to pick out Worker
Correspondent to write up what's going on in
their shop. They'll be ready to chip in their
dimes and dollars to help their Daily Worker
when it needs it, They will be one of the many
groups which, in the whole town. can be called
in for a big social affair and set up Daily
Worker Club.
Try it!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
I'LL Report Of CON- vnovs Speech the European Commission

FIRST of all I wish to express my thanks to
the President of the Commission for the
welcome he has extended to the new members.
The fact that am present here will undoubt-
eddy pease the geographers of the world, for
my presence is a confirmation of the hypo-
thesis which they have formulated concerning
the connection of Russia with Europe, hypo-
thesis which is also confirmed by the decision
of the European Conference-C Commission.
The position which I take up here is little
out of the ordinary, if only as result of the
fact that the country which l represent is very
far from experiencing crisis. On the con-
trary, it is experiencing development unex-
amped in its economic history.
The World Crisis and the Soviet Union.
This, however does not mean that we are
not interested in the world crisis, or that this
crisis does not affect the interests of the
Soviet Union. At the moment the Soviet
Union maintains economic relations with the
great majority of the European and nom
European States, so that the economic dis
turbances in these countries cannot be mat
ter of indifference to us. The price vacilla-
tons offer an example of how the crisis af-
fects u.s. The carrying out of the great plan
for the speedy industrialization of the Soviet
Union demands, and will continue to demand
from year to year, the import of industrial
goods from other countries. In order to be
able to pay TO these imports my government
must occupy itself with the export of raw ma
terials practically to the exclusion of other ex-
ports The drop in the price of raw materials
during the last few yeas, plus the fact that
the prices of finished goods have remained
stable has had damaging results for the eco
nomic life of the Soviet Union. Thus the con-
nection between the world economic crisis and
the interests of the Soviet Union can be easily
appreciated.
Indirectly the interests of the Soviet Union
are damaged in consequence of the various
plans which have been forged against the So
Wet Union, and in some cases actually put
into action by certain States These States
are striving without much success to extri-
cate themselves from the crisis at the expense
of the Soviet Union, or to take advantage of
the crisis.
And finally, and this is not an unimportant
point, the relations set up between the Soviet
Union and the other European States must
inevitably have an effect on the development
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
Organize Your Open-Air
Meetings

THE following directives issued by the Ag1t-
prop Department of District to the section
and unit Agtprop Directors, show that the com
rade who drew them up had in mind certain
phases of this work which need stressing He
stresses the need of quality rather than of uuan-
tity. He does not overlook the opportunity for
developing speakers through participation In
this work, and developing them in the proper
way, by starting them off with the less respon-
sible work first, and gradually working them
In as speakers. He stresses the mass character
OF the duty OF the comrades who are modified
to support an open-air meeting, the getting of
contacts, mingling with the workers-getting or
ganizational results the conception
that comrades come down merely to make the
crowd look big. And above all he stresses the
need for careful preparation. Here are the
directives:
Few Points On Open Air Meetings
l. Select the best location and time for your
open-air meeting and stick to it. The number
OF meetings to be determined by the speakers
and committees available Better less meet
ings, but better ones
e. Register all your speakers and assign them
TO speak at least once week at open-air meet
ings. Don't only select your first raters These
meetings can serve as school for speakers. pro-
vided you draw them in first as chairmen, and
discuss with them their speeches besides speak
ers conferences on a section scale if possible
The speakers are assigned by the Section Agit-
prop Department
3. 1t is misconception that all you need
is chairman, speaker and one or two comrades
TO sell literature The bigger the committee.
the better. AS many comrades as possible must
be modified not to listen to what the speaker
has TO say but to mingle with the workers, to
make connections with them, to sell literature.
etc. This must be stressed because the speaker
cannot sell literature get members for the
Party. The success of the meetings to be gauQed
not by the attendance only, but primarily by or
ganizational results
a. Speeches at open-air meetings in general
are terrible The comrades get up there with
out any preparation, without knowing about the
logical conditions coming out with the same old
generalities, and then we wonder why the work.
ers are mot sufficiently radicalized" All
speakers must be prepared. In case there are
several at meeting, the topics should be divided
We must give every week something new to
the workers. Do not rely only on the speakers
outlines and conferences. Reading of the Daily
Worker and even Of the capitalist press gives
ample material. Likewise find out about the
conditions in the territory and link these up
with the general points raised
We have TO popularize these open air meet
ngs and it is good idea not only to write
about the open-air meeting in the various leaf
lets issued by the units, but to issue properly
distributed special leaflets for this meeting
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

considerably to the intensification of the
crisis. The result is that large sections of the
population observe their purchasing power
dwindling, and this results again in making
it impossible to dispose of a part of the goods
produced. Another factor is the unfavorable
distribution of the gold reserves throughout
the world. Gold reserves are lying unused in
the safes of certain countries, whilst other
countries are suffering from gold shortage.
Special attention must also be paid to the
danger which results from the reduction of
the purchasing power of great masses
of the population both in town and country.
These factors are in their turn closely con-
nected with the unemployment problem, which
is acute everywhere to an unexamped degree
they are closely connected with the system
attic reduction of wages, with the increase of
the working day for those still in employ
ment, with the reduction of benefits under the
various social insurance schemes, and with the
simultaneous increase of the burden of taxa
ton which weighs with particular severity on
the shoulders of the working Masses
All these factors combine to create an at
mosphere of political uncertainty not only in
Europe but in the whole world to create a
fear of some terrible catastrophe This at
mosphere affects the credit policy of the banks
and prevents the utilization of capital for the
purposes of constructive work. and this in its
turn again intensifies the crisis. And in this
situation the feeling of uncertainty and lack
of confidence which exists in Europe is being
artificially aggravated by the various anti
Soviet campaigns which aim at proving the
necessity of a military attack on the part of
the capitalist States against the Soviet Union
The plans for this attack and the conditions
under which it is to take place are the sub
ject of open discussion in the press and at
public meetings. The originators of these cam
paigns wish to exploit the world economic
crisis for the furtherance of their aims. Those
capitalist circles which are particularly inter
ested in concealing the real causes of the
crisis from the masses of the people, show
great zeal in putting on a false scent those
who are studying the causes of the crisis, and
persuadng them that the only cause of the
present crisis is the existence of the Soviet
Urion.
Ito Ee Continuedl
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
&al@%.A-
Broken Loose Again
By JORGE

Donald Day, the Chicago Tribunes land q.
S State Departmental anti-Soviet liar at Riga
has broken loose again.
Fifty Bread Rioters Reported Killed by Poo
lie in Moscow runs the headline, and the story
goes on to add the horrible details: Machine
guns spraying death into crowds in the streets"
etc. These details are supposed to be told by
two American engineers" who arrived at Riga
from Moscow" on June 7.
Which reminds us of the same kind of yarns
sent out last November % from certain Brit.
iSh engineer just returned from Moscow" HIS
name was, very aptly Woodhead.
Woodheed gave all the awful details He said
that on Nov. II, he had seen battle in the
middle Of Moscow: Soon after the firing had
ceased saw several hundred men laid out by
the OGPU. 1t was commonly stated that over
thousand men persisted in the affair"
THE next day, added this Woodhead liar. he
was in a village near Moscow where he personally
saw peasants massacred by the Red Army
We forgot to say that in the Moscow battle"
it was the Red Army which was being mas
sacred by the OGPU Anyhow, in the village
there were 400 or 500 klled-"Judging from tbs
number of bodies I saw lying about"
But the only Lying about" done was by Wood
haed, who was not in the Soviet Union at all
after May last year. So he. was lying about
the Soviet Union ~
Folks who wonder why all these anti-Soviet
lies burst forth in full bloom should realize that
the more hunger marches and unemployed dem
onstrations there are in America, the more
American capitalism feels it necessary to attract
attention to imaginary "rebellions" in the So
Wet Union.
Machine guns are being used against the work.
ers' but in Pennsylvania in the mine strike
Mounted police are charging the crowds" But
in Youngstown, Ohio-not in Moscow
Please keep this in your hat and come back
at some of those liberal" snobs who are always
Cabling about the Communist papers "exagger-
ating"
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

BY J. 7.
THREE weeks Of the Daily Worker Drive are
over and our best agitator, propaganda and
organizer still faces the danger OF suspension
for lack of funds. This is serious warning to
all the workers of this country, who must under
stand the Importance of the Daily Worker.
The main reason for this situation is that the
Party as whole has not understood the inme-
diate acuteness of the situation and has not
acted accordingly.
Challenge Chicago.
The Section Committee of Section s. District Q.
New YORK; OF the Communist Party, realizing
the situation, is making strenuous efforts not
only to raise its quota of $780, but more. The
Section Committee is confident that the men,
bers OF the Section do understand their tasks in
connection with keeping the Daily Worker alive
and bring the message OF organization and
struggle to the tens of thousands of workers
This is the reason why we challenge District 8
iChicago) and say that will raise more finan-
cial support for our Daily during the drive than
the whole of the Chicago District.
Raised $3.50 in Two Weeks.
In the first two weeks Of the Campaign we
raised 1850 more than the whole Chicago Dis
trlcD and we hardly got down TO business We
must say that some OF the comrades did splendid
work, but we also must say that some conrsaes
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

DETROIT is a clearing house for bootleggers
who smugge booze over the Canadian border.
1t is a rich source of graft as we'll as from the
vice dens. The big automobile plants, particu-
larry Ford and General Motors, contribute their
share Of graft and receive good service from the
government and gangsters of Detroit Most of
the Ford workers live in Detroit, but Ford has
his factories located in suburbs near Detroit so
he will not have to pay taxes to the city of
Detroit. In these towns, such as Fordson River
Rouge, Dearborn, ETC.. Ford rules the town gov
ernments. He has an army of private police at
his plants who on more than one occasion have
murdered workers and were given the thanks
of the Ford officials. Ford, though he avoids
paying taxes to the city of Detroit, makes heavy
contributions in other ways, as to the campaign
funds OF the city politicians and in outright graft
cleverly covered up
From xxx. TO Socialists
The growth of Detroit is similar to that of
Chicago and the development of graft for
while outstripped that of Chicago. Yet in De-
troit we have the interesting spectacle of united
front, reaching from Ford through the American
Legion into gangland, and directly into the
socialist party.
This process has an interesting history In
November, 1929, Mayor Charles Bowles was elect
ed to office. Bowles was supported by the Ku
klux klan the real estate operators and the
gangsters of Detroit Ford contributed his share
to the Bowes election fund and got plenty of
protection against the workers from Bowles
Graft, crime and vice had always been
source OF income for politicians long before
Bowles came on the job But Bowles made up
his mind to organize it into system SO that
the greatest share would flop right nito his
pockets. Instead of permitting the is police
precincts to clean up" vice-that is to list the
speakearies bawdy houses, and collect the graft
he organized central vice squad under the
direction of Police Commissioner Emmons,
Ford man, so that the main booty would come
into the mayors office
Police Commissioner Emmons who had
respectable" front objected when Bowles in
troduced James d. White, head of the slot ma
chine gambling business in Detroit, to the chief
of police so that they could do business on
better basis Emmons finally resigned and an
experienced gunman by the nann of Wilcox was
given the job. Mayor Bowles did all his graft
ing on big scale. Frederic L. Smith, writing
In the Outlook, in an article entitled Detroit
APPS Chicago tel6 OF some Of Bowles' heavy
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
All Mixed Cop

Just as we we're getting excited about the
tidal wave of Soviet goods that was flooding
the Knickerbocker world as result of the Five
Year Plan along comes Trotsky and says that
the Five-Year Plan is Failure" and that there
is no socialism in the Soviet Union
1t was sort of upsetting to hear the walls Of
anguish because the U. s. Army is using So
Wet matches instead of the matches which are
supposedly American" but are really manu-
featured by the Swedish Match Monopoly.
But if the patriots worry over that, tell them
to let the soldier boys look inside of their u.
S. Army shoes, where it says in plain English:
Made by Prison Labor"
BY the way, the N. Y. State Federation OF
Labor, according to the Trade Union News" Of
Philadelphia is Operating with" the N Y State
prisons and contractors handling prison made
goods finding markets" for such goods, and
so on. Tell that to the A. F. of L. rank and
filler who thinks that his officials ere against
''''''' 4' '' : e 'ai1NRlGNljIi
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
Graft and Gangsters
ord and General Motors in the Graft Scheme
BY HARRY CANNES

Previous articles dealt with graft and gun
men In Chicago and New York. They traced
the origin of gangsterism and Doodle along
with American capitalisn-in the A. F. of l..
bureaucracy. In the leading industries, in the
capitalist government.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10

grating Bowles appointed John Gillespie as
Commissioner of Public Works.
Cautiously Enough
"Cur1ously enough" wrote Smith "Mr Gill
lespies private interest conceded closely with the
position to which Mayor Bowles had appointed
him Gillespie represented, for example a GER
tain bond company which accommodated the
majority of contractors engaged in construction
work for the Department of Public Works of
which he was the head. Mr.. Gillespie was like
wise financially interested in the Detroit Reduc-
ton Company which held 100000 contract
from the city for the disposal of garbage and
waste"
From this connection with Bowles Gillespie
raked in hundreds of thousands of dollars, if
not millions-and Bowles got his share.
Gambling which was run on the quiet before,
flourished openly. Right from Mayor Bowles'
office you could see one of the largest gambling
houses in the city. Murders became more fire.
quent. Crooks from smaller towns flocked in
to help Bowes along In the struggle foc the
vice proceeds many shootings resulted. Within
eleven days ten gang murders occurred. Chief
Commissioner Wilcox thought it was a good
thing. He knew the killings were ordered from
the higher ups to insure the smooth flow of
graft to the big officials and capitalists.
80 long as they confine their shootings to
their own kind he said, there will be no police
drive or any increase in the squad assigned to
such cases" OF course, the police squad to
terrorize militant workers and Communists was
increased
Sharper Graft Struggle
During BoWleS' reign, the economic crisis came
on with tremendous force. Tens of thousands
of workers we're thrown out of work in the auto
mobile plants. Huge unemployment demonstra-
lions took place. More than 100000 took part in
the March unemployment action. The police
beat up and attacked the unemployed.
In this period, the struggle for graft became
sharper Because of the disintegration of the
Bowles regime. the big automobile capitalists
engineered the end of the Bowles administra-
ton. They did not mind Bowles' grating, but
they required more efficient methods and greater
attacks against the workers. On June 2U for
the first time in the history Of any large Amer
lean city, recall referendum was voted, which
meant that new elections we're to be held, in
which Bowles would be a candidate Henry
Ford, at first, was against Bowles' recall He
got good service from this CRATER. He circu-
lated petition urging his workers tc vote
against the recall When Bowes was finally
recalled, however Ford supported Mayor Muir
ply who succeeded the deposed Mayor
In the election which followed, Raymond, an
auto worker was the candidate for the Commit
MIST Party.
ITO Be Continued ,EEsfNe
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-06-10
Ito Be Continued.1

grating Bowles appointed John Gillespie as
Commissioner of Public Works.