Evening star., 1931-12-15
Futility of Agitators Seen
LIN Hunger March on Capital

Communists who supported the So
called hunger march" to the National
Capital are subjected to strong con-
demnation by the press because of the
generally expressed opinion that they
were engaged in publicity for them
selves at the expense Of those genuinely
ip need, without benefit to any one.
None Is in sympathy with the dem
onstration except the radically in
clined," in the opinion Of the st. Joseph
Gazette. which finds it fact that even
though the marchers are contemptuous
OF the capitalistic system, that same
system enables them to travel in motor
cars and trucks" The Rochester Times
Union holds that "all sympathy is due
the unfortunate unemployed everv-
where" and that "an able-bodied man,
unemployed through no fault of his
own, is mournful evidence of faulty
functloning of our industrial system, ="
but that Ito stand in large numbers be-
fore the doors of the Capitol is not the
right approach to the solution"
The hunger cry is but an excuse for
the spectacularity upon which COM
mun!Sm feeds" asserts the Charlotte
Observer, with the contention that the
demonstrations are simply limitations of
the famous Coxey exploit, but there is
less reason back of them" The Charles
ton (W Va) Daily Mail offers the ap-
praisal Of the incident: "Just what the
marcherS expect to accomplish would
be hard to.fathom. The country knows
that many persons are hungry because
many persons are out of jobs. The
marchers add nothing to the general
information on this point"
The leaders in this pathetic per-
f0rNoanna viewed hv fha Nou VprtY
Herald Tribune. represent no spon-
taneous American movement. Their
banners, slogans and songs do not ex-
press the feelings Of any class Of the
American people. and such demonstra-
tionS as this are not meant to serve the
interest of any American clasS-least
OF all that of the unfortunates who
were beguiled into participation in 1t.
This pilgrimage to Washington is, in its
inception. hostile alien enterprise into
which $500 American men and women
were recruited so that they might be
led into conflict and disasters edifying
to the organizers employers"
IF each were to be handed $3.50 with
the compliments of the Government"
argues the Glendale News-Press, "the
process would be endless. With the
money gone each beneficiary would be
oe43t aii1 IO1 dllOGiACl'
cash gratuity. This item is cited to
show the utter folly and futility of the
whole plan. Meantime there Is keen
sympathy for the unemployed and a
concerted endeavor to find work for
them. and in the meantime to provide
for their needs. There is growing feel
ing that the task belongs to each of the
several States and that each must look
out for the unfortunate within its own
borders. To urge them on into the next
commonwealth Is not fair play. If they
move on Of their own volition, making
themselves burdens and nuisancas to
strangers, they do not merit considera-
ton"
1T should be noted" comments the
Fort Wayne News-Sentinel, that
Coxey's army, although comprising some
Populists (radicals of the 90s). launched
no attack upon the capitalist system
as such. But today, the National Hun
ger March stands freely charged with
being a Communist gesture, aimed pri-
marily at creating dissatisfaction with
the present order rather than with aid
ing the unemployed. And while its or
ganizers deny these allegations and
claim to be supported by some American
Federation of Labor units, it is not de-
MED that there Is d considerable pro-
portion Of Communists among those In
support of the project"