The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-04-14
Z, HARRISON GEORGE.

CERTAIN Pecksniffian gentlemen, certain snooty
directors of the Second (socialsN 1nterna-
tional frequently protest at the rude language
of us. Bolsheviks and raise a disappearing finger
at our Labelling" the native bourgeois politi-
clans of colonial and semi colonial dependencies
of imperialist powers with the impolite appella-
sron-''lackeys.'
Before going further, we, wishing to be precise
in the matter reach for our dictionary and
therein we find:
"LACKEY: from the French 1echer,' to lick
an attending servant; a runner footboy or
footman: hence any servile follower"
Leaving the dictionary for the pages Of the
New York Times Of April 9Th 1881, we find
news item on the tenth page concerning the
Sovereign" State of Colombia, South Amer
lean republic Colombia is no small place 1t
has an area of 482,4OO square miles, compared to
Cermany's 1889 square miles 1t has 1929
an officially estimated population OF 7,96I788
inhabitants. 1t is some place, 1t is a nation.
Tt has a president, this nation Of Colombia,
with all the other paraphenala and personnel
of government. OF course, a capitalist govern
ment 1t is not part Of the Soviet Union and
indeed its president and other Colombian capt.
talistS have no wish that it should become such
And to prevent such catastrophy overtaking
"the nation'-lkewise to prevent the banana
DldIlaIlOQ Saves "a LIE CLA4GSO N41 W. A4OALL
having any illusions about higher wages-the
capitalist class of Colombia massacred some hun
dreds of these workers in the early part Of 1929.
Aside from the production Of bananas however,
the nation of Colombia, perhaps seeking to
escape the injurious results Of mono-culture pro-
duction, diversified production in the 1880 cleo
tons, by producing one of the prize winning
lackeys of this century, to wit, President Olaya
Herrera.
In March, 1880 an election was held in the
Republic of Colombia, And from it emerged
President-Elect, No other and no less than
Senior Herrera. Thus it came about that, being
a President-Elect of a South American republic,
like the satraps of old Rome, Senior President
Elect Herrera was due to journey northward all
the way to Washington, to pay obeisance to the
Yankee Caeser Mr.. Hoover.
1t is an unfortunate characteristic of this
revolutionary age, that whereas proletarians may
get along splendidly without capitalists, these
much bedevilled capitalists cannot, in the nature
Of things, get along without proletarians. And
hence it came about that in the journey north
ward of President-Elect Herrera, it became nee
essary for certain interested parties to send him
a cablegram which fell into the hands of GER
tain proletarian in the city of Panama on April
18th $780, while Senior Herrera's boat was pass
ing through the famous canal
This cablegram is most interesting, both from
the point of view of its contents, and from the
fact that it was sent to President-Elect Herrera
by John L. Merrill, president of the All America
Gables corporation, up-and-coming Yankee i'm
peraIst concern. But we must put off the read
er for a moment to specify the contents of the
New York Times article above mentioned.
In it we find under date of April 9th, 1881,
that President Olaya Herrera has sent to the
ing of pending legislation approving the contract
between the Colombian Government and the
Gulf Oil Corporation for a concession to that
corporation of what is known as the Catatumbo
petroleum region, 1t is evident from the article
that President Herrera is exceedingly anxious
that this concession be approved.
Let us go now to the text of the cabIegram
received at Panama City, April Is, 1880, by the
then President-Elect Herrera, from the imperial
list corporation head, Mr.. Merrill 1t opens with
the following brief line;
In answer your message April 4th. Jefferson
sends following"
So it seems that President Elect Herrera had
written or cabled something in the nature of a
request to Mr.. Merrill who in order to advise
the President-Elect of Colombia properly, con-
suited something or somebody called "Jeffer-
SON" May we not suspect here, however that
was Washington" But we continue with the
cable:
After comforting Fray and OIano suggest
following speech should last thirty to forty-fve
mlputes. Recommend you write in Spanish and
we will make free translation here in order to
compel attention newspaper men Frray re-
quests you send Spanish copy to United Press
representative, Perez, Bogota, who will be in
structed regarding release to all Colombian
newspapers at the proper time"
The "Furay" referred to is an official of the
United Press Association, a capitalist news cor
poration which makes some pretense of being
more ''hberal" than the known reactonary
service OF the Associated Press. Who "Olano" is,
remains mystery. But there is no mystery
about the fact that Mr.. Merrill, speaking for
jefferson" is instructing the President-Elect of
the sovereign nation Of Colombia about a speech.
and specifying just how long that speech should
take, 1t will also be noticed that the United
Press is taking care that the speech shall be