The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-01-08
Rv HANS RASMUSSEN

IL naQ us purpose ana p-cKeQ ana
elected delegates took part. The
delegates were all representing
militant farmers and workers or
CARNATIONS such as the United
Farmers League, Unemployed
Councils, Workers international
Relief, International Labor De-
tense and the Communist Party.
1t was planned by the Communist
Party but not all delegates were
members of that party.
1t was a success from start to
finish and it is to the everlasting
credit of those who planned it.
Never has the American working
class put over such an effective
demonstration before. The ruling
class wanted to do something and
did not know how to go about it.
Every time they tried to harm us
it gave us more publicity than be-
fore. Our leaders had them out
smarted every time and we had a
reason to sing on our return trip:
"The Hunger March went over the
top,
Parleyvous.
In spite if all the Hoover Cops,
Parleyvous. :"
Planning and carrying out a
march of 1910 workers and farm
ers coming from all directions is
not an easy task but it went like
clock work. We were all trans
ported. We held our meetings on
schedule time, received our meals
every day and always had some
kind of a place to sleep at night.
The meals were not always the
very best and not always at regu-
lar hours, but there was never a
time when we suffered from being
real hungry.
Sleeping quarters were not like
home, but never did we spend the
night in the open. There was al
ways some kind of place for us to
flop in. When you get to be 500
in one caravan housing and feed
ing becomes a problem not easily
solved.
That people from everywhere,
all colors and all nationalities can
get together and submit to per-
feet order and discipline when
their interests are the same and
they understand what it is all a.
bout was shown on this Hunger
March. Our column leaders were
not all born leaders either, but
some of them were. l am now
thinking of VIM. Reynolds when
he spoke to the crowd in the
street from the open window of
Carpenters Hall in Kalamazoo
Behind him was a door. One man
was holding the door from the In
side. Outside was the police, load
ed down with clubs and fire arms
trying to break the door open, and
there Bill stood, just as cool as
you please, speaking until the cops
grabbed him from behind anc
jerked him away.
Most of the police are now car
rying their guns in plain sight
lready for action. They are get.
ting paid for protecting the decay
ed and rotten system under whicr
we live. More of them are put OF
the payroll as they are needed
They are used for evicting people
from their homes, protecting
strike breakers, shooting up anC
tear gassing workers meetings
and demonstrations - their guns
and gas always ready when starv.
ing people protest against the
present conditions and advocate
something better-and how people
hate them!
Going and coming we stopped
in towns where they had forbid.
den us to stop-where they hac
kforbidden US to hold meetings. We
parked our trucks and cars alons
their curbs; we marched thru theil
streets with our banners and sing
ing Hold the fort for we are com
ing" We spoke from their court
house steps to thousands of PEG.
pie. Never had the workers il
some of these boss towns seer
anybody do this before. We haC
shown them what could be don,
and they thanked us for coming.
In the big cities we spoke from
the platforms of their biggest au
ditoriums, where we had to hollel
at the top of our voices to max,
the big audience hear, or we stooC
and talked to some apparatus anC
our voice came roaring out some
where else. Hundreds of thous
| ands have listened to what we haC
; to say. The papers said tn,
march was a failure because W,
did not see Hoover. What did w,
care about seeing Hoover-it wa
the people we wanted to see an,
talk to.
The more radical you talked a
the meetings the better they like
it. You talk revolution and the,
would all clap. You mention
Hoover and they would all say
, "B-o-o-ol" When five, six O
seven thousand people all sa,
"Boo!" it kind of goes thru you
You can feel it in your bones,
sounds like the roar of the oceal
on a stormy night when the bi,
waves roll over the ship and vol
don't know where you are at-ol
top or bottom.
Of good speakers we had many
Some of them were ex-servic
men. They spoke from the plat
forms and told about the war
told how they had shot and kill
ed other workers-told how the
: had been promised democracy
had been promised everything an
what they got was starvation
hunger march. They told tn
younger boys to take the gun
when nffnrnd fn them h11f ,,oro