The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-10-19
UNITED VET FIGHT
GRAEF CALLS FOR
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

the next bonus march?
Answer: The bonus march on
washington December 5 must be
supported to the fullest extent. The
starving veterans must compel the
bourgeoisie to recognize their de-
mands and to pay the bonus not
in 1945, but now. The march will
help to mobilize new groups of vet
Grams and draw them into the gen.
eral struggle against capitalism. 1t
is especially important for the Ma
tional Veterans Rank and File Com
mittee to mobilize the veterans in
the small cities and farms for par
ticipation in the bonus march. The
international of War Veterans and
War Victims pledges its fullest sup
port to the bonus march. We will
rally the veterans in all countries,
carry through propaganda campaigns
and organize mass demonstrations.
And we promise to help not only
morally, but financially as well
In Other Countries
Question: The veterans In the
United States are having their pay
ments cut down and are being at
tackled all along the line as part Of
the capitalist program Of oppression.
Is the same true in other countries?
Answer: Yes, everywhere it is the
same-except in the Soviet Union. In
Germany, as a result Of five emer-
Pency DEGREES, the social services to
the veterans have been cut down in
many cases over 54 per cent and in
some cases more than 30 per cent.
The same thing is happening in
Czecho-Slovakia, Austria, Poland and
France.
In contrast, we have the Soviet
+ Union, where a real program of So
cial welfare for the veterans is be-
ing carried through. There, special
workshops have been established for
the veterans. where production is be-
ing carried on in $50 different crafts.
The activities of the war veterans
are an integral part of the Five Year
Plan and the vets have their repre-
sentatives in the economic councils
that are helping to carry through the
Plan. Whereas in all capitalist coun-
tries medical care for the veterans
has been reduced. in the Soviet I'm
ion it has been increased, and dur
ing the past year So per cent of the
veterans spent some time in free
sanatcriums. In the Soviet Union we
TaritfSHCctFrr O ar Of 81
cial insurance for all the workers.
Task OF International
Question: What are the tasks of
the Veterans International and what
is its attitude toward imperialist
war?
Answer: The basic task is to or
ganize the veterans OF all countries
in a determined struggle against i'm
perislist war and war preparations.
When the International was founded
On May Day, 1920. it declared in it's
program that the cause Of all wars
is capitalism and the struggle against
war cannot be carried on without a
struggle against capitalism. The In
ternational therefore aims to cooper
ate with the revolutionary workers
of the entire world in the fight a.
gainst imperialist war using in hits
fight the tactics of the revolutionary
class struggle.
1t was the Veterans International
that first proposed and sponsored
the recent Amsterdam World Con-
gress Against Imperialist War. We
aided in the preparations for the
congress and veterans constituted a
large proportion of the delegates. In
connection with the congress, the IN
ternational held q conference of its
own. at which the decisions of the
Amsterdam Congress were concretiz-
ed in relation to the veterans strug-
gle. Our International has sections
in Germany, Austria, CZecho-S lova-
kla, France, Belgium, the U.S.SR..
Poland, Canada, Australia and the
United States. Our membership is
between two and two and half mil
lion. In fascist countries such as
Italy and the Balkans the work of
the veterans is carried on under ire
mendous difficulties and the whole
veterans movement is compelled to
function illegally.
Reaction to Bonus March
Question: What was the reaction
to the International veterans move
ment to the last bonus march?
Answer: Strange as it may seem.
the capitalist press at first pictured
the bonus march as an organized ac-
ton of the American Legion! Pic
lures of the B.EF. misleaders we're
widely displayed, but soon we real
lied from other pictures that it was
the workers, farmers and impover-
lshed petty-bourgeois elements who
were the real organizers Of and par
Elephants in the bonus march. We
gave active support to the marchers.
protest wires to Hoover were sent and
solidarity messages to the marchers