The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-02-04
"Roosian Reds" and the Kentucky Coal Strike

the workers to end forever just such conditions
as exist in the Kentucky coal fields where the
capitalists, through the private ownership of the
mines, in order to make profits, drive the work.
ers to the lowest level of subsistence and even
to death.
The Communist Party in every country, which
believes the struggle of the workers in every land
should be welded into common fight against
the exploiters, the bosses, untes into a world
organization, the Communist International
1t is this powerful unity of the workers in
every land that evokes the fury of the coal oper-
ators in Kentucky, as it does in every other
part of the country. The coal operators know
that the Kentucky miners have been isolated in
the Kentucky mountains, have not had contact
with their fellow workers in the steel mills in
the textile mills, on the railroads, in New YORK
clothing industry, and they try to characterize
all these workers as foreigners" But the Ken
lucky miners are learning that the workers
everywhere are their kin; that it is the coal
operators who are the outsiders the real
enemies of the working class.
Kentucky Not Alone in Starvation
The Communist Party, which is formed of the
most devoted section of the working class built
through long period of struggle, proved through
the fire of class struggle and the Russian revo-
luton, points out to the Kentucky miners that
the conditions in the coal fields are not isolated
or separated from the general conditions
throughout the United States or for that mat
ter, throughout the capitalist world
Unemployment which has hit the Kentucky
miners hard, has hit the whole working class to
the extent that there are 100000 unemployed
with 100000 more on part-time work The whole
capitalist system is in crisis, crisis that sig
nifies the coming end of capitalism. In this
process, in order to save their profits, and the
system which insures their profits they begin
to attack the workers, to make up these profits
by starving the miners 1t is because the Com
muniSt Party is the most conscious and best
organized weapon of the workers resisting this
attack, preparing the workers to act as class
against capitalism, that the coal operators vent
their greatest anger against the Communist
Party.
In Kentucky the miners are tlocl1ng to the
National Miners Union. They have learned
through experience, through the test in every
day struggle, that this union is the most potent
force in fighting the daily battles of the miners
against hunger. In an effort to stop the miners
from joining the N. M. u the coal operators
have raised the cry that everybody joining the
N. M, U. is "Roosian Red" and that the N M
U, is Communist
Communists and the N. NJ u
What is the truth about this? The N. NJ u
organizes all miners regardless of color race
or religion. 1t carries on an unrelenting fight
against hunger and terrorism. 1t has succeeded
in building up powerful weapon for the Ken
lucky strikers.
The impetus to the organization of the N NJ
U. was given by the Communist Party which
throughout the United States has taken the lead
in fighting against wage cuts, against hunger
and starvation. Some of the best and most
proven leaders of the N. M. U. are Communists
Why is it that the hatred of the coal oper-
ators is voiced most bitterly against Communist
leaders? Because the coal operators know that
IN every struggle OF the workers against hunger
against all miSeries of capitalism, and against
capitalism ITSELF the source of all this degrada-
ton OF the working class, the Communist lead
ers have proved most unflinching in their
fight; most experienced and capable.
Why 'Roosian Reds"
The reference to "Roosian Reds" is particu-