The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-07-02
FRENCHMASSES ROUSED
TO FIERY SCOTTSBORO
PROTEST BY Mrs. WRIGHT
Huge Meetings Greet Mother Of Two Negro
Lads: Workers Pledge Support
Expose Savage Oppression of African Masses
by French Imperialism

Until now we had been in coun-
tries--Gern1any, Czechoslovakia, Aus
tria, Switzerland, without colonial
possessions. Now, however, we were
in imperialist France with its French
Congo, French East Africa, and
Amnesty" and "scottsborol" are
raised as rallying cries against the
brutal and bloody oppression of the
Negro millions in Africa.
Numerous Negroes came to the
meeting, and it was shown that the
longest sentence being served by
French political prisoners is the life
sentence against q Negro charged
with having distributed leaflets, at
Daker, capital Of Senegal, a circum-
stance which, it is claimed, led to an
uprising. Seven others were put to
death. Three other are serving prison
sentences with no news as to their
whereabouts.
The Belleville district had elected
its Communist spokesman to the
chamber of deputies at the recent
elections, and he was one Of the
speakers at the meeting. The work
ers in the audience, men, women and
children, were proletarian to the core.
The Scottsboro Mother was given
a tremendous ovation, with the sing
ing Of the "Internationale" in French.
A red flag was draped over the
tribune from which Ada Wright
spoke. She was listened to carefully.
The piecemeal translation was .effec-
tive, There was storm of rage as
she told of the efforts made to bride
her son, Roy Wright, into turning
states evidence against the other
boys. 1t turned into a storm of ap-
plause as she related the words Of
Roy, told to her during a visit TO the
county Jail at Birmingham, Ala, that,
Eve are all innocent. If the other
boys die in the electric chair, I want
to die with them"
Jean Chauvet, secretary of the
French International Red Aid, called
for support of the Scottsboro cam
paign. I told how the campaign was
growing in other countries and the
measures that were being taken to
strengthen it. Resolutions were
adopted, a delegation was elected to
go to the American embassy, scores
enrolled in the organizatioa. Hun
dreds came up after the meeting to
shake Ada Wright by the hand and
pledge her personally their greater
effort.
The whole district of Paris breathes
proletarian power. There are numer-z
Gus co-operatives, including co-opera-
tive restaurants, where the workers
gather. We were taken to one Of
these restaurants, a vast affair-the
Restaurant la BelleVilloise owned by
the Belleville Workers Cooperative.
1t was noon and the place was
crowded. There was absolute silence.
however, as Jean Bureau, secretary
of the Partisan Region of the LID,
spoke briefly on the presence OF the
Scottsboro Negro Mother and
the savage Scottsboro persecution.
and then all rose spontaneously,
singing 1.-THE International"
When we again left the restaurant
and went out into the crowded mar
row street, young worker rushed up
to Mrs. Wright, kissed her on both
cheeks, and in stirring words pledged
the support Of the youth to the strug-
gle for the liberation of her boys and
the other Scottsboro prisoners.
France remembers Sacco and Van
zetti French workers are deter
mined that the Scottsboro Negro
boys shall not suffer the same fate.