The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-03-24
BY ANNA DAMON.

Edith Berkman is sick, confined in Carney
Hospital, South Boston I visited her last Sat-
urday She is critically i'll with tuberculosis.
She was well when she was arrested. Five
months in the miserable hell-hole of the East
Boston Immigration Station where she was con-
fined in unsanitary surroundings, getting rotten
food, denied the possibility of working and of
taking an active part in the class struggle, has
wrecked her constitution and resulted in in
fecting both her lungs with the well-known
and dreaded workers disease, consumption
The seriousness Of her condition forced even
the brutal Mrs Tillinghast, commissioner Of mass
immigration, to rush her to the hospital. She
is now preparing very quietly to ship her out
somewhere to an isolated Health camp" DR..
Denning, tool OF the bosses and head of the
Catholic Carney Hospital, refused to commit
himself by issuing full record of her case. He
refused the demand of the Boston International
Labor Defense the grounds that Edith Berk-
man is federal prisoner and that without per-
mission from DR.. Newton, head Of the Inmgra-
ton Department he will not give the record OF
her case.
Try to Murder Berkman
Anna TiIlinghast refuses to release Edith Berk-
man on bail. 1t is of no concern to her if Edith
Berkman lives or dies. The federal authorities
are deliberately attempting to murder Comrade
attention, which she can get only in a sanitar-
ium The critical condition of Comrade Berk-
man demands her immediate release and we can
not wait until the case comes up in Boston on
April 18th.
What crime has Comrade Berkman committed
to be held in Jail without bail for the last five
months? What crime has she committed to be
facing deportation to fascist Poland where sure
death awaits her at the hands Of the blood
thirsty Pilsudsh regime? The only crime that
Comrade Berkrnan is guilty Of is loyalty to the
working class, a crime the American capitalists
and their government do not overlook, service
that the working class does not forget.
Berkman-Tireless Fighter
Edith Berkuan Is only 26 years old, but even
at this age she has fought untiringly for the
working class, and has established a record
that bears comparison with that of many old
fighters. She began to work at the age Of 16
A knitter by trade she Joined the National Tex
tile Union in 1929 when she came cast from
San Francisco. In July, 1890, she was sent by
the NTWU to Lawrence Mass, where she proved
herself to be a most militant and gifted organ
izer She organized successful strike in the
Wood Mill in September, 1880, to fight against
the stagger plan. This fight was won, and 1t
paved the way for the great strike in February
1881, when 10000 workers struck under the lead
erSflip OF the National Textile workers Union
against wage cuts In the struggles of the I'M
employed, in fighting for unemployment insur-
ance and for immediate relief Comrade Berk-
man took q, most active part.
1t was after this strike that Edith Berkman
was arrested and charged with conspiracy to
hurt injure, and destroy the mill owners, their
property and business" This arrest was on a
telegraphic warrant She was held in jail for
ten days. and then released on $4,000 bail The
boss class wanted her out of the way. They
told the United States Department Of Labor to
recommend deportation, which the United States
Department OF Labor Immediately did
On a certain day, when Berkman spoke before
ten thousand workers on the Boston Common