The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-08-20

Laura wanted him to stay her a
few weeks, she said, and raise some
money to buy food for the strikers.
Would the Pioneers help him? Were
they ready?
There was great yell from the
Pioneers when he finished; they
stood up, and shouted the Pioneer
response, always Ready" They
shouted it again and again, joy
fully militantly; and all the moon
lit hills and the dark American
sky semed to echo their cry of
Always Ready"
Comrade Lama's readings had
never aroused such enthusiasm.
Yes, the national organizer had
been right; here was the social
task, the portion Of real life and
duty these childrens minds had
wanted. Children we're never to be
underestimate, Con1rade Laura
realized in the next few weeks.
They were not meant just to be
lectured at, but to be led into
action. They were really an i'm
portant section of the revolution
airy army, and must be treated as
such
There was nearby camp Of adult
workers. The Pioneers played a
baseball game there one afternoon,
taking up a collection from the
spectators. This formed the first
fifteen dollars in the strike fund.
Then they originated whole vaud-
eville show, with their own sketches,
costumes, music, all OH revolution
airy themes. For two weeks they
talked, rehearsed. worked eagerly
on IT, learning about history.
economls and the class struggle
while doing it. They gave the show
in the adult camp again, Com. Pete
made stirring collection speeches,
showing his scars and telling of the
strike:
Yes, these Pioneers talked,
dreamed, argued and learned all
the realities of their proletarian
fathers lives. The stories of Soviet
Russia, Germany, China and other
places where workers fought for
freedom now became very vivid to
them when related by Conlrade
Laura, for al these events re-
minded them of Con1rade Pete and
the Paterson strike. Swimming,
baseball, hikes and campfires con-
tinued, but the Pioneers were
proudest of what they were doing
for the strike.
And Conrade Pete found that
these Pioneers were all his good
comrades. They were not sissies;
Abe Gross, whom he had hit, had
helped his own father in two
strikes; and Ruby Martin, the Ne
gro conrade, had a father in jail
for making Communist speeches in
Harlem
So the pinched white face tan
ned, the frown disappeared from
the little strikers forehead, the
starved body expanded in the sun
and wind, and grew sturdy again.
When Pete left the camp after
three weeks he was fifteen pounds
heavier, and his heart was filled
with a great affection for his
Conlrade Laura and Comrades Ruby
and Abe and the other Pioneers.
They marched down to the bus
to see him off, having their red
bandanas. They sang all the
Pioneer songs for Comrads Pete,
and kept on yelling. "Hooray fer
the Paterson strikers!"
Pete leaned out of the bus VIM
dow just before it left and yelled
at than, "Hooray for the Pioneersw
He took the check out of his pocket
that Conrade Laura had given
him. 1t was the money they had
all raised He was to present it to
the strike committee to buy food
Not hundred dollars, but almost
two hundred dollars had been
raised, an incredible sum AS Pete
waved the check at the boys and
girls, he yelled, stand EN- on their
heads; stand EN- on their feet:
Pioneers, Pioneers can't be beat
The kids took it up. and then all
the hills woods and skies repeated
the jolly triumphant cry Of tle-e
plucky workers children
rp-E FNn