davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Trade Union Democracy
and Bosses Offensive

THE demand raised their Cincinnati conference by
American Federation of Labor Rank and File Committee
for inner trade union democracy in connection with the
struggle for compulsory federal unemployment insurance
at the expense of the employers and the government
brought immediate sections the
Of L. unions and the socaled independent unions which follow the
lead Of the A. F. OF L. bureaucracy
great
ity OF A F. OF the membership ruled dictatorship Of
fatcial performances
as allowing tree and file expression Vote juggling ballot stealing
arbitrary disqualification entitled
and gangSteF, ordinary practices
circles
the election Protective
IN Hyerh big the industry
% exactly six votes cast in the election of national secretary
treasurer of the union
things wishes
tenton
Of dbarpg Of the members
The advantage
OF the shoe production signing contracts
consulting
This deadly
in these The favor the
and and bound BY them W.T. ah has
msnt Of these contracts Haveldu paper:
sMsnager Keehr of the Shoe Workers Protective Unn) today
declared mat the agreement had been signed v the Arm and that the
terms mutually satisfactory The type of the negotiated
labor trouble stabilized continual ucuatn
We would that "he type of agreement revealed 1t
prevent
present period activity
assures the bosses that in OF strikes against such agreement the
officials will all in their to break them.
that question of democracy
abstract The srangng of the rank and file
putting stebreakng agreements
the control of the unions In the hands of the agents
the
clear explanation
and the gripping Of the unions in the
suggfs Of capitalists
workers the members Of the militant unions Of the Trade Union
Unity and then the trade
uion hreaucrata ~- :
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Eighteen Years of Work
With j, Louis Engdahl

After the war in 1919 we, who
were active in organizing the COM
munist Party, were disappointed
that Collrade Engdahl did not at
first go with us He remained in the
Socialist Party, striving to swing
them toward the Third (Commu-
nist) International.
In 1921 he recognized that it was
not possible even to expect any
further results from such a course
and came to the Communist ranks
where he remained Steadfastly the
rest Of his life.
QUALITIES OF
REYOLUTIONIST
From 1922 EDWARDS worked
closely with Comrade Engdalll,
first on the Weekly Worker, then
on the Daily Worker and on Lead
ing committees with him. There
are impressed upon my mind three
qualities that stamp him as an adj
mirable conrade, traits to be emu
lated by all reyolutionists. He was
first of all thoroughly loyal, never
hecitsting for a moment to do his
level best to carry out any task to
which he was assigned BY the
judgment of his comrades. He was
always calm, even in the most try
ing situations. And he was fearless
in face Of the enemy. These char
Tctfn oil
speaker and writer made him be-
loved by masses Of workers who
now mourn his untin1ely death
while still in the prime of life.
cONIRADE ENGDAHL died at his
" post, fighting in behalf Of the
Scottsboro boys. His last task,
which he had so effectively carried
out in his European tour with the
Scottsboro mother, Mrs Ada
Wright. was to expose to the mass
es Of Europe the nonstrous tyr
amy of American imperialism
against a subject nation-the Ne
gro masses in the Black Belt Of the
South. All his energy was thrown
into this fight, SO that it was not
possible. for him To fight off the
rayages of epidemic influenza. His
death while fighting for twelve
million oppressed Negroes of this
country and in the interest of the
whole working class testifies to the
self sacrificing devotion of the
Communist Party in the struggle
against capitalist despotisrn. 1t Is
refutation of all the barrage of
lies that emanated from the jour
nalistic brothels to the effect that
Communists use such cases for per-
sonal advancement. 1t testifies TO
the growing unbreakable unity Of
the Negro and white masses in the
fight against capitalist terror.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
By P. ].

ITALY the land of romantic
L dreams and longings sung by
poets? No, the land in which the
output of pig iron has sunk in the
last three years from $4,000 tons to
nearly 10000 tons a month, where
the output of crude steel has re-
ceded from 10000 tons a month to
10000 tons, where since 1928 for
eign trade has declined SO per cent,
where bankruptcies have doubled
and now amount to over 1000 a
month!
The most terrible crisis RACES in
fascist Italy. And nevertheless, the
Midland Electricity Company in
Naples made a net profit Of $685.
$50 Lira { lire is 5 cents, and
paid a dividend of per cent; the
Banca Commercials Italiana con-
Guided its last business year with a
net profit of 61,559,0oo Lira and
paid a dividend of 8 per cent; the
Montecatini, Milan, the largest
mining undertaking in Italy, closed
its books with a net profit of 64,-
296,576 Lira and paid a dividend Of
IL per cent.
The effects Of the crisis are not
to be sought among the big en-
ployers, the captains of industry,
the big bankers and landowner
their standard Of living has not
changed; the crisis does not bring
want and misery to them, for they
still draw huge profits and their in
comes still run to thousands Of mil
lions.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Criticizes Review of
Film, 81 Am Fugitive
from the Chain Gang"
Editor, The Daily Worker,
Doar C0fnr3de.

Editor, The Daily Worker,
Dear Comrade:
In a review in the Daily WCfHer
by member of the Workers Film
and Photo League Of the picture,
81 am Fugitive from Chain
Gang" I believe, from what I have
seen of it, that the writer failed
to do full justice to this powerful
drama.
agree entirely that as gen.
eral rule pictures enanating from
Hollywood are filled with ruling
class propaganda. but in this case
an exception should be made. True
enough, it does not expose the in
deScribable tortureS inflicted upon
the Negro prisoners as Georgia
Niger has done SO energetically,
but the film does present the hor
rors of the chain gang as it affects
the white workers caught in the
net Of capitalist law. Perhaps 1t
is not altogether up to our own
expectation Of what picture
should portray but, under the cir
cumstanceS it is the best have so
far ever seen upon the screen.
Paul NUM- gives an excellent per-
torrance of soldier who returns
from the front only to discover
that the glowing promises Of a
= better world following the war.
were just so much bunk. Tramp
ing about the country he becomes
involved in a robbery and finally
lands in the dreaded chain gang.
The brutality and fortunes (Which
put the inquisition of the middle
ages in the shade) heaped upon
men who are exploited until they
collapse from physical exhaustion
exposes the sham and hypocrisy Of
so-called Character building" of
capitalist prison institutions. Men
perish through lack Of proper med
ical attention and the dream Of
freedom burns in the breasts Of
those who cannot stand 1t another
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Z he DriVe Towards
I,nberialist War

THE sharp exchange of notes between the British and
United States governments the war debts payments
rdue December IL emphasizes the increasingly bitter
iicts between these two imperiaist rivals Although
rent payments to be made these debts will continue to be
sea in the arena Of oerst intrigue in juggling for position in this
carry reports
q 9ne and Rae phases OF the struggle between American
s5f SUPPORTED bv Wall Street. and ParapaS od g onbeTd
Street, reflects the Worldwide struggle powers.
Yesterdays news that dealt with the the
mob attacking Company
Persian Of the British oil concession lead to because
,harge s:ls 4ss -ps5 supply "DS'' '0n''' 's paper
Wei informed circles alese that Indictment cancellation
of concerted o price OF petrol
enes sp r.9n 3 r s nationals IN F sssd
easily afford the p for armed intervention by British ships and
sEe no o saned on @ to os ad
imperialism engage
W TO Tsk9 British navy by cutting of one the chief sources
on |1og sP5 @ PTetent Tor armed ne
aoa policy OF wagng of conquest and determination against
and again by the Tinted states Teen N aging aTs agant Whole
popuaoasp forward mpeial policy slavery
and rapipeSs
WHILE all this the conflict the imperial
y list powers he ncitaton against Persia gers an nafcaton of
he biz noSers facing 5e end Of c9iast s+sbo ue % s
out of their crisis This special Persia the threat of
prevention also pushes forward the concentration Of forming
perast around the Soviet Union In the midst of the sharpen
ing conflicts between the mpeat desperately strive
question that Imperialism,
ments in PsiaVi strive leading Hci
Gus provocations against the Soviet Union .~'l~s-
AGAINST provocaions posi-
the tong capitalist
all their might AT time when the
and America openly talk throwing their armed
II 3 T ss u ss tit and @
oppressed soil all
feed the starving unemployed dependents
striking heavy blows against the whole the
Down with these infamous conspiaces!
Garry the revolutionary
Defend the colonial and senni-colonial massesl
Defend the Soviet
Stop the manufacture shipment
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
POSITION OF
INDUSTRIAL PROLETARIAT

In Italy there are about three
million industrial workers, whilst
the number OF persons engaged in
agriculture amounts to about nine
millions.
The intensive industrialization OF
Italy is OF recent date. Nevertheless,
Italian industries play a relatively
great role on the world market.
Italy, it is true, has no raw mate
rial industry, no coal or iron mines,
but the automobile, the building
and shipping industry exploit hun
dreds of thousands of proletarians
Fiat motor cars produced by the
great Fiat motor works in Turin
are to be seen in all the capitals
of Europe. In normal times the
Fiat works employ about 10000
workers. Today not more than half
that number are employed. Wages
have declined year after year. In
the present year the Fiat works eff
fected wage cut of 10 per cent, at
the present time the Fiat workers
earn scarcely more than l6 cents
an hour, and very few of them
work full time the whole year
round
In the other metal works and
the remaining industries Of Turin
the situation is still worse. The
result is q complete undermining
Of the health OF the working pop
ulatiou; there is decline in the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
POISONOUS
PROPAGANDA

Those who go to school have
their minds Systematically poisoned
by religion and fascist teachings
regarding the State. In the prisons
we find young girls and lads who
are there for having attempted to
found real fighting organizations
against fascist finance capital. In
the prisons are proletarian and
peasant women who have refused
blindly to follow the dictates of
fascist finance capitalism.
But the workers and peasants
are slowly, with great pains and
in heroic struggle, building up
their illegal fighting organizations
against fascist finance capital. The
Communist Party of Italy gives
them aid, guidance and leadership
in this work.
Strikes are becoming more and
more frequent. But the toilers OF
Italy are still among the most en-
shaved, the most badly paid and
ruthlessly exploited of the whole of
Europe.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
V. Smith Writes
on the Boss Press
in Saturday Issue

NrAPITALIST Journalism Is
" Capitalist Propaganda" is
the name of the article by Vern
Smith which will appear on this
page in Wednesdays issue Of the
Daily Worker.
Quoting from official documents
just released by the U. S. Govern
ment, Smith shows how the cap
italist press was modified TO
keep millions of Russian workers
and farmers bleeding and dying
on the Eastern front for the profit
of the Russian and American inn
perial;sts and their allies"
Great crisises, war on revoiu-
ton, OF even large scale demon
strations like the National Hunger
March, the writer points out,
cause capitalist government to
drop the mask and show their
naked force"
Don't miss this important ar
ticle IN Wednesdays issue!
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Letters from Our Readers

day. Some manage to escape =
either to freedom or brutal death
when caught.
To the worker viewing this pic
talist-class justice is exposed in all
ture, the sham and fraud Of CAPT.
it's nakedness. 1t brings home to
us in characteristic fashion the
lessons we have learned from the
Mooney, Sacco-Vanzetti and
Scottsboro cases, and that the one
man battle against the frame-up
is utterly futile and if this picture
has not taught anything else, it
has definitely proved to us that
only through mass organization OF
both black and white workers can
the evils imposed upon the ex-
plotted be effectively destroyed.
~. p.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
By II. M. wICKs

MY association with Comrade
M ]. Louis Engdahl dates from the
year Of the beginning of the World
War. 1t was in the atmosphere Of
1914 that I first met him on my
first visit TO the national head
quarters of the Socialist Parry. He
was even then enc of its leaders.
was new member.
To this day / remember wildly
a remark of Conrade Engdahl to
Walter Lanferseik, then national
secretary of the Socialist Party.
Comrade Engdahl said he believed
the whole leadership of the Social
list Party was wrong on war. He
was talking in opposition to a Sc
ries of articles being run in the
Milwaukee Leader by Ernst Inter
mann, trying to justify the course
Of the German Social Democracy
in supporting the kaiser. Karl
Lelbknecht had just broken with
the majority leadership in Ger
many and was being slandered as
stark mad by the deprayed trail
tors and renegaCles. Seheidemann
and Sudekum. Hillquit was de-
Tending the vote of the Kaiser So
cialists for war credits. Berger was
violently prot German They we're
members of the National Executive
Committee. Against them stood A.
M. Sirnons, John M Work, John
Spsrgo, and ]. Stitt Wilson-to a
man pro- British. None of them was
internationalist That was why
Comrsde Engdahl said all Of them
were wrong .t.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
Is Fascist Italy the "Land of
Romantic Dreams!"
Situation of Working Masses Described in Vivid Article

cialistS are doing in Germany at
the present time. And what has ac-
tually ensued? A dictatorship Of the
big banks, the big industriaists,
the big agrarians, more brutal than
ever witnessed before in Italy To
expose this dictatorship in the press
in pamphlets or in leaflets is high
treason and means Punishment,
prison or immediate death for those
who venture to do so.
THIRTEEN years ago the fascistS
! declared that the big concerns
and trusts would be dissolved and
industry be placed on Corpora
tive basis. But what do we see to-
day? Today Mussolini himself pro-
notes capitalist classification, and
the workers and employees working
in the trusts are continually spied
upon.
In 1919 the faSciSts promised a
just system of taxation, and above
all the taxation of big capital-to-
day ever heavier taxes are imposed
upon the working population.
According to the promises
made by the fascists 13 years ago,
the working day was to be s
hours. At the present time the
working day is ruthlessly pro-
lOnged. If any worker dares to
protest against this, he is imme-
diateIy dismissed and thus hand
ed over to starvation, as he is
placed on black list.
1t is intended by this means to
suppress any resistance on. the part
Of the workers. Rendered weary
and docile by fearful exploitation
and severe punishment, they are TO
be kept from any class conscious
action. The women and children
are treated just as ruthleSsly as the
men. Children commence work on
the land at years, and children of
the same age are found in facto-
ries and In the mines.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
KOLLONTAPS
VISIT

The next year Comrade Alexan-
dria Kollontai visited the United
States. The official Socialist Party
refused to arrange lecture tour
for her. But the tour was arranged.
She spoke in Chicago. She said
"the first duty of any Socialist is
to fight his own (bourgeois) gov
ernn.ent." She praised Liebknecht,
denounced the leadership of the
Social Democracy. The Official
bureaucracy called her an anar-
chisS. Comrade Engdahl, as editor
of the official weekly, was called
on the carpet" for praising Kollon-
tai and publishing some Of the
things she said.
In 1918 Cornrade Engdahp was
sentenced to 20 years in prison for
opposition to this country'S partici-
patton in the war. He told the no.
torious labor hating Judge Lands
that he stood on the same interna
tional platform as Leibkpecht In
Germany and that he did not fear
anything the court might do to
him.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-12-13
CRISIS BORNE By
WORKERS, PEASANTS

The whole brunt of the crisis is
borne by the working population
the peasants and workers, the small
holders, the clerks and employees,
the lower officials. According to
official figures the number of I'M
employed amounts to million. AS
a matter of fact their number is
much higher and amounts to near
ly million. And how many are re-
ceiVing unemployment benefit?
Only about a quarter of q million
unemployed receive meagre unem-
ployment benefit, and this only for
a short time.
And the factory workers, the ag-
gricultural workers who are still
in employment, the small employees
and the middle strata? What did
MuSsolini say: at is a fortunate
thing that the Italian people are
not in the habit of eating more
than one meal a day"
THE employed workers, just like
the unemployed, are compelled
to starve. Wages and salaries in
Italy are lower than in England,
in France, in Belgium and in the
Scandinavian countries. The aver
age weekly earnings of the prole-
tariat do not amount to so Lira
(about $3.50; that is what an ItaI-
ian worker, a father of a family
brings home at the end of the
week. Many earn even less, and the
families are large; the number OF
children per family in Saly is far
higher than in Germany, England
or France.
Whilst rates OF wages per hour
have fallen rs per cent since 1929,
and whilst, as a result of unenl-
ployment, and snort time, the aY-
ernge weekly income has fallen
about so per cent, the cost of ly-
ing, even according to the official
statistics, has declined by about
only Is per cent.
The terrible results Of the i'm
poverisfment of the working Mag
es Of Italy. are becoming more and
more evident; the health OF the
population is deteriorating, the
number Of deaths is increasing, the
number of births is declining.
WRECKED
TRADE UNIONS
And the trade unions? What are
they doing for the Italian workers?
Fascism has robbed the working
class, the clerks, employees and the
peasantry of all their fighting Or
CARNATIONS; it has corrupted the
leaders and overpowered the mass
es Of toilers by means of treachery.
And after this treachery there
commenced a period of terrible ex-
ploitation Of all toilers. To fight for
higher wages, for increased salaries
is designated as treason" and cru
ely punished with Imprisonment or
even death. Strikes are forbidden.
Fascism has not kept any of the
promises it made. In 1919, 1t dem
asogically called for the rule Of the
people, Just Like the national So
Evening star., 1932-01-01
ROCKVILLE.

ROCKVILLE, Nd, January l (Spe-
ciaD Pending the selection OF health
officer for Montgomery County in place
of the late DR.. William T. Pratt, the
main office in Baltimore Of the State
Department of Health will, 1t has been
announced by the director, DR.. R. H.
Riley, take care of all emergency cases
in the county.
The Office of the county health officer
is now located in the new court house
in Rockville. Miss Ethelyn c. Pratt
daughter of the late DR.. Pratt, Is the
secretary and in charge and is pre-
furnished by the health department,
report cards and brit and death GER
tificates.
Clayton K. Watkins, clerk of the Cir
cult Court for the county, and Mrs.
Watkins entertained at dinner and
cards in their home in Gaithersburg
Wednesday evening, their guests includ-
ing the members of the clerical force in
the clerks office and few other friends
of the host and hostess as follows: Mr.
and Mrs. J. william Wiley, Mrs. John
E. Ward, Mrs. Warner E. Pumphrey,
Mrs. Lester Bogley, Mrs. Elgie Hawkins
Mrs. Ralph Walker, Miss Margaret
Scherrer, Miss Elizabeth Virts, Miss
Margaret 1ylcr, MISS Hdullle COullSGl-
man, Miss Linda Warfield, Robert
Hughes, James Cummings and F. Ed
ward Hawkins.
Licenses have been issued here for
the marriage of Ben w. Abramson and
Gladys M. Baker, 1S, both of Wash
ington; Eppa V. Groves, 80, Of Alex
andria, Va, and Nellie c. Armell, 26,
Of Front Royal, Va; Julian T. Scott,
Is. Of Linden, Nd, and Annie E. Berk
ley, 18, of Wheaton, Md; Thomas A.
Barton, 81, of Ballston, Va, and Blanche
V. Marcy, 18, of Cherrydale, Va;
James L. Houseknecht, %, and Evelyn
E. Rossegral, 18, both Of Washington;
Leon w. Powell, %, and Eula l. Dean,
%, both of Standardsville, Va; Samuel
j. Bowers. 40, OF Bel Air, Md, and
Pearl v. Mongold, "a, Of Matthias, w.
Va; Frank D. Christian, 25. and Mary
Kathryn Watson, 20, both of Washing
ton; Robert F. Poole, 81, and Hazel
Pauline Butler 19, both of Mount Airy
Md, and Juniper E. Andrew, "a, and
Rubya P. Williams, 81, both of Wash
ington.
Herbert Barnes, Calvin Bready G.
Rust Candy, Chester Clagett, Windsor
w. Hodges and Thomas C. Kelley are
the delegates selected by the Mont
gomery County Farm Bureau to attend
the annual meeting of the Maryland
Farm Bureau Federation, to be held in
Evening star., 1932-01-01

the Lord Baltimore Hotel, Baltimore,
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thurs
day and Friday of next week.
Josiah w. Jones, president OF the
County Farm Bureau and q member OF
the board of directors of the State or
ganization, and Otto w. Anderson and
Albert A. Ady, county agricultural agent
and assistant agent, respectively, also
will attend, as will Miss Antoinette
Darby, daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. John
E. Darby of Buck Lodge.
Miss Darby was recently selected at
a dance sponsored by the County Farm
Bureau as Miss Montgomery and will
participate in a Statewide beauty con-
test to be staged in connection with
next weeks meeting of the State Feder-
alton.
Announcement has been made by
the pastor, Rev. Peter c. Helmintoller,
ir., that because of his absence the
services in the Methodist Episcopal
Church South, at Potomac, tomorrow
morning will be conducted by Rev.
William T. Cover of Gaithersburg.
Conducted by the pastor, Rev. Mel
vim E. Lederer, and largely attended,
watch night services were held in Lib
erty Grove Methodist Church, Bur-
louisville, last night, and similar serv-
ices were conducted in the Rockville
Methodist Church by the pastor, Rev.
Frank A. Tyler, D. D.
The Bethesda Fire Board is, it has
been announced, arranging to entertain
the members of the Bethesda Volunteer
Fire Department at a "Get-together
Party" at the clubhouse Of the Be-
thesda Woman's Club Tuesday evening
John A. Dickinson heads the committee
in charge.
Sheriff Richard H. Iansdale has ap-
pointed Henry r. Benson a special dep
uty sheriff for duty at the Montgomery
County General Hospital, Sandy Spring
and Harry c. Johnson has been ap-
pointed a deputy game warden for the
county by State Game Warden E. L.
LeCompte Both have subscribed to the
oath of Office before the Clerk of the
Circuit Court here.
Evening star., 1932-01-01

now Is. A certified copy Of the re-
straining order will, 1t was stated, at
once be forwarded to the sheriff at
Reno
Through Attorneys Harold G. Smith
of Rockville and H. Winship Wheatley
of Washington, Mrs. Lillian M. Essex
last week filed suit in the Circuit Court
here for a limited divorce from Essex,
charging desertion and inadequate sup
port for herself and children and ask
ing alimony and counsel fees. 1t was
represented in the petition that the de-
fendant had gone to Reno with view
to obtaining a divorce and it was claim
ed that he is a resident of this county.
1t was on the theory that the hus-
band is a resident of MARYLAND and not