davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23
Unemployed Workers
Living in Caves in New York

the smoke. On the fireplace they
baked potatoes, The ground was lit
tered with fragments Of tin, a bag
Of hay and some tatters made up the
bed. The only protection against
rain is when they have sufficient tin
to cover the surface.
My escort, Perry. is five feet eight
inches tall, therefore he must always
creep everywhere. He sits on the box
and his head bangs against the roof
And here are two residents" Tom
Wilson worked eight years on the
Erie Railroad as a package carrier
In 1880 he lost his Job. II used to
carry three hundred pounds and
more. I got 40 cents an hour and
finally lost the job altogether 1t
is now two months hat he has been
living in the ground.
"And where do you get food?" I
inquire.
We'll" he says, plenty Of ma
chimes loaded with food pass By.
Often something falls down and at
times the truck driver gives some
thing. There are days when we suf-
flee ourselves with baked potatoes"
He Comes From HoovervilTe
James Perry, the neighbor in this
grave, is a couple of months in New
York and is two months from st.
Louis. L lived in Hooveryille for
two months" Where is HooverWlle, "
I asked him.
He took a pencil and indicated on
a piece of paper. Here is st. Louis
and here is the Mississippi River.
At the entrance to the city there are
three bridges and at the corner Of
the Mississippi near the three bridges
there is a jungle that extends for a
mile. Here the unemployed, black
and white natives in Hoover's coun-
try, dug out pits where they and their
families live. We named the place
Hooyerville mad at the gate of the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

jungle is posted q sign bearing the
inscription, 'Hcoyerville one mile
lon"
He continues, IAN the way from
st, Louis ! met people who are &C
tually starving. I don't know some
thing will have to be done, it can't
go on that way" He uttered these
words with such yigor that the mus
Giles Redeemed his bronze face. The
whites Of his eyes became larger and
his alabaster white teeth dimly illu-
minated the room and when we part
I'd nc shock my hard. Sure enough
I viii so to tle Peds. only the Reds
have the couraTe to struggle
Overloaded Warehouses
l assembled to the surface. The gas
still suffocated me. How long can
one bear such a life?
Between Ninth and Tenth Avenues
are the gigantic warehouses overfilled
with food and clothing being watched
By armed guards.
A. little further on Eighth Street
and Fifth Avenue, a doorman with
powdered faces stood and slaWshly
bowed before the parasites that en-
tered the magnificent palaces
At the Fireplace.
Early morning came to the ceme-
terry to call Perry 10 go with me tc
the hunger trial that was held ir
Harlem. Perry was not there, he
vent in search Icr food.
A fire was bur1..ng in tire center
OF the field and a group OF back and
white unemployed workers were
standing around it Underwear was
hanging TO dry. We warmly greeted
each ether. The few Daily Work
crs" that I brought with me were
read by the whole group about twenty
in number.
As you look 1t lie faces you dent
see a smile, not a sign Of cc';.;e'' ir
lie, only desl.r and hopclessaess
VIZ see these workers rottii : sway
Ike junk that lies OH the Gel7. My
attention was attracted by one o
the group who read the Daily witt
particular interest. He was a man ir
the early thirties, broad shouldered
strongly built His clothes were moi
outworn. He looked like the average
American worker going to work. WI
began to talk
II slept in the Municipal lodgint
house. This was the first and las
time. 1 won't go there any mor'
even If I we're to die. prefer thi
grave to that sinking house. You
must be in at two and stay until six
then perhaps you will get bed ant
the beds are full of cockroaches tina
are as large as snai!s and when tn
beds are full they put them on TIN
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

nakedness of the multitude the re-
suit of lack of wool, flax or cotton.
We witness hunger by overlooking
granaries, want of clothing and shell
ter by an oversupply of everything
that is needed to clothe and shelter
everybody now in need. We see that
in western Europe and the United
States more than thirty million
workers are being prevented from
producing the goods which they need
so urgently to live like human be-
ings.
AT the same time we see a very
small group Of individuals not only
in possession of the factories, mines,
railroads, and ships. 1t is this group
which causes the crisis. 1t is this
box full of monkey wrenches which
the "Hands of God" have thrown
into the machinery. Looking at the
tools which God uses, let us first
take up those which he employs to
exercise his will right here in these
United States:
G. F. Baker, junior, director of
General Motors, First National Bank
Of New York, American Telegraph
and Telephone Co., United States
Steel Corp, Atlas Portland Cement
Co., Pullman Co., General Securities
| ~ If NayU vO,.Ly proXidaY,t IooY, CO
ciety in New York, International
General Electric.
Albert Wiggin, president of Chase
National Bank of New York, director
of American Express Co., American
Locomotive Corp, American Sugar
Refining Co., American Wooden Co.
with mills in Lawrence, Mass. y
Armour Co., Brooklyn Manhattan
Rapid Transit Co., International Pa
per Co., Western Union Telegraph Co.
and Westinghouse Electric.
j. P. Morgan, president of the Nor
gan Banks and of the United States
Steel Corp, director of International
Merchant Marine, Pullman Co., Dis
count Corp of America.
Owen D. Young, director Of Gen
eral Electric, International General
Electric, Radio Corp. of America,
General Motors.
The proverbial prominence of j.
P. Morgan in international affairs
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23
Profits and Prophets

Fabrik, Riebeck'sehe Montanwerke,
Rheinsche Stahlwerke A. c., Dynamic
A. G., Stickstoff Syndikat.
In every other country which is
stricken by this crisis one could,
without difficulty, discover those in
dividuals whose actions and transac-
lions make suffering universal.
But without attempting to olsen
tangle the threads which are held by
IVAN Kreuger or by French Steel
or Bank Magnates we can now pro-
coed to make the definition of this
god those heavy hand brushes mil
lions of lives into the dust.
Profit is The almighty ruler of five
sixths of this earth today In his
name men, women and children have
been exploited up to the present.
Wars have been waged in his name,
whole races on this continent have
been exter1ninated in the interest of
his Holiness Profit.
God Profit determines whether or
not machine is put. to use, he also
determines whether or not women or
children shall have the jobs of men,
Profit, the unsuitable monster, guards
baker shops and clothing stores and
let's human beings starve and freeze
The Pope's revelations of the unity
Of the Christian God and God Profit
helps only to emphasize the truth
which fearless thinking mep and
women have known for a long time
already.
To prevent revolt against exploita-
ton, profit has always sought the aid
of the gods. In all capitalist coun-
tries profits are being guarded by a
God.
No better proofs for the destructive
unity of profit and religion can we
find than the striking difference in
the social and economic situation of
the masses in the capitalistic coun-
tries as compared with that found in
Soviet Russia.
The Soviet Union is the only coun-
try in the world where God is not
being recognized by an official
agency; only in Russia an active cam
paign against superstituion is not be-
ing disturbed by those in power. De-
spite the pronounced godlessness of
this republic we see that it's economic
conditions are improving. A country
whose people are increasingly becom-
Ing anti-rengious has no unemploy-
ed d2,000,000 in the u. s., while for
instance Germany whose government
pledges itself to protect the cal
mighty God" with police clubs and
machine guns has constant army
For this phenomenon the Pope did
not yet find Catholic explanation
he maintained silent about it. That
much more reason do we have to
tell our neighbors in shop and homes
that the economic crisis is not the
work of supernatural forces against
which we would struggle in vain, but
the result of an economic system that
iSFbuilt upon robbing and that must
be overthrown by the working class
before unemployment, poverty, pau
perism and the growing misery of
the masses can be abolished.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

Again Pope Plus XII makes his es-
cape through that big loophole of
Catholic social philoSophy-the will
Of God:
"The International crisis is too
general to have been the work of
men. 1t Is evident that the hand of
God is being felt and that the things
of the world are obeying the hand
of God"
Poor old Godl Whenever there is
something very rotten in this world,
he gets the blame. Accordingly
priests and parsons have for CEN
turtles already held this patient
phantom responsible for every earth
quake, war and epidemy. However,
speaking of depressions and wars,
the subtle truth of the Pops's latest
statement appears in absolute &C
cordance with facts, if we give the
right Interpretation to the extensible
conception: God. None ever crossed
the path of God: thus every be-
lever has in his mind a god which
corresponds with the wishes and de-
sires Of this particular individual.
Even a god is not able to govern
single handed a complicated enter
prise like our earth In fact, we
know, he does not do it. From the
Pope down to the last subordinated
official in church and state a host OF
people do the ruling business . for
him. For more than nineteen hun
dred years churchmen have preached
and taught Christianity Did the
world profit by it? This one doubts
when reading that for instance in
the last 430 years the nations in
Europe Gall except Turkey, Christian
nations spent 2o29 years in wars.
Our doubts are greatly increased
when we keep in mind that the
Three in-one- God of Christendom
never interfered with acts of social
injustice in this world. The exploit
ing scheme of the feudal landlords
as well as those of the modern cap
itahsts have never been checked by
orders from the sky. Judging from
the results obtained by the repre-
sentatives Of God in church and So
ciety we must either conclude that
this god gives out one set of ordin-
ances to his representatives in the
religious and one to those in the
secular held, or we are forced to be-
lieve that the concept of God as held
by individual persons does not cor
respond to what forces in reality de-
ternines the destinieS of our uni
verse.
According to the Pope it is Gods
hand that causes the international
crisis. To determine the tools that
are being used by God, we shall have
to glance at the results obtained.
Evidently the God Of the twentieth
century is very inefficient in harm
essing the forces of nature for his
purposes In biblical times he pun
ished disobeying creatures and ma
tons either by floods and plaques
or by stopping the sunshining.
The present universal misery for
the majority of human beings can
not be attributed to any natural
cause. The hunger OF millions is not
the result of crop failures nor is the
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

bureau, and there they told me they
help only married people Hunger
forced me to beg, but cannot do
that. I stopped man and asked
him for a nickel or dime. The
blood pounded into my face and the
richly clad man looked at me and
said, You don't appear to be hungry,
you look fat His answer was blow
to me. / remained standing and did
not know what to do. shivered. and
do not know what restrained me from
punching him on the nose. I must
be skeleton to be hungry. He'll"
He gave Inc his name and asked
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23
Lenin's Writings>>Indisbensible
to Today'S Struggles

No better opportunity offers itself
to revolutionary workers than the
anniversary of the death of Lenin to
seriously begin grounding themselves
in the theory Of the Communist
movement. without revolutionary
theory there can be no revolutionary
moveemnt" said Lenin, and he HIM
self offers the best example in how
theory is made part and parcel of
practice, in how it can be used is an
effective tool in obtaining the main
objective of the working-cla
Lenin left as heritage to the
working-c class of the world body of
theory-emanating from the daily
political, tactical and organizational
problems of the working clasS-which
must be Incorporated into the active
life Of the class conscious workers,
recognized as their own, to be ap-
piled and used in forging and leading
to victory the working masses of this
country. English translations of
Lenin's works are now made avail
able by International Publishers, 381
Fourth Avenue, New York City, but
not enough advantage is being taken
by our movement of the great posi-
bilities in revolutionary training Of
fered by these volumes and pamph-
lets.
The Little Lenin Library
In addition to the Collected Works
of Lenin, contained In the larger
volumes, International Publishers has
made possible much wider distribu-
ton of Lenin's writings by issuing his
basic and most important writings in
pamphlet form. The Little Lenin Lii
brary, of which six small volumes
have already been published, once it
is completed will comprise set which
every revolutionary worker will want
to have on his shelf. There can be
no better beginning In acquainting
oneself with Lenins most important
writings than by reading the Little
Lenin Library.
The Teachings OF Karl Marx, vol
ume one in the Library, is a study of
the theory and practice of Marxisrn,
which Lenin wrote for Russian
Encyclopedia, in which he treats his
subject very lucidly and concisely,
outlining comprehensively the theore-
tical basis Of the revolutionary move
ment throughout the world.
In The War and the Second In
ternational, second in the series
Lenin discusses the role of the So
called Socialist International on the
eve and during the World War, the
! opportunism which caused its col
lapse, and the fight of the revolt
tionary workers within the Interna-
tional against the betrayal of its
leaders, fight which finally led to
the establishment of the Third
(Communist) International. Reading
the volume today, the worker will
find that it applies equally as well tc
the Socialist Party OF Norman
Thomas and Haywood Broun.
Written jointly with G. ziroviev
Socialism and War, volume 8 of the
Library, describes the Bolshevik po-
Icy on the war and contains q
thorough analysis of the attitude OF
the social patriots towards the i'm
perialist conflict. In this work i;
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

1923 came back to the factory. work
ed night shifts till 1927. My eyes
we're impaired. Then 1 went to New
York and became a window cleaner"
He mentions familiar comrades In
the trade. Already eleven months
unemployed, ate up everything, was
evicted from his room. Then days
of hunger came, knocked at the door
Of every employment agency.
Begging and Blows
when l am hungry" he says,
every part in my body quivers, for
I am used to eat. You see how I
look l went to the city employment
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

medicine. In Kharkov, for instance, the Soviet
Ukrainian Government has established huge
Polytechnic, or United Dispensary, which is an
outstanding model of its kind. Besider 40 600
resident patients sent from all parts of the con-
try, there are more than 4,5Oo workers each day
who receive consultations and treatments. Yet
everything moves with such efficiency that there
are no waiting lines.
Some months earlier l had visited this clinic,
seeing room after room of shining apparatus
for violet ray electrical and water treatments
sections for mud and sulphur baths the depart
ments on social hygiene and others. This clinic
serves four large factories in Kharkov and also
several workers cooperative apartments. Its
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

thirteen years of age he began to
work in the textile factory of the
American Wooden Mills in Webster.
These are the identical barons that
suppressed through hunger the revolt
Of scores of thousands of textile
workers in Lawrence.
He says, Il worked nine years in
the factory. In the beginning earned
three dollars week for sixty hours.
AT % years l earned already twenty
dollars a week. Patriotism influenced
me in 1921. ! joined the army and
was appointed in the fourth field ar
tillery in San Antonio, Texas. IN
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

Kentucky miners, their wives and children who are
fighting against the starvation program and policy of the
coal operators and their government the policy that the
coal operators trying to enforce by every form of legal
and extra-ega suppressonjalng of the leading organ
zers of the strikers house searches and arrests of strikers
the blowing of relief stations the framing up and muir
der of the militant local organizers of the National Miners
Union, etc-will especially be interested in this article
which places in very clear way the part played by
gon of the principal issues raised against the Com
munist Party and the National Miners Union in Kentucky
by the coal operators and their agents. in the ranks of the
working class
This articles shows the very close connection between
the profits of the Morgans Rockeeers and the nterna
tona nancers of all countries and the prophets of god
Editorial note).
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

fully developed the slogan Of turn
ing the imperialist war into a civil
war and it is especially appropriate
today on the eve of an even bigger
world war.
Although written thirty years ago
during the formative period Of the
Bolshevik Party What Is To Be
DOne?, No. 4 in the Lenin Library,
is invaluable in acquiring clearer
approach to the organizational prob
lens of the Communist Party today.
In it are discussed the fundamental
principles Of organization for struggle
and tactics to be used by a revolu-
tionary working-class party.
In The Paris Commune and The
Revolution Of 1905, volumes and 6
of the Library, are published Lenin's
articles, speeches and extracts from
larger works on these two events
which played such an important part
in shaping the policy and tactics of
the Bolsheviks in the Revolution OF
1917.
In the near future the Little Lenin
Library will be enlarged with new
volumes containing the writings OF
Lenin on religion; on the national
question which will be of special
value in this country in relation to
understanding the Negro question;
his writings on American problems.
in which he was highly interested,
which will include his famous letter
to the American Workers.
New and revised translations OF
some Of the basic works OF Lenin
which were found to have beer
carelessly translated and robbed Of
some of their spirit and content il
the earlier tranSlations, will also soor
be published by International Pub
fishers. The Lenin Institute in Mos
COW, which is preparing the com
plete works Of Ienin In thirty vol
mes, is cooperating in the new
translations which will include Stats
and Revolution, Imperialism, Left
Communism, The Proletarian Revo.
luton, etc.
International Publishers has also
made available the six translated
larger volumes OF Lenins Collected
Works, in a special set half the
original price, in good and durable
binding, which can be obtained ON
subscription basis. Future large edi-
lions of Lenin's works, translated
from the editions prepared by the
Lenin Institute, will be published
shortly and can be obtained in the
cheaper edition only by subscribers to
the first six volumes.
The larger works of Lenin, as well
as the writing contained in the
pamphlets, make substantial start
in a revolutionary library for workers
study circles in the various organi-
cations and revolutionary unions and
units Of the Communist Party. Cir
culation Libraries, the study circles
will find, is an inexpensive method
Of making these classics available to
all members. The works OF Lenin
should serve as a basis for such a
library, which will keep iinnessur-
ably in clarifying the various prob
lens that face the workers daily and
serve as a valuable tool in organizing
| the working class.
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

ssntic iails. On dilapidated bridges
from nearby houses the unemployed
wait for an opportunity to sneak in
TO a corridor and sleep through the
night. The lamp posts keep steadily
illuminating these graves where the
unemployed live. From many pits
sparks mingled with smoke simmer
through the crimneys that were con-
structed in the earth.
AS I came on the field a man came
towards me. We both stopped. The
answer to my Coed evening vas
mfrtendly. 1t was charged with
hatred but after a few minutes con-
versation we recognized each other
oh yes. he said, I read the D,ily
Worker whenever I get it, I even
sold it on the streets. wish all the
workers would read It,"
He began to apologize for the re
ception" You understand. I thought
you we're one Of the gang that the
railroad company sends here to ter
rorize US so as to get nd of us. Wei,
the river is near"
We took stroll over the living
cemetery, We climbed over the
mounds and from under these
mounds human sounds were audible.
My escort. q Portuguese, was thirty
six years old, but looks to be in the
forties. From the coat he wore tat
tiers were hanging. His eye glasses
were frameless, his face did not look
like that of worker He related:
Z came to America at the age OF
four, lived in Ashtabu1a. Ohio In
1925 I graduated from an art school
in Cleveland J opened q studio for
painting IN Aahtabula but ii 1890
I had to close it, Then l arrived in
New York, lived in Greenwich Vii
lage. Now it is three months since I
worked. was evicted from my room
and am without any means Of liveli-
hood, the only resource 1 can take is
to commit suicide
I told him about the struggle that
goes on over the whole country for
unemployment insurance, about the
National Hunger March to Washing
ton. He motioned with his hand des-
pairingly and said, "Comrade, would
like to struggle but l am exhausted
hunger made me to weak to live and
I am too strong TO die
In the Caves.
We crept into one cave 1t was
four feet in height, eight in length
and four feet in width. There we
found two unemployed Negroes liv-
ing. At the entrance of the pit there
was a fireplace built of couple OF
bricks and covered with an iron bar
This served to warm the pit. A tin
chimney served for the emission OF
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23
stony floor in the dormitory."

stony floor in the dormitory."
"A mattress2"
"A mattress2' he repeated jesting-
ly. IF you bring a mattress with
you so you have a mattress. Or the
stony floor they lie pressed together
like herring and you must keep NOV
ing away feet and heads that crawl
into your face and eyes. If you get a
chair at least you can sit over the
night"
He spoke quiveringly. "Oh, never
again, If have to die"
This strongly built worker was born
in Massachusetts, of Polish origin. AT
The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-01-23

plants, studies the effects of certain types of
labor on different types of physique working
out health regulations for working conditions
that are applied not only in these plants. but
that are used as basis for formulating laws
for the protection of labor in general Every
worker gets an examination every three months
In many Soviet hospitals and santoriums
socialist agreement between patient and his doc
tor is signed, in which the doctor promises to
give the best Of his skill while the patient agrees
to carry out all instructions for his treatment,
so that The best results can be obtained