The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-09-28
The Special
Conferences
inAmSterdan1
By PAUL FRIEDLANDER.

TILE Amsterdam AnCl-War Con-
gress does not mark the close
OF the struggle against inperialist
war, but strikes the preliminary
note of this struggle. The effects
radiating from the congress will
spread profoundly and widely. That
such effects are possible to a very
great degree, is proved by the COM
position of the congress alone, by
the variety and multi-fariousness
of the organizations, professions,
social strata, and even political
opinions represented. In spite of
these differences 1t was possible
apart from the weak and negligible
attempts at disruption made by a
small handful of Trotskyists - to
form a united front which repre-
sents not merely a temporary
united front of the days Of the
congress, but a permanent fighting
alliance against the imperiaIists and
their lackeys and confederates.
VITAL CONFERENCES.
The deepening and extension Of
the fighting front against imperial
I ist war, and at the same time the
preparations for practical day to
day work, were made the subject
of number of special conferences
held IN connection with the plen-
airy sessions of the congress in AM
sterdam.
A trade union conference, more
important than all the other
special conferences, for the reason
that here the key industries are
concerned and Herewith the key
positions of the workers, dealt with
the problems Of work in the fac
tories and trade unions. Chief
attention was devoted to the arrna-
mentS and chemical industries. This
conference was attended by nu-
merous delegates, belonging to the
Free Trade Unions and social dem
ocracy. Directives were laid down
for energetic every day work in
the shops and factories.
AN APPEAL was issued to the
"A workers, women and trade union
members in all countries. This APP
peal stigmatizes in particular the
role played by the International
Trade Union Federation, whose
leaders announced in Zurich, in
words, that boycott and militant
measures would be taken at the
outbreak of war or even if the war
campaign were continued, but who
have in reality not stirred finger,
in spite of the bloody massacres
in Shanghai, in spite of the occu-
patton of Manchuria by the Japa-
neSe inperialists, and in spite of
the increasing war preparations
against the Soviet Union, but are
on the contrary doing their best to
thwart the efforts of those fighting
against imperialism and war. The
manifesto fornulates the slogans
of the workers organized in trade
unions, in the struggle against a
new massacre of the peoples, and
for the protection of the Soviet
Union and of the Chinese people.
A women's conference afforded
opportunity for the fate of the
women during and after war to
be described in all its horror, and
for the tasks thus incurred for the
mobilization of the women to be
characterized. Among the speakers
at the women's conference there
was a German war widow who de-
scribed the gratitude of the father
land" as follows: SO marks (S12)
monthly for herself and her chill
dren. Those who cannot save the
money for the rent out of this are
thrown mercilessly into the streets.
This was one example out of many.
! The women have resolved to work
energetically not only in the Per-
manent Committees, but in their
own organizations, against imper-
ialist war.
A conference fertile in results
was that Of the physicians, taken
part in by physicians from almost
all European countries. An en-
ternational Society of Physicians
Against War" was founded, with
headquarters in Berlin and Paris.
A peasants conference gathered
II together 60 peasants delegates
from nine countries. A former
deputy of the (Catholic) Peoples
Party of Italy, Miglioli, and rep
resentative of the European Peas
ants Committee, Nieburg, gave adj
dresses. After a lively discussion,
taken part in by is delegates and
enabling useful exchange of ex-
| periences to be made, a unanimous
appeal was made to the working
peasantry, the peasant women, and
peasant youth, in which the pledge
is taken to continue the struggle
under the banner of the Anti-War
Congress. A number of social and
economic demands OF vital inter
est to the peasantry were linked
up with the main slogan of the
struggle against imperialist war.
Other conferences of no less i'm
portance were those of the war
victims, who have still to present
their bill to the ruling class for
what is owing to them from the
last war, and Of the youth dele
gates, who as the cannon fodder
in the next war must be the first to
throw themselves into position
81 defense-and have already done
so-against the threatening blood