The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-07
THE FORD HUNGER MARCH AND
THE NEXT TASK
OF THE DETROIT DISTRICT

RESOLUTION OF THE DETROIT DISTRICT
COMMITTEE
THE Daily Worker publishes the main sections
OF the Resolution OF the Detroit Party Com
mittee on this important struggle Of the auto
workers:
The Hunger March on the Ford plant arose
out Of the terribly worsening conditions Of The
unemployed workers Of Detroit and vicinity.
Unemployment in the automobile industry has
been rapidly increasing in spite OF the much
advertised revival" following the automobile
show and the spring models Ford issues SEN
sational promises Of employing 10000 workers
and spending $SO000O,O00 ON wages and ma
terials and ever since has been steadily laying
off workers.
Steady Iay-offs in other auto shops was &C
companied by sharp wage-cutS. Those that re-
manned working received one or two days
week. The Murphy administration, in co-operas
ton with the Wall Street bankers, was steadily
cutting down relief. 1.-THE poverty and hunger
Of the unemployed and part-time workers was
reaching breaking point. The program Of re-
lief and work drawn up by the Unemployed
Councils and the Auto Workers Union was re-
jected by the Murphy administration Of Detroit
This Hunger March demonstrated the readi-
ness of the unemployed and part-tirne workers
sub-freezing weather and the great distances
from their homes to the Ford plant.
The savage attack on the Hunger March with
tear gas, police clubs cold streams Of water and
finally with revolvers and machine guns manned
by Ford's private police, Dearborn police and
the Detroit police unmasked the real policy OF
Henry Ford and the city administration Of De-
troit and Dearborn, the police Of Hunger and
Terror
Out Of the bloody massacre at Dearborn per-
petrsted by the armed thugs OF Ford Clyde Ford
and Murphy, the heroic and militant defense Of
the hungry and desperate workers stands out as
the shining example Of the workers courage
and determination to fight against great odds
for their rights.
The gunfire at the Ford River Rouge plant
moved down the marching ranks OF the unem-
ployed workers and murdered in cold blood Joe
York, the District Organizer of the Young Com
munlst League; Joe Russell, active member Of
the Young Communist League; Coleman Ieng
member OF the Unemployed Council, and Joe
DeblasSio, active member of the Communist
Party. But 1t also destroyed the masks Of hypo-
crisy and exposed the liberal pacifst phrases Of
Henry Ford, the humanitarian" and Mayor
Murphy, the liberal friend of the workers"
The Ford Massacre has shown dramatically
to hundreds Of thousands, to millions Of work
ers, how the profit-greedy capitalist class pro-
poses to answer the growing movement for re-
nef jobs and unemployment insurance and the
methods the capitalist governments are prepar-
ing to crush the rising resistance to wage-cuts,
hunger and the hectic war preparations
The Ford Massacre stands as q part and parcel
Of the national Hoover program of starvation
and mass murder already being put into effect
in Kentucky, Scottsboro, Cleveland, Chicago and
other parts OF the country This Massacre is s.
SoretasSe Of what the bosses hold in store for the
working class, when war is declared on the Soviet
Union. To the millions Of workers all over the
world the Ford myth OF 'class peace" high
wages and benevolent paternalsm Of Ford is
expressed in the bloody Massacre of unem-
ployed workers.
The Ford Massacre has Embossed a mighty
storm Of angry protests on the part of the
working class. This mighty protest movement
was the grim answer Of hundreds of thousands
OF workers that murderous terror and persecu-
sion OF the working class will not be tolerated
and that the struggle for the demands Of the
Hunger March shall go on to victory.
simultaneously with the mounting mass pro-
test and mass support for the Communist Party
the Ford Massacre was followed by q complete
mobilization Of the capitalist class government
machinery, its press and its open and concealed
supporters. Over fifty workers. among them the
wounded, were arrested, the offices OF the Auto
WORKERS. Union, Unemployed Councils, the Daily
Wehc0 end a&s QonaEauniE gsxN were ra.deS,