The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-04-18

south of Dalmatia, the Jugo-Slavian
province, in which is situated the
towns Of Catt&ro and Ragusa men
toned in the news dispatch.
Before the arInistice was signed BY
Austria, which at that time ruled
parts Of Jugo-Slavia, the Austrian
sailors on board the battleships
"RadetSky" and "zrinyi" revolted and
hoisted a handmade American flag
on the masts. They abandoned
their ships and went home. Right
after this happened, occupation
crews were sent aboard these war
ships from our own sailors aboard
the fleet of submarine chasers sta
toned in the Adriatic.
We we're warmly welcomed by the
revolving Austrian sailors-their Of
ficers having strangely disappeared
beforehand. We found out from the
sailors that there was good reason
for the officers disappearing, as they
knew what was coming to them for
their brutality towards the sailors.
who now had the opportunity to
settle old scores. Naturally, we sym
pathized with them as rank and file
sailors, knowing that the officer
caste Of our own" navy we're Of the
same stripe.
A few days later, our ship, together
with some others in our fleet went
to the town Of Spalato. There we
were warmly greeted by the populace,
who regarded us as friends in their
struggles against the Austrian aris-
tocracy, and against the threatening
imperialist designs Of italy. A
special issue Of the newspaper ''Novo
Dobo" with a front page appeal in
English was distributed to us on the
American ships. This appeal out
lined the sufferinss Of the Jugo-Slav
people under the heel Of Austro- Hun
sarian oppression, and the maneu-
Yers Of the Italian imperialists who
wanted to annex their land for the
greater glory Of Italian civilization"
We, in the American navy. became
for the first time since the war con-
scious of what the war was all about
not to "save the world for democ-
racy" but to change around the right
To exploit from one set of imperialist
oppressors to another. We had an
opportunity to learn the two sides OF
the war-the side of the oppressed
against the side of the oppressor-
which we recognized as existing in
our own free" democracy. no less
than in "autocracies" As one ship
mate expressed it, Il will not do this
again for a million dollars"
And, when we finally got home into
civil life, we realized all the more
where we stood--no longer the "he-
roes," but called treasury raiders"
for demanding our back pay and the
right to live, the same as our fellow
workers
The Bonus March last summer,
when we we're ousted from Washing
ton by force of arms, and our two
comrades, Hushka and Carlson.
killed, and some Of the veterans
children killed by tear gas, showed
us conclusively the brutal oppressive
system of exploitation that has been
hiding all along behind the false
mask Of American democracy" We
know, now, that we must keep up our
struggle. We owe it TO our fellow
workers to establish the responsibility
of the Wall Street government to
take care OF an its victims, by max
ing the coming Veterans March 70
washington on May 18th q success.
We will not allow anyone to divide
the unity OF workers and veterans.
Together, we will win.
MORRIS KLOsNER.
Member Of Post IS, Workers Bx-
servicemen's League.