The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-01-04
International
Notes
BIZ ROBERT HAMILTON
INTERNATIONAL POTTERY
WORKERS MEETING

WORKERS MEETING
BERLIN.-An international meet
ong Of delegates Of the revolutionary
pottery workers in Germany and
CzechosIovakia took place in from
tier town a few days ago. Forty
one delegates were present, including
eight women workers. Representa-
tives of the CzechoSloVakian reyolu-
tionary unions, the revolutionary
union in Selb, the famous Bavarian
pottery and ceramic centre, and the
revolutionary trade union opposition
we're also present. The conference
was organized by the International
Factory Workers Committee. The
conference discussed the situation of
the workers in the two countries and
the coming attack on wages. After
a general report by the secretary OF
the International Committee the del
egates reported the situation in the
factories. A general wage reduction
Of about 80 per cent had been forced
through in stages during the past
year or 80. The capitalist rationale
zation had taken on oppressive forms.
The moving belt was prevelant and
older workers had been flung out and
replaced by women or young workers.
In many cases the employers refused
to pay the tariff rates. However, the
fighting spirit of the workers was
rising and in Germany about 5000
pottery and ceramic workers had
conducted strikes during the past few
months. Heartening success was re-
ported from various districts in
Czechoslovakia, but Deficiencies in
the work were sharply criticized, for
instance, in many cases the work
inside the reformist unions had been
neglected with a resultant lack of
influence on these categories OF
workers. The conference drew up
program of demands and adopted
measures to secure close cooperation
between the pottery workers in Ger
many and Czechoslovakia. 1t was
also decided to establish connections
with the workers in related trades in
France, Great Britain and other
countries. A special German Czecho-
slovaSian committee was elected
consisting Of seven workers.
POISON GAS is HUMANE"
That is what prominent bourgeois
professors, such as Prof. Zanetti Of
Columbia University, department Of
chemistry, never tire of telling us.
The following extract from an arti-
Gle by a Prof. Assman on Effects Of
military and bomb gases upon the
human body in the "Deutsche
medizinische Wochenschrift" tells us
just how humane" poison gas Is:
"Phosgene causes the lungs to be-
come moist and heavy. The reduc-
ton of the breathing surface causes
an oxygen hunger which compels the
patient to strain the breathing mus
culature more and more. This in
creased and more rapid respiratory
movement leads to an acute paraly-
sis of the lungs, which occurs along
side oedema Qnfiltration of liquid
into the lungs. Most important
however, the oedema of the lungs
causes the latter to swell up until
they weigh five or six times their
normal weight. Such a patient looks
like a person struggling for air, with
blue lips and cheeks. The oedema
LIQUID flowing into the bronchial
tubes from the lungs and beaten
into foam by the inhaled and exhaled
air produces an audible rattle in the
throat. In their choking pains the
patients are extremely nervous and
filled with the fear of death"
How sweet 1t is to die for ones
country"
RED GAINS IN CZECH
SHOP ELECTIONS
PRAGUE, Dec. 6. (By MaiD Shop
council elections have been held dur
ing the past week in various factor
les in CzechoSlovakia. The elections
in the Loew and Beer textile plants
n Zwittau resulted brilliant VIC
tory for the red trade unions and
severe defeat for the Social Demo-
Gratis. The revolutionary uni n
polled 1913 votes, a gain Of "a over
1881, while the socialists dropped 1913
totes to a total of I'll. Thus the
tied Unions have majority in the
chop council for the first time.
The shop council elections in the
big chemical works in Kaznejov near
Pilsen also produced further gains
for the revolutionary trade unions.
They polled 179 votes, a gain OF 40
over 1890, while the combined So
cialist poll was only II votes, a loss
bf 81 votes since 1880.
COMMUNIST MAJORITY IN
TOWN ELECTIONS
Municipal elections in the town OF
.yanova Lehota, in Slovakia. resulted
IN a smashing victory for the Com
nunist Party of Czechoslovakia. The
Communists won 20 out of total OF
40 seats in the Town Council, thus
gaining two-thirds majority.
In the elections in Rim. Sobota the
Communists polled 723 votes, gaining
seats, or a clear ma ority of 1 over
all the other parties together.
IDIOCIES OF THE PRESS
The following is quoted verbatim
from the highly respectable Gazette
de POise" OF Compiegne, France:
Here is story that appeared IN
the great Moscow journal "Izvestia":
The cooperative of little Siberian
city ordered toothbrushes and tooth
paste about a year ago. 1t has just
sent the entire stock back to the
central warehouse, less one tooth
brush and one tube Of dentrifice.
A young nurse, Lisa Koubareff, had
been the only one to make use OF
them. And she swore that she would
never do 1t again.
.nTThe pasten she explained, lis too