The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-06-12
Veterans Learning
Who Their Friends
And Enemies Are
Veterans Delegates at Washington Conference
Considered Themselves Part of Toiling Masses

sharply than it did the Hoover re-
publican administration. Hoover
drove the veterans out of Washing.
ton with fire and sword. Roosevelt
told them blsnkly that if congress
should pass bonus bill, he would
veto it, The Senate and House APP
pointed committees to meet deIegA-
ton.
This will help to clear up the H.
lusions that the veterans have about
their "eonlnander-in-e chief.
First Voted Against Camps.
The convention overwhelmingly
voted down the demonstration camps.
II many of the veterans nevertheless
in Washington signed up for the
camps, it is due not only to the starv-
alton they have been suffering for
two years. (The average age of the
men was 40, average period Of I'M
employment 2 yearsD, but to the
lack of local struggles.
The convention elected a commit
tee which viii carry on the work
outlined in the program of action.
New men have come into the leader
ship and broadening Of the move
ment is now possible.
Many Serious Weaknesses.
The convention manifested serious
weaknesses and shortcomings. Little
work had been done in the field for
the march and the convention. The
leadership on the platform of the
convention was inexperienced and
manifested such weaknesses that at
times it appeared that the convention
would end in the disruption the gov
eminent desired.
Although there was a good num-
Der of Negroes at the convention
militant Negroes-very few came to
the front. There was no open white
chauyinism at the camp Except in
the Thomas section where the Ne
groes were segregated. But there
was not an open cOmradely spirit be
tween the whites and Negroes-more
one OF tolerance. Negro veterans
were not induced to speak.
Although working with the Com
munists in tie leadership for six
months, the other members of the
National Liaison Committee were OPP
posed TO the Party coming forward.
When Daily Workers were distributed
at the convention, it was used by some
fascist veterans to provoke disorder
and again raise the issue of the reds.
The veterans were unafraid and those
who received the Daily Worker glad
" read It. Comrades Ford. Levin.
Hickerson, Pace and others spoke at
the convention and were loudly an
plauded. Ford bringing forward the
Party as the only supporter OF the
veterans in their struggle.
WE.S.L. Neglected Preparations.
The Workers Ex-Servicemens Lea
que did very little work in prepaFa-
ton for the march and convention.
Had the W.ESL. been on the Job
carrying on struggle, reaching the
other veterans organization the whole
situation in Washington would have
been different. Thomas, Foulkrod
and Woods would not have been able
to stir Up any scare.
Party Slow to Act.
The Party did not look upon the
mobilization of the veterans as its
task. Although the districts had to
carry out four other national actions
within two Weeks-quite a feat for
any Observation-Disclosures it must be
stated-as the small group of COM
munists reported in Washington
most of the districts actually disre-
! garded the veterans march. In some
districts, the ex-soldier comrades had
to fight against section decisions; in
others they had to work single
handedly, with no assistance or guild
anee from the district.
There is a possibility today OF
building up a militant veterans
movement in this country. The vet
Grams have learned from the Roose-
welt as well as the Hoover govern
ment that their demands will not be
granted without struggle. Both
major capitalist parties and also the
SOCIALIST ParGy, are against theln, II
Congress is now in an uphesyal it IS
out of fear of the people back homs--
which shows the mass sentiment thai
can be welded into movement,
The building Of the W.E.S,L, and
of opposition groups in the reaction
AIRY veterans organizations; the build
ing Of groups in the shops, unions.
fraternal organizations, in the neigh
hofheods, to carry on the struggle,
is an immediate task. The veterans
have seen that mass pressure can
bring results, 1t is up to the vet
Grams supported by the rest Of the
workers, to force Roosevelt to eco
nenize" not at the expense OF them
and the workers, but Of the MeTsans,
Kuhn, Loehs, Roekefellers, Melons,
etc.
In view of the international situ-
alton and the grave danger of war,
the building of the veterans organi-
cation and movement is a task that
We no longer dare neglect.