The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-14
BY ROBERT KENT

This is the first number OF the
official publication of the American
League Against War and Fascism or
ganized at the U. S. Anti-War Con-
gress held recently in New York.
The united front aspect Of the Or
ganization, containing in its ranks
diverse viewpoints, is also reflected in
its publication, although with the
pacifist note dominating which was
not altogether the case at the Con-
gress, at which militant working class
elements predominated.
Despite an important shortening,
this publication deserved much praise.
Simply yet very attractively printed
and made-up, it has the elements for
popular appeal to the American
masses. Stressing in number of
articles, drawings and pictures the i'm
minence and horror of war, it fills a
most urgent need, that Of waking up
the American people to the danger of
another world murder-bath.
In 1.-TWO Fronts" Henri Barbusse
points out that there are two sides,
the imperialists, full of war
menaces," faced by all the workers Of
the world and the Soviet Union,
struggling against war and fascism. +"
No compromise between the two is
possible, Barbusse shows, and he calls
on all intellectuals, professionals,
pacifists to Join ranks with the work
ers against the war mongers.
Negroes Speak Of War" by Lang
ston Hughes, shows effectively that
the Negro people can expect nothing
but intensified persecution, increased
lynching, for fighting for the inperi-
alists. THE Murder Makers" by
| Fenner Brockway, Chairman of the
British Independent Labor Party ex-
poses the work Of the nunition trusts
to precipitate another world war for
| greedy profit. The horror Of war and
/ the cynical neglect of war veterans
by the American government is force
fully indicted by Nan Lee in "A War
Nurse Tells Her Story" Fascism pre-
| pares for'war is the keynote in a well
written article, Germany and the
War Peril" by J. B. Matthews, Chair
man of the American League Against
War and Fascism.
How to stop imperialist war? This
subject remains to be handled adequ-
ately by this publication. Practically
every writer expresses his wish for
the cessation Of war. but it remains
a wish. DirectiveS are lacking.
Roger Baldwin, writing as a con-
scientious objector in the last world
war, starts from the correct enough
premise that war is caused by con-
f1ict among capitalists for markets
Accurately enough he shows that con-
scientious objection by religious types
who want to save their souls" and
| by the individualists, anarchist types,
who hold that no society has the right
to conscript them, are forces we must
| not rely upon. But the cure he pro-
poses is equally missionary, and an
out and out pacifist solution. The
| general strike, the refusal of farmers
to help war, is his main solution. To
prove the effectiveness Of this, he cites
the wholesale refusal of the Russian
workers and peasants to serve in the
last war.
Mr.. Baldwin forgets that their re-
fusal followed only after heroic
propaganda within the Russian army
by the Bolsheviks. This, the most eff
fective method yet found for breaking
up imperialist war, activity within the
military ranks, is ignored by Mr..
Baldwin and by other writers.
The publication is extremely worth
reading; it contains additional ar
ticles and an anti-war playlet as we'll
as pictures and drawings that make
1t a remarkable first issue. Differ as
we may with its yagueness as to
methods for stopping war, We can
agree whole eartedly with it's pur-
pose of arousing the masses against
the new world war danger. It's forth
coming issues should be watched with
great interest.