Montana labor news., 1933-05-11
The Washington
Scene
By LAWRENCE 0 D

Full Fashioned Hosiery Workers, in
his role as chairman of the Conti-
mental Congress on Economic Recon-
struction, which will assemble May
81 in the capital. He compares the
present crisis of hunger, unemploy-
ment, poverty and disease, insecurity
of employment and economic collapse,
to the troubled times which caused
the leaders of the American colonies
to set up their Committees of Cor
%respondence and finally their Cont
mental Congress, which led to the
overthrow of British capitalist dom
nation of America.
"When their demands proved of no
avail they translated them into ac-
toni" this practical labor leader says.
eve must translate the spirit of 1776
into the spirit of modern American
democracy. We must work dill
gently to safeguard the families and
homes Of all fellow-Americans. On
to Washington" And he lays down
a proposal that a national council of
the people be established, (which
will exert the pressure of our mass
strength to win legislation for the
benefit of farmers and workers, both
employed and unemployed"
#aa
While the Continental Congress
call is sounding from Socialist and
liberal platforms throughout the
country, summoning men and women
to meet in Washington to consider
how modern democracy shall be made
to work, a number Of other groups
are likewise summoning the people
to travel to the capital to say their
say. In Portland, Ore, the birth
place of the B. E. F. of last year, for
instance, comes a salmon-tinted leaf
let issued by the recruiting headquart-
ers of the Oregon Veterans Liaison
Committee, bearing the same "On to
Washington" slogan. 1t announces
that 'The Roosevelt National Econ
omy League coalition has fired the
openingl gun" by slashing veterans
compensation and other benefits by
$500, OOO, 1000.
eve have been told that we must
not do anything to 'embarrass u
government" the circular remarks
"Our answer to that whimpering
apology is: We are going to do
something to embarrass this govern
ment of ,billionaires, by billionaires
and for billionairesl" And it recites
that a state conference Of veterans
has voted unanimously for a march
on Washington, starting from Port
land, April %. 1t will join in a ma
tional mobilization in Washington,
May IL, under the leadership of the
Veterans National Liaison Commit
tee. Their three demands are: No
reduction is disability compensation,
disqualification, pensions, ETC.; i'm
mediate full cash payment of the
bonus; immediate adequate relief for
all the unemployed and the impover-
ished farmers. The proposed Oregon
quota for this new march of veterans
is 800 or more men. Promoters in
the capital assert that $4,000 veter-
ans will come to Washington in May.
Opponents ridicule the idea that any
large number will arrive.
Ass
While the Socialists and liberals
will be in session in a public auditor
ium, engaged in their economic and
social planning job, and while the
veterans, many or few, will be find
ing shelter and seeking police per-
mits for their parades, the State De-
partment will be busy with its W
On to Washington gathering of for
eign diplomats and government fl
nancial experts. Ramsay MacDon-
aid is arriving and leaving early, but
he will merely set the stage for the
play which is to be enacted between
his staff and the Roosevelt admins
t~ration, on the theme of the world
wide economic disaster. After him
comes former Premier Herriot of
France, and then nine other special
ENJOYS from as many countries
each arguing for new arrangements
that will enable the foreign trade of
their country to expand in order that
profits may be made and the world
wide discomfort of the workers be