The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-27
The Contributions OF ]. Louis Engdahl.
to the i. S. Workingcldss Movement
Fight for Scottsboro
Boys Caused Death
During Tour .
BY HARRIET SLOVENIAN

In the records of the Eye Opener
edited by Comrade j. Louis Engdahl,
after the American Socialist" was
suspended in 1917, we find him writ
ing: Recognize the Russian Soviet
Republic and keep the japanese out
of Siberia D.. Let the u. S. Govern
ment do this and act now" 1t has
taken 16 years to achieve this. Com
rade Engdahl did not live to rejoice
over this new triumph of Bolshevik
power. But he knew as surely as the
sun rises and sets, "It Is inevitable
that the Bolshevik Revolution that
put power In the hands of the pro-
ducing masses In Russia, will spread
to all the nations of the earth" To
accomplish this, to free the millions
Of toiling workers from hunger, mis-
cry, unemployment, fascist terror,
lynchings and war, he gave his life.
Comrade j. Louis Engdahl died in
Moscow Nov. 81, 1882, stricken by
pneumonia after an illness OF three
days, exhausted by the tour through
the leading European capitals fight
ing against the monstrous lynch
frame-up, to save the lives Of the
nine innocent Scottsboro youths.
The unrelenting fight which Com
Irade Engdahl waged as National Sec
rotary OF the International Labor De-
Tense for more than two years, the
unrelenting mass protest which re-
suited, held the bloodhounds Of capt.
talism at bay. They are ready to
spring once more. Once again we
must arouse all the fighting power of
Negro and white workers to prevent
this, to put an end to lynchingI
Comrade Engdahl came of prole-
tartan stock. He knew what 1t meant
to work at all kinds of jobs as
youth for a meagre existence. He in
herited his rebellious spirit from his
father who was carpenter, the first
organizer and president Of Carpen-
ter's Local No. 7. The difficulties
which beset those who fought the
battles of labor in the early days in
this country, made profound i'm
preston on the boy. Throughout his
80 years Of devotion to the revolu-
tionary movement, he remembered
these lessons well.
Comrade Engdah1 entered the So
cialist Party in 1909. He became a
leading force as editor, organizer and
agitator. At one time he was secre-
tary of Local Cook County, Chicago.
He was member of the Topographic
cal Union from 1914. He was editor of
various Socialist organs including the
Chicago Daily Socialist and the
American Socialist.
Before and during the last impe-
rialist war, differences were develop
ing in the Vocalist ranks which were
to split the Party into two histile
camps. Comrade Engdahl was among
the Left Wing forces who sincerely
believed that the Left Wing should
bore from within" Those who are
familiar with the history Of the So
cialist Party know that within year
of the st. Louis convention Of 1917,
the socialist leadership came out
openly In favor of imperialist war.
Engdahl was against the war. AS ed
itor of the American Socialist he
was brought to trial with four other
Socialists for violation of the So
called Espionage Act" His stand be-
fore the infamous 1abor-hating Judge
Kenesaw Mountain Lands, who SEN
fenced him to 20 years Imprisonment
in the U. S. Penitentiary at Fit.
LeavenWorth, was as different from
Victor Berger's and the other So
cialist officials, as day is from night.
Eugene Debs, also sentenced at the
time, was against the war, but he
never found his way into the Com
munist Party, though he was OPP
posed to the refornist Socialist
leadership.
Engdahl's posts in the Communist
Party were varied as the struggle it.
self demands. AS general secretary of
the International Labor Defense he
rendered splendid service in mobiliz-
ing broad mass support against CAPT.
talist justice-its courts and hang
men. Comrade Engdahl died at his
post, in a campaign which has con-
WINGED broad masses of oppressed
workers, Negro and white, Of the
SlliCCIlty dllO III uC WUI hlIl6 -Cl1oo
character of the LID. as a workers
defense weapon, and of the Commu-
mist Party as the fearless leader Of
all struggles Of the workers and OF
the struggle for complete emancipa-
ton Of the Negro on an equal plane
with the white worker.
Conarade Engdahl hated capital
ism with every fibre of his being. He
was the first editor OF the Daily
Worker. He loved revolutionary jour-
ualism for the power it Yields as an
organizer of the masses. He was iden-
titled with the revolutionary struggle
on all fronts, and was at one time
chairman Of the Central Control
Commission OF the Party.
The day to day battle for imInedi-
ate gains found him always ready,
whether the call came to participate
in the militant struggle OF 1900
women dread strikers" In Brooklyn,
fight before the City Hall for re-
lief for the jobless and unemploy-
ment insurance. a rent strike else
where, call Of working class youth
to explain the historical role Of the
working class, or the need to bring
the class war issues into the heat Of
the election campaign Of the CAPT.
talist parties. His efforts were I'M
firing. His zeal and enthusiasm,
boundless. His faith in the final vic