The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-12-19

VEOAUSE Jne N IA. Is the spear
~ head Of the Roosevelt method OF
attack against the workers, the activ-
tiles and attitude of the Socialist lead
ers towards this act has most clearly
exposed their role as social-fascists
That is to say, by their deeds in help
ing Wall Street through the Roosevelt
N.R.A. program they are helping the
onward march of fasciSm and fascist
attacks against the workers living
standards and rights.
From the very beginning the So
cialist leaders supported the MIRA
This support was not unqualified. II
was Shiny. The New Leader" CHIEF
organ Of the Socialist Party, Norman
Thomas, the late Morris Holquit, and
dozens of others of the Socialist lead
ers, praised the MIRA. as a new hope
for labor, as an easy road to socialism
New Deal and "New Era
They paraphrased RooSevelt's New
Deal tripe by talking of a New Era
of Capitalism" But they would ii
serve their masters, if they did moi
support the MIRA. with the specia
type Of lying left phrases they use tc
fool the workers in the Socialist Party
and under its influence.
While the whole bulk Of the So
cialist leaders energy was devoted tc
Stacking the workers with the MIRA.
they covered their deeds with crit
ical' phrases, which was their specific
method of helping Roosevelt's pro.
gram from the left.
Now the Socialist leaders come tc
/ the defense of the MIRA. at a critica.
stage in its history. In Washington
Norman Thomas and Louis Waldmar
worked out 5-point program on tbs
/ MIRA. that has the endorsement o.
the Socialist Party.
EVERY worker should examine Thu
~ program to see how the American
! Socialist leaders follow step by ster
their German and British brothers ir
helping the advance OF fascisln, il
| trying to keep the workers from over
throwing capitalism, and in helpine
the rich eXploiters maintain their Sys.
tenn Of exploitation, misery and war
The results and functioning of the
MIRA. are now beginning to appear
more openly as wage cutting anc
strikebreaking and as an instrument
Of capitalist oppression.
The central purpose of the N.R.A
was to lower the standard of living O.
the workers in order to increase thu
profits of the exploiters, and to keer
the workers from striking against thi,
process.
The Socialist Party leaders took w
the promises OF Roosevelt abou
higher living standards, increased
purchasing power and the right O.
organization.
The Communist Party declared tina
the MIRA. codes, which set minimum
wages, we're actually intended to lowe
all wages to this minimum; that price
would be increased, and as a result
the workers standard Of living great,
lowered. At the same time. the Com
munisy Party pointed out that tn,
N.R-A. would be used to break strikel
and attempt to smash the workers
right of organization and struggle.
What has happened since is nov
written in lower pay envelopes To-
all workers and in the bloody recorc
of the Ambridge, Philadelphia, Utah
Fayette, and dozens of other strikes
as well as in the Weirton, Ford ant
Budd betrayals.
Not even the reaStionary leaders o.
the A. F. of L. can deny that the
bosses power has increased and thai
real wages were reduced under thu
MIRA.
All this, the Socialist leaders worked
for in their support of the MIRA.
But now they have new task. II
the face of the undeniable facts, il
the face of the growing disillusion.
ment of the workers, they find it ne.
cessary to increase their support fol
the NR.A. to help Roosevelt and The
exploiters rebuild faith in this meas
ure.
THE Socialist leaders sense the grow
4 ing indignation OF the masses, the
symptoms of rising strike wave, ano
they act now to seek to keep the work.
ers from struggling.
Their new program on the MIRA
is designed for this end. After admit
ting that minimum wages are being
fixed at shockingly low figures" ane
that purchasing power is going down
with disastrous effects on millions Of
workers, the Socialist program says
TT defeats the very purpose Of the
N.R.A.-the one purpose upon which
all others rest"
Profits Up, Wages Down
From the very start the Communist
Party pointed out it was the very pur-
pose Of the N.R.A. to lower living
standards. 1t Is no accident at all that
this was achieved. The huge corpora
tions through the MIRA. increased
their profits 600 per cent. The workers
had their wages lowered and face the
prospect OF skyrocketing prices. Fol
the Socialist leaders now to say that
the purpose of the N.RA. is to in
crease wages is flying in the face Of
facts, and performing precisely the
ScINlCS tiiht wan otIcCb cApcCto VI
the Roosevelt demagogy and its So
cialist support.
Unemployment Insurance
The new" Socialist program adj
niits unemployment is a flop. But
they resort to the methods Of the
New York Evening Post, and Green
by calling on the capitalist Congress
to remedy the situation. They defend
Roosevelts abandonment of his lying
promises to introduce unemployment
insurance. They want the hungry
masses to starve while Congress talks