The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-08
Farmers Raise
The Red Flag
In Philippines
Action Shows Peasant
Opposition to Rich
Land Owners
BY SAMUEL WIENMAN


The rapidly mounting struggles
of the peasantry. especially the ten
ant farmers and sharecroppers. of
the Philippine Islands under the
leadership of the Communist Party
against the landlords, money lend
ers, taX-collectors and constabulary
are confirmed in the latest Philip
pines Herald, inperiaist daily news
paper published in Manila, to reach
here. A dispatch from the province
of Tarlac. dated July %, reflects
the intensity and the high level Of
the peasant movement throughout
the islands. Appearing in the Philip
pines Herald under the heading
Red Flag Raised By Ta-lac Far
mers" is the following account,
which we quote in full:
"a detachment of constabulary
soldiers, headed by Lieutenant
Liberato Littawa, were rushed to the
town of Conception where members
of the National Federation of
Peasants recently raised red flags as
a sign of discomfort and opposition
to the land owners Of the town. The
timely arrival of the Philippine
Constabulary soldiers narrowly
averted trouble.
Red Flags in Fields
1.-THE tenants of Conception who
are members Of the federation
headed by one Manshan held a
meeting on July % in which they
discussed their grievances against
the lords cording to the
constabulary investigation. In the
same meeting they agreed to~mani-
fest their feelings by raising red
flags. The situation took on a
communistic aspect when early the
next morning red flags were seen
waving in the fields.
The investigation further re-
vealed that unless thei, demands
were needed the tenants refused to
work on the farms"
New Fake Tax Law
In the meantime Quezon, Roxas
and Co., political tools of Wall St,
imperialism and the native bour-
geois-landlo-d exploiters, are exert
ing themselves to the utmost in
their efforts to cripple the peasant
revolts. In addition to their Gus
tomary methods, including the con-
citation boards, the constabulary
| and n1I+1 a 4rriYAey kI,n 1tz%
Party, the latest maneuver of the
Quezon gang is the introduction of
fake tax revision law in the legis-
lature which promises Ito relieve
many small landowners ard farm
erS in the provinces whose lands
are in danger of being confiscated
by the government for their failure
to meet their land tax obligations
This tax revision scheme is a
plain piece of empty demagogy. 1t
is obvious that the millions of land
less peasants, tenant farmers and
share-croppers, can gain nothing
from any change in taxation. The
real purpose of the device is to re-
duce the taxes on the giant land
holdings; although the poor peas
ants, owning an average of three
acres or less. may be granted some
tiny concession.
Besically the Philippine peasant
problem centers around the hunger
for land. The overwhelming major
1 itV Of the Oeacants ran solve tLei,.
difficulties only by confscating the
lands upon which they have spent
life of toll In this task, however.
they have two enemies to combat
for Wall Street actively supports
the landlords, The Communist
Patty of the Philippines fights on
two fronts: against Yankee i'm
perialism and the National bour-
! geois-landlOrdS.