The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-04-11
Liberal Viewpoint
By DIR. HARRY ELMER BARNES


TN its recent struggles against reactionary
American employers, labor has been en-
deavoring to remove the beam from the eve of
American industry. In this matter it has a we'll
nigh perfect case. But it is likely to get ahead
faster if it first removes a very sizeable mote
from its own eye.
There took place late last winter in New York
city ore of most fragrant examples of the SEEM
ing inability of American labor to reveal intell-
gent insight and to bury its minor differences in
behalf Of larger causes.
New York Socialists called a monster mass
meeting in Madison Square Garden on Feb 16
to protest against the reprehensible activities of
Chancellor DollfuSs in destroying the renarka-
bly, successful Socialist experiment in Austria.
If there was ever time when American lib
erals and radicals might have been expected to
suppress their minor divisions and set forth a
firm protest against reaction, this was the time
Dollfuss had revealed himself as one of the most
contemplate puppets and pretenders in all mod
ern history. Even Mussolini or Hitler should be
more palatable to honest and candid men.
New York progressives and radicals should
have united from the beginning in calling a
meeting OF protest and in seeing to it that it
was devoted solely to a denuncation of the
menace to decency in Austria and other Euro
pean countries.
1t was left to the Socialists however, to call
the meeting. Guided no doubt by their sad ex-
per1enceS in the past when Communists were
present, they did not invite the latter They
came, nevertheless, with bands and banner and
full of defiance. During the afternoon, the
Daily Worker" got out special edition de-
manding that Mayor La Guarda and Matthew
Vol, announced speakers at the Garden meet
ing must not be allowed to speak.
THE meeting broke up in riot and disorder.
Six persons speaking under Socialist
auspices made an effort to address the crowd
! but with no success. Clarence Hathaway edi-
tor of the Daily Worker" was assaulted when
he mounted the platform unlimited, though he
| alleged that he had come forward in the effort
to calm the tumult which he had plainly in
cited in his paper the previous afternoon.
So, this one important meeting called in the
metropolis of the world to protest against the
raid on decency in Austria ended up in the
breaking OF heads among the protesters
If the meeting had been attacked by a con-
tlngent of Silver Shirts" the results could not
have been worse.
The American Civil Liberties Union has
busted itself since this time in making an
unusually thorough investigation of the meet
ing ana drawing up a carefully phrased report
IL IS indicative of the difficulty which liberals
ana radicals find in Suppressing their differences
VI CIeeo ana procedure that even the members
OF the American Civil Liberties Union were 1n
able to agree ~"
addition to the majority report, there were
TWO minority reports. One signed by Rob
ert Dunn and Mary Van Kleeck held that the
majority report had been unfair to the Com
munlstS' while another minority report signed
by Norman Thomas thought that the majority
had been too fair to them.
II group of reactionary capitalists had in
oulged IN such burlesque as the Garden f1asco
Iapor would nave numerically pilloried them
here was present an impressive assemblage of
no less IMAM 1900 radicals-unionists Socialists
and Communists. We could hardly expect them
on all occasions to neglect the relatively petty
dogmas and convictions which divide their
| ranks.
But they certainly could have been expected
on that evening to have dropped their differ
ences in order to battle so obvious foe as
Fasclsm American radicals are on the alert
IN noslng out alleged examples of Fascism how
ever tenuous. Even the new deal frequently
comes in for their condemnation on this ground.
They will do better if they save their energy
and alertness to detect the folly in their own
| inner strife.