The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-09
Red Leadership in Cal.
Strikes Raised Wages

lively open arms By the workers
workers who could not possibly be
worse off,
The Communist led struggles
spread throughout the state, carried
by the workers themselves. Few
read the papers. Many are Hitter
ate, especially among the MeXicsnS.
But word Of mouth news Of organ
ization, strike, better wages, spread
like Wildfre. They do not know
anything about Communism OF
Communists. They know only that
red agitatOrS" organize strikes and
win. There is a charming incident
I heard which illustrates the point
An organizer who had been ac~
tive in the San Jose fields sp-
preached a group Of Mexican mi
gratory workers and talked union
to them till the sweat dripped from
his face. The workers listened spa-
thetically.
Got to be organized" they finally
told him.
That's right" be said hopefully
Tn an organizer from the Can
merry and Agricultural Workers
Union, part of the T.U.UL. -
NO" they said deterninedlv.
The organizer argued some more
but could not judge them.
You want to be organized, don't
you?" he finally asked desperately.
Yes. Sure"
That's what I'm trying to do
mo good. No want Agricultural
Union. Want organizer from San
Jose Union"
They did not know that this or
ganizer had organized the San jose
Union. They did not know that the
San Jose Union was part Of the
Agricultural Workers Union They
did not know that it was Commu-
nist-led They knew only that the
San Jose union had been we'll or
ganized, had won an increase and
that was what they wanted
With those migratory workers
with whom I talked there was an
actual eagerness to be organized. It
is this very eagerness and the sym
pathy with which it is being viewed
by labor generally, that Is giving
this area and the state the red
filters.
THE Chamber Of Commerce, the
l Agricultural Labor Bureau which
acts as a clearance house for work
ers, bankers, business men, charity
rganizations-al Of whom 7 asked
for information about conditions
among workers, from their own
angle, turned suspicious eyes upon
me.
who are you and what do you
want it for?" they invariably asked
Just gathering material about
conditions" you explain.
I'VE don't know anything
When you press them you finally
get the reason:
How do we know you're a writer?
And suppose you are a writer, what
sort Of stuff are you going to write?
What use will you put the informa-
ton TOP"
"All I want rs facts" you tell
them repeatedly.
How do we know you're not a
Communist and you'll use the facts
m Stir III, troi1hIe9n
Are they Of that nature?"
"Of course not" they explain
hastily. But things are very tick
fish here. These Communists are
organizing agricultural workers and
that's spreading to other workers.
There's been trouble already
bloodshed, killings. We don't want
to give the Communists any more
ammunition.
Then the facts are Of such ma :
ture that they would be good propa :
ganda for them?"
Things are ticklish. You don't
know who is a Communist today
And if they continue organizing
around here there may be trouble. u
They are simply scared and the
press is whooping it up-news, edi J.
torials-all warn of the rise and
menace of Communism here,
ITO Be ContinGed1