The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-05
World Front
By HARRY CANNES

I a
L one of the political econ
omy classes I used to teach
for the Communist Party Ma
tional Training School, 1 have
just received a letter on the
conditions of the Mexican
peasants. This comrade. a Mexican
worker, who was brutally beaten in
a Southern state, sentenced to a
heavy prison term, and then de-
ported, is now teacher in Mex
lean farming village. I quote from
his letter.
"The Mexican peasants here work
the land from sun-up to shutdown
for twenty-five Mexican cents a day
| (about 8 U. S. cents and three
litroS Of pulque IA Mexican brew.
Their jacales (huts) are made
under the trees out of pencas de
maguey, and a whole family sleeps,
eats and cooks outside.
Their food consists of pulque,
some nopales azadoS, and tortillaS
when they have money to buy corn.
Hundreds Of children die every year
from malnutrition They sleep
throughout their whole life on the
cold floor. They have to resist the
terrible cold with only long pair
of pants and a thin shirt. They
never have any shoes. They do not
own piece of land, because the
new landlords that the revolution
made got it for themselves.
"Yet fascist attacks here in the
country are growing every day
under different forms, aided by the
governments demagogy. When a
cSeasant starts organizational work
to protect or demand land. or bet
ter wages for the poems, they are
murdered like dogs in their own
miserable jacaleS. The casiques
Qocal bosses), backed up by the
government officials have terrorized
the peasants to such an extent that
they do not even talk to them.
|
1 capitalist press, the government
Representatives cry that the Mexican
revolution has distributed the land
to the peasants and has bettered
the conditions of the poems and
workers But the facts are that
dozens of our best comrades are
sent to the ISlaS Marias, Pacific
Coast penal island, when they fight
for better wages and better living
conditions
I'm some places where the peas
ants have gotten land, not given to
them by the landlords, but as a re-
suit of their militancy, they are or
ganized in 'ejidos.' They are under
the domination of casique, and
are forced to obey his command,
attend all sorts of fascist demon
STATIONS that the government lead
ers call. If they refuse, their land
is taken away from them. But this
is not all. The most important fact
is that the ejidatarios are organized
into fascist army, based on the
kulak peasants. They are given
1920 rifle and a horse, and they
are told that they are to defend the
land though in reality they are
utilized to defend the landlord
capitalist government of Mexico.
IT am sending you money order
for So q pesos, IL centavos). One
dollar was collected here among
| the poor peasants who make Is
Mexican cents day-slaving away
the whole day under miserable con-
ditions. They send this money to
help our Daily Worker in its f1nan-
cial drive. know this is very in
significant sum, but yet 1t is the
help that comes from these COM
rades in the struggle. Please credit
it to your column. With revolu-
tionary greetings. N"
COCIALIST and Communist pris-
y oners in Linares (Jaen), Spain,
held a meeting and sent the follow
ing letter to the Central Committee
of the Communist Party of SPAIN
"At a meeting held by the whole
OF the prisoners In Linares prison,
the bulletin issued by the c. G. Of
the Communist organization was
read aloud, containing the report
of the proposals of the Communist
International for solidarity action
for the workers and peasants Of
Spain.
AFTER discussion, taken part
in by many of the prisoners, it was
unanimously resolved that the G.
P. of Spain should send revolutions
airy greetings to the Communist In
ternational and express appreciation
of its courageous stand for solidar-
ity with the workers Of Asturias.
Catalonia, and the whole of Spain.
We are in full agreement with the
G. G. and G. T. in their struggle for
the liberation of the oppressed Of
the whole world.
Long live the Communist Inter-
nationall Long live the G. c. of the
G. P. of Spain! Long live Soviet
Spain! Long live Soviet Russia and
Soviet China!" Signed by the So
cialists, Communists and non-po-
litical prisoners in the prison Of
Limares (Jaen).
THE Socialist deputy, Ramon Con-
tales Pena, who fought side by
side with Communists on the barri-
cades in Asturias province has just
been arrested. He is charged with
having taken leading role in the
Asturias Soviets, and faces the death
penalty. He led the miners of ABB
lana in their armed struggles against
the Lerroux-Robles fascist regime.
Several members of his family, who
were sheltering him, were also ar
rested.
Socialist members in the U. ST.
| Every daY more Socialists and Com.