The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-07
Shoot to Kill" Order in Dock Strike
by del

tional Guard troops moved into the
waterfront area late yesterday in
the wake of the bloody police at
tack against striking maritime
workers in which three were killed
by gunfre and lis were reported
injured and wounded.
The troops are under the COM
mand of Major General David P.
Barrow, University of California
professor, recently in Germany at
Hitler's expense, who is now an
agitator for favors for the Nazis.
The order for the movement of
troops were given by Governor
Merriam. Immediately 1850 war
equipped soldiers moved to the city
and those around the bay.
"We have 1900 additional men
to back us up if necessary, and
if that is not enough we will call
the national army, the navy and
marine corps" snapped Colonel
R. E. Mittelstaedt, commander of
the 250th Coast Artillery.
To answer the bloody terror
labor unions were discussing the
question of calling a general strike
in the entire Frisco Bay area.
eve are not going to retreat
from the waterfront" Ralph
Mallen of the International Long
shoremen's Association publicity
committee declared. 1--WE are go
ing ahead and expect to obtain
plenty of help from all other
unions toward general strike"
Plan General Strike
1t is very likely that a general
strike will be declared over the
head of the Central Labor Council,
which is doing its utmost to halt
the movement.
All day yesterday police attacked
strikers numerically with gunfre
and gas bombs. The most savage
attack took place in front of the
LILA. headquarters. 1t was here
that the two men were killed and
most of the strikers were wounded.
Cutters Flowed with Blood
Cutters in front of the hall
flowed with blood as police fired
shotguns, pistols, tear and nausea
gas. Bullets struck buildings and
walls and ripped through street.
cars. Strikers defended themselves
heroically against the whitening
fire with cobblestones torn from the
streets.
Police took up positions behind
telephone poles and fired into the
huge throng until their guns were
empty. They reloaded and fired
again and again. Men fell like ten
pins.
One cop stood at the intersec-
ton of two streets, firing his shot
gun into the ranks of the strikers
as if he were shooting clay
pigeons. He emptied his shotgun
and then proceeded to empty his
pistol.
Those killed by the police fire
were Howard Sperry, 40, strik-
ing longshoreman; gorge
Counequrakis, member of the In
ternational Labor Defense and
Clayton Minor, n, a striker from
Alameda.
Strikers and non-strikers alike fell
victims of the police guns and the
gas. Mrs. Josephine Fuetes was shot
in the head when a bullet from a
policemans gun crashed through a
street-car window.
The police attack spread along
the entire waterfront, Ferry boat
passengers were gassed as they
came. from the Ferry Building at
the foot of Market Street.
Hospitals Filled
Emergency hospitals all night
crowded with victims of the terror
Mothers and wives of the wounded
stood before the doors of the hos
pitfalls awaiting word of their con-
dition.
Ryan Stands with Bosses
Joseph P. Ryan, president OF the
International Longshoremen's Asso-
citation, sided with the government
shipowners and army officers il
verbal attack against the militant
strike committee and the Commu
nists. Attempting to point out tina
the men are not striking for wage
increases, but merely for differen
system of hiring, Ryan blamed thu
rank and file strike leaders for {
failure to settle the strike and no
the shipowners, backed by polio
and the National Guard, who arr
really the ones standing in the wa
of settlement.