The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-10
The Waste Land

NURING the first day Of the gen.
" eral strike the employees of the
American Trust Company were
forced to sign petitions requesting
that San Francisco be put under
martial law to protect the citizens
from violence inspired by radicals
and Communists. There are re-
ported to be only five employees
who refused to be terrori1ed into
signing the petitions, one of them
a girl. They were Immediately
hauled off to the city jail and given
the third degree by the police, who
tried in every way they could to
make them admit they were Com
munists. When they couldn't prove
anything the five were released and
allowed to return to work. There
they were reprimanded severely and
told they were guilty Of insubor-
dination and that If anything of
the sort happened again they would
lose their jobs. This incident was
not reported in the press.
About ten days ago the employees
of the Emporium, the largest de-
partment store in this part of the
state, were herded together one eve
ming and addressed by a represen-
tative of the San Francisco Cham
Der Of Commerce on the danger of
the red menace. They were inform
ed that there are a million radicals
in the United States; that So. 900 900
a year were spent for Communist
propaganda, most of the money
coming from Russia, and that
1t was up to them as red
blooded American citizens to COM
bat these subversive influences.
After the meeting they were all
given cards to sign which would
pledge them to defend the City.
County, State and Federal govern
ment against attacks from any
source. At the bottom of the pledge
cards was appended, of course, this
sweet little sentence: "This 1 do Of
my own free will" Pledge cards are
now being printed by the thousands
to be signed by the employees Of all
corporations and business OF any
kind in the bay area.
In the interior Of the state, as
everyone knows by this time, open
violence has been the method of
procedure for over a year. At Sac
ramento, Pat Chambers and Caro-
line Decker, organizers Of the Can
merry and Agricultural Workers In
dustrial Union, as well as several
others, are being held in jail under
charges Of criminal syndicalism. In
the Imperial Valley, Stanley Han
cock. another organizer of the @.
A.W.IU, was Kidnapped one night
by gang of growers and leading
citizens. He was taken to a lonely
spot off the highway where a GAL
lows had been erected in front of
newly-dug hole, grave-size. Here's
where you're going to be hanged"
he was told, land here's where
you're going to be buried, the next
time we catch you. Now get the hell
out of here"
These forms of bludgeoning are
only sample Of what is to come.
But what has happened in San
Francisco should serve as an object
lesson. When the police terror COM
menced here the liberals, as usual,
either scurried to cover or openly
whooped it up for the attacks on
workers and Communists. From
July 18th, the day of the first raid
on the Marine Workers Industrial
Union, there was not word spoken
publicly against the terror until
July 23rd when the Scripps- Howard
News ran a timid meal-mouthed
little editorial vaguely condemning
the "vigilantes" for their attacks on
property and civil rights. This edi-
torial was followed by another on
the 18th that was not much better.
A few resolutions were passed by
various groups. Finally even the
reactionary San Francisco Building
Trades Council issued a statement
cautiously protesting the "curtail-
ing of free speech and the unlawful
interference with individual rights.
| (The Council waited until the Bird
of August until they thought it was
safe to come out of hiding). But
the finishing touch is this: the anti
Communist racket is so hourishing
that the Better Business Bureau
sent out a release to the papers
warning people to investigate the
status Of red batting organizations
before contributing any money to
make sure that their money was
really being spent on the righteous
pursuit of Communists and radicals
If there can be any doubt left as
to the effectiveness of liberal pro
test" against wholesale terrorism
the last three weeks in San Fran
should dispel this doubt forever. For
this has just been the prologue to
open fascism. When the real thing
comes the liberals will be there in
goose-step.
But the strikers have not for
gotten. A group of teamsters were
talking together in a corner store
one night shortly after the strike
had been broken well" one OF
them said, I'VE learned one thing
in this strike. anyway. And that Il
that the Communists were the only
| ouoS that didn't soil nc o,,4 -