The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-05-11

OF course, said young Gomez re7ectively. We
made some tactical errors: we must not reueat
them we must learn to work illegally. to h1ild the
movement under conditions Of terror. Above all
we must not stop with Tampa; we must organize
the whole state Of Florida
| ASKED Mama Romero: How old are you? You
don't have to tell me exactly, just in general; and
she said: I am exactly fffty-three
I am calling her Mama Romero not because she
has six children, all Of them from 32-yesr-old
Carolina to 13-year-old Vladimir militant class
fighters; not even because her face lined with suf-
fering and struggle yet now and then flashing
echoes Of the coquetry of her YOUTH is deeply that
of q working-class mother She is in spirit the
youngest and most vigorous of the Romeros; I am
calling her Mama Romero in order to distinguish
her from the other Romeros.
MAMA ROMERo'S STORY
asked her to tell me in Spans1-her English
did not meet the needs of her narrstive-ste story
Of her imprisonment during the great strike Of
1881. Here is the gist of the story:
The revolutionary tobacco workers Of Tampa
asked the city authorities for a permit tn hold
parade on Nov. 7. The permit was granted. Then
the mayor asked what the parade was for; it was
to celebrate the 14th anniversary of the October
Revolution Hmm Hmm Where did the
parade intend to go7 1t was going to pass down
Center Ave. Hin . That settled IT, Center
Ave. is the main stem OF the Negro section: no
parade to celebrate revolutions; no parades among
the Negroes; no permit.
The workers decided to hold an indoor celebrs
ton in the Labor Temple Mama Romero went
to the meeting accompanied by her daughter Caro-
lima, then %; her daughter Yorkina, then Is; and
her son Vesper, then IA. Near the Labor TEMPLE
comrade stopped her: the cops have lust ar
rested your son Vladimir.
Vladimir. the beautiful young devil was at this
time only ten; but he was active in the Pioneers
His father, Mexican worker, a fighter in the
revolutionary movement, had named him after
Lenn.
Mama Romero, followed by Carolina, Yorkns
and Vesper, ran down the street, seized police
man who holding Vladimir by the neck
why are you arresting my son? He is only
babyl"
Il don't give damn if he is your SON" the con
said. He's been selling the Daily Worker and other
Red trash. He's going with US
IF you arrest my baby, you will have to arrest
me- tool"
o. K, lady, come on"
cop grabbed Mama Romero bv the arm Her
two daughters and her son started to run toward
the Labor Temple: "Compsnyeros! They are ar
resting Mana!" The cops chased after Vesper and
the girls and arrested them. The Romero family
was dragged off to the patrol wagon workers
came running out of the Labor Temple. nearby
houses; big crowd gathered in the street.
Look, comrades' Mama Romero shouted see
how they treat women in the land Of liberty, the
land of Washington and Lnconl"
Cops twisted Mama Romeros arms; one Of them
clspped his hand over her mouth The Rnreros
were showed into the patrol wagon It was damned
with other comrades arrested during the meeting.
The wagon started for the city Jail Mama Ro
nero and the comrades sang all the way at the
top OF their voices: Bandera Roja the Inter
national
ITO BE CoNTINuED)