The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-17

the Standard Oil threw two
millions into the pot to fight
the unions"
All workers regardless of
political ah1liation know that this
is a fight to the finish. NO Los
Angeles conditions in San Fran
cisco, they say. San Francisco is a
union town, and it's going to stay a
union town. This remarkable de-
termination of American workers
to stick to their unions no matter
what the cost is something that has
some basis in tradition, but which
in the present situation is the point
from which the bitter class struggle
here starts.
As the general strike movement
develops in Portland and Seattle,
forcing the employers and authori-
ties to recognize that this is a
struggle unparalleled in American
labor history, the class lines are be-
ing drawn tighter. One would ma
turally expect this, but the rapid
manner in which it is taking place
is most striking evidence of the
acute character of the crisis. One
Of the principal proofs of this is
that the employers, the Federal gov
eminent, state and local authorities
have been compelled to disclose
their basic immediate strategy.
The Employers Strategy
This consists in, first, an organ
lied attempt to terrorize the middle
class and the dependents of work
ers by the threat of a food short
age approxinlating famine condi-
tons. Second, by featuring every
conceivable incident of minor vio-
lence inseparable from a struggle
of these proportions in the press,
and by combining these two factors,
create the impression that only the
most extensive military and police
mobilization stands between the
populace and unspeakable horrors.
The third point in the employer
strategy is to utilize the press, radio,
churches, fraternal organizations
and so forth, to try to make an I'M
bridgeable gap between the radical
element (Communists) and the So
called conservative workers. In the
face of all this it is necessary to
keep in mind that this gigantic
clash of class forces comes as the
result of the waterfront employers
refusal to recognize the marine
unions and to give the longshore-
men control of their own union halls
where hiring is done.
Carrying out the tactical line
indicated by this strategy there is
here mobilization of armed force
against workers and their organiza-
tons unprecedented in the history
of the American labor movement.
The great weakness of this strike
movement as result Of the heavy
concentration of conservative Off
Gals in the leadership is apparent.
This strike shows not only the I'M
mense reserves Of militancy and re-
sourcefulneSs of the rank and file
and the basic role of trade unions
as the combat organizations of the
working class, but it shows also the
handicaps of labor movement
long committed to a policy of class
collaboration.
The San Francisco strike commit
tee has been faced with the neees-
sity of taking over the distribution
of food supplies, One OF its meet
ings was devoted practically to this
question alone. But hence the
strategy of the employers and their
government requires that they main
tain control of this avenue of sup
ply at all costs, the San Francisco
Examiner (Hearst) comes out today
with the following headlines: Food,
protection assured-Mayor marShalS
all forces to feed all and maintain
law and order throughout San Fran
cisco-Ignores strikers offer to per
nit" supply deliveries.
At the same time the Examiner
publishes a full page article ON the
lessons of the British general strike
by one of the hand-picked California
University professors.
It's first page editorial says fur
Their: But if the small group of
Communists, starting with their
control of the Longshore and Mari
time Unions, extend their power over
the community of the Bay area and
thence into the whole, or even part
of the State-California would be
no more fit to live in than
There are many thousands of
honest upright God-fearing hard
working union men now part of the
so-called general strike. The total
of these against the handful of
Communistic radicals, who have got
ten them into this mess, is so over
whelming as to make us wonder
how they have permitted themselves
to be led from wise leadership into
| this revolt against their very selves