The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-09-22
The Fighting
Vet
H. E. BRIGGS


the workers. Last Wednesday the
whole town of Hazelton. Pa.
marched in parade of solidarity
with the textile strikers. This fine
show of comradeship between work.
ers and veterans will eventually win
concessions from the bosses who ex.
plot both
The veterans of Rhode Island, al
this time, are being called upon by
Gov. Green to help break the strike
and picket lines of the militant tex.
tile workers in Rhode Island. Leg
ionaires who have not yet received
their bonus, whose brothers and siss
terS are perhaps among the strikers:
To come out against the strikers at
this time means betraying the
fight Of your fellow workers for
the right to a decent standard Of
living. The fine example set by the,
Legionaires and Veterans of Foreign
Wars in Hazelton, should be fol1
lowed by the Legionnaires and VFW'
in Rhode Island. Comrade Veter4
ans, do not permit yourselves to be
used for mOpping up. Do not be
stampeded by a red" scare. This
Worn-out excuse is always used in
pinch when the powers that be
find themselves confronted with
united front of workers and vet
Grams. 1t is in your power to bring
about better conditions for your
fellow workers and yourselves
through a united support of the
textile workers.
At the last Rank and File Con-
vention in Washington, veterans of
the American Legion, V.F.W. and
D.AV., together with members of the
Workers Ex-Servicemen's League,
went on record as supporting the
Toledo and Minneapolis strikers,
The CroSbie Case
In contrast to the demagogy and
double crossing of the Legion Off
Gals, it is gratifying to know that
the rank and file still have a sense
Of their rights and the CUTS to de-
clare themselves for these rights.
Such Legionnaire is Comrade
Crosbie. He does not take mo-
for an answer. He does not despair
of fighting for the right of the rank
and file to voice their opinions on
the things closest to their hearts.
Who is Paul P. Crosbie? This letter
will tell you.
The undersigned committee of
Legionnaires presents the case of
the American Legion against Paul
P. Crosbie.
He is a descendant of the Amer
lean Revolution; a scholarship
graduate of Harvard ColIege;
member of the Delta Epsilon Fra
ternity; for Is years a successful
insurance broker in New York City;
a former Scout Master; veteran
of the 7th Regt. N.G.N.Y. Exist
1t. Field Artillery U.SA. 1917-1919;
saw service at st. Mihiel and
throughout the Meuse-Argonne; is
charter member of the Legion and
for more than thirty years has been
active in civic work.
This splendid background means
nothing to the local ward-heelers,
whose own background reeks of the
gutter and the barroom. They are
bringing him up on charges. What
axe the charges? l. Disloyalty. 2.
Conduct unbecoming a member Of
the American Legion. Why are
these charges made: The charges
are made because in his fight for
the cash payment of the bonus, for
unemployment and social insur-
ance; for increased wages and inn
proved working conditions for the
employed; for adequate relief for
the unemployed; in his fight against
the Economy Act and its abuse Of
disabled veterans; and in his mill
tant fight against the miserieS of
the N.RA. and Roosevelt's program
for ImperialiSt War, Comrade Cros-
bic has chosen to join the Com
munist Party-a legal political
party.
What does the Constitution of the
Legion say about politics?
Article 2, Sec. 2. THE American
Legion shall be absolutely non
political"
Article 2, Sec. g. Each member
shall perform his full duty as cit
izen according to his own conscience
and understanding
The political issue is an excuse to
get rid Of militant thorn in the
side of the officials who are more
interested in capitalist politics than
the fight for the Bonus, repeal of
the Economy Act and unemploy-
ment insurance; in other words, the
program of the rank and file.
What has the Legion done?
In absolute defiance of these clear
provisions of the basic law of the
American Legion, a member of Bliss
vile Post 727, Long Island City, N.
Y, acting upon the written direc-
ton of State Adjutant Maurice
SLENDER has preferred the above
charges against Comrade CroSble.
His trial is set for September 26th,
before the Executive Committee of
the Post, a committee composed
largely Of functionaries of the local
Democratic club. Rank and file
members will not be admitted.
What do we propose?
Fellow members Of the American
Legion throughout the country: We
must rally to the support of Com
rade Crosbie in his fight for our
dennoc. attic rights. In its Red
batting tactics the top leadership
of the Legion has allied itself with
the breaking activities of the
ruling class and the leadership Of
the a. r. OF L. Already in many
places, as in San Francisco, gang
Il