Montana labor news., 1934-08-23
The Washington Scene
By Len De Caux

WASHlNGlON-(fIJ-On tHe AVlh
anniversary OF the World War, pros
poets are excellent for the beginning
OF another world war which may really
be the war to end war. Pessimists be-
lieye that such a war will end West
ern European civilization; optimists be-
lieve that it will end with workers and
farmers of Europe taking over the
reins of control and ending once and
for all the senseless slaughter OF the
peoples. d,
The recent ~bloodbaths in central
Europe have proved n thing: that
Fascists hate each other even more
than they do other nations. First
Hitler cody slaughtered hundreds OF
his W supporters because the reac-
tionary employers who financed him
feared that these supporters placed too
much emphasis on the socialist part OF
national socialism. Then Austrian Ma
zis slaughtered the Austrian Fascist
premier and for the past week the two
wings Of Fascism have been busy aim
ing machine guns at each other.
More important however has been
the violent warfare waged between
Fascist Mussolini's newspapers and
Nazi Hitler's newspapers. This YER
bal warfare reflects the clashing in
~terests of Italian and German Fascism
in the cockpit of Austria. Fascism is
nationalism and nationalism means
war. As might be expected the Fas-
cists of Germany and Italy find no
common ground in their Fascism but
rather cause for violent hatred.
The recent outburst of medival saw
agery in Fascist Europe is the death
agony of an outworn social system
based on profit. Under the forms OF
democracy, employers were unable to
operate their system any longer. La
Dor had to be crushed and gagged. Sc
employers subsidized the Mussolinis
Hitlers, Dollfusses and Starhembergs
These creatures gathered armies Of
thugs, hoodlums and perverts, seized
state power, crushed unions and labor
political parties and gagged workers.
These measures however do not raise
wages, shorten hours or create the
needed millions Of jobs. Instead Fas-
cist Europe has slipped deeper into
economic and cultural bankruptcy.
The Hitlers and Mussolinis are neal
the last roundup. The only force left
in central Europe capable OF saving
civilization is labor. Workers, who
have maintained their secret organi-
cations, hold the key to the future.
Union building trades officials admit
that the Federal Housing Administra-
ton means well, but they have little
hope that it will get construction 60
ing. The FILA employs all the we'll
worn machinery for Stimulating pri-
waite enterprise and initiative" so deal
to Hoover and Mellon. It will be
easier for the small home owner to gel
in debt to the bankers under the FILA
scheme for making repairs and addi-
tions. That's the sum and substance
OF this new bootstrap-lifting scheme
as futile as any other Administration
effort to help workers and farmers
without disturbing the firm hold tina.
employers and %financiers maintain ovei
the economic system.
= 4 +
Progressives are pleased with recen.
Administration moves on the power
ship subsidy and communications fields
The national power policy commission
has been created to recommend some
way for easing the burden that the
private utilities pirates have placed or
public purchase Of electricity, gas anC
other needs. The communication,
commission will look into the bloateC
profits of American Telephone & Tel.
egraph, and also into the western
Union-P Postal Telegraph setup. Anoth-
er inquiry has been ordered into the
$30,0O0,000 annual holdup Of the govern.
ment through ocean and air mail sub
sides. Most Of this money has gone
to the industrial autocrats responsible
for the recent longshore and seamen'.
strikes CT the Pacific Coast. These
autocrats refuse even to come under
an NRA shipping code.
4 Il 4
Federal relief officials are down
cast by reports showing that the mum
Der receiving federal relief declined
only 2 per cent in Nav and 4 per cent
in June. The second year Of the new
deal was expected to record an i'm
pressive gain in employment, but the
brief spring upturn has already ended
and the American Federation of Labor
reports more than 100000 without
permanent jobs. Not all the economic
witch-doctors in Washington seem tc
be able to cure the diseased body OF