The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-26
by del

JllS AIldIgamaGeQ Association of
Iron, Steel and Tin Workers is
preparing another battle against
the power of the steel trust, the
lessons of 1919 are particularly sig
nificant. The strike was preceded
by brilliant organizationaI cam
paign. The courage of the workers
was unbelievable.
For the first three months the
walk-out was ninety-eight per cent
effective. The workers stood firm
against wave after wave of brutal
terror. The strike could have been
won. Then, as now, the bureau
cracy Of the A. F. of L. worked
nand in hand with an Impartial"
government. Gompers, head of the
Federation, connived with Woodrow
Wilson and withdrew his entire
support from the workers at the
most critical moment. Wilson'S
brand of liberalism was lust as
murderous as Roosevelt's. Wilson
/ appointed a National Industrial
Conference on which the impartial
representative of the public" was
John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
When members of the limited
Mine Workers Of America Joined the
steel workers on Nov. l. 1919. #
looked as if victory were assured
The solidarity of mine workers and
steel workers meant that both
would win their demands. Wilson
whined that "a strike under these
circumstances is not only unjustifi-
able; it is unlawful"
On Nov. II, John L. Lewis forced
the miners to return to the mines
declaring, true to his lifelong role
OF defender of the mine owners,
We are Americans, we cannot
fight our government" This was
followed by fresh wave of terror,
murder and arson-and Lewis.
Gompers and Wilson had the salts
faction of seeing the strike de-
feated.
Lewis, Green and Tighe are play
ing the same tricks today. And
they have the same conniving part
nership with the suave gentleman
in the White House.
Still in the Front Line
Today again the rank and file
steel workers prepare for major
struggles. Today again the class
lines are drawn-and in the front
line of the workers ranks stands
Foster-and the Communist Party
Of which he is chairman.
Foster, deeply grounded in ex-
perience of the class struggle, hav-
ing analysed and tested the weak
nesses of social democracy, De
Leonism and syndicalism. was quick
to learn the lessons of the Russian
revolution. He attended the Third
Congress of the Communist Inter
national and the First Congress of
the Red International of Labor
Unions in Moscow in 1921. He
Joined the Party in 1922. In 1924
he became chairman of the Party,
being the Communist candidate for
President of the United States in
three successive elections.
Trade Union Organizer
His most reaching activity
during this period has been in trade
union work. He organized the
Trade Union Educational League,
which became the Trade Union
Unity League, Of which he has been
the National Secretary since its
foundtion. In this capacity, he
has played a leading role in the de-
cisiye industrial struggles of the
past fifteen years. His influence
has been a potent factor in the or
ganization of militant rank and file
work inside the A. F. of L. unions.
During the Presidential cam
paign OF 1882, he continued his
speaking tour in spite of a devas-
tating illness which eventually
forced him to retire from active
work. Today although he is not
completely well, he is throwing
himself with self-sacrificing vigor
into the work of the Party.
Individualistic petty bourgeois
liberals, with an inordinate estimate
/ Of their own egos. concealing their
hatred of Communism under glib
| phrases, have a pet objection which
they repeat again and again. oh,
the theory's not so bad" they say,
but Communists have no big men,
no first-rate leaders," Who of us
has not heard this gag time and
again from all types of intellectu-
ais? 1t is clear that these liberals
think of leadership in terms of
theatricality and super saIesman-
ship. Curiously enough, the liber-
ais were saying the same thing in
Russia in 1917. They werl con-
WINGED that Kerensky was more
dramatic figure than Lenin-until
events proved the farcical weakness
of their judgment,
A Brilliant Leader
The annals of the American
working class show that they have
been richly endowed with brilliant
and devoted leaders. William z.
Foster by no means stands alone;
he is one among the outstanding
figures in the American revolution
airy movement of all time, a veteran
OF the class struggle whose strength
and worth have been proved in the
heat of conflict. His strength lies
in his closeness to the masses.
Today, on his fifty-fourth birth
day, the American workers greet
him with clenched fists and strong
voices, as they march fearlessly and
with iron determination-Toward
Soviet America