The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1935-02-11


tomorrow's Daily Worksr)
By the Editorial Board of the Daily Worker
THE Editorial Board of the Daily Worker
L wishes to correct confused statement
by Mike Gold in his Saturdays Change
the World" column, regarding the San
Francisco general strike and the West
Coast marine strike. Mike Gold wrote:
"Does anyone believe the Communist Party ac-
tuaIly ran the Portland or San Francisco strikes?
1t would be a fine thing if this had been true,
showing that the American workers were at last
learning to be true to their class interests.
But, unfortunately, it was not true These hap
pened to be strikes led by the orthodox unions.
The cry of Communism only red herring
across the trail, put there by the fascst-lke
Chamber of Commerce"
This paragraph is a mis-statement of the actual
facts of the development of the marine and San
Francisco general strike, and distortion of the
whole position of the Communist Party and its
role in strikes.
The action Of the Communists in the San Fran
cisco strike can say helped to change the world
somewhat We are therefore concerned that the
facts of the situation should not be changed
The facts are that the dock and ship strikes
which developed into the historic San Francisco
General Strike and the West Coast marine strug-
gles initiated and led by the rank and file
of the I. L. A, and by the Marine Workers Indus
trial Union.
In tine whole leadership of this vast strike move
ment Communists played leading role. The San
Francisco General Strike would not have taken
place and spread had it not been for long, persistent
previous preparation by the Communist Party and
the correct policy and leadership of our Party in
helping the workers to launch this strike
It was the line Of the Communist Party for such
unity of the members of all unions against the no
strike position of the bureaucratic A. F. of L. lead
ers which rallied the workers of San Francisco to
force the general strike in spite of the wishes of
their A. F. of l.. leaders.
It was the policy of the Communist Party which
spread the marine strike, which unified the ranks
of the workers and which led to the organization of
the rank and file strike committee-the leaders of
the marine strike in San Francisco
The bureaucratic leaders of the A. F. of L. did
succeed in ending the general strike. But the
strength of the rank and file and it's fighting policy
forced concessions from the ship far greater
than the gains won in strikes where the rank and
file was not so well organized.
The Chamber of Commerce led the red scare
against the Communists because they knew that the
Communists were in the forefront of the fight for
the demands of the workers, and they knew that to
behead the strike, they must first and foremost at
tack the Communist Party
The Communist Party in the San Francisco and
general strike and in the marine West Coast Marine
strike fought for the immediate economic needs of
the strikers, fought for a militant class struggle
line and exposed the srikebreakng role of the gov
eminent and of the A. F.. of L. leaders
And it was the militant policy of the Commu-
nists which helped the workers, despite the treach-
cry of the A. F. of L. bureaucracy TO gain important
successes in this struggle.
An examination of the Central Committee Reso-
luton on the San Francisco strike makes all this
clear. ALI who wish to understand and write about
this strike including Comrade Gold should make
study of this important document