Montana labor news., 1937-05-27
Seaman Imprisoned by
Hitler Charms Audience

0cdIlldn LdWiCliCt DliiiPSOif wiz
spent Is months in German prisons,
brought a message of Build the
United Front Against War and Fas-
cism" to nearly 500 Butte people at
the High School Auditorium Tues
day, May Is. He told a grim story
of Hitler in justice, a story that
aroused the indignation of everyone.
Simpson was born in Chicago.
When of age, his search for work
took him to sea and for 16 years he
sailed between American and Euro
pean ports. Like many a sailor he
| became class-conscious - devoted
much time to organizing fellow
workers - made loyal friends in
many ports.
When two of Hitler's storm troop
ers boarded his ship just out of Ham
burg in 1885, it was no accident that
they found among his personal eff
fects a quantity of leaflets treason
ably" calling on workers every
where to fight for democracy and
freedom in their fatherland. Be
sides working for the steamship line
he made it a duty to aid oppressed
comrades in their struggle against
fascism.
Immediately after his seizure,
which was entirely illegal, Simpson
was placed in solitary confinement
For months he had no clue to his
fate-saw no one but his jailer. When
some privileges within the prison
were finally granted he was able to
witness the brutal treatment melted
out to unionists and all who oppose
Der Fuehrer.n His account of Hit
Ter torture methods left his listeners
with the impression that the only
indignities not used in the Nazi
penal system are those that fiendish
~iailers have not yet thought of.
With no legal defense except 6
pro-Hitler counsel, he was finally
brought to trial and charged with
four counts, any one of which would
have brought a death sentence tc
German citizens. Preparation fol
treason" and espionage ere the
charges pressed hardest. Protests
from labor and liberal organization
of every democratic country, how
ever, forced the fascist court to re.
duce his sentence to three years
When the storm Of protest swept
America and Europe after the tria.
the Nazis released him when only
half his time was served.
When freed last December, Simp.
son was forced to return here or
the steamer President Roosevelt tha-
was being manned by scab labor
Without funds he was asked by the
ship captain to work his way back
to the United States. To such a re
quest there is only one answer thai
a man of Simpsons convictions
would make-a flat NO. He con.
Quoted a one man strike on his re-
turn home.
Since his arrival here he has beer
touring the country under the aus.
pieces of the American League
Against War and Fiscism urging
American people to build the United
Front-the only answer to fascisr
war-mongers.
The meeting, sponsored by the
Butte Miners Union, was opened by
Arvo Fredrickson with a brief but
bitin attack on reactionary forces il
the United States. On the question
of Spain he declared that it is today
a testing ground in the worlc
struggle between fascism and de.
mocracy and after an exposure o.
fascist allies in America he called
on all present to support, in every
possible way, the struggle of Span
ish people.
In dealing with Montana reaction
aries he warned, 'only an independ
ent political party that unites Mon
tana unions, farm organizations anC
other progressive groups can cop,
with the corporations control O.
Montana politics."
The meeting was concluded witt
a question period during which
Simpson gave explanations to hal
a dozen queries about his expert
ences and the status of German
trade unions.
pATR0NJZE ORR ADVERTISERS