The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-06-01
LOOKING AROUND
and BEYOND
By
FRANK R. CROSSWAITH

without pressing upon the bIaea;r,
prov OF democracy crown Of dicta.
tOrial thorns. IF the Communists bo
lieve in democracy as they 50 Iopdlv
proclaim, then why don't thev nrac-
tice it in the Soviet Union? Thu
record shows that in order to establish
their dictatorship in Russia, the Com
munists' first attack-with the aid ~
the former German Kaiser who nor
mltted Lenin to pass in a sealed car
through the German military lines
was upon the new born babe of democ.
racy with which the workers and
peasants of Russia had replaced tbe
dictatorship of the Gar. Again No
ask, if the Communists believe il
democracy then how can they Justify
their rape of Poland and Finland-to
say nothing about their untying Of tba
hand of Hitler and thus aiding in the
Nazi destruction of Denmark. Norway
Holland and the other European ma.
tons in which the working class had
succeeded, under democracy, in max
ing the farthest advance in coopera-
tive action?
FAULTY AS AMERICAN demo.
cracy is, and this writer's recognition
of its faults is over a quarter of a cen
fury old-nevertheless, under it we are
able to carry on the fight for the
Scottsboro boys, the fight to OUTLAW
lynching, to abolish the poll tax, etc,
and above all, to permit the Commu-
mist dominated 3rd National Race Con-
gress delegates assemble in a govern
ment-owned building in the CAPITAL
of the Republic and there verbally
attack the President and everybody
else with whom they disagreed. In
Russia this could not be done with
out the delegates being called upon
to face firing squad. These are some
of the important differences between
our imperfect democracy and the per-
feet dictatorship of Communism,
Nazism and Fascism which Colored
Americans and all workers cannot
afford to overlook.
UPON THE ADJOURNMENT Of
the Third National Race Congress, Mr..
Randolph sent a statement to the Col
ored press. Some of the papers failed
to carry any part of that statement.
A few of the thoughts expressed in
that statement should prove of much
value to the readers of this column
Here are a few:
in an executive committee meeting
in New York City. Mr.. Davis in
formed it that the Communist Party
contributed one hundred dollars per
month to the Congress. The Con-
gress should be controlled and re-
sponsible to no one but the ColOred
people. +. When the Congress loses
its independence it loses its soul and
has no further reason for being. 1t
also forfeits and betrays the faith and
confidence of the Colored masses. 1t
will shatter the hopes and aspirations
of the Colored people who yearn and
pray for a Congress that will not sell
out either to labor or capital, to Com
munists or Republicans or Democrats.
''Since the trend of the National
Race Congress is obviously toward
domination by the Communist ;. |
will not stand for reelection as Presi-
dent. =. | favor the Congress collabo-
rating with non-political white organi-
cations that are progressive, liberal
and sound. :. Colored America must
beware of all subtle forms Of Commu-
mist propaganda poison to save them
selves from destruction. 1t seems to
be beyond the realm of debate that
Colored people cannot afford to add to
the handicap of being black the handi-
cap of being Red"
ITO be concluded in the next issuel
Editors Note-Mr. Crosswaith is
general organizer of the international
Ladies Garment Workers Union and
Chairman of the Colored Labor Com
mittee.. He has long been active in
Labor and Socialist circles. In this
column Mr.. Crosswaith expresses his
own opinions which are not necessarily
the views of THE GUARDIAN.
ment policies of the present and past
decades. A combined Dictator de-