The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1945-10-20
Editors Mail
1913 Gratiot
Detroit. Z. Mich.
Oct. IL. l945
To the Detroit Tribune:

| iHIltdltuH NfA'"NNto az t"VTN
who pickeied his meeting as to-
iali,arian liberals. AS organizer
for the Workers Party. whose De-
iroit branch was one OF the spon-
sors OK the Sept. 81 picket line.
ana whose Los Angeles branch
sinelehandedly organized SINH
lar action against Smith IN that
city. request space in your pa
per 10 reply TO this accusation.
ar. prob is not alone in his
viewpoint In an editorial on Sept.
~ The neirch News writes the
behavior of 10 pickets was tar
red with the mark OF fascisn at
least as much as anything that
went on inside the hall The
News however carries its opln-
ions to their logical conclusion.
supporting not only the righi Of
smith 10 hold his meeting but the
right and duty Of the police who
defended him TO heat two pickets
into Inconsistencies.
l Wonder II Mr. nrob confines
me defense OF smiths rights 20 a
verbal and literary plane. or II he
TOO condoues the actions Of The
police For our part indignation
f, and profess, are justly directed not
AGAINST the piekets bur against
smith ana against the brutality Of
( the police
Gerald J.. X smith is a fascist.
li scths hy his fantings against
the labor movement. against the
jeNs ana asAins, the Negroes, to
30 iu '1is country What Hitler did
IA Germany For proof OF this
contention. refer you TO the
Pamphlet The Truth about Ger-
atl Smih published hy the Work
Party
FAselsm aims az the brutal Nip
ing OUT OF the ORGANIZED labor
movement ana az tie destruction
of the democratic rights OF all the
people II Would no doubt be pre-
fegahle il this matter could be
sWiled Us amlcable round table
seminars. hut unfortunately FOR
fence straddlers whose good IN
;tr,ions lead them astray, il can
nor
What We must face squarely is
~tis a powerful fascist move
ment will cause violence, blood
shed and deaths a Tive and Icy
live attitude toward this deveoip-
irg movement will NOT proven, or
eliminate these eyi's but viii
merely permit the faists the lux
wy OF choosing when and under
What conditions TO initiate their
terror
have no doubt IN my own
mine that M Drobs sympaihies
VIII Ne extended 70 the victims Of
any slch fascist movement and
that hts protests asAnst It's yiol-
once viii Ne forthchomine TN
face he himself micht he one Of
us victims But We prefer that
ihcre be no victims or II there
must. then as few as possible and
thar condolences become unneces-
sary
Cancer must bc cut out carly
or tho body perishes The time 20
act asainst tie cancer Of fasclsm
is NOW when there IS still time
to cut il ont aiih the least injury
That is the only way 10 reduce iis
anti working Ass violence 10
minimum Powerful mass action
TODAY can prevent repetition OF
bloody an'tNcero riots tomorrow
Mr. nroh should know those les
sons We'll fog he heals the Social
ISL party Or Michigan which was
affiliated o The German social
Democratic party through the La
hor and Socialist international
The SDP. tho socialist party ~
Germany. was he most powerful
single party IN Germany prior 10
tho rise N Hitler. II received .
million votes In 1928 and enrolled
goo 600 members DESPITE this row
~ precisely because Il shared
Fundamentally the same vlews as
/ Mr. nrob. II permitted the Nazis
bands 20 rise from fanafical
/ handsei 70 dangerous army. DId
rs passiyiiy and tolerance prevent
violence and terror. and preserve
democratic rights? The answer IS
nov history.
one might reply If fascism at
tacFs as physically. we will de-
fend ourselves, bur II il confines
Itself % meetings. we viii ignore
IT, But this IS strange argument.
Accordingly II | see the fascist
sharpening his knife to cut my
throat must not take up a club
and knock the knife from his
hand but once the knife is wheit-
ed and is os way 10 my heart. then
I may resist
NO We say: Organize against
fascism NOV The way to prepare
now Is for the trade unions 10
form anti fascist Workers Defense
Guards 20 train and organize 10
protect the labor movement and
an the people against fascist vlol-
ence
Einnllv NJ nrnh MIN ~.