davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
WANTED: A PLAN THAT FITS DEMOCRACY

When, as frequently happens, we point to incidents that indicate
the rapid passing Of capitalism, we hope that the alarm that sometimes
creeps into our paragraphs will not be misconstrued.
We have no desire TO preserve the privateprofit economy o r the
class society upon which it is based; in fact, we know that it is IS I'M
possible to keep the new from replacing as to halt the passing of time.
What we are alarmed about is the utter absence of any plan for
a new society which has the understanding and support of a majority
of the people.
Much as we welcome the passing of the old order, the knowledge
that it must be replaced by another way of life and that the majority
of the population of all nations are utterly planless IS to what the
new shall be like, makes us apprehensive of the immediate future.
We think it is important that everybody-and especially Socialists
.hemselves-should understand that we r not interested merely in
tearing down. Our chief aim is to build and, like any other builder,
we must clear away the antiquated structure to make room for the
modern one.
We always have hoped, and still do, that the social order that is
now seen taking form would be democratic. But we can't be optimistic
about our hopes so long as most people merely react to misery and
while even the process of specialization itself gets its impetus from the
failure of established forms and customs rather than from intelligent
and puposeful support of a positive program.
The strikes in which thousands of workers m now engaged,
coming as they do % soon after the election of a capitalistminded
leader whom those very strikers followed for more than a dozen years,
are the fruits of planlesness. Workers are miserable; their earnings
have fallen and their living costs have mounted. Therefore they make
demands that will, if gained, solve their immediate interests but will
not lay the basis for a future Of democracy, justice and peace. So far
as most strikers are concerned, they have been hurt and ar reacing
to their pain by saying ouch
People who sneered down through the decades when Socialists
Urged a plan to replace the capitalist anarchy Of unlimited competition
with a planned national and international economy, and who fought
only for an inadequate SOMETHING NOW" didn't know that they
were heading the world toward wars, depressions and fasdsm.
Unfortunately, those who are low fighting for something now"
don't know it either-ReadngL Labor Advocate.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
WHY LEWIS AND GREEN
FOUGHT WAGE INCREASES

The Labor Encouragement Conference in Washington proved one
thing:
President Philip Murray led a single-handed fight o the wage
issue.
John L. Lewis, William Green and management opposet it.
of labor lining up against the wage issue for purely political reasons
is amazing. And politics it was!
No less authority than Dan Tobin assures us that Mr.. Lewis has
made lis deal with the American Federation of Labor. Mr.. Lewis sees
in that move a better opportunity to destroy the CLIO. Both Mr.. Green
and Mr.. Lewis know the CLIO is leading the fight for wage increases, as
It has always done. To destroy al organization which increasingly fights
for the betterment of the workers is a hard task.
But the task would be made easier if the CLIO fight for wage in
creases~ would fail Hence the willingness of Mr.. Lewis and MIR. Green
to team up with management to oppose any discussion of wages.
This villainous conduct has failed. President Murray and the CO
ever. The fight for wage increases will go on-and successfully.
And just for the record, here is the resolution introduced by Presi-
dent Murray:
Resolved, That recognition must be given to the fact that collect
i've bargaining between labor unions and representatives of manage
nent tin many important situations throughout the country has broken
Gown over the important issue of wages, whic has created a very serious
crisis for the nation.
THE representatives of labor and management assembled in this
conference do hereby make n urgent call upon the labor unions and
the representatives of management to engage in genuine and sincere
collective bargaining in an effort to resolve this allimportant wage
issue"
The framework for such collective bargaining has been provided
by the President in his recent message to the nation, in which he stated
that wage increases are, therefore, imperatve-to cushion the shock
to our workers, to sustain adequate purchasing power, and to raise the
national income'-Steel Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
Americans Are Playing Santa Claus To
Big Business In A Big Wuy This Xmas

American industries are getting "theirn"-the money they in
vested IN plant equipment for war production-back in a hurry.
In addition to the scores of billions spent by the Government on
war plants and machinery, private corporations spent sc, 700 OOO, 900.
of capital liabilities under the law allowing them to "amortize" war
plants and equipment in five years time.
Under this extremely liberal allowance for deterioration the taxa
ton for war profits was made light, and 81, 700O 100000 is ready to be
distributed to private corporations from the U. S. Treasury.
The War Production Board revealed just how corporations total
ling thousands of firms now throwing their wartime plant expansions
into peacetnme production have proited by the liberal tax considera-
lions the Government afforded them.
AS pointed out by The Wall Street Journal, the process works as
follows:
For example, a company paying the highest possible tax, 80 per
cent on all its earnings, may have amortization Of $4,000 600. That
saves So 10000 900 of taxes now, but adds the $500 900 to earnings over
The life of the property that is amortized ahead of time.
IF the effective tax rate is 4 percent over that period, the company
will only pay S4OOO,O00 in taxes, and save the other 81, 900 900. More
over, taxes accrue from year to year, SO the company will have the
benefit, in effect of a Notwithstanding instalment loan of the other
81, OOO,O 600 from the time the savings occur until normal amortization
runs out.
"AmOrtzaion of a facility in five years Or less greatly speeds up
usual practice of most firms. The railroads normally amortze steam
usually amortzes a steam generator power system over about 81. years.
A manufacturing concern normally figures the amortization of a sound
factory building over half a century, and a machine shop at so years.
AS an industry, the Nations railroads have benefited most from
he accelerated depreciation plan, w. P. L. statistics indicate. Of the
S6,7OO,OOOOO0 of war facilities O. which amortization certificates were
issued between September, 1910, and August, 1945, 81 percent, cover
ing ST 100000 900 went to the rail carriers
American folks have certainly been mighty good to the corpora
United States o their behalf has played Santa Claus the equal of any
given period of the New Deal And by the way, this Santa Claus ar
rangement was under New Deal ponsorshipL-United Mine Workers
Journal.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
WE DON'T NEED,
a SPY SYSTEM

The State Department is asking
for "a permanent American spy
system" We are told it will only
be used in foreign lands, but it
still looks bad to us.
There is nothing new about
these international spy systems.
History is full of them. They have
never produced anything good and
never will. On the contrary, they
have invariably involved in trou-
BILE the nations which supported
them.
If our State Department cannot
get along without a spy system,
President Truman sh look
around for new men to boss the
State Department. We have just
crushed u enemies, and if we
can't get along with our friends
without hiring a lot of spies, there
must be something wrong with our
methods.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
YUyosIuvio Would Respect
The !fuIian Character of Trieste

the italian language nor the Italian
nature of Trieste makes any differ
ence to us. We feel that Trieste be-
longs to us, to the people of it's
hinterland, the Slovenes and Croats
of Venezia Giulia. The historic,
economic, cultural and family ties
between the Italians and Slavs of
this area make it quite natural that
the two nationalities should feel
the same. Trieste is one with it's
hinterland. The Italians and Slo-
VeneS Of this area are one. There
may be two languages, but if Ian
guage cannot divide us the factory,
the market-place and on the battle
field, how could it do SO in the
work of building up the country
destroyed by Fascism? In a State
which knows no privileged nations,
a difference of language is imma-
terial.
"Kardelj's statement that Trieste
would be a separate Yugoslav Fed
erative Unit-a separate State with
representation to that of House of
Nationalities equal to that of every
Federate Unit, all of which are
several times greater in area and
population - means that Trieste's
Italian character would not be in
the slightest endangered, since
Trieste would be an Italian State
within ~Yugoslavia, with a Slav
minority. The Croats and Slovenes
would have no anxiety for their
brothers in Trieste, simply because
there is no national oppression in
Yugoslavia.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

Indo-Chlna and in Indonesia, Amer
lean weapons have been employed
to drown the aspirations of the
colonial peoples. Apparently the
same situation exists in India, for
the Herald-Tribune reports that In
dian Nationalist have been agitat-
ing against America as we'll as
Britain.
Thus American imperialism is
reaping for the people of the coun-
try the fear and hatred of the
colonial peoples throughout the
world. 1t is making o certain
that the future will see the erup-
ton of the worst of conflicts, a
race Wharf.-The Call.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

BELGRADE. - The newspaper
Glas Istre writes: According to
the Italian Press, there were stormy
OvatiOns in the Italian C~onsulta
when a deputy exclaimed: Viva
Trieste ItalianO"; all the deputies
rose; the gallery rose; and all
cheered Italian Trieste together.
About that time, however, the di-
rector of the Trieste paper, II Lavo-
ratore declared that he found him
self unable to accept his nomina-
ton to the italian C%onSulta, as the
people of Venezia Giula, whom he
was to represent, had expressed
their desire to be part of Yugo-
slavia.
While they were shouting Viva
Trieste Italianor' in Rome, about
200 600 workers were on strike in
Trieste, Monfalcone and Pola.
These workers, the majority OF
them Italians, had repeatedly de-
clared themselves for %incorpora-
ton into Yugoslavia. These Consul
ia cheers remind one of the ire
dentist and imperialistic shouts OF
Trieste" in the Roman Parliament
between 1915 and 1918. 1t was
similar cheering done mostly by
the same people. For instance,
Count Sforza has been elected Pres
ident of the ConSulta. Then as now
Trieste was merely to have been
the first step. However, there are
WellknoWn differences between
then and now.
Trieste has learned that it's TIA
liam character is not threatened by
its Slav hinterland. When they
Wer fighting with the Yugoslav
Army for the towns liberation, and
until the Yugoslav Army had to
leave Trieste, the people of Trieste
had an opportunity to see that the
idea of interfering with the Italian
character of TrieSte's Italian citi.
zens even occurred to the
Yugoslavs, just as the idea of per.
scouting the Trieste Slovenes never
entered the heads of the workers
in Trieste. We Slavs can also shou1
Long live Italian Trieste but oul
cheers will have a different rims
from those of the Roman Consulta
There is hatred in their cheers
while in ours there is only love
love for Trieste, whether Italian OF
Slovene be spoken there. Neither
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
RACE WAR

British, quit India!'' has been
the familiar slogan of Indian Ma
tionalism for several years and is
still the common battle cry. But to-
day, among many inflammatory
placards which adorned Calcutta's
streets, one which struck a new
note, read: THE white dogs must
be thrown out of India" New
York Herald-Tribune.)
This paragraph, which ended a
story dealing with the crisis in
India, illustrates the most moment
GUS event of the postwar era. AS
the CALL columns have frequent
ly predicted, the drive for freedom
among colonial peoples has been
too long suppressed by imperialist
guns to be subject now to tradi-
tional treatment.
Vague promises have followed
vague promise to the colonial peo-
pie but actions have never follow
ed the words. In every part of the
world in which old-line imperial
ism is attempting to make a stand,
the victims of that imperialism are
up IN arms. And more significantly
according to the reports, the color
ed peoples of the world now have
the feeling that they are engaged
IN a united campaign to get the
white race off their backs.
1t is into this situation, when the
decaying imperialism of Britain,
the Netherlands and of the French
is making it last stand, American
arms are being used as the last
defense of imperialism. For the
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
MINISTERS CONDEMN
COMPULSORY SERVICE

Despite newspaper polls" the
people of this country are en-
phatically opposed to compulsory
military training in peacetime. A
splendid illustration of this was
given in Washington within the
last few days.
The Washington Ministerial
Union is made up of practically all
the pastors of Protestant churches
in the Capital. At the last meet
ing of the union, Rev. Custer
Cromwell, pastor of Lewis Memo
rial Methodist Church., offered a
resolution condemning enactment
of any law by Congress which
would provide universal compul-
sorry military training for the
youth of our nation" 1t was
adopted almost unanimously.
A week or so before, Catholic
bishops from all parts of the coun-
try met in Washington for their
regular meeting and they, too,
condemned the Presidents plan
for compulsory service.
These are just ''straws," but
they r impressive "straws."
Ministers of the gospel are not so
far removed from members of
their congregations as to radically
differ with them on such an out
standing issue.-Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
SPIRIT or COOPERATION

An example of the cooperation
which the British Labor Govern
ment is receiving from some areas
of the British Commonwealth of
Nations is the offer of the South
African Labor Party to ship food
supplies to the British Isles to re-
lieve the prevailing food shortage.
Morgan Phillips, Secretary of the
Labor Party, has indicated that
the most welcome gifts would be
cheese, butter, dried fruits and
jams. AS these donations are re-
ceived, they will be distributed
free to hospitals and children's
homes.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
Home-Fronf Accidents Took Greater
Toll in American Lives Than War

A total Of "a 335,00O Americans were killed or injured in accidents
on the home front during World War II, or about 81 times the total
of battle casualties suffered by u. S. armed forces, the National Safety
Council has revealed. The death toll from December T. 1941, to June /
l945, was 335 600 American lives, while the fiVeyear tool was 4850O0.
These cold statistics show that more than a fourth again Is many
Americans were killed in the past five years at home as met death on
the battlefield in the two World Wars combined. The five years and
three months of U S participation in World War and II cost 376,O 900
lives.
The home-front death tool for 1914 alone was the equivalent of the
total population of a city the size of Waterbury, Conn. At the present
rate one person is needlessy killed every five and a half minutes, and
there is a preventabIe injury every three seconds. the record further
reveals the deplorable fact that, rather than decreasing, accidents are
yearly growing.
For a nation that processes a deep respect for human life this is
not a pretty record.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
WAR WAS COSTLIEST
IN NATIONS HISTORY

Deaths incurred in battle during
the last war came within $1,000
of equaling the deaths suffered in
all previous wars in which this
country was involved.
That startling disclosure is made
by General George c.. Marshall
who lists death casualties at 201,-
367, or four times as many as in
World War I, and more than both
sides sustained in the War Between
the States.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
LOO MINERS TO GIVE
TO LIFTING COAL
Estimates Indicate Heavy Loss
Of Life for Production of
Nations Fuel

Approximately LOO coal miners
will have lost their lives by the
end of 1945 in the production of
some $1,000, 900 tons of coal for
the entire year, according to fore
casts issued recently based on IA
talities in the coal industry
through September 80, 1945.
An average of 81 coal diggers
lost their lives each month for the
first nine months of the year in
both the bituminous and hard coal
production mines throughout the
nation, representing one fatality
for each $4,000 tons of coal mined
during the year.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
ALL WAR WILL
BE SENT BACK BY MARCH

Employers will soon lose one of
their major sources of cheap labor
that of prisoners of war. Secre-
tary of War Robert P. Patterson
declared recently that the enemy
prisoners r being sent out as
rapidly as ships are made avail
able, and that by the end of March
all of the 100000 prisoners in this
country will be back in their
homelandS.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

In a study made in Vermont. it
was found that the average dam
age to an automobile involved in
an accident was $500 when it was
travelling 10 miles an hour or less.
When the a was travelling over
SO miles an hour, the average &C
cident damage was $454. ST, ac-
cording to the National Safety
Council.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
In THE WIND
FROM THE NATION

NOW THAT TEXAS NEGROES
have won the right to vote in De-
mocratic primaries, a new type of
political organization is springing
up-the White Mems Association.
One SUCH in jackson County, will
hold a primary of its own on De
cember 8 to nominate candidates
for the unexpired terms of County
Tax Collector Charles A. Mitchell
and County Treasurer Claudius
Branch.
THE NAVY DEPARTMENTS
buses in Washington have signs
that read, These buses are for Of
fetal business only. Any person
using them for any other purpose
will be summarily removed from
office" A friend reports that Naval
Reserve officers are getting in those
buses and joyriding like crazy.
DURING THE WAR crates of
oranges sent from Spain to Eng
land sometimes contained bombs
which exploded when the crates
were opened. But that is all past.
Oranges sent from Spain to Eng
land today r wrapped in tissue
paper imprinted with the British
and American flags, three crowns
and the motto Unity makes GER
tain peace"
IN IT'S ISSUE of November 10
Time maintains a nice neutrality
as between science and theology.
Thus: "Anthropologists no longer
look for a definite single place
where the human race first ap-
peared on earth. They know that
mans ancestors were numerous,
varied, and widely distributed be-
fore they were fully human 49,.
Adam and Eve before the Fall were
food gatherers,' in anthropological
jargon. . But after they ate of
the tree of knowledge and were
driven from the Garden Genesis
3: 1919, they became husband
men"
PRESIDENT TRUMAN has NOM
mated Irwin c. Mollison, a Negro
attorney of Chicago, to be a judge
of the United State Court. This is
the first time a Negro has been
nominated to the federal bench in
the continental United States. The
only previous Negro federal judge
was William H. HASTE, nominated
by President Roosevelt to sit in the
Virgin Islands.
THE COOPERATIVE IDEA has
come to Broadway. Your Theater,
Inc, a new producing enterprise,
will divide its profits proportion
ally among those who buy tickets
prior to the. opening night of each
Of its productions. Thus, since the
spectators are also the angels, they
will eventually govern the choice
Of plays.
THE LATE WERNER SCOTT,
says School and Society of No
vember 10, left $4,000 to the
University of California for schol-
arships ito worthy, faithful, and
needy students from Hawaii, to
Caucasian youths who are not OF
Polynesian blood"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
Hell, Was Better OFF il, the ArmyT
"Inquirins Reporter" From Washington Newspaper
Tells How 9. |. Joe FoHs to Find Those "Cushy
Jobs" With BIG Pay

Lies, like chickens, have a habit of coming home to roost. By way
of llustrato The Washington Post" instructed n of its bright re-
porters to ascertain what is happening to the returning &c. I Joes" who
1lnd 1t necessary to look for a job. The reporter is beginning to describe
MS discoveries, and they make interesting reading.
While in uniform, &c. l. Joe" has been reading about those 500
a-Week-plus cushy jobs the war workers were supposed to be having"
Naturally, he expected to pick up one of these good things as soon as
he could secure his discharge.
But when &C. I Joe" looked for the "cushy S1OO-a-week- plus Job"
II wasn't there. He discovered, too, that the skiHs he was supposed to
acquire IN M army were not adapted to civilian life and that the boss
2ersisted in classifying him as "unsklled."
AS to the pay, he was lucky if he got S35 a week. minus the big
bite" taken by Uncle Sam in the form of taxes.
HELL says C. l. joe Il was better off in the service" The
Post reporter thinks that's right. AS he figures it out, in the army
the average enlisted man Serving overseas and having a wife and two
chl1dren) receives IS pay and benefits an estimated SAT- II a week"
Nothing like that for the returning &c. l. Joe" unless he has a special
skill.
We sympathize with &C. l. Joe" During the war we tried to tell
AIM that those stories about the Fantastic wages being received by
The war workers we're just plain bunk" We pointed out that after the
war worker had met the looming cost of living and paid his taxes he
didn't have much left, and probably like &c. l. Joe" would have been
better off in the army"
Now &c l. Joe is beginning to uncover the facts. Being a smart
fellow, he is not likely to be further deceived by the propaganda which
S being circulated by antiunion loW-wage employers.
They would like to use &C. l. Joe" to break down wages and
working conditions. They are not thinking about &c. l. Joe" " his
wife o II his kids. They ar thinking about their own bankrolls Thew
Will exploit G. l. Joe" as uthlessly as they hope to exploit his brothers
the a workers. We m betting N &c. l. Joes" intelligence. He is
rot likely to fall for the Establishments of the weatshoppers-Labor
Washington, .. c.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
3OOSTiNc BIRTHS

Russia's high birth rate, which
before the war was more than
double that of the United States,
has increased 35 per cent under a
child subsidy program started last
year. Payments to the mothers
range from $75 for three children
to $3.50, plus about $50 a month,
for each child in excess of 10.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

If honor be your clothing, the
suit will last a lifetime; but if
clothing be your honor, it will
Don be worn Observation-Disclosures.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

Civilization is a state of human
development that moves a man to
pay the laundry for destroying his
collars.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

Famous Last Words: "Who does
hat guy think he is, passing me
with that old rattle-trap? I'll show
him!''
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19
THE MARCH O. LABOR

A[HE SUPREME COURT OFMlCHIGM
IN 1910 HELD RAT THE DEAHo or
AN EMPLOYEE DUE OHoWERED
RESISTANCE |RESUkIN6 FROM
AN ACCIDENTAL INJURY WAS
COMPENSATE UNDERA e SHE
WoRkMENS COMPENSATION LAW
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1945-12-19

A Yugoslav Weekly Devoted to the
Interest of the Workers
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF
J. S. F. and It's Educational Bureau