davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
BUY THE COAL MINES, INSTEAD OF
RUNNING THEM FOR PROFIT

The soft coal mines of America are being operated bv the u 6
government. The Navy is the agent of the government in this opera
ton. The union, the United Mine Workers of America, AFL. has a
controct with the government which was signed by Secretary of the
Interior Krug.
The mines n still privately owned, and their profits are going
with the union, and refuse to accept the contract negotiated by Krug
and Lewis, under which the mines are now being operated.
The mine owners are performing no function, yet their profits are
guaranteed. The union wants its contract, whoever manages the mines
and has demonstrated that private management is not essential to full
production.
The government, especially the Navy, wants to get out of running
the mines. 1t wants to turn them back, the sooner the better, but the
mine owners have so far refused to make this possible.
Why worry about giving the mines back to the private owners?
Why continue to allow them to collect profits?
The government should take title and make its decisions with the
unions help. The unon is much more capable of full, efficient and
regular production than the mine owners are.
The government should, in addition, apply all the profits it has
been paying to the owners toward payment to them for the mines -
at an uninflated price. These profits under government ownership can
be used each year for this same purpose. Nor than that need not be
paid, since the owners would not be making any more from the mines
if they owned them.
If this takes years to pay them off-too bad. They'll be lucky to
get this regular income. They don't deserve even that for their con
tribution" to the mine industry.
If under recommendation management, more money is spent
on safety provisions, and profits are cut down, that is also as it should
be, since that IS primarily making up for the lost time-tme lost by
the operators in not installing such safety equipment during all the
years the mines were theirs.
1t is illogical and unjust for the United States Government to con-
tnue to play office boy for the mine owners. If coal mines are so i'm
portant to our economy that the government must take them over,
are also too important to remain under private, selfish control.
All we need now is a good lawyer to change the title on the deeds,
and to change the name on the paymnts which the owners are receiving.
The Call.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
Bye-Rye 'LiberuF?

Doris Fleeson notes a possible
reform in the American language.
Describing the recent left-Wing
conference here, she said: " Pro
gressive' is what they now desire
to be called. Kindly omit liberal"
By all means. A British LIBERAL
successor to "Whig," believed like
an Amer. Jeffersonian Democrat
that the best government is the
one that governs least.
In historic Americanese liberal
has had several meanings. One
described the foe of prohibition.
Another was a believer in a "Wide-
open" town" In 1872 it was a
Republican supporting Horace
Greeley against Grant.
About 1912 liberal" began to
mean the political creed of rich
young men enamored of the up
lift" or the Greenwich Village
brand of sociology. Bob LaFollette
Sr. and Theodore Roosevelt we're
''Progressives," not liberals"
They would have snorted at the
latter word.--The Chicago Daily
News.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
ChUrchM's United
Stotes OF Europe

Political and economic Indignation of Europe is an ideal long
cherished by The Nation. Nevertheless, we read with regret and alarm
Nr,C hurchlls speech at Zurich calling for a United States of Europe,
smee advocacy from such a source is calculated to strengthen opposi-
ton to the idea. AS the London Times points out in a critical editorial,
many people will conclude that the British Tory leader was really
calling for a United States of Western Europe More than that they will
conclude, and rightly, that what he is after is the creation of a con-
sentative bloc dedicated to the task of stopping Russia. But no genuine
unon could be built on so negative a foundation, and even if it could,
II would inevitably provoke a war which would complete the deStruc-
ton OF Europe The only hope of bringing European countries together
IN a positive way lies in the development of integrated socialist eco
nOmles-a proposal which a hardly command the support of MIR.
Churchill. In 81 far as most European countries re reconsructng their
Industries on socialist lines, the foundations of greater economic unity
are perhaps being laid. The completion of the structure will not be
achieved in the early future, but there are some signs of action trans
cendng boundaries. One example is the AngloFrench accord signed
in the past few days. It's Immediate purpose is the funding of the
French commercial debt to Britain on generous terms: but by providing
Tor regular consultation between the two countries 0 n trade problems
anu for the coordination of industrial plans, it also points the way to
permanently closer economic relatons-The Nation.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
Upton Close Wants
More Money n.~

Through the courtesy of a friend,
we have had a chance to read a
"heart-to-heart" letter sent out by
Upton, Close, radio commentator.
Mr.. Close boasts that he has fought
New Dealism and dictatorial
bossism in labor"
AS a consequence, he has re
ceived $140,0 in contributions,
and as our friend comments, that
amt hay" Some firms, he says,
have sent in as much as $4,000
and individuals have fed the
kitty" to the tune of $1,000 each.
Sponsors of that kind want Mr..
Close to lambast labor unions, and
he tries to make good.
But Mr.. Close needs more money
and he needs it right away, and to
those who hesitate he gives the
assurance that "the Hatch Act and
the Corrupt Practices Act do not
apply" to his activities. In other
words, you're invited to evade the
law.
1t was Barnum who said there's
a sucker born every minute" In
view of the fact that Mr.. Closes
"shake-down' has produced S14O,-
900, we submit that Barnum's
claim was an under-statement. -
T ohOr
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
Cooperation does it. One piece of a pair of scissors won't Gu
The two together are effective.
Be Deceived About II

Its enemies call it "socialIzed medicine" They go O. the theory that
you give a dog a bad name he will soon be starved to death or driven
off into the wilderness.
It's friends call it a national health program. The idea is that every
American should be assured decent medical service, including the
services of dentists, occuists and specialists.
The Weu-to-do a meet the necessary charges, but no man
who works at any ordinary trade can get what he needs along medical
Lines without going hopelessly into debt.
Great Britain has such a system. 1t was started by the Conservative
party and has been expanded by the Labor party. No doctor is COM
PEELED to attend a patient unless he wishes to do so, and no patient
compelled to accept a doctor unless he likes him. In other words
there is the utmost freedom between the physician and his patient.
Other countries have similar systems.
The big thing about the proposition is that the poor a a get
adequate medical treatment-the kind he isn't getting now. Of course
he pays for it-or at least for most of it-just as we pay TO other
forms of social insurance in this country-Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
NEED NOT ACCOUNT
FOR MILLIONS

When Congress gives up its right
to know what is done with the
money it appropriates for govern
ment agencies, a dangerous prece-
dent is set.
1t happened recently when a
Senate-House conference commit
tee agreed to give the Secretary of
War $14,480,3 800 as a confidential
fund for spying in other countries.
No report need be made on how
the money is spent.
Such secret spy funds are part
of the "Old World" system from
which our ancestors fled to Amer
ica.-Labor.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

Kappa bear IN a gruft voice:
Who stole my beer?"
Momma eBar in a shrill voice:
And who stole my beer?"
Baby Bear: "Hic,"
y * Il
Recruiting for the armed forces
is reported to be going ahead at a
pretty lively rate. Probably a lot
of young fellows have discovered
that being a civilian is a luxury
they cannot afford at this time
Howard Brubaker in The New
Yorker.
Scene in an EgliSh barroom:
Limey: "Allo, Mary. Are you
'aving one?"
Mary: mo, it's just the cut of
me coat"
Conscience is something that
gets a lot of credit that really be-
longs to cold feet.
* :. =
There are four requisites to a
good short story" explained the
English teacher to the class. "Bre-
witty, a reference to religion, some
association with the royalty, and
an illustration Of modesty. Now,
with these four things in mind, I
will give you 80 minutes to write
a story"
Ten minutes later the hand of
Eva went up.
"That's fine, Eva" complimented
the teacher, land now read your
story to the class"
Eva read: "Heavens!". cried the
countess, take your hand off my
knee"
Imagination is something that
sits up with a wife when her hus-
band is out late.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS: Bet
you a buck l can beat that train
to the crossing!"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

al life or American public opinion,
nor even information from the
American press, but material such
as appeals by anonymous YugOSlav
organizations against the regime
in Yugoslavia. Cor example: ap-
peal of an unidentified YugOslav
WOmen's organization on the OC-
casion of the conservation Of the
American military cemetery. l re-
ccived this bulletin on the street
where it was being distributed.)
1t is not necessary to be an ex-
pert on YugoslaVia and the United
States to know that the effect OF
this kind of action must be mega
tive. This does not further friendly
relations. It makes possible the
abuse Of Yugoslav and American
interests and the interests of peace.
Among Yugoslavs it naturally
raises the question: What is the
motive of such action?
Friendly warning brought no re-
suits. l see from the papers now
and from official notes that the In
formation Office was distributing
several thousand copies in Serbo-
Croat, of articles written by Leon
c. Pridonoff in the Los Angeles
Herald and Express" that these
articles did not refer to American
life, but maliciously attacked
YugosIavia. When an average
Yugoslav receives from the Amer
lean Embassy in Belgrade this
kind Of bulletin he is convinced
that what is written in Mr.. Prido-
motifs article is the official Ameri-
can view and the opinion of the
American people.
It is not necessary to underlin"
that the result is negative and
harmful not only for Yugoslavia,
but for the United States and her
position in general. l know, since
I am a little better acquainted
with America, that this is an exag-
geration, but the average Balkan
ite can not be expected to have
such knowledge. l must add that
Mr.. Pridonoff was an official m
ployee Of the American Embassy
in Belgrade. He is now in the Unit
ed States, but his previous work in
Belgrade will have a very, very
unpleasant repercussion for some
other employees of the Embassy,
since the kind of work Mr.. Pride
noff did in Belgrade is condemned
in every state in the world regard
less of regime.
SaVa N. KOSanOVic,
YugoSlav Ambassador.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
NOT INFORMATION BUT PROPAGANDA

Washington, D. C.-In connec
ton with the recent closing Of the
United States Information Service
in Belgrade, Mr.. Clayton, Acting
Secretary of State, gave a state
ment to the press which said in
part:
1T is the fundamental issue OF
whether the people of one country
are to be denied access to the
opinions of and information about
other people.
1T seems to us that without
that access to such information,
there is perhaps little hope of I'M
d~erstanding between nations; and
without such understanding, it is
needless to say, that the patient
efforts Of statesmen to try to find
ways and mean of maintaining
for all time to come the peace OF
the world may be greatly ham
pered."
I agree in this with Mr.. Clay
ton. 1t was for such reasons that
the Yugoslav Government wei
coined the opening of this service
in Belgrade. Among other officials,
MOsha Pijade, Vice President OF
the Presidium, and | were present
at the opening. l, as Minister OF
Information at that time, in an i'm
promptu speech, following Mr.
Patterson the American Ambassa-
dor, expressed my views as fol
lows:
1T was an excellent idea to open
this Reading Room and Reference
Library in Belgrade. It will make
it easier for the Yugoslav scholar
to become acquainted with Ameri-
al scientific accomplishments
American literature, the American
way of life and way of thinking
and above all with American his
tory, which is particularly enlight-
ening and helpful to US. You
Americans went through many
difficulties, and succeeded despite
misunderstanding and suspicious
We YugoslaVs can learn much
from your experiences"
But it was a very great disap-
pointment to me to see that some
months after the opening the of
fetal bulletin published in Serbo-
Croat) was used to disseminate
material which the editor must
certainly have thought would be
unpleasant both to me as Minister
of Information and to the Yugo-
slav Government. This was not in
formation about American polite
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
u. S. BANKS ARE NOW
SAFE AS THEY LOOK
Not a Single Failure IN Entire
Year of 1945; F. |. ID. c.
TS the Reason

1NOh " oAAA5A
Year of 1945; F. |. ID. c.
Is the Reason
For the first time in rs years,
there was not a single bank failure
in the United States for the entire
year of 1945.
That is revealed by the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation in
its annual report.
During the four years of the
Hoover administration 6,346 banks
went to the wall. Depositors lost
all the money they had in most of
them.
A bank failure now is an excep-
ton, not the rule. The banks of
the country have been made as
safe as they look, but it took the
hardest kind of battle with bank
ers to get them to submit to meas
ures that assure their wv protec-
tion-and depositors' money.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
ROAD" IN NORTH
Tenantry Blamed for Loss of 5o,ooo Keystone Farms

When a writer sets out to picture deplorable farm conditions, he
usually picks OF the South as the scene of his story. Tobacco Road
IS supposed to be a sample of what tenantry does to it's victims.
How closely the miserable "Jeeter Lester" of that novel fitted the
plight of rural Pennsylvania tenants is revealed by a shocking report
of the states Department of Agriculture.
1t diScloseS that since 1910 more than $4,000 farms have disappear
ed-as farms. Nearly 4,OOOO 900 acres have been abandoned to weeds
the crows and the tax collector! ~. r.t... r a.,
The immediate cause of the farnn-abandonnent is declared to be
soil depletion, and that is traced directly to farm tenancy, which is
said to be more extensive in the keystone state than in any of the
other Northeastern commonwealth, .a 5 . . ..
Landlords rent farms and buildings to tenants for a half share OF
the cash grain crops and dictate what crops shall be planted. Naturally,
they select crops from which the largest income car be obtained, and
it is these crops that play havoc with the fertility of the soil.
Some tenants are not permitted to have COWS or other livestock, a
necessary source of organic fertilizer SILL "
Fortunes are said to have been built up by this system of footing
the soil and the tenant One landlord in the southeastern part of the
state owned about ITO farms, totaling ID 1000 acres, and died recently
a multi-milionaire.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
JUST TENTATIVE

Henry Kaiser declares that his
family's losses in building ships
may have been $18, OOO, 900. That
is a tentative and preliminary
figure.
A man must be pretty rich to be
uncertain whether he has lost
eighteen millions-or more or less.
Most Americans would tentatively
like to be in that state of doubt.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

This gives an Idea of how seri-
Gus the housing shortage is in the
nations capital. Judge Armand w.
Scott, who handles lawsuits be-
tween landlords and tenants, de-
clares that nearly 95 per cent of
the persons who come into court
to fight eviction have no place
to move.
Landlords who have a legal right
to throw tenants into the street
have no moral right to do so, Judge
Scott protested when a home own
er sought to .evict the family of
a veteran.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
BUMPER CORN CROP

Americas farmers are in a fair
way to produce the largest crop Of
corn in history. Prospects are for
a harvest of $500, OOO, 900 bushels,
$50, 600 900 bushels more than the
previous high, according to esti-
mates of the Chicago Board of
Trade.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
Why the Workers of America don't Use
Ballots i'm the Right Direction?

than to say, I'VE WON'T run the
industries for private owners"
A very good reason why that
would be better is because society
could live with the positive asser-
ton, while it can't live very long
with the negative action of a
strike.
The Allegheny County judge,
who sent a union leader to jail,
for ignoring an injunction which
was designed to prevent workers
exercising their legal right to
strike, was acting to preserve the
system that workers voted to pre-
serve He attempted to justify him
self on the grounds of social emer-
gency, not upon law. But his &C
ton merely showed that the priv
ate-prOfit system can't function
unless the workers are fooled or
broWbeaten into taking the short
end of life.
WELL, THIRTY YEARS is a
long time-especially when one is
snubbed and rejected by workers
year after year as Socialists have
been. For all those years the ma
jority of the working class-poWer
house workers, mill workers, coal
miners, ALL Workers-have been
using their ballots to say that the
economic resources of this nation
shall be owned by and maaged for
the profit of a group of private
owners.
And for all that thine they have
been complaining about the fact
that the owners - conducted their
businesses for themselves. Good
Lord, what else did they ever have
reason to expect!
1t hasn't made sense. If SYM
pathy is all that workers want
they won't like to be told that
they have been their worst
enemies, but it's the truth.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

PERHAPS l SHOULD be de
nouncing the Judge who has
placed the city of Pittsburgh un-
der injunction rule.
The workers of America, who
have votes in their hands all their
lives, should be ashamed of them
selves for permitting such things
to happen.
Basically, the people Of this ma
ton have to accept responsibility
for the kind of life they are living.
1t is not because the private own
ers decide to exploit workers and
rob the public that life is insecure
and working conditions are unsat-
lSfactory. Those evils prevail be-
cause the working people, who are
the overwhelming majority of the
nation, persist in agreeing that the
means of life should be owned by
private persons and operated for
the profit of the owners.
Yes, it would have been far
better for the workers to vote
FOR Socialism than to strike
AGAINST the evils of capitalism.
1T WOULD BE much better for
workers to say, we WILL run the
industries for the welfare of our
selves and of our fellow men"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

WHEN l BECAME a Socialist.
more than 80 years ago, l believed
that voting FOR an economic sys-
tenn that would be good for people
as a whole was a better idea than
striking AGAINST the effects OF
an economy that is good for only
a small group of owners. | still
believe so.
Perhaps it is that belief of mine
that makes it possible for me to
see a union president sentenced to
a year in jail for performing the
formality of calling a strike and,
at the same time, write calmly
about it.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09
Odds and Ends

Papa Bear in a gruff voice:
"Who stole my beer?"
Momma eBar in a shrill voice:
And who stole my beer?"
Baby Bear: "Hic."
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

Imagination is something tina
sits up with a wife when her hus
band is out late.
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

FAMOUS LAST WORDS: Bet
you a buck l can beat that train
to the crossing!"
Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1946-10-09

Conscience is something that
gets a lot of credit that really be-
longs to cold feet.
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-12

about twenty million people in this nation who gre excluded from this social insurance plan because of the nature of their employment. Among them are farm workers. domestic servants in private homes, employ es of public agencies and non-profit examinations. and the self-empley- ed. To be correct. therefore. [ should say that people from many walks of life are not permitted to share in the benefits Of this insur- ance program
 T might add" said Mr. Mularkey. "a word of warning to everyone. Payments under old-age and sur- vivors insurance do not begin un- til an application for benefits has been filed with the Social Security Board. When you reach age Sixty- five get in touch with the social security field offlce even though you plan Co continue working. When wage earner dies some member of his family should get in touch with the field office promptly. Delay tn filing an application may result in loss of benefits."
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-12
Biz 4' Plan Consider ClaY's Ploy

D1Elin, June la-tUP9-A hlrh military geveEument offsslal sad today that tlle ma q" fereaEn mm~ istEFa meeting Saturday "a paras would consider a unisee Sta1es pro- posaa Cor a teaeFasea Oermnny com pFislne five Ruzsian. tour BEatlsA, one Esench and ahEee American states.
 The ae-staae plan was conceived months ago og 1&.-Gcn. Incius D. Caay. deputy military RopeFnor. a spokesman said. ft was cablea to Washington recently with the SuR~ gestion that tt he discussed eg the foreign ministers f they failed to agree On a centralized German Rop- efnment.
 Clayis proposal was eiesaabed as being Flexible enough to permit the number of states to vary from nine Co s. depending on any decision by
The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-12
MekAohon Visits Trunaon Twice ln Single Dcy

Washington. June l2. eUPl- Sen. BFien McMah0n, tD.-ConnJ yesterday had two successive ap- polntmentS with President Truman.
 MeAaah0n entered the White House al 10 A. M. with Sen. achuy- ter Otis Bland. lD-Val. to dis- euss aviation problems with the Chiel executive.
 At l0;ia. MeMah0n Te-enteTed the Presidents study with two American business men tn the watch manufacturing business in Paris They presented Mr. Truman with a tlmepleee duplicating tH'o already given Winston Churchill and General Charles de 0aulle, The business men were Fred G. Llllman and Emil LlehteF.