The daily worker. [volume], April 22, 1925, New York Edition, Page Page Three, Image 3

About The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958

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THIS PAGE
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Is Devoted to the Activity and Interests of the
Trade Union Educational League
(T. U. E. L.)
North American Section of the
RED INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR UNIONS
* (R. I. L. U.)
the Yale. l
Represents the Left Wing of the Labor Movement. Its
Purpose Is to Strengthen the Labor Unions by Amalgamation
of Existing Unions, Organization of the Unorganized, and by
Replacing Reactionary and Class Collaboration Policies with
a Unified Program for the Transformation of the Unions Into
Organs of Revolutionary Class Struggle for the Overthrowal
of Capitalism and the Establishment of a Workers’ and Farrrt
ers’ Government.
-
DISTRICT 18
SHOT TO HELL
ST SCAB SCALE
Starvation Cure with
Fakers’ Aid Did It
RILLCREST, Alta.. Can.—A sam
ple of the crafty coercion that is be
ing used by the coal operators to
force over the wage cut in District 18
of the U. M. W. of A. is given in the
circular letter sent all the employes
of the Hillcrest collieries.
Especially to be noted is the
smooth way of arguing that if the min
ers only take a cut in wages, they
will get lots of work. This is the
same poison that is being whispered
into the ears of workers everywhere
now, and it should be spotted by any
body at the moment the boss begins
it. The circular, in part says:
Baiting the Hook with Jobs.
“What justification can there be for
the present wage of 72c an hour as a
minimum for ordinary labor outside
the mine, all other rates being higher
in proportion? You may hold out for
high wages, but you get little or no
work as evidenced by the fact that
during the past twelve months you
have only averaged a total of about
43 full days’ pay. The coal operators
have lost money and you have de
pleted your savings, but your paid agi
tator has flourished thru it all on
money you provided him with.
Busting the Contract.
“There is ample precedent to term
inate a contract which has availed the
worker little, prevented the operator
from obtaining business, and is there
fore today an ineffective document
which was forced upon us last fall
against our better judgment,, as evi
denced by the letter addressed to our
employes at that time, outlining the
business position of the coal indus
try.
“It has been suggested that we post
a scale of wages conforming to the
Fernie wage scale, and this we have
no hesitation in doing. You will
therefore find the revised wage scale
posted at the time keeper’s office, and
our mine manager will be at his of
fice ready to sign on any men willing
to work on this basis. As soon as a
sufficient number of men are signed
on, we will again open up our mines.”
Fakers Don’t Care.
In the face of this attack Sherman,
the district president, does nothing;
John L. Lewis does nothing, and the
union is going to hell in District 18.
FAKERS SLEEP
WHILE COMPANY
UNIONS GROW
Head of Metal Trades
Not Interested
By LAURENCE TODD,
(Federated Presa)
WASHINGTON—(FP) April 20-
Growth of company unions, under
whatever name, does not alarm Sec
retary Berres of the metal trades de
partment, American Federation of La
bor. Despite the steady shrinkage in
total membership in metal trades un
ions of the United States, Berres con
tends that the labor movement is es
sentially as strong as ever, and when
a crisis shall come it will rally in
overwhelming force.
Berres’ attention was called by the
Federated Press to the New York
Trust company’s announcement that
“works councils” tiave grown In num
ber from 12 in 1917 to 814 at the
present time, covering plants which
now employ 1,177,000 persons.
“The number of wage earners af
fected by the works councils,” says
the New York concern, which presum
ably is the financial agency of some
of the greatest employing groups, “is
now approximately 25 per cent of the
total trade union membership. In
view of the fact that only one-fifth of
this country’s wago earners are mem
bers of trades unions, the rapid
growth of works oounctls suggest the
poMrtbtlity that their development by
Metal Polishers
Gain by Strike in
Spite of Police
DETROIT—(FP)—The Metal Pol
ishers’ union is gaining strength in its
Detroit strike at the C. B. Shepard
Co. plant. Picketers charged with as
sault and battery hare been acquitted.
The employers are bringing case after
case against the union members.
MUCH DEBATE OF
NEEDLE WORKERS
IN ’MEDIATION 9
Governor’s Commission
a Place of Talk
NEW YORK, April 20.—Announce
ment of the joint board of the Cloak
and Dressmakers’ Union, Internation
al Ladies’ Garment Workers, that the
dressmaking shops of New York with
their 30,000 workers, will again be on
strike unless the sanitary label is
sewn into all garments is one of the
two features of needle trades news
this week. The other is the protract
ed hearing going on before Governor
Smith’s mediation commission for the
cloak trade.
At the hearings a debate is taking
place between counsel for the em
ployers, both jobbers and contractors,
and counsel for the International
Ladies’ Garment Workers' Union, over
the issue raised by the details of un
ion control of the shops and the rival
demands.
Issues Raised.
A flat increase of 10 per cent in
wages is also demanded and the in
stallation of the 40-hour week in the
cloak trade as it now prevails in the
dressmaking trade.
The issues of piece work and the
right of employers to discharge that
had been raised by the bosses re
ceived much attention in the argu
ment before the commission. Piece
work has inherent defects. It means
constant bickering over piece work
prices. The union had agreed to lim
itations on the right to strike in re
turn for employers’ guarantees against
unwarranted discharges. The union
stands fast on the principle that no
worker may be discharged without
adequate review of his case by the
two parties involved.
Guarantee of 32 Weeks.
In a formal statement of its de
mands which the union laid before the
commission one of the most import
ant clauses Is one insisting that manu
lcturers deposit financial guarantees
for the 32 weeks’ work a year called
for by labor. The jobber is made the
responsible party by the union and iB
required to guarantee that the work
ers employed by the sub-contractors
to whom he farms out his work, be
properly taken care of.
In the case of those jobbers who
are organized into the two boss as
sociations —the Industrial Council of
the Cloak, Suit and Skirt Manufactur
ers’ Protective Association and the
Merchants’ Ladies’ Garment Associa
tion—the guarantee is provided thru
the pledges of these two bodies.
Hearings are continuing and are
keenly watched in the needle trades.
War Plans Speeded.
LAKEHURST, N. J.. April 19.—With
68 officers and men aboard, the dirig
ible Los Angeles soared from its han
gar’today on a scheduled six-hour test
flight which 1b to determine the fit
ness of the ship for its second flight
to Bermuda tomorrow.
recognizing the mutual interests of
employers and employes, bus to a
great extent removed the necessity
for unionism.”
That the bank is referring to com
pany unions us works councils is in
dicated when it states that more than
half of the employes affected by the
councils are in large
of over 15,000 employes each, and
that over 25 per cent of them are In
the metal trades, while the lumber
and printing Industries are next In
number of these councils.
Three forms of works councils—
committee, association and "indus
trial democracy” or legislative and
cabinet organ,zation—are described.
Building Trades of
Cleveland May Walk
Out with Glaziers
CLEVELAND—Twenty thousand un
’«u building tradesmen may be in
volved in a major strike ol|' tho in
dustry in Cleveland within the next
30 days following on a strike of un
ion glaziers, new In its sixth week.
The strike began March 1 when the
union, with a 51.25 scale and a 44-hour
week, was turned down on a demand
for a $1.50 scale and the s ; day week.
The glaziers immediately organized a
co-operative company but the bulk of
the glass work has been postponed.
Contractors are considering impor
tation of nonunion glaziers, which it
is believed will precipitate a general
ba:lding strike. The Building Trades
Employers’ Assn, offers financial sup
port to glazing contractors in their ef
forts to break the strike,
UNION OFFICERS
IGNORE MINERS’
JOB COMPLAINTS
•
Agreement Works Only
One Way in Mines
By A MINER (Worker Correspondent)
BENTLEYVILLE, Pa., April 20—
Many of the favorable conditions
formerly prevailing have been lost by
the miners in District Five since the
officials signed the last agreement.
The excuse given for not fighting the
company is bad times and fear that
the company will shut down the
mines. On the Bentleyville Branch
there are ten mines, only four of
which are working,, but still these
cowardly officials say it is better than
nothing.
The first condition that the miners
lost was a rule in the mines that if a
man worked in a wet place he receiv
ed $5.00 extra in two weeks. One day
the company cut off this extra $5.00
and the men refused to work unless
they could get their well earned
money.
Wet Work Not Paid as Agreed.
They took it up with their commit
tee but failed to reach any agreement
with the bosses. They then took it
up with the board members and were
given the decision that if the bosses
wouldn’t pay, that they would have to
put the men in dry places.
This the men accepted right; away.
The pit boss put them in other places
and hired new men who had been out
of work about six months. .These
men were glad to get jobs under any
conditions and none of them received
one cent extra for working in water.
That was the settlement made by our
“good” officials.
The Drivers' Complaint Ignored.
Our drivers had been used to start
at 6:30 in the morning to leave the
stable. The mine developed so far
that the drivers could not reach their
working places at seven and the com
pany fired one driver for not starting
at 7:00 o’clock as the agreement call
ed for. In fact some of these driv
ers had a good hour’s way to travel
underground before they reached
their working places.
This was also taken up with the
company without any result, so they
called upon their board member for
help. He notified them that if they
could not reach their working places
at seven they should leave the stable
earlier or else he could not do any
thing for them in case they got fired
and now the boss takes care of the
firing part.
Wating for Cars—To Help the Boss.
The four mines still operating are
only working from two to four days
a week, so the bosses are trying to get
as much coal out on these days as
possible. To increase their tonnage
they have some picked men working
every day, mostly the bosses’ favored
men. They fill all the empty cars in
the mine from the coal knocked down
by the miners the day before and
when the latter come to work they
have to wait from two to four hours
before they get their first car.
The miners called a special meet
ing to stop this practice and also to
stop the method used by the bosses
of doubling up two men in one place.
They elected a committee to meet
with the bosses, but as usual they
failed to get any results.
Again they asked their board mem
ber to cotne and help them in their
fight but he told them to do the best
they could, he could not help them be
cause the company would shut down
the mine if they stop these practices.
Tho company refused to give the min
ers any satisfaction because they
know they can get much more favor
able decisions from the officials.
No Protection from the Union.
Every day some new bad condition
and not a word of protest from our
officials because they say we have an
agreement for three years and We
should be glad we are working. How
ever the miners are beginning to see
the point and getting ready for the
fight, if the officials will not fight the
miners are apt to take matters into
their own hands.
Herrin Miner Killed.
HERRIN, 111., April 20.—His skull
crushed by a falling boulder, James
Specia, 42, employe of the Consolidat
ed Coal Co., Mine No. 7. was instantly
killed today. jHe Is survived by his
widow and a aon.
< <
THE DAILY WORKER
STEEtWORKERS
VICTIMIZED BY
“SAFETY FIRST"
Open Shop and Speed
Up in Pittsburgh
By THOMAS (Worker Correspondent)
PITTSBURGH, April 20.—" Safety
first” committees have become the
pet angel of the steel trust. In reality
they are nothing but “open shop” prop,
aganda committees trying to force
their dope on the workers, nothing is
ever given for the benefit of the work
ers. Here Is how it works out in the
mill where I am employed.
There are paid men who go around
the mill every day of the week preach
ing how much better the place is now
than it was ten years ago, and try to
convince the workers that they are
in heaven, but it is the opposite, it is
the worst hell It Is possible to Imagine
“Safety Committee” Always Blames
the Workers.
This safety committee is supposed
to try to cut down accidents and give
reasons when an accident takes place
so that men could avoid them in the
future. That is what they say they
are doing, but there is nothing of the
sort. What they do is to put the
blame on the shoulders of the work
ers, for every accident which takes
place. Regardless of whose fault it
is, the workers are called careless.
There was a young worker fired be
cause he had received a few cuts on
his hands in one week. Another was
fired because he refused to handle
heavy bars with an injured hand.
There wae another worker whose job
it was to oil the rolls over which
white hot rails run. He could not oil
them while the rails were running, so
he told the foreman to stop them,
which he did, but not long enough for
the worker to finish the job with the
result that a hot rail went clean thru
his body and killed him.
At the next “safety meeting” a paid
speaker of the company came and
stated that a man had been killed, and
as much as the company regretted it,
it is mainly thru his own carelessness
and that he had no business in that
spot; this, altho he had been ordered
there by the foreman, and then the
speaker went on to state the difference
in the accidents now and ten years
ago.
“All Time Want More Work.”
A good many of the foreign born
workers can see that the safety meet
ing is a speed-up meeting. I spoke to
one today and altho he could not un
derstand the English language very
good or even speak it. I asked him
what he thought of the meetings he
said, “All time want more work.” So
you see the impression that he got.
The company has its spies all over
the plant who will report any talk
of a union that they hear, and some
excuse is Immediately found to fire
the one who advocates organization.
/ The wages are so low that the work
ers have barely enough to live on and
if any sickness takes place they have
to trust to charity of others. If you
are injured too bad to be able to walk
to work, the company will send the
ambulance to fetch you and take you
home again In the evening In order to
keep discontent at a minimum.
The main point is they are afraid
the men will organize once again to
better their conditions. They have
done it once and they will do it again.
It Costs Like Hell
But Unions Must Go,
Says New Haven Line
WASHINGTON (FP) Farming
out locomotive repairs by the New
Haven railroad, to avoid dealing with
its shop unions ns ordered by the
rail labor board, cost 140 per cent
more than the work In. its own shops.
This Is attested by experts for tho
interstate commerce commission.
From July 1, 1922, when the shop
strike began, until the end of 192.1,
the New Haven paid $3,310,798 for
contract work, which could have been
done in Its own shops for $1,397,634.
The American Locomotive Co., the Bal
dwin Locomotive Co. and tho Bethle
hem Shipping Corp. get most of the loot.
the DAILY WORKER? Ask him!
Does your friend subscribe to
Shoe Repair Men .
Strike for Raise
NEW YORK—(FP)—Shoe repairmen
In the United Shoo Rebuilding Co.’s
shops are following their fellow work
ers in Klein shops in striking for $lO
increase in wages and better condi
tions of work. The workers in Klein
shops won their Increase recently.
Men from the United shops complain
that they must work for from $22 to
S3O a week, work hours a day, and
havo other disagreeable features.
Wage Dispute Kills
EAST ST. -LOUIS, IH.. April 20
Three lives were snuffed out when a
dispute bet wen Peter Totsh, business
agent of the Plumbers’ Union, and
Chrlstpoher C. Glvaltney. plumbers'
helper, ended in a rain of bullets. Giv
altney shot Totsch. and then police
man David Mohler, who ran at him.
He himself was killed by detective
George Burns. The men were quarrel
ing over $lO owed to Givaltney by
Totsch.
PRIZE FIGHTERS AND PREACHERS
USED TO KEEP PACKING HOUSE
SLAVES ENTERTAINED “ PROPERLY”
By TOM MATTHEWS
(Member of Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen.)
The strike ot lD2li-1922 taught the meat packets many lessons in the art
of keeping wage-slaved satisfied and unorganized. The methods range all
the way from prize fights to preachers’ sermons. “Anything to keep them
satisfied” has replaced "Treat 'em rough” as the motto of the packers in
handling the slaves.
Thus Cudahy's. Omaha plamt, for instance, has its "Cudahy Athletic
Club.” During the winter season boxing matches (prize fights) are put on
for the edification ot the slaves with popular stfirs in the fistic art on the
programs. The arena is located at the plant, and the workers are duly im-
pressed with the regard the company
has for their entertainment and “wel
fare.”
During the summer months base
ball games between various depart
ments will replace the prize-fighting
exhibitions. The packers have learned
that “union loyalty” can be replaced
with “department loyafty.” So Cuda
hy’s pork butchers, far example, will
meet Cudahy’s mechanics on the
diamond with the slaves from each
department rooting for their respec
tive warriors.
Armour Uses Sky Pilots.
Armour’s Omaha plant has gone in
pretty strongly for “Iwwling leagues,”
but since it Is obvious that not all the
slaves can bowl, that always-ready
servant of capitalism, the sky pilot,
has been rushed into the breach. In
this particular instance the “Reverend
Brown” delivers his regular sermon.
Like all good, sincere Christians the
reverend appeals to his hearers to be
honest and industrious, which is an
other way of telling the workers to be
loyal wage slaves and put their faith
in “god” rather than in the might of
organized labor.
Dold Teaches “Co-Operation"
Dold’s Omaha plant has its “fifty
fifty club” to emphasize the idea of
“partnership” between employer and
employe. The latest stunt of ifliis
particular company union aggregation
is a co-operative grocery and -meat
market at which Dold’s slaves can'
buy their foodstuffs at wholesale
prices. In this respect the Dold Pack
ing company is going a step farther
than the Big Fhve.
“Why should we pay profits to small
grocers and butchers, when we can
sell to the men at no cost to ourselves
and keep them satisfied,” is the way
the Dold company reasons.
Dold’s company union (fflfty-flfty
club) numbers among its officers
workers formerly active in the
Butcher Workmen’s Union and promi
nent in the 1921-22 strike. Packing
house leaders can be bought cheaply,
but such company union traitors in
the various plants are being exposed
by militants of the Workers Party
and Trade Union Educational League,
who alone know how to combat such
class collaboration poisoners.
Swift’s For "Welfare”
Swift and company has its ‘'em
ployes’ welfare and benefit associa
tion.” This is a form of group insur
ance administered by the company in,
much the same manner as 'are the
company unions in the other plants.
Swift’s Omaha plant looks after the
welfare of Its slaves in more ways
than one, as will be related in future
articles.
Against organization and class sol
idarity the packers have mobilized
preachers, prize fighters, religious
and national antagonisms, company
unions, co-operative stores, moving
pictures, wage increases, insurance,
social clubs, baseball and bowling
teams, among the schemes to keep
their 200,000 wage slaves divided and
satisfied.
Working in close tho perhaps un
conscious co-operation with them are
the bootlegging and gambling dens
such as thrive in all meat packing
centers.
• • • •
NOTE:—Packinghouse workers
in the various centers are urged
to write of their experiences to the
T. U. E. L. page of the DAILY
WORKER, particularly on such
questions as:
Is the 42J4 cent scale for common
labor adhered to?
Is there any sentiment for organ
ization?
, Are such schemes as described
above, company unions, etc., used in
your district?
Do religious and national antagon
ism keep the workers divided? Are
they used openly by the packers?
Or any othsr problems or ex
perience which will throw further
light on the situation in the meat
packing industry.
Chicago Structural
Iron Workers May Go
on Strike for Raise
Bridge and structural iron workers
will meet in the next few days to take
action on their Chicago wage scale.
The existing rate of $1.25 an hour
expires May 31. It is understood that
sl.37Vi could be obtained without
much trouble In the new agreement
but $1.50 Is demanded. There are
2.600 members In the union, which
handles all the important Iron and
steel construction in Chicago.
Whit* Plains Barbers Win
WHITE PLAINS, April 20. Boss
barbers of White Plains have yielded
without a strike to the union's de
mand for an hour off a day. Shops
hereafter will close at seven, instead
of eight at night during the week
nights and at nine instead of ten on
Saturday. Prloea to customore will be
increased slightly.
ANTHRACITE SCALE
CONVENTION SET FOR
SCRANTON ON JUNE 29
The. United Mine Workers Journ
al publishes the following notice of
an anthracite scale convention to be
held/ on June 29:
“ At a recent meeting of the Tri-
Disftrict boards, it was decided to
cam the anthracite scale convention
for June 29 at Scranton, Pa. Inter
national President John L. Lewis
v/rill preside at the convention. The
present wage agreement between
the United Mine Workers of Amer
ica and the anthracite operations
will expire on the last day of Aug
ust, and the Scranton convention
will formulate the demands that will
be laid before the operators at the
joint conference held during the
summer.”
Anthracite miners—“ All aboard
for Scranton on June 29th!”
WATTSCORES
FARRINGTON
IN STATEMENT
“Come Personally and
Put Watt Out!”
SPRINGFIELD, 111., April 20.—John
■Watt, progressive secretary of Sub-
District No. 4, of District No. 12, U. M.
W. of A., who has been ordered re
moved from office illegally by Frank
Farrington, district president and his
“appointed” underlings, has issued a
statement burning up Farrington for
his illegal and autocratic rule as pres
ident, a position Farrington is accused
of having stolen in the last election.
The statement follows:
“Frank Farrington has built a fire
that surely will burn him before it
dies out, and now realizing what he
has done, he attempts to mislead the
membership of the mine workers un
ion to cover up his illegal action, the
kind of action that he so loudly com
plained of when John L. Lewis took
the action that he did in the Alex
Howat case. Farrington seems to
have forgotten the records made in
the Howat case, but he shortly will be
reminded of them.
“Farrington forgets the records he
made in his efforts to make a district
settlement for Illinois.
On Constitutional Rights. '
“You talk of constitutional authority,
will you kindly explain to the rank
and file where you or your board got
the constitutional right to do to Free
man Thompson what you did do? In
face of former rulings you and your
board have made? Will you show me
where you and your stool pigeon got
the constitutional right to infer that
you had thrown me out of office for
insubordination? Cite what section of
the sub-district law gives you or any
one else that right?
“You say to me that ‘failing to com
ply with these instructions you will
be expelled from membership in the
United Mine Workers of America.’
Will you do that constitutionally or
automatically as the other acts of
yours have been?
The Back Salary Farrington Grabbed.
“You do not like to coine to mass
meetings because you would see the
membership that is paying your S9OO
train fare bills for three months, and
your S6OO hotel bills for three months
and your $1,600 telegram bills for
three months (while traveling so you
state) and also your back salary of
over $1,200 for the 1922 strike which
you so generously done without (nit).
Come out and see what they think of
you, their great leader.
“You might explain to the rank and
file gathered there whether you ’split’
with onyone around for allowing the
Lester mine to operate, as was said
in letters that were exchanged be
tween you and President Lewis.
Preparing for a Wage Cut.
"You might tell the membership If
you are now being used by the coal
operators to cause a condition that
may bring about a reduction in wages
and if you contemplate making a sep
arate wage agreement. Ask Walter
Nesbit what he told our sub-district
tellers about you and the separate
wage agreement.
“J call on you. the mighty, fearless
leader of District No. 12, if your are
not personally satisfied with the choice
for secretary that the rank and file of
Sub-District No. 4 has elected, to come
over to my office at 221 South
Fourth street, and personally (not by
proxy rats) put Watt out of office.”
FYn- the member of your union and
yovr shop mates, send in a sub.
Page Three
HOW THE WAR
INVOLVED THE
LABOR UNIONS
Became a War Between
Patriotic Unionists
By A. LOSOVSKY
(General Sec’y. of the Red Interna
tional of Labor Unions)
Not only by the emptying of the
ranks of the unions did the war attack
the trade union movement, but this
process also changed the old ideology,
creating a new one, the Ideology of
the war period. This ideology in dif
ferent countries had different names,
but mainly it was called “war social
ism.” What was the main feature of
I this ideology which was created by
| the leaders of the trade union and
political movement during the war?
We think it can be characterised in
the following short formula: "Father
land, first of all.” Let us remembered
that at the beginning of the war one
of the most talkative syndicalists of
France, Gustave Harve, who turned
over to social patriotism with lighten
ing agility, has explained this evolu- i
tion in the following way:
“The workers” said he, “were
caught by the iron hand of the war j
by the throat, raised into the air and ■
thrown back by the strong hand to :
the ground, and they felt first of all
their own ground. Every one of the
workers who was thrown by the
hurricane of events fell to the ground
of his own country.”
Anarcho-Syndicalists Also Discovered
A "Fatherland”
We have to say that although the
reformists of all countries as it was
already mentioned in the social sense,
have been believers in evolution, but
in their own personal viewpoint, they
have been developing In an entirely i
different way. In this case we may
rather use the conception of rerolu
tion than evolution, for they have
been changing their views literally
over night.
And this may be said not only about
the reformists but also about a very
great number of anarcho-syndicalists,
who suddenly, somehow, began to feel
that they had a “fatherland” although
anti-patriotism was previously their
hobby.
The Division on Milltary-Diplomatle
Coalition
The military Ideology of the labor
movement brought great changes in
the relation of forces. The modern
war is not a war of small groups, or
small armies. Modern war is a war
of masses, a war of nations in the
real sense of the word. It is a war
of industry against industry. The
tactics of the working class In this
war, the tactics of its unions, the
methods of struggle, play a decisive
role in the modern war.
Not withuot reason did the garrul
ous Lloyd George in 1916 say to the
metal workers, “In this victory on the
northern front won by the British
army, you, metal workers, played a
great and decisive part.” Yes, the in
fluence of industry played a decisive
role in the war. The growth of milit
ary industry explains the numerical
changes of the unions beginning in
1916-17.
But, on the other hand, this growth
also explains the lowering of the level
of the labor movement, for in the war
industry, which was the basis of war
and which concentrated all workers
not gone to the front, the conditions
of work were such that those who
participated in it were in fact ideolo.
gical and political participants in th«
war.
A War Between Unionists
When we talk about the war b»
tweenSSYance and England on one
side ano*jGermany on the other, we
have to talk not only about the war
between the two groups of bourgeoisie,
but also the war between the social
ists and trade unions of these fighting
countries. Here, the war was not only
in the sense that the workers had
been organized into unions and sent
to the front and ordered to fire at
their comrades with machine guns.
The war which began in 1914 started
a war also between the trade unions
of the allies and the unions of the
central powers. It started a polemic
and au Ideological fight where the re
presentatives of one side—the allies,
tried to prove to the German trade
unions, that they were traitors to the
principles of international socialism
when they were supporting the kaiser,
and Legien, the leader of the German
unions, tried to prove that the traitors
were the unions of the allies, because
they were supporting the bourgeoisie
allied to the Russian czar.
• • •
The above article is taken from
Loeoveky’a excellent book, “The
World'* Trade Union Movement”
the most intereating book written on
the varloue union movements of the
world. Send 50 eent* to the T. U,
E. L., 1113 W. Washington Blvd.,
Chicago, 111., and the book will be
sent you poetage paid.
““~~-““*■*
Soviet Suee United States.
WASHINGTON, D. C., April 20—
The Soviet Russian volunteer fleet hae
brot suit against the United Stifles
government for $10,000,000 before the
court of claims, to recover the value
of the Russian ships confiscated by
the United State* during the war.