Timely Topics

...The organization now going on in the state of Washing' ton is most significant...

...Laidler, "as if the Socialist party will pile up a record vote in the next election...

...Yet the i Fascists are undeniably disappolnt. ed...

...It was no honorable scruple that prei vented them from Joining their a forces...

...Why not at the very least try to see what the organization of labor on the economic and political field can do to win Immediate results in line with a fundamentally revolutionary purpose and eo at the leaat reduce the need or likelihood of wholesale violence...

...THE MEASURE OF ROOSEVELT JUST how paralyzed capitalism is in the present crisis has been well illustrated by the New York Legislature and by the supposedly progressive Governor Roosevelt...

...Any change must come by a shifting of some of the present combatants from one side to the other...

...Timely Topics It Norman Thomas The German Poll—Baiting Russia—New York's Upper Tier—The Lindbergh Cane —Communist Proposals GERMAN SOCIALISTS AND VHE ELECTION rwas a bitter dose for Socialists all round the world to contemplate the necessity the German Social Democrat* felt to vote for Hindenburg in order to beat Hitler...

...Which somehow doesn't seem reasonable...

...That the parties which declare for the overthrow of the republic ahould have got almost exactly half the votes is not a cheering...

...Anyway, unless we can organize the workers to act together intelligently and effectively in unions and the Socialist party I have my doubts what will happen in some fututs revolutionary moment...

...The cooperation that Is ' being worked out in Chicago be1 tween the Socialist party and the f Farmer-Labor party may mean I much for that city...

...What a tragedy it is and what a danger to peace when Congressmen who have asked no embargo on loans and war4 supplies to Japan want a complete boycott of Soviet goods...

...That three Germans out of evi ery ten should have voted for Hlt. ler Is disturbing enough...

...It refused to give New York City a reasonable chance to set up a charter commission...

...At least two of the Senators who ask this embargo like to sail under the color of Democratic progressives or progressive Democrats—whatever that is...

...1B30, seemed.to forecast, s They are probably right in feeli ing that they have suffered a de' feat...

...One might have expected the Legislature in this crisis to make some concessions to progressivism...

...It is putting things conservatively to say that relatively Russian labor in the year 1932 la at least as "free" aa American labor...

...That roc- c ord is not likely to be surpassed either in any future election or in any other form of conflict...

...Movements of the Fascist . type, having no fundamental prln. ciples, no noble Ideal* to Inspire ' them, and even no positive class : Interest to hold them together, but : only the negative force of recki less hate, cannot grow slowly and . survive repeated deferring of their hopes...

...that newspaper* «tnd radios fairly bathed themselves and their public in an indecent bath of sentimentallsm which ill concealed their exploitation of the Lindberghs* grief...

...It killed even a very mild and inadequate unemployment Insurance bill...

...sVU...

...The Roman Empire fell by its own internal weaknesses but what followed was a long Dark Age...

...Dur- 1 ing the trip, month and a half 1 trip, Dr...

...SOCIALISM IN UP-STATE NEW YORK WHAT two or three Socialists who mean business can do to build up a local is shown by the thriving Ithaca local...

...COMMUNIST CONTRADICTIONS LATELY I have been listening to some fairly authoritative statements on Communism at various meetings and I am impressed that not only capitalism baa its inherent contradictions but to some extent Communism...

...Their gain Is less than they , had expected, less than many of their opponents had feared, less , than a number of state and municipal elections held since May...

...In Portland, in the < San Francisco and Los Angeles 1 districts, he frequently made from 1 4 to 7 addresses a day...

...An old order can break up without automatically bringing a good new order...

...Thesnew and more intelligent social Interest is reflecting itself In the probable organization of L. I. D. chapters and in renewed activity of the party in Syracuse, Rochester, Utica, Schenectady and Albany...

...A successful "defense may sometimes be as important as a successful attack, and so I think it was in this case, but unfortunately it does not give us the same emotional thrill...

...Even i, last fall, the Bolshevist leaders b were unable to deliver the goods - they had sold, and that has prob9 ably spoiled their market for good - and all...

...This time they want a complete embargo on Soviet products...

...It looks," declared Dr...

...The Communist gain is infinitesimal...

...An outstanding fact Is* that the only one of the three anti-republican forces that made a better showing this time than In 1030 was that led by Hitler...

...It Is up to Socialists in Germany and elsewhere not merely negatively to block Hitler but to find new ways of pushing constructive Socialism without wholesale civil war...

...Neither side has any more reserve to call into action...

...The Communist students' organization, the National Student League, ha* a plank demanding $26 a week for students who are graduated from or leave college until such time a* they find a job...

...Our comrades there were fighting to hold ground already gained, not for any new advance at this time...

...For Instance, at one meeting I learned that Communist* In America were the only one* to propose decent unemployment insurance and also that nothing mattered but a revolution aa soon a* possible...

...Apparently in industrial nations the workers in spite of great misery draw back before the spectacle of possible civil'war...

...Completes Six Weeks9 Tour in the West THAT young people of the i country were never so inter- I ested in Socialism as they are to- 1 day was the belief of Harry W. Laidler, Executive Director of the j League for Industrial Democracy, 1 who has Just returned from a lec- 1 ture trip to the Pacific Coast...

...The last way to do it is to kick the bear in the ribs, as these Congressmen advise...

...Here la an Issue of major Importance to all who believe in peace, Internationalism and Justice...

...But they come from states which produce lumber and manganese ore and therefore they worry about the iniquity of letting Soviet goods in...

...The question is whether, the causes of this desperation being still at wm k. its political effect has now reached the limit...

...What other state except Wisconsin has done bettor...

...If they were able to carry with even one or two per cent of the Social Democrats of 1930—that is, from 85,000 to 170,000 votes—the conclusion must be that the real Communists have now a smaller percentage of the votes than they had two years ago...

...This is all the more significant in view of the fact that the so-called Socialist Labor party, recently formed by a secession from the Social Democracy, advised its adherent* to support Thaclmann, the Communist candidate...

...I mean Dill of Washington and Walsh ol Montana...

...Incidentally the vote in Germany for the Communists was less than most observers had anticipated...

...This will not be so forever...

...Laidler delivered 53 talks 1 in 22 colleges and 41 talks before 1 other groups...

...The basis for comparison is the parliamentary election of May, 1930...

...Laidler, "When I visited the Pa- J ciflc Coast I found many college ] students thinking that if they only took courses In schools of business administration and discovered when to buy and sell stocks, their fortunes would be made...

...What will a future historian in happier days think of us...

...Actually not to import manganese and lumber from Russia is to invite our own profiteers to deforest the country and exhaust our supply of inferior manganese...

...The Monarchists lost in absolute number, as well as In percentage...

...And the supposedly progressive Governor Roosevelt made no real fight for any of these measure...

...Marked activity is noted in many other ' places...

...The election or near election of Hitler with his crazy nationalism and his anti-Semitism would probably have meant civil war which would soon have become European war, the end of which no man could have foreseen...

...consideration for those who hold as I do that popular self-government Is an indispensable condition* to the realization of the Socialist Ideal...

...Yon can't Just dismiss this story by saying: "Oh, well, that's New York...

...Taking this vote into consideration with the vote in the last election in England when the Communist party, in spite of hard times and the defection of MacDonald, did not gel enough votes to redeem its election deposits, one has much food for thought...

...The-real test in Germany is likely to come not in the Presidential run-off but In the Prussian elections which will follow shortly...

...Also on a trip up-state I found evidence of a tremendously increased interest in Socialism...

...Yet this Legislature got considerable praise from the supposedly "good government" Citizens' Union...

...If they don't like Russia they ought at least to acknowledge that Russia exists, is a great power, and has a great hold over the imagination of the world...

...Forces Behind the German Vote "Neither Song Nor Sermon" rIS only a negative satisfaction that Socialists can feel over the results of last Sunday's presidential election in Germany...

...He will learn that in our acquisitive society kidnapping has become an industry...

...If, undei the Influence of extreme misery, the masses turn to dictatorship and violence, it Is to the Fascist type of dictatorship that they will turn, not to the Bolshevist type, That Is a lesson to be conned in thi* country as well as In Europe, lAiitller Sees Record Socialist Vote Likely...

...that not even the country's "most famous baby" waa safe in his parents' home...

...It Is not quite accurate, however, to speak of "one side and the other...

...There will be seen what program our German Social j Democratic comrades offer and what strength they have...

...This business is all the more absurd when one considers that lest year the United States bought goods from Russia valued only at 112,811,100 while according to the New York Times Russia bought more than a hundred million dollars worth of goods...

...Nevertheless Hindenburg has at least been honest and loyal to the Republic...

...Neither doe* it seem reasonable to me to believe that increasing poverty will automatically give the workers power over the air forces which will- dominate the field in any general armed uprising...

...George Washington really ought to aee what the country is like on the 200th anniversary of his birth...

...In fact as well as in form this was a four-sided fight...

...MAKING TROUBLE ON RUSSIA THE "paytriots" in Congress are at it again...

...That means nothing to Congressmen who want to slap Russia in the face...

...Every J effort should now be made to get r our speakers and organizers out among the masses, direct them • into th» party and then to see that I the new member* were given aoi tlve work to do...

...In the face of ,charges that in New York City alone privately owned electric companies Were making 20 million dollars la excess charges on rates th* Legislature refused to adopt a bill setting up power district* in which power might be produced and sold by public authorities...

...that the desperately anxious parents felt obliged to turn to the organized underworld for help and to promise Immunity to the kidnappers...

...It made none...

...My hat is off to the comrades of Tompkins County...

...The Fascists, the Communists, and the Monarchists made three distinct though simultaneous attacks upon the republic...

...If we can put two or three young and vigorous organizers into that f-eglon this summer things ought to hum...

...Putting thrills aside, however, It is worth while to consider what the figures of the vote indicate...

...This time, willing as the leaders might - have been to make any sacrifice 1 for the sake of Immediate viei tory, the Issues were too clear to :. make a coalition possible...

...If the party were able ' to wage a vigorous organization > campaign among the hundreds of I cities and towns and rural dls- trlcts of America, it would be con1 ducive of great results...

...CASHING IN ON A TRAGEDY ri read the tabloids and even some of the regular papers these daya one would think that there was nothing in the world but the Lindbergh kidnapping caae...

...The success f of the Milwaukee City government I has been heralded all over the r country...

...All of which is nonsenffs, dangerous nonsense, and aeiKiih nonsense...

...They ought to consider that if one finds oneself In a spom with a bear and has no means to kill the bear and no desire to kill him he'd better make friend* with tlfe bear...

...The easiest way in the world then to get $28 Would be for the son of some bourgeois to go to college to study, let us say, law, and then get himself flunked out Of course no Communist could or would carry out such a demand...

...The excuse that they are only following the law which demands exclusion of goods produced by forced labor is pretty thin...

...Meanwhile, Hitler'* party hai increased it* strength from 18 pel cent to 30 per cent The lesson is obvious...

...It adopted no adequate program for unemployment relief...

...It adopted none of the proposed legislation'which might have made it harder for Tammany in New York City and the up-state Republican machines to support themselves and their friends by the "honest" graft in condemnation proceedings...

...1 "Three years ago," declared Dr...

...No one suspects either r Hitler or Hugenberg of being too I honest-to bargain in such 4 case, t and the Communists showed their e willingness to enter Into the dire tlest of deals In the Prussian referendum last September...

...Today they are wondering whether they will ever be able to get jobs and many of them are suffering bitter physical hardships...

...Everyone knows that this could have happened only under the influence of desperation, produced by the general economic depression plus the bleeding process to wliich the German people have been subjected ever since the con•shsWm of the so-called peace...

...Their voting strength is still a small fraction over 18 per cent of the total...

...They are debating in hundreds of colleges whether a planned economy will provide the way out of the present impasse and are interested In the socialist message from a more realistic point of view than ever before...

...Ninety per cent of the qualified' voters went to the polls...

...Again I have been told, along with others, that no one can do much to determine the coming of a revolutionary moment but that when it comes the organized disciplined Communist nucleus can do everything...

...The moat that he did waa to send a special measage about woefully Inadequate unemployment Insurance bill...