French Elections Turn Against Reaction
French Elections Turn Against Reaction indicate Gain For SocialistsParty I« Likely to HaveMet Increase of 20Seats in Chamber DESPITE the upsurge ofFascism in the recent German elections it did...
...This is not a Socialistparty but a progressive bourgeoisparty...
...The convention met In the Cornish ArmsHotel In West 23nl street...
...The Federa-^Hon of Labor is unaffiliated with any international organization and has about 135.000 members...
...Twelve political groups orparties participated in the electionand the so-called "Radical Socialists" appear to have obtained moreseats than any other party...
...At theMay Day celebration Aiken is reported as saying that "Any oneor any party advocating old agepensions or unemployment Insurance Is capitalistic...
...In addition to the delegates from the affiliated unions,representatives of organized laborin Cuba, Portugal, Norway, India.South Africa, Ireland and Japanattended the meeting...
...Verne L.Reynolds was nominated for President and J. W. Aiken was nomi-nated-for Vice-President...
...In the1928-1932 Chamber there were 61.2seats, but three extra seats were•treated recently...
...Speaking in thename of 14,000,000 membersor unions in 28 countries affiliatedwith the International Federationof Trade Unions and for hundredsof thousands of workers in unionsunaffiliated as yet with the I. F.T...
...Under the special arrangement made with the management of Camp Eden the ratefor the three days will be $7.50.Buses for Cold Spring will leavefrom the Hand School building onSaturday morning...
...French Elections Turn Against Reaction indicate Gain For SocialistsParty I« Likely to HaveMet Increase of 20Seats in Chamber DESPITE the upsurge ofFascism in the recent German elections it did not influencethe French elections to the Chamber of Deputies very much lastSunday...
...The name "Radical Socialists"creates confusion, especially in this Country...
...The Communists hadelected 12 Deputies to the oldChuniber and two were expelledleaving them with 10...
...Although organized labor in Norway realizesthat only through drastic reduction of working hours can the problem of unemployment be solved, tosome extent at least, its responsible leaders are almost unanimous in opposing anyetmeh reduction at the expense of the workers' income.The Federation of Labor has decided to urge the affiliated unions to fight for a working week of less than 48 hours, but with a rise in pay aimed at maintaining theaverage wage level...
...In the meantime, the sloganmust be to fight desperately foreven slight improvements in theworkers' status and for the defenseof the rights already won...
...Downes of South AfricaRegret was expressed at the declination by the American Federation of Labor of an Invitation tsend dologate.'i to the conference Threaten to End "Toleration" Policy UnlessUnemployment DropsERLIN...
...Walter M. Citrine of GreatBritain president of the I. F. T. U.,presided, and Secretary WalterSchevenels gave a comprehensivesummary of the world economicsituation...
...The principal plank in the program laid down by the executivecommittee and embodied in themanifesto drafted on instructionfrom the delegate: calls for an immediate struggle for the legal 40hour work week, maintenance ofwage standards and increased purchasing power for the masses ofthe people...
...U., but having representativesat the meeting, 82 labor leadersassembled here in a special crisisconference on April 16 and 17issued a manifesto to organizedlabor the world over to stand together and fight like one formeasures calculated to improve thecondition ' the workers everywhere...
...The Communist convention willmeet in Chicago on May 28...
...W.L.N...
...Unlessthe bourgeois German government takes early steps reducingthe idle workers far below the6,000,000 mark where it has stoodpractically all winter and spring,it is doomed to lose the supportof organized labor, as representedin the Reichstag by the SocialistDeputies, regardless of the dangerof a more reactionary regime, possibly headed by Adolf Hitler...
...Defends Social Legislation The manifesto also lays stresunon the need of resisting everyattempt to tear down social legislation intended to protect themasses against some of the worstevils of capitalism...
...Minister of Labor Stegerwald,leader of the Christian tradeunions, appeared before the convention and tried to excuse thepolicy of the government by talking about the fearful danger ofcurrency inflation implied in theunions' demand for the Immediateflotation of a $500,000,000 loan forthe purpose of financing publicworks to provide jobs for at least 1,000,000 persons now Idle and also to inject life Into private industry All the speakers, beginning with Theodore Leipart, president of the federation, insisted that organized labor had ,-tood for about the limit in deprivation and that it was up to the government to order the40-hour work week Into forcfdirectly, instead of pussy-footingon the carrying out of the promise it had made many months ago Many delegates cited cases of men putting in many hours overtimeand others holding down two jobs, while their fellows were idle and suffering...
...Judging from the fiery speechesdelivered by leaders of the GeneralGerman Federation of Labor at anemergency convention held here onApril 13 and the tone of the unanimously adopted resolutions, therepresentatives of some 4,000.000union men and women are sickand tired of seeing Germany'sreparation troubles used by Chancellor Bruening and his associatesfor the purpose of driving wagesdown below the existence levelwhile doing all sorts of things tohelp banks, business men and bigagrarians out of difficulties largelydue to their own mismanagementand reactionary attitude...
...During the election It had beena leading campaign argument thata Left victory would produce anImmediate flight from the francand a situation similar to that of1924 and 1926...
...If necessaryMany of the delegates agreed withthe Dutch unionist...
...L. P. Picks Reynolds,Communists FosterThe Socialist Labor Party metin national convention on MayDay in New York City and wasin session three days...
...Aconvention to ratify this choice lato be held...
...The"14th Plenum" of the party, consisting of the leading party functionaries, have "suggested" thenomination of William Z. Fosterfor President and James W. Ford,a Negro, for Vice-President...
...It furthermorepoints out that no real amelioration of the world-wide economiccrisis which is causing so muchmisery to at least 100,000.000 persons ^ can be effected until thquestion of German reparationsand international debts is settledsatisfactorily ami the internationaltrade is systematized with the cooperation of the labor organizations...
...A more correct translationinto English of the party nameWould be "Socialistic Radicals...
...44Inde')end*nt Republicans 13Ponuhr Democrats 10Left Rnublicans 37Indrwnd»nl Radicals 25Radical Socialists 63Ind' Dcndrnt Socialists 4Repilbll"ail Socialists 5Socialists 40Communls'ls Socialists 3Communist 1(ionununlsts Hard Hit The vote cast was unusuallyheavy, being 82 per cent of thequalified voters compared with the70 or 75 per cent cast in past elections...
...E. Kupers, head of the Federation of Labor in Holland, declaredthat It would be difficult to forcethe em pi ers to increase tlhourly wage rates the 17 per centnecessary to bring earnings underthe 40-hou...
...As awhole the shift is away from thereactionary Right groups...
...regardless oflts effects upon the capitalist system of industry...
...The conference will begin onSaturday, May 28, and will continue through Monday afternoon,May 30...
...There were 3,617 candidates forthe 01 :> scats to be filled In theChamber, representing both thehomeland and the colonies...
...They have one Deputyand a separate Communist factionhas three...
...It Is doubtful whether they will get morethan one or two more...
...The Socialists had 107 Deputies in the old Chamber and forecasts indicate that they will gain15 or 20 more next Sunday...
...Particular attention was given to thespeeches by M. Nishlo of Japanand Mr...
...As wasexpected, the Communists werehard hit...
...It is estimated that the RadicalSocialists who already are thelargest single party in the Chamber, will number between 150 and160 after next Sunday's vote andwill attract all the smaller LeftCenter groups, forming a solidcombined vote...
...Delegate EBevln of Great Britain, warned thassembly against the idea that thcapitalist system was on its lastlegs...
...Asecond ballot will be taken nextSunday to fill the seats where nocandidates were elected...
...Admission is free and everyone is in Urges UnionsGive BattleOver 14- Millions Represented at Crisis Conference at Geneva (lly Woild-Wide Labor Scire Service)ENEVA...
...Reservationsmay be made with Roger Cornell,231 Ocean avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y.S...
...SAPOSS ON FRENCH ELECTION David J. Saposs, Rand Schoolinstructor, a member of theBrookwood College faculty andauthor of "The Labor Movementof Post-War France," will speakbefore the Eugene V. Debs Club ofthe Rand School Fellowship onWednesday, May 11, at 8:45 p. m.In the Band School, 7 East 15thstreet, on the "French LaborMovement and What the RecentElections Mean to It...
...Norwegian Labor Fights Cuts OSLO.— fW.L.N...
...It Is true that anyLeft government that now takesoffice will Inherit a financial situation that is far from brilliant,but at least compared with thatinherited by Edouard Herrlot In1921 it Will be comparatively easy The election came to a final conclusion in 248 districts of the nation, according to a tabulation ofthe Ministry of the Interior, whichdistributed the scats as follows: Conservatives 'Renubllran Democratic Union...
...I. fl Gains Over 1928 In 1928 the three main Rightparties won 152 seats on the firstballot and Sunday won only 107 In 1928 the three moderate Leftparties won only 35 seats on thefirst ballot and on Sunday won100...
...The voting Sunday, however, was In only 611 eon stltuenclcs, the colonies of FrenchIndia, Reunion Island and Guianavoting on the remaining four seats Socialists to Discuss Convention at EdenAn unofficial Socialist conference will be held over the Decoration week-end at Camp Eden,Cold Spring, N. Y., at which, according to the announcement ofthe committee on arrangements,first hand reports on the nationalconvention at Milwaukee will begiven by a number of delegatesfrom several Eastern states, anda discussion will take place onhow to make this presidentialcampaign the best the SocialistParty has conducted since thewar...
...The convention closedwith rousing cheers for a program of "getting out of our misery right now...
...week schedule up tpresent totals, but said that hfavored the 40-hour plan, even Ifit involved temporary reductions Insorrr case Kupers insisted thathours must be cut in order to avoidthe continued existence of an enormous army of the unemployed andMid that the wage question couldbe fought out later...
...Several ofthese representatives said the affiliation of their organizations withthe I. F. T. U. was likely to beeffected In the nerr future...
Vol. 13 • May 1932 • No. 19
