TIMELY TOPICS

...Unfortunately, some of the talk of a united front not merely from the Communists but from other left wing groups, in the light of the record of the talkers, is not very sincere...

...Everything he does or advocates throws another stone on the grave of the old laissez-faire or semi-individualistic capitalism...

...It was far snort radical than I expected...

...It was to me an amazing discovery not merely that Washington hotels discriminated against Negroes, but tl.at in the capital of the nation, on prpperty owned by the War Department, Negroes could not be received in tourist camps...

...Whether it can stay so -remains to be seen...

...Sometimes the technique and perhaps a few of the immediate measures of state capitalism may be similar to those of Socialism but the purpose and the goal are vastly different We can't be too eager to make this clear to our fellow citizens, especially to the workers...

...Here is better raw material for a genuine farmer-labor party than I have seen in a long time It will be up to the Continuation Committee, called the Committee of Correspondence and Action, to conserve this en-' thusiasm and to guide affairs wisely...

...It does not solve properly the problem of distribution...

...to the volunteer research secretaries who prepared the ground for effective actions on resolutions, particularly, perhaps, to Harry W. Laidler and to Henry Rosner and their associates...

...Enough saidl Socialism in the Cities IN many cities municipal politics are seething...

...By Norman Thomas TIMELY TOPICS Every week Norman Thomas writes in his pungent style hit own comments upon the salient events of the moment Roosevelt's Tasks MB...

...These increases are small and this upturn, like some of its predecessors, may be blighted by an untimely frost...

...This problem must be very carefully considered ! by our Party from New York Citv I down to the smallest hamlet...

...More power to it...

...It stabilizes • private ownership of p reduction goods even more unwarranted than in the day when owners at least had to manage what they owned...

...The Continental Congress jTUOTHING thst hss happened lately is so en-couraging for its proof that fsrmers and Workers are awakening as the Continental Congress in Washington...

...What we cannot do is to get a united party until there is an agreement in tactics and spirit now wholly lacking...

...To achieve Socialism requires more than benign intentions...

...11 doubt if this fact was known to the administration leaders...

...It may introduce enough plan to save capitalism a little longer...

...For psychological reasons as weU as economic reasons this will probably require some reduction of tariffs and wi.at will amount to the forgiveness of most, if not all, of the war debts...

...Jim Crow in the Capital ¦***|NE of the encouraging by-products of the Continental Congress was its convincing demonstration that the workers are opposed to racial discrimination...

...It is in many ways a very natural feeling...

...He now has to aiff him the first figures in 1933 to show any increase in prices, in wages, or unemployment...

...Do I need to add that in saying this I by no means do I want our Party I not to participate in civic affairs and to work out a program which it can commend in .municipalities which have so much to do with the well-being of the workers...

...Yet it had the judgment not to se swept off its feet by fair sounding but ill thought out demagogic proposals...

...The greatest contribution we can make is to hold Up and make ever more real the ideal: workers of the world—not just of one nation—unite I Daily it becomes more evident that where President Roosevelt is leading us is toward state capitalism...

...manner its sympathy with farmert, who are determined to save their homea, but it did not endorse any of the detailed program of syndicalism oi s rather primitive type set forth by A C. Townley...

...Of course, to complicate matters still further, there is tied into the structure of currency, tariffs, debts, the issue of disarmament...

...Elsewhere in the world in order to make state capitalism work it has had to become outright Fascist, as in Italy or in Germany, or very nationalistic as in Great Britain...

...At present Mr...

...Many of them drift toward bankruptcy, partly because of their own fault i and partly because of external circumstances...

...How can we either protest Hitlerism with good grace or hope to escape similar ills in America when we chronically carry out a more thoroughgoing discrimination against our colored fellow citizens than he has as yet imposed upon the Jews I United Front AT Washington and elsewhere I have seen a great ** deal of evidence of the spirit of the workers in favor of a genuine united front...

...of the1 Socialist Party has already issued...

...Of course, as I have said a thousand times, any cancellation of war debt* should be accompanied try similar action at home made possible, let us say, through paying them off by a capital levy on the class that has profited so greatly by this burden •f debts...

...For him to accomplish his object there must be some approach to an interna-ltional stabilization of currency...

...You as employers seem safe in assuming continuing stupidity of labor...

...to Marx Lewi...

...Nevertheless, I am more than ever convinced that we mruld explore the' possibilities of united action on particular issues from demonstrations up to a possible struggle against war...

...That, at least, Is* done for...

...To Emil Reive, its fair and efficient chairman...

...I have my doubts, especially when I think of the amount of passion and prejudice and race discrimination lying around in this country...

...It requires the capture of power by the workers with hand snd brsin who are determined to use the power of government in their Own behalf...

...to Clarence Senior and the whole committee on arrangements...

...To deal with it all in a world as mad with nationalism as ours is a terrific problem...

...In good times experience in municipalities is worth having...

...It had no time for K-j --seveR's state capitalism...

...It is not up to ps to furnish police protection and officers of eviction., If we can elect a Mayor with a disciplined party behind it and a well thought out program, there Is something to be said for it, but I am sorry for some of our Mayors...

...A snap election of s Msyor is' likely to do us more harm than good...

...I think it is up to us to find out...

...Here were nearly 4,000 deUgatss who -had come hitch-hiking, by auto, by truck, by train as representatives of organizations back homo vitally concerned in economic reconstruction...

...In bad times it is s more dubious | gain to Socialists...

...Nothing, by the way, in recent months has been worse repotted by the great press associations...

...We do not want to see Socialists— I especially immature Socialist locals —becoming receivers in bankruptcy for broken down cities...

...Most of this feeling is sincere...

...I iuote it: "Organized labor now has the chance of a generation to fix wages Into the general scheme of production costs snd to promote collective bargaining...

...It ia not less important because it ends with an insult I am not sure but what Kiplinger exaggerates the opportunity of the moment, because he naturally thinks in terms of state capitalism rather than of Socialism...

...What we want is to get representatives in legislative bodies where we can agitate for necessary change in laws...

...Roosevelt himself has contributed to that feeling...

...Under our constitution and laws cities are woefully handicapped in facing the social problem of depression...

...I have not the ability to put on paper a sense af Us Wit-it of genuine enthusiasm...

...It showed in a most practice...

...The Continental Congies was a genuine mass movement, but great credit should be given to some individuals...

...I did my best to nrake it known, but the week-end holiday prevented establishing all the necessary contacts...

...Just because a united front is theoretically good it does not follow that we can achieve it without reference to differences of opinion...

...Nevertheless there is some slight upturn...

...Some of the most eloquent advocates of the united front have done a lot to break up what united effort has heretofore existed...

...This inquiry must necessarily precede any talk of general union from the extreme left of Communism to the right of the trade unions in the continuation of the Continental Congress...

...It is a change of system that we want and that will require national and state rather than city action...

...Roosevelt's luck will hold through this forthcoming international economic conference...

...But even if we do for a time escape the Fascist accompaniment of state capitalism, state capitalism itself is an evil...

...It is, moreover, mildly international in outlook...

...Roosevelt's state capitalism is benign in its intention to labor—as benign, that is, as any system which perpetuates the cruel division of classes can be...

...Labor lesders do not seem to see it, however...

...There are no greater evils than these sweatshops for making shirts...

...It knew what it wanted...

...This last step Srliard because of the feeling so carefully cultivated in this country that no debts should be forgiven...

...It remains to be seen whether Mr...

...ROOSEVELT continues to show a political skill and power of leadership in amazing con- i trast with his predecessor and in considerable contrast to his own past record...

...It is of the utmost importance not merely that Negro.' but that all friends of justice should protest against this discrimination and end it...

...All success to the striking child workers in Allen town and Northampton, Pa...

...Can we •scape...

...Isn't it better not to marry or to stay married than to make a home a hell of quarreling?, We may get along better simply by uniting on things where we can unite, and "t is not yet clear how msny they are or in what good faith the problem of unity is approached froir...

...Then they must have a clear vision of the cooperative commonwealth and plans for achieving it...

...Under these conditions I should like to emphasise the warning the N.E.C...

...The Kiplinger Letter •THE widely-used Kiplinger Washington letter, * very popular among business men, dated April 29th, contains some amazing advice to labor...

...The President's next big immediate hurdle concerns these foreign conferences on debts and tariffs...

...the Communist side...

...Unquestionably the Congress wants tlf* head toward independent political action...

...The problems of Socialism are primarily national and interna* tional...

...It does not make for peace and prosperity...

...and some of the Washington comrades who had the local arrangements in hand—to them all, out thanks...

...It left an able committee in charge of aiding* the farmers with financial and legal help, and that is as it should be...

...Nevertheless, what he hss to say is worth thinking about...