Vigilante Drive Moves East to Push Pro-Fascist Measure in Pennsylvania
Vigilante Drive Moves East to Push Pro-Fascist Measure in Pennsylvania Pew, Publisher Of 'Farm Journal,' Leads Campaign Keystone State G.O.P. Seen Ready to Pass Law Similar to Oregon Statute...
...At that time, Jersey City was a democracy...
...What more was there to read ? Was it necessary to read the whole book...
...Pew is now virtual head of the Pennsylvania state government, as he dominates the Republican old guard which in turn controls Governor-elect James and the legislature...
...Books...and Writers By ELIAS L. TARTAK Socialism in Predicament KMC are an whistling in the dark to keep up our courage...
...The intelligent men on the honest and democratic left should not be taken in by the opprobrium Dies deservedly has earned...
...And where will the attest step...
...Congressman Ross Collins (Dem., Miss...
...If as Baron has attempted to reveal, there is persecution within Loyalist Spain, if the Stalinites do control tbe Propaganda ministry, if the G.P.U...
...The -majority will any that not the slightest evidence of gran has been uncovered...
...The majority of tbe committee may recommend important changes in die administrative "setup" of TVA...
...In all frankness, this columnist must admit that he didn't, at the time, expect an Austerlitz M shattering as the one just inflicted on European democracy...
...Another would increase the board of directors from three to five...
...Actual announcement of plans for a similar measure to be introduced in Pennsylvania was made by Bennett ?. Seigelstein...
...p*f TonWASHINGTON, D. C—When the committee which is investigating TVA snbmits its findings to Congress early next year, there wiH be a majority and a minority report...
...does maintain its own prisons—they should be fought...
...the author's brief review of the -rightist-leftist" controversy Si fks American Socialist Party is temperate and courteous to lis opponents...
...Socialism on the rjtfenfive" indeed...
...28, 1917...
...R. W. Blackburn, secretary-treasurer of the American Farm Bureau Federation, testified that his organisation approved the TVA program, which, he said, is following recommendations of a committee named by farm organizations...
...HI...
...But Baron is right when he says that the International "Labor" Defense is a Stalin-controlled organization...
...in Spain dealt with the murder of Professor Camillo Berneri and .of Andres Nin, the kidnapping of Mark Rein, the expulsion of the New Leader eorresp o n d e n t, Ed Lowenthal, and the jailing on obviously framed charges of Russell Blackwell who is to this day in the hands of the Stalinist secret police in Valencia, the Baron told a .considerable number of truths...
...Goilty," Says Minority The minority report, which will be signed by at least two Republican, members, Congressman Jenkins of Ohio and Congressman Wolverton of New Jersey, will find TVA guilty on practically all counts, and will harshly criticize practically everything suggested or done by tbe Progressive members of the board...
...and that most of the trouble between the directors is traceable to temperament sad difference in economic point of view...
...The title seemed to tell the whole, and all too faauliar, story of our recent defeats...
...And unless this columnist is mistaken, the "rightists" will be pleasantly surprised...
...Harper and Brothers, 1938...
...And the first ferry to Jersey City was established on December 22, 1803...
...THOMAS'S account of things seen in the course of his recent •travels in Russia, Spain, France, of his conversations with poetical leaders in those countries, add considerable vividness and ' "breath of life" value to his book...
...For months previous to the elections, the oil magnate's publication had led drives in California, Oregon, and Washington for bills to practically abolish unionism...
...ft is more difficult to agree with the author in his well-known /IMMendet attitude in reference to America, but here also Hsoas's arguments are worth listening to, if only to re-check mtt "collective security" views...
...It is undoubtedly one of the most popular reforms put over by this administration," he said...
...iiv- 9aW> this reviewer will not say that he has found "Socialism Wjm the Defensive" a deeply engrossing book, a new gospel...
...Dies' reputation should not stampede the thinking left-wing movement of America...
...It is not mere courtesy that prompts his reviewer to say tiiat Norman Thomas has written a timely and thought-provoking book...
...Seen Ready to Pass Law Similar to Oregon Statute Which Cripples Labor Unions...
...A. E. Morgan, is a conservative who views with alarm anything calculated to injure private enterprise...
...Socialist representative, in Spain, went before the Dies Committee as a voluntary witness, Thomas shed responsibility by denouncing Baron's decision to testify...
...With what is left, these towns will not only pay all expenses, but will gradually pay for the distributing system...
...There are circumstances under which, unfortunately, to tell even the most important truths is futile...
...The TVA, he declared, is making better fertilizer than the Fertilizer Trust, and is selling concentrated phosphates at $60.50 a ton, as against the trust's price of $114 a ton...
...But...
...De Olde New Leader Almanark December: When They Dumped Tea in Boston WITH this issue The New Leader introduces one ot the most unimportant features in its long career...
...One would give TVA a. single administrator, with an advisory board to guide and assist him...
...Far down on the unimportance list are the following, for those who want their trivia particularly trivial: On December 7, the first "spirits" were made in America by Wilhelm Hendricks way back in 1640...
...Soviet Russia, Germany, Italy, France, Spain and America come under review...
...John Zenger, who fought America's first free-press case, was released from prison December 15, 1736...
...For instance, you might care to know it was on Decern-< ber 3, 1639, that the Indians sold the Bronx...
...Hence_the author's repeated observation, more than once jnafhyt—H, that the lessons of Germany and Italy show a temrafntfr lack of ability to draw to tbe side of Socialism the lower middle classes, peasants, white collar workers and such like, who could and should have been on tbe side of democracy sad, at least, friendly to Socialism...
...On December 10 two years ago Edward VIII, who occupied the position of King of England, 'ditched the job for a Baltimore society matron...
...tne revolutionists of the eighteenth century dumped British tea into the river in the famous Boston Tea Party on December 16, 1773...
...author is not at all optimistic as to the immediate pros"'m pacts of democracy and Socialism versus the totalitarian states...
...WASHINGTON crossed the Delaware on December 25, 1776, and the U. S. government took over the railroads on December...
...Padway was assigned by William Green last week to represent the Federation in the attack on the law's legality...
...as a result of his heavy contributions to its many campaigns...
...It is interesting to note that Thomas sees fascism not as a capialist (financial and large industrialists') dictatorship, bat a dictatorship of the disgruntled lower middle class, its youth frustrated and "Versaillesed...
...This reviewer remembers how, while reading Thomas Mann's "Coming Victory of Democracy" (some time last summer), he admired the German writer's courage and optimism, but could net, at the same time, help having a sinking feeling that we of the democracies were in, not so much for a "coming victory" as for an Austerlitz or two, with ourselves not on the victorious side...
...While Dr...
...He admits to a number of "leftist" mistakes...
...SOCIALISM ON THE DEFENSIVE" is highly readable, clear, 9 easy and—to the point...
...3.00...
...lawyer for a body of prominent Eastern manufacturers...
...Labor leaders, both in the C.I.O...
...Several proposals have been discussed...
...A. E. Morgan provoked this inquiry by the charges he made to President Roosevelt and ..through the newspapers, it is perfectly clear that the real opponents of the TVA are the Power Trust and the Fertilizer Trust Both are afraid they will be forced to reduce their profits, because TVA has fixed tbe prices of electricity and fertilizer at startlingly low figures...
...And naturally when Sam Baron, former colleague of Norman Thomas, U.S...
...Just the other day 22 Tennessee towns took over the distributing system of the West Tennessee Power and Light Company and announced a 40 per cent cut in consumers' power bills, or a saving of about $300,000 a year...
...Isn't This Terrible...
...by Norman Thomas...
...that a huge task has been performed amazingly veil...
...Liquor was legal on December 5, 1933...
...Norman Thomas surveys practically the whole world scene in his effort to give the reader a report on the present state of Socialism as well as on its prospects...
...The scheme is ambitious...
...This is our own monthly almanac...
...Projects Government Power Saves Millions for Local Cities and Farmers l» Elaetrle Rates—Uadertaltt Ferfifiger Trusts *y ffrf...
...concerning which Baron himself recently wrote in Thomas's Socialist CalL The truth does not become a lie just because it is spoken by Thomas's comrade of yesterday in aa unsuitable place...
...The labor and liberal movements should heed the truths spoken before the Dies Committee, These truths are unfortunately like the aria drowned out by the hurricane, ta our anxiety to dissociate ourselves from those who speak before Dies, we should net fail to speak out against the crimes of tile G.P.U...
...Under the penalty of being misunderstood on both sides of our recent Socialist controversy, bus columnist wishes to say that he has discoovered more common sense and political realism in "Socialism on the Defensive" than ae either hoped or expected to find...
...By LEON EDWARDS Special to The Sew Leader WASHINGTON, D. C. — American vigilantism's own' drive to the East is under way and moving rapidly...
...He jra-byi*** Stalin's Russia among the totalitarian, noting the eansteatiy increasing similarity between Stalinland and Hitleraaia...
...if that is the attitude of the majority of our seceded brethren the major problems confronting Socialists in Europe and in* Asseries, there is hope of finding a common language, and— later—who knows...
...The same forces that made a pro-Jascist measure the guiding labor law Of Oregon went to work in Pennsylvania this week to pass a bill that would incorporate unions and severely cripple their activities...
...For its almost too wide scope, it is well t..ifniaH and successfully organized...
...as, a result of the recent elections, and the Republican legislature will shortly consider passage of the antiunion measure, suggested by Joseph E. Pew, wealthy oil magnate, whose 'Tann Journal" eras an influential force in the passage of the Oregon law...
...Altogether, the farmers pay $160,000,000 a year for fertilizer...
...And if Baron's remarks about the activities of the Stalin G.P.U...
...And, once more, the book offers interesting and—frequently— instructive reading...
...Using his attacks on the New Deal as camouflage the Communists nave laughed off damaging evidence dug up by his committee...
...ate has been well repaid for the reading of Thomas's volume...
...Pew, a multi-millionaire, gained dominance in the G.O.P...
...The smote screen the Stalinites have poured around the facts he has secured should not neutralize the seriousness of these revealation...
...With this central point of Thomas's analysis, this reviewer finds himself in agreement...
...But we mustn't say—"I told you so...
...1, a counterpart of the Oregon bill, with a drive to repeal the Los Angeles anti-picketing ordinance...
...Meanwhile, the fight to upset the Oregon law, which was the only one of the three similar West Coast bills to be passed, gained force as labor attorneys drew up concrete plans for attacking the law's constitutionality...
...SOCIALISM ON THE DEFENSIVE...
...All'our "leftist" friends should read it...
...While most state's laws would require a test case before the constitutionality of any measure could be determined, under Oregon's statutes an immediate declaratory judgment on the bill's standing may be handed down by the court...
...Recently the city of Knoxville and TVA purchased the entire distributing system of the Tennessee'Public Service Company, paying $9430,000...
...Nevertheless, it is abnost a "rightist" Socialist book...
...John Brown, who fought to free America's slaves, became a martyr to his cause on December 2, 1859...
...Pennsylvania Is now in the hands of the G.O.P...
...Immediately, Knoxville slashed rates 40 per cent, saving consumers $1,000,000 a year, and still making lots of money...
...Because TVA is not attempting to pay dividends on "watered stock," it can afford to supply cheap power and still make money...
...Indication that Padway's belief is not too optimistic came this week when an anti-picketing ordinance in the City of Eugene, Oregon, was upset as unconstitutional by Circuit Judge G. F. Skipworth...
...St years later it - looks like the U. S. may have to do the same thing, as railroad owners demonstrate their complete mabitlity to manage the roads themselves...
...Joseph Padway, general counsel of the American Federation of Labor, has indicated his first step in fighting the act will be to ask that it be set aside by the Oregon Supreme Court as a violation of both the state and national constitutions and as a law in conflict with both I the National Labor Relations Act and the Norris-LaGuardia antiinjunction statute...
...AN books reviewed in the above column My be purchased at Hie Rand School Soak Store._ Probers to Hit Utilities, Laud T.V.A...
...Naturally, those who benefit from those low rates are delighted...
...In other words, two of the directors are Progressives who believe that the people of the states adjacent to Muscle Shoals and Norris Dam should be the chief beneficiaries, and tbe other director, Dr...
...In California, labor is following np its victorious battle on Initiative No...
...Farmers Back TVA Of course, rural electrification would be impossible without cheap power...
...HE above preamble may explain why this columnist opened •the pages of Norman Thomas's recent book* with a prelimiastay feeling of reluctance, almost of distrust...
...We neglect to print the obvious jokes...
...But to those who are concerned with trivialities, this little item, which will be repeated with necessary modifications in the first issue every month, may prove positively dynamic...
...And Munich and the subsequent fate of Czechoslovakia have only ¦¦ lerved to turn the apparent twilight of democracy in Europe into a deeper darkness...
...229 pp...
...And well written...
...The farmers and the farmers' wives love it...
...Of this, $40,000,000 represents the cost of mixing, which the farmer could do himself if he-could get concentrated fertilizer, and an additional $26,000,000 represents "fillers" which add to the weight of the fertilizer, but are of no value to the land...
...Organized farmers told the congressional committe about the fertilizer problem...
...However, read one must: it's a reviewer's profession...
...Democracy on the defensive, liberalism on the defensive, jsdiisiirrB on the defensivei * - We are retreating along the whole line...
...The Monroe Doctrine, which is more important today than at any time since its promulgation, ss Nazism tries to swallow South Americs (which the doctrine pledges the U. S. to protect), was signed on December 2, 1832...
...This forecast is based, largely, on questions asked witnesses by members of the investigating committee...
...Congressman Dies has done irreparable harm to the fight against Stalinite encroachment in this country...
...Baron Testifies Dies Reputation Should not Void Validity of Charges Against CP...
...Thomas announced in advance that Baron's testimony would consist of a compound of "halftruths" and unworthy fabrications and we do not defend the accuracy of what we have not seen...
...the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock December 21, 1620...
...stated in Washington this week that during his entire campaign he discussed just one subject—rural electrification...
...The crimes of the Stalinists remain, and we intend to continue branding the criminals for what they ate...
...The title seemed to be too well chosen, too euphemistic...
...The same thing is being done by many other municipalities and farm cooperatives all through that region...
...and A.F.L., are active all along the West Coast, and particularly in Oregon, to crush the pro-fascist anti-labor movement, now centered in the "Associated Farmers," before it spreads across the entire nation to outlaw all unions in the country...
...Padway expressed confidence that some of the law's worst features, if not the entire act, would be immediately thrown out as a violation of constitutionally-guaranteed rights...
...The opinion held by the labor and , liberal movements of tbe Dies j Committee is today justifiably such that the political judgment of anybody who testifies before it is open to serious question...
Vol. 21 • December 1938 • No. 49
