Cooperation With Russian Trade Unions
LETTERS Cooperation With Russian Trade Unions From LOUIS J. SACK 0 A* Editor: *Tt\i question of whether free American labor should cooperate with th* trad* '¦anions of Soviet Russia ii of such...
...But how explain th* fact that "Iabor Orrssixatioiis throughout the world hie looking forward to [the] Lortdon Conference" and .that th* agenda for the confa sacs were prepared in only three days by a committee of Anglo-Russi*n-CIO union representatives in a spirit of unanimity and harmony...
...S. I do not agree that Russian labor organisation* are genuine trade unions...
...Tiny may find too late that they have b«n the unwitting instruments of the art Pan-Russianism...
...1. Pan-Russianism is the extension of Kremlin political snd economic policies beyond the borders of the Soviet Union...
...To the Editor: THE letter released by 1,600 Protestant ministers to ths press objecting to Catholic representation •t th* Pcac* Conference was most unfortunate...
...I am also snxious to hear all authentic stories, anecdotes and experiences of those who knew and worked with Debs...
...Instead of excluding any religious group, why not invite representatives of ¦11 of the major religious organization* of the world to present their view* 1...
...5. I did not amplify the attitude of the British Foreign Office to the London Labor Conference only because I assume the readers of The New Leader to be well aware of the nature of British imperialism...
...Interest is exclusively collected from the workingman, as Joseph V. 8onn*nf*ls showed in 1758...
...I msintsin thst CIO participation in the new world orgsnisstion will lessen the chsnces for American labor unity which is-of paramount importance...
...Kncino...
...It seem* to me that th* religious force* of th* world hsvs for too long • time been avoiding their international responsibilities...
...If th* r*sl wealth created by the borrowed money remained in the country and all citizens had credited to the...
...2. If Sack doubts the danger of PanRussianism to world labor let him consider the fate of trade union anti-fascists in Poland, Bulgaria, Lithuania, and other countries occupied by the Red Army...
...It is the reverse of genuine socialist internationalism...
...International ¦fa^tftii cooperation i* of such tremendous significance for the preservation of 2tM*t* 0* th* world in th* ye*rs to come thst every effort should" be made by all ^sensible organisations to foster this spirit of cooperation and to eliminate all fgfM* sources of friction and an Sfe...
...As far as th* Polish worker* in th* Reich are concerned, his assertion, as borne out by the facte, I* untrue...
...From ANDBMft COftDJAM ^ abba P. LERNER'S artlcl...
...The relationship of British labor to the F.O...
...But they ,rt destitie^i for a sad-disappointment...
...the overthrow of the Iranian Government in 1944 are samples of PanRussianism in action...
...Underground report* from Poland have quoted hundred* of letters from workers in Germany testifying to the contrary...
...MALJNOWSKI {Financial CounaeUr te the Polish Embemy) To the Editori I -1 ¦" * IT was quite s shock to me to road in the February 17th issue of Th* New Leader an unproved, undocumented statement made by Fried rich Stempter in an article entitled Prelude m Rumania, in which he says that the "sentiments" of the German workers "have not changed" and that: "that is Shown by their behavior toward foreign worker* whom they h*v* treated as comrades with equal right* ¦ whenever possible, and as fellowsufferers...
...j—._ * REPRESENTATIVES OF RELIGION From th* Rf Iff HI NO L. M. UBJMt AO National Director, Friend* of Democracy, Inc...
...a country is not mad* poorer any more than it ia made richer by th* exist* nc* of a targe debt that its government owee to its citis*ns...
...Y. Timet, February 17th) which on the basis of conversations with German prisoneraof-war arrived at very interesting conclusions...
...ft ii for these reasons that I take exwptk>a to th* argument* and general tpajtflf the artid* by Morton Goodman •Tjfjir organisations throughout the ^oild," says Goodman^ "are looking for - »ird to London for th* blueprint which ojfmnp the role of labor in the reconrtrirtton of the poatwar world...
...But thi* change "* •'ought about only by th* l*bor themselves and by no outside W* are willing and anxious to co¦***• with th* Soviet Union, both dur'"f »nd *fter th* war, for th* establishprosperity and good-will among regardless of th* system of govJJW"* Prevailing in that country...
...REPLY TO MALINOWSKI By FBItDBICH STAMFFF.B N To th* Editor: 1 DID not deny thst the Polish workers in Hitler Germany ar* treated like animals...
...All letters and papers will he returned safely...
...He Says...
...It is not, as Sonnenfels probably found first and ss Silvio Gesell irrefutably demonstrated...
...Whether it mrieases the share going to th* rich depends on whether the degree to which th* rich receive more in interest on government bonds hi greater than ths degree to which they pay morn in tax...
...Having known th* German labor movement and its spirit of international solidarity for more than 40 year*, I have no doubt that those reports are true...
...This haa nothing to do with th* national debt— it would be jutt OS tru* if the government, did not borrow a penny...
...Since I plan to do portraits of such men as Daniel De Leon, Samuel Gompers, Victor Berger, Morris Hillquit, Robert G. Ingersoll, Eugene Field, J«m«* Whitcomb Riley, Bill Nye, and Debs' many other associates between 1876 and 1925, I would appreciate information on them ss weN...
...is well known, but I want to stress the point that this relationship i* voluntary, and can be terminated at any time...
...Goodman haa Mitral explanations to suit each group •f this committee.' 4a far a* the English unions are conmwei, it is simply a cas* of th* British Foreign office hacking th* chow and being anxious to have the British union* fooperaU in anticipation of postwar Russian trade, Th* perfidious Albion at it again...
...Distortion of the truth does net seem to be the way to elicit sympathy within Allied countries for German nationals, who were deported from the Balkans...
...Similar explanations ar* given in the mm ef th* French union delegation...
...But N**>*xt*nt that they are labor union*, %«*J useful to their 21,000,000* m*m¦*¦» With th* change of th* Soviet rerisntfcsr* will be a change in th* statu* "<*jl trad* unions...
...I well understand the desire of the CIO for world recognition...
...I am wondering how Lorner explains th* origin of interest...
...It is imperialism wrapped up in a "socialist" package...
...What i* wrong about the desire of the CIO...
...Can the same he said of Russisn Isbor...
...Religious fore** must not run away from this responsibility, snd they must not b* prevented by prejudice from participating in every effort to carry out their obligations...
...However, I asserted that the Germsn workers are treated almost in th* sam* way, and that many of them tried to be helpful to their foreign-born comrade...
...Public Debt, Interest Burden" in th* issue of Jan...
...Cslif., Box 238...
...13 is a masterpiece of sophistry or "magic," lit to mislead th* public* Ho tries to show to th* amaied citixen that the national debt i» in fact no debt to worry about, and also thai the national "interest burden" Is harmless...
...LETTERS Cooperation With Russian Trade Unions From LOUIS J. SACK 0 A* Editor: *Tt\i question of whether free American labor should cooperate with th* trad* '¦anions of Soviet Russia ii of such paramount importance that even those who j*?su* tt»t actually in the trade union movement should have their say...
...This is • tut a) wsr and the peace must b* a total peace...
...Like so many others, he is unable to differentiate between Red Army successes and Kremlin political strategy, even though he concedes the totalitarian nature of the Soviet State...
...A sufficiently progressive system of taxation could result ia • redistribution in the other direction, diminishing th* •hare of th* national incom* going to th* rich...
...Perhaps by the theory of fructification, which explains interest from the ground-rent...
...1 take it that it is no new* to th* r**d«*(|Th* New Leader that th* Soviet Union ia net ft frft*, democratic country ¦ «m Western Anglo-Saxon definition *>**t*rm...
...Without independence of action and expression they exist only as organisations for production...
...Neither of the two propositions bam much to do with the mythological or metaphysical question of ths "origin" of interest, or with th* moral question of the justification of th* private ownership . ef property (whether interest bearing or not...
...They have major interests which should be considered...
...War means the destruction of wealth, and does make th* country poorer than it would be if it did not have to wag* war and produced instrument* of production instead of destruction...
...Half, Reo/ueifed "»-s i From IRVINB STONB\ To th* Editor: I am working on * biQgrsphksl novel built sround the life snd times of Eugene V. Debs, snd am eager to see letters, papers and document* in the possession of his friends...
...But if th* created wealth is squandered abroad in war, and only a small minority—mostly international bankers—are the creditors, th* theory i* false...
...or with Rodbertui by the "work" theory, according to which the payee or coupon-clipper "works" st clipping coupons ? Of course, the general opinion ia that taking interest is justified...
...When it comes to refunding, th* money must b* raised by tanas, and ths lion's share is levied from th* common people...
...to life the Four Freedoms of the Atlantic Charter may be re-muted at London to a new destine[ia»—Pan Hussianism...
...4 2—The second major objection to th* view of th* 1,600 Protestant ministers is that religion has an obligation te aid in the effort to establish ft decent and durable peace...
...Stampfer's attention to a correspondence from Harold Denny, with the American First Army in Germany, entitled "Captives Confirm Reich Atrocities" {N...
...Certainly the Catholics, the Protestants and the Jews will be and should be represented at that Conference...
...Th* CIO alio want* a new labor body, presumably because , the International federation of Trade Union* admit* only wis body from each country...
...Now tkis argument BBS some substance and it ¦ worth Whil* to go into it...
...Bat when Goodman is through with a* mysterious Pan-Russisnism, he brings in another argument against cooperation vsh the Russian Union*, th* argument ••mated by the IFTU, 1. *., the fact that *• eoiutitution of th* latter body admits edy fret trad* union* and exclude* those are government-controlled...
...government about an equal amount, then Lernsr'* theory would b* right...
...It was not my purpose "to elicit sympathy within the Allied countries for German nationals," but I tried to defend the rights of Isbor without difference of rare or mother tongue, and to foster again the spirit of international solidarity among th* workers of the world LERNER questioned...
...the rape of Finland...
...The partition of Poland in 1939...
...Th* trade union movement ¦ esvlet Russia has th* same degree ^sxsnatiai or lack of freedom as sny •*» organisation in that country...
...There have been many reports sbout punishments inflicted on German workers for this reason...
...In conclusion, let me cite a few remarks from the conservative New York Timet in its editorial of Sunday, January 21: ". .. . we have common ground with them [Russians] in the march on Berlin...
...Then % this exception in the case of labor solidsrity and cooperation...
...Flemington, N. J. » « » REPLY TO ANDREW CORDIAN By ABBA P. LEKNf* It is important not to mix up the effects of war and the effects of government borrowing...
...I believe that our Jewish brethren have already asked, and rightly so, for representation st the peace table...
...STAMPFER CRITICIZED From W. JT...
...Cordian i* quite right in saying that it can affect th* distribution of wealth within th* nation...
...There are two major objections to the point of view of those Protestant ministers: 1—It is a mistake to oppose the representation of any interested religious groups at th* Peace Conference...
...We must find common ground in the march of ail mankind to world good-will and peace...
...Then, too, the Polish Underground press printed many articles, reports and letters telling in no uncertain terms or the hostile environment in which they live and work in Germany and of their treatment which, at best, resembles that accorded to animals, not to human beings...
...He ends his artid* with the statement that "the desire of wedd labor to brine...
...Government borrowing from it* citizens doe* not make ths nation ft* II whole any poorer...
...No powerful spiritual or moral fore* in the world should be prevented from exercising th* full msssur* of its influence in bringing sbout a just and lasting peace atid a better world order...
...Good advice for some liberals and radicals to follow...
...REPLY TO LOUIS J. SACK By MORTON GOODMAN LoUlS SACK'S letter is colored by emotionalism...
...I haven't done any whistling in the wind for a long time and I have no desire to help him whistle now...
...He saw the origin of interest in • restraint of money circulation caused by hoarding capitalists...
...fast this Pan-Russisnism is he does sot elucidate, but it i* apparent from in article that he considers it ss someihisg terribly obnoxious and detrimental U the interest* of world labor...
...Surely labor is interested in all these objectives as much as anybody else...
...The Russian labor organization* never took,* stand against Fascism during th* entire period of the Nazi-Soviet Pact 4. Sack feels that a change in the status of Russian labor can be brought about by Russian labor...
...These questions sre not relevant for current practical issue...
...I should also like to draw Mr...
Vol. 28 • March 1945 • No. 10
