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It is no different with the auto industry. Consider Henry Ford alone. Here's a vast, international corporation, radiating from Detroit, Michigan, outward to many cities and lands. How about conquering it for industrial unionism? And then there's the Studebaker, and other auto corporations to be considered in addition.

There is more in the giant industrialism of the East than is dreamed of in the industrial union philosophy of the West.

Take the State of Pennsylvania, as an example. There's the home of the steel trust, the Bethlehem Steel Company, the Jones and Laughlin Co., and other colossal steel corporations and coal companies. Let us quote some facts and figures from the May, 1919, issue of "The National Geographic Magazine," as reprinted in Industrial Solidarity of March 10, 1923. This magazine contained an article entitled:

"The Industrial Titan of America. Pennsylvania, Once the Keystone of the Original Thirteen, Now the Keystone of FortyEight Sovereign States."

The article says: "Measured in terms of our own country, Pennsylvania has many surprises for the investigator of its position in the Union. One might add the populations of four far-western states to that of all New England and still have fewer people than dwell in the land of William Penn. Draw a line from the Canadian border to the Rio Grande on the meridian that separates the Dakotas and Nebraska from Montana and Wyoming, and all of the people who live between that line and on the shores of the Pacific would barely suffice to equal Penn-land's population.' "This includes eleven states.

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"The article also says: "The manufacturing industry of the State is an epic of human energy. What bit of fiction could thrill more than the facts showing how one-twelfth of the people of the United States, the busiest nation on the face of the earth, can succeed in producing one-eight of the Republic's manufactures and

than one-fourth of its minerals. Or what story could appeal more than the one which tells how a district constituting only

MAY, 1923

one-half of one per cent of the Earth's people produces one-sixth of the world's pig iron and the same proportion of its coal!'

"There is more eulogy of a similar kind. The reader learns, 'Yet, with all of this concentration, Pennsylvania has a greater diversity of industries than any other State, leading both New York and Illinois in that particular.' The 'heavy manufactures' abound in Pennsylvania, viz., steel and iron. In addition, The State makes nearly half of the country's cotton lace, more than a third of its carpets and rugs, more than a third of its chocolate and cocoa, nearly half of its felt hats, and more than a third of its silk. its silk. It produces more asbestos manufactures than all the rest of the country, and more bluing, ice cream, hammocks, and leather than any other State represented on our starry flag.' Tobacco and cement also figure in Pennsylvania's industries.

"The reader learns further that the ‘true value of all the property in the Commonwealth amounts to more than 15 billion dollars.... this is four billion dollars more than the aggregate wealth of all New England and only 5 billions less than the national wealth of Italy.'

"Some state! The sender of the article to Industrial Solidarity says: 'Do you want workers in the industries to organize? Come here; the state is full of both. Most of the workers are unorganized. Here's your chance.'

"It sure is."

Industrial Unionism in the East Such is the problem of industrial union organization in the East. How can it be met? Very easily. Merely by extending all the present industrial union activities eastward. For instance, New York State has a big agricultural and canning section in Monroe county, or in and about Rochester. Why not transfer some of the activities of the Agricultural Workers' Industrial Union there; and in that way add to and promote I. W. W. agitation in New York State?

By the way, new fields for western mi

INDUSTRIAL PIONEER

gratory workers will become inevitable within a few more years. With the farmers being driven from the farms, the labor of migratory workers on the farms of the West will be useless. In other words, the migratory worker will be displaced and rendered more idle than at present. Farming will be industrialized, with fewer hands needed.

They

But to resume the argument on ways and means of shifting the base of I. W. W. activities eastward. Take Maine, New York, Minnesota and Wisconsin: have big lumber interests operated by big capital and employing hundreds of lumber workers. How about transferring some of the activities of the Lumber Workers' Industrial Union, I. W. W., to these states, thereby strengthening the other I. W. W. propaganda in them?

The same thing can be said of general construction. New York is building canals and aqueducts that require labor organization. It presents a big field for Railroad Workers' Industrial Union No. 520, just as the aforementioned enterprises provide a

big field for the General Construction Workers' Industrial Union No. 310.

The point is this, that, with I. W. W. activities extended to the eastern states, I. W. W. prospects and strength will increase there. A case in point is the presence of the Marine Transport Workers' branch at Philadelphia. This served as a base that enabled the Metal and Machinery Workers' Industrial Union, No. 440, to organize the recent revolt in Schwab's steel hells at Bethlehem, Pa. This should be duplicated everywhere in the East by the extension of all I. W. W. activities eastward.

In the future, let us add to the old Wobbly harvest song, "We are coming home, John Farmer; we are coming back to stay," this song, "We are coming home, Plutocracy; we are coming home to stay; to organize the big industries and break your iron sway."

And let it be soon. For without a triumph in big industry, such as the East presents, we, the workers, to use the ver nacular, can get nowhere. Big industry is the nut to crack. Let us crack it!

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An Interview With Harry Feinberg, Secretary of the General Defense Committee.

M

ANY people are sorely puzzled as to the real reasons why the I. W. W. war-opinion prisoners are still incarcerated. There are still others who do not know just what is back of the present vicious persecutions in California. With the object of getting to the bottom of this thing, we interviewed Harry Feinberg, Secretary of the General Defense Committee.

How much longer will these men, whose only crime has been love of humanity and commendable persistence in adhering to their honest opinions, have to remain in prison? So we asked Feinberg this question:

"What are the latest developments in the cases of the I. W. W. class-war prisoners in Leavenworth?" "There are no late developments," said Feinberg. "So far as anybody knows, the status of the prisoners is the same today as it was months ago. There have been rumors but they have remained rumors. Although hundreds of thousands of people all over the country have appealed for the release of these men, the administration remains adamant.

"The action of the Harding Administration has been a sad blow to all who believe in fair play. Multitudes of men and women prominent in all walks of life, senators, representatives, bishops, priests, professors, judges, municipal officials, social workers and others have appealed for amnesty, but, -no result. There has never been another case to parallel this in the entire history of the United States.

President Breaks His Promise

"Take, for instance, the mammoth petition that was presented to the President on July 19, 1922. It comprised over 300,000 signatures. Practically every church and liberal organization, to say nothing of labor organizations, joined in the appeal for amnesty. The President promised to review all the cases inside of sixty days. Nothing was done at the expiration of that time, so we gave him 30 days' grace, in view of his being swamped with work at the time.

"Was anything done after the 90 days? Not a thing. So we started another intensive amnesty campaign. During the drive Senator William E. Borah spoke to large audiences in practically all the big cities in the country, urging the release of the wartime prisoners. Numerous publications came out editorially in favor of amnesty. Senator George Wharton Pepper reviewed the Chicago I. W. W. trial, and having found that there was no earthly ground on which the men could be justly retained. behind prison bars, recommended to the President their immediate and unconditional release; still no results. Only a few weeks ago 51 bishops signed a letter asking amnesty. In Cleveland 500 delegates to the Methodist Episcopal Church Council of Cities passed a resolution asking the release of the prisoners. All this has failed to move the administration at Washington.

"True, a few have been released and deported. Also a few have been released on individual clem

INDUSTRIAL PIONEER

ency applications. This, however, does not affect the cases of those still behind prison walls, as they are American born citizens, and have never committed any actual crime, so have no grounds on which to apply for clemency."

"In view of all this that you have just told me, what will be your next move? If appeals to executive clemency have failed, surely the General Defense Committee must be contemplating action along other lines."

Economic Pressure Is Next Step

"We are now resorting to economic pressure," answered the defense secretary. "The sentiment among the rank and file of the Industrial Workers of the World at the present time is for a general strike. Hit the master class in the pocketbook and maybe it will wake up.

"There is more activity among the I. W. W. membership on the Pacific Coast today than ever before. They want action, and they want it quick. They have become impatient of dilly-dallying with an administration whose actions are evidently determined by unseen forces.

"Two circuit courts of appeals threw out the two counts against the prisoners charging sabotage and property destruction. Yet the administration, contrary to all legal precedent, ignores the appeals courts' action. So what can we do? Economic action on as large a scale as possible is now the only means to effect the release of these innocent men. general strike will do it."

The

"Will you mention some of the more prominent organizations and individuals who have been active in the amnesty campaign?" was our next question.

"Well, besides the ones whom I have already mentioned, there is Charles Nagel, Secretary of Commerce and Labor under Taft, and an ex-cabinet minister who served under McKinley and Roosevelt, whose name I am not going to mention, has contributed money. Besides, just recently the Wisconsin Senate passed a resolution urging the release of the war-opinion prisoners."

"What particular group of capitalists, in your opinion, is especially active in keeping the men behind bars?"

"I could not say what special interests are responsible for the outrage. All that I know is that the capitalist class in general is to be blamed for keeping these innocent men in prison. Of course, their flunkeys and cohorts, such as the American Legion and other reactionary and lawless elements, are always on the job."

"Is it not a fact that war-opinion prisoners have been released in every country on the face of the earth? How do these other countries look upon this survival of vicious persecution in the United States?"

All Other Nations Have Given Amnesty "I am glad you asked me that," answered Feinberg. "Yes, all other nations have freed their waropinion prisoners and the United States is fast losing

whatever reputation it had in other countries for being the home of the brave and the land of the free.

"Also, it has been hit in the pocketbook through the actions of the workers in other parts of the world, particularly in South and Central America. In Argentina, the largest labor unions have officially protested against the continued imprisonment of the politicals here. And the Argentine Syndicalist Union has announced that it will picket all ships from the United States, asking Yankee passengers why this nation does not let the European war come to an end.

"Thousands of workingmen and women in Mexico are participating in a boycott against all moving picture films made in the States. This news is spreading swiftly throughout the South American countries, where the workers are expected to do likewise.

"Many labor organizations and liberty-loving individuals in Europe have sent appeals for the po liticals to the nearest U. S. consul or direct to President Harding."

California Shows Its Fangs

Next we wanted to know about the persecutions going on in California. Whence comes this terrible outburst of viciousness against the working class in that paradise of the United States? We were informed that some 48 members of the I. W. W. are incarcerated in San Quentin and Folsom penitentiaries, serving sentences ranging from one to 25 years. In the case of most prisoners starting out on an indeterminate sentence, a flat sentence is given to them after one year, but with the I. W. W.s. it is sometimes two or more years before they learn the exact length of their incarceration. Besides these 48, there are about 20 out on bail today awaiting the results of appeal, and on top of these, somewhere around 50 who are still waiting trial. Most of these latter, however, are in on vagrancy charges.

"On what grounds have most of these workingmen been convicted?" we asked.

"Of membership in the I. W. W., under the criminal syndicalism law. No overt acts of violence, sabotage, or destruction of property have been proved against any of them. Yet there they are. behind penitentiary walls for the 'crime' of belonging to a labor union."

"How about the three professional witnesses used by the state, Dymond, Coutts and Townsend? Are they as bad as they have been painted by the pa pers?"

This touched a sore spot in the defense secretary's makeup. "Bad! Why, bad is no name for it! They are degenerates of an unspeakable type. Each of them ought to be given at least a hundred years in the penitentiary and barred forever from associating with human beings. Yet here are the facts: These proven and self-confessed sexual degenerates and criminals are being employed by the State of California to uphold the sanctity of its laws. Has ever

anything more offensive to all sense of decency and fair play been pulled off anywhere on the face of the earth?"

Terrorism in San Francisco

"What is back of the raid on the California defense office in San Francisco and the arrest of its secretary, Tom Connors?"

"Intimidation and lawlessness, pure and simple. Connors was doing a lot of good work for the deHe had fense, so he had to be put out of the way. created a lot of sentiment for the repeal of the criminal syndicalism law. His activities were getting results. He was arousing a sense of justice in the citizens and taxpayers of California, so naturally a man like that could not be tolerated by the corrupt powers that rule that state.

"He was arrested on a warrant sworn out by the authorities of Sacramento County, for tampering with a jury, simply because one of the defense circulars reprinting an editorial from the Fresno Daily Republican had accidentally fallen into the hands of a juror in a syndicalism trial in Sacramento. Newspapers which are vehemently opposed to the I. W. W. reach jurors right along. Why are the owners of these newspapers not thrown into prison?"

"How will the utter disregard for law, order, precedent and justice by the California courts react upon the rest of the country?"

"It merely emphasizes what class-conscious workers have known for years; that there is one law for the workingmen and another for the employers. The courts are seen to be nothing but instruments in the Another result hands of the industrial overlords.

has been that in California itself the entire fabric of criminal procedure has collapsed. For years past the American people have been told to have respect for the courts, but the actions of the courts themselves have been such as to inspire nothing but disrespect from all justice-loving people."

"How about these professional witnesses? Do you think that other states may follow California's example in employing self-confessed criminals and moral degenerates as state witnesses?"

"No, I do not.

California uses them because it can get away with it. It was done in the Mooney case and other cases, and it is being done today. You must remember that California has been so long controlled by unscrupulous public utility corporations and railroads that they have lost all sense of political decency. It is doubtful that, if the things done in California were attempted in other states, the reactionaries could get away with them."

1. W. W. Used as Smoke-Screen
"What connection do you see between the present
persecution of the I. W. W. and the control of Cali-
fornia's politics by the ring mentioned above?"

"Well, it seems to me that the I. W. W. is being
used by these selfish interests merely as a smoke-
screen to divert the attention of the well-meaning

MAY, 1923

Californians from the machinations of this ring of
high-handed politicians. It is also highly probable
that it is but a repetition of what is taking place in
regard to the Leavenworth prisoners. They are be-
ing used as a smoke-screen by the grafting con-
tractors who defrauded the people of the United
States out of millions of dollars during the war.
What more natural than this? Do not many bur-
glars, when they contemplate pulling off an especially
big job, start a fire in the neighborhood, so as to
throw off the attention of the people from what
they intend to do?

"What particular interests, in your opinion, are
back of the prosecution?"

There is

"That is a hard question to answer.
little doubt, however, that the lumber and railroad
interests are backing it, and also possibly the South-
ern California Edison Company. And many raids
on the Marine Transport Workers in San Francisco
were made at the direct request of Andrew Furuseth
of the International Seamen's Union.

The ferocity with which the Los Angeles prosecu-
tions have been waged can be laid directly at the
door of Thomas Lee Woolwine, district attorney of
Los Angeles county, who attempts to shield his own
ill-doing by attacking others whom he thinks too
weak to resist effectively; in Sacramento, they are
partly due to the insane hatred which McClatchey,
owner of the Sacramento Bee, bears to all liberal-
minded people, I. W. W.s or no; and since the
Southern California Edison Company is now em-
ploying F. W. Kelly, who represented the Depart-
men of Justice in the I. W. W. war trial at Sacra-
mento, its participation in the prosecution of I. W.
The American
W.s is not difficult to explain.
Legion, too, not only upholds the California syndic-
alism law, but at this time is sending emissaries
into Oregon in an effort to induce the legislature of
that state to rewrite its syndicalism law to conform
to the California statute."

Struggle in California Must Go On

There was still another point on which we wanted to be straightened out, which had been raised by some well-meaning people who have the interests of labor close at heart.

"Why not abandon the struggle in California for the time being and concentrate on organization work somewhere else? How would the membership of the I. W. W. look at any such proposal? Or is it at all possible or practical, in the first place?"

"This is not possible, practical, nor advisable. It is impractical for the simple reason that the members of the Industrial Workers of the World do not carry on the struggle out of visionary or idealistic motives, but because they work in the State of California. They are there, and they are attempting to organize on the job in order to get as many benefits from the employers as possible. Another thing, if we were to give up the struggle, or make an attempt to do so, we thereby would practically admit our guilt.

Twenty-one

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