Open forum, vol. 13, no. 41 (October, 1936)

THE OPEN FORUM

Free Speech - Free Press - Free Assemblage

Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties.-Milton

oo

Vol. XIII. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, OCTOBER 10, 1936. No. 41

--------

REWARDS OFFERED BY A. C. L. U.

IN ALABAMA FLOGGING CASE

A reward of $500 has been offered by

the American Civil Liberties Union to Gov.

Bibb Graves of Alabama for information

leading to the arrest and final conviction

of one or more of the assailants of Joseph

s Gelders of the National Committee for

the Defense of Political Prisoners who was

severely flogged outside of Clanton (Ala.)

last week. The Union's reward offered

"solely in the interest of protection of

civil rights" was announced by Arthur Gar-

feld Hays, general counsel. Gelders was

a former University of Alabama instructor

of physics who had been active in the de-

fonse of workers' rights in the neighbor-

hood of Brimingham. A reward of $200

was also posted by Gov. Graves who called

for prompt apprehension of the guilty per-

sons. Gelders spent several days in the

hospital recovering from the effects of the

attack.

The Union's wire to Gov. Graves said:

"Gratified to note your vigorous instruc-

tions to apprehend assailants of Joseph

Gelders engaged in legal defense activities.

Attack is only one more of many such out-

ages in Brimingham district. In effort

to aid the authorities, the American Civil

Liberties Union offers reward of five hun-

dred dollars for arrest and final conviction

of one or more of the assailants. We

make this offer solely in interest of pro-

tection of civil rights."

PRODUCTION OF "IT CAN'T

HAPPEN HERE" TO GO ON

Despite rumors that certain political in-

fluences in Washington had _ successfully

brought pressure to prevent the produc-

tion by the Federal Theatre Project of the

dramatic version of Sinclair Lewis' novel,

`It Can't Happen Here", the play will be

besented late this month by twenty-eight

groups throughout the country. Assur-

ance that there had been no change in

plans was received this week by the Civil

Liberties Union from Mrs. Hallie Flanagan,

director of the Project. The Union and

the National Council on Freedom from

euronsorship had written Mrs. Flanagan ex-

pressing the hope that there would be noth-

Ing to prevent the production of a play

Whose theme was so pertinent and so im-

Dortant.

THIRTY-SIX NATIONS

PLEDGE RADIO FOR PEACE

Representatives of thirty-six govern-

ments met in Geneva recently at the Inter-

s0vernmental Broadcasting Congress and

poaed an agreement not to use their broad-

`sting facilities to stir up civil discord in

`r nations or to prejudice international

relations.

ae governments represented control or

ain the radio companies operating in their

cs: and hence are in a position to

Rati bropaganda-free broadcasts. Radio

: 10ns and networks are managed by pri-

. Companies in the United States, which

a Not officially represented at the confer-

indi That government, it is reported, has

et its moral approval of the agree-

Salinas Still A Hot Spot

The shipping lockout at San Francisco

which threatened last week failed to mater-

ialize. A 15-day truce, proposed by the

workers, was finally accepted by the ship-

owners just before midnight on Sept. 30th.

So peace continues for the present.

Salinas is still the hot spot on the map

of California. Sporadic warfare has fiared

up there repeatedly during the past week,

and a state of nervous tension exists all

through the Salinas-Watsonville lettuce

area. Negotiations for settlement of the

issues involved do not seem to be making

much progress. No new conferences are

being held.

WERE ON THE AIR

Friday of this week the American

Civil Liberties Union, Southern Cali-

fornia Branch, will begin a series ot

weekly broadcasts over K F V D, Los

Angeles, the station in the center or

the dial-1000 kilocycles. Dr. Clin-

ton J. Taft, Director of the organiza-

tion, will speak at 11 a.m..on the sub-

ject: "HOW FREEDOM IS FUNC-

TIONING IN THE U.S. A."

The A. C. L. U. broadcast will con-

tinue each Friday at the same hour for

the next three months. Various speak-

ers will be used.

All friends of civil liberties are

asked to tune in and to invite others

to do likewise. Please send us a postal

telling us whether or not the broadcast

` reaches you clearly and what your re-

actions are to it. We are especially

anxious to hear from those living ata

distance from Los Angeles so that we

may learn how far the message

reaches. Tune in hereafter on KF VD

each Friday morning at 11 o'clock.

Instead the grower-shipper interests are

trying to tighten their lines against the

striking workmen. A new regime of sup-

pression has been inaugurated by the pas-

sage of anti-picketing ordinances. Both

the Monterey County Supervisors and the

Salinas City Council have passed such ordi-

nances during the past few days. In order

to influence public opinion and prepare the

way for the ordinances, it is alleged that

thugs were employed to explode bombs

near the lettuce sheds and then lay the

blasts to the strikers. Of course, such

tactics are frequently employed in indus-

trial conflicts.

Lettuce picking and packing continues,

but not at the usual pace, due to the in-

experience of the scab labor used and to the

great distance that the lettuce is trucked

before it is packed and placed on cars for

the eastern market.

The anti-picketing laws just passed are

probably unconstitutional. They impose

drastic maximum penalties of six months

in jail and a $500 fine upon offenders. The

courts, even in this state, will hardly up-

hold measures of this kind, it is believea.

Peaceful picketing is held to be one of the

inalienable rights of Labor, on a footing

with the right to organize and the right

to strike. How else can a strike be made

effective? say the workers. Many courts

have upheld the right to picket; certainly

these objectionable ordinances in Monterey

County will not go unchallenged legally.

The resort to such means shows how

hard pressed the grower-shippers are.

Their theory seems to be: clamp down hard

on dissatisfied workers; hedge them about

with restrictions of all kinds-ordinances

-and laws that will keep them within bounds

-and thus force them to be submissive.

Well, the workers after suffering sup-

_ pression for centuries have finally devel-

oped a different idea of the matter. They

believe that they have some rights, some

- fundamental, inalienable rights, and they

mean to assert them.

This Salinas struggle, starting about the

middle of September, is a dramatization of

the kind of civil war that is raging here in

America. It is a real clash between essen-

tial democracy and camouflaged fascism.

The workers want a decent wage, proper

hours and conditions of labor, and social

security. They are entitled to these things

any fair-minded person would say. But

the moment they try to get them they are

met with the most dogged, brutal opposi-

tion by certain members of the big busi-

ness and big agricultural set-up.

Gas bombs, clubs, bullets and court in-

junctions are hurled against them to intimi-

date them and keep them in their proper

places, so that they will take what is of-

fered them. Only by organizing thorough-

ly, bargaining collectively, striking solidly

when occasion demands, and thus insisting

upon receiving a larger share of that which

they produce, have they been able to im-

prove their condition at all.

So they will hardly be inclined now to lie

down meekly at Salinas before the barrier

raised by these new picketing ordinances.

Men who have already faced 1500 depu-

tized vigilantes armed with gas, clubs and

guns will not suffer their morale to be

broken by such illegal scraps of paper as

picketing ordinances, it is argued.

Efforts have been made repeatedly to

persuade the Filipino Labor Union to join

in the strike, but they have not been suc-

cessful thus far. The members of this

union are still cutting lettuce, their wages

having been increased from 25c to 50ecent per

hour since the strike started. Leaders of

this union have shown a willingness to join

the strike provided they are given equal

representation on the strike committee and

are assured by the Fruit and Vegetable

Workers' Union that the strike will not be

settled until the demands of both unions

are met. Officials have done everything

possible to prevent the Filipino Union mem-

bers from holding a meeting and voting

to join the strike.

AMERICA - EUROPE - 1936

Observations on Two Continents

By CLINTON J. Tarr

IV

Hyde Park

Hyde Park, London, is still going strong.

By that I mean. the free speech feature

of Hyde Park. The entire area so close

to the center of the city is a lovely place

for an airing.. Thousands flock there to

enjoy the trees, the birds, the shrubs, the

grass and the flowers; but we went to see

if Londoners were still true to the tradi-

tions of freedom that have come down

to them from Runnymede-from 1215, A.

D., when the original Bill of Rights was

wrung from old King John.

There they were-twenty of them (the

spielers, I mean)-with various

groups gathered around them. They were

- going strong that afternoon, and their line

of talk included everything from religion

to revolution. Some of them, I noticed,

were being pretty badly heckled. MHeckl-

ing is an art in England. It is done good-

naturedly but pointedly. Some of the

thrusts that we heard were rapier-like.

One must be quick-witted and wonderful-

ly resourceful to maintain his prestige on

a Hyde Park soapbox. And he must not get

mad. If he once loses his temper, he is

lost; the crowd will soon razz him off his

pedestal. In the case of the Fascist speak-

er, we observed that he was having his

hands full. Plenty of hot shot was fired

at him but he was a clever fellow and

managed to hold his own with his oppo-

nents.

A sudden shower came up as we stood

there listening to the 57 varieties of rem-

edies offered for present-day ills. The

crowd, however, scarcely noticed the water

from the skies. Some ran for a few min-

utes to cover underneath trees nearby, but

were soon back listening to their favorite

speakers.

Several of the London bobbies, the cops,

I mean, were in the park mingling with

the crowd of listeners. I ventured to en-

gage two of them in conversation and

found them to be delightful chaps-dquite

different from the average run of our Am-

erican policemen. In the first place, their

intelligence is much higher. They could

discuss almost any subject of public in-

terest. They possess a degree of education

not found here in America very often a-

mong our cops. Their viewpoint too was

refreshingly different. I asked them if

they believed in letting radicals talk free-

ly in Hyde Park and elsewhere. Of course

they did. Was anyone ever arrested for

going too far with free speech? Not to

their knowledge. Did they believe in

beating people up because they held ``sub-

versive opinions?" No, indeed. Did

they ever shoot down strikers on the pick-

et line or throw gas bombs at them? Most

assuredly not. How could they when

they had no pistols or gas bombs as a part

of their offensive equipment? The only

weapon that a London policeman is allow-

ed to carry is his club, and from all that

I could learn directly and indirectly about

the conduct of these men, they use their

heads much more freely than their clubs.

They try to help people rather than hurt

them. They take a great pride in their

work and in keeping their records clean

as servants of the people rather than op-

pressors of any particular class.

Royalty

The guide who accompanies the tourist

bus will make sure that we arrive at the

royal palace in season to witness the chang-

ing of the guard. That's no mere side-

show event-it's one of the main acts un-

der the big top in London. Throngs of

visitors flock out there to see the ceremony.

The English people themselves frequently

go there. They revel in it. Their faces

shine with satisfaction while they are

watching the spectacle. They chatter about

it enthusiastically. For despite all the

democracy of the British, they can't seem

sized .

to bring themselves to the point where they

can dispense with their king. They adore

him and they admire the trappings of

royalty. Bright uniforms, bands of music,

bear-skin hats delight them just as child-

ren are pleased with pretty toys. For-

tunate it is for those guards that England

is a cool country, even in the summer time.

(England is in about the same latitude

as Labrador.) Otherwise they would

melt under the weight of those huge, 50-

gallon bear-skin hats.

Edward, the new king, has made a de-

cided hit with his people. He is unques-

tionably liberal-a bit radical some folks

think. He takes a lively interest in the

poor, and when he was visiting Vienna

recently he insisted on seeing the Socialist

apartment houses erected there a few

years ago.

Victoria, his great-grandmother, has a

glorious monument built in her honor a-

cross from the royal palace. That is one

piece of marble in London that they man-

age to keep clean-immaculate, in fact.

Well, the gracious queen I guess deserves

it. She won a sure niche in the hearts of

her subjects.

Touring London

For the benefit of those of my party who

were visiting London for the first time, we

took tours about the city, going to the West

Side one day and to the East Side the next.

One. must be able to say he has trudged

about Westminster Abbey, the Parliament

buildings, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul's

Cathedral and the Tower of London. Every

tourist sees these things and absorbs as

much of them as he can.

He discovers that St. Paul's is built on

the most elevated spot in the city, that the

crown jewels on exhibition in the Tower

of London are still rated at ten million

dollars, that the kings and queens of Eng-

land really sat in the coronation chair

shown him, that "Big Ben" is not a myth

but a genuine bell away up in the tower of

the Parliament buildings, striking off the

hours of the day and night, and-a lot of

other things. London mightily impresses

him. He will never forget London.

The British Museum was not far from

our hotel. I had seen it before but I went

there again this summer. It is an amazing

place if one is interested in exhibits from

all over the world as depicting the history

of the race. One could spend his entire

time there and then see only a part of the

great collection.

One morning we held an informal con-

ference with members of the Trade Union

movement. They were intelligent fellows

and were very willing to answer our ques-

tions. The impression that we gathered

was that the British members of organized

labor are much like the A. F. of L. men

here at home-rather cautious and conser-

vative. They seem quite content to let

things jog along and take their natural

course. An almost fatalistic faith that all

will work out well eventually seems ito

possess them.

(Continued next week.)

FOR ONLY $1.00- -

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No Other Charge is Made

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Los Angeles

L. A. TEAR GAS BOMB -

SALESMAN EXPOspp

The man who boasts that he controls the |

tear-gas bomb market in Southern Calif, |

nia industrial warfare-has the monopg}

on sales of tear and nauseating gas-h,,

been found.

The name on his neat business cards , |

George F. Cake, and the same cards de.

scribe him as a salesman of "Protectio,

Equipment." He has a tiny office in a huge

warehouse building at 1350 West Six,

street, in Los Angeles, near Westlake payk

Last week Cake, confronted with an wy,

exploded 12-pound tear-gas bomb picke;

up during the orange-pickers' strike 4 |

Santa Ana, admitted the bomb was a prog.

uct of Federal Laboratories of Erie, Pen),

sylvania, and agreed that he "must hay

sold it." He identified the bomb by it

number and size.

Questioned by a local attorney who ha |

possession of the specimen bomb, Cake

further asserted that Federal Laboratories

through himself, `has a monopoly" 6

"protection equipment" sales in Souther

California. Asked whether the co-operg |

tion of law-enforcement agencies was not

a necessary requisite to the maintenance

of a monopoly in his line of work, he gaid

he didn't know.

He claims that he sells only to the police

Cake was free with the prices of his |

equipment, stating that a 12-pound bom)

of the "hand-grenade"' type sells for $1)

to $12 per bomb. Smaller type "bullet'

bombs, which can be fired long distancss

are less expensive. |

Cake has an assistant in his business here,

which he says is good, a man named "Tit |

tle." Called late last week by telephone,

Cake's office replied to the question "Ts he

in Salinas ?''

ey eae"

Tuttle, Cake's office said, was in Sa

Pedro at the time the call was made.

Cake professed a willingness to testify

concerning details of his business at any |

time, before an accredited investigating r

body such as the LaFollette civil liberties |

senatorial probers.-From the `United Pu

gressive News," Los Angeles.

PEACE MEETING PLANNED |

Kathleen Norris, the well-known novel:

ist, and Dr. Roy L. Smith, pastor of tie |

First Methodist Church, will speak at}

great peace meeting to be held in the aud: |

torium of the First Methodist Church, ti |

and Hope Streets, Friday evening, Octobe!

9th, at 8:00. The subject is: "If Wa |

Comes, Can We Stay Out?" Aldmission1s

absolutley free, but you must have tickets

These can be obtained at the A. C. LU.

office, 624 American Bank Bldg., Los Att

geles. Seats will be held until 7:45 p.m.

MRS. GARTZ TO BE HOSTESS

Mrs. Kate Crane-Gartz, who is just home |

from a summer spent abroad, will open he!

home, The Cloister, Altadena, on Sunday

afternoon, Oct. 18th, for a conference 0

European affairs. Dr. Clinton J. Taft wil |

speak at 3 p.m. on "My Impressions

Russia.'' Others who have traveled in the |

old world recently will be present and take

part in the discussion.

ry _--

cone ern

-------

JOIN THE A. C. L. U.

Many of you who read this papel

must find yourselves in accord wit

the work which the American Civil

Liberties Union is doing to protect out

fundamental rights of free speech

press and assemblage. But you have

not yet enrolled as a member of the

Union. Why not doit now? We need

you badly and will greatly appreciale

your becoming affiliated with our 0"

ganization. Please fill out the blank

below and send it in immediately. |

I desire to join the American Civil

Liberties Union, S. Calif. Branch, 2"

send herewith $1.00 to cover my me

bership fee.

Nenie. oe ke Oe

Street hcl ks) oe |

City... |

wo a bs. j

fe

th

tk,

np

ed FF

ty-eight Harvard alumni who spon-

| Pd pamphlet entitled `"`Walled In This

centl-

-

ve P

its

a

ify

uy

ing

jes |

'(-

foe eee eg ee ee ee ee aie Sa es ie

case.

nctigation of published reports that

Be iaiversity officials confiscated

Ha jestroyed mail sent to world notables

i: xs recent Tercentenary celebration was

Bed of the United States postal author-

ities last week. hig

The request for the investigation was

ade to Chief Inspector K. P. Aldrich of

" Post Office Department and to Karl

Crowley, Solicitor for that department,

by Quincy Howe, Varian Fry, and Gardner

Jackson, members of a committee of

Tomb", which criticized the attitude and

actions of President-emeritus A. Lawerence

Lowell of Harvard in the Sacco-Vanzetti

Copies of that pamphlet were mailed

by the sponsors to scientists and scholars

from many lands, who were attending the

Tercentenary, to all the faculty, and to

many prominent alumni in attendance, to

reach them on the morning of September

18, the day when Mr. Lowell was to in-

troduce President Roosevelt to the assem-

blaze. The envelopes containing the pam-

phlet were sealed and sent under first-class

postage. Next day the Boston Post said

ina news report:

"After the pamphlet had been distribut-

ed to a dozen alumni and class headquart-

es in the Harvard Yard, the matter was

brought to the attention of the university

authorities, who suppressed the attempt

to inject the Sacco-Vanzetti case into the

Terentenary by picking up all the pam-

phlets and destroying them."

Similar reports were published in other

Boston dailies, and it was understood

among newspapermen covering the Tercen-

tenary that the pamphlets were burned.

Copies of the Boston newspaper accounts

concerning this were handed to Chief In-

sector Aldrich and Solicitor Crowley with

ie alumni group's complaint.

Solicitor Crowley was asked to rule spe-

cifically upon these two questions: "If an

institution such as Harvard University ac-

cepts mail from a letter carrier for a guest

to whom it is addressed, and arbitrarily and

deliberately destroys such mail without de-

7 `Did Harvard Destroy Sacco-Vanzetti Mail?

livery to that guest, is that act a violation

of federallaw? If so, what is the penality

prescribed ?"'

"Various members of our committee

feel," said Messrs. Howe, Fry, and Jack-

son today, in making public their request

for an investigation, "`that the reported de-

struction of those pamphlets by the Har-

vard authorities looms in strange contrast

to the demand for his institution by Presi-

dent Conant of Harvard, in his speech that

day, for "the spirit of tolerance which al-

lows the expression of all opinions however

heretical they may appeay.'

"It offers a curious contrast also to the

words of President Roosevelt in the Har-

vard Yard on the same. afternoon: `In this

day of modern witch-burning, when free-

dom of thought has been exiled from many

lands, it is the part of Harvard and Amer-

ica to stand for the freedom of the human

mind and to carry the torch of truth.'

President-emeritus Lowell of Harvard

headed an advisory commission appointed

by former Governor Fuller of Massachu-

setts in 1927 to investigate the conviction

of Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti

for a payroll murder. On the strength of

the Lowell commission's findings Fuller

sent the two Italian labor organizers to the

electric chair.

Alleged suppression of evidence and

certain alleged discrepancies in the Lowell

committee's reasoning were set forth in

the pamphlet sponsored by the 28 Harvard

alumni, which asked that their fellow-

alumni study the committee's report and

processes of their alma mater's president."'

"Out of such discovery,"' a foreword in

the pamphlet states, ``will come an aware- -

ness of the incredible and destructive twists

of men's minds-even the mind of a presi-

dent of Harvard University. This cannot

fail, in our opinion, to be of value in the

struggle to keep this nation from being torn

asunder by that mass unreason which has

been so skilfully developed by power-mad

individuals and cliques in Europe. No one

looking at the fate of intellectual and cul-

tural pursuits in Germany and Italy can

escape an intense feeling of the immediate

peril confronting our own universities."'

TEAR GAS BOMBS HURLED

AT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

A new use has been discovered for tear

gas bombs. They have been repeatedly

employed in industrial struggles-by one

Side only, the employers and their protec-

tors, the police, to confuse and disperse

workers. That has become a commonplace

in recent years.

But last week in Campbell, O., students

nthe Memorial High School were set upon

by the minions of "law 'n order'' and driven

back coughing and sneezing by a barrage

of the nauseating gas. The trouble arose

over the transfer of Michael Graban, a

popular instructor in journalism, from the

high School to a grade school. Nine hun-

dred of the 1,000 students in the institu-

pn refused to go to classes in protest

`gainst the transfer. They remained on

euro streets four days, it is reported, and

pally Were forced by the gas and other

"ate to return to classes.

has eH, Why not use gas on students? Gas

Wart en proven effective in international

dre and in the case of industrial dis-

Dutes, ; s

held of Sine employ it on the academic

ORDER YOUR BOOKS

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ROBERT WHITAKER MAY

PUBLISH BOOK OF POEMS

Robert Whitaker, formerly editor of The

Open Forum, contemplates putting some of

his poems into a book. In a recent letter

he says: 5;

"The book which I am planning will

contain at least one hundred selections

from the best of my verse, including much

that has been written lately. It will sell

for two dollars a volume, or three copies,

to one address, for five dollars, postage

prepaid. I hope to get it out by Christ-

mas, if there is quick response from my

friends.

"Because I am laid off indefinitely from

platform work, and even from any sus-

tained literary effort, and for the further

reason that many of my friends have urged

upon me the publication of my verse, I am

sending out a letter to ascertain just what

interest there is in such a venture. Verse

is not usually published without a guar-

antee of the cost of putting it into book

form. I have no money of my own to carry

such a venture. But I have in hand one

hundred dollars, accumulated through the

unsolicited contributions of friends and this

I have devoted to such service. At least

two hundred dollars more will be required

before I can ask any publisher to issue a

volume of my verse. Every dollar sent in

will be carefully preserved for this pur-

pose, and each contributor will be credited

in the amount given on the price of one

or more volumes, as desired. The sooner

the money is in hand the earlier the volume

will appear. I have the counsel of poets

more experienced than myself, and who

are exceptionally well informed as to the

poetry publishing field. Let me express in

advance my hearty appreciation of the in-

terest friends have shown, or may yet show

in this venture. Please send checks or

DR.TAFT'S SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Friday, Oct. 9, at 11 a.m. over KFVD:

"How Freedom is Functioning in the U.S.

A." (This will be a regular broadcast each

week hereafter by Dr. Taft or some mem-

ber of the A. C. U. L. staff.)

Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m., before the

Women's University Club, 20030 Sherman

Way, Van Nuys, "The War Situation in

Europe."

Friday Evening, Oct. 16, at 8 715 p.m. be-

fore a youth group at 7611 Willoughby

Ave.,Los Angeles: ``Observations on My

European Tour."

Saturday, October 17th at 1:30 p. m.

before the Saturday Discussion Club, Clif-

ton's Cafeteria, 617 S. Olive St., Los

Angeles, "Fascist Forces at Work in

Europe."

Sunday,Oct. 18, at 3 p.m., Mrs. Kate

Crane-Gartz' home, The Cloister, Altadena,

`""My Impressions of Russia."

Sunday Evening, October 18, at 8:00

o'clock, the I. W. W. Forum, 212 8. Spring

Street, Los Angeles, "Labor in the Soviet

Union."'

Monday, October 19 at 3:15 p. m. Religi-

ous Education Bldg., U. C. L. A.: "Fascist

Forces at Work in Europe."

Tuesday Evening, Oct. 20, A. C: L, Uz

Rally at Park Boulevard Methodist Church,

4085 Park Blvd., San Diego, "`Observations

in Europe."' ;

Sunday evening, October 25th at 7:30

p. m. at the Cultural Center Forum, 230

S. Spring St., Los Angeles, "Things which

Radicals Should Know about Russia."

Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 8 p.m. before the

S. Pasadena Branch of the League Against

War and Fascism, 1022! Mission St., "Is

Russia Achieving the Good Life?"

FOREIGN BORN CLEARED

The percentage of non-citizens on New

York City's relief rolls is lower than the

percentage of non-citizens in the total New

York population, according to a report

made public recently by Mayor LaGuardia.

The investigation of New York relief

rolls followed a vicious campaign instituted

by the Hearst press against New York's

foreign-born. The American Committee for

Protection of Foreign Born, in commenting

on the Mayor's report, said that this is one

more indication of the degree to which the

Hearst attacks on the foreign-born in the

United States are false and malicious.

The results of the investigation showed

that there are only 12.8 per cent of those

on home relief rolls who are non-citizens,

whereas 15.1 per cent of New York's popu-

lation are non-citizens. An editorial in the

New York Post of September 19 said, in

part:

"We wonder whether the Hearst press

will have the decency to apologize

for their excursion in stirring intolerance

and hatred by baiting aliens. Or whether

they will merely proceed to the fabrication

of new canards against the alien-while

Mr. Hearst goes on employing cheap alien

labor and making American labor cheap."

money orders, and address as below. All

receipts will be individually acknowl-

edged."'

Mr. Whitaker's address is 15 Lynden St.,

Los Gatos, Calif.

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THE OPEN FORUM

THE OPEN FORUM

Published every Saturday at 624 American Bank

Building, 129 West Second Street

Les Angeles, California, by the Southern California

Branch of The American Civil Liberties Union.

Phone: TUcker 6836

CHnton J. Taft Editor

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Upton Sinclair Kate Crane Gartsz

Doremus Scudder A. L. Wirin

Leo Gallagher Ethelwyn Mills Ernest Besig

John Packard Edwin P. Ryland

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Entered as second-class matter Dec. 13, 1924, at the

post office of Los Angeles, California, under the

Act. of March 3, 1879.

LOS ANGELES, CALIF., OCT. 10,: 1986

NEW JERSEY SUPREME COURT

TO HEAR FLAG SALUTE CASE

The Supreme Court of New Jersey as-

sumed jurisdiction last week in the Se-

caucus flag salute case involving the dis-

- missal from school of two young Jehovah's

Witnesses, Alma and Vivian Hering, for

refusing on religious grounds to pledge

allegiance to the flag.

Over the objections of counsel for the

state Board of Education, Justice Bodine

sitting in Trenton signed the writ of cer-

tiorari sought by Abraham J. Isserman,

counsel for the New Jersey Civil Liberties

Committee, representing the two children.

The case will be argued in December. The

matter was taken to the courts after the

Board of Education in a ruling on Aug. 1

had sustained the state Commisioner of

Education's decision that the children must

salute the fiag or be dismissed from school.

Both the Commissioner and the Board have

refused to pass on the constitutionality of

the flag salute law, challenged by the New

Jersey Civil Liberties Committee. The

Secaucus case is one of several now being

handled by attorneys for the Civil Liberties

Union involving the right of children of

Jehovah's Witnesses to a public school ed-

ucation despite refusal to commit what

they call `fa violation of the divine com-

mandment" by saluting the flag.

L. A. FREE SPEECH TRIAL ON

Judge Wilbur Curtis' court-Dept. 14 of

the Los Angeles Municipal Courts-is the

scene of a free speech and free assemblage

trial these days. It started a week ago,

several days being required to obtain a

jury.

The defendants are Jim Dell, James

Carter, Malon E. Freeman and Edward Mc-

Dowell. They are charged with riot, dis-

turbing the peace, resisting an officer and

refusing to disperse. The occasion of their

arrest was the breaking up of Communist

street meetings recently at the corner of

Brooklyn Ave. and Breed St. Policemen

descended upon the people attempting to

hold the meetings and dispersed them with

tear gas. The four were grabbed during

the melee. Atty. Grover Johnson of the

I. L. D. is conducting the defense. Many

witnesses are being summoned to tell what

they know about the case, and it seems

likely to be a long trial.

SUNDAY NIGHT OPEN FORUM

116'4 W. Ninth Street

J. P. CANNON

Well Known Authority

on International Affairs

"CIVIL WAR IN SPAIN"

_. SUNDAY, OCT. 11, 8:00 P. M.

QUESTIONS - DISCUSSION

Admission 15c

Auspices: Socialist Party

HEARST PAPER SCORED FOR

VICIOUS ATTACK ON A. C. L. U.

Editor of Los Angeles Examiner,

Los Angeles, Calif.

Dear Sir:

Today, the first thing I note as the Ex-

aminer is handed to me on the train, 1s

your article about the American Civil Lib-

erties Union, and your upholding of the un-

lawful actions of the American Legion,

which has always usurped the constitu-

tional rights of intelligent minorities to ex-

press their opinions of the wrongs of the

present day order (or disorder) of so-

ciety, and who want a country fit to be

patriotic about. The pity is that we are

forced to have a Civil Liberties Union to

maintain our rights under our Constitution.

So, of course the Civil Liberties Union

is "notoriously" active in defence of those

abused by such notoriously active organ-

izations as the American Legion. Watch

them at their annual meetings how they

bring ruin and destruction and contam-

ination in their drunken orgies. You a

supposedly intelligent editorial writer pre-

sume to defend such actions and condem

the highminded type you'll find in any

branch of the American Civil Liberties

Union.

But what can we expect of the type of

mind your paper expresses? It is con-

demed in the eyes of the world everywhere

when you abuse, as you do every day, the

President of the United States.

The "radicals" simply want to eradicate

evils, nothing more. They are "guilty"

of nothing, and have nothing to fear. Who

are you, to say that they preach destruc-

tion? Destruction of liberties? It is the

American Legion you'd better preach to as

the destroyer of the liberties of idealists.

Who and what are they to presume to tell

us what we can do, and not do? Wait

until they can set an example of decent

behavior in public places before they dare

to turn out the lights on the meetings of

intelligent, high-minded people, as hood-

lums do.

Cease to preach about "disloyal doc-

trines" until you find them in the right

place, which is not in the American Civil

Liberties Union! -K. C-G.

SANTA BARBARA JOINS.

ANTI-RADICAL PARADE

Santa Barbara jumped over the traces

last week and staged a raid on the radicals

-the first one in four years. Not to be

outdone by Salinas, Terre Haute and other

Red-baiting centers, Santa Barbara de-

scended upon the headquarters of the Com-

munist Party, located on West Perdido St.,

not far from police headquarters.

Mayor Hanson gave the cops "written

authority' for the act, okeyed by the City

Council, it is reported. Detective Lieuten-

ant J. J. O'Brien, head of the anti-subver-

sive squad, engineered it early in the morn-

ing.

No one was arrested but samples of all

printed matter in the place and the minutes

of meetnigs held were lugged away for

further inspection. Moreover, a photog-

rapher snapped pictures of the interior of

the headquarters and of various signs and

banners on the walls. These are all to be

carefully studied to find out whether or not

the Communists of Santa Barbara have

"plans to use force or violence in the over-

throw of duly constituted government.''

The officers have not yet reported on

their findings so far as we can learn. It

will be interesting indeed to hear their ver-

dict. And we would suggest that if they

are going to pursue such tactics in Santa

Barbara they go right on and raid the

headquarters of the Republicans, Demo-

crats, Socialists, Prohibitionists, and Union-

ists (Leemkeites). Make a thorough job

of it, gentlemen; don't show any partiality.

Hard Times Offer

povenss and she soptinved financial depression we

are going to make you a very special offer-THE

OPEN FORUM eight months to new subscribers for

enly fifty cents. Get busy and fi

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THE OPEN FORUM

624 American Bank Building LOS ANGELES

THOMAS ATTACKS OFFICIALS

FOR FAILURE TO PROTEST FREEDOy

Norman Thomas, Socialist candidate ;

President, has met the challenge ocent the

American Civil Liberties Union, printeq ;

last week's paper, "to make at leas i

public pronouncement on the issues whieh

constitute the heart of the struggle to maj

tain democratic liberties in the Unite

States." He is the only candidate thus fy,

to define his position.

In a national broadcast last Sunday

Thomas declared that "there is an ominon

decline in civil liberties which has grow,

apace under an administration Which

prides itself on its liberty." He criticjsa

Pres. Roosevelt for doing nothing about)

"flogging, kidnapping and murder in Fig. |

ida, terrorism in Alabama and Arkangy |

vigilantes in California or the growing te.

dency of governors to resort to troops an(

military law. On all these matters y |

Roosevelt has been silent, and his silene (c)

is less excusable because he is not ony

President of the United States, but leade

of the party which today controls the goy.

ernment of most of the states."

He also assailed Gov. Paul V. McNu

of Indiana "for his rule by military lay"

calling it "Hoosier Hitlerism."

The jailing of Earl -Browder and foy

associates by Terre Haute, Ind.-officials las

week was a most cowardly, disgracefjl

affair. The Communist candidate for Pre.

ident and his friends were charged with

vagrancy in order to give a semblance oj

legality to the act, but these charges wer |

quickly dismissed the next day in cout,

Damage suits for false arrest and imprison /

ment will be filed against Mayor Beecher

and Chief of Police Yates, it is said

Browder immediately left for New York,

followed by Yates' threat, "If they ar

caught in the city again they will be taken

back to jail."

How stupid of the Terre Haute officials

to pull a stunt of this sort-in 'Gene Deby

old town! While Browder was in jail his

prepared speech was read over the ratio |

by Attorney Bentall of Chicago-to a mith

larger audience of course because of the 7

publicity he had received.

_ Smashing the Constitution in this fashim

is a tawdry trick. It is an un-Americal

gesture and should be vigorously cor

demned by every lover of freedom all |

democracy.

SAN DIEGO A. C. L. U. RALLY

All people interested in the preservatidl

of our civil liberties who live in the and

treme southern part of California are Il:

vited to attend the Annual Fall Rally @

the American Civil Liberties Union at Si

Diego on Tuesday evening, Oct. 20. |

The local committee has arranged it

the affair to be held in the Park Boulevall |

Methodist Church, 4085 Park Blvd. AsiP

per will be served at 6:30 o'clock, followel

by an interesting program. Dr. E. P. i |

land of Los Angeles, Chairman of tit

A. C. L. U. Executive Committee, will pl

side and speak briefly. The main addi }

will be given by Dr. Taft, Director of tt F

Union for the past thirteen years.

will speak on "Observations in Europe La

Summer."

Atty. Carey .McWilliams, well knot?

author, is announced to tell about "It}

New Anti-Labor Set-up on the Patil

Coast." Prof. Harry Stimmetz of the Sal

Diego State College is slated to speak 0

his recent survey tour of the United Sta

Reservations for the dinner at 35cent }*

plate should be made at once by getill

in touch with Etta Mae Wallace, 15050x2122 |

Lewis St., San Diego. Please spread i}

notice as widely as possible. |

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