‘TO ARMS, YE BRAVES! An Appeal from the I.W.W. Brigade in Mexico’ from The Industrial Worker. Vol. 3 No. 11. June 8, 1911.

Tia Juana, Mexico, May 24, 1911.

To all Members of the I. W. W. and to all other Radicals.

Fellow Workers: It is now about five months ago since the I.W.W. boys hoisted the red flag over Mexicali, and since that time victory after victory has crowned our efforts to make the revolution in Lower California a real revolution for Emancipation and Industrial Freedom of the working class. So far only a few of the I.W.W boys have been killed and the revolution has been only supported by Mexicans and American members of the Liberal Junta, and the members of the I.W.W. locals down here in California, and right now about half of the 250 insurrectos here in Tia Juana are members of the I.WW. But, fellow workers, this revolution has just started and for to carry it to a successful end more men and also more money is needed, for to buy more guns and ammunition. Reds are coming and joining every day, and we are short of guns and that is the most important matter right now.

And so, fellow workers, this letter is sent out for the purpose to give you a true account of how things really are here in Tia Juana. We have plenty of horses, cattle and provisions—enough to feed a thousand men for many months and you bet we are not living on coffee and doughnuts either, but living on the fat of the (what used to be) the Otis and other Ranches. We cannot see why you fellows will stand for coffee and in the good “old U.S.A.” while we, your fellow workers are living high and keeping the Red Flag flying here in our country as you see. We have got a Utopia down here. We do not work, and we don’t get pulled for vags [vagrants] either. We drill half an hour daily so that we will be able to plug the federals full of holes when they have recovered enough to show, up again.

Now, fellows, this Lower California is a very nice country to have control of. It’s not too hot here and it is also a very rich country in metals and otherwise, and if you fellow workers back us up with men and money we will surely take this country and will be able in various ways to help organization work in the U.S.A. So, fellows, stop looking for a master; stop counting the ties; stop gazing at the Job Sign, and take the first train and come down here. Here there are no bosses and you the FREE. Also tell other Radicals to come as we want nobody else. Hold meetings, read this letter, collect money and come. Don’t believe the Capitalist papers when they tell you there is peace in Mexico because Diaz has resigned. There will never be peace in Mexico until the Red Flag flies over the working man’s country and Capitalism shall have been overthrown.

Act at once and let us know if you can help us out with money and men.

F.G. PETERSON, JACK PHELAN, FRANCISCO MARTINEZ, For the I.W.W. Brigade.

RICARDO FLORES MAGON, ANSELMO L. FIGUEROA, ANTONIO DE P. ARUJO, LIBRADO RIVERA, ENRIQUE FLORES MAGON, For Liberal Junta.

Address all communications to F. G. Peterson, 519 1/2 E. Fourth street. Los Angeles, Cal.

The Industrial Union Bulletin, and the Industrial Worker were newspapers published by the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) from 1907 until 1913. First printed in Joliet, Illinois, IUB incorporated The Voice of Labor, the newspaper of the American Labor Union which had joined the IWW, and another IWW affiliate, International Metal Worker.The Trautmann-DeLeon faction issued its weekly from March 1907. Soon after, De Leon would be expelled and Trautmann would continue IUB until March 1909. It was edited by A. S. Edwards. 1909, production moved to Spokane, Washington and became The Industrial Worker, “the voice of revolutionary industrial unionism.”

PDF of full issue: https://archive.org/download/v3n11-w115-jun-08-1911-IW/v3n11-w115-jun-08-1911-IW_text.pdf