The ‘Forgotten Famine’ of 1925. Upheaval in the revolution and Civil War, a strike of English landowners, fuel shortages, extreme austerity by the counter-revolutionary Cumann na nGaedheal (modern Fine Gael) which cut farm laborers wages by 16%, and a poor harvest in 1924 all combined with others factors to to create famine conditions in the west of Ireland during 1925. This appeal for relief from the Comintern’s Peasant International is signed by, among others, Nguyen-Ai-Quac, Ho Chi Minh. Organized by Workers International Relief, it was a major campaign throughout 1925.

‘Peasants’ International Calls for Irish Famine Relief’ from the Daily Worker. Vol. 2 No. 91. April 28, 1925.

Hasten to the Aid of the Starving Peasants of Ireland! Support the Workers’ International Relief!

The Peasant International to the Peasants of the whole World!

Last year’s harvest in Ireland was almost completely destroyed by a natural catastrophe. Our brothers, the Irish peasants, have reaped from the fields which they have tilled with the sweat of their brow, only bitter misery. Poverty and privation have visited them in their wretched cabins. In the Northern districts of Ireland there has been reigning for many months a cruel and merciless foe Hunger. Without distinction Death is snatching away the old and the young, the big and the little.

And “good old England” of his Majesty the King and the “noble” Lords, bourgeois England of the refined stock exchange speculators is celebrating a joyous funeral feast over the graves of the Irish peasants.

Plutocratic England the England of the Bankers, the England of the business people, who “mint” gold out of the bloody sweat of the slaves in their subjected colonies, this England, of course, does not move a finger in order to alleviate the suffering of the Irish peasants and their children who are perishing from starvation.

The terrible starvation of the thousands Irish peasants is only a welcome ally for the English stock-exchange sharks, for the hypocrites, for the preachers of “christian brotherhood”, for the “enlightened” civilised landowners.

It has always been their highest “statesmanship” and is still now the policy of their Great Britain, to spread slavery everywhere with fire and sword, and based upon this to be the mistress over lands and seas.

In spite of this the iron heel of English capital has not succeeded in suppressing the national revolutionary movement of the Irish peasants and workers. Under no circumstances must it be permitted that this revolutionary spirit be crushed by the pitiless ally of the ruling classes-Hunger.

The corrupt press of the English bankers is endeavouring to maintain silence regarding the horrors of the famine whilst thousands of our Irish brothers are perishing. But in this it will not succeed. We will not remain silent, we cannot keep silent!

Peasants and agricultural workers of the world!

The Peasant International which unites many millions of peasants of the world and which, hand in hand with the working class, is fighting for the emancipation of the peasants from the century-old yoke of suppression and exploitation by the international bourgeoisie and landowners the International

Peasant Council calls upon the peasants of all countries to come with all their forces to the aid of the peasants and workers of Ireland who are engaged in a death struggle with starvation. This help will be the best support to them in their heroic struggle for the emancipation of Ireland, for the common cause of the workers and peasants.

Peasants and workers of all countries!

The whole of the working class of the world has already responded to the desperate cry for help of your suffering brothers, the Irish peasants. The Workers’ International Relief (W.I.R.), this thoroughly proletarian and powerful workers’ organisation, has already come to the aid of the starving rural population of Ireland and is organising through its committees in all countries of the world a wide-spread campaign for the collection of money, food etc. The first kitchen and feeding centres of the W.I.R. are already at work in the districts of Ireland affected by the famine.

But the need is still great. The relief action of the W.I.R. on behalf of the Irish peasants and land workers must be supported by all peasants, as well by all the workers of the world.

Do not allow hundreds of thousands of your brothers, tried fighters for the cause of the emancipation of all peasants and workers, to perish. May every peasant, every land worker hasten to contribute his share, be it ever so little. Many poor can feed a starving man. May the peasantry of all countries support and further extend the relief action initiated by the W.I.R.

The workers have already hastened to render help. Therefore, come also to the aid of your starving Irish brothers.

Support by your contributions the relief action which is being carried on by the W.I.R.

Denounce the shameful policy of the English landowners and financiers!

Long live the brotherly solidarity of the peasants and workers of the whole world!

Long live the victory of the cause of the workers and peasants throughout the whole world!

Long live the Workers’ International Relief!

Long live the Peasant International!

Peasants and workers of all countries unite!

On behalf of the Presidium of the International Peasant Council:

Dombal (Poland), Renaud Jean, Marius Vazeilles (France), Otto Rydlo (Czechoslovakia), Gorov (Bulgaria), Richard Bürgi (Germany), Orlov (Soviet Union), Gero (Scandinavia), Alonso (Spain), Odinez (Ukraine), Chudaikulov (Usbekistan, central Asia), Nguyen-Ai-Quac (Indo-China), Ursulio Galvan (Mexico), Green (America), Ken Chaijaschi (Japan), Teng (Esthonia), Ruggero Rossi (Italy).

Moscow, 28th March 1925.

The Daily Worker began in 1924 and was published in New York City by the Communist Party US and its predecessor organizations. Among the most long-lasting and important left publications in US history, it had a circulation of 35,000 at its peak. The Daily Worker came from The Ohio Socialist, published by the Left Wing-dominated Socialist Party of Ohio in Cleveland from 1917 to November 1919, when it became became The Toiler, paper of the Communist Labor Party. In December 1921 the above-ground Workers Party of America merged the Toiler with the paper Workers Council to found The Worker, which became The Daily Worker beginning January 13, 1924.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1925/1925-nat/v02b-n91-apr-28-Chi-1925-DW-mfilm.pdf