The busy New York City start of among the most successful, and important, C.P.-sponsored organizations; the I.L.D. would grow to have dozens of chapters and thousands of members in the city.

‘International Labor Defense Launched in New York City’ from The Daily Worker. Vol. 2 No. 212. September 18, 1925.

Gitlow Makes Report; 29 Unions Present

NEW YORK, Sept. 16. The conference called by the International Labor Defense, which took place at the Labor Temple, was a tremendous success. It was attended by 124 delegates, 29 from trade unions, 28 from Workmen’s Circle branches, 9 from miscellaneous organizations and 56 from branches of the International Labor Defense, which had already been formed. In addition to the 26 trade union delegates there were two from the I.W.W.

Great enthusiasm was manifested at the conference at the Idea of an all-inclusive labor defense organization. Comrade Ben Gitlow, who acted as chairman of the conference, made a report on the conference held in Chicago, at which the I.L.D. was formed. “You remember the Palmer raids, the Lusk committee, you remember the recent attacks on the foreign-born workers. In Zeigler, Illinois, workers face a sentence of 20 years on trumped-up charges. In the anthracite region, it is impossible for the workers even to hold a meeting. In New York meetings have been broken up by the police–thus, a meeting to express solidarity with the Chinese workers. All of these facts indicate clearly that there is no real freedom of speech in this country,” said Comrade Gitlow.

Comrade Gitlow’s Speech

“In New York the criminal anarchy law has been tested, and the decision of the U.S. supreme court in upholding the constitutionality of the law means that a club is held over the head of every worker who expresses the opinion that a change of government can and should be effected by other means than the ballot. The sanction of the U.S. supreme court makes the criminal anarchy law a national statute.

“These facts make it evident that the workers must have a powerful defense organization fighting for the rights of the workers.

“Further, let us regard the injunctions that have been issued by the courts against the workers. A recent Injunction against the Amalgamated Clothing Workers’ Union in this city makes it an offense for a worker to be seen within 10 blocks of the International Tailoring company. What is true of New York is and can become true of any other section of the country. In the coal regions, where everything is owned by the coal operators, any miner who goes on strike, can be evicted by the coal company and he and his family left to starve and freeze. The workers therefore, must fight against government by injunction, against arrests during strikes, against the denial of the right to organization, against the use of sheriffs, police and machine guns against the workers.

Fight Against Imperialism

“When men in prison have wives and children, it becomes the obligation of the workers outside to take care of them. The I.L.D. is the organization that will take care of them.

“When Sacco and Vanzetti faced execution, the workers of Paris and Moscow demonstrated and the execution was stayed. And today we know that these two militants are innocent.

“In the Baltic states, thousands of workers have been butchered by the bourgeoisie; In Morocco the Riffs are fighting against French imperialism; in China the workers are being massacred by American, British and Japanese imperialism; in Africa, British imperialism shoots down the workers. The workers must unite against world imperialism.”

“In this country again, we have laws against foreign-born workers, against the Negro workers; we have the ku klux klan.

“Therefore, it is high time that a defense organization has been formed, to combine the interests of the working class. Unity behind the defense means success in building up the International Labor Defense, as the representative defense organization of the workers of this country.”

Comrade Gitlow’s speech was greeted with long applause, which showed that the delegates were united in the determination to build up the I.L.D.

Report on Deportations

Comrade Rose Baron made a report on the deportation cases. She told of her experiences as secretary of the National Defense Committee which was in charge of the deportation cases resulting from the Palmer raids. She told about the suffering of the prisoners, how children almost died of hunger; how a woman deportee was taken to the hospital where her prematurely born baby died and she followed in a few days.

Comrade Baron enumerated various cases of workers who were picked up on the streets or in their shops, and without being allowed to communicate either with their families or lawyer were taken to Ellis Island and deported. At present there are 70 workers facing deportation, who are out on parole or on bail. Even strikers today are subject to deportation. The question of deportation therefore becomes one of the most important before. I.L.D.

Prison Relief

Comrade Kate Gitlow reported on the necessity of prison relief. Comrade Richard Moore on the sufferings of the Negro workers in this country told of the harassment of the work and tenant farmers of the south, who are virtually robbed by the owners, and when they complain are arrested and sent to prison. “There must be an organization that makes no distinction between white, black or yellow workers. The capitalists are united in exploiting and crushing the workers. There must be no distinction between anarchists, Communists, I.W.W. or any other type of worker. As long as they are workers, the whole working class must get behind them.”

Honor John Lassen

Comrade Felshin spoke on the life and death of John Lassen, who faced deportation for publishing a poem, and who robbed the department of justice of another victim by death. He told of the eminent work that Lassen had done in the revolutionary movement of France, Hungary, Germany and Russia, till he came to the United States, where the government joined the Horthy regime in hunting him down. The conference rose in honor of Comrade Lassen.

Fellow Worker Brazier of the I.W.W. spoke about the 160 members of the I.W.W. who were sent to prison for anti-war activities, many of them being held for deportation. Deportation in many instances means death, starvation or misery. One member of the I.W.W. was deported to Italy and latest they heard was that the fellow worker had been forced into the army and was sent to Morocco.

Brazier said, “I endorse the International Labor Defense personally and shall do everything in my power to secure the endorsement of the I.W.W. The united front can be made more sure if we develop the defense organization, which will wield a tremendous influence for good in the labor movement. Workers will not hesitate to fight in the front ranks when they know there is a national organization fighting in their interest. It will give not only legal aid, but also furnish the small things that help to alleviate the suffering of prison life.

Aid to I.W.W.

“Comrade Baron has undoubtedly informed you about the aid that has already been given to prevent the deportation of some members of the I.W.W. The resources of the general defense of the I.W.W. were sorely taxed and we greeted the aid given us by the I.L.D.

“The I.L.D. should become a gigantic organization, to back up with all its influence the struggles of the working class the world over.”

Fellow Worker Brazier’s speech met with a hearty response from the conference, which greeted the presence of delegates of the I.W.W.

Comrade Bentall spoke on the Crouch and Trumbull case, the case of the two American soldiers who have been sentenced to the federal prison at Alcatraz, California, for being members of the Communist League in Hawaii.

The Zeigler Persecution

Comrade I. Amter spoke about the Zeigler cases, the cases of 18 miners who are charged with “conspiracy to murder” an official of the United Mine Workers’ Union in southern Illinois. This is typical case of reactionary treachery against the rank and file of the militant workers.

“Among the most militant workers in the country are the miners. In 1922 5,000 of them were obliged to form an army, furnished with guns, to get their constitutional rights. These were American miners, white and black, most of whom had served in the American army in France, and had to return to the United States to fight for ‘democracy’ here.

“In New York City, 30,000 needle workers are in struggle against their reactionary officials. The struggle of the militants is the same the country over. There the workers present must raise the slogan of Zeigler in their trade unions and fraternal organizations. Funds must be raised for their defense; resolutions must be adopted against their persecution. New York must lend all aid possible to Zeigler.”

Elect Local Committee

Comrade Horowitz reported for the resolutions committee. There were resolutions on Crouch and Trumbull, on Zeigler, on the Polish white terror, on the 550 Bessarabian workers now being tried by the Rumanían courts, a resolution endorsing the national conference of the I.L.D. and an appeal to the workers of New York City to support the I.L.D. There was a further resolution calling upon the incoming executive committee to seek the cooperation of all sections of the working class with the I.L.D.

All the resolutions were adopted unanimously. The conference decided that a copy of the resolution on Crouch and Trumbull should be sent to the war department, Washington, D.C., copy of the resolution on the Polish white terror to the Polish ambassador at Washington, D.C. and the consul in New York City; on the Bessarabian persecution to the Rumanian ambassador at Washington, D.C.

The constitution on the I.L.D. as drafted and adopted by the national conference, was then adopted with the amendment that the national office of the I.L.D. should submit monthly reports on finances and activities.

Thereupon the conference proceeded to the election of a local executive committee. Fifteen was recommended as the size of the executive committee but as 19 names were proposed, it was decided that the 19 should stand.

Mass Meeting at Night

The New York conference of the I.L.D. laid the foundation for a broad organization in this city. The mass meeting in the evening at Webster Hall was one round of enthusiasm. Comrade Bentall was the chairman, the speakers being Joseph R. Brodsky, the attorney for the I.L.D., whose re marks were greeted with applause especially when he said he hoped that the day would soon come when the I.L.D. would not meet as a defensive but as an offensive organization to consider ways and means of taking over the power by the workers.

Robert G. Dunn, Ben Gitlow, Charles Krumbein and Richard Brazier were the other speakers. After the collection was taken up for the I.L.D. a second collection of about $47 was taken up for the striking Marine Transport Workers, I.W.W., who are engaged in a sympathetic strike to aid the British strikers.

At the end, the movie taken at the outing of the I.L.D. at Pleasant Bay Park on August 23, was shown, rounds of applause following each picture.

The I.L.D. is launched in New York City. It must and will have the support of all militant workers and working class organizations.

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. National and City (New York and environs) editions exist.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/dailyworker/1925/1925-ny/v02b-n212-NYE-sep-18-1925-DW-LOC.pdf