A call from Mella and eleven secretaries of the All-American Anti-Imperialist League for a gathering to counter the designs of U.S. imperialism in the hemisphere.

‘Call of the Liga Anti-lmperialista de las Americas’ by Julio A. Mella from The Daily Worker. Vol. 4 No. 2. January 15, 1927.

Ten Secretaries of Anti-Imperialist Leagues In Latin America and One in U.S. Urge American Workers and Farmers to Oppose Imperialist War

Eleven secretaries of sections of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League, ten of whom are heads of the movement in Latin-American countries, have signed a statement to the workers and farmers of the United States asking them to join with the people of Latin America to prevent Wall Street’s government in Washington from forcing a war in Mexico and Central America as the result of the present policy of aggression embodied in the invasion of Nicaragua and the Kellogg-Coolidge threat against Mexico. The statement follows:

Workers and Farmers of the United States:

Do you know:

That United States military and naval forces have taken possession of all important points in the republic of Nicaragua, including the capital and virtually the entire Gulf coast?

That Admiral Latimer has quietly collected In Caribbean waters, a United States fleet manned by over 4,600 sailors and marines?

That the scouting fleet sailing for Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, will place in southern waters an additional naval force of three battleships, six cruisers, 39 destroyers and auxiliaries including air squadrons,—the combined personnel of which is 10,000?

That, while the brutal rape of Nicaragua is in progress, Coolidge and Kellogg are moving toward an open break with Mexico over that country’s oil and land laws?

Danger of War.

War looms up as an immediate danger threatening the great masses of the American people! It is an Imperialist war—a war for empire, which even before it is fairly started has already overwhelmed the little republic of Nicaragua. All Latin America is aroused.

The workers and farmers of the United States have no interest in this adventuristic policy which the lords of Wall Street and Washington are pursuing. The All-America Anti-Imperialist League, with national sections in eleven countries of the American continent, calls upon you to make common cause with us against them!

First, as to Nicaragua. President Coolidge boasts in his Jan. 10 message to congress, that he has violated the sovereignty of Nicaragua in the interests of U.S. lumber, mining, banana, shipping and banking lords.

“There is no question,” he says, explaining his intervention, “that If the revolution continues American investments and business interests in Nicaragua will be very seriously affected, if not destroyed.”

Sacasa Rightful President.

The constitutionally established government of Juan B. Sacasa, is admittedly nationalistic and has the backing of the great majority of the Nicaraguan people in this policy, including the Nicaraguan Federation of Labor. Adolfo Diaz, whose insolent pretensions to the presidency are recognized by Washington, is a Wall Street puppet quite willing to turn the resources of his country over to Wall Street. That is the purpose for which Diaz is supported. That the people of Nicaragua do not want him is plain to all the world. He was president once before, several years ago—and then, as now, was maintained in power only by United Slates bayonets. The presidency of Diaz signifies nothing less than the conquest of Nicaragua by the United States.

President Calles of Mexico, who has had his own troubles with Wall Street’s grabbing imperialism, recognizes the government of Sacasa. Coolidge protests at “Mexican plots in Nicaragua,” but all of Latin America is protesting not at Mexico but at the United States! The hypocritical Coolidge is cooking up plots at the present time not only in Nicaragua but in Mexico as well. Mexico is to be applauded for helping toward the creation of a solid Latin-American front against U.S. imperialism! It is a defensive front and all Latin America recognizes it as such.

Seek Pretext.

The truth is that Wall Street and Washington are seeking a pretext for war against Mexico. It would be ridiculous to consider the sudden U.S. descent upon Nicaragua without taking into account the present Mexican situation. The 14,600 sailors and marines in southern waters are certainly not all for use in Nicaragua!

For months Secretary of State Kellogg has been threatening the Mexican government because that country dared to limit the exploitation carried on by U.S. oil companies and other big corporations. The oil companies, openly and unitedly defying the Mexican laws, refuse to register their property with the Mexican government. They support the attempts of the reactionary Catholic leaders to stir up revolt. It is not unlikely that they are subsidizing such revolts, as an opening wedge for armed intervention by the United States.

Mexico Strong.

Intervention in Mexico would be quite a different thing from intervention in Nicaragua. This would be real war, against a nation of 15,000,000 people, backed by all Latin America. Many times 14,600 troops would have to be called out before the struggle was fairly under way. Thousands of Mexican and American workers would be called upon to give up their lives for the sake of oil-imperialism.

If desperate and bloody war is to be avoided, all possible forces must be mobilized against it. Latin America can be depended upon to render all possible support to any Latin- American country attacked by American imperialism. We call upon you, workers and farmers of the United States, to stand with us against imperialist attack.

Join with Latin People.

The people of Latin America do not consider you their enemies, even when the armies of U.S. imperialism are forming against them. We know that the lords of Wall Street and Washington are no particular friends of yours.

Join with us! Together we shall be able to defeat the aims of the imperialists!

You can cripple the plans of aggression by protesting, demonstrating, going on strike if necessary!

Demand the immediate withdrawal of United States forces from Nicaragua!

Demand recognition of the Sacasa government of Nicaragua!

Demand hands off Mexico!

Demand withdrawal of U. S. military and naval forces from China!

All-America Anti-Imperialist League (Liga Anti-lmperialista de las Americas) JULIO ANTONIO MELLA, General Secretary. Mexico City, Mexico, Jan. 12, 1927.

For the Cuban Section—Jorge A. Vivo.
For the Porto Rican Section —J. Nevares Sager.
For the Mexican Section—Salvador de la Plaza.
For the Central American Section—Augustin F. Marti.
For the Venezuelan Section—Gustavo Machado.
For the Colombian Section—Juan de Dios Romero.
For the Ecuadorian Section—Juan F. Karolys.
For the Peruvian Section—Octavio Vargas Montjoy.
For the Brazilian Section—Eduardo Mattos.
For the Argentine Section—C. Machiavello.
For the United States Section—Manuel Gomez.

Send Delegates to Anti-Imperialist Conferences!

Call to Action by the United States Section, All-America Anti-Imperialist League

WORKERS, FARMERS AND ALL OTHERS OPPOSED TO AMERICAN IMPERIALISM:

You have read the appeal of the continental committee of the All-America Anti-Imperialist League, signed by the secretaries of eleven national sections.

The facts set forth there are indisputably true. Even these facts fail to indicate the full scope of the war danger, nor the extent of the imperialist outrages of Wall Street and Washington.

Admiral Williams has sailed for China with a fleet of American fighting vessels the size of which has been kept strictly secret, and additional forces for use in China are being conditioned in Guam and the Hawaiian Islands. The advance of the Cantonese (revolutionary nationalist) armies, greeted with joy by the Chinese masses who 6ee their country being freed of foreign domination, has made American business men fear for their profits. A new and much more drastic policy toward China is being elaborated by President Coolidge. That policy is embodied in Admiral Williams’ battle fleet.

Imperialism and war are inseparable. The policy of aggression now being pursued by the United States government leads to one act of war after another.

The Latin Americans are correct when they say that the workers and farmers of the United States are “no particular friends” of Wall Street and Washington, where Imperialist policy emanates from. The Interests of the wide masses of the American people are directly opposed to the financial ring that rules this country.

There are important elements in the United States opposed to American imperialism. There is a gigantic protest developing, as yet unvoiced, against U.S. aggressions in Nicaragua, Mexico and the Far East. We must make this protest effective! United States troops are occupying Latin-American soil.

Immediate action It necessary if we are to prove worthy of the confidence expressed in us by our Latin-American brothers.

The United States Section of the All-America Anti-imperialist League will take steps to unite all workers, farmers and other anti-imperialist elements in the United States for a concerted fight against imperialism. Our league will initiate the setting up of emergency conferences against imperialism throughout the country, composed of delegates from trade unions, fraternal societies, farmers’ organizations, etc.

The executive committee of the league hereby instructs Its local branches to proceed at once to the calling of these conferences in each locality.

ALL-AMERICA ANTI-IMPERIALIST LEAGUE, (United States Section), MANUEL GOMEZ, Secretary

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/1927/1927-ny/v04-n002-NYE-jan-15-1927-DW-LOC.pdf