Asian Women Tell the U.S.A. (Asian Women's Conference, Peking)

=== [PDF page 1] === Pag«; 2 Til F. VOH K KR, MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 1950 The Century As Mr. Taft Sees It FROM LITHUANIA TO MANHATTAN-FROM CZARDOM TO SOCIALISM: IT'S QUITE A LIFE! readied a circulation of 1,250.000. The story begins in an old Lith "Father, was it right for you to Tail’s work in Connecticut helped By Joseph North who serve 25 years in the army? Is Ί Ties is the story of one man bui uanian town. An aiged Jew right for the Czar to persecute the the paper into thousands of hands. -five years had served twenty he is a molder of the Twentieth Jewish people? Is nunger just? Other jobs, many other kinds of Century. I remember him hustling the Czar's army remonstrated with Is darkness righteous?” jobs, after he was fired in many through the coal valleys in Penn his spirited son of twelve. ‘In those The old Jew wavered. “Maybe places for talking union. He moved sylvania during the miners’ strike days 12 was already a young man, ’ you're right,” he said. “But you to New York City, set out to learn Taft says. The youngster told his of 1931; others recall him on the will devote your life to something a needle-trade craft, joined Local picketlines in New York during the father his determination to devote you will never see. Maybe youi 41, of the International Ladies Twenties. There are still others in his life to advance the working- grandchildren or their children will Garment Workers Union, and soon the city who can tell you when class cause. became its manager. His leader The old father stared at his sor see a better world.” they met him near the turn of the nu- ship in the fight against injunctions Taft stopped, thought a — century, in Czarist Russia, wlieic through his spectacles. went all the way up to the New think fathei ment; “How can you fight the whole he had joined the people’s side a* York State Supreme Court. He world? What can you do? Look, look back fifty-eight years. He, defended himself and the case was the age of twelve. himself, lived see new world His name is Morris E. Taft. This son, the Czar lias an army of ten begin. He lived to see the birth finally thrown out of court. short, stocky man with the mane million. The Czar has spies every of the socialist Soviet Union.” of silvery hair has passed his three where. Abandon your crazy ideas BUT DAVID D и В I N S K Y score and ten, but he is still sturdy and be sensible.” FIFTY-EIGHT YEARS AGO couldn’t brook a fighting man and Young Taft listened respectfully, with the zeal of youth. In him young Taft got his schooling the hounded the militant from the says today, more than half я lies the strength of the Twentieth century later. And lie replied. upsurge of the Russian people: the union. Then came years of work Century. Listen. MORRIS E. TAFT leaflet passed beneath the nose of in the International Labor Delense. the Okhra na; the strike in the lit His activities read like a lexicon of tle factory; the arrests, the cruel all the famous causes celebre of interrogations, the cold prisons modern times. Mooney, ScottsAt one time he shared a cell with boro, Herndon, Sacco and VanFelix Dzerzhinsky, later to become zetti. of the most famous of the men Before that he had helped the who rescued Russia from the Czar strikers of Passaic and Pateison. “We studieri the good books to Elizabeth Curley Flynn told him gether, in prison. We talked tc once, he says, “I could go out and PEKIN.—A fighting pledge to continue the struggle against imperialism through prisoners, never even let the iron raise money on a cemetery.’' bars stop us.” Always he helped labor; organ out Asia climaxed the Asian Women* (Conference here. Women leaders from 15 Asian coun In 1906, Taft migrated to Amer ized. taught classes, spoke at meet tries vowed uncompromising effort to liberate their countries, and called on the women ica, after serving his time in the ings, brought new men to t he Czar’s army. The great depression of Western Europe and the abject misery, tlieir youth and of 1907 greeted the young im working-class movement, men like United States to join the fight Paul Crosbie, Ted Tinsley, many, health killed." migrant. Young Taft continued against the common oppressor. my more. During the war he In the Philippines, “children arc his advocacy of socialism, siinulworked in a munitions factory. Delegates to the conference to be seen slaving on the planta taneously joining any endeavor to Today the Government wants to <.imr from Burma, China, India, tions at an early age, for the profit help the workingman in his daily deport him. It has begun proceed Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Korea, Leb of absentee dollar kings.” needs. ings after his lifetime here, where, anon, Malaya, Mongolia, die Phil In Iran, “mere toddlers fror«: ‘I remember the Triangle fire. he reared his four children to use ippines, Siam, Syria, Viet Nam and the age ol four‘earn a living.’ The You remember, the needle-trades the USSR. The presence of many famous Iranian carpets which. girls were burned, some 150, be ful citizenry. But he is undeterred. fraternal delegates frorŕi nine adorn the drawing roo ms of the cause the doors were locked. The “Three times they refused me my countries—Algeria, Cuba, Czecho rich around the world are made boss was afraid they might steal citizenship papers—but this has be slovakia, France, Great Britain. out of the lives of children. Little pieces of silk. I remember the come my home.” ‘ I have never wavered from my Holland, Ivory Coast, Madagascar girls hunch over these carpets Iron meeting where I said wherever and the USA—symbolized the dawn to dusk, weaving and strain- gold was more valuable than lile. ideas. I never shall,” he sakl. world-wide support for the Con ing their young eyes in stuffy, un- 1 stand against gold. And the man “How can I? In my 58 years of ference. derlighted rooms. They don’t get who ran the hall told me to stop work what I saw would have taken historic periods, centuries in an.1iv her opening speech Madam К enough for one square meal a day, preaching socialism." other era. How can I grow old? Tsai Chang, vice-President of the Ш but carpet industry owners make How can these eyes grow old?” Women’s International Democratic В 700 percent profit. In Kiram Prov AN EFFORT WAS MADE by he asked. “Not after what they’ve Federation and Chairman of the H ince, people are so poor that All China Democratic Women s H parents get together whole batches the rich elders of the town to run seen.” They had opened in a dark time Federation, described the Confer§§! of children to sell for a few dollars, him out of Norwich, where he had ence as “symbolizing the unprece |P thinking that this is better thar. settled. They went to the Mayor. when Czars, Kaisers, Emperois ruled. They are still open anti remenidentedly grand unity of Asian “His name was Thayer, If to have them starve to death at her” Taft relates. He told them bright with hope for more than a women.” home.” third, almost half, of mankind has “We are united”, she sakl, with you gentlemen can’t live In Turkey, “the rulers are so a common will to oppose imperial shameless that they do not have gether with Mr. Taft in one city, moved into a new life, free of ex ploitation. would not object if responist aggressive war and to fight for any laws against child labor. Chil you can leave. He is a the complete lilieration of the op dren work 14 hours daily without sible and honorable man.” There I live another fifty years,” he says with characteristic humor, “I want presseti nations iii the colonies and were genuine democrats tho.se a single day’s holiday in the year. *emi-oolonies. Five percent of Turkish textile days, Taft reflected. “And we can to see the lime, in this next half century, when there shall be no “Ţhe building of the four stater workers are under 10 yea rs old.” find them todav if we look.” of a new pattern—the People s ReThen came the crowded, turbu wars; when there will be the biothCharging that “among the crimes erhood man.” publics of China and Mongolia, of imperialism, rapacious exploita lent years. The young immigrant the ^Democratic Repimlic of Korea tion of child labor in colonial and became a machmist in the Singer He says he knows that is what end the Republic of Viet Nam—has dependent countries is the vilest,” Sewing Machine works, but all hl: the next years of this century offer pqinted out the \yay for the strug Amila Devi gave an example İroni spare time, his evenings and Sun for he saw the first half and knows gles in Asian colonies and semiIndo-China. "The French rulers days were taken with the affali s the direction. And, in his way, I colonies.” said Madame Tsai the built 20,000 prisons, or one for of the working-class. There was remarked, he helped shape this Chang. “AH these countries have every thousand people, but only the fight to save Moyer-Haywood— century. borne out the truth that the nK>veone primary school per 20,000 Pettibone. Deb’s "Appeal to Rea Yes, and as he asks, “How can I son'- swept the country then end grow old?” ment for women’s emancipation is children." e part of the national liberation t country there innumerable γ movement. The former must be cases tf women giving birth to clçsely linked with the latter before children in factories,' plantations it1 is ’ possible to develop luooecs* and fields while at work, as thev fully the national liberation move háve no maternity leave,” she saio. Despite growing terror and re Tumully measures in New Jersey, the primary ballot, and court dement, simultaneously the women s In Malaya, the speaker con pression by the ruling class ю on the grounds they are subversivt cisions upholding the right of movement.” tinned, “little girls between the America, both against progiessive¿ of the American and respective N egroes to serve on juries. ж ages of five and seven are seen and against Negroes, the people state constitutions. 8—Increasing attacks on JimHOW children are overworked gasping under the cruel burden have been fighting back ano have 4—Reversal of the framed “guil- crow in the North, including the and starved in many countries of of buck ets of liquid rubber. Con chalked up many a victory both tyw verdict in the Case ol the Tren ban on disci imination in some col Asia, and particularly in those sub ditions in Burma and Indonesia are through the courts and legiillative ton i»ix, the “Scottsboro Case of lege societies, passage of FEPC ject to foreign control was describ much the same. Imperialist wars halls. Here are some of the out- the North.” and other anti-discrimination laws ed by Amila Devi. India delegate. of intervention in these three conn standing victories in 1949: 5—Supreme Court reveisal of in a few state legislature*. “In India the rulers are univer tries have brought untold misery 9—Granting of “reasonable'' bail 1—Granting of bail to the eleven the “guilty verdict gainst Harold sally cursed for their unbridled in the lives of workers, and ol Communist leaders framed in Christoffel, uinonist charged with for several foreign-bom workers drive to coin the lifeblood of chil children especially. Judge Medina’s court, and admis "perjury” because of h» militant held for deportation by the Immi dren into pounds and dollars,” In Japan, “women work in the sion of the Court of Appeals that opposition to passage of the Taft- gration Department, after they Anuta Devi sakl. “In many ré ¿exrile factorifs with their children there is a “substantial question” as Hartley Law. were held without bail or with bail gions and inibisti ies, employment standing by their fide, and when β—Holding of the Paul Robeson at impossible levels. to whether any “crime” is involved of phild labor is not even formali} the children are six they too stami in their persecutM>n. concert in Peekskill attended by 10—Federal appeals court deci “rohibited. In tea plantations, 2-Defeat of repressive witch 25,000, after an earlier concert had sion reversing the “guilty” verdict children constitute 25.8 perceik ol at the looms ‘to help their mothers' hunt measures, including elimina been broken up by fascist hood against some of the Spanish Anti llie workers, in the state of Cwahoi without extra pay,” she said. “Chil tion of fascist Refugee Committee victim* Un-American Com lums. 71 percent, in the mica mines 18 dren constitute nearly one quartet mittees, in several states, such as 7-Gains in the South in the of the Un-American Committee, On percent. In the match, carpet and of Japan’s industrial workers, at Washington, Illinois, California, struggle for Negro liberation, in the grounds there was no commit coffee industries, children between wages a quarter of the miseiable Minnesota, Ohio, Massachusets. cluding the break-through on the tee quorum present when they tes five and twelve years old are the 3—Voiding by the courts oi the ban on Negroes in Southern uni- tified. main labor power. In the leather, ones paid to adults. Four hundred repressive über Law in Maryland, versities: court decisions upholding Several of the court victorie* coal, jute and cigaret industries, thousands Japanese girls have been Feinberg Law in New York, the right to the ballot, including are by no means final. child labor is widely used. “In mv sold to brothels where they live in ’Peace for All Our Children/ Asian Women Tell the U. S. A. 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