The Spark volume 1, number 1; June, 1932.

THE SPARK

PUBLISHED THROUGH VOLUNTARY CONTRIBUTIONS
OF STUDENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS

ME 1.

AUSTIN, TEXAS, JUNTOS

NUMBER 1.

UNIVERSITY WORKERS
DEFRAUDED

(

Students and Workers! Form
A United Front!

As the fir-; is ue of our pa-
per goes to press, it seems
■ robable that laborers
I on University build-
ing projects will continue to
-.-■-, rk for starvation wages,
matter has been referred
to a tribunal of three judges,
: f whom granted the ori-
ginal restraining order against
the payment of standard com-
pensations. Illusions of judi-
mpartiaiity to the contra-
ry, the sole function of the
courts, under a competitive ec-
ic order, is to protect the
interests of the capitalist class.
This contention is proven by
the train of injunctions issued
ng workers,
and by the long list of judicial
rs of those wh > dare to
pi I st again I leo-a'ized rob-
r. .itation.

The nd students

i t p ace n - th in
' c.pit.u-
is. These gei

: a Hea ■ -
.
. . t.ie /
minor
■ ' ■ -

rkers into morj
of the
'I he; enforcement of
in the
rm tutes by

»e judges, the politicians, and

: 3

ike chewing its own tail.

• ers must
rm a broad united fro:

on the
jus-
ives
ganize rank and

on an un-

i co

WAR!

College Students and Workers
Wiii be Shot Down to Pro-
tect Capitalist Investments!

A second great war will be-
gin in a few weeks or days,
according to reliable informa-
tion, concurred in by Ameri-
can. European, and Asiatic
military quarters. It will not
be an "Act of God." It has
been definitely planned by men
—business men, militarists, and
politicians throughout the
world.

STARVATION IN AUSTIN

Result of Student Survey Re-
veal Appalling Conditions

It is amazing how little the
people of the University of
Texas know about the lament-
able living conditions of the
citizens poorer than they, who
live in the same, town. And
this lack of realization is a ter-
rib'e reflection upon our indi-
vidualistic environment. A
group of students, desiring to
gain some idea of the gravity
of the situation, last month

making an analysis of the re-
sults, we must take into ac-
count two factors which rend-
er great exactitude impossible.
The first of these was the bit-
terness of suffering which of-
ten made the people unwilling
to reveal the depth of their
destitution. The second fac-
tor was the extreme irregular-
ity of the incomes of most of
the families, which made esti-
mates rather than precise fig-
ures necessary. Nevertheless
there is no question that the
figures given below are in a
broad sense true to the situa-

AFTER GRADUATION— WHAT?

(Illustrating the benefits of a higfc pr Education)

tion. The approximate aver-
age expenditure for food in
these two hundred poor fami-
lies chosen at random is one
dollar and fifteen cents per
week per person for whiter
and seventy to eighty cents
per week, per person, for col-
ored and Mexicans. Just try
to imagine what this mean
The figure given for whi
(Continued on page 4)

The only way that capitalism

»ave itself is through war.

Each capitalist country has a

of 1 roducts which

i i h -r ; t

■eover, the

n'ess econ-

( my of capitalism cannot com-

■ - mpli of the

led ecr.no-

lion.

4)

undertook a house to house in-
quiry in a number of the poor-
er districts: in north west Aus-
tin, in a region including twen-
tv-fifth street, in East Austin,
.''nd in the vicinity of south
First Street. The findings
were appal 1 big.

From among the great num-
ber of poor families living in
■ ! i e districts, two hundred
chosen at random. In

THE SPARK

FASCIST KENTUCKY!

A LETTER FROM AN UN-
EMPLOYED STUDENT

tented? The
when we students

Published monthly by The
University of Texas Chapter,
The National Student League.

Contributions welcome.

The National Student
League fights for:

1. Lower tuition fees, a free
college in every city.

2. Academic freedom for
students and instructors.

3. Abolition of R. O. T. C.
Oposition to imperialist war.

4. Full social and political
equality for Negroes and other
minorities.

5. Unemployment insurance
for unemployed students and
workers. .

Every student should _ ac-
cept this program and fight
with the Student League on
these embattled fronts! Every
student should join the Nation-
al Student League.

TALK IS CHEAP

College radicals may talk, if
they do nothing else. We in-
fer this from the reply of Dean
V. I. Moore to an article by
Reed Harris, in a recent issue
of the 'Austin Statesman."

Harris, it will be remember-
ed, was expelled from Colum-
bia University for editorially
condemning the expulsion of
National Student League dele-
- from the Kentucky strike
area. The students of the
graduating class have since
voted Harris to be the student
most likely to succeed in life.
In the article referred to, Har-
ris attacked the conservative
control of American universi-
ties and the resultant callous-
ness of those institutions to
social issues.

The gist of Dean Moore s
reply was that freedom of dis-
cussion is a great thing. But,
he elaborated, young radicals
often committed breaches of
"good taste" by antagonizing
the conservative elements who
support the universities. Youth
aid, must furnish the driv-
ing power; and age, the en-
gineering direction.

Age, from ornate desks, fur-
nishes the engineering direc-
tions for imperialist war!
Youth, from muddy trenches,
furnish the: cannon-fodder!

In the blue-grass state of
Kentucky, there exists a situ-
ation which for sheer inhum-
anity can be paralelled by
none. The starving miners of
Harlan and Bell Counties
striking for sufficient wages,
were met by a rain of bullets
and blackjacks. A cordon
of sheriffs and deputies
surrounded the workers, per-
mitting no news of their plight
to reach the outside world, and
refused to permit two succes-
sive bands of students to carry
food to the miners' undernour-
ished children.

Ever}' protest against the
terrorist campaign of the Ken-
tucky mine owners has been
met with the cry of "Criminal
Syndicalism." C onstitutional
rights are a fiction. Democ-
racy is a myth. The figures
who sit in the seats of autho'i-
ty are not concerned with the
denial of what we call civil
liberties. And when the inter-
ests of the working class con-
flict with those of the employ-
ing class, the combined forces
ot government, press a n a
church come forward to sup-
press the workers.

Kentucky is but one exam-
ple of the fascist regime which
is being forced on American
workers and students. Stu-
dents should realize that their
interests lie with the workers
and not with the capitalists
employers. In every conflict
between bosses and workers,
the students find themselves
shoulder to shoulder with the
oppressed class. The bonds
which bind them together arc
not the iron bonds of wealth
and capital, but the warmer
bonds of humanity and equal-
ity.

o

STUDENT SELF-GOVERN-
MENT SUPPRESSED!

At the University of Min-
nesota, the Student Council
was suppressed and its reor-
ganization forbidden, because
the school authorities thought
that "the recent elections were
held in a disorderly fashion."
Who can tell which school will
be next? Will it be Texas?

Berlin— A mass meeting held
in Berlin to protest against the
legal murder of the Scotts-
boro bovs was broken uo bv
the police, without an legal
basis whatsoever.

Dear Editor: We find our-
selves in the midst of an econ-
omic depression, in which
more students than ever find
it indespensible to secure em-
ployment. The number of stu-
dents seeking employment
is continually increasing,
while the number of positions
available has remained con-
stant.

The Students Assembly who
received their power by vote
of the student body are obli-
gated to relieve the impedi-
ments of the self-supporting
students. It is known that
students ere required to make
extreme sacrifices, infringing
upon their health in the endea-
vor to obtain an education.

Students are required to
work four to five hours a day.
neglecting their studies, sup-
pressing the desires and p.-.v-
iliges enjoyed by the majority
of more fortunate students,
who by virtue of their un-
earned wealth are free from
the care and pains of earning
a livelihood.

It is a common knowledge
that restaurants and boarding
houses are discriminating
against students, refusing them
the food essential for the de-
velopment of a sound and
sturdy body. Students are
known to sleep in unventila-
ted rooms, eating unwhole-
some food in the endeavor to
make both ends meet. Many
students cannot find employ-
ment because a great number
of students who are not in fi-
nancial difficulties are holding
positions in order to keep up a
car or meet the demands of a
social life. This seems unfair
and unjust to the sincere stu-
dents who require employ-
ment, not for the consumption
of luxuries but for the neces-
sities of life.

It is indeed surprising that
the Students' Assembly has
ignored these deplorable con-
ditions. What has the Students
Assembly accomplished in as-
sisting the self-supporting
students? True, it has sup-
ported dances a n d social
activities ; but of what val-
ue are these luxuries to the
student who must earn his way
by the sweat of his brow? Why
has the Assembly remained si-
lent in the face of present
evils? Why have the se'f-sup-
porting students remained com

ishin-r
privi- '

time ha s com-
P«st raia-
our voice and acquaint the A
sembly with our grievance.
Perhaps this may sound aotal'
what inimical and radical to *
number of conservative rain/
who have not as yet learn' 1
the dictum. "Woe to him w fo
forgets that the common ma*
exists." We students are no
longer satisfied to sell our l a °
bor for a price that represent"
a small portion of what w e pro*
duce. We are no longer con"
tent to sacrifice our health and
youth behind a dish-washi
machine, serving "the
leged class."

Students in a rich Uni-
versity are starving, sleeping
in miserable rooms, while
others indu'ge in dissipations
that would pay the expense of
a number of sincere youths
If this sounds fabulous and ex-
aggerated to our pri •[ e o-J|
student, let him avail h:ms?lf
of the opportunity of learning
the circumstances under which
many students live. Our con-
servative students may declare
and discuss that the university
maintains loan funds and schol-
arships which are available to
the deserving student. This
method of defense is prepos-
terous. The student who is
required to work five to six
hours for his meals cannot be
expected to compete with the .
non-working students, since
lack of time and energy are
determining factors in obtain-
ing a scholarship or loan, con-
sidering the fact that a stu-
dent's participation in extra-
curricular activities is taken
into account. Students ot;
the University of Texas should:
demand that the Student Assn-i
ciation take immediate action;
on the following points :

1. Working students should
organize into a strong union.

2. The Student Assembly
should regulate the hours of
employment and establis
minimum wage.

3. The Student Assembly
should investigate discrimina-
tion against working students

4. Students who are in nm
of work in order to continu
school should be given pre!
ence.

What is the Student A .
blv going to do? Is it more ■»
te'rested in the conduct
dances than the assistance •
needy students?

(Signed) A Working SW !e

THE SPARK

JAIL FOR TE XANS WH O PROTEST

CRIMINAL SYNDICALISM BILL SPONSORED BY CAPI-
TALISTS WOULD MAKE STRUGGLE FOR HUMAN
RACE A CRIME

There is grave danger that
before a year is out Texas will
be in the grip of a law throt-
tling free speech, put upon her
through the influence of a
group of wealthy men to
whose interest it is to blind-
fold the workers. It is not
enough that thousands should
be actually starving without
relief in Texas towns, and that
the wages of those still work-
ing should be cut below the
level of pauperism, that farm-
ers should be unable to make
ends meet, that vast numbers
of students who graduate from
our schools and colleges yearly
should be left to face the fu-
ture without » chance of em-
ployment

if the proposed •'Criminal
Syndicalism Law" goes on the
statute books, as it has a good
chance of doing, it will be_ a
crime, punishable by a consid-
erable term, to try to enlighten
the people regarding the pos-
sibility of a better economic
system than that operating at
present and regarding the
means whereby such an eco-
nomic system can be brought
about.

Ostensibly, the law would he
directed against the advocacy
of force in the accomplishment
of social changes, but as it
seems evident that some force
would be needed before really
effective changes could be
made, the law would really act,
as intended, to place a ban up-
on publications, speeches, or
expressions of opinion that
served to strengthen the work-
ers in the struggle between the
classes.

The leader of the drive for
this law in Texas is Mr. Maco
Stewart, lawyer of Galveston,
and important aides are Col-
onel A. M. Owsley, former
commander of the American
Legion, and Dr. J. B. Cranfill,
prohibition advocate. They
have declared themselves not
only against avowed radical
■ements, but against the
n Forums of the cities, an '
re liberal of the activities of
Y^ M. C. A. newspapers, and
universities. According to an
printed in the "New
-': Times" "Mr. Stewart
uld have the law provide
jail sentena - Eoi off :nd n ;

editors," he regards the "Dal-
las News" as "communistic,"
and puts in the same class
"University of Texas Profes-
sors of Economics who men-
tion aloud the name of Marx."
The sponsors ot this anti-radi-
cal movement agitate openly in
women's clubs, in churches,
and in certain ultra-patriotic
org-anizations in which only
one side has a chance to be lis-
tened to. Those in town are
expected to bring strong pres-
sure to bear on the legislature,
as indeed they are able.

Strong counter pressure will
be needed to defeat this drive.
Now is the lime to talk, to
write, to agitate against it,
and to let the whole affair,
with all its implications, be
aired before the people. T i-
morrow it will be too late.

The liberal group, although
it has the inherent sympathies
of the greater body of work-
ers, has but the scantiest and
most uncertain means of ex-
pression. Now it is proposed
to remove even that, by "law,"
and thus to drive such doc-
trines underground and force
the advocates to adopt thor-
oughly conspiratorial methods.
Thus the depression, the op-
pression of the capitalist sys-
tem, will continue unchecked;
but it will tend to sink to a
deeper level before the forces
of regeneration can act effec-
tively. It is in that direction
that the danger of the greatest
eventual violence lies.

If we would avoid the dan-
gers of the law that is being
theatened, there is no time to
be lost. Form a counter-move-
ment. Educate the people in
the facts. Show them that the
radical is not a ferocious beast
i or a naked savage, nor an in-
truder in society, but an indi-
vidual who h-p;)ens to ha a
more independent judgement,
further vision, and wider sym-
pathies than the average of
mankind, one who is striving
to improve the lot of his fe 1 -
lows. Point out to them tlvt
the hunted radicals of each age
becomes the heroes of next--
So< rates, Jesus. Bruno, Lieb-
knechit. — and ask them of they
wi'l allow their own ideals to
be moulded me^jly by the tu-
th rity that has its root in
money.

STUDENT LABOUR UNION
NEEDED

The need for a Student La-
bor Union has never been more
urgent than at the present
time. Among all of the work-
ing students at the University
of Texas not one is getting a
legal or living wage. Employ-
ers of all kinds, from boarding
house and restaurant keepers
to the University itself have
seen that those students who
have the least money are those
with the most consuming am-
bition, and have consequently
taken a mean advantage in em-
ploying the students at a wage
that a saloon janitor in the old
days would have scorned. At
least the janitor had access to
the free lunch, but among the
boarding houses and restau-
rant workers it is a lucky stu-
dent who gets even enough to
eat, not to mention salary.
And the salaries themselves,
even those paid by the Univer-
sity to many students who
have no other means of sup-
porting themselves than what
they can earn, are a disgrace
to even a depression time like
the present.

Conditions like tins existed
until recently in the University
of Wisconsin, but there a group
of students with a greater
reli/.ation of what conditions
really were, got together and
organized a working students
union which has. in the few
months during which it has
been in existance. succeeded in
securing better wages for a
great number of students, and
has collected more than a
thousand do'lars for the relief
of those students who. victims
of the order under which they
are forced to live, have been
unable to secure any sort of
work.

And in Texas, where wages
as a general rule are even low-
er than elsewhere, due to the
exploitation of the foreign
born working class, the need
of - union such as this is be-
coming more apparent ever}'
day. The legislators, in order
to put themselves in more solid
with their poorer constituents,
got together once and passed
what is facetiously known as
the minimum wage haw. But
of what avail is tins when the
capitalist courts will grant an
iniunction restraining anyone
from bringing suit to compel
pavment of wages guaranteed
under it? And is this law not

PAY— OR ELSE!

"If your credit is good, von
cannot help but succeed." f hi
choice piece of wisdom is the
gist of an advertisement in the
"Daily Texan" of May 29. ft
was signed by some of Austin's
leading business firms. "What
sort of credit," we ask, "is de-
sirable in a student?" Is his
education a credit, his training
perhaps, his ability as a fruit*
ful member of society? No!
He is admonished to maintain
his financial credit— at all cost.

The advertisement was
worded in the fatherly tone of
advice. But the student lot
whose benefit the advertise-
ment was inserted must in-
terpret it as a threat couched
in rhetoric. During the session
of 1931-32 the student class as
well as the working class have
had their share of the economic
burden to meet. Many of them
have managed to scrape
through without incurring
debts. For a large number,
however, ther are several al-
ternatives : To borrow money,
: nd get further into debt; to
face the probability of being
c'led before the Dean of Men
ruid denied credit for their
work; or to ''ccept the conss-
( Continued on page B)

intended to apply to students
as well as those who work with
their hands? Because he is
intent upon getting an educa-
tion, and while so doing, is
forced to support himself, is he
to be exploited and discrimina-
ted against? The time has
come when the working stu-
dents, as well as the other
workers of the world, must
come to the realization of the ; r
condition, and present a solid
front against the class which
is exploiting them.

And not only must a union
such as this devote its energies
toward securing at least a liv-
ing wage for those who arc
lucky enough to have jobs, but
able to get anything. It mat-
ters little to the employer un-
der what conditions the stu-
dents are living, but to those
who arc most ctvcf'y concerned
it matters a great deal.

Workers of the University,
unite '.

B

Items of Life In Austin— "Our Friendly City"

MANIFESTO PROPHESY
COMES TRUE

The following are a few
representative cases of life
in Austin which wore accident-
ia unearthed during ihc course
of a students' survey, the gen-
eral results of which are des-
crihed in another column.

' tenl to w hicli the so

cial welfare w ork in Aus i • is

effective ma} be ji y the

mi 1 }' in Eli aheth

Street. This family of whi ! s

comprised a married cotml \

■ two sums aged 15 and 8,

and a brother living with the

family. None of them h id had

work- [or months :c il the

boy of 15, who had a joh in a

•■ working from 2 in the

rno< in un1 il 1 the n 'xt

morning, for $3.00 per week.

On occasional days he was also

expected to help in deliv ri s

after 4 V.M. Naturally, il is

impossible for the whole Earn

ily to continue living inde r i-

nitely on these wares. TV

mother has applie 1 for e ni I

ment or relief to the Ameri-

egion, to the Austin Com-

y Chest, to the Boy

s of which her son is a

nber, and to the Daughl ers

of the American Resolution

5e has given any

but a "Te-i deal of advice

■'. She was told that

dd ] a ve more pride

' g "■■!- I-/!-, and

and her husband were

lly fit. they were ex-

th :ir own Hv-

mnity Chest

ig to undermine

i 1 e h pauperizing her !

date of investigation,

was threatened with e dc-

hndlord. What is

lily's way out? The

her is contermVating vio-

She is thinking of go-

n, brea 1 ing a win-

;tore, ard seizing

i id there is to be had.

Mrs Marie Schubert, a

>man of 72 years, with

on ' f 1( > and a gr-md-

lived ' in

for 37 years before

o years

■ -i the depres ;ion hit

h me, but a

r < r He was reg-

d ; n au+o re

■'•■ in a gas ta

Ail er that,
r g
1 1 '

has had no work- a1 all. There
is no oilier source of income.
Some lime ago the family was
evicted, and al the time ol in-
vestigation, they were sharing
a small room in an auto e imp
v ith si rangers, meanwhile ow-
I heir rent to the camp own-
or. The woman attempts to
get a few nickles by playing a
* ici n ila i ■! I he camms md on
the s 1 reets aecomp tried by
her wizened little grand-daugh-
ter.

With cases like (h ; s con-
fronting it. the welfare or
izations are considering pro-
hibiting begging. Mrs. Schu-
bert h is keen notified thai she
cannot stay at the camp any
li ■ ger, and her prob'em now
is whether to use the nil
of thi el to mm e h-r few

I elongings or to buy food.

C. In the district on !■'
Twenty-fifth streel a n
couple about 50 vers o ] d \

: who were "suppi >r1 '
another colored man as their
guest. For the pasi year until
a few months ago, the woman
had been doing one washing a
week for a white Family: and
that was their sole source of
income. Sonic months ag i,
■ i n tb I stooped. They have
no mi nev whatever. At (he
time of ' wstigal : m. their

sole food for the past three

S Iris keen one sac'; of
four. But one quarter of the
flour remained.

D. A white family of six,
g in an unsanitary aban-
doned house on east Fourth
street. The mother came to
'Austin seeking work about
eight years ago. accompanied
by her brother and her three
children. She was unsuccess-
ful in obtaining employment,
had no money, and in a short
p iod of time they were facing
starvation. All the legitimate
means of earning a living were
tried and failed. Tt is signifi-
cant in this connection that
about six months ago the old-
est of the daughters, about
15, acquired a veneral
disease, from which she is
now suffering. The sole medi-
cal aid that she lias is an oc-
casional visit from a doctor
about once a week, although
in a usual case of this type the
attention of a in is ncc-

iry four or five times a

Society suddenly appears as
if a famine, a universal war of
devastation had cut off the sup-
ply of every means of subsis-
tence: industry and commerce
seem I o be des( royed ; and
v. Iiy ? Because there is too
muck civilization, loo much
me : s of subsistence, too n
industry, too much comm
The productive forces at the

PAY— OR ELSE—

(Continued from

quencc our ad
cleverly impli

We should like to kno
(he University of Texas should
be inl d in suppoi

interests of Austin b,isii
men as against Univer
dents. A student is as mud
an economic risk as any 1,,. ,
man. When nc j.. ,..,,, ,

c

;al of ;ociety no longer

to further i he deve'op- ed credit he is as willing to i
ment of the conditions ofbour- as any business man and in the
geois property; on the con- . ,

trary. they have become too Sl . ew yt!ars >'<^"< - men ,

powerful lor these c lu . ve ,ailc<1 notoriously to meet

by which !. and their oblig

si i si 'i m as they overcome tl
fetters, they brim er in-

to the whole ol is so

ciety, endanger the existence
of bourgeois property. The
condition- of- 1 icietv

; oo narrow to compr< n
wealth created by them.
And hoy does the bourgi

On the

The business men of Austin, „
restaurant keepers, on Guada- pr
lupe especially, have failed in [ ]
business in well-known <

Some of the very students
lost money through their own- ra
'•> of paid meal tickets in
r -taurants arc now ] )C .

tli

one hand by enforced destruc- ing charged with defection to J.
tion of a mass of productive other busin
n the other, k-

conque; t of

by the more thorough c ■
tation of the old ones. That
is to sa) . bv pa ;
for more exten ive and
destructive cri es. and by dim-
inishing the means
cries are prevented.

But not onb Iris

■
thai bring death to I " ■ :
has also called into exisl n e
the men who are to wield tl
weapons — the modern work-
ing-class — the proletar

These laborers, who must
sell themselves piecemeal, are

Ira
the

consequences of their j--, ,

tion in no case are as p ns

I'l'inr i 'hem -elves as the est.

frusl i of the student's

tire c ■ ■ to him. Further-

more, th :s men of Ans-

C

our
Cour

execi

■ fu'l protection and storn

1 redress under the laws olP orce '

the state of Texas. There is A Th<

,. , , , bama

stran | rale! between the ess]

case of the students and thatfout tl:
of the workingmen e m ploy edjm eve

on the University buildings,? 1 ? ', nl

i • . f |al lyi

that no one m particular is withe A

terested in their welfare ex-!,j; t i no

a commodity, like every other cc pt when the time to pay arjone Ju

the de
Court,
The University should real-jcent N
ize that the depression is not S ^'—
matter exclusively of the oU jL onec ]

■ h «24th o

article of commerce, and are
consequently exposed to all the
vicissitudes of competition, to
all the fluctuations of the mar-
ket.

■ .-^ = side world. Students

week. Despite the fact that leavc should have the samjthe enr

the girl needs the best of care ri g: Ilts common to individual dc ^

and the proper kind of nourish- on the outside. Their finaj rushe j

ment, not considering the two c ial status should have no con: mcr ^ ]

other children of the family nection with their Universitjone ex,

the only aid that they have re- credits. The University is jtempts

ceived is five dollars worth of • L-*. .■ c i -„o- — i tifl( jV '"Toi-

o-,-nor,^;„ L \ V institution of learning

groceries a month from the

Community Chest. This is H colIectlon a 5? enc ) r

one of a few cases encountered sc "hool for coercion. T

which has received any aid at ness men of Austin must rca|tocratic

all • ..l^'jo'cause

ize the new situation— or c sj rue q

:e-Cr<

ALABAMA TO MURDER
8 INNOCENT NEGROES

Seven Negro boys are rot-
tin? '» Kilby Prison, in the
state of Alabama, accused of
attacking two white prostitu-
tes; another sits in his filthy
cell, facing" a lifetime of prison ;
a lj because it is impossible for
a Negro to obtain a fair trial
in the South.

Nine Negro boys were tak-
en off a freight train at Scotts-
•• , r o, Alabama, on March 25,
1931, accused at first of fight-
ing with some whites a 1 so on
the train. When, however, it
was discovered that two white
stitutes, were on the train.
■'■■ official immediately real-
ized that all the elements need-
led for a terror reign on Ne-
groes were available, and
raised a cry of "Rape."

The two girls at first denied
the attack, but under pressure
:" State authorities soon
changed their stories. The
was one of the fastest in
the state of Alabama — within
'3 hours death sentences were
massed, the case of the young-
est, at that time only 14, was
ater remanded to the Juvenile
Diirt by the Alabama Supreme
3urt. The day set for their
execution was April 6th, but a
storm of working class protest
forced a delay.

The case w-ent to the Ala-
bama Supreme Court, under
pressure from workers thru-
it the world. Mass meetings
every civilized country made
immediate out-and-out leg-
lynching impossible. But
e Alabama Supreme Court
'• dispense justice: with
iie Judge dissenting, it upheld
of the Scottsboro
rt and sentenced the inno-
nt N groes to die on May 13,
932. On May 8 the Governor
' of Alabama post-
the execution -until the
trae, merely to placate
' nraged workers and stu-
'■'■ e rery country.
The entire case with its
■'"'■ trial and legal roum-
"- is nothing more than
' ■ iple of numerous at-
at terrorism again«t
] a followed by
fay mr, re . On< . e at

here 4
re killed by an au-
eriff andh leputies
ad organized a
' ropp ( r Union — at>-

WACO NEGRO AND WHITE
WORKERS COMBINE

Only Mass Protest Can Save
Scottsboro Boys

On May 7, 1932. an event oc-
curred in Waco which is most
significant- in the annals ot
Texas. In Market Square, fa-
mous for the lynchings of Ne-
groes in times past, a repre-
sentative of the Negro working
class, Texan by birth, stood be-
fore a large assemblage of
white and black workers, and
explained to them in plain
language the real meaning
of the depress i o n and
the class struggle. He indica-
ted the folly of making ene-
mies of each other when uni-
ted action was necessary in
the contest with the common
enemy, the system whereby a
few own the means of pro-
duction and operate them in
their own interest, while the
majority, white and black
alike, go hungry though sur-
rounded by plenty. He told
them that they were the ones
whose labor had really pro-
duced the necessities of life,
and that by acting together it
was in their power to obtain
those necessities for them-
selves as well as the means of
producing more of them. The
bosses, on the other hand, were
interested in keeping them at
each others' throats instead,
he pointed out. He proceed-
ed to instruct them bow to
form a Council of Workers and
Farmers as a first and very-
important step towards the at-
tainment of their rights as hu-
man beings.

White workers had crowded
about curiously at first with
not little contempt. But, as
the talk proceeded, their faces
grew more serious, then more
eager. When he finished,
there was a prolonged thun-
derous applause, and the Ne-
groes of the crowd stood aside
while the white workers
crowded forward to actually
shake hands with the speaker,

pears as a hideous crime from
any angle.

Only mass action can save
the Scottsboro boys, the old-
est of whom is 20! Only con-
certed protests from workers
and students can stop this le-
gal lynching! It is the start
of a new campaign of anti-Ne-
gro terrorism. Stop it im-
mediately! Send your p"Otest
and. contribution to the filter-
national Labor Defense, SO Iv
11th Street, New York City,
Save these innocent workers!

£#44v3i

and to become members of the
Council being organized then
and there. In forming the
Council, the whites insisted on
its being composed equally
from both races, putting for-
ward for a secretary a Negro,
as representing the more op-
pressed of the two groups.

The matter is not ended. Re-
gardless of what immediate
victories or defeats it may
have within the next few
weeks, it represents the in-
destructible beginnings of a
great new power. This power
arises out of the new under-
standing and the mutual good-
will of the oppressed workers
of whatever origin, and out of
their growing determination
to make things right and to
sweep away the rottenness of
the method called "business,"
substituting- in its stead, a
commonwealth run by and for
the workers, that will supply
them all with the goods of life.

CAN THERE BE ANY RE-
DRESS FOR MOONEY?

Gov. Rolph of California, in
announcing his decision, has
settled once and for all the ill-
usions which have existed in
the minds of the "hopeful lot."
He definitely established the
fact that there can be no re-
dress for workers.

Tom Mooney stands out as
a symbol of injustice and cruel-
ty. There is no doubt that he
is not alone in this Edith Berk-
man, Sacco-Vanzetti, the Hay
Market Case, etc., all typify
the injustice in their particu-
lar ways, of the capitalist
courts.

The workers have, however,
shown great organization and
fight. The effective organiza-
tion of that fight will no doubt
prove to be an agent for the
real struggle which is slowly
arising on the horizon.

Tom Mooney, when informed
of the decision, said, "It is a
class struggle with a class mo-
tive, and along these lines it
shall be fought out in the fu-
ture. 1 call upon th_- revolu-
tionary (working) class of the
entire world to accept this chal-
lenge; they must fight not only
for my freedom, but for the
abolition of the capitalist sys-
tem."

We repeat the quotation:
Can there be any redress for
Mooney? Workers, and stu-
dents, answer this question!

"THE BEST COMIC MAGA-
ZINE IN THE SOUTH"

The Longhorn-Ranger mag-
azine, which is supposed to
represent the University of
Texas among the colleges of
the country, is nothing more
than a hodge-podge of ex-
cerpts from other college mag-
azines. It seems that the only
pre-requisite for the editor-
ship of "our" magazine is the
possession of a paste-box and
a pair of scissors.

The Longhorn-Ranger con-
tains no articles which deal
with student affairs, no col-
umns which mention student
problems, no mention of world-
wide topics which are so im-
portant today. Last year,
when a bitter attack was
launched upon fraternities, the
magazine took notice of the
struggle by issuing a "Frater-
nity Number!" (Have you
ever seen a "Barb" number?

Students on the campus with
barely enough money to go
through school on, are forced
to labor long and dreary hours
for their very substenance ; the
Editor of the Longhorn-Ran-
ger is paid $40 per month to
clip obscene jokes from the
the "Brown Jug" and the
"Lampoon." An unbiased obser
ver would come to the conclu-
horn-Ranger" that the sole pur-
pose of the magazine was to
create bigger and better puns.
Such puns and filthy jokes are
not worthy of Texas ; they are
worthy of the cheaper maga-
zines which are sold at the cor-
ner stand under the title of
"Bunk," "Ballyhoo," etc.

The original purpose of the
Longhorn-Ranger was liter-
ary; it has fallen from that
lofty position because of the
lack of work on the part of its
editor. Reading a few really lit-
erary articles does not take
much time; but it is easier to
clip a few "jokes" from other
magazines and paste them in
than it is to read decent stories.
At least that is the notion of
the editor of the Longhorn-
Ranger, who obtains her -al-
ary whether the magazine is
good, or not.

" Students of Texas! Demand
that the Longhorn-Ranger be-
come a real magazine, instead
of a collection of second-hand
filth! Demand that it deal
with student problems, instead
of attempting to divert your
minds from vital issues, with
stupid puns! Protest! For, if
(Continued on page 4)

_

WAR—

(Continued from page 1)

A world war against Soviet
Russia would cause a tempor-
ary revival of industry in the
capitalist countries. More im-
'portant, it might result in the
crushing of the only working-
class country in the world.
Such a result would effectually
squelch international revolu-
tionary agitation for decades
to come.

Japan's attack on China con-
stitutes the preliminary to the
main battle. The heroic resis-
tance of the Chinese revolu-
tionary troops, fighting the
forces of a powerful imperial-
ist power with antiquated
weapons and insufficient sup-
plies, gave Russia additional
time' to prepare for the inevi-
table conflict.

The Japanese seizure of
Manchuria creates an enemy
stronghold at Russia's back
door. During the last few
months, thousands of Japan-
ese troops have been massed
on the Manchurian border,
ready to march into Siberia at
a minute's notice. Japanese war
planes have flown over Soviet
territory, and Russian White
Guards,' or counter-revolution-
ists, recently made a raid from
Manchuria. Disclosure of the
Japanese war plans reveals
that Japan hopes to seize East-
ern Siberia and destroy the
Soviet system.

Once Russia is attacked in

Asia by Japan, she will be_ set

n bv "the European nations

rnd the United States. Im-

-!i--t troops wi 1 l invade her

tTritorv from Poland, and

Poum^ma. Anvrican bankers

Urnish the necessary

credit for the prosecution of

the war.

The recent assasination of
the French President by a
White Russian was a confessed
attempt to provoke imperial-
ist intervention against the
:et Union. Moreover,

France is the ally of Japan,
from a military and a financial
standpoint, France openly ac-
quiescing in the looting of
China.

The United States is openly
ig her fellow-imperial-
Factories all over the
ratry are being equipped for
the manufacture of munitions.
In addition, millions of con-
scription blanks are being

printed in readiness for another
war to make the world safe
for capitalism.

The talk, emanating from
some quarters, that America
and Russia will probably be on
the same side is nothing more
than subtle propaganda,
da. It is a disguised effort to
convert friends of Russia into
jingoistic patriots. "America
and Russia will probably be on
the same side." implies that
America will be right, which-
ever side she takes.

We have also witnessed a
renewal of the demand for an
embargo on Soviet products.
This demand is echoed by sev-
eral of the fake Progressives
Sena to r s. Increasingly
severe restrictions have been
placed on Soviet products by
the State Department, and it
should be remembered in this
connection that the United
States has never recognized
the present Russian govern-
ment.

Even such a conservative
daily as the New York Times
admits the inevitability of an
attack by Imperialist Japan
upon Soviet Russia. This ad-
mission indicates that the bos-
ses, through their kept prc^s.
have begun the process of de-
veloping a war psychology in
the minds of the American
people.

STARVATION IN AUSTIN-

WILL THIS PROPHECY

BE REALIZED HERE?

"Repressive measures by col-
lege administration' against
■ udent leaders of di content —
at this particular time — can
lr rrT" be regarded as accident-
ol . The present crisis cannot
f"il to rrive rise to a w'de va-
riety of political expressions.
When the present ru'e of big
business will regard its posi-
t : on as less secure, even more
repressive measures will be
tken against those who criti-
cize — let alone those who re-
bel."

— The Student Review,
May, 1932.

o

BEST COMIC MAGAZINE—

(Continued from page 3)
we cannot change thv Long-
horn-Ranger into something
decent, let us lithograph its
covei in four colors, add a few-
more pages, call it "FILTH,'
and sell it for a dime.

(Continued from page 1)
happens to be the same as the
minimum limit of income nec-
essary for food alone, as pub-
lished by certain investigators.
But the incomes of different
families were very different
from one another; and so %
large number of the incomes
of the whites fell far below the
supposed minimum limit, while
the great majority of those of
oilier races were still further
down. The acquisition of suf-
ficient food, then, is the pri-
mary factor which these people
are struggling for, and pitiably
failing to obtain. The gro-
ceries have reached their limit
of unpaid debts. When the un-
dernourishment eve ntually
leads to disease, as so often
happens, the cause is masked
and it is not given in the dread-
ed name "starvation"; but it
is a starvation none the less,
and this slow .starvation is
gradually spreading among the
people. Rent, clothing, and
I cines stav for behind, and
can scarcely be thought of. In
recent months conditions have
become more aggravated than
ever, and are rapidly approach-
ing a critical limit, without a
sign of betterment.

Thv present inquiry has also
brought cleprlv to light the
hi peless inefficiency of the
charity system. Among these
two hundred families, only f >v.r
fthr°e white and one Mexican)
had been helped at al 1 by anv
charity organization. The total
wor : : obtained from the City
Employment Bureau, by all
these families added together,
amounted to only 62 days ; in
( thcr words, the salary of one
worker for two m -nths for a 1
the families investigated. The
fr n er cf th.- char ty leaders
rdmit that their work is bit a
drop in the bucket. And yet,
when the results of the investi-
gation were reported, so we
understand, at their own re-
quest, to a general assembly,
representing all institutions
for social welfare in Austin, no
comment was made; and the
meeting passed on to discuss
whether or not an ordinance
should be passed to enforce the
law against street begging.

The present system of or-
ganization of society is totally
inadequate -to provide for the
situation which cists. Charity
is inadequate and obnoxious,
and charity will not rectify
conditions.

The people canno!

tolerate it much lorn

who understand this

should not mereb

the starving people ;

if they appeal to for-

seize the necessar;

means of production, but v,-e

should actually welcome thern

in doing so.

THE HALE DILL PASSED

In passing the Hale Bill !, v
a majority of forty two ",
twenty, our legislators have
shown once more just how
much they intend to keep th:
promises they made concern-
ing National expenditure.

In spite of the fact th-t
twe've million neop'e are un-
employed and five million des-
titute, they have had the au-
dacity to pass this bill appro-
priating one billion dollars for
the building of added units to
the navy within the short per-
iod of three years.

The passage of this bill foil
lows the President's statemeifl
that he intends to cut the arnjl
appropriation twenty-four mil-
lion dollars. What remarkable
parallelism this ! On one hand]
lie cuts twenty- four millioij
dollars, and then supports a
appropriation of one billion. J

However the facts beco r |
plain when the true reason f(?
this bill i« '•'"•n. The cap : ta i
power of this country real
that the only way for them
continue in power is to cot
tinue their policy of warfa
.- nd bloodshed ruid - h ige n
is necessary for this. It iaa
trrs little to them that in si
filling their already M°atjg
coffers they take almost lit
ally the bread from the modi
of starving millions.

It is up to th" students |
this and other Universities |
protest against this outr.is :
It is up to them to staf
shoulder to shoulder with J||
exploited and down tred;i-
workers and to make his grt|
ance their grievance,, ana
wrong their wrong.

His Holiness, the Pope <4
his bit to crush the So\
ion. In his recent enc>
blames Communistn_for "^
wide depression. Ol c " u '_' :

makes no allusion to

the

sence of bread-lines i

n R« s 1