The Daily Worker

Order Militia to Be Ready to Shoot Down Starving Masses
Workers Demand Unemployment Insurance,
But Hoover and State Gov'ts Answer By Instruction: "Don't Shoot Over Their Heads!"

CHICAGO, Ill., Jan. 25.-"Shoot to kill the unemployed," is the new slogan of the National Guard as shown in the latest instructions recently issued here in a 104-page pamphlet published by the headquarters of the 33rd Division, Illinois National Guard.

The detailed instructions on how to murder workers who refuse to starve follow the policy of President Hoover when he declared last fall that he would mobilize the army to handle the problem of "unemployment relief."

Not only are the latest deliberate murder orders directed against the jobless, but they are aimed with especial vehemence against the militant leaders of the unemployed and striking workers, the Communists.

These orders to kill the unemployed, from which the Daily Worker publishes important quotations, come at a time when unemployment is growing and when the unemployed are increasing their struggles for relief.

On Feb. 4th there will be demonstrations throughout the country for unemployment insurance and immediate unemployment relief.

These are not just military orders but are part of the capitalist city and federal government's program of "bullets not bread" for the unemployed. In Chicago, Mayor Cermak's

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ORDER MILITIA TO BE READY TO SHOOT DOWN STARVING MASSES

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police have already begun the slaughter by shooting down Negro unemployed workers. Governor Emmerson of Illinois is the responsible head of the National Guard, and the Hoover government has already indicated its reliance on the army against the unemployed. The National Hunger March was met by a huge armed force, and marine reserves.

Only the mass mobilization of the workers to continue the fight for unemployment insurance, building up their defense corps, will drive back these threats of wholesale murder for the workers who struggle for relief and against starvation.

'This winter, at its many conferences,' reveals the National Guard handbook, 'the staff has been considering and studying 'Plans for the suppression of radical disorders.''

Before telling of the details of the organization of all the capitalist forces against the workers, the militia instructions go into details about wholesale slaughter of jobless and striking workers.

'Never fire over the heads of rioters,' is the order. 'If it be not practicable to send a part of the command to attack in the rear, practically the same results may be obtained by dispatching sharp shooters to the roofs of upper stories of houses, from which they can pick off rioters in the rear of the mob.'

Stirring up the fascist ambitions of the officers, the pamphlet says: 'An ambitious officer may by decisive action acquire fame.'

'Officers and men should not fear reprisal in case one or more people are killed... Troops should have marched through crowded streets in times or places of riot... Crowds should not be allowed to form.'

Then to rally the whole scum of the fascist ranks, the National Guard instructions go on to point out who are the allies of the bosses against the hungry unemployed and against striking workers. The murder instructions state:

'The American Legion. In times of disorder or disaster the various posts of the American Legion can render valuable assistance to commanders of troops.' (p. 28)

'Chambers of Commerce are of great value to local commanders. Practically every town has one.' (p. 28)

'17. The proper performance of riot duty requires the adoption of riot... which must be modified and adherence to general plans,'