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Today the grandson of a man who lynched "to show niggers their place", the son of a laborer whose name was changed because "it don't matter about a nigger's name nohow", has been brought by a wave of working-class solidarity, of working-class resentment against Jim-Crow and lynching, to the position of candidate for vice-presidnt of the United States.

His Early Life.

James W. Ford was born at Pratt City, Ala, near Birmingham, on December 22, 1893. His father, Lymon Forsch, had been for years a farm-hand at Gainesville, Ga., a farming community about 50 miles from Atlanta. His mother had been Nancy Reynolds.

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[[caption]] Comrade J.W. Ford former editor of the "Negro Worker", American Negro leader [[/caption]]

The father of Lymon Forsch was a railroad track-walker. When the grand-father was lynched, the family was driven out, and mitigated to Pratt City, a mining town. Here Lymon Forsch worked as a coal miner and steel worker. Later the family moved to Ensley, Ala.

There were three in the Forsch family - James, who was the oldest, and two sisters, Nancy Forsch worked as a washwoman and cleaning woman in order to keep her children in school. But at 14 years of age young James was forced to go to work. First he got a job as a waterboy on the railroad tracks, earning 50 cents a day. then he worked in a blacksmith shop as helper, later as a steamhammer operator and machinists' helper. By saving his money he was able to finish high school, and complete three years at Fisk University, Nashville.

In the War.

In 1917, James Ford left Fisk University to join the army. He entered the 325th signal corps, connected with the 92nd division. He became expert as a radio and telegraph operator. In France he was sent first to an American radio school, where he was Jim-Crowed and refused admission. Then he attempted a French radio school. As a sergeant, he served at the front of the 86th brigade of the 92nd division. He organized a protest against Captain Felsenheld, for statements to the effect that Negroes are inferior, brutish, etc. This protest resulted in the removal of Felsenheld. When one of the men in the outfit was framed on the charge of "raping" a Frenchwoman, Ford was instrumental in calling a meeting of protest which frightened the army authorities out of proceeding with the frame-up.

While in the army, Ford took an active part in the fight against the Jim-Crowing and persecution of the Negro troops.

Revolutionary Fighter.

Ford first joined the Communist Party in 1926. His devotion to the working-class, his tireless efforts in the organizing of workers, Negro and white, his leadership in the struggle against segregation and Jim-Crow, led to his early recognition as one of the most capable men in the Party. He rose rapidly to a position of leadership. In the spring of 1928, he was one of the delegates elected to attend the Fourth World Congress of the Red International of Labor Unions to which he was elected a member of the Executive.

He was the chief organizer of the First International Conference of Negro workers and former secretary of the International Trade Union Committee.

James Ford is today a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party. He is the director of the Negro buro of the Trade Union Unity League, a Federation of left-wing unions and groups composed of Negro and white workers.

The Labour Movement

The World Situation and the Negro
By Cyril Briggs (New York.)

This is the first of a series of articles analyzing the effects of the present world crisis on the Negro masses in America, Africa and the West Indies, by Cyril Briggs, the well known Negro revolutionary journalist, and contributing editor of the "NEGRO WORKER".

These articles do not only review the present situation in which the Negro masses find themselves in but, most importantly of all, they show the Negro toilers of America and the colonies the only way in which they can win national freedom and social emancipation. Study these articles, discuss them with your friends, and write us your opinion. -Ed.:

The Struggle Between Two Systems.

A world-wide struggle is raging today between two systems of society. This struggle affects every country, every group, every individual without a single exception. This struggle is between capitalism and communism.

Already this struggle has resulted in radically changed conditions of life for nearly two hundred and fifty million of the world's population. Communism has triumphed over more than one-sixth of the earth. It has won other millions of adherents in that part of the world still ruled by capitalism. Today, its threat to capitalism is greater than ever.

Communism, rising to state power in the former Czarist empire, has succeeded in winning the masses of workers and peasants to its support. According the right of self-determination to the national minorities formerly suppressed and persecuted by Czarist capitalism, Communism has built up a federation of states known as the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. It has solved unemployment. It has solved the national question. For the first time in the history of Russia, its more than 150 racial group, colored and white, are working together in perfect harmony, recognized equality and good-will. The Soviet Union takes in one-sixth of the earth, and has a population of 160,000,000.

In China, more than one-sixth of the country has broken away from the grip of foreign imperialists. The workers and peasants of Soviet China have