ISMS
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The AMERICAN'S CREED
I BELIEVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AS A GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE; WHOSE JUST POWERS ARE DERIVED FROM THE CONSENT OF THE GOVERNED; A DEMOCRACY IN A REPUB- LIC; A SOVEREIGN NATION OF MANY SOVEREIGN STATES; A PERFECT UNION, ONE AND INSEPARABLE; ESTABLISHED UPON THOSE PRINCIPLES OF FREEDOM, EQUALITY, JUSTICE AND HUMANITY FOR WHICH AMERICAN PATRIOTS SACRIFICED THEIR LIVES AND FORTUNES.
I THEREFORE BELIEVE IT IS MY DUTY TO MY COUNTRY TO LOVE IT; TO SUPPORT ITS CONSTITUTION; TO OBEY ITS LAWS; TO RESPECT ITS FLAG; AND TO DEFEND IT AGAINST ALL ENEMIES. — (AUTHOR- IZED VERSION.)
SMS
A Review of ALIEN ISMS, REVOLUTIONARY COMMUNISM and their Active Sympathizers in the United States
(SECOND EDITION)
Compiled by the
NATIONAL AMERICANISM COMMISSION of THE AMERICAN LEGION National Headquarters, Indianapolis, Indiana
1937
FOREWORD
THE Eighteenth Annual National Convention of The American Legion, held in Cleveland, Ohio, September 22 to 25, 1936, mandated what was, without a doubt, the most intensive drive to rid America of un-American propaganda ever undertaken by any organization. Realizing that sinister forces are expending greater effort than ever before to wreck the nation; and, voicing the senti- ments of millions of our people, The American Legion has stated emphatically that all destructive alien "isms" must be driven from this nation.
In carrying out the mandates of the National Conventions, your National Americanism Commission has placed under way a number of educational projects, all of which are designed for the purpose of combating the menace of destructive alien "isms" and for the teach- ing of sound Americanism. The sustained effort of The American Legion as expressed in the mandates of its several National Conven- tions and formulated into constructive endeavor by its National Americanism Commission is without doubt the most effective pro- gram ever undertaken by any organization to rid America of un- American "isms."
It is believed, however, that the greatest need at this particular time is the enlightenment of all of our people to the menace of Com- munism. American citizens must be informed of the many ways in which the Communistic movement bores from within. They must know of the many subsidiary and co-operating organizations and of their activities. That is the purpose of this book.
It is vitally important to keep in mind at all times the fact that The American Legion is not a law enforcement body. Our mission is an educational one. It is to acquaint the public with the growth of subversive activities, and to recommend the legal cure; to show the public that Communism is attempting to undermine our govern- ment; that it is reaching into the schools, the churches, agriculture, and, in fact, into every phase of American life.
The compilation of this publication was placed under way during the year Frank N. Belgrano, Jr., served as National Commander of The American Legion and Ray Murphy served as Chairman of the National Americanism Commission. This revised edition comes in
the continuance of the battle which Harry W. Colmery, as our National Commander for the year 1936-1937 is waging. It is hoped that in this more permanent cover in which a large part of this edition will be bound, this volume may find profitable employment in the libraries of our high schools, colleges and communities of the Nation. Frank N. Belgrano was indeed militant and outspoken in his fight against un-American activities. Ray Murphy, during his year as Americanism Chairman and during his administration as National Commander, was equally as militant and as outspoken in his battle against these agents of destruction. It was these three outstand- ing Legionnaires along with Stephen F. Chadwick, National American- ism Chairman for 1936 and 1937, who inspired the office of the Na- tional Americanism Commission with the determination to complete this book so that all Americans might know something of the "bor- ing from within" tactics used by the advocates of "isms" in America, and because of that knowledge, join with The American Legion in the battle to crush, for all time to come, every destructive alien "ism" in this our beloved Nation.
H. L. CHAILLAUX, Director.
C. M. WILSON,
Assistant Director,
National Americanism Commission.
EVEN though this book is actually a history of un-American activities in the United States, we do not charge all individuals whose names are -listed herein with membership in the Communist Party or with membership in Nazi or Fascist groups. Yet, their affiliations and sympathies are very closely denned in each case and are set forth to further show the boring from within tactics.
This book does not represent the opinion of a few Legionnaires. The readers will note that more than seventy-five per cent of the evidence produced here is either excerpts from United States Gov- ernment reports of investigating committees or taken from material prepared by the Communist Party or its affiliated or sympathetic groups.
In publishing this Book the National Americanism Commission urges all who may read it to keep three fundamental facts clearly in mind. It is important to the success of our campaign against Com- munism and other alien "isms" that Legionnaires especially should do so.
They are:
1. Remember, no Legionnaire and no citizen has the privilege of police authority. Our policy must be one of waging a campaign of education by disclosing the truth as we find it. We must not take the law into our own hands. To do so would be equivalent to descend- ing to the level of Communists.
2. The right of all nations to maintain their present form of government can not be denied. Our interest as Legionnaires and American citizens begins and ends with the attempts of those gov- ernments to force their principles upon America.
3. As an organization we do not oppose progress in government. The Constitution of the United States, our basic law, provides the orderly, American way for such progress. It reserves to the citizens the right to change that basic law as they, in their conscience and judgment, decide may be necessary. That traditional American prin- ciple must not be denied. The American Legion demands only that we shall proceed and progress in an orderly way, every member reserving to himself the inalienable right to support or oppose changes as he sees fit. Political motives are neither intended nor implied in this expose.
THE EDITORS.
FREEDOM OF SPEECH
THE FOLLOWING is a pronouncement on the subject of freedom of the press by the Supreme Court of the United States in Milwaukee Publishing Company v. Burleson, 255 U. S. 407:
"Freedom of the press may protect criticism and agitation for modification or repeal of laws, but it does not extend to protection of him who counsels and encourages the violation of the law as it exists. The Constitution was adopted to preserve our government, not to serve as a protecting screen for those who, while claiming its privileges, seek to destroy it."
ANOTHER PRONOUNCEMENT "652— BENJAMIN GITLOW, Plff. in Err.,
PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. "69 LAW ED. Oct. Term, 1924— U. S. 266-268. "(Argued April 12, 1923. Restored to docket for reargument May 7, 1923. Reargued November 23, 1923. Decided June 8, 1925.)
"ANARCHY — advocating overthrow of government — lawfulness.
"1. The advocacy for the purpose of bringing about the de- struction of organized parliamentary government, of mass industrial revolts usurping the functions of municipal government, political mass strikes directed against the parliamentary state, and revolu- tionary mass action for its final destruction, necessarily implies the use of force and violence, and in its essential nature is inherently unlawful in a constitutional government of law and order.
"CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — freedom of speech — scope.
"3. The freedom of speech and of the press, which is secured by the Constitution, does not confer an absolute right to speak or publish, without responsibility, whatever one may choose, or an un- restricted and unbridled license that gives immunity for every pos- sible use of language, and prevents the punishment of those who abuse this freedom.
"CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — punishment of abuse of freedom of speech.
"4. A state may punish those who abuse the constitutional free- dom of speech by utterances inimical to the public welfare, tending to corrupt public morals, incite to crime, or disturb the public peace.
"CONSTITUTIONAL LAW — punishing utterances endangering foundations of government.
"5. A state may punish utterances endangering the foundations of organized government, and threatening its overthrow by unlawful
"COURTS — power over police statutes.
"7. The state is primarily the judge of regulations required in the interest of public safety and welfare, and its police statutes may only be declared unconstitutional where they are arbitrary or un- reasonable attempts to exercise authority vested in the state in the public interest."
"That utterances inciting to the overthrow of organized govern- ment by unlawful means present a sufficient danger of substantive evil to bring their punishment within the range of legislative discre- tion is clear. Such utterances, by their very nature, involve danger to the public peace and to the security of the state. They threaten breaches of the peace and ultimate revolution. And the immediate danger is none the less real and substantial because the effect of a given utterance cannot be accurately foreseen. The state cannot rea- sonably be required to measure the danger from every such utter- ance in the nice balance of a jeweler's scale. A single revolutionary spark may kindle a fire that, smoldering for a time, may burst into a sweeping and destructive conflagration. It cannot be said that the state is acting arbitrarily or unreasonably when, in the exercise of its judgment as to the measures necessary to protect the public peace and safety, it seeks to extinguish the spark without waiting until it has enkindled the flame or blazed into the conflagration. It cannot reasonably be required to defer the adoption of measures for its own peace and safety until the revolutionary utterances lead to actual disturbances of the public peace or imminent and immediate danger of its own destruction; but it may, in the exercise of its judgment, suppress the threatened danger in its incipiency."
NATIONAL AMERICANISM COMMISSION
STEPHEN F. CHADWICK, Chairman W. D. SCHWARTZ, JR., Vice-Chairman
To Serve Until November 1, 1937 To Serve Until November 1, 1938 Stephen F. Chadwick, Washington Clinton Brome, Nebraska Winthrop P. Robinson, New York C. Richard Allen, New Jersey Harvey G. Wood, Florida Jeremiah J. Twomey, Massachusetts
Joe Rabinovich, North Dakota Dan Sowers, Kentucky
W. D. Schwartz, Jr., South Carolina Charles Ladden, Connecticut
To Serve Until November 1, 1939 Frank Estabrook, Idaho James F. O'Neil, New Hampshire Frank T. Sullivan, Kansas Leslie P. Kefgen, Michigan Arthur F. Lamey, Montana
MANDATES OF THE EIGHTEENTH ANNUAL NATIONAL
CONVENTION AS THEY AFFECT THE CURBING
OF UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES
AMERICANISM PROGRAM
"WHEREAS, It is very necessary that The American Legion develop a strong program of public service so that:
"1. Its members may feel that there is something definite for them to do.
"2. The general public may develop favorable attitudes toward Legion activities.
"And since the Americanism Program seems to offer a very wide scope of possible activities ; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That Americanism be continued as the major program of The American Legion for the year 1936-37."
COMMUNISTIC YOUTH MOVEMENT
"Whereas, A loyal and patriotic citizenship is necessary to the preservation of the nation; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That The American Legion vigorously oppose the Communistic Youth Movement, especially as expressed in the Summer Camps for children, and the formation of like clubs in our schools and colleges."
COMMUNISM
"Whereas, The combat of Communism should be a major activity of The American Legion; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That The American Legion shall actively combat Communism, and in order to carry it out, the National Commander shall instruct and order all Posts in the organization to vigilantly combat Communism and all other organi- zations whose purposes are to undermine, sap, overthrow or otherwise destroy the principles of American Government.
"And to appoint committees to actively carry out the purposes of this resolution."
CO-OPERATION AGAINST COMMUNISTS
"Resolved, That we recommend and offer our co-operation to all those organi- zations in the United States who are now waging an active fight against Communism and other subversive movements."
FASCISM, HITLERISM, ETC.
"Resolved, That The American Legion continue its active opposition to the advocacy in America of Nazism, Fascism, Communism, or any other isms that are contrary to the fundamental principles of democracy, as established under the Constitution of the United States of America."
RECOGNITION OF SOVIET RUSSIA
"Whereas, The American Legion has heretofore opposed the recognition of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics for the reason it was feared such recogni- tion would be inimical to the best interests of this country, and
11
12 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
WHAT THE AMERICAN LEGION STANDS FOR
(Taken from the Preamble to the Constitution of The American Legion)
"FOR GOD AND COUNTRY"
"To UPHOLD AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES "OF AMERICA"
"To MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER"
"To PROMOTE PEACE AND GOODWILL ON EARTH"
"To SAFEGUARD AND TRANSMIT TO POSTERITY THE PRINCIPLES OF JUSTICE, FREEDOM AND DEMOCRACY"
"To INCULCATE A SENSE OF INDIVIDUAL OBLIGATION TO COMMUNITY, STATE AND NATION"
"Whereas, Prior to recognition of said government by the United States, promises were duly and solemnly made by the Soviet Government that Communist propaganda and activities emanating from Russia, directly or indirectly, would forthwith cease, and
"Whereas, Such activities have not ceased, but have on the contrary greatly increased; therefore, be it
"Resolved, That we urge the immediate rescission of recognition of the U. S. S. R. by the United States of America."
SUBVERSIVE DOCTRINES
"RESOLVED, That the President of the United States of America and the Attor- ney-General thereof be and each of them is hereby urged to use the full power of the Department of Justice and every other governmental agency to investigate the methods employed by and the activities of those who are now engaged in propa- gating and disseminating subversive doctrines and to prosecute and punish those responsible in all cases warranted by the evidence, including as a part of such punishment the prompt deportation of all aliens convicted."
ISMS
"We recommend that each Post be encouraged and urged to make a study of the book called 'Isms,' published by the National Americanism Commission."
FINGER PRINTING
"We recommend the universal application of the finger printing system for identification of all persons in the United States. We further recommend the finger printing of all persons upon entry to the United States."
CLEVELAND LEGION CONVENTION MANDATES 13
WHAT COMMUNISM STANDS FOR
(Taken from report 2290, U. S. House of Representatives) "HATRED OF GOD AND ALL FORMS OF RELIGION" "DESTRUCTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND INHERITANCE" "PROMOTION OF CLASS HATRED"
"REVOLUTIONARY PROPAGANDA THROUGH THE COMMUNIST INTERNA- TIONAL, STIRRING UP COMMUNIST ACTIVITIES IN FOREIGN COUN- TRIES IN ORDER TO CAUSE STRIKES, RIOTS, SABOTAGE, BLOODSHED, AND CIVIL WAR"
"DESTRUCTION OF ALL FORMS OF REPRESENTATIVE OR DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENTS, INCLUDING CIVIL LIBERTIES, SUCH AS FREEDOM OF SPEECH, OF THE PRESS, OF ASSEMBLY, AND TRIAL BY JURY"
"THE ULTIMATE AND FINAL OBJECTIVE is BY MEANS OF WORLD REVO- LUTION TO ESTABLISH THE DICTATORSHIP OF THE SO-CALLED PRO- LETARIAT INTO ONE WORLD UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS WITH THE CAPITOL AT Moscow"
NATURALIZATION REQUIREMENTS
"We rededicate ourselves to the high duty of citizenship as denned by our United States Supreme Court in the Schwimmer and other United States Supreme Court decisions wherein it is held that 'It is a duty of citizenship by force of arms when necessary to defend the country against all enemies,' and we abhor any consideration being given, particularly from any official of our government, to those aliens seeking United States citizenship concerning wherein there is any doubt about their willingness to bear arms in defense of the United States of America against all enemies.
"And we direct the officers of The American Legion to call to the attention of Congress any sanctions departing from this principle."
ALIENS "We Recommend:
"1. The deportation of any alien who has been convicted of violation of any narcotic law of any State, Territory, insular possession, or the District of Columbia.
"2. The deportation of any alien who has been convicted in the United States within five years of the institution of deportation proceedings against him of a crime involving moral turpitude or a felony.
"3. The deportation of any alien who has knowingly encouraged, induced, assisted, or aided anyone to enter or try to enter the United States in violation of law.
14 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"4. That all persons entering the United States illegally shall upon apprehen- sion be immediately deported.
11 5. That our border patrol of the Immigration Service be increased to the point -that efficient service will reduce illegal alien entry.
"6. That designated persons holding supervisory positions in the Immigration and Naturalization service be given power to issue warrants of arrest for persons believed to be subject to deportation.
"7. The deportation of any alien who has been engaged in espionage -for a foreign government.
"8. That the present quota for immigrants from those countries granted quotas be reduced by ninety (90) per cent.
"9. The deportation of all aliens who are anarchists or Communists, or aliens who are affiliated with any organization associated directly or indirectly with the Third Internationale.
a!0. The administration of all alien and immigration laws enacted by Congress strictly according to the provisions of said laws. We recognize, however, the possibility of meritorious exceptions arising and the necessity of judicial inter- pretation of appeals from strict enforcement of the foregoing deportation provi- sions, and therefore recommend the power to exempt from deportation be vested in the Judges of the respective United States District Courts before whom all such appeals should be heard.
"11. Legislation providing that the ability to read English as well as to speak English be made a prerequisite to naturalization.
"12. That Congress appropriate sufficient funds to carry out the purposes of this resolution."
The program called for by the foregoing resolutions of The American Legion is one in which not only Legion members but every real American can participate. If the objectives set forth are to be reached all must co-operate. Every American should urge your representative or senator to support legislation to cure the disease of Communism in the United States.
Many people in our country believe that Communism is just another form of public hysteria and ridicule all attempts to combat it. The facts outlined in the pages of this book, however, will disprove this typical American attitude. Just a part of the story can be told in the short space of this book, but that part is accurate fact.
COMMUNISM COSTLY TO FREEDOM, says Educator
In an AP dispatch as of February 1, 1937, Dr. David Kinley, President Emeritus of the University of Illinois, characterized Communism today as "economically unsound, religiously atheistic, socially destructive, ethically indefensible and morally debasing." Dr. Kinley said he never had seen a Socialistic or Communistic plan which did not involve "deprivation of freedom."
CLEVELAND LEGION CONVENTION MANDATES 15
LIST OF Moscow's "INTERNATIONALS" AND THEIR AMERICAN SUBORDINATE BRANCHES1
The Moscow Third International
Communist International
Workers International Relief
Sovkino
Friends of the Soviet Union
(Profitern) Red International of Labor Unions
League Against Imperialism
Red Pioneers
Young Communist International
Peasants' International
Educational Workers League
Labor Sports International
International Red Aid
Intourist
Society for Cultural Relations Between Russia and Foreign Countries
International Union of Revolutionary Writers
Moscow's Agent in the United States
Communist Party of the U. S. A.
Workers International Relief
Amkino
Friends of the Soviet Union
Trade Union Unity League (21 principal Revolutionary Unions)
Anti-Imperialist League
Young Pioneers of America
Young Communist League of America
United Farmers League
Educational Workers League
Labor Sports Union (Hundreds of Workers Athletic Clubs)
International Labor Defense (10 or more sections; 200 or more branches)
Intourist (World Tourist)
American Society for Cultural Relations with Russia
Workers Cultural Federation (1,000 or more clubs and cultural organizations)
John Reed Clubs
You have seen the publicity in your local communities of one or more of the above listed groups, but it was easier for you to negligently proceed with your reading than to check the activity of that peculiarly named group, who were sponsoring a meeting in your home town. It is because of that spirit of utter indifference that Communism with all of its interwoven and interlocking branches has grown to the danger point in the United States.
1Reference Wm. H. Green report on Communism.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
COMMUNISM
THE MOST recent Congressional investigation of the activities of the Com- munist Party and its affiliated organizations in the United States was made during the first session of the 74th Congress, by a committee of the House of Represen- tatives, with Congressman John W. McCormick, of Massachusetts, as Chairman. Report No. 153 submitted to the Congress of the United States on February 15, 1935, is indeed educational and most interesting to any student of revolutionary radicalism. We submit for your study the following extended excerpt from that report.
"The resolution creating this committee was broad in its general terms in- structing it to examine into all 'subversive activities.' Such an examination in- cluded an investigation into Communistic activities.
"This committee confined its investigation to that period of time following the thorough inquiry made by the special committee, of which our colleague, Mr. Fish of New York was Chairman. The inquiry made by Mr. Fish's committee was profound and comprehensive. In making its recommendations, this committee also gave consideration to the report made by the special committee above re- ferred to.
"This committee took the testimony of several prominent Communist leaders.
"In December, 1934, it held a series of public hearings at Washington, D. C.,
at which representatives from various organizations and agencies that have recently
been investigating Communism presented statements of their findings accompanied
by one or more recommendations.
"The Communist Party of the United States is not a national political party con- cerned primarily and legitimately with conditions in this country. Neither does it operate on American principles for the maintenance and improvement of the form of government established by the organic law of the land.
"The nature and extent of organized Communist activity in the United States have been established by testimony and the objectives of such activities clearly defined. Both from documentary evidence submitted to the committee and from the frank admission of Communist leaders (cf. Browder and Ford, New York hearing, July 12, 1934) these objectives include:
"1. The overthrow by force and violence of the republican form of government guaranteed by article IV, section 4, of the Federal Consti- tution.
"2. The substitution of a soviet form of government based on class domination to be achieved by abolition of elected representatives both to the legislative and executive branches, as provided by article I, by the several sections of article II of the same Constitution and by the four- teenth amendment.
"3. The confiscation of private property by governmental decree, without the due process of law and compensation guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
16
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 17
"4. Restriction of the rights of religious freedom, of speech, and of
the press as guaranteed by the first amendment.
"These specific purposes by Communist admission are to be achieved not by peaceful exercise of the ballot under constitutional right, but by revolutionary upheavals, by fomenting class hatred, by incitement to class warfare and by other illegal, as well as by legal, methods. The tactics and specific stages to be followed for the accomplishment of this end are set forth in circumstantial detail in the official program of the American Communist Party adopted at the convention held at Cleveland on April 2 to 8, 1934.
"The 'manifesto' and the 'resolutions' incite to civil war by requiring one class 'to take power' by direct revolutionary process and then assume dictatorship over the country in the manner followed by the Communists in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics which is frequently mentioned as a guiding example.
"In pursuance of the revolutionary way to power, the program instructs mem- bers of the party to obtain a foothold in the Army and the Navy and develop 'revolutionary mass organizations in the decisive war industries and in the harbors.' The trade unions should be undermined and utilized as recruiting grounds for revolutionary workers. How faithfully these particular injunctions have been exe- cuted was demonstrated by Navy officers appearing before the committee and by officials of the American Federation of Labor.
"The American Communist Party is affiliated with the Third International, which was created by officials of the Soviet Government and is still housed in Moscow with governmental approval and co-operation. This affiliation is not one of general sympathy or broad uniformity of purpose and program; it is of a defi- nitely organic character involving specific jurisdiction on the part of the govern- ing body over the Communist Party of the United States.
"The executive secretary of the Communist Party of the United States testi- fied to this committee that his party was 'a section of the Communist International' ; that it participates in all the gatherings which decide the policies of the Communist International and sends delegates to the various conferences in Moscow. This admission is confirmed by the records available.
"Because it constitutes a virtual plea of guilty to charges that have been made against the Communist Party of America, we submit in full the testimony of Earl Browder, general secretary of that party. This testimony was corroborated by James W. Ford, a member of the executive committee of that party.
"TESTIMONY OF EARL BROWDER "(The witness was duly affirmed.) "The Chairman: Please give your name and address. "Mr. Browder: Earl Browder, 35 East Twelfth Street. (N. Y.) "The Chairman: Mr. Browder, will you state, please, your official position with the Communist Party in America?
"Mr. Browder: I am executive secretary of the central committee.
"The Chairman: Is there a central committee?
"Mr. Browder: There is a central committee.
"The Chairman: How many does that committee comprise?
18 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"Mr. Browder: Twenty-nine members and six alternates.
"The Chairman: That central committee determines the policy of the party?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: And its affiliates in the United States?
"Mr. Browder: Between conventions.
"The Chairman: Between conventions. And the committee is elected at conventions?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: The convention is composed of delegates of the various organizations and affiliates throughout the United States?
"Mr. Browder: The convention is composed of delegates elected by districts at district conventions. District conventions are composed of delegates on a broader basis. . "The Chairman: And the National Communist Party — is that the name?
"Mr. Browder: The Communist Party of the United States.
"The Chairman: The Communist Party of the United States is affiliated with the Third International?
"Mr. Browder: It is a section of the Communist International.
"The Chairman: Is it in contact with the Third International?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: Constantly?
"Mr. Browder: I cannot say constantly.
"The Chairman: I mean, there is that contact?
"Mr. Browder: At intervals, yes.
"The Chairman: There is that contact between them?
"Mr. Browder: The American Party as a section of this Communist Inter- national participates in all of the gatherings which decide the policies of the Com- munist International.
"The Chairman: And send delegates to the Third International and their various meetings?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: In other words, it is an affiliate? Would you call it a regional party of the Third International? I would rather you would put it in your own language.
. "Mr. Browder: To give an exact idea, you cannot draw a strict parallel with other party organizations, inasmuch as it is a world party; a world party.,
"The Chairman: But the Third International is the central body?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: In April, 1934, v^as there a convention in Cleveland in the United States?
"Mr. Browder: That is correct.
"The Chairman: At that convention were certain resolutions adopted?
"Mr. Browder: That is correct.
"The Chairman: Have you copies of the resolutions, Mr. Browder?
"Mr. Browder: I have. This pamphlet contains all of the decisions; that is,
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 19
the manifesto of the convention, the resolution on the present situation, and the tasks of the Communist Party, the lessons of economic struggles and tasks of the Communists in the trade unions, and a resolution on the winning of the working- class youth. These were the decisions of the Cleveland convention.
"The Chairman: On what page will we find the resolution that was adopted as a result of the passage of a similar resolution by the Third International in December, 1933?
"Mr. Browder: Pages 35 and 36 of this pamphlet.
"The Chairman: That is the only one we are really concerned with now. This here is on pages 35 and 36 in the pamphlet?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: That resolution was adopted in the convention?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: Is it identically the same resolution that was adopted at the Third International?
"Mr. Browder: The resolution of the Third International is not in its entirety reproduced here.
"The Chairman: Is not in what?
"Mr. Browder: In its entirety reproduced, but reference is made to the thesis of the thirteenth plenum of the Communist International, and this resolu- tion declares that this fully applies also to the United States.
"The Chairman: Was this resolution adopted as a result of the action of the thirteenth plenum of the Third International?
"Mr Browder: No; I would not say that.
"The Chairman: In part?
"Mr. Browder: I would not say that.
"The Chairman: Well, in part was it adopted as a result of it?
"Mr. Browder: Well, I would say that it is fully in harmony with it and expresses its approval.
"The Chairman: Of the action of the Third International?
"Mr. Browder: Of the action of the thirteenth plenum.
"The Chairman: Were instructions received from the Third International with reference to the adoption of the resolution which they adopted in December, 1933?
"Mr. Browder: No instructions; no.
"The Chairman: You knew of a resolution being adopted in the Third Inter- national in December, 1933, did you not?
"Mr. Browder: Yes; this resolution was published by us in our official journal, the Communist, for February, 1934.
"The Chairman: On what page, Mr. Browder?
"Mr. Browder: It begins with page 131 of this issue and continues to page 144.
"The Chairman: May we have this?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
20 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"The Chairman: I introduce this as an exhibit, entitled, 'The Way Out,' and that part of it which is pages 35 and 36, I believe.
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: And this book entitled 'The Communist,' and so much as relates to the pages which Mr. Browder has referred to.
(The documents were marked 'Exhibits 1 and 2').
"The Chairman: Both of these pamphlets will now be made a part of this record and will be marked 'Exhibits Nos. 27 and 28' of these hearings.
(The two pamphlets were marked 'The Way Out, Exhibit No. 27' and 'The Communist, Exhibit No. 28.')
"The Chairman: In January, did the executive committee of the Communist Party of the United States adopt a similar resolution to that which was adopted at the Cleveland convention?
"Mr. Browder: In January the central committee met and expressed its agree- ment with the resolutions adopted by the Communist International.
"The Chairman: So, in chronological order, what happened was in December, the thirteenth session of the Third International —
"Mr. Browder: That is right.
"The Chairman: Adopted a resolution, of which you were made cognizant?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: And of which movement the party in the United States was made cognizant?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: The executive committee in January, 1934, adopted a reso- lution based along the same lines?
"Mr. Browder: Declaring its agreement with it.
"The Chairman: Declaring its agreement with it?
"Mr. Browder: With the contents of that document.
"The Chairman: That action in January, is it fair to assume that that action in January was the result of the action of the thirteenth session of the Third International in the preceding month?
"Mr. Browder: I think it would be more correct to say that it was a result of the fact that the leadership of the party in the United States was in agreement with the action that was taken.
"The Chairman: I want you to put it your own way. I want you to put it in the way that it occurred, but one followed the other?
"Mr. Browder: One followed the other.
"The Chairman: And the action at the convention at Cleveland in April was also a follow-up of the action of the Third International and the agreement of the leaders in the United States thereto?
"Mr. Browder: I think your formulation will perhaps narrow the understand- ing of the Cleveland convention too much.
"The Chairman: I am talking only so far as this particular resolution is concerned, but will you explain that? The action of the executive committee was in between conventions?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 21
"The Chairman: Of course, that matter came up, I assume, in the regular convention?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: The regular convention confirmed the action of the execu- tive committee?
"Mr. Browder: That is correct.
"The Chairman: Have you official minutes as to those actions?
"Mr. Browder: The official minutes are the documents contained in the pamphlet which I gave you, plus the official publication of the reports made to the convention. This would include in addition to the —
"The Chairman: We are concerned only with that limited part, that part to which I have confined my questions, the resolution, and those are copies of the special actions taken by the Third International in the case of the resolution printed in The Communist and of the convention in the case of the resolution adopted there, printed in the pamphlet entitled 'The Way Out.'
"Mr. Browder: Yes; that is substantially correct.
"Perhaps I should add that if you want the complete record of the convention you should add to that the two additional pamphlets, the report to the convention on behalf of the central executive committee, the general report, and the special report on the Negro question.
"The Chairman: May we have these?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: Thank you.
"Mr. Dickstein: This central executive committee is located where?
"Mr. Browder: The members of the committee are in various places.
"Mr. Dickstein: But the central executive committee, this one?
"Mr. Browder: The seat of the central executive is in New York City.
"Mr. Dickstein: In New York City?
"Mr. Browder: Yes, sir.
"Mr. Dickstein: And that body represents almost all communities wherein your party exists in the United States?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"Mr. Dickstein: And when you talk about the report on the Negro question, what do you mean by that? What kind of a report is that?
"Mr. Browder: It is a discussion of the problems involved in the struggle for liberation of the Negroes from their special oppression in the United States.
"The Chairman : We do not want to go into any philosophy.
"Mr. Dickstein: That is all.
"The Chairman: Could you furnish or have furnished a list of the organiza- tions in the United States which comprise the Communist group in the country?
"Mr. Browder: You will find a complete report of it in the report to the eighth convention.
"The Chairman: I see; thank you. I do not know of any other questions. Do you, Senator?
"Mr. Hardwick: I want to ask him one or two questions.
22 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"This thirteenth plenum of the International was adopted at Moscow, was it not?
"Mr. Browder: That is right.
"Mr. Hardwick: When?
"Mr. Browder: In December of 1933.
"Mr. Hardwick: The New York committee, the central executive committee, I think you called it — is that right?
"Mr. Browder: That is right; central committee.
"Mr. Hardwick: Approved that resolution when?
"Mr. Browder: In January.
"Mr. Hardwick: In just about a month?
"Mr. Browder: About a month.
"Mr. Hardwick: Were you present when the resolution was approved?
"Mr. Browder: I was.
"Mr. Hardwick: How many members of the committee were present?
"Mr. Browder: I could not answer offhand. I would say —
"Mr. Hardwick: Well, I mean substantially. I do not care about whether you give it exactly or not.
"Mr. Browder: A substantial majority of the members of the committee.
"Mr. Hardwick: A substantial majority. Was there any fight over the adop- tion of the resolution?
"Mr. Browder: There was no difference of opinion.
"Mr. Hardwick: No difference of opinion. After which you had your national convention at Cleveland I believe, did you not?
"Mr. Browder: That is correct.
"Mr. Hardwick: When was that?
"Mr. Browder: In April.
"Mr. Hardwick: April, 1934?
"Mr. Browder: 1934.
"Mr. Hardwick: Were you there?
"Mr. Browder: I was there.
"Mr. Hardwick: Did that convention adopt a resolution approving this thir- teenth plenum of the International?
"Mr. Browder: The resolution adopted in Cleveland substantially approves that resolution.
"Mr. Hardwick: All right. Were there many people at that convention?
"Mr. Browder: There were a considerable number. I can tell you the exact number of delegates, if you wish, by referring to the record.
"Mr. Hardwick: Yes; I would like to have it.
"Mr. Browder. There were 233 regularly elected voting delegates.
"The Chairman: Were there any alternates?
"Mr. Browder: There were some 237 additional nonvoting delegates.
"Mr. Hardwick: Something like —
Mr. Browder: Four hundred and seventy, to be exact.
"Mr. Hardwick: Did that convention endorse this thirteenth plenum in prac- tical unanimity?
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 23
"Mr. Browder: Yes; complete unanimity.
"Mr. Hardwick: You have already indicated to the chairman where those things will all be found in the record?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"Mr. Hardwick: That is all.
"Mr. Dickstein: How many members do these 470 delegates represent?
"Mr. Browder: The regular voting delegates represent the dues-paying mem- bership of the party.
"Mr. Hardwick: How many members?
"Mr. Browder: Which at that time was approximately 24,500.
"Mr. Hardwick: In the United States?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"Mr. Hardwick: That is all.
"Mr. Browder: The other delegates represented various nonparty organi- zations.
"Mr. Hardwick: That is, the 237?
"Mr. Browder: Yes; the 237.
"Mr. Hardwick: How much did they represent?
"Mr. Browder: The total number of the membership of which I could not state with any exactitude. It would run into some few hundred thousands.
"Mr. Hardwick: They are members of the Communist Party, too; the dele- gates or the alternates that represented in that convention?
"Mr. Browder: Not all; not all.
"Mr. Hardwick: They were representing the same principle as the 233 dele- gates? I mean the basic principle of communism?
"Mr. Browder: Certainly. Their presence at the convention is itself an indi- cation that they support the general policies but they are not organizationally —
"Mr. Hardwick: Communists?
"Mr. Browder: Not all of them.
"Mr. Hardwick: I mean affiliated.
"Mr. Browder: Some of them are; some are not.
"The Chairman: Mr. Browder, when you say that there is an agreement, the fact that one succeeded the other, is it not fair to assume that in part the action of the thirteenth session of the Third International was a contributing factor, at least, to the adoption of these resolutions by the national committee at the con- vention?
"Mr. Browder: Certainly. There is a distinct political continuity throughout all these actions.
"The Chairman: I think it is fair to make this statement, so there will be no misunderstanding, Mr. Browder and Mr. Ford were called into executive session because they had to leave on important business, with the understanding that at the proper time, when the committee saw fit, his evidence could be made public. I want to make that statement so that there will be no misunderstanding at the public hearing, if and when the evidence is made public, to the fact that they are absent. It is with a distinct understanding with the members of the committee in this respect.
24 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"Mr. Browder: I would like to make a request that if any of the questions involved in these statements are matters of controversy or become the basis for any conclusions of the committee, that we be permitted to give further evidence with regard to them.
"Mr. Hardwick: Let me say this, Mr. Chairman: It does not seem that is necessarily involved. We just want to show by you and Mr. Ford, too, if you think it is necessary, although I do not think it is necessary to swear Mr. Ford, that your committee in New York, your executive committee, passed a resolution endorsing this thirteenth plenum, and that your convention in Cleveland did the same thing. Those are just bare facts.
"Mr. Browder: Matters of public knowledge and record.
"Mr. Hardwick: Yes. They have been printed in the newspapers, but we thought we had better get some direct evidence.
"The Chairman: I can assure you gentlemen that the Chair will try to see that eminent fairness is extended to every person appearing before the committee, either in executive or public hearing. The committee is just asking questions on a very narrow field; and if there is any extension beyond that field, the. committee will naturally see that the rights of every person are protected.
"You are executive secretary, as I understand it?
"Mr. Browder: General secretary.
"The Chairman: You have charge of all the records?
"Mr. Browder: I have charge of the national office.
"The Chairman: The national office?
"Mr. Browder: And I am an executive of the central committee.
"The Chairman: If later the committee desires, would you co-operate in every way possible with the examination of the records and the accounts?
"Mr. Browder: Yes.
"The Chairman: Thank you."
"TESTIMONY OF JAMES W. FORD
"(The witness was duly affirmed.)
"The Chairman: You live where, Mr. Ford?
"Mr. Ford: 27 West One Hundred and Fifteenth Street. (N. Y.)
"The Chairman: Are you an official in the Communist Party of the United States?
"Mr. Ford: I am an organizer of the Harlem section of the Communist Party, and a member of the centrtal committee.
"The Chairman: .You have heard Mr. Browder 's testimony?
"Mr. Ford: 'Yes.
"The Chairman: Do you agree with the testimony which he has given as to the adoption of the resolutions?
"Mr. Ford: Yes; the testimony.
"The Chairman: You agree in other respects about the continuity of the happening of the adoption of those resolutions?
"Mr. Ford: Yes.
"The Chairman: That they are all official actions of the thirteenth session of
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 25
the Third International and of the executive committee and of the convention at Cleveland?
"Mr. Ford: That is as Mr. Browder has said, the continuity of the thirteenth plenum of the Third International.
"The Chairman: Yes; and that one followed the other?
"Mr. Ford: Yes.
"The Chairman: And that they are all official acts?
"Mr. Ford: Yes; in our convention.
"The Chairman: Are there any questions you want to ask Mr. Ford now?
"Mr. Hardwick: No.
"(Witness excused.)
"This relationship and responsibility was further demonstrated by the Com- munist Party itself in its central organ, the Daily Worker, on January 6, 1934. That publication reproduced on that occasion a telegram of congratulation and approval of Communist activities in the United States, signed by the presidium of the executive committee of the Communist International, received by the Radio Corporation of America and delivered from its branch office at 28 East Seven- teenth Street, New York City. The text reads as follows:
"Daily Worker, "New York.
"Warmest fraternal greetings to the Daily Worker on its tenth anniversary. The Daily Worker has been the only American newspaper that has vigorously and boldly defended the interest of the workers and farmers, combating the treachery of the Socialists and trade-union bureaucrats, uncompromisingly fighting against white chauvinism and all forms of oppression of Negroes, as well as fighting deci- sively against imperialist war.
"The presidium of the executive committee of the Communist International welcomes the efforts of the Daily Worker to become a real collective agitator and organizer of the workers' struggle for the interests of the working masses, estab- lishing close contacts with the masses in the factories, broadening its network of workers' correspondence, and securing a large number of workers in the task of supporting the paper and increasing its circulation, thus becoming the standard bearer in the struggle of the great masses of the American working class.
(Signed) PRESIDIUM E. C. C. I.
"Some of the instructions from Moscow which have had the approval of the Communist Party in this country are:
"1. In carrying out these tasks the Communists must utilize all legal possi- bilities to develop mass work and to link up legal and illegal work.
"2. There is no way out . . . other than the one shown by the October Revolution . . . confiscation of banks, of the factories, mines, transport, houses . . . stocks of goods . . . lands, . . . etc., etc.
"3. The plenum of the executive committee of the Communist International obliges all sections ... for the revolutionary preparation ... for the impending decision . . . battles for power."
26 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
THE FOUNDATION OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL1 The compilers believe that it is vitally important that the reader, if he is to help in combatting the Communist menace, have some knowledge of the foundation of the Communist International. Therefore, the following is reprinted from the leaflet entitled "The Foundation of the Communist International," written by V. I. Lenin:
"In March of this year, 1919, there took place an international congress of Communists in Moscow. This Congress founded the Third, Communist Interna- tional, the union of the workers of the whole world striving to establish Soviet power in all countries. The First International, founded by Marx, existed from 1864 to 1872. The Second International existed from 1889 to 1914, until the War." P. 3.
"Throughout the world the Union of Communists is growing. In a number of countries Soviet power has already been victorious. It will not be long before we see the victory of Communism throughout the world, the foundation of the World Federal Republic of Soviets." P. 3.
"The foundation of the Third, Communist International is the forerunner of the International Republic of Soviets, of the International victory of Communism." P. 25. Published in Pravda, March 6, 1919.
"Today, when the word 'Soviet' has become understood by all, the victory of the Communist revolution is certain. The comrades who are present in this hall saw how the first Soviet Republic was formed. They now see how the Third, Communist International has been . formed. They will all see how the World Federal Republic of Soviets will be formed." P. 47.
"CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL In order that the reader may have first-hand information of the constitution and rules of the Communist International, of which the Communist Party in the U. S. A. is a part, the following is reprinted from the pamphlet entitled "The Program of the Communist International":
"1. The Communist International — the International Workers' Association- is a union of Communist Parties in various countries; it is a World Communist Party. As the leader and organizer of the world revolutionary movement of the proletariat and the upholder of the principles and aims of Communism, the Communist Interna- tional strives to win over the majority of the working class and the broad strata of the propertyless peasantry, fights for the establishment of the world dictatorship of the proletariat, for the establishment of the World Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, for the complete abolition of classes and for the achievement of Socialism — the first stage of Communist society.
"2. Each of the various Parties affiliated to the Communist International is
called the Communist Party of (name of country), (Section of
the Communist International). In any given country there can be only one Com- munist Party affiliated to the Communist International and representing its Section in that country.
"3. Membership in the Communist Party and in the Communist Interna-
*The above excerpts are exact quotations from the Communist publication, The Foundation of the Communist International, by V. I. Lenin.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 27
tional is open to all those who accept the program and rules of the given Com- munist Party and of the Communist International, who join one of the basic units of a Party, actively work in it, abide by all the decisions of the Party and of the Communist International, and regularly pay Party dues.
"5. The Communist International and its Sections are built up on the basis of democratic centralism ... (c) decisions of Superior Party committees to be obligatory for subordinate committees, strict Party discipline and prompt execu- tion of the decisions of the Communist International, of its leading committees and of the leading Party centres.
"Party questions may be discussed by the members of the Party and by Party organizations until such time as a decision is taken upon them by the competent Party committees. After a decision has been taken by the Congress of the Communist International, by the Congress of the respective Sections, or by leading committees of the Comintern, and of its various Sections, these decisions must be unreservedly carried out even if a Section of the Party membership or of the local Party organizations are in disagreement with it. ...
"6. In all non-Party workers' and peasants' mass organizations and in their leading committees (trade unions, co-operative societies, sport organizations, ex- service men's organizations, and at their congresses and conferences) and also on municipal bodies and in parliament, even if there are only two Party members in such organizations and bodies, Communist fractions must be formed for the purpose of strengthening the Party's influence and for carrying out its policy in these organizations and bodies.
"13. The decisions of the ]E. C. C. I. -are obligatory for all the Sections of the Communist International and must be promptly carried out. . . .
"14. The Central Committees of the various Sections of the Communist In- ternational are responsible to their respective Party Congresses and to the E. C. C. I. The latter has the right to annul or amend decisions of Party Congresses and of Central Committees of Parties and also to make decisions which are obligatory for them.
"15. The E. C. C. I. has the right to expel from the Communist International, entire Sections, groups and individual members who violate the program and rules of the Communist International or the decisions of the World Congress and of the E. C. C. I. . . .
"16. The programs of the various Sections of the Communist International must be endorsed by the E. C. C. I. . ...
"17. The leading organs of the press of the various Sections of the Commun- ist International must publish all the decisions and official documents of the E. C. C. I. These decisions must, as far as possible, be published also in the other organs of the Party press. . . .2
"19. The E. C. C. I. elects a presidium responsible to the E. C. C. I., which acts as the permanent body carrying out all the business of the E. C. C. I. in the interval between the meetings of the latter. . . .
JE. C. C. I. is abbreviation for Executive Committee Communist International. 2This policy is carried out by the Communist Party in the U. S. A. by their official organ, The Daily Worker.
28 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"21. The Sections must carry out the instructions of the permanent bureaus of the E. C. C. I. . . .
"22. The E. C. C. I. and its Presidium have the right to send their represen- tatives to the various Sections of the Communist International. Such representa- tives receive their instructions from the E. C. C. I. or from its Presidium, and are responsible to them for their activities. . . . Representatives of the E. C. C. I. must carry out their commission in close contact with the Central Committee of the Section to which they are sent. They may, however, speak in opposition to the Central Committee of the given Section, at Congresses and Conferences of that Section, if the line of the Central Committee in question diverges from the instructions of the E. C. C. I. . . .
"The E. C. C. I. and its Presidium also have the right to send instructors to the various Sections of the Communist International. . . .
"23. Meetings of the E. C. C. I. must take place not less than once every six months. . . .
"24. Meetings of the Presidium3 of the E. C. C. I. must take place not less than once a fortnight. . . .
"25. The Presidium elects the Political Secretariat, which is empowered to take decisions, and which also prepares questions for the meetings of the E. C. C. I. and of its Presidium, and acts as their executant body.
"28. The International Control Commission investigates matters concerning the unity of the Sections affiliated to the Communist International and also matters connected with the Communist conduct of individual members of the various Sec- tions. . . . Audits the accounts of the Communist International. . . .
"30. Resignation from office by individual members or groups of members of Central Committees of the various Sections are regarded as disruptive of the Communist movement. Leading posts in the Party do not belong to the occupant of that post, but to the Communist International as a whole. Elected members of the Central leading bodies of the various Sections may resign before their time of office expires, only with the consent of the E. C. C. I. Resignations accepted by the Central Committees of Sections without the consent of the E. C. C. I. are invalid.
"31. The Sections affiliated to the Communist International must maintain close organizational and informational contact with each other, arrange for mutual representation at each other's conferences and congresses, and with the consent of the E. C. C. I., exchange leading comrades. . . .
"33. The Sections of the Comintern must regularly pay affiliation dues to the E.C.C.I.; the amount of such dues to be determined by the E.C.C.I. See page 29.
"35. The International League of Communist Youth (Communist Youth International) is a Section of the Communist International with full rights and is subordinate to the E. C. C. I.
"36. The Communist Parties must be prepared for transition to illegal con- ditions. The E. C. C. I. must render the Parties concerned assistance in their preparations for transition to illegal conditions.
According to the "Daily Worker," members of the Presidium of the Communist Inter- national include: J. Stalin, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics; Bela Kun, Hungary; Fritz Hecker, Germany.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 29
"37. Individual members of Sections of the Communist International may pass from one country to another only with the consent of the Central Committee of the Section of which they are members.
"Communists changing their domicile must join the Section in the country of their new domicile. Communists leaving their country without the consent of the Central Committee of their Section, must not be accepted into other Sections of the Communist International."
THE FORMATION OF THE COMMUNISTIC PARTY IN THE U. S. A.
In accordance with information contained on page eight of report 2290 U. S. House of Representatives, a call was issued for the organization of communist parties throughout the world and their adhesion to the Communist International im- mediately after the creation of the Communist International at Moscow in March, 1919. A call for a national convention for the purpose of organizing a Communist Party in America, mailed out of Chicago, Illinois, was issued July 7, 1919, over the signatures of the following individuals: Dennis E. Batt, D. Elbaum, O. C. Johnson, John Keracher, S. Kopnagel, I. Stilson, Alexander Stoklitsky.
The call to this meeting read as follows and is quoted from Volume I, Part I, of Revolutionary Radicalism, better known as the Lusk Report, page 739.
" 'CALL FOR A NATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF ORGANIZING A COMMUNIST PARTY IN AMERICA
" 'In this, the most momentous period of the world's history, capitalism is tottering to its ruin. The proletariat is straining at the chains which bind it. A revolutionary spirit is spreading throughout the world. The workers are rising to answer the clarion call of the Third International.
" 'Only one Socialism is possible in this crisis. A Socialism based upon under- standing. A Socialism that will express in action the needs of the proletariat. The time has passed for temporizing and hesitating. We must act. The Communist call of the Third International, the echo of the Communist Manifesto of 1848, must be answered.
" 'The National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party of America has evidenced by its expulsion of nearly half of the membership that they will not hesitate at wrecking the organization in order to maintain control. A deadlock has been precipitated in the ranks of revolutionary Socialism by the wholesale expulsion or suspension of the membership comprising the Socialist Party of Michigan, locals and branches throughout the country, together with seven Language Federa- tions. This has created a condition in our movement that makes it manifestly im- possible to longer delay the calling of a convention to organize a new party. Those who realize that the capturing of the Socialist Party as such is but an empty victory will not hesitate to respond to this call and leave the 'Right' and 'Center' to sink together with their 'revolutionary' leaders.
" 'The majority of the delegates to the Left Wing Conference in New York meekly neglected to sever their connections with the reactionary National Execu- tive Committee. Rendered impotent by the conflicting emotions and lack of understanding present they continued to mark time as Centrists in the wake of the
30 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
Right. Their policy is one of endeavor to capture the old party machinery and the stagnant elements who have been struggling for a false unity and who are only ready to abandon the ship when it sinks beneath the waves of reaction.
" 'This condition confronting the minority delegates representing the following organizations — Socialist Party of Michigan; Left Wing State Convention of Minnesota; Locals, Buffalo; Chicago; Union Local, N. J.; Cudahy, Wis.; Rochester, N. Y.; Rockford, 111.; Kenosha, Wis.; New York; Providence; Nanti- coke, Pa.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Boston, Mass.; Polish, Lettish, Russian, Jewish, Lithuanian, Esthonian Federations — at the Left Wing Conference has been met by this call for the organization of a Communist Party in America.
" 'No other course is possible, therefore, we, the minority delegates at the Left Wing Conference, call a convention to meet in the city of Chicago on Sep- tember 1, 1919, for the purpose of organizing a Communist Party in America.
" 'This party will be founded upon the following principles:
"'1. The present is the period of the dissolution and collapse of the whole capitalist world system; which will mean the complete collapse of world culture, if capitalism with its unsolvable contradictions is not replaced by Communism.
'"2. The problem of the proletariat consists in organizing and training itself for the conquest of the powers of the state. This conquest of power means the replacement of the state machinery of the bourgeoisie with a new proletarian ma- chinery of government.
" '3. This new proletarian state must embody the dictatorship of the prole- tariat, both industrial and agricultural, this dictatorship constituting the instru- ment for the taking over of property used for exploiting the workers, and for the reorganization of society on a communist basis.
" 'Not the fraudulent bourgeois democracy — the hypocritical form of the rule of the finance-oligarchy, with its purely formal equality — but proletarian democracy based on the possibility of actual realization of freedom for the work- ing masses; not capitalist bureaucracy, but organs of administrations which have been created by the masses themselves, with the real participation of these masses in the government of the country and in the activity of the communistic structure — this should be the type of the proletarian state. The workers' councils and similar organizations represent its concrete form.
" '4. The dictatorship of the proletariat shall carry out the abolition of private property in the means of production and distribution, by transfer to the proletarian state under Socialist administration of the working class; nationaliza- tion of the great business enterprises and financial trust.
" '5. The present world situation demands the closest relation between the revolutionary proletariat of all countries.
" '6. The fundamental means of the struggle for power is the mass action of the proletariat, a gathering together and concentration of all its energies; whereas methods such as the revolutionary use of burgeois parliamentarism are only of subsidiary significance.
"'In those countries in which the historical development has furnished the opportunity, the working class has utilized the regime of political democracy for
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 31
Its organization against capitalism. In all countries where the conditions for a workers' revolution are not yet ripe, the same process will go on.
" 'But within the process the workers must never lose sight of the true charac- ter of bourgeois democracy. If the finance-oligarchy considers it advantageous to veil its deeds of violence behind parliamentary votes, then the capitalist power has at its command in order to gain its ends, all the traditions and attainments of former centuries of upper class rule, demagogism, persecution, slander, bribery, calumny and terror. To demand of the proletariat that it shall be content to yield itself to the artificial rules devised by its mortal enemy, but not observed by the enemy, is to make a mockery of the proletarian struggle for power — a struggle which depends primarily on the development of separate organs of the working- class power.
" '7. The old Socialist International has broken into three main groups: (a) Those frankly social patriots who since 1914 have supported their bourgeoisie and transformed these elements of the working class which they control into hangmen of the international revolution.
"'(b) The 'Center,' representing the elements which are constantly waver- ing and incapable of following a definite plan of action, and which are at times positively traitorous; and
"'(c) The Communists.
" 'As regards the social patriots, who everywhere in the critical moment oppose the proletarian revolution with force of arms, a merciless fight is absolutely necessary. As regards the 'Center,' our tactics must be to separate the revolution- ary elements by pitilessly criticizing the leaders. Absolute separation from the organization of the 'Center' is necessary.
" 'It is necessary to rally the groups and proletarian organizations who, though not as yet in the wake of revolutionary trend of the Communist movement, never- theless have manifested and developed a tendency leading in that direction.
" 'Socialist criticism has sufficiently stigmatized the bourgeois world order. The task of the International Communist Party is now to overthrow this order and to erect in its place the structure of the Socialist world order. Under the Com- munist banner, the emblem under which the first great victories have already been won; in the war against imperialistic barbarity, against the privileged classes, against the bourgeois state and bourgeois property, against all forms of social and national oppression — we call upon the proletarians of all lands to unite!' "
CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION INTO THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL
Taken from "The Twenty-One Conditions of Admission to the Communist International," by O. Piatnitsky.
"1. The daily propaganda and agitation must bear a truly Communist char- acter and correspond to the program and all the decisions of the Third Interna- tional. All the organs of the press that are in the hands of the Party must be edited by reliable Communists who have proved their loyalty to the cause of the proletarian revolution. The dictatorship of the proletariat should not be spoken of simply as a current hackneyed formula; it should be advocated in such a way that its necessity should be apparent to every rank-and-file working man and
32 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
woman, each soldier and peasant and should emanate from the facts of everyday life systematically recorded by our press day after day.
"The periodical and non-periodical press and all Party publishing organiza- tions must be wholly subordinate to the Central Committee of the Party, irrespec- tive as to whether the Party as a whole, at the given moment, is legal or illegal. That publishing organizations, abusing their autonomy, should pursue a policy that does not completely correspond to the policy of the Party, cannot be tolerated.
"In the columns of the newspapers, at public meetings, in the trade unions, in the co-operative societies — wherever the adherents of the Third International gain access, they must systematically and mercilessly denounce not only the bour- geoisie, but also its assistants, the reformists of every shade.
"2. Every organization desiring to belong to the Communist International must steadily and systematically remove from all responsible posts in the Labor movement in the Party organization, editorial boards, trade unions, parliamentary fractions, co-operative societies, municipalities, etc., all reformists and followers of the 'Center,' and have them replaced by Communists even at the cost of re- placing at the beginning, 'experienced' leaders by rank-and-file working-men.
"3. The class struggle in almost all the countries of Europe and America is entering the phase of civil war. Under such conditions the Communists can have no confidence in bourgeois law. They must everywhere create a parallel illegal apparatus, which at the decisive moment could assist the Party in performing its duty to the revolution. In all countries where, in consequence of martial law or exceptional laws, the Communists are unable to carry on all their work legally, a combination of legal and illegal work is absolutely necessary.
"4. The obligation to spread Communist ideas includes the particular necessity of persistent, systematic propaganda in the army. Wherever such propaganda is forbidden by exceptional laws, it must be carried on illegally. The abandonment of such work would be equivalent to the betrayal of revolutionary duty and is incompatible with membership in the Third International.
"5. It is necessary to carry on systematic and steady agitation in the rural districts. The working class cannot consolidate its victory without the backing of at least part of the agricultural laborers and the poorest peasants, and without having neutralized, by its policy, a part of the rest of the rural population. Com- munist work in the rural districts is acquiring a predominant importance during the present period. It should be carried on in the main, by revolutionary Communist workers of both city and country only, who have connections with the rural dis- tricts. To refuse to do this work or to transfer such work to untrustworthy half- reformists is equal to renouncing the proletarian revolution.
"6. Every party that desires to belong to the Third International must expose, not only open social patriotism, but also the falsity and hypocrisy of social- pacifism; it must systematically demonstrate to the workers that without the revolutionary overthrow of capitalism, no international arbitration courts, no disarmament, no 'democratic' reorganization of the League of Nations will save mankind from new imperialist wars.
"7. The Parties desiring to belong to the Communist International must recog-
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 33
nize the necessity of a complete and absolute rupture with reformism and the policy of the 'Center,' and they must carry on propaganda in favor of this rup- ture among the broadest circles of the party membership. Otherwise a consistent Communist policy is impossible.
"The Communist International unconditionally and peremptorily demands that this split be brought about with the least delay. The Communist International cannot reconcile itself to the fact that such avowed reformists, as Turatti, Kautsky, Hilferding, Hillquit, Longuet, MacDonald, Modigliani, and others should be en- titled to consider themselves members of the Third International. This would make the Third International resemble, to a considerable degree, the late Second Inter- national.
"8. On the question of the colonies and oppressed nationalities an especially distinct and clear line must be taken by the parties in those countries where the bourgeoisie possesses colonies or oppresses other nations. Every party desirous of belonging to the Third International must ruthlessly denounce the methods of 'their own' imperialists in the colonies, supporting, not in words, but in deeds, every independence movement in the colonies. It should demand the expulsion of their own imperialists from such colonies, and cultivate among the workers of their own country a truly fraternal attitude towards the toiling population of the colonies and oppressed nationalities, and carry on systematic agitation in its own army against every kind of oppression of the colonial population.
"9. Every party that desires to belong to the Communist International must carry on systematic and persistent Communist work in the trade unions, in workers' and industrial councils, in the co-operative societies, and in other mass organiza- tions. Within these organization, it is necessary to create Communist groups, which by means of practical and stubborn work must win over the trade unions, etc., for the cause of Communism. These cells should constantly denounce the treachery of the social-patriots and the vacillations of the 'Center,' at every step. These Communisl groups should be completely subordinate to the Party as a whole.
"10. Every party that belongs to the Communist International must carry on a stubborn struggle against the Amsterdam 'International' of yellow trade unions. It must give all the support in its power to the incipient international alliance of the Red trade unions affiliated to the Communist International.
"11. The parties desiring to belong to the Third International must overhaul the membership of their parliamentary fractions, eliminate all unreliable elements from them, to control these fractions, not only verbally but in reality, to sub- ordinate them to the Central Committee of the Party, and demand from every Communist member of parliament that he devote his entire activities to the interests of really revolutionary propaganda agitation.
"12. Parties belonging to the Communist International must be built up on the principle of democratic centralism. At the present time of acute civil war, the Communist Party will only be able fully to do its duty when it is organized in the most centralized manner, if it has iron discipline, bordering on military disci-
34 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
pline, and if the Party center is a powerful, authoritative organ with wide powers, possessing the general trust of the party membership.
"13. The Communist parties of those countries where the Communists' activ- ity is legal shall make periodical cleanings (re-registration) of the members of the Party organizations, so as to systematically cleanse the party from the petty- bourgeois elements who inevitably attach themselves to it.
"14. Every party that desires to belong to the Communist International must give every possible support to the Soviet Republics in their struggle against all counter-revolutionary forces. The Communist parties should carry on a precise and definite propaganda to induce the workers to refuse to transport munitions of war intended for enemies of the Soviet Republics, carry on legal or illegal propa- ganda among the troops, which are sent to crush the workers' republics, etc.
"15. The parties which up to the present have retained their old Social- Democratic programs must in the shortest possible time overhaul these programs and draw up a new Communist program in conformity with the special conditions of their respective countries and in accordance with resolutions of the Communist International. As a rule, the program of every party that belong to. the Com- munist International must be ratified by the next Congress of the Communist International or by the Executive Committee. In the event of the Executive Com- mittee of the Communist International failing to ratify the program of a particular party, that party has the right to appeal to the Congress of the Communist International.
"16. All decisions of the Congresses of the Communist International, as well as the decisions of its Executive Committee, are binding on all parties affiliated to the Communist International. The Communist International, operating in the midst of most acute civil war, must have a far more centralized form of organiza- tion than that of the second International. At the same time, the Communist International and its Executive Committee must, of course, in all their activities, take into consideration the diversity of the conditions under which the various parties have to work and fight, and should issue universally binding decisions only on questions on which the passing of such decisions is possible.
"17. In connection with all 'this, all parties desiring to join the Communist International must change their names. Every party that desires to join the Com- munist International must bear the name: Communist Party of such-and-such country (Section of the Third, Communist International). This question as to name is not merely a formal one, but a political one of great importance. The Communist International has declared a decisive war against the entire bourgeois world and all the yellow, Social-Democratic parties. Every rank-and-file worker must clearly understand the difference between the Communist Parties and the old official 'Social-Democratic' or 'Socialist' parties which have betrayed the cause of the working class.
"18. All the leading Party organs of the press in all countries must publish all the chief documents of the Executive Committee of the Communist International.
"19. All parties belonging to the Communist International, or having made an application to join it, must, in the shortest possible period, but not later than four
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 35
months after the Second Congress of the Communist International, call special Party congresses, for the purpose of discussing these obligations. In this connec- tion, the Central Committees must take measures to enable all the local organiza- tions to become acquainted with the decisions of the Second Congress of the Com- munist International.
"20. The parties that would now like to join the Third International but which have not yet radically changed their former tactics, must, before joining, take steps to ensure that their Central Committees and all most important central bodies of the respective parties, shall be composed, to the extent of at least two- thirds, of such comrades as even prior to the Second Congress of the Communist International have openly and definitely declared for joining the Third Interna- tional. Exceptions may be made with approval of the Executive Committee of the Third International. The Executive Committee of the Communist the representa- tives of the 'Center' mentioned in point 7.
"21. Members of the Party who reject the conditions of theses of the Com- munist International, on principle, must be expelled from the party.
"This applies also to the delegates to the special Party Congresses."
PLAN OF DISTRICT ORGANIZATION COMMUNIST PARTY U. S. A.
The Central Committee, Communist Party, U. S. A., Section Communist International:
Earl R. Browder, General Secretary Communist Party, U. S. A.; Robert Minor, see P. 1 D.W. 4/19/35, Communist Candidate for mayor of New York City, 1934; Clarence Hathaway, Editor Official Communist Organ, "Daily Worker," New York; Max Bedacht, Delegate to Communist International, Gen- eral Secy. International Workers' Order; Wm. K. Gebert, Organizer, District No. 8, Chicago, Illinois; Morris Childs, International Labor Defense. National Direc- tor Agit-Prop (Agitation-Propaganda): Alexander Bittelman, a charter member of the Communist Party, U. S. A.
The United States and its territories were sub-divided into 32 geographical districts, outlined as follows, with these reported organizers:
1. Boston, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Massa- chusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire); Phil Frankfeld, district organizer, Boston, see P. 1 D.W., 11/6/35; William Burke, Communist leader, New Bedford, Massachusetts, see P. 4, D.W., 11/6/35; Dewitt W. Parker, Springfield, Mass., organizer, P. 4, D.W., 8/6/36; Edward Peters, state organizer of Maine, P. 3, D.W., 9/8/36; Jack Wilgus, Barre, Vermont, section organizer, P. 4, D.W., 3/12/36.
2. New York City, district headquarters (territories included in the district, New York City and Yonkers — Israel Amter, district organizer for Commun- ist Party of New York (Pg. 1, D.W., 4/22/35); James W. Ford, negro Com- munist is organizer of the Harlem section, (Pg. 1, D.W., 3/21/35); Frank Hill- man, district organizational secretary for New Jersey, (Pg. 2, D.W., 5/2/35); H. Sazer, district organizer in New Jersey, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/7/35) ; R. Otis, Rochester, N. Y., is Communist Party organizer for that section, (Pg. 3, D.W., 4/3/35); Harry Wallace, organizer in section three of New York, (Pg. 1, D.W., 4/18/35;
36 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
Max Steinberg, organizational secretary of Communist Party, New York District (Pg. 5, D.W., 8/9/35); Bernard Burton, section organizer, Ellenville, N. Y. (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/12/35); Alex Bittleman, district organizer, New York, (Pg. 2, D.W., 11/22/35); James Ashford, section organizer, New York City, and John Little, district organizer, New York City (Pg. 1, D.W., 11/13/35); Harry Winitsky, Secretary, New York District (P. 2, D.W., 1/18/36); Sam Abbott, Elmira, New York, section organizer (P. 2, D.W., 5/3/35); Bernard Burton, Ellenville, New York, section organizer (P. 3, D.W., 10/12/35); Pete Cacchione, Brooklyn, New York, organizer (P. 4, D.W., 9/12/36); Charles Krumbein, State Secretary of New York (P. 3, D.W., 10/30/36) ; Max Steinberg, Organizational Secretary, New York (P. 1, D.W., 4/16/36; Harry Yaris, Bronx, New York, organizer (P. 4, D.W., 9/12/36).
3. Philadelphia, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Washington, D. C., Delaware, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Western New Jersey) — Alexander Mills, District organizer in Philadelphia, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/11/35); Pat Toohey, district organizer, Philadelphia, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/28/35); Pete Karpa, section organizer, Ambridge, Pennsylvania, (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/1/35); Joseph Dougher, Communist Party Secretary, Scranton, Pennsylvania, (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/23/35); Grace Hutchins, Communist Party member, (Pg. 1, D.W., 10/23/35); Tony Minerich, member Communist Party, Johnstown, Pennsyl- vania, (Pg. 3, D.W., 11/9/35); Robert E. Ray, Washington, D. C., section or- ganizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); A. G. Mills, Philadelphia, Pa., district organ- izer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/11/35); Pat Toohey, Philadelphia, Pa., district organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 10/11/35); John Dean, Reading, Pa., section organizer, (Pg. 1, D.W., 11/6/36); Ralph Click, Philadelphia, Pa., district organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 4/9/36.
4. Buffalo, district headquarters, (territories included in the district, North- western New York State, Erie, Pennsylvania) — Henry Shepard reported organizer; Buffalo, New York, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/3/35) ;A. Guss, Buffalo, New York, western New York district organizer, (P. 1, D.W., 10/29/36); R. Otis, Buffalo, New York, section organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 9/15/36); H. Shepard, Buffalo, New York, district organizer, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/3/35).
5. Pittsburgh, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Western Pennsylvania) — Jack Johnstone, district organizer, Pittsburgh, (Pg. 2, D.W., 11/22/35); John Prini, Johnstown, Pa., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); Tom Myerscough, Pittsburgh, Pa., section organizer, (Pg. 9, D.W., 1/19/35); Pete Karpa, Beaver Valley, Pa., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); Ben Careathers, Pittsburgh, Pa., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 3/13/36.
6. Cleveland, district headquarters (territory included in the district, Ohio) — I. O. Ford was Communist candidate for Governor in Ohio. John Williamson, district organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 5/8/35) Ohio, chairman, first session Communist Party, U. S. A. Convention, April, 1934. Communist Party headquarters at Youngstown, Ohio, is 334 E. Federal Street. James Keller is section organizer of the Communist Party, Akron, (Pg. 4, D.W., 11/20/35); John Steuben, section
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 37
organizer of Communist Party, Youngstown, Ohio, (Pg. 2, D.W., 11/7/35); Phil Bart, section organizer, Ohio, (Pg. 5, D.W., 4/24/36); Louis Block, Cleveland, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); Carl Evans, Columbus, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); James Keller, Akron, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 5/9/36) ; John Meldon, section organizer, Ohio, (Pg. 1, D.W., 6/4/35); Andrew R. Onda, Cleveland, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/14/36); Frank Rogers, Cleveland, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36) ; John Steuben, Youngstown, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/11/36); Peter Vzara, Cleveland, Ohio, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/24/36); John Williamson, Cleveland, Ohio, organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 4/16/36).
7. Detroit, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Lower Michigan)— Wm. W. Weinstone, district organizer, (Pg. 1, D.W., 5/21/35) Michigan District; Nat Ganly, Communist Party organizer, Detroit, (Pg. 3, D.W., 11/6/35); Lawrence Emery, section organizer, Detroit, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/9/35); Francis Walker, organizational secretary, Detroit, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/11/35); Ed- ward Williams, Detroit, Michigan, section organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 2/1/36); Francis Walker, Detroit, Michigan, organizational secretary, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/11/35); George Kristalski, Detroit, Michigan, section organizer, (Pg. 1, D.W., 1/9/36); Lawrence Emery, Detroit, Michigan, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 3/14/36; James Allan, Michigan, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 8/18/36).
8. Chicago, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Illinois and Lower Wisconsin) — Wm. K. Gebert, district organizer, and member central committee Communist Party U. S. A. Candidates on Communist ticket: Karl Lochner, candidate for Mayor of Chicago, 1935. M. Childs, district organizer for Communist Party in Chicago District; K. Erlich is section organizer in Chicago, (Pg. 8, D.W., 4/6/35) ; David Poindexter, member Communist Party, Chicago, (Pg. 3, D.W., 11/7/35) ; Bob Brown, Communist Party organizer, Gary, Indiana, (Pg. 5, D.W., 10/26/35); S. Simonsen, Chicago, 111., section organizer, (Pr. 4, D.W., 3/10/36; Beatrice Shields, Agitprop director Chicago Communist District No. 8, (Pg. 3, D.W., 4/16/36); William K. Gebert, Chicago, 111., district organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 2/1/35); Morris Child, Chicago, 111., district organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 6/11/36); Gene Dennis, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, State Secretary, (Pg. 2, D.W., 6/30/36); Harold Hartley, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D. W., 1/24/36); John Sekat, Wisconsin organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 8/10/35).
9. Minneapolis, District headquarters (territories included in the district, Minnesota and part of Wisconsin); Unemployed Council, 212 Hennepin Ave.; Communist Party District headquarters is now located at Room 2, 321 Hennepin Avenue, Minneapolis, (Pg. 3, D.W., 4/20/35). Alfred Tiala, district organizer Minneapolis, Minnesota, (Pg. 1, D.W., 10/22/35). Alfred Tiala, district organizer in Minnesota, (Pg. 3, D.W., 3/3/35); Nat Ross, Minneapolis, Minn., district organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 2/6/36).
10. Omaha, Nebraska (territories included in the district, Nebraska, Texas and New Mexico)— Ray Wycoff, "Daily Worker" agent, East St. Louis. "Bud" Reynolds is Communist Party organizer, Omaha, Nebraska, (Pg. 5, D.W., 9/30/35); William Simons, Omaha, Nebraska, district organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W.,
38 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
4/22/36); H. Schroeter, Omaha, Nebraska, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 2/26/36) ; Juan Ochoa, Gallup, New Mexico, acting section organizer, (Pg. 1, W.W., 4/11/35); Max Salzman, Topeka, Kansas, organizer, (Pg. 1, D.W., 9/3/36).
11. Bismarck, North Dakota, district headquarters (territories included in the district, North Dakota) — Alfred Knutson was at one time reported district organizer in North Dakota now in Montana.
12. Seattle, Washington, district headquarters (territories included in the district, Washington and Oregon) — Emil Linden of the Fishermen and Cannery Workers' Industrial Union, Louis Olson, reported section organizer, Portland; J. Rapport, district organizer, Seattle, (Pg. 2, D.W., 11/22/35); Harold Brockway, section organizer, Seattle, Washington, (Pg. 3, D.W., 3/9/35) ; H. G. Huff, Aberdeen, Wash., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 3/18/36) ; Edward Denny, Seattle, Wash., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 2/27/36).
13. San Francisco, district headquarters, 37 Grove Street (territories included in the district, California, Nevada and Arizona). Louise Todd is section organizer at Los Angeles, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/1/35 and Pg. 1, W.W., 4/25/35); Stanley Han- cock, section organizer of Communist Party at San Diego, Calif. (Pg. 1, W.W., 4/29/35). Pat Callahan, section organizer for Communist Party of Arizona at Tucson. (Pg. 1, W.W., 8/30/34); Bill Schneiderman, district organizer, San Francisco, California, (Pg. 1, W.W., 10/28/35); Robert Minor, Member Communist Party, (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/25/35); O: B. Powell, Stockton, Calif., section organizer, W.W., 10/11/34); Charles McLaughlan, Santa Ana, Calif., organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 10/22/35); Peter J. Garrison, San Francisco, Calif., dis- trict educational director, (Pg. 1, W.W., 9/23/35); Jack Johnstone, member Cen- tral Committee of California, (Pg. 2, D.W., 6/27/36).
14. Newark, New Jersey, district headquarters (territory included in the district, New Jersey) — Rebecca Grecht, reported district organizer; Morris M. Brown was Communist Party candidate for Governor in New Jersey; Jack Rose, reported Newark section organizer; H. Sazer, district organizer New Jersey, (Pg. 5, D.W., 5/7/35); Frank Hillman, New Jersey, district organizational secretary, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/6/35) ; Fred Gray, Trenton, New Jersey, section organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 2/1/36); Lena Davis, Newark, New Jersey, district organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 6/25/36); Jay Anyan, Paterson, New Jersey, organizer, (D.W., 1/19/35).
15. New Haven, Connecticut, district headquarters (territory included in the district, Connecticut)— Candidates for office have been active. DeWitt Parker, section organizer of Communist Party, New Haven, Connecticut; Michael Russo, Communist Party organizer, Bridgeport, Connecticut, (Pg. 4, D.W., 10/24/35); L. Marra, section organizer, New London, Connecticut, (Pg. 3, D.W., 11/13/35); Sam Krieger, Danbury, Connecticut, section organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 5/3/35); I. Wofsy, Secretary of Connecticut, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/24/36); Michael Russo, organizer, Bridgeport, Connecticut, (Pg. 4, D.W., 10/24/35); L. Marra, New London, Connecticut, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 2/25/36).
16. Charlotte, North Carolina, district headquarters (territories included in the district, North Carolina, South Carolina)— Paul Crouch, reported district or- ganizer (he was dishonorably discharged from the United States Army in 1925,
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 39
after being convicted for violation of a territorial law forbidding secret organiza- tions of a revolutionary character and also for violation of the 96th and 62nd articles of war dealing with conduct prejudicial to military discipline and disrespect for the President of the United States). Angelo Herndon, negro Communist out on bail furnished by I. L. D. Communist activities in the textile industry and among the negro population have been notorious.
17. Birmingham, Alabama, district headquarters, with address P. O. Box 1813, Birmingham, (territories included in the district, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and Mississippi) — Jim Mallory, Editor, "Southern Worker," Birmingham, Alabama. The Scottsboro, Alabama case has received international support of revolutionists. R. F. Hall, Atlanta, Georgia, district secretary, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/19/36); Jack Barton, Birmingham, Alabama, (Pg. 5, D.W., 11/16/36).
18. Madison, Wisconsin, district headquarters (territories included in the district, balance of Wisconsin — part not included in two previous districts) — Gene Dennis, district organizer of Communist Party, Milwaukee, (Pg. 2, D.W., ll/ 22/35).
19. Denver, Colorado, district headquarters (territories included in the dis- trict, Colorado, Utah and Wyoming) — John Harvey, reported district organizer; Gene Gordon, reported section organizer, Denver; Cliff Irwin, Denver, Colorado, section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 2/18/36); James Allander, Denver, Colorado, district organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 3/5/36).
20. Texas with sections organized at Port Arthur and Houston.
21. St. Louis is headquarters for the activity out of western Illinois, eastern Missouri and Arkansas. Alfred Wagenknecht, Communist Party leader at St. Louis (P. 3, D.W., 11/14/35); Jack Shaw, Communist Party organizer, Kansas City, Mo. (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/30/35); Ralph Shaw, section organizer southern Illinois, (Pg. 3, D.W., 2/1/36).
22. West Virginia has now been made into a special district because of the many efforts of the party organizers to foment strikes in the coal industry of that state.
23. Kentucky. Norman Link, Communist Party member in Kentucky and D. L. West, Communist Party organizer in the same state, are also members of the United Mine Workers of America. (Pg. 5, D.W., 11/1/35). Louisville is head- quarters for Kentucky District No. 23.
24. Louisiana with address at P. O. Box 465, New Orleans, La. W. G. Bink- ley, New Orleans, La., district organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/13/36).
25. Florida with headquarters in Jacksonville and Tampa. Jack Strong, or- ganizer, Florida, (Pg. 3, D.W., 10/28/36).
26. South Dakota with headquarters reported to be at 223 E. 8th St., Sioux Falls, S. D. and another reported to be at Aberdeen, S. D.
27. Upper Michigan.
28. Indiana has just recently been designated as District No. 28, with head- quarters in the Wimmer Building, 66 West New York Street, Indianapolis. Charles Stadfeld, Indianapolis, Ind., state chairman, (Pg. 1, D.W., 8/3/36); Andrew
40 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
Remes, Indianapolis, Ind., district organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 5/30/36); Miles Blansett, Terre Haute, Ind., section organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/12/35).
29. Richmond, Va., district headquarters with territory taking in all of the state. Donald Burke is section organizer, (Pg. 2, D.W., 10/8/36); Jim Porter, Norfolk, Va., section organizer, (Pg. 4, D.W., 1/13/36).
30. Montana is a new Communist Party district. Most of activity is reported to be directed from Butte. Charles E. Taylor is a party leader, (Pg. 3, D.W., 5/9/35).
31. Oklahoma now comprises District No. 31, with district headquarters in Oklahoma City, Okla.
32. Iowa was designated as District No. 32 in early September, 1936, with headquarters at Des Moines. Jim Porter was an early district organizer, (Pg. 3, D.W., 9/8/36).
Changes are constantly being made in Communist Districts in the United States.
"NEW PARTY DUES PAYMENTS (From Party Organizer)
"The Ninth National Convention of the Party decided to reduce dues pay- ments. This decision is being put into effect beginning with January, 1937. Instead of weekly dues payments, we will have monthly payments. The International Sol- idarity payments have also been changed from once a month to once every four months.
"The following contains necessary information for every Party member regard- ing dues, initiations, assessments, the International Solidarity payments, attend- ance and activity:
"MEMBERSHIP "Initiation
"The initiation fee of each applicant for membership is 50 cents if his weekly wage is over $10.00. For those whose earnings are less than $10.00 a week, or who are on relief, or housewives, the initiation fee is 10 cents. This amount is receipted for by an initiation stamp furnished by the Central Committee. Fifty per cent of the sale of the initiation stamp goes to the National Office and 50 per cent to the District Office. There is no extra charge to the new member for the membership book.
"DUES
"Each member pays dues monthly, based on the month's earnings. The dues are receipted for by dues stamps issued by the Central Committee. Dues stamps are issued in the following categories:
"All members earning up to $10 a week ($40 a month) pay 10 cents a month.
"All housewives pay 10 cents a month.
"All earning between $11 and $25 a week (up to $100 a month) pay 50 cents a month.
"All earning between $26 and $40 a week (up to $160 a month) pay $1.00 a month.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
41
Communist Party of the U. S. A.
(Section of the Communist International)
Membership Book No.
for
Name
Date Admitted to Communist Party. . .
Entered Revolutionary Movement*
District ^. .. .Of, .. .City
or Street Nucleus.
Signature of Member (in ink)
This Book was issued,
ature of District Orgam
>rship Book Valid Unless It Has irty Seal Stamped On
Issued by the Central Committee, C.P. U.S.A.
NOTE: Photostat of first page of Communist Party Membership Book loaned us by a California member of CP. Dis- trict Organizer Sam Darcy was an unsuccessful candidate for Governor of California at the November, 1934, elections.
42 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"Members receiving over $40 a week (or over $160 a month) wages pay in addition to the regular dues, additional dues at the rate of 50 cents for each $10.00 (or fraction).
"The dues are proportioned as follows:
"Twenty-five per cent to the units.
"Twenty per cent to the sections.
"Twenty per cent to the districts.
"Twenty-five per cent to the center.
"Ten per cent to the center for a special national trade union fund.
"Members who are two months in arrears in payment of dues cease to be members of the Party in good standing. Members who are four months in arrears are stricken from the Party rolls.
"ASSESSMENTS
"All local or district assessments or collections are prohibited except by special permission of the Central Committee. Special assessments may be levied by the National Convention or the Central Committee. No member is considered in good •standing unless he purchases such special assessment stamps.
"INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY
"This is a special fund, contributed to by every member, as an act of our international solidarity with the Communist Parties of other countries that need our financial aid. Every member is to pay every four months an amount equal to one month's dues, based on the average of the previous four months dues.
"ATTENDANCE AND ACTIVITY
"The rules of the Party provide that Party members attend the meetings of their Party organization regularly, participate in its activities, pay their dues regu- larly, and carry out the decisions of the Party." P. 12-13.
COMMUNIST PARTY ON THE BALLOT
In December, 1921, the Workers' Party of the United States was formed as a camouflage for the Communist Party. In 1925, the official name was changed to Workers' Communist Party of America. At the March, 1928, convention, the Communists came out in the open boldly as the Communist Party of the United States of America, and made their first fight to become a legalized political party, and to go on the ballot as such. The following review will give you a history of the growth of the Communist Party on the ballot from 1928 to 1936. You will particularly note that in fifteen states the Communist Party was not on the ballot in the November election of 1936. There were more than 75,000 signers of the petition for a place on the ballot in Illinois, but enough were ruled illegal to prevent their appearing on the state- wide ballot. This 1934 vote does not include the county and local, or even the Congress votes, but merely the highest communist vote cast for a candidate on a state-wide ticket.
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY
43
|
MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR |
1934 lUNEMPLOYE |
MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 1934 |
||||||||
|
UNEMPLOYED 1 [UNEMPLOYED |
IUNEMPIOJEO, |
[UNEMPLOfEO |
J |
27 |
28 |
29 |
30 |
21 |
||
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2£ for Communist Party of Germany |
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UNWIWEOI UNEMPLOYED! ijNEMPlOYEOl lUNwiwEBl IJNl^mi |
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32 |
33 |
34- |
35 |
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2£ for Communist Party of Germany L 2<""J">2<I bt^Z*! l'^"*"'^*! l-jT'-'^J Cfirf |
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L |
JNEMPIOYEO) IUNEMPLOYEO] |
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36 |
37 |
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39 |
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J 2^5 for Communist Party of Germany |
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NWWEOI (UNEMPLOYED! |
STAMP |
UNEMPLOYED! STAMP |
IUNEMPLOYEB [STAMP |
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- C 2fS for Communist Party of Germany |
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19 20 |
21 |
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JNEMPtOYEO STAMP |
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2£ for Communist |
Party of |
Germany |
^DfclrfL |
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49 |
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2£ for Communist Party of |
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EMPLOYED |
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NOTE: Photostat of dues pages of Communist Membership 'Book shown on previous page. It is interesting to note that two cents of every ten cents dues for 1934, indicated by red stamp across each line, went to the cause of the CP in Germany.
Sam Darcy, former Communist Party district organizer at San Francisco, Calif., attended the Seventh Congress of Communist International at Moscow last July and August. He is under indictment in San Francisco and has not yet returned to the United States, at least under his own name.
The records in the office of the National Americanism Commission are very complete, with reference to the criminal history of many of the Communist leaders in the U. S. One of the highest Communist Party officials, one of the heads of the American Civil Liberties Union, and one of the founders of the Federated Press served federal prison terms for refusal to defend this country during the world war.
44
FACTS ABOUT ISMS
COMMUNIST PARTY STANDS FOR VIOLENCE
If you will turn to page 16, you will find the decision of a committee of Con- gress pointing to the error of calling the Communist Party a legal political party in the United States.
The Communist Party leaders, when under fire for their proposed programs of violence, disclaim that they stand for force and violence. However, all the written propaganda of the Party recommends action by force. The reproduced leaflet on page 45 shows the method used to incite hatred and action if possible. While denying that they seek to overthrow our government by force and violence, they claim that it must be overthrown and that the change to a Soviet America cannot be made without force.
We have, by permitting the Communist Party a place on the ballot, legalized their revolutionary acts against the United States government. They have been able to force the radio stations to give them free time on the air. These broadcasts would not be dangerous if they boldly told of their true stand for a dictatorship of the so-called proletariat, through which the citizens of the country would be denied all freedoms now enjoyed. But instead, when on the air, they paint a beautiful picture of this country operating under Communism, not well supported by fact as condi- tions exist in Russia today.
|
1928 |
1930 |
1934 270 |
1936 678 |
Nebraska |
1928 |
1930 |
1934 |
1936 |
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Arizona |
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12,321 |
446 |
Nevada New Hampshire |
244 |
193 |
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California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida |
. 675 . 730 |
924 1,523 |
100,820 1,290 1,283 69 |
10,877 1,039 1,225 51 |
New Jersey New Mexico .... New York North Carolina North Dakota.. Ohio |
1,257 10,876 936 |
1,700 19,539 5,754 |
2,874 134 55,664 1,979 15 854 |
1,639 43 67,336 11 540 7 373 |
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Georgia |
Oklahoma |
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Idaho |
Oregon |
1,475 |
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Illinois |
. 3,851 |
3,118 |
Pennsylvania .... |
4,720 |
8,950 |
6,170 |
5,190 |
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Rhode Island .... |
481 |
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South Carolina.. |
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Iowa Kansas |
328 |
1,471 |
1,457 |
1,373 |
South Dakota.... |
232 |
3,974 |
2,568 |
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Kentucky |
38 |
204 |
Tennessee |
111 |
3,392 |
319 |
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Louisiana |
Texas |
209 |
282 |
325 |
253 |
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Maine |
422 |
257 |
Utah Vermont |
1,207 177 |
280 90S |
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Maryland Massachusetts . |
. 636 . 2,464 |
1,432 8,730 |
1,792 14,013 |
915 11,691 |
Virginia Washington |
431 3,470 |
8,907 1,939 |
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Michigan Minnesota Mississippi |
. 2,881 . 4,853 |
3,988 14,719 |
5,734 5,791 418 |
3,384 2,574 417 |
West Virginia.... Wisconsin Wyoming |
1,528 |
3,155 |
94 2,454 195 |
2,197 91 |
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Montana ... |
975 |
385 |
36,287 |
82,651 |
248,617 |
134,396 |
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 45
SMASH EFFORTS TO ILLEGALIZE YOUR PARTY
The COMMUNIST PARTY
To All Worker, and Friends:
Eight or ten men and women face Grand Jury indictments for perjury ! These men and women were circulators of the petition of trie-Communist Party to participate in the August Primary elections; the petition which received the sig- natures of over 3 1 ,000 registered voters in California. In spite of thousands of these signatures being disqualified for various technical reasons, or no reason at all. Frank C. Jordan. Secretary of State, certified 1 5',200 of the signatures, officially placing the Communist Party on the ballot.
At the instigation of the Chamber of Commerce, the Industrial Association, the "Red Squad" under Capt. John J. O'Meara. a "probing" of the petitions was started, with one aim in view: TO TAKE THE COMMUNIST PARTY OFF THE BALLOT! Vigilante raids, arrests, jail sentences, have failed to silence the Communist Party, which daily carries on its task of leading -the struggles of workers for better conditions and for their democratic rights. So the campaign of intimidation continues. But instead of limiting this campaign to the members and sympathizers of the Communist Party, it is being broadened to include every last worker who indicated his support to our Party by signing the petition ; it is being broadened, by indicting worker* "for perjury, rather than arresting them only on vagrancy.
ANSWER THIS CAMPAIGN WITH YOUR PROTEST PILE UP A
HUGE COMMUNIST VOTE!
We call on all workers — citizens of San Francisco — to support the Communist Party in its struggle against capital- ist terror I The boss class is against our Party:
Became the Communists in the striking unions were the most active, and the entire membership supported the mari- time strike; because they exposed the sell-out tactics of the Greens, Vanderleurs. Caseys. Ryans. Kidwells, in the Gen- era! Strike; feccause they exposed the manifestations of fascism in California. Governor Merriam's sending armed troops against the strikers, the scab-herding of the Industrial Association, the anti-Communist activities of the City administration, the Chamber of Commerce, the American Legion, the vigilante mob raids on private homes and halls.
Because the Communists fight for higher wages, because we demand the right of workers to organize into trade unions and .political parties of their own choosing, to strike and picket without police and National Guard interference, the right to free speech and assemblage.
Because the Communists struggle for Unemployment Insurance, for relief to the farmers.
Because the Communist Party is leading the workers toward the establishment of a Socialist society in the United States— the establishment of a WORKERS' AND FARMERS' GOVERNMENTI
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
SEND A LETTER, TELEGRAM OR PHONE CALL OF PROTEST TO MAYOR ROSSI. REG- ISTRAR COLLINS, CAPTAIN JOHN J. O'MEARA. JUDGE WALTER PERRY JOHNSON OF THE SUPERIOR COURT. DEMANDING THE DROPPING OF THE RIDICULOUS CHARGES OF PERJURY AGAINST THE CIRCULATORS OF OUR PETITIONS!
READ AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE "WESTERN WORKER" OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY! Write for a free tamplt to 37 Crooe street. San Francisco. Calif. '
PASS THIS LEAFLET ON TO 'YOUR FELLOW WORKERS!
ANSWER THE REIGN OF TERROR BY JOINING THE COMMUNIST PARTYt
VOTE FOR BETTER LIVING CONDITIONS, FOR YOUR DEMOCRATIC RIGHTS. AND AGAINST FASCISM AND WAR BY VOTING COMMUNIST!
SAM DARCY for Governor. PETTIS PERRY for Lieut. Governor. HAROLD ASHE for Secretary of State. ARCHIE BROWN for Treasurer. ANITA WHITNEY for Comptroller., LEO GALLAGHER — Non-Partisan Can- didate, Associate Justice, Supreme Court
COMMUNIST PARTY OF U. S. A.
California District. 32 Grove Street. San Francisco. Calif.
VOTE COMMUNIST!
—Printing Donated by Union Labor—
NOTE: Photostat of handbill scattered by Communist Party in opposition to legislation sponsored by The American Legion and other American groups to bar the alien un-American Communist Party from the ballot in the United States.
46 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND SHORTCOMINGS OF THE COMMUNIST
PARTY ELECTION CAMPAIGN
(Statement by Earl Browder.)
"At the Ninth Convention of our Party in June, in charting our course for the elections, we established that, first, the Republican Party represented nationally the point of concentration of the most reactionary forces in America, moving toward fascism and war. The task was to defeat this threat at all costs. Secondly, Roose- velt, heading the Democratic Party, stood for a middle-of-the-road course. The support of the organized labor and progressive movement went to Roosevelt, as the practical alternative to aggressive reaction. Our tasks became to teach this progressive and labor movement not to rely upon Roosevelt, to secure independent political organization and action, to win all possible concessions from Roosevelt while using this campaign to prepare its future complete independence in a Farmer- Labor Party.
"Some comrades are still influenced by the idea that the Party vote is the only correct measure of our achievements. To the degree that they are influenced by this idea they are somewhat pessimistic because our vote did not show any great jump forward. These comrades look upon our refusal to go into head-on collision with the progressive labor movement, in sharp competition for votes, like Norman Thomas did, as a sacrifice necessary to assure that Landon would not be elected. Therefore, they ask us why we did not change our position in the last days before election, when it was becoming clear that Roosevelt would be elected. They wonder why we did not swing over to the Thomas tactic of grabbing the utmost possible votes for ourselves at the last minute (even though this failed so signally to win votes for Thomas).
"To pose such a question reveals a shallow understanding of our whole strat- egy and a wrong evaluation of our accomplishments. Let us throw light on this question from another angle. Suppose that our proposals last summer for a National Farmer Labor Party had been adopted by the progressive movement. Then we would have withdrawn our national ticket entirely. But we would have made an equally energetic campaign without getting any separate Communist Party vote at all as a result. Would our doubting comrades will have kept their eyes fixed on the C.P. vote, this time zero, and feared that we had disappeared entirely from the political scene? Of course not. Clearly, it would have been recognized as a much greater victory. However, the urgent need for a united front, which everyone felt was realized in another and less satisfactory way under such circumstances that we could not fight against it — the united front of the labor and progressive forces around Roosevelt.
"We foresaw, before the campaign opened, that our separate vote would reg- ister only our irreducible minimum and not our maximum influence. This was inherent in the situation and our strategy. There is nothing to weep about. We do not have to explain away our vote by special local circumstances or special weak- nesses on our part. Weaknesses there were aplenty in our compaign but they must not be sought in this question of the relation of our influence and our vote. There is no direct relation between them at all. Not to understand this is to have a very
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 47
INDIVIDUAL REGISTRATION BLANK
( This tart of the registration hlant should be filled out by the Unit Secretary in advance-) (Answer fieri- question. Write with ink or indelible Pencil. Print thr name)
Unit No Section No District No Date -
(State if sho!> nucleus)
Old Membership Book No New Membership Book No (To be filled by District)
Partv name _ , - ,
Date joined Party. Date of -birth Male Female....:
(Month— Year)
Place of birth..... Nationality Negro or White.
(City — State — County)
Employed or unemployed • Trade
(This part of the registration blank should be filled out toaether with the member.) If employed, state kind of factory — number of workers employed
What union exists in your place of employment With how many members
Trade union affiliation: (1) A. F. of L Since when 1
(2) T. U. U. L..: Since when
(3) Indep. Union Since when
If unemployed — since when Which unemployed org. do you belong to
What other mass org. are you a member of (1LD — FSU — IWO — Language org. — Other reformist or reac- tionary fraternal organizations)
Function in the Party (unit, section, district, center)
If full time functionary, state where (Party, mass org.) and since when
Do you read the Daily Worker regularly? Party Organizer The Communist
Party schooling received: Workers School Study circle Section school
District Training School National Training School
Have you ever server in the Army — Navy „ When Where
Are you in the National Guard
NOTE: Photostat of latest registration blank for members of the CP. This record is very complete, thus making it easy to find the right classification in which to place the member.
48 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
narrow understanding of the whole strategy of the people's front, which is not a mere election tactic but a strategy for a whole period.
"Where our strategy was realized in its most satisfactory form — as in Minne- sota, we had no state ticket at all, but were among the most effective campaigners for the Farmer-Labor ticket. Does that mean that we were weakened in that state? On the contrary, we made the greatest advance of Communist influence among the masses, precisely there. Equally significant were our advances in Wisconsin, which again can in no wise be measured by our separate vote. Even in the very unsatis- factory American Labor Party in New York, with its crude organization from the top alone, there were greater advances of our influence than would have accom- panied a situation where the American Labor Party was absent, even though that had meant a higher Communist Party vote. We made greater advances with the lower vote in New York with the American Labor Party in the field than we could have made with a higher vote and the American Labor Party not in existence.
"Then, too, we should point out one possible development which was not real- ized but which might have occurred if the progressive leaders had taken only a part of our advice. Suppose these leaders and their organizations had adopted our proposal for a National Farmer-Labor Party convention, including the Socialists and the Communists. Suppose that this convention had come together and formed a national Farmer-Labor Party with all of us in it, and then decided to place Roosevelt at the head of the ticket nationally, like the American Labor Party did in New York, but followed it up with state Farmer-Labor Party tickets wherever possible. Under such circumstances would the Socialist Party and the Communist Party have accepted the discipline of such a broad national united front of all progressives? Would we have refrained from putting forward our own independent tickets and supported the Farmer-Labor Party ticket even with Roosevelt at the head? I venture to say that under such conditions we would almost surely have done so. The united peoples' front and the cause of Socialism as well would have been advanced much more than by what actually happened in the election cam- paign.
"One of the greatest accomplishments of our party in this campaign was that it began to learn how, even with small forces, to find its road in the midst of the most complicated political situation — we drove in the center of a national political storm toward a definite goal, without ever losing sight of it, and without allowing our forces to be broken up, dispersed or demoralized, but rather gaining strength and clarity out of it all. This ability is the hall-mark of Bolshevism and to the degree that our Party demonstrated this ability, we can say that we are in the process of becoming a real Bolshevik Party.
"Can any one, even our worst enemies, deny that the Communist Party played an important role in the campaign; that millions of people thought that what the Communist Party had to say was of serious importance, that millions were influ- enced in their thinking and their actions by the Communist Party? No one can deny this undisputed fact. Can any one say that we lost our heads at any moment, that we hesitated, or doubted at any point, that our strategical or tactical line was ever blurred or unclear or had to be changed? It is possible to differ with us but
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 49
it is not possible to say that. Everyone recognized that the Communist Party was an exceptionally effective striking force precisely because of its conviction and clarity, its drive and unity. That is another of the hall-marks of Bolshevism.
"Can anyone deny that in this campaign the Communist Party broke through and smashed the legend of our enemies that our party is something foreign, im- ported from abroad, not organically a part of the American political scene Nor one can deny that we thoroughly established our Party as an American Party, that our slogan — "Communism is 20th Century Americanism" — registered deeply with the American people. This was a great achievement. This is also a sign of Bol- shevism."
Pages 3 and 4, Daily Worker, December 14, 1936.
PROGRAM OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL
(Excerpts from Communist Publication Titled Above)
"The ultimate aim of the Communist International is to replace world capital- ist economy by a world system of Communism. . . . After abolishing private ownership in the means of production and converting them into social property, the world system of Communism will replace the elemental forces of the world market." P. 30.
"The Soviet State completely disarms the burgeoisie and concentrates all arms in the hands of the proletariat; it is the armed proletarian State. The armed forces under the Soviet State are organized on a class basis, which corresponds to the general structure of the proletarian dictatorship, and guarantees the role of leadership to the industrial proletariat. This organization, while maintaining revo- lutionary discipline, ensures to the warriors of the Red Army and Navy close and constant contacts with the masses of the toilers, participation in the adminis- tration of the country and in the work of building up Socialism." P. 39.
Communism calls for, "The confiscation and proletarian nationalization of all large landed estates in town and country (private, church, monastery and other lands) and the transference of State and municipal landed property including forests, minerals, lakes, rivers, etc., to the Soviets with subsequent nationalization of the whole of the land. . . . The amount of land to-be so transferred to be deter- mined by economic expediency as well as by the degree of necessity to neutralize the peasantry and to win them over to the side of the proletariat; this amount must necessarily vary according to the different circumstances." P. 41.
"The Proletarian nationalization of private banks (the entire gold reserve, all securities, deposits, etc., to .be transferred to the proletarian State) ; the pro- letarian State to take over State, municipal, etc., banks. . . . The Nationaliza- tion of wholesale trade and large retail trading enterprises (warehouses, elevators, stores, stocks of goods, etc.) and their transfer to the organ of the Soviet State. . . . The monopoly of foreign trade. The repudiation of State debts to foreign and home capitalists." P. 42-43. This they have done with the United States in spite of recognition.
"The confiscation of big house property. The transfer of confiscated houses to the administration of the local Soviets. Workers to be removed to bourgeois residential districts. . . . The nationalization of printing plants. The monopoly
50 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
of newspaper and book-publishing. The nationalization of big cinema enterprises, theatres, etc." P. 44-45.
"At the same time the proletarian S,tate, while granting liberty of worship and abolishing the privileged position of the formerly dominant religion, carries on anti-religious propaganda with all the means at its command and reconstructs the whole of its educational work on the basis of scientific materialism." P. 55.
The Communist International considers the following to be its most im- portant tasks in the balance of the world; "To overthrow the rule of foreign imperialism, of the feudal rulers and of the landlord bureaucracy. To establish the democratic dictatorship of the proletariat and the peasantry on a Soviet basis. Complete national independence and national unification. Annulment of State debts. The confiscation of landlord, church and monastery lands. The organiza- tion of revolutionary workers' and peasants' armies." P. 59.
"The International Communist discipline must find expression in the sub- ordination of the partial and local interests of the movement to its general and lasting interests and in the strict fulfillment, by all members, of the decisions passed by the leading bodies of the Communist International." P. 86-87.
" The Communists disdain to conceal their views and aims. They openly declare that their aims can be attained only by the forcible overthrow of all the existing social conditions. Let the ruling class tremble at a Communist revolu- tion. The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win.' " P. 87.
WHY COMMUNISM?
By N. J. OLGIN (Excerpts from Communist Publication Titled Above)
"The overthrow of the State power, and with it, of the capitalist system, grows out of the everyday struggles of the workers. One is historically inseparable from the other." "The clearer the class-consciousness of the workers, the more steeled they are in fighting, the better the revolutionary leadership they have developed in the course of years, the greater the number of friends they have allied with themselves from among the other oppressed classes, the more capable are they to deal the final blow." P. 75-76.
"It is not necessary that this final blow, i. e., the revolution, should come in connection with an imperialist war, although this is most likely. Capitalism will seek to prevent a revolution by plunging the country into war." P. 76.
Here is how a general uprising should begin: "Workers stop work, many of them seize arms by attacking arsenals." "Street fights become frequent. Under the leadership of the Communist Party, the workers organize Revolutionary Com- mittees to be in command of the uprising. There are battles in the principal cities." "Army units begin to join the revolutionary fighters; there is fraterniza- tion between the workers and the soldiers, the workers and the marines. The movement among the soldiers and marines spreads." "The police as a rule continue fighting, -but they are soon silenced and made to flee by the united revolutionary forces of workers and soldiers. The revolution is victorious." P. 76-77.
"It has been done more than once." "A Workers' revolution was accomplished
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 51
WHY COMMUNISM
PLAIN TALKS ON VITAL PROBLEMS
By M» J» OLGIN
Price 10 cent*
NOTE: Photostat of front page of Communist leaflet from which preceding excerpts were taken. The author of the above leaflet, which is a strong supporter of revolutionary action, is also the editor of "Freiheits", a Jewish Communist Newspaper.
52 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
in Russia in November, 1917." "A Workers' revolution took place in Germany in 1918, in Hungary and Bavaria in 1919, in China in 1927, in Spain in 1932." "In Russia the revolution has survived first of all because the workers had a strong, well organized Bolshevik (Communist) Party that headed their fight. The defeat of the other revolutions does not argue against the eventuality of revolution. In fact, revolutions are inevitable." P. 77.
"The Soviet government will have to expropriate the expropriators by force." "The Soviet State will have to crush these with an iron hand. The former exploiters will be given no quarter." "This means that the Soviet State must be ruthless; it must destroy the counter-revolutionary forces — the quicker the better for the workers and for the future of mankind. This is why the Soviet state is named Dictatorship of the Proletariat." "It uses force and violence against that class." "And it does away with exploitation and oppression forever. This is Communism." P. 82-83.
IS YEARS OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL
(Excerpts from Communist Publication Titled Above)
"Fifteen years ago, on March 4, 1919, in Red Moscow, the First Congress, under Lenin's leadership, established the Communist International — the new International Workingmen's Association." P. 3.
"The Communist International openly declares that the dictatorship of the proletariat can be accomplished only by means of violence '. . . the violence of the bourgeoisie can only be suppressed by the stern violence of the proletariat.' " P. 9.
"The fifteen years of the Communist International have been fifteen years of uneven but constant development of the world proletarian revolution." P. 10.
"Having assumed power as a result of the workers' uprising, the German Social-Democratic Party betrayed the proletarian revolution." P. 11.
"The Path of October, the path of the dictatorship of the proletariat brought the Soviet Union to socialism. The path of bourgeois democracy brought Germany to fascism." P. 12.
"A mighty wave of the proletarian revolution led to the formation of the Hungarian Soviet Republic on March 21, 1919. Under the leadership of Com- munists the Hungarian Soviets disarmed the gendarmerie and the police, organized a Red Army . . . After existing about four and a half months, the Hungarian Soviet Republic was betrayed by Hungarian social-democracy and drowned in blood by the international counter-revolution. Not 'democracy' but fascism took the place of the Soviets. 'No Communist should forget the lessons of the Hungarian Soviet Republic.' " P. IS.
"The Bavarian Soviet Republic which arose on April 13, 1919, under Com- munist leadership, disarmed the bourgeoisie, armed the proletariat, proclaimed the nationalization of industry and the banks. But it, too, was crushed by the White Guards with the active co-operation of German social-democracy after having existed 18 days." P. 15-16.
"The Leninist national policy of the Communist International is an irre- placeable weapon in the struggle against fascism." P. 19.
"In Italy, too, the victory of the bourgeoisie, which was made certain by the
HISTORY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 53
social-democrats, ended not in a strengthened 'democracy' but in the triumph of fascism." P. 20.
'**.*. the slogan 'To the Masses/ was that this slogan was a program of struggle for all the sections of the Comintern for an entire historical period, a program of preparation for the second round of revolutions and wars.' " P. 22.
"The Communist Parties have thousands and tens of thousands of members each; their influence extends over hundreds of thousands and millions of workers and peasants, they have already scored their first successes in establishing the united front. There is not a single Communist Party whose influence has not grown among the masses since the beginning of the economic crisis. The Com- munists are the only leaders of the masses, the motor of every revolutionary struggle, and they are the first to receive the blows of the class enemy. Most of the Communist Parties have gained the necessary prerequisites for becoming real mass fighting parties of the proletariat in the near future." P. 37.
"The task of winning over the majority of the working class demands the transformation of the factory committees of the trade union oppositions, of the Committees of Unemployed, of the peasant committees, and especially the trans- formation of the big enterprises, into strongholds of the Communist Parties." P. 39.
The following quotation from Moscow News, issue of October 7, 1936, shows the method used by the Communist Party in the U. S. S. R. to purge its ranks of undesirable party members. It also gives the definite proof that liberties are granted only to those who adhere to the decisions of the dictators in power in Russia.
PARTY REOPENS RANKS TO NEW MEMBERSHIP
"Instructions on reopening of the ranks of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union to candidates for membership, and resumption of the transfer of candidates on probation to full membership, beginning Nov. 1 of this year, were issued this week by the Central Committee of the Party to all of its organizations. This measure, following upon the completion of the exchange of Party documents, calls upon these organizations to benefit by the lessons learned during the verification and exchange of these papers.
"The instructions point out that many Party organizations have in the past systematically violated the Party constitution by admitting applicants in groups instead of passing personally upon each applicant. Other defects in the former procedure in connection with the handling of membership applications are also pointed out.
"In the admission of new members, Party organizations are instructed by the Central Committee to be guided by the following rules:
" 'Party organizations must enforce individual selection of the most advanced, the most developed, the best people of the country — primarily workers but also peasants and toiling intellectuals who have been tested on various sections of the struggle for Socialism.
" 'Admission of candidates and transfer of candidates to membership must be carried out individually and not collectively in every organization. Every applicant must write out his application personally in accordance with the prescribed form
54 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
and submit recommendations and references from his place of work. The recom- mendations must be checked prior to consideration of the application. The same ruling applies to members of the Young Communist League.
" 'Applications must be considered at meetings of the primary Party organi- zations whose secretaries or organizers must themselves report on each applicant, who together with endorsers must be present at the meeting. Only after the deci- sion of the primary organization is approved by the district committee will admis- sion be regarded as valid.' "
SIGNIFICANCE OF DECISION
"The Party decision on the admission of new members is widely commented upon by the Soviet press, which points out that the decree came nearly four years after the Central Committee of the Party had closed the membership ranks in order to purge the Party of undesirable elements. Since the 1933 purge proved insufficient, however, the verification and exchange of all documents pertaining to Party membership was resorted to on Stalin's initiative. 'Pravda,' central organ of the Party, states that during the enforcement of these measures many well- disguised enemies were removed from its ranks and simultaneously large numbers of younger Communists began to take an active part in its work. Now that the ex- change of documents has been completed, the Party ranks can be opened again.
" 'There is nothing nobler than the title of a member of the Party of Lenin- Stalin,' states Tifud,' organ of the Central Council of Trade Unions. The news- paper points out that as a result of this decision of the Central Committee of the Party, the best of the non-Party Bolsheviks will have the opportunity to become members of the Party.
" 'The number of active non-Party Bolsheviks has grown tremendously in the country,' states 'Pravda.' 'Wherever Stakhanovism is busily working, there have grown up and been steeled talented organizers of Socialist economy, devoted to Communism, from among the non-Party workers, peasants and the toiling intelli- gentsia.'
" 'There can be no more noble task for each Young Communist League organi- zation than to prepare active fighters for Communism,' declares 'Komsomolskaya Pravda,' newspaper of the Young Communist League, in commenting on the Party decision.' "
RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA
EVERY AGENCY of Communist support was centered upon the task of forcing the United States to recognize officially the government of the U. S. S. R. Thousands of prominent American men and women were invited to tour Russia where they were escorted by Soviet agents to model factories, schools and unused churches. American college and university professors as well as students were enrolled in Summer Schools, to lay the ground work for the teaching of Marxian-Socialism upon their return to the United States, while still others were drilled in the art of selling recognition from the lecture platform upon their return.
It has even been suggested that the U. S. S. R. subsidized a part of the expenses of such American agents of the Soviet propaganda system.
Revolutionary writers sold the glories of the new Godless Russia. Returned subsidized Americans lectured in church and in school and before clubs but never telling the true story of the great experiment through which the Russian working class had lost all freedom of speech, of press, of religion, and became super- slaves. Foreign agents were given travel admission to the United States to allure thoughtless Americans as well as support for recognition by the U. S.
The Friends of the Soviet Union, the American Civil Liberties Union, the International Labor Defense and at least a score of other supporting groups lectured, prepared petitions, traveled to far corners of the U. S., arranged public meetings of protest and demands, spoke over the radio and gained headlines in the press in the interest of recognition of the U. S. S. R.
The American Legion continued to say NO.
Finally all of these agents called the attention of our people to the millions of dollars in Soviet trade — told how our unemployed would all go to work in our factories, and on farms to supply the demands of the U. S. S. R. after recognition, to say nothing of the fact that they would buy all of our surplus if we loaned them the cash or gave them unlimited credit. No mention to be made of all former repudiations of war loans to Russia. They had long ago been good enough to say they would pay nothing of the old debt.
The Legion rightfully and emphatically continued to say NO.
The American Legion held mass meetings in almost every part of our country warning the public against recognition of such a Godless government. We pointed out the types of leaders now at the helm in the U.S.S.R. — bank robbers, plunderers, anarchists, rank revolutionist and criminals of every type. Were we going to place any faith in verbal or written words from representatives of such a government?
In spite of all such warnings our government accepted the word of the U.S.S.R. agent as you will find in the pages of this chapter. It is also clearly pointed out how all trust has been broken and the continued spread of revolutionary propo- ganda has gone forward.
A copy of a petition demanding recognition of the U. S. S. R. is reproduced on the following page to show the strength of Soviet support in the United States.
55
56 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
News Release
Release on THE FELLOWSHIP OF RECONCILIATION
January 30, 1933 383 Bible House, New York, N. Y.
J. B. Matthews, Executive Secretary
EDUCATORS URGE RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA
Eight Hundred College Presidents and Professors Join in Request
Two hundred sixty-eight colleges in forty-five States and the District of Columbia were represented in the list of eight hundred college presidents and professors who addressed a petition to President-elect Roosevelt today urging the recognition of the Government of the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics.
From the headquarters of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Professor Rein- hold Niebuhr, national chairman of the organization, issued the following statement:
"This petition signed by eight hundred educators in favor of the recognition of Russia has been initiated by the Fellowship of Reconciliation because the Fellowship is interested in every political policy which makes for the peace of nations. The Fellowship believes that the failure of America to recognize the Soviet Government is one of the most serious hazards to peace in the present critical world-situation. It has contributed to the serious situation in the Orient and prevented adoption of policies which might have frustrated the imperialistic ventures of Japan. It will continue to breed dangers in international relations because it destroys relations with one of the most important and strategic nations in the present world-situation. The Fellowship hopes this petition will contribute to the rising tide of American sentiment in favor of recognition which will lead the administration and congress to act."
J. B. Matthews, executive secretary of the Fellowship, stated that signatures endorsing recognition of Russia were coming in daily.
The same 800 names of college Presidents and Professors who were on the staff of the 268 colleges in 45 states and the District of Columbia, mentioned in the news release from Fellowship of Reconciliation, are on file in the office of the National Americanism Commission, The American Legion, Indianapolis, Indiana.
TRADE RELATIONS WITH THE U. S. S. R.
Just prior to official recognition of the U. S. S. R. by the United States, the press of the nation carried stories telling in glowing terms the enormous amount of trade the United States would conduct with the U. S. S. R. in the event official recognition was granted. Communist organizations and sympathetic groups painted beautiful word pictures of United States manufacturers and commercial concerns of all kinds selling tremendous orders of goods to the U. S. S. R. None of these predictions have come true, as will be shown by the following report from the United States Tariff Commission, Washington, D. C.
RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA 57
The following table of exports and imports covering trade with the U. S. S. R. from 1932 to 1935 is self-explanatory.
U. S. Exports U. S. Imports
to U. S. S. R. from U. S. S. R.
1932 $12,466,249 $ 9,128,795
1933 8,743,129 11,347,568
1934 14,866,515 11,915,331
1935.... 24,743,000 17,736,000
It is of particular interest to note that in 1935 we exported to Soviet Russia only 1.1 per cent of the United States exports to foreign countries and that nation stood twentieth on the list of those nations purchasing American goods.
The following additional table shows the amount purchased by the twenty leading buyers of American goods in 1935 and 1936. The percentage figure after the name of the country designates the percentage of our entire export business purchased by that government:
Our Best Buyers of American Goods
(* indicates countries making larger purchases from the United States in 1935 than in 1934)
Value of U. S.
1935 Exports
1. United Kingdom (19.0%)* $433,385,000
2. Canada (14.2%)* 323,191,000
3. Japan (8.9%) 203,260,000
4. France (5.1%)* 116,920,000
5. Germany (4.0%) '. 91,662,000
6. Italy (3.2%)* 72,450,000
7. Mexico (2.9%)* 65,576,000
8. Cuba (2.6%)* 60,153,000
9. Belgium (2.6%)* 58,208,000
10. Australia (2.5%)* . 57,088,000
11. British South Africa (2.4%)* 53,625,000
12. Philippine Islands (2.3%)* 52,595,000
13. Argentina (2.2%)* 49,288,000
14. Netherlands (2.1%) 48,540,000
15. Brazil (1.9%)* 43,618,000
16. Spain (1.8%)* 41,341,000
17. Sweden (1.7%)* '. 38,214,000
18. China (1.7%) 38,156,000
19. British India (1.4%)* 31,452,000
20. Soviet Russia (1.1%)* 24,743,000
Value of U. S.
1936 Exports
1. United Kingdom (17.1%)* $295,978,000
2. Canada (16.0%)* 277,035,000
3. Japan (7.9%)* 137,109,000
4. France (4.9%)* 85,211,000
5. Germany (4.1%)* 70,840,000
58 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
|
6. 7. 8. |
Mexico (3.2%)* British South Africa (2.9%)* Cuba (2.8%)* |
54,848,000 50,411,000 ' 48,819,000 |
|
9. |
Australia (2.7%)* |
46,550,000 |
|
10. 11. |
Philippine Islands (2.6%)* Italy (2.4%) |
44,417,000 41,728,000 |
|
12. |
Argentina (2.3%)* |
39 976 000 |
|
13. |
Belgium (2.3%)* |
39 581,000 |
|
14. 15. |
Netherlands (2.1%)* Brazil (2.0%)* |
37,123,000 34,843,000 |
|
16. |
China (2.0%)* |
34 363 000 |
|
17. 18. 19. |
Sweden (1.6%)* Soviet Russia (1.6%)* Spain (12%) |
27,991,000 27,805,000 21 280000 |
|
20. |
British India (1.2%) |
19,932,000 |
RECOGNITION OF THE U. S. S. R. BY THE U. S. A.
On October 10, 1933, the President of the United States corresponded with the President of the All-Union Central Executive Committee of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in Moscow, with reference to the possibility of the U. S. S. R. sending to the United States a representative for the purpose of discussing terms that would lead to official recognition. Under date of October 17, Mikail Calinin, President of the All-Union Executive Committee of the U. S. S. R., replied to the President's letter accepting the President's proposal and advising that his government was sending to this country M. M. Litvinov, People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the U. S. S. R., for the purpose of discussing questions of interest to both nations. Upon the arrival in Washington, D. C., of M. M. Litvinov, a series of conferences took place between himself and the President of the United States of America. These conferences resulted in the following pro- posal being placed with the President of the United States on November 16, 1933. The letter of M. M. Litvinov to the President of the United States set forth the proposals reading as follows:
"Washington, November 16, 1933. "My dear Mr. President:
"I have the honor to inform you that coincident with the establishment of diplomatic relations between our two Governments it will be the fixed policy of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics:
"1. To respect scrupulously the indisputable right of the United States to order its own life within its own jurisdiction in its own way and to refrain from interfering in any manner in the internal affairs of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"2. To refrain, and to restrain all persons in government service and all organizations of the Government or under its direct or indirect control, including organizations in receipt of any financial assistance from it, from any act overt or covert liable in any way whatsoever to injure the tranquillity, prosperity, order, or
RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA 59
security of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions, and, in particular, from any act tending to incite or encourage armed interven- tion, or any agitation or propaganda having as an aim, the violation of the territorial integrity of the United States, its territories or possessions, or the bringing about by force of a change in the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"3. Not to permit the formation or residence on its territory Of any organiza- tion or group — and to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group, or of representatives or officials of any organization or group — which makes claim to be the Government of, or makes attempt upon the territorial integrity of, the United States, its territories or possessions; not to form, subsidize, support or permit on its territory military organizations or groups having the aim of armed struggle against the United States, its territories or possessions, and to prevent any recruiting on behalf of such organizations and groups.
"4. Not to permit the formation or residence on its territory of any organiza- tion or group — and to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group, or of representatives or officials of any organization or group — which has as an aim the overthrow or the preparation for the overthrow of, or the bringing about by force of a change in, the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"I am, my dear Mr. President,
"Very sincerely yours,
"MAXIM LITVINOFF,
"People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs, "Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."
The President of the United States replied under date of November 16, 1933, as follows:
"THE WHITE HOUSE "Washington, November 16, 1933. "My dear Mr. Litvinov:
"I am glad to have received the assurance expressed in your note to me of this date that it will be the fixed policy of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics:
"1. To respect scrupulously the indisputable right of the United States to order its own life within its own jurisdiction in its own way and to refrain from interfering in any manner in the internal affairs of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"2. To refrain, and to restrain all persons in government service and all organizations of the Government or under its direct or indirect control, including organizations in receipt of any financial assistance from it, from any act overt or covert liable in any way whatsoever to injure the tranquillity, prosperity, order, or security of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions, and, in particular, from any act tending to incite or encourage armed
60 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
intervention, or any agitation or propaganda having as an aim, the violation of the territorial integrity of the United States, its territories or possessions, or the bringing about by force of a change in the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"3. Not to permit the formation or residence on its territory of any organiza- tion or group — and to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group, or of representatives or officials of any organization or group — which makes claim to be the Government of, or makes attempt upon the territorial integrity of, the United States, its territories or possessions; not to form, subsidize, support or permit on its territory military organizations or groups having the aim of armed struggle against the United States, its territories or possessions, and to prevent any recruiting on behalf of such organizations and groups.
"4. Not to permit the formation or residence on its territory of any organi- zation or group — and to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group, or of representatives or officials of any organization or group — which has as an aim the overthrow or the preparation for the overthrow of, or the bringing about by force of a change in, the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions.
"It will be the fixed policy of the Executive of the United States within the limits of the powers conferred by the Constitution and the laws of the United States to adhere reciprocally to the engagements above expressed.
"I am, my dear Mr. Litvinov,
"Very sincerely yours,
"FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT. "Mr. Maxim M. Litvinov,
"People's Commissar for Foreign Affairs,
"Union of Soviet Socialist Republics."
The reader's attention is directed to the fact that the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs of the U. S. S. R. pledged his government to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group or of representatives or officials of any organization or group which has as an aim the overthrow or the preparation for the overthrow of, or the bringing about by 'force of a change in the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories or possessions. When a complete review of the activities of the Communist Party in America has been made, there can be no doubt in the reader's mind but that the pledge of the U. S. S. R. to the U. S. A. has been broken.
Proof of the stand repeatedly taken by The American Legion against the recog- nition of Soviet Russia, because of their failure to comply with their agreement with the President of the United States, and set forth in the following excerpts of speech of the Honorable George Holden Tinkham, Congressman from Massachusetts, in the House of Representatives, May 14, 1935, reproduced here.
"Among the pledges given on November 16, 1933, by Maxim Litvinoff on behalf of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to obtain United States recogni- tion were the following:
"To refrain and to restrain all persons in Government service and all organiza-
RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA 61
tions of the Government or under its direct or indirect control, including organiza- tions in receipt of any financial assistance from it, from any act overt or covert liable in any way whatsoever to injure the tranquillity, prosperity, order, or security of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories, or possessions, and, in particular, from any act tending to incite or encourage armed intervention, or any agitation or propaganda having as an aim the violation of the territorial integrity of the United States, its territories, or possessions, or the bringing about by force of a change in the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories, or possessions.
"And—
"Not to permit the formation or residence on its territory of any organiza- tion or group — and to prevent the activity on its territory of any organization or group of or representatives or officials of any organization or group — which has as an aim the overthrow or the preparation for the overthrow of, or the bringing about by force of a change in, the political or social order of the whole or any part of the United States, its territories, or possessions.
"Actual and indisputable evidence of the repudiation of these pledges was first laid before the State Department by Mr. Matthew Woll, acting president of the National Civic Federation and vice president of the American Federation of Labor, in a letter dated February 7, 1934, supplemented by a written memo- randum accompanied by supporting documents. Further evidence of the repudia- tion of the Litvinoff pledges was submitted to the House Committee Investigating Un-American Activities at its hearing in New York on July 12, 1934, and at its hearing in Washington on December 17, 1934. The committee received and now has in its possession original and undisputed documents which show beyond rea- sonable doubt that there is in this country an organized movement seeking to prepare itself to seize and to destroy this Government by the use of force and to substitute for it the Soviet form of government known as the 'dictatorship of the proletariat'; and that this movement is directed and controlled by the Com- munist International, a political organization which has been, and still is, located in Moscow within the territory of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and controlled by the Soviet Union.
"In a report which the Committee Investigating Un-American Activities made to the House of Representatives on February 15, 1935, there appears the following:
"In December, 1934, it (the House Committee Investigating Un-American Activities) held a series of public hearings at Washington, D. C., at which repre- sentatives from various organizations and agencies that have recently been investi- gating communism presented statements of their findings accompanied by one or more recommendations.
"The Communist Party of the United States is not a national political party concerned primarily and legitimately with conditions in this country. Neither does it operate on American principles for the maintenance and improvement of the form of government established by the organic law of the land.
62 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"The nature and extent of organized Communist activity in the United States have been established by testimony and the objectives of such activities clearly denned. Both from documentary evidence submitted to the committee and from the frank admission of Communist leaders (cf. Browder and Ford, New York hearing, July 12, 1934) these objectives include:
"1. The overthrow by force and violence of the republican form of govern- ment guaranteed by article IV, section 4, of the Federal Constitution.
"2. The substitution of a soviet form of government, based on class domina- tion to be achieved by abolition of elected representatives, both to the legislative and executive branches, as provided by article I, by the several sections of article II of the same Constitution, and by the fourteenth amendment.
"3. The confiscation of private property by governmental decree, without the due process of law and compensation guaranteed by the fifth amendment.
"4. Restriction of the rights of religious freedom, of speech, and of the press as guaranteed by the first amendment.
"These specific purposes by Communist admission are to be achieved not by peaceful exercise of the ballot under constitutional right, but by revolutionary upheavals, by fomenting class hatred, by incitement to class warfare, and by other illegal, as well as by legal, methods. The tactics and specific stages to be fol- lowed for the accomplishment of this end are set forth in circumstantial detail in the official program of the American Communist Party adopted at the conven- tion held at Cleveland on April 2 to 8, 1934."
"The 'manifesto' and the 'resolutions' incite to civil war by requiring one class 'to take power' by direct revolutionary process and then assume dictatorship over the country in the manner followed by the Communists in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which is frequently mentioned as a guiding example.
"In pursuance of the revolutionary way to power, the program instructs members of the party to obtain a foothold in the Army and Navy and develop 'revolutionary mass organizations in the decisive war industries and in the har- bors.' The trade unions should be undermined and utilized as recruiting grounds for revolutionary workers. How faithfully these particular injunctions have been executed was demonstrated by Navy officers appearing before the committee and by officials of the American Federation of Labor.
"The American Communist Party is affiliated with the Third International, which was created by officials of the Soviet Government and is still housed in Moscow with governmental approval and co-operation. This affiliation is not one of general sympathy or broad uniformity of purpose and program; it is of a definitely organic character involving specific jurisdiction on the part of the governing body over the Communist Party of the United States.
"The executive secretary of the Communist Party of the United States testi- fied to this committee that his party was 'a section of the Communist Interna- tional'; that it participates in all the gatherings which decide the policies of the Communist International and sends delegates to the various conferences in Moscow. This admission is confirmed by the records available.
RECOGNITION OF RUSSIA 63
"Obviously, what I have said is not sufficiently full to give a complete picture of the extent of which these Communist activities are being carried on throughout the United States. They do show, however — .
"First. That the Communist International, acting upon Russian territory and controlled by the Soviet Union, has, since the giving of the Litvinoff pledges, directed the Communist Party of the United States and the Young Communist League of America to use every available means to prepare for the forceful over- throw of our Government, by propaganda and the organization of revolutionary trade unions, leagues, committees, and groups, and for the substitution in its place of a soviet form of government to be affiliated with the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
"Third. That this action on the part of the Communist International is a complete repudiation of the Litvinoff pledges.
"Fourth. That the publication in the English language in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics for use in the United States of books and pamphlets attacking our form of government and their shipment to this country also consti- tutes a complete repudiation of the Litvinoff pledges.
"The evidence discloses that there has been an organized Nation-wide, systematic and rapidly developing attempt to undermine the institutions of the United States and to overthrow its Government. An official committee of the House of Representatives has certified to the truth of this statement.
"This evidence discloses also that since the recognition by the United States of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics there have been a great increase in communistic activities and an enhancement of the prestige of those in control of them.
"This undisputed evidence from Russian and American sources shows that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics promotes these activities to undermine the institutions of the United States and to overthrow its Government in complete repudiation of the pledges which it gave to obtain United States recognition.
"Since the Russian Government has failed to respect the pledges upon which United States recognition was conditioned, diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union should be severed at once.
"Refusal of those in authority to sever diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union places a serious responsibility upon the Congress of the United States."
1935 REPORT OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES
THE REPORT of Earl Browder, Secretary of the Communist Party, U. S. A., at the Seventh World Congress in Moscow, as taken from the Daily Worker of July 29, 1935. Browder was the Communist Party candidate for President of the United States in 1936.
"BROWDER TRACES COMMUNIST PARTY WORK IN REPORT AT
SEVENTH WORLD CONGRESS "Stresses Anti-Fascist Work and Development Toward Labor Party
"By Vern Smith
"(By Cable to the Daily Worker)
"MOSCOW, July 28.— Tracing the historic growth to maturity of the Com- munist Party of the United States, Earl Browder, the Party's General Secretary, declared in a 90-minute address at last night's session of the Seventh Congress of the Communist International that the American Communist Party had fulfilled the chief tasks assigned to it at the Sixth World Congress in 1928.
"The present situation in the United States is the race between Fascism and Communism for the leadership of the masses. Our task, Browder especially em- phasized, is now to rally the disillusioned masses into an anti-fascist organization and anti-capitalist political movement with the development of a workers' and farmers' labor party as the goal."
"TELLS OF PARTY'S DEVELOPMENT
"Browder enumerated the great tasks carried out by the American Com- munist Party: It liquidated factionalism within the Party, emerging united by 1930. The Party gained a three- fold increase in membership, cadres were developed for mass work, a 30 per cent increase in the native-born membership took place and the growth of Negro composition of the Party rose from one hundred to 2,500.
"He reported 500 shop units and 4,000 members, which is one-third of all employed Party members. He pointed out that one-fourth of the membership lay in the basic industries, with a growing intrenchment in. the trade unions. The Party initiated an unemployed organization and extended its work among the farmers, the Negro masses, the students, and on the cultural front."
"EXAMPLES OF PARTY WORK
"Browder reported that the Party has issued slogans which the masses accept as their own; unemployment insurance, which forced a temporary national relief program; against war and fascism; for civil rights for the Negro people; against class collaboration, for the united front. He cited the recent massing of forces and agitation for a . labor party movement, the growing influence with the Socialist Party members and with the followers of the Epic and similar move- ments. He gave examples of the experience of the Communist Party of the United States in overcoming sectarianism.
64
1935 REPORT OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 65
"The Party played an important role in the great strike wave, in which political objectives emerged from the economic struggle. He described as instances the general strikes' collision with the state power, as in the San Francisco general strike and at present in Terre Haute. In strikes the Communist Party often wielded a decisive and leading influence. The Party learned 'Not only how to start strikes but how to end them with victory or partial victory.' "
"ORGANIZATION OF YOUTH
"Turning to the vital question of winning the American youth, Browder re- ported how the Party had achieved successes after the Eighth National Conven- tion. He described the successes of the Party and the Young Communist League in transforming a youth movement initiated by fascists into anti-fascist fighting organizations and showed the successful activity of the Young Communist League among the memberships of religious and Y. M. C. A. groups.
"Browder spoke in detail of the great strides in Negro work, centering around the Scottsboro, Herndon and Negro rights struggle, citing Harlem. He reported on the energetic activities of the American League Against War and Fascism, the Friends of the Soviet Union and their struggle against Father Coughlin and Admiral Stirling. He described the effective campaign of the Communist Party in unmask- ing the Harry Lang type, resulting in the masses of Socialist workers repudiating the anti-Soviet policy of Socialist leaders like Cahan. Browder gave the Congress a description of the factional struggle within the Socialist Party. A detailed report followed on the Communist successes on the cultural front, citing the American Writers' Congress, the New Masses, etc"
"CITES WEAKNESS IN FARM WORK
"While reporting on the progress of agrarian work, Browder stated that this field was the weakest in Communist Party work.
"He told of the growth of the workers' and veterans' movement at present in the fight for their bonus bill. He emphasized in all these struggles the growing sentiment for the slogan of Soviet Power. "We have naturalized in America the slogan for Soviet power," he declared. Following Lenin's advice in 1918, the Com- munist Party has appropriated the traditions of 1776.
"Browder here reserved a section of his speech for the future order of business and turned to the collapse of the 'grandiose schemes of the N. R. A./ pointing out that their collapse has resulted in a wavering uncertainty and confusion of the old political parties and in a threatened constitutional crisis."
"UNITED FRONT FIRST STEP TO REVOLUTION "Broadest Struggles Tasks of Communists — Must Show Masses Only Road
to Their Liberation "(Special to the Daily Worker)
"MOSCOW, July 28.— The opening report of Wilhelm Pieck at the Seventh Congress of the Communist International was delivered in the forenoon session, July 26. A comprehensive summary of Pieck's report in the name of the Executive Committee of the Comintern follows:
66 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"The Sixth World Congress had the question of the future international development of economy.
"The Social-Democrats foresaw a period of perpetual prosperity. The right opportunists in the Communist International had the perspective of the further strengthening of capitalist stabilization. At the Sixth Congress the initiative of Stalin foresaw the sharpening of all the contradictions of capitalism and the new revolutionary trend, shattering capitalist stabilization, and this was what happened.
"Shortly after the Sixth Congress began, unparalleled strikes took place in many countries and the anti-imperialist movements in China and India grew in strength. Capitalist production continued strongly, but by means of rationalization and increased unemployment. Social-Democracy involved itself ever more with the capitalist state and with the industrial apparatus and ever more drove the economic struggle of the workers into the background."
"CLASS AGAINST CLASS
"Out of this situation arose the Communist opposition tactics, 'class against class,' against Socialist bourgeois policies. This Communist tactic in nowise contradicted the united front; however, in carrying it out, sectarian mistakes oc- curred. It was correct sharply to differentiate the Communist Party from the Social- Democratic Party, but it was also incorrect to isolate it from the Socialist workers.
"Without a loosening of the reformist trade union discipline, without an independent Communist strike leadership, the bourgeoisie could have carried out its wide plans of wage cuts even in periods of the greatest economic activity, and there would have been neither a Lodz strike nor the struggle in the Ruhr; many workers would have left the movement disgusted. However, some Communists did not understand how to crystallize their influence in the reformist unions and among the unorganized.
"It was correct for the Red International of Labor Unions to struggle against the hegemony of the reformist leadership, but the Strassbourg Conference resolu- tions in 1929 for independent leadership 'in spite of and against the reformist unions' was incorrect. It was correct to oppose the Brandler theory of 'compelling the Bonzes,' but it was incorrect to say that no influence could or should be brought to bear on the bureaucrats through the membership. While correctly fighting the mass expulsion policies of the bureaucrats, we still made mistakes in transforming the Red Union Opposition into new unions, and especially bad was the sectarianism in England, where the trade unionists were soaked in the old trade union traditions. Yet it is a fact that even during this period, before the crisis, the Communists were the principal leaders of strikes in several countries."
"THE WORLD CRISIS
"The crisis of 1929 brought unspeakable misery to millions of workers, farmers and members of the petty-bourgeoisie, and -also increased the exploitation of the colonial peoples. A furious armaments race commences. Japan seizes Manchuria, Bolivia and Paraguay are at war, fascist dictatorship is set in Germany. These were accompanied by sharp class battles in Spain and China, the welling up of anti-imperialist and agrarian revolutionary struggles, the formation of Soviets, the
1935 REPORT OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 67
establishment of the mighty Red Army of China and the peasant uprising in Indo- China.
"The Twelfth Plenum of the E.C.C.I. could say in 1932 that the temporary stabilization of capitalism was ended and a new period of wars and revolutions was approaching. The Soviet Union showed the example. The tasks of the Com- munists lay in the organization of the masses for a struggle for any advantage, however slight, and for carrying on the drive against fascism, against finance capital and for proletarian dictatorship. The tactical task was to prevent the placing of the burden of the crisis on the shoulders of the masses. The strategic center of the struggle was Germany. The Communists succeeded in mitigating the lot of large numbers of the unemployed through this struggle. Sabotage by Social- Democrats prevented the still further progress of the struggle."
"GROWTH OF POLITICAL STRUGGLES
"The Communists also, despite their hard struggle, failed to use all possible methods. While the Social-Democrats preached the doctrine that the crisis was abating, the workers were engaged in continuous struggles. However, there was a failure sufficiently to unite the actions of the workers and the unemployed.
"A whole series of political struggles flared up in Germany, the United States and Hungary; there were farmers' strikes and veterans' marches in the United States, the Spanish revolution, the strike at Invergordon of the British naval sailors, the mutiny of the Chilean fleet, the peasant uprising in the Polish Ukraine, the mutiny of the cruiser Seven Provinces. But these did not result in political mass struggle against the capitalist state, and there was also failure in the organi- zation and co-ordination of forces. There were cases of brilliant organizational work but there was underestimation of the fact which Stalin emphasized in 1925 — that the average worker saw his safety in the trade unions, be they good or bad; in the United States for a long time Communists considered the American Federa- tion of Labor as only a strike-breaking organization and saw only Green and such leaders and overlooked the average member."
"UNDERESTIMATION OF FASCISM
"A great mistake was underestimation of the fascist danger, but on the other hand fascism was seen where it did not exist. There was the failure to win as allies to the proletariat the farmers and the petty bourgeoisie.
"The weaknesses of the working class were caused by the splitting and the treachery of Social-Democracy, which enabled the bourgeoisie to deceive the petty bourgeoisie and the peasantry and to use them in launching the fascist offensive. In order to avoid the fascist catastrophe in Germany there was needed a broad united front and the Red Front organization should have formed a united fighting organization with the Reichsbanner. They should have been able to force the Weimar government to disarm the fascist bands and tear up the Versailles Treaty.
"The majority of the workers did not do this, and instead blindly followed the Social-Democratic leaders, despite the Communists' warnings.
68 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"The Communists alone were not able to ward off the catastrophe, although they mobilized all their strength in the struggle for the united front and sought at any cost to arrive at an agreement with the Socialist Party and the reformist trade unions. The Social-Democrats rejected every proposal, even on July 20, 1932, and on January 30, 1933, when the Communists proposed a general strike"
"COMMUNISTS OPPOSE ADVENTURISM
"The Communists do not desire that trained revolutionists shall be sacrificed merely to show their heroism but instead that they shall organize new struggles and win new victories.
"In spite of the temporary retardation of the growth of the revolutionary movement, the workers of various countries have won big victories, as in China, Spain, the Soviet Five- Year Plan, and so forth. There was increased revolutionary strength and determination to fight for Soviet Power among the toilers of the whole world.
"Although the crisis changed to a depression, the bourgeoisie did not succeed in weakening the revolutionary world front. The victory of fascism does not bring in a long period of reaction, as the Social-Democrats predicted, but rather as Stalin said at the Seventeenth Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, The idea of storming the citadel of capitalism is ripening in the minds of the masses,' and it is spreading also among the broad masses of the Social-Democ- racy. The first expression of this was in the world united front for the Leipzig trial defendants, where Dimitroff's courageous defense of Communism played a great role, and in other significant struggles."
"UPRISINGS IN AUSTRIA AND SPAIN
"The Austrian and Spanish uprisings were not victorious, because the Social- Democrats there disregarded the lessons of the Russian Revolution and directed their policy before the uprisings towards the strengthening of the bourgeoisie instead of the proletariat. The Spanish Socialists in the government allowed the church to keep the land, gave the peasants no land, left the bourgeois state apparatus unaltered and did not fight for the disarming of the reactionary bands. The Austrian Social-Democrats surrendered one after another the victories previously won and allowed the fascists to pick the time of the struggle, never thinking of creating a fighting mass organization, but in Blanquist style turned the struggle over to the Schutzbund alone.
"We know that under the pressure of the masses the Social-Democratic leaders decided on a fight against the bourgeoisie. The Communists supported the struggle whole-heartedly. But precisely these struggles showed that the proletariat can not win under Social-Democratic leadership, and the revolutionary elements drew the correct conclusions when they went over to the Communists.
"The French proletariat in the face of the growth of fascism did not fall into the error of the theory of the lesser evil, but beat down the first great fascist attack. The election victories of the French Communists were the result of united front activity,"
1935 REPORT or SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 69
"UNITED FRONT ACHIEVEMENTS
"In England and America the Communists Parties strengthened the proletariat and increased their influence by correct united front tactics. Under pressure of the masses in Poland various Social-Democratic organizations formed a united front with Communists. On the initiative of the Communist Parties there was a welling up of political strikes and peasant movements, resulting in the further revolutionizing of the Social-Democratic masses and in the further building up of • the united front.
"The united front movement takes many forms in various capitalist countries. Anti-working class Socialists in the government of Czechoslovakia and in the Scan- dinavian countries made the masses conscious that Social-Democratic ministers are no protection against fascism, war and the capitalist offensive. Especially important are the results of the united front in the fascist countries of Germany, Hungary, Italy and Poland.
"The united front is no simple uniting of two parties but indicates the turning of the masses from reformist to revolutionary policies, and is the first step toward a strong revolutionary party of the proletariat. Without a doubt the movement for a united revolutionary party will develop further as the victory of socialism in the Soviet Union destroys the basis of reformism."
"CHINESE SOVIET REVOLUTION
"An outstanding event is the Chinese revolution, which takes the Soviet form. The heroic struggle of the Red Army and the formation of Soviets resulted in a bettering of living conditions for the toilers, and is an example for all oppressed colonial peoples.
"The chief lesson of the Bolshevik revolution is that we Communists must ceaselessly work in the mass organizations, strengthening the Communist Parties and their unity with the masses, and strengthening the Communist International. If we do not carry out these tasks, then there is the danger of fascist dictatorships in more countries.
"In the period under discussion there was an important organizational and political strengthening of the Communist Parties, along with an increase in their mass influence. In the fight against opportunists and "left" sectarians the Com- munist Parties steeled themselves against opportunist influence and acquired the ability better to maneuver against the bourgeoisie and the reformists. Evidence of this is found in the heroic struggle of the Chinese Red Army, the world of the Communist Party of Germany, the clever tactics of the Communist Party of France, in the October battles in Spain, and so forth."
"Musx ACT TO WIN MASSES
"The Communist Parties must use these opportunities presented by the up- swing of consciousness in the working masses in order to win them. Without fighting Social-Democracy it was impossible to fight against the bourgeoisie, because the prerequisite of this conflict is the winning of the Social-Democratic workers. The present situation demands increased criticism of those Social-Democratic
70 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
Parties and leaders who hold the masses back from struggle by strikebreaking tactics. Our agitation and propaganda must be directed against the bourgeoisie, especially against their most reactionary and Fascist Parties. The exposure of the social-national demagogy of the Fascists is the chief task of our agitation.
"The workers are for a united party, but often place the question too simply. A real united party can only come on the basis of a fundamental unity of program, strategy and tactics. The program and tactics of the Social-Democracy are bank- rupt. The program, strategy and tactics of the Comintern have stood every test. Therefore we must struggle for the uniting of all revolutionary forces on the basis of our program, strategy and tactics and take the offensive against the reformists along the whole front.
"The sections of the Communist International in all countries have gained politically and numerically, yet organizational gains do not keep pace with the gains in influence. This is due in part to the sectarian attitude to the influx of Social-Democratic workers. The Austrian Party today consists two-thirds of com- rades who a year ago were in the Social-Democratic Party. In the Congress dele- gation itself a considerable number are comrades who until the events of February, 1934, were functionaries in the Socialist Party. Precisely this Austrian Congress delegation is the best evidence of the downfall of reformism and the victory of our slogans."
"WORK AMONG WOMEN AND YOUTH
"Especially important is the work among women and youth work in the trade unions and other organizations. Here in recent times there has been great improve- ment in England, Hungary, Poland and the United States.
"We can have the greatest pride in the steadfastness of the German Commun- ists under the most bestial terror, as well as in the fact that the Spanish and Austrian Communists not only manned the barricades but organized the united front after their defeat and laid the solid foundation for future victories."
"ACHIEVEMENTS IN FRANCE
"The glorious Chinese Communist Party stood during the period under dis- cussion in the most advanced fighting positions. It has 300,000 members, a Red Army, a big Soviet area, but it has not won the majority of the toilers of Kuomintang China. As yet the organization of the proletarians in the industrial centers is one of its most urgent tasks.
"A tremendous event is the creation of the Communist Party of India.
"The greatest successes among all the parties in the imperialist countries were achieved by the Communist Party of France. It tripled its membership. It has become an important political factor in France throughout its successful carrying out of the united front.
"The Communist Party of England has increased its membership, achieved a united front with the Independent Labor Party but is still a small organization.
"The Communist Party of the United States has begun the rapid extension of its influence. It must itself still grow and consolidate its positions in the trade unions
1935 REPORT OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 71
more energetically for the creation of a broad mass party of workers and farmers as a coalition of all organizations of toilers hostile to the bourgeoisie.
"The Communist Party of Japan has organized the struggle against the Jap- anese plunder campaign in China in a Bolshevik manner. Prerequisite to further successes is the resolute extirpation of sectarian remnants, the resolute utilization of all legal possibilities of struggle."
"GROWTH OF PARTY IN POLAND
"The Communist Party of Poland overcame its drawn-out factional struggle, increased its membership three-fold, extended its political influence and led great mass movements. It must exploit every legal possibility to defend the last demo- cratic rights to be able to lead the masses in the struggle for the overthrow of the Fascist dictatorship for a Soviet Poland.
"The Communist Party of Czechoslovakia led big mass movements, consoli- dated itself politically and organizationally and did good mass work. It must develop the united front movement broadly.
"The Communist Party of the Soviet Union under the leadership of Stalin has achieved new world historical victories and is fighting for the establishment of a classless Socialist Society. For us it is the great example of how one must fight and win.
"In many countries the Communist Parties are already tremendous political factors, in many countries have become the decisive factors, in the labor movement. This means that now there can be no question either of foreign or domestic policy on which the Communists do not take a stand. The Communists must exploit every change in the policy of the bourgeoisie of their country, every antagonism within the ruling classes for the repulse of reaction, Fascism and the war-mongers."
"ERA OF SOCIAL DEMOCRACY OVER
"The era of the Second International in the labor movement is at an end. A new rise, a new flourishing, or reformism is no longer possible. In some countries the Social-Democrats can perhaps still consolidate themselves, but we are expe- riencing a crisis of world reformism produced by the turn of the masses to revolu- tion. The theories of the Second International are bankrupt, while the theory of the Comintern is confirmed by life. The crisis of Social-Democracy place before the Social-Democratic workers and all honest functionaries the question: What now?
"We propose to all members of the Social Democratic Parties and we propose to all Social-Democratic Parties the sole correct road: The marching together with the Communists in a united front struggle against Fascism and war and against capitalism for socialism. We propose the union of all revolutionary forces of the proletariat into a united revolutionary party on the tested theoretical foundations of the doctrines of Marx and Lenin.
"Before us Communists of the whole world stands the task of seeing to it, through the work of our own party, that every possibility is blocked for the bourgeoisie to demagogically deceive the masses disappointed in reformism. We
72 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
must win the proletariat on the basis of the united front for revolution, for the struggle for Soviet power.
" [After the mid-day recess, Harry Politt of Great Britain, opened the evening session. Henri Barbusse appeared in the hall, was greeted with a burst of applause and took a seat in the Praesidium. Pieck continued his report:]"
"CAPITALISM DEEPLY SHAKEN
"The capitalist system is shaken to its foundations by the development of the general crisis of capitalism, by the increasing revolutionization of the toilers, and by the symptoms of political crisis in many countries.
"The Soviet Union is exercising increasing influences on the development of the emancipation struggle of the -world proletariat and oppressed peoples. Here is an expression of the victory of Socialism in one country that leads to the victory of Socialism in the whole world. From the victory of socialism we draw the certainty that our influence on the toiling masses of the whole world will grow tremendously fast.
"But the capitalist system does not leave the stage of world history without a fight. It is weakened, but it has succeeded in getting out of the bottom of the trough of economic crisis. But despite the growth of war armaments it has not yet attained a pre-crisis level. In most countries there prevail evident tendencies to the further prolongation of the depression; the short-lived increase in production is unequal in various countries, and the industrial difficulties will most likely be accompanied by new onsets of the economic crisis."
"BELIEF IN CAPITALISM UNDERMINED
"The belief in capitalism is undermined among wide masses of people and the authority of the imperialists is weakened in the colonies. In a very tangible manner the situation shows the masses the contrast between capitalism and socialism. In this situation the indignation of the masses against the capitalist regime must grow rapidly and the struggle of the oppressed against their oppressors intensify quickly. The whole development of capitalism drives toward the maturing of the revolu- tionary crisis.
"The power of the bourgeoisie is tottering more and more because its reformist social basis is shaky and disappearing. Therefore it must, in more and more coun- tries, out of necessity and not of its own free will, go over from parliamentary to Fascist methods for ensuring its rule. But Fascist dictatorship intensifies the con- tradictions of capitalism, exceptionally intensifies the war1 danger and at the same time must produce an intensification of the anti-Fascist movement in all countries where the remnants of parliamentary democracy still remain. Our slogan is the struggle against Fascism."
"WAR CAN BE AVOIDED
"We are convinced that by a joint struggle of the proletariat in the capitalist countries and in the Soviet Union war can be avoided. If this should not succeed, war will bring unspeakable misery to all the toilers. It will lead to the open clash of all the contradictions of the imperialist system and bring the toilers of all coun-
1935 REPORT or SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 73
tries and whole peoples to the highest intensification of class struggles. The task of the proletarians of the whole world will be to fight together with the Red Army against the bourgeoisie for the victory of the revolution, for the transformation of the imperialist war into a civil war. No social order jails by itself, no matter how rotten it may be. It must be overthrown.
"It is our task to organize the toiling masses rising against capitalism into a resolute revolutionary army of the proletariat and to lead the latter to the storming of capitalism. Our World Congress must mobilize the will of all proletarians for the elimination of splits in the working class and for the establishment of a wide united front of struggle against the capitalist offensive of Fascism and war. It must show the proletariat the way to a unified revolutionary party on the firm basis of Marxism-Leninism. The demand of our Congress is the consolidation of the Com- munist Parties as the leaders in the struggle for Soviet Power.
"The world situation is extremely tense. Any day may place before us the necessity of putting ourselves at the head of the movement of millions for their emancipation. We Communists show the masses that the only way out is the way of Soviet Power. We enter the struggle for freedom, peace, bread, Soviet Power and Socialism. Our main slogan is the fight for Soviet Power. Our banner is the banner of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. The leader of the world proletariat is Stalin. Communists! Weld the revolutionary class into a single army of millions. (Pro- longed applause.)"
All emphasis shown by italics in quoted sections of the foregoing chapter is by the editors and is emphasized for the purpose of calling the special attention of the reader to those sections of the quotations.
ACTION FOLLOWS "THEORY" TRAINING "The Workers Must Arm Themselves with Revolutionary Theory
"We Communists are people of action. Ours is the problem of practical struggle against the offensive of capital, against fascism and the threat of impe- rialistic war, the struggle for the overthrow of capitalism. It is precisely this prac- tical task that imposes upon the Communist cadres the obligation to equip them- selves with revolutionary theory. For, as Stalin, that greatest master of revolu- tionary action, has taught us, theory gives those engaged in practical work the power of orientation, clarity of vision, assurance in work, confidence in the triumph of our cause.
"But real revolutionary theory is irreconcilably hostile to any emasculated theorizing, any futile toying with abstract definitions. Our theory is not a dogma, but a guide to action, Lenin used to say. It is such theory that our cadres need, and they need it as badly as they need their daily bread, as they need air, water.
"Revolutionary theory is the generalized, summarized experience of the revo- lutionary movement. Communists must carefully utilize in their countries not only the experience of the past but also the experience of the present struggle of other detachments of the international labor movement. However, correct utilization of experience does not by any means denote mechanical transposition of ready-made forms and methods of struggle from one set of conditions to another, from one country to another, as so often happens in our Parties. Bare imitation, simple
74 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
copying of methods and forms of work, even of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in countries where capitalism is still supreme, may with the best of inten- tions result in harm rather than good, as has so often actually been the case. It is precisely from the experience of the Russian Bolsheviks that we must learn to apply effectually, to the specific conditions of life in each country, the single inter- national line; in the struggle against capitalism we must learn pitilessly to cast aside, pillory and hold up to general ridicule all phrase-mongering, use of hack- neyed formulas, pedantry and doctrinairism.
"It is necessary to learn, to learn always, at every step, in the course of the struggle, at liberty and in jail. To learn and to fight, to fight and to learn. We must be able to combine the great teaching of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin with Stalin's firmness at work and in struggle, with Stalin's irreconcilability, on matters of principle, toward the class enemy and deviators from the Bolshevik line, with Stalin's fearlessness in face of difficulties, with Stalin's revolutionary realism."
From pages 48-49-50— "The United Front Against Fascism and War," by G. Dimitroff.
THEORY IN ACTION — WAR Taken from "How the Soviet Union Helped Spain" by Harry Cannes.
"The guiding principle of the U. S. S. R. in defense of revolutionary Spain and its ... government was expressed in the burning words of Joseph Stalin to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Spain when the most fateful battle for Madrid was raging.
"On October 16, Comrade Stalin wired to Jose Diaz, Secretary of the Spanish Communist Party:
" 'The toilers of the Soviet Union only do their duty when they give all the aid within their power to the revolutionary masses of Spain.' " P. 5-6.
"Pravda, central organ of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, spoke out:
" 'The working people of the world cannot remain indifferent and keep silent when the fate of the Spanish people is being decided and when the mercenaries of Franco are trying to annihilate the free people of Spain with bayonet, bullet, bomb and hunger.
" 'The brave Spanish people turn their eyes toward the Soviet Union. In our struggle for socialism the Spanish people find their strength, inspiration and energy.'
"For the first time in their history — during this bitter civil war with reaction trying to overthrow the legitimate government — Spain and the Soviet Union ex- changed ambassadors. In both countries the envoys were greeted with joy and enthusiasm, with firm pledges of the closest ties and unbreakable co-operation." P. 15.
SOVIET MASSES ACT
"Meanwhile, the Soviet toilers were giving 'all the aid within their power to the revolutionary masses of Spain.'
1935 REPORT OF SOVIET ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES 75
HOW THE SOVIET UN ION
HI IPS SPAIN
by HARRY CANNES
(Taken from— "How the Soviet Union Helps Spain," by Harry Cannes)
76 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"Never since the October Revolution were the masses of Russia so thoroughly aroused, so aware of the danger to the Spanish people and to world peace.
"True, the Soviet masses held monster mass meetings in behalf of Spain. They collected huge sums. They did everything in their power to help Spain defeat fascism. By October 2, the toilers in the Soviet Union had collected $10,000,000 for Spain. The women of the U. S. S. R. had sent $2,000,000 in food and clothing for the Spanish women and children. A number of boatloads of food had been openly sent." P. 20.
"The Soviet Union never denied it sent thousands of tons of food, clothing and medical supplies. It denied that arms were sent.
"After the Soviet Union's dramatic and effective action in London, the world press reported that the Spanish government received new shipments of arms from many sources, undoubtedly facilitated by the Soviet Union's exposure of the action of the fascist powers and its encouragement of sources capable of supplying arms.
"The Soviet Union strove almost alone at first to end the non-intervention farce as the quickest way of supplying the greatest amount of arms to Spain.
"The position of the Soviet Union was perfectly grasped and enthusiastically greeted in Spain by every anti-fascist group." P. 37.
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS
IN STUDYING Communist activities in this country, one finds that there are hun- dreds of affiliated and sympathetic groups giving aid to a program having as its objective, the overthrow of the United States form of government. Practically all of these groups are fully aware of the objectives of Communism. In fairness, however, it must be said that certainly, some of our church leaders lending moral support to the Communist cause, must not be in possession of the full and complete facts concerning the objectives of these subversive groups, because the first of the Communist objectives is "hatred of God and all forms of religion." It is almost impossible to list in full all of these affiliated and sympathetic groups, because new ones are being formed daily and the names of old ones are being changed daily. The compilers of this publication, however, have only mentioned in this chapter those groups which are proven to be supporting the Communist cause, and this evidence is in the files of the National Americanism Commission of The American Legion.
While discussing sympathetic and affiliated groups it is interesting to note the following paragraph taken from " Political Education the Communist Party, Inter- national Publishers," "Today, in addition to candidates, the Party is organizing groups of sympathizers. This is all that active mass which has come very close to the Party, which stands on the threshold of the Party and acts under the direct leadership and according to the directive of the Party. Sympathizers are those who are the Communists of tomorrow."
THE AMERICAN FUND FOR PUBLIC SERVICE, INCORPORATED (Better known as the Garland Fund)
There are three sources of information concerning the Garland Fund. The first is Report 2290, United States House of Representatives; second, the report of William Green, President of the American Federation of Labor to the United States Government, and third, the reports issued by The American Fund for Public Service, Incorporated, itself.
The following quotation is taken from Report 2290:
"The American Fund for Public Service (Inc.), located at 2 West Thirteenth Street, New York City, generally known as the Garland fund, has helped to keep alive the American Civil Liberties Union, International Labor Defense, the Com- munist legal defense committee headed by J. Louis Engdahl, the Workers' Com- munist School in New York City, and the Pioneer camps, as well as the Daily Worker and many other Communist and advanced Socialist and radical and ultra- radical organizations. This fund, in an original amount of about $900,000, was established in 1922 by a rich son of a Massachusetts industrialist and increased in amount, due to enhanced values of the stock — First National Bank of the City of New York— held by the fund, up to nearly $2,000,000."
The directors of the Garland fund are: Roger N. Baldwin, Robert W. Dunn, Morris L. Ernest, Lewis S. Gannett, Benjamin Gitlow, Clinton S. Golden, James Weldon Johnson, Freda Kirch wey, Clarina Michelson and Norman M. Thomas.
77
78 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
From President William Green's report, the following is taken:
"In April, 1923, the American Federation of Labor issued a statement calling public attention to the operations of the Garland Fund, citing the character of the work and those agencies which it helped and stating the methods which it had taken to discover these facts. Repeated re-examination of the situation has shown no reason to change anything said in that statement of 1923. The Workers' Educa- tion Bureau, an institution affiliated with the American Federation of Labor, had, for the specific purpose of securing an authentic statement of the policies of the Garland Foundation, and with the full knowledge of the American Federation of Labor, applied for financial assistance. The application was filed on February 25, 1923, and an answer was received on March 26, 1923. The trustees of the Garland Foundation, over the signature of Mr. Roger Baldwin, stated:
" 'At last we came to the consideration of workers' education at our meeting on March 21. In view of the report we had from Stuart Chase, the Board defined its policy in dealing with such applications in the following language :
" 'The American Fund for Public Service (Inc.) in its support of labor educa- tion, shall favor those organizations and institutions which instill into the workers the knowledge and the qualities which will fit them for carrying on the struggle for the emancipation of their class in every sphere.
" 'As it seems to us pretty clear that the work of the Workers' Education Bureau does not come within this definition, we came to the conclusion that we could not make the appropriation you request. We do not see our way clear to financing any enterprise except those definitely committed to a radical program of the char- acter indicated in that resolution.'
"The American Federation of Labor said:
" 'It is thus made clear by Mr. Baldwin's letter that the American Fund for Public Service is interested in the promotion of "education" only when a revolu- tionary purpose is to be served.'
"Then, as during the intervening time, the board of trustees has been partly Communist and partly non-Communist, but always sufficiently Communist to throw the influence of the Garland wealth in that direction. Among the trustees during the latter years have been such well-known Communists as Robert W. Dunn, Benjamin Gitlow, Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and Freda Kirchwey. Institutions which have benefited by the Garland Fund are the Federated Press, whose Washington representative has been likewise the representative of the Soviet Telegraphic Agency; the pro-Communist 'Labor Action.' Brookwood College has likewise been a bene- ficiary to the extent of roughly $200,000.00. The Fur Workers' Union of New York City, which has been in constant turmoil because of Communist inroads and which the American Federation of Labor has been compelled to completely reor- ganize in order to destroy Communist control, was given $45,000.00. The struggle with Communism in this union continues to this day and there can be no doubt that a goodly portion of the trouble can be traced to the money given to the organi- zation by the Garland Foundation when Communists in that union were in the ascendancy.
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS 79
"One of the most ambitious projects of the trustees was the establishment of the 'Vanguard Press' in New York City, with a capital of $135,000.00. The 'Van- guard Press' has been assisted materially in other ways. The Garland Foundation has caused many studies to be made, the results of which have been published by the 'Vanguard Press,' along with a list of books literally filled with volumes helpful to the cause of revolution. The 'Studies of American Imperialism' was one of the studies thus conducted at a cost to the Fund of $35,000, while a series of 'Studies on Russia' cost $13,000. Such other institutions as the Committee on Militarism in Education, the League for Industrial Democracy, the American Civil Liberties Union, the International Labor Defense, the United Front Textile Com- mittee, the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, the Daily Worker and the New Masses have been beneficiaries. Practically all of these are operating at this time, continuing the spread of Communist propaganda and con- ducting subversive activities in whichever row is assigned to them by the Communist high command."
Following is a partial report of the loans and expenditures from the Garland Fund over a period of twelve years, as taken from their own records:
"TABLE OF GIFTS FOR TWELVE YEARS, 1922-1934 Including Cancelled Loans and Forfeited Bail
Periodicals and publications $ 479,344
Workers' education 352,902
Research 141,767
Legal defense 135,821
Educational propaganda 83,905
Negro agencies 74,594
Education for children 59,262
Civil liberty 53,851
Strike relief and publicity 94,965
Workers' health 36,043
Legislative campaigns 18,865
Birth control 13,456
Trade union organization 15,170
Fund for aid to individuals doing creative work 10,000
Producers' and consumers' co-operatives 46,267
Co-operative farm 2,500
Student delegation to Russia 350
Agricultural reconstruction in Russia 18,097
Loan fund to radicals in need..... 5,000
Workers' summer camps 6,750
Total : $1,648,909"
It is not difficult to understand how the Communist Party can carry on such a widespread series of activities when you see some of the sources of its income. Strangely many leading persons in this country have unknowingly helped to finance the very destruction of their own business by such contributions to Communism should revolution from this source ever come in the United States.
80 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"AMERICAN FUND FOR PUBLIC SERVICE
CHIEF ENTERPRISES AIDED DURING FOUR YEARS 1930-34
By Gifts
Brookwood Labor College, maintenance $50,000
American Civil Liberties Union, national office and branches, for special
campaigns and court cases 13,799
Gifts $11,938
Loans cancelled 1,861
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, special liti- gation 8,082
Publication of studies on American imperialism 4,204
League for Industrial Democracy, Chicago office, maintenance 4,000
Federated Press, maintenance: 4,000
International Publishers, for particular publications 3,194
Gifts : $2,500
Loan cancelled 694
Mooney-Billings campaign 2,780
Southern Summer School for Women Workers in Industry 2,858
Joint Action Committee, Paterson Silk Workers 2,000
By Cancellation of Loans
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, in settlement by part pay- ment of loan in 1926 strike 55,945
Associated Textiles, Inc., Minneapolis, uncollectible after securing judgment,
on original loan of $50,000 40,767
International Labor Defense, national office and branches, forfeited bail and
loans cancelled 37,239
Russian Reconstruction Farms, in settlement by part payment 18,097
Unity House, I.L. G. W. U., in settlement by part payment of $25,000 loan.... 6,750
League for Mutual Aid, for use as revolving loan fund 5,000
Independent Shoe Workers' Union, uncollectible ( no longer functioning) 2 ,800
II Martello Book Store, uncollectible (no longer functioning) 2,500
GIFTS
Four Years— July 1, 1930, 1934
(Figures in brackets indicate year during which gifts were made.) (Those marked * are loans and bail which were cancelled as gifts or uncollectible. Those marked ** are loans which were made by the American Liberties Union out of a revolving loan fund and cancelled as uncollectible.)
Total for four years $270,299.09
Workers' Education— Total 53,708.70
Brookwood, Inc., Katonah, N. Y.— For operating expenses 50,000.00
(1930-31— $15,000; 1931-32— $15,000; 1932_33_$10,000; 1933-34— $10,000)
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS
81
Seattle Labor College, Seattle, Wash.— For operating expenses ( 1930-3 1 ) 850.00 Southern Summer School for Women Workers in Industry — For operat- ing expenses (1930-31) 2,858.70
Legal Defense — Total 41,020.29
American Indian Defense Committee, Washington, D. C. — Toward ex- penses of litigation in behalf of Pueblo Indian titles to lands
(1930-31) 500.00
Eastman, Max, Croton-on-Hudson, N. Y. — Toward legal expenses in
receivership for Russian film aided by Fund (1933-34) 100.00
International Labor Defense, New York City.
1. *Fund's claim to bail bonds in Michigan cases waived (1932-33) 1,879.37
2. *Balance due on various loans cancelled (1933-34) 447.00
3. ** Various loans to national office and branches cancelled by
American Civil Liberties Union (1933-34) 2,058.30
4. *Forfeited bail (1933-34) 28,747.03
(In the Gastonia cases $18,247.03; Fred Beal, Pontiac, Mich., case $10,000; a North Carolina bond $500)
5. ^Forfeited bail guaranteed by the Los Angeles branch ( 1933-34) 1,051.35 Tom Mooney and Warren K. Billings Campaign:
1. National Mooney-Billings Committee, New York City (1930-31) 1,500.00
2. Mooney Molders' Defense Committee, San Francisco
(1930-31) 1,000.00
3. *Northern California Mooney-Billings Committee, loan of June
4, 1929, cancelled (1930-31) 250.00
4. **N. Y. Mooney-Billings Committee— Loan cancelled ( 1933-34) 30.00 Washington Conciliation Committee — Campaign on behalf of Centralia
prisoners (1930-31— $300; 1931-32— $100) 400.00
Periodicals and Publications— Total 13,611.37
American Civil Liberties Union, New York City — For the publication of
three pamphlets (1930-31) 542.00
Affiliated Summer Schools, New York City — Toward publication of
Syllabus on unemployment (1931-32) 30.00
Federated Press, New York City — For operating expenses (1930-31).... 4,000.00 II Martello Book Store, New York City— Loan of October 28, 1925,
cancelled as uncollectible (1933-34) 2,500.00
International Labor Defense, New York City — For publication of
pamphlet (1930-31) 150.00
International Pamphlets, New York City — For publication of six
pamphlets on economic and social problems (1930-31) 1,200.00
International Publishers, New York City — For publication of four books
on economic and social problems (1930-31) 2,000.00
*Balance on loan of March 29, 1926, cancelled (1930-31) 694.69
82
FACTS ABOUT ISMS
Series of Studies on Russia — Toward publication of 12 volumes
(1931-32) 150.00
Art Shields and Esther Lowell, Federated Press correspondents — For research and writing on industrial conditions in the South and West (1930-31) 500.00
Studies of American Imperialism — For publication and distribution of
two volumes (1931-34) 1,844.68
Civil Liberties— Total 13,841.40
American Civil Liberties Union, New York City:
1. Campaign against injunctions in labor disputes (1930-31) 2,500.00
2. Salary and expenses of field organizers for local civil liberties campaigns (1931-33) 5,296.29
3. Emergency case fund, for legal defense cases (1930-31) 2,850.58
4. Philadelphia Civil Liberties Committee — Operating expenses (1930-31) 500.00
**Loan cancelled (1933-34) 250.00
5. """Pittsburgh Branch— Loan cancelled (1930-31) 400.00
6. **Loan for Gastonia cases cancelled as uncollectible (1931-32).... 500.00
7. **Loan for Philippine sedition cases cancelled (1933-34) 450.00
8. **Balance in revolving fund contributed for future defense
purposes (1933-34) 511.09
Revolutionary Age, New York City — Legal defense against action by
Post Office authorities (1930-31) 583.44
Research— Total 4,360.99
Labor Research Association, New York City — For secretarial assistance for Scott Nearing in connection with a series of books on economics
(1930-33) 2,000.00
Studies of American Imperialism — Under direction of a special commit- tee; toward research for three studies 2,360.99
Educational Propaganda— Total 4,313.49
Anti-Imperialist League, U. S. A.— For reorganization (1930-31) 313.49
League for Industrial Democracy, Chicago office — For operating ex- penses (1930-31) 4,000.00
All Others— Total 139,442.85
* Associated Textiles, Inc., Minneapolis, Minn. — Balance of $50,000 loan of April 28, 1926, written off after suit as uncollectible; $9,232.63
paid by receiver (1933-34) 40,767.37
*Independent Shoe Workers' Union, New York City — Loans of June
12, 1930, and March 2, 1931, cancelled as uncollectible (1933-34) 2,800.00 Joint Action Committee, Paterson Silk Workers — For organizing cam- paign (1931-32) '. 2,000.00
*League for Mutual Aid, New York City — Loan contributed to per- manent loan fund (1933-34) 5,000.00
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS
83
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, New York City — For campaign for court cases for Negro rights (1930-31— $6,000; 1931-32— $582.76; 1932-33— $1,500) 8,082.76
*Russian Reconstruction Farms — Balance due on $21,015 loans of Jan. 7 and April 22, 1925, and $10,000 stock cancelled. ($12,918 repaid) (1933-34) 18,097.00
international Ladies' Garment Workers' Union, New York City — Part of $111,891.45 loan of September 30, 1928, cancelled in set- tlement (1930-31) 55,945.72
*Unity House (International Ladies' Garment Workers' Center) Forest Park, Pa.— Part of loan of October 28, 1925, cancelled in settle- ment ($18,250 repaid 1933-34) 6,750.00"
INTERNATIONAL WORKERS' ORDER
The International Workers' Order claims to be a fraternal sick and death benefit organization. It no doubt is, but, in carrying out its benefit program, we find a large percentage of the membership is either Communist or affiliated with Communist agencies. Financial assistance has on many occasions been provided for Communist Party programs and listed as given by the I. W. O.
Max Bedacht, who has long been an active Communist, is General Secretary of the International Workers' Order, with home office at 80 Fifth Avenue, New York City. Max Bedacht, according to government records, was director of the Com- munist Workers' School in New York City in 1930 and 1931.
According to the Sunday Worker, issue of January 17, 1937, the I. W. O. in its recent drive gained 29,864 new members, which brought the grand total member- ship, as of January 1, 1937, up to 127,332. This reported growth increase is, according to Daily Worker news stories, credited to the broad support given to strike and other labor disturbances.
Additional branch headquarters of the I. W. O. can be found at the following locations:
Chicago Office:
184 W. Washington Ave. Chicago, 111.
Boston Office:
5 Harrison Avenue Boston, Mass.
Detroit Office: 6432 Cass Avenue Detroit, Mich.
Philadelphia Office: 629 Chestnut Street Philadelphia, Pa.
Pittsburgh Office:
326 Fourth Ave., Room 31 Pittsburgh, Pa.
Cleveland Office: 942 Prospect Avenue Cleveland, Ohio
New Jersey Office: 40 Clinton St. Newark, N. J.
84 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
"THE AMTORG TRADING CORPORATION1 (According to U. S. Report 2290)
"The Amtorg Trading Corporation was chartered under the laws of the State of New York. In May, 1924, it was organized by the consolidation of the Products Exchange Corporation and the Arcos-America (Inc.), both under Russian control. The capital stock was $1,000,000, but, with the profits added, the capital invest- ment now is approximately $2,000,000. All of the stock of this corporation stands of record in the name of Peter A. Bogdanov, chairman of the board of directors of Amtorg, as trustee for the Bank of Foreign Trade of the Soviet Union. This bank is owned by the State Bank of Russia ; and the State Bank of Russia is owned by the Soviet Government. Not a share of the stock of this corporation is owned by its directors and officials. Every official of the corporation, except one, is a citizen of Soviet Russia.
"Victor Nogine was in charge of Russian purchases in this country just prior to the incorporation of the Amtorg Trading Corporation. Nogine was a Russian Communist. He organized a great number of strikes. He died in Moscow in May, 1924. The first chairman of the board of directors of Amtorg was Isaiah J. Hoorgin, who was succeeded, respectively, as chairman of the board, by Alexis V. Prigarin, S. G. Bron, and Peter A. Bogdanov, the present chairman. All were Russian Communists.
"These several chairmen of the board of the Amtorg Trading Corporation, before coming to America, held high positions in the Soviet Government and in the Communist Party. They were all Communists before coming to the United States. They conform to communistic requirements and rules while here. They have the right to avow their Communism when they return home.
"The Amtorg Trading Corporation is owned by the Soviet Government. The Soviet Government is under the Communist dictatorship. Well-known and trusted Communists are the controlling officials of Amtorg. Practically all of the various lines of Russian trade in America are through or with Amtorg. Other Russian corporations function, but Amtorg is the parent, and its approval must be had on American trade. The All-Russian Textile Syndicate of New York has for its main function the purchasing of American cotton for shipment to the Soviet Union. The Amtorg Trading Corporation built up a credit, as its officials state, with American banks and business interests, amounting to $80,000,000. Financial journals now state that Soviet Russia owes American business interests $170,000,000.
"The Soviet Government engages in foreign trade through its agents. The Amtorg Trading Corporation is a Soviet Government agency and wholly owned by that Government. Its business is conducted largely on a credit basis, with only $2,000,000 invested capital, and the commerce to America from Russia is only about one-third of the amount of the purchases in the United States. From 60 to 65 per cent of its business must of necessity be on a credit basis. In case of failure of the Soviet Government, or the repudiation by that Government, Amtorg's ability to pay would be gone. It would be in hopeless bankruptcy. It could stand on no higher ground nor have a better position than its principal. The creditors
iQuoted from 2290.
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS 85
of Amtorg would stand in exactly the same position as the creditors dealing directly with and having contractual relations with the Soviet Government.
"The committee hearings were begun in Washington, D. C., June 9, 1930. When Amtorg officials knew that it was to be investigated, a conference was called to outline the evidence to be offered this committee. Its high officials, including the chairman of the board, Mr. Bogdanoy; Vice-President John G. Ohsol, and its resident attorney, Mr. Michael, were present. The record discloses that it was the purpose to keep from this committee the evidence which might be damaging to Amtorg. A reading of the record will show that officials of that corporation were not frank and candid in answering questions, but were evasive, argumentative, and evidently sought to cover up rather than disclose the facts. In answering material questions, scarcely one of them was answered directly 'yes' or 'no.'
"They were unable to remember material facts or to remember important persons highly connected with the Amtorg organization. Some of these would have been important witnesses to your committee. Sixty-four employees left Amtorg from February 1, to July 15, 1930. Seven of these returned to Soviet Russia. In the same time 21 employees were transferred to other organizations. Your com- mittee had its first hearing in New York City on July 15, 1930, at which time Amtorg had 23 employees on vacation.
"Amtorg has brought a large number of Russians to this country, claiming that they were connected with its business; 66 in 1926; 171 in 1927; 220 in 1928; 552 in 1929; and the first half of 1930, 525 not including families. Visa matters of Amtorg are handled through its attorneys, Simpson, Thacher, and Bartlett. When a Russian desires to come to the United States a telegram is sent to Amtorg, and Amtorg then writes Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, and these attorneys inform the American Consul at Berlin that the man is all right. One witness states that no one could get a visa unless he has the approval of this firm of lawyers.
"The best inside view of Amtorg is given by Basil W. Delgass, who was three and a half years vice-president of Amtorg. He was born in Russia, was never a Communist, and he came to this country in 1926. Mr. Delgass resigned as vice- president of Amtorg July 23, 1930. He resigned of his own accord, although a month before he was advised to return to Russia. He is now under a death sentence in Russia, sentenced to be shot, and all of his property forfeited, he says, because he resigned from Amtorg and refused to return to Russia. With respect to the meeting of Amtorg officials, looking to the investigation by the Fish committee, Mr. Delgass says that statements were prepared which different officials should swear to, and, using Mr. Delgass's own language, 'I did not want to participate in perjury, as was done by Mr. Bogdanov and the others. All officials mentioned in the Whalen documents were in this meeting.' Delgass says there was a Communist organization in Amtorg, composed of the members who came from Moscow. A woman referred to as Comrade Liza, mentioned in the Whalen papers, was secretary of this organization. There was an American Communist organization in Amtorg. Bogdanov and the other officials denied knowing Comrade Liza, or that any such woman was in Amtorg. Mr. Delgass says everybody knew Comrade Liza. She
86 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
was secretary of the Communist organization in Amtorg, and she looked after the behavior of the Communist employees of Amtorg, and when they did wrong she reprimanded them. In this meeting preparatory to giving evidence before the Fish Committee the witnesses were told to say that they did not know Comrade Liza, that they never knew a woman of that name. They were told to say there were no Communist activities whatsoever in Amtorg. On the question of how Soviet citizens came to Amtorg and became its officials, they were told to say that they drew no salaries from Amtorg, and that they worked for other organizations with which they were connected in Moscow. The facts were, they were in the employ of and received their salaries from Amtorg.
"The Soviet citizens employed by Amtorg were required to send their children to the senior and junior Communist cell, where lectures were given by different members of Amtorg, and they were in charge of one of the members of the Com- munist Party, employed by Amtorg. The witness sent his son and daughter to this school in conformity to the rules of Amtorg. This rule, however, did not apply to American citizens.
"Doctor Sheftel came to the United States, pretending to represent the Russian Department of Health, but instead he taught a Communist school and was in con- stant touch with Amtorg officials. He was in the meeting in which the evidence was outlined to be given to the Fish committee relating to Amtorg activities and the Whalen documents.
"The witness says that collections were handled by Amtorg for the Passaic strike conducted by the Communists. He says collections were taken for various causes. There was a regular 2 per cent deduction from the salaries of the Soviet citizens. This was for 'professional needs.' Further deductions were made for 'State loans.' These amounted to two months' salary each year. The witness paid $14 per month for three months for a 'special fund.' He filed two receipts of the Amtorg Trading Corporation — one for $67 and one for $56. The first recited, it was for: 'Mosamtorg special, $14; F State Bank Sub. a/c $28; F Coop House member- ship, $25.' The last subscription of $56 was for 'F Sub a/c State Bank.'
"Two other Russian Communists, Piatakoff and Ossinsky, were slated as officials of Amtorg, but their communistic records were such that visas were denied them. Bogdanov and Ziavkin are the highest officials of the Amtorg Trading Cor- poration. They may be called the representatives of agents of the Soviet Govern- ment, but when the relative connection and importance of Amtorg is considered they approach the dignity of officials of that government.
"Both the present chairman of the board and the business manager of Amtorg were not only Communists, but revolutionists. They now say they are not Com- munists.
"A man does not ordinarily cease to be a Communist, and become a non- Communist, simply by saying so. These high officials hold their present positions as political appointments. They represent the Russian Government controls, and they are dictated to by Communists. Only by word of mouth have they ceased to be Communists. They were called upon to renounce Communism that they might enter the United States. In every question relating to Communism, where evasion
AFFILIATED AND/OR SYMPATHETIC GROUPS 87
could be had, they have availed themselves of it, but there was one test — the oath. Both refused to take the oath. They remained loyal to the communistic basic principle — atheism — in a disbelief of and a hatred for the Supreme Being; they still adhere to the first principle of Communism.' "
The official publication of Amtorg Trading Corporation is "Economic Review of the Soviet Union," published monthly by Amtorg. The New York office of Amtorg is 261 Fifth Avenue, New York, the San Francisco office is at 260 Cali- fornia Street and the Head Office for the U. S. S. R. is Amtorg, Sovietskaya Ploch- chad L, Moscow. Ivan V. Boyeff is U. S. Chairman of the Board of Directors.
FRIENDS OF THE SOVIET UNION
The Friends of the Soviet Union is one of the more active groups aiding in the dissemination of Communist propaganda in America today. According to infor- mation contained in report 2290, all officials of this organization must be Com- munists. Corliss Lament is National Secretary of the F. S. U., p. 3, D.W., 12/24/35. Elsie Trebst is the New England Organizer for the F. S. U., p. 2, D.W., 5/18/35.
The organization has for its purpose the raising of money to promote friendly relations with Russia, and continuously sponsors the showing of propaganda films depicting the merits of the Soviet system.
This organization took the initiative in the fight for official recognition of the U. S. S. R. by the United States government. It circulated petitions throughout the United States in an attempt to roll up at least one million signatures.
Another one of its major activities is the sponsoring of lectures for meetings in various cities throughout the country, which meetings, in the main, have been held in public school auditoriums. Within the past year it is noted that in the State of California, in the City of Los Angeles, action was taken by the school board to bar the use of American school rooms to these agents of foreign, un-American, subversive propaganda.
The official publication of the F. S. U. is Soviet Russia Today; published monthly at the same address given as headquarters for this group. It has units all over the United States and its headquarters is at 80 East Eleventh Street, New York City.
Friends of the Soviet Union in their January, 1935, meeting in Chicago an- nounced Eugene Bechtold and Prof. Frederick L. Schuman, University of Chicago, as speakers at the mass-meeting memorializing the assassination of Kirov, of Moscow. February, 1935, they featured Scott Nearing, Communist ousted from the party for insubordination, and Anna Louise Strong, associate editor of the "Moscow News," then in the United States on a lecture tour. Vol. 9, No. 7, V., 2/13/35.
INTERNATIONAL LABOR DEFENSE
The International Lab,or Defense is the subordinate organization in the United States to the International Red Aid in the U. S. S. R. The official publicity organ for the I. L. D., is the Labor Defender, issued monthly at 80 East Eleventh Street, New York City. The I. L. D. was formed in 1925, according to the report 2290,
88 FACTS ABOUT ISMS
as a Communist organization, to defend class war prisoners, and for the repeal of all sedition and criminal syndicalist laws. In this connection, it is interesting to note that the I. L. D., along with the A. C. L. U., led the fight in