THE COMMUNIST Make the Party a Party of action its interests and the maintainence To the members of the Communist Party: of its control of the party, rather situation has developed in the than from the broader stand point of building up a strong, unified Comparty which has compelled the Execumunist Party in this country.
tive Secretary, supported by district That within a month after the organizers and Executive Secretaries convention certain individuals of this of Federations and a minority of the Central Executive Committee, whose group, who largely controlled its actions, become more concerned with names appear below, to repudiate the the authority of the majority mem the question of obtaining for themselves junketing trips to Europe at the bers of the Central Executive Committee in order to prevent the dis party expense than with any interest of the party.
ruption of the party.
This statement is submitted to pre That Comrade Andrew, after sent the facts to the membership and his designation as one of the deleto enlist their co operation in an ef gates who were to go to Europe if fort to preserve the Communist Party a Congress of the Third International of America against the destructive was held, began an intrigue to secure activity of the majority group of the party funds to enable him to go to Central Executive Committee.
Europe, although no evidence was The immediate cricumstances out at hand that a congress was to be of which the situation developed will held. Immediately after the Novembe made clear by the following state ber meeting he attempted to have ment submitted to the majority mem himself placed on the party pay roll bers of the Executive Council by the on the ground that he must go into Executive Secretary: hiding in order to be able to fulfill his mission. On three occasions, April 8, 1920.
through personal demands and STATEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE through emissaries, he attempted to SECRETARY TO THE MAJORITY secure funds from the Executive OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. Secretary, which were definitely refused by both the Executive SecreComrades: tary and the Executive Council, then At the meeting of the Executive located in Chicago. That in furtherCouncil on Tuesday withdrew from ance of these personal schemes Comfurtner participation in the meeting rade Andrew came to Chicago twice, when the Council made a decision and each time the money for these which considered an effort to boltrips was voted out of the party treasster up the control of a certain group ury the money for the last trip for in the Council at the expense of two members of the majority group creating a situation which might being voted out of the treasury by the result in the disruption of the party. majority group of the Central ExeBefore stating the course of action cutive Committee after it had been which it is my intention to pursue, refused by the Chicago Executive wish to review the circumstances Council. These efforts of Andrew which lead up to this situation.
culminated in his plan to leave the After the recent meeting of the country as an International Delegate Central Executive Committee oppos without authority of the party comition to the decisions of the majority mittee, in which plan, according to group of the committee developed in statements made before the Central the Chicago District. This movement, Executive Committee, certain memas expressed by the Chicago District bers of the majority group abetted Committee, which claims that it is but carrying out the wishes of the To secure funds for this unauthormembership of that district, was ized trip the party organizations were based on the following indictment of resorted to and a member of the Centhe majority group of the Central tral Executive Committee is charged Executive Committee: with having gone to Boston and rep1. That this majority group resented to the District Committee packed the Chicago convention that the Central Executive Committee through securing the election of had assessed the district 100 for about twice the number of delegates Comrade Andrew trip. Later Anrepresenting its viewpoint than any drew appeared and secured the momembership basis gave authority for, ney. Andrew himself confessed before and through its caucus controlled the the that he had secured convention and placed its members. money from party sources on the in control of the party. That since the convention this representation that a certain group considered the decisions of the govmajority group, in place of devoting its energies to building up the party, erning body of the party wrong and has been largely concerned with the therefore was raising funds for the trip as International Delegate conwork of maintaining its control and trary to the decisions of that body, has decided every question that has which funds would be repaid by the come before the Central Executive party should this group be proven Committee from the standpoint of right by events.
In spite of the fact that Comrade Andrew culpability was shown by the his own statement, majority group of which he has been a member has refused to even censure him, while on the other hand it has been quick to move against any member of the minority against whom the slightest pretext for action existed, notably in the Wicks case and the removal of Langley from the Executive Council At the January meeting of the Central Executive Committee this majority group was prevented from securing control of the Executive Council through an ultimatum from certain Federation representatives, who supported the former Chicago majority of the Council. This control, was, however, established by the re.
moval of Langley, which was part of the plan to further intrench the majority group. The contrast between the prompt action against Langley because he had missed two meetings of the Executive Council and the action in the Andrew case, who succeeded him as a member of the Council, is in itself the best kind of proof of the motives which govern the majority group. That since it has been in office the majority of the has been completely taken up with the forwarding of personal schemes and maintaining its control and have not taken any constructive action in the interest of building a stronger organization. At no time has the committee considered the question of propaganda policy and the relation of the party to the working class movement in this country. What constructive propaganda and organization work has been done in the party has been done by initiative of the Executive Council whtle in Chicago and not dominated by the present majority group, and by the Executive Secretary. That in dealing with the problems of re organization after the January raids and the liquidation of the legal organization this majority group has decided all questions on the basis of its continued control rather than from the standpoint of the best interests of the party.
Personally, am to a large extent in agreement with this indictment of the majority of the committee, but on the other hand believe that any movement of revolt against the majority group, shortly before a convention at which all elements within the party would have the opportunity to present their case and at which the party will be definitely reor.
ganized, cannot be justified, and would only result in the disruption of the party at a time when all our energies should be devoted to rebuilding our organization. went to Chicago with the purpose of presenting this viewpoint and convinced the committtee that the only course to pursue, no matter how bitter the opposition to the majority group of the and the opposition is bitter, was to go to the convention and fight for its viewpoint. him.