The Party Unemployment Drive dling memberships for its spectacular de monstrations and sorties against breadlines and relief agencies. THOMAS STAMM.
illusion of the workers that the crisis 18 only temporary that they have only to hang on and weather the storm. prosperity will return. Until the party grasps this, it will never be able to understand why the members of its Unempioyed Councils, men, many of them, with no economic resources whatsoever, who eat bread lines, have no homes and sleep in flophouses, are not only not militant but apathetic.
And until the party attacks and with the help of events, destroys this illusion, it will call, in its unemployed Councils, upon dwin(Note: This article, written by a comrade of the eft Opposition who is very active in the work of the New York Unemployed Councils, is to be followed by others in coming issues. The next articles will deal with other phases of the problem: the condition of the Unemployed Councils, the turn in the party policies etc. etc. Ed. dead.
Now Ready for Shipment LEON TROTSKY THE PERMANENT REVOLUTION 210 pages of scintillating argument Paper cover. 500 on a much disputed question Cloth bound 00 PIONEER PUBLIISHERS, 84 East 10th Street, New York City Organization Notes MILITANT SUB DRIVE Contributions received since last report are as follows: 2, 000 1, 750 above 1, 500 The course pursued in the past period highly exaggerated the numbers who atby the party in its work among the un tended.
employed is rich in instructive material. There was a third tactic by which the survey of a number of its outstanding party sought to escape the consequences of features will be of help to the movement its false etsimate and incorrect policies in orientating itself in the future.
From demonstrations against municipal govAt the beginning of the struggle for ernments, the party leaped over the state the unemployed stood the philosophy of the governments and demonstrated against the third period which though federal government on February 10. It was revisits our press from time to time. repulsed. recoiled and demonstrated is When the crisis came, the American theor still demonstrating in isolated, unco ordineticians came forward and from the bastated hunger marches against state governard philosophy of the third period fished ments. This strategy is manifestly incorout as a basis for the party work the rect. From demonstrations against city absurd contention of a widespread, deep governments, the movement should have going radicalization of the American work risen with the increasing depth of the ing class. They were followed by the tac crisis, misery of the masses growing or ticians and from the above premise were ganizational strength, to a higher political made the following deductions about un plane, in demonstrations against state govemployment: ernments. And as these factor grew epace, The Stalinist Analysis the movement hould have been brought to a climax in a tremendous demonstration In a period of such radicalization, the workers are ready for action on the pollagainst the national government.
tical plane and those whose misery is great But this is precisely what the party est, the unemployed, on the highest politi could not afford to do. It would have been cal plane. The lever which can set them to reyeal in a harsh light the feebleness of immediately into motion on this plane is its influence, the ineffectualness of its specthe issue of unemployment insurance. This tacular campaign and as a conclusion, the will be the central slogan of our unem falsity and absurdity of its estimate. Yet ployment work, the fight for unemployment this essentially correct strategy which the insurance from the city, state and party did not follow is claimed for it by tional governments. With the workers ready Wagenknecht in the March 26, 1931 Issue for action on this plane, it is unnecessary of the Inprecorr. In his article The to win influence over them by patient, day. Struggle Against Unemployment in the to day, elementary educational and organi be deliberately creates the impreszational work in proletarian neighborhoods, sion, by inference, that this was the straamong the broad masses of workers of het tegy followed by the party.
erogeneous races, trades and varying de This strategy has not been discussed in grees of political development. We can the party press. All articles of criticism plant our banners almost anywhere and aud (valuation ignore it. Why? Is it be workers will rally around them. We have cause the party considers this strategy only to call and the radicalized workers manifestly correct? Then why does Wagenwul come. The greater their misery, knecht try to create the impression that prompter will be their response to our sum another strategy was used? Or is there mons and the more radicalized they will something to conceal, some weakness in it be. We can recruit them from broadlines known to the leadership which discussion flophouses, relief agencies, etc. The work would reveal? Are they not silent, rather, ers will come but they are unorganized; we because, foreseeing failure for the fight for must be ready for them.
unemployment insurance on the basis on In the equatorial jungles of Guiana, which it was conducted they arranged this there are trees whose upper branches, closestrategy to provide a back door out of ly pressed by the surrounding vegetation, which to draw the body of the movement send down air roots which dangle they almost wrecked? What other explanaground, swaying in the air currents. After tion is there?
this model the party organized its unemThis program of demonstrations covered ployed apparatus. Before it numbered a more than a year, during wbich the roots hundred memployed workers under its insent down from the national center took fluence in the fight for unemployment inno hold in the masses and are today still surance, it established a National Unemswayed by whatever bureaucratic current ployment Council which today, like the blows. third period and other inventions, is a The result in terms of relief and unsensitive memory. From this center, it emplolyment insurance is almost zero. The sent down instructions to the party and apparty claiming one million unemployed in peals to the masses to organize into district New York City points with pride to the unemployed councils on the basis of the million dollars appropriated by the city for fight for unemployment insurance. Such unemployment relief, following its October was the air root procedure.
16 demonstration. Yet, Wagenknecht, writing in the Daily Worker on March 7, 1981, Nor were these councils deliberately can say: We fail to take cognizance of our located in proletarian neighborhoods, where achievements! Other achievements in this upon the application of correct policies and direction even of the same microscopic natactics, they could have taken root and ture there are none.
grown into a genuine mass movement. They were established on the principle of organThe Decline of Support izational convenience. For the most part Politically, the party can justly claim they are located in the headquarters of one victory. By its demonstrations and party organizations a few of which are sit agitation it forced the issue of unemployuated in working class residential neigh ment and its magnitude upon the consciousborhoods, and the greater number of which ness of all classes. Otherwise, the year are not. At the same time, the party was represents a minus. On March 6, 1930, the mobilized, the cadres were sent into the party claimed it mobilized a million and a councils and from there to the breadlines quarter workers in its demonstrations for and flophouses to recruit radicalized unemployment insurance, etc. in its Febworkers to fight for unemployment insur ruary 25, demonstrations for essenanct.
tinlly the same demands it can claim only The strategy of this fight was of nec four hundred thousand. Both figures, of essits derived from the untrue estimate of course, are highly exaggerated and intended a wide spread, deep going radicalization of for Moscow consumption. Incredible as it the masses. had, therefore, the impossi may seem, this tremendous loss in influence ble task of producing results commensurate is made to prove the very opposite. Earl with that estimate. Any attempt to do so Browder, in the Daily Worker of March 6, would inevitably reveal the contradiction 1931, says: Superficial examination can between the estimate of such a radicaliza easily make a case to show that the move tion and the results possible in such a ment has declined since March of last period, and the party feeble influence over year. But we must look beneath the the masses and consequent failure to pro surface, examine the realities and judge duce such results. Such failure would re the quality, the fighting power of the movesult in loss of prestige and influence of ment. Such an examination must, with Communism over the masses. Moreover all allowances for serious weaknesses in the strategy was to be applied at that stage the movement, register a decisive advance of the crisis when it was descending swift in the year. So! loss of sixty seven ly to even lower depths. The contradiction percent in revolutionary capital is now ofbetween estimate and results would there fered to us as a decisive advance. fore be emphasized sharply and more quick Nor has the party succeeded, it ly revealed. This factor imposed the claims in expansive moments, in disillusion.
strategy be used the task of producing ing the American masses about the willingquick results ness of American talism to relieve The Party Demonstrations their misery. This is a curious and interThe strategy used against this impend esting point. To some extent the party ing and, under the circumstances, inescap has demonstrated the anti working class saable disaster sought to hide this contra ture of police, courts and municipal and diction. Action on the political plane made state governments and their relief agencies.
the attempt possible. For quick results the To a larger extent this disillusionment has party decided on demonstrations. To hide been the simple result of workers putting the feebleness of its influence, the party. two and two together. But neither the made the demonstrations spectacular and party nor events have removed that basic 250 New York (M. Engel) 00 New York (Capelis) 00 New York (Lankin) 00 New York (Burns) 00 New York (Berman) 10. 00 Youngstown 50 Kansas City 17. 00 1, 000 750 500 44. 50 Previously 857. 00 reported 250 Total to date 901. 50 In the subscription drive the Chicago branch is still maintaining its lead with a fairly good mragin. Its total number of subs collected up to date of going to press is 44. However, it will now face a serious contest from the New York branch which has begun to get real busy during the last week and a half and as brougt its total up to 30 subs.
The next branch in order of subs turned in St. Louis wit 23 which is but a slight increase from the last report made.
The Minneapolis branch has remained static since the last report, its total collected not having reached above 22 subs. number of other branches have made a small beginning bringing the total of subs collected since the beginning of the drive up to 147.
This is entirely too modest an accomplishment particularly in view of the fact that the next issue of the Militant will begin the weekly publication. But if we are to take the splendid promises made by the New York branch seriously they should still get very close to reaching their total of 100 subs pledged before the drive concludes. In other words if the New York comrades keep their word they will by far outdistance Chicago, that is, provided Chicago does not meanwhile tighten up its forces and continue in the lead. Ho vever it by no means precludes that Minneapolis and St. Louis may still become serious contenders for the first prize.
PROGRAM OF EXPANSION CAMPAIGN In previous issues we have been able to announce that the accomplishments set for the Program of Expansion to be realized step by step are actually ahead of the amount of contributions collected. The Pioneer ublishers are now distributing literature on a more effective basis than we have been able to heretofore. The Wekly Militant, which we advanced to the second step begins definitely with the next issue, two weeks from today. comparison of the main contributions made on this Program by those branches who have maintained the lead may give a good deal of food for thought for those who are entirely too far behind. New York comes in as the best to date with a total of 451 collected. This is our biggest branch.
Minneapolis comes second with a total of 152 collected. Third in line is Kansas City, which is really our smallest branch with 100 collected. Then follows Boston with 40 collected, Montreal with 20, Chicago with 18, Toronto with 12, the balance being scattered amongst smaller branch contributions and individual contributions.
We are still 100 below the thousand dollar mark which is the minimum prerequisite to assure The Weekly Militant. We urge the comrades and sympathizers to speed up and complete this second step and then proceed onward.
REACTIONARY FANATICISM The Empros, official organ of the Greek Burean of the Communist party, is carrying on a campaign for 000 new subscribers. was asked by some Greek comrades to undertake getting a few subscriptions, since the nature my work brings me many acquaintances and into close contact with the Greek Workers and sympathizers in the Communist movement. In a short time, was able to get two subscribers and intended to get more, but my activity was unexpectedly upset by the disturbed nerves of a former Lovestoneite. You have no right to get subscribers for Empros. You are a Trotskyist, an enemy of the Communist International he told me in the real tone of the Stalinist bureaucrat. He said that was doing the work mainly in order to take advantage of it to propagate my counter revolutionary Trotskyism. So, in compliance with his command, had to return the subscription receipt book. sincere Greek comrade, more realistic than the other, showed some signs of discontent and disapproval and condemned his sectarianism. Listen, if you don agree with me, bring it up at the next Greek fraction meeting. this comrade was answered by the newly baptized Stalinist who happens to bear my name.
Chicago JAMES ECONOMOU as