The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 5, 1924, Page 10

ee a Objective Conditions and Shop Nuclei *=== XPZSRIENCE and Idstory preves that the strength of a Coim- munist organization lies fn the pre dominance of the proletarian men- bers within its ranks. Thore is abundant proof of this. Tar not the Communist International time and again rebuked the weakness ow ‘te Italian and Bulgarian Communist Parties because of the virponder- ance of peasant ewments4 Zino- viev has more than once indicated the advantage that the German Communist party hag in the vast number of proletariang within ‘es ranks, even tho that party has been criticized for not develcping its shep nuclei activities more rapidly. The Grave Digger of Capitalism. But this is no argumaént agaist the most intcnsive campaigng «and activities among the peasant maseep —in the United States the oprress- ed tenant and dirt farmers. Uom- rade John Pepper and ethers hears shown the necessity of, the work ef the American party in the agrarian sections of the country. In a coan- try that is half industrial and half agrarian in its population, facng realities, there is no doubt whero the activities of the Communists must be directed. Yet the work among the industrial workera tmust pre- dominate, The grave diggers of capitaltet society will be the proletariat, the unskilled workers created by the capitalist mode of production. Marx did not quibble about that. It is true that the peasantry and the aristocracy of labor (the © skilled workers) might act as the pfll bearers and the undertaker, Lut the most important function bglongs te the lowest stratum of exploited workers, the proletariat, those who in the United States work %& the basic industries. This is nothing new for the Con.- munist movement in the Utted States. For more than once has the slogan been issued, to the masses of workers! But the party has been laboring under handicaps imposed by an antiquated organizational structure that has prevented it from reaching the very section of tha working class that must be relied upon as the motive force of reye- lution. Why? Because of the in- herent development of cayitalist socicty, the massing of large num- bers of workers in industry and the Gisfranchisement of a vast number ef these workers. Then, too, those unorganized workers have been for- bidden the right and the means to organize in defensive economfe or- ganizations, trade and iodustrial unions. Shop Nuclei Necessary. Jehn Edwards, in his article on “Shop Nuclei—The Only Road to a Mass Communist Organization.” shows how the present structure of the party is incapable of enlisting the great number of unorganized workers and why the major part of our work reaches those organized into trade unions, for the ‘most part the better skilled workers. It would be well to direct our at- tentions to objective conditions in the United States so far as shop nuclei er organization is concerned. Hero- tefore, discussion has been on the eonditions within the party; a neo- essary ssion. The problem of shop nucle! deale mainly with the basic industries and the factories. There are according to the latest census some 12,000,000 factory workers (men and women engaged in manufacture). There is a total of 290,105 manufacturing establishments, divided as follows, outside of 179,676, which employ very few or no workers: No. of No. of Workers Factories 6 to 20 workers......566,208 21 to 50 workers......25,379 51 to 100 workers......12,405 . 101 to 250 workers.. 10,068 251 to 500 workers.... «. 3,599 501 to 1,000 workers...... 1,749 1,000 to 50,000 workers or more workers........... 1,021 The number of tactories employ- ing over 1,000 workers has ie double since 1914. Except many, there not a capitalist peers! in 97 cna yo 80 propitious a grou industry for the formation of shop nuclei as the United States. It is conceded that there are difficulties in the matter of foreign born workers. But United States shows that the bweic industries have been the magneta for the concentration of varia Ps within particular sections of the country. However, politically, the workers have been divorced from their natural industrial concentre- tion, and as a result some have los ei in the basi¢ industries such as mining, iron and stecl, meat pack- ‘og and clothing, 60 to 70 per cent ate foreign born. It can be said unequivocably that the protection of the foreign born workers in the United States is a problem of more than inmmediate importance for the Communist movement. How can our party best meet this duty? “‘Charlie’’ Likes Movies Better that will be taken up later, The industrial development of the REAO THIS; LEARN MORE Ano TALK LESS’ ™ ~ ws \ ws 8 eine — SE 3 Se ee @) tude sight of the shop as the basis for agitation. Party Must Be Mobile Force. mobile force. It must be quick to act im emergencies; and its cam- paigns, based on the immediate as well as the ultimate needs of the working class, must be pushed with the specd that is commensurate with the change and crises of the dally struggles. Ilistory has deveieped - type of organization as a result of: L The industrial developme? of the capitalist system and the ten- dency to employ more and more workers under ore roof or tn one group, and, 2. The political formations asa- sumed by working class power, typ'- fed by the shop councils (soviets). It is impossible to conceive of the ultimate success of the Communist program, or even of lasting com tinued favor with the masses of the workers in the matters of every daz campaigns, without some form of mass political organization with its basic units in the shop. A Communist party based on the nuclei principle particulery has the advantage, among other things, of the facility with whieh decisions from the central executive committee are passed down to the besic organizational units which ere in censtant touch with the masres of workers—limited only by the size of our organization. Decisions and instructions, in this way, ate transmitted with effect. Within the American party we face a bi shop question when discusmng shop naclei—our language federe- tions But when the shop nuclei estion is understood in tion. to @ subjective conditions of the , party and the objective facts of our industrial and political situation, we find that the formation of shop nuclei is the greatest help for the attainment of the ends ht by our federations in harmony. % the central executive committee of the Foreign Workers Predominate, A Communist Party must be a In its shop nuclei resolution, just adopted, the Communist Interna- tioual rightly states:. “Under the reformist policy of the socin:-democratic parties, which en- the bourgeois government by means of the ballot box, it was natural that attention should be chiefly di- rected to the ofganization of voters, The organization, therefore, was hased upon el€ctoral divisions ard! reeident:al areds.” So far 2s organization structure is concerned our present party is a whole-cloth inheritance of the so- cialjst party. Our only difference, is district crganizations based on pages: territorial divisions, which a weak concession to the needed complete reorganization and organi- vation on tha shop nuclei basis. Hunger-Revolt. You risk to eat when we are hungry? Bags are sheding. by silver-utensils. Are throwing valuables e ‘ 35 into 522225 Sieppihh Bincetss ome aN ee cnatcciantial te ase eee feazvered to exert an influence upon. F FEF or? g | | i What does our present form or organization mean to the foreign born comrades within our ranks and those who are not in our organiza- tion but who are miserably exploit- ed cn the job? The foreign born section of ooF topulation cast 11 per cent of the total vote in the last national elec- tion, which means 89 per cent of them are disfranchised. Any ¢r- ganization based, as the Communist Intcrnational says, on the “organi- zation of the voters” is preventod m carrying on real Communist activities. And the foreign born workers suffer mostly thru the in- effectiveness of our present organi- zation structure. Our foreign born comrades, therefore, should be in the front rank in the demand for a sensible, yet rapid, organization and reorganization of the party on the basis outlined by the Commun- ist International—the shop nuclei. Unifmpaired Language Groups. Would the shop nuclei impair the necessary work among the language groups of workers within the indus- tries? An examination of facts prompts an emphatic “Nol” In the needle trades, for example, we find a preponderance of Jewish and Italian workers. The change would in no way interfere with better and mare effective Communist language ‘work within the needle industries. We find Poles and Negroes almost exclusively employed in the Chicago stock yards. How will this inter- fere with the aims of our present federations? Will it not be rather the best means of advancing these Communist aims? The steel indus- tries and the mining camps are but a few other examples that carry out this idea. The best interests of the foreign bern workers can be protected on the job where they are bitterly ex- ploited. and where they completely lark direction and organization. It is for the Communists to give: these real proletarians leadership; and that can best be done in a Com- munist manner by transforming our Lasic organization unit to the shop. Summing up: We find that objec- tive conditions in the United States offer monumental arguments for the shop nucleization of our party. Iicw shall that be done? What shall be our first step? That re- quires a special article. First of all we must recognize our problem, ac- cept and understand the principle, The working out of the details is net such a hard matter. If our comrades persist in offering objec- tions to the shop nuclei organiza- tion no plan will work, for that tian will be directed to comrades who are not yet convinced of the feasibility and the superiority of the type of organization that made the Kussian revolution successful and will be more than instrumental in assaring the permanency of the com- ing German revolution. By OSKAR KANEHL Panes are clinking on the pavement, Rashly pushed in by hunger-fists. Cases are breaking. Boxes are flying. ’ Hunger-hands are raking in Unfeeling fingers are grasping for things, which else are only cautiously served 2 , away, eyes, hands and feet. Fit lial ul Tif | | : i