The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 26, 1924, Page 12

Emphasis on Communist Education of the Workers Party in order that the future activities in the U. M. W. A. can be even more positive and sreadi!y Lroadened, and the work of transforming the U. M. W. A, into a revolutionary organization © has- tened. Party Education Is Imperative. Political, organizational, industrial and Communist educational activity must go on simultaneously, in as close a degree and ratio to each other as is physically possible. Then our members will better understand and more surely carry out the Party’s political directives and other work. Even as the political influence of the Party is greater than its organ- izational strength, so also is the po- litical activity not sufficiently coun- tered by a corresponding Commun- ist understanding on the part of the members as a whole. In efforts to get out mass political propaganda, we have often run away from the mem- bers insofar as the mass of the mem- bers did not always comprehend clearly what the Party was trying to carry out. There was not sufficient clarity of the members on policy. The Labor Party policy, among Comrade Rebecca Grecht writes interestingly in the DAILY WORKER on the subject, “Communist Educa- tion—A Pressing Need.” Substan- tially, there can be little disagree- ment with her opinion that Commun- ist education has not been sufficienly emphasized and that there is a need of co-ordinating the various phases of Party: activity so that each bal- ances the other in a beneficial way. A big problem of the Party is to gather organizational strength. A strong organization campaign is es- sential. The Party has been carry- ing on political struggles beyond its organizational strength. It has gained much influence among sec- tions of the workers and farmers thru its political activity, especially in the campaigns for a mass Farmer- Labor Party and for the protection of the foreign-born workers. Its po- litical influence exceeds its organiza- tional strength. It is necessary there- fore that the Party gain more than it has organizationally from its political and industrial activities. Unless such an organizational strengthening is obtained, then the political value of the Party’s work is somewhat diminished. In Germany, for instance, the Communist Party carried on im- mense campaigns among the work- ers; its ideas dominated the masses, but recruits to the German Party in a corresponding degree were not ob- tained. The masses did not fully recognize that it was the Communist Party of Germany which was instru- mental in putting forward these ideas and slogans. Consequently, much of the work of the German Communist Party did not materialize in organ- izational gain. It did not receive the proper credit for its work. Much of the work must perforce, therefore, be done over again, in a measure, in or- der to turn the minds of the workers directly towards the German Com- munist Party as the genuine working class leader. Workers Party Dynamo of F.-L. P. The Workers Party has been, and is, the dynamic force behind the Farmer-Labor movement. This is recognized in a greater or lesser de- gree, but not sufficiently so. The emphasis of the Party has been on the campaign and propaganda by the Workers Party for the formation of a mass F.L. P. and not enough on the need of organizing the influence thus gained into the ranks of the Workers Party itself. Propagandi- cally, from the standpoint of gaining much influence for the Workers Party among the rank and file trades unionists and other workers, the July 3rd Conference in Chicago is an example. Leaving aside the question of the formation of the Federated Farmer-Labor Party, there can be no doubt that the Party enormously in- creased its prestige and influence. But passing events, the swift de- velopment of the Farmer-Labor move- ment, sweeping into its ranks many who formerly opposed such a move- ment, or were lukewarm toward it, have resulted in the Party not hold- ing entirely the influence obtained thru its farmer-labor party campaign. This is in part because the Party stressed the political necessity of a mass farmer-labor party, but not enough the role of the Workers Party _and the need of organizing those workers close to it into the ranks of the Workers Party. Because the Party placed foremost, it seems, the necessity of the formation of a farm- er-labor party and not enough of the W. P. itself, many noW accept the FL. P. movement, but do not see the positive role the Workers Party played in it. Today there are more who will stress the need for a huge organizational campaign by the Workers Party. ‘ Our Party played a tremendous role in the recent United Mine Workers Convention, It is necessary to or- ganize this influence into. member- ship into the Workers Party, Only the Communists, in the last analysis, can be depended upon. Many min- ers are very sympathetic to the ef- forts the Party comrades made at the U. M. W. A. convention. Strong at- tempts must be made to bring them into the Party and to acquaint them closely with the role and program others, is one. If there is to be a 100 per cent response from the mem- bership, they must fully know and understand what is wanted. The need of more intense Communist ed- ucation is hence, as Comrade Grecht says, obvious. The Two Forms of Education. Our educational work takes on, of course, the forms of internal educa- tion, or education within the Party, and external education, or education among the masses. With the latter we need not deal here, except to say that our propaganda among the masses must deal with the elemen- tary principles of the class struggle and the A B C of Communism. We must not speak above the heads of the members of our class who have, on the whole, never been affected by radical or revolutionary doctrines, but, on the contrary, have been poi- soned against them. But the problem and need of the education of the membership has reached a point where every possible action to satisfy this need must be taken. The level of Communist un- derstanding of the members must be raised; it must easily be above the understanding of those outside the Party, if the Party members are to make their influence felt among the sympathetic, neutral or non-partisan workers. Not only in America are we faced by this situation, but even in Russia the Party is confronted with the task of raising the cultural level of the nuclei (the Party politi- cal units) in order that they may dis- tinctly remain far ahead of the non- partisan elements. Of course, purely pedagogical means are not enough; for the raising of the Party intellec- tual standard is a political problem, which means that besides the inter- nal teaching mediums, the whole Party must carry out the Party tasks. Thus, thru schooling and struggle the level of Party under- standing is raised. Every member, then, must be drawn into Party life and made to understand that he is a necessary part of the Party organism. Bring Branch Discussions To Daily Questions. — There must be at the Party meet- ings, especially in the branches, more discussions on topics very close to the daily lives of the workers. The large political problems will interest the Party member, of course; but these must, further, be brought closer to his daily life and to the lives of other workers, The branches should have discussion by the members on life in the shop. Every member can and should speak five or ten minutes ANO + MADE THis SOUP AccoROING To THE REceipr OF KAUTSKyY | on conditions as he finds them in his shop and how it affects him and his fellow workers. These are matters which are close enough to him to un- derstand thoroly. This is always in- teresting. An effort should be made to develop more systematically the Communist education of the members. Theore- tical training will be obtained, in a large measure, thru ‘study classes, lectures, discussions on important current events, a study of the labor movement, its problems in this coun- try, etc. All branches must institute study, lecture, or shop nuclei classes. Whether the lecture, text books, or other methods will have to be em- ployed by a branch or shop nucleus will have to be determined by the local conditions’ and teaching facili- ties, but a strong effort must be made to increase the educational and teach- ing apparatus. It is to be hoped that the Party can institute soon District and National training schools where the selected comrades can go thru a course of Communist theory and prac- tice. One thing is certain, that not as much has been done as is possible, even with the physical limitations prevailing in the Party. Still, unless the Communist understanding of the members is increased in a much By MARTIN ABERN greater degree, the Party will find it- self greatly handicapped in its or- ganizational, industrial and political activity. Education Thru Class Struggle. Organizers and speakers who have visited the membership from coast to coast are frank to declare that not only must there be a greater intensi- fication of Communist educational ac- tivity, but that there must be car- ried on activity to make the members understand how to carry out even the elameatary and routine work of the Party. Yo build up the Party, to increase ifs political and other astivities, we must have a trained officialdom. Functionary training must be made a vital part of our education. ‘Organiza- tional and functional strength, trained officials, will be obtained thru actual work in carrying out the Party pro- gram and thru functionary classes to hasten the development ‘of trained officials, Functionary classes should be started wherever possible to teach the members how to handle meetings and other posts, large and small, in the Party. Each member should be assigned duties to perform with a view to building up the Party and learning thru’ work and experience the best methods of procedu.'e. Com- munist education, whether in theory or in training of Party functionaries, cannot be gotten just from text books. A theoretical training is essential. At the same time, we must recognize that one of our slogans is: Educa- tion, not only thru books, but educa- tion thru active participation in the class struggle, in the daily lives and struggles of the workers. Education thru activity and activity thru educa- tion is our method. Making the Work Cohesive. Another need, in the writer’s opin- ion, is to bring the members closer to the’ Central Executive Committee of the Party, and other official bodies, such as the District Executive Com- mittees, The Central Executive Committee must not be removed from the mem- bers, as if one were composed of the untouchable goods and the other of the lowly meek. Of course, this sit- uation or impression by no means prevails. There can be no doubt, however, that it would produce a healthy effect if comrades active in the various po- litical, industrial, or other spheres, were brought more often before the Central Executive Committee to dis- cuss and give their points of view. Youth Is Keynote In Problem. In carrying out its political and other policies, the Party must not for- jget the Young Workers League move- ment. In the Young Workers League, an English-speaking young Commun- ist movement is being developed. The real basis for an American leadership of the Communist movement which can make itself felt in the American labor and political movement is here being laid. Every encouragement should be given to the young workers’ movement. Those who are joining the Young Workers League are new to the radical and revolutionary, or Communist movement. Their brains are open to clean cut Communist ed- ucation and activity. They have not most of the confusion which many comrades of the Workers Party brought with them from the Socialist Party. The latter is nothing to be scornful about; it is merely a condi- tion of fact. The young workers have been born into a period of militarism and imperialism; there are no pacifist illusions about them. They can grasp Communist thought and action with- out difficulty, whereas many Party comrades who have lived in the pe- riod of social reform and pacifism find it difficult. These are but a few of the reasons why the Party must lend strong encouragement and aid to the Young Workers League and thus lay a real basis for a strongly-knit Workers Party. Shop Units Organization of the Party. A very essential matter which must claim the attention of the Party more than ever before is the shop nuclei, or shop unit form of organization. The shop nuclei form of organization has been proved the correct political (Continued on Page Seven.)