The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 4, 1925, Page 4

oa ‘Page Four ~~ - THE DAILY WORKER / GHOST OF SP. THE BOLSHEVIZATION OF OUR PARTY PRESS MOMEN WORKERS STALKS AT MEET IN CLEVELAND Eating the Important _ Event on Program By PHILLIP SHATZ (Special to The Dally Worker.) CLEVELAND, Ohlo, May 30.—(By Mall)—On Memorial Day, | spent my afternoon In a cemetery, watching the ghost of a one-time revolutionary or- ganization which in ite last days be- lied Its more or less glorious past. | could not but have revered its memo- ry as | sat at the reporters table but —no honor is due to a ghost which refuses to recognize the fact that it ‘Is dead. The ghost referred to, is the "social- ist” party of America which held one of a series of regional conventions at Cleveland, Ohio, May 30. In the same hall from which a few months before seventy-five workers had been ejected for cheering Soviet Russia in the face of Abramovitch, professional countér- * revolutionary, the ghost once more at- tempeted to fool itself into believing that it had real flesh and blood. A Burial Ground. Truly the convention hall was a burial ground—a burial ground of dead revolutionary spirit, of deceased” } Marxian ideology, of murdered class- ( consciousness. Decadence—the atmosphere reeked of it. And appropriately enuf, Eugene V. Debs presided; a decadent leader of a decadent party. The hectic attempts to spread sweet- ness, light and enthusiasm were met with no response on the part of the rank and filers. One of them realizing the futility and the utter ridiculous- hess of trying to pep up a corpse Pleaded, “Let's not be too optimistic, let's go a little slower.” And altho there .was general laughter, the more conscious delegates plainly registered gall and wormwood when “’Gene” smiled back, “We are going slowly enuf as it is, comrade.” “It Lacks New Blood” Van Essen of Pittsburgh struck a Significant note when he said, “The greatest weakness of the socialist } party is that it lacks new blood!” . This, perhaps is the best testimonial 1 to the utterly hopeless stagnation of the socialist party that ever escaped the lips of one of its members. The convention seemed to have no other purpose than to make Debs happy. very one of the few actions taken by @ assembly was held up for the ap- bation of that political sentiment- ist. When a motion calling upon the na- tional committee to compile a list of subjects and references suitable for use by study classes in social science and philosophy was presented, it sud- denly occurred to me that it had taken twenty years for the socialist party to find out that it didn’t know anything. Debs Takes The Cake The highest pitch of enthusiasm whieh’ the gathering evoked from the delegates took place when the two- hundred pound female delegation from Jamestown, N. Y., presented “Gene” with a three layer, ‘white frosted, » heart shaped cake as a symbol of her undying devotion to the cause of the working class. As the assembly was hastily and confusedly adjourning in order that the preparations for the evenings ban- quet might be completed on time, a rank and file delegate who apparently did not know that he was at a social- “ist party convention moved that the body send a telegram of sympathy to Sacco and Vanzetti and Tom Mooney in their respective struggles against capitalist justice and because every- ne was anxious to get to the ban- + ‘quet those who still remained in the | Ball, shouted “aye” and rushed for _ the door. Only Lillies Missing Today was Memorial Day and jingo- ism thruout the nation hypocritically lecorated the graves of the soldiers it Killed as well as the ones of those Who have died in its interests. But One matter it overlooked. It forgot to drop a wreath and shed a tear upon ‘the political grave of one of its most faithful servants—the socialist party of America. Fascist Filer In Perth. PERTH, Australia, June 3.—Com- inder Francesco De Pinedo, chief the Italian air service, arrived here on his flight from Rome to Ja- He left Rome April 21. NTED—First class tailor to rk in a cleaning and dyeing re. Apply at once. Sam hen, 3658 Wrightwood Ave. % one Spaulding 3161. ab ei Workers’ hool. By KARL Voss, | Bolshevist Self-Criticlsm | NE of the most essential constitu- ents, or rather prerequisites, of the Bolshevization of the Commun- ist parties, is revolutionary self critt- cism. This is not only one of the sharpest weapons of Bolshevist prop- aganda and organization, but is an es- sential constituent of Bolshevist methods and ideology as such; it forms the lungs of the Bolshevist or- ganism, supplying its heart with the oxygen which it requires daily, reju¥e- nating the circulation of the blood, and forming the best antidote to all forms of decomposition., An unceas- ing, continuous, relentless, revolution- | ary self criticism runs like a scarlet flame thru the whole history of Bol- shevism, The ideology of Bolshevism, and Bolshevization as historical process, are subject to the laws of both capi- talist and revolutionary development. They do not supply the revolutionary parties with any finished recipe for class warfare, but what they do sup- ply is methodic indications, based on wide experience, for revolutionary ac- tion. Their very nature involves the inevitability of errors of many kizds. | And the more rapid the rate of revolu- tionary development, the greater the almost excluded, but it does not ex- clude the possibility of errors in tac- tics. The approach of the revolution- ary upheaval in the West will bring about such profound and complicated subversions of class strata that the Communist parties will be obliged to the Russian Communist Party before the seizure of power. UT when the time comes for the ‘West European Communist parties to meet their October, it will, be found that despite the intense use made of Russian experience, and despite the profuond penetration of the process of Bolshevization, these parties are faced by the almost certain fact that the de- velopment of Bolshevist ideology and of Bolshevist leadership does not keep pace with the speed of revolutionary development. At the moment when the party of the proletariat takes up the struggle for power, the bourge- oisie will prove tactically superior un- less the revolutionary storm of the ris- ing millions is decisively controlled by the revolutionary self-criticism of the Bolshevist leadership. The propa- gandist theoretical understanding of self-criticism is gs necessary for the propaganda of Leninism, and for the carrying out of Bolshevism, as the masses are necessary to the Commun- ist Party and the Communist Party to the masses, For years the Communist Interna- tional has been fighting for the princi- ple of self criticism. The whole story of the last Czechish party crisis is a striking example. Here it became clear that Bolshevization is an empty word unless accompanied by self criticism. The genuine liquidators ac- cepted all decisions on ‘Bolshevization | but refused to recognize their own de- cisive errors. And thus they were de- danger of tactical errors. The Bol-/feated in the end. Self criticism is shevization of the Communist parties| the principle which must form the may cause strategic errors to be| revolutionary spring for the Bolshe- vization of the Czechish Communist Party. The Communist parties are now confronted by the task of differ- entiating and concertizing the process of Bolshevization; the recognition of the necessity of self criticism will stage of the process, All considerations on, the various tasks of Bolshevization) must be pre- ceded by these fundamental princi- ples. II. Is the Communist Press a Mass Press? keeps decisive purport of Bolsheviza- tion lies in the increasing and growing consciousness, among the Communist workers, of the import- ance of the role played by the party, accompanied by a simultaneous ex- pansion of the influence exercised by the party upon the broad masses of the working class. The.Communist press forms one of the best means of gauging the extent and: character of this’ influence upon the masses. The Communist press is of decisive sig- nificance for the work of Bolsheviza- tion. It must be more than a “collec- tive organizer” for the party, it must be a “collective organizer” for the masses. What is the present relation of readers of the Communist press to the number of party members and to the masses affiliated to the Communist Party? The following table may afford an approximate idea*): Party members Readera Voters Germany -200,000 300,000 2,700,000 Czecho- Slovakia France 140,000 100,000 1,500,000 . 70,000 220,000 1,500,000 *The above figures have been esti- mated on entirely general data, with- out material. A comparison of these figures shows that the ratio of party members to the readers of the party press in these countries is on an average 2:3. But play a more important role in the fu- maneuver and tack much more than ture than in the first propagandist the ratio of party press to party voters is 1:9. FREIHEIT EXCURSION TO BEAR MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY, JUNE 6 NEW YORK, June 3.—The Frei- heit excursion has become an insti- tution of joy and happiness among the revolutionary youth of New York and vicinity. It is pleasant to take a trip along the banks of the Hudson to the beautiful Bear Mountains, especially when the steamers will be filled with revolu- tionary songs of the enthusiastic Communist youth. This year the Freiheit manage- ment succeeded in securing two grand steamers—the Clermont and Ontoora—with a capacity of 5,000 Every year hundreds of Freiheit sympathizers are forced to go back for lack of room. If you want to be one of those among us on the boat, you better get your tickets in advance. Don’t leave it for tomor row, it may be too late. and games of all kinds. Also, re- freshments and at city prices. Tickets are $1.10. The steamers leave Pier A, North River, Battery Park at two o'clock sharp. U. S. Forces Its Rule in Haiti with Bayonets NEW YORK, June 3.—Request for the withdrawal of armed forces of the United States from Haiti is in the hands of President Coolidge and the secretary of state, according to the National Association for the Advance- ment of Colored People. Pierre Hudi- court, formerly of Hague peace tri- bunal and member now of Americap Institute of International Law, charg- es that in violation of the Haitian constitution the country has been governed without regularly elected representatives of the people, by a council of state nominated and dis- missed by the president. Big Joint Picnic of Oakland, Cal., Party Branches on Sunday OAKLAND, Cal., June 3.—On Sun- day, June 7, the Finnish branches of |the Workers Party will give their annual picnic at East Shore Park. This year’s picnic will have the added feature of the participation of the | English branch and other branches. This picnic promises to be the big event of the jon, Every comrade be there and bring your family and friends, Swedish Suffragist Dies. STOCKHOLM, June 3.—Mrs. Brome, WANTED IN NEW YORK! OMRADES to give one or more hours regularly every week to the task of building up the Brower Memoria) Library of the Much work must be done in sorting and filing magazines, cata- loguing books, marking, cutting, and filing clippings, etc. Come over any day or evening to 108 East 14th street, Room 84, The clipping and research bureau is being organized by the school FOR YOUR SERVICE. You must help. leading Swedish suffragist, is dead. Bronx Section of Party to Meet to Discuss Union Work NEW YORK, June 3.—The Bronx Section of the Workers Party will hold a meeting ‘on Friday, June 12, 1925, to hear a report on industrial work and to discuss plans for the future work. The meeting will take place at 8 p. m., at the Workers’ Hall, 1347 Boston Road. All party members of the branches are urged to be pres- ent. One of the most important subjects wil be taken up by the city industrial organizer—the general industrial work and activity in New York City— and discussion will follow. The Bronx Section Committee has decided that the comrades of the branches must not make any other engagements for Friday, June 12, as that evening has been put aside by the section for instructive and con- structive industrial work. We are sure that you will realize the import- ance of this meeting and will do everything possible to attend. Come early and» bring your membership card, Comrades, altho great and import- ant work has been done by the Work- ers Party on the trade union field, we must admit that during the last two years there have been features in our work against which we must put up an energetic fight. Against all the weak points of our work, a lack of discipline among party members, who allow themselves to be guided by their impressionist views, we discover a de- sertion of trade union work or an elaboration of the members’ own trade union policy, regardless of the decis- ions of the party. And we also note an absence of Communist fractions, ete. This is your opportunity to meet the situation, so do not fail to come. New York Open Air Meetings NEW YORK, May 3.—The Work- ers Party opens its open air campaign with meetings as follows: Harlem, Thursday, June 4, 8 p, m. Corner of 110th street and 5th Ave, Speakers: J. Codkind, J, Jampolsky, J. S. Poyntz, A. Markoff, L. Landy, Carl Brodsky, S. Felshin and Oliver Carlson, Bronx, Friday, June 5, 8 p, m. Corner of Wilkins and Intervale Ave, Speakers: W. Weinstone, So- lon De Leon, Darcy, Padgug, Rose Nevins, Stachel and Pasternak. Brownsville, Friday, June 5, 8 P. M, Corner of Stone and Pitkins Aves. Speakers: Fanny Warshefsky, Chas, Mitchell, Sadie Amter, S. Pollack, Ben, Lifschitz. Williamsburg, Saturday, June Corner of Grand street extension. Speakers: J, Brahdy, 4%. Amter, 8, Nesin, George Primoff and Rebecca Grecht. Weeks May Die. BOSTON, June 3,—Chance for the recovery or death of Secretary of War John W. Weeks, was even, it was stat- ed today at Phillips House, Massa- chusetts general hospital, where the secretary was resting after an opera- tion for gallstones. 8p.m. |. If the above calculation were to be supplementefl by the figures referring to the smaller parties belonging to the Communist International (quite apart from those obliged to work illegally), the result would doubtless be much worse. (With the exception of the Anglo-Saxon countries, for instance America, where there are about 120,- 000 readers of the Communist press to about 20,000 party members and 33,000 voters.) HIS computation relates to the Communist daily newspapers only. The Communist press is in such a poor state with reference to special questions and particular strata of the population (the press dealing with trade unions, women’s interests, offi- cials’ interests, etc.) that is is scarcely able to improve the ratio. Thus for instance in Germany the editions pub- lished by the Communist trade unions and special press only amount to about 200,000 to 300,000 copies against an edition of about 7 million published by the social democratic trade union press. And this apart from the bour- geois trade union press, and the num- erous publications issued by socal de- mocracy and bourgeoisie for the dif- ferent categories and groups of the population. It will be seen from the above that scarcely every tenth worker among those who express their confidence in the Communist International at the ballot boxes is actually a reader of a Communist paper, that ig, under the immediate daily influence of Commun- ist ideology. And it would be a bitter illustion for the whole of Europe were we to believe that we can convert a worker into a conscious champion of revolution if we cannot induce him to read our party press. And it is one of the most important tasks of Bolshe- vization to convert these masses of sympathizers into a conscious van- guard of proletarian revolution. “We should be deceiving ourselves, and closing our eyes to the bakers of our task, if we were to these ta if we were to ane gn! difference between the vanguard and the magses pressing forward towards it, and if we were to forget that it is the duty of this vanguard to ratse ever increasing masses of the others to its own level.” (Lenin: “A Step For- wWards.”) HE fundamental element of Boshe- vization is the simultaneuos de- velopment and revolutionary intensi- fication of class consciousness and revolutionary will both in the party as vanguard and in the broad masses. A Bolshevization of the party without a simultaneous Bolshevization of the masses involves the serious danger of sectarianism, and the result would be that the party, instead of increasing its influence upon the masses, would become alienated from them. We should commit a grave error were we to refuse to recognize the ob- jective material reasons why the Com- munist press is not a mass press at the present time. But it would be more ‘than an error, it would be un- pardonable, were we to refuse to recognize that the main causes do ‘not lie in the misery or indifference of the | working class, but in the character of the methods of agitation and organiza- tion hitherto pursued by our Com- munist press, “The character of our newspapers does not change as it should change in a state of society passing thru the transition from capitalism to social- ism.” (Lenin: “The Character of Our Newspapers.”) The Bolshevization of the press means that the Communist press is to be reformed in a manner rendering it the press of the broad masses. (To be continued.) PHILA. YOUNG WORKERS HIKE TO WISSIHIKIN PARK SUNDAY, JUNE 7 PHILADELPHIA, Pa., June 3.— There is going to be lots of fun for everybody at the hike which has been arranged by the Young Work- League of Philadelphia for Sun- day, June 7. ~ The hike will start from.the Work- ers Party. headquarters, 521 York Ave., near 5th and Spring Garden. All the Young Workers and Juniors will be there and the older comrades are invited. The financial consider- ation is your own lunch and no more 80 there Is no reason why anybody should miss this hike which Is go- ing to be one of the biggest things In Philadelphia. The hikers will leave at 9 a, m. sharp and anybody coming later will be left behind but if you come late and want to have some of the fun come to Wissihikin Park, and you will find the crew. Storm Kills 2 In Minn. MINNEAPOLIS, Minn., June 3.— With two known dead, 24 injured and great property damage as a result of the terrific wind and rain storm that struck the Twin Cities and surround- ing territory, the toll of dead and in- jured is expected to mount when com- munication with the storm swept area is restored. All communication with the territo-- ry west of here for a distance of 200 miles was still cut off. Every sub you get during Red Week of June 15 to 21 is a sub to “make another Communist.” CARLSON RATES: Outside of Chicago REDS STRANGLED AND HANGED IN POLISH PRISONS TORTURES OF WARSAW, Poland, June 3.—The political prisoners were in strict solitary During ‘the night one heard groans in the We could get into contact thru knocking at the walls. informed that new prisoners had arrived and were brutally tortured. Hvery morning new terrible news reached us. torn out of his fingers, to others the arms were turned out and the skin hurt TO. . ONCE Opin confinement in very small cells. prison. with iron instruments. the teeth were broken away, their mouths were injured so much that they could speak no more. Of the 150 prisoners we saw only six in the courtyard, all the others were wounded and tired in their cells, Even the walk in the open air was a torture to them. One of them wanted to lean against the wall because he was tired. He was immediately driv- en to the cell with the words, “You dog, if you can’t walk, remain in your cell and perish.” Prisoners Protest. This was the last walk. We had protested and were put in strict soli- tary confinement. The cells were cold and wet. We were terribly cold. Deep silence was in the prison as in the courtyard. Only sometimes one heard groans. Suddenly the door of my neighbor- ing cell was torn open. One heard a terrible fight, a noise an¢ groans—no cries. s he strangled? I press my ear against the door and hear a low groaning. Silently the hangmen leave the cell. They lock the door. The night lies in silence. No groan any more. I lie frozen on the cold floor and, without knowing, if the comrade is still alive. Murdered in Cell. When the morning dawn rises be- fore the window like a ghost, I knock again on the wall as the day before. Silence in the death room. I go to the window and call with a pleading voice: “Comrade,” and then I knock again and repeat, but no answer— also been extended, UNTIL receive WITHOUT CHARGE A Six-Month Sub to the Workers Monthly A Communist magazine, giving a monthly review of the world of labor—and the best of art features. Send a new sub for yourself time for renewing your old advantages. THE DAILY WORKER PUBLISHING CO. 1113 W, Washington Blvd., Chicago, til with every sub for one year to the DAILY WORKER you will YOUR CHOICE or AFTER BRUTAL WHITE TERRORISTS ‘We were One’ of the prisoners had the nails strangled and hanged. And nobody knows the tortures suf- fered by a human being in .a lonely prison cell. I dig his name into the wall with my nails—strangled and hanged. Then there is the rumor in the prison: Comrade N. has hanged himself in his call. The bourgeois press reports of a suicide in the pris- on of the “Holy Cross” in white Po- land. Did you order a bundle for Red Week? PARADE IN N. Y. AGAINST BOSSES ° ° United Council Meets at ery es Victims’ Graves NEW YORK, June 8.—The United Council of Working Class Women to: gether with members of the Workers (Communist) Party held a demonstra- tion for the victims of the Triangle fire. About sixty workers, membefs of the United Council and the Work- ers Party marched in a body from tha headquarters of the Workers Party on 14th street, carrying banners bear- ing the following inscriptions: “Re- member our children who died in the Triagnie Waist factory fire for bosses’ profits”; “Join the United Council which fights for the protection of our children”; “Remember the Trian fire victims and fight for the worker: interests”; “Join the Workers (Com- munist) Party the only party that fights the battles of the working class.” Visit Victims’ Graves. The weeping and moaning of some of the marchers at the graves of their loved ones lost in the terrible fire was a sad and impressive thing. Comrade Kate Gitlow of the Council acted as chairman of ceremonies and introduced the speakers. Kate Fabri- kant, member of the Harlem Council, spoke in Jewish. Comrade Gitlow introduced Com- rade Antony Weschsler of the Hungar- jan Council and member of the Work- ers Party as one who had battled for years first in Hungary and then in America for the workers. Comrade Weschsler, speaking in Hungarian, said that the Triangle fire victims burned in 1911, were but part of capi- tal’s toll of working class lives. Comrade Poydasheff was introduced as one of the men who is interested in seeing the United Council of Work- ing Class Women and all similar work- ing class organizations of women built up. Comrade Poydasheff spoke in Russian. Bosses Kill Children. Sadie Amter spoke, representing the Workers (Communist) Party. A resolution was adopted, pledging the support of the council in the fight against the horrible conditions pre- vailing in industry and in fighting for control of: government power by the workers and farmers of this country under the leadership of the Workers (Communist) Party. Storm In Sweden Kills 20. STOCKHOLM, Sweden, June 3—A death list estimated at twenty persons, and all in marine disasters, was the toll today of violent storms that have been sweeping Sweden. nh FACTS FOR WORKERS By JAY LOVESTONE, Director, Research Department, Workers Party The Wages of Seamen of Different Nationalities, January, 1925. Average monthly wages received b: y the seamen of ——American ships— Job Private U.S. Shipping British French Dutch Board vessels Boatswain $75 — $46 63 64 40 Seamen, ordinary 48 57 20 Fireman oo 65 74 42 Water Tender 73 74 52 Coal Passer or Wiper 54 58 64 34 Cook ... 108 111 116 58 Second Cook 84 90 97 —_— Mess Steward 48 47 7 —_— Mess Boy ... 43 — 12 Based on consular reports and findings of the United States bureau of navigation, The Offer Has Also Been Extended! Due to RED WEEK—June 15 to 21—to conclude the cam- paign to “Build the DAILY WORKER"”—the special offers made with a‘full year’s sub to the DAILY WORKER have JULY 1 _ A Loose-Leaf Leather Binder With patent clasp, note paper for your use and a full descriptive cata- log of all Communist literature, or your friends or choose this subscription to secure these seme CLIP THIS COUPON THE DAILY WORKER 1113 W. Washington Blvd. . Chicago, Ill. Enclosed $..... + FOP ssrrrrvoensensee months sub to the DAILY WORK- ER. 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