The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 8, 1925, Page 4

Page Four Organization Meetings THE DAILY WORKER » Resolutions Social Affairs Workers (Communist) Party The Way Not to Fight in the Party Statement of the Central Executive Committee of the Workers (Communist) Party. ee HE following letter was received by the organizer of the Jewish branch of Cleveland, Ohio, and he read it in part at the branch meet- ing, stating that he had received it from Comrade H, J. Costrell, a mem- ber of the Jewish bureau of the party, After the secretary of the branch re- alized the nature of the communica- tion he was reading, he stopped and refused to read further, but on the demand of the branch it was read in full. The secretary then tried to des- troy the document but it was secured, altho torn in pieces, by a répresent- ative of the district office. Accompany- ing this document there was a resolu- tion introduced in the political com- mittee of the party by Comrades Johnstone and Browder. This resolu- tion was before the political commit- tee and could only be in the lands of other comrades thru a violation of the discipline of the party. The let- ter read by the secrétary of the Jew- ish branch follows: * * “TP)EAR Comrade: No doubt you are already acquainted with the so- called unity resolution which was pub- lished by the political committee of the C. E. C. in the party press, and which they recommend for discussion and adoption in all sections of the party. “This resolution is an open declara- tion of war against those comrades of the majority and what is worse, it en- dangers our entire movement. In their struggle against the Foster group the comrades of the minority stop at nothing. They know that in order to successfully war against Com- rade Foster and the group they must disrupt comrade Fosters principal work, and that is, our work in the trade unions. They have undertaken to liquidate the Trade Union Educa- tional League. So they declare in their resolution for the time being with half words, that it is necessary to fundamentally revise the trade union policy. They do not propose, tho, any other policy and want, no, demand, that the membership shall vote for ‘revision,’ give them a blank check so that they may do with this whatever they wish. This is entirely a non-Communist conduct of a central committee of a Communist Party, The Comintern has condemned in the «Sharpest words the Ruth Fischer lead- ership of the German Communist Party for exactly that sort of conduct, “What the present majority of the Cc. E. C, intends is to entirely elimin- ate the T. U. E. L. Lovestone has declared ‘that if we conclude that the T. U. E. L. has outlived its usefulness we will liquidate it altogether.’ Can- non has declared at a meeting of the Chicago District Oommittee, that he begins a struggle against the Foster policies in the trade union work from start to finish. “The struggle against Foster’s pol- icies in the trade union work means liquidation of the decisions of the parity commission and the convention, means to struggle against the Comin- CLEVELAND, Ohio.—In Cleveland the reorganization of the party is pro- gressing very favorably. As we pro- ceed to the actual work incident to reorganization, the comrades begin to understand as they could not under- stand thru lectures and: reading the significance to our party of the reor- gtmized form. The result is, that where the comrades previously gave tacit consent, they now give enthusi- astic support to the reorganization measures. The city has been divided into five sections. The divisions were made with a consideration to industrial areas and transportation facilities. Incidentally too, altho more or less accidentally, these divisions cor- respond very closely to the political districts into which this city is divided. Rather than waiting till section meetings could be called befor the membership was registered, we ‘in- structed all branches to elect shop nuclei organizers who were entrusted with the task of registering the mem- bership and returning the cards to the office. To date about two-thirds of the membership has been registered. The analysis of this registration has proved very interesting and iNuminating, This analysis shows that we have already 19 shop nuclei with a membership ranging from 3 to 8 and a total mem- bership of 68. No doubt when the registration is fully completed many members will be added to these nuclei and. others will be formed. In addi- tion to these nuclei organized ‘within large plants, producing steel, auto- mobiles and machinery, a number of concentration nuclei—five can and will be formed in industrial areas where many of our comrades work, but where there are not at least three comrades working in the same shop. ‘a all the present analysis indicates that we ere ready to organiaP tir least $1 party units in this ‘city, ‘ Workers’ Clubs, The problem of workers’ clubs has also aroused considerable interest. ~s« Many language branches have already a for the organisation o} a tern and the Profintern which indors- ed the T. U. BE, L. at three world con- gresses, means, ruining the work of the union movement and we must not |' permit it. “Our present majority has in the three months since the convention, al- ready displayed its inability and its non-Communist tendencies. The mis- takes they have already made are suf- ficient indication that they have lost the confidence of the membership, An atmosphere of terror has been intro- duced in the party. The leading com- mittees of the party have been elinfm- ated, the work has been turned over to single comrade who are not compe- tent to lead the work, (an example: Wm. Abrams has been appointed re- presentative of the C. E, C, to the na- tional committee of the needle trades section. Comments are unnecessary.) Discrimination is practiced against every comrade who dares to criticise and point out the mistakes that are tion of this resolution in every party section.” HE Central Executive Committee of the party is of the opinion that the best way to threat secret, faction; | al documents of this character, direct- ed against the party, is by publishing them before the whole party and giving the party membership the op- portunity to express judgement about them, The Central Executive Committee has no secrets from the membership so far as its policy.and work are con- cerned, and of the firm opinion that in a Communist Party the established method of open and-free discussion on all party questions before the party convention, is the one permissible means of settling differences of opin- ion in regard to party tactics and policy and that the method of secret documents circulated in the dark can- not be tolerated’ in the party. The first of a series of member- ship meetings arranged by the en- tral Executive Committee of the Party for discussion of the Unity Resolution of the Political Commit- tee and mobilization of the member- ship for mass work, particularly the work inthe trade unions, was held in Detroit, Mich., Friday night. The meeting, by a vote of 96 to 12 adopt- ed the Unity Resolution of the Pol# itical Committee. Prior to the membership meeting a meeting of the District Executive Committee was held, at which the same questions were discussed. The District Executive Committee in Detroit, by a vote of 9 against 2, approved of the Unity Resolution. The representatives of the Cen- tral Executive Committee, Comrades James P, Cannon and Jay Love- stone, in their speeches analyzed the party leadership and member- ship and the throwing of all the forces of the party into mass work. Particular attention was ‘called to the need of mobilization of the membership for work in the trade y unions and a plan for systematic. work to draw every member eligible for trade union membership into some labor organization. 44) ‘DETROIT MEMBERSHIP AND DETROIT EXECUTIVE ENDORSE PARTY UNITY Attendance at the membership meeting was cut down thru heavy rain before the meeting. Israel Blankenstein, who attended the meeting, coming from Chicago for that purpose, carried on a fight against the Unity Resolution, re- ceived very little support. His fac- tional speech w&$ disapproved by the overwhelming part of the mem- bership present at the meeting. Membership meetings will be held in all party centers during the next ten days. The results of the meet- ing in Detroit indicate that the membership of the party will over- whelmingly support the work of unification of the party and its lead- ership and the throwing of our or- ganization into the mass struggle of the workers and thus building up the prestige and leadershiip of the party among-the masses. The experience of the Detroit meetings are the best indication that the party membership refuses to be drawn into new factional struggles which a small group in the party are endeavoring to con- tinue, but will endorse the policy of the Central Executive Committee for unification and for united work for the upbuilding of the party. made. The unity resolution states openly that no discrimination will be made against others than those who will vote against the resolution. “In the union work they have made criminal mistakes. The work that they have carried thru in the coal strike (read Gitlow’s article in the Party Reorganization in Cleveland Noy. issue of the Workers Monthly) and at the Furriers’ convention indi- cate what can be expected of them. “We have decided to combat their non-Communist policies from start to finish, We send you herewith a reso- lution which we propose for the mem- bership. You must begin to organize and see that you accomplish the adop- clubs, in existing singing, literary and other cultural organization. For these units the problem is one of amal- gamating the several such organiza- tions into one that will have varied sections (singing, orchestral, dramatic, literary and educational). The district executive committee called a confer- ence of leading comrades in the various language groupings of the dis- trict. This conference was well at- | tended. Eleven federations were rep- | resented by 39 members. The discus- sion was both interesting and in- structive for all who participated in it. This conference succeeded in dis- | pelling considerable confusion and misunderstanding and laid the basis for effective activity by the language Propaganda committees, thruout the district. | Section Meetings. | Comrades living in Section 5 will meet at Carpentina’s (Finnish) Hall, 1303 West 58th’ street, near Detroit Ave., on Monday, Dec, 7 at 8 p. m. Section meetings of all the party members will be held again during the week of Dec. 9 to 14, All comrades who have registered, all who have failed to register, all who did or did not attend the first meetings, must at- tend the meeting of the section to which they belong. Failure to attend these meetings will mean that the comrades are outside the party. The section meetings are as follows: Section 1—Wednesday, Dec. 9, at 8 Dp. m., at the district office, 5927 Euclid avenue, Section 2—Thursday, Dec, 10, at 8 p.'m., at Grdinia Hall, 6021 St Claire Ave, (not at the South Slavic Hall). Section 3--Friday, Dec. 11, at 8 p. m. at Hanna Hall, 5311 Woodland Ave, Lorain Ave. m., at Carpentina’s (Finnish) Hall, 1803 W. 58th St., near Detroit Aver) your section meeting’ ee a , Party Unity Grows, [J\HE letter published above is all the more dangerous because it consists of a tissue of misrepresenta- tions which would not bear the light of open discussion in the party. It is circulated at a time when substantial progress has been made not only in the unifications of the leadership of the party, but in unifying the member- ship of the party behind this leader- ship. The fact that three months after the national convention the political committee of the party could come to a unanimous agreement to unite the leadership of the party is an important achievement for our organization.-The unanimous acceptance of the unity re- solution of the C. E. C. by the conven- tion of the Finnish section, represent- ing a third of our membership, is an- other great step forward. The mem- bership meetings now being held will show that the party membership gen- erally supports the policy of putting en end to factionalism, and uniting the. party in work among the masses. The Detroit membership has already voted ten to one for this policy. The statement in the above letter that the unity resolution of the politic- al committee is directed against any person or group has no basis in fact. The resolution particularly emphasiz- ed the need, thru argument and dis- cussion, to convince those comrades who still did not accept the resolu- tion, of the correctness of the line laid down and win them toward uni- fied work of the party. This is and will be the policy pursued by the C, E. C., for which it asks the-support of the party. * Trade Union Policy. HE statements about the trade union policy and work of the party are the most dangerous mista- tement in this letter. One of the cen- tral points laid down in the unity re- solution is the intensification of our work in the trade unions. ‘The resolu- tion calls for an energetic campaign to induce those members who are not in the trade unions to join the unions, It urges the necessity of at last build- ing up a systematic organization of party fractions in the trade unions, In calling for the revision of our tac- tics on the trade union field in certain respects, the political committee re- fered to the necessity of actually carrying out the instrnetions of the Comintern Profintern letter to our party that “the party must strive to convert the Trade Union Educational League into an extensive left bloc or- ganization lining up all revolutionary and progressive ments in the labor Section 4—Saturday, Dey. 12, at 18) unions against the reactionary bureau- Dm, at the Hungarian Hall, 4309) cracy.” The political committee is now studying the question and work- Section '—Monday, Dec. 14, at 8 py) ing upon a resolution which will give the party a program for carrying out these instructions, This resolution will Comrades, if you intend to remain) be submitted to a full plenum meeting in the party, do not fail to attend) of the Central Executive Committee and will be submitted to the Commun- | ist International and the Red Inter- | national of Labor Unions for approval before being put into effect as the party policy. HE attempt to create a factional issue on the question before the Central Executive Committee has ac- tually formulated its proposals, parti- cularly in the light of the fact that the C, E. C. will secure the approval of the Comintern before putting its policy into effect, indicates that the motives dominating those responsible tor this circular are not those of the best interests of the party but a des- perate effort to manufacture a factions al issue. nin The attack updén’Gom. Gitlow thru misrepresentation “of his article at a time when he is tilable to defend him- self is something even of a worse character, The question of the policy of the party and the ‘work of the party in the anthracite Sttike has been co- vered by a Special ‘Stacement of the C. E. C. published fmtthe press, which all party members should study and | contrast with the’veckless statements in the above cireulaf, The party can be proud of the work it has done in the anthracite. It\etands in contrast to the fact that themparty has never before participated’ so energetically in a great struggle of the workers. In the Furriers’ Union the party made con- crete gains in consolidating a strong left wing, free fromedoubtful elements. Others Rumors. the Party. Rumors in regard to cablegrams dealing with the party situation, which are supposed to have been re- ceived by the party are also being circulated among the membership. These rumors are made of the same cloth as this factional letter. The Central Executive Committee will keep the party full informed in regard to all questions affecting the party inter- ests and the membership should deal with such rumors ‘in the way that they deserve, that 18 to treat them as efforts of a small clique in the party which is opposed t0“thé unification of the party forces “thass work-to keep up a fight in the party. United Mass Work Needed. d Gorn need of the hpyr for our party is to throw thgcgnergies of the party into work among the masses. We. have too long egn¢gentrated upon inner struggles of »tip, party to the neglect of building, dame influence and prestige, of the partyyamong the mas- ses. The aim of the,(fentral Executive Committee is to mehjifze the whole membership for the gyerk of the party FIRST PIONEER | CONVENTION IS HUGE SUCCESS School Nuclei Forma- tion Begun By R. M. BENDER, (Special to The Daily Worker) NEW YORK, N. Y., Dec. 6.—Work- ers, young and old, packed the Labor Temple Sunday night to celebrate the first convention of the Young Pioneers of America, one of the vital sections of the American revolutionary move- ment. In line with the new Commun- ist policy, the pioneers are reorgan- izing on the basis of school nuclei, showing that they are, as their slogan indicates,—“Always ready.” How important the pioneer move- ment is considered was expressed by the workers flag pledge. Combat Boy Scouts! Martha Stone, speaking on “the struggles of the past two years, em- phasized work done in the New York schools, where the boy scouts are in the opposition camp. Appealing to pioneers and adults to put all their energy into making the movement a mass organization, she showed how, if the diseases of church, school and militarism were not combatted, the workers children would grow up to be unconscious tools of the employing class, pitched into the class war against their own class, Comrade Girshenowitz from the Paterson pioneers spoke on their ac- tivities during the recent silk strike and of how they sang revolutionary songs while walking with the strikers on the picket line. That the pioneers are not something apart from the adult movement, but arg the very stuff which is to com- prise the future Bolshevik party, was pointed out by Comrade Don. Telegrams of greetings from the Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia sec- tions of the pioneers and letters from the Workers Party and the Y. W. L. of district two were read by the chair- man, S. MahIman, following which everyone sang the International,—in a unison of appreciation. jtween .| Workers (Communist) '' Party, District 8, ; Expels Katsiolis In the following declaration by Dist- rict, No, 8, Workers (Communist) Party, George Katsiolis, who claims to be a Communist and a progressive in the Barbers’ Union and who served on the Master Barbers’ Committee, is denounced and is expelled from mem- bership in the Workers (Communist) Party for his attempts to get the union to line up with the bosses in passing upon applications for the opening of new shops, a proposal aiming t, effect a closer co-operation between the bosses and the union, “At a meeting of Local No, 548, Journeymen Barbers, George Katsiolis served on the bosses’ committee and spoke for the proposal of the Master Barbers’ Association that a committee of master barbers and journeymen shall have power to pass upon all ap- plications for the opening of new shops and which proposal, presumab- ly, is to effect closer co-operation be- the journeymen and the bosses. t \“The party requested him to declare the strong, enthusiastic response from {whether he repudiated and acknowl- the audience to the pioneer songs and | edged his action to be wrong, and the criticism of the progressive barbers’ group correct. He has failed to do so. Against Collaboration. “The position pf Katsiolis, both as a professing Communist and progres- sive _in the labor movement is inde- fensible. It was wrong for him to speak for any phase of the bosses’ program. As a matter of elementary principles in the class struggle, the demands of the union against the bosses must be supported. It is our duty to criticize the union officials who’ do not fight™for and who betray the interests of the membership.’ We must struggle to overthrow such an officialdom and to place the union on a nfilitant basis and program. Progressives Correct. “The position of the progressive barbers’ group in opposing the plan of the bosses for the prevention of the cpening of new shops except under certain conditions, was correct. This move reduces itself to an effort by the bosses to maintain monopoly of the trade. In this the journeymen barbers have nothing to gain. Progressive and class conscious unionists recog- nize that the direct and militant strug- gle for more wages, a shorter work day, better working conditions, etc., are the ways to gain their immediate demands, ‘and associate themselves with the demands and program of the Greetings from the Workers Party, progressive barbers’ group for im- district 2, were then given by Com- | mediate: betterment of the situation of rade Stachel, who pointed out how | the journemen barbers and for an hon- incomplete the American section of | est; militant and class conscious union the Communist International would | )mciajdom: be without the pioneers. Referring to «Expelled from Party. in the trade unions, naw intensi, fled campaign for the; labor party, for a great workers’ moyement for defense and recognition of the, Soviet Union, for the struggle against imperialism This work has bee®®begun. It. will grow in volume, and ovith it will grow the influence of oum party and the membership of the party. The party membership should repu- diate any efforts toWisturb this work to strengthen the work of our party among the masses. thru circulation of secret documents making unfounded charges which will not bear the light of day. The rules_and practices of the party give the fpjl opportunity for the party to pass ifn upon the leadership of the Central. Executive Committee in the discussion which precedes the party convention, There is no need to resort to secret, faction- al misrepresentation by any group in the party which has just criticism te make of the work of the Central Ex- ecutive Committee. While the comrades responsible for this ‘cirdular letter have laid them, selves open to disciplinary action, the Central Executive Committee will not resort to such action but leaves it to the membership to repudiate these tactics. v (OMRADES of the party! Our part; is going forward again, The wor! of unification in thé leadership and i support of it the nfémbership will completed. The party will again thro its energies into the mass struggles, rebuild its influence and leadership of the workers. TheCentral Executive Committee asks thé united support of the membership ‘ti''this work which it has undertaken “for the party. Fraternally submitted, Central Executive Committee Workers (Cémmunist) Party of America—€;E, Ruthenberg, ot eneral Secretary. the present international crises, he| «catsiolis has failed as a Commun- declared that the it becomes more and |i; {9 fake a proper stand among the more important that working class barbers. on various issues. He does youth form a mass organization and working class. Senators Demand Probe of Financial Backing _of World Court Drive WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.—A number of senators here are planning to force an investigation into the source of funds that are being used to pay for the propaganda for the world court in this country. The Fellowship Forum, organ of the ku klux klan, published an article in which it points out that according to information Which they have at hand, Secretary of the Treasury Mellon will resign his post unless Coolidge re- verses his stand on the world court. The klan paper states that Dwight L. Morrow of J. P. Morgan & Co, is slat- ed for the job. Both Coolidge and Secretary of the Treasury Mellon declined to com- ment on the klan paper's statement, The Case tatement by the Central Executive ittee of the Workers (Com- munist) Party of America, ED'H. MERRICK entered the Pittsburgh court in which he was to be tried for criminal sedition last Monday and his attorney entered for him a plea of nolle contendre, which means that he pleaded neither ghilty nor not guilty to the charges against HOLD MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS IN THE DISTRICTS FOR UNIFICATION AND PARTY TRADE UNION WORK Meetings of the District Executive Committees of the various dis- tricts as well as membership meetings in the main party centers on the two vital questions of unfication of tive Committee, and the intensificat are being arranged, the party behind the Central Execu- jon of the party’s trade union work, The following are the arrangements for the, meetings to be held: BOSTON—D, E, C. meeting, Dec. 7; membership meeting, Dec. 8, 8 p. m,, at 113 Dudley St. NEW YORK—D, E. C. meeting and membership meetings, Dec. 9 to 13 incl. PHILADELPHIA—D. E. C. meeting, Deé. 14, at 521 York Ave.; mem- bership meeting, Dec. 15, at 1626 A: PITT ing, Dec. 17. BURGH, PA—D, E. C, meeting, Dec. 16; membership meet- rch St. CLEVELAND—D. €. C. meeting, afternoon of Oec,+1, mentbersivip meeting, evening of Dec. 18, at Gardinia Hall, 6021 St. Clair St. These meetings are of the utmost importance and the comrades in the various centers must eee to it that the maximum attendance is ob- 1 deny tained on" -—* =< / “ vay t's Pe To hetmen not. recognize hig errors and concep- be “always ready” to fight for the tions. Nothing is left’ but to remove him from the Communist ranks, and he is hereby expelled from the Work- ers (Communist) Party. (Signed), “Workers (Communist) Party, Dist. No. 8. “Martin Abern, organization secre- tary.” The DAILY WORKER §sub- scription list is a Communist honor roll. Is your name on it? WARREN—YOUNGSTOWN | Reorganization Sunday. WARREN, 0., Dec, 6.—Reorganiza- tion of the party here will take place Sunday, Dec. 13, at 7 p. m, sharp at e Hippodrome Hall. YOUNGSTOWN, O.,. Dec. 6#-The reorganization of the party meeting in Youngstown will take place on Sunday. afternoon at one o’clock at the Hungarian Hall, 338% West Fe- deral st. DISTRICT EIGHT CIRCUIT SCHOOLS START WITH BANG: Double Registration in Some Cities One of the most interesting features that indicate how the party member- ship in district No: 8 are turning their attention to the problem of Bolsheviz- ing themselves and the Workers (Communist) Party is to be found im, the rapid increase shown in the cir- cuit classes inxthe elements of Com- munism, conducted by Comrade Oliver Carlson, Gary, South Bend and Milwaukee were the three cities selected for the circuit. The class registration in Gary has grown from 19 to 25 while the attend- ance has increased from 10 to 19. In South Bend the class had an initial registration of 7 with an attendance of 6. This has been more than .dou- bled, there being now 18 registered students of which 15 were present at the last class session. In Milwaukee the increase in regis- tration has been from 25 to 44, with the attendance figures growing from 23 to 40. These figures speak for them- selves and indicate the growing con- sciousness of the party and league membership to a more intensive study of the principles “and tactics upon which the Communist movement is based and develops. Plan Building More Big Guns for Hawaii WASHINGTON, Dec. 6.—The addi- tion of two sixteen-inch guns, improve- ment of Pearl Harbor channel to facilitate passage of battleships, con- struction of a sea wall and dry dock facilities and increased storage for ammunition are some of the pro- posals of the house naval committee which recently visited the Hawaiian islands. WORKERS’ SCHOOL ‘AT CHICAGO HOLDS MANY GLASSES DURING WEEK The following classes are being held now every night at 19 South Lincoln St., unless otherwise noted. They are as follows: Monday, 8 p. m. Capital, Volume 1, instructor, Earl Browder. Tuesday, 8 p. m., Imperialism, in- structor, Manuel Gomez. Tuesday, 8 p. m., Elements of Communism, instructor, Oliver Carl- son, 3 Tuesday, 8"p. m., English, 2644 Le Moyne St. Wednesday, 8 p. m., American So- cial and Labor History, instructor, Wm. F. Dunne. Wednesday, 8 p. m., Aims and Purpose of the Y. W. L., instructor, Max Shachtman (at 1902 W. Divi- sion St.) x Thursday, 8 p. m. Elements of Communism, instructor, Max Be- dacht. 6 Thursday, 8 p. m., Worker Corre- spondence, Editorial Room, Daily Worker, 1113 W. Washington Blvd. Instructors: J. Louis Engdahi, Wil- liam F, Dunne and Oliver Carlson. Friday, 6 p. m., Elements of Com- munism, instructor, H. M. Wicks. Friday, 8:30 p. m., Public Speak- ing, instructor, H. M. Wicks. Friday, 8 p. m., English, 2644 Le Moyne St. Ida Dailes. Sunday, 10:30 a. m. History of International Youth Movement, in-_ structor, John Williamson, of Fred H. Merrick © him. On Friday, Merrick was brot into court for sentence and in angwer to questions stated that, he had, left the party in July and pledged himself not to engage in “its activities in the future. On the basis of these State- ments, he was paroled by the judge for a period of ten years. The charges against Merrick were based upon his activities as district organizer of the Workers Party. They involved the right of the party to carry on its activities openly in the state of Pennsylvania, In addition to Merrick, there were indicted eight other comrades. The district attorney made the proposal that all of the nine defendants plead nolle contendre and they would be paroled as Merrick was. The question was submitted to the, Central Executive Committee of the party, which decided that no member of the party could stand mute under such charges and it instructed all of the defendants to plead not guilty and to fight the cases against them, Altho a special representative of the party was sent to Merrick in an effort to induce him to take his stand with the other eight defendants loyal- ly supporting the principles of the party and fighting for the right of the party to carry on its work in Pennsyl- vania, Merrick refused to carry out ‘| the instructions of the C. B, ©. «ltée @ tragedy for the revolution- pirySSSNTAEMN When a we oe Fred H. Merrick has been felled un- der the blows of the capitalist a Merrick’s past history has been th of @ militant fighter for the ‘working wh i a class cause. Because of his active » support of the Westinghouse strike some seven or eight years) ago, he served a three and half year sentence. The brutal treatment received undermined his health am broke down his nervous system. Even. that, however, cannot be an excuse for the betrayal of his comrades the revolutionary movement, w! ‘ Merrick committed when he, refused to take his stand with the other de- fendants and fight with them. Merrick declared in court that he had not been a member of the party since July, altho he took no action to sever his connection with the party. The Central Executive Committee of the party does not accept Merrick’s statement of having severed his con- nection, but publicly expels him from the party. The betrayal by Merrick ig all the more discreditable in contrast to the spirit shown by the other defendants, Comrade Horacek, who was called to trial’ following Merrick’s betrayal, boldly took his stand and pleaded not guilty and on the witness stand avowed the Communist principle and his support of those principles. The other defendants, Comrades ‘Voytuk, Urbon, Pasternak, Jenkins, Rostrom, John Kovalski and Tom Myerscough were ready to take the same position, This is the revolutionary courage which is a credit to our party. . Central Exectve Pommittee , Workers (Communist) Party of America —C, E. Ruthenberg, ©» efi