The Daily Worker Newspaper, September 11, 1926, Page 14

~ Book Review ITH the pamphlet under the title, “Or- ganize the Unorgan- ized,” Wm, Z, Foster has written an im- portant document on the strategy of class ~ war in the most vital sector, that of trade unionism. Ii is a'compact and meaty little book. The argument begins with pointing ‘out that. there are about twenty mil- lion unorganized industrial workers in America who could be enlisted into unions. Unless the unions begin to grow they will soon be smashed alto- | gether; even the United Mine Work- | ers is being crushed now by pressure | | from the non-union coal fields, The present membership of the | unions can be broadly divided into | three classes, the. author goeg on to | show: militant left wingers who want ; -to, organize, progressives who will | help ‘if organization starts, and reac- tionary right witigers who resist or- ganization to prevent. the radicalizmg of the unions, to avoid struggle, and to preserve the jobs of the union bn- reaucracy. The left wing must initiate all organization campaigns, and when they are decided upon must actually carry them out, in co-operation with the center groups and against the sa- botage by the reactionaries. Situations occur where the most careful reasoning is necessary to de- cide whether to organize under the banner of the old unions in the field. Where no unions exist at all there must be new ones created, which must get into the A. F. of L., the main cur- rent of American labor. Where fairly sound unions exist, the workers can be organized directly into them. Where very old and decrepit unions claim jurisdiction over the field and are small in size, it may be necessary to organize independently, and disre- gard them. At times it is necessary, where reactionary unions claim con- trol, but will not organize, to organize the workers first outside of the union and then carry on a struggle to com- | vel the old unions to let them affiliate, | Affillation, one union in each indus- try, is the ideal, but it is one that cannot be slavishly followed, The left wing, since it must do the organizing, must learn the various forms of activity possible, whether it is able to start a great, open cam- paign, as ig still possible where the employers are disunited, or the unions | already strong; or whether it must) work secretly or semi-secretly thru the Workers Party nuclei, Young Workers, foreign language clubs, so- cial clubs, company unions, shop coun- cils, or even some new forms created for the occasion. Almost always organization in the basic industries (and one reason for an organization campaign is that it will lead the unions into these heavy industries and away from skilled craft job trust psychology) will involve great strikes. The unorganized will join unions if they see immediate material advantages. As Foster says: “We must study carefully the state of the industry and the condition of the employers’ and the workers’ forces, base our organization cam- paigns upon the economic demands of the workers and at all times keep the fight focussed on these demands, plan our organization campaigns carefully and thoroly mobilize all our forces to put them into execution, extend our scope of activity over the greatest pos- sible extent of workers, strike the blow at the oppoytune time, demoral- ize the enemy, rouse public sentiment with our maneuvers, develop’ thé ut- most fighting spirit in our own ranks by our invigorating propaganda, and folow up our victories to the limit by organizing all the workers shaken into action by our big strikes and strug- gles.” This pamphlet, as was said before, ig strategy. The minor tactics, the multiple considerations and possibili- ties in each concrete case, are not worked out in it. But in the very act of laying down the broad general prin- ciples our attention is called to the details, and if hundreds of militants everywhere do not begin to solve in practice some of the various “delicate questions” posed in the book then they will have missed the spirit of “Organ- ive the. Unorganized.” mn Vern Smith. ¢ RAIN By 0. RYAN pS With what slow pain the rain descends, trickling down the wrinkles of the beggar’s neck and splashing his tray of laces. 25 3 In a slum window a child presses ity dirty little face against the dreary window-pane and watches the flow in the gutter carrying its freight of rubbish. 2 Under the bright lights a gentleman bows and gracefully assists his lady, holding aloft a green parasol the while ay. The door of the meeting-hall opens and slams, throwing a flood of light and of virile stir into the street. ¥, And the Red shoving a paper into his pocket, makes his way to a hash-joint, collar turned up against the rain. TU SY Pres GREEN'S ATTACK ON BORAH AND CONTIN-Y UED ATTACKS ON WEISBORD AND THE COMMUNISTS RE-~ SULT_IN -HAMSTRINGING THE PASSAIC STiPIKE 9 RICH GRAIN HARVEST IN SOVIET RUSSIA WiLL HELP BD BUILD SOCIALISM / she skips nimbly into the shining limousine. thence thanghtfully homewards to his attic, Now) BOT OF YOU, You BOSS LOVERS ‘In the Next Issue The Young Proletalre, a play for children and grown-ups, By Michae! Gold-——tilustrated by Fred Ellis. American Capital Conquering Po- land, by B. K. Gebert-—ortginaj Photo- graphs and pictures, The Women’s Page of the Magazine will carry a story by Rose Pastor Stokes, entitled “Jennie”—tIllustrated by herself, What's doing In the Moscow Thea- ters, splendid little Items by Ruth Epperson Kennel who fs ‘now residing in Moscow.—With many photographs and illustrations. The seif-educational section of = and How to Read” will be filled nnn eee ene ee Se in the next issue by V. F. Calverton ‘ discussing reading In literature and art, The Second Article of Barbusse on the White Terror in the Balkans, “Ethyl is Back” will be concluded in the next issue, the first part appear- ing In this issue.—With photographs and illustrations, Concluding chapter on the History of the Catholic Church In Mexico, by | Manuel Gomez. Bales’ Page of Cartoons on the week’s events, BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 18. The Life of Kari Marx, by Paul La fargue. Git / AMERICAN IMPERIALISTS MAKING, NED FFFOR IO MIX UP IN WORLP CouRT!