The Daily Worker Newspaper, April 4, 1929, Page 4

[ ; os itinerant on —_ rationalization. Four DAILY WORSES, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, APRIL 4, 1929 FORWARD TO A MASS COMMUNIST YOUTH LEAGUE! The Dratt Thesis of I. 38rd PERIOD, OPEN LETTER AND NEW LINE OF PARTY. (1) The tasks, problems and activities of the Communist move- ment in the United States, ineluding the Communist youth movement, arise out of the present position of world capitalism and the rela- tions of American imperialism as an organic factor in the present international situation. The present, third period of post-war capitalism, which arked by the sharpening of the international situation, the contradictions of capitalism and class struggles, based upon the stabilization of capitalism in the most important countries, and the further develop- ment of the most basic contradictions therefrom, has opened up for the Communist movement a new revolutionary perspective, a period of fierce cl: warfare, an era of imperialist, colonial and revolu- tionary which must necessarily culminate in decisive revolu- tionary struggles between the proletariat and the bourgeo: CONTRADICTIONS OF IMPERIALISM. (2) Along with the continued upward development of Amer- ican imperialism, and the shifting of the economic center of world imperialism to the United States, the latter, being already an organic part of and most aggressive factor in world imperialism, is being drawn more and more into the vortex of the developing contradic- tions of world imperialism. The stabilization of Europe, which was carried thru with the assistance of American capitel, far from “putting Europe on ra- tions” has developed the competitive forces of Europe, placed new obstacles in the way of American expansion ,and heightened the struggle among the capitalist powers. The disparity between the enormous productive powers of Amer- ican capitalism, between its tremendous foreign trade, between the large supply of investable capital, and the small colonial empire, which makes difficult the “normal” development of these factors of expansion, only sharpens the gigantic struggle between American imperialism and British imperialism, with its enormous colonial em- pire and constantly decreasing reserves. The danger of a new im- perialist war, w! has become general, centers around the struggle between these two imperialist giants for world hegemony. BUILDING OF SOCIALISM IN U. S. S. (3) Th sucecssful development of socialism in the Soviet Union and the rallying of all the oppressed and toiling masses in the capi- talist countries and colonies around the Soviet Union, makes the very existence of the Soviet Union a constant and increasing source of danger to world capitalism. Consequently the imperialist powers have completed preparations for an onslaught on the Soviet Union, only waiting for a favorable opportunity to begin an intervention drive. The danger of a war against the Soviet Union has become a permanent one for the work- ers of the entire world and makes an international task for all under the leadership of the Communists, the defense of the Soviet U CI GIVES CORRECT LINE. The Open Letter of the Comintern to the American Party, s the conclusions for the American workers from these ions of world imperialism, gives the proper. revolution- ective for our Party, opens up the vista of struggle in h our Party is to become the leader of the proletariat, and shows + the American Party is entering a new period, during which it 1 have to chance its approach, methcds of its work, establish con- tact with new sita of g class and place itself at the heed of unparalleled m: It is on this basis that the Open Letter lays down a new line for the American Party. The new line means the adaptation of the Party to the new period of struggles and its moulding as the real Jeader of the American mas THE NEW LINE. (5) “The conditions, which will impose enormous tasks on the Workers Party of America, and will compel it to take the lead in gigantic class conflicts, are developing ever more rapidly. “The aggressiveness of the United States in the struggle for markets and the most important source of raw material through- out the world is growing swiftly. “The election of Hoover as president means that American imperialism is resolutely embarking on a course which leads to eclonial wars of occupation and to an extremely rapid accentua- tio nof the struggle between the United States and its chief im- perialist rival—Great Britain. American imperialism is striving for a monopolist position in world economy and politics and is becoming more and more involved in the universal crisis of capi- talism and comes more and more into the orbit of the growing instability of world capitalism. “The striving towards domination in world politics drives American imperialism, on the one hand, towards brutal capi- talist rationalization which throws considerable sections of the proletariat out of production, leads to an extreme overstrain of labor without corresponding compensation, to a colossal growth of unemployment (3-4 million) and to a general worsening of the conditions of the working class. “On the other hand, it leads towards tremendous growth of armament which puts over heavier burdens onto the shoulders of the toiling masses. All this and the menace of the terrific calamities of war creates a state of uncertainty and insecurity in the entire working class. It is on this basis that the tendency towards radicalization of the American working class is in- creasing; that its agtivities, its will to defend itself, which in some places transforms itself into a will to assume the of- fensive, is developing. This drift towards the Left does not develop evenly in all parts of the working class. It now em- braces chiefly the unorganized workers, especially in those in- dustries which have not reached their previous level after the depression of the first half of 1928.” STRUGGLES OF PAST PERIOD. (6) A number of struggles in the last two years have her- alded in the new period in which our movement will work. These mass battles of important sections of the American proletariat—the mining struggle, the textile strikes, the needle trades strikes, which found in the American Party a stalwart leader, and the establish- ment of new unions in these industries based on these struggles, which because the work was done in the face of the severest op- position from the capitalist class, the A. F. of L. bureaucracy and the socialist party and the power of the capitalist state, constitutes one of the best pages in the Party’s work, indicate that the Party ean and will succeed in. becoming the leader of the American prole- tariat, in leading the American proletariat in a revolutionary strug- gle against the most powerful imperialism in the world. ORGANIZING UNSKILLED. (7) The road to revolutionary development lies thru the or- ganization and mobilization of the most exploited section of the working class—the unskilled and semi-skilled; thru an alliance be- tween the proletariat and the oppressed Negro race; thru alliance with the revolutionary movement in the colonies; thru the disin- tegration of the armies of capitalism winning the proletarian ele- ments in them to the revolutionary movement. ll. WAR DANGER, RATIONALIZATION AND RADICALIZA- TION OF YOUNG WORKERS. (8) In the work of the Communist movement in this period, the problem of winning the youth becomes one of the basic problems for the Communist movement. The bourgeoisie is sparing no effort, thru its organizations, sports, schools, newspapers, government in- _ stitssions, to harness the youth to the chariot of capitalist war and Social reformis: ‘ tive in the cause of the bourgeoisie among the youth, “The youth question is undoubtedly one of the most impor- _ tant questions of the present time. The present period is charac- terized by the growing participation of the young workers in social production and in the class struggle on the one hand and by the extremely keen fight between the proletariat and the oisie for the control of the young workers on the other.” Congress CYI.) 9) In this ee the basis for winning the young workers fie veoreening of pee conditions as a result of the placed upon them by and fascism are particularly ac- | from and their active participation in the working class struggles, leading to their radicalization and organization. NEW LINE AND U.S. (10) The Open Letter and the new line apply fully to our youth work in the United States. In the United States the struggle for the youth is still in its initial stages, the bourgeois youth organ- izations exert tremendous influence on the youth and the Communist youth movement is still weak. The recent period has been characterized by the fact that the young workers are on the road to class consciousness by the active participation of the young workers in big struggles—mining, tex- tile, needle; by a general tendency for the young workers to parti- cipate in the class struggle; by symptoms of political awakening of members of the armed forces and the adhesion of some to the revolutionary movement; and by the beginnings of the development of the Y. W. L. in the direction of mass organization thru active participation in the struggles of the young workers. RATIONALIZATION. (11) In rationalization, in rationalized production, young work- ers are playing an ever more important role. Youth labor i i drawn into industry at a faster rate. Youth from non-industrial oc- cupations, particularly the farming youth, are being shifted into i dustry. The proportion of young workers in heavy industry in- creasing and the general orientation of the young workers is directed more and more to heavy industry. New industries, established on a rationalized basis, employ a majority of young workers. Thus the weight of the young workers in industry is greatly increased, leading to an increasing participation of the young work- ers in the struggles in those industrie Simultaneously, the con- tinuance of the agrarian crisis, which throws large masses of farm- ing youth into the cities, the shifting of industries, the industrializa- tion of the South (processes which are organically tied up with the rationalization process) and the shutting down of immigration, are uniting to make youth labor the main source for unskilled labor in the United States. (12) Before the war, due to the fact that the main source for unskilled labor in the basic industries was supplied by immigration, the youth was directed mainly toward the non-indus' rial occupations and the weight of the youth in industry was mainly in light industries. The class differentiation among the youth was consequently not well marked. The processes enumerated above have changed the orientation of the American youth, have given them a proletarian class orienta- tion and are directing them into the very center of the scenes of greatest struggles. The process of rationalization widens the gap between the labor aristocracy and the mass of unskilled w . It sharpens the class differentiation among the youth by shifting ‘the center of gravity to the young industrial workers and more parti- cularly to those in heavy industry. APPRENTICE SYSTEM (18) Young girls play an extremely important part in production. constituting already one-third of the total youth in industry and 50 per cent of the women in industry. Girls are being drawn into the heavy, rationalized industries like auto, into industry in the South, and particularly into industry in the small industrial towns in the mining and steel sections. (14) The general effect of rationalization on the apprenticeship system is to reduce it to a minimum and change its function, Ration- alization creates a big mass of unskilled workers. Rationalization also creates the need for a relatively small but absolutely large num- ber of skilled mechanics, technicians, foremen, straw bosses, etc. Consequently, to a certain extent, apprenticeship and other forms for training of these categories (trade schools) remains. This does not interfere with the general development, which is for the reduction of the apprenticeship system. The remaining apprenticeship no longer serves the purpose of passing the youth into industry, but of training certain skilled categories. Vocational training is part of the ratjon- alization sysem, and is introduced into the schools, not in order to give the youth industrial training, but to facilitate the youth into industry without training, and endeavor to win them for use against workers’ organizations. MILITARIZATION. (15) The rapid expansion of American imperialism has given rise to a very rapid militarization. The United States has become one of the biggest military powers. It has the largest military budget of any country. It has already entered into a naval race with Great Britain for control of the sea, in which the United States is gaining headway. The United States has already assumed the characteristics of a gigantic capitalist military power. For universal conscription, it has substituted a strong and well-trained mercenary force, and large organized and unorganized reserves. The militarization of the entire popuation is proceeding rapidly. Industry is being prepared for war- time functioning. Through the CMTC, ROTC and semi-militarist and militarist organizations, the youth is being militarized. Military organizations (American Legion) and semi-military organizations (Boy Scouts) are receiving the fullest support from the capitalist class, and are be- coming rapidly fused with the state apparatus, being transformed into direct state organizations. Compulsory military training is be- ing introduced for the militarization of the youth. A military caste, the final product of symbol of modern militarism is being created in the United States. (16) The burden of militarism and war preparations and the effects of capitalist rationalization only accentuate the extremely bad conditions which the American young workers get as their share of capitalist prosperity. Long hours, low wages, child labor, no protection from accident and disease, unsanitary conditions, brutal speed-up, wage-cuts and unemployment, capitalist militarization— these are the conditions that contribute to make he young workers the most exploited section of the American proletariat. Far from improving these conditions, capitalist rationalization makes them even worse. The young workers drawn into industry bear the full burden of capitalist exploitation. But not content with these conditions, the capitalist class has engaged in an onslaught on the conditions of the working class, to break their organizations and to still further reduce their wages; to increase the speed-up system. RADICALIZATION. (17) These miserable conditions; the pressure from the employ- ers; the contradictions of capitalist rationalization; the class differ- entiation brought about by rationalization; the conversion of the young workers into the main source for ungkilled labor are setting the young workers in motion, are activizing them and making them participate actively in the class struggle. “This pressure on the part of the employers and on that of the reaction rouses the activity of the masses of young workers, spurring more and more of them to fight, and thus effecting their radicalization.” (Fifth Congress, C. Y. 1.) (18) This process of radicalization is expressed in the active participation of the young workers in important struggles (mining, textile, needle), in the growing mood for struggle in other industries (auto, rubber) and in resistance to rationalization in the south, in increased sensitiveness and rapidity with which the young workers react to pressure of social changes; and in the success of the League in placing itself at the head of large numbers of young workers in many instances and bringing its program into larger ranks of the working ¢lass, (19) It is this general process of radicalization which enables the C. Y. I. in its letter to characterize the young workers as being “no more completely politically apathetic, but is in many instances the most advanced and conscious part of the proletariat.” UNEVEN TEMPO, (20) The process of radicalization develops at an uneven tempo, bringing about radicalization of the young workers in some indus- tries sooner than among other sections of the young workers, The process of radicalization has affected most the young workers in the industries which went through and are going through crises—mining, textile, needle. The factor which determines the League’s general The League must move at the head of the young workers who are moving fastest, establishing direct contact at the same time even with the most backward. A recognition of the general process of radicalization, its uneven development and the correct orientation of the League must bring a recognition of the fact that the bulk of the young workers will be involved in the process of radicaliza- tion only as it develops. This understanding is necessary in order to assure that the League will actually base itself on the process of radicalization, on the most advanced sections of the toiling youth and orientate to the most important and basic industries, ill THE ROAD TO MASS ORGANIZATION. (21) The above processes must determine all the activities of the League which center around the problems of the struggle against the war danger and the organization of the young workers, their mobilization in the class battles of the American proletariat. (22) The task of the League is further clarified by the fact that the young workers occupy a special role in industry, not only as the most unprivileged section, not only as the most discriminated , t, but also as the bond between the foreign-born and Amer- ican-born workers, as the most articulate section of the working class in industries where they and the foreign-born constitute the overwhelming bulk of the working class. (28) It is therefore clear that the orientation of the League must be toward the basic industries, where the contradictions of rationalization are most sharply expressed, where the process of rad- icalization is most advanced and where the young workers play the most important role. The work of the League in the other industries, all the work of the League must be centered around and tied up with its work in the basic industries. MASS WORK OF LEAGUE (24) The League, which began mass activities only after the Third Convention, broadened and deepened these activities in the period since the last convention, thus bringing the League nearer the road to mass organization. The League led large numbers of young workers in the struggle against capitalism. In the course of these struggles it was able to establish itself as the only organ- ization of young workers in this country. The League has broken with all the labor traditions of the past in initiating, for the first time in the United States, Communist work among servicemen as part of the struggle against the war danger. The League came forward as a youth organization fighting for the interests of the young workers in the various strikes and in the election campaign, during which it had a truly Communist youth program. The League, thru the Young Pioneers, began with the Passaic strike, to establish a tradition of militant participation of children in working class struggles, which is a historic achievement for the American working class. The above events indicate that the League has really taken the first steps on the road to mass organization. This it was able to do because it understood the processes which were affecting its work, saw that it was going thru a turning point in the conditions of its work, and adapt itself to the new conditions. In doing this, the League broke completely with the anti-youth problems ideology which dominated the League till its third convention and remnants of which remain to the present day. The League overcame the orientation to journalistic campaigns which dominated the work of the League up to the Third Convention. And above all, the League was able to rid itself of a series of serious errors which were committed between the Third and Fourth Con- ventions, and which threatened to hinder the progress of the League as a Communist youth league. These were expressed in remnants of journalistic campaigns, appeals to labor bureaucrats to organize the young workers, serious pacifist errors in our anti-war work; a wrong attitude toward the YPSL and other reformist youth move- ments (National Student Forum, American Federation of Youth) and a reformist election program in the 1926 election campaign. The tendency to orientate to light industry was still very strong. SUCCESS IN WORK (25) On the basis of the beginnings of development toward mass organization, the League can record certain successes in its practical work and improvement in its position. Among these can be included; active participation in strikes and the proper linking of the young workers with the strikers thru relief activities; real anti- militarist work, including work in the armed forces; concrete steps toward the organization of the young workers—mining, textile, needle; orientation toward basic industry; consolidation of the League’s position in the sports organization; the holding of district schools for improving the political level and training of functionaries. The organizational position of the League shows improvement. Not only has the membership increased, but the number of members from the basic industries has increased. Still the social composition of the League is very poor. The Ieague has established units in new territory—West and South, the district organizations have been firmly established and are functioning, beginning to react to local struggles and issues. The League membership has grown younger, more representative of the American youth, with a Party kernel of less than 10 per cent, as against 50 to 60 per cent in 1926-27. The League participated actively in the election campaign, with its own program, reaching many thousands of young workers, who for the first time were made to realize that the toiling youth had an interest in elections. - (26) While progress has been made towards mass organization by the League, its general position has not changed fundamentally. It is still a relatively small organization, largely isolated from the masses of young workers, responding slowly to their needs, and not assuming the leadership in their struggles. The many basic and important shortcomings from which the League still suffers are but symptoms of this general situation, and should serve as spurs to the League in accelerating the rate of development as a mass organiz- ation. SOCIAL COMPOSITION (27) An important symptom of the semi-sectarian position of the League is the extremely poor social composition. This is an in- dication that the League has not yet understood how to orientate properly to the young workers and draw them into its ranks, how to develop the proletarian members and push them into leadership in the League. ‘The small number of members in the basic industries, the absence of shop nuclei, unsystematic trade union work and failure to develop the youth sections of the new trade unions, widespread provincial- ism, no contact with the revolutionary movement in the colonies, isolation from the Negro youth and the men in the armed forces— these are the indications that the League has really made only the beginning in the direction of mass organization, and still has a long distance to travel to become a mass organization. (28) From this angle all the shortcomings of the League must be approached and overcome. Based on the most thorough and ener- getie mobilization of the membership for participation in the mass struggles, based on the League coming forward as a real fighter for the interest of the toiling youth, conscious ’and systematic direc- tion to the work of the League, conscious and systematic efforts to overcome the League’s shortcomings will result in the development of our League to a mass organization of the proletarian youth of this country. ERRORS COMMITTED (29) A number of errors in work committed by the League must be mentioned, as indicative of the still insufficient orientation of the League to mass work. They are: No systematic and con- sistent efforts to eliminate our shortcomings; tendency to hide the face of the League during struggle; laxness in enforcing instructions; errors in our unemployment demands; issuance of the slogan “Organ- ize a Workers Militia’; poor functioning of the NEC department and the adoption by some of them (Agitprop) of bureaucratic methods of the development of bureaucratic methods of work generally, also in the districts; hiding the face of the League (Pittsburgh; un- critical attitude to the Right errors of the failure to take vigorous measures to improve ye situation in the districts (Pitts- burgh, California); ope oaraee ee to the pe mort insuffi ne the National Executive Committee of the Y.W.C.L. of America (30) The League has continued to neglect some of its basic fields of work, particularly Negro work. This must be considered a major error of the League, in view of the importance of this work in the present period and the necessity for breaking down white chauvin- ism and race prejudice in the ranks of the working class. The League | has also carried on no struggle against its opponent organizations, SEMI-SECTARIAN CHARACTER i (31) The semi-sectarian character of the League is also mani- fested in that the League is not yet in the real sense a youth organ- ization. At the present time there is still a very strong tendency to mechanically transfer party campaigns to the League. The League has not yet learned to develop its activities on the basis of the actual needs of the youth; the League has not utilized methods which are appropriate for the youth, but has limited itself in general to imparting youth character to general Communist work. A typical example of this was the election campaign, in which although the League had its own program, and on the whole carried on good activity, the initiative of the League as a youth organization was not developed, and the activities of the League were not centered around the youth program and youth demands, but largely around the general Communist election program. The task which the League set for itself as early as 1925—to youthify all its activities has not ‘ yet been accomplished. (82) A big step in the direction of placing all the work of the League upon a genuine youth basis was the adoption, at the 1927 convention, of a program of social legislation for the youth. This program, however, has not been popularized among the League mem- bership, has not been placed in the forefrent in all the League’s work among the masses of the young workers, and has not served as the center around which to build up a thorough program upon which to approach the young workers, which would meet all the needs of the toiling youth and would be capable of accomplishing their mobilization around the slogans contained in that program. IV. COMMUNIST YOUTH IN STRUGGLE AGAINST WAR DANGER (383) The development of the League into a mass organization can be brought about only in the course of the most untiring mass activity, primarily in the struggle against the war danger and in the organization and defense of the economic interests of the young workers. (34) The correct line of the Communists being to bring about the defeat of their own bourgeoisie in the struggle against the war danger, it is necessary to keep in mind that the main task of the League is to carry on the most determined struggle against its own main enemy, American imperialism. The League must therefore issue defeatist slogans and develop a broad defeatist propaganda against American imperialism with the aim of preparing the work- ing class to turn the imperialist war into a civil war and establish the Proletarian Dictatorship. This is particularly important in relation to the movements in Latin-America (Nicaragua) and in the American colonies, where one ( of the characteristic features at the present time is the development of broad anti-imperialist movements of toiling masses, directed against American imperialism. The League must give the utmost assistance to these movements, and more particularly to the Commun- ist youth leagues in aiding in the establishment of Communist youth leagues in those countries where they do not as yet exist. (35) In its struggle against the war danger, the League should push into the forefront the Defense of the Soviet Union, the popular- ization of the achievements of the Soviet Union and the building of Socialism and the exposure of al! the plots against the Soviet Union, The Red Army should be popularized as the defender of the interests of the workers of the entire world. (36) In order to carry on an effective struggle against im- perialist war and capitalist militarism, the League must combat en- ergetically all pacifist ideology and pacifist propaganda in the ranks of the young workers, exposing this pacifism as but a weapon and cover for militarism and war. The League must struggle partic- ularly against the American Eederation of Labor, which has become an instrument of capitalist war policy and of capitalist militarization (endorsement by the A. F. of L. Executive Council and Convention of the C. M. T. C., ete.) The League must mercilessly criticize those working class organizations, which, intending to struggle against war, adopt pacifism as the weapon and expose the petty-bourgeois pacifist organizations. In forming a United Front with other youth organizations on concrete issues, the League must under no circumstances neglecf the task of exposing the harmful activities and methods of these or- ganizations, and win the proletarian membership and following away from them, into the ranks of the League. At the same time, the League must very energetically combat the remnants of pacifism and the underestimation of the war danger that still exist in the ranks of the League, and which hinder the League in carrying on its work, The League must be on guard against the infiltration into its ranks of pacifist ideology which pervades large sections of the working class, i WORK IN ARMED FORCES 4 (37) In beginning Communist anti-war work, in penetrating the armed forces of capitalism with the message of the proletarian revolutionary movement, the League has broken with all social- democratic, pacifist traditions with which the American labor move- ment is laden. In continuing this activity with greater intensity, utilizing the experiences of our brother Leagues, the League will win mass influence among the young workers and in the armed forces of American imperialism. Thg answer of the League to the burdens of militarism and war that capitalism is placing upon the young work- | ers is the mobilization of the young workers to struggle against | imperialist wars, against capitalist militarism, for the defense of the | Soviet Union and for assistance to the revolutionary movement in | the colonies. | The answer of the League to the capitalist militarization cam- paignis a campaign against capitalist militarism, and for the disin- tegration of the forces of capitalist militarism and wars. For thia purpose, the League should send its members into the armed force, carry on Communist work there, demoralize them as fighters for cap- italism and win them to the proletarian cause and figuc for the daw mands of the members of the armed forces. The League also sendy its members into the volunteer organizations of capitulist jae tion, carrying on similar work there, but not tell the young workers” ¥ to enter, and carry on a merciless struggle against these organiza- tions and*endeavoring to reach all sections of the working class in this work, ( IMPERIALIST CONFLICTS. (88) The League must pay particular attention to those war situs ations in which the' United States is playing the leading role—Anglo- American conflict, Pacific situation, Latin America. The league membership and the young workers must be made to understand all developments in these spheres from the point of view of the grow- ing war danger, and to point out the role of American imperialis: and the necessity for struggle against it. iy (89) It is necessary to establish good working relations h the leagues in the other countries involved—Great Britain, Far Eas' Latin America—and endeavor to secure coordination of the activities of all these leagues in the struggle against the war danger. (40) The struggle against the war danger, in order to penetrate the widest mass of the toiling youth, must be tied up with the every- | day questions affecting the young workers and the everyday activities of the league. The struggle against capitalist rationalization is an asspect of the struggle against the war danger; the connection be- | tween questions of hours, wages and the war danger must be def- initely established. (41) It is particularly important that the league begin activities among the young workers in the war industries—navy | yards, ammunition, chemical. \ } (42) The most thorough mobilization of the league and the | participation of every member is necessary for anti-war work. All _ open and hidden resistance must be overcome. The anti-apparatus must be ion oF the and established on an efficient basis, under the