The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 17, 1934, Page 3

we DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, MAY 17, 1934 Page Three MESA Local Defeats Smith Splitters, Supports Anderson —— tiator, but Anderson, in questioning > Shady Smith Maneuvers | Exposed, Splitting | Tactics Defeated DETROIT.—Maithew Smith, | general secretary of the Mechanics | Educational Society of America, and his machine suffered a serious | defeat when at a meeting of Local 7 of the MES.A. Friday night the) members voted, 69 to 64, to repudi- ate the action of the District Com- mittee in suspending John Ander- son, fighting organizer of the local and leader of the militant forces in the union. The real sentiment of the rank and file was demonstrated in the thunderous applause that greeted Anderson and in the booing of Smith and his henchmen. It was further revealed in the testimony of workers from the Ternstedt plant, from Midland Steel Products ‘Co. and from Clayton & Lambert, who came forward to defend An- derson and to pay tribute to his militant leadership of their strug- gles. The Smith leadership of the M. E. S. A. launched a campaign to ex- pel all Communists and other mili- tant workers from the organization about three weeks ago to cover up the loss of the strikes of tool and diemakers and of the Michigan Stove Co. workers and to smash all opposition to the disastrous poli- cies of the Smith machine. Smith initiated the campaign by having John Mack, another leader of the Progressives in the M.E.S. A, thrown out bodily from a meeting of his local and turned over to the police. Both Mack and Anderson were suspended by the Smith-con- trolled District Committee in fia- grant violation of the M.E.S.A. con- stitution which provides that a member can be stispended only by two-thirds vote of his local. The Executive Committee of An- derson’s local voted unanimously to recommend to the membership to reinstate him. The Smith machine sent out postcards to all the mem- bers before Friday's meeting of Lo- cal 7 charging that “a small group of men parading as members of the MESA, are wrecking your organ- ization” and calling on them to “clean house.” Smith opened the trial by atteck- ing Anderson, charging him with being a member of the Communist Party, which, he said, was trying to destroy the M.E.S.A. He made a venomous attack on the Daily Worker, charging it with distorting facts, and defended his own treach- srous policies. a witness from Midland Steel, brought out that the agreement | Smith had made for the workers hadn't been lived up to by the com- pany. | In contrast to this, a worker from | Clayton & Lambert testified that | prior to Andetson’s arrival in this | shop, they were working 58 hours | & week, ten more than the maxi- mum provided for in the N.R.A. code, arid were getting less than the | alleged union scale. Through mass action under Anderson's leadership the hours were cut down to 48 and their wages increased 5 cents an hour. In addition, whereas before Anderson's arrival only about eight or ten out of 50 had been in the union, as 4 result of this victory the shop became nearly 100 per cent organized. A month later the com- pany tried to fire Anderson, but were compelled to reinstate him when the men threatened to strike. Following this testimony Ander- son took the floor and in a splen- did, fighting speech, frequently in- terrupted by applause, ripped through the hypocritical pretenses of the Smith machine and revealed what the real issues were. Andersen quoted from an open Jetter Smith issued several weeks ago to the shop steward of the MESA, calling for a struggle against the efforts of the A. F. of L. lead- ers to dominate the industry and to Squeeze out the MESA. He then quoted a statement Smith had given to the Detroit News on the eve of the tool and diemakers strike in which he reversed himself com- pletely, saying that there was no war between the MESA and the A. F. of L. and that they were work- ing in two different fields. He also cited Smith's statement at a mass meeting, openly defending William Collins, chief A. F. of L, betrayer in the auto industry. “The red scare has been raised by Smith, “Anderson said, “to cover up the inefficiency of the leader- ship. They made all kinds of charges against me, they charged me with embezzling funds; but these charges were all proved to be lies and were initiated by men who hhave been exposed as stool pigeons. The present charges are so vague that every time they’re brought up, they \change, “The question of membership in the Communist Party has been brought up as a move to split our ranks. Any member of the MESA has a right to belong to any party he pleases. The bosses use the red scare—Smith uses the red scare; the bosses use the police—Smith uses the police.” Smith posed as the great nego- Militan t Organizer Is Upheld - Against Ouster Hove Smith’s strike policies, Anderson cited Smith’s wire to the National Labor Board March 14, declaring that a strike in the auto industry would be “a national calamity.” He quoted from the press to show how on the eve of the recent teol and die strike Smith talked general strike, but made no real effort to give the striking tool and diemakers the support he promised them, leaving them to fight a lone battle. “Smith crawled before the manu- facturers. He gave away half of the demands before the strike even started. Smith rejected united action to win the strike. Anderson brought out, but instead resorted to secret diplomacy which confused the workers and resulted in gen- eral demoralization. Finally, he ended the strike without consulting the strike committee. “The Michigan Stove men were green, but they put up a good fight against great odds,” Anderson said. “But they got no help from Smith. Smith is responsible for leading makers’ strike to defeat. The lead- ership the men got was lousy.” Workers Applaud Anderson Applause broke out at this state- ment Sumarizing, Anderson said: “The issue is not one of indi- viduals, but of basic principles, of which road the MESA will travel, the road of the corrupt A. F. of L. officials, which none of us want, or the road of mili- tant unionism. The road of Smith is the road of the A. F. of L, offictals.” The defeat of Smith at this meeting shows that the MESA rank and file has begun to rouse itself despite the shady maneuvers of the Smith clique. This victory must be followed up with the demand for the immediate reinstatement of John Mack and for an end to the explusion and suspension policy. The constitutional convention of the MESA is taking place in Detroit on May 24. Smith and his pals may try to insert one of these A. F. of L. anti-red clauses in the con- stitution. But if the rank and file really joins together under the leadership of the Progressives, this move, can be defeated, along with the reactionary splitting policies of Smith and the MESA membership can be won for the program of militant unionism and militant Turning to the basic issue of| leadership, the Michigan Stoive and the die-| By Suffering, Stabs Case Agent Relief Officials Threaten to Make Example of Harassed Worker Whose Wife and Seven | Children Were (Daily Worker Midwest Bureau) CHICAGO, May | 16—The full force of capitalist “justice” is being launched against Andrew Guerriero,|as the “Ghetto Angel,” as a gener- | who was driven insane by the hun-| us distributer of relief, although| ger and misery of his family and Denied Relief worker Saturday at the Spring St relief station. The woman he stabbed has been Played up in the local gutter sheets she won a promotion to senior case work of her station on the basis of \Chicago Worker Driven Insane By ffalo Aero Strike Wins Wide Support Despite Sharp Terror Of Bullets, Tear Gas of Police Massed Picket Lines Encircle Struck Factories BUFFALO, N. ¥., May 16—At stabbed a case worker who had cut! her work in reducing expenditures the same moment Curtiss and Con- jof his relief. Robert Dunham, | high relief official, has stated that | an example would be made of Guer- |riero. He has | badiy beaten in the Maxwell St.| | police station that he had to be} | removed to a hospital. | | Guerriero, who has seven chil-| dren from six to 20 years old, has had no source of income for four years except meager wages of $6 to $7 & week which one of his daugh- ters earned, attacked the social of the station. Andy Neuhoff, district secretary of the International Labor Defense, to the Daily Worker reporter: “Guerriero was driven mad by the rotten condition his family was in, While the I. L. D. does not ap- prove of individual action of this kind, we will fight to prevent the railroading of this worker by the same ruling class that is responsible for his mental condition.” 29 Capital Unions Back Carpenters | Action Due to Rank and | File Demand WASHINGTON, D. C., May 16.—| Twenty-nine building trade unions| here, having a membership of 4,000, voted to support the strike of the| 2,000 carpenters who are demanding a restoration of the $1.37% hour) wage rate, and a six-hour day. This action, which ties up all | Washington construction work, in- |eluding $100,000,000 Federal work, |was taken at the request of the | Carpenters’ District Council. | ‘The supporting unions have de- | cided to call an immediate strike if} {any contractors try to employ scabs | on, the jobs affected. It was also |voted that no member of another | trade would do any carpenter job. | | The Building Trades Council lent brs full support due to the initiative} | of the rank and file which sent a | committee. The strike may lead to a general strike in the building trades, The rank and file has rejected | the efforts of the president of the International Carpenters’ Union (A. F. of L.), Hutchinson, to postpone hae strike. Last year this Hut- Solidated officials sat in conference | With the National Labor Board in | Washington, police and deputies of already been s0| gave the following statement today |tWo towns, a city and county were attacking from 7,000 to 8,000 strik- |ers and supporters in a vicious ef- | fort to break up the militant picket |line and rush strikebreakers out of. ee-9 Curtiss plant, late Monday | afternoon, | Singing “Solidarity Forever,” the | spirited picket line, largest since the Strike began seven weeks ago, was |@ fighting answer to the com- | panies’ ultimatum to the strikers to |return to work or lose their jobs. 25 for Picketing The strikers and their supporters| Were lined up four abreast for a! 2 | quarter mile in front of Curtiss, Bo t ( t J Is)" a three-piece band of strikers. Ston LOUT Jal ¥. M. C. A. House Seabs rad | Moving vans carrying scabs came out of the plant, surrounded by motorcycle police and scout cars.| | Traveling at high speed, they swept | past the picket lines on their way OES Ta downtown to the Y. M. C. A. Men’s BOSTON, May 16.—For demand-| tote] and Worth Hotel. Then ing their right to organize, strike) began the procession of taxis and| and picket to make the Columbia/ private cars, loaded with imported | Furniture Union Calls for Mass Protests ers who were vy were “only flying pieces of from bursting t The sentiment of S is “Th only a beg ng! er Picket lines are expected to The Aeronautical U &@ call for a “Suppor! conference Sunday, 2 p. Orioles Hall, declares that “a tory for the aero workers is a tory for all the working clas Support for the strike grows Ri At the last meeting of the radio workers, Federal local, members of which are workers of the Colonial | Radio Company, it was voted to delegate 300 workers to picket with |the aero strikers atfer work. Fifty dollars were donated. Marine, Metal Unions Aid Energetic supporters of the strike jare the Marine Workers Industrial | Union, which dispatched hundreds of seamen in trucks to picket, and the Steel and Metal Workers In- dustrial Ui which is actively organizing support in metal se by for support of the strike and for betterment of their own conditions. The Riverside Unem- ployed Council, enjoying wide pop- ularity because it has conducted many victorious struggles for more and better relief, has rallied large numbers of unemployed workers in the vicinity of the strike for pick- eting and active support. Myers Upholstery Co. live up to| and a few local strikebreakers. Only | their agreement with the Boston Local of the National Furniture Workers Industrial Union, 25 mem- bers of the union are held in jail here. .The workers militantly re- fused to accept probation and pay a $10 fine, levied by Judge Hayes. On March 17, the workers in the Columbia Myers shop were in- formed that the agreement with the union was null and void. The pretext offered was that the shop had changed ownership, since the company had changed its name to the Columbia Myers Upholstery Co., Inc. When the workers refused to accept non-union conditions, with wage-cuts, piece work and speed- up, they were locked out. They answered by picketing the shop. Judge Alonzo Weed granted an injunction to the company, legaiiz- ing the breaking of its agreement,| this ‘could not drive off the pickets.| their attacks against the strike, and in one of the most sweeping anti- labor documents in the history of ciubbed and then arrested. Strikers| fair name of the fair city of Buf- Massachusetts. back chinson sent in International Rep- resentative Allen, who produced a to work without consulting them about the settlement. a few got by, and the rest came to} Workers from nearby shops a@ halt, when police provoked a/ Sather daily at the picket line after fight by hitting a woman picket.| Work, shouting in support of the The cops turned on the men,} strikers. In an effort to prevent the women and child pickets and began| Spread of the strike wave, em- their attack. Swinging their clubs) Ployers in many metal shops in the} in all directions, mounted cops| Back Rock-Riverside section of drove a large number of pickets | Buffalo have given wage increases into nearby fields, striking many./ffom 5 to 15 per cent. This does Coming together again in the fields,| not prevent the onward march of the pickets defended themselves} Organization, but o1 serves to | bravely and answered with a volley| Show these workers that it was the lof rocks and stones. Tear gas was| Organized action of the airctaft | brought into play against the picket| Workers that brought about the |line, which now numbered close to/ increases. | | four thousand. Bosses Slander Workers In Ads Not succeeding with tear gas, and| A series of advertisements, sup- | finding that a shower of eggs, many | Posed to be paid for by a “group of | filled and sealed over with am-| ciVic-spirited citizens,” and entitled |monia, greeted them, the Buffalo| “Labor vs. Education,” are appear- | bulls turned on the hose full force| ing in the local press, aimed at iso- Cops, Bosses, Press and NRA Unite Against the Workers en to Our publie You have pride in Ow and “Do not let these pa agitators from outside get the bet ter of your good judgment!” Have ing received these well-paid ads, the local press is more and more at- ly attacking the tis Meanwhile, the } Labor Board in Washington is huddled together with company officials. The union has demanded that the Labor Board provide for the fare of @ strikers’ delegation. Since this was refused by the Labor Board, the union is not participating in the hearings. The boycott of the National La- bor Board is a significant event at this moment when a tremendous strike wave is breaking out against the N. R. all over the country. It is the wer that all workers must give to the government’s pro- posal to set up through the Wagner bill a strikebreaking board with Powers superseding even that of Congress. The aircraft strike is a striking demonstration of how workers can defeat war plans of the capitalists. Already putting a big dent in the war-plane construction program of the “New Deal” government, the aircraft strikers are becoming more conscious daily of the great role | their struggle plays in postponing war. The Communist Party and Young Communist League are point- ing out to the strikers that tn the hands of the workers in the key industries, such as the aircraft, lies the power to defeat war and fas- cism. A es: Bosses, N.R.A. Confer WASHINGTON, May 16.—While the National Labor Board is refus- ing to allow representatives of the strikers in the Buffalo aircraft cor- porations, the officials of the struck companies were allowed to sit in with the Board and plan the break- | into the mass of pickets, drenching | | men, women and children. Even! Scores were arrested, many | taking pictures of the police brute ——— | ity became the target of the cops,| The “civie spirited citizens” expose | proving that the police were the) | aggressors in provoking the fight.| | Local papers claim that the strik-| ing of the strike. Present for the bosses were: Law- rence D. Bell, vice-president and general manager of the Consoli- dated Aircraft Corporation; John W. Vanallen, counsel; J.A.B. Smith, president of Cu Aeroplane Co.; T. B. Wright, vice-president and general manager of Curtiss Aero- plane Co., and B. G. Weber, counsel, lating mass support from the strik- ers. The huge ads are vicious in carry the usual hokum about “the falo has been blotted, blah, blah.” themselves as people very closely connected with the capitalist clique in town, when they write “You are Revolutionary Way Out Is Only Road For American Working Youth The Daily Worker publishes to- day the second half of the Draft Resolution prepared by the Na- tional Executive Committee of the Young Communist League for the Rational Convention of the Y.C.L., which opens June 22 in Detroit, Mich. The first half of the Draft Resolution was published in yesterday’s Daily Worker.—Editor. PGi see The publication of this draft resolution should initiate the widest discussion in all the units of the Young Communist League and Communist Party on the tasks of winning the working youth, Every unit of the Young Communist League, after discuss- ing this resolution, should adopt a short resolution of its own stating its position on the resolu- tion of the National Committee and making any additions or pro- VY. THE STRUGGLE FOR THE NEEDS OF THE YOUTH (a) Struggle Against Roosevelt Program of War and Fascism HE League must intensify the struggle for the daily needs of the youth, especially at the concentration factories, and through it unmask the Roosevelt government which behind democratic phrases is actually leading toward fascism. ‘The experiences of the youth with the N.R.A. and the strikebreaking Labor Board, must be used to arouse them to defend every one of their rights—to strike, organize, picket, demonstrate, etc. We must struggle against the burocracy of the A. F. of L. which actively supports Roosevelt, and also against, the Socialist leaders who confuse the masses as to the real aims of the Roosevelt program and thus help pave the way for fascism. We must answer every chauvinist act directed against the Negro people, every attempt to terrorize the militant workers and farmers, Negro and white. Mass defense groups must be built and where necessary special youth defense or- ganizations should be created (Cal- ifornia). The whole League must be aroused against the imminent dan- ger of a new imperialist war, especially tha danger of an tack upon the Soviet Union. We must constantly expose the pacifist phrases of Roosevelt by showing the actual preparations of war. We must struggle against every act of American imperialism di- rected against the colonial peo- ples (Cuba, Philippines). We must popularize the peace policy of the Soviet Union among the masses of youth and show them its revo- Jutionary character. The broadest masses of youth must be won for the defense of the Soviet Union and the Chinese Soviet, Republic. (b) Make the Shop a Revoln- tionary Fortress of same should be sent to the Na- tional Committee, Young Commu- nist League, Box 28, Station D, New York City, Besides this main resolution, special resolutions are also being prepared on Economic Trade Union Work, on the building of the children’s movement and on control tasks for the coming period. The National Committee calls upon all Party and League mem- bers and all readers of the DAILY WORKER to carefully study the above resolution and to participate in the Y.C.L, pre-convention dis- cussion through the columns of the DAILY WORKER. NATIONAL COMMITTEE, YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE, U. 8. A. League does not yet understand ‘that all of its work, that every struggle, must be centered at the most important factories of basic industry. Where this was done, results are to be recorded (Balti- more, stockyards). Where concen- tration was looked upon narrowly as only a question of assigning a few forces or visiting contracts; | where we failed to work consis- tently and were carried away by daily events; where we did not apply the most flexible organiza- tional forms (trade unions, sport and social clubs, etc.); where we hid the program of the League; where we did not build the united front on specific grievances; we were not successful in making headway despite our participation in numerous strike struggles (De- troit, Pittsburgh, textile). The re- sult of this is that we have only 50 shop nuclei although the Party has 340. ‘i ‘The first responsibility of every leading comrade from unit bureau to national committee, is by prac- tical example to work to root the League in the basic factories. Every young Communist who works in a factory, mine, ship or mill, must understand that his first duty to the working class is to react to the daily grievances of his shopmates and to become a leader in the struggle for their better conditions. Every unit of the Y. C. L. must take up the problems and give guidance to the individual shop workers and choose one of the most important factories in its territory for con- centration. The aim of every street or neighborhood unit, must be to penetrate the most important factories of its territory, in the shortest possible time, and bring about the reorganization of the League on a shop unit basis. The existing shop units must be strengthened and must become the leaders of the young workers of their shops, reacting to their potals it deems necessary. Copies | must boldly come forward in their own name and program, and im- | mediately begin to issue Y,. C. L. | shop papers, The first concentration task of the whole League is to build a Y. C. L. shop unit in every fac- tory where a Party unit exists. This means that every unit, sec- tion and district must assign forces and constantly check up together with the Party on the carrying through of this task. c) Work in the Trade Unions In the past months there has been some improvement of the work in the A. F. of L, (steel, etc.). The work of the league in the revolu- tionary unions has, however, not improved and remains in the same unsatisfactory position. The reasons for this are: 1) As yet only a small percentage of the young workers in the Y. C. L. are members of and active in trade unions. 2) The resistance to take up youth problems and youth forms by the leadership of the revolutionary unions, which are remnants of reformist ideol- ogy (needle, steel, etc.) 2) The Jack of understanding in the ranks of the Y¥. C. L. of the need for economic youth demands and that these form the basis for youth sections, youth committees, etc. Since the N.R.A. the major issues of the youth are: 1) higher wages to correspond with rising prices, 2) against all discrimina- tory clauses in the industrial codes, 3) against the terrific speed-up, 4) for the right to join any union, 5) against throwing youth out of jobs through use of seniority clauses, 6) against child exploitation, The league must fight against the attempt to oust youth from indus- try by means of seniority clauses in agreements (auto settlement). While fighting against firing of youth, we must also fight the attempt to oust older workers prematurely from in- dustry without unemployment in- surance or old age pensions at reg- ular wages. We must unite the youth and adult workers for one common struggle for jobs or in- surance, for a shorter work week without reduction in pay, for voca- tional training at full wages for youth under 18, etc. The Y. C. L. must take the lead- ership in developing a united front struggle against the exploitation of children, especially in textile, agri- culture, domestic work and street trades. Here we must expose the position of Roosevelt, the Socialist Party and the A. F. of L. leaders, who offer no provisions for the maintenance of those children thrown out of industry. We must develop struggles of the child work- ers for their partial economic de- mands (higher wages, shorter hours, etc.) At the same time we must demand that child exploitation be abolished on the basis of providing for the children disemployed. This means in the first place an inten- sified struggle for H. R. 7598 (the workers’ social insurance bill) which daily problems and applying the Im spite of certain improvements in the past year in applying the policy of concentration, the whole tactic of the united front for cre- ating joint united actions of the youth. At the same time thev makes provisions for the children of unemployed or part time workers. We must also place before the DRAFT RESOLUTION OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE YOUNG COMMUNIST LEAGUE, U. S. A., FOR training for all youth between 14} and 18 years of age with full pay under trade union supervision. State support at no less than $3) per week for all child laborers under 14 now employed.” ‘The league must become a great- er force in winning youth for the revolutionary trade unions espe- cially marine, steel and packing. It must become the main driving force jin building unions in youth in- dustries such as radio, telegraph, ete. Youth sections must be estab- lished in the shortest possible time in the revolutionary unions (espe- cially steel, marine). The convention emphasizes to the whole league that without work in the A. F. of L., it is impossible to | win the working youth for revolu- tionary class struggle. In these unions, especially in mining and textile, we must help to create rank and file opposition and to expose the betraying policies of the reac- tionary leadership on the basis of conerete issues of struggle. In) these unions we must wage a fight for lower initiations for young workers, the right of youth to join all unions, the right of youth to hold office and for the election of youth committees and the creation of youth sections (as has been started in steel). A task of tremendous Importance especially in the basic industries (steel, auto) is to expose and smash the company unions and their in- fluence among the youth. At this moment it is especially necessary to utilize the fact that the com- pany unions (steel-auto) prohibit youth under 21 from voting and those who have been less than a certain number of years in the Plant from holding office, to further expose the character of these “unions.” We must at the same time work within the com- pany sport teams and clubs to win the youth for smashing the com- pany union and must also create teams and clubs under rank and file control to counteract the ac- tivity of the company unions. In the independent unions our Y. C. L. comrades must fight for the adoption of a class struggle policy, for the election of rank and file militant workers to office, against affiliation with the A. F. of L., and for close cooperation and solidarity with the unions of the Trade Union Unity League. We must have the perspective of work- ing forward to the creation of one independent trade union center based on class struggle policies. d) Against Forced Labor—For Un- employment Insurance and Imme- diate Relief While the Y.C.L. alone of all or- ganizations has brought a program to and led the struggles of the Youth in the C.C.C., most districts still seriously neglect work in these camps, resist sending forces in them and underestimate the role of these camps not alone in creating a re- serve for war, but as means of creating a force against the growing struggles of the workers at home. The creation by the government of the “Forest Legion” is a step in masses our-demand: “Vocational the direction of turning these boys 2) into fascist storm troops. The League must develop a mass struggle against the whole forced labor system, demanding the sub- stitution of these camps with jobs at regular wages or unemployment insurance. At the same time the League must, on the basis of the united front from below, create elected men’s committees and or- ganizations of these boys around their specific grievances and for regular rates of wages and the im- mediate ousting of all army officers. The best Y.C.L. mass workers must be sent into these camps to build the mass movement and through it Y.C.L. camp units. The number of camp papers issued by the Y.C.L. must be increased to include all im- portant camp areas, The conventién expresses its dis- satisfaction with the state of our work among the young unemployed, who constitute a majority of the working class youth. With the ex- | ception of a few cities (Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Baltimore) the unem- ployed youth movement has not grown in the past months—it has even declined (Chicago, Detroit). This despite the fact that the posi- tion of the unemployed youth is worse than ever, This miakes neces- sary that we: 1) Connect up the work in the shops with the struggle for un- employment insurance; 2) Com- bat the still existing illusions that Roosevelt will provide jobs for all; 3) Intensify the struggle for im- mediate relief on the basis of de- manding constantly higher cash amounts for all youth, Negro and white; 4) Consolidate the move- ment organizationally through the creation of youth committees and clubs which not alone take up the demands of the yeung workers, but also provide certain sport and cultural activity; 5) Work in the A. F. of L., Independent Unions, ¥. M. C. A.s, Settlenient Houses, youth clubs, ete., to get endorse- ment for Bill H. R. 7598 and to set up unemployed committees to fight for immediate relief. e) Every League Member Must Be a Fighter for the Rights of the Negro People The Convention declares that any underestimation or neglect of the struggle for the rights of the Negro people objectively gives aid to the white-chauvinists. The League must lead the fight for full political and social equality for the Negro youth and against every act of discrimina- tion or segregation. This can only be done by first of all intensifying the struggle against the remnants of white chauvinism in the ranks of the Y.C.L., and by counteracting the influence of Negro nationalism. The League must help build up the broadest movement of Negro and white youth for Negro libera- tion through the building of the League of Struggle for Negro Rights and Young Liberator clubs as youth sections. The white youth must be in the forefront of the struggle for Negro rights, militantly defending Negro youth from attack of white | chauvinists. | | The League must strengthen the | work in the South by building the Youth Sections of the Sharecrop- pers Union and working to penetrate | the basic industries, especially in | Alabama. In all of our shop and| trade union work, special demands | must be raised for Negro youth and they must be drawn into the trade unions on the basis of full equality. Negro young workers must be more boldly recruited and drawn into the leadership of the Y.C.L. and the mass organizations. The League must conduct much more educa-) tional activity to clarify the white| and Negro youth on our revolution- | ary position on the Negro question and especially on the slogan of the right of self-determination for the Negro people in the Black Belt of the South. f) Young Worker—Weapon Against War and Fascism and for Daily Needs of the Youth ‘The intensive struggle of the enemy for the masses of youth, ne- cessitates more than ever before the building of the Young Worker into @ mass paper, the mass organizer, agitator and propagandist of the Y¥.C.L, among the youth. In spite of improvements in the content of the Young Worker, the National Convention emphasizes that up to now there has been an impermis- sible neglect of this vital organ by | the whole League and especially the concentration districts (Detroit, | Chicago, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and) New York). | The Convention instructs the na- tional committee and every member of the League to help change the content of the Young Worker along the lines of increasing the shop cor- respondence, simplifying the lan-| guage and approach of the paper to| the problems of the young workers, and reacting to all of the day to day problems of the working youth. The Young Worker must become a paper with a weekly circulation of 35,000 within 3 months after the Convention. &) Win the Youth in the “Y's” and Settlement Houses for Revolutionary Class Struggles The work started in a few cities in the “Y’s” and Settlement Houses (New York, Cleveland), show us the tremendous possibilities in making these organizations our strongholds. In the “Y's” we must fight against the use of buildings to house scabs (Buffalo, New York City), against appointed directors and leaders, for elected “Y” councils, for the right of the membership to formulate their own program, for endorsement of the Unemployment Insurance Bill, for lower rates and exemption for unemployed youth, and against segregation and discrimination of Negro members. In the Settlement Houses our main task is to enter the various clubs and on the basis of making friends, raising immediate issues such as relief. participating in dis- cussions, win the youth for our pro- gram, Through the various clubs , iy jin that organization. PRE-CO NVENTION DISCUSSION we are to endeavor to get repre- ' resist war and when war comes to sented on the councils of clubs and | transfer the imperialist war into a win the bulk of clubs for our pro-| civil war against American im- gram, Here, too, we are to fight| perialism and for the establishment against discrimination of Negro| of Soviet Power. The Y. C. L. must youth, for the right to elect House| also take the lead in exposing the officers, etc. | Various pacifist movements (‘Y’s,” In both the Settlement Houses| Church, etc.) and must also expose and “Y's” our main concentration | those who use “left” phrases about must be upon the factory youth| 4nswering war with general strike, and for this reason comrades must | te. be sent into the Industrial “Y’s”| One of the most important tasks and the Settlement Houses in in-| of the Young Communist League is dustrial areas. In these mass or-| the struggle against capitalist mili- ganizations we are to set up func-|tarism. The League must fight to tioning Y. C. L, units whose main | abolish the R. O. T. C. and National task is to win the majority of youth| Guard and must conduct work in | the army and navy and in the R, United Front|O. T. C., National Guard and C. M. T. C., with the aim of winning the sf | bulk of these youth against war and The convention greets the Stes | fascism and for support of the taken by the National Committee rs 1 to help build a broad united front | Struggles of the working class. i) Work Among Farm Youth youth movement against war and| fascism. The Youth Section of the} The work started among the farm and the successful farm American League Against War and| youth Fascism has grown considerably! youth conference held in North and and involved many new masses of| South Dakota, Wisconsin and Ne- youth (“Y's,” Settlement Houses,| braska are the first beginnings to- Church groups, student organiza-| ward winning the broad masses of tions). It, however, must be built} farm youth. In our farm work it now to a greater extent in the war) is necessary to pay much more at- industries and ports, as has already| tention to the young agricultural been begun in Baltimore, where| laborers, especially in the West. five ship committees have been! The task of the League is to draw established. Committees against| the ferm youth into the struggle of war must be set up in every im-| their parents against taxation, for portant shop and in mass organiza- | cancellation of debts and against tions. The whole movement must} foreclosures and evictions. We must pay major attention to struggle} in addition fight against the inher- against the production and espe-|itance of debts which for millions cially shipment of ammunition to! of farm youth means actual serf- Japan or Germany. More attention|dom. The Youth Sections of the must be given toward winning) United Farmers’ League must be larger sections of the Y. P. S. L./ broadened and built into mass for the united front. | movements, and youth sections must The Y. C. L. must strengthen the | be started in the Holiday movement work of its fractions in the sports,| and other mass farm organizations, student and language youth move-| Special attention must be paid to ment—especially in the Labor] penetrating the 4-H clubs and the Sports Union. The L. 8, U. must| Grange and to counteract the be broadened into a real sport Vicious activity of the Silver Shirts movement appealing to American! and other fascist groups. young sportsmen. This means| j) For a Mass Children’s Movement special attention to work in the| Although our children’s movement sport organizations controlled by the| has grown considerably since our capitalist class who today influence | last convention, it still represents a or control the majority of sports-| Small percentage of the children men. In the National Student/ under our direct influence. The Y, League the Y. C. L. members must | ©. L. convention instructs the en- work to build this into the broadest’ tire League, each unit, section and mass movement among American} district, to: students. Special attention must (a) Strengthen the leadership be given to the struggle against the| of the children’s movement by as- R. O. T. C.,, and Y. C. Lers must| signing more capable forces, espe- work from within the R. O. T. C.| cially young workers and Negro to win the youth for our program.| youth. (b) Together with the More attention must be paid to-| Party and mass organizations de- ward winning the working class) velop a mass struggle against child students in High Schools, Evening, misery and child exploitation. Schools, etc. The League must also| The center of all our work must give more attention to the building| be the young child laborers and of the Youth Section of the Inter-| the schools. (c) Children’s national Workers’ Order and the| groups must be established with Broaden the Against War and Fascism h) youth sections of the language mass| the help of the Y. C. L. alongside organizations which have grown in the past year considerably and if utilized correctly can aid the League in its work of penetrating the factories. Through the building of the united front against war and fas- cism the Y. C. L. must inde- pendently come to the masses of youth with its full Communist pro- gram. It must prepare tffe youth to aN of all adult and youth mass or- ganizations and alongside all Y. C, L. units, (d) Much more at- tention must be given to building a children’s movement alongside the trade unions and to counter- act the activities of the Scouts among the children—winning these children for our leadership. (Continued on Page 4) ih A PE