The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-05-21
HOW AMERICAN COMMUNISTS WORK
UNDERGROUND.
Police Raids Disclose Communist Methods to Undermine
Capitalist Power and Government.
RULES FOR UNDERGROUND PARTY WORK.

States these organizations did no
cease to exist. Qtite the contrary
They merely adopted different forms
of organization anH methods of car
rying on their noF, illegal work o.
agitation and organizing American
workers.
The recent raids of police in New
York City disclosed in discovered
literature the rules under which this
work is planned TO be carried on
The publication Of such rules fol
guidance for underground politica
work should be interesting to Amer
lean workers who have been schoolet
in the ideology OF old time Amer
lean traditions. Wd reprint the Rules
from the New York Times of May l
RULES FOR UNDERGROUND
PARTY WORK.
/. Don't betrayl party work anc
party workers under any circum.
stances.
2. Don't carry pr keep with yor
names and addresses, except in good
code.
8. Don't keep in lyour rooms open.
ly any incriminathg documents OF
literature.
A.. Don't take any unnecessary risks
in party work.
5. Don't shirk party work because
of the risk connected with it.
6. Don't boast Of what you have
to do or have done for the party.
7. Don't divulge your membership
in the party without necessity.
8. Don't let any spies follow yor
to appointments or meetings.
8. Don't lose your nerve in danger
10. Don't answer any questions il
arrested, either at preliminary hear.
ings or in the court.
/. The objectionable crime in un
derground party work is the betraya
of its workers. To give information
about them to the Government j:
equal to outright treason regardless
of what means, what tortures may
have been used to wrench it from
the comrade. DON'T BE A TRAI
TOR! Make up your mind for that
Let this determination penetrate 4
the very depths d SsVOyr unconsciou
self, so that it would stand up un
der any influence, under any tor
turs. There is no condemnation, nj
punishment strong enough for
traitor.
2. To be caught with plainly writ
ten names and addresses of com
rades or party workers and places
is very nearly the same as betray
ing them to the Government; a
least in effect it is the same. Sue
names and addresses should never
not for moment, be plainly writte
out. They should not be written ou
in full at all. Carry in your memor
as much as you can, and let you
notes be mere "memory-aids." An
whatever you must write down, writ
it in good code.
Be sure, however, in all cases
that you have and know the correc
addresses. It is absolutely wrong t
be asking the way to a party ad
dress from passers-by or even fror
the janitor and inhabitants of tn
very buildings where they are loc
ated. 1t is also very hurtful t
make mistakes in party shipment o
mail addresses: through them i'm
portant mail and shipments, not onl
are lost, but are delivered into tn
hands of the Government; part
shipping methods are disclosed; tn
correct addresses are spoiled; and t
cap it all, it may be the mean
through which the real .addresse
may be arrested. Always, when Civ
ing, or taking, or using party ad
dresses, look twice, TO be sure tina
there are no mistakes.
Write in good code whatever yo
must write down. A code for nun
bers is very easy to use at all times
Make up word Of ten letters, o
two words of five each (but non
that will make sense, as then the
are easy to decipher), take such a
"verga Dsihw" (no letters to b
used twice., and then use ~" for
"e" for 2, "r" for 8, and so fortl
wv" for 0.
| For party mail and shipments II
direct addresses should be used whel
ever possible.
An organizer, through whose nei
ligence party names and address,
fall into the hands Of the Govern
ment, is little better than a traito
3. Keep your rooms "clean'.
little care in this respect may say
you in case of accidental arrest {
search on suspicion. Especially kee
clean Of any quantities Of our paper
leaflets or literature, that wou
show that you are participating
the distribution of them. They cal