Evening star., 1924-11-02
by JACOB SPOLANSkY.
CHAPTER Il.

CHAPTER Il.
II spite of all the Government can
n spite of the raids which netted
80 prisoners to be deported, and in
Sp T." of the constant vigilance on the
l. r. Of the. Department of Justice
a-c.ts, communists continue to meet,
r6': nue. to hold conventions in one
y -ho of the country or another at
N,."h are discussed important poll
60 governing their organization.
y rdly were the Comrades" on
''a : way to Jail back in 1919, when
" Il was issued for a convention to
= h~ld in New York during the
l.az,'.- Ii. Of July, 1920. On July Il, "a
q. ,ates of the communist party of
riratnet to adopt a new constitu-
tn. in which, when accepted. they
:: t"rated their belief in revolution
n. lyaSs action as armed insurrec-
a. e and civil war" Here is how
10 s. "a delegates, representing thou
ai dS of communists. expressed their
I.tea ion concerning the Government
-~- A Call to Arms.
Hass, strikes are an initial form
-. n must be given political charac-
~ by coming into direct conflict
N.S j the State. which openly uses its
as>"hinery for breaking the strike
r.''i crushing the workers organiza-
80. This eliminates in armed in
iii ""ction and civiis war aimed di-
rss " at the destruction of the CAPT
~ 4 state and establishment of the
2roi etarian dictatorship.
- It is not a problem of immediate e
=. olution:" The revolutionary epoch
{Sest last for years. The communist
k.vrnational offers a program both
tF"nediate and ultimate in scope. The
411munist international calls arms
:. inst arms, Force against force.
G-prkers of the world, unite, All
.te,Ier to the workers.
m this constitution also was put
--sth for the first time the definite
-. ,fisSion that the communist party
sr,ll persisted in America. Article 1
re..ds:
The communist party is an illegal
t2derSround organization. It is
I ShlE centralized with the Conven-
.gp as its supreme BODY and the cen
sr l@executive committee it's supreme
BODY between conventions.
The Identity of the central execu-
tie committee members shall not be
dde known either by themselves or
those present at the convention.
ihe central executive committee shall
De the official underground organ"
Meeting on Overlook Mountain.
Of more Importance however. was
80. convention held year later dur
.ng May, 192l-a secret underground
meeting held on Overlook Mountain.
car Woodstock, y. y. In spite of
".~nresSions of unity made at a pre-
Nious convention near River Forest.
embers of the communist party of
>nerica and of the united communist
.rfN Nf ,-.;r
many points of policy. In view of the
act that much of the work must now
'e carried on underground. the Wood
sock convention was called for the
purpose of establishing complete har-
iaony between the two factions and
20 create more efficient UNDERGROUND
organization.
Therefore. en- May 10. 1921, 60 dele
Gates, 80 from the Communist party
and 80 from the United Communist
nlrty, arrived in the City of New
Fork. following instructions from the
International at Moscow. From there
he delegates were conveyed by au-
,omobile to a Summer resort on top
# Overlook Mountain.
Every precaution was taken by the
communists tc prevent any word of
This meeting from getting about.
Early in the morning the delegates
were assembled at the foot of the
mountain. Here they were searched d
and credentials examined. Then. un-
der escort, they climbed the noun
tain. For more than two weeks prior
TO this convention guards had been
stationed in the vicinity-at Tanners
VILE Woodstock and Kingston, as
we'll at the Grand Central Station.
New York-to watch for possible ac-
rivity on the part of the Government.
When the delegates reached the hotel
they were assigned two to room so
hat one could watch the other A
steering committee was organized
which formed rules Of conduct. one
Of which forbade delegates going
more than 200 tcet from the hotel
during sessions of the convention.
BESIDES this. all delegates We're
searched. and every scrap of paper
which could possibly be turned into
evidence in case Of raid was taken
away and destroyed They were for
hidden to write letters or to write
anything at all unless at committee or
convention meetings.
And even such notes as they were
allowed to take were required to be
turned over to the steering commit
tee. Delegates were searched twice
each day, and while they were at con-