The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-26
Thesis on the Political situation and
the Immediate Tasks Of the
> Workers Parry. N
Submitted by Foster, Cannon, BIttsl-
man, Browder, Dunno, Berman,
Abern
THE ECONOMIC SITUATIONS


the election Of Coolidge and Dawes,
have raised the morale Of the capitalist
class in the United States but have not
reversed any Of the fundamental fac
tors characterizing the present period
Of decline Of world capitalism. The
conflicts already appearing between
the United States, Great Britain, and
France, over the application Of the
Dawes plan, demonstrate the inability
Of capitalism to restore the world
market. The process OF disintegra'
tion continues and is bound tc produce
further crises with further sharpening
Of the class struggle.
.. A year ago the United States
had entered upon a period Of economic
depression. which our party foresaw
(Sept. 1923-resolution on economic
situation for the Trade Union Educa-
tional League conference) and which
we correctly judged to mark a crisis
in American economic life (third con-
vention, Workers Party and March
1924 thesis of C. E. CO. The develop
ment of this crisis followed the ex
pected course up until Sept, 1924
except for a short period Of slight re-
covery in the first quarter Of 1924. In
the month of August more than 2,O0O,-
900 workers were unemployed as the
result of this crisis.
8. The expected low point in the
crisis has not been reached. The
sudden halt to the downward trend
that occurred in September, and the
slight but continuous recovery since
that time Cup to November 15) was
the result in the first place of season
al variations based upon the market
ing Of the grain crops, and, in the
second place, Of manipulations de-
signed to artificially stimulate in
dustry for the purpose Of influencing
the election ($1O0,OOO,OOO rail and
equipment orders Of the railroad cor
porations, etc., carried over after
the election in the hectic boom caus-
ed by the reactionary victory.
4. The normal operation of the cap
itaIist system may be expected to
overcome this halt in the development
Of crisis, SO that 1925 holds the pro-
spect Of repeating the experiences Of
1S20-21 when 100000 workers were
unemployed. The wartime shortage
OF building operations has been over
come. Exports have been increasing,
but not in the volume sufficient to af-
feet the general course Of events.
There are, however, conflicting ten
denotes, the exact force of which can
not yet be measured.
A factor that now shows possibility
of alternating the crisis is the tenden-
cy to start great building projects of
public and semi-public nature, not
based upon Immediately profitable in
vestment. It is impossible to gauge
exactly the possible effects of this
building program and other artificial
stimulants The known and predict
able forces at work all point to
renewed development of the crisis.
5. The immediate pressure of the
agrarian crisis upon the agrarian
masses has been tremendously light
ened by the large grain crops of the
United States in the face of world
shortage, resulting in sharp increase
of prices. While it is estimated that
a very high percentage Of the in
creased prices of grain viii go direct
ly into the hands of bankers and mer-
chants, who hold first claim to the
crop returns because Of credit ex-
tended to the bankrupt and near
bankrupt poor farmers, yet it is a
fact that the purchasing power of
the agricultural population has been
raised to a degree above what seemed
possible a few months ago. The fun
damental situation in agriculture re-
mains, however, unchanged and pre-
sents the likelihood Of another acute
agrarian crisis in 1925, which will,
in turn. intensity the industrial de-
preston.
6. The overwhelming weight of
economic tendencies now operative
point to an intensification Of the class
struggle, resulting in renewed efforts
of the employing class to cut wages,
lengthen hours, and to destroy the
unions. In the absence Of effect
\. i've leadership Of organized labor, this
will result in unorganized mass move
mepts, outlaw" strikes. rank and file
movements, and intensification Of
struggle within the labor unions be-
tween the revolutionary forces and
the bureaucracy, together with ten
dency of the lower strata Of the or
ganized workers, the unorganized,
and the unemployed, to look to the
revolutionary elements for practical
political leadership.
THE POLITICAL SITUATION.
/. The victory Of reaction In the
presidential elections, which resulted
in the election Of Coolidge end Dawes
by tremendous majority after cam
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