The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-21

sent to the Central Executive Com
mitee on Jan. IA by the old managing
board, signed by its secretary, M. B..
Svetlow It reads: due to the fact
that Brailovsky has been appointed
editor stop l as secretary and Ashk-
enudse as manager and also the man
aging board in its entirity cannot take
upon ourselves the responsibility for
the further existence of the paper es-
pecially at the present moment when
we are putting up strenuous strug-
gle to save the paper from death until
the federation convention stop We
therefore ask the Central Executive
Committee which at present took over
all matters pertaining to the Russian
Section into its own hands to appoint
new managing board and manager
of the paper. Unanimously Managing
Board, M. B. Svetlow secretary"
WILL draw the attention of the
| comrades to the closing sentence
of this telegram which reads, "We
therefore ask the Central Executive
Committee which at present took over
all matters pertaining to the Russian
Section into it's own hands to appoint
new managing board and manager Of
the paper" In other words, the COM
rades of the managing board handed
in their resignation to the Central
Executive Committee because they did
not agree with some particular change
made in the editorial board.
wish to asy you, comrades, the fol-
lowing question: Is this the way in
which Communists should behave? Is
this your conception Of Communist
discipline? Do you believe that, when
group Of comrades, singly or collec
lively, happen to disagree with the
Central Executive Committee on GER
tain matters, they have right to pre-
sent a pistol to the head of the Cen
trail Executive Committee demanding
either submission or else they resign?
And this is precisely what this first
telegram meant. In passing, / wish
to remark that it isn't true, of course,
as the telegram maintains, that the
Central Executive Committee has
taken over into its own hands all mat
tiers pertaining to the Russian Sec
ton. The truth is, as you comrades
will readily admit, that the Central
Executive Committee stepped into the
proposition of the Novy Mir only in
order to save it and nothing else, and
that we did save Novy Mir, at least for
the present, mob dy, hope, will deny.
n we later learned, the protest and
ia threat of resignation of the old
managing board moved the editorial
board to change its decision regarding
Comrade1 Brailovsky and to appoint
Comrade Olgin as the editor-in-chief.
This was clearly a concession to the
old managing board, but a concession
made merely in the interests of Novy
Mir and surely not because the old
managing board was right in its pro-
test. The Central Executive Commit
tee adopted the same point of view
and thereupon wired to Comrade Svet-
| low the following: Central Execu-
tive Committee confirms Olgin editor
in-chief and instructs entire staff to
give loyal cooperation stop Obstruc-
ton endangers life of paper stop Con-
vention can settle all differences
SOON"
IN sending this telegram we thought
/ that we conciliated the managing
board but that was not the case. The
comrades of the old managing board,
as you will see from their latest tele-
gram, seemed to have made up their
minds that they will either have their
own way or else not work.
Here is their telegram of Jan. II, in
reply to our telegram as quoted
above: I'VE emphatically protest
against your insinuations of obstruc'
ton. 1t is our opinion that the Cen
trail Executive Committee is misled
and therefore creating obstruction
For all differences were created by re
moval of editorial board and by ap
pointment of trio. If Central Execu
tive Committee was anxious for
changes it could as it advises put them
into effect at convention which is only
in four weeks. The appointment OF
Olgin instead Of Brailovsky as editor
ln-chief does not change situation as
Olgin is busy and unable to devote all
time to editorship which makes Brazil
ovsky practically chief editor. Olgin
failed already to appear today in edi
torial room. We object to removal Of
Bourgin from editorship. Were your de
sire to better paper sincere you would
have instructed the two additional mer
to help Bourgin who was appealing
constantly for it.. Svetlow and Ashke
nudse as we'll as the managing board
tho Loyalty on the job they take OF
responsibility. Henceforth all respon
sibility rests with Central Executive