The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-04-25
Some Early Lessons from the
MAY First Preparations
By FRED ELLIS

work, certain feeling of dissatisfaction, OF
assured success developed among the Party
members. The mobilization of the Party, ideol-
ogically for the May Day demonstrations was
inadequately carried thru. In New York, for
example, instead of thoro discussion in the
units on all phases of May Day, political prep
arations were very weak and the discussion
was confined primarily to the technical mobi-
cation of the Party for distributions etc. The
meetings of the functionaries were similarly
limited. The concentration on only these phases
of the preparations and the neglect. of thoro
discussion of the significance of May Day fo1
the Party this year, weakened the mobilization
OF the Party In the unit meetings remaining
between now and May First every effort must
be made to overcome this handicap. The men,
bers must be impressed with the very great
significance of May First this year, at time
when the capitalists are making the most vici-
Gus attacks both politically and economically
against the workers and when the revolution
airy upsurge among the workers is strongly
manifesting itself
Secondly, the lack of coordination in our
work is almost appalling. 1t seems in many
cases as though a stone wall were constructed
between our various district departments, be-
tween the district and the section committees
the Party fractions, etc. Cases reported
where units have attempted to hold meetings,
for example at textile factory and the frac-
tion in the textile union failed completely to
cooperate, the section committee of the union
failed to send speakers: etc. In other cases
fraction or T.U.U.L. meetings have been called;
leading members of the fraction have been in
volved in other phases of Party work at the
time, with the result that the fractions or the
T.U.U.L. meetings instead of becoming the in
struments for the mobilization of Party and
non-Party members for special phases of the
preparatory work become the means of dis
rupting such work. In still other cases section
notifications for distributions have taken place
and the district leaflets have not arrived in
time, etc. This lack of coordination in the work
must be drastically dealt with. The plans
which were originally adopted and which on
the whole were very good must now be re-
Vsed on the basis of the period of time still
remaining, and concrete, persistent coordnate1
work must be developed to carry these new
plans thru. Definite factories should be Sc
lected Units and sections of the Party, and
the new unions of the T.U.U.L. should concen-
trate all their forces ON these factories in an
effort to carry thru and actually organize the
mass political strike on May First These
plans should not be fantastic in the sense that
they lay out more work than what can be &C.
complished. Realistic consideration should be
given to designating the maximum amount of
work that can be carried thru with the forces
available in the district. All departments,
units, sections and fractions in trade unions
and other non-Party organizations should con-
centrate on these tasks.
Thirdly, the non-P Party workers and workers
organizations which were drawn into the united
front May Day Conferences must be SYSTEM
atically drawn into the preparatory work.
Their work must be coordinated with that of
the Party, and the revolutionary trade unions.
The mere holding of united front conferences
has only agtational results, unless committees
set up by the conferences are fully and &C.
lively drawn into the preparatory work. Def.
mite tasks should be worked out which can
be performed by the organizations represented
at the conferences, which should include the
mobilization Of these organizations for partici-
patton in the demonstrations as a body.
Fourth: The distribution Of leaflets, shop