The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-05-13
HOW THE PARTY PREPARED
FOR MAY DAY

more cities than we ever had before. 1t Is also
true that these organizations represented tens
of thousands of workers who are the most con-
scious section of the American proletariat.
However, these masses of workers, who are
still under the influence of the bourgeois and
retornist theology and were hitherto politically
inactive were not modified on the basis of
concrete slogans and demands in United
Front with the Party. Not only were insult
ficent organizational steps taken to appear
directly to the rank and file membership of
the A. +. of L.. but there were even instances
where our Party members who belong to locals
of the A. F. of L. and even occupy leading
positions in these locals, failed to raise the
question of May Day in their organizations
and call for a United Front. Likewise, little
was accomplished in the establishment of
Committees of Action in the factories in order
to mobilize the workers from below for our
May LIST demonstrations.
Those organizations which did participate
in the United Front conferences were, in the
majority, already under the influence OF the
revolutionary movement. Therefore, the main
features of this United Front were that we
succeeded in activizng politically these organ
izations, and drawing in our fraternal organ
izatons into the political struggles of the
American workers. This, however, is not in
accordance with the Central Committees con-
ception of the United Front from below and
winning the majority of the working class
under our influence.
Lack of Independent Activity.
May First. if it shows anything, shows the
wide gap between our political influence and
organizational strength. The units of the
Party did not perform their tasks, as indie
pendent Communist units carrying on day to
day systematic activity in the shops. The
- i ~
and leading committees Instead of broaden
ing the preparations and mobilization for
May First, to which every leading committee
is contributing, and the functionaries carrying
out into practice the national and district de-
cisions and plans, the District Committees
were imposed with the entire burden of plan
ming and executing of the preparations Tor
May First. In quite a large number OF dis
tricts such things as the distribution of leaf
lets, the issuance of shop papers, was not done
as the organized activity Of the units them
selves but was arranged thru the District
Committee The same is also true about fac
tory gate meetings and other activity. The
members of the units were not themselves
made responsible for such activities in the
shops where they work or where they concen-
trated upon. The districts themselves took
over the functions and consequently they were
not in a position to broaden the organizational
and agitational preparations which were abso-
lutely necessary to carry thru fully the policy
of the Central Executive Committee concern
ing May First.
Consequently, as result of the failure to
involve every member of our Party IN the
mobilization for May LIST, insufficient steps
were also taken to have the revolutionary
trade unions participate as independent mass
organizations in the preparations for May LIST.
IL b h. iraJ9 irSf
the District Committees and the other leading
organs of our Party did not take seriously the
decisions and instructions of the Central Com
mittee. Secondly the membership did not un-
derstand the major tasks of our Party in the
May 1st campaign, nor their political signlfi-
canoe. Thirdly, the serious organizational
shortcomings and weaknesses of our Party and
the insufficient orientation of our Party on
the factories, the absence of shop nuclei and
shop committees as the connecting link be-
tween the Party and the masses. Fourthly,
the reliance on the spontaneity of the masses
and the failure to pay strict attention to the
daily organizational tasks in the factories.
Filthy, failure to apply the United Front
from below; failure to organize to any lmpor-
tant extent committees of action in the fac
tories and prepare fractions in the re-
formist mass organizations. Sixth, opportun-
ism in practice, voting for district plans and
decisions and not carrying them out. These in
my opinion were the causes for our shortcom-
ings on May l.
The Party must be very critical Of its mis-
takes. Only a year ago we would have been
well pleased with overflow Sunday afternoon
concerts, but today May Day is to us day of
mobilization of the American workers for
struggle against capitalism. Therefore, SER
ious shortcomings in the present period are
", han, a+ 9th ip1n 10
task of every Party organization is to examine
it's shortcomings, mercessly expose its weak
nesses, and take the most drastic steps to cor
rect them. Above all, we must remember the
task of consolidating our political influence,
of strengthening our organization and Party
apparatus Only if our political campaigns
result in organizational sterilization and con-
solidation will we be in position to build a
mass Communist Party Of revolutionary action
rooted in the factories.
~ TzH1s