The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-16
Y.C.L. PRE-PLENUM DISCUSSION
Six Weeks OF the Shock Plan

after the YCI Plenum, did not sufficiently
estimate the right danger in the YCL as the
main danger in the YCL as we'll as in the
Party. The Plenum did not understand cor
rectly the Left danger in the YCL, as the
main obstacle in the fight against the right
danger, and mechanically and falsely trans
ferred the "left" danger into the main danger.
Instead of acting as lever in changing the
poor situation in the YCI., the Plenum merely
reiterated the old hackneyed phrases of mass
work, but failed to show how this was to be
applied in practice, and so only led to further
orgies of phrase mongering.
The sharpening of the economic crisis, glar-
ingly brought to the fore the great tagging
behind of our League to the objective develop
ments. The League participation in the grow
ing struggles of the workers March 6, May
Day. was negligible and this at time when
the young workers were showing ever more
readiness for struggle. Based upon this ex-
tremely unsatisfactory situation the YCI ad-
dressed letter to the Central Committee of
our League, the shortcomings of the recent
Plenum, and pointed out the immediate tasks
of the League, in overcoming this situation.
Once again the leadership of the League
tacitly accepted the criticism of the YCI but
failed to understand them. Instead of using the
letter means of fermenting deep going
discussion and self-criticism in the ranks of
the League, the leadership merely pigeon
holed this important document, and failed TO
send it to the membership for discussion. BY
doing this, the leadership showed that it
failed to understand the role of revolutionary
self-criticism as prerequisite for changing
the poor situation in the League. What is
even worse, however, consciously or unconsci-
ously, it was an attempt to hide the situation
in the League from the membership.
The first Plan of Action of the League
begun shortly after the YCI letter, remained
merely on paper Failing to understand the
methods of carrying the Turn into actual life,
the Plan of Action was doomed from the
first. 1t was only with the direct aid of the
Party and the YCI, that at the Party con-
vention the League took its first step in car
rying out the decisions of the YCI through
its present Shock Plan.
What Is the Shock Plan?
The, purpose of the Shock Plan is to- in a
certain given period of time, through the
utilization of every possible method of mass
activity, change the poor situation in the
League. The Shock Plan has as its aim the
closing of the broad gap that exists between
the influence and the organization strength
of our League and the objective possibilities.
With the aid of the Shock Troops and revolu-
tionary competition, the Shock Plan must put
the entire League on a war basis, that will
turn the face of the League to the masses
of young workers. Unless the League today,
catches up with the objective possibilities, the
struggle of the young workers will develop
outside the influence and leadership of our
League This is the significance of the Shock
Plan. 1t is not a plan of merely increased
activity. 1t raises the question Of whether
our League will play its historic role in the
present crisis, or whether the young workers
will move on, leaving our League behind.
The Plan in Practice.
After the first six weeks of the Shock
Plan, the NEG Bureau held special meeting
at which it analysed the work of the first
half of the Plan, and drew the proper lessons
for an intensifcation of the work in the
coming weeks. What do the first six weeks
Of the Plan show?
The first six weeks of the Plan prove de-
finitely the correctness of the Plan, and that
the League is OH the path OF carrying it Out.