The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-06-07
PRE-C CONVENTION DISCUSSION
Workers Defense CORPS

no perspective for a permanent mass organ
zation.
The Workers Defense Corps organization is
a mass Party auxiliary" with functioning
Communist fractions therein. 1t has as it's
main function at the present time the defending
of the workers in their class battles against
the legal and extra-egal forces of capitalism
on the picket lines, at demonstrations, etc.
1t is not Red Front Fighters organization,
neither is it the Labor Sports Union. 1t is
composed of all those workers who wish to join
it because they realize that they must defend
themselves against the capitalist onslaughts
and that the best defense is an organized de-
tense. The basis for the organization of the
corps must be in the mills, mines, shops and
factories. 1t is based also in the new unions
of the T.U. U.L., T.U.U.L. minorties in A. r.
of L. locals, and T.U.U.L. shop committees.
Wherever there is shop nucleus of the Party
or League, there must be built the Workers
Defense Corps. Wherever there is a local of
a union affiliated with the TU.U.L., there
must be built the corps. Wherever there is
a T.U.U.L. minority within an A. F. of L.
union, or shop committee of the T.U.U.L,
there the corps must be built. 1t is absolutely
incorrect to build defense corps within branches
of fraternal organizations, sick and death bene-
fit societies, language organizations, workers
CARNATIONS are practically all workers in shops
and should be drawn into their shop or uniln
corps; also because the more we base all cur
activity on the shops and unions, the more
will our Party and its organizations sink their
roots into the most important sections of the
working class. The Labor Sports Union, also,
should not have these corps within its affiliated
clubs for the same reasons, and because the
members of the LSU., having had some pr
liminary physical training should belong to
their shop union groups in order to give
them better physical backbone The fraterna
organizations and clubs L.S.U., ETC., must be
used agitation centers for the building of
the Workers Defense Corps, as centers for
urging their respective memberships to join the
WD.C. of their respective shop, local. etc
After a minimum number of groups have
heen established, delegated city conferences
stould be called for the organization of city
W de organizations with secretaries, city COM
;ttees, leaders corps and classes, instructors
c.rps lat present utilizing L.SU. instructors,
and all other necessary committees for the
lrilding of the apparatus. At the proper time.
a national conference for the organization of a
national apparatus should be called.
Basis of Organization.
The groups should be organized on the fol-
lowing basis: The basic unit shall be cor
posed OF eight workers known as worker
defense group. To these eight workers sho~'d
be attached leader. The assistant leader She.
be one of the eight. -Four groups of eight plus
the four leaders of the individual groups shsl'
compose the workers defense corps. To the
corps shall be attached leader and the as
sistant leader shall be one of the four leaders
of the various groups. Each group of ei..ht
shall be divided into two squads of four VITA
one of the four as squad leader. The SOU
shall be further divided into buddies, that Is.
,wo comrades who will always work togethe~.
The whole organization should be dues pc!
l@, and should be based on the principles {
'cmocratic centralism. The corps shall me-
"oguarly at specified times; the groups sha'
,ot meet without the whole corps except vine
.ccasion arises. The full time of the meeting
hall be divided between political discussion
nd training in defensive and fighting tactics
The workers are ripe for organization int
the Workers Defense Corps. The Party mus
hegin Immediately to follow up its agitation
work with real organizational work in the build
ing Of the Workers Defense Corps into broad
mass working class organization.