The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-08-20
Some Lessons OF August First
BY BURCK.

ployment. Especially this was the case because
our comrades in the Districts, even District
Committees did not understand how to con-
meet the struggle against the war with the
struggle against unemployment.
Our Shortcomings.
Then, of course we must observe number
of shortcomings.
First of all, the greatest shortconiing was
that, although repeated instructions were given
by the Central Committee that the main eff
forts should be concentrated on the shops, the
preparatory work in the shops was very insult
ficient There were more shop gate meetings
and more leaflet distributions in the shop dis
tricts than ever before, but on account of in
suppifent and weak shop committees and
Trade Union Unity League groups, our work
inside of the shops was still very weak.
Our preparatory work on the basis Of United
Front Conferences almost a complete
failure. Although concrete instructions were
given by the Party center, our comrades were
unable to organize United Front Conferences.
In many places our functionaries took the at
titude that the United Front would organize
itself. They sent only formal written call
for the conference and did not take the trouble
to send comrades to organize delegates to at
tend these United Front Conferences, and even
were made our comrades did not seem to know
how to organize United Front Conferences
This is very serious shortcoming and con-
trbuted very greatly to our inability to mobil-
ize bigger demonstrations. 1t is therefore very
necessary that the whole Party should study
the concrete methods of United Front.
We Failed to Link Unemployment With
Imperialist War Danger.
We failed to link up the question of unem-
poyment with the question Of fighting against
mperalst war danger. This was clearly
shown from reports of District Organizers in
which they claimed that they were not able
to mobilize more workers from the shops be-
cause of great numbers Of unemployed. At
the same time, they failed to report why they
were unable to mobilize greater numbers of
unemployed
On account of our poor fraction work in the
language mass organizations (which in many
cases is completely lacking), and on account
Of wrong attitude towards language work of
many of our District leaders, we were not able
to use these sympathetic language organiza-
tions TO the extent that could have been pos,
sible
Although We have to great extent overcome
the right opportunistic passivity, there is still
a great amount of it which is hampering our
Party in the mass mobilization There is no
longer an open resistance to the policy of
struggle, but passive resistance is still there,
and this was big factor in the August First
mobilization. This means that we must con-
tinue to struggle energetically against this
right opportunistic passivity.
In spite of the fact that in most cases very
energetic preparatory work was done not ali
comrades in the sections and units we're as
signed to specific work in the preparation.
Very little preparatory work was done in
the A. F. Of L. unions. This shows complete
lack of understanding Of the Party trade union
policy and shows strong tendency to give
up the workers in the old unions.
Preparation For Demonstrations Must Be
Linked With Party Building.
A very big shortcoming is the tendency,
which to prevail in almost all the Dis
tricts, To regard demonstrations Is something