The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-09-11
BY G.. WILLIAMS

veutiOn OF the L. L. u. :. a.
THE October Plenum laid down the correct
line of the Party as affects the economic
crisis. From October to March the American
Party started real mass work. The recruit
ment campaign of the Party, the series OF
successful demonstrations, the beginning of
work among the unemployed as result OF
many mass demonstrations show that the Com
munist Party of the United tSatesb has ire
nendous political influence among the masses.
But in the last period from March on, there
were manifested political and organizational
shortcomings of the Party in quite sharp
form. In this period, we have seen the dis
proportion between the political influence of
the Party and its organizational strength; in
sufficient orientation of the political activity of
the Party for mass work, for participation IN
the many struggles of the working class. We
have also felt the very dangerous lack of
cadres in the American Party. In this period
the Party laid down before the membership
the task and necessity for the Perty Of inl-
mediately making the turn toward mass ac-
tivity.
This convention is called mainly in order to
help the Party understand the necessity Of MAX
ing this turn to the masses, of bringing the
Party into mass activity, and also organlza-
tionally strengthening the Party from top to
bottom. This is necessary not only because
of the recent manifestations Of many weak
nesses Of the Party, but the whole situation
now demands imperatively of the Party the
necessity of bringing about this turn. Our
analysis of the present situation and based on
this analysis the tasks of the Party start with
the appreciation of the present political and
economic situation in the United States and
throughout the world
The thesis starts with an analysis of the
world economic crisis, and the economic Crisis
in the United States and directly connects this
analysis with the every day tasks of the PARTY
In view of the tremendous Importance of this
analysis. let us take the question of the econ
oinic crisis. On this question, you have had
at this convention very interesting discussion,
which proves that on this important question
the Party has to fight against two dangers
the Right Danger, the Right Wing distortions
of the perspectives which present the economic
crisis as something separate from the world
crisis of capitalism, from the third period; the
opportunist conception which starts with a
perspective of recovery and liquidation OF tne
crisis. and. second. the "Leftist" conception of
the theory of catastrophe
Before l analyze these two main dangers,
let me make some preliminary remarks, first
regarding the connection between the present
economic crisis and the general crisis OF world
capitalism, and also regarding the immediate
economic aspects of the crisis. What is the
correct estimation of the economic crisis IN
relation to the Third period? In my opinion,
II would be correct to say that the present
economic crisis is a crisis which takes place
in the epoch of wars and revolutions. in the
situation of decaying capitalism, of decaying
aii IN tho of
eral crisis of capitalism, in the situation OF the
great shaking of relative capitalist stabiiza-
ton: that this crisis, while developing, is &C
cofnpanied by a very sharp world agrarlan
crisis and takes place at the same time as the
tremendous growth of socialism in the Soviet
Union. The crisis takes place in the situation
of the rising tide of proetarian revolutionary
movements, in the situation of the growing
colonial revolutions; which means the tremend-
Gus mass of peasants in the colonial countries,
these millions of reserves of the world pro-
,letariat, are now in state OF motion. 1t
means in this situation, new correlation OF
moving forces OF the proletarlan revolution
throughout the world.
Now if you take into consideration all this,
it will be easy to see the direct connection
between the present economic crisis and the
Third Period. The present economic crisis IS
the sharpest form, the sharpest expression OF
the Third Period of decaying capitalism. When
the Canadian comrade asked the Party leader
ship why it began it's thesis with the state
ment about the economic crisis, the answer
must be because the Third Period for the Party
leadership is not an abstract idea. The Third
Period now in the United States, in the present
situation throughout the world, is in the
economic crisis of the Third Period. The Third
Period takes on blood and flesh Of the economic
reality of the crisis; the connection of the
Third Period with the economic crisis in the
present situation, and the connection between
the crisis and the Third Period, will be clearly
understandable to everybody who does not
the Second and Fourth, who understands the
revolutionary significance of the Third Period.
N Deepening General Crisis.
Regarding the general crisis of world cap
italism and its perspective. The economic
crisis being a form and manifestation of the
Third Period Of the general crisis, is, at the
same time, factor deepening and accelerat-
ing the general crisis of world capitalism.
The last resolution of the Presidium of the
Communist International correctly stated that
the economic crisis deepens the general crisis
of the capitalist system and sharpens its in
ner and outer contradictions, and also pointed
out the uneven development of this crisis, and,
consequently, the different forms, degrees, and
character Of the crisis in the various countries.
If we take the thesis presented to the present
convention, we will find the same appreciation
Of the economic crisis in relation to the world
crisis. Into this general crisis of world cap
italism comes a tremendous factor, the present
crisis in America, which extremely sharpens