The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-10-14
By R. kHITAROW (Moscow)

Communist work among the children is of
enormous importance for the development of
the revolutionary movement for it secures for
us our greatest reserves for the future. For
the class struggles of the moment the struggle
of the masses of children is, too, factor of
considerable significance. We only need re-
member that the children of twelve and four
teen years of age, quite apart from the ever
increasing role which they play in the process
of capitalist production, will be called upon
into the bourgeois army within few years, in
order to serve the ruling class with weapons in
their hands. We see plainly the important part
which must be played in our whole work by the
reaching and organization of the broad masses
of children for our aims.
1t must, however be admitted that at the
present time the international Communist chill
dren's movement is absolutely unsatisfactory
The international communist childrens move
ment is passing through serious crisis, FOR
THE REASON THAT UP TO THE PRESENT
WE HAVE NOT SOLVED THE PROBLEM
OF THE RIGHT METHOD OF COMMUNIST
WORK AMONG THE CHILDREN, AND OF
THE CHARACTER AND NATURE OF THE
ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMUNIST CHILL
DREN'S ORGANIZATIONS.
Outside the Soviet Union with the exception
of China in the Wuhan period) no country ha.
been successful in spite of the fact that the
Communist children's movement has existed for
ten years, in creating mass organizations of
the children, in Germany, the country with the
largest children's organization Tin 1922 to 1923
the childrens organizations in this country COM
prised 10000 rembers), steady decay of the
organization has been observable for some
years, and at the present time the membership
of the Young Spartacus League is scarcely
1000. In other countries matters are even
worse. In France the children's organizations
have shrunk to small groups. In Great Britain
the organization has almost disappeared. In
Czechoslovakia, in Sweden, in Norway, ard in
the United States, the children's organizations
count one to two thousand members.
1t is clear that such state of affairs must
give rise to much anxiety as to the fate of the
Communist influence upon the "third genera
tion.' 1t is equally clear that those chiefly to
blame for the position are the Young Commun-
list Leagues and the Young Communist Inter-
national in their totalty, for it is their tasks
to undertake the immediate leadership of the
children's movement. Up to the present, how
ever, work among the children has taken very
subordinate place.
The presidium of the Executive Committee of
the Young Communist international has taken
up the question of the children's movement in
all seriousness. The Executive Committee of
the Young Communist international brought to
light the necessity of a FUNDAMENTAL
CHANGE IN THE CHARACTER OF THE AC-
INVITES OF OUR CHILDREN'S ORGANI-
CATIONS, THEIR WORKING METHODS,
AND THE STRUCTURE OF THEIR OR
GANIZATION.
What has hitherto been the fundamental err
ror Of the children's movement? The error
has been that the structure of the children's
organizations has been faithful copy of the
Party and the Young Communist organizations
The children's organizations have endeavored
to initiate the adults in every respect both
in their working methods and their organiza-
tional structure. They have actually repre-
scented small parties for children" and have
attempted to build up their organization on