The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1931-11-18
PARTY LIFE
Conducted by the Org. Dept Central Com
rnittec, Communist Party, U. S. A.
Using National Issues to
Build Local Work

A few Party comrades were located for the sum-
n mer in small town where no work by either
the Party or our mass organizations had been
developed Contact with Negro Liberal Club
gave us the opportunity of holding meeting on
the Scottsboro issue The favorable response gave
the basis for forming United Front Defense
Committee.
The publicity we were able to get in the local
press attracted group of workers who had been
reading and distributing Daily Workers, but who
were not sufficiently experienced to build up for
themselves a left wing organization.
With these local workers as backbone the
United Front Defense Committee was turned in
to a branch of the International Labor Defense
This branch in the short period of four months
has 10 members. 1t has adopted three political
prisoners sells an average OF 40 Labor Defenders
a month and 10 Liberators a week and has con-
Quoted regular program meetings with such sub
jects as: Political Prisoners, Persecution OF the
Foreign Born, Wage Cuts and Unemployment,
Mine Strike Negro Question and Workers Ac-
complishments in the Soviet Union.
In order to make sure OF meeting place
whsre Negro and white could attend without in
timidation and where all questions could be
openly discussed, it was necessary to form
Club with its own headquarters This was done,
expense.
The Club is in position to enter into Party
campaigns sell the Daily Worker and Labor
Unity as well as foreign language papers. 1t
has its own inter-racial orchestra. 1t conducts
an English Glass where members who cannot
speak English well are learning how to express
themselves and how to read and write. The Eng
lish Glass cooperates with the LID. by writing
a monthly letter to one of our Glass War Pris-
oners The orchestra cooperates by playing at
all program meetings which are followed by dan
cling. The orchestra has played for the Section
and other Units in the Section. We have started
to exchange speakers and programs with nearby
workers organizations.
1t goes without saying that the more advanced
workers in the group were drawn into the Party
The Unit Immediately began concentrating on
the railroad shop in the neighborhood. The work
Of the LID. and Club is guided and coordnated
By the Unit. The selection of programs and
speakers is carefully made with an eye to the
interests OF the group and its political under
standing and development. 1t has been neces-
sary to instruct speakers in great detail about
using simple language. Party Technology Is
avoided, but Party theology is always put before
the group in simple word pictures and concrete
illustrations. .
The fact that we have three language groups
as well as Negroes and English speaking whites
makes the problem especially difficult.
There is still much sloppiness in preparing for
meetings, carrying out fraction decisions and
carrying through pieces Of work laid out for
committees. There are many racial group an I
tagonisms and personal antagonisms within
groups to be Strengthened out. This will have to
be done by drawing more workers of each group
into the Party and developing larger disciplined
guiding group. A class in Fundamentals OF Com
damentals conducted by the Unit, but
open to non-Party workers, is helping.
We are using the Workers School Correspond
ence Course.
Our mass following is largely made up OF lab
orerS and building trades workers. 1t is hoped
to build TUUL group and develop an Unem-
ployed Branch. To sum up. we have been able
to develop A functioning Unit and mass activity
as a result of SEEING the opportunity of bringing
~ Scottsboro issue before local workers and
bstng qxsuk to develop Our program IN accord
sspe WA NE needs cG our growing snd chang
iss membership and sy7npetilizers.