The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-02-16
BY CLARENCE HATHAWAY

BY CLARENCE HATHAWAY
WHAT is the first point that we
W must emphasize in connection
with the preparations for the Party
convention? 1t is that we do not
have nice, quiet period in which
to carry through these prepare
tons. We are not in position
where we can enter into a period of
quiet Party discussion and, at the
end of a couple Of months, quietly
arrive at certain decisions. On the
contrary! The preparations for the
Party convention must be carried
through in a period of sharpest
struggles led by the Party itself.
II We look at developing events
both within the United States and
internationally, 1t is clear that the
Party during this period, more so
than ever before, must be on its
toes with regard to mass work. The
rapid sharpening of the situation
in Germany and in the Far East
will undoubtedly place heavier
tasks on the Party during coming
weeks.
MATURING
STRUGGLES
The sharper strike and lmem-
ployed struggles are undoubtedly
maturing rapidly all over the coun-
try. The strikes in Detroit cannot
be looked upon as something con-
fined merely to Detroit. On the
contrary, We can expect such strike
struggles in the coal fields, in metal
and in all sections of the country.
Then there are all of the other i'm
mediate struggles of the workers,
the farmers, the Negroes, ETC., for
which the Party is responsible.
Our whole orientation therefore,
in the preparations for the Eighth
Party Convention must be ap-
preached in the light Of these ma
turing struggles. So much for that!
pUT there are some other things
~ that comrades must bear in
mind. A number OF things that
probably none Of you have consid-
cred as whole. speak of the very
busy program the Party has out
lined for itself during the course of
the next few weeks. Just a couple
Of examples. We have not only To-
cal unemployed struggles, but ma
tional demonstrations of the I'M
employed on March 4. We have a
whole series of ether events. There
are the Ruthenberg Memorial
meetings, the activities around Wo-
mems Day, the Marx Anniversary
celebrations, the Paris Commune
celebrations and the Scottsboro
Day on the 18th. All of these COM
ing in March are factors that must
be given attention by the Party.
But in addition to these: The
Central Committee has decided to
give the greatest support to the
mass mobilization for the Mooney
Conference in Chicago. This is
national mobilization that involves
bringing hundreds of delegates to
Chicago from all sections of the
country. And almost simultaneously
with the Mooney conference prepa-
rationS must go the preparations
for the national antl-War confer
ence called for the middle of May
somewhere in the Middle West.
There is also the national mobiliza-
ton for May ].
CONVENTION DISCUSSION TO
INCREASE MASS ACTIVITIES
From this il is clear that there
are more mass activities to be car
ried through in the period immedi-
ately before us than the Party ever
attempted in a similar period be-
fore. Yet, in the same period, we
must carry through the prepare
tons for our Eighth Party Con-
vention.
We can succeed with this multi
plicity of tasks only II we approach
all of them in quite different
manner than in the past. We will
fall down if we approach each as
a separate campaign by itself. We
must realize that the only way
these varied activities can be de-
veloped Is by strengthening the
basic work of the Party In the fac
tories, among the unemployed, etc.
We can develop these activities
not by a formal discussion of the
results of this plenum, but only by
developing real discussion against
sectarianism, against right opportu-
mist and left tendencies, and for the
line adopted here at the Plenum.
The whole preparation for the Par
ty convention must be carried
through in the spirit of struggle
for the line of the Party, a struggle
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