The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-02
Reviews the Spread of
Anti-Fascist Spirit
Among Youth

Among Youth
CHICAGO, H., Oct. DIR. Harry
F. Ward, national chairman of the
American League Against War and
Fascisna, professor at the Union
Theological Seminary and author OF
I'm Place of Profit" and other
books, delivered the opening address
at the U. S. Congress Against War
and Fascism, which closed here yes
terday.
DR.. Wards address in part fol-
lows:
It is my first pleasure, as well
as my duty to bring the greetings
to the delegation from the National
Bureau and the National Commit
tee. EApplausel.
We have at this session much
wider representation of interests
than we had at the Congress a year
age. We realize that many Of the
delegates have come in under great
difficulties, and that many others
would have been here if it had not
been for financial impossibilities.
You will understand that I can
only bring you a report of the last
half years work from personal OBJ
servation for the reason that 1 was
drafted into this work in the middle
of the year in an emergency situa-
ton. [Applause1.
Having for several years been OF
the opinion that the only essential
movement in social strategy in this
country was to form a League
Against War and Fascism that
would prevent fascisin's develop
ing, in time to stop its ripsning, il
would seem to me that one should
not refuse this duty to other duties
Tells of Leagues Structure
The organizationa1 structure OF
the league was set up at the last
session of the congress, at the first
session of the congress last year. II
involves as the delegates must clear
ly bear in mind, the fact that the
League in its structure, in its pro-
gram, in its policy, is a creature Of
the congress, which this congress i,
still developing and which will make
the program and policy of thu
League for the ensuing year.
Now, this structure includes a ma.
tional executive committee selected
on the basis of the best possible
representation. 1t also includes {
national council which is the etner.
I gency body created for the purpos,
Of being able to function in thu
event Of such an emergency as ;
state of war, or something sirnila,
so that it could act as a delegat,
of the representatives of the or
gatlizatiors Of the Congress. In be
tween there is the National Execu
| tive Committee which has power tt
act as the delegates of the Nationa
Bureau. That body has recently
been enlarged from seven to nint
to include the wider representation
| There are still one or two places tt
be filled, as we are waiting for tn,
right representation Of some Of thu
interests that were not sufficient,
represented thereon.
In addition there has recent,
been added to the officials of thu
League two vice presidents, Mr.
Robert Morss Lovett and Lincoln
Steffens. [Applausel.
United Front of Class Interests
The organizational structure OIL
the League is on a two=old basis
1t is united front not simply o,
EXAMINATIONS; it is united from
also Of certain class interests, ant
those class interests are divided
again into certain vocational groups
So, we have before us the organ.
Rational problem of working out Thu
relationship of these two aspects o.
this united front.
In that regard the first thing ha!
been experimental The problem il
still before us as to which policy
to pursue at this congress and dur.
ing the coming year.
When 1 took over this work
found an organization that wa
conducting itself with almost nj
staff. For the last year and d
half the organization has had nj
executive secretaries except the as.
sistant executive secretary, and the
faet that the organization has beer
able to. carry on, with all it ha.
accomplished, with what it has dom
in the last six months, must be verl
largely accredited to the devotion
and work of its assistant secretary
Ida Dailes. I found an organiza.
ton which was without any finan.
cial basis, which was carrying OF
its work without any such mean