The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-08-25
Second Communication
of Communist Leader
Published

NEW YORK.-Earl Browder. gen.
eral secretary of the Communist
Party, yesterday replied to Norman
Thomas's letter Of Aug. 81 as fol-
lows:
Aug. "a, 1884.
Your letter of Aug. 21st in an
swer to ours of the 18th received and
has been given careful attention.
you did not answer directly our
proposal for preliminary converse
tons directed towards removing as
far as possible any obstacles there
may be, to positive decision on the
part of the N. E. c. Inasmuch, how
ever, as you took this ~ccasion to
give a restatement of Of these
obstacles in your letter, we assume
that you prefer to accomplish
through correspondence the same
objective we had in mind. Although
we are of the opinion that direct
conversation would be more speedy
and effective, we are prepared to do
what is possible in this direction BY
the medium you choose.
"You state the chief obstacle Is
the opinion of many Socialist Party
leaders that the Communist Party
regards united action "ss primarily
a weapon to destroy the Socialist
Party" This opinion is incorrect
The Communist Party regards
united action as primarily weapon
to protect the immediate needs Of
the workers and other toiling ele-
ments of the population, to defeat
the attacks Of the capitalists upor
their living standards and civi
rights, and to prepare the masses
through their experiences in thu
struggle for the tasks involved il
moving forward to greater aims
The Communist Party's attitude to.
ward other Parties and groups is de.
termined by their contribution to-
ward achieving these aims. In thS
presence of an admitted mass starv-
alton, unity Of powerful united
movement to compel the adoption
this Winter Of adequate federal
unemployment and social insur-
ance is a primary purpose Of our
proposal.
While we write, colossal crimes
of strike-b breaking are being com.
mitted against the working class
with the use Of troops in foul
states, and extra-legal bands Of
armed thugs, organized by and co.
operating with the police, are be-
ginning openly to appear in strikes
to carry out the earlier phases
Of Hitler's methods. Even the cap
italist press no longer conceals the
war danger. So sharp and in
creased is the danger that every
day of delay in bringing about the
most powerful united struggle
against this danger adds to the
hazard Of being engulfed by it
We regard the united front as
primarily a weapon to meet this
situation, and not as anything
else.
1.-THE essence on the problem OF
good faith and fair play can be
found in determining concretely
what is necessary to fully carry out
particular action. This in turn
is determined by an agreed-upor
set of demands (such as we have
proposed recently, but subject tc
mutual determination) and methods
of carrying out joint actions in very
concrete terms. The Communist
Party is prepared for the effort tt
arrive at such an agreement. The
Communist Patty is prepared to
demonstrate its good faith in any
agreement for united action by
the only method through which
good faith can be demon
strated, by carrying through the
agreed upon action with all of its
energy. 1t is prepared to join with
all other participants in such &C
ton in condemning any breach Of
agreement or failure to carry
through the action agreed upon
The Communist Party is prepared
upon the basis of agreed-upor
united actions to conclude ar
agreement for restraining ane
establishing limitations upon mu
tual criticism between the co-operat
ing organizations during the cours,
of the action.
"Our immediate task of achieving
united action would not be aided b,
entering on discussion Of the ar
ticle to which you refer, written b
Sidney Hook In this field there ar
certainly numerous possibilities o
disagreement rather than agree
ment. We do not propose to brin
the subject of this article into tn
discussion; we will deal with it il
another place and manner.
I'VE understand that your letter i
an expression of your personal poin
of view. Undoubtedly. however, til.
point of view is not confined +
yourself and will be considerable
factor in determining the Official &C
ton to be taken by the Nations
Executive Committee. The Commu
mist Party is prepared to carry thi
correspondence further if you agre
upon the value Of it. with vie'