The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-04-14


neighborhood, when it begins to set itself the
task of winning the majority of the workers in
its neighborhood, and to take the initiative in
accomplishing this task the results are simply
tremendous. Street nuclei are finding out that
very often with only little attention, they can,
themselves give birth Immediately to important
shop nuclei out of their own membership They
are finding that individual connection with
particular shops can quickly be built up into a
shop nucleus, and especially they are beginning
to find the proper activity for street nucleus
as such, roofing the Party among the masses
in the neighborhood, building neighborhood
strongholds for the Communist Party.
Above all, the street nuclei must become
serious organizers and leaders of the unem-
ployed. From 90 10 10 per cent OF our menu
bers are themselves unemployed, but relatively
few Of them are active In building block COM
mittees and Unemployment Councils winning
Strongholds for the Party among the 100000
unemployed. We must declare that just as 1t
is the duty Of every employed Communist 10
be leader in his trade unions so also Is 1t
the duty Of unemployed Communists to become
the leader of 10 or 100 other unemployed workers
in block committees and neighborhood councils.
Let me cite only one good example of street
nucleus which is beginning to get itself on its
achievements yet in factory work. year ago
it was a rather discouraged group of good,
loyal comrades who didn't exactly know what
to do They began to apply the Open Letter to
their neighborhood problem. They opened a
neighborhood Workers Club and kept II open
at all hours, especially for the young people
in the neighborhood. They introduced organi-
cation among these people of a primitive Sort
giving them activities, games, music, etc. In
another part Of the neighborhood, with a con-
siderable Negro population, they began to build
branch Of the L. S. N. r., with white and
Negro members. Some members of the nucleus
took the initiative in launching branch of the
c. w. A. Workers Union. The nucleus put on
activities of a couple Of strikes that affected
the neighborhood, and rallied some support for
picket lines AS result of these activities, the
unit began to grow, more than doubling it's
membership It has drawn into the Party sew
eral excellent new Negro workers. At its last
meeting, it spent couple Of hours discussing
the most difficult problems that have arisen
with the mass influx of raw young American
workers from the streets into the neighborhood
clubs Large groups of such youngsters that
had for months been avoiding the club as dis
reputable red" headquarters had suddenly
changed their attitude, and presented them
selves for membership in the club, and were
making all sorts of demands upon the leader
ship for organization and activities.
The life of this unit Is now rich and intense
with the problems Of the daily life Of the neigh
borhood. It has become mass influence among
thousands of people. An interesting sidelight
on our methods of work Is given by an ex-
perience of this unit in conducting it's neighbour
hood club. In order to raise the political level
Of the club life, they have been inviting speakers
from various mass organizations and the Party
from other parts of the city. They report almost
invariably these speakers are absolutely unin-
telligible for the neighborhood crowd that at
tends this club. The speakers never find any
point Of contact with their audience They talk
over their heads use long phrases which may
have been very good in thesis, but Of which
these neighborhood workers haven't the slight
est understanding. AS result the audiences
grow restless the young people get boisterous;
and even contemptuous Of these political
spouterS. This phase Of pohticalization has
been dismal failure as it was bound to be
with such an approach. Here Is lesson for
the entire Party, in its work of mass agitation
and propaganda, Of political education Of the
new raw masses that are coming TO us. It is
the virtue of parrots and of monographs that
they mechanically repeat the phrases given to
speakers. We must completely overhaul our
methods of mass education we must absolutely
put stop to this business Of our Party speakers
copying parrots and monographs putting forth
the Party program In such unintelligible terms
that it is just so much Greek to the audience
and doesn't touch their lives in any way or
arouse spark Of interest.
Party Section is the Keystone
The next central point in Party building after
the shop and street nuclei is the Party Sec
ton Committee, Section bureau. This is the
real cadre of the Party's mass leadership To
the extent that this is broadened and strength
ened to the degree that it becomes the decisive
and controlling force in our daily work. to that
degree, the Party will become mass Party
That means that our sections must be small
enough for the committee to actually know the
problems, find the solutions and give direct
leadership in carrying through the work.
Section Committee must be the general staff
of the revolution in it's territory. It must know
every house, street, and factory. 1t must know
the daily problems of life of It's population 1t
must know all our enemies and learn how to
defeat them. 1t must turn its section into a
Communist stronghold. That means larger
number of sections, more careful selection OF
leadership, and better quality of leadership
to the Sections from the Districts.
We have made progress in development IN
sections of our Party, but not nearly enough
Where in 1880 there were 81 Party sections
! there are today 1877. The geographical extension
of the Party organization is shown in the fact
that these sections include functoning PARTY
! committees in 463 cities. The work of these Sec
1 ton Committees have improved hint wa ro,,st