The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-07-09

talist system.
In making this analysis Comrade Browder warned
the Party not to rely upon these elements Of spon
tsneity and outside support substitutes for the
greatest care and king effort in the factories
and trade unions in the preparation Of every strike
On the contrary he emphasized, these factors
only make clearer the necessity for carrying through
the policies of concentration laid down in the Open
Letter policies still insufciently carried through in
many places
1t is this factor of the growing general support Of
the masses in every strike struggle which calls for
the necessity Of energetic efforts to mobilize and
organize this spontaneous support Of the masses
even during the preparatory stage of the strike
well as throughout every stage of the developing
strike struggles
Need for Concentration
The question of concentration is raised most
sharply in the steel situation.
Here if the Party had been able to set in motion
the steel workers in even more important
steel plants such the Republic Steel plants then
the present situation in steel would undoubtedly
have been different and the Greens and Tighes
would have been unable to effect their treacherous
agreement betraying the steel strike.
similar situation existed in the auto industry.
During the recent auto strikes did not play
more significant role simply because were not
intrenched in one large plant which could use
as lever and base for operations.
While it is possible to organize a plant 100 per
cent for strike under the present conditions without
having an organization on the inside (Comrade
Browder pointed out that experience proves this,
without cur comrades being rooted in the main fac
tories and unions, cannot lead the whole strike
throughout, we cannot stop the betrayal actions Of
the A. F. of L. bureaucrats robbing the workers Of
their advances through the trickery Of arbitration"
schemes etc. etc. The experiences at Minneapolis
"a F. of L. and Trotskyites) and Toledo CA. F. Of L.
and Music supporters and Milwaukee Through the
Socialist Party leaders, demonstrate this conclu-
svely.
Small Party Recruiting
serious expression of the fact that we have not
yet mastered the line of the Open Letter in our
work among the masses, though there has been been
some small progress, is indicated Conlrade Browder
pointed out, in the absolutely insufficient progress
made in building the Party during the course of
strike struggles.
Only in Birmingham in the coal strikes there,
did we to any satisfactory recruiting
during the strike. most other strikes recruiting
has been exceedingly small.
This is, of course, connected with the fact that
our positions the factories, in the trade unions,
and the way prepare the strikes all unsatis-
factory. 1t is above ALL connected with our oppor
tunist and sectaran methods of work, which take
the form of hiding the Party, keeping the Party
program from the workers evidenced wildly by the
small distribution of the Party Convention mani
IeSto, especially IN FlJUSpurgn ana all QlSGIlCGS eA-
cept New York; in strikes, in the dangerous ten
dency to postpone" the criticism OF the reformst
leaders, and the adoption Of the attitude of out
sders" in the face of the attack of the employers
and the government Communists.
At no time during the strike do we find systematic
efforts to win for the Party the most active and
militant workers in the struggle.
Work in the A. F. of L.
The examination of the work in the A. F. of L.
showed that there is a steady progress in the work
in the A. F. Of L.. that most districts are carrying
on some work to win the workers in the A. F. of L.
unions and that the zack tendency to underesti-
mate and hamper work in the A. F. of L. unions
is slowly being overcome.
number of locals of the U.MwA. have been
for the left wing program in recent local
elections. The strike of the West Coast longshore
men was possible only because of the growing
strength of the left wing opposition. AS a result
of the recent development in the steel industry
beginnings being made in building
opposition in the Amalgamated. The recent auto
conference in Detroit called by VIM. Green recorded
a growing rank and file opposition to the Green
Collins machine In the industries wehe the A. F.
of L. work has been carried for some time,
as for example in the needle and building trades,
the left wing opposition is assuming a real mass
character, expressed by the many thousands of
votes cast for the opposition candidates in the
recent elections in these organizations. The
ment for unemployment and social insurance
able to rally thousands Of A. F. of L. locals to its
support. In number of cities recently conferences
for unemployment insurance were held, in which
dozens of A. F. of L. unions were involved
Lack of Organized Opposition Work
However, in spite OF these achievements the
work is not uniform, and in districts is
trenaey weak In districts there exists no
A. F. of L. Committees to lead the work. and these
committees have hardly been begun to be organ
lied in the sections-that is the cities outside the
District Party headquarters.
The local oppositons in the same industry are
disconnected from each other, as there exists as
yet, no National Committees to unite and lead the
oppostons in the respective industries Most of
the conventions of national unions and State
Federatons recently held had but few left wing
delegates and were generally neglected. The Rank
and File Federationist" the national paper issued
by the oppositions is not receiving the support of
most districts, Detroit being notable exception
The Communist fractions and the Party leadership
in the districts must of course take the RESPONSE
blity for this situation.
But aside from the apparent weaknesses in
the work. and the fact that we have not yet pene-
,toL