The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-10-02

DR.. HarryE. Yard Calls for Strengthening
OF Anti -Wdr Forces at Chicago Congress

Wei as IN the vocational groups TO
Cooperate on this united front re-
CARELESS Of what the national head
quarters is going to say or do to it.
Activity Determines Leadership
Now, I want to touch on Just
one question in passing especially
for the benefit of those delegates.
I want to speak now, not simply as
the Chairman of the League, but I
want to speak for moment as the
representative of the non-political
group in that bureau. I want to
speak TO the point of the fears Of
good many people, both in political
and other groups, concerning the
domination Of this organization by
one political party. 1 want to say
to you that non-political members
of the buread have not seen a single
manifestation Of any attempt of
domination of this League by one
political party. want to say to
you that as the broadening of the
base of this movement, as well as
the broadening of the representa-
ton in the governing body grows, it
becomes increasingly impossible for
any political party to dominate this
League even if it wanted to do so.
want to say one more thing,
and this time I speak not repre-
senting political group, but simply
representing myself. 1 am offering
personal and purely a personal
opinion. I want to say that there
is legitimate as well as illegiti-
mate use of this organization by
political groups. 1t is quite illegiti-
mate for any political group to seek
to dominate this organization for
parties and purposes. If we get any
indications of that the only indica-
ton 1 ever had of any move in that
direction at all comes from only,
and very seldom, local incidents
where zeal outruns knowledge. In
every case where that happens it is
promptly dealt with by the national
body. There is no question at the
top whatever on that point.
Cites PROVIDERS Speech
Concerning the legitimate use of
this organization by political groups
will take q concrete case. You all
have heard the speech of Earl
Browder last night. You all heard
him make clear historical judg-
ment that there was only one choice
between and before mankind now
and that was their choice between
Fascisn and Communism. Now,
when Earl Brewder pointed out
directly that humanity now has to
choose between the Fascistic and
Communistie type of organization
of society, he neither made or i'm
piled that we all had to join the
Communist Party If we were not
going to turn Fascist. He then, you
/ will remember, went on to point
with pardonable pride, as he was
perfectly entitled to do, to the
achievements of the Communist
Party throughout the world in Of
fering very effective resistance to
the development of Fascisfn. lap
I plause.l
Now, If other political groups
whom we have invited here had
taken part in that program, if their
leaders had spoken as asked, they
would have been entitled to do the
same thing, if they could. lap
/ plause.l
Now, when it comes to partici-
patton of different political groups
in this movement, my own persona
position is this: legitimately, tht
group which can offer to this move.
ment the most valuable suggestion
concerning the program and tao
tics, which can offer the most dyna
mic active force for carrying it out
will gain political activity out Of i
in this League, and they are en-
titled to do.
League Is Testing Ground"
I want to point out then tina
there is, in a sense, something IL
which this League becomes the com
| petitive testing ground of all po
litical groups who profess to offe1
their own leadership in the strugglj
against war and fascism. Let then
all come in. Let them throw al
their forces in the making Of thu
program, in the carrying out of thu
/ program, in the work of the League
and as they demonstrate their capa
city for leadership, as they show Ii
that they can do so, they are en-
titled to reap any political actor
later which they can.
will add one more word to tina
and that is this: If anybody can cor
fectly assess the temper of tn
American youth, as shown in you
youth section; If they can correctl
assess the growing movement in tn
field of labor among the unions an
among the Negroes and other op
pressed minority groups, these sec
tons are becoming increasingly i'm
patient with any movement that wi
keep them out of activities on tn
political front. These people wi
ttnhesitatihgly consign to oblivion a
those political leaders who refuse
come in the necessary fight in thes
evils of the human race. GApplause.
To get back to our point,
broaden the base. At that poin
our immediate and most pressih
task, the task to which this con
gress will be asked to give an en-
tire session or major part of ses
sion, the task which we have bee
preparing, is to penetrate into tn
trade unions with propaganda c
this League in order to raise Ii
the activities in these operations.
Win Middle Class Groups
Along with that, and secondar
to that, is the necessity of increas
ing our strength among the middl
classes, especially among the int