The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-21
Party Made Some Gains,
But Has Serious
Shortcomings
BY JOHN sCHB1IEs

, 9
mass resistance against the auto
mobile companies and their N.R.A.
program. In practically all the large
shops, department strikes have de-
veloped, in some cases spontaneous,
in other cases organized by Party
and trade union workers.
A similar situation among the
C.W.A. workers, all the way down
the line the mass indignation is
rising and the cry for united action
is being raised by an ever larger
section Of the masses, especially in
the automobile industry.
Our Party in this District has ex-
perienced In the last IA months
serious class battles. These class
battles were a Bolshevik test for
the leadership and the Party gen.
orally, in their District.
One of the outstanding political
lessons is that the Party was not
prepared and therefore had not pre-
pared the masses to lead these
battles into unified class struggle
movement, for the continuation of
larger battles against the automobile
manufacturers and their MIRA
slave driving and wage cutting pro-
gram.
The Work of the Party
1t is idle chatter to talk about the
struggle against fascism, against
imperialist war, for the defense of
the Soviet Union, for general mass
work, ETC., unless we understand
that it depends on correct policy
and above all the execution of the
correct policy, by the Party among
these decisive masses Of automobile
workers.
This Of course, does not mean that
the Party made no progress. OF
course, we made progress. We have
a stronger Party today than ever
before, We did penetrate into some
Of the shops. The strike Of the tool
and die makers last summer de-
veloped largely as result of the
experiences gained by the Party and
the trade union workers during the
great automobile strike last winter
Further, the Party understands bet
ter how to carry out the United
Front policy in the last strike. as.
for en- example, in the Dearborn
Fed section Of the Party.
J. We can register since the last
D-5trtct Convention some important
achievements, such as, our work in
the City Of Dearborn, around the
Fed factory, in which we discussed:
a. To build up considerable
movement uniting tn e workers
around the issues, such as for relief
and against the terror of the Ford
controlled city government,
b. The building up Of territorial
union branches.
c. Building up of women's aux
iliary.
d. Most important Of all, the
building up of the Party and to
some extent the Daily Worker.
2 Strengthening our influence
through the application of the
United Front policy in the tool and
dye makers strike, which resulted
IN;
a. Building up strong opposi-
ton movement for an industrial
union in the automobile industry.
b. The election of rank and file
members over the heads of the lead
srs, to lead in strike committees.
C. The building up of these COM
mittees from below, in the shops
over the heads and against the vici-
BUSINESS Of the leaders.
d. Recruiting members a mon
the strikers into the Party.
e. Also made some Roadway in
uniting rank and file workers for
mass activities, such as, mass pick
citing, united mass meeting and
demonstrations, etc.
g. Growing activities and the
building up of some organization
among the C.WA. workers.
4 The building up of the Work
ers School and the improvement of
some of the general educational
work.
5. Increased mass work among
the farmers and the organizing of
The Michigan Farmers League.
6. Finally, some improvement in
the building of the Daily Worker
and the establishment through our
Party fraction in the Auto Workers
Union, the Auto Workers News,
twice a month.
However, these achievements can
not be explained by far, of being
satisfactory. Why? For the simple
reason that it did not establish a
mass base among the decisive sec
ton of the working class, in &C
cordance with the Open Letter, and
therefore, the trade union work as
stated in the 18th Plenum Resolu-
ton of the Communist Interna-
ticnal. remains our weakest link.
Although. this being the most de-
cisive and most important task of
the Party.
Plan of Concentration
Let us take the Ford factory. Up
to the present time our units around
the Ford factory are not yet pre-
pared to carry out revolutionary
mass work in and around the Ford
factory, not only that we have not
yet effectively succeeded in prepar-
ing some of our Party members for
this work, who are inside the fac
tory, although some Roadway is be-
ing made.
How can we judge whether we are
making any progress in the Ford
factory, or in any other factory?
The Open Letter states that at is
necessary to have correct policies
and above all the execution of cor
rect policies.' The progress that
We are making does not show that
We are decisive in executing the
policies. Otherwise, the building Of
shop groups around the burning is
sues and the building up of shop