The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-06-25
YCL Shows
100 Gain
In Members
In 3 Years
Stern Self-Criticis m
Marks Speech of
Gil Green
ANALYZE PROBLEMS
5000 Cheer Opening
At Arena Meet
BY HARRY CANNES

N T. w IOlNIA'
workers, farmer and students,
from mines, mills, farms and
schools, from the ranks of the
unemployed, all over the
United States, delegates to
the It'll National Convention
of the Young Communist League,
representing 5000 members OF the
League, are now in session here DIS
cussing the problems of transform
ing the Y.CL. into the mass leader
Of the American working youth IN
the struggle against capitalism.
1t is a far cry from the present
convention to the first one that
attended in 1922 when the League
was established The young Com
munists at this convention come
from the front line trenches OF the
class struggle. There are delegates
from Alabama, young Negroes from
fine share troopers, from the bullet
torn picket lines in Toledo; from
the coal and steel strikes; from the
MINNEAPOLIS truckers strike, from
the bitterly fought, seven-weeks' old
longshoremen's strike.
Though the Leagues secretary,
Gil Green, was able to report a lOo
per cent increase in membership
over the 9Th Convention held three
years ego, when the League had
only 5000 members, then stepped in
sectarianism, there was no exulta-
ton, but only the sternest and
sharpest self-criticism; the most
detailed analysis of all the con-
crete problems on every field con-
fronting the League in the momen-
tous battles in view of the tremen-
dous danger of new imperialist
war.
Stirring Mass Meet
The convention opened with
stirring mass meeting Friday night
at st. Nicholas Arena, when over
5000 young and adult workers gath
cred to greet the delegates. Cheer
ing and shouting shook the very
rafters of the hot and sultry hall.
Though the heat kept away many
If the adults, as the vast majority
IF those at the opening of the con-
vention were youth, 1t could not in
the least dampen the ardor, the
vigor. the enthusiasm of the young
workers, students and Young Pion-
ers, who came to welcome their
comrades elected to deliberate at
the 7th National Convention of the
Y.CL.
In its two days of business ses-
sions the convention has moved
rapidly, with despatch worthy of
Young Communists and greatly in
fluenced by the historic 9Th Con-
vention of the Communist Party,
held in Cleveland, Ohio, last April.
Tonight, fortified and clarified by
thorough discussion on the ex-
haustiye three-hour report of the
Leagues secretary, the convention
meets in commissions to take up
detailed problems. The commis-
sions meeting tonight, with repre-
sentatives from all sections, are:
Steel, headed by Conrade Frank
Hill; Auto, Willy Goetz; Negro,
Claude Lightfoot and John Little;
Marine, Leonard Patterson and
Clarence Prince; Mining, Dave
Doran; Radio, Lou Cooper; cadres
and recruiting, John Marks; chill
dren, Leo Kaplan; Marxist-Leninist
education, Max Weiss; agrarian,
Ellen Allen.
The agenda adopted by the first
business session of the convention,
which opened Saturday afternoon,
included the following
II Report of the National Ex-
ecutive Committee, Situation and
Tasks of the Young Communist
League, by Gil Green. Sub-re-
ports: al Trade Union, Lou
Cooper; b. Organization, John
Marks; q Negro problems, Claude
Lightfoot; d. Unemployed work,
Leonard Patterson; e. Agrarian
work, Ellen Allen.
q Work of the Y.C.L. in the
struggle against imperialist war;
reporter, Clarence Prince.
81 Work among children; re-
porter, Leo Kapian.
a. Election Of the new National
Executive Committee.
81 Information report on the