As already stated, I looked at papers from the year 1936, specifically the papers of January 1, 1936; January 2, 1936; and January 3, 1936. The Daily Worker was a prominent Communist Party newspaper in New York City, one which most of the members of the ALB from NYC whom I am learning about in the archives probably read on a daily basis. Therefore, reading this newspaper is a great way for me to learn about what prompted the New Yorkers to volunteer in Spain. The first thing that caught my attention was the density of the newspaper. This may have been a microfilm technicality, but the print that I was reading was very small and close together. On normal sized newspaper, over several pages, it seems like a daunting amount of text. Perhaps this says something about the slack in journalism since those days. There may be a direct relationship between the number of readers and the amount of text in newspapers, explaining the change in journalism over the years.
On January 1, 1936 alone, there were many interesting stories in The Daily Worker. On the front page is a head line that reads: "Capitalist Parties are Company Unions in the Political Field." The article is promoting the Communist candidate for office in the Senate elections. The article puts both mainstream parties (Republicans and Democrats) in the same group, under the title of "Capitalism." This seems to contradict the doctrines of the Popular Front which the party and, most likely, the paper, will ardently adhere to after the beginning of the Spanish Civil war in July of that year. I wonder if they continue to put down Capitalism in articles in later months or if there is increased censorship for propaganda purposes.
Another article is entitled "What Does the Congress of the Communist International Mean to You?" This is another propaganda piece, not surprising in a Communist publication, warning of war and calling for action. The article says "We sing songs of peace at this holiday season- and there is no peace!" The article goes on to describe the solution to the problem: Communism. "While the rest of the world is decaying, the Communists have leaped forward to achievement on one-sixth of the globe." It exalts the Soviet Union and describes in details all of the successes of that country under Communism.
In a related story, entitled "No Artificial Joy," the author directly relates alcohol consumption with happiness. This "happiness meter" means that "If then the Russians are drinking less than half of the amount they drank in 1913...the Russians are more than twice as happy and similarly less bored with life." A drop in alcohol consumption in the USSR is then compared to the increase in alcohol consumption in the United States. This argument obviously has many wholes and flaws.
It also seems inconsistent with the fun-loving people I have gotten to know who volunteered in Spain, such as Bill Bailey and Leo Gordon. Neither of these American Communists seems like they would care about alcohol consumption or find a fundamental relationship between alcohol consumption and quality of life.
In another section of this page, it is written "Today opens a year of grave events in the American labor movement. It is clear that in 1936 organized labor will fight for its life against an irreconcilable enemy, who has all the power of government in his hands." Again, the Communist party sees, or at least ignores for political purposes, any differences between the two mainstream American political parties, the Republicans and the Democrats.
In another article entitled "Party Life: Pittsburgh District Organizer Addresses a Letter to Old and New Members," the doctrines and values of the Communist party are reiterated and enforced. The author writes "Don't allow yourself to slide along without studying or reading. A Communist must learn to understand the great things that are happening today." This value of education and awareness is probably an important one for the Americans who volunteered in Spain. They must have had a great deal of awareness of the news and of international ideas and debates in order to have made such a revolutionary and dangerous life decision of going to Spain to fight fascism. The idea of "paying your dues" must have been another important doctrine which influenced the American volunteers. An overwhelming feeling of social responsibility for liberty and basic human rights led them to Spain; this force of civic "duty" was probably enhanced and enforced very much so by the proactive, disciplined Communist party. Unlike the adversity to alcohol, these doctrines and values of awareness and duty do reflect the personalities of the men in Spain whom I have come to know through my work in the archives.
The January 2, 1936 paper continues to put out news about the Soviet Union, with a picture of Stalin on the front cover. The front cover article accompanying it reports on Stalin's physical agricultural skills and knowledge and his political policies which support agriculture as well. The collectivization of agriculture is extremely important in the doctrines of Communism. How does this doctrine relate to American Communism, which is so concentrated in the urban working class of New York City?
Also in this paper was an article entitled "Roosevelt Social Law Bars all Benefits to Those Now Jobless." The article criticized the Social Security bill which was passed on that very day. The article claims that the bill does not do enough, in fact does very little, for the unemployed and that more progressive, radical legislation needs to be passed in order to solve the social and economic issues.
Another article entitled "City Hall and the White House- Put Main Efforts in Pro-Olympic Drive" includes a very ironic and rather amusing interview conducted by Communist journalist Liston Oak and American National Socialist (Nazis) Anton Haegele. At one particularly ironic part of the interview, Haegele admits that if a person is of the Olympic calibre, she or he should be allowed to participate, regardless of race; then, his friend cuts in and says "Please don't print that. We must uphold purity..." As the article rightly points out, although the article was funny, "this is no laughing matter." Fascism is a real threat in America, just as it is in Europe, and Oak urges Americans to take a more proactive stance against the ridiculous doctrines and forces of Naziism abroad before it attacks America.
I will continue to read and analyze these newspapers and gather a better understanding of the thoughts, ideas, and concerns of Communists in America before and during the Spanish Civil War.
I've been wondering what microfilm is since everyone's been bringing it up. It's cool that you got to look at it in the archive. I thought it was interesting how you compared Stalin's emphasis on agriculture to the more industrial base of the Communist party in the US.
ReplyDeleteI also like your online name: Emess.
ReplyDeleteThe thing about the agrarian nature of a good deal of the rhetoric of the communist party reminded me of a funny story that an informant once told me. I think it was Henry Foner, a man who was very close to many of the volunteers throughout their lives, maybe a bit young to have volunteered himself. Anyway, he once told me that he recalls a speaker at a rally in Brooklyn in the 30s getting up on a soapbox and addressing the "Workers and peasants of Brighton Beach..."
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