2. Philip Murray 3. Dave Beck 4. Walter Reuther
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I AMERICAN LABOR LEADERS 1. John L. Lewis 2. Philip Murray 3. Dave Beck 4. Walter Reuther November-December 1950 25c the example by participating I Manager's Column actively in the planning and FOURTH INTERNATIONAL execution of this No. 1 prac tical activity. One of the outstanding char Volume II Nov.-Dec~ 1950 No.6 (Whole No. 107) acteristics of Marxists is their "One of the important mes capacity to combine theory Published Bimonthly by the sages for the delegations to with practice. They are not Fourth International Pub lis hing Association take back is that distribution of socialist' liter~ture goes on cloistered observers; they are 116 University Pl., New York 3, N.Y. Telephone: Algonquin 4-9330. energetic participants in the Subscription rates: U.S.A. and Latin America $1.25 for 6 issues: the top of the flgenda. of every battles of the working class. bundles, 20c for ,5 copies and up. Foreign and Canada: $1.510 for branch, organized not by dele 6 issues: bundles 21c for 5 copies and up. gating it to some comrades In periods of great upsurge Reentered as second class matter April 4, 1950, at the Post of the labor movement, they Ofofice at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3. 1879. but by making it an activity invariably demonstrate their of the entire branch with the Managing Editor: GEORGE CLARKE most important party leaders ability to lead workers in de Business Manager: JOSEPH HANSEN cisive struggles to better their participating' in it." living Iconditions and advance These remarks, we are sure, toward socialism. And in ,times CONTENTS will be appreciated by every of relative lull and paS'sivity, one of our readers aware of Marxists demonstrate this liv American'LaborLeaders ........ By the Editors 163 Comrade Cannon's wealth of ing unity of theory and prac John L. Lewis .............. By Harry Frankel 165 experience in building the rev tice by turning their energies olutionary socialist press in to such seemingly prosaic Philip Murray ................. ; .. By V. Grey 171 America. r tasks as getting Marxist pub \Valter Reuther .........' ......... By Art Preis 176 lications into those places * * * where they will do the most Dave Beck .................. By Dan Roberts 183 The September-October is good. Interview With Marshal Tito ................ 188 sue of Fourth International This was well illustrated at featuring a number of articles the Fourteenth Convention of on the theme "Asia in Revolt," the Socialist Workers Party, "I don't know whether that'lbranches that in face of all was well received. "This is which was recently held in is because some of· the com- th-is tidal wave of reaction sue is hot stuff," writes Dan New York. After a rounded rades encountered too much which has been rolling over us, Roberts of Seattle. "Please Marxist discussion of the new difficulty or whether some of ItheY have systematized and -Tush us another 25 copies im economic and political de them got so 'theoretical' and organized their work of dis mediately." Comrade Roberts velopments that have occur 'political' they didn't have time tributing literature and kept found the articles on the civil red in the past two years, the for this humdrum activity." it going by main strength and war in Korea and its relation delegates turned to the con In the old days, socialists' effort. Although it sometimes to the imperialist drive toward crete tasks facing the social put promotion of Marxist lit- nuw takes four times or ten a new world conflagration of ist movement in America. One erature at the head of their times as much work to get great value in preparing for of the decisions, we are sure, planned activities. Comrade a. subscription or to sell ten a debate on the subject on the will interest readers of Fourth Cannon suggested revival of copies, where they have rec campus. International. It was a pledge this socialist practice. The ognized the political -imp or From St. Paul, Winifred to help the theoretical maga tendency to passively accept tance of this work in prepar Nelson also ordered more zine of American Trotskyism resistance to the program ation for the future, they have copies. "The comrades are to expand its circulation. A and literature of socialism made good scores." selling them right and left similar pledge was made for "can oniy be overcome by sys . and w~'re aU out again!" The Militant, America's lead tematic work planned in ,every *.* * AI Lynn of Los Angeles re ing socialist weekly. branch." . Comrade Cannon stressed ports "there is a lot of inter James P. Cannon summed "I consider it one of the the need for the leading so est in this issue on Asia and up the general senUment. In great glories of several of the cialists in each locality to set we anticipate a good sale. this period, he said, increasing ;--------------..---------------: One newsstand sold out 15 the circle of readers of so copies within a week or so cialist literature is a "No. I" and I brought him 10 lUore." task for all who believe in the And Frank Roberts of Chi socialist future of mankind. cag'o says, "You can best judge We must "rediscover" the so the reaction to the FI by the cialist press and "restore it Subscribe fact that we are increasing to its rightful place at the Keep up with the' Marxist interpretation of the ,big our bundle. I think that this head. of socialist activities." events shaping our world by reading Fourth International issue on the Asian revolution regularly. To. make sure you don't miss a single copy, will be a permanent part of * * * our literatu.re. Starting in J an in other countries fill out the coupon and mail it in today. S~cialists uary, we are going to start hold The Militant and Fourth ---- .... --------------- . pushing the FI on newsstands International in highest es Fourth International teem, said Comrade Cannon. 116 University Place and at bookstores." And both publications enjoy New York 3, N. Y. * * * a solid reputation for their in I want to subscribe to li'ourth. International. Enclosed From West Bengal, India, tegrity, accuracy and search H. S: Chakra writes: "We ing analyses of the great is D $1.25 for six issues; D $2.50 for ,12 issues. happily inform you that the problems facing the labor Name .............................................................................................. .. movement. But in America L~'on Trotsky memorial issue of the FI created a great sen "we perhaps have them too Street ............................................................................................. .. close to our eyes to know how sation among the local people." good they are." We tend to City .................. ;............................................................................ .. A study circle is being formed, take them for granted. One he says, "to discuss world of the consequences is an un 'State ................................................................. ... Zone ...... events and Marxism. Let your necessary drop in circulation. literature be our guide." FOURTH INTERNATIONAL VOLUME II NbvEMBER-DECEMBER 1950 NUMBER 6 American Labor Leaders BY THE EDITORS I n the following pages our readir~ will find portraits of the workers. The chief agency invoked for this pu~pose is four prominent union leaders: John L. Lewis, chief of the the government. f United Mine Workers and founder of the CIO; Philip The confrontation of such giga~tic forces as monopolist M urr~y, head of the steelworkers and his successor as capital and organized labor and the far-reaching economic leader of the CIO; Walter Reuther, president of the United and political effects of their collisions have impelled the Auto Workers and a likely candidate as next head of the government and its apparatus to intervene to an evcr CIO; and Dave Beck, a typical rep.resentative of the AFL increasing extent as arbitrator ~nd regulator in their craft union hierarchy. Although fJ.r from complete, this disputes~ g;oup strikingly illustrates the kind of leadership holding In the craft union era the union leaders collaborated sway over organized labor in the United States today. directly with the employers while the federal government The last two decades have witnessed two remarkable interfered only in extreme cases where the conflict of the developments in this country. One is the explosive growth classes erupted in violent form and then it acted as an open of monopoly capitalism with its swift. rise to world supre strikebreaking arm of the industrialists. macy. The other is the equally explosive expansion of trade unionism. These processes are intimately interlinked and Collaboration' in New Situation the unfolding relations between theinare bound up not In the new relationships established by industrial union only with the future of the United States but also with the ism through· the upheaval of the Thirties, the administra destiny of all mankind. tion has time and a'gain entered as,a "friend of labor" and The upsurge of the CIO marI<eu the greatest advance in the office of "impartial umpire" to shield the corpora in the history of American labor. It overturned the open- tions from the full force of labor's onslaughts and pressures. 5hop regime in basic industry, compelled the corporations The success of this new and more complex mechanism for to recognize unions in their strongholds and to deal with effecting class collaboration depended upon acquiescence them. 'lnd cooperation from the union leaders. Where this could Thanks to the victories of the past fifteen years and not be secured, as Roosevelt discovered in his dealings with their present membership of sixteen millions, the unions the striking miners during the war,' the mechanism stalled today 'possess colossal powers' for mobilization in any :md failed. contest with employers. Assured of the allegiance of the But the bulk of the labor bureaucrats have proved only ranks, the leaders can summon hundreds of thousands onto too ready to participate in this ~ame of class collabora t~e field of action.