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From Labor Action, Vol. 14 No. 24, 19 June 1950, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The main ostensible purpose of the current witchhunt in government and industry is to destroy the American Communist Party. There is no doubt that the “anti-Communist hysteria” has had serious effects in reducing the influence of Stalinism among large numbers and increasing hostility to it among others; but a study of membership figures, reported in a speech delivered to a meeting of CP leaders and published in the May issue of Political Affairs, would seem to indicate that the CP is NOT disintegrating under the attaclc of government and press.
In terms of membership alone, the CP claims only a slight decline in numbers. For the first time, however, figures on membership are reported in the Russian style of giving only percentage of past membership rather than absolute number of members. From other sources, the claimed party membership is supposed to be around 47,000, not counting FBI agents. This is down from a peak of 63,000 members achieved during the latter stages of the war.
Of all members who belonged to the party a year ago, only 85 per cent are considered as current members. As the CP reporter says, “this reduced fluctuation ... takes place on the basis of a sharp downward curve in recruiting during 1949, which accounts for a slight reduction in the total membership of [the] party.”
No national figures are given on the increase or decrease of membership according to union or industry status, and figures for the separate districts show few consistent trends. One exception to this is the consistent and percentage-wise large rise of members listed as railroad workers. This would seem to indicate a national concentration in this industry, but the absolute number of workers is probably small, as the Stalinists have never been strong in this field.
Two of the most interesting big drops in membership are among electrical workers in Illinois and maritime workers in New York. Since both of these represent fairly large groups of members, the 25 per cent decline (as compared with the national figure of 15 per cent) represents substantial numbers of workers who have either left the party or transferred to other industries. The effect of the Bridges trial and the concurrent anti-Stalinist revolt in the San Francisco local of the Longshoremen’s Union are reflected in the admission that in “California Longshore and Warehouse some losses have been taken.” On the other hand, the Michigan CP claims an increase in the total number of auto union members reregistered, including a number of old members who had dropped out.
Geographically, most of the district figures fluctuate around the national average of 83–85 per cent. The biggest drop in reregistration of members was reported from Louisiana, where the figure given is 55 per cent. This probably reflects recent losses in the maritime and transport fields, which were once the basis of the CP’s biggest base in the South, in and around New Orleans. Smaller losses are reported to have occurred in Midwestern states, including Ohio with 81 per cent, Pennsylvania 77 and 75 per cent, and Michigan 78 per cent.
As far as proportion of Negro members is concerned, again no national figures are given; conflicting figures are given for the separate districts, and the total impression is one of slight change or no changes whatever. Since Negro work is now one of the main fields of the party, this would indicate that few gains have been made in a major area of concentration.
The decline in absolute number of registered party members maybe partially offset by recruitment to the Labor Youth League, the Stalinist youth organization. It is reported to have grown from around 3,000 to 6,200, including “a significant number who did not come from former youth clubs of the party.” As might have been expected, the witchhunt seems to have helped the CP attract a certain number of young elements who are drawn to Stalinism BECAUSE it is suffering persecution and frameup.
Of course, membership figures, even if honestly reported, are not the complete story. Because of their policy of keeping on the books practically anybody willing to carry a card, it would be necessary to revise their figures radically downward in order to secure an accurate picture of the CP’s actual organizational strength. Yet it would certainly seem as if a “cultural lag” is operating to protect the party itself from feeling the full effects of its growing unpopularity and isolation. Members of long-standing do not leave the Stalinist party simply because of its increased unpopularity.
But before we can evaluate the strength of Stalinism it is necessary to consider such other factors as the size and closeness of its sympathizing circles. its strength and ties with the unions and other mass organizations, the level of morale among its membership, etc. The first will be dealt with next week.
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