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From Socialist Appeal, Vol. 5 No. 2, 11 January 1941, p. 1.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
CHICAGO, January 4 – The Windy City! No longer the windy section of the Party, however, since the departure of the windbags of the Minority into the so-called Workers Party, the whole tone of the Chicago Branch has changed.
Now one hears comrades talking about their shops, their union work, their contacts among the workers on the job, the distribution of the Appeal at factories, etc.
It is even possible to give a speech now in Chicago without having eighteen supplementary speeches made from the floor. All of these changes in the character of the Chicago Party have helped to erase the lines of care from the races of the older Chicago comrades who have been through very trying years. They are to be congratulated for having stuck it out. To them as well as to the new organizer, Dave Stevens, goes credit for the improvement of the Chicago Branch.
I was especially pleased to see what a fine group of women comrades we have in Chicago. Most of them are working at stenographic or factory jobs. They belong to unions and appear to be eager to carry out the Party program in their trade unions. In a word, they think of themselves and act as equals of men in the Party. I think that we re getting someplace!
The meeting held in Milwaukee on January 2 also represented a long step forward. Although the Milwaukee Branch of the Party was only established a few short months ago, and is consequently very small, they brought twenty people together for this open meeting. The subject of the speech was The Road To Socialism.
The audience was composed of workers from CIO unions and students from the trades courses of the Technical High School. From the questions, it was clear that they have become disgusted with the Daniel Hoan-Norman Thomas type of “Socialism” and glad to hear of a revolutionary Socialist program.
With the good work which our Milwaukee comrades arc doing on distribution of the Appeal at factory gates and in working class neighborhoods, together with their contact work, I am sure that we shall see a very healthy growth in the Milwaukee Branch in the coming months.
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Last updated: 14 November 2020