An interesting report on the growth of the Y.P.S.L. in California, with defections from the Young Communist League at the beginning the Popular Front providing many new recruits. As well as a look at struggles within the Socialist Party (the Fourth Internationalists soon to be expelled), and valuable reports on arenas of work in the state.

‘The Growth of the California Young People’s Socialist League’ by Bill Monroe from Challenge of Youth (Y.P.S.L.). (New) Vol. 1 No. 1. October, 1937.

The YPSL in California started its development with a League that had been woefully unable to cope with the sharp issues that were facing youth in the crisis. Unable firstly because it lacked a revolutionary program, a lack that was the heritage of a parental Old Guard Reform Party. Unable secondly because of an absence of contact with the working class in its struggles. Unable-thirdly because a lack of numbers, not fatal in itself, but when taken as the logical by-product of a non-Marxist program, and no organic connection with the working youth, was pretty serious.

THE YCL BEFORE 1936

The Young Communist League toyed with the puny YPSL of the years 1932-1936. Appearing more revolutionary, it won members from the YPSL. Later, as the full impact of the Unity period of 1935-6 hit California, the YCL literally deluged the YPSL with calls for “United Front”. Harried and backstepping, that was the way the pre-1936 YPSL met the onslaught of the delighted, aggressive YCL.

THE TRANSFORMATION

But mighty forces were at work. And the revolutionary current in the YPSL recoiling. from the betrayal of Germany and Austria found its way to California. The split with the Old Guard and consequent merging of the left wing in the S.P. with the revolutionaries of the former Workers’ Party, found its counterpart in California with the entrance of the Spartacus Youth League.

Almost perceptibly, the political backbone of the California League stiffened, and no longer were offers for United Fronts meekly filed. Instead committees went to the YCL. United Fronts of action were proposed. Peoples’ Fronts rejected. And now it was the YCL who quivered under the drive of the YPSL.

And results were forthcoming. In almost every circle of the League in California, are to be found recent recruits from the YCL who heeded the revolutionary call of the Young Peoples’ Socialist League. A special session was hurriedly called by the trembling bureaucrats of the YCL. Special “purification lectures” against Trotskyism were speedily held. But the growing current from the ranks of the YCL will not be halted by these punitive measures.

THE RISE OF INDUSTRIAL WORK

It was, however, on the all-important field of industry, that the transformation of the YPSL was most marked.

Agriculture

The outbreak of another of those titanic waves of agricultural strikes in April 1936 found the League this time with the strike the strike moved swiftly from the celery fields of Venice to the orange groves of terror-ridden Orange County, in its vanguard strode representatives of a growing YPSL full of life and enthusiasm.

The Los Angeles League bore the brunt of arrests: organized relief, devised strategy. The Dominguez Hills circle is the direct outcome of the League participation in the Los Angeles strikes. As the strike movement swept north to the lettuce sheds. of Salinas, northern young Socialists lent their aid to the besieged strikers. Stockton and its memorable strike found the YPSL again in contact. The Party and the League was rapidly gaining the respect of the advanced workers. And it is now generally conceded that the boss-class of California has a new factor to reckon with in agriculture.

Maritime

As the year 1936 moved toward its close, the question of the maritime strike arose. In 1934, the YPSL knew of the strike only by consulting the daily press. In 1936, the turn to industrial concentration bore fruit in maritime. The YPSL had sent in certain members, others were recruited; cooperation with the militants, the Sailors’ Union of the Pacific, was secured. And the YPSL and the progressives fought side by side against the sell-out tactics of the Bridges-Communist Party leadership. The attempt to stall the calling of the strike until after Roosevelt was elected in order to spare him the embarrassment was met with a rank and file upsurge at a huge mass meeting that forced the calling of the strike. The attempt to handle “perishables” was neatly knocked under by the alert progressives. The comradely effort of Bridges to have the sailors accept the Copeland Fink Book was checked and hurled back by the sailors who wore buttons with the inscription “I refuse the Copeland Fink Book.”

And it was the organ of the California Party, Labor Action, that in its denunciation and exposure of class-collaboration policies earned the confidence of the Pacific Coast Progressive who themselves distributed hundreds of copies until the right-wing, centrist bloc in the Socialist Party, sabotaged and gave it a premature burial. If the desires of the advanced workers on the Pacific mean anything, they mean that the day is not far off when Labor Action will again express their desires.

The maritime strike ended with a smashing victory. The YPSL recruited into its ranks a number of the most active sections of the maritime workers. And plans are being laid for strengthening of that first basis of strength.

Aircraft

The wave of CIO strikes and organization was experienced in California. In Los Angeles, the YPSL was the motor that helped to build the aircraft unions. Those members who participated in the Douglas strike are recruiting more members from ranks of the young air-craft workers. There are now members of the YPSL in steel, in textiles, in the Culinary Union in San Francisco, and in a host of other fields.

A look at the members of the YPSL reveals a change in composition and calibre. Definitely of a working-class character, and with leaders developing in the test of the class struggle, the California YPSL is moving forward in the field of industry.

STUDENT WORK

Again in the field of student activity, a League with a clear- cut policy made notable strides forward. On the campus at Berkeley, the YPSL made a name for itself by virtue of its revolutionary line and militancy. The membership of the League tripled as students were won to a class struggle program. Particularly, when the strike against war was pushed into a “Peace Action” did the merciless criticism by the YPSL receive, attention. On all the campuses the League made a name for itself. And there is every reason to believe that the coming year will be even more productive of results.

MAY 30th

National Youth Day 1937 saw some of the League’s best activity. In San Francisco, 10,000 printed leaflets splendidly writ ten with a revolutionary message against war was given wholesale distribution along the patriotic line of march. Soldiers and workers alike read what young revolutionaries have to say as an answer to the coming imperialist war. Two comrades were arrested, and a defense is being arranged.

In Los Angeles, a record turnout of 400 youth heard the representatives of the Young Peoples Socialist League, the Young Circle League, and the Young Poale Zion, call for action against the capitalist enemy at home. Bill Busick, CIO leader, was one of the main speakers. This meeting marked another peak in the morale and enthusiasm of the Los Angeles comrades.

INTERNAL LIFE

Within the League a readjustment was taking place. Political discussion hardened the sinews and raised the level of the League. Organizational form was discussed and experimented with in an effort to find the best course of action. In the past period two plans of action on a District wide scale were tried with signal success. Above, all, there was and is developing a certain tone, esprit-de-corps, alertness, that marks the Young Socialists from all other competitors in the youth field. And this is a good omen for the future.

THE FUTURE

Despite mistakes and shortcomings (and they are not a few) the California section of the YPSL has grown 300 per cent. in membership and a thousand times in political clarity. New leaders are growing up. A successful summer school that saw 15 additional recruits of the ages of 16-18 and 50 in attendance helped to train that new up and coming leadership.

The National Convention recently concluded in Philadelphia, marks a new point for the YPSL. For California, it will mean that, for the first time, a real national leadership which has confidence in itself, which aggressively initiate activity, and, above all, which has its eyes set on a mass youth League educated in Marxism and tested in action. Together with the left wing in the Party, freed of the stifling embrace of the centrists, the League in California will form an integral part of a revolutionary movement in America that foresees and prepares the victory of the working class!

Challenge of Youth was the newspaper of the Young People’s Socialist League. The paper’s editorial history is as complicated as its parent organization’s. Published monthly in New York beginning in 1933 as ‘Challenge’ associated with the Socialist Party’s Militant group (the center/left of the party around Norman Thomas). Throughout the 30s it was under the control of the various factions of the YPSL. It changed its name to Challenge of Youth in 1935 and became an organ of Fourth Internationalists, leaving to become to the youth paper of the Socialist Workers Party in 1938. In the split of 1940, the paper like the majority of YPSL went with the state capitalists/bureaucratic collectivists to become the youth paper of the Workers Party.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/challenge-of-youth/371000-challengeofyouth-v01n01-alt.pdf