The work of the of the Spartacus Youth Clubs, Trotskyist youth group of the Communist League of America for the month of April, 1934 with reports from New York, Newark, Kansas City, Toronto, Chicago, and Philadelphia.

‘With the Spartacus Youth Clubs’ from Young Spartacus. Vol. 3 No. 2. April, 1934.

The day of his arrival in New York Sunday, March 18th, comrade Glotzer, the American delegate to the World Youth Conference spoke at a mass meeting in Brownsville. At this meeting a resolution was adopted in solidarity with the four German youth who were deported from Holland to Fascist Germany. The next evening, he reported on the international youth conference at a city membership meeting of the New York Spartacus Youth Clubs. After questions and discussion the report was accepted unanimously.

KANSAS CITY. Jean Rall reports on the activities in this city: “The Spartacus Youth Club of Kansas City, Missouri, has made a very marked progress during the past two months in their splendid new study courses under the supervision of Fred F. Simmons. Visitors from various parts of the state attend these courses each Monday night. Including members (of the Club), twenty to twenty-five usually attend. The youth movement in Kansas City is the predominant factor in the radical movement. Its members are composed of young men and women in all trades and are doing very excellent work in the unions.”

NEWARK, N..J. A class in the fundamentals of Communism has been started in Newark, New Jersey, with Al Reiskin of the Manhattan Club as instructor. The class has an attendance of about eighteen. Comrades who desire more information should get in touch with R. Katz, 371 Belmont Ave., Newark, N.J.

CHICAGO. The activities of the West Side and Northwest Side S. Y. Cs. of Chicago are ably directed by the Expansion Committee-joint city committee of the two Clubs. Discussions on the tasks of the S.Y.Cs., anti-war work and problems of the youth are discussed regularly. A special committee is conducting work in the Negro neighborhood of the city, On March 12th, the chairman of the Expansion Committee, Nathan Gould, addressed a letter to the secretary of the County Committee of the Yipsels. The letter proposed the organization of a provisional committee for the release of Tom Mooney, to consist of representatives of the Y.P.S.L., S.Y.Cs. and the [sic] ference. Interesting questions [sic] youth section of the Industrial Workers of the World. Plans are being made for the organization of regular monthly hikes, socials and the formation of baseball teams. A local internal bulletin is in preparation.

NEW YORK. The Clubs in New York have experienced an increased activity since the election of a city committee less than two months ago, The Manhattan club has been most successful, primarily through systematizing its educational work. During the past month it has had discussions on the war danger, the problems of the revolutionary novelist and the revolutionary traditions of the American working class. All of these meetings have been well attended. The members of the club were very active in the food workers strike. Members participated in the strike of the dental mechanics. Members are now becoming active in the recently organized shipping clerks union, CW A organizations, unemployed unions, etc. Open air meetings are now being prepared. This club has been the greatest financial, and otherwise, supporter of YOUNG SPARTACUS. It is also responsible for the organization of two classes in the Bronx, and has gained new members. Both the Brownsville and Bay Ridge clubs have moved to new headquarters. The Brownsville club has been very active in the unemployment movement, participating in the Workers Unemployment Union. The new headquarters of the club are at 1776 Pitkin Ave., about a block from the former club rooms. What hindered the Bay Ridge club most was poor club rooms. Now that it has moved it will temporarily meet in the Boro Park Labor Lyceum. It expects, as does the Brownsville Club, to increase its activities. Unemployed work, open air meetings and the like are on the agenda. So far the Bay Ridge club has shown the best response to the call of the National Committee for a special fund by turning in $10 for the war pamphlet, A representative of the city committee of the New York Youth Clubs will participate in a symposium with the Young Peoples Socialist League and the War Resisters League on the lessons of the Austrian events to be held in May.

PHILADELPHIA. The two clubs in this city hold regular discussion meetings as well as study classes. Recently the Clubs were active in a local strike. The members are seriously discussing the tasks and organization form of the Spartacus Youth Clubs. Arrangements are being made to get a member of the. Provisional National Committee of the S.Y.Cs. to speak in Philly.

TORONTO. A recent report from Toronto gives the following information: The publication of the two Toronto Clubs, Young Militant, has a circulation of 300 copies a month. The Clubs have fortnightly discussion meetings and, in cooperation with the branch of the adult comrades, conducts a “Workers’ School for Political Education.” A number of the members are active in auxiliary organizations and the Garment Workers’ Union. Plans are being made to organize a Ukranian youth group.

For information on the S. Y. C.s write to Joe Carter, Secretary, Provisional National Committee, S.Y.G.s, 126 East 16th Street, New York City.

Young Spartacus was first published by the National Youth Committee, Communist League of America (Opposition), in New York City. A semi-monthly from 1931 until the end of 1935. The Spartacus Youth Clubs and then the Spartacus Youth League would be organized and publish Young Spartacus before the movement entered the Socialist Party and Young People’s Socialist League in 1936’s ‘French Turn.” For must of its run, as with its parent organization, Young Spartacus was aimed at supporters and the milieu of the Communist Party and the Young Communist League of which it viewed itself as an opposition. Editors included Manny Garrett, Martin Abern, Max Shactman, Joseph Carter, and George Ray.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/etol/newspape/youngspart/YS1934/apr1934.pdf