John Reed’s ‘New York Communist’ reports on the activities of that city’s Left Wing as it began a frenetic summer of organizing at the Socialist Party headed towards its Emergency Conference, and its splintering.

‘Left Wing Notes’ from The New York Communist. Vol. 1 No. 6. May 24, 1919.

THE Left Wing organization has decided to support the following nominee and asks all revolutionary Socialists to do likewise: For Executive Secretary of Local New York: Maximilian Cohen.

In view of the referendum on the State Executive Committee resolution to expel all branches and locals that have joined the Left Wing Section, all the branches and locals throughout the State should make arrangements to have Left Wing speakers state our case.

Local Kings at its Central Committee, May 17th, joined the Left Wing and adopted the following resolution by a vote of 68 to 21: Whereas, we desire to clearly place ourselves on record for, and openly and actively align ourselves with the revolutionary proletariat the world over, as at present expressed by the policies and tactics of the Communist Party of Russia (Bolsheviki), the Communist Labor Party of Germany (Spartacans) and other parties in harmony with them, be it Resolved, That we, Local Kings in Party Membership meeting assembled this 17th day of May, 1919, adopt as our official expression the Manifesto and Program of the Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party, Greater New York; and be it further Resolved, That we pledge both financial and moral support to the Left Wing propaganda and organization, working to the end that the National Organization conforms with the policies of this Program; and be it further Resolved, That all delegates, committees and officials of Local Kings adhere strictly to this Manifesto and Program; and be it further Resolved, That Local Kings will not countenance or compromise with any half way measures, but that the change in policies and tactics must be complete, even if it necessitates the severance of relations with those constituting the right.

Left Wing speakers can be secured by communicating with Maximilian Cohen, Secretary of the Left Wing Section, 43 West 29th Street, New York City.

All Left Wing communications of this column should be addressed to Maximilian Cohen, 43 West 29th Street, and should reach him not later than Tuesday morning for insertion the same week.

Appeal for Funds for The N. Y. Communist COMRADES: The Left Wing is in need of funds for the issuance of its paper; we have no dues paying membership and are solely dependent upon the voluntary contributions of comrades for our support. If you think our movement is necessary, if you feel that we must have public expression, you must come to our support. In the present crisis, more than ever before, we must keep in the field, our paper must be published. WE NEED FUNDS.

A Joint District Meeting of the 8th A.D., Socialist Party, will be held at 122 Second Avenue, Thursday evening, May 22d, at 8 P.M. Very important business will be taken up.

At the last meeting of the Left Wing caucus of the Central Committee, Local Bronx, Benj. Gitlow, H. Bourgin, A. Winick, Dr. Glouberman and Roman Bluegrass were endorsed as the candidates for the City Committee from Local Bronx.

Owing to an error in the minutes of the City Committee of May 14th, Comrade Lore’s name was inserted instead of Comrade Lovestone’s as one of the delegates to the Left Wing National Convention. A donation of $50 from Local Queens to the Left Wing was erroneously recorded as $5.

The following locals have joined the Left Wing: Locals Sandusky, Toledo, Youngstown, Akron, Hamilton and Zanesville, all of Ohio.

The United Lettish Singing Society held an entertainment at which $33 was collected for the Left Wing.

Local Utica, N.Y., has adopted the Left Wing Manifesto and Program and revised its platform to conform with Left Wing principles.

Lettish Branch No. 1, of Local Bronx (185 members in good standing) has passed a resolution condemning the New York State Committee for having adopted “artificial means to attempt to throw out a considerable number of the Party members in the State of New York, which of necessity would force a split, “Resolved, That members of the State Committee voting for the aforesaid resolution, do not and can not represent the wishes of the Party, therefore we call for a referendum to recall the following delegates: Samuel Orr, Esther Friedman, Marie McDonald.” Left Wing Branches in the Bronx are requested to second this resolution.

The 17th A.D. (unreorganized), will hold a discussion meeting on the Left Wing Manifesto on Thursday, May 22, at its headquarters, 1538 Madison Avenue. On Friday, May 23, Dr. Fredrick Blossom will lecture at the headquarters on Industrial Unionism versus Craft Unionism.

TO THE JEWISH LEFT WINGERS A send-off party will be held this Saturday evening at 8:30 P.M., for the Left Wing delegates to the Jewish Socialist Federation Convention, at the headquarters of the 8th A.D., 122 Second Avenue. All Left Wingers are invited! Admission 50c.

Arrangements are being made for a monster picnic on Sunday, June 29, for the benefit of the I.W.W. defense. Other organizations are being asked to keep that date open, so that there may be no conflict. The affair will be held at Liberty Park, Evergreen, Brooklyn.

At a meeting of the City Committee held on the 5th day of May it was decided to call a City Convention and that the basis of representation shall be: “One delegate for every 50 members in good standing or major fraction thereof; that branches shall elect delegates directly.” You are therefor requested to send out a call to the branches instructing them to elect delegates to the convention on the basis decided by the City Committee. The convention will be held on June 14th and15th in the People’s House and the order of business will be as follows: Consolidation of Locals into a Greater City Local. Taking action on Party Ownership of Press. Taking action on the Left Wing. Taking up the question of the re-organization of branches in Local New York. Send the names of the delegates elected and the branches they represent to the secretary at the Queens Labor Lyceum, Myrtle and Cypress Avenues, Ridgewood, L.I.

A class in public speaking is being formed by the 17th A.D. The work will consist mainly of practice in the open air under the instruction and criticism of Henry Engles. There will be no charge. All members are urged to join.

The South Slavic Branch, New York, unanimously joined the Left Wing of the Socialist Party.

Help Your Comrades! At least one hundred workers who participated in the Cleveland May Day Demonstration, have been railroaded to prison. So far as the ten, fifteen or thirty days that comrades must serve in the workhouse, those who are outside cannot help them. But we can see to it that not a single man or woman remains in the workhouse to work out the fine and costs which are part of all the sentences. Under the unjust laws now existing, a man or woman who is poor and cannot pay fine and costs must remain in the workhouse to work out the fine and costs at the rate of sixty cents per day. In other words every sentence which includes a fine of $25.000 and costs means that the prisoner will have to serve fifty or sixty additional days to work out that part of his or her sentence. This must not be. The fines must be paid. In addition, the families of some of those who are in prison will be in need before their sentences expire. We must help them. They must not suffer. Send donations to C.E. Ruthenberg, 1222 Prospect Ave., Cleveland