The Communist (Communist Party of America, Section of the Communist International). Vol. 1 No. 4. October, 1921.

Contents: Mingo by Thorold Rogers, The Task of the Hour by A Raphael, Communism and the Irish Workers by R Ganley and JP Collins, Our Agrarian Problem by HR Harrow, Have We Retreated? by Roger Nelson, Soviets or Parliament? by David Damon, The Party and the Negro Struggle by John Brice and JP Collins, Winning the Masses by JP Collins, The American Chambers of Commerce by Roger Nelson, Legal and Illegal Activity, At the Congress pf Red Labor by Joseph Dixon, The Present Moment, Review of the Month.

Emulating the Bolsheviks who changed the name of their party in 1918 to the Communist Party, there were up to a dozen papers in the US named ‘The Communist’ in the splintered landscape of the US Left as it responded to World War One and the Russian Revolution. This ‘The Communist’ began in July 1921 after the “Unity Convention” in Woodstock, New York which created the Communist Party of America, Section of the Communist International uniting the old CPA with the CLP-CPA party. With Ruthenberg mostly as editor the paper acted as the Party’s underground voice, reporting official party business and discussion. The Toiler served as the mass English-language paper. This ‘The Communist’ was laid to rest in December, 1922 with the creation of the above-ground Workers Party. An invaluable resource for students of the formation of the Communist Party in the US.

PDF of full issue: https://www.marxists.org/history/usa/pubs/thecommunist/thecommunist6/v1n04-oct-1921-com-CPA.pdf