Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

YOUTH AGAINST FASCISM
32. The shift towards a nationalist centred political rhetoric was a particularly difficult one for communist youth in Britain and
America. Traditionally both leagues had experienced an intensely sectarian past based upon a militant class based oppositional
culture, identifying with the Russian Revolution and internationalism. As victorious powers in WWI who spearheaded
military intervention against the Bolsheviks after the October Revolution, both Britain and the US were identified
as aggressive imperialist nations who stood in direct opposition to the goals of international communism and who were the
main potential sources of imperialist war.
33. Haynes and Klehr, Storming Heaven, 58.
34. Mick Bennett, "Defense," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1 no.8 (November, 1938):
11.
35. Joe Clark and Phil Schatz, "Book Reviews," Young Communist Review 3 no.2 (April 1938): 24.
36. In January, 1935 one issue of Challenge was produced to highlight the campaigns raging against "The Slave Act." Within
the first issue there were no references to the YCI, a standard in The Young Worker.
37. See Challenge 1, no.5 (June, 1935): 1.
38. See Challenge 1, no.8 (September, 1935): 1.
39. National Council YCLGB, "War Will Involve the World," Challenge 1, no.8 (September, 1935): 5.
40. "Concerning Morals," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1, no.6 (September 1938): 27.
41. "Challenge Proposes a Youth Charter For Parliament," Challenge 1, no.11 (December, 1935): 1.
42. "Our New Feature," Challenge: The Paper For All Youth 4, no.1 (January 6, 1938): 9.
43. Miles Carpenter, “Which Is Your England," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5, no. 1 (January 7, 1939): 11.
44. Ted Ward, "The Living Past: Where the Cry of Freedom Rang," in Challenge: For the Defense of the People 5, no. 28
(January 15, 1939): 6.
45. ECYCLGB, "Planning For the Campaign," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1, no.3
(June, 1938): 11.
46. Johnnie Gollan, "Some Questions on Defence," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1, no.4
(July, 1938): 3.
47. Alec Massie, "Trotskyism and the Youth Movement," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League
1, no.4 (July, 1938):12.
48. "Songs of the People," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 4, no.17 (April 28, 1938): 6.
49. Popular Front rhetoric was initially hesitant in framing its appeals to the multi-national dimensions of Britain. Even during
the Popular Front, the Communist Party exhibited a reluctance to address the national experiences and aspirations of
Scotland as reflected in the November 1936 edition of Left Review, which was centered on Scottish nationalism. In this
edition, the Scottish novelist Neil Gunn was given the opportunity to defend himself against the communist accusations
that his nationalist ideology ought to be equated with the "Aryan theoreticians of Hitler Fascism." Gunn attempted to refute
his accusers by stating that not only did a great number of workers have a serious interest in Scottish nationalism, but
that the Gaelic society he was trying to reflect was one infused with a "proletarian humanism with a deep significance."
The response given by James Barke denied Scottish interest in nationalism, containing a shallow theoretical assessment of
nationalism, a condemnation of the SNP and a further association of Scottish nationalism with the "burning of books and
concentration camps." In a more insightful piece, Edgell Rickword granted some legitimacy to national concerns, but
openly stated that the Scottish struggle must be fought on a British basis since "no oppressed nation can free itself from a
modern imperialism without the support of the working class of the oppressing nation." See Neil Gunn, “Scotland a Nation,”
Left Review 2, no.14 (1936), 735, 737; James Barke, “The Scottish National Question,” Left Review 2, no.14 (1936),
744; Edgell Rickword, “Stalin on the National Question,” Left Review 2, no.14 (1936), 747-748.
50. YCLGB National Council, "Report of the National Council For 1938/1939," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the
Young Communist League 2, no.4 (April, 1939): 90.
51. Charles Gibson, "Look Out Chamberlain, We Are Coming For You!," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5, no. 1 (January 7,
1939): 5.
52. YCLGB, We March To Victory: Report to the 9 th National Conference of the Young Communist League (London:
YCLGB, 1937), 14.
53. Traditional Leninist rhetoric rejected notions of citizenship within the bourgeois state, centering its appeals in a language
of class and internationalism. The purpose of this propaganda was to dispel conceptions of citizenship that identified the
interests of workers with the interests of the state and nation. Since the fascists actively engaged in nationalist propaganda
based upon biology and race, communists countered their rhetoric with a progressive nationalism centered upon active
citizenship.
54. Mick Bennett, "There Will Be no Democracy Tomorrow Unless We Defend it Today," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5,
no. 5 (February 4, 1939): 8
55. "How They Are Getting Together," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5, no. 11 (March 18, 1939): 2.
56. "The BYPA," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 2, no.4 (April, 1939): 123.
57. See The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young Communist League USA 14, no.17 (April 28, 1936): 1.
58. "Two Revolutionists: Lincoln and Lenin," The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young Communist League USA 13,
no.38 (November 5, 1935): 5.
59. "Poison Gas and Patriotism," The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young Communist League USA 13, no.45 (December
31, 1935): 6.
60. "Dear Mr. Browder, The Spirit of '76 is Not Dead: Young '36 Replies," The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young
Communist League USA 14, no.12 (March 24, 1936): 5.
61. "Champion is the Name," The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young Communist League USA 14, no.17 (April 28,
1936): 8.
62. Champion was eventually disbanded in 1938. See Martin Glaberman and George P. Rawick, "Champion of Youth and
Champion Labor Monthly: New York, 1936-1938," in The American Radical Press: 1880-1960, Vol.1 ed. Joseph R.
Conlin (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1974), 78.
63. George P. Rawick, "Student Advocate: New York, 1936-1938," in The American Radical Press: 1880-1960, Vol.1 ed.
Joseph R. Conlin (Westport: Greenwood Press, 1974), 271.
64. Ibid., 272.
65. "Our First Issue," Young Communist Review 1, no.1 (September, 1936): 2.
66. H Hennie, "What's Wrong With Our Review," Young Communist Review 2, no.3 (March, 1937): 18.
67. See Earl Browder, Who Are the Americans (New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936).
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