Joel A Lewis Youth Against Fascism.pdf

NOTES
42. For an insightful commentary on the historical and intellectual origins of modernity and democracy see Jonathon Israel,
Radical Enlightenment: Philosophy and the Making of Modernity 1650-1750 (Oxford University Press, 2002).
43. Henry Winston, "Status of the League," Young Communist Review 4, no.3 (May, 1939): 16.
44. With the extension of the British franchise after WWI and the intimate organizational connections between the Labour
Party and the trade unions, early YCLGB rhetoric was less oppositional on the issue of political democracy. For a discussion
of the evolution of British democracy and the revolutionary use of Parliament for the communist movement in Britain
see V.I. Lenin, "Letter to Sylvia Pankhurst," in V.I. Lenin Internet Archive .
45. ECYCLGB, "After the Election," The Young Worker: Official Organ of the Young Communist League of Great Britain 1,
no.5 (January, 1924): 7.
46. Harry Young, No More, 12.
47. For a detailed and critical commentary about the infamous "Zinoviev Letter," the "Red Scare" and the J.R. Campbell trial
that was used to help bring down MacDonald's Labour Government see J.R. Campbell, The Communist Party on Trial.
J.R. Campbell’s Defence (London: CPGB,1925).
48. ECYCLGB, League Training, 13-14.
49. Ibid., 37.
50. Alec Massie, The Chartist Youth Programme: A Straight-From-the-Shoulder Answer of the Young Workers to the Attacks
of the Employers and the Labour Government (London: YCLGB, 1930), 12-13.
51. YCLGB, Young Workers and the General Election: Young Workers Vote Communist! (London: YCLGB, 1929), 6-7.
52. YCLGB, For Youth Unity, 4.
53. V. Chemodanov, Struggle or Go Down, 2.
54. Ibid., 15.
55. YCLGB, Lenin and the Youth Movement, 6.
56. The YCL stated that democratic centralism simply reflected "unlimited loyalty" to internationalism and that any assertion
"that there is no democracy in the Communist International" was simply a "lie of the class enemy." The YCL also stated
that in the actual functioning of democratic centralism that it was often difficult to "transmit directions from the leadership
to the branches" so that in reality the YCL organization depended upon the "initiative and independence" of local branches
to continue their work in a disciplined fashion. The YCL contrasted these aspects of communist internal democracy in
practice to the regular interference that adult socialists placed upon youth work with young socialists functioned in an independent
fashion. Ironically, Ted Willis of the LLOY left his organization to join the YCL in 1939 due to the fact that
"every semblance of democracy in the League (LLOY) has been trodden under… (and) a youth organisation which labours
under such heavy restrictions has no chance to work and grow." Other former members of the LLOY like Betty
Morrison supported such sentiments stating, "I believe I can best serve the Labour Movement in the ranks of the YCL" and
that the un-democratic policies of Labour Party adults had made joining the YCL "the only course open to young Socialists."
See YCLGB, For Youth Unity, 11; YCLGB, Young Workers Advance!, 12; Ted Willis, "I've Decided That the Best
Way I Can Help Defeat Chamberlain is to Join the YCL," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5, no.28 (July 15, 1939): 3.;
"You Want to Help Stop Hitler: These League of Youth Members Show the Way to do It," Challenge: The Voice of Youth
5, no.30 (July 29, 1939): 8.
57. The YCL insisted that it needed to embed its literature with a democratic spirit in contrast to the exclusionary rhetoric of
fascism. One educational article stated, "There is no surer path to the hearts of the masses of the young people of this
country than popular propaganda… for the defence of its rights and for democracy." See John Douglas, "Mass Propaganda
and Education," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1, no.2 (May, 1938): 9.
58. Gollan, We Ask For Life, 13.
59. "We Stand For," Challenge: The Fighting Fortnightly Paper 1, no.1 (March 1, 1935): 2.
60. "Democracy Still Lives Here: Just What the Soviet Changes Really Mean," Challenge: The Fighting Fortnightly Paper 1,
no.3 (April 6, 1935): 8.
61. Grant Hardie, "There's No Room For "Mr. Apathy" in the Land of Socialism: I Visit the Soviet Parliament," Challenge:
The Voice of Youth 5, no.25 (June 24, 1939): 5.
62. "Our Elections Are Free," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 4, no.4 (January 27, 1938): 7.
63. Though the form and content of YCL democratic rhetoric changed, the YCL continued to assert that the true realm of
democratic youth struggle lay outside of parliamentary politics. In an interview after the re-election of the National Government
in 1935 John Gollan urged British youth to "fight now both inside and outside of Parliament, for youth's demands
and the defeat of this Government." In another article Gollan continued that since youth had united for democracy and
"worked together for the defeat of the National Government" that there wasn't "any reason why we should not work together
now" John Gollan, "John Gollan Sums it All Up," Challenge: The Paper For Britain's Youth 1, no.11 (December,
1935): 4; "The Spirit of Youth Holds the Stage," Challenge: The Paper For Britain's Youth 1, no.11 (December, 1935): 5.
64. "What's Doing," Challenge: The Fighting Fortnightly Paper 1, no.2 (March 23, 1935): 6.
65. "What's Doing in the Youth Movement,"Challenge: For the Defense of the Young Generation 1, no.7 (August, 1935): 6.
66. YCLGB, We March To Victory, 4.
67. "You Can Decide," Challenge: The Voice of Youth (February 24, 1938): 11.
68. "Chamberlain Must Go: The People Must Decide," Challenge: The Voice of Youth (February 24, 1938): 6.
69. "Youth Have the Right to Decide What They Will Serve" Challenge: The Voice of Youth 5, no. 8 (February 25, 1939): 5.
70. YCLGB National Council, "Report of the National Council For 1938/1939," 90.
71. John Gollan, "We Won't Get Peace From the Munich Agreement," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 4, no.39 (October 8,
1938): 7.
72. Bennett, "Building the Young Communist League," 2-3.
73. "11 th National Conference of the Young Communist League," 5.
74. Alec Massie, "Freedom, But Not Routinism," Our Youth: Discussion Magazine of the Young Communist League 1, no.3
(June, 1938): 14.
75. "Service for Chamberlain Means Help for Hitler: Our Country Needs a Government That Can be Trusted," Challenge: The
Voice of Youth 4, no.41 (October 22, 1938): 1.
76. "The Noose of Conscription," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 4, no.43 (November 5, 1938): 9.
77. "Youth Have the Right to Decide What They Will Serve," 5.
78. H.C. Creighton, "Make Britain Safe," Challenge: The Voice of Youth 4, no. 40 (October 15, 1938): 5.
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