Published: Socialist Appeal, Vol. II No. 52, 3 December 1938, p. 1.
Source: PDF supplied by the Riazanov Library Project.
Transcription/Mark-up: Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
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On February 1, 1939, and not later – possibly sooner – the Socialist Appeal will begin publication as a Twice-Weekly on the road to the Daily.
I make this assertion with confidence because two-thirds or three-fourths of the measures necessary for this important step forward have already been taken. The practical feasibility of the step has been fully established after the most thorough-going and realistic consideration of the question from all sides. We have the facilities and the people to produce and distribute a twice-a-week paper, and on the basis of our present organization – leaving aside the optimistic calculations on growth and expansion which are universal in our ranks – we have the resources to maintain it.
But our National Committee, in arriving at its momentous decision, was motivated above all by the fact that a weekly paper no longer adequately serves our political tasks and aims. We need and must have right now a means to speak twice every week, to hit twice as often and twice as hard. That is the decisive consideration.
The practical feasibility of the twice-weekly has been established for us on this basis. Of course, no other organization of comparable size would dream of undertaking such a task. But Trotskyites by habit proceed from the necessities of a situation and then look for the possibilities to meet them.
Everything that needs to be done by the National Committee to prepare the prompt issuance of the Twice-Weekly Appeal has already been done. Mechanical and technical arrangements have been made. An adequate editorial staff – second to none in literary and political competence – has been assembled. The last word is now up to the branches of the party. Their task is to provide the $3,000 fund required to launch the twice-weekly and guarantee its regular appearance over the first period
There can be no doubt that the party branches will do their duty. In responses to a preliminary questionable they have already registered their enthusiastic support of the twice-a-week Appeal. For the most part, they have assumed their own quotas and promised to meet them Within sixty days. On that basis we arrive at the confident assertion with which I commenced this article: On February 1, 1938, and not later – possibly sooner – the Socialist Appeal will begin publication as a Twice-Weekly on the road to the Daily.
Last updated on 11 September 2015