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From Fourth International, Vol.12 No.2, March-April 1951, p.34.
Transcription & mark-up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
Reports from a number of Socialist Workers Party branch literature agents show that consciously putting forward the Fourth International in party literature sales brings gratifying results. Comrade Bert writes as follows about the experience of the Chicago Branch in selling the FI during their recent aldermanic campaign.
“Although our election campaign is over, I think it’s important that mention is made of our conscious use of the FI during the course of the campaign. We attempted to test out the possibilities of broader sales of the theoretical magazine much in the same manner as we have done with The Militant. The attempt was successful to the point of constituting one of the high spots of the campaign. For example, at two campus meetings alone we sold 16 copies. This has convinced us that steady sales of the FI are feasible and we intend to do with the FI what we have already done with The Militant.”
Literature agent Cathy informs us that New York has organized several distributions of back issues of the FI mainly at schools. Sample copies were given out as a prelude to future sales. Later when comrades returned with the current issue they found that they were able to make many more sales than they had before.
Seattle increased their FI bundle and ordered extra copies of the Jan.-Feb. issue, reporting that “the FIs are really selling – on the newsstands, at union meetings, on the campuses, and in the shops.”
Los Angeles, Flint, and San Francisco also ordered extra copies, and Newark found that their regular bundle was not enough to take care of increasing sales.
Letters from new readers illustrate the need for a magazine analyzing political developments with the Marxist understanding and thorough accuracy of the FI. E.M. writes from Chicago that he is a “relatively recent reader of Fourth International, in my opinion the finest theoretical magazine on Marxism in the US. What a rewarding experience to read a periodical of this caliber after imbibing that watery broth ladled out by the CP, SP, SLP, etc.”
An “Old Age Pensioner” in Vancouver, Canada, writes: “I have just read for the first time the Fourth International. The Nov.-Dec. issue is wonderful reading.” And he asks for more such issues as the one on American Labor Leaders.
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Last updated on: 23 March 2009