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From New International, Vol. I No. 5, December 1934, Inside front page.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
EARLY this month, a joint fusion convention of the Communist League of America and the American Workers Party launched the Workers Party of the United States. The new party is dealt with elsewhere in this issue and requires no detailed comment here. The assembled delegates voted to publish an official weekly organ, The New Militant, and to adopt The New International as the monthly theoretical review of the Workers Party. Beginning with the new year, therefore, our magazine will appear as the official publication of the new party, devoting itself essentially to the theoretical and scientific problems of the working class movement and putting forward the revolutionary Marxian doctrine of our party.
The party has designated as editors of the magazine comrades Max Shachtman and John West, with comrade William Duncan as business manager.
With the founding of the new party, which represents a concentration of the advanced revolutionary forces in this country, who have already succeeded in attracting to the party a number of militants who were previously unattached, or else members of other organizations, the prospects for our review are greatly enhanced. The gratifying reception with which it has met up to the present will now certainly be extended into new fields, so that we shall be able in increasing measure to reach new hundreds and even new thousands of readers.
In harmony with these prospects, we intend to make the review even more attractive than it has been up to now. In addition to dealing with the more direct problems of the working class, with polemics, with theoretical questions, The New International will henceforth strive to reflect more systematically the topical questions of the American class struggle – both in the economic and political fields. Furthermore, we intend to aim at dealing with subjects of even more universal interest – the cultural and scientific world. We shall not write on such themes merely because they deserve being written about, but only when the contributions made are of a quality which merit printing.
Another point in our policy which will be of interest to our readers is the fact that we do not intend to print only such articles as are written by members of the new party, or only from the strict standpoint of the party’s principles. As the occasion offers itself, we aim to invite contributions also from critics or opponents, without thereby converting our review, which has a point of view and adheres rigidly to it, into a loose open forum. This invitation will be extended particularly in cases where the subjects dealt with are of a nature which still deserve or require thorough discussion in the movement itself.
We want to make The New International the outstanding review of revolutionary Marxism, at least in the English-speaking world. The multiplication of the forces now behind our review will surely facilitate the attainment of this goal. For our part – the part of the editors and the contributors – we shall do all in our power to produce a satisfactory publication. The rest depends entirely upon our body of loyal readers and friends. We are counting on their support, on their subscriptions, on their distribution of the magazine, on their financial aid whenever it is necessary – and it always is. We feel confident that you, reader; will do your part. – Ed.
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Last updated on 26 February 2016