Main NI Index | Main Newspaper Index
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
From New International, Vol. XII No. 7, September 1946, p. 194.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
We want to speak openly and frankly to the readers of The New International. If ever a Marxist publication worthy of the widest and most effective kind of support has failed to receive this, it is The New International. Because of many and varied factors, it has been impossible either to maintain the regularity with which The New International should have been published – that is, once each month – or to maintain its circulation.
As a result of this, there has been (a) a decline in interest in the magazine and until recently (b) a decrease in the number of subscribers, readers and bundle orders sent out to our agents.
We believe in The New International, because we believe it answers an absolutely essential political need of the day, not only in America but throughout the world. It is a magazine to achieve Marxist political clarity and its discussions have accomplished much toward this end. The New International is a historic publication, with widespread influence. The time has come to increase this influence, to make up the ground we have lost and to re-establish our pre-war circulation and appeal. We intend to take step in that direction.
First of all, we have every reason to believe that henceforth The New International will resume its monthly publication. We are publishing only ten issues this year, but from now on it will appear monthly, with twelve regular issues scheduled for 1947. We have solved our printing and press problems to this extent.
Secondly, we shall shortly initiate a subscription campaign, with the idea of expanding our subscription lists to their former size and then overtaking this. Subscriptions are one of our main income sources and must be built up.
Thirdly, our bundle order agents must wake up and begin to take a real interest in their magazine. There are many ways in which bookstore, newsstand and public sales can be expanded. All that is required is an interest and initiative in the matter. We pledge to help our agents in every possible way. The first way, as we know, is to guarantee the regular, month-by-month, on-time appearance of The New International. We believe we can promise that.
Fourthly, the large and well known pre-war foreign circulation of The New International must be revived. This provided us with a substantial portion of our former income, aside from its great political value. We intend to do our best to bring about such a revival. A good start has already been made in the regular bundle order for 150 copies monthly of The New International that has come in to us from the tiny and distant island of Ceylon, south of India. If our friends in Ceylon can sell and circulate 150 copies of The New International monthly, surely our agents in the big cities of the United States can do as well!
This Press Column will be published regularly each month. Let’s make the future editions of it a report on progress toward rebuilding that leading publication of the Marxist world.
|
|
Press Manager, |
Main NI Index | Main Newspaper Index
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
Last updated on 18 March 2017