Party News: “Two Years”
September, 1939, to September, 1941: two years of warfare on an unprecedented scale. Death and devastation rained from the sky on countless cities, with appalling consequences for the working class of this and other lands.
Looking back to the early days of this vast and terrible conflict, few of us in the Socialist Party then dared hope that conditions, even for a few months ahead, would permit us to continue propaganda for Socialism. But, here we are, after two years of war, still proclaiming that Socialism is the only way by which the working class can achieve a genuine “New Order” out of the present chaos of Capitalism.
It is true that in this period our meetings are not as numerous or as widespread as they were just prior to the war, but we can record that wherever they are held larger and more appreciative audiences are the result. Further, our literature sales are being effected in every part of the country.
Our difficulties, though, have been many and hard to overcome. The majority of branches were seriously dislocated as a consequence of the air raids. Many of the most active of our comrades were, through force of circumstances, compelled to leave the main centres of Party activity in order to follow their employment in distant parts of Britain.
Our Headquarters were bombed and demolished, causing us much extra work and not a little anxiety about meeting the inevitable expenses of transferring to new premises and the replacement of ruined equipment.
Despite the long winter of night raids, which are not exactly conducive to study and research, our writers somehow contrived to pen their articles in order that THE STANDARD might go forward each month as a challenge and an inspiration to the working class in the present gigantic upheaval of world Capitalism.
Comrades and friends—you got your STANDARD every month, and you were grateful for it. You proved it by your generous contributions to the Party’s coffers, by your efforts to increase our literature sales, and, not least, by your splendid support of the Party’s great mass meetings in London, Glasgow, etc.
We face another winter, perhaps even more trying than the last; Nevertheless, Socialist propaganda must go on, Socialist literature and THE STANDARD must reach the working class from one end of Britain to the other.
You, comrades and friends, can help to make this possible if you will act NOW.
Give us the money to pay our way. Place your orders with the Literature Department for bundles of current STANDARDS and pamphlets for distribution amongst your friends and workmates. In this way you will help to ensure that the Socialist Party will emerge from this war stronger and better equipped to wage the struggle to establish the International Socialist Commonwealth.
H. G. Holt,
Party Funds Organiser.