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From Fourth International, vol.3 No.1, January 1942, p.2.
Transcribed, Edited & Formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for the ETOL.
The last issue of Fourth International had hardly reached our readers when the long-awaited turn of events plunged the United States into World War II. This fact has with one gesture enhanced the importance of the magazine historically and fundamentally changed the nature of the background against which the magazine Is published and circulates.
Our interests will continue to be as they always have beeninternational in their scope and it will be our serious endeavor to maintain contact with co-thinkers in other parts of the world, in order that the ideas of socialism can be maintained and implemented by the experiences of workers on every continent thrown into the slaughter house of imperialist conflict.
The extension of the war inevitably brings a curtailment of the freedom with which our magazine can circulate abroad; but in times like this the qualitative value of a limited circulation is far greater than a broad distribution in ordinary days.
It will be the business of our distributors and agents in every part of the country to concentrate their energies henceforth on the securing of subscriptions to the magazine in order that as large a number of workers as possible can become regular readers and in this way become thoroughly familiar with our ideas.
Shortly after the publication of our last number, the trial of the eighteen Minneapolis defeudants came to a close. Although they were exonerated of the charge of sedition, they were held for violation of the Smith Act, which in effect holds them liable for imprisonment for the crime of considering the advisability of a change in the form of government of the United States.
This case is regarded by all jurists and people interested in the maintenance of civil liberties during a war period as one of the most important labor cases in the history of the United States.
The appeal, first to the Circuit Court of Appeals, and finally to the Supreme Court of the United States will be followed with keen interest by every individual who is concerned with the relationship of working-class civil rights to the government in a war period.
As was true during the conduct of the trial in Minneapolis, Fourth International will undoubtedly carry a greater amount and more authentic news of the appeals than any other magazine published in this country. The record and analysis appearing In our columns will constitute an invaluable historic record of the case.
We urge every reader to insure to himself the Issues which will deal with the future of this trial by taking a subscription to the magazine and subscribing for those of his friends and acquaintances who might be wiser and better informed if they too became regular readers of Fourth International.
A recognition of the value of the treatment given the Minneapolis trial by our press comes from a source from which attention is real flattery.
Libraries connected with the top-ranking universities of the country as well as those noted for the completeness of their data on social subjects have been rushing to secure subscriptions to Fourth International.
An amusing side-light on the historic value of materials printed in our pages comes in the form of numerous requests from all parts of the country for copies of our issue of June 1941.
It was in that issue that we printed Leon Trotsky’s brilliant analysis of the authenticity of the Tanaka Memorial. Now that time and the gunboats of the Japanese have focused attention on the politics of the Land of the Rising Sun, Trotsky’s opinions on this phase of imperialist imperative have acquired a new value.
Business is business, and anyone anxious to refresh his memory concerning Trotsky’s views on the forces driving Japan to imperialist assault may have a copy of the June Issue of Fourth International by simply sending us a request and twenty cents.
Early in January 1942, bound volumes of Fourth International will be available to any who wish to augment libraries by adding a volume of Marxist comment on contemporaneous events. The issues of two years – 1940 and 1941 – will be bound together and the price of the bound volume will be $3.00.
Since the number of bound volumes is limited, we urge that orders be sent in at once to the business office of Fourth International, 116 University Place, New York, New York.
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Last updated on 22.8.2008