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From Fourth International, vol.3 No.12, December 1942, p.354.
Transcribed, Edited & Formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for the ETOL.
Fourth International agents have responded very well to our request for more subscriptions. Total subs for the month have more than doubled those of the previous month and this is only the beginning of what we hope will be a concerted drive on the part of each agent to get every potential subscription in his territory.
Our agents in New York have turned in twenty-tour subscriptions, six of theft being one year combination subs to both Fourth International and The Militant. Our agent in Boston, who has proved himself to be a real livewire, sent in fourteen subscriptions, three of them being one-year combinations. The next five high for the month were: Chicago, Youngstown, Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia.
In relation to the drive for subscriptions, our agent M.B. of Cleveland writes: “We’ve launched a sub drive here in Cleveland in the form of a contest between the east and west sides of town, with a party promised for the winning side and a book to the winning individual. Here’s the results of the first week.” A check for $8 was enclosed to cover the subs gathered during the first week of their contest.
One of our agents in downtown New York is having good results in obtaining subscriptions to Fourth International because she is not leaving subs to chance but is using the individual approach, following up each opportunity, checking, re-checking, and each week she has a few more subs to turn in.
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Our agent in Los Angeles writes that Fourth International is being utilized by study groups there. One study group assigns a person to review the magazine by briefly characterizing the articles in it and reporting extensively on one or two articles that the group decides need more elaboration. Or, as an alternative, an article or two are assigned to different persons in the study group to be reviewed.
Also, we hear from our agent in Minneapolis that the Fourth International is being used there to furnish study groups with educational material. The article by Loris, Revolutionary Tasks Under the Nazi Boot, was used in discussing the Balkan countries and their relationship to the African campaign. The article by Joseph Hansen, A Defamer of Trotsky, was reviewed and discussed.
The Fourth International agent in Seattle reported that the magazine had sold with success at a social, so we asked for details and here is the answer: “Before I give any lengthy impressions, I want, to have the experience of several more socials. In talking to several new possible subscribers from the shipyards, I have found that while The Militant is easier to sell to the worker who is not advanced politically, the FI can be sold. With work the way it is, it is easy to sell the literature that sells for ten or twenty cents.”
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From a subscriber in the south comes this interesting letter: “I sent you a letter stating that I was leaving town soon and did not know when I would return ... but I forgot to add that I want my copy of Fourth International and The Militant to continue coming here, so my family can read them until my return.”
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From Northern Ireland comes a plea for more literature:
“Most of our members are factory workers. The Militant is, therefore, of special importance, but we also require a regular supply of Fourth Internationals, at least one dozen copies, if you can manage ...
“We are well enough stocked in basic Marxist literature, including most Pioneer publications, but would welcome one or two copies of Trotsky’s works on Germany, and also his Spanish pamphlets ... Also, we have vainly sought a copy of Volume 3 of Capital through the secondhand bookshops here and in Britain. Could you possibly obtain one for us? We have ample supplies of Cannon’s Testimony, but require a stock of Goldman’s Speech. To conclude this extensive list of requests, could you spare us a series of the bound volumes of New and Fourth Internationals?”
From England: “We have just received the August issue of Fourth International. Congratulations on a very good issue. I have also received the copy of the June issue for which I asked you. Many thanks. Despite the very, high standard of all the articles in the August issue, I feel compelled to mention that Marc Loris’ article on the Old Man created a tremendous impression here.”
From Chile:
“Although this letter should have been written in English, it is being written in Spanish since none of us is sufficiently acquainted with your language. We trust, of course, that if you don’t speak Spanish, there will be some one who can read this note.
“My intention is to ask you to send me Fourth International and The Militant. I wish you would indicate here how I can send the price of the subscription.
“In our district, the receipt of your publications has the greatest interest, for that is the chief source of information which we are enabled to procure for Lucha Obrera, our local periodical.
“Greetings to the sentenced North American comrades (the most militant of North Americans) who are showing us by their example (which is that of our great masters) how we ought to fight.”
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Last updated on 13.9.2008