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From Fourth International, vol.5 No.1, January 1944, p.2.
Transcribed, marked up & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.
The many letters we received during the month, both here and from abroad, attest to the high theoretical value of Fourth International. We know that all of our readers will be interested in learning what others think about our magazine.”
Los Angeles:
“ I have just finished reading the December issue of Fourth International and in discussing the contents with others find that they agree with my opinion of its excellence. Everyone was particularly enthusiastic about the speeches of Trotsky on Marxism and Military Knowledge. They stimulated great interest and discussion. The editorial section is also very good, especially the section dealing with the Fourth Mine Strike and Its Aftermath. This was a very timely and precise analysis. The issue certainly stands up to the highest standards set by the FI ...”
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Sacramento : “Please send me your magazine for six months. Believe me, after reading an old copy of Fourth International, it is the magazine I have been looking for. I send $1. Be sure to send me an order.”
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Plentywood, Montana : “ I am Sending $1 for the December F.I. today. I was very good this month.”
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New York:
“Thanks for the copy of Fourth International. Your man did a sound job on Burnham, I was glad to see.” (This refers to the article by Joseph Hansen, A Shamefaced Apologist for Fascism in the October issue).
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Scotland:
“I received copies of The Militant and Fourth International and I think that the speech on the dissolution of the Communist International was a marvelous exposition of the correct attitude towards the burial service.
“All the American material that has been reproduced has been excellent material, in particular Cannon’s testimony. I think that this will have been of the most use of all in clarifying the ideas of the advanced workers in their attitude toward the Trotskyist movement.”
England:
“We have been receiving The Militant regularly and sometimes the Fourth International for which many thanks.
“Things are moving slowly and surely for us here. We are all back in the struggle, heartened and inspired by the conference. The attacks of the bourgeoisie and their labor lapdogs are proof of our growing strength.
“We are very short of funds and Marxist literature, and for that reason I have no hesitation in asking you to send us all the books you can afford. You will be surprised to know that the average wages of the group after deductions for income tax, health, insurance, etc. are in the region of £2.15.0 (about £3 for male adults and about £2 for female adults). With cost of living rising and consumers goods at fantastic prices, you can see how we are fixed. In this town in particular, which is, as you know world-famous for cutlery and steel there is a certain ‘shortage’ of work – the Labor Exchange or ‘plonk’ has had a rush in attempting to scratch up jobs for men laid off . This is part of the general process of contraction due to competition from the superior American industrial capacity. The shadow of Pittsburgh and Bethlehem lies already over Sheffield.”
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Scotland:
“We look forward eagerly to every copy of Fourth International. The material on the Italian revolution in recent issues has been invaluable to me in preparing lectures for workers who are taking a tremendous interest in developments in Italy.
“We have succeeded in establishing a solid basis for our tendency in this heavy industrial centre. The material we are receiving from you is helping us in the most difficult task of training the workers that we are winning over.
“My library is the only one available for workers who want to read Trotskyist material. At the moment I need two books very badly. They are: The Revolution Betrayed and The Proletarian Party. I have managed to borrow a copy of the latter and feel my library lacking without this valuable book. Do you think that you can fill this gap?”
We understand that Pioneer publishers is trying to supply the literature needed.
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Sales in Chicago have been very good during the past month, according to several letters received from there.
“If we could only have mass meetings every month, I’d have no trouble disposing of the FI. I took only twenty-six copies to the CRDC meeting and a girl comrade sold them all out. I was very mad at myself for not bringing the other ten I had at the office.”
“We had good sales a at meeting Sunday. Sold all the FIs we had there and could have sold some more.”
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Sales of Fourth International in New York have increased by two hundred copies during the year. Our agent writes:
“For the last couple of months we have been running out of magazines. After we place the magazine on the newsstands, there aren’t enough left for the headquarter sales. will you, therefore, increase our bundle to 500 copies per month, beginning with the January issue?”
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Last updated on 28.8.2008