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The New International, July 1939

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From New International, Vol.5 No.7, July 1939, p.194.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.

THE future of the The New International is still in question, for the causes indicated in the June issue: delinquency in payment of bundle accounts by several large Party units and laxity of effort in securing subscriptions. At this time we lay Stress on SUBSCRIPTIONS. For the immediate future it is the ability of the comrades to have renewed several hundred expired subscriptions which will determine suspension or continuation of The New International. It would be a needless calamity to our movement in the United States and internationally if the magazine were to suspend: Needless, because the circulation of The New International is large enough even now to insure maintenance if bundle orders are paid for everywhere; and if at least the present subscription base, including the renewals, is maintained. Actually, the magazine’s circulation can and must grow substantially, at least to 5,000. So far The New International, although a costly publication requiring a minimum of $500 a month to publish, has been self-sustaining, without benefit of any subsidy, having paid all bills in full and having incurred no debts. But we want, among other things, to assist our foreign comrades still more, and the slump in bundle payments and subscriptions is making this impossible too. Actually, insufficient copies to cover our needs in the United States and abroad are now being published. But to return to the matter of SUBSCRIPTIONS.

There exists a wide discrepancy between the various cities in subscriptions. We cite the figures in the more important localities.

They speak for themselves. The size of the bundle orders in various cities will be indicated in, let us hope, the August issue. But the subscription figures alone tell volumes, and each city should take the necessary remedial measures.

In the column of expirations there are close to three hundred (300) names. It needs no description to make clear the importance financially to the magazine to obtain these renewals, plus the utilization in other fields of such direct contacts. It will be observed that many small Party units both relatively and absolutely do far better with subscriptions than many larger cities. This also applies to their bundles. The soundest explanation for these wide variations in subscription figures is that some cities take very seriously the task of obtaining subscriptions and others are just lackadaisical. Perhaps the publication of some of the figures will shake all Party units into an active campaign for subscriptions. The expirations cited above do not represent the entire list of expired subscriptions; only the more important cities, where the SWP has an organization, are given.

Bundle order increases: Pioneer Book Shop, from 24 to 36 copies; Glasgow, Scotland, T. Mercer, agent, from 24 to 30; Reading, Pa., 3 to 10; Whitewater, Kansas, Geo. Whiteside, agent, 3 to 5.

New orders: Cumberland, England, 20 copies.

Bundle order decreases: Labor Book Shop, New York – moved to Party headquarters; at present no indication that as large sales of former shop will be continued in new place. Represents 75 to 100 copies.

Boston, Mass., from 75 to 50 copies: reason, summer period. A needless reduction, in our opinion. It is up to members to increase efforts and not to leave tasks largely up to agent, John T., a real live-wire; Toledo, from i5 to 12; Fresno, Cat., from 10 to 5 (school vacation) ; New Brunswick, N.J., YPSL, discontinued during summer (school unit); Newark University YPSL, same reason as New Brunswick.

New agents: G.G. Voevode, St. Paul; M.W., Houston; J.B., RSL, London; F. Daniels, Lynn; B.P., Fresno; B. George, Columbus; Sol Thomas, Philadelphia; J. Darnell, Detroit ; Leo Hassell, Los Angeles; D., Toronto; Sol Margolis, YPSL, Philadelphia; El. B. and Pete H., San Francisco.

During the summer and fall period, the magazine should be sold systematically at street meetings. It has been shown in several places that a well-directed talk from the stand on the NI produces sales.

Local Newark in the recent period has been declining in both sales and subscriptions. Yet Newark is otherwise one of the stronger Party units. So far as is observable, the Newark organization and membership gives little or incidental direction to and active participation in the circulation of the magazine, but leaves the job almost entirely to the literature agent. This is a wrong attitude, requiring quick correction. Unquestionably, substantial improvement can be achieved in general sales and subscriptions if the branch, as a whole, will give attention to The New International. THIS OF COURSE HOLDS GOOD FOR ALL UNITS EVERYWHERE.

The Manager

Some comments on The New International:

From Norway: “When I received the copies of The New International I was just reading The Third International After Lenin. I am very eager to read the rest of the numbers and the new ones as they come. You see, it is very difficult to obtain real socialist literature in Norway. Marx, Engels, Lenin and the other pioneers of the international labor movement seem to be dead figures to the official labor parties, in Norway as well as in all of Europe. The collaboration with the bourgeoisie is the first point on the order of the day to the leaders, not to speak about the communists, who are running in the arms of the bourgeoisie without any reservations at all. These are only some words in a hurry. I send you my best wishes. – K.”

From London, England: “We find The New International extremely valuable, especially now that we are growing rapidly. Enclosed find a bank draft. – N.K.”

From Havana, Cuba: “Enclosed is a money order for $2.40 in payment for bundles of The New International. – J.”

From London, England: “It is alarming to hear of the precarious position of The New International. I wish we could do more to help. – L. Grey, Revolutionary Socialist League.”

Cape Town, South Africa: “Please put through the following three subscriptions to The New International. – K.”

American readers! Why not catch up with the foreign readers of The New International and help boost the circulation.

 
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