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From New International, Vol. VI No. 9 (Whole No. 48), October 1940, p. 178.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
In this, the October issue of The New International, we demonstrate the determination of the staff and our supporters to keep it alive and to expand with its living. The September issue – 32 pages – a memorial to comrade Trotsky – drained the resources dry. But here’s the October issue and the fact that it is in your hands should convince you that we mean business.
But to carry on we need your help and cooperation. For our supporters and subscribers we cannot stress too greatly how much subscriptions mean to the life of the N.I. Surely, among your friends there is one more besides yourself – or two or three or ten – who can afford and would subscribe to the only revolutionary Marxist monthly published in this country. Dig down yourselves and pay for another subscription for someone who needs The New International – there are plenty.
For those who are in our organization we want to say a few words about bundle orders, though subscriptions apply to you as well. On you rests the responsibility for guaranteeing a stable income for our press. Whether the income is small or large, it must be stabilized so that we know how much is going to be paid in each month and can make plans accordingly. This means that bundle orders must be paid for immediately upon receipt. Start with this issue and make it a habit. As for back bills, add something to the current payment and amortize your indebtedness over a period of time. Bear in mind that outstanding bills, if paid now, would make possible a 32 page issue for November and assure its being put out on time.
Due to the strict censorship in many foreign countries, the N.I. is naturally becoming more and more limited in its foreign circulation. However, we manage to get reports of individuals receiving it in some countries where the strictest censorship is imposed. It is our plan, once we are able to stabilize income and circulation here, to set up a fund purely for foreign mailing and circulation. Comrades throughout the world wait eagerly for each issue. This was verified by comrade Sherman Stanley who covered a good deal of territory. He reports that when a single copy is received by an individual it is passed on to literally hundreds more.
The new business manager is not yet fully acquainted enough with the branches to give you any definite figures, but starting with next month’s issue he hopes to be in a position to criticize the slackers and praise the activists. Suffice to say for now that there have been increases in branches where they were not expected and decreases in branches that seem unnecessary.
A comrade in Louisville who up to now has been receiving a single subscription writes in and orders a bundle of five. That means five more readers in Louisville if we know this comrade.
What’s happened in Boston? We are ashamed to talk about your reduction.
And Chicago that started so magnificently, we regret to say has become the sorest disappointment of all the branches both in payment and in size of their bundle order.
For the disappointments there is recompense. Lynn increases its bundle by 5 as of the September issue. Good work and we expect more.
The November issue of the N.I. will be celebrating the 23rd anniversary of the Russian Revolution. Despite the setbacks, defeats, the war and its resulting repressions, a corps of revolutionary Marxists still carries on, certain of its direction. The traditions of Marx, Engels, Lenin and Trotsky and the inspiration of the Russian Revolution move us at this time to expend even greater effort and sacrifice to spread their teachings and profit by their experience. Few avenues of expression remain to us, but certainly no one will deny that The New International is the most important one.
For this anniversary number, therefore, we propose that all literature agents make plans now for an increased bundle order of the next issue and let us know as soon as possible how many you can take and pay for.
Let each subscriber order at least one more copy to pass on to a friend. We will be glad to cooperate in sending a copy to an address supplied to us upon receipt of 15 cents.
For those subscribers who now receive The New International by first class mail, we will continue sending it until the sub expires. In the future, however, all subs that must be sent this way will add 75 cents to the cost.
We hear from reliable sources that the N.I., when it reaches London, gets considerable circulation in Hyde Park and receives much favorable comment from people heretofore antagonistic. It deservedly is becoming recognized as the only American theoretical organ of revolutionary Marxism.
Don’t fail it now. Help it go forward to 32 pages and double its circulation!
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Last updated on 11.7.2013