Cornell University Library Digital Collections

Propaganda and Research

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Title:
Propaganda and Research
Collection:
International Workers’ Order (IWO) and Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO)
Set:
Conferences, Conventions, Meetings
Culture Front
Popular Front Years
Creator:
International Workers Order Executive Committee
Date:
ca. 1938
Site:
New York, New York, United States
Address (Creator):
80 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York
Identifier:
5276b49f16_05
Organization:
International Workers Order
Language:
English
Work Type:
organization files
proposals
reports
political ideologies and attitudes
propaganda
drafts (documents)
immigrants
communism
Subject:
Labor
WO JPFO Organizational History
National Sections
Fraternal Orders- Lodges, Activities
Political
Culture Front- Publishing
Popular Front
Americanization
Membership Campaign- Benefits, Insurance
Jewish Lodges
Soviet Union
Communism
IWO JPFO- Reports, Meetings, and Conferences
Description:
8 pages. Part of a national campaign to reorganize branches away from national sections and to increase membership. Translated Summary: Proposes a Propaganda and Research Department; report is a slightly redacted draft that suggests that this department work with the health and medical benefits area but without raising costs for its own administration. Hence, "It must find ways and means of systematizing and reducing the per capita cost of administration." And to do so, proposes the creation of "an universal official organ." "The establishment of such an organ would tend immediately to reduce cost fluctuation and would enable the National Executive Committee directly to reach the members for mobilizing them for the life and for the campaigns for the Order." Also stresses need to further encourage Fraternal Service and Benefits. Discusses organization of City Central Committees (C.C.C) encouraging disability benefits and other direct working benefits associated with unions and fraternal mutual benefit associations, as well as lodge consolidation. Jewish landsmanshaft branches are a concern: "Landsmanschaft branches are in most instances unable to organize and carry through fraternal life. While we should not wilfully break up these landsmanschaft branches, we should enter into a careful and systematic campaign to win their members for reorganization and transfer into neighborhood branches." Americanization seems to mean local geographical consolidation as well as interesting members "in fundamental problems of the American masses." Pushes back against primary immigrant focus on "national" and "language" sections. "It is of course important that every language section, group or branch be active and exercise a progressive influence within the community of their own nationals. However, the paramount problems of a workers organization are the common problems of all workers in the economic and political field of the country. While workers of various nationalities may be organized separately in the fraternal organization, in the workshop they work side by side with other nationals and with the native Americans. In the economic and political life of the country these nationals share with each other and with the native Americans momentous problems. It would be a calamity if the need for their work among their nationals would crowd out their possibilities of functioning as a part of the American working class movement dealing with the problems of the American masses." Proposes to organize more outside of New York and focus on English speaking lodges as opposed to National Sections. Apparently written in anticipation of the 1940 Convention.
Note:
One of a series of documents proposing a reorganization
Note:
The Jewish People’s Fraternal Order was the largest ‘national’ section of the International Workers Order (IWO) which focused on cultural awareness and celebration, mutual support especially in health insurance coverage, and anti-fascist activities. The IWO also gave particular emphasis to supporting the rights and interests of African Americans. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented.
Cite As:
International Workers Order (IWO) Records #5276. Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives, Martin P. Catherwood Library, Cornell University
Archival Collection:
International Workers Order (IWO) Records, 1915-2002 (KCL05276)
Box:
49
Folder:
16
Rights:
The copyright status and copyright owners of most of the images in the International Workers Order (IWO) Records Collection (Kheel Center #5276) are unknown. This material was digitized from physical holdings by Cornell University Library in 2016, with funding from an Arts and Sciences Grant to Jonathan Boyarin. Documents include language and representations which comprise the historical record and should not be interpreted to mean that Cornell University or its staff endorse or approve of negative representations or stereotypes presented. Cornell is providing access to the materials as a digital aggregate under an assertion of fair use for non-commercial educational use. The written permission of any copyright and other rights holders is required for distribution, reproduction, or other use that extends beyond what is authorized by fair use and other statutory exemptions. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item. Cornell would like to learn more about items in the collection and to hear from individuals or institutions that have any additional information as to rights holders. Please contact the Kheel Center at kheel_center@cornell.edu

About the collection

This bilingual project conserves, digitizes, and curates a portion of Cornell's International Workers Order (IWO) archives and most especially those of its Jewish division, known as the Jewish People's Fraternal Order (JPFO). The IWO was founded in 1930 as an immigrant fraternal order that provided high-quality, low-cost health and burial insurance and other benefits for members. The origins of the IWO / JPFO arise from a decade of splits (1920-1930) concerning the U.S.S.R., the Bolshevik Revolution and Communism that consumed the Jewish Federation of Socialists and the Arbeter Ring (Workmens' Circle) groups associated with Eugene V. Debs' Socialist Party. While the vast majority of the IWO's members--200,000 at its peak right after World War II--did not belong to the Communist Party of the United States of America, the IWO's politics and leadership were largely aligned with those of the Party. The IWO was legally disbanded in 1953 due to the Cold War "Red Scare." This closure followed on a famous and unprecedented court case: its insurance funds and records were seized by New York State's Insurance Department. The presence of a goodly portion of the IWO's archives in the Kheel Center's 5276 Catherwood Library collection at Cornell's Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) School is a direct result of that seizure.