Manager’s Column

From Fourth International, vol.5 No.8, August 1944, p.226.
Transcribed, marked up & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.

Correspondence from our agents during the month records a continuous expansion in Fourth International sales. We quote from some of the letters:

Detroit: “We have a new carrier for the FI, Cass Newsstand at Cass and Michigan Avenues ... By the way, the FI sales in two places have been steadily rising each month. The magazine is constantly improving.”
Toledo: “There are now two places carrying the FI – Athletic Sport Center and M&M Drugstore. We are going to try to place them in some other stores in town.We tried to sell a subscription to the Public Library. They said they got most of such publications free and wanted to know if they can get a free sub to the FI”

(We are placing the Toledo Public Library on our mailing list and will do so with any library that has a call for Fourth International.

Akron: “The magazine is sold in Akron at the News Exchange. We sell around ten copies there per month. Please increase our FI bundle order by five ... we will try to put them on another newsstand.”
Los Angeles : “From reports I get it looks as if the FI is having a good month on the stands. This means our newsstand circulation at the present time is a regular minimum of fifty and in another month or so I should be able to give sixty as our newsstand minimum with the advent of the San Pedro stand sales.

“Another point I want to bring up is the advertising of our newsstands. We are trying to build up one or two regular routes and such an ad would be an inducement to the shopkeepers to carry the magazine and paper as well as help us in building UP the routes.”

The above report of progress from Los Angeles was followed by a telegram stating, “SOLD OUT. EXPRESS FIFTEEN ADDITIONAL COPIES JULY ISSUE FOR TROTSKY MEMORIAL MEETING.”

San Francisco is utilizing their back issues of Fourth International in contact work and is desirous of keeping a supply on hand. Our agent in her latest report asks: “Will you please send us 6 copies of the December Fourth International. We’re all out of them.”

* * * *

Inquiries have been received as to whether we have indexes for the various volumes of Fourth International. Indexes are available for the last few years and we will be glad to send them to anyone who wishes to have loose copies of Fourth International bound.

* * * *

Readers of Fourth International comment about the magazine:

Chicago: “The article on the Cuban elections was good. More material on American colonies should appear. I believe an analysis of events in South America during the past year would be informative.” (The article referred to, Significance of the Cuban Elections by J.B. Stuart, appears in the July 1944 issue of Fourth International.)
New York: “I often discuss different articles in the different issues with a friend of mine. She has mentioned several times that she likes the Manager’s Column because it gives her a better picture of what the FI supporters are doing.”
F.D., Sandstone: “Reading the FI from this distance from the center, I am more than ever impressed with its importance to our movement. It is a powerful supplement to the weekly paper in presenting a rounded picture of major world events, not to mention its own imldpendent role as a theoretical organ. The June issue is well balanced, interesting and informative from cover to cover.”

* * * *

Comments from readers abroad:

War Zone: “Very many thanks for the first parcel which arrived last week. The magazine is well up to the usual standard and that’s saying a lot. I would like to buy a subscription for 1944 as well as a copy of the old Man’s In Defense of Marxism, ...

“In the meantime please accept my sincere congratulations and appreciation. ‘Forward to Victory’.”

* * * *

Bristol, Eng.:

“I’m under an eternal obligation for receipt of Fourth International and The Militant. Am unable to get permit to send money out of the country. Is there a commission I can do for you?

“See enclosed note from library showing what I’ve done with copies of the magazine”;

(The note from the library states: “In reply to your inquiry I shall be very pleased to accept the issue of Fourth International which you kindly offer to present to this library. Perhaps you will be good enough to bring the periodicals to the library at your convenience, and an official acknowledgment of your gift will be sent to you in due course. Your specimen copy is returned herewith.”)

London, Eng.:

“Like most of the letters you get from Britain nowadays this is a begging one. I’d appreciate if you could send me a file of Fourth International for the period May to December 1943. You were kind enough to let me have a number of copies last year to make up some bound volumes, and I am hoping you will be able to complete my 1943 volume ... I send greetings both to those of you who are carrying on the work outside the prison walls and to those who have been jailed by American imperialism.”

London, Eng.:

“A friend of mine said he has found in his factory that the workers are very much interested in the FI He distributes the magazine as well as The Militant there regularly. They especially like articles dealing with trade union situations in the United States – they are very interested in those. Just to show what kind of article they like best, they were very interested in De Lorenzo’s case.

“His impression of the FI is that it should have greater diversity of articles in different fields and all the articles should be short. So far as quality is concerned, it is absolutely the best thing in the whole political field, nothing to compare with it at all.”

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Last updated on 12.9.2008