ITALIAN FEDERATION AND BUREAU Early Italian Radical Movement in America
In 1896, a radical group headed by Mazzoli established a socialist weekly newspaper, Il Proletario, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The paper was initially affiliated with the Socialist Labor Party, gradually growing away from that organization to to the point where the Appeal to Reason could remark in Aug. 1903 that "although still supporting the SLP, it treats the Socialist Party fairly. It devotes itself to fighting capitalism, not to perpetrating division in the Socialist ranks."
[fn: "Party News" in The Appeal to Reason no. 404 (Aug. 22, 1903), pg. 3.]
Italian Socialist Federation
It was not until 1902 that an Italian Socialist Federation was established, however, with G.M. Serrati the principal organizer. The Federation was initially affiliated with the Socialist Labor Party but it withdrew in 1903 to become an independent organization. lI Proletario was made the group's official publication and it went daily in that same year, remaining so until 1906, when budgetary difficulties forced a return to a weekly publication schedule.
[fn: John LaDuca, " The Italian Socialist Federation" in The American Labor Year-Book, 1916. (NY: Rand School Press, 1916), pp. 136-137.]
1. Convention of the Italian Socialist Federation -- Boston, MA -- Nov. 29-Dec. 2, 1906. The 1906 Convention of the Italian Socialist Federation was attended by 43 delegates, representing 42 branches with a membership of 1,084 in good standing. The Secretary of the Federation reported to the convention that there were another 40 branches of the Federation who were not represented by delegates, which would have swelled the actual membership of the ISF to "about 2,300."
The finances of the federation and of its organ, Il Proletario, were extensively discussed over the first two days of the gathering. The decision was made to move the paper from Philadelphia to Chicago and to move to bi-weekly publication, effective May 1, 1907. The third day was spent discussing the trade union question and "the Industrial Workers of the World was recognized by the convention as the proper form of economic organization," in the words of two delegates who reported on the gathering in the bulletin of the SPA. During the 4th day, the question of affiliation was front and center. "Those favorable to join the SLP predominated over the number favoring affiliation with the Socialist Party, but the larger portion held to the opinion that as an organization they should remain neutral, as heretofore, and the vote registering this decision resulted in 567 votes against affiliation to 464 in favor of affiliation.... The impression we gathered was that had the Federaton decided to affiliate with eitherr party at this time it would have split the organization into factions and seriously interfered with its possibilities for good and the gratifying tendency toward further organization of our Italian comrades into a compact body. Many who were favorable to the Socialist Party, for the above reasons, voted in favor or remaining neutral."
[fn: Guiseppe Corti and Arthur Meunier, "Report of Delegates to the Italian Socialist Federation Convention" in Socialist Party Bulletin, v. 3, no. 5 (Jan. 1907), pg. 4.] Two more Italian language socialist papers were established in 1907 -- La Parola dei Socialisti in Chicago and L'Ascesa del Proletariato in Pennsylvania.
[fn: John LaDuca, " The Italian Socialist Federation" in The American Labor Year-Book, 1916. (NY: Rand School Press, 1916), pp. 136-137.]
Italian Federation of the Socialist Party of America
In 1908, the National Office of the Socialist Party sent out an organizer named G. Bertelli on a national tour to establish Italian branches of the party. Combined with the excitement of a presidential election campaign, some 40 Italian branches were established.
In 1909, a movement emerged among the New York branches of the SPA to organize all the Italian branches of the party nationwide into a single organization in order to better conduct Socialist propaganda. A convention was held in the NYC suburb of West Hoboken, New Jersey, but little in the way of national organization was achieved by this gathering.
[fn: Joseph Corti, "Report of Italian Section" in Proceedings: National Convention of the Socialist Party, 1912. (Chicago: Socialist Party, 1912), pg. 241.] 1. First National Convention -- West Hoboken, NJ -- 1909.
It was not until December 1910, a year after the West Hoboken convention, that a formal Italian Section was officially organized with the consent of the SPA National Office. Twenty of the party's 40 Italian branches joined the organization from the beginning, the others not seeking to affiliate. Over the next ten months, 22 Italian branches joined the Italian Section, but 14 branches disbanded. In October of 1911, the Italian Section stood at 28 branches with less than 660 members.
[fn: Joseph Corti, "Report of Italian Section" in Proceedings: National Convention of the Socialist Party, 1912. (Chicago: Socialist Party, 1912), pg. 241.]
From September 1911, the Translator-Secretary of the Italian Federation of the SPA was Joseph Corti, who maintained an office in Chicago. In 1913 the group was governed by a five member Executive Committee consisting of C. Bartalini, A. Lurenzini, E. Mangiantini, B. Ronchetta, and A. Ruffino.
As of April 15, 1912, the Italian Section stood at 44 active branches, distributed geographically as follows: Illinois (14), New York (14), New Jersey (4), Pennsylvania (3), Massachusetts (3), Wisconsin (2), Vermont (2), Florida (1), and Colorado (1). These branches had a combined membership (claimed, not certified as paid monthly) of 1,200. In addition, another 19 Italian branches in the SPA chose not to affiliate with the Italian Section, distributed as follows: Pennsylvania (6), Illinois (6), New Jersey (3), Michigan (2), Montana (1), Indiana (1).
As of that same date, the Itailian socialist movement boosted three weekly newspapers: La Parola Del Socialisti [The Word of the Socialists], the official organ of the Italian Section, published in Chicago with an average circulation of 3,000; La Fiaccola [The Torch], published in Buffalo, NY, with an average circulation of 1,500; and La Flamma [The Flame], published in Camden, NJ, with an average circulation of 2,000. The latter of these publications were to be combined according to a convention of the New York and New Jersey branches, held in Schenectady, NY, on April 7-8, 1912.
[fn: Joseph Corti, "Report of Italian Section" in Proceedings: National Convention of the Socialist Party, 1912. (Chicago: Socialist Party, 1912), pg. 241.] By 1915, the Italian Federation had changed its structure somewhat, being governed by an Executive Secretary under the jurisdiction of an Executive Committee of 7 members. In 1915 it is said to have had a paid membership of approximately 1,000.
[fn: John LaDuca, " The Italian Socialist Federation" in The American Labor Year-Book, 1916. (NY: Rand School Press, 1916), pp. 136-137.] At its June 8, 1919, meeting the Executive Committee of the Italian Federation passed a resolution on the crisis in the Socialist Party, which was already marked by the suspension of the entire state organization of Michigan and the suspension of seven of the Slavic, Baltic, and Finnish federations of the party. While on the one hand the suspensions and expulsion were seen as justifiable for fairly clear violations of the party constitution, the actions of the NEC were called "too drastic and very unwise" since they were taken by a retiring NEC which was itiself called to stand down by the very same constitution. "In justice to all concerned and to show that the Socialist Party plays fair at all times and in all things it could, we believe, have found a less drastic way of disciplining these organizations and put the whole matter before the coming national convention for final solution," the resolution stated. The resolution was mailed out to the members of the NEC and the parties concerned by John LaDuca, the Translator-Secretary of the Italian Federation.
[fn: "Italian Federation Endorses NEC Action," New York Call, July 27, 1919, pg. 7.]
Following the 1919 split of the Socialist Party, the majority of the Italian Federation remained loyal to the SPA. The New York City Italian branch left the Italian Socialist Federation to affiliate itself with the fledgling Comunist Labor Party.
[fn: "Communist Labor Party National Office Bulletin" (Sep. 1919). In the Comintern Archive f. 515, op. 1, d. 6, l. 22.]
The Socialist Party continued to have an Italian Federation affiliated with it throughout the decade of the 1920s. The group had an average of 339 paid members for the first 10 months of 1927 and 270 for the same period in 1928 -- respectively 3% and 2.3% of the total membership of the party.
[fn: Letter of National Executive Secretary Willam H. Henry to the NEC of the SPA, Nov. 24, 1928. Original in Bob Millar collection.] The Italian Federation continued into the 1930s. In 1932 its Executive Committee included the following: E. Clemente (Secretary); Louis Chiostra, Fabio Matteoni, G. Gentili, and G. Pasquini.
The Editor of the Federation's organ, La Parola del Popolo, was Prof. Giuseppe Bertelli.
[fn: The March of Socialism 1928-1932: Journal of the 17th National Convention, Socialist Party, Milwaukee, Wis., May 20-24, 1932, pg. 37.] Italian groups in the United Communist Party of America
There were only 2 of the UCP's 673 primary party units that used the Italian language, both located in the Chicago district.
[fn: DoJ/BoI Investigative Files, NARA M-1085, reel 940, doc. 501 -- downloadable below.] The Italian Bureau of the (unified) Communist Party of America.
In late 1921 the unified CPA did not have an Italian Federation, but rather an Italian Bureau, which was headed by "Fabre" as Secretary. He stated in a report to the Executive Secretary of the party that there were Italian branches organized in New York City, South Baintree, MA; Syracuse; Rochester; Buffalo; Chicago; St. Louis; San Francisco;p Wilmington, DE; Bellaire,, OH; Racine, WI; Port Chester, NY; and Belleville, IL. Additional branches were in the process of preparation in Hoboken, Utika, Akron, Philadelphia, and elsewhere, Fabre said.
[fn: Comintern Archive: f. 515, op. 1, d. 75, l. 54.] Italian Federation of the Workers Party of America
1. First Convention -- New York -- March 17-18, 1922.
1903>
SEPTEMBER
“Italian Socialist Convention: West Hoboken, NJ -- Sept. 6-7, 1903” by Silvio Origo In September of 1903 the Federazione Socialista Italiana held its first convention in West Hoboken, NJ—a conclave attended by 33 delegates from 8 states. The gathering marked the start of a turn of the Italian-American radical movement, built around the daily newspaper Il Proletario, away from the Socialist Labor Party and to the upstart Socialist Party of America. A resolution indicating that the Italian Federation was “on general principles with the SLP” but which made it “optional for comrades in places where there was no SLP to vote for the uncompromising candidates of the other Socialist Party” was rejected by the official delegate of the SLP as an unacceptable half-measure. In response, a new resolution was put forward, causing the Italian Federation “sever all connections and alliances with the SLP, and constitute themselves into an independent organization.” This resolution was passed by a vote of 19 to 15, and disaffiliation was thus accomplished. The gathering also discussed the federation’s position towards the trade unions and the cooperative movement and took steps to establish an “Immigration Bureau” designed to keep the “poor and simple Italian” new arrival to America from the clutches of “the padrone, the banker, and many other colonial sharks.”
MAY "Report of Committee on Foreign Speaking Organizations to the National Convention of the Socialist Party, May 17, 1908." Committee report to the 1908 SPA Convention in Chicago, delivered by S.A. Knopfnagel. The Committee advocated the acceptance of all foreign language organizations seeking affiliation with the Socialist Party, subject to 5 conditions: "(1) They are composed of Socialist Party members only. (2) Any foreign speaking organization having a national form of organization of its own be recognized only if all the branches composing this organization having been chartered by the national, state, or local Socialist Party organizations, and pay their dues to the respective Socialist Party organizations. (3) No foreign speaking organization asking the Socialist Party for recognition shall issue their own particular national, state, or local charters. Same to be issued only by the respective organizations of the Socialist Party, as the case may require. (4) All foreign speaking organizations affiliated with the Socialist Party must and shall conform in every respect with the Socialist Party national, state, and local constitutions, platforms, and resolutions. (5) They should function only as agitation, education, and organization bureaus of the Socialist Party." Includes an amendment made from the floor but not published in the SP's Official Bulletin (probably due to incompetence rather than malice) prohibiting the refusal of admission to the SPA on account of race or language.
MAY Report of Italian Section to the Socialist Party National Convention, May 1912" by Joseph Corti. The Italian Section of the Socialist Party -- soon to become the Italian Federation -- was formally organized in December of 1910. By the time of this report of the group's Translator-Secretary to the 1912 Indianapolis Convention of the SPA, the Italian Section boasted about 1,200 members in 48 branches -- with another 21 Italian branches not affiliated with the party. This report details the early history of the Italian section, including details on membership size, geographic concentration, the party press, and propaganda by organizers.
JUNE Italian Federation Endorses NEC Action: Resolution on the Expulsions and Suspensions of the Left Wing Section, June 8, 1919." At its June 8, 1919, meeting the Executive Committee of the Italian Federation passed a resolution on the crisis in the Socialist Party, which was already marked by the suspension of the entire state organization of Michigan and the suspension of seven of the Slavic, Baltic, and Finnish federations of the party. While on the one hand the suspensions and expulsion were seen as justifiable for fairly clear violations of the party constitution, the actions of the NEC were called "too drastic and very unwise" since they were taken by a retiring NEC which was itiself called to stand down by the very same constitution. "In justice to all concerned and to show that the Socialist Party plays fair at all times and in all things it could, we believe, have found a less drastic way of disciplining these organizations and put the whole matter before the coming national convention for final solution," the resolution stated. The resolution was mailed out to the members of the NEC and the parties concerned by John LaDuca, the Translator-Secretary of the Italian Federation.
United Communist Party -- "Groups" According to Language: As of December 1920." This is based upon an internal document of the United Communist Party captured by the Department of Justice's Bureau of Investigation in the April 1921 raid on UCP National Headquarters in New York. The UCP prided itself on having largely eliminated the federation-based form of organization which typified its rival, the Communist Party of America. Groups (Primary Party Units of between 5 and 10 members) were nevertheless based around language as well as geography and statistics tabulated by the organization. This snapshot from the midpoint of the UCP's one year of existence surprisingly shows more South Slavic (Croatian and Slovenian) language groups than any other (144), followed by the Russian (136), English (121), German (61), Latvian (49), Yiddish (37), Lithuanian (34), and Finnish (31) language groups.
"Membership Series by Language Federation for the Workers Party of America. 'Dues Actually Paid' -- January to December 1923." Official 1923 data set of the Workers Party of America, compiled from a document in the Comintern Archive. This series shows a great numerical dominance of the WPA by its Finnish Federation, accounting for a massive 42.8% of the average monthly paid membership of the organization (6,583 of 15,395). The total of the English language branches is the 2nd strongest amongst the federations (7.6%) followed by the South Slavic (7.5%), Jewish [Yiddish language] (6.9%), and Lithuanian (6.0%) Federations. In all, there were statistics kept for 18 different language groups of the WPA in 1923, including the English and the barely organized Armenian sections.
"Initiation Stamps Sold by Federation for the Workers Party of America. January to December 1923." Official 1923 data set of the Workers Party of America, compiled from a document in the Comintern Archive. This series once again (repeating the previous published 1924 series) shows a schizophrenic pattern of stamp sales among language groups . Some federations clearly did not collect the initiation fees called for in the WPA constitution at all (Jewish, German, Latvian) while at the same time the quantities sold via the English branches are ridiculously high. Over 53% of the initiation stamps sold for the entire WPA were credited to the English branches -- nearly three times as many initiations than there were average duespayers in those English branches! Even assuming a significantly higher than average "membership churn" rate for English branches, there is clearly some other unexplained phenomenon at play in these English branch initiation stamp sale figures...
undetermined date "Membership Series by Language Federation for the Workers Party of America. 'Dues Actually Paid' -- January to December 1924." Official 1924 data set of the Workers Party of America, compiled from a document in the Comintern Archive. This shows a continued numerical dominance of the Workers Party of America by its Finnish-language federation, averaging a paid membership of 7100 (41% of the entire organization) for the year 1924. Impressive growth is shown by the Yiddish-language ("Jewish") federation, which moved to the third largest language group in the WPA in 1924. The English branches comprised the second largest language group in the WPA, but still remained just 11% of the overall organization. The South Slavic federation (predominately Slovenian and Croation) was the 4th largest language group in the WPA, topping the Russian, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian federations.
"Initiation Stamps Sold by Federation for the Workers Party of America. January to December 1924." Official 1924 data set of the Workers Party of America, compiled from a document in the Comintern Archive. An extremely interesting monthly series in which two unexplained anomalies are apparent: (1) The failure of at least 8 of the WPA's 18 language sections to make more than a token effort to collect the $1 initiation fee and obvious similar behavior (to lesser degree) among branches of other language groups; (2) A preposterously large sale of 5,264 initiation stamps to "English" branches, which averaged a paid membership of just 1909 over the course of the year. Either there was a revolving door in the English branches that was entirely dissimilar to the situation in any other language group of the WPA; or there was some sort of effort to collect initiation fees among "English" workers without organizational follow up; or there was some sort of strange accounting practice used by the WPA in which miscellaneous sales of initiation stamps were lumped into the "English" category (or some combination of these explanations). A perplexing question in raised, with further archival research clearly necessary.
