tion of man by man, nation by nation, and race by race, and thereby the abolition of class divisions in society; that is, by the establishment of socialism, according to the scientific principles enunciated by the greatest teachers of mankind, Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Stalin, embodied in the Communist International; and the free cooperation of the American people with those of other lands, striving toward a world without oppression and war, a world brotherhood of man. To this end, the Communist Party of the United States of America establishes the basic laws of its organization in this Constitution. ARTICLE I. NAME . The name of this organization shall be CoмMMUNIST PARTY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ARTICLE II. PARTY EMBLEMS The highest Party authority in each State shall have power to select the emblem of the Communist Party of that State, taking into consideration the Statutes of said State applying thereto. Its design shall be in such form as shall represent the idea of the unity of worker and farmer. ARTICLE III. MEMBERSHIP SECTION 1. Any person twenty-one years of age or more, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, or religious belief, who is a citizen of the United States, and whose loyalty to the working class is unquestioned, shall be eligible for membership. SECTION 2. A Party member is one who accepts the Party program, as deter. mined by the Constitution and the conventions of the Party, attends the regular meetings of the membership Branch, pays dues regularly and is active in Party work. SECTION 3. An applicant for membership shall be endorsed by at least two members of the Communist Party. Applications are subject to discussion and decision by the basic organization of the Party to which the application is presented. SECTION 4. There shall be no members-at-large without special permission of the National Committee or of a State Committee. SECTION 5. Party members two months in arrears in payment of dues cease to be members of the Party in good standing, and shall be informed thereof. SECTION 6. Members who are four months in arrears shall be dropped from Party membership. Every member three months in arrears shall be officially informed of this provision, and a personal effort shall be made to bring such member into good standing. However, if a member whose membership is ter minated for these reasons applies for re-admission within six months, he may, on the approval of the next higher Party committee, be permitted to pay up his back dues and keep his standing as an old member. ARTICLE IV. INITIATION AND DUES SECTION 1. The initiation fee for an employed person shall be 50 cents and for an unemployed person 10 cents. SECTION 2. Dues shall be paid every month according to rates fixed by the National Committee. SECTION 3. The income from dues shall be distributed to the various Party organizations as determined by the National Committee. SECTION 4. Fifty per cent of the initiation fee shall be sent to the National Com mittee and 50 per cent shall remain with the State Organization. ARTICLE V. ANTI-FASCIST FUND AND ASSESSMENT SECTION 1. Every month, all members of the Party shall pay an assessment equal to 20 to 25 per cent of the monthly dues for an Anti-Fascist Fund. This money shall be used by the National Committee in the struggle against Fascism. SECTION 2. All local or district assessments are prohibited, except by special permission of the National Committee. Special assessments may be levied by the National Convention or the National Committee. No member shall be considered in good standing unless he purchases stamps for such special assessments. ARTICLE VI. THE PARTY: RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF MEMBERS SECTION 1. The Communist Party of the U. S. A. upholds the democratic achievements of the American people. It opposes with all its power any clique, group, circle, faction or party which conspires or acts to subvert, undermine, weaken or overthrow any or all institutions of American democracy whereby the majority of the American people have obtained power to determine their own destiny in any degree. It condemns and opposes all policies and acts of sabotage, espionage, and all other forms of "Fifth Column" activity. The Communist Party of the U. S. A., standing unqualifiedly for the right of the majority to direct the destinies of our country, will fight with all its strength against any and every effort, whether it comes from abroad or from within, to impose upon our people the arbitrary will of any selfish minority group or party or clique or conspiracy. SECTION 2. Every member of the Party who is in good standing has not only the right, but the duty, to participate in the making of the policies of the Party and in the election of its leading committees, in a manner provided for in the Constitution. SECTION 3. In matters of state or local nature, the Party organizations have the right to exercise full initiative and to make decisions within the limits of the general policies and decisions of the Party. SECTION 4. After thorough discussion, the majority vote decides the policy of the Party, and the minority is duty-bound to carry out the decision. SECTION 5. Party members disagreeing with any decision of a Party organization or committee have the right to appeal that decision to the next higher body, and may carry the appeal to the highest bodies of the Communist Party of the U. S. A., its National Committee and the National Convention. Decisions of the National Convention are final. While the appeal is pending, the decision must nevertheless be carried out by every member of the Party. SECTION 6. In pre-Convention periods, individual Party members and delegates to the Convention shall have unrestricted right of discussion on any question of Party policy and tactics and the work and future composition of the leading committees. SECTION 7. The decisions of the Convention shall be final and every Party member and Party organization shall be duty-bound to recognize the authority of the Convention decisions and the leadership elected by it. SECTION 8. All Party members in mass organizations (trade unions, farm and fraternal organizations, etc.) shall cooperate to promote and strengthen the given organization and shall abide by the democratic decisions of these organizations. SECTION 9. It shall be the duty of Party members to explain the mass policies of the Party and the principles of socialism. SECTION 10. It shall be the duty of Party members to struggle against the national oppression of the Negro people; to fight for complete equality for Negroes in all phases of American life and to promote the unity of Negro and white toilers for the advancement of their common interests. SECTION 11. All Party members who are eligible shall be required to belong to their respective trade unions. SECTION 12. All officers and leading committees of the Party from the Branch Executive Committee up to the highest committees are elected either directly by the membership or through their elected delegates. Every committee must report regularly on its activities to its Party organization. SECTION 13. Any Party officer may be removed at any time from his position by a majority vote of the body which elected him, or by the body to which he is responsible, with the approval of the National Committee. SECTION 14. Requests for release of a Party member from responsible posts may be granted only by the Party organization which elected him, or to which he is responsible, in consultation with the next higher committee. SECTION 15. No Party member shall have personal or political relationship with confirmed Trotskyites, Lovestoneites, or other known enemies of the Party and of the working class. SECTION 16. All party members eligible shall register and vote in the elections for all public offices. ARTICLE VII. STRUCTURE OF THE PARTY SECTION 1. The basic organization of the Communist Party of the U. S. A. is the Branch. The Executive Committee of the Branch shall be elected once a year by the membership. SECTION 2. The State Organization shall comprise all Party organizations in one state. The highest body of the State Organization is the State Convention, which shall convene every two years, and shall be composed of delegates elected by the Conventions of the subdivisions of the Party or Branches in the state. The delegates are elected on the basis of numerical strength. A State Committee of regular and alternate members shall be elected at the State Convention with full power to carry out the decisions of the Conven tion and conduct the activities of the State Organization until the next State Convention. The State Committee may elect from among its members an Executive Committee, which shall be responsible to the State Committee. Special State Conventions may be called either by a majority vote of the State Committee, or upon written request of the Branches representing one-third of the membership of the state, with the approval of the National Committee. SECTION 3. District Organizations may be established by the National Committee, covering two or more states. In such cases the State Committees shall be under the jurisdiction of the District Committees, elected by and representing the Party Organizations of the states composing these Districts. The rules of convening District Conventions and the election of leading committees shall be the same as those provided for the State Organization. SECTION 4. State and District Organizations shall have the power to establish all necessary subdivisions such as County, City, and Section Organizations and committees. SECTION 5. The State Organization shall have full autonomy and power within the framework of the program, policies, and Constitution of the National Organi zation. ARTICLE VIII. NATIONAL ORGANIZATION SECTION 1. The supreme authority in the Communist Party of the U. S. A. is the National Convention. Regular National Conventions shall be held every two years. Only National Conventions are authorized to make political and organi zational decisions binding upon the entire Party and its membership, except as provided in Article VIII, Section 6. SECTION 2. The National Convention shall be composed of delegates elected by the State and District Conventions. The delegates are elected on the basis of numerical strength of the State Organizations. The basis for representation shall be determined by the National Committee. SECTION 3. For two months prior to the Convention, discussion shall take place in all Party organization on the main resolutions and problems coming before the Convention. During this discussion all Party organizations have the right and duty to adopt resolutions and amendments to the Draft Resolutions of the National Committee for consideration at the Convention. SECTION 4. The National Convention elects the National Committee, a National Chairman and General Secretary by majority vote. The National Committee shall be composed of regular and alternate members. The alternate members shall have voice but no vote. SECTION 5. The size of the National Committee shall be decided upon by each National Convention of the Party. Members of the National Committee must have been active members of the Party for at least three years. SECTION 6. The National Committee is the highest authority of the Party between National Conventions, and is responsible for enforcing the Constitution and securing the execution of the general policies adopted by the democratically elected delegates in the National Convention assembled. The National Committee represents the Party as a whole, and has the right to make decisions with full authority on any problem facing the Party between Conventions. The National Committee organizes and supervises its various departments and committees; conducts all the political and organizational work of the Party; ap points or removes the editors of its press, who work under its leadership and control; organizes and guides all undertakings of importance for the entire Party; distributes the Party forces and controls the central treasury. The National Committee, by majority vote of its members, may call special State or National Conventions. The National Committee shall submit a certified, audited financial report to each National Convention. SECTION 7. The National Committee elects from among its members a Political Committee and such additional secretaries and such departments and committees as may be considered necessary for most efficient work. The Political Commit- Members of the Political Committee and editors of the central Party organ The National Committee may, when it deems it necessary, call Party Confer- ARTICLE IX. DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURE SECTION 1. Breaches of Party discipline by individual members, financial irregularities, as well as any conduct or action detrimental to the Party's prestige and influence among the working masses and harmful to the best interests of the Party, may be punished by censure, public censure, removal from responsible posts, and by expulsion from the Party. Breaches of discipline by Party committees may be punished by removal of the committee by the next higher Party committee, which shall then conduct new elections. SECTION 2. Charges against individual members may be made by any personParty or non-Party-in writing, to the Branches of the Party or to any leading committee. The Party Branch shall have the right to decide on any disciplinary measure, including expulsion. Such action is subject to final approval by the State Committee. SECTION 3. The State and National Committees have the right to hear and take disciplinary action against any individual member or organization under their jurisdiction. SECTION 4. All parties concerned shall have the fullest right to appear, to bring witnesses and to testify before the Party organization. The member punished shall have the right to appeal any disciplinary decision to the higher committees up to the National Convention of the Party. SECTION 5. Party members found to be strike-breakers, degenerates, habitual drunkards, betrayers of Party confidence, provocateurs, persons who practice or advocate terrorism, sabotage, espionage, and force and violence, or members whose actions are otherwise detrimental to the Party and the working class, shall be summarily dismissed from positions of responsibility, expelled from the Party, and exposed before the general public. ARTICLE X. AMENDING THE CONSTITUTION This Constitution may be amended as follows: (a) by decision of a majority of the voting delegates present at the National Convention; or (b) by the National Committee for the purpose of complying with any law of any state or of the United States or whenever any provisions of this Constitution and By-Laws conflict with any such law. Such amendments made by the National Committee shall be published in the Party press or Discussion Bulletins of the National Committee and shall remain in full force and effect until acted upon by the National Convention. ARTICLE XI. BY-LAWS SECTION 1. By-Laws may be adopted, based on this Constitution, for the purpose of establishing uniform rules and procedure for the proper functioning of the Party organizations. By-Laws may be adopted or changed by majority vote of the National Convention or, between Conventions, by majority vote of the National Committee. SECTION 2. State By-Laws not in conflict with the National Constitution and By-Laws may be adopted or changed by majority vote of the State Convention or, between Conventions, by majority vote of the State Committee. ARTICLE XII. CHARTERS The National Committee shall issue Charters to State or District Organizations and, at the request of the respective State Organizations, to County and City Organizations, defining the territory over which they have jurisdiction and authority. EXHIBIT No. 14 [From Times-Herald, Washington, D. C., February 20, 1947.-Editorial] THE NERVE OF COMRADE GROMYKO You've got to credit Russian UN Delegate Andrei Gromyko with one thing-the nerve of a brass monkey. The UN Security Council has rolled around again to the dispute about what to do with the atom bomb. Day before yesterday, at the usual meeting place at Lake Success, Long Island, N. Y., Gromyko came up with a modified Russian proposal as a counter to the Baruch recommendations. Core of the Baruch plan, as can hardly be repeated too often, is (1) international inspection of every nation's nuclear-energy activities, and (2) UN Security Council power, without any nonsense about a veto by any of its Big Five member nations, to take immediate punitive action against any country found to be doing anything that looks like preparation for an atomic war. On those conditions, our UN delegation has signified United States willingness to yield our atom bomb technical secrets to a UN Atomic Energy Commissionbut only after the Baruch plan is in full and satisfactory operation, and only after the Senate has ratified by two-thirds majority a treaty embodying that plan. Gromyko's original counterproposal was that there be no international inspec tion; that all nations just piously outlaw the A-bomb; and that within 90 days after this empty gesture the United States destroy all its A-bombs. Gromyko's modified proposal, unveiled day before yesterday, is loaded to the eyebrows with double-talk. But this seems clear enough: Gromyko now proposes (1) that the A-bomb be outlawed; (2) that the Big Five keep the veto power against punitive action by the Security Council; and (3)-here's where Gromyko's brazen nerve shows up that as soon as the bomb is outlawed, an international agency take over "inspection, supervision, and management" of "all existing plants for the produc tion of final atomic materials." In plain English, that means that under Comrade Gromyko's plan we would hand over to some international board-and to the spies of all nations-our $2,000,000,000 atom bomb plant at Hanford, Wash., and Oak Ridge, Tenn. We would do this with no safeguard except the various nation's vow to outlaw war. And we would surrender these vast plants and their priceless secrets with the understanding that any one of the Big Five nations could veto any Security Council move against any country discovered to be using those secrets for war purposes. So Gromyko, and his bosses back in the Kremlin in Moscow, are once again asking us to lay our finest pistol down in a world saloon filled with shady characters, most of whom hate our guts and the biggest one of whom has repeatedly declared that he is out to get us some day. The Russians are right back where they started from in the atom bomb dispute, except that in now demanding surrender of our plants they exhibit a little more gall than before. It is too bad, we think, that the Truman administration ever let itself be kidded and cajoled into discussing surrender of the atomic secrets to anybody. But as long as it did so, the Baruch plan offers the only reasonably safe method for such surrender. Safe for us, we mean. The United States answer should be: "Take the Baruch plan or leave it-though we'll talk about it as long as you wish, and maybe the longer the better." Any other answer, it seems to us, would be treasonous. Well, at least EXHIBIT No. 15 INVESTIGATION OF UN-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA ACTIVITIES IN THE UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE UN-AMERICAN ACTIVITIES, Washington, D. C., Friday, July 26, 1940. EXECUTIVE SESSION The subcommittee met at 10 a. m., in room 529, House Office Building, Hon. Joe Starnes, chairman of the subcommittee, presiding. |