Up to 1909 there was in Chicago only one Socialist organization, a group of Russian Social Democrats, whose only aim it was to collect money for the Russian revolution. The activity of the group in this direction was somewhat of the nature of the old circle work, except that the latter gave to its members a certain amount of spiritual satisfaction whereas here this was lacking. Some of the members of this group came to the logical conclusion that living in America, a workingman, nolens-volens, constitutes a part of the industrial machine of the country and as such he should take an active interest in the general proletarian movement, politically and industrially. In the light of such reasoning, it was unanimously decided at the constituent assembly of ten people, on August 21, 1909, to join the American Socialist Party and to establish there a division named The Russian Socialist Branch of the 9th Ward.

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After two months of representative functioning the branch had its first occasion to open by coming out with a protest against the death sentence of the Spanish radical educator, Francisco Ferrer, who advocated free public schools (separated from church). The first protest, launched by the 9th Ward jointly with the Lettish branch and the newly organized Russian Social-Economic Club, was quite successful. Yet on the whole the activities of the 9th Ward were of low progress. One reason for this possibly was that the ward did not engage in any other work than business meetings; by the end of the third month of its existence the branch had 20 members all in all.

Seeking to broaden its field of activity, the branch hit upon a plan to have the 9th ward unite with the group of R. S. D. (Russian Social Democrats) on certain conditions. Although this was accomplished, the activity of the branch still did not improve.

Early in 1910 the 9th Ward decided to start a campaign for organizing 3Russian divisions in America and for their unification under the direction of The Agitation Bureau of Russians of the American Socialist Party. Three people were chosen as a Bureau.

For a beginning the Bureau and the 9th ward trained their eye on the Russian Social Economic Club.

By that time the latter succeeded in attaining a sizeable membership of Russian workingmen. It was therefore decided that the members of the 9th Ward shall join the Club, where they will conduct Socialist propaganda and will aim to transform the club into a Socialist branch. Indeed, members of the 9th ward were soon elected as executives. These comrades, however, did not prove equal to the exalted task, and instead of constructive, agitational and organizational work they became engaged in an intensive tearing down of the Club. One of the more zealous members of that Bureau publicly admitted it at a general meeting and was promptly excluded from Club membership.

In March of 1910 the Bureau issued one printed bulletin sheet named The Call.

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The 9th ward took an active interest in the arrangements of bringing Burtzer over to Chicago. On May 1st of the same year there was a grand demonstration in Chicago, the 9th ward actively participating in it, having gathered under its flag over 300 people. In Pilsen Park, where the demonstration was wound up, with speakers also from the 9th ward. Some time later the 9th ward, together with the Lettish and Lithuanian branches, gave a picnic in the same park, and the proceeds, over $40, were sent to Russia. Also, several plays were given in Russian, and were quite successful. But in the meantime dissension set in over a motion from some of the comrades to break off connections with the R. S. D. group and not to deduct for the Russian revolution. The above mentioned motion was passed and the wrangling over it soon assumed a personal character. An opposition of five or six people was formed. By this time the agitational Bureau was recalled by the 9th ward because it failed to attain to the height of its calling. Only one secretary of the Bureau did not comply with the organization's ruling and resigned, together with five other members, from the branch, taking along ledgers and documents. When he was requested to return these items he refused to do so.

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In June of 1910 the group which had left the 9th ward organized another branch named Northwest Side Russian Branch, and it functioned for some ten months. In April of 1911 the members of this branch, in order to ensure greater success, decided to propose to the 9th ward to amalgamate into one Russian branch, and the 9th ward accepted the proposition. At a joint meeting of both branches it was decided to rename the united branches as the First Russian Socialist Branch of Chicago, and indeed this union gave desired results. Lectures were frequently arranged, drawing classes were organized, and the activity of the re-established committee for organizing meetings distinguished itself particularly through organizing meetings for comrade Deutsch in behalf of Novy Mir; also, the play, "Lower Depths," by Gorsky, which was staged in the wake of the meeting scored the greatest success.

In the beginning of 1912 the branch counted 45 members, 30 of whom were in good standing. The branch purchased $145 worth of stock from Novy Mir, and about $50 worth of stock from a Chicago Socialist daily published in English. However, beginning with the last part of 1912, 6and through 1913 the activity of the branch fell considerably and the number of members shrank to ten. This decline was partly due to the fact that many active members of the Branch became engaged in organizing assistance to political prisoners and exiles, and they abandoned their work in the Branch.

In 1914 the Branch became more. The number of members began to increase and the activity of the branch grew brighter and more fruitful.

Of late the propaganda and agitation activity in our branch became closely knit with the work of another Russian Branch active here. We have reference to the 4th Russian Branch, whose activity is chiefly in the Russian colony on the Northwest Side of Chicago. This joint activity of ours is described below in greater detail. Right now, surveying mentally the five year work of our branch, and noting its numerical weakness, which may be ascribed to the specific element of the local Russian immigration, we nevertheless feel confident that many a dozen of Russian workingmen and peasants went back home from this country, carrying sparks of class consciousness in their heads, 7which had their beginning here.

RUSSIAN BRANCH No. 4

This branch was organized in October of 1910 by a few members of the Northwest Side Russian Branch. At that time the branch had 19 members. Several months later the branch rented quarters for a club. In the club English classes were organized, with lectures twice a week. The lectures owed their success to the Bureau for agitation, which, besides the elaborated general plan for the lectures, also provided the lectures and published agitation leaflets. Yet the club existed only 4 months when it was closed for lack of means. Upon closing the club the branch organized propaganda meetings in the club rooms. In the summer of 1911 arrangement of meetings had ceased because the warm weather did not warrant good attendance. The branch fixed up a library for the summer months in the club-rooms. In October 1911 the branch started to arrange meetings in the homes of the Russian colony (There are from 10 to 20 in a home here in the colony). These meetings were a success, and of considerable helpfulness, except for a scarcity of members 8capable of doing this work, the comrades, the propagandists were therefore obliged themselves to make the contacts with the homes themselves to appoint the meeting hour and then themselves to lecture at them. This proved too much for a small group of comrades, and the meetings were discontinued. Early in 1912 the branch activity again picked up. Several mass meetings were arranged. By its own efforts the branch succeeded in seeing through an undertaking (a play and a ball), and by the middle of the year the number of members increased to 22. Throughout the winter lectures have been delivered every Sunday in the quarters of the Branch. In that year the branch was of considerable financial assistance to Novy Mir: It bought $90 worth of stock from Novy Mir Company (eighteen five-dollar shares). The activity of the branch in the latter half of 1913 and in the first half of 1914 was particularly productive. In January 1914 the branch had 38 members, of whom 29 were in good standing. The membership of the branch was exclusively peasant-proletarian, no intelligentsia. There are about 3,000 Russians in the district where the branch is active, who are chiefly from villages of the Minsk and Grodno regions. They were entirely untouched by Socialistic propaganda 9in Russia. Continuous work by the branch in that locality gives good results. For the period of Jan. 1st - June 1st, 1914, the branch organized six meetings with an average attendance of 200 people which gave a total of 1,200 listeners. Besides there were lectures every Sunday in the quarters of the branch, with average of fifty people per lecture; these lectures were already of a more systematic nature than the previous ones. In addition to the sale of Novy Mir and Petersburg labor papers, a considerable quantity of agitational literature was distributed: Class against Class, The Spider and the Fly, etc., also 1,000 first-of-May leaflets. Right now the number of members has fallen. Unemployment compelled many to leave town. At present the branch counts 29 members, of whom sixteen are in good standing. Branch No. 4 is giving much attention to intensive spreading of Novy Mir in workmen's sections of the Russian colony in Chicago, is also contemplating a distinct Chicago issue of Novy Mir with a larger Chicago section, which should be arranged in Chicago proper through joint efforts with comrades from branch No. 1. We accomplished quite a bit in this direction.

Not counting sales from newsstands, Novy Mir,up to recently, hardly 10reached the sale of 35 copies per week from efforts of branches only, whereas now, by united efforts of branch members it was possible to open a Novy Mir office here, with a paid manager, doing a weekly trade of 1,200 copies. Besides, the management succeeded in greatly augmenting the number of subscribers in Chicago, and has a general establishment for getting up and editing the Chicago Section of the journal as well as a general literary collaboration in Novy Mir. Simultaneously with intensive printed agitation, the division of late also strengthened its agitation by word of mouth, meetings in the streets and in halls by both branches are coming off with exceptional success. It is very fortunate that the moment for agitation is favorable, and the listeners, chiefly the gray Russian peasants, are listening with much attention to our orators.