Alexander "Alex" Bittelman (1890–1982) was a Russian-born
Jewish-American
American Jews or Jewish Americans are American citizens who are Jewish, whether by religion, ethnicity, culture, or nationality. Today the Jewish community in the United States consists primarily of Ashkenazi Jews, who descend from diaspora Je ...
communist political activist
A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...
, Marxist theorist, influential theoretician of the
Communist Party USA and writer. A founding member,
Bittelman is best remembered as the chief factional lieutenant of
William Z. Foster and as a longtime editor of ''The Communist'', its monthly magazine.
Early years
Alexander Bittelman was born in Berdichev (
Berdychiv), in the
Kiev Governorate
Kiev Governorate, r=Kievskaya guberniya; uk, Київська губернія, Kyivska huberniia (, ) was an administrative division of the Russian Empire from 1796 to 1919 and the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic from 1919 to 1925. It wa ...
of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
(present-day
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
) on January 9, 1890. He was radicalized at an early age, joining the
(Yiddish: אַלגעמײַנער ײדישער אַרבעטער בּונד אין ליטע פוילין און רוסלאַנד, ''Algemeyner Yidisher Arbeter Bund in Lite, Poyln un Rusland'') at just 13 years of age. Arrested by the
Tsarist
Tsarist autocracy (russian: царское самодержавие, transcr. ''tsarskoye samoderzhaviye''), also called Tsarism, was a form of autocracy (later absolute monarchy) specific to the Grand Duchy of Moscow and its successor states ...
secret police
Secret police (or political police) are intelligence, security or police agencies that engage in covert operations against a government's political, religious, or social opponents and dissidents. Secret police organizations are characteristic of ...
for his revolutionary views, he served two years of political exile in
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a ...
.
Bittelman emigrated to the United States in 1912, settling in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
.
["Gentleman, Very Timid,"](_blank)
''Time'', January 26, 1948. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
First American years
Bittelman was active in the
Jewish Socialist Federation of the
Socialist Party of America from 1915. A committed
Marxist and revolutionary, Bittelman was an adherent of the
Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party
The Left Wing Section of the Socialist Party was an organized faction within the Socialist Party of America in 1919 which served as the core of the dual communist parties which emerged in the fall of that year—the Communist Party of America ...
when it emerged early in 1919. In September of that year, he was a founding member of the Communist Party of America (CPA) and editor of the
Yiddish
Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ve ...
-language newspaper, ''Der Kampf'' (The Struggle).
At the convention in Chicago that founded the CPA, Bittelman was one of the nine members of the committee that wrote the program for the organization. He was a member of the governing Central Executive Committee of the Jewish Communist Federation from 1919 to 1920 and was elected a member of the Central Executive Committee of the CPA and its Executive Council in 1920. His most commonly used underground
party name during this period was "A. Raphael." Bittelman also variously used the pseudonyms "Gabriel," "Williams," "Percy," "Ralph Barnes," and "Lentrov" in various circumstances.
According to the
U.S. Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a federal executive department of the United States government tasked with the enforcement of federal law and administration of justice in the United State ...
in 1948, Bittelman maintained as many as 14 aliases up to that time.
Bittelman remained with the main CPA organization l, when Executive Secretary
C.E. Ruthenberg led a group of his supporters out of the organization in April 1920 to join the rival
Communist Labor Party in a new
United Communist Party
The United Communist Party (UCP; russian: Объединённая коммунистическая партия; ОКП; ''Ob'yedinonnaya kommunisticheskaya partiya'', ''OKP'') is a communist party in Russia created at the founding congress in Mo ...
(UCP). He saw the way that the internecine struggle between the two organizations was sapping the strength of the
revolutionary socialist
Revolutionary socialism is a political philosophy, doctrine, and tradition within socialism that stresses the idea that a social revolution is necessary to bring about structural changes in society. More specifically, it is the view that revoluti ...
movement, however, and came to be an advocate of organizational unity between the CPA and the UCP. During the first half of 1921, Bittelman formed a group advocating merger of the competing communist groups in accordance with the directives of the
Communist International
The Communist International (Comintern), also known as the Third International, was a Soviet-controlled international organization founded in 1919 that advocated world communism. The Comintern resolved at its Second Congress to "struggle by ...
. That, ironically, made Bittelman ''persona non grata'' with both organizations and he was briefly expelled from the CPA. Together with his co-thinker
Maximilian Cohen, Bittelman formed a third group critical of the leaderships of both the CPA and the UCP called
Communist Unity Committee, in which Bittelman served as secretary. Merger was finally accomplished at a convention held in May 1921, and Bittelman was welcomed back into the newly unified Communist Party of America.
Bittelman was put into the Central Executive of the unified Communist Party of America. In July 1922, he was sent with
James P. Cannon to Moscow, as representatives there of the CPA. He returned later that same year to serve on the Executive Council of the Central Executive Committee of the
Workers Party of America
The Workers Party of America (WPA) was the name of the legal party organization used by the Communist Party USA from the last days of 1921 until the middle of 1929.
Background
As a legal political party, the Workers Party accepted affiliation fr ...
, the so-called "Legal Political Party" initiated and controlled by the secret CPA.
Bittelman was regularly a delegate to the conventions of the American Communist Party. He was a close factional associate of William Z. Foster and James P. Cannon against the faction headed by
John Pepper and including C.E. Ruthenberg and
Jay Lovestone
Jay Lovestone (15 December 1897 – 7 March 1990) was an American activist. He was at various times a member of the Socialist Party of America, a leader of the Communist Party USA, leader of a small oppositionist party, an anti-Communist and Centr ...
, during the bitter faction fights of the 1920s.
Bittelman was editor of ''
The Daily Worker
The ''Daily Worker'' was a newspaper published in New York City by the Communist Party USA, a formerly Comintern-affiliated organization. Publication began in 1924. While it generally reflected the prevailing views of the party, attempts were m ...
Saturday magazine from 1926 to 1927.
Bittelman was a delegate to the
6th World Congress of the Comintern
The Sixth Congress of the Communist International was held in Moscow from July 17 to September 1, 1928. The Congress was attended by 515 delegates from 65 organizations (including 50 Communist Parties) from 57 countries. Adopting the theory of the ...
in 1928 and spoke in opposition to American Party leader Jay Lovestone. Summoned to Moscow in an effort to neutralize the factional war, Bittelman was named vicechairman of the Comintern's Far-Eastern Secretariat in 1929.
In 1930, Bittelman was dispatched to India as the Comintern Representative there. He was expelled by the British from the country for his activities, however, and returned to the United States in 1931, putting down roots in
Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most populous urban a ...
.
Bittelman returned to New York City in summer 1934 to work in the CPUSA's Propaganda Department. He took an active role in the editing of the monthly theoretical journal of the organization, ''The Communist'', and he wrote the leading section of the magazine, "Review of the Month", from 1936.
Cold War years
Although the factional war was much more subterranean during the 1930s, there was still an ongoing battle. In this fight, Bittelman remained a close associate of National Chairman
William Z. Foster in opposition to General Secretary
Earl Browder. Despite his closeness, Browder's fall from grace in 1945 did not mark the end of Bittelman's tenure as a top leader of the Communist Party.
In September 1946, Bittelman authored a paper for the Communist Party's National Board predicting economic collapse and a return to depression-like conditions within two years, as wartime government spending was curtailed. This report, adopted by the Board, would remain the foundation of the CPUSA's economic analysis for the next five years.
[Steinberg, ''The Great "Red Menace,"'' pg. 71.] Imminent economic collapse and the rise of
fascism
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
in America was seen a likely scenario, and the Communist Party girded itself for a political assault.
Following the end of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, the government of the United States quickly moved away from its wartime ally against
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
, the Soviet Union. A
Second Red Scare
McCarthyism is the practice of making false or unfounded accusations of subversion and treason, especially when related to anarchism, communism and socialism, and especially when done in a public and attention-grabbing manner.
The term origina ...
swept the country, fueled by the partially-justified fear of conservative politicians that a network of spies on behalf of an aggressive and expansionistic USSR had penetrated various branches of American government, education, and popular culture. The Communist Party USA was seen by political decisionmakers as the directing center of such subversive activity.
By the end of 1947, internal pressure had grown to the point that public opinion demanded for the authority of the state to be brought to bear upon the Communist Party's members and supporters in what was seen as a campaign of national self-defense.
[Steinberg, ''The Great "Red Menace,"'' pg. 89.] The most simple mechanism at the government's disposal was to make use of
deportation
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
proceedings against radical
resident aliens, with a view to shattering the foreign-born leadership of the Communist Party and disrupting the organization.
Owing to his noncitizen status, Bittelman was selected by federal authorities as the first prominent American Communist to be subjected to this tactic.
On January 17, 1948, Bittelman was arrested while on vacation in
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
under a
warrant obtained by the
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
. The government charged that Bittelman had repeatedly violated federal law during the 1930s by traveling to the Soviet Union by means of fraudulently obtained passports and that he had maintained illegal contact with the Communist International in Moscow.
Bittelman was soon released from jail on bail.
[Steinberg, ''The Great "Red Menace,"'' pg. 91.] He returned to New York City at the end of January 1948 and held a news conference to publicize what the Communist Party had characterized as a "witch-hunt," during which the 58-year-old Bittelman stoked the patriotic fire of conservative forces by declaring to reporters that he "would not fight against the Soviet Union in any war" since "any war against the Soviet Union would be an unjust war."
Angered by Bittelman's speedy release and defiant public comments, U.S. Attorney General
Tom C. Clark was soon in front of the
House Un-American Activities Committee to reiterate his desire to use deportation statutes "to remove from among us those aliens who believe in a foreign ideology."
The wheels of the legal process turned slowly in Bittelman's deportation case, and it was not until September 1949 that a deportation hearing was held at which he was charged with illegal membership in an organization which taught the doctrine of violent overthrow of the United States government.
[Steinberg, ''The Great "Red Menace,"'' pg. 191.] At his hearing Bittelman emphasized the distinction between "teaching the
Marxist-Leninist theory of social change, including the law of violent proletarian revolution" and "teaching the overthrow of a particular government by violence."
The government's attempt to deport Bittelman ended unsuccessfully.
A series of prosecutions and convictions of top Communist Party leaders under the 1940
Smith Act
The Alien Registration Act, popularly known as the Smith Act, 76th United States Congress, 3d session, ch. 439, , is a United States federal statute that was enacted on June 28, 1940. It set criminal penalties for advocating the overthrow of th ...
followed. Certain that American fascism was around the corner, the Communist Party leadership went "underground," taking up a furtive and secret existence, leaving only a handful of members to occupy public party posts.
[Steinberg, ''The Great "Red Menace,"'' pg. 263.] The CPUSA's public image thereby sustained yet another blow and its isolation increased.
Having witnessed the failure of similar party policies in the early 1920s, Bittelman emerged as a critic of the increasingly shrill and sectarian political line of the Communist Party, breaking with party chief
William Z. Foster in the party's Administrative Committee.
Early in 1953, Bittelman began to argue for the "non-inevitablility of war and fascism" and to call for an end to the underground form of party organization in favor of an open "United Front Marxist Party."
Bittelman's ideas were quickly rejected by the CPUSA's leadership, however, scorned as examples of so-called "liquidationism."
In 1953, with the Justice Department prosecuting top Communist Party leaders in waves, Bittelman's turn arrived. Bittelman was indicted, tried, and convicted for violation of the Smith Act. He served a three-year prison term, being freed on May 26, 1957. While in prison, Bittelman received
Social Security
Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specifical ...
payments, which cause a change in the tax law and, enacted as part of the Social Security Amendments of 1956,
Internal Revenue Code "section 3121(b)(17) provides that Social Security taxes must not be withheld from wages earned for "service in the employ of any organization which is performed (A) in any year during any part of which such organization is registered, or there is in effect a final order of the Subversive Activities Control Board requiring such organization to register, under the Internal Security Act of 1950, as amended, as a Communist-action organization, a Communist-front organization, or a Communist-infiltrated organization, and (B) after June 30, 1956."
Years after prison
Bittelman was released to find a different Communist Party than the one he had left. In the wake of the death of
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secretar ...
and the exposure of the excesses and crimes of his regime as well as the working class revolt in Hungary, a movement grew for liberalization in the Communist Party. Bittelman was attracted to this trend and wrote a 12 part series for the Party's newspaper, ''The Worker'', beginning on October 1, 1957. In February 1958, he published his last piece in ''Political Affairs,'' the party's theoretical magazine, in which he criticized the views of William Z. Foster and argued that only expansion of the
welfare state
A welfare state is a form of government in which the state (or a well-established network of social institutions) protects and promotes the economic and social well-being of its citizens, based upon the principles of equal opportunity, equita ...
would permit a peaceful transition to socialism.
Joel Seidman
Joel I. Seidman (1906-1977) was a 20th-century economics professor and Socialist Party of America, Socialist, best known for his 1932 dissertation and book ''The Yellow dog contract, Yellow Dog Contract'' as well as work with Brookwood Labor Coll ...
, "B287: Key Problems of Party Program," in Joel Seidman with Olive Golden and Yaffa Draznin, ''Communism in the United States: A Bibliography.'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1967; pg. 58. Bittelman announced plans to publish his memoirs in 1959.
A hard-line faction headed by
Gus Hall
Gus Hall (born Arvo Kustaa Halberg; October 8, 1910 – October 13, 2000) was the General Secretary of the Communist Party USA (CPUSA) and a perennial candidate for president of the United States. He was the Communist Party nominee in the ...
had by this time consolidated its hold of the CPUSA, however, and Bittelman's planned memoir was condemned by the new party leadership on October 14, 1959. Bittelman was expelled from the Communist Party in the aftermath of this decision.
Bittelman was formally expelled by his Communist Party club on November 14, 1960. This decision was confirmed by the National Committee of the CPUSA at its plenum held at the end of January 1961.
Bittelman was called before the
House Un-American Activities Committee to provide testimony about his former organization on November 21, 1961, but he refused to testify, citing his rights under the
First
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
and
Fifth Amendments to the
U.S. Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, in 1789. Originally comprising seven articles, it delineates the nation ...
.
Death and legacy
Following his expulsion and refusal to testify in 1961, Alexander Bittelman lived out the last two decades of his life in quiet at
Croton-on-Hudson, New York
Croton-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 8,327 at the 2020 United States census over 8,070 at the 2010 census. It is located in the town of Cortlandt as part of New York City's northern subur ...
. He died in April 1982.
Bittelman left an unpublished memoir, ''Things I Have Learned'', which resides at the
Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives of
Bobst Library
The Elmer Holmes Bobst Library ( ), often referred to simply as Bobst Library or just Bobst, is the main library at New York University (NYU) in Lower Manhattan, New York City. The library is located at 70 Washington Square South between LaGuardi ...
at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
. The manuscript is available there for use by researchers.
Footnotes
Other sources consulted
*
Joel Seidman
Joel I. Seidman (1906-1977) was a 20th-century economics professor and Socialist Party of America, Socialist, best known for his 1932 dissertation and book ''The Yellow dog contract, Yellow Dog Contract'' as well as work with Brookwood Labor Coll ...
with Olive Golden and Yaffa Draznin, ''Communism in the United States: A Bibliography.'' Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1967; pp. 53–58, 395.
Works
Books and pamphlets
''Parties and Issues in the Election Campaign.''Chicago: Literature Department, Workers Party of America, n.d. (1924).
* ''Revolutionary Struggle Against War versus Pacifism.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, n.d. (1931).
''The Communist Party in Action.''New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1932.
* ''From Left-Socialism to Communism.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1933.
''Fifteen Years of the Communist Party.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1934.
''The Advance of the United Front: A Documentary Account.''New York: Central Committee, Communist Party USA, 1934.
''Leninism: The Only Marxism Today: A Discussion of the Characteristics of Declining Capitalism.''With
V.J. Jerome. New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1934.
''How Can We Share the Wealth? The Communist Way versus Huey Long.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1935.
''Going Left: The Left Wing Formulates a 'Draft for a Program for the Socialist Party of the United States.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936.
''How to Win Social Justice: Can Coughlin and Lemke Do It?'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936.
''The Townsend Plan: What It Is and What It Isn't.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936.
''Milestones in the History of the Communist Party.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1937.
* ''Problems of Party Building.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1937.
''Party Building and Political Leadership.''(with William Z. Foster, James Ford and Charles Krumbein) New York: Workers Library Publishers, n.d. (1937).
''Trotsky the Traitor.''New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1937.
''Break the Economic and Political Sabotage of the Monopolists.''n.c.
ew York n.p.
ommunist Party n.d.
937
Year 937 ( CMXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar.
Events
By place
Europe
* A Hungarian army invades Burgundy, and burns the city of Tournus. Then they go southward ...
* ''Jewish Unity for Victory.'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1943.
* ''Should Jews Unite? Jewish People's Unity as a Force for American National Unity.'' New York: Morning Freiheit Association, n.d. (c. 1943).
* ''The Jewish People Will Live On!'' New York: Morning Freiheit Association, n.d. (1944).
* ''The Jewish People Face the Post-War World.'' New York: Morning Freiheit Association, 1945.
*
Palestine: What is the Solution?' New York: Morning Freiheit Association, 1946.
* ''Study Guide on the Jewish Question.'' New York: National Jewish Commission of the Communist Party, n.d. (c. 1946).
''Program for Survival: The Communist Position on the Jewish Question.''New York: New Century Publishers, 1947.
''The Communist Position on the Negro Question.''(Contributor.) New York: New Century Publishers, 1947.
''To Secure Jewish Rights: The Communist Position.''New York: New Century Publishers, 1948.
* ''Thirteen Communists Speak to the Court.'' (Contributor.) New York: New Century Publishers, 1953.
* ''The Bolshevik Revolution and Its Historical Consequences. '' undated
* ''A Communist Views America's Future. '' undated
* ''Democracy and Dictatorship. '' undated
* ''Disaster or Wellbeing, Two Lines of Economic Development. '' undated
* ''Jewish Survival, a Marxist Outlook. '' undated
* ''War Economy and Crisis. '' undated
* ''Things I Have Learned. '' 1963.
Articles
* "A Memorandum on the Present Situation in the Communist Movement in America, Adopted by the Communist Unity Committee for Submission to the Executive Committee of the Third Communist International," ''Communist Unity,'' February 1, 1921, pp. 3–4.
* As "A. Raphael": "The Task of the Hour," ''The Communist''
nified CPA October 1921, pp. 3–6.
"Outline for a History of the Communist Party in America,"Written circa 1923, first published in U.S. House of Representatives, Report of the Special Committee to Investigate Communist Activities, part V, vol. 4, pp. 435–448.
* “The Crusade Against the Foreign-Born," ''The Liberator,'' whole no. 73 (May 1924), pp. 17–20.
* "Leading the World Revolution," ''The Liberator,'' whole no. 75 (July 1924), pp. 13–15.
* "Exit Savinkov," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 1 (November 1924), pp. 24–28.
* "In Retrospect: A Critical Review of Our Past Labor Party Policy in the Light of the Present Situation," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 2 (December 1924), pp. 85–90.
* "Lenin: Leader and Comrade," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 3 (January 1925), pp. 99–101.
* "A Conference of Progressive Reactionaries," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 4 (February 1925), pp. 166–167.
* “Kellogg in Paris — Johnson in the Senate," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 5 (March 1925), pp. 201–203.
* “Max Eastman on Leninism," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 6 (April 1925), pp. 255–256, 288.
* "On the Road to a Bolshevik Party in America," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 4, no. 11 (September 1925), pp. 482–484.
* “The Great People’s Referendum," Part 1: ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 5, no. 10 (August 1926), pp. 462–465; Part 2: ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 5, no. 11 (September 1926), pp. 517–519.
* "American Capitalism Prepards for Class War," ''Workers Monthly,'' vol. 5, no. 13 (November 1926), pp. 605–606.
''The Communist,'' vol. 6, no. 7 (November 1927), pp. 442–450.
* "May Day, 1928," ''The Communist,'' vol. 7, no. 5 (May 1928), pp. 259–261.
* "A New Bid for World Domination," ''The Communist,'' vol. 10, no. 8 (August 1931), pp. 675–684.
* "The Latest Phase of the British Crisis in its Reverberations in the United States," ''The Communist,'' vol. 10, no. 10 (November 1931), pp. 903–911.
* "The Party Anniversary in the Light of Our Present Tasks," ''The Communist,'' vol. 10, no. 11 (December 1931), pp. 975–984.
* "To the Study of Lenin and Our Party," ''The Communist,'' vol. 11, no. 1 (January 1932), pp. 3–8.
* "The Growth of the Party in the Struggle Against Centrism and Sectarianism," ''The Communist,'' vol. 11, no. 5 (May 1932), pp. 433–442.
* "From Left Socialism to Communism," ''The Communist,'' vol. 12, no. 9 (September 1933), pp. 846–863.
* "The New Deal and the Old Deal," ''The Communist,'' Part 1: vol. 13, no. 1 (January 1934), pp. 81–98; Part 2: vol. 13, no. 2 (February 1934), pp. 182–192.
* "Milestones of Comintern Leadership," ''The Communist,'' vol. 13, no. 3 (March 1934), pp. 235–248.
* "For a Bolshevik Anti-War Struggle," ''The Communist,'' vol. 13, no. 8 (August 1934), pp. 755–772.
* "Leninism is the Only Marxism of the Imperialist Era," With V.J. Jerome. Part 1: ''The Communist,'' vol. 13, no. 10 (October 1934), pp. 1033–1056. Part 2: ''The Communist,'' vol. 13, no. 11 (November 1934), pp. 1125–1156.
* "Developments in the United Front," ''The Communist,'' vol. 13, no. 12 (December 1934), pp. 1195–1213.
* "For Leninism — For a Soviet America!" ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 1 (January 1935), pp. 6–22.
* "The Socialist Revolution in the United States," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 2 (February 1935), pp. 127–147.
* "Report to the National Agitation and Propaganda Conference, January 18, 1935," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 3 (March 1935), pp. 240–261.
* "Approaching the Seventh World Congress of the Communist International," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 6 (June 1935), pp. 518–527.
* "The Supreme Court, the New Deal, and the Class Struggle," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 7 (July 1935), pp. 579–603.
* "The United Front Against Imperialist War," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 8 (August 1935), pp. 675–685.
* "Problems of the Struggle for Peace," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 11 (November 1935), pp. 1034–1043.
* "Winning the Masses to Fight for Peace," ''The Communist,'' vol. 14, no. 12 (December 1935), pp. 1171–1181.
* "The Party and the People's Front," ''The Communist,'' vol. 16, no. 8 (August 1937), pp. 709–715.
* "The Vanguard Role of the Communist Party: On the Occasion of the Eighteenth Anniversary of the CPUSA," ''The Communist,'' vol. 16, no. 9 (September 1937), pp. 808–823.
* "Some Problems Before the Tenth Convention of the Communist Party," ''The Communist,'' vol. 17, no. 7 (July 1938), pp. 624–629.
* "A Historic View of the Struggle for Democracy," ''The Communist,'' vol. 17, no. 8 (August 1938), pp. 711–721.
* "The Reaction to European Events," ''World News and Views,'' vol. 19 (April 19, 1939), pp. 395–396.
* "For a Democratic Progressive Front at the Presidential Elections," ''World News and Views,'' vol. 19 (May 20, 1939), pp. 619–620.
* "Government Intervention in the National Economy," ''The Communist,'' vol. 23, no. 10 (October 1944), pp. 893–910.
* "Cartels and the Economic Disarmament of Europe," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 24, no. 3 (March 1945), pp. 229–245.
* "What Is the Outlook for the Jewish People?" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 24, no. 10 (October 1945), pp. 918–934.
* "How Shall We Fight for Full Employment?" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 25, no. 1 (January 1946), pp. 50–66.
* "Wages and Profits under Monopoly Capitalism," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 25, no. 5 (May 1946), pp. 423–437.
* "The Anglo-American Bloc," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 25, no. 7 (July 1946), pp. 588–596.
* "The Twenty-Seventh Party Anniversary," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 25, no. 10 (October 1946), pp. 867–878.
* "Economic Trends and Perspectives," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 25, no. 11 (November 1946), pp. 1001–1010.
* "Exchange of Letters with Editor," ''Congress Weekly,'' vol. 13 (December 13, 1946), pp. 13–15.
* "The Role of Jewish Communists," ''Jewish Life,'' vol. 1, no. 1 (January 1947), pp. 6–8.
* "A Communist Wage Policy," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 26, no. 3 (March 1947), pp. 221–238.
*
A Democratic Solution for Palestine" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 26, no. 7 (July 1947), pp. 576–585.
* "The Struggle Against the Approaching Economic Crisis," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 26, no. 9 (September 1947), pp. 834–854.
*
New Tasks and Realignments in the Struggle for the Jewish State in Palestine" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 27, no. 2 (February 1948), pp. 146–155.
*
The New State of Israel" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 27, no. 8 (August 1948), pp. 720–730.
* "The Beginning of the Economic Crisis in the United States," ''Political Affairs,'' Part 1: vol. 28, no. 7 (July 1949), pp. 22–32; Part 2: vol. 28, no. 8 (August 1949), pp. 22–34.
* "Our Party's Thirtieth Anniversary," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 28, no. 9 (September 1949), pp. 1–13.
* "Credo of a Communist," ''Jewish Life,'' vol. 3, no. 10 (October 1949), pp. 15–21.
* "Wall Street Optimism and the Developing Crisis," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 28, no. 10 (October 1949), pp. 26–32.
* "Reverse Wall Street's Verdict and Prevent the Outlawing of a Working-Class Political Party!" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 28, no. 11 (November 1949), pp. 1–9.
*
Jerusalem, National Independence, and Peace" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 29, no. 1 (January 1950), pp. 66–77.
* "The Course of the Developing Economic Crisis," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 29, no. 3 (March 1950), pp. 46–57.
* "We are the Vanguard Party of Peace," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 29, no. 9 (September 1950), pp. 1–14.
* "Wall Street's War Preparations and the People's Living Standards," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 29, no. 10 (October 1950), pp. 58–74.
* "Where is the ''Monthly Review'' Going?" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 30, no. 5 (May 1951), pp. 34–53.
* "Who Are the Conspirators?" ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 30, no. 7 (July 1951), pp. 9–21.
* "Mass Tasks Facing the Party Today," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 30, no. 9 (September 1951), pp. 15–28.
* "Lenin's Teachings and the Liberation of Humanity," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 31, no. 1 (January 1952), pp. 1–11.
* "Corruption, War-Mongering, and the Pro-Fascist Reaction," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 31, no. 3 (March 1952), pp. 1–14.
* "New Economic Dangers and How to Meet Them," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 32, no. 5 (May 1953), pp. 30–47.
* "Key Problems of Party Program," ''Political Affairs,'' vol. 37, no. 2 (February 1958), pp. 36–44.
External links
*
* Alexander Bittelma
"Wall Street Sells Out the Jewish State" 1948
Tamiment Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives, New York University. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bittelman, Alexander
1890 births
1982 deaths
People from Berdychiv
People from Kiev Governorate
Ukrainian Jews
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United States
American people of Ukrainian-Jewish descent
Bundists
Members of the Socialist Party of America
Members of the Communist Party USA
American Comintern people
American political writers
American male non-fiction writers
American socialists
Jewish American writers
Jewish socialists
Marxist writers
People from Croton-on-Hudson, New York
New York (state) socialists