Harry Gannes (1900–1941), was a British-born American journalist, foreign 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 ...
'' during much of the 1930s, was a communist of national prominence.
["Red Editor Here Dies, Facing U.S. Charges," '']The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', January 7, 1941["Communist Dies: Federal court asked to drop action against Gannis ic '']Buffalo Courier Express
The ''Buffalo Courier-Express'' was a morning newspaper in Buffalo, New York. It ceased publication on September 19, 1982.
History
The ''Courier-Express'' was created in 1926 by a merger of the ''Buffalo Daily Courier'' and the ''Buffalo Morning ...
'', 7 January 1941
Biography
Harry Gannes was one of the founders (in 1922) of the
Young Workers League
The Young Communist League USA (YCLUSA) is a communist youth organization in the United States. The stated aim of the League is the development of its members into Communists, through studying Marxism–Leninism and through active participation ...
, the predecessor of the
Young Communist League
The Young Communist League (YCL) is the name used by the youth wing of various Communist parties around the world. The name YCL of XXX (name of country) originates from the precedent established by the Communist Youth International.
Examples of YC ...
, serving briefly as its
general secretary
Secretary is a title often used in organizations to indicate a person having a certain amount of authority, power, or importance in the organization. Secretaries announce important events and communicate to the organization. The term is derived ...
.
["Harry Gannes Dies," '']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 ...
'', Jan. 5, 1941 As foreign 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 ...
'' he was a mentor to
Theodore Draper
Theodore H. Draper (September 11, 1912 – February 21, 2006) was an American historian and political writer. Draper is best known for the 14 books he completed during his life, including work regarded as seminal on the formative period of the Ame ...
,
[Draper, "Preface" to paperback edition of ''American Communism and Soviet Russia,'' pg. xi.] with whom he coauthored ''Spain in Revolt'' in 1936. His book ''When China Unites'', 1937, based on research and experiences during a trip to
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
in 1932-33,
describes the
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang (KMT), also referred to as the Guomindang (GMD), the Nationalist Party of China (NPC) or the Chinese Nationalist Party (CNP), is a major political party in the Republic of China, initially on the Chinese mainland and in Tai ...
–
Communist
Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...
alliance of the mid-1920s and the confrontations between the two parties from 1927 on. Gannes traveled to China, and later to Europe (1938) using a passport under the name Henry George Jacobs.
For this he was indicted for
passport fraud
A passport is a travel document issued by a government to a citizen of that country. The purpose of this document is to allow entry back into the home country, as well as access into other countries around the world by providing legal proof of i ...
in 1939. At almost the same time, he fell ill and was diagnosed with a
brain tumor
A brain tumor occurs when abnormal cells form within the brain. There are two main types of tumors: malignant tumors and benign (non-cancerous) tumors. These can be further classified as primary tumors, which start within the brain, and seconda ...
, from which he died on 3 January 1941.
Footnotes
Published works
Books
*
Spain in Revolt : A History of the Civil War in Spain', 1936, with
Theodore Draper
Theodore H. Draper (September 11, 1912 – February 21, 2006) was an American historian and political writer. Draper is best known for the 14 books he completed during his life, including work regarded as seminal on the formative period of the Ame ...
*
When China Unites An Interpretive History Of The Chinese Revolution', 1937
Pamphlets
* ''Youth under Americanism. '' With George Oswald. Chicago: Young Workers League of America, 1922.
*
Yankee Colonies Imperialist Rule in the Philippines, Porto Rico, Hawaii and Other Possessions'' New York: International Pamphlets, 1930.
*
Graft and Gangsters''
Jacob Burck
Jacob Burck (née Yankel Boczkowsky, January 10, 1907 – May 11, 1982) was a Polish-born Jewish-American painter, sculptor, and award-winning editorial cartoonist. Active in the Communist movement from 1926 as a political cartoonist and muralist, ...
, illustrator. New York City: Workers Library Publishers, 1931.
*
Kentucky Miners Fight' New York:
Workers International Relief
The Workers International Relief (WIR) — also known as Internationale Arbeiter-Hilfe (IAH) in German and as Международная рабочая помощь (Mezhdunarodny Rabochy Komitet Pomoshchi Golodayushchim Rossii − Mezhrabpom) in R ...
, 1932.
* ''The Economic Crisis: An Analysis of the Course of the Crisis up to June 15, 1931.'' New York: Communist Party USA, 1932.
*
Soviets in Spain: The October Armed Uprising against Fascism'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1935
*
War in Africa Italian Fascism Prepares to Enslave Ethiopia'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1935.
*
Spain Defends Democracy: The Truth about the Fascist Plot'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936.
*
How the Soviet Union Helps Spain'' New York: Workers Library Publishers, 1936.
* ''The Munich Betrayal.'' New York City: Workers Library Publishers, 1938.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gannes, Harry
1900 births
1941 deaths
American journalists
British emigrants to the United States