But what do the Communists at Harvard do? With only a "handful" of members, a demonstration or parade would be embarrassing; with little overt support, teach-ins would be poorly attended. So instead the Harvard Communists work as members of other organizations. They are inevitably among the hardest working, most vociferous members of non-Communist organizations, and often win respect simply by dint of compulsive industry. They also serve a major communicative function: by meeting together with other Boston Communists and reading reports to each other, they can keep abreast of the events in each area of the radical movement. Then when they report back to the non-Communist organization with which they are affiliated, they can serve a coordinating function.

The local Youth club meetings not only serve to facilitate communications between groups which may officially be isolated from each other, but also serve as a forum for progress reports. "We are an organization of organizers," one student Communist explained. In their bi-weekly sessions, the Communists discuss what innovations would advance the "movement" and "what groups are ready to take the next step." An example of this is the traveling representative who visits a number of universities in this area of the country and tries to initiate some kind of radical activity. A Party member from New York University said that in general urban schools tend to be "more advanced than suburban schools." At a "backwards university" the Communists may call for some form of civil rights activity or community organizing instead of pushing for a demonstration against the war or a discussion of Marx. Thus the Communists maintain that they serve the whole movement as well as their own goals-the theory being that any radicalization of the society is a step towards socialism and the eventual downfall of American capitalism.

The decision to go from being a Party member to a public spokesman is a big step; the personal investment is not to be discounted. A number of spokesmen admit that they have significantly limited the range of future job opportunities by "going public." Not only is it impossible for an avowed Communist to get employment with the government (assuming he would want the job) but he may also find teaching and medicine ruled out. Many Communists, however, have joined the Party because of the penalties, reasoning that the government shouldn't be able to decide which organization an individual belongs to.

But there are advantages as well as disadvantages. First is the feeling that one is a member of a select group of activists, unified in the face of adversity. There is a pride in being a "professional and not just a dabbler"--a professional because of the sacrifices one must make to become a member. And, as in any club, there are fringe travel benefits which go along with membership. The Communist is received in style in Cuba, Guatemala (in the hills), France, Italy, Russia, and China, to mention a few. Furthermore, there are those pretty girls and after Party parties.

A final reward for being a Communist, according to the Communists, is that from a tactical point of view it can be advantageous to be the "most radical organization" in a society where a sizeable percentage of the population is rapidly becoming disenchanted with the establishment. "Some people join the Party because they are angry at what the government has or hasn't done, and this is the most radical form of protest they can think of," a student Party member said.

Members of the Harvard Chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, however, argue that the CP, USA is to the right of their position. Harvard members of Progressive Labor also deny that the Communists are the most radical group around and claim the extreme Left for themselves--but then this is the proverbial geography game of the New Left.