Both meetings celebrated the release of Pathfinder’s newest book, October 1962: The ‘Missile’ Crisis as Seen from Cuba by Tómas Diez Acosta. Each drew several students and workers newly acquainted with Pathfinder books.

Workers from two meatpacking plants and two students from Metropolitan Community and Technical College joined around 20 others at an October 19 Militant Labor forum in St. Paul, Minnesota. The forum raised $1,300 for the fund, reports Becky Ellis.

Socialist Workers candidate for governor of Illinois Joel Britton was the featured speaker. As a new member of the communist movement in 1962, Britton said, he had participated in actions in defense of the Cuban Revolution as the U.S. government brought the world to the precipice of nuclear war.

Kossivi, a young worker born in Togo, saluted Pathfinder books. "Everyone should read Pathfinder so we can tell other people what is happening in the world and why," he said.

From Pennsylvania, Janet Post writes that a Pathfinder Fund event held October 20 at the Pathfinder bookstore in Hazleton also provided a boost to the drive. Among the participants were one student from Bloomsburg University and another from Penn State University in State College--both some two hours away. A worker from Harrisburg also took part in the meeting, which raised $205, helping Northeast Pennsylvania go over the halfway mark toward its goal of $1,200.

Paul Pederson, the Socialist Workers candidate for Congress in the 12th C.D. in New York, was the speaker. Pederson had recently joined other socialist candidates in a solidarity trip to Puerto Rico.

Funds collected to date bring the total to $40,958, around two-fifths of the way toward the international goal. This is short of the $67,200 the fund should have reached to be on track. Putting a premium on collecting pledges and winning new contributors will be key to meeting the $105,000 goal by November 17. Checks for the fund should be made out to Pathfinder and sent to the Militant, 410 West Street, New York, NY 10014.  
 
 
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