▁three - person ▁Secret ariat ▁running ▁the ▁Young ▁Work ers ▁League ▁in ▁the ▁summer ▁and ▁fall ▁of ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁before ▁being ▁replaced ▁as ▁National ▁Secretary ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 5 ▁by ▁John ▁William son . ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁C annon ▁became ▁the ▁National ▁Secretary ▁of ▁International ▁Labor ▁Def ense , ▁the ▁legal ▁defense ▁arm ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Commun ist ▁movement , ▁A bern ▁joined ▁him ▁as ▁assistant ▁national ▁secretary ▁and ▁there after ▁dedicated ▁most ▁of ▁his ▁effort ▁in ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁size ▁and ▁influence ▁of ▁that ▁parallel ▁mass ▁organization ▁of ▁the ▁Work ers ▁( Comm un ist ) ▁Party . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 6 , ▁A bern ▁wrote ▁a ▁two - part , ▁two - day ▁article ▁entitled ▁" Can ▁the ▁Work ers ▁Write ▁for ▁Our ▁Press ? ▁ ▁A bern ▁then ▁took ▁an ▁important ▁leadership ▁role ▁in ▁the ▁adult ▁Work ers ▁( Comm un ist ) ▁Party ▁of ▁America , ▁becoming ▁the ▁District ▁Organ izer ▁of ▁the ▁party ' s ▁important ▁Chicago ▁district ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 8 ▁and ▁sitting ▁on ▁the ▁gover ning ▁Central ▁Executive ▁Committee ▁of ▁the ▁organization . ▁A bern ▁was ▁a ▁stead fast ▁supp orter ▁of ▁ ▁the ▁majority ▁fa ction ▁of ▁F oster - C annon - L ore ▁during ▁the ▁bitter ▁fa ction al ▁fighting ▁that ▁continued ▁ce as eless ly ▁throughout ▁the ▁de cade . ▁ ▁T rot sky ist ▁ ▁T ogether ▁with ▁Jim ▁C annon ▁and ▁youth ▁leader ▁Max ▁Sh acht