Besides controlling its over-all policy, the Comintern used the Communist Party in a variety of ways, especially to help the new Soviet government in its work. In one instance the Comintern sent over a “rep” known as Comrade Loaf. He sent a statement, which was read at the meeting of the Political Committee in New York City presided over by Max Bedacht, as Acting General Secretary, outlining his need for assistance in collecting information on the American labor movement for the Communist International. The Political Committee agreed to help. In another instance, Moscow referred a request for a visa by an official of the New York _Jewish Daily Forward_ to United States comrades. Moscow in these years often used the Communist Party in the United States as a consular clearinghouse, seeking its advice as to whether visas should be granted or denied. In answering this request, the already inherent anti-Semitism of communism dictated the decision. The Soviets were advised that the visit of the _Jewish Daily Forward_ representative would be detrimental to the Soviet Union and the communist movement. On occasions, also, the Comintern helped the Party by arranging to receive cordially American visitors sponsored by the Party, thereby hoping to create a favorable impression of communism. A prominent author, for example, desired to visit Russia for _The Modern Quarterly_. The Political Committee instructed that a letter be written to Moscow requesting that he be given a royal welcome. The Party wanted him to be favorably impressed. Then, it hoped, he would “paint a glowing picture” of the Soviet Union. Russian control, moreover, was implemented through the operation of another institution, the Lenin School in Moscow. This training center was an adjunct to the Marxist-Leninist Institute. Founded in the 1920’s, the Lenin School had for its purpose the training of an international corps of communist leaders. These graduates, regardless of the country in which they operated, acted in accordance with the discipline and policies of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Each Communist Party was assigned a quota of students. To be eligible, students had to have a working-class background with experience in a trade, shop, or union. They had to be under thirty-five years of age, either a charter member or a member with at least five years’ experience in Party work, and possess a “clean” Party record. The Comintern studied the students’ background and approved those selected by the Party to attend. As a general rule, students traveled to Moscow under assumed names and with fraudulently obtained passports.