September 27, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Chaos?
Page Two T The Communist for democracy the chief concern of the Peace Conference has been to crush revol.
OMENT has been made concerning utionary Russia, in order to assure the perthe chaos that prevailed in Chicago National Organ, Communist Party manence of the peace of violence imposed during Convention week. But only the LOUIS FRAINA, Editor FERGUSON, Associate Editor upon the world. The Allies have divided weakling will consider as chaos the events the world economically, financially and terproducing three parties claiming to repre.
Published Weekly, and owned and controlled, ritorially; but Soviet Russia, with its inspirsent the revolutionary proletariat In fact, by the Central Executive Committee of the Comation to the international proletariat, is a munist Party of America.
menace o these plans for world domination; instead of chaos there was a clear, uncom promising division of forces, necessary in RUTHENBERG, hence Soviet Russia must be crushed.
of a real revolutionary Executive Secretary the construction movement LOUIS FRAINA, The Old Unionism The chaos is characterized by a num.
International Secretary ber of pertinent facts The three conventions HE of has for some months cents a copy, 00 six months, a year.
each produced its own party. Of these, the in the steel mills. Its organizers have Bundles, 10 or more, 32c. a copy.
Communist Party represents the largest been actively organizing the workers Address all communications had a difficult task. The steel barons have membership of the three. The remnants of 1219 Blue Island Ave.
used the law and the courts, police and the corrupt Socialist Party has at the most Chicago, 25, 000 (Germer claims 39, 000. the Com gangsters, against these organizers, nine of munist Labor Party, if it actually represents whom have been killed. But the workers a substantial memebrship, represents not responded, and a strike is scheduled for September 22.
more than 10, 000 members, mostly in the This movement among the steel workers west, where the Coinmunist Party has not Crush Russia. has all the characteristics of the old union yet carried its agitation and organization ism. Parleys are held concerning the strike, work, while the Communist Party has a Nunconfirmed report comes from the employers are implored to meet with membership of more than 60, 000.
Paris that the Peace Conference has the union officials for negotiations. In Membership is not necessarily a measure decided to evacuate Russia, withdrawing all stead of action, they are talking, giving the of strength. But in the collapse of the old troops. Immediately General Mareh, of the steel barons ample opportunity to prepare party, with agitation and organization aetAmeriean General Staff, declares that if this for a strike.
ive as never before, it is significant that is so, it refers to Russia but not to Siberia.
Among the demands of the new union is more than half the membership of the old Why not Siberia! The masses of Siberia one for the check off system. In this party should unite in the Communist Party.
have given proof of their opposition to the system is compri sed all the corruption and It is equally significant that, of this memalien invaders, Kolchak Government has betrayal of the old unionism.
bership, the various Federations include not no popular support, and is maintained by The check off system means, in effect, that more than 30, 000. These facts dispose equJapanese bayonets.
the union officials and the employer unite ally of the charge of elique control and of The answer is this: to herd the workers into the unions. It means Siberia is to be divided among the Allies. Federation Party.
that instead of the workers paying their Japan particularly. The Japanese have seNot only is the Communist Party organunion dues directly to the union, the emcured supremacy in Siberia, their troops ployers collect these dues each week out of ized on a solid membership, but on a solid being used not only to crush the revolutionfoundation of principles and tacties. The the pay of the workers and turn them ary masses, but to secure economic and finover to the union officials. The employers treacherous minority trying to camouflage Socialist Party is still what it was, with a ancial control for Japanese capital to exand their hirelings accordingly, become ploit the immense natural resources of Siagents of the union officials.
the party in the colors of the Coinmunist beria.
But there is a more serious phase. The International. The Communist Labor Party British troops are still in possession of the check off system of paying dues assures was a house divided against itself. Its platBaku oil regions, perhaps the richest in the the control of the unions by a small elique form and program are a hash of the Left world. Oil today is a necessary factor in of official; it is the best scheme yet invented Wing program; its work not at all clear and industry, particularly in transportation and of making the workers the helpless victims inspiring. The Manifesto and Program of naval power: that is why international Imof their officials, of breaking any revolt in the Communist Party are clear, uncomproperialism is preparing to crush Mexican inthe unions. The final result of the system mising, consistent. The Manifesto is a theoredependence in order to control Mexico oil is that the officials and the employers betical formulation of Communist principles.
wells.
come allies against the workers.
The Program is realistie, a program of action The decision of the Allies Peace Confer This system existed for years in the United applying our general principles to the aeence, if it is a decision, comes of the complete Mine Workers. This union was a typical extual problems of the proletariat and of the collapse of the military campaign against pression of the old unionism, which, parprevailing struggle. Is this chaos?
Soviet Russia. On practically all fronts the ticularly in the days of John Mitchell, beThere was at Chicago a historical divisBolshevik armies are scoring victory after trayed the workers again and again. But ion of forees. the Socialist Party at the victory. The Baltic nations are considering the revolts of the workers were crushed by extreme Right, the Communist Labor Party peace with Soviet Russia. The allies do not the united force of the employers and the at the extreme Left. Is this chaos?
dare send their own troops against the Red officials, a force maintained largely by the in the Centre Left, and the Communist Party Army, and their hopes of the counter revol check off system.
This development is vital. It provides the utionary troops crushing the Soviet Republic The unionism of the of is a have broken down miserably.
opportunity of measuring the movement, shackle upon the militant movement of the But this decision must be considered toof testing its values, of developing that revworkers. Its form of organization splits the gether witli another fact: Reports are olutionary consciousness and consistent workers in fragmants; and, morever, action necessary to rally the proletariat for that the Peaee Conference has come to an of unionism assures control of the union agreement with the imperialistic Socialist by the clique of bureaucrats. The most vital Labor Party of real Communist understandGovernment of Germany providing that a the Communist cause.
fact in the labor movement at this moment German army of 200, 000 troops shall assume is the tendency of the organized workers ing, is a fact, and particularly the comrades That there are elements in the Communist the offensive against Petrograd and Moscow, in an effort to crush the Soviet power. It develop a unionism that will respond to the to break thed omination of the officials, to of the Pacific Coast. But it is equally a fact is doubtful whether Germany will do this, that these comrades have the opportunity of mass impulse of the workers. The old union affiliating with the Communist Party. They since the Ebert Government requires the troops to crush a potential German revolu incompetent on the problems of the prole feld Wagenknecht Centrists, and by the ism is in decay, has proven itself utterly are now being mislead by the Lore Kattertion.
Moreover nothing is said or done about tariat. But here, in the steel industry, the ending the infamous blockade against RusA. of is imposing this reactionary Reed Carney emotionalists. But not for long: sia.
system upon the workers, the clear Communist Party call to action The Allies have not given up their schemes Syndicalist Foster!
will rally them to our Party, while the real to erush Soviet Russia; these sehemes will trusts. They are not necessarily simply orUnions are not necessarily simple job centrists will rejoin the Socialist Party.
assume a new form. Only the mass pressure gans of the struggle to increase the price munist. These revealed themselves at ChiThe Left Wing, in the course of its devof the proletariat will compel the end of the of the commodity labor power. They are not elopment, acquired elements not at all Comcampaign to crush the Communist Republie simply means of resistance against Capital. But they do not represent of Russia.
cago as Centrists, the real Independents.
Russia has repeatedly exposed the hypoe itant aetion, of the aggressive proletarian risy of the Allies. Under Czarism, Russia struggle against Capitalism. Industrial unthemselves. The movement is larger than much except moeked the Allies claim of waging war to liberate the small peoples imagine Czarism with the methods and policy of the old craft merge themselves in the movement must be cannot liberating oppressed peoples! Revolutionary unionism; and, if inspired with the revoluRussia is still more of a mockery of the The situation is clear. The Communist Allies elaim to be making the world safe tionary purpose, becomes a vital factor in the proletarian revolution.
assisted by the ism. The unions may become organs of milany individual; individuals who ionism is this sort of unionism, breaking brushed aside brutally and contemptuously.
Party represents the organized Communist sentiment of our country. Every real Communist will rally to its support.