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Page THE MILITANT December 1, 1928.
Trotsky Book and its Bourgeois Critics at which affair he says was printed ment.
a Lenin, Trotsky, Wolfe and We have been told many times counter revolutionthe worldre The Real Situation in Russia, by Leon Trotsky, Translated by Max Eastman, New York.
ctions with our own American revolutionary movemanner of expression common to literary people, you at bookstores or by mail postpaid Pomerated Company. 399 82. 00 will see that his ideas are essentially the same as ment in the days when scores and even hundreds IN this book, written by Trotsky at the height of those of the New York Times. He says: were being sent to prison, he could easily have his powers as a revolutionary fighter and thinker, Trotsky criticism, obviously overemphasized, will learned that the last nights of freedom for many of them going off to serve long sentences was ade is to be found, for the first time in English, the not convince those who are outside the struggle. His authentic platform of the Russian Opposition led repeated claims that he and not the Stalinites are true the occasion for parties in their honor to the tenets of Leninism will seem queer to the nonthe victims, and by him, there was no wailing by with and his annihilating reply to the five year equal orthodox. Indeed, why may not revolutionists of intelligence he could have passed off the whole campaign of calumny and falsification which has run unchecked and unanswered in the official Comauthority for Stalin be destroyed by pointing placene word juggler. however. to explain the humor munist press of the world.
to the fact that Lenin had little use for him.
This reply, after a silence of five years, consists in the imprisonment of George Andreytchine and Salutsky goes a step farther and deals a blow at scores of others who attempted to print the Platform stly of documentary proofs which completely shatter the edifice of lies and which cannot but make and exiling of the Oppositionists. He has made this sentimental nonsense about the ment of the Opposition which he legally, We might ask him for proof that the hundreds and official misrepresentation rub his eyes in wondereditorial defense of the blackjacking of Communists even thousands of Communist workers who were The last letters of Lenin which show that in the Amalgamated Clothing Workers union too expelled from the Party and simultaneously dehe foresaw the coming struggles and relied on Trot many times to have any squeamishness on this point. prived of employment for supporting the Opposition He writes: sky to defend his views contain information hitherto had obsoluteine article of Williams is reprinted no hard feelings about the matter.
The the mal unknown by our Party. This information is directly Trotsky resents the violence which the Stalin reg. liberal Nation by the Daily opposite to all we have been told.
ime employs against the Opposition, but Stalin did from the boeulogistic introduction in which the The other principle section of the book is the party, intolerant of even friedly criticism. Lenin did. editor, Robert Platform of the Russian Opposition prepared for Trotsky knows it, and he advanced the argument refers to Trotsky book counter revolutionary.
This, however, does not the Fifteenth Party Congress. Contrary to that violence can play an enormous role, but only under one condition that it is subordinated to true of itself make Trotsky case hopeless. It will be all Party procedure established under Lenin class policy. But is not Stalin ready to say that his remembered that Minor once wrote against leadership, the Platform was outlawed and is a true class policy?
using for his medium of expression the capitalist refused official publication. Oppositionists who atLet the apostles of violence against Communists press. Minor changed his mind a little about tempted to print it illegally were thrown into prison.
Lenin. Why should we not be optimists and trust It has never been published to this day by the Com study the writings of Salutsky. They can get some munist International or by any of its affiliated clever arguments from him. They will also find that he will also learn better in the case of Trotsky?
that this ally of Trotsky has a most unique way partie of supporting him: It is true that our Party, which had never seen it, voted against it unanimously as did the other Trotsky wishes the party preserved in its revolutionary virginity. He wishes it to remain a party of parties, but its validity remains unchanged by these no compromise, of no trading with capitalisin, the machine made votes. It is a document of Leninism enemy. Not so Stalin. He has his ear to the ground.
from the first word to the last. It is the platform He senses that the early revolutionary zeal is over.
The Forward on the basis of which alone the Communist Party of Not only the country is tired, the revolutionists themselves are. One may arouse their patriotism for the Soviet Union can solve its problems on the revself defense, but it would be difficult to move them In that monstrous swindle which the Party for olutionary path. The events themselves which have to a crusading march. Hence his theory of Socialism its own honor will yet repudiate, the booklet by been transpiring since the outlawing of the platform in one country. The Soviet State is a reality. Stalin Bertram Wolfe on The seeks to preserve it.
Significance for American 02 Opposition. Its the author at to this in louder and more insistent tones every day.
times that the Platform Finally there is the review of Trotsky book in tempts to prove that among the international allies the liberal Nation of November 14, 1928, by of the Russian Opposition is to be found the yellow of the Russian Opposition is Albert Rhys Williams, which does nothing but ex socialist Jewish Daily Forward. Such an attempt menshevik. social democratic. etc. But. pose Williams as a petty bourgeois philistine of the would undoubtedly meet with failure at the hands ary. of ordinary mortals, but for such an expert as Wolfe philistine retainers, appreciate it as such. Of course, solved into four simple truths. That the peasant Afte from the big bourgeoisie to to its petty bourgeois and staniese sort, For this mere journalist the it seemed to meet with practically no difficulty.
we have here an intrepid warrior who troversies in our ranks, and the jailing and exiting the struggle is one between individual leaders; that States, the United States Marine Corps, aye. the very Those who jailed and exiled them and those whose prin in Trotsky book have been battleships themselves, with one fell swoop of his best agit prop pen.
printed before in the Party press and not suppressed. to defend this infamous crime seek It is, fortunately, not difficult to find out just to prove thereby that Trotsky is identified with the. mnehebat the exiling, imprisonment and disemployment of Opposition workers and leaders is a jocular where the Forward stands. That can be discovered, imperialist enemies of Soviet Russia and their lac business which even the Opposition takes in the not by a perusal of Wolfe romancing to speak But if we turn to the columns of the bourgeois press to read their sober estimate of Trotsky Williams declares that the documents printed in politely but by clipping the Forward itself, its issue of Platform we find a different, and a highly instruc. Trotsky book were published and not outlawed or page 8, it has a leadidnesday, November 21, 1928, article by its feature writer, tive story. Dr. Hoffman. Hoffnian writes on The authentic organs of Big Capital put their cally American journalistic falschood. The Platform the expulsion of Cannon, Abern and Shachtman thumbs down on this platform. And that is not all.
of the Opposition was never, to this very day, printfrom the Party and greets it gleefully (just as every The little hangers on from the pale, sanitary New ed in the Russian or international Party press. For enemy of the Party will hail the removal from the Republic to the scavenging Jewish Daily Forward, proof of this turn to Imprecor. Vol. 7, No. 64, Party of its revolutionary fighters. from the bourgeois liberal Nation to the sex liberal published Nov. 17, 1927. There in a report of At the same time he is careful to disassociate himModern Quarterly all Stalin speech at the meeting which expelled Trot self from the political platform and proposals of the The New York Times, the most authoritative sky is a whole section which begins Why did we Russian Opposition. He writes, literally, as folspokesman of American imperialism, reiterating not print the well Platform of the Opposi lows: and ends These were the reasons which in an unsigned review of The Real Situation in compelled us to refuse the publication of the plat And let no one be suspicious that the opinions of Trotsky and his Opposition appeal to me.
Russia by Trotsky and Leninism by Stalin, on of the on more than one occation expressed the opinion that July 29, 1928: The section of Trotsky book dealing with the Trotsky program would be the greatest calamity for falsification of history by the official Soviet Russia. Because Trotsky program is a good has apparatus Back of Trotsky political grievance against Stalin is his personal grievance.
deal more Communistic than Stalin s; and if Soviet not been, and is not now printed anywhere in the Russia is in such a bad condition with Stalin reformWhen we turn from Trotsky to Stalin we find official Party press. The testament of Lenin, first ed Communist program, then how much greater would be the troubles in Soviet Russia if Trotsky coninstead of the feverish indignation of a disappointed denied as a forgery but now admitted to be genuine, man the calm and confident arguments of a practical was not printed anywhere in the Party press. In sistent Communist program would be adopted. executive who has had no difficulty in adjusting his theories to the daily emergencies of power.
short, 99 per cent of the material contained in this The position of the Fortoard is the position of the The publication of Trotsky book will doubtless book Winery and press of the they utilize, as they have done and will continue to has been either suppressed or out yellow social democracy everywhere. It is true that turn some American Communists from Stalinists into lawed Trotskians. But let us repeat, though it will not make the Comintern and its national sections.
do in every such situation, any and every difficulty Stalin a hero in the eyes of the sinful bourgeoisie it will probably cause them to rejoice that he and not So much for Williams attempt to convince the and difference of opinion that may exist in the Trotsky is exercising power in Moscow.
American Communists that they have already had Workers State and the ranks of the Communist adequate opportunity to study this material which movement. But on the question of the political conSo bays the big dog of American imperialism. Let has never been printed before. But it is in his tent of Trotsky platform, the Forward has been us now turn to the New Republic which contains treatment of the persecution and violence against and is following the lead of the New York Times a review of Trotsky book in its issue of November the Opposition that he reaches the lowest depths of and the other authentic organs of the big bourgeoisie from the pen of the well known Hardman philistinism. According to this shallow feature who have nothing but condemnation and hatred (Salutsky. the literary henchman of the labor writer the whole thing was a comradely joke, ac for it.
who rule the Amalgamated Clothing Work. companied by merriment on all sides. He recites Wolfe attempt to identify the Forward with crs Communists. We were assured onli expulsion of that the comrades of one victimized Oppositionist Trotsky is of a piece with his whole compendium of by black jack and revolyer. and the other day gave him a party on the eve of his departure. For falsehood. Lying about Trotsky, an occupation safe in the Statement of the that we would be able Williams this is proof that exile is a happy event.
to rely on the full support of Selutsky in our fight real old time Russian vecherinka, says this tion, becomes highly dangerous now that the means enough when there were no opportunities for refutafor the platform of the Russian Opposition. But trifling dilettante. According to him the revolu for the latter are at hand. The sooner Wolte, who Salutsky seems to have different ideas. In fact, it tionist who does not whine under punishment does is known for speed, runs away from this danger you make allowances for the differences of style and not feel it. If he had utilized his literary conne the better it will be for him.
occupation it keys typi Zivion do the same.
known have by the