March 15, 1929.
THE MILITANT Page March 15, 1929.
Page THE MILITANT The Civil War in Mexico Who Supports Trotsky. Minneapolis is More on Counter revolution United Front with Trotsky Leading in the Weekly Drive 1929. never a very ance urges In the previous issue of The Militant we printed tinuing the Communist tactics of the years of a series of comments by the bourgeois, the fascist, bloom of the Comintern, about preparing themthe social democratic and the anarchist press on the selves to make the world revolution, about mainexile of Trotsky from the Soviet Union. We proved taining the revolutionary purity and proletarian conclusively that the reactionary and anti labor character of Communism, Trotskyism is certainpress of all shades is AGAINST Trotsky and the ly dead. Trotskyism is dead because true ComRussian Opposition. The quotations we printed munism about which Trotsky and his comrades gave the lie complete to the declarations in the dream, is dead. This true Communism was Stalinite press that the bourgeoisie and the yellow nothing more than a passing phenomenon which social democracy is in alliance with Trotsky or had to disappear, a result of the post war dessupports him in any way. The Stalinite press the pair and chaos, which could not last very long.
Daily Worker, Freiheit, etc. still fail to print ex Inasmuch as Trotskyism is the yearning to recerpts from the judgment of the bourgeoisie on turn to true Communism it is nothing more than the controversy in the Russian Party and the In the dream of a handful of hopeless romanticists ternational. Below we publish a few additional who look upon the world through blind eyes and comments which add further proof to our conten ean in no way understand that the treason of tion that Trotsky and the Opposition are fighting the Stalinists was forced upon the Communist for Bolshevism, and that the enemies of the Com movement by objective reality. February 9, munist movement oppose him and lean upon Stalin and the opportunists.
These words have a familiar ring. Apparently The New York Daily News, owned by the arch we have heard them on a similar occasion and in a reactionary Chicago Tribune the voice of the open different place. To be sure. Practically the same shop International Harvester and the most rabid thoughts, dressed up in a bit of Stalinite war paint, imperialist jingoes, published an editorial entitled appear regularly in the editorial and news columns That Squawk Trotsky of the Freiheit. peculiar united front, indeed. Stalin worked along with Lenin and Trotsky and it is not the only form that the new united in the first wild years following the Russian front tactic of the Stalinites from below and Revolution. Gradually he acquired power. Lenin above! assumes.
died. Stalin formed his own ideas of government, and they disagreed with Trotsky ideas In Germany, the Stalinites are in a close united front with the fascists, monarchists, nationalists in several important respects. Stalin is moderate, a bit of a compromiser; Trotsky is the wingand anti semites to prevent Trotsky from coming tip feather on the left wing of Communism. to Germany at all costs. The Party fraction in the Now Stalin is master in a Russia which Reichstag has introduced an amendment to the begins to realize that even that monster, capitgovernment proposed law on the right of asylum alism, has something to proletarian dicfor political refugees. The amendment calls for tatorship. In January of last year he and his refusal to grant the right of asylum to anyone political mac! Ine felt that the time was ripe for whose objective is the overthrow of the regime in the bouncing of the extremists. Numerous exthe Soviet Union. Who is to decide what persons tremists were accordingly bounced, landing in come under that category? The Stalin faction and secluded spots in Siberia and Central Asia. its German agents. Upon whose head is this deci Trotsky was among them. He has finally won to the neutral city of Trotsky and any other supporter of the Leninist Constantinople, and it is from there that he Opposition who is exiled from Russia and requests sends up these squawks.
in Germany. It is hard to take Trotsky seriously. He was It must be remembered that Berlin is filled with and is the icading Communist preacher of the White Guards, Russian monarchists, Mensheviks, doctrine of force to the uttermost, the ruthless Social Revolutionaries, anarchists and other coun stamping it of any one or anything hostile to ter revolutionary elements. They maintain organithe politic and economic tenets of Marxism. zations and publish papers there, unmolested. The Now Stal: has turned Trotsky doctrines on Stalinites do not raise any hue and cry against Trotsky.
them. They do not demand that these genuine But stead of resigning himself to the counter revolutionaries be expelled from the coun march of events, which is one of his favorite try. Of course not. They are too busy demanding expressior. Trotsky moans and groans. It is the head of the Russian Opposition. Their whole rather as if a pickpocket should run into a police activity of defending the Soviet Union is centered station and demand the arrest of an intended around their shameful campaign against comrade victim wło had bruised his business arm. Trotsky and his friends. Trotsky will never know it, but the true explanation of his fate is that the old religion of It is an old axiom that when a group begins to Leninism simply will not work. The Russians fight against the revolutionary elements, it soon must get back to bourgeois trading in order to finds itself being supported by the worst enemies give the average Russian an incentive to work.
of the working class. The fight of the Stalinites (March 2, 1929. Our emphasis. against the Russian Opposition has led them closer The Daily News is joined in the united front of and closer to the camp of capitulation and comprothe Stalinite and bourgeois press by the yellow mise. There is nothing surprising in the fact that gutter weekly of the Jewish Federation of the Soa common fear of Trotsky presence in Germany cialist Party, Der Wecker. Its editor writes as folunites the fascisti and nationalists with the Stalin ites in a mad campaign against his entry.
lows. Nevertheless the Communist press is not entirely wrong when it assures us that TrotskyYOUNGSTOWN MEETING ism is dead. Insofar as Trotskyism is orthodox, meeting to protest against the deportation of pure Communism it is certainly dead. Insofar Trotsky from the will be held in as the tiny handful of true Trotskyists dream Youngstown, Ohio, on Sunday, March 31st, 1929 about returning to true Communism, about conat P. in the afternoon at the Labor Lyceum, 307 No. Walnut St. Among the speakers are Leo Glazer and John Brahtin of Cleveland. Admission is 25 cents and the meeting is under the auspices of the militant Workers Club.
asylum The Minneapolis group of the Opposition Communists took the lead in the campaign for a 2, 000 fund to establish The Militant as a weekly with a contribution of 206 collected from the members and sympathizers of the Opposition in the Twin Cities.
Vincent Dunne, who is in charge of the Minneapolis Campaign Committee, writes as follows. We are sending you with this letter a check for 206. and we wish to assure you that this is but the first installment of the amount for which we feel responsible as the pioneers of the Opposition in Dist. We are proceeding in an organized manner to the collection of funds and with which have been provided by the comrades at the Center, we feel that the amount which has been set as the first objective should be in the hands of the comrades in very short time. The developments at the Party Convention, as well as the developments Internationally, indicate that our tasks are of treinendous proportions. The Weekly Militant MUST be established with the least possible delay.
Maurice Spector sends 30 collected by the Toronto group as the first installment on their quota of the 2, 000 fund for the Weekly.
Chicago, which has pledged a quota of 500, sends 20. 50, making a total of 120 for the fund up to date.
The New York group at its last meeting voted to accept a quota of 500 and to concentrate on the work for the Weekly until this sum is raised 10. 75 was collected by the Hungarian group at a small dinner on March 9th. All comrades are now working with the lists.
The Cleveland and Detroit groups have also reported the beginning of activities for the Weekly Fund, and responses from the lists mailed out to individuals are coming in.
Reports on the campaign are still awaited from Boston, Kansas City, New Haven, Phil.
adelphia and other active groups of the VauThe above reports show that the Campaign for the Weekly Militant our most important action at the moment and the basis for our future work is now getting under way in full swing Its results will be a test of the seriousness of the Opposition Communists in their fight for the preservation of the Communist move ment; it will be a a guage of their fighting capacity for the great battles that lie ahead. victory in this campaign will have the greatest bearing on the consolidation and strengthening of the Communist Opposition.
The action of the Party Convention in ignoring our Appeal, in disregarding all the principle questions before the movement and in occupying itself the whole time with the squaesity of sharpening the fight.
over offices, only demonstrates the by The Opposition Conimunists must equip themselves to deal heavier hammer blows against the bureaucrats of both factions. The Veekly Militant will be our weapon for this United, determined and energetic work to establish the Weekly Militant!
Let this be the slogan of the hour.
Amount necessary to establish the Weekly 2, 000. 00 Total received to date 382. 00 progressive role the Calles regime is to play. when it is certain that its role will be an even more reactionary one in the future. the ComVIVIL war, the bittermunists should root out these illusions. Otherwise Cielona nebe biter at the tail of the MexiBy Max Shachtman can bourgeoisie, continues it will never rise higher than playing the role of surrection of De la Huerta in 1923, is sweeping to be dominated by uncertainty and lack of inde a loyal opposition from the Left to the Mexican over Mexico. On the part of the rebels it is an pendence or knowledge of goal. The aim of the bourgeois democracy.
attempt to revive the rule of the military cliques Mexican Party in the present situation was pre The Mexican Party is if reports in the Party and generals, allied with the reactionary feudal adopted by the Mexico City sented and Congress. The goal of this confer and clerical interests, dominating the country and trade union press are to be relied upon by no means an is.
olated sect. Weisbord reports that extorting tribute at the pistol point from the bulk ence, writes Weisbord in his reports, was the of the people. The militarists hope to anticipate democratic dictatorship of the workers and peas the Party has taken the initiative and actually leads the presidential clections in November with a suc ants, and they practically said so in so many all mass movements which have described in my several articles, published before, movements which cessful uprising that will install them in the posi words. Daily Worker, February 19, 1929. have a minimum of 500, 000 actual adherents. The tion of dictators.
population of Mexico is only a little more than The democratic dictatorship of workers and peas.
The Calles Gil regime is just as determined to 14, 000, 000. The Party not only leads the suppress the uprising of the reaction in the interants is bourgeois democracy in revolt against feud Workers and Agrarian Toilers Permanent Political Bloe, it not only leads the new trade union move alism and the slogan of the bourgeois revolution.
ests of bourgeois Order. They stand for the ments in Mexico, but when matters come to more regular processes of capitalist democracy updet triumphed in Mexico. Its representatives, now direct and open clasbes with the governmental and which the native bourgeoisie will have the oppor control the Mexican government.
imperialistic forces, when the matter takes the form tunity to develop peacefully as a stepchild of of a civil war, the Mexican without a doubt cratic Calles Gil regime has already demonstrated will be in the leadership as well. Daily Worker, their American imperialist masters.
United States imperialism is for peace in Mex seeking to regiment the workers into semi governits anti labor character by suppressing strikes and February 27, 1929. ico. That is why Hoover and Kellogg are giving mental, semi fascist unions. It has failed to carry In addition, according to Weisbord, El Machete, the undisguised support of the American govern the Party organ, has a circulation closer to 175, 000 ment to the Federals. They want no elements that out agrarian reforms in the interests of the peas.
than 15, 000. But now that matters have taken will upset the halcyon equilibrium in which the antry. It has followed a policy of abject servility the form of a civil war, the Mexican is not United States has enrolled Mexico into its imperialto the American imperialists. in the leadership as well. And the Party will ist domain whether these elements are represent The perspective of a proletarian struggle for in the leadership of the struggle if ed by reactionary militarist cliques or a rebellious power in Mexico which alone can complete the continues to follow its present line. All of its democratic revolution under workers rule is there working class and peasantry. Those who elected agitation for a workers and peasants government fore postponed for an indefinite period by the will be meaningless if it continues to be under: Hoover want the enforced peace under which the workers and peasants of Mexico can be exploited tatorship. It means to transform the Calles Gill stood as a fight for the democratic dictatorship, to the maximum with the least possibility of resistthat is, for real bourgeois democracy.
regime into the rallying center of the democratic on their part.
revolution with a cort of moderate pressure from The work of the Communist Party of Mexico The Mexican government will undoubtedly suc the Left (the workers and peasants) that labors and the interests of the proletarian revolution will ceed in suppressing the uprising. The reaction, which does not possess any progressive social basis still a great progressive role to play in the struggle with the dangerous, reactionary idea of a Workers and Peasants Party, the first steps toward which against reaction and foreign imperialist oppression.
which has, in addition, the powerful support of The Workers and the American imperialists. Further, the Catholic Therein also lies the weakness of the Mexican have already been taken.
Party manifesto on the civil war. When it Agrarian Toilers Permanent Politica Bloc which reaction is by no means as firmly behind the up that the workers and peasants be armed, it ad.
the Party has forn is another for a Wor rising as it was in previous attempts. It is known dresses this appeal to Gil and Calles as the leaders kers and Peasants Party. Workers and Peasants the rebels, was most active in suppressing the literally: of the struggle against reaction. The appeal reads dictator: hip of the proletariat and peasantry, will Catholics as chief of police in Mexico City under surely lead to a repetition on a smaller scale of Calles, and that General Escobar was similar This is the situation today, and the working class the debacle of the Comintern with the Kuo Minly occupied only a short time ago. It may be that and peasants, therefore, must act torthwith as follows: Tang in China.
the clericals will take advantage of the tumult to It must demand from the Executive federal power, and all the local power, that all available arms gain ground, but the religious element is less of a No progress will be made by the Mexican Com.
and military equipment be turned over immediately factor in the present struggle than at almost any munist Party toward the proletarian revolutionary to the workers and peasant organizations which, to goal unless it proceeds from the premise of un other previous time.
gether with the federal forces who remained loyat yielding antagonism to the idea so prevalent in At the same time, however, the disorganization to the government, shall insure protection to the ter.
and shift of forces attendant upon every war, gives ritories and cities attacked by the reactionary troops.
the Comintern of recent years of a single Party (Our emphasis. in which two classes, the proletariat and the petty the proletariat and the peasantry added possibilities To arm the workers and peasants for the purbourgeoisie (peasantry) are merged. Such a course position of their class enemy. The relation of pose of fighting together with the federal forces ship of the proletariat over the peasantry. it leads does not lead to the establishment of the leader Communist Party and the revolutionary proletariat a popular defense corps for the bourgeoisie of inevitably to the domination of the petty bourgeois unusual opportunities.
Mexico and nothing more. It means at best that the class interests of the peasantry who already out What shall be the attitude and activity of the Communists must wait until the so called number the proletariat three or four times in the victory if above mentioned Permanent (9) Bloc. Only over reaction, e. the insurrectionary, militarists, the proletariat, organized separately and indepen Communist Party, which is the only force that can lead the proletariat and peasantry on the correct is assured before proceeding against the bourgeoisie dently on a class basis, leads the peasantry will it class road?
It means the resurrection in Mexico of the in Up to now, unfortunately, the Mexican Com famous united national front of the of be able to prevent the latter from becoming the China subordinated to Chiang Kai Shek Co. instrument of the bourgeoisie against the revolumunist Party not to speak of the Party in the United States has followed a confused and in which led inevitably to the victory of the counter correct policy. The Party is still affected with the revolution. For when the Mexican bourgeoisie, The line followed by the Mexican Party has wrong policies followed for the past few years. supported by American imperialism, has accom hampered its development but it is of ourse far In 1927, the Commumist Party put up no presiden plished its victory over militarist reaction they will from fatal. The present civil war, despite its rel: tial late but supported Obregon without con at the same time have so strengthened their own atively short duration offered the Party splendid ditions as against the reactionaries Gomez and position that they will be able to establish Order, opportunities for setting the masses into motion to deal with the menace from the Left, that along the revolutionary road. There will still be was based on the desire to build a strong native is, the workers and peasants. To postpone the numerous opportunities in the future, if the Party bourgeoisie having the the support of the petty struggle against the Calles regime, as has been the succeeds in correcting its policy. The Calles Gil bourgeoisie and a time worn policy of the Mexican Party, until it regime can establish Order not merely by de(The Communist, August September 1927. In all has fortified itself with even greater security than feating the militarist and clerical reaction but by critical moments, the Communist Party continued it now possesses is to abandon the very idea of a the violent suppression of the workers and peas.
to give practically unconditional support to the struggle for power for an indefinite period. Natur bourgeois government of Calles and later Gil. It ally, it is not a question here of the Communist yellow reformist was scuttled is an inseems that all Calles had to do to insure himself Party of Mexico calling the proletariat and peas dication of the lengths to which the Mexican against any attacks from the Communists was to antry to rise in revolution for the immediate estab: bourgeoisie will go to themselves and their send a meaningless, phrase filled telegram to the lishment of workers This depends entire American imperialist masters of a smocith, un headquarters of the Anti Imperialist League which ly on the development of the situation, the relation disturbed course in the exploitation of the masses.
immediately advertized him as a militant warrior of forces, and the circumstances. The question The coming struggles in Mexico will advance the against American imperialism. As late as February here is one of line, perspective and action, interests of the masses to the extent that the Comof this year, the representatives of the Trade Union It is necessary that the Communist Party of munist Party is able to make the existence of the Educational League to the the Left Wing Mexican trade union center, Albert and peasants that the Calles masses of workers bourgeois regime precarious, and, finally, impos.
Congress that organized Mexico Mexico should point out to the sible.
Weisbord, presented Gil regime, whose pro gressive role is ended, can not solve the problems The class conscious workers of the United States which no mention made of the foremost neces.
will follow events in Mexico with the keenest in sity of a relentless struggle against the Calles Gil repeated daily that the present government is the terest. Upon the revolutionaries here devolves the regime as a strike breaking agency functioning in agent of American imperialism and the native task of sabotaging and undermining all attempts The Mexican Party, it is true, forsaw the present workers and peasants of Mexico. The Party should against a genuinely revolutionary Mexico. Our civil war. But the line it proposed in its thesis emphasize that the proletariat leading the alliance warmest support goes to the Mexican fighters who of a few months ago, and the line contained in its with the peasantry must aim to seize power and are the pioneers of the final victory, feeling their appeal to the workers and that the chief obstacle in this path is the American way to the correct path, fighting with courage, one day after the militarist peasants on March 5, while liberated dominated, bourgeois, Calles Gil regime. Instead and assured of the triumphant future of the toiling to a certain extent from the policy of following of fostering illusions among the masses as to the guard.
tion.
insure THE MILITANT CABARET AND DANCE Arranged by the Proletarian Dramatic Club for the benefit of a program of me of 11 point Published twice a month by the Opposition Group in the Communist Party of America Address all mail to: Box 120, Madison Square Station, New York, Publishers address at 340 East 19th Street, New York, Telephone: Gramercy 3411.
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Editor Associate Editors Martin Abern James Cannon Max Shachtman Maurice Spector VOL. II.
MARCH 15, 1929.
No. The Militant Proletar Organs of the Communist Opposition SATURDAY EVENING, MARCH 23, 1929.
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masses.