SOCIALIST APPEAL October 2, 1937 Spain and the Coming World War Civil War May Be Completely Transformed Into Imperialist Conflict masses be an weighing these.
In an article published in last weaken imperialism and because By James Burnham Negrin. And they will do so. inter imperialist conflicts, is apweek issue of the Appeal, the road to the proletarian revoMarxists, on the direct con parent during these last months, discussed the possibility that the lution in the colonies and backtrary, are against all intervention and corresponds closely to the new imperailist war might grow ward nations lies through resis terial support is subordinate to by capitalist governments in the growingly reactionary character by a series of gradual stages out tance to the imperialist oppress political support of the People Spanish struggle, and for work of the Valencia regime internally.
of present (Ethiopian, Spanish, ors.
Front government. Since the ing class aid only. If England The inter imperialist conflicts Chinese. and future armed Marxists, consequently support People Front government is a and France should intervene on a could become dominant not mereconflicts on the world arena, Ethiopia against Italy, and sup. bourgeois government and thus large scale, if the Spanish strug. ly through war, but, for example, without any sharp gulf between port China against Japan. ultimately counter revolutionary gle should thus be transformed through large scale intervention peace and war, and without in nature, political support of into an inter imperialist formal declaration of war by Fascism and Democracy such a government war, by England and France either is political Marxists explain that under such independently or through the the great powers.
Even more obviously, in the treachery; it is, as the Barcelona circumstances, the dominant League; or by a sell out deal by It should be emphasized that it case of a civil war which is not events proved, not support of the character of the Spanish strug. Valencia with Franco engineered is only a possibility that am a mere palace intrigue or mili Spanish workers but defense of gle would be entirely changed along the lines long ago suggestonly the very realistic criterion ists support the side of the work the workers and the revolution, be subordinated to its aspect as these circumstances, the same number ofers pula gainst the armed forces of the great the side of straightforward reac struggle, entailing for a period imperialist allies of the Valen tion of struggle of the workers in the conclusion would hav Marxists support the Loyalist one episode or phase inter imperailist conflict. The drawn by Marxists: the continuapowers in the field fighting tion. They do against cach other, can test the case of an outright civil war against Franco, in order to aid cia government would be entering for their own interests and for whether or not the war has be for proletarian power (tragically the Spanish workers and to pre armed conflict only for their own the socialist revolution would be gun. By this criterion the war rare in history. but likewise pare the ground for the definitive imperialist interests, and the come incompatible with any attihas not begun. None of the great when the class struggle assumes victory of workers power, thus Valencia government would be tude even of temporary tolerapowers is yet at war, with the other forms: e. the form of an for the overthrow of that same in every respect subordinated to tion or defense of the People exception of Japan; and Japan armed struggle between bourgeois government. The reformists sup those interests. At that time, to Front regime; that regime would rialist war, but in a war against Marxists support the struggle of order to defend capitalism against actuality be to fight to defend regime of Franco and from the is engaged not in an inter impe democracy and fascism. Thus, port the government precisely in fight loyally, to fight to win, in have become indistinguishuble, the semi colonial country, China. the Loyalist The extent of Italian and German against Franco. They do make fascism, to betray the workers one set of imperialist interests imperialist regime which conoperations in Spain is not enough a distinction between the regime and ta prepare the ground for the as against another. The worker. trolled it. This situation has not to constitute war in the full sense of Caballero or Negrin, on the complete liquidation of the revo then, could defend their own in yet been reached, and it would.
from the point of view of Italy one side, and Franco on the lution. This is the harsh reality. terests only by struggling, in be altogether false to anticipate or Germany; their troops in other. Their tactics, with respect In order to bolster up their every possible way, against the it in action. The way for the Spain are expeditionary to Franco government and case not merely Franco but also war, in Spain and in all countries. Spanish workers is still to beat force. not national armies. armies, advocate defeatism, sab Hitler and Mussolini are making Marxists would go over to a Franco, which now means tighting otage, boycott of supplies, etc. war against the legitimate de position of defeatism with respect loyally in the Valencia armies, England Position the tactics with respect to Ca mocratic government of Spain; to the Loyalist armies, since only without any confidence at all in ballero Negrin advocate none of and that therefore all peace such a position would correspond the People Front and its governThe great fact against the possibility have loving democratic People should with the changed character of ments, and preparing politically The tactics of the Marxists unite to resist the mad dogs of the struggle itself.
for the establishment of workers been discussing is, of course, the toward the Spanish events flow Nazism and Fascism, the ag; position of England this along from their eonclusion Dangers of Spain power which alone will carry the that the gressor nations Germany and war to a successful conclusion in with the fear of revolution by dominant character of the Italy. It happens to be false that This change in the struggle, the interests of the masses. But all of the powers. England is not struggle is that of civil war, in Germany and Italy are making its complete subordination to the if the workers ready for war, and seeks not merely in sequentely to delay outbreak.
form of war between bourgeois war against Valencia (though if inter imperialist is Spain but on a world scale, are England may succeed in keeping democracy and fascism, in sub true it would not at all alter the possible even short of its trans not to be caught in the web of toward the formation into imperialist war on social patriotism later on, the the Spanish and Chinese events workers and peasants of their Spanish events. but the falsity a grand scale. In fact, the growing political preparation must also sufficiently localized to prevent rights and positions against the of this contention their spread into general war; certain annihilation of these by sinister aspect. Let us examine aspects of the Spanish struggle outcomes, which, from all indicaand may even achieve temporary the victory of Franco. Though further. solutions for them. Even then, as a civil war, to its reactionary tions, are neither far off nor unhowever, there are already France the Spanish struggle, from the The Call for Government aspects as an episode in the likely.
Action the boiling point. It is almost beginning it has also had as Dr. Schmalhausen UNSER WORT inconceivable that an analogue war of aggression against a backsecondary aspects. a) that of a The conclusion that the StalinBrilliant and Witty Lecturer of the Spanish conflict. occurring ward nation by Italy and Ger ists and reformists The attention of comrades draw from In a New Series of Lectures in France by no means unlikely, familiar with the German Friday, October 1st at p.
even in the comparatively near the world wide inter imperialist Italy are at war with Valencia many. b) that of an episode in their argument that Germany and nser The World Shaking language is called to future. could remain within Wort. the official paper of French national boundaries.
Crisis in Radicalismconflict, which conflict is destined is not, primarily, that independthe German Section of the 4th to issue in world imperialist war. ent working class action should Reform or RevolutionInternational.
The key importance of under. It is in spite of (b) and in spite be taken against them, but Which?
standing this possibility and of the bourgeois coalition govern that governmental action by the Admission 50 cents Comrades wishing to subof preparing for it is seen in ment which heads Loyalist Spain democratic powers should be Questions and Discussion scribe to the paper, or to receive bundle orders should use this: that the attitude of Marx politically that Marxists support taken against the aggressor The Thomas Paine Society ism toward inter imperailist war the Loyalist struggle against nations. Collective action the following address for com88 Seventh Avenue South is basically different from its Franco, that they fight to win the democratic nations is the munications: Greenwich Village, attitude toward other in the Loyalist armies, that they password; action by the governJean Meichler, 11 (7th Avenue Subway to kinds of war. Marxism shows send aid to the Loyalist workers ments assembled in the League Christopher Street)
218 Rue des Pyrenees that the coming imperialist war, and soldiers even at the risk that of Nations or on the basis of the Send For Free Programs Paris (20e. France like the War of 1914 18, will be a such aid, controlled the govern Kellog Pact, or through the struggle of two coalitions of the ment, will in part be used against Non Intervention Committee, or great powers over the division the workers, that they attempt the Nyon Conference the meANNOUNCING the new of the spoils. colonies, to boycott aid to Franco and to chanism chosen is incidental.
In spheres of influence, means of agitate for a defeatist position this country precisely the same exploitation. From the point of in his ranks.
conception leads to a demand view of both sides, it will be a essentially the same; invocation PARTISAN REVIEW reactionary and decadent war, Two kinds of Support of the Neutrality Act against no matter now it may be dressed Germany and Italy, advocated up under slogans of resist the The Marxists give such support alike by Browder, Thomas, Walda Marxist literary monthly aggressor. defend democracy. the Loyalist struggle for their man, and the Socialist Call reappearing November, 1937 against fascism defend the own reasons. they give it in What is the meaning of this? or what not. Marxism absolute independence of the Put simply and bluntly, the therefore advocates in the coming Loyalist government itself and Stalinists and reformists are deINDEPENDENT and EXPERIMENTAL: politicwar as in the last war, a position of all bourgeois governments; manding war, imperialist war, ally independent of all parties and groups, providing of defeatism with respect to both they give no political support and agreeing in advance to supsides and all the espective whatever to the People Front port it. Their entire international a forum for a free discussion of critical problems governments, with the exception government; they defend the propaganda in connection with and for new tendencies in creatire writing.
of the Soviet Union. The masses rights and conquests of the work the Spanish events has, in fact, have nothing to gain from victory ers against the government; and been consistently social patriotic, Publishing fiction, poetry; critical essays and reviews on either side.
by their propaganda they prepare and is merely a rehearsal for the But Marxism supports, in the politically for the overthrow of betrayal to the new war on literature, the theater, movies and the arts; artiAnd present era, the armed struggles the government and the victory their position could result in nothcles of a general cultural character; editorials and of colonies and backward nations of a workers regime when a de ing else: they support, politically communications.
against their imperialist oppress cisive section of the Spanish and materially, the Valencia govors, Politically, of course, in the masses shall have been won to ernment, and defend politically Edited by: DUPEE, DWIGHT MacDONALD, MARY of colonies or backward the program of workers power. and materially democratic capinations as in the case of every Such support and such support talism against fascist aggression, McCARTHY, GEORGE MORRIS, WILnation, Marxism supports only only is the road to the revolution whether by Franco, Hitler or LIAM PHILLIPS, PHILIP RAHV.
the revolutionary program and in Spain.
Mussolini. If allies come inits adherents. But materially it The Stalinists, social democrats, England, say, or France to aid supports the struggle of the and other types of reformists and in defending Valencia and in PARTISAN REVIEW colony or background nation as social patriots also support the attaking Hitler and Mussolini, such, and rejects the conception Loyalist struggle, but their sup they can only welcome this with 22 East 17th St. 00 a year of defeatism in these cases. It port is at the opposite pole from open arms, and support these New York, does so because these struggles that of the Marxists. Their ma allies just as they support of many over case 25c copy