August 9, 1919 THE COMMUNIST Page Seven Continued from Page first charge is that the Socialists of Michigan sought to get into the limelight by being the first to call for a Communist Party. Now the truth is that the members of the Emergency Convention in Detroit sought to avoid that very thing.
Of course, being the first state to be expelled by the Socialist Party, Michigan logically had the right to issue such a call. And there was some sentiment in the aforesaid Emergency Convention in favor of the immediate organization of a Communist Party. But the consensus of opinion was that Michigan should not pose as the founder of the Communist Party, but should prepare a tentative call which should not be made public until after being sumbitted to the Left Wing Conference, the plan being that the the Call should not be by a mere state, but by a nationally representative Conference. So the delegates from Michigan, far from being arrogant, actually preferred to remain somewhat in the background, and take the comparatively modest position of supporters of a National Call. Had they issued the call before referring it to the Left Wing Conference, and then baldly invited the Conference to endorse it, there would have been some reason for charging arrogance.
However, there was another point that worried certain leaders of the Majority still more. The Michigan call was worded in such a way that if the Left Wing Conference refused its endorsement, and slavishly insisted on remaining a mere Left Wing of the old Socialist Party, the call for a new party was nevertheless to be issued anyhow. To the self appointed leaders of the Left, such determination to pass upon their counsels, and disregard them should they prove reactionary, seemed the height of impudence. Why! they shrieked, these arrogant members from Michigan are going to call for a new party whether we want them to or not!
Well, why not? It was not inconceivable that the Left Wing should adopt a dilly dallying policy of much talk and little deed, a policy of attempting to remain within the old party at any cost and at the same time making the loudest protestations of Bolshevism. And this is precisely what happened.
To such a policy the Socialist Party of Michigan was from the start firmly opposed. For them no compromise was possible. Even though the Left Wing were willing thus to mark time in the wake of the Right, as one delegate expressed it, Michigan was determined not to sanction any such stand. Hence the announcement on the floor of the convention that, in the event the Conference refused, while working to capture the August 30 convention, to endorse provisionally the call for a September convention, the call of Michigan for a new party convention would be sent out without such endorsement.
As it happened, a substantial minority of the convention, including those from Michigan, were so dissatisfied with the action of the Majority that they finally withdrew in a body, met separately, drew up a Call and Manifesto which, being tentatively concurred in by the Michigan delegates, thereby superseded the Michigan Call as a national organization manifesto, inasmuch as it is representative of the nation rather than a state, and is now before the Socialist rank and file as a tentative basis for Communist Party organization.
But what has happened to the charge of arrogance? Gone; gone with the dying Left Wing.
THE LETTISH SOVIETS Today the session of the there is information at hand to ing class has not triumphed, tions to us to participate in Central Executive Committee the effect that the agreement owing to the support offered by peace negotiations at some unof Latvia was held. The com with Sweden and Finland re the German and Allied forces known island in the Sea of missars present read the re garding joint action against the to the provisional government Marmora, to which we cannot ports of their activity and the Bolsheviki, proposed by the Li of the agriculturist Ulman and even find our way except in situation in each department. thua. jan Esthonian bourgeois, speculator Walter, who find cages or closed trains of the The Commissar of Interior has not been realized. True, no support in the masses of the Allies, we get the news about Lenzman stated that the Soviet negotiations in this respect are people; for already during the the agreements among Sweden, Government at the present still on between Sweden and elections to the Constituent As Finland and England to land a moment has been put on a firm Finland, but there is hope that sembly, as well as to the local Swedish dessant on the coast basis, and there are no count the Russian position will tri county Soviets and city dumas of Latvia, with the understander revolutionary attempts in umph in Finland. As regards with the universal, suffrage of ing that in return they are, the country. In the Courland the situation in Germany, Com. the Kerensky regime they re during the division of the part of Latvia sporadic strug Stushka said that in accordance ceived 10 per cent of all the world, to get a protectorate gle is still going on, but there with data on hand, the Ger votes, whereas our candidates, over the Baltic provinces.
At the same time, the socialis hope that normal order will man revolution is going for e. the candidates of the comist German government soon be established. The re ward in great strides. The sit munist party of Latvia, receiv brandishes its weapons before presentative of the Riga Soviet uation there is better than the ed two thirds of all the votes, us, under the laughable pretand the Commissar of Finances rumors spread here through despite the fact that from the ext that the Lettish troops made a report on commercial the German newspapers would centers, as early as in 1915, for threaten to attack the remexchange with Russia, which at indicate. The Scheidemann military considerations, the nants of Prussian militarism.
the present moment is com Government, said Com. Stush most conscious section of the The new Soviet Government pletely organized. It is expect ka, lives under the constant workers had been drawn away. of independent Latvia, formed ed that not later than next threat of invasion of our troops Indeed, out of the eleven mem through the will of the workweek the first shipment of into German territory. The ex bers of the Soviet Government ing people of Latvia, and rebread from Russia will arrive tent of this fear can be judged of Latvia, six are members of elected at the congress of the in sixty trains, in exchange for from the fact that we recently the Russian Constituent As Soviets of the united Latvia, aswhich Latvia sends plows, received a request from Ger sembly, the others members of sembled in the number of 705 shovels, scythes, iron pails and many, that in case of our move the Riga city council, delegates, Jan. 13 15. For the various agricultural imple ment westward, we should not In Libau we are opposed short period of its existence it ments to Russia.
cross the frontier, but take a mainly by the German steel di proved that in reality it is not The chairman of the Soviet neutral zone. Com. Stushka visions, having for their object only supported by the majority of People Commissars. thinks that there is no force in to carry away all stolen goods of the population, but that it Stushka, made a report on the the world which might arrest at the first opportune moment, begins successfully the reconexternal situation of Latvia, the spread of communist ideas. contending that they are un struction on socialistic princiwhich, in his opinion, has improved a great deal within the The Soviet Government Note lawful. under the Brest Litovsk ples on the ruins received as an treaty, which has been annul inheritance from the imperialTo The Government of past week. At the present led, requisition of food and ist war. The higher level of Latvia.
time, said Comrade Stushka, other property; and in Windau, culture of the working popula there has evidently occurred By a series of uprisings of where this plunder on the part tion of Latvia, in city and vila sharp change in the disposi the people in Vaalk, Volmar, of the Germans evidently has lage, opens a way for a successtion of Sweden for intervening Venden, Riga, Mitau, Basuk, been finished, some sort of a ful and more speedy realizain the Baltic affairs. In connec Tukum, Windau in all these landing party of unknown ori tion of the economic measures tion with this, the attempts of cities of Latvia, the laboring gin appeared, which began to which the neighboring Russian the bourgeois government in people of the villages and cities bombard the city after it had Republie is laboring hard to involve Sweden in a war with came into power. Only in Li been forced to retreat.
put thru.
us have failed. At any event, bau the uprising of the work While the Allies send invita And here, evidently, lies the