THE COMMUNIST Seven PROBLEMS OF THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL to Soviet power and on the treatment of this LETTER FROM CHICAGO question before and after November 7th, 1917, would it not be ridiculous to expect from such (Editor Note: This letter was veecivert soon men the readiness and ability to overcome the after the split, but for lack of space was not incomparably greater difficulty connected with printed in the last issue. The Inference drawn in this letter about unity with the left elements the present struggle for the Socialst Revolution?
of the together with he is more By LENIN None so dear as those who will not hear.
than a wild gues, Certain fact recently come to light and touched on editorially, make this (Continued from page more than a mere conseeture of the author. When And therefore was so deeply grieved by tho all the facts are in, we have no doubt they will Let us proceed to the second lie (out of count prove that the plot to split the Communist Party Moscow Manifesto, which was at least premature less lies with which Ramsey MacDonald article was hatched in the office of the I, between and certainly useless. And hope that my their peresentatives and the representatives of is full of, for in this article there are perhaps Damon Co. French comrades, who have been buffeted about more lies than words. This lie is perhaps the Scarcely eight months lave passed since the during the last four hapless years by so many Communist arty was founded. The formation of most important.
slenders and misfortunes, will not succomb to a the organization not yet finished the paths of John Ramsey MacDonald claims that the Inits activities will new and untrodtien and already fit of impatience, and will not also help to split a crisis is at hand, ABILIT is here, ternational before the war 1914 18 said only the International solidarity.
This, no doubt, is azitating the mass of the inenthat when war takes on the character of national bership, and observed with satisfaction from Otherwise your children will have to recon defense the Socialists should co operate with the camps of our enemies.
struct this solidarity if the proletariat are ever other parties.
Naturally, everybody wants to know the cause.
Is it really impossible for those who appeal to to rule the world.
This is a monstrods, repugnant deviation from all workers in all lands for solidarity and unityfor those who claim to recognize proletarian dictthe truth.
atorship and aimed insurrection to live and work JOHN RAMSEY MACDONALD Everybody knows that the Basle Manifesto together in harmony?
The author of the above article, as the reader of 1912 was unanimously accepted by all Socialists Very important reasons must be shown by those who stand for a split at this moment: who take can see, is attempting to prove that a split is and that this is the only one of the documents upon themselves this great responsibility at the not necessary. On the contrary, just its inevimoment when ther Thity into one party eventos Third comes out of the International which deals exactly with tability follows from the line of argument of the very war between the English and German Cominunist elements which stand outside chiefly Ramsay MacDonald this typical representative in the ranks of the Communist Labor Party groups of imperialist beasts, which, as known of the Second International, worthy colleague The National Executive Seenterar yetes that conth to all, was being prepared in 1912 and finally of Scheidemann and Kautsky, Vandervelde and broke out in 1914. Just in reference to this war mittee have taken upon themselves this responsibility, as against the other inembers of the C, E, Branting, etc. etc.
the Basle Manifesto expounds three points, upon an overhelming majority of ten. Yet the Secretary The article of Ramsey MacDonald is the best had the funds of the party, the addresses and other which MacDonald remaining silent, commits the connections, which were all seized by the minorsample of those smooth, well sounding stereo greatest crime against Socialism and proves that ity and helped them greatly in the disorganizing typed phrases, Socialist in appearance, which ir: of the party, with men of MacDonald type the split is necesall advanced capitalist countries have served for The Secretary claims to be acting quite properly.
sary, because they actually serve the bourgeoisie because, elected directly only by the Convention, a long time to screen bourgeois policies within and not the proletariat.
he says, he will be responsible only to a convention.
But the funds were entrusted to him not. by. the the working class movement.
These three points are the following: Convention, but by the Central Executive Committee for the sake of greater efficiency. Why doesn The impending war can find no justification he return them where they belong? Well, because Let us begin with the least important but by even a shadow of interest of national free the majority has means enough from the Lanpeculiarly characteristic. As Kautsky (in his guage Federations remittances. as stated by dom; the Secretary himself. pamphlet Dictatorship of the Proletariat. the It would be a crime for workers to shoot cach The split is still more unjustified because the author repeats the bourgeois lie, that in Russia other in this war; next convention of the Party was right at the door. The split was brought about for an obvious nobody forsaw the role of the Soviets, that The war leads toward the proletarian revolupurpose the ninority on their hook attempte: and the Bolsheviki began the struggle with to arrange this convention in order to turn over tion.
the Communist Party into hands of the Communist Kerensky only in the name of the Constituent These are the three fundamental truths, forLabor Party.
The minority claims, that the break was forced Assenbly.
getting which (though he subscribed to them not by any theoretical or tactical differences, but This is a bourgeois lie. As a matter of fact, on before the war) MacDonald ACTUALLY goes by minor details, which taken seperately were quite a bis hend during the last eight months: Tor ExApril 4th, 1917, on the very first day of my arrival over to the side of the bourgeoisie against the ample, the Secretary questions the right of the in Petrograd, already introduced theses de proletariat, proving thereby that the split is whom he had appointed: he is dissatisfied with the manding the Soviet, and not the bourgeois, parlianecessary.
sending of delegates to Europe (to meetings of the mentarian republic. repeated this many times Third International. although such cielegates were The Communist International will not unite elected at the September Convention; and other during the Kerensky premiership both in print with parties, which do not wish to recognize minor matters.
and at meetings. The Bolshevik Party emphatBut, neither individually, nor all together, can these truths and are not capable of proring by they Justify the split. What kind of a Central ically and officialy announced this in the resolutheir deeds their determination, readiness and Executive Committee would it be, which could not tions of their Conierence on April 20th, 1917.
appoint or remove its agents (the District Organizability to inculcate these truths into the minds cis) entirely according to its own discretion and Not to know this means not to want to know of the masses.
necessity? How could such a Committee discharge the truth of the Socialist Revolution in Russia.
the trust placed in it by the Conventior if it should The Versailles Peace has proven even to fools only pay salaries of the District Organizers, but Not to understand that the bourgeois parliaand blind people, even to the mass of shortwould let them work each according to his own will and sometimes against the decisions of the mentarian republic with the Constituent Assemsighted, that the Entente was and remains the Central Executive Committee?
bly is one step forward as against the same same bloody, bullying, imperialist beast as GerA mistake was already made at the September republic without the Constituent Assembly, and Convention, when, besides the Central Executive many. Only hypocrites or liars, deliberately in body there was elected another independent executthat the Soviet Republic is two steps forward troducing bourgeois policies, direct agents and ive power in the person of the Secretary. It appears that there has been more or less friction right in comparison with it. mcans to close one tools of the bourgeoisie, labor lieutenants of the along between these two powers.
eyes to the difference between the bourgeoisie capitalist class (like the American Socialists Just now the split is in the process of developing fully from the top down to the bottom to the suband the proletariat.
or, men who have fallen under the spell of districts, branches and Kroups. Good wishes, good To call oneself Socialist and 10t to see this bourgeois ideas and bourgeois influence so that intentions, hysterical moralizations cannot stop it the split has a logie of its own and it must run diference, two years after the introduction of they are Socialists only in words but actually its course this question in Russia, one and a half years are petty bourgeois philistines and sycophants It is very possible that together with the Secafter the victory of the Soviet Revolution in retary of the Communist Party will leave those of the capitalists could fail to see this. The elements, who by their sympathy already stand with Russia, means that one remains stubbornly in the In the triumvirate of the minority dinstinction between the first and second catthe so called Anarcho Mensuber Russian Conferthere is, for example, who took part in absolute enslavement to public opinion of nonegories is important only from the point of view Social ments, to the ideas and policies ence (Jan and Feb. 1919. and who was so characof personalities, for the appraisal of John or terized even by Gregory Weinstein at that time, of the bourgeoisie.
Peter in the social patriotic ranks of ali countries.
editor of the Novy Mir With such people the split is necessary and similar division is noticeable in the branches From the political point of view, from the Ir discussions should be conducted on the real issues unavoidable, because it is impossible to carry and principles involved, it can be fortold in advance point of view of the relations of millions of on the work for the Socialist Revolution hand that the Communist Party of America will emerge people, of the relations of classes this distinction from this crisis clarified and strenghtened TC in hand with those who are pulling on the side is of no importance.
Centrist elements split off, it is only a desirable of the Bourgeoisie.
process The Socialists, who during the war of 1914 19 Let us not forget the conclusions arrived at by And if men such as Ramsey MacDonald, Kautdid not understand that on both sides, a criminat the International Conference in Holland, namely.
sky and others, did not want to overcome even that opportunists (to which belons all Centrists reactionary, robbers. imperialist war. are Soc. without exception St. are the most dangerous such a really insignificant difficulty. for such ial Chauvinists. Socialists in words and enemics of the proletarian revolution when in their leaders, as of informing themselves from the tendency they lean toward the Left.
chauvinists in fact; of the working class Therefore, it is well that they go. It would be documents on the attitude of the Bolsheviki in words, but in fact lackeys of their national bourgcoisie, helping them to deceive the masses various hooks and crooks the Centrists should pull NEWS FROM EUROPE away with them some really Communist elements.
by picturing as as national. liberating, de That would be a real loss.
FRANCE fensive, just. etc. the war between the English This arrument about Centrists is not an intention To the Strains of the Internationnl.
but actual fact. One of the members of the Recently mobilized recruite of the 1920 class and German groups of imperialist plunderers, CC, a close friend and partner of the Secretary, Write to La Vie Ouvriere, of April 16th, 28 who are equally rotten, corrupt. bloody and nad resigned some time ago for the reason that the could not get used to the new coniitions in the Gare the Est took place amidst the strains of criminally reactionary.
Party He represented the so called levelist the International. From Toul: have seen grour, and he is with the minority.
In a Nancy paper that the 1920 class was joinins Unity with Social Chauvinists is a betrayal of up with enthusiasm. This is a international Further, the communist lahor Party in their little too strong. the revolution, betrayal of the proletariat. be. official organ express satisfaction at the split und From Paris to Nancy WO BITE really invite the minority into their ranks. They trayal of Socialism, desertion to the side of the All the time our captain was saying that write in their between this the slitta ort May issue, among other this, as Parisians were Bolsheviks. On Thursday, while follows: We were going through Nancy: our officers wanted bourgeoisie. because, it is a unity with the Pshould come very We ninornty) and the CL know it. Another writes: We left sidn national bourgeoisie of their country against shortly.
certainly, but not the Marseillaise. On our arrival the unity of the international revolutionary proletAnd so the right wing of the Cominunist Party and at departurar le Duc. commerey, the fina will unite with the left wing of the Communist ariat. it is a unity with the bourgeoisie against ternational was chanted, broken every now and the proletariat.
Independent Socialists in Germany. The right then by cries of Down with the Army. The war of 1914 18 has finally proven this.
wing of the however, in all prolability, SWITZERLAND obeying the invitation of Debs, will go back to The Young Socialists in CongreNN.
Whoever cannot understand this can remain in the old Socialist Party, which you know, has also decided to join the Third International anilhas of Switzerland, held at Aaron, it was decided to At the recent Congress of the Young Soclalists the yellow Berne International of social traitors applied for a charter. In the extreme Let there proclaim the complete autonomy of the organima. From the Communist International. No. will remain the Communist Party the Wire presentative of Bolshevism in the revolutionary and to affiliate immediately to the Youns International Le Populaire. April working class movement of America 17th, 1930. To be continued. St.
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