THE COMMUNIST The American and the Interntional a To the Executive Committee of the sub Bureau of the Communist International.
Comrades:The Socialist Party of the United States has decided to affiliate with the Communist International, and has made application accordingly to Zinoviev. In considering this application, the following points should be borne in mind: The mere decision to affiliate with the Communist International is in itself of small value: the decisive factor is acceptance, in theory and practice, of Communist fundamentals. The resolution of the American Socialist Party in favor of affiliating with the Communist International is silent concerning acceptance of the principles and tactics of the International. At the last National Convention of the Party, August 30, 1919 (at which, incidentally, the expulsion of 40, 000 Communists from the Party was overwhelmingly approved) mass action, Soviets and proletarian dictatorship as means of Revolution were rejected, the Sociast Party evading every actual problem of revolutionary theory and practice. The policy of the Socialist Party is completely dominated by the conception of parliamentary conquest of Capitalism. The Party is not revolutionary; on the contrary, it is shamelessly opportunist; its tactics are comprised in dependence upon petty bourgeois democracy, parliamentarism, reformism, and co operation with the liberals and the reactionary trades unions. The revolutionary elements in the Socialist Party have either been expelled or have seceded of the former Party membership, approximately 50, 000 are now in the Communist Party and 15, 000 in the Communist Labor Party, and less than 30, 000 are still in the Socialist Party. The Socialist Party now consists wholly of the Right and the Centre: opportunists and reformists, all. The dominant personages in the Socialist Party are: Morris Hillquit, an unprincipled, refined opportunist of the Longuet type; Victor Berger, a social patriot who, in 1913, urged that the United States should conquer and annex Mexico; Seymour Stedman, a typical petty bourgeois radical, who, upon the expulsion of 40, 000 Communists from the Party, declared in a capitalist newspaper. The Socialist Party has been purged of the Bolsheviks; Meyer London, who, as a member of Congress, supported the war and was not expelled from the Party; Algernon Lee, who, while a member of the New York City Board of Aldermen, voted to promote the sale of Liberty (war)
Bonds and urged war against Germany in order to save the Russian Revolution. All the leaders who represented the Socialist Party as a c) That Jean Longuet was to speak typical party of the old International in the United States under the ausare still dominant: there has been a purge of the Communists, but not pices of the Party. indicating the of the opportunists, of the Right and opportunist and centrist character of Centre.
the Socialist Party international The Socialist Party prides itself affiliations.
upon having declared against the 10 Historically, the Socialist Parwar. a) The revolutionists largely ty developed as the American exresponsible for the anti war declara pression of the opportunism and retion are now out of the Party. b) The formism which became dominant in Party official policy, as expressed the Second International at the close by the leaders who are now still dom of the 19th Century; the Party repreinant in the Socialist Party, was one sented and still represents moderate of petty bourgeois pacifism and petty bourgeois Socialism. The demiserable opportunism.
cision of this party to affiliate with The Socialist Party wages a the Communist International is the strong campaign against interven product of two factors: a) Undefined tion in Russia and for recognition of sympathy of the Party membership the Russian Soviet Government; but with the Russian Revolution and the this campaign is scarcely distinguish Soviet Republic; the Communist Inable from the campaign of the petty ternational being indentified with the bourgeois radicals.
Soviet Republic and a means of as7 Five Socialist Party represent sisting this Republic, instead of as atives elected to the Legislature of means of revolutionary struggle the State of New York have been and the reconstruction of Socialism.
denied their seats by the Legislature. b) The diplomacy of a miserable The Socialists defense at their trial Left Centre in the Socialist Party, had three aspects: a) that consti which considers it a clever stroke tutional government and democracy to affiliate with the Communist Inare menaced by the act of the Leternational, imagining that this gislature; b) that the Socialist Party might impair the power of the Comhas no connection with the Communmunist Party of America.
ists; c) that it is not true the SocialThe admission of the American Soist Party ms establish a Soviet cialist Party to the Communist InRepublic in the United States, since favoring the Russian Soviet Republic ternational would be a serious blow to the American Communist move does not mean proposing, or even dreaming, that a system which dement, and to the International itvelops naturally from Russia maself.
terial conditions is adaptable to a serious and menacing situation highly complex economic system such now prevails in the Communist Inas that of the United States.
ternational. The old International is The Government savage cam broken in pieces: in this, the Compaign of repression against the Com munist International has performed munists does not involve the Soa magnificent task of destruction; cialist Party. In a declaration issued but the Communist International has January 23, 1920, justifying the renot yet performed the constructive pressive campaign of the Department task of organizing itself on a definite of Justice, Attorney General Palmer basis. All sorts of parties and groups said: Certainly such an organization formerly affiliated with the old Inas the Communist Party of America ternational, and and the Communist Labor Party canwhich have purged themselves of the Centre and not be construed to fall within the the Right, are asking admission to same category as the Social Party the Communist International; for our of America, which latter organiza International to admit tion is pledged to the accomplishment these undesirable elements would mean reof changes in the Government by constituting the Second International lawful and rightful means.
under the name of Communist Inter9 The National Executive Committee of the Socialist Party, in sesnational. The situation is dangerous sion March 8, 1920 (two months after and requires immediate and uncomthe decision to affiliate with the promising action.
Communist International)
In the name of the Communist revealed three significant facts: Party of America, accordingly, call a) That a number of trades unions for the rejection of the application had been invited to send delegates of the American Socialist Party for to the Party Convention of May admission to the Communist Interindicating that the Socialist Party national; and that, pending final is merging more completely in reaction by the Executive Committee actionary craft unionism.
in Moscow (or a Congress of the Inb) That a demonstration for politernational. the sub Bureau of the International shall not enter into any tical prisoners was being arranged relations with the American Socialist together with the Freedom Foundation and the National Civil Liberties Bureau. indicating the Socialist LOUIS FRAINA Party co operation and affiliation International Secretary, with petty bourgeois radicals.
Berlin March 30, 1920.
not Party.