Page THE MILITANT January 1, 1929.
January 1, 1929.
THE MILITANT Page Karl Radek Appeal for Trotsky The Right Danger in the American Party Up to this does not give me the errors: Vindicating the Trotsky Platform Socialist Party in To the Central Committe, Comrades! those among you and am personally convinced Party worker can endure, it is beyond him to tolerate Upon receiving the news of the illness of comrade that they are not few who think with dread of the certainty that the Party of the working class Leon Trotsky wrote to the Political Bureau of what the morrow will bring; those who bear in is consciously ruining in Central Asia a comrade the Central Committee with the request that commind the fight against the growing dangers, must who fought in the front ranks of the October.
rade Trotsky be transferred to a place where consay to themselves. do not write this letter in order to intensify the ditions will make his recovery possible.
Enough of this inhuman playing with the health factional struggle. write to you so that you may time the Central Committee has done nothing to and the life of comrade Trotsky!
be moved to put an end to a situation which has wards this end despite the fact that the reports of They must raise the question of how to put an the consant aggravation of comrade Trotsky illness end to the banishment of the Bolshevik Leninists every likelihood of broadening the cleavage that you yourselves have made; of separating you still furproved to be true, and that ever growing sections of with Trotsky at the head. They must demand in ther from us; of completely alienating you from us, the working class, who learned about these facts, the first place that comrade Trotsky be transferred whose Party books have been taken, who have been raised the demand that an end be made to this un in the shortest possible time to other climatic conheard of situation.
ditions. that capable medical assistance is afforded stamped as counter revolutionaries by the according to Article 58, but who as before still feel him; that he be freed from the tormenting worry You have expelled us from the Party and sent us ourselves to be Party members and as always and away as counter revolutionaries without reckoning over his daily bread.
despite everything will fight for the interests of the that the older ones among us fought for Communism Comrades, act as swiftly as possible! Let us not working class.
for a quarter of a century and that the younger ones suffer the shame of hundreds of thousands, who saw KARL RADEK.
were in the ranks of the October revolution from Trotsky on the front in the civil war, raising their voices to save him. Act, comrades, for, much as the Tomsk, Siberia. October 1928.
the first moment of their conscious life. This fact to appcal to your sentiments, but since the time when you decided on the incredible step of expelling us from the Party with an accusation which dishonors not us but those who have made it, and exiling us, from that moment By Martin Abern strong peasant, the Kulak. TheStalin Bukharin it is time that you draw the balance and render an The correctness of the policies of Trotsky and group was ignoring or openly denying the petty accounting on the whole matter.
the Russian Opposition are now becoming clearer bourgeoisie character of peasant property and Eight months have passed since then. Eight in the light of recent developments in the Commu peasant industry. Trotsky said: months of the grain crisis, eight months in which nist Party of the Soviet Union. Trotsky cautioned Only a suitable attention to the hired hand, only the Kulak mobilized the village against the Soviet the Party to beware of the encroachments of the a course based on the poor peasant and his union with the middle peasant, only a decisive struggle ver, eight months which the Schachty nest during Kulaks and Nepmen who would take heart from against the Kulak, only a course towards industriali.
of the bourgeois vermin trading under cover of the Party policy which tended toward a self suf zation, only a course towards class cooperatives and the Soviet power was disclosed. Only a blind man ficient, an isolated Soviet economy. He stressed a class credit system in the country, will make it pos can fail to recognize where the danger comes from. a more rapid industrialization and collective and sible to draw the middle peasant into the work toward socialist reconstruction of agriculture. The To keep in exile those who demanded the struggle Soviet farming policy. Some of those who exor it is conPlatform of the Opposition, The Real Situation nim in Russia. 67, Harcourt, Brace and Co.
to his He proposed: system. If a certain tendency becomes apparent, it is sharply progressive tax system; state legislaEight months have passed since the time of our useless to raise a hue and cry when it is already tive masures for the defense of hired labor and the regulation of wages of agricultural workers; a cor.
exile. During these eight months you were forced too late; the alarm must be given when the tenrect class policy in the matter of land division and to expel, and bring before the courts, for debauchery, dency begins to appear and when there is still time land utilization; the same thing in the matter of sup.
for squandering, for direct connections with the to guard against its consequences, says comrade plying the country with tractors and other imple ments of production. Ibid, 69. class enemy, the very same ones who saved the Kuibyshev in reporting on the Economic Situation in the Soviet Union before the Leningrad complete program for State industry and inproletarian dictatorship from the intrigues of Trotdustrial construction and electrification for the Preobraschensky, Mratchkovsky. Since you knew Kuibyshev report in Inprecorrs No. 71, 73, 75, sky, N, Smirnov, Muralov, Serebriakov, Smilga, Party functionaries on September 19, 1928. See Soviet Union is presented in the chapter that folthat the lows, but in this article emphasis is laid on the of the Smolensk, Artemovsk, Riasan masters and Odessa Trotsky and the Russian Opposition long be agrarian and peasant policy because of the slanders still present in droves in the cases Party, you were forced to call the Party, the work fore and at the right time raised the hue and and misrepresentation particularly on this point.
ing masses to aid in the struggle against these cry and gave the alarm on the very questions raised in this report of Kuibyshev.
from the Russian Opposition program presented to parasites who undermine the and the the Is it Trotsky industrial and agrarian program was not madness, is it not support Stalin, Kuibyshev and others to note how exlabeled super industrialism. and in practice the of these elements to keep in exile those who fought turtle pace (Bukharin) toward socialism was has been the falsification of the Opposition program.
the Party of the disintegrating forces? Despite your adopted. The Opposition pointed out the tendencies to tamper with the foreign trade monopoly industrial program super industrialization. TrotTo those who, like Bukharin, labeled Trotsky literal annihilation in exile of the Bolshevik Lenthe Russian Opposition over a year ago to the sky said: inists. It is not true that the slow pace of industrializaXVth Congress of the and which today Sibiriakov, exiled to katorga (hard labor) under retains its validity was not given to the Party tion is immediately due to the absence of resources.
the czar, was brought back to Moscow by the Go Po Congress and was in fact suppressed.
The means are scanty, but they exist.
wanted is the right policy. Ibid, pp. 91 92. Our in emphasis. contracted a severe disease during his The warnings uttered by the Russian Opposition revolutionary platform should be read in the light of the Today Kuibyshev in his report, says in reply to work in China, was close to death in Narym with recent declaration of Stalin, General Secretary of the Right Wing which hollers over industrialization.
transfer him from the clinic in Tomsk to Rubzovsk, the Moscow Committee and Moscow Control Com The requirements of our economy in the im where there is no skilled medical aid at hand. mission of the on October 19th, 1928, mediate future will call for great investments, if loyal friend of the Party, comrade Taras Choretchour native construction of turbines is to be raised to the desired level. This task must be realized not ko, lay unconscious with typhoid in Narym, severe If certain circles among the ommunists desire only rom the standpoint of industrialization and in a region so encircled by swamps that no doctor to keep the Party back from realizing the resoluof socialist development. It must be realized in was able to e to get through them to him. When our tions of the XVth Party Congress by denying the view of the demands of our economy in the future.
necessity of an assault on the Kulak elements in the. History. will not permit us to proceed more protests finally obliged you to transfer him to Karural districts, or else demand an arrest of our inslowly, otherwise the very next year may lead to a men, he left hardiy able to stand on his feet with dustrial development because they consider the pres series of even more serious anomalies than are apout a single cent! It took a struggle on our part ent rate of advance fatal to the country, or if again parent today.
to make available the few rubles with which to send they consider the Government subsidies for Soviet (Report of Kuibyshev to Leningrad Party Funcfarms and collective farms to be impracticable and his baggage after him. revolutionist Bolshevik, tionaries, September 19th, 1928. Inprecorr No. 73, are of the opinion that the money in question is whose past can stand any comparison with yours, being wasted in this way. or if they demand 1339, Octеber 19th, 1928, Our emphasis. The ring of he must seek to recover his strength with thirty the loosening of our foreign trade monopoly and so rubles (fifteen dollars) a month. We were ashamed on, this means that in the ranks of our Party there are ready as always to devour to make these things known to the working masses, are such as are anxious to adapt the cause of our the hope and inspiration of the toilers of the world, Socialist construction to the tastes and requirements the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics. Our duty and approached only you.
of the Soviet bourgeoisie. victory of the Right always in defense of the first Workers and The illness of Trotsky, however, has brought deviations within our Party would entail an enormour consolidation of the capitalists in our country.
Peasants our patience to overflow. We cannot be silent and The perspective of every Republic And what would such a consolidation mean? It worker toward the Soviet Union must be internalook on while malaria devours the strength of a would mean a strengthening of the chances of a warrior who served the working class for a lifethe strength of the Soviet Union restoration of capitalism. Consequently a victory of must must lie not time, who was the Sword of the October Revoluthe Right deviations in our Party would lead to the lated development, but in a firm faith and reliance in a perspective of an independent isotion. If factional development of conditions which are requisite for interests have in the international proletarian the restoration of capitalism in this country.
struggle all memories of the common revole guished in you (Imprecor No. 77, Nov. 9th, 1928, 1439. Our The har proletarian revolution of the Russian then at least let simple intelligence and the facts emphasis. themselves The dangers against which Thus they paraphrase the statements made by Opposition and the reinstatement of its leaders the Soviet fighting are growing. The Trotsky and which they denounced as Social Republic, will strengthen its resistance to the econentire information apparatus is in your hands; you Democratic and even Counter revolutionary. omic, political and military pressure of the therefore know even better than we how to estimate In the Program submitted to the XVth Party imperial ist countries, and at the same time will encourage the situation. Only those people who do not under. Congress, Trotsky stated that only a powerful so and aid the development of the revolutionary stand the struggle against the daily growing dangers cialized industry can help the peasants transform movement on an international scale. It is the highcan be indifferent towards the slow death of the agriculture along collectivist lines. He called forest duty of Communists in all parties of the Comfighting heart that is comrade Trotsky. But a cessation of basing hopes upon the so called intern to fight for this.
CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE The following is the fourth installment of the docu. sequence to the American workers than the murder ment submitted by the delegation of the Opposition in of hundreds of Nicaraguan rebels by American VIII OPPORTUNIST MISTAKES IN THE the American Party to the Sixth World Congress of marines (Central Committee Nicaraguan Manifesto, ELECTION CAMPAIGN the Communist International, in July 1928 and signed July, 1927, never repudiated by the nor reby James Cannon, William Foster, William pudiated by the Lovestone group. In line with its general right wing tendencies Dunne, Alex Bittelman, Johnstone, Manuel Gomez Tendency to obscure the independent and ag.
the Lovestone group has made several serious op and George Siskind.
gressive role of American imperialism (Lovestone group theory of American imperialism being the portunist errors, in the national election campaign of which the three following are the most outcatspaw of British imperialism and its newest theory of American imperialism supporting Japan standing: unions. In the process of these struggles the Party in China. In the national election program of our will establish united fronts with the masses on the Failure of the Polcom to prevent the issuance and stop immediately the use of pacifist slogans in Party occurs the following demand: Abolition of political field.
the Nicaraguan campaign. Enlist with Sandino. The theory that the of the the Senate, of the Supreme Court, and of the veto Stop the flow of Nicaraguan Blood. a mistake can make little or no gains in election campaigns power of the Persident.
corrected lately by the Polcom, This opportunistic proposa creates illusions re orously.
until a labor party appears must be combatted vig. Pacifist and liberal appeals to the marines (leaflets in California, Boston and elsewhere, cor garding the reform of the capitalist state. It culrected by the Polcom. tivates the false notion much of which is exerted The grave opportunist errors of the Lovestone The tendency to build the united front in the through the Senate, the Supreme Court and the group in the labor party work, places squarely be.
All America Anti Imperialist work chiefly upon petPresident veto power, by liquidating these instifore our Party the need of discontinuing the old ty bourgeois liberal elements and failure to draw uions within the frame work of capitalist society labor party policy. The following are the main labor elements into this movement. Also corrected by the Polcom in formal decision. Illustrative of their right wing tendencies of Abandoning the industrial base by failure Failure to carry on active anti militarist work the Lovestone group is the letter officially sent among the American forces in Nicaragua and China.
to the Party units to direct the securing of signa to carry on political campaigns among the working Pacifist ideology in work among women. We masses in the industrial centers.
can even stop that terrible scourge of humanitytures to put our Party candidates on the election Orientating the struggle for independent war (First issue New York Working Women. ballot. The following quotations indicate the cor working class political action largely on the farrupting methods used in this work: The above deviations flow from the general mers and farmer labor movements of the North Remember that you are out to get signatures right wing orientation and main line of the Love west.
stone group and not converts. This means no argument of any Persistence in advocating the organization kind.
of workers and farmers in one Party (Farmer La XII. UNDERESTIMATION AND FALSE Don ask for signatures in the name of Com.
bor Party) contrary to decision.
CONCEPTION OF WORK AMONG munism. Proposal to send Party members into the NEGRO MASSES If necessary you can explain that the signa.
to fight for Labor Party The problem of Communist work among the 12, ture is not an obligation to vote for this party. Reliance upon the trade union and socialist 000, 000 Negroes in the United States, the over whelming majority of whom are workers and bureaucracy for the building of the labor party. Never state your mission to anyone but the criticized in the April letter of the mistake working farmers and their families, must be ap.
person whose signature you wish to get, because if you give them time to think you will get too shared in also by the minority of the Polcom.
proached from the Leninist viewpoint that this most exploited and oppressed section of the popu Wrong conception of the role of the labor many questions.
in the class struggle. emancipator of the lation forms an immense reserve for the proletar See how many more tricks you can work out working class. noted and criticized in the Comian revolution. The main tasks are: for yourself and write your experiences to the intern letter of April. The development of a revolutionary Negro National Office. Our emphasis. Wrong conception of the relation between race movement led by the Negro proletariat. The general use of professional signature the Communist Party and a labor party. Reducing Systematic work among Negro masses industry.
gatherers, and the buying of signatures, and the the Communist Party to a left wing in the labor Campaigns to mobilize the white workers for failure to mobilize the Party comraes for these party and farmer labor movement (Minnesota, Al struggle in behalf of the negroes against all forms campaigns.
leghany county labor party. Reducing the Party of imperialist oppression and discrimination, linking This grossly opportunistic letter was condemned to an instrument for the organization of a labor up race questions with economic questions.
by the Comintern. Systematic work among the Negro masses in party.
masses of the South, their organization for strug. The Panken and Bearak maneuvers criticized gle against white oppression.
IX. OPPORTUNIST MISTAKES IN LABOR by the Struggle against white chauvinism in the ranks PARTY WORK of our Party FAILURE TO BUILD THE The training of a cadre of Negro Communist The Party needs a fresh and clear formulation leaders.
of policy on the labor party question based upon In numerous letters and resolutions the Comin The drawing of Negro workers into all or the changed conditions and new perspectives. The tern and Profintern have repeatedly stressed the ganization campaigns. The intensification of the struggle inside the necessity of building the Trade Union Educational as a main outline for our existing unions.
League. With our Party orientating itself towards perspective and policy on the labor party question the organization of new unions the ac9. The development of the influence of our Party as the leader of the struggles of the Negro masses create favorable conditions for mass break quires added importance. It must through its gen These are the immediate tasks of our Party.
away The Lovestone majority has systematically and our Party must anticipate and utilize to mobilize ly proceed with the organization of the new continuously neglected work among the Negro and to organize the workers under its banner in building the left wing in the old unions and.
This error is based on an an underestimation of the revolutionary role of this most exploited formist supporters of capitalism, namely, the coordinate these with its major task of organizing and oppressed section of the population. This is American Federation of Labor and the Socialist expressed by Comrade Lovestone in his speech at Party of America (C. April Letter. Nothwithstanding the importance of the the February plenum as published in the Daily It is not the task of our Party in the presE. as a factor in the trade union work, little is Worker where he refers to the Negro farmers in ent period to carry on agitation campaigns and being done by the Party to build it up. Party the South as Broad social reserve of capitalist struggles for the organization of a labor party.
support of the is mostly mere lip service. reaction. It is further shown by the complete abIt still In view of the changed conditions (integration remains largely a skeleton organization in sence of any reference to work among the Negro most localities and industries. No efforts were the ist machine, narrowing base of of and made by the to follow up the recent na by Comrade Pepper in the Polburo, April 30, 1928.
restriction to skilled workers, the organization of tional conference of our new unions as main task of our Party, leftward campaign to establish the by an atcive for two and a half years the Negro work of local The return of has been bankrupt. 1) The Negro organ the above oppotrunist the Profintern and trade union delegations have was liquidated; 2) the organization of the Pullman errors, the labor not been party slogan in to utilized the porters into a Negro union was carried out by soThe nationally and its respective Naonly a general propaganda value.
cial reformists without our Party making any serious effort to establish its influence; 3) no struggle Our Party must fight resolutely against the tional Industrial Committees must be brought more tendencies for a third capitalist party (Morris. la prominently to the front in a leading role in indusagainst white chauvinism in the of the Party Follette, Berger, Thomas, etc. and strive to estabtrial struggles. There is a strong tendency to push has been carried on. such incidents as Gary, Har lish itself as the political party of the American them aside and liquidate them by conducting all lem. Detroit, are proof of this) and continuous remasses.
industrial activities directly through Party frac treating of the Party leadership before the chau4. The Party must carry on active campaigns tions The official organ of the TU. Labor vinism of the whites; 4) the last for the organization of united front action with Unity. now neglected by the Party, must be of the party written by Comrade Pepper, makes no reference to the necessity for such a campaign; the masses from below on concrete and immediate strengthened and developed into a weekly mass issues of struggle against the capitalist offensive, organ.
5) the Lovestone majority entirely underestimates on the political as well as economic fields. More XI. PACIFIST AND PETTY. BOURGEOIS the white workers in behalf of the Negro masses. for struggle for the mobiliaztion of than ever must the united front policy from below be applied by our Party in the fight against the LIBERAL TENDENCIES IN THE ANTI 6) systematic factional corruption to and to win the masses for the class WAR AND ANTI IMPERIALIST ruptcy of of Negro work; 7) no systematic attempt struggle.
real munist cadre of Negro comrades; WORK. In the present period, the Party chief 8) orientation towards Negro petty bourgeoisie means of furthering the political awakening of the The Party manifested many pacifist and liberal rather than towards workers and 9) failAmerican masses, is the vigorous participation and deviations in its anti war and anti imperialist work. ure to connect Negro work with general trade leadership in the everyday struggles, deepening the The following illustrates this point: union work of the Party; 10) failure to draw Ne.
content of these struggles, carrying out energetic1. Calling upon the workers to protest against the death of American Marines in Nicaragua, and gro comrades into general Party work ally the program for the organization of new treating the death of these marines as of greater con CONTINUED IN NEXT ISSUE from treme vi What is in He says: peasantry in groups.
Party drift of masses, etc. and the in this period has build Soviet Union. sipitalist wolves still surrounds the Negro program even as speak republic is reformists to build farmers;