Page THE MILITANT January 15, 1929.
January 15, 1929.
THE MILITANT Page The Draft Program of the Comintern Lenin Last Words to the Party was power in ever het honie power patriced By TROTSKY it the ism is a of ble alism.
proletariat a to difers France or a The after to will Chiang a light Chiang CONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE CRITICISM OF of the possibility to exploit altogether.
Revolutionary patriotism can be only of a class Let us look at some facts.
character. It begins as patriotism to the party or FUNDAMENTALS The present inspirers of the Comintern have unganization, to the trade union, and rises to nationtiringly repeated that Chiang Kai shek waged a war al patriotism when the proletariat has captured against imperialism whilst Kerensky marched is a revolutionary duty.
But that patriotism it was necessary to wage an irreconciliable struggle be an must an inseparable peible conviction that the against Kerensky, while it was necessary to support.
revolutionary in ON THE NATURE OF THE COLONIAL ternationalism. The Chiang Kai shek.
BOURGEOISIE main class aim even less so than partial aims can The Kerensky relations with imperialism cannot be not be realised by national means or within na Temporary agreements (with the bourgeoisie) disputed. One can go even still further back and tional boundaries, constitutes the heart of revolumay be made only insofar as they will not hamper point out that the Russian bourgeoisie overthrew tionary internationalism. If, however, the final the revolutionary organization of the workers and Nicholas II with the sanction of the British and aim has been realised within national boundaries peasants and are genuinely fighting against imperi French imperialism. Not only Miliukov and Kerensky supported the war waged by Lloyd George and backbone of internationalism has been broken. The theory of the possibility to realize socialism in one This loose statement is based on a recognition Poincarè, but Lloyd George and Poincaré supof the ability of the colonial bourgeoisie TO ported Miliukov and Kerensky revolution triotism of the victorious proletariat with the de WAGE RÉAL struggle against imperialism and against the czar, and later against the workers and at the same time NOT TO INTERFERE WITH. peasants. Of this there can be absolutely no doubt.
featism of the proletariat of the bourgeois coun THE REVOLUTIONARY ORGANISATION But how do matters stand in this connection in tries. The of the advanced capitalist of the workers and peasants. This is a defense and China? The February. revolution in China took in what manner it will march towards it depends Kuomintang which the relation to the fully and entirely on the question as to whether as a of the imperialists.
as a temporary agreement whilst it was in peretele rense e event although it was acomplished it considers the building up of socialist society a Sun Yat Sen, in his memoirs, relates how his or ty a political enslavement of the proletariat to the national or an international task.
clear understanding of ganisation relied in all its work on the supports the statement quoted above we will quote an eval If it is at all possible to realise socialism in one Japan, country then one can believe in that theory not. America. If Kerensky in 1917 continued to take only AFTER the conquest of power but also charin, one of the authors of the draft. Basing part in the imperialist war, the prior to it. If socialism can be realised within himself on the anti imperialist content of the the national. revolutionary etc. bourgeoisie, the national boundaries of backward Russia, then colonial revolutions, Bucharin said: supported Wilson intervention in the war with there is the more reason to believe that it can be The liberal bourgeoisie in China has in the course that the Entente would help to emancirealised in advanced Germany. Tomorrow the of years, and not months, played an objective re pate China. In 1918 Sun Yat Sen volutionary role, and then it has exhausted itself.
leaders of the Communist Party of Germany will con That was not at all a one day policy of the type the governments of the Entente his project of surely bring forward this theory. The Draft Pro of the Russian liberal revolution of 1905.
omic development and political emancipation of China. There is gram empowers them to do so.
day is no occasion for saying that the morrow the Fench Party will have its turn. That Everything here is wrong from the beginning Chinese bourgeoisie in its struggle against of the downfall of the Com to end.
Dynasty, displayed any higher revolutionary intern along the lines of social patriotism. The Lenin really insisted that one must strictly disqualities than the Russian bourgeoisie in the strug Communist Party of any capitalist country which tinguish between an oppressed and oppressor bourgle against czarism or that there is a fundamental will have become imbued with the idea that its Kai shek and Keren particular country possesses all the necessary and advantages, for instance, in relation to war between sky attitude to imperialism.
an imperialist and a colonial country. For a pacifist But sufficient prerequisites for the independent conKai shek, says the never such a war is a war as any other; for a Communist theless fought against imperialism. To imagine this substance in no respect differ from the revolution a war of a colonial nation against an imperialist means to see facts in too brilliant a ary social democrats who also began not with nation is a bourgeois revolutionary war. Lenin Kai shek waged war against the Chinese militar Noske but who definitely stumbled on August 4, thus RAISED the national liberation movement, ists the agents of ONE of the imperialist powers.
1914, on this very same question.
the colonial insurrections and wars of the This is not quite the same as to wage a war against If they say that the very existence of the ations, to the to the level of the bourgeois de presse imperialism. Even Tang Pin san understood this. is a guarantee against social patriotism be to the it was at the end of 1926)
cause in relation to a Workers Republic patriot Tang ism is a revolutionary duty, in this one sided utili bourgeois democratic revolutions as this is now headed by Chiang Kai shek as follows: all rank the national liberation wars ABOVE characterised the policy of the Kuomintang center rowmindedness. Those who say so have in mind degrees. Lenin insisted on a distinction between a In the sphere of international policy it occupies only the closing their eyes to the a passive position in the full meaning of that word.
a bourgeois oppressed and bourgeois oppressor It is inclined to fight only against British imperialism; to the idea of defeatism in relation to the bour so far as the Japanese imperialists, however, are con But Lenin cerned, it is under certain conditions ready to make geois State is possible only by an inter national the bourgeoisie of a colonial or a semi colonial could raise the question from the viewpoint that a compromise with them. Stenographic Report at the Seventh Plenum)
and by a merciless resistance to social patriotic con for national libera The attitude of the Kuomintang to imperialism traband which is now still masked but which seeks tion must be more progressive more revolution was from the very outset not revolutionary but to establish a theoretical nest for itself in the pro than the bourgeoisie of a non colonial counary opportunistic through and through. It endeavored try in the epoch of the democratic revolution.
gram of Lenin International.
to drive out the Theoretically this does not follow from anything, agents of some imperialist powers It is not yet too late to return to the path of historically this is not confirmed. No matter how imperialist powers on more favorable terms for to compromise later with the same or other Marx and Lenin. It is this return that opens up pitiful, for instance, Russian liberalism appeared the Chinese bourgeoisie. That is all. One must the only conceivable road to progress. To bring to be, and no matter how much of a hybrid its about this safety turn we address this criticism left half petty bourgeois democracy, the Social Remeasure not the attitude of every given national of the draft program to Sixth Congress but its attito the immediate historical Comintern.
is hardly possible to say that Chinese liberation and nation. The Russian bourgeoisie was a spot decisie of a Chinese bourgeois democracy proved to be on a an, imperialist The results and prospects of the Chinese higher level or more revolutionary than the Rus Chinese bourgeoisie a oppressor nation. The Revolution its lessons for the Eastsian.
colonial of feudal oppressed To conceive that from the fact of colonial op ern countries and for the whole in old Russia. The over pression there must inevitably arise a revolutionary throw thressive task in of of the Comintern national bourgeoisie means to imitate the main torical mission in China. But the attitude of the imperialist yoke is a progressive hisBolshevism and Menshevism and the left wing bourgeoisie must be revolutionary because of the proletariat and the peasantry, was not more revo error of Menshevism which held that the Russian Chinese bourgeoisie in relation to imperialism, the of German and international social democracy took autocratic feudal yoke.
definite shape on the analysis of the experiences, lutionary than that of the Russian, but, if you mistakes and tendencies of the 1905 revolution.
The question of the nature and policy of the wish, even more vile and reactionary.
An analysis of the experiences of the Chinese Re: bourgeoisie is determined by the entire internal TO BE CONTINUED volution is now of no less importance for the class structure of a nation waging the revolutionary international proletariat.
struggle; the historical epoch in which that strug gle develops; the degree of economic, political and CABARET AND DANCE This analysis, however, has not yet even be military dependence of the national bourgeoisie gun it is prohibited. The official literature upon world imperialism in its entirety or upon one Arranged by the Proletarian Dramatic Club gives hurried arrangements of facts to suit the re of its and, finally, its parts; for the benefit of which is the most im THE MILITANT has been thoroughly revealed. The draft program proletariat and the state of its solutions of the the baselessness of which portant, the degree of class annections with the and down the sharpest points of the Chinese prob inernational revolutionary movement.
THE PROLETAR lem, but, in the main, perpetuates the destructive The democratic national liberation revolution Organs of the Communist Opposition line of the on the Chinese question. In may promise the bourgeoisie an opportunity to Saturday Evening, January 26, 1929 stead of an analysis of the greatest historical pro deepen and broaden its chance for exploitation. In: at 323 East 79th Street, New York cess, we find a literary defence of the bankrupt dependent action of the proletariat on the revolu Tickets in advance 50c. At the door 60c.
schemes.
tionary arena threatens to deprive the bourgeoisie The Testament of Lenin Sent to the Central Committee of the Communist Party and Suppressed by the Stalin Regime. BY which beispoket before, nt mean measures to the stability of the Central Committee, of tary, has concentrated an enormous power in his with the very greatest doubt be regarded as fully hands; and am not sure that he always knows Marxist, for there is something scholastic in him prevent a split, so far as such measures can be how to use that power with sufficient catuion. he never has learned, and think never has fully taken. For, of course, the White Guard in Russ On the other hand Comrade Trotsky, as understood, the dialetic. kaya Mysl (I think it was Oldenburg) was proved by his struggle against the Central Com And then Piatakov a man undoubtedly disright when, in the first place, in his play against mittee in connection with the question of the Peotinguished in will and ability, but too much given Soviet Russia he banked on the hope of a split ple Commissariat of Ways of Communication, over to administration and the administrative side in our party, and when, in the second place, he is distinguished not only by his exceptional abili of things to be relied on in a serious political ques.
ties personally banked for that split on serious disagreements in is, to be sure, the most tion.
our party.
man in the present Central Committe; but also Of course, both these remarks are made by me Our party rests upon two classes, and for that by merely with a view of the present time, or suppos reason its instability is possible, and if there can position to be too much attracted by the purely ing that these two able and loyal workers may not exist an agreement between those classes its of affairs.
not find an occasion to supplement their knowledge These two qualities of the two most able leadfall is inevitable. In such an event it would be and correct their one sidedness.
useless to take any measures or in general to dis ers of the present Central Committee might, quite cuss the stability our Central Committee. In innocently, lead to a split; if our party does not December, 25, 1922.
such an event no measures would prove capable of take measures to prevent it. a split might arise unpreventing a split. But trust that is too remote expectedly. Postscript: Stalin is too rude, and this fault, en a future, and too improbable an event, to talk will not further characterize the other mem tirely supportable in relations among us Commuabout: bers of the Central Committee as to their personalists, becomes insupportable in the office of General have in mind stability as a guarantee against qualities. will only remind you that the Octo Secretary. Therefore, propose to the Comrades a split in the near future, and intend to examine ber episode of Zinoviev and Kamenev was not, of to find a way to remove Stalin from that position and here a series of considerations of a purely personal course, accidental, but that it ought as little to be appoint it another ma man who in all respects from Stalin only used against them personally as the non Bolshev.
character.
in superiority namely. think that the fundamental factor in the matism of Trotsky.
more patient, more loyal, more polite and more attentive to comrades, less capricous, etc. This cir Of the younger members of the Central Comter of stability from this point of view is such members of the Central Committee as Stalin and mittee, I want to say a few words about Bucharin cumstance may seem an insignificant trifle, but think that from the and Piatakov. They are, in my opinion, the most point of view of Trotsky. The relation between them constitutes, in preventing my opinion, a big half the danger of that split, able forces (among the youngest. and in regard split and from the point of view of the relawhich might be avoided, and the avoidance of to them it is necessary to bear in mind the foltion between Stalin and Trotsky which discuswhich might be promoted, in my opinion, by rais lowing: Bucharin is not only the most valuable sed above, it is not a trifle, or it is such a trifle ing the number of members of the Central Com and biggest theoretician of the Party, but also may as may acquire a decisive significant.
mittee to fifty or one hundred.
legitimately be considered the favorite of the LENIN. Comrade Stalin, having become General Secre. whole party; but his theoretical views can only Jan. 4, 1923.
The New Needle Trades Workers Union CHE recent formation of the new Needle Trades most every opportunist prejudice from craft union union will be a victory for the American working Industrial Union marks a turning point in the conceptions to the theory that a struggle cannot be class and will have a great effect on its future.
protracte ruggle in the needle trades and is carried on against the bosses and the right wing There is no need to minimize the enormous difstep of great historic significance for the American leaders at the same time, from a complete misap, labor movement as a whole. The policy of organize prehension of the class role of the police (to speak bank ficulties in their path. Communist policy will enable the left wing to triumph over them. The ing the destruction of the old unions by the bosses that group of fakers, has found expression in the bosses will fight them by every means: therefore and the reactionaries with the formation of new unions under left wing leadership, will be given added the survivals of odious trade union bureau police, a mobilization of the masses against them here its test of fire.
cratic and business agent relations with the rank Under the present conditions and relation of and file. The struggle for a true Communist polic right wing socialist fakers will fight them: there forces the prerequisites for the success of this policy the only fighting policy was and is a struggle fore an unceasing exposure of their hypocritical against the tactics and policies of this group. peace manoevres, and an education of the masses cy are greater in the Needle Trades than in any to hate and distrust them as agents of the bosses.
other industry. It is there that the party and left The formation of the New Union is late. It was wing have the broadest and most conscious sup indicated by the whole situation months ago. The Every conscious worker must support the new port of the working masses, the product of the delay was due solely to the conservatism of the Needle Trades Industrial Union with all his advanced class consciousness of these workers and Party leaders in the needle trades in which, as in strength. This means for the Communist militants within the union a two fold task: on the one and left wing all their costly opportunist blunders, they were fulof the active leadership of the needle trades lv supported by the opportunist leadership of the hand to fight in the vanguard of the Union against in mighty struggles. It is in the also that the treason and the bankruptcy of not Party which turned the whole control over to them the employers and their labor agents; on the other only the old line reactionaries, but of the so called in a conscienceless factional bargain, entrenched hand to firmly organize the forces of the Commun socialist labor leaders has been most clearly de them in every way, shielded them from cri ist left wing within the Party fraction and thereby monstrated in practice. The left wing has shown ticism and stifled the opposition movement of irresistibly steer the new union on the path of itself to the masses here as the sole leader and or the rank and file Communist fighters in the needle revolutionary tactics in all its activities and strugganizer of the daily struggle as well as the herald trades. The amalgamation of the two left wing gles.
of the coming fight for liberation from the yoke unions and the formation of the new union was of capitalism.
forced upon them by the Onnosition in which ficht Appeal to the Convention The Needle Trade Industrial Union faces the we had a united front with the Foster groun New York, January 12, 1928.
gigantic task of building anew on the ruins of the party leadership, of which the faction of Gold and To the Central Executive Committee, old organizations. It was the destruction of the Zimmerman are the trade union representatives Workers (Communist) Party of America, old unions in the Fur and Ladies Garment trades resisted. held back and sabotaged to the last. It was only the unceasing fight of the combined on which placed the formation of the new union cateComrades: position, the correctness of which was being proven Corcained agenda. This destruction was ac.
We hereby send you notice of our intention to the united front of the Bosses, the by events. which brought about the amalgama appeal to the forthcoming Convention of the Party by tion and the organization of the new union even of the police and the Socialist betrayers.
at this late day.
against the expulsion of all the comrades standing on the Platform of the Opposition.
and the International Ladies Garment Workers The workers will pay for this delay as they have We desire to appear personally at the Conven Union, the loss of union standards, the intensified to pay for every onnortunist error of leadership.
exploitation and the general worsening of the lot tion to present our Appeal. This is in accordance The new union begins its career with handicaps with the Party Constitution and with the estabof the workers are the direct fruit of this reac. and difficulties that might have been avoided.
lished and practices traditions of the movement tionary united front. The unceasing exposition These handicaps. however, can soon be over The decision of the Political Committee on our ex of this incontestable fact is one of the most necescome bv a vigorous policy in the ensuing period pulsion recognized this sary phases of the task of building the new union.
The step taken is an indubitably correct one. In union bureaucracy, whose expulsion methods you An accessory cause of the setbacks the workers deed, it was the only sten consistent with a fight. have copied, have also recognized the right of exreceived and of the failure of the left wing to deal ing policy under siven circumstances. By it. the pelled members to present their appeals in person heavier and more decisive blows to the bosses and heroic workers of the needle trades who have to the Conventions. case in point is the recent their labor agents has been the stubborn oppor: written glorious pages of labor hitsory in the recent Convention of the Carpenters Union where com tunism, the illusions and vacillations of the left vears, again attention of the labor rade Rosen was given the floor to appeal against wing leaders. The stratum of this leadership, Gold, movement as whole. The conscious workers his expulsion.
Zimmerman, Wortis, etc. constitute a faction throughout the entire country look to them again Please notify us of the time and place of the whose practices have been a constant obstacle to nrove that the left wing is invincible that Convention sessions where our appeal will be the development and execution of a fighting Com able to turn the doctrurtion of the old unione into heard.
munist policy alone is able to mobilize the a rejuvenated movement on a sounder basis. Their James Cannon. Martin Abern fur resources of the masses for their struggle. Alvictory in the great battle to establish their new Arne Swabeck Max Shachtman Pin san country country in an epoch of struggle so as to ism was a On the activity of the native attract the cuts or to is