Page THE MILITANT August 15, 1929 Who Is Leading the Comintern To day?
again very much Nothing characterizes better the transformation of bauched this man whose principal quality is his moral.
By Trotsky the oficial Party of the Soviet Union than its attitude inconstancy. There was a time when he had certain towards the problems of the international revolution.
talents, not theoretical, not political, but literary. For the majority of the apparatus people, the Com Trotskyism. The short lived Hungarian Soviet re certain flame, always feeble, burned in him. However, munist International has become an office to be at public still casts a certain luster of authority upon some kind of internal worm gnawed at him incessantly.
tended to by those engaged for it. In these last years, them. Still, it must not be forgotten that these poli: Fleeing from himself, Manuilsky constantly sought for the leadership has systematically disaccustomed the ticians did not have to conquer power; it was foisted someone to lean upon. He always had something of the Party from interesting itself effectively in the inner upon them by a bourgeoisie that had landed in a blind errand boy in him. It suffices to say that for a long time he strove to remain attached to. Alexinsky.
life of the international labor movement, more parti alley. Having taken power without struggle, the Huncularly in the world Communist Parties. It must be garian leaders more than showed that they were not During the war, Manuilsky did not conduct himself said frankly: the present journalistic information in big enough to keep it. Their policy was a chain of badly. Nevertheless, his internationalism was always the on the events taking place within the errors. Let us confine ourselves to mentioning two of superficial. The October days were a period of hesitainternational working class is distinctly inferior to the links: first of all they forgot the existence of the tions for Manuilsky. In 1918, he proclaimed unexpect the information given by the best organs of the social peasantry by not giving it the land; secondly, in their tedly (for me, above all) that Trotsky had liberated democracy before the war. It is not possible to put joy they united the young Communist Party with the Bolshevism from its national narrowness. After all, any faith in the present essentially official information Left social democracy as soon as the latter wheeled its no one attached any great importance to his writings.
whose purpose always conforms with the momentary way into power. Thus they showed and Bela Kun Manuilsky lived quietly in the Ukraine as an admininterests of the leading circles. One must forego fol in the first place that the experience of the Russian istrator of little ability, asserting himself, however, as lowing from day to day the development of the labor revolution had taught them to understand neither the a fine narrator of anecdotes. Like all the present leaders, he came forward and began his rise only after movement and its internal struggles. Certain events peasant question nor the question of the role of the are suppressed, others, on the contrary, are deliberately Party in the revolution. Of course, these mistakes, the death of Lenin. His intrigues against Rakovsky exaggerated; but even this is. episodic.
which cost the Hungarian revolution its life, find their served him as a spring board. The general esteem en After a long period, in which one Party or another explanation in the youth of the Hungarian Party and joyed by Rakovsky in the Ukraine was such that in has almost disappeared from the range of vision of the extreme lack of political preparation of its leaders. 1923 no one dared to begin a campaign against him, par press, there suddenly appears a new danger. a But is it not stupefying that Bela Kun, like his social despite all the urgings from Moscow. Manuilsky did new deviation. a catastrophe! The reader, how democratic shadow Pepper, can believe himself called dare. In private conversations, between two anecdotes, ever, learns of this catastrophe only after the leading upon to denounce us, Oppositionists, for an under he openly acknowledged the kind of a commission he organs concerned have taken their measures. The estimation of the peasantry and a lack of understand was discharging, proclaimed his contempt for his comréa ler. that is, the Party. is simply informed that ing of the role of the Party? Where is it written that missioner, and even more, for himself. His acquaintance catastrophe, whose approach he had not the least a man who, out of carelessness, has broken the arms with foreign countries established the field for his further exploits: the Communist International. If one notion of, has been happily liquidated thanks to the and legs of his intimates, is on this account promoted decision taken yesterday by the Presidium of the Inter to the title of Professor of Surgery?
were to gather what Zinoview and Stalin say about him, he would assemble a very curious treatise on political national and that the nacional section involved is At the Third Congress, Bela Kun, flanked by his cynicism. On the other hand, matters would not he Ask red of a monolithic development. The monoton indispensable counterpart, Pepper, adopted an ultra changed if one gathered what Manuilsky ou repetition of this precedure stupefies the reader Left position. They defended the strategy employed in has said about Zinoviev and Stalin. At the Sixth Conen! Plunges him into indifference. The average mem Germany in March 1921, of which Bela Kun was one gress, Manuilsky appeared as the principal accuser of be: si the Party begins to regard the successive catas of the principal inspirers. Their point of departure trches in the International, as those in his own Party, the Opposition. For one who knows the leading perwas the following: unless the revolution is immediately sonnel and the past of the Party, this fact by itself as the peasant looks upon the hailstorm or the drought: aroused in the West, the Soviet republic is doomed to alone settles the question. Nothing can be done about it, we must have patience.
die. Bela Kun endeavored many a time to convince me VALETSKY It is obvious that his phenomenon is conceivable only to take a chance along this path. flatiy rejected In the apparatus of the International and in the because of the heavy defeats of the international rev his putschism, and, together with Lenin, explained to press, Valetsky plays a very conspicuous role. In Die plution, the sense of these defeats, moreover, never hav him at the Third Congress that the task of the EuroKommunistische Internationale and in Pravda ing been explained to the masses of the Party, so as pean Communists is not to save the with cuently denounces Trotskyism from the theoretical not to disclose the bankruptcy of the leadership. Only the aid of revolutionary stage plays but the serious He was created by and philosophical viewpoint.
the great ideological capital, moral and political, inof the European Parties for the taking of preparation herited from the past and the fact of the existence nature itself for this sort of task. In the eyes of the power. Today Bela Kun, with the Peppers of all of the workers state, still makes it possible for the younger generation Valetsky is simply an illustrious variety, feels called upon to accuse me of scepticism unknown. The older generation has known him for International to include in the ranks of its organiza towards the vital forces of the Soviet republic and of long time.
tion throughout the world (excluding the speculating solely upon the world revolution. What At the opening of the century, Valetsky 400 to 500, 000 members at the very most.
is called the irony of history assumes here the aspect made his appearance in Siberian exile as a fanatical supporter of the Polish Socialist Party (P. At THEORETICAL DISHONESTY of a veritable buffoonery. Really, it is not an accident that time Pilsudski was his god. In politics, Valetsky Theoretical dishonesty has become one of the most that the Third Congress proceeded under the resound. was a nationalist; in theory, he was an idealist and leitmotif, of Lenin formulation: All that important weapons in the internal struggle. This fact alone is a sure indication the deep seated disease that because of Bela Kun stupidities. And when after indorysticistiecaden became the propagandist for the is consuming the organism of the International. Ideo wards, in my private conversations with Lenin, tried Pilsudski. In our colony. of exiles, he was isolated. At logical dishonesty in a revoluionary leadership is the to defend Bela Kun against too harsh attacks, Lenin the time of the splitting of the called forth by same as slovenliness in a surgeon. The one and the answered: do not dispute that he is a fighter, but the revolution of 1905, Valetsky was found on the more other lead fatally to the poisoning of the organism.
he is fit for nothing; the comrades must socialist.
Hoeve, the theoretical dishonesty of the leadership of be taught not to take him seriously.
wing (the Left. but only so as to defend there an extremely Menshevik position.
the international is neither an accident nor is it a As for Pepper, he is the consummate type of the man Already at that time he fought against the theory quality peculiar to them: it flows from the contradicwho knows how to adapt himself, a political parasite.
tio. bet een the principles of Leninism and the actual Such individuals have attached themselves and will alof the permanent revolution. regarding not only as fantastic but as senseless the idea that the proletariat poly o the Stalinist faction. The less authority and ways attach themselves to every victorious revolution as could come to power sooner in backward Russia than coh. on there are, the the coercion.
unfailingly as flies stick to sugar. After the catastrophe Discipline, as necessary as salt is to food, has in these last in Western Europe. During the war, he was at the very of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, Pepper endeavored best to the Right of Martov. One can be sure that five yee been found to displace food itself. But no one to enter into relations with Count Karolyi. At the minutes before the October Revolution, Valetsky was has, st been able to sustain himself on salt. The selecThird Congress he was with the ultra Lett. In Ameran irreconciliable enemy of Bolshevism. have no intior of persons takes place in conformity with the ica he became the herald of the LaFollette Party and formation as to the time when he became a Bolshecou ve and the regime of the Party. The Communist dragged the young Communist Party into the swamp vik. But in any case it was not until after the Russian figers are more and more replaced by the bureauup to its waist. It is hardly necessary to say that he proletariat had taken power firmly in its hands. At cratic staff officers of Communism. This is most clearbecame a prophet of socialism in one country and one ly and crassly seen in the very focal point of Comof the most ferocious anti Trotskyists. Now he has the Third Congress, Valetsky tacked about between the line of Lenin and the ultra Leftists. Under Zinoviet purist leadership: the central apparatus of the Intermade this his profession, as others run a matrimonial he was a Zinovievist only to change opportunely into national.
agency or sell lottery tickets.
a Stalinist. His mobility and his elasticity are not Accordingly, it is of the highest importance to give VARGA yet exhausted. It is easy for him, with his light bagan account of the kind of elements, the political On Varga must repeat what have already said, gage, to change from one train to another. Today, this type of the representatives who at the present moment that he is the perfected type of a theoretician a la former nationalist, idealist, mysticist, Menshevik teachhold the reins in the Communist International. do Polonius, at the service of every leadership of the not possess the general statistics and the political chares the working class how to take power, despite the Communist International. It is true that his knowledge fact that he himself heard of it for the first time only acteristics of the bureaucracy of the International.
after it had been conquered. People of the caliber Moreover, that is not necessary. It is enough to point qualified worker. But there is not the slightest trace and his analytical qualities make him a useful and of Valetsky will never conquer anything. But they out with the finger some of the most conspicuous are perfectly capable of losing that which has been figures that personify the present leading line and of power of thought or revolutionary will in him. In this conquered.
regard Varga is a miniature edition of a Kautsky.
the present regime.
TO BE CONTINUED He was a Brandlerist under Brandler, Maslovist under BELA KUN AND PEPPER Maslov, Thaelmannist under the void that is called DANGER SIGNALS IN THE EAST Since do not pretend to give a systematic study in Thaelmann. Conscientiously and scrupulously, he althese rapid notes, and since the gallery of the Stalinist ways serves up the economic (Continued from Page 1)
arguments for the political International must be begun with someone, we will first line of others. The objective value of his works is ary general. the leader of the masses. and the like.
of all name Bela Kun, without wishing thereby to entirely limited by the political quality of the instrucThis cannot be forgotten, for the present situation is exaggerate his importance either in the good or the bad tions upon which he himself has not the least influence.
the fruit of that policy.
sense. In all justice it must be recognized that Bela He defends the theory of socialism in one country, as The workers of the world who up to now have shown Kun, at any rate, is not the worst element in the lead have once said, by invoking the lack of political culture an alarming in difference and inaction in the present siting. circles of the International. He is supplemented of the Russian worker who needs consoling perspecuation must be aroused, and will be aroused if the helm is turned and the defense of the Soviet Union by two other Hungarian Communists: Varga and Peptives.
per. All three play an international role, appearing albased on a proper foundation: not on the fight for MANUILSKY Russian claims in China, but on the genuine danger, most continuously as teachers and spiritual directors of Manuilsky, like Pepper, enjoys a sufficiently estab that exists daily so long as Russia remains workers the national sections. Two of them, Kun and Pepper, lished reputation even within the faction to which he state, of attack by the White Guards and counterare ighly qualified specialists in the struggle against now belongs. The last six years have thoroughly de revolution of world imperialism.
ing, like of greater