THE MILITANT September 15, 1923 Page The Sino Russian Conflict and the Opposition On July 27th, gave the following answer to a quesBy TROTSKY those lines were constructed for the purpose of robbing tionaire of an American news agency: the Chinese workers and peasants. But they were also As to Soviet Chinese relations, can voice my opinconstructed by the exploitation and robbery of the Russible for the present conflict? In this sense and no ion, of course, only in the capacity of a private indisian workers and peasants. After this the (ictober vidual. Outside of the newspapers, have no access cther: that it helped Chiang Kai Shek by its previous revolution took place. Did this alter the mutual reto sources of information. In such matters, newspaper policy to destroy the revolution of the Chinese worklations of these peoples? On the foundation of the reports are always unsatisfactory. There can be no ers and peasants. spoke of this in an article directrevolution, after a period of reaction, the state structdoubt that aggression is being manifested by the Chin ed against Radek and company: Chiang Kai Shek ure was rebuilt. Did Russia now return to the startprovocation ese and not by the Russian government. The regime the reward for Stalin assistance in ing point? Can we now imagine, from a historical say it now, and of the Chinese Eastern Railway is a fact that dates crushing the Chinese revolution.
viewpoint regardless of Stalin and Molotov, regardback a number of years. Those workers organizations have repeated it a hundred times, that as soon as less of the exile of the Opposition, etc. etc. can we that have been attacked by the Chinese government do Chiang Kai Shek will be seated securely in the sadimagine an ownership of the Chinese Eastern lines dle to which he was aided by Stalin, the former will that would be more beneficial from the point of view not exist since yesterday either. The organizauon of the Chiñese Eastern Railway lines was based on the Ca the first occasion kick his assistant in the face with of the international proletariat and the Chinese revothoroughgoing work executed by a special committee his stirrup. This is precisely what happened. lution, than that of the Soviet Union? This is how we of which was the chairman. The resolutions passed Chiang Kai Shek provocation was preceded by his ought to put the question.
by this committee were ratified in April 1926. They crushing of the Chinese revolution. We behold here an All the White guard emigres look upon this quesprotect Chinese interests in every respect.
adventure of the Bonapartist military power headed by tion not from a nationalist or a geographical viewpoint. The attitude of the present Chinese regime may be Chiang Kai Shek. This provocation is at the root of but from a class angle. Regardless of internal dissenexplained by the fact that it has become strong by the Soviet Chinese conflict.
sion, the leading groups of the Russian emigres are reason of its defeat of the workers and peasants. What According to the author of the article quoted, the in accord on the point that the internationalization of caused the defeat of the revolutionary movement of principal cause of the conflict is the imperialist the Chinese Eastern, e. its transference to the hands the Chinese people of this am not going to speak claim of the Soviet republic on the Chinese Eastern of world imperialism, would to be the advantage of here since have given a full account of these causes line. Hands Off China! shout the involuntary defend the coming. that is, of Bourgeois Russia, more in articles already published. Governments that have ers of Chiang Kai Shek, repeatin not only the slogans advantageous than to leave it in the possession of the emerged from crushed revolutions usually display but also the basic arguments of the social democrats. Soviet state. By the same token, we can say that to weakness before those forces against which the revo Heretofore we believed that only the capitalist bour leave it in the hands of the Soviet power would be lution was directed. In this case, first of all before geoisie as a class could be the representatives of an more advantageous to an independent China than to English and Japanese imperialism. For this reason, imperialist policy. Is there anything to indicate the turn it over to any of the present claimants.
the Chinese government, in order to show its strength, contrary? Or has such a class taken over power had to make a threatening, adventurist gesture towards in the Since when? We are fighting Does this signify that the management of the lines its revolutionary neighbor.
against the Centrism of the Stalinist bureaucracy (and is perfect? No! Indeed not. The remnants of czarremember: Centrism is a movement within the work The question is whether this provocation growing All out of the defeat of the Chinese revolution will of ing class itself. because Centrist policies may help ist imperialism still have some strength there.
the zig zags of internal policy are undoubtedly also the bourgeoisie to gain power, first the petty and midnecessity result in war. do not think so, because reflected in the apparatus of the lines. The tasks of dle bourgeoisie, and eventually finance capital. Herethe Soviet government does not want war and the the Opposition extend also over these questions.
in lies the historical danger, although this is a proChinese cannot make war. would like to refer here to my personal experience Chiang Kai Shek army achieved victories in 1925cess that is by no means at the point of completion.
in this matter. More than once did have to fight for In the same issue of Contre le Courant, the socalled 27 thanks to the uprising of the masses. However, an improvement in the management of the Chinese raildraft of a platform is published. In this we read among when the army turned against them, it forfeited its ways. The last time worked on this question was in other things: We cannot say that the Thermidor has main source of strength. As a purely military organia special committee of which was chairman in March zation, his army is extremely weak Chiank Kai Shek already come. This shows that a continual repetition 1926. The members of this committee were Voroschilov, cannot help knowing that the Soviet government is of the general formulae of the Opposition is far from Dzjershinsky and Tchitcherin. In full agreement with being equivalent to a political understanding of those well aware of the weakness of his armed forces. It the Chinese revolutionaries, not only the Communists forasulae. If we cannot say that the Thermidor is an is beyond his power to wage war against the Red but the representatives of the at that time functionaccomplished fact, neither can we say that Soviet polAry without the help of other countries. In other ing Kuo Min Tang, the committee deemed it absoluteicy has become a capitalist, or imperialist, policy. Cenwords, he could fight Russia only if his army were a ly necessary: subsidiary of other armies. do not believe that such trisin is a zig zag between the prole and the pet To retain the actual management of the railway in a combination is likely at the present time, chiefly ty bourgeoisie. To identify Centrism with big capital mentis to understand nothing because of the circumstance that the Soviet government all, and thereby supthe hands of the Soviet power as the only means of is seriously bent upon straightening out things by port finance capital not only against the proletariat, safeguarding the lines from seizure by the imperialibut also against the petty bourgeoisie.
ists in the next period. The next period meant unpeaceful means.
The theoretical wisdom of the ultra Leftists in Ber til the victory of the Chinese revolution. With re It goes without saying that were the Soviets to enlin and in Paris simmers down to a few democratic gard to the regime in the interim, the resolution adoptgage in war, the opposition would devote itself comed on the question had this to say: abstractions, which have a geographical but not a sopletely to the defense of the October revolution.
cialist basis. The Chinese Eastern Railway runs It is absolutely necessary to adopt broad measures believed that in this answer had expressed the through Manchuria, which belongs to China China of a cultural political character with regard to the standpoint of the whole Left Communist Opposition.
has a right to self determination, therefore the claim Chinafication of the railroad. regret to say that this is not altogether the case. Inof Soviet Russia to this line is imperialism. They. The management shall be conducted both in the dividuals and groups have come forward the oppo. should be turned over. To whom? To Chiang Kai Chinese and Russian languages; sition that, on the occasion of the first serious political Shek? Or to the son of Chang Tso Lin. b) Chinese school for railroad workers shall be test, have taken either an indecisive or a basically In the course of the Brest Litovsk peace negotiations established combing technical and political cducation; false stand, opposed to their own revolutionary oppovon Kuehlmann demanded an independent Latvia and c) At appropriate points on the railway lines, edusition camp, and one which brought them very near Esthonia, referring to the fact that the Landtags escational institutions shall be established for the benefit to the camp of the social democracy.
tablished there with the aid of Germany had instructof the Chinese workers and the population in the In No. 26 of the Fahne des Kommunismus, there ed him to demand a separation. We refused to sancvicinity.
was printed an article written by one Accordtion this, and we were denounced by the entire official With regard to the policy of the Russian represening to this article the conflict was caused by an enpress of Germany as imperialists tatives towards China, the resolution said: croachment upon China right of self determination Let us assume that in the Caucasus there is an out There be no doubt that with regard to China, on the part of the Soviet republic; in other words, it break of a counter revolution which, with the help of the representatives of the various departments were was in substance a defense of Chiang Kai Shek guilty of impermissable activities that bore the charshall not deal with this article, since received. say England, achieves victory. Let us also assume that the workers of Baku, with the help of the Soviet acter of an imperialist attitude which compromised a proper reply from comrade Kurt Landau, who dealt the Soviet Power and suggested the idea of imperialwith the question Union, succeed in keeping the whole district of Baku behooves a Marxist.
ism.
in their power. It goes without saying that the TransThe editor of the Fahne des Kommunismus printed caucasian counter revolution would then claim this The responsible organs and personnel of the railthe article a discussion article, with a note that he district of Baku. It is perfectly clear that the is not in solidarity with the author. It is completely Republic would not consent to this.
Soviet way must be impressed with the necessity of such a Is it not also policy, and the importance even of the external forms beyond comprehension how it is possible to open a disclear that in such a case the enemy would accuse the of such a policy, towards China, as shall preclude the cussion on so elementary a question for every revoluSoviets of imperialism?
slightest shadow of imperialist conceptions. In every tionary, particularly at a time when we need political Had the revolution of the Chinese workers and peasdepartment a line shall be followed which will be based action. Matters became even worse when the editor ants been victorious, there would not be any difficulty on the highest consideration for an understanding of of that paper published Landau contribution also as a discussion article. The article of expresses whatsoever now with regard to the Chinese Eastern the rights of China, on the recognition and emphasis lines. These lines would have been turned over to of its sovereignty, etc. In each case where a violathe prejudices of vulgar democracy combined with the hands of the victorious Chinese people. But the tion of such policy shall occur, irrespective of how those of anarchism. Landau article formulates the fact of the matter is that the Chinese people were degreat or small such a violation may be, the guilty shall Marxist standpoint. And what about the viewpoint feated by the ruling Chinese bourgeoisie, and with the be punished and care taken that the proceedings be of the editor.
aid of foreign imperialism. To turn over the lines to brought to the attention of Chinese public opinion.
Something incomparably worse occurred in one of the hand of Chiang Kai Shek under such conditions In addition to this must point to the fact that the the numerous groups of the French Opposition. No. would mean to abet the Chinese Bonapartist counter Chinese owners of he railway, Chiang Kai Shek includ35 of Contre le Courant (dated July 28, 1929. de revolution against the Chinese people. This alone set ed, put against the management of the railway, not votes an editorial to the Soviet Chinese conflict which tles the whole issue. There is still another considera the Chinese, but mainly the White Guardist apparatus is a sorry mess of errors from beginning to end, partly tion equal weight. Chiang Kai Shek never could that is on the payroll of the imperialists of the world.
of social democratic, partly of ultra Left hue. The get those lines by virtue of his own financial politiThe White Guards employed in the police and military article begins with the statement that the adventurist cal means let alone keep them It is by no means squads of the Chinese railway have frequently compolicy of the Soviet bureaucracy is responsible for the an accident that he tolerates the actual independence mitted acts of violence against the railway workers.
conflict, in other words, the paper assumes the role of Manchuria existing under a Japanese protectorate.
Regarding this, the resolution passed by the commitof Chiank Kai Shek defense attorney. The article The railway lines transferred to Chiang Kai Shek tee of that time, said the following: puts the policy of the Soviets towards the Chinese would only become a becurity for the foreign loans. It is absolutely necessary to investigate every Eastern Railway in the category of a capitalist, im which he received. They would go over into the hands perialist policy, which resorts to the support of the future case in which Chinese military, police, or Rusof the real imperialists and would become their most sian White Guards commit violence on Russian workimperialist powers.
important economic and strategic line in the Far East ers and officials of the railway, and every case in which The Communist Opposition. the article states. against a potential Chinese revolution and against conflicts occurred between Russians and Chinese for cannot aid Stalin war, which is not a defensive war the Soviet republic. We are well aware that the im nationalist reasons. Ways and means must be found of the proletariat but a semi colonial war. Elseperialists understand perfectly how to utilize the slowhere it says: The Opposition must have the courso that the personal and national feelings of these gan of self determination for their own dirty deals. Russian workers shall be dealt with in such a manner age to tell the working class that it is not falling But do not believe that Marxists are under any ob that conflicts of this kind shall not kindle chauvinist into line with Stalinist bureaucrats, is not for their ligations to help them put it over.
instincts in either Party (Russian or Chinese. on adventurist war. This phrase is emphasized in the The point of departure for the ultra Lefts is the fact the contrary, they shall be used as the occasion for original, and not by accident: it expresses the whole that it was greedy and thievish czarist imperialism essence of the article and thereby puts the author into political education. Special conciliation committees, which once took the Chinese Eastern lines from the implacable opposition to the whole of the Communist or courts, shall be established in unions, into which Chinese people. This is a fact that cannot be argued. members of both nationalities shall enter and act upon Left Yet, they forget to point out that the same imperial the basis of equal rights. They shall be guided by In what sense is the Stalinist bureaucracy respon ism had forced itself upon the Russian people. Yes, serious minded Communists who are fully aware of