THE MILITANT October 15, 1929 Page Who Is Leading the Comintern To day?
the author of these lines. In 1924, he did his memCONTINUED FROM LAST ISSUE By Trotsky oirs already published over again and where he had In his unpublished work Lenin and the Dictatorplus sign he put a minus sign and conversely. This ship of the Proletariat and the Peasantry (at the revision has such a primitive and puerile character present moment, serious and conscientious works gen already on the press but at the very last moment the that it cannot even be taken seriously as a falsification.
erally in the forin of manuscripts; on ticklish questions type was destroyed by the order of the Political BuA: bottom, there is an essentially primitive manner only the shabby products of the apparatus are printed. reau: it was decided that it would really be too emof thought. The activity of Raskolnikov in the domain comrade Lifschitz gives an instructive political char barrassing to make arrangements with this personage.
acterization of Martinov in a short note: Nevertheless Zinoviev provided for him and wheedled of proletarian literature will constitute one of the most an using anecdotes in the history of the revolution. It seems to me, he says, that the political bio him into the International. By the side of the KuusiBut right here this subect does not interest us. The graphy of this man invites special attention. He came nens and the Martinove, Lenzner became one of the work of Raskolnikov as the director of the Eastto the Narodniki when their epigonic degeneration be leaders of the daily work of the International. This ern department of the International has a much more gan (towards the middle of the 80s. He came to Red Professor writes leading articles in the official retragic character. It is enough to read Raskolnikov Marxism and the social democracy in order to preside view of the International. The few lines that have foreword to the report of Tang Pin san to be conover the dow sliding of a part of the social democrats read sufficed to convince me that Lezner does not know vinced once more of the facility with which certain from the platform of the Emancipation of Labor to this day how to write two consecutive words corpersons relapse into political ignorance when condigroup and Lenin Petersburg Union of Struggle, to rectly. But apparently there is no one among the editions favorable. To the Menshevik report of Tang the platform. of opportunist Economism. Then this tors of Die Kommunistische Internationale to look after Pin san, Raskolnikov wrote a eulogistic Menshevik old opponent of the supporters of Iskra came to Iskra not only the Marxism, but even the grammar of the foreword. It must of course be added that the report (rather to the new elements of Iskra) at the moment writers. These Lenzners give the apparatus of the of Tang Pin san was approved the VII Plenum of when the directors who had remained were slipping International its physiognomy.
the Executive Committee of the International. Just from their old political positions. Remaining there in LOZOVSKY think of what pains and resources are wasted to lead some way to play secondary roles (outside the editorial people off the right road. Raskolnikov is not so much board of Iskra. he pratically gave, in his Two Dic Lozovsky occupies a leading place in the Red International of Labor Unions and an influential one in the responsible inspirer as he is the victim of this whole tatorships. a platform of the opportunist conciliatory tactic of the Mensheviks in the 1905 revolution. This the Communist International. If in the beginning, mechanism. But his unfortunate direction is in turn a source of the greatest mishaps and victims.
Menshevik of yesterday, the most venomous anti Bol under the old leadership of the Party, his role was shevik, then came to the Bolsheviks again. 1923) just purely technical, and, even in this capacity was held in ROY at the moment when their epigone leaders were already serious doubt and regarded as temporary, it is no less The Indian movement is represented in the Interslipping away from the Bolshevik positions. Remain true that in this last period Lozovsky has reached ing here also in secondary roles (outside of the Po the very front ranks.
national by Roy. It is doubtful if greater harm could be done to the Indian proletariat than was done by litical Bureau and the Presidium of the International. Lozovsky cannot be denied certain aptitudes, a faciliZinoviev, Stalin and Bucharin through the medium of he practically inspired the struggle against the Bolty of orientation, a certain flair. But all these faculRoy. In Indian, as in China, the work has been and is shevik faction of the Party and, in his articles and ties have extremely fleeting and superficial charconducted almost always on the basis of bourgeois naspeeches, gave a platform of the opportunist concilia acter with him. He commenced, believe, with Boltionalism. In the whole period after Lenin, Roy has tory tactic of the Stalinists in the Chinese revolution shevism but withdrew from it for many years, became conducted a propaganda in favor of a people Party. sort of fatality really seems to accompany this a conciliator. Internationalist during the war, he which, as he himself has said, should be neither in figure.
worked with me in Paris on Nashe Sloco (Our Word)
name nor in essence the Party of the proletarian vanThe fatality of the figure of Martinov lives to where he always represented the extreme Right wing guard. It is an adaption of Kuo Min Tangism, of Stalgether excellently with its involuntarily comic side. tendency. In the internal questions of the French labor inism and of La Folletteism to the conditions of the naSlo:y of pace and heavy of wit, created by nature for movement, as in the questions of the International and tional movement in India. Politically this means: the baggage wagon of the revolution, Martinov is aglow of the Russian revolution, he inclined invariably to the through the medium of Roy, the leadership of the Inwith a noble passion: to combine the extremities in Right towards pacifist Centrism. In 1917, he was ternational is holding the stirrup for the future Indian theory. Since he enters only into declining ideological the only one of the Nashe Slovo group that did not Chiang Kai Sheks. As for Roy conceptions, they are a currents or into declining branches of healthy cur join the Bolsheviks. He was a fierce enemy of the Ocrents, he manages, in his efforts to combine the extremi tober revolution. He remained an enemy until 1920, hodge podge of Social Revolutionary ideas and liberalism flavored with the sauce of the struggle against ties, to bring every error to the height of absurdity. believe, mobilizing a part of the railwaymen and the imperialism. While the Communists organize workIn 1926 27, the author of Two Dictatorships gave the trad unionists in general against the Party. He rallied ers and peasants Parties. the Indian nationalists theoretical definition of the bloc of the four classes. to the October revolution before Martinov; in any case are seizing hold of the trade unions. In India the caunderstanding by this that the Chinese bourgeoisie, after it had not only been accomplished but also detastrophe is being prepared just as methodically as it with the help of the International, was installed a fended against the most menacing dangers. His knowwas in China. Roy has taken the Chinese examples straddle three classes: the workers, the peasants and ledge of languages and of life in the Western counas a model, and he appears at the Chinese congresses the petty bourgeoisie of the city. In March 1927, Mar tries led him, in those years when the distribution of as a teacher. It is needless to say that this national tinov issued the slogan of the transfusion of work workers was still very chaotic, to the Red Internationdemocrat, poisoned by an adulterated Marxism. is ers blood into Kuo Min Tang just at the moment al of Labor Unions. In the Political Bureau, when an implacable foe of Trotskyism. just like his spiritwhen Chiang Kai Shek began with the shedding of we found ourselves faced with this fact, we all. Lenin ual brother Tang Pin san.
workers blood. When the Anglo Russian and the first of all shook our heads; we consoled ourselves Chinese discussions opened up the Party, Marti by saying that he would have to be replaced at the first KATAYAMA nov relived his youth by serving up the old Menshevism, opportunity But the situation changed. Lenin fell Things are no better in Japan. The Japanese Comwithout modifications or additions, in its most intact ill and died. The displacements began, carefully premunist Party is unalterably represented in the Interand most stupid form. While the others made haste pared behind the scenes of the apparatus. Lozosksky national by Katayama. As fast as the leadership of the to hunt up and invent a theory to justify the political floated on the surface. He went with the current. Had International was drained, Katayama became one of back sliding, Martinov brought one out of his pocket, he not polemized against me during the war in defense its bolshevik pillars. To tell the truth, Katayama is thought out long ago, all finished, only lightly forgot of Longuetism and petty bourgeois democracy in Rusby nature a complete mistake. Contrary to Klara Zetten. That contrrred a manifest superiority upon him. sia? Had he not polemized against the October revo kin, he cannot even be called a decorative figure, for Now, this latal man is one of the principal in lution, the Red terror, the civil war? After a brief he is totally devoid of any adornment. His concepspirers of the Communist International. He teaches how pause, he resumed the struggle against Trotskyism.
tions form a progressivism very lightly colored by to orientate oneself, to foresee the further course of That assured his position in the Red International of Marxism. By his whole make up, Katayama is incomrevolutionary development, to select the cadres for it, Labor Unions and immediately created one for him in parably closer to the world of ideas of Sun Yat Sen to discern a revolutionary situation at the proper time the Communist International. At the height of the Mar than of Lenin. This does not prevent Katayama from and to mobilize the masses for the overthrow of the tinovist course, Lozovsky even stood at the Left wing expelling the Bolshevik Leninists from the Internabourgeoisie. more malicious caricature cannot be to a certain extent. But that is dangerous neither for tional, and in general, from deciding the destinies of imagined Lozovsky nor for the International, for, despite all his the proletarian revolution by his vote. In recompense apparent rashness, Losovsky is perfectly aware of the LENZNER for his services in the struggle against the Opposition, limits beyond which Leftism ceases to be encouraged. the International supports the fictitious authority of In the propaganda department of the International, As frequently happens, an impulsive spirit mingles in Katayama in Japan. The young Japanese Communists there works, and so to speak, directs a certain Lenz Lozovsky with a conservatism in ideas. In a stirring look upon him with deference and follow his teachings.
ner. However insignificant this figure may be it is article he can call upon the workers of South Africa Which? It is not for nothing that there is a Japanese well to say a few words about it, as a by no means ac or the natives of the Phillipine Islands to overthrow proverb: Even the head of a sardine can be worcidental fraction of the whole. For a certain time, their bourgeoisie, and forget his counsel an hour later. shipped, the main thing is to have faith.
Lenzner worked at the publication of my Works. But in every serious instance where decisions involvmade his acquaintance there for the first time, as a ing his responsibility must be made, Lozovsky invariaIn the meantime, endless attempts are being made representative of the Red Professoriate. He had in Japan to unite the various workers and peasants bly makes for the Right. He is not a man of revoluno revolutionary past. After all, one could not com tionary action; he is an organic pacifist. The future Parties. of the Right, the Center and the Left, which plain about that he was young. He entered politics will demonstrate this more than once.
constitute, all of them to the same degree, an organas soon as the revolution was made. The worst of it ized assault upon the political independence of the prowas that the chaotic havoc wrought in every field made RASKOLNIKOV letarian vanguard. The diplomatic notes and counterit possible for him to make his way as a Red Profes The direction of the young Parties of the East, which notes, the unity conferences and counter conferences sor with a minimum of theoretical resources. In have imposing tasks before them, forms the darkest increase and multiply, absorbing and corrupting the other words, the revolution for him signified above all page of the International after the death of Lenin.
very few Communists, diverting them from the real a career. His ignorance particularly astonished me. In It is enough to say that there a leading role is givwork of rallying and educating the worker revolutionthe annotations that he wrote, not anly the thought aries. The press of the International gives hardly any en to Raskolnikov. Contrary to those whom have but also the etymology and the syntax of Sir Profes named before, he is incontestably a fighting revolutionnews of the real revolutionary work of the Japanese sor had to be revised. Above all, attention had to be ary, a Bolshevik with a certain revolutionary past.
Communists, of the illegal work, of the organization, of paid to his excessive zeal: Lenzner resembled less the proclamations, etc. But for that, we learn almost But only the frightful devastation of the leading ranks an adept than a courtesan. In this period of 1923 many could bring things to the point where Raskolnikov is every week of new steps by a new committee for the impatient careerist and aspirants not provided for in placed at the leadership. of proletarian literature reorganization of the Left workers and peasants the apparatus still tried their luck here and there. In and the Asiatic revolutions. He is just as inapt for Party in the sense of a union with the Left wing of dulgence had to be shown, however, for the superficial the one as for the other. His deeds were always better the Centrists workers and peasants Party, which, in knowledge of Lenzner; the more capable workers were than his speeches and articles. He expresses himself turn, approaches the Left wing of the Right Party, overwhelmed with work: at that time the Opposi before thinking. It is certainly not bad to have him and so on without end. What has Bolshevism to do tionists had not yet been removed from their posts.
with this? What can Marx and Lenin have in comclose to one in the period of civil war. But it is very Lenzner prepared for me the material for The Les bad to have him there in the period of ideological war.
mon with this obscene trafficking?
sons of October, verified texts, collected quotations un When he returned from Afghanistan in 1923, RaskolBut we will have to return more basically to the der my directions, etc. When the anti Trotskyist cam nikov threw himself into the battle on the side of the burning questions of the East from another point of paign, a long time in preparation, was launched and Opposition. had to hold him back very insistently, view.
was formally connected with The Lessons of October, for fear that he would do more harm than good. For TO BE CONTINUED Lenzner did not know where to stand and within 24 this reason or for another, he became an active fighthours he switched rifle position. To secure himself era few days later in the other camp. do not One of the most constant sub getters for the Militant more safely, he used the material he had prepared in know if he studied the East very much during his so is comrade Hedlund of Minneapolis. His last a diametically contrary sense, that is to say, against journ in Afghanistan. But, then he did write many mem letter contains ten new subs chiefly from railroad Trotskyism. He wrote a pamphlet, it goes without say. oirs of the first years the revolution, in which he workers, from whom comrade Hedlund also obtained ing, on the permanent revolution; this pamphlet was thought it necessary to devote not a little space to donations to the Militant.