THE nge MILITANT Saturday, January 18, 1930 The Defense of the Soviet Union and the Opposition Continued from Last Issue By Trotsky made at the Plenum of the Central Cammittee and the Central Control Commission Urbahns, however, raises the slogan What is correct and what has been ition of arms by the Soviet republic. on August 1, 1927. Here is what is said in of the freedom of organization in the gensaid long ago is mixed up hero with what the speech on the question that interests us bral democratic sense. In fact, it would be impossible in any other sense. Urbahas now: trist leadership in China are absolutely Mean Reconciliation with is new and wrong. The crimes of the Cen Does the Defense of the The greatest events in human history formulates the same demand for Russia, for are revolution and war.
China and all the capitalist countries. This We have tested dered the revolution in China. This is a Centrism?
the policy of Centrism in the Chinese revwould be absolutely correct, but on one olution. The greatest historical test after attle condition: the recognition that the historical fact which penetrates more and more into the mind of the vanguard of the Thermidor is already accomplished. But In order to show wherein the standrevolution is war. We say in adayance: in International proletariat. However, to achere it is Urbahns who does not go far point of the Leninbund differs from that of the face of the event of a war, the policy of cuse the Soviet republic of not having enough. To put forward the freedom of the Russian Opposition, Urbahns makes Stalin and Bucharin, the policy of zig zags, intervened with arms in hand in the ShangOrganization as an isolated demand 1g a two discoveries: Should an imperialist of mental reservations of ambiguity the aricature of politics. Freedom of organi hai or Canton events, is to substitute senti state intervene on the side of Russia, in policy of Centrism cannot prevail. This mental demagogy for revolutionary policy.
sation is incongelvable without freedom of the evert of a war of the Soviet republic holds for the entire leadership of the Louzon is of the opinion that every military 18 semblage freedom of press, and all the with China, then the Communists of this Comintern. At present the leaders of the intervention in the affairs of another nation the »ther liberties which the bourgeois state should not make civil peace Various Communist Parties have only one February onference (Reichausselisses)
is imperialism. That, of course, is a with their bourgeoisie, as Bucharin taught, test question to answer. Are you ready the Leninbund mentioned vaguely and pacifist absurdity. But no less absurd is but they must adopt the course of overto vote day and night against Trotskyism?
the directly contrary demand that the Sovwithout comment. But these liberties are throwing their bourgeoisie; In defending The war will confront them with exigeninconceivable outside the regime of dem iet republic, under the present relationship the Soviet republic in the war with the cies demanding far greater responsibility.
of forces and in the present international cracy, that is, outside of capitalism. One Chinese counter revolution, the Opposition There will be no room for the intermediary situation should repair with Bolshevik bay.
must learn to think one thoughts out to must not become reconciled with the Stal position of Stalin. That is why, if am onets what was lost with Menshevik polthe end.
inist course, but must conduct a decisive permitted to say so in all frankness, the icy. Criticism must move along real and struggle against it. This is supposed to prattling about the handful of Oppositionnot imaginary lines; otherwise the OppoEven while Retreating before the explain the difference between the position ists. the generals without an army. etc. sition will never win the confidence of the of the Leninbund and our own. In reality appears simply ridiculous to me. The BolMarxist Criticism, Urbahns Com workers.
it is confusion, and fear, not unconscious sheviks heard that many times, in 1914 How, then, could the Soviet republic These two theses, dragged in by the hair, and in 1917. We see the morrow too bats not Korschists but Marxists decide in this case to carry on a war for do not refer to the Sino Soviet conflict as clearly and we are preparing it. in domes.
the possession of the Chinese Eastern Railsuch but in general to every war against tie policy there will also be no room under Referring to my remarks that we fight way? have already said that if it comes the Soviet republic. Urbahns submerges a the conditions of war for the slow down.
against the Stalinist faction but defend the to war, this fact alone would demonstrate specific question under a general question. Sliding of Centrism. All the discussions Soviet Republic to the very end, the Fahne that it is not a matter of the Chinese EasNeither Louzon nor Paz have as yet rewill be condensed, the class contradictions des Kommunismus explained to me that tern Railway but of something Infinitely nounced the duty of the international prowill sharpen, become acute. clear and an unconditional. support. of the greater. It is true that this railway, even letariat to defend the Soviet republic in the precise answer will have to be given.
Btalinist policy. the foreign policy in by itself, is a far more serious matter than event that it is attacked, for example, by Centrist policy will be unable to stand up cluded, would be inadmissible, and that the head of the Archduke killed in 1914, America or England over the payment of in time of war. It will have to fall to the would acknowledge this myselt if only which was the occasion for the outbreak of czarist debts, the abolition of the foreign Right or to the Left, that is, it will have would think my thoughts out to the end the war. But it is not at all a matter of trade monopoly, the denationalization of to choose the road of Thermidor or the (No. 31, 246. It is not astonishing that the railway. war in the East, regardless the banks and factories, etc. The discusroad of the Opposition. Disturbance. awaited with interest the conclusion of of what were the immediate cause would sion arose over the specific charcter of the And it is precisely this speech that the article (No. 32. It was to produce the inevitably be transformed the very next present conflict between China and the ended with the words: For the socialist tactical deductions from the theoretical day into a struggle against Soviet imperSoviet Union. It is precisely in this quesfatherland? Yes! For the Stalinist course?
contradictiong with which the first half was talism. that is, against the dictatorship tion that the ultra Leftists showed themNo! And when Urbahns and his friends, filled and besides that, it was to teach of the proletariat; and the violence of the selves incapable of correctly evaluating in apropos of precisely these words, recompeople to think out their thoughts to the conflict would be immeasurably greater dividual and complex facts from a class mend to me two years later to think the end.
than that of the war which, by standpoint. They are just the ones to question out to the end and to compreBetween the 1st and 2nd halves of the the killing of an archduke, was transwhom the Leninbund so widely opened the hend that in time of war there must be no article many things became clear. In that formed into a campaign against Prussian columns of its paper. It is precisely over reconciliation with Centrism, can only time, Ubahns and his friends had the oppormilitarism, the slogan of Hands of China that the shrug my shoulders regretfully.
It now looks like an agreement betunity of receiving the resolution of the Fahne des Kommunismus refrained for six How Has the Discussion Bureau of the Second International which tween Moscow and Nanking which can end weeks from expressing any opinion, and, could not pass without a sobering effect in China redeeming the railway with the whon further silence was impossible, lim Been Conducted?
upon them, since the agreement between aid of foreign banks. That would mean, ited Itselt to half hearted and ambiguous in reality, that control would pass from the the arguments of Otto Bauer and those formulae.
It is an ill wind that blows no good.
of Louzon and Paz were too flabbergasting. hands of the workers state into those of What has the theory of Bucharin to do The conflict between China and Soviet However that may be, in the second halt finance capital. have already said that with this? What is the question of the Russia has once more shown that within of the article, Dle Fahne des Kommunisms the cession of the Chinese Eastern is not cessation of struggle against Stalinist Cen the Marxist Opposition an irreconciliable comes to the conclusion that the Soviet out of the question. But such a cession trism doing here? Who proposed it? Who line of demarcation is necessary not only republic must be defended even in the con. must not be regarded as a realization of the spoke of it? What is it all about? Why from the Right but also from the Left.
filet with ChinVery praiseworthy. But principle of national self determination, is it necessary?
The philistines will sneer at seeing us, what is stupefying is that the article, in but as a shifting strength from the proIt is necessary in order to hint that small minority, constantly occupied with arriving at this conclusion, polemicizes letarian revolution in favor of the capitalinternal divisions, the Russian Opposition not the capituBut that should not Ist reaction. But there can be no doubt not against the Korschists, not against bother us. It is precisely because we are a the Ultra Left, not against Louzon, not that it is precisely Stalin and company who lators and turncoats, but the Russian Opposition. is leaning towards peace with Censmall minority whose entire strength lies against Paz but against the Russian Oppo will seek to present this surrender of posltrism, using the war as a pretext. Since in its ideological clarity that we must be sition. It would seem that the question of tlor as a realization of national Justice, in am writing for uninformed or badly inespecially implacable against dubious the defense or non defense of the Soviet conformity with the categorical Imperative, formed toreign comrades, consider it infriends on the Right and the Lett. For many republic is in itself so important that sec the evangel according to Kelloge and Litdispensible to recall, even it quite briefly, months attempted to attain clarity from ondary and tertiary considerations would vinov and the articles of Louzon and Paz how the Russian Opposition posed the the leadership of the Leninbund by means disappear before it. That is dictated by the that were reprinted in tho organ of the question of its attitude to the Stalinist of private letters. did not succeed. In most elementary requirements of politics. Leninbund.
course during the conditions of a war.
the meanwhile, events brought one of the But Urbabns and his friends proceed quite At the moment of the rupture of Anmost important questions to a head. The litterently. At the most critical moment Practical Tasks in Case of War glo Soviet relations, the Russian Opposition, differences ot opinion came out into the the Soviet China conflict, they print the open. The discussion began.
articles of the ultra Leftists who, as The practical tasks of the Opposition in contemptuously rejecting the lie of defeatshowed above, simply demand that Chiang Is it good or bad? The article in Die case of a war between China and Soviet 1sm and conditional national defense deFabne des Kommunismus explains to me Soviet Russia are charac the Kai Shek be supported agai rticle in clared in official document that in the the advantage of discussion and points to republic. It is only under the pressure of an unclear, ambiguous and evasive manner. event of war all the differences of opinion the harm caused by the absence of disthe Marxists that the editors of the Die In case of a war between China and Soviet could only become accentuated. Such a declaration in the country of the dictatorcussion in the Comintern. have already Fahne, six weeks after the beginning of the Russia for the possession of the Chinese heard these ideas expressed, whether by conflict, pronounce themselves for the de Eastern Railway, says the article, the en ship of the proletariat, at the moment of comrade Urbahns or some one else 09fense of the Soviets. Yet even here they do inist Opposition is against Chiang Kai Shek the rupture of diplomatic relations with England requires no further explanations capes me for the moment. But there are not conduct a struggle those who denied and the imperialists standing behind him.
discussions and discussions. It would have the elementary duty of defense, but (No. 32, 250. Ultra Left confusion has and in any case gives far more serious Against. Trotsky. Every mature political gone so far that Marxist Leninists must guarantees than this or that little article.
been far better if the Russo Chinese conflict had not taken the Leninbund by surperson must come to the conclusion that declare we are against Chiang Kai Shek. On this question, furious struggle prise. There was time enough in the past the question of the defense oº the October That how far things can go, Good, against broke out in 1927. Have Urbahns and his to prepare for it. The question of Therrevolution is a secondary atrair for Ur. Chiang Kai Shek. But for whom are you? partisans heard anything about the so In such a war, the article replies, called Clemenceau theory. With this thebahns, and that his principal alm is to show midor and the defense of the is no new one. It is a good thing that it that he is not in one hundred percent The Leninist Opposition will mobilize the ory, the apparatus tried to agitate the pardid not come to war.
agreement with the Russian Opposition. It But had it come to forces of the proletariat in every country ty for months. It was the question of my one? All this is an argument not against dissvidently never occurs to comrade Urbahns with the aim of a general strike, proceed having pointed, as an example of patriotic cussion, but against a bad discussion that that whoever seeks to demonstrate his in ing from the organization of the prevention opposition in the camp of the imperialists, dependence by such artificial and negative maintains silence on the important quesof arms manufacture, and any kind of arms to the Clemenceau clique, which, from 1914 to 1917, in spite of the civil peace detions so long as they have not come out inmethods, only demonstrates in reality his transport, etc. No. 32, 250. That is alared by the bourgeoisie, fought against to the open. The fact is that the Leninbund complete lack of intellectual independence, the position of pacifist neutrality. The task at least its leadership, showed itself unIn the second part of the article, it of the International proletariat, according all the other factions of the bourgeoisie, took over power and insured the victory of prepared to reply to a question raised by says: to Urbahns, lies in the preventing any sort life itself. There was nothing left to do Besides the sympathy for Soviet Rus of arms transport, that is, not only to China French Imperialism. asked: Is there an but to open the discussion.
sia and Communism destroyed in the Chin but also to the Soviet republic. Is that imbecile in the camp of the bourgeoisfe who would therefore call Clemenceau a deConcluded in Next Issue ese people by the policy of Stalin, the fact your thought? Or have you simply said that Russia resorts to war over the Chinese something different from what you wanted featist and a supporter of conditional nat LASH IS WHAT CONVICTS NEED Eastern Rallway when it did not lift a to say? Perhaps you have not thought out ional defense? That is the famous Clem JACKSON, Miss. FP) The sting of hand while Chiang Kal Shek and his mill your thoughts to the end. In that case, enceau thesis which was criticized in the lash on the back is dreaded by contary hordes waded in the blood of the Chin hurry to correct yourselt: the question is thousands of articles and tens of thousands victs more than any other form of punishese workers and poor peasants, would un worth it. The correct formulation should of speeches.
ment, and will command respect for pridoubtedly play a role in the attitude of the be: By all means to prevert the transport short time ago, my book, The Rev son management and prevent riots declares Chi to peop uch a war Fahne des of irms revolutionary China, Supt. Jim Williamson of Missiseprt pentolution Distorted appeared in Paris.
Kommunismus, No. 32, P, 246. and by all means to facilitate the nequis Among other things it contains the speech tentiary.