Page THE MILITANT Saturday, January 28, 1930 The Defense of the Soviet Union and the Opposition far from a revolutionary position one must The Danger of Sectarianism and Letter from the Chinese Oppositionists Continued from Last Issuo By Trotsky from conducting it opportunist policy to its own national taste. All this is conBut to this day have been unable to from the workers, the Stalinists tirelessly creating the Leninbund not as a faction but cealed beneath the cloak of the struggle tind in the papers of the Leninbund any repeated and printed it in tens of mil as an independent party with its own can. against bureaucratism and the supremacy echo of the discussion in the organization. lions of copies, that the Opposition con didates; the question of the First of May of the Russian party.
The editors of Die Fahne des Kommunls. siders the October revolution lost, Ther. and the First of August, 1929, etc. think Tho Left Opposition can have nothing mus made one sided selection of ultra midor accomplished, and that it is dir it would have been better if the article had in common with such practices, InterLeftist articles from foreign Opposition ecting its course towards bourgeois dem not raised thesc questions, for ench one of national unity is not a decoration for us, papers, making the ridiculous article of ocracy. It is beyond question of doubt them indicates a definita mistake by com but the very axis of our theoretical opinions the Korschist sympathizer the basis for that Stalin successes in the organiza rade Urbahn 3, which he has not yet ander and our policy. Still, there are not a few the discussion. The editors themselves tion were in no small measure assured stood. will not speak at all of the thorultra Leftists and not in Germany alone stood on the side, waiting to find what by the incessant spreading of this lie. oughly wrong position in 1923 26, when who, under the flag of the struggle against would come out of it all. In spite of the But how great must be the stupefaction, Urbahng together with Maslow and others the bureaucratic command of the Stalinist exceptional acuteness with which the prob and with it also the indignation, of the supported the reaction in the Russian Comapparatus, carry on a seim conscious lem was posod, Urbahns lost week after Russian Opposition when they find in the munist Party and conducted an ultra Left apparatus, carry on a semi concious week, limiting himself to reprinting for publications of the Leninbund, in a con course in Germany. If necessary, am struggle for the dismemberment of the eign articles directed against the Marxist cealed form, this friendly counsel: Tako ready to return to all these questions and from international control, point of view. Only after my article, that the road that Stalinists have so long at to show that Urbahns mistakes are all The Russian Opposition has no less is, six weeks after the beginning of the tempted to fotst. upon you.
connected, that they are not accidental need of international connections, of inconflict in the Far East, did the editors of This question assumes an all the but come from a certain method of thinking ternational control than any other section.
Die Fahne judge the moment opportune to sharper character because there are little which cannot call Marxist. In practice. But stronger fear that the conduct of express themselves. But even then they gentlemen among the ultra Leftists who Urbahns policy consists of vacillations be comrade Urbahns is not dictated by the took their time. short article divided whisper in each other ear: the Russian tween Korsch and Brandler, or rather in desire to intervene actively in Russian alinto two parts. The political conclu Opposition itself agrees that Thermidor the mechanical combination of Korsch and fairs which could only be welcomed but sions are again put off to the following 18 accomplished, only it does not say so Brandler.
rather the contrary: by the desire to sep.
week. Why? Perhaps to make room for How arato the German Opposition from the RusRadek calumniations against the Russtsian.
an Opposition that appeared in the same be to admit that among revolutionists there National Limitedness sharp lookout must be kept so that, number?. Then what was the line of the can exist for a single minute such excreunder the pretext of the strugglo against Leninbund on the most important ques able dupllcity! Only one thing can be said: In this pamphlet are analyzed ditter bureaucratism, there is no strengthening tion of International policy in the course the poison of Zinovlevist and Maslowist ences of opinion that can be designated as of tendencies in the Left Opposition toward of those six weeks? No one knows.
cynicism has left its traces in the ranks That won do. Such methods weaken of the ultra Leftists. The sooner the Oppostrategical. Compared to them, the differ separatism, which, in turn, would inevitences that exist on internal German quesably lead to bureaucratic degeration not the Leninbund and render the best service sition rids itself of such elements the bettion appear more as tactical differences, only on an international but on a national not only to Thaelmann but to Brandler. ter for it.
For him who knows the history of even though they can probably be traced scale.
The program article we have analyzed, back to two different lines. Nevertheless, If the question were asked after thorthe Russian Opposition, it is clear that which seems to draw a balance of the these questions will have to Urbahns expresses in be treated ough reflection: from which side is the an einbarrassed discussion. contains frequent allusions to separately.
Left Opposition at present menaced by the manner the very opinions that the Stalin the effect that on various questions Uristo have so perfidiously and with such danger of bureaucratism and ossification, it bahns was right while all the others were It is incontestable that the basis of bad faith attributed to the Opposition, would becomo completely clear that it is wrong (declaration of the Russian Oppothe numerous errors of Urbanns in German Dishonestly not from the side of international relations.
concealing our documents sition on October 16, 1926; the question of policy Hes in his wrong attitude towards the official Communist party. To consider The exaggerated internationalism of the the Communist Party not its apparatus Comintern could arise on the basis of the of functionaries, but its proletarian kerformer authority of the Russian partynel and the masses that follow it as only under the condition of a state power finished, dead and buried organization, is and a cash box. These dangers do not to fall into sectarianism. As a revoluexist for the Opposition. On the contrary, Shanghai, November 15, 1929. tivity must follow the political line traced tionary faction, the Leninbund would have there exist others. The pernicious policy Par Comrade Trotsky: by this platform.
been in a position to play a great role.
of the bureaucracy leads to unrestrained But it cut itself off from development by centrifigual tendencies, and to endeavor to We, the Chinese Bolshevik Leninists The requirements of the situation have its pretensions, which are to say the least crawl back into a national and conseobliged us recently to call a national conave been conducting a struggle agalnst ference of the Opposition.
without foundation, to play the role of a quently Many active sectarian shell, for by remaining talinism, for the Platform of the Russian within national limits the Lett Opposition militants participated. All important quessecond party.
Opposition for a year already. The oltuaWith the ideological confusion of the could be nothing but a sect.
tion in the Party is not very good. The retions with which we are confronted were discussed.
Leninbund, its striving to become a party Conclusions lations between the Party and ourselves is very bad. We learned of your expulsion We wholly approve of the slogan of the as swiftly as possible leads it to accept in1. clear position must be adopted to its ranks elements that have long ago that Thermidorian measure of the StalinConstituent Assembly.
broken with Leninism and Bolshevism.
on the question of Thermidor and the ist bureaucracy only after conside able de The former opportunist of the Chinclass character of the present Soviet state.
In its anxiety not to lose these elements, lay, through the intermediary of the Op ese Communist Party, Tchen Du Hsiu (exKorachist tendencies must be mercilessly position groups in other countries.
the leadership of the Leninbund deliberWe general secretary of the Party. has been, condemned.
have recelved a letter giving us your ad as you know, expelled for some time. He ately refrains from adopting a defraite policy on a number of questions, which The position of determined and undress and we are writing to you forth also tights the Central Committee of the naturally only confuses and aggravates reserved defense of the against with. The Chinese Opposition sends you Party. But at bottom he is not against external dangers must be adopted, which a hearty Bolshevik greeting.
Stalin. Up to now he has not understood the situation by driving the disease deeper does not exclude, but on the contrary preJust as in other countries, the Centhe viewpoint of the Opposition. He has into the body.
supposes an intransigeant struggle against simply made use of some passages from There exist at the moment good tral Committee of the Chinese Communist Stalinism, in time of war even more than the Platform of the Left Opposition against number of Left groups and grouplets Party is under the direction of Stalinist in time of peace.
The Stalinist political line his opponents.
that march on one and the same place; We have demanded of opportunism. The program of the struggle for Tchen Du Hsiu: that ho publicly declaro while guarding their independence, they has not only suffered a defeat in the past. freedom of organization and all other the Stalinist leadership opportunist; that accuse each other of not going far enough; but will inevitably sutter a new one in the iberties in the IS. must be rejecthey pride themselves on not being in one future, he openly and honestly condemn his preted and condemnel, for that is the program It we do not succeed in finally vious opportunist mistakes and that he ac hundred percent agreement with each eliminating Stalin from the Chinese Comof bourgeois democracy. To this program knowledge the correctness of the Opposiother; they publish little papers from time munist Party, the Chinese revolution will of bourgeois democracy must be opposed be unable to enter the path of victory.
tion Platform; that he publicly dissolve and find satisfaction in this illusory ex the slogans and methods of proletarian Unfortunately, we understood the truth of his own faction (recently constituted and istence, without any ground under their democracy, which, in the struggle against very weak in numbers. He has rejected feet, without a clear point of view and the Russian Opposition very late. As soon bureaucratie centrism, has the task of reas it was known to us, we published the our demands and pursues an independent without perspectives. Feeling thefr weak generating and fortifying the dictatorship principal documents of the Opposition. Be activity. Therefore, we consider that nesses, these groups, or rather their dir of the proletariat.
Bides that, we have our regular publicaTchen Du Hsiu has not broken with opporectors, are above all afraid of falling under clear position must now be adoption. And for some time now we have been tunism. We have decided to combat him, someone Influence. or have to declare ted in the Chinese question, so that the organizing a central faction of the whole like every opportunist.
themselves in solidarity with someone for next stage does not take us by surprise.
what would become of that sweet indeChinese Opposition.
Certain of our comrades think that the stand must be taken either for the slogan of the United States of Asia can pendence contained in the 64 cubic meters It is precisely because our active work democratic dictatorship or the perinenant be issued on this continent. Is this slogan required for an editorial chamber?
is a danger to the opportunist Central revolution in China.
correct?
With that is connected yet another Committee of our Party, that it recently It must be clearly established that danger.
the Leninbund is a faction and not a party.
expelled a good number of Oppositionists In the present conditions in China, the work is more difficult than in the other In the Communist International, the The bureaucrats go still further. Recent.
From that flows a definite policy towards ly, at Canton, they fired openly upon a countries. But the only way for us. is to ideological leadership of the Russian party the party (especially during elections. comrade who directs the Opposition activ.
fight against these difficulties.
has long ago been replaced by the abso6. The tendencies towards national ity in the Tcheking section. This shame We believe that the future development lutism of the central apparatus and the separatism must be condemned. We must ful deed of opportunism must be brought and the consolidation of our activity no dictatorship of the cash box. And while actively entre the road of international to the knowledge of the working class cessitates the organization of an internat the Right opposition shows no less activ unification of the Left Opposition on the ional faction. What is your opinion?
ity than the Left in its protests against throughout the world so that the workers basis of principled unity.
Warm Bolshevik greetings, Ycurs, the dictatorship of the apparatus, our posimay have an idea of the real character It must be recognized that Die of the present opportunist bureaucracy Fahne des Kommunismus as it is today.
tions in this question are nevertheless which is ready to employ such methods to. The next issue of the Militant will directly opposed. By its very nature, op does not correspond to its designation of wards the Bolshevik Oppositionists!
the theoretical organ of the Communist But contain comrade Trotsky reply to the portunism is national, since it bages itthe counter revolutionary and the opporLeft Chinese Opposition, which deals with some sell upon the local and temporary neetis It is absolutelly necessary to create tunist terror cannot halt our forward in Germany, with the united forces of the of the burning problems of the movement. of the proletariat and not upon its histormarch. That is why we are ighting even ical tasks. International control is Intol German and international Left, a serious more obstinately. In the end, victory will crable for the opportunists, and they re Marxist organ capable of giving correct 2, 500, 000 in Profits in 1929 he with duce their international relations as much evaluations of the internal policy in GerCHICAGO. FP) Hart Schaffner and The Opposition in other countries has as possible to barmless formalities, there many in connection with the international Marx, biggest clothing makers in the world by imitating the Second International, situation and its tendence of developsent us letters and propaganda literature.
and pioneers in mass production of men The Brandierites will salute the confer ment.
Good contact now exists between us.
suits on a union basis, took a profit in ence of the Right wing opposition in These few points, which are far from We have now published a platform of 1929 of 2, 514, 676. This equals 16. 76 on Czecho Slovakia, exchange amicable notes including all the questions, scen to me the the Chinese Opposition. In the period that the capital stock and compares with with the Lovertone grou in Am most important and the most China is now passing through, all our ac 77. 29 for 1928.
provided that no group prevents the other Constantinople, September 11909