Saturday, March 22, 1930.
THE MILITANT Page WITH LENIN AGAINST STALIN WOMEN SUFFER IN PRESENT ERA (The following is a chapter from a By TROTSKY possible role in politics. From Lenin large work, THE REVOLUTION DISFInote of December 30, 1922. WASHINGTON Hall a million workert GURED by Trotsky. This book will Stalin sent his answer to Lenin to the And here in more exact terms: women falls the heaviest burden of the shortly be published by The MILITANT members of the Politburo on the same day, struggle for existence as Wage earners in an inexpensive editien, and will in September 27, 1922. quote from his an It 18 of course necessary to hold study made for the Women Bureau o swer two important passages: clude documents from the archives of the Stalin and Dzerzhinsky responsible for the Department of Labor by Agak Comintern, speeches of Trotsky, all this really Great Russian nationalistic Peterson shows that women, formerly Lenin and other valuable material never Lenin corrections to paragraph 2, campaign (from Lenin letter of December held responsible for keeping the home, are as yet published by the ruling Stalinist proposing to create along with the Central 31, 1922. now compelled in a large proportion of bureaucracy. The book will shed a penExecutive Committee of the Russian ReVladimir Illyc sent me this letter at cases to share the family bread winning etrating light on the falsification of the public, Central Executive Committee the Federation, should not, in my opinion, the moment when he felt that he would while keeping the home and bringing up history of the Russian Revolution perpechildren. When disaster meets the map trated by Stalin and his scribblers, Yaro be adopted. The existence of two Central hardly be able to appear at the Twelfth of the family, they step forth as sole wag Congress.
Executive Committees in Moscow, ono of slavsky, et al. The section here printed Here is the note which reearner for the family, besides being home is addressed by comrade Trotsky to the which will obviously represent a lower celved from him in the two last days of keeper and nurse.
house and the other an upper house will his participation in political life: And this burden Bureau of Party History of the Central carried despite the wage discrimination Committee of the Russian Con pargive us nothing but conflict and debate. Strictly secret. Personal.
women.
ty: Concerning the Falsification of the And further. Esteemed comrade Trotsky: Information was secured from almost History of the October Insurrection, the earnestly ask you to undertake the 60, 000 women as to their share in family History of the Revolution and the History On the subject of paragraph 4, defense of the Georgian affair at the Censupport More than half of them turned of the Party. Ed. in my opinion, comrade Lenin himselt tral Committee of the Party. That affair over all their wages to their familien hurried a little, demanding a fusion of is now under prosecution or 455 working mothers, among immigrant at the will not quote here Lenin principal the commissariats of finance, food supply, hands of Stalin and Dzerzhinsky, and workers in Pennsylvania, only 108 reported letter against Stalin on the national queslabor and people economy with the com cannot rely on their impartiality. Indeed, that their husbands made as much as 30 tion. It is printed in the stenographic missariats of the Federation. There is quite the contrary. If you would agree week. Sickness and unemployment as reports of the plenum of July 26, and hardly a doubt that this hurriedness will to undertake its defense, could be at possible causes of reduction of the meager moreover, it is being passed around in sepsupply fuel to the advocates of inde rest.
It for some reason you do not income hung over the women like an awful erate leaflets. They will fail to conceal pendence to the detriment of the national agree, send me back all the papers.
dread. that letter. But there are other doculiberalism of Lenin.
will consider that a sign of your disagreeOne woman, cigar maker, han boor ments on the same theme, completely un5. Lenin correction to paragraph 5, ment.
supporting her husband and two children known to the Party. Arkhivarius and the is in my opinion superfluous. With the very best for more than six months because the man comradely historians of the Stalin school are taking Stalin greetings, was unable to get work for more than every measure to prevent those docu Lenin few days at a time. In another family the uments from appearing.
They will conThis extraordinarily illuminating cor Dictated to mother was compelled to work for wagen tinue to do so. They are quite capable, respondence, concealed from the Party, like March 5, 1923.
to support herself and three children bein fact, of simply destroying them.
many other documents, preceded the facause her husband, disabled by an injury For that reason think it is necessary mous letter of Lenin on the national ques To comrade Trotsky: for ave months, received only 12. 50 to quote here the most important excerpts tion. In his remarks upon Stalin draft, To his letter, sent to you by teleweek as compensation.
from the early letter of Lenin, and the Lenin is exceptionally reserved and gentle phone, VladimImr Illych asks me to add for Marriage Increases Burden answer of Stalin, on the question of the in his expression. Lenin still hoped, in your information that comrade Kamenev Among 17, 000 unmarried women, out structure of the Soviet Union. Lenin that period, to adjust the matter without is going to Georgia Wednesday, and, Vlad of every was taking care of family letter, dated September 27, 1922, was ada big conflict. He gently accuses Stalin imir Illych asks mo to find out whether without the help of male relatives. Another dressed to comrade Kamenev, a copy being of hurrying. Stalin accusation against you do not want to send something there phase of the inquiry showed that sons do sent to all the members of the Politburo.
Mdivani of independence Lenin places from you.
not forego marriage in order to give needed Here is the beginning of the letter: in quotation marks, obviously disassociat Signed, Volodichiva. support to their parents, in any such proing himself from that accusation. More March 5, 1923 portion as daughters sacrifice themselven You probably have received already over, Lenin especially emphasizes the fact to this duty.
from Stalin the resolution of his commis that he will introduce his accusation on To aomrades Mdivani, Makharadze. In many cases, says the report, mar sion on the admission of the independent the basis of conversations with Mdivan!
and others (copy to comrades Trotsky and riage fails to bring to women the economia republics into the Soviet Union.
and other comrades.
Kamenev. security considered formerly to be one of If you have not received it, get it Stalin answer, on the contrary, 18 Egeteemed Conrades: its chiet advantages. Nowadays marriago from the secretary and please read it marked by rudeness; the concluding am working in your behalt with all may mean new financial responsibilities immediately. spoke about it yesterday phrases of the fourth point, is especially my heart. am outraged at the rudeness for wife as well as for husband.
with Sokolnikov, today with Stalin, tomor worthy of attention: of Ordjonikidze and the conn vance of StaIin and Dzerzhinsky. am preparing for Or 74, 000 Rochester women reported by row will see Mdivani (a Georgian Communist suspected of advocating Indepen There is hardly a doubt that this hurthe 1920 cengus as married, widowed or you notes and a speech.
divorced, 28 percent were gainfully emdence. With esteem, riedness will supply fuel to the advocates ployed. Even In the 59, 000 cases where the Lepiu In my opinion the question 18 sup of independence to the detriment of the husband lived with the family, almost. March 6, 1923.
remely important. Stalin has a slight national liberalism. of Lenin.
percent of the wives were employed away aspiration toward hurry. You must think from home; and of 2, 300 cases where the 1t over well. Zinoviev too. You once had Thus Lenin had arived to the point To comrede Kameney (copy to com husband was absent, 48 percent of the the intention to take this matter up and of being accused of national liberalism. rade Trotsky. wives had outside employment. In about The further course of the struggle did so to some extent. Leon Borisovich: 4, 300 families the wito or widow was the Stalin bas already agreed to one con about the national question showed Lenin Supplementing our telephone conver only bread winner.
cession, in Section 1, instead of saying that he could not straighten things out by sation, communicate to you as acting entry into the to say means of inside and, so to speak, family president of thu Politburo, the following: formal unification with the RS methods of influencing Stalin, that it was As have already told you Dec. 31, in a union of Soviet Republics of Europe necessary to appeal to the congress and 1922, Vladimir Illych has dictated an arand Asia. trust the spirit of this con to the Party. With this purpose, Lenin LECTURE ON ticle on the national question.
cession 18 obvious. We acknowledge our wrote in several installments, his letters This question has worried him exCommunism Belves on an equal basis with the Ukrainian on the national question, tremely and he was preparing to speak on and Syndicalism Republic and other Republics, and together Vladimir Illych attributed enormous It at the Party conference. Not long before with them on the basis of equality we importance to the Georgian question, his last illness, he told me that he would by enter into a new union, federation, not only because he feared the consequences publish the article, but later, After that JAMES CANNON the Union of Soviet Republics of Europe of false national policy in Georgiahe got sick, without giving final directions.
and Asia.
fear which has been wholly confirmed Vladimir Illych considered this arat the but also because upon that question was ticle to be a guiding one and extremely Labor Temple There follows a whole series of Len revealed to him the falseness of Stalin important. At his direction it was comin corrections made in the same spirit: whole course on the national question, 4 East 14th street municated to comrade Trotsky. whom and not only the national question. The In the concluding part of his letter LenVladimir Illych authorized to defend his on in says: big fundamental letter of Lenin on the point of view upon the given question at national question is concealed from the the Party conference, In view of their solSaturday, March 29, 1930 at p.
Party to this day. The pretence that Lenin idarity upon it.
Admission 15 cents Stalin agrees to postpone introducing did not intend his letter to be read to the the resolution in the Politburo until my The only copy of the article in my Party 1s false to the bottom. Did Lenin Auspices: New York Branch arrive Monday, October possession is preserved at the direction arrival.
intend his remarks in notebooks and on of Vladimir Illych in his secret archive. Communist League of America (Opposition)
should like to have an interview with you the borders of the books he read to be bring the above facts to your attenand Rykor for a couple of hours in the published? The fact is that you publish tion.
morning, say from one to two, and, it everything whatever which directly or in could not do it earlier since greetings. Whoever knows Lenin par.
Hecessary in the evening, dy five to seven, directly strikes at the Opposition, but you returned to work only today after a sicksimony with words and his manner of conor bly to eight.
On hide the letter of Lenin giving his funda1688.
versation and correspondence, will realize Here my preliminary project.
mental program on the national question. Fotevia, that Lenin did not sign these words to the basis of a conversation with Mdivani Here are two quotations from this Personal secretary of comrade Lenin his letter, accidentally. It was not accidenand other comrades will fight for it and letter. March 16, 1923.
tal either, that Stalin, when he was compelled change it. urge you to do the same to read this correspondence at the plenuds and answer me. think that here tho hastiness and After all the elanders with which of July, 1926, substituted for the words Youre, administrative impulsiveness ot Stalin they have surrounded the question of Le with the very best comradely greetings Lenin played tatal role, and also his spite nin attitude to me, cannot refrain from the official phrase with Communist greet. Send coples to ALL member of against the notorious social chauvantem. calling attention to the signature of his inge. Here again Stalin was true to ube pitburo.
Spitefulness in general plays the worst first letter with the very best comedov