Page THE MILITANT Saturday March, 29. 1930 An Open Letter to All Members of the Leninbund by TROTSKY prove.
Esteemed Comrades: two sets of opintons: one of them for our own particular use, and the other for the It is perfectly clear from the circular world.
This duality is and always has dated January 29, 1930 published by the know of no document which would lead one ted by Treint and Paz. And yet, have they been the characteristic trait of opportunists, Leninbund, that the conference of the Len to believe that they were ever at one with achieved an agreement in principle on any especially of the Brandlerites.
inbund scheduled for February 23 has for Urbahns on the question of the class charTheir inquestion whatever? Let them tell us openly.
ternationalism is, as everyone knows, noits task the formal sanctioning of the con acter of the Soviet Union. Is it possible flict, by the exclusion of the Marxist Opthat they have changed their opinions of The Urbahns Bloct Treint and Paz thing but the arithmetical sum of national oppositions added together. With this wo position. The bureau of the Leninbund itself late? do not know. In any case, you Urbabns is the adherent of an inde have nothing in common. Our international defined the task in this manner.
would render a great service not only to pendent party. This is his dominant idea. orientation and our national policy are leave aside completely all personal yourselves but also to the Treint and Paz Treint and Paz up till now have been bound together by unbreakable ties.
ties and disl. utes and recriminations groups by asking for their attitude toagainst this Have they arrived at an From its first steps, the Opposition must relative to the organization itselt. These, wards the class character of the Soviet agreement at the present time? And on clearly declare itself as an international naturally, are of certain significance in the Union at the present time, February, 1930.
precisely what point?
traction as did the Communist parties in lite of the organization. Nevertheless, they By the term Czech group. the cirUrbahng has again put up his inde the period of the publication of the Comcannot decide the question of unity or cular plainly refers to a small group of pendent candidates in the municipal elec munist Manifesto or of the First Intersplitting of the party; this question must Prague students having, as understand, tions against the candidates of the Com national, or of the Left Zimmerwald at be golved by the interaction of differences no connection with the working class movemunist Party. With what result. the the beginning of the war.
in principle, theoretical and political, It In all these ment. This group does not maintain a publication. Judging from its physiognomy, continued weakening of the Leninbund.
is not always, nor under all circumstances, cases the groups were mostly small numerWith Urbahns this suicidical policy is motthat unity within the organization must re would say that this group does, in truth, ically, or even isolated individuals: all, fvated by the idea of creating a second nevertheless, conducted share Urbahns point of view.
main inviolate. In cases where the differthemselves 88 party, Are Treint and Paz of the same ences assume a fundamental character, a But what is unquestionably pure inven.
though representing an entire international mind? Let them declare themselves. Or organization. In the epoch of imperialism, split at times appears to be the only 801 tion, is the assertion in the circular conution possible. But care must be taken that cerning the American Opposition. From perhaps these internationalists are not in a similar attitude imposes itself a hundred terested in German affairs, this be a genuine split, e. that it should the evidence of the Mhitant, the group times more categorically than in the time And how does this bear on the unions? of Marx.
not depart from the line of differences in woekly paper and one of the best among Paz is for autonomy in the unions, but Whoever imagines that the Internationprinciple and that this line 1s brought the organs of the Communist press, the differing from Monatte does not deny the al Left will at a given time be reduced to clean cut before the eyes of all the members Communist League of America has nothing need for a Communist Party. This is an of the organization.
in common with Urbahns point of view.
the simple expression of the national old Jauresist attitude, diplomatic and opLeaving this angle, it is necessary to Hence, as far as the question of basic groups added together, and that for this differences is concerned aside from the portunist to the core; an attitude which say that the circular letter of the bureau reason the formation of its international Marxists have never stopped attacking and unity can be delayed until the national of the Leninbund of the 20th and 29th of small group of Prague students the bureau which they will always continue to attack groups feel themselves strengthened January cannot but better prepare the of the Leninbund is completely isolated.
mercilessly in the future. Does Urbahns attributes only a secondary importance to ground for a split through proceeding in And why be surprised? Urbahns, in develally himself with the party of trade union the International factor and, by this very the most dangerous and pernicious manner oping and aggravating his error in his reautonomy, in this Jauresist sense? Or means, lands on the road of national opto place in the foreground the question cept articles, gives us a new theory of the does he think that French affairs do not portunism.
of disagreement, while distorting the sense state which, in general, has nothing in concern him?
It is undeniable that each country has of the differences in principle by means of common with the Marxian theory and Will Treint and Paz work with Urbahns its characteristic traits which may be very false information. This shall attempt to which is distinguished from social demoand with the Brandler blocs formed in the cratic theory only by its phraseology.
important in themselves; but in our cpoch midst of the trade unions, against the their true value cannot be estimated nor Has the Urbahns Faction Any Do Not Forget the International Communist Party or perhaps Treint and can they be made useful to the revolationPaz belleve that they are not interested in ary cause except when looked at from an Adherents?
Opposition affairs et Hamburg?
international point of view. But only in.
The point of departure in the present The two circulars attempt to define the In what light does Urbahns look at ternational organization can represent indifferences is that of the class character attitude of the Opposition in the following Paz touching romance with the nationalternational ideology.
of the Soviet Union. This question is not manner: Whoever does not share com communists of Alsace? Or does Urbahns Can anyone seriously believe it posnational but international. No revolution rade Trotsky opinions is not opposed to consider it not worth his while to be in sible that these isolated opposition groups, ary organization exists or can exist which Leninism. They are driven to this infam terested in Alsace since its cession to abandoned and left to their own efforts, Tas not reached a conciusion for itself on ous subterfuge as a means of alleviating France?
should find the right road? No. Their inis question, and which has not drawn the isolation of the Leninbund bureau. And Let us see, then what is the particular road will be one that will lead them direct the necessary internal conclusions there why does Urbabns speak of Comrade point on which these three groups could to degeneracy, sectarianism, in short, to It is impossible to have a correct Trotsky opinions. The Russian Oppost manage to agree? It is only on the point their doom. In order to attain its aims, national policy without a solution of this tion has a platform established through the of the struggle against the Russian Oppo the International Opposition must surmount international question.
direct participation of hundreds of com sition. All three have censured Rakovsky enormous difficulties. It is only by being rades. For detending this platform, thou declaration. Indeed, they are too revoluThe bureau of the Leninbund claims indissolubly bound together, by working sands of comrades have been subjected to tionary for such compromises. There in its circular that Urbahns point of view out together the answers to the questions expulsion, to arrest, to deportation, and are good grounds for thinking so. They on the class character of the Soviet Union of the hour, by creating an international is adhered to oy the following organizaeven to being shot. So to speak here of the recognize the policy of a united front with platform, by Imposing on ourselves the personal opinions of comrade Trotsky 18 the social democracy, with the reformist tions: the majority of the Belgian opporeciprocal verification of each step: in a sition, the Treint group and Contre le proof of a revolting disregard and disres trade unions, with the Brandlerites, with word, it is only by uniting in a single pect toward Conrant in France, the Czech group, and Russian Opposition. the Alsatian nationalists but they consider international entity, that the national op.
The Leninbund Bureau persistently inadmissable the united front tactic with to a large extent by the American opposlposition groups can carry through to the fails to take note of the Yerlte group in the official Communist Parties. The fact is end their historic task.
France, which maintains a political weekly that it we examine, not from a fanciful or This false allegation, counting on the This applies to all groups without ex.
and a monthly theoretical journal, La Lutte demagogic, but from a political point of lack of information among the membership ception, and above all to the Russian Oppodes Classes. He is blind who does not view, Rakovsky declaration, it is seen of the Leninbund, is made with the intensition. The year which has just passed in to understand that this group is today the represent nothing but the Oppo.
tion of leading them into a serious error. year of capitulations, large sections of pivot around which is united the Communist sition polley of a united front toward the Any local organization of the Leninbund the Russian Opposition have been infected Opposition in France.
Communist Party of the Soviet Union.
can easily obtain the proper information by this epidemic, and this happened only Urbahns attitude in this question to because of their isolation from other oppoThe Communist League of America by merely writing to the above named represents one of the best sections of the again explained by his orientation on a groups.
sition groups in foreign countries; because second party. But how are we to explain they were not present at and did not know Opposition and is growing daily. The LenThe bureau of the Belgian opposition Inbund bureau does not seem to realize the attitude of Treint and Paz? There has published several erroneous articles on the life of the Communist International: in this.
Regarding the Belgian Opposition, is no explanation except the confusion the subject of the Chinese Eastern Rallway.
general because they had not reflected well and complete absence of principles their on the problems before it. It is because there is no doubt that despite the disputes It has, nevertheless, determinedly broken thinking that have arisen in its midst, it will not with the bureau of the Leninbund on everyof this that they allowed themselves to be thing relating to the class character of the made ridiculous by the Stalinist left zighesitate for an instant in choosing between In a word, their thoughts, without exthe International Opposition and the Ur ception, consist only of reticences, diploSoviet Union. This makes it quite proper zags on internal question in the Union of for us to look upon the error of the Brusbahns group. The Leninbund bureau shuts macy, ambiguities and quibbling. The new Socialist Soviet Republice.
sels comrades as of an individual and epits eyes to facts and lulls itsell, as well as allles do not dare to approach any ques True and False Internationalism isodic character. Similar errors are inevitothers, with vain hopes.
tion serlously and in earnest, fearing that the The Czech Left Opposition (comrade structure of this newly concluded able in the course of carrying on work.
The Left Opposition has already lost To break because of these individual errors Leonorovitch group) which carries on ac amalgamation, built on sand, will start enough time. The disastrous development tottering tivity among the workers, and is about to This is adventuriem in ideas, would be absolutely criminal. But a break of the Leninbund, the errors of certain becomes inevitable when the deviations start editing its Journal, shares the point It has never been successful and never national group, the marking time of others, of view of the International Opposition on will be.
give rise to an orientation false in prinhave been due to the powerful, even declciple. An irreconcilable difference exists all fundamental questions.
It is Indispensable to obtain Unity of the groups and their simplistic methods sive, role played by the national isolation between the bureau of the Leninbund and The Chinese Opposition is no legs irthat of the Belgian opposition on the ques reconcilable with the opinions of Urbahns.
of the Opposition of political activity. If the Communist Left tion of the class character of the Soviet Lastly, the Leninbund bureau has no Opposition does not wish an inglorious end, Several months ago, the bureau of the its reduction to zero, it must cast away Union. Communicate with Brussels, com reason to expect any support whatever Leninbund expelled comrades Grylevitch rades, and be convinced.
from itself these tendencies of expectation from the Opposition in Italy, Spain, Hun and Joko defenders of the opinions of and consolidate its international ranko.
As far as fundamental questions are gary, etc.
the International Opposition. This gesturo The Brandlerites pride themselves on concerned, two French groups Treint and Even if the Leninbund bureau could alone is enough to show that the Urbans not having connections with any Russian Centre Le Courant ranged themsleves hope to derive support from any foreign group has no desire to work band in hand groups. What does this mean? revolufrom the very beginning, at least formally, groups, it is only and then only to u with the International Opposition. It is tionary organization which is not in agreeon the side of the Russian Opposition. certain extent from the groups represen usmistakably clear that we cannot admit Continued AM Page from.
tion.