Page Τ Ε MILITANT Saturday, May 3, 1920 The International Opposition Conference Telegram to Comrade Leon Trotsky The Marine Workers Convention encompass the genuine Marxist elements within and without the official Party.
Our most sensational success has been in Spain, The Spanish Opposition has been transformed from a number of iso(Continued from page 1)
ence. The period was largely devoted to a formed a substantial fraction in the Red lated groups living in enforced exile in tages of its position. By its possession of necessary ideological delimitation, to the trade union center (C. which France, Belgium and Luxemburg, into a powerful press, telegraph, radio, and the purification of our ranks and our minds fights the stupid policies of the Party lead powerful factor in the Spanish movement, generally necessary in a proletarian party ership as vigorously as it combats the 11 Following the fall of Primo de Rivera, it like, it systematically falsified for years the Oppositionist point of view, making it re and a dozen times more imperative in a fac quidationist tendencies represented by the was able to win over in an amazingly ponsible at every turn for Centrism own tion of a party. In some cases this work Right wing pure syndicalist minority in brief period the most decisive sections of led to splits and seemingly to our weaken the unions. Such a trade union group 1s the official Party and regroup those workyesterdays. By injecting an unprecedented confusion in the ranks of Communism, it ing. But in reality, aiming at quality, this a pressing need in the United States too.
ers who had left it. The strongest Party work prepared for us the possibilities of In Germany, the last year was one of attained its immediate aim but at the endistricts are already with us, and the work ormous cost of weakening the Marxist wing gaining qunntative successesses in the im deep internal struggle which ended with has only been started.
mediate future.
the inevitable split of the Leninbund. This in the International.
In Czecho Slovakia a firm group has The Origin of the Opposition In France, the appearance of La Verite prepared the fusion of the Marxist section been formed which is preparing to Issue In examining its present condition, the and the transformation of La Lutte de of the Leninbund with the Wedding and its own journal and re establish Marxisu Classes into a theoretical monthly, marked Palatine Opposition, and the creation of Opposition could not forget its own origin.
center in the country. There the policies of a milestone in the development of the an organ which will represent the genuine It arose in the Soviet Union. From the beStalinism have bor: ripe rotten ripe ginning, all its acts and words were limited French Opposition. While the writer was opinions of the Communist Left. Relieved fruit, because they have enabled the Right by the exceptional conditions of the prolet in France, the loosely organized movement now of the confusionism of Urbahns, the wing to gain the support of thousands of Arian dictatorship and subsequently by the was coordinated and the Communist League German Left has every opportunity for Czecho Slovakia best proletarian elements.
of ance (Oppos. constituted. There rapid growth.
regime of bureaucratic strangulation of the Its unity conference on The struggle will cut like a knife into Party.
March 30 was already a demonstration of The views of the Russian Oppo our influence is steadily mounting, under thir ranks, however, and turn the cure the direction of an excellent group of mil this fact. Despite the difficulties unavoidsition penetrated abroad only episodically, rut in the other direction.
itants whose influence in the Party and ably present in combining two groups with a fact which alone made difficult the creaIn China, where the Communist Party tion of a common ideological foundation. the trade unions is palpably increasing. diverse lines of past development, one could was decimated ty Chiang Kai Shek, assisted Furthermore, since the Russian Opposition Guided by our comrades, there is being see the rise of a morement that will swiftly by Stalin, Bucharin and Martinov, the OpJirected its course of redressment of the poltion has found deep roots. Under in Party line without splits or convulsions describably difficult conditions, our comlangerous for the dictatorsbip, the Comrades have assemüled a powerful kernel of aunist Left in the capitalist countries was revolutionists who are preparing for the aecessarily obliged to an extreme restraint.
inevitable, third Chinese revolution. Their But the Centrist bureaucracy chose the path The first International meetlug of the Left Communist Opposition, held writings and deeds already show Marxist of smashing the Opposition organizational in Paris on April 6, composed of German, American, Belgian, Spanish, French, profundity and keenness that is enviable.
ly. Iways at the price of stranglin, the Hungarian, Italian and Czecho Slovakian delegates, sends its warmest greetings Their contribution to our movement is and Party.
and the mark of its closest solidarity to the Bolshevik comrades, imprisoned will be immense.
The crushing of Party democracy in the and deported, and to their exlled leader, Trotsky.
In the Argentine, in Mexico, in South as well as throughout the ComAfrica, among the Indo Chinese militants, intern, violently retarded the development the Opposition is beginning to make its and education of the cadres of the Oppoway, even over the obstacles of distance sition. The theoretical work of the Oppoand the years of falsification of the Stalinistis sition, its analyses, its valuation of onapparatus. In the United States and Candions, it predictions and its slogans thus ada, where the Opposition was formed only remained the property of comparatively (Continued from page 1)
sidering the opportunity given the conafter the Sixth Congress, we already form small circles To this day, the official vention directors by the excellent repreOpposition, and a decisive element in the Party and the Right wing press can ascribe al things which brings Minks to the top sentation from every port of consequence.
one of the most important sections of the She most outrageous ideas to the Oppost for their brief moment of authority.
One all prevailing concept that was No national commmittee was elected. The life of the movement, both in the Party tion simply because our real point of view and in the generai Left wing.
has been so ruthlessly suppressed. The evidenced in the utterances of every Party constitution and its amendments were referred to the incoming committee whleh But it is impossible not to note that spokesman at the convention was that the absence of numerous cadres capable of was not elected. Tbe selection of the nain Belgium and Austria, two countries actively advocating our ideas in all branchorganisation needed nursing and the Party tional committee (provisional, If you please)
where the social democracy is particularly bureaucrats est the labor novement, greatly facilwere there to furnish it.
was turned over bag and boots to the nastrong, and official Communism can show itated in its turn, the hunting down of the When the question of adopting the contional committee of the where nothing but mistakes. defeats and impoOpposition by the apparatus.
stitution came up every objection was the seamen delegates who thought they tence, the Opposition has not made any Without these broad cadres and close answered with: We ll take care of that in noticeable progress in the last period. The International connections, the Opposition the future! or words to that effect. When might suggest its composition, could never the problem of control of the Dational have anything to do with it. The question causes for this must be reserved for andispersed national groups of a propagandof a secretary so important In face of the other occasion. The international Oppoist nature. Every one was condemned to committee arose, it too was answered by sition, however, a source of strength for seek its own way by its own isolated the usual: We ll leave it to the incoming almost universal opposition to Mink, was also left for future consideration. which every national organization, will be of im committee.
In that already lay the danger of means: means Mink again, Along with this the measuri. ble ald to these two movements esdiscord, of vacillation, ot talse ideas, and The Ship Cornells Idea question of the editorship of the Marine pcially.
national limitedness. word relation to this le quite Workers Voice, was also left hanging, Towrads an International Congress to this must be added another fact. At Important. The question of shop councils which means Hines and what Hines stands The Paris Conference decided upon the each of its turns, Centrism drove out of are quite all right in a basic stable inforor rather what he doen stand for, convocation of an international Congress the Comintern elements of a very diverse, dustry as a means of coordinating the Stalinists Endanger the Movement of an international Congress of the Left and frequently, opposed character. They work of a center with the smaller units.
Opposition in the near future. The period usually counted themselves or were counted But in the marine Industry, where crews splendid start was made. good basis was at hand.
in between will be devoted to an exhausmanning vessel are changed almost among the Opposition. number of them But the great Party thinkers did their best to stifle it from tive preliminary discussion that will bring systematically compromised the banner of monthly, it is wrong as the only form of the confident clarity necessary for the Cons the Opposition through manifestations of organization.
the word go. The danger of real initiaToday crew might man gress to adopt the long needed international opportunism, tive, of authoritative leadership springing anarcho syndicalism and vessel in New York; tomorrow, the same from the ranks and from the struggle, will Platform of the Opposition. The Bulletin ot petty bourgeois dilletantism. It is enough crew might be divided between all the surely be combatted by the Party brain the Secretariat will be largely devoted to to name the Urbahng group which 3rought ports from Shanghai to Marseilles. Therebatteries: the convention showed that.
this task, and our American group must u3 he greatest damage by declaring its tore, the posibilities of coordinating or These people are so uncertain of their own collaborate in its solution to the maximum on all the caricatured ideas which Stalin checking the work of the center with ability to lead, founded upon intelligence of It ability. Our internationalism, unlike maliciously attributed to the Left Opposi such an organization is out of the question.
that of the Right wing, is not of the plarance and capacity, that they fear to let a single were a ber of This creates a very convenient leading organizational thread out of their hands.
tonic, politely friendly kind which obligates sich groups deforming the views of the committee, all sufficient independent of us to nothing but the use of the word, and Opposition. In nany countries, the course ran. and file control, and self perpetuating It was apparent that there was more insight and ability on the floor of the conan exchange of meaningless courteous corof the struggle showed that it was not so it It wishes.
respondence and visits. It is, on the condricult to proclaim oneself for a revolu The next proposition was one o vention, regarding the problems of the milfitionary course in China, or in Russia, or in trary, the very essence of our whole life nance, which men from the floor pointed itant seamen and the way to solve them, and movement the mainspring of our posome other distant land, and pursue, under out was essential to a self sustaining or than there was in the whole Party fraction, Hitical conceptions.
such a cover, a more or less opportunist ganization, only to have the wet nurse, The basis for growth and progress is still at hand. The new movement can beThe corrupted apparatus, wbich has course at home. Such a danger stdll exists Johnstone, once more tell them to the come a real power. But the Party Spesystematically undermined the foundations and can be observed in one manner or an terrible difficulties, financial and otherclalists must change their narrow, stliling and the prestige of the Communist Internao her in most countries.
wise, that they must face. Even to dream tional, will shout itself hoarse with acThe same conditions, therefore, which of a self sustaining movement was out of course, which will inevitably reduce the determined the appearance of the Opposi the question! Once more posing the new farine union into the horrid caricacusations about a Fourth International.
tion as a political factor, also made for its proposition of the u. rigid wardthure that has ben made, for instance, of But that will only frighten infants and old the National Minery Union. The militants women. We are reassembling the foundaweakening in the first years. There is ship.
in the marine Industry will enter into this tion stones of our International. We are no need to conceal this fact, for the cam The third important matter was the new movement with all the greater energy cementing them with a renewed solidarity.
ouflage policy of imitating the possession of question of sectional organization. The We are defending the structure with the power instead of reallly figbting for it is a representative, in order to fabecause the enormous possibilities are Imposing armory of weapons inherited from contemptible one: we do not call ourselves cilitate the understanding the Daily Worker threatened from the start by the cheap machinations of a bureaucratic clique.
Marx and Lenin. We will hold it against the majority group of the Communist readers and the Moscow bureaucrats, prothe rude and disloyal attacks of the usurpParty wben we are but a small faction posed a form of organization that would ers whose name is Stalin. Let the bought in it.
be quite famillar to all of them: Negro Elated because he had at last found writers, speakers and executioners of the Our Recent Successes section, Youth section, and. Women a job after a year unmployment, Tony ruling regime continue yet for a while to Nevrtheless, there is very reason to section. This last section was too much Santonostos returned to his home in Sta polson the atmosphere of the struggle. We register very subtantial uccessesses in the for some of the delegates.
ten Island to find his three children dead bring a strength and light into the moverecent period. These were brought out in The convention adjourned without by gas and his wife nearly asphyxiated. ment that will plerce the fog and reveal the the reports made by the delegates from having accomplished a single concrete task She had turned on the gas after a long and future that belongs to us.
very country represented at the confer. and this is all the more criminal con futile struggle to feed her children.
MAX SHACHTMAN