1 Our Reply to the Right Wing Lovestone «United Front» Maneuver ecuted primarily by your Jup, at that time in control of the Party. It is necessary to know if this is still the official attitude of your group. Else how can you appeal to unite us into a movement to present the point of view of Communism while expelling us from the Communist Party? But our group is only the American section of the international Left Opposition.
The expulsion of these comrades, and particularly of the Russian Bolshevik Leniniists, has been of enormously destructive effect to the movement, reflected in the American Party as well as elsewhere.
Comrade Trotsky has been deported to Turkey, and thousands of the best Bolsheviks exiled and imprisoned in the Eolshevik fighters have even been assasinated by Stalin. Up to now the Lovestone group has maintained a cowardly silence on these crimes. But without the release trom prison and exile of the Oppositionists, the return to the Trotsky, and full reinstatement int the Party, no progress can be made in overcoming the division and demoralization in the move ment. Does the Lovestone group intend to prefer a diplomatic silence on this burning question to a protest and demand? No bloc is conceivable for us without revolutionary policy in the trade unions On this point we have had only vague ambiguities from your group. Recently, your official organ, Revolutionary Age, giyen hearty endorsement to the action of Hais and Co. in Czecho Slovakia in surrendering the independent Red unions under their control to the Amsterdam International, This piece of liquidation was labelled by you as a step in the unification of the Czech working class.
Does that signify that in the United States, where the Left unions are relatively even smaller than the reformist trade unione, you favor a similar liquidation of, let us say, the Needle Trades Workers Industrial Union into the reformist International Ladies Garment Workers Union? The logie of Hais action in Czecho Slovakia would seem to apply in the American instance with even greater force from your point of view. As you are aware, we condemn such actions unreservedly.
Clarification on the trade union question is a sine qua non for any sort of bloc on principle grounds. united front of Communist workers or groups pre supposes a certain amount of mutual confidence. The whole past course of your goup does not inspire us with any. Your spokesmen and your press continue systematically not only to interpret our position, but to falsify it deliberately. The resolution on Trotskylam of your Plenum is a typical instance. We find there a repetition of the hodge podge of known falsehoods, half truths, consciously forged quotations that were pressed into service against the Left Opposition since the opening of the campaign against it in 1923. We find there a cheap falsification, unworthy of the dignity of a Communist, of our position on the dange. Thermid orian elements in the Soviet Union. Such methods are intolerable, even if they are characteristic of the whole struggle against a socalled Trotskyism. We demand an end of these falsifications and misrep.
resentations of our viewpoint.
Our reply is dictated solely by our insistence upon the maintenance of a principled point of view in the Communist movement. We are little concerned with the noises emanating from the empty barrels in charge of the official Party today, to the effect that the Lovestonelties and Trotskyists are now merged to fight the Party. The avowal by the Lovestone group itself that its differences with the Centrists are of a minor character compared with its differences with the Left Opposition which are of a principle charater, speaks for itself and shows that in its whole philosophy the Right wing stands immeasurably closer to Centrism than does the Left wing. This clarification of the principle position has a great value.
Nor is our reply dictated by any desire for unity as such and on any basis. Our aim is the re conquest and unification of the revolutionary movement on the basis of Marxism and the living experiences of Communiam in the last two decades.
National Committee Communist League of America (Opposition. At a recent meeting, the national the movement to present the point of ing such a front would constitute an uncommittee of the Communist League of view of Communism, the point of view of principled bloc against the Center, el, America (Opposition) considered the open those who stand by and defend the Soviet against the Party. It would end in a letter sent by the Lovestone group to our Union.
miserable flasco (as did the Lovestone organization and to the official Communist Unity with Counter Revolutionists united front in the textile industry. or Party. The letter, calling for a United But it is the Lovestone group, together as a rallying ground for anti Party forces.
Front. is published in full in the current with the Stalinist apparatus, which has We are aiming, on the contrary, to restore issue of Revolutionary Age, organ of the for years assalled us as counter revolu the Party to a Marxist foundation, since it Right wing, to which interested readers tionists and the worst enemies of the So is our Party from which no clique of burcan refer for the full text from which quo viet Union. as the agents of Chan. berlain eaucrats can seperate us.
tations contained in the following docu. and Chiang Kai Shek. We have not yet united front of all Communist workment are taken. The letter which follows seen an acknowledgement that these de ers is esential. determined effort must is the reply addressed publicly to the Right clarations were infamous slanders which be made to overcome the crisis now ragwing by the national committee of the constituted the regular payment made by ing in the movement. We have advocated League. the Lovestone leadership to the Stalin such a front and we continue to propose it Bucharin regime for allowing it to run now. But we do not stand for an abstract We have received your letter of July the American Party. One may therefore unity, or bloc, but for one that has a basis 26, 1930 appealing for our cooperation in assume that the Lovestone leaders still re in principle. With its present views on setting up a united revolutionary front tain these convictions concerning us. How essential questions, and its evasion or 81as well as a copy of the resolution on then is it possible to appeal to counter lence on many others, a bloc with the Trotskyism adopted at the Plenum of revolutionists and enemies of the Soviet Lovestone group out of the question.
your group. Both of these documents are Union to present the point of view of Such a bloc demands certain pre conditions of great significance for us. The resolution those who stand by and defend the Soviet which we hereby pose to the Lovestone facis the result of our incessant demand that Union. Or are we to believe that the tion: the Lovestone group take a definite and Lovestone leaders are not and have not Questtons to Lovestone formal position on the principle questions been serious in denouncing us as counter One of the reasons for the crisis, raised by the Left Opposition.
This revolutionists. In that case, it is necessary the division and demoralization of the failed to do ever since its removal from for them to admit plainly that they have movement over which you express so much the leadership of the Party, a policy of for years been practising a disgraceful de concern, has been the prevention of open evasion which evidently could no longer ception upon the workers movement. discussion, Meetings have been broken up, be maintained even in the ranks of that It is further necessary for us to point raids on private homes conducted, comgroup itself. Furthermore, the resolution out that the principal cause of the present rades physically assaulted. These methods marks a retreat to a certain extent from crisis in the Communist movement, mani are still used in the Party against Opthe position maintained by the Lovestone fested by division and demoralization is, positions, on the basis of the precedent of group while it controlled the Partyra the theoretical standpoint and practical gangsterism you established in the struggle position now untenable for the Lovestone activities of the Lovestone group and its against our group. There can be no issue leadership after the Left Opposition has international allies since 1923. It is imfrom the present difficulties, and no genhad the opportunity of breaking through possible to enter a bloc with the Lovestono uine unity, without condemnation of these the conspiracy of lies and misrepresenta group while it retains and defends these atrocious methods, which meang in the tions with whch the official Communist conceptions It is impossible to try to solve flrst place an open renunciation of your apparatus, Foster and Lovestone, surround. the crisis and overcome the division in own past crimes in this respect. Otherwise ed the disputed points. That the resolu the Communist movement by a uniteli no basis can be laid for a free and intellition is permeated with opportunism and front with the elements that caused gent discussion of the problems of the continued falsification is not the subject of the crisis.
movement.
this letter, which is primarily concerned Moreover a united front with the Love One of the main reasons for the the appeal for united front. stone group since the official Party bureau crisis and split is the expulsion of the Left The United Front crats can still prevent the Party from join Opposition from the Party. This was ex The tactic of the united front is neither a maneuver nor a trick for us. We regard it as a serious means of mobilizing the masses workers not yet Commune a ists for a struggle, on the basis of a minimum program, against the attacks of cap The Communist League of America pate in the proposed symposium. Since italism and its agents in the working class. Opposition) has received a letter from only two groups would be representa 1, Such a united front we cannot reject, all Bertram Wolfe, head of the Workers your own and ours, we propose instead of a the more so since it is we who have School of the Lovestone group, proposing symposium a debate. We have already constantly urged it on the labor movement a symposium of the three groups in the selected our spokesman for such a debate.
in general and its revolutionary section in movement, the Party, the Lovestone group, In addition, we have chosen a committee particular.
and ourselves. In reply, the following let of two to meet with a similar committee a united front or bloc with the ter was sent to Wolfe.
representing your group, to decide on the Lovestone group is not the same to us title of the debate, the time, the place the as a united front with a trade union or In your letter of August 14, 1930, you chairman, the auspices and all other details.
other labor organizations containing workdeclare: As soon as you shall have done the ers of varying shades of opinion without The New Workers School therefore same, we are ready to meet together and a definite political program and theoretical invites the Communist Party of the work out all the necessary arrangements.
conception Precisely because the Love the Communist League of America, and the Communist League of America (Opposition)
stone group calls itself Communist, the question of a bloc with it must be examCommunist Party (Majority Group) to send Ined most closely and pre conditions of a one representative each to present their much higher order must respective viewpoints at a symposium disrequired. Before establishing these pre conditions, a ew cussion under a chairman selected by the During the sessions of the Second In.
preliminary observations must be made.
Civil Liberties Union where they will be ternational at Zurich the Swiss government The appeal rea The rev able freely to voice their opinions on the retused permission to enter its borders to movement in this country finds itself weak, present crisis in the Communist movement the inoffensive Pietro. Nenni. of the Italdemoralized and divided. the capitaliste and the respective meritts of the three ian Socialist Party. This was the occasion and their agents are exploiting this divigroups proposals for remedying the situ for great indignation sion. at no time would refusal to ation.
the socialist international who are accusto cooperate in uniting the revolutionary Such an invitation can only be welcomed tomed to much more deference from bourtorces be more criminal.
by us, particularly since, from the very geois governments. With an academic But it is precisely the Lovestone group beginning of our struggle and expulsion solemn pen, they addressed a protest against which is chiefly responsible for this division, from the Communist Party, we have insig the denial of hospitality hy the Swiss govfor its leadership initiated the campaign tently proposed a public debate before the ernment to a proscribed politician. of expulsions of socalled Trotskyists. is Communist and Left wing workers, of the Now we know the social dentic con.
is precisely, this leadership which by its heritolity. It con We issued a public challenge, as ception of democratic hospitality. It conexpulsion and assaults upon our group, its you will remember, at the time Bertram sists of patronage the bourgeois govern refusal to cooperate in uniting tae revoli.
Wolfe was lecturing against us immediately ments to social democratic leaders. But it tionary forces rendered itself criminally mens after our expulsion.
At that time, the is never to extended to proscribed revresponsible. It was this leadership that tron.
group you represent was in control the failed to consider the broad interests of olutionists who fight implacably against the party and deliberately prevented such a Party capitalist order.
When the social Even when the revolutionary and labor movement by discussion and debate not only by expelling democrats themselves hold the reins of expelling our cerrades, not only from the from the Party ranks, but by resorting bourgeois government, they apply this hos.
Party but from every auxiliary organization to the most disgraceful methods of slander pitality exclusively to the bourgeoisie and under its control including trade unions: even physical violence.
its servitors. This rule was not transThe failure to acknowledge honestly and openly the source and responsibility for After your own expulsion from the Party, gressed by the MacDonalds and Muellers in the movement division and demoralization we again proposed on a number of occasions excluding from this democratic hospitalthat you agree to debate our respective ity the Communist Leon Trotsky.
But in the past and present, makes any improvement in the future impossible. One viewpoints. Up to now this was refused. when the Swiss government failed to main.
cannot wash one hands of the past by a Such a debate, however, remains as neces tain the laws regulating relations between dishonestly naive silence.
sary now as it was in the past.
the bourgeoisie and their socialist footmen, The appeal proposes the setting up of a It is quite clear that the official Com the latter protested. Their sorrowful and joint committee of the three groups in munist Party will not consent to partici resigned indignation is comprehensible.
An Answer and a Challenge to a Debate Bue Socialist Indignation nation among the leaders of groups.
falsehoods and