EDITORIAL NOTES TROTSKY The Revolution in Spain Miners Revolt Checked at Muste Confab The LAVAVAVO ADb ALLOC SUVILAUAY LA VLLL LL LLL to put social questions on the agenda for that avenues of escape from the working free discussion without arbitrary professor class are becoming fewer and narrower, even ial supervision, the workers have a particu for those who manage in some way to aclar concern. Workers organizations, and quire what is called an education. The those under Communist influence in the first professions are overcrowded. Only last rank, ought to come forward in support of week the New York Bar Association began THE MINERS CONVENTION united front with the National Miners Unthis demand.
to collect facts through a questionnaire with The mineral convention at St. Louis ion and all other independent groups and The case is interesting from another the object of reducing the number of law marked a step in the struggle to break the tendencies, with the goal of union into a angle. It indicates the revival of a radical students. There are 1, 700 would be school shackles of the Lewis machine and clear single independent organization on a class teachers on the New York waiting list, with trend among the young intellectuals. Such the way for an independent union, despite basis. This is the only way. The formaa development is not without importance.
only 500 appointments in prospect during the glaring defects and weaknesses retion of the National Miners Union marked It was natural for the first signs of a stuthe year. Such departinent stores as Macy vealed there. Under the circumstances the only the first stage in a drawn out process dent awakening to be manifested in such are employing college graduates exclusivepresence of a hundred delegates bears testi of separating the mines from the perfidious a place as City College. This is a great ly as salesladies, so great and so cheap is mony to a profound sentiment in the rank rule of Lewis and Walker. That separapopular institution supported by public the supply. The number of college trained and file for a final brenk with the organi tion will take place along the line of a funds. The students from proletarian famyoung men and women who can find a job zation of the betrayers. At the same time new union, despite temporary set backs and ilies, striving to rise out of the working is mounting by the thousands. Education zig zags. The miners cannot free their the St. Louis convention demonstrated that class, meet there the small bourgeois eleis a drug on the market.
the rank and file movement is only at the hands for struggle in any other way. After ments slipping down into it. Among stuThe more these conditions accumulate beginning of serious organization and has the great betrayal in Illinois they will be dents of this type the social question will and confront the class of intellectuals as not yet found its proper leadership. The compelled to realize this in an increasing acquire an increasing importance.
a barrier to their individualist aspirations, convention attracted a comparatively small degree and they will move toward a new the more compellingly will social questions delegation when all the conditions working union irresistibly. Those who oppose it engage their attention. It is to the interin its favor are considered, and the deci will be swept ont of the way.
est of the revolutionary labor movement sions arrived at fell short of the minimum The progressives are close enough to to encourage and assist every tendency in requirements of the situation. The pseudo the rank and file to sense this. That is why this direction.
progressives have stood at the head of the they did not dare to oppose the idea opennew movement so far.
tell the story ly at the St. Louis convention. Their tacCORRECTION of its weakness and its failure. For these ties there were to delay and sabotage the regrettable error appeared in our people shrink from a real battle with Lewis movement while giving lip service to the last issue, towards the end of comrade Trotand the operators and are incapable of aim. The next wave of the movement, sky article on The Successes of Socialconductiny it. The insurgent movement forced up by the unbearable conditions of ism and the Dangers of Adventurism The will un momentum and raise the miners the miners, will drive them from this posifourth paragraph from the end of the artito their feet for the conflict with the re. tion and compel them to go with the new cle (bottom of page 5, column should actionaries only insofar as it is steeled in union movement or back to Lewis and read To abandon the false national irreconcilable hostility to their shields, the Walker. It is very probable that they will 10e each 7e in bundles and international perspective of an econ. progressives.
wing split over this question. The Left omic development which flow inevitably The idiotie policy of the oficial Com must work to hasten this development and Order from from the theory of socialism in one counmunist party is responsible for the slow strengthen its own positions in the process.
THE MILITANT try. instead of. which flows inevitprogress of the new revolt and the tempor The leadership of il resolute Left wing S4 East 10th St. New York, ably from the methodoloxy of Lenin.
ary supremacy of the progressive faint is the prerequisite for the success the hearts. After the formation of the Nation TKW imion movement. But this leadership al Miners Union in 1928, Foster and Co. must be the leadership of the masses of workdevoted their talents to the task of dis ers, not of paper organizations, and it will crediting themselves and Communism. Then not be lined in it day or by decree. The (Continued from page 1)
reformists could offer only this, which meant they insisted that the miners come to an first big draft of the future troops of the Joe Tash, who was present on behalf of offering nothing, an acknowledgment of independent union by the path marked out new independent union are now in the the National Miners Union, but not a delebankruptcy.
for them in the blueprint. They did not movement represented at St. Lonis.
gate, obtained the floor partly due to the Gerry Allard immediately introduced a understand that the masses woull find their National Miners Union has only a section fairness of chairman Haynes and by motion motion for the formation of a new union and way to this goal by divergent and, at times. of the vanguardi. isolated from the masses made by delegates supporting the Left to set up the apparatus for it now. Other Communist Opposition.
by a false policy. For that reason the He said that the contradictory paths. The boycott of the delegates supporting the Left Opposition Fishwick convention in 1930 was a colossal Communists and the Left wing must peneN. had not sent delegates knowing this convention would not take proper ac.
views spoke in detail for the correctness of blunder which cleared the way for the great trate this movement and shape its course his motion and for the defeat of the combetrayal recently consummated.
from within. This idea must be made clear tion. few minutes later he added that mittee report. One delegate Dan WinniTheir approach to the new revolt was to the Communist workers. Events have con he wanted the floor in order to speak to the honest rank and file delegates present. general supporter of the party among the can of Indiana, and apparently the only another exhibition of Centrist bankruptey. firmed its correctness a dozen times over First they denounced the movement and and are beginning to hammer it into the If a Communist knows that a convention delegates, also supported this motion.
proclaimed boycott of the convention, wooden heads of the leaders.
will not take proper action but that there Some of the so called progressives, are nevertheless honest rank and file deleThen, at the last moment, Foster came ont On the other hand the worker symhowever, realized that the proposal of the with a call for the Left wing miners to go gates present then it becomes so much more pathizing with the National Miners Union Policy Committee needed a bit of sugar ocatto the convention and work there for a a Communist duty to endeavor to send delerepresent a great dynamic force. even ing. This was accomplished in a substitute united front with the This is pre. though false leadership has dispersed and gates who will know how to act in order introduced Hapgood and accepted by the cisely what the Opposition said at the demoralized them for the time. They are to defeat the bankrupt reformers and their Policy Committee reading follows: The start, and that advice which Foster ap our natural allies, and our delegates at wrong policies as well as to win the workpurpose of the Policy Committee shall be propriated when it was too late was ac St. Louis were absolutely right in demanding ers to the Communist ranks. The solution to continue the agitation in order to keep knowledged by the customary drivel about a united front with them. The Communist presented by Tash was a propoal that the the workers alive to their own interests the renegades. As a result of the con League will work in the future as in the convention adopt the program of the so that we will be in a position to build tradictions, mix ups and delays, official past for the union of all currents tending elect a rank and file committee and a new national union at the proper time party and its sympathizers didn have toward a new union on a militant basis form a united front with the This and to help in the organization of the new single delegate at the convention. The rep and for the union of all Communist and was a complete right about turn from the resentative of the was given the union in the outlying districts such as West eft wing workers within the broader moveformer position of boycotting the convenVirginia and Ohio. Hlapgood substitute toor throngh the pressure of the delegates ment.
tion and came very near to the correct moton was adopted by 81 votes in favor of the Communist League and the Left At a time when the sentiment of the policy previously advanced by the Left Comand seven against, thus defeating the mowing miners working with them.
workers and the pressure of circumstance munist Opposition and published in the tion of Allard for the formation of a new The work comrades Angelo. Allard is driving the progressive to talk of a April tirst issue of the Militant.
union. Finally, it was completely proved and others in the convention deserves the new union, the editorial in the RevolutionWe might add, if this convention was that the Muste Howat reformists were unhighest commendation. Even if their forces ary Age proclaiming the death of the new worthy of being asked to form a united animous ainst a new union were not very large they succeded in setthis alleg union movement and calling for a return front with the it should not have edly inopportune time.
ring an example for Left wing militants to the adis a touch of irony been boycotted. That merely the gives which will not be lost. They crystallized What is the sum and substance of the to the situation. Muste and Co. are withreformers and fakers full control. This a firm minority in opposition to the milk results of this convention? They are negaout the corrective of principle but they feel policy of the Stalinist bureaucrats played and water leadership tive. decided to reject the Lewis Fishthe progressives. the pressure of the masses.
into the hands of these elements. The failLovetone and They brought forward the program which wick sell out agreement, it decided to reGitlow lack both: low hopelessly lost are ure of the Muste Howat wing played into fuse to pay the per capita tax to the hands of the Lewis Fishwick operators hese the whole movement will be compelled to these people who only yesterday expelled adopt as the price of survival and develfakers. By this time, the latter in comthe Opposition from the Party for soppor.
united front.
bination with the operators have just as opment. In our opinion, the statement they As the convention proceded further, tunism. issued to the delegates lacked sharpness and showing its inability for decisive action much evidence against the rank and file militancy in characterizing Howat and his toward the formation of a new union, the workers as if they had built a new union.
associates. All those who helped Fishwick question finally was referred to a Policy They will use that wherever possible to THE AFFAIR AT CITY COLLEGE and Walker helped to betray the miners!
Committee elected by the convention to reblacklist and to expel, and to employ other The recent flare up in New York City Let us say that openly, clearly and loudly port back. This Policy Committee narrowed means of suppression in an endeavor to 30 that everybody will understand what College is an event of interest to the rev down the forces and gave the Muste Howat smash the rank and file movement. The happened and how it happened and preolutionary labor movement. Ten members element full control. Its report to the confailure of the convention means the failvent a repetition of it.
of the Social Problems Club a student vention brought forth the following proure to build a real instrument for both the The absence of John Watt from the organization for the discussion of social posals: First, reject the Lewis Fishwick defensive and offensive of the coal miners.
convention is something which Left wing questions were suspended for distributing None of the problems was solved. The polcompromise. This was accepted unanimilitants must note with regret. Comrade a leaflet attacking the administration and mously.
icy of the Muste Howat outfit played into Secondly, to refuse payment of demanding the reinstatement of Max Weiss, Watt has suffered under enormous provocacapita tax to any branch of the the hands of enemy. The boycott poltion. He has been persecuted and slandera Communist who had been expelled pre of and to demand that the charters of icy pursued by the National Miners Union viously. in their leaflet the students de dead locals be withdrawn in order to elements under direction of the party bured villainously, as we have pointed out on extra curricumanded the restoration derers who have liscredited themselves, and eliminate them. This proposal was carried eaucrats despite its turn, which came too lar rights for their ders who have discredited themselves, and organization which although the latter part is meaningless late, is largely responsible for making this the name of John Watt means a great deal would give them the right to discuss ques. because to refuse to pay a per capita tax possible. It helped to secure the control tions outside the limits prescribed by the to the of means to be out of it.
for the Muste Howat group which could to the miners, especially in Illinois. That is why we think any abstention from the school authorities. This is nothing more The third and most vital point was the otherwise easily have been dislodged.
movement on his part. when a great new than a demand for the ordinary democratic following: That the delegates and repre The Left Communist Opposition warned struggle is unfolding, will be harmful to rights of citizenship.
sentatives in the convention create a per in advance against the bankruptcy of these the movementand doubly harmfull to his Our sympathies are warmly with the in manent policy committee of two from each Muste progressives. The delegation supown prestige.
surgent students and we hope their courage district; these comittees to be selected by porting our views emphasized this before will not fail them. It is gratifying to see the representatives of each respective dis the delegates and proposed the correct that student organizations from a number trict, which shall function as a national course. The problems of the miners remain of other colleges and universities have al Policy Committee and that each local union thus far unsolved and the course proposed THE ROAD TO NEW UNION ready declared their solidarity with the select local committees whose duties will by the Left Opposition remains as correct The delegates who spoke in the miners suspended students of City College. But be to keep the district committee informed now as it was then. New miners revolts onvention from the standpoint of the Left the issue has a wider interest. The labor concerning developments from time to time. will take place and our forces will continue Opposition demanded a resolute course to movement has a very good reason to cham After three days of convention and all to fight for a correct course.
ward the formation of a new union and a pion the rights of the students in general. that occurred before it, the Muste Howat HUGO OEHLER.
THE MILITANT, Vol. IV No. 9, May 1, 1931. Published twice monthly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 East 10th St. New York, Suba scription rate: 00 per year; foreign 50. Five cents per copy. Bundle rates ce nts per copy. Editorial Board: Martin Aber n, James Cannon, Max Shachtman, Mau Ice Spector, Arne Swabeck. Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March 3, 1870 (Total No. 68.