The of and the Wage Cut Drive Communism and Syndicalism in Spain It is to be expected that the present period of such slashing attasks upon the unions will bring forward new elements with pretentions progressive declaratio is.
Such are merely the weathercocks of the William Green has come forward with By ARNE SWABECK of a doubt great possibilities for devel general trend of the working class movement a statement that the of Executive opment in such direction. And it is parti and serve as a mask cloaking the treason Council will call upon the workers, orcularly important to remember that upon being prepared by the reactionary leaderganized and unorganized, to resist wage perienced a total cut of 371. percent in ship whose color does not change. In that cuts to the fullest extent. If that was eighteen months. Several thousand miners the revolutionary movement rests the task respect, such elements become particularly meant to be taken seriously one would have been on strike for some time against of bringing forward the slogans and tactical dangerous, as their fundamental outlook has assume that steps for through going pre wage cuts in Kentucky. Several thousand guidance which will furnish the bridge from not changed either, but only their appearparation of all unions to adopt methods and workers struck against the wage cuts in the defensive to the offensive.
ance. They furnish the feeding channels of measures for effective resistance should fol the Mishawaka rubber and woolen factory It would be erroneous to draw the social reformism, into which they endeavor low to correspond with such statements. in Indiana. Hosiery workers in Pennsylvania conclusion from the decrease of membership to direct the trade union movement to preBut this is not the case.
are still strike. Building trades workof the of unions that it is definitely vent its development truly and genu. nely ers in Indianapolis struck and prevented a What the Executive Council has in mind facing an unbroken period of decline. Un in a Left direction.
20 percent wage cut. Two thousand pocket doubtedly it is in a serious crisis. But it becomes clear from the editorials by Green The American working class has during book workers in New York are on strike in the June issue of the American Federais to be expected that the very pressure of the past prosperity period been lulled against a 25 percent wage cut. Similarly tionist. His appeal is not at all directed the capitalist onslaught will bring many in into a false sense of security which to a leather goods workers in Massachusetts are to the working class, not even to the unthe workers ranks to seek organizations large extent accounts for the slow develop out fighting wage cuts. The New England ions, but in the usual boot licking lackey and will still throw many of them into the ments of resistance to the attacks upon it.
machinists have decided to resist any wage fashion addressed to the employers. He folds of the of unions despite the These workers have not suffered serious reductions. The street car workers of St.
says in part, with regard to present treacherous career of its leadership. It is defeats. All the more can it be expected Louis Mo. have decided to strike against a crisis: We look to gatherings of captains particularly pertinent, however, at the pre that with the increase of these attacks the 10 percent wage cut if negotiations fail of finance and leaders of industry to find sent moment to call the attention of the devlopments toward large struggles scale them. These are only some of the present a way forward. And then calling upon the workers to the fact that the fundamental and even offensive struggles will become examples.
unions he says: Get ready the facts to reason for the present plight of the quite rapid. There are great prospects and show your community how many customers The American workers are still fight. of unions is to be sought precisely in great encouragemnts in such a perspective.
are wage earners and what their wages ing on the defense. change toward of the character of the leadership and its But there are also immense responsibilities mean to the retail trade of the town, to fensive battles is of course not determined policies. It is only a short time ago. at resting upon the Communist movement. The those who rent houses to insurance agents, only by the numbers involved the frequ the beginning of this present crisis, that coming period will most likely hold rich to automobile salesmen, etc. Interest ency of occurence, the industries involved William Green promised the Hoover Con possibilities for the organization of the uncommunity groups in this wage preservation or even the specific nature of demands. It ference that there would be no strikes for organized industries for the building of new movement and get your statements into is rather determined by the general charac wage adjustments during this period. And unions. But it also holds similar possibilthe local papers. Remember you must ter and objectives of the struggles, not only that at a time when any worker with an ities for development of militancy for buildconvince employers and the public. This toward the immediate issues but also to ounce of brains would know that precisely ing of a Left wing movement within the old is a time to utilize the facts and put your ward the whole system of class society. this period would be utilized for a general unions. Only a correct combination of these Nevertheless there are without a question full strength behind them.
reduction of the working class standard. two tasks can assure success.
The actual extent of wage cutting can perhaps best be gathered by referring to the Bureau of Labor Statistics figures for the month of January 1931. total of 335 companies reported reductions affecting The programs of the different currents workers to reformism and syndicalism 18 now by the proletariat would be another 43, 507 workers. The same bureau also lists of the working class movement are being part of Stalinism. To win the workers from step, a link in the chain of world revoluthe wage cuts in percentage for a number tested by the Spanish revolution a rev the reformist and anarcho syndicalist lead tion and would bring greater clarity to our of industries under the heading of per olution which is now in Socialist Repub ership, to the road of the proletarian rev ranks and more unity between the prolecapita weekly earnings of March, 1931, comlican hands, but a revolution these forces olution is a task that falls upon the shoul tariat and peasantry a unity with an acpared with March 1930. We quote in part.
are unable to solve, revolution slipping (Ters of the Left Opposition. We must re celerated solution of the peasant problem.
2, 937. 525 workers in the manufacturing from their grasp. either to be carried to member that the road does not lead around Lenin wrote, The basic question of any industry have had their wekly wage lowerthe successful conclusion of dictatorship the party but throngh the party. But we revolution is that of state power. Unless ed by percent; 110. 609 authracite miners of the proletariat by a Marxian leadership must also add that through the party this is understood there can be no intelby percent. 213, 028 Bituminons miners or to be spilled back in the hands of the does not exclude independent action it ligent participation in the revolution, let by 16. percent and so on for many other capitalist feudalist forces.
recessarily includes such.
alone directing it. The leaders bf the industries. These outright wage cuts listed In the onward march of the revolution The General Confederation of Labor, syndicalists have not learned this BASIC by the burean do not. however, at all inthe syndicalists hold a key position not as a syndicalist organization, is far from question but fortunately the rank and file clude the many clever schemes which are because of their theoretical position, but homegoneous. At present the anarcho gyn followers of the syndicalist and some capbeing applied by way of indirect wage due to their lack of one and the fact that dicalists are in control but the very process able proletarian lenders of their camp are cutting of which many thousand workers they are the most powerfully organized of the revolution and the wrong policies of learning this basic problem not only in have become the victims.
and militant proletarian force. The Com this leadership must accelerate the division Spain but throughout the world. The quickUndoubtedly these figures by themselves munist program that does not give special in the organization. The 1919 Congress de er we teach this basic point to the Spanish express a slashing capitalist offensive of a attention to this part of the heterogenous cided to join the Third International, but syndicalist followers the faster will be the territie magnitude against the working class problem will be able to reduce all the desiring to join and being Communist are development of a party, a Marxian party standard. We might add that without a contradictions and tasks to one co eficient two different things. By 1920 the confed of Communists.
doubt the of leadership has become the dictatorship of the proletariat. Before eration had over 800, 000 members, accord The capitalists may be dumb but they quite alarmed over the present situation. dealing with what kind of special attention ing to their reports, but the eventful years at least can distinguish friend from foe.
Not so much over the reduction of the we must take up the syndicalist movement and defeats since then have left them with They recognize the Soviet Union not as a working class standard as because of its of Spain.
a small underground organization which is friend but as a foe, in spite of the blunders ravaging effects upon the union member The Russian Revolution and the Ger rapidly growing in the present revolution. of Stalin. But the syndicalist cannot unship. First, by the fact that large pro man revolution had to contend with the The General Strike derstand this distinction. No matter how portions of this membership find them socialists as the most powerful organized The defeat of the general strike in 1923 far Stalin has gone up to now with his selves unable to meet their dues payments. force with a non Marxian position. The In Spain and the general world effects of theory of socialism in one country the inSecondly, and this is a well known fact Chinese revolution has different relation the defeat of the October German revolution ternational capitalists will not confuse this that the unofficial wage cuts are far heavier ship of these forces. Although the present enabled the dictatorship of Primo De Riv with capitalist rule even though they realthan those registered by the Bureau of Spanish revolution brings out a relationship era to establish its rule on the backs of ize his policies are strengthening the eleLabor Statistics. Notably is this so in the with the socialists resembling the German the workers and peasants of Spain. The ment that want the return of capitalist building trades unions, which form the and Russian revolutions it nevertheless syndicalist program is brought out in full rule. The syndicalists often say they would Very backbone of the of These opens up a new problem when considering light in the events since 1923 as an utter rather have a capitalist dictatorship (U.
unions are today unable to maintain the the relationship of the socialists sydnicalists minus in relation to solving the problems of democracy. than the Russian dictatorwage scale which the official agreements and Communists in Spain as well as what the proletariat and peasantry. To the syn. ship (Soviet power under Communist leadcall for. Because of the failure of the or lessons revolutionists have already learned dicalist, the general strike means every ership. Their actions in Spain prove it.
ganizations really to take any steps to repel about the role of the socialists.
thing. To the general strike is a most Freedom and Dictatorship offensive the members find We are actively participating in a rey. powerful weapon in the hands of Marxian Postana, leader of the syndicalist says, themselves face to face with the choice of olution that can be compared with the Rug leadership: yet it only RAISES the ques dictatorship of the proletariat is conprolonged unemployment or whatever wage sian revolution. If we are to list the strik tion of power but does not SETTLE it. tinually mentioned. We want no dictatorthe boss sees fit to pay. It is very natural ing differences between these two revolu Only the smashing of the capitalist state ship. The workers must be educated for that under such conditions the unions tions special attention must be given to the machinery and its replacement with a pro freedom, not tyranny. The syndicate is the should experience heavy membership losses.
syndicalist problem, because the Left Op letarian state machine, a dictatorship of solution. There is nothing in between the It should now be perfectly clear that position has already dealt with the other the proletariat in alliance with the peasan dietatorship of the capitalist today in Spain what we have clearly and distinctly emphas vital problems to a greater degree. The try in Spain, will settle the question of and the dictatorship of the proletariat toized some time ago as an inevitable percapitalist press of the continent is com power.
mcrrow. The only choce lies between rule spective, is actually coming to pass. Capiparing the Spanish revolution with the The Syndicat as a federated system of the workers and peasants and the rule talism is beginning its desperate efforts to French revolution and the American press of autonomy is the syndicalixt structure to of the capitalist and fondalixt. We say to overcome its economic difficulties by saddl has followed its lead. What blindness and take over production. Workers federalism the syndicalists: If you establish your eding the burden more securely upon the work lack of understanding of their own capital s. centralism is their keynote. Under eration ct syndicates and the capitalists ers backs. They are aiming for a new sort ist problems! The French revolution came capitalism the organization of production endeavor to take them back, you must either of stabilization level, many degrees further in the period of the birth of capitalism and h:18 already surpassed this syndicalist fed use force against them or give up to use down. based upon a drastically reduced the Spanish revolution breaks out in the erated or local commune stage Capitalism force avainst them, to keep them from a reworking class standard. The all import:ınt period of the decay of capitalism. The capi has combined industry. etc. untionally and turn to private property is the dictation question now is: Will the workers resist talist comparison holds no water.
internationally interlocking numbers of in of one class the working class over the and attempt to prevent it?
The syndicalist movement took root in dustries under finance capitalism. The syn capitalist class, and such, in plain English, In answer to such a query we notice Spain at the beginning of the century, as clicalist proposal is a step backward to the is the dictatorship of the proletariat through some very encouraging signs. Strikes are It did in most capitalist countries, as a organization of productive forces on a lower the Soviets. You want freedom and we today on the increase. Workers are be healthy reaction to the revision and op level, while the socialist solution of the tell you freedom for the capitalist and ginning to resist the capitalist onslaughts. portunism of the Second International. The proletarian problem lies in surpassing the feudalist is tyranny for the workers and The Department of Labor reports that there denial of politics and the attitude toward capitalist mode of production. We must peasants and freedom for the workers and were only 903 strikes during the year 1930 the State was the most favorable ground build a higher stage of economic production peasants is tyranny for the capitalist which records the lowest number since 1918, for the philosophy of Anarchism. The old as well as distribution. The Centrist with and feudalist. Only, our rule is the rule During the most recent weeks, however problems of capitalism are incorporated in his theory of socialism in one country is of the majority over the minority.
many strikes, mostly against page cuts, the new problems of capitalism and the old only different in degree from the syndicalThe objective conditions favor us, the have broken out. There have been several problems of the Marxian movement (Bakun ist conception of the solution of the toilmasses learn fast in a revolution and strikes involving thousands of workers in in, Proudhon etc. are incorporated in our ing masses problems under the socialist through united fronts with revolutionary the anthracite section of the Pennsylvania new problems. They are not to be dis mode of production. Stalinism can build syndicalists fighting the Socialist Republican coal producing territory. Just now, about missed as settled problems, as an unneces socialism in an isolated economic backward government we can help them to discard ten thousand workers are on strke in the sary retracing of steps over ground covered unit and the syndicalist can build social their anarchist prejudices.
Cannonsburg bitumous section in Pennsy but to be treated as part of the contradic ism through local communes. The Left OpWorker, pensant and soldier Juntas Ivania under the leadership of the Nation tions of the present stage of imperilaism. position say the solution of our problems with the Communist program presented by al Miners Union. About 2, 000 steel workers Stalinism as a revision of Marxism and the and of the Socialist mode of production lies the Left Opposition, is the road to power struck in Mansfield, Ohio, against a 15 per tactics of the Comintern have been feed in the world arena through the world rev in Spain for the workers and peasants.
cent wage cut. The latter have so far ex ing the stream of syndicalism. Driving olution. The seizure of power in Spain HUGO OEHLER