. GE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, JULY 4, 19 New Slander Against Riazanov EDITORIAL ing in which every militant worker worthy of the name would boldly par.
ticipate. Every radical and pseudo radNOTES ical organization that can be thought of was represented by a speaker: yellow Pravda of March 12 published a note ment, and 1931, when he was mixed up in selling this letter, which draws a socialists and Right Communists, liberals entitled Marx on Kautsky and in the conspiracy against the dictatorship crushing picture of Kautsky, Bernstein and anarchists, Musteites and signed the Marx Engels Institute of the proletariat Riazanov published or the other proprietor of the document THE CAPITALIST OFFENSIVE coated declaration of war there is the Everybody was welcomed Averybody but This note has subsequently been repro not a few documents and works which from the same circle, put as a condition essence of the capitalist policy for the the Communist party. This with its duced without any comment by the world cused Menshevism considerable mexa for the sale that the letter should not be Wage cutting began with the first ensuing period: an unbroiled offensive ten of thousands of members and suppress of the Comintern. Externally, the tion. But nothing doing. The reader published while Kautsky was alive or manifestations of the crisis and have against the workers.
porters, was deliberately and special center of gravity of this note lay in the of the press of the Comintern must be while the one selling it was alive. The been proeetuing ever since at a con. Will the workers fight back? Will they ally excluded. Do you call that unremarkable passage from the letter of gulded along the old formula of the de rigorous manner in which Bernstein subtinually accelerated pace. For quite a take up the defensive struggle on a wide Ited front for class war prisoners? It Marx in 1881 which gives a crushing yout: believe it no matter how ab mitted to this sort of censorship the corwhile this practice was masked by den front within the year? There are a few is a contemptible fraud, using the Cen characterization of Kautsky, a character surd it is.
respondence of Marx and Engels is sutials and all kinds of subterfuges. The signs of such a development, but they tralia victims as a shield for rekezation which was, In short, fully verified Good, the reader will say, but what fciently well known. There was no notorious conference of employers and are isplated and sporadic as yet. Ittionary demonstration.
by the future.
did happen with the letter? Is it au. Other choice left to comrado Riazanov: labor leaders at the White House, at must be admitted that a serious defen You will not get our support for such The publication of the note solemnly thentie, did Riazanov really hide it? And in order to get possession of the letter, which the solemn pledge to maintain sive struggle, involving masses of work a game. Comrade Swabeck withdrawal signed by the whole Institute has, how it he didthen why? It is enough to look he was obliged to accept the condition wage standards was issued was the first ers, has not yet begun. The Department from the meeting was a way of say ever another aim: to befoul the person at the quotation in order not to doubt imposed upon him Anybody else in his blg smoke screen behind which the move of Labor figures, just published, showing this. He might have made the pro who created the Marx Engels Institute the authenticity of the letter: Marx place would have acted in the same way.
ment began. It was followed by a cam. Lewer strikes in the year 1980 than in test by taking the stand and denouncing and was at its head. Here is what is cannot be falsitled, even by Yaroslavsky After having accepted this condition, he paign of reductions all along the line any year since 1918. 653 strikes and the shameful procedure. That, however said at the end of the note: The origin collaboration with Yagoda. As to the naturally carried it out. It is only But the fiction of holding up the levels lockouts last year against 3, 630 in 1919 is a secondary question and a debatable inal of this letter was turned over to circumstances under which the letter thanks to this extreme prudence and loy.
was maintained, and the wage cutters a comparative picture of the state of one. There is something unspeakably re Riazanov by the well known Menshevik was concealed. we can, again only alty in all matters of this kind that resorted, primarily, to indirect methods, labor activity. The first three months pugnant to an honest militant in using Lydia Zederbaum Dan already in 1925. propose a hypothesis whose verisimill. Riazanov has been able to extract from such as laying off and re hiring at re of 1981 showed 146 strikes and lockouts the platform of labor defense meeting Riazanov carefully concealed the letter. tude, however, is guaranteed a hundred the hands of adversaries precious eleduced rates, in order to conceal the ac slight decline from last year low burning appeal for solidarity, are apt lagano was accused before the whole affair.
During the trial of the Mensheviks, percent by all the circumstances of the ments of the heritage of our classics. We tual trend.
average.
think that it is now clear why Riazanov But now the process of beating down These figures, taken by themselves, may actually happened at the Union Square world by the attorney general of the Riazanov could receive the letter concealed the letter. Whoever knows the living standards of the workers has well prove to be bighly deceptive. The meeting. An anarchist windbag, taking republic of collaboration in the conspir only from the hands of those who hela Riazanov will not doubt for an instant reached a new stage. The figures on capitalists, proceeding full swing to a his top from the chairman announce acy against the dictatorship of the pro it. The mangement of the heritage of that more than anybody else, Riazanov wage cuts are accumulating in such a curther attack on the workers, are quite ment, gives a lecture against the prole letariat. few months after this the Engels has fallen into the hands of Bernburned with the desire to publish his volume that the facts can no longer be likely to collide with an explosive factor tarian dictatorship in Russia. Other cusation, the whole of humanity has com stein by force of the same historical valuable find. But he waited for the hidden or denied. And there is no point Didden behind the bare ligures of the speakers poisoned to the marrow by the municated to it a new crime of Riazanov: logic of the epigones which today per proper moment to strike. By means ou in it, for the exploiters, emboldened by strike movements for the past fifteen phobia against Communism, alred their he has, it seems, again into the bargain mits Yaroslavsky to dispose of the herleraid, the letter of Marx was found the pratical absence of labor real months. The figures alone take no ac prejudices. The result? The meeting. concealed the quotation from Marx stage of Lenin. Riazanov manifested an at Riazanov and it was not only made public, that is, not only was the engage enoe have begun a real assault on the count of the accumulation of grievance degenerated into a demonstration against letter of 1881. Nothing but this need exceptional pedseverance an ingenuity In wage scales. They are coming out in and discontent as yet unexpressed and Communism. Those who hold the Cen of advancing against comrade Riazanov gathering together the heritage of Marx ment made by Riazanov broken, but it the open with this policy.
therefore unspent. It is by no means as tralla men in prison have no reason to such circumstances to make his case and of Engels. Like the Lenin Institute, was turned around as a proof against worse, and which are all out of propor the Marx Engels Instiute bought numer. Riazanov. What should we call such a in the blant declarations of the leading pass unchallenged. On the contrary, they ectly responsible for this miserable per the socalled conscience of Messrs. acThis was indicated several weeks ago sured that the new encroachments will object to that.
The leaders of the are dirtion to the first accusation shows that, ous documents from the Mensheviks anal manner of acting? Let us call it by its through the intermediary of Mensheviks: right name: It is a way of acting in bankers that wages must come down stil are more apt to bring matters to the formance and their guilt is in no way cusers is not tranquil. By combining, it is enough to refer, for example to the Stalin.
further. In these statements the key combustion point.
extenuated by the fact that the Stalin. as usual, disloyalty with rudeness, these archives bought by the Lenin Institute TROTSKY note of capitalist policy was sounded. The capitalists, bent on loading the 18ts boycotted a similar meeting last people only discover things with their from Potressor It is beyond doubt and the offensive against labor stand burden of the crisis onto the backs of pear: That action of Foster and Co. ww aid, and only betray the fragility of the that the Menshevik Lydia Zederbaum Potressov, tormer Menshevik collaards began to widen its scope. The fig. the workers are preparing thereby the a crime for which the Communist workprop.
did not simply turn over the letter to borator of Lenin and Martov in Iskra ures of the Labor Bureau, Inc. show 185 necessary conditions for a labor revolt, In ers will yet call them to account. The Union Square meeting was conducted on We explained at the time in a hypo Riazanov, but she probably sold it as Toilay an emigre, he publishes in Paris wage reductions, averaging about 10 per this way they will convince the workcent, and distributed over 175 manufacers, as propaganda has been unable to the same plane. By their actions its thetical form how the accusation agrinst an intermediary for Bernstein or some an organ which fights, at the extreme Staliniste: Sol Riazanov originated. Everything that is one else among the old men who had the Right wing of the Mensheviks, against turing enterprises, for the single month convince them, that there is no way out idarity in behalf of labor prisoners means written us from Moscow on this sube letter by Marx. It is quite natural that Soviet Russia. Ed.
ending March 15. The campaiga con but to fight. Under such conditions the just as little to us as it means to you: Ject fully confirms our suppositions. It is tinues in full swing. The pious sermon prospect of a series of stormy battles, we will prove that we are just as rot not difficult to reveal the mechanism of Ising of the early months of the crials of which the American workers have ten as you are. That is what they said the supplementary accusation launcheri about keeping up the wage scales is giv many times shown themselves capable. That is what they proved. It is by today by the same accusers under the ing place to editorial apology for the is by no means unreasonable. In that such an attitude. in which the officials of pseudonym of the Marx Engels Institute. still has gratifying surplus left from trial production just as low, the markets (Continued from page 1) unemployed remains just as large, induslowering standards.
event the Communists would get hearing the met the officials of the The Menshevik Lydia Zederbaum turn the German reparations. Does it com of the world just as contracted and conThe New York Times, the most influ the like of whleh has not been granted real movement of genuine solidarity in back in 1925. Why did she give it to will soon suggest a way out of the plan will be required to undo these difential and authoritative organ of the before.
Mellon and Hoover gested. More than Hoover suspension the fight for the Centralla capitalists, salutes the program of revictims 15 him? As token of Riazanov back in complication. Balance your budget, thwarted, and sabotaged, and made imtrenchment at the expense of the workpossible.
him? As a token of Riazanov friend. Laval, by cutting down on armaments Then the German crisis, at the very ers and recommends it to them. Econ THE UNION SQUARE MEETING This affair of last Saturday was rich ship with the Mensheviks, and of their expenditures. This ingenious form of least? Beyond a doubt it will be amomiats and practical men says the when the meeting at Union Square in other instructive lessons. Despite the future collaboration in the conspiracy blackmail turned the trick for America eliorated. But only for a brief time.
Times editorial of June 7, are not all inst Saturday was opened by the chair formidable list of organizations repre against the dictatorship of the proletar at the Washington Naval Conference in the postponement of the big collapse will agreed that it has been wise Insist upon the maintenance of high offical Communist party has not been in meeting. Doesn that show where the this subject. The word the Menshevik with the British. It worked at the Lon. It does take place. There is an inexor wages. And not only that. The Times vited to send a speaker for the occasion present strength of labor militancy lies? ought to shut the mouth of all who don conference in 1920. In short, the able fatality in Wall Street plans to does not think it wise to insist on which was ostensibly united front Doesn it show that the socialists paid hesitate, all the more so because since dominance of the American dollar has save Germany from Bolshevism: The other conditions and standards which demonstration in behalf of the Centralla only lip service to the demonstration and 1925, Riazanov carefully concealed the torpedoed more British vessels than the Dawes plan lasted almost five years bo Interfere with the workgre efficiency as prisoners the representative of the that they give no real support to the letter. Why did he conceal it? Obvious Germans could hope to sink in the Bat fore it had to be scrapped for the young profit makers for the bosses. Is it not Communist League, comrade Swabeck issue?
ly in order to safeguard the interests of tle of Jutland. Why should it not suc plan. The Young plan nerer outlived its The has come to a sad pass Kautsky and of world Menshevism. It ceed in being just as effective against father two years of life and it is mourosomething to the general erort to tide withdrew from the meeting. In this de when, in the crusade against Communis true that between 1925, when Riaz Franco? MacDonald the faithful outposted at the grave only by France. The over the days of hardship? It asks. monstrative action there was the protest black gang and finds itselt at home there. Mensheviks to conceal the pistorte doen vanced the idea, with an eye at Franco, years!
It is doubtful on the white he Icover plan? Will it last even two They haven contributed enough yet. of the conscientions revolutionist against But this is the logic of the fight against So now, according to the Times, they the prostitution of the interests of class Communism. Communism, despite all in the House of Commons should yfeld something in the way war prisoners to debased and reaction the worthless bureaucrats who disgrace themselves to the war against CommunA Solution of the Crisis? crisis of misery and despair by a sucof special privileges, and even arbitrary ary factionalism.
But the crisis? Will it be solved by cessful proletarian revolution, lies the rulings, which have been established in Just consider! Here was proclaimed doctrine the only revolutionary class deplorable affair at Union Square Inst the Hoover plan? Fantasy! The stock final answer to all the plans of imperialgood times, but which might be relin a union of all forces for the Centralia movement of the proletariat Whether Saturday was a striking Illustration and market may experience a fow jerky rises ist conquest and slavery, quished or modified. In this sugar martyrs most commendable undertak they wish it or not. those who dedicate a warning of this logic. and falls for a while, but the army of MAX SILACHTMAN.
The Hoover Reparations Debts Scheme ficulties Economic Crisis What Next?
1800 Almost two years have elapsed since Percent.
Percent.
Jan. 1858 13. Dec.
1908 the current crisis began, and still the 11. bourgeoisle has mndo no progress toward June 1861 May 19008 18.
understanding it or forlaulating a soluSept. and July 1911 Note: This is the first of a series of articles intended to interpret the tion. At the April meeting of the Aca pared for by the decline in the relative for raw material etc. 10 for overhead. Nov. 1865 14. Dec. 1914 13. demy of Political Science a group of participation of wages in the products daily economic life of the United States in accordance with the real. course of its and 40 for wages leaving likewise 10 Beb. 1878 12. April 1921 272 bankers, business men, and professors of of Industry during the prosperous time development and from a Marxian point of view. The present article deals with for profit. An increase of 20 percent in May 1885 13. July 1924 12. economies gathered for two days. under up to 1920, which led to a restriction of the general features of the crisis that began in 1929, seeks to isolate its causes, sales will involve an increase in raw June 1894 19. Jan. 1931 28. the chairmanship of a Morgan partner markets we shall ulso give reasons for and discuss the prospects for the future and thelr political consequences and materials costs to 48, wages to 48, Sept. 1896 17. and later of a former chairman of the thinking that the present depression may effects for the labor movement. Future articles will deal with specifle indus which together with the unchanged over Federal Reserve Board, to discuss the be the last of the periolical crises on the tries coal, copper, steel, automobiles, textiles, railroads and banking from head costs of 10 will total 888, leaving allowance for the lighter average load crisis. Every man for himself, they pre upward swing of captialism and may be the standpoint of the economic background of the class struggle. Pud.
a profit of 12, or 20 percent more than per car, is actually less than in 1921, sented the following explanations. the beginning of a new period of de normal. while similarly a decline in year of the most serious percentage de There is no crisis world produc clining profits and intensified class strug Ry Field sales of 20 percent will result in a pression up to that time, although 1921 tion of commodities keeps Increasing with gle.
reduction of the profit trom 10 to secar loadings were in turn higher than those of 1911, a year of relatively minor only minor setbacks of which this is one and will continue to increase to of a crisis, so far as they mean anything. group of capitalists as a whole. Tho is actually smaller than in 1890.
All the reasons siven for the existence individual capitalist is not good for the value added by manufacture in 1920 lesse mechanized plant therefore profite depressionele sport trade dir, nower than new high records. The war and its mean that goods have been over pro individual capitalist derives a competitive Value Added by in the depression year 1921. Immigraafter effects. Continuing political induced in comparison with the possible advantage, expressed in lower costs and No. of Wage Eamers Wages Manufacturing Wages tion this year will be less than 100, 000 security. Tarif barriers. Over market for them. This over produc for a time in higher profits through dis4, 713, 000 2008. 0000, 000 production of agricultural products. tion. which is such a puzzle to bour placing men by inachines, that is, varl 4, 831, 000, 000 41. p.
for the first time since 1880.
1909 615, 000 3, 427, 000. 300 8, 529, 000, 000 40. Business has to go in cycles. Poor gets thinkers, means simply that there able capital hs constant capital. The Turning for a moment from the gen1919 8, 000, 000 10. 453, 000 000 24 748, 000, 000 42. eral manifestations of the cri ls, let u management of banking and credit fac is no longer a profit in seiling as many group of capitalists as a whole, however, 1929 8, 742, 000 11, 421, 000, 000 31, 687, 000, 000 36. Assume the axiom that the total indusslities. Lack of equilibrium among goods to as many people, in 1030 48 by all adopting the competitive advan earners Increased 85. percent, and their less by booms and is less harmed by of the activity of its individual industhe same or a similar industries and communities.
From 1899 to 1929, the number of wace, trial activity of a country is the sur Short there was in previous years. The mar process, wipe out age and maldistribution of gold.
ket for a given quantity of goods, in tage of the first capitalist, and in so do average wage rose from 426 a year to depression than the highly mechanized tries, plus the relations existing among The chairman of the board of the Chase capitalist economy, means the possibil. ing equalize competitive profits amonk 61, 306 or 206 percent, but their share plant.
them. For the individual industries, National Bank, the largest bank in the ity of selling so much goods at a profit. themselves. The net result however, is in the produce of their labor declined the increasing mechanization of Am there is a law of uneven development United States, adds: The foregoing figures indicate what has a lower proportionate employment of from 41. percent to 36 percent. The erican industry can be summed up on analogous to that which Trotsky har 10. Abnormalities in certain commod. happened to profits last year, following variable capital, resulting in a lower fact that value added by manufacture the basis of the foregoing figures by worked out as between nations. The Ety markets due to attempts at price the crisis. Let us now consider how average rate of profit, which expresses increased 556 percent while the number stating that value added by manufac general scheme of the historical develop Axing.
capitalism in the United States has stead. itself in capitalist terms in a shrinkage of wage earners employed increased only turing amounted to 1, 025 per worker in ment of an industry follows a roughly 11. The delay with which wholesale fly destroyed its own profits and mar of markets or places where goods can 86. percent sums up graphically the 1889 and to 3, 624 per worker in 1929. uniform curve. It begins as a new, prices of finished goods, retail prices, kets in the years preceding the crisis, be sold at a profit.
extent to which labor efficiency has been But this can only mean, in terms of speculative industry, with numerous wages, and rentals, have followed the by a comparison of certain figures sup The shrinkage of markets in the boom increased, largely by mechanization. the above discussion, that American small individual concerns, many of drop in prices of raw materials.
plied by the Census Bureau.
As production keeps increasing while business has become more sensitive to whom quickly disappear it may have The significant thing about all these Data on Manufacturing Industries 1919 1929 oxplanations is that nowhere is there 1919 1927 the participation of labor keeps decreas shrinkages of sales and markets, and altheulty at the beginning in finding mar.
1929 the slightest mention of the one thing No. of establishments we should expect the recurrent crises should therefore show increasing kets, but soon obtains general accep214, 383 191. 866 199 268 crisis to become more acuto as time goes severity.
tance of its product, the profits of sue that bourgeols and proletarian slike No. of wage earners 3, 000, 000 8, 319. 755 8, 550, 284 on. Increasing mechanization tends to cessful concerns are large, and sales are agree in regarding as the mainspring of Wages paid 10, 461, 736, 869 10, 848, 802, 532 This conclusion is borne out by an 11 271, 016, 618 make the profits of business more de analysis of Industrial activity in the C1apt to increase even during a period of all capitalist economic activity profits. Value added by manu.
pendent on operation as close to capacited States since 1854 recently made by business depression.
This comision should not be looked at facture (excluding cost ity as possible. To Illustrate this, com a Western bank. Normal figures of In the second stage, a broad demand as a coincidence. The bourgeois does not of material containers, 24, 800, 002, 426 27, 585, 210 400 31, 096, 856. 410 pare two establishments one highly industrial production were has been created, profits remain large wish at this time to measure forces calculated fuel, and purchased frankly and openly with the proletariat electricity)
mechanized, and the other largely de making allowance for a broad upward and even increase, numerous smaller in economic or other conflict, and his pendent on direct labor, which we will tendency, and activity for each month producers consolidate into a relatively In other words, the size of the averideological defense is to obscure the age plant increased the number of plants years before 1920 was well recognized call plant and respectively. Of each since January, 1884 was stated in per fewer number of large firms, and the 100 of product produced by 40 recentages above or below this steadily problem of management is how to pro Issue by leaving out of the discussion the in operation decreased, and the propor in the business world, as to its effects presents raw material, fuel and power, rising normal line. During this perduce enough rather than how to sell its most important factor which is pronts. tion of wages to total added values to if not its cause. It was a common comComparing the reports of 1900 corpor manufacture, which had been 12. per plant production. This means of course ory (maintenance Interest on invest depressions. We list below the month 40 represents overhead costs of machin. iod there have been fourteen important output. Productive facilities are rapid.
ly increased during this stage. This ations engaged in 69 lines of business for cont in 1919, was reduced to 36. per of selling and distribution were eating ment amortization, etc. all costs which during which each of these reached is leads to the third stage, wherein prodne 1930 with 1929. net profits show a decent of the added value of 1929.
cline from 5, 983. 019, 000 in 1929 to The fact that the share of wages in plant production. This means of ourse respective of the amount up the economies due o more etlichent so on unchanged from year to years lowest point, and the percentage figure tive facilities are enough femore than 3, 516, 381, 000 or a drop of 41. percent. the total values added by manufacture output) 10 for that month. was becoming increasingly difficult is wages, and 10 18 profit. If sales and the principal problem of management beand production increases 20 percent to 120, We see that at no time before the comes how to sell, rather than how to declined from 10. percent to percent of saying that the proportion of variable high pressure salesmanship, the emphasis raw material etc. will cost 48, wages 20 percent below the normal line; the competition sets in on a severe bastos. war was there any decline of more than produce. Markets become saturated, Now between 1920 and 1030 the total capital paid out in wages, has been on style and color in all kinds of goods, 12, and overhead costs remaining un 1921 depressions went as low as 27 per prices and profit margins are lowered, volume of physical production is esti declining relatively to constant capital, and the increasing use of installment sell changed at 40 will leave a profit of cent and the present depression 28. mergers increase until only a few lare mated to have declined only 18. 2 per. crystallized in buildings, raw materials ing together with hectie efforts to in 20 instead of 10, an increase of 100 percent below normal.
cent. Total wages paid by manufactur and machinery. As Marx pointed out, crease export sales, all point to the percent in profits against an increase producers are left in the industry. Even Not only is the present depression retually the problem of markets (at authority to have declined more than not constant capital. The relatively es fiets market for the period of bright crease of 20 percent in sales to so win latively more severe, in terms of decline pront) becomes very dificult, all kinde 20 percent.
smaller amount of variable capital has activity up to 1929, which contained the involve a decrease in raw materials to below normal. than any of its pre of costly and artificial methods must be The effective result of the first tull therfore meant a progressive shrinkage seeds of the crisis. 32, in wages to and overhead ro decessors, but there are indications that used to stimulate demand, the profit mar.
of crists, therefore was to reduce in the possibilities of the capitalist promaining unchanged at 40, there will be in some respects it is even absolutely en is likely to remain under the aver faster than either production or Atably disposing (remembering always This process of throttling the partiet no profit left.
more severe. In other words, the rate age even in good tices and to result that market implies pront. pation of wages in the national produc Plant B, on the other hand, being only of increase normal production may losses in bad, times, showing a BT als which we propone is that It is, in fact, an esential contradiction tion is not a matter of the last ten years slightly mechanized, pays under normal itself be slowing down. Railroad freight cumeptibility to business depression profita WIN ed and pro of capitalism that what is good for the alone the proportion of wages pala to conditions 40 out of each 100 of sales traffic measured in carloadings with (Continueel in Next TANA ing