SATURDAY, JULY 25, 1931 THE MILITANT PAGE Thesis for the Pre Conference Discussion of the Communist League (Opposition)
Ist The outstanding feature of the pre oxysms experienced at the present time 1924) to 132. (high polut in June 1920) bowed a forely trade for the United sent situation is the world wide charac Loy the American Imperialist colossus are even though the European share of world states of almost exactly hall the tigure ter of the economic crisis, more severe harbingers or even more convulsive in its effects than any other manifesta trors in the economic structure of been increasing and that of the United than any figure for more than a decade.
tioxi of the anarchy of capitalism since Europe. It is not Europe that will isStates decreasing. The foreign trade of The harshest effects of the crisis aro the precipitation of the world war of sue out of the crisis at the costs of the the United States maintained the figure 1914. Eloquently testifying to the fact United States; the prospect is rather To All Branches of the Communist made pubille as a pamphlet. All these 1920, even surpassed them, even if with gures of the government bureau show for the war years of 1917 1918, and, in undoubtedly to be fomul in the records that capitalist economy today is predom summed up in the contrary. The of unemployment. Even the tendencious inantly world economy, that the prevail to the problem of Europe versus Am League of America (Opposition. documents should be considered not a less favorable trude balance. The a terrifle decline in manufacturing em ing mode of production and distribution crica, the central problem of capitalist separately but as parts of one single foreign investments of American impor.
has entered into the most violent con world polities, is at present held by The more than two years that have whole which the National Committee falls reached the fabulous sum of 16. Piloyment. If March 1925 taken as filct with the needs and interests of the American imperialism, with its position elapsed since the first national confer presents for discussion, and for adoption 1, 000, 00K. penetrating into every branch month of February 1981 showed an index masses of society, that the development of dominant economic and financial pow ence of the Left Opposition in the United by the conference. All members of the of the industrial and conomic life of Agure of 74. 1, that is, a falling off of of the world productive forces is acutcer and its tremendous resources. States have furnished us with a wealth Communist League of America (Opposi virtually every country in the world. be fourth of the jobs in manufacturing ly incompatible with the innumerable United States confronts Europe (and of experiences nationally and internation tion) are invited to participate to the Rising out of the unemployment trougla national boundaries that restrict it, the Latin America) as the main creditor na ally which press for collective oxantna greatest extent in the discussion in the into which he had fallen between 1020 Store authentic figures place the ranks erixie has swept over every important tion of the world. Both of them contion. New problems huve arisen for our branches of the League, as well as in and 1922, the was able, in this of the unemployed in the United States country in the world with the ruthless front a world economy in which the movement which demand a Marxian on the columns of The Militant. which are period, to maintain both the number of at between nine and ten million work ness of a social epidemic. No country International market, both domestic and alysis and solution. The work which we now thrown open for the pre conference factory workers employed and the wageers, with no serious indication that this that moves actively within the orblt of forolen, is not only limited but progress have carried out in the past perlod, and discussion up to the day when the con level at a fairly even keel, ut leust, with condition of unexamplel acuteness IN 10 world economy is immune from the con ively diminishing. The stupendous war the policies we have pursued, require a feretice opens. Further conference de vut kreat tluctuations or declines.
vulsions of the crisis. Following the and post war lebts which converted the review and a summary. The increasing talls will be forwarded to all the branchThe unfolding of this unprecedented these telling figurex should be sided the deflating collapse of the American stock into the principal «reditor nation needs of our movement confront us with es.
period of relative prosperity coincided uncomputed numbers of part time workmarket and the dinny industrial decline of the world have become one of the the problem of elaborating collectively. The agenda which the National Com with an equally unprecedented period torers, and decline in nas roll totals for that has ensued to this ost inost powerful levers at work to ander our plans for the coming period. mittee proposes for the conference is the orking class, above all for the or: ate testimony to the brand sweep of the uninterrupted regression, the crisis has mine even that fragile etabllization wards this end, the National Committee as follows: ganized lubor movement. The great wracked the economic or political life achieved in the second half of the last Issues this call for the second National The Crisis in the Communist in muss movements of the workers in the wape cutting drive. The mixety and sul of every important European, Latin decade. The delits (including interest Conference of the Communist League of ternational and the Development of turbulent post war year, manifested in ferin which these figure beperk de American, and Aslatie nation. Even and sinking fund charges) owed directly America (Opposition) to be held in New France, which enjoyed a relatively tav to the United States, or indirectly to it York City from Thursday, September The Situation in Russia the sternational wit Opposition. Strikes in basic Industries involving stroy, by themselves, the legend assidu hundreds upon hundreds of thousands ously cultivated for years that the stan3. Political Report: orable conjuncture for a number of years through other creditor nations which are 24, 1931 to Sunday, September 27, 1931.
of workers, gave way to the sinister deua dard of living of the American working following the stabilization of the franc America debtors (c. England, The pre convention discussion period. a) The erspective of the Americalm of labor inaction, manifested 1n clask is nasured of permanently prohas been drawn into the maelstrom of France) can be paid only in gold, or therefore, is hereby formally opened by can Revolution.
a sharp and steadly decline of strikes gressive improvement, decline. 1) The Tasks of the Communists. The trend towards independent political The indices listed above serve as the through the neceptance of new credits, the publication of the principal thesis of The Soviet Union, too, which has not or in goods. The acceptance of new the National Commitee. In coming is (e) The Role of the Opposition.
action, which at one time attained sub areat outline of the breadth and depth Been and cannot be liberated from the credits, the form adopted in Germany sues of The Militant, there will be pat The Trade Union Question: stantial proportions in the movement for the crisis in the United States, but pressure of world economy, has felt the for four years following the initiatioplished the other theses and resolutions. a) The Future of the of b) The Outlook for the New Union bourgeois la Follette movement and a labor party, was absorbed by the petty they sufice to point out the severity of effects of the international crisis, to of the Dawes lan, can no longer be on trade union work, on the situation Its effect. To foretell with any measitre Movement.
of exactitude the duration of the crists The far more limited extent than the cap pursued to such an extent Germany in the Communist International and the timally dissolved into nothingness.
tallst countries, it is true, but it had investment needs having diminished. International Left Opposition, on the (c) Communist strategy and Tactics. Communist movoment begun to experleven in its sharpest forms, ix execeline3. Building the Communist League been influenced by them nevertheless. Det payment in gold are today even situation in the Communist Internation ence a period of stagnation and declloc. difficult, partenarly house it is not The radical international decline of com more difficult than ever before, and that al and the International Left Opposi The Forms and Methods of its FThe steady advance of the left wing and only the United States which is involved, modity prices has seriously affected Sov not merely because of the inadequacy of tion, on the problems of the youth, and ture Work.
progressive movement inside the trade but practically the entire capitalist iet exports, that is, its growing connec the gold supply for this purpose. the on the Negro question. In addition, the Youth Questions world. What dres appear clearly, howunions came to an abrupt halt and lo tion with the world market, which belast two years alone, all of the new gold National Committee presents as its thesis National Committee san to develop along a downward curve ever, is the fact that the spinions optiik.
on the Russian question the document Communist League of America comes an increasingly important factor, supply production available for monetary The reactionary bureaucracy of the Aand state men in the last two years has ism of the oficial bourgeois economista in the development of its machinofac purposes has been absorbed by the Uni drafted by comrade Trotsky, already (Opposition of became more soundly intrenchture. Yet, the successes and advances tod States and France. Half of the gold ed than ever, the resistance to it became not only been proved heless, but that there IN toiminciare prict of any of the Soviet Union stand out even more coming into these two countries hus weaker and less heeded. The philosoprominently in contrast to the universal Deen taken from the gold reserves of the of Europe. The American lon has re, the demands and necessity for expansion phy or class collaboration and class substantial turn for the better. Even the more wober of the bourgets conom.
anarchy and decline of capitalist econ rest of the world. The principal source duced the numerous European jackals to overcome the fear of its consequences. peace penetrated every tire of the labor omy.
now knowledge that it seems of debt payments is therefore left more a diminishing share of the world map The powder for the explosion is strewn morement, corrupting and In the society of tomorrow, deApite its isolation, despite the antagon than ever before to payment in goods.
ket. But portions of even this reduced loosely throughout the world. new its miltunes. poisoning 118 conscious culto unlikely that American Insiness will attain to what it is willing to all ism of the rest of the world, despite all It is here that the world domination share are fought for with an intensity that is required to set it spark, a new obscure Sarajevo, is allness, rendering it impotent. It was prosperity before some time in 1989 off. Imbued lulled into a sleep of false security in placed in its path by the world bourge que form, in distinct contrast to the pre that hecomes steadily more hostile on the with the prospect of war, each Imperial the lap of a fantastie permanent pro tion of the prospects for a decisive mp the tremendous difficulties and barriers of the United States appears in its ont (Analist. more objective estima oisio and by the interior deformation or war world hegemony of Great Britain. Part of the European countries them ist nation engages in feverish military. sperity in which the working class Was ward swing of the conjunture would put the period for a commencement of ed. progress is being made at a rate of world anker and creditor. Before erican Imperialism urges them on to an keys for advantageous positions. Bebiud extent and without the need of strus recovery at an even later date.
seeks to establish under its hegemons yards and armaments factories continue perlalism stupendous economie preponThe present six of American capital.
ism. Even in its embryonic stage, the was a free trade country, and the prin superiority of pinned production and cipal debtor countries were producers of through the Briand plan and Germany to work with unceasing regularits. The derance in world economy, combined ism is not its final revolutionury crisis.
distribution, the advances towards the raw materials whose exports could be reactionary utoplantom of Briand does of the days prior to 1014. Navles grow stock sharing, permanent high wages, clical criser experienced by the United every greater millions throughout the crelitor and debtor nations are of simi not at all signify that the economic and more powerful. more modern, more ett and similar manifestations of this per States prior to the world war. The world. Its very existence serves as a lar economic structure, exporters Cbien, political unity of Europe is not neces cient. Air leets exceed in numbers and tod, the bourgeois ideology of the new latter were characterized by a relatively challenge the parasitic, decadent soc. of manufactured goods.
sury or that its establishment would not effectiveness the wildest dreams of the capitalism became the determining in favorable qulibrium between the devellal system under which the rest of the The raw materials producing couu actionary advance of American Imper democrats preach a treacherous disarm decisive bulk of the American working development of the Internal market, he succeed in warding off the ruthless, ro pre 1914 militarists. While the social Huence in the lite and activity of the opment of the productive forces and the world Is laboring. Regardless of the tries tormented by the crisis and saddled lalism, the decay of European economie ament to the workers, they lend their class, affecting not only such reaction tween the growth in kulture and the imperialist dangers that threaten it from with foreign debts, are selling their life which it superinduces, and the un support to armaments for the defensary instrumenta without and the Thermidorian and commodities at low prices, and even be told misery of the masses that it in of the fatherland.
Bonapartist corrosion which menaces it of L, and the Socialist party, but world economy of very notext dimen Shall it be war between the Imper at home, its progress in laying the found a desperate attempt to adjust them solves. On the contrary. It siguilles to a certain extent even the organized stons. The present crit comes after dation stones for socialist economy, selves to the pressure of the situation, only that this unity cannot be establish Salist powers themselves, or a war of Communist movement the existence of an neitte disruption of agriculture the advances made in the field of in which is accentuated by the general rise involving as it does the razing of the proletarian dictatorship and re open the disrupts the economie structure of tho and industry, and only serves to a ed on a capitalist basis. But this units, the imperialist powers to overthrow the The appearance of the crisis, which the equilibrinm tween. are The the scrari Nituation it ap.
milestone in the forward marehe oft haequally disastrous dilemma. The domes customs walls, the coordination of the taion? The war danger runs rapidly and thorough going change in this sit pears coincidentally with a contractel manity which capitalist society, torn to the market everywhere has been narrow scattered economic and industrial equin along both channels. The 1914 slogans nation. The crisis broke out with an domestic market which wives no apar bite by insoluble contradictions, cannot ed by the fall in the purchasing power ment and resources of the continent, of the war mongers are being refurnish the greater sharpness precisely because ance of noteworthy extension in the im erer hope to reach.
of the masses which the fall in comdestruction of the mallgnant system ofed for the offensive against the Soviet the unique position of Anxeriean capt medinte future and finally, it recurs The crisis in cnpitalism manifests it modity prices has not arrested because ton, can only be accomplished Versailles, a fusion with the Soviet Un Union: For democracy. against dictalisht enabled it to postpone for a time in the period of derlinine world caplsolt economically in the violent disrup of the widespread unemployment and revolutionary basis, that is, in the format one with Hooter, the social democracy amle forces for the crisis had been a which precisely beans American im tion of Industrial life and the universal the international wage slashing can of the Soviet United States of Europe with the anarchist, Hindenburg with cumulating for some time. The highly perialism source of power the top precipitons fall of commodity prices; in try being the foreign market of an acute the danger of a new world war. selves in thetr place along the bulwark teruse speed up of production, the conthe radical reduction of world trade; in other, the export figures of these indus The Imperialist conflict is maturing for of a moribund capitalist civilization traction of the domestie and the worla perllons character.
tion of American economy with a highly lan crisis, a sore that has festered since ally. The complement to this process is new open struggle to re divide again which they are ready to defend with market only served to hasten the pro Benring down in the other direction, the end of the war and impoverished the the decrease in imports, spurred on in the spheres of influence, the sources of the dawn of the new society. To mobi) the bottom of the present crisis. The ushes the nited States tony from the world markets, the colonies, the blood of capitalism siaves Against cess of overproduction which lies at however, is another factor which distinagrlenltural population throughout the many countries by the hope of thus main raw materials. All the elements of ire the workers against the danger of blchly strung productivo world; in the enfeeblement of the monetaining the favorable balance of trade new holocaust, more frightful than imperialist war. to permeate them with with its accumulation of surplus composition of world prelominance in conmechanism, pre war America. This factor is the tary systems of numerous countries which may enable them to honor their any that has ever preceded it, are press the idea of the class war for emancipa modities finally reached the congested emies as well as in polities, when the the greatest consequence, in the consti sphus is made doubly dificult in the sent in the situation. The dominating tion against the imperialist war of en end of the market funnel, resulting in nited States his compered for itself tution of an international army of un present crisis, which has brought in its olutions that would inevitably follow it of the workers fatherland there lle imbution collapsing for lack of room to pressure to which submit the rest employed numbering more than 10, 000, 000 train such a sharp decline in commodity an, so to speak, been the principal perative duties for the revolutionary expand. The water logged securities mar or the capitalist world. In the perind of in the United States alone, and forming prices throughout the world. It has been retarding factor so far. But the fear of Communists. And upon w2, the Amer? ket, hugely Inflated out of all propor. Its present crisis. This posure far Industry whose wages and standard of world market has raised the gold value tion is, by itselt, an inadequate preven of the struggle against that imperialist corner and squeezed down by the pres must be Intensiled. The vast resources The political manifestations of the Young Plan for reparations to such an of its increasingly acute contradictions paclonsness, is bound to play a decisive, the tive of war. The inexorable pressure power which, hy Its might and its rasure of the industrial decline. of the nited States, its minne hist war crists are equally universal. The restive extent that they are made equal to the reaches a point for Imperialism where initiatory role in the coming conflict.
The depth of the crisis in the United position. It kradul displacement of ness of the masses who feel the crisis Myments fixed under the Dawes plan, States may be seen by a comparison of England 18 the leading factor in world most acutely and me a way out of the which the Young plan was to ameliorThe Crisis in the United States and its bonds of misery, combined with the man ate for Germany.
present indles with those prevailing in economy and politics all these factors the boom perlod. rices on the stock which enabled the American colloss. to euvers of the imperialist powers to joe.
It in these conditions, which lie at market (stock averages mentioned above) extricate Germany and in large meakey themselves into a more favorable base of the tortuous situation in Europe, position on the restricted world market. that the plan recently proposed by Hoo Effects on Labor collapsed in little over a year from the sure, Burope in general from the postpeak average of 311. 00 (September 1929) revolutionary crisis (1994. are still. have produced violent outbreaks and ver for a war debts reparations holiday to a low point of 135. 43 (December 1930. tective enough to warrant Its abilicy even revolutionary uprisings in the most seeks to cope with.
But it cannot hope The present crisis is distinguished omic center of gravity had shifted from The index for business activity tell to extricate itself out of its present widely separated parts of the world to eliminate the condition. Testifying from many which preceded it in the Europe more specifically, from England from 110 (May 1920) to 75. (December crisis by shifting the burden of it not Latin America has experienced a num though it does to the tremendous worla history of capitalist production by its to the United States, with the latter 1930. not only marking a decline be only upon the working class at home, ber of them recentis. India Indo power enjoyed by American imperial virtually planetary character. Not even transformed from a debtor into a credit low the figure for 1924, but reaching a hut upon the nations of Europe, even if China, sections of China itself, the Parlism, it can nevertheless only ameliorate the workt war of 1914 1918 furnished a or nation, into the lanker and Indus point lower than any other since March this time at the expense of hastening the lipines all these are to be found while delivering a blow at France at the character of present day economy and ation of the early post war crisis in tures fell in one year to 27. barely That the proregs of quidating the Germany Ills for a briet span of time, more illuminating example of the world trialist of the world. With the termin. 1908! The Index figure for manufac revolutionary «rises on the Continent.
varying stages politically rebellious activity. In Europe, a popular move same time. It cannot solve the burn politics than is supplied by the crisis the and the ebb of the revolu above the figure for 1924, that is, a los crisis in the limited states will not be ment has driven the monarch from Spaining problems of the markets, of the an. wracking world capitalism today. In tionary wave in Europe (1923 1924. the in one year of the gains made in the an easy or speedy one, flows inevitably and opened up the perspective of an chic disruption of industrial life in the complex system of capitalist world United States experienced a new period five preceding years with the growth of from the relations between America and economy. cael individual country cocup of expansion and consolidation, trans population showing a steady rise all Europe. On the contrary. It will bring pressure of economie difficulties has roots of the evils of the Versailles up though it is with all the other coun role of stabilizer of Europe and at clined from its high point of 127. to al America and the sharpent convulsions sysdriven Germany and Austria to proclaim tem and the perpetual conflicts among their unity openly, in a form (a customs the capitalist powers of Europe itsele. tries. The specific features of the crisis home by the unparalleled permanent 1930 average of 83. 3, and a low point and crises for Furopean capitalism. e union) which foreshadows a closer, more may pull tighter the American noose in the United States must therefore be prosperity period of 1924 1928. of 63. in December 1930. Steel Ingot gardless of whether the initial shock oe.
Prices on the stock market (averages production declined almost by half trom, cnrs in Asia. Latin America, or Burope violent objections of their many neigh lapse in Germany which will only make que position it occupies in the world of 25 industrial and 25 railrond stocks its June 1920 high point in the 1980 itself.
bors. In Germany itself, the proletarian it all the more convulsive when it comes econmi and political chala.
swung from the 1924 low point of 82. 00 average of 77. 9, and reached a mark in At the present time. what appears to revolution is being inscribed on the Given such a relation of forces, a re The crisis in the United States made to the unheard of peak towards the end December 1930 (500) only a few points be the most likely avenue of cacape from agenda, and while the struggle for power covery of the European section of world its appearance after a period of prosper of 1920 of 311. 90. The Index for busiabove the low point of 1921. Freight the crisis for the United Statex? To ad between Bolshevism and Fase economy appears as a very distant pro ty unpreceden nomic histor ness ctivity rose from litti better car loadings took a dluzy drop little production apparatus to the prepears to have reached a momentary spect Turn where it will, it always Gifted with vast economic resources, than 85 in 1924 to over 110 towards the over a year from 107. to 80. The de xent divisions of the world market wonla Stalemate, it still holds first place in finds itself at the end of a blind alley. highly efficient industrial production, it middle of 1920. In the same five years cline in electric power production was mean to reconcile itsell to the status German polities. As the crisis grows issue from which is blocked off by the had the added advantage of issuing out the growth of manufactures was ex only slightly less. Automobile produc quo of the crisis or worse. The nited In breadth and depth, and all indications economic and political domination of of the war the only major victor its pressed in the rise from the index figure alumpel from 138. (December States will therefore seek to re adjust point in that direction, its political et the United States. The attempts to solve economic organization infinitely less dis of less than 250 in 1924 to more than 1028) to 61. (November 1930) and 860 the present divisions of the world mar1920 (1800 equals 100. sharp decline in ket to its own productive possibilities.
come into ever more open and more rev. basis are doomed to failure in advance. Mlitated Europe, its political life undis key branches of production as ple iron foreign trade (merchandize) affected the But the successful exccution of this stolutionary collision with the prevailing The unequal position on a European turbel hy such intense revolutionary rose respectively from inlex figures of nited States not only in a decline in extempt pre supposes, in turn, a readjust.
scale of the individual European conn convulstons as ripped through the fab 67. (low point in July 1924) to 127. ports and imports, but in both, well ment of its industry in preparation for The crisis has by no means exhausted tries reduces to a fantasy the Briandrie of Continental society. In less than Chich point in July 1920) and sted ingots in a decline in the favorable balance: vigorous assault upon the world mar.
Its severity. On the contrary. The par proposal for a capitalist United States half a decade after the war, the econ output from 64. (low point in July The first quarter of the current year ket made all the more necessary by the apin tion order.