Maurin and the Catalonian Question DISCUSSION ARTICLES Tasks of Our National Conference The Youth Thesis The League and Problems of the Youth SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 1931 TIE MILITANT PAGE with members and sympathizers of the tact with the League members and symparty. That means, in the first place, pathizers.
to penetrate the non party mass orgati On the other points raised: Work izations and unions and work actively in the educational work, inde La Batalla, organ of the Catalonian workers and peasants bloc shares the there. special decision of the Con pendent work wherever possible there is Federation, is taking many pains to show point of view of separatism. After cer.
ference along these lines is quite neces General agreement. The National Youth the Comintern bureaucrats that it is tain hesitation, he has resolved himself sary.
Committee will have to concretize these not Trotskyist. It is really need into the left wing of petty bourgeols The Second National Conference of the, will signify an enormous step forward of the Communist League. Reject all ceeding. Strengthen the central apparatus tasks and outline definite ways of pro less work. In reality, the further the nationalism. have already writtet The youth comrades will be Spanish revolution develops, the more that catalonian petty bourgeois nationalCommunist League will mark an impor for the Opposition cannot succeed with amateurist conceptions which make a called upon to aid in this work. the Catalonian Federation shows, by itsism in the present stage is progressive tant milestone in the development of our its great historic mision, unless it pre virtue of political leadership on a spareJOSEPH CARTER. activity and by the very original post. But on one condition that it develope organization and consequently, in the pares its soldiers for the coming day. time basis. Strain in the direction of a history of American Communism, whose formal decision of the Conferace, put larger and full time start which con tion of its leaders, that it has never hud its activity outside of the ranks of Coin anything in common with the Interna munism and that it is always under the banner we bear and whose future were ting such a selection of forces on the tinues to expand the growth by the tional Left Opposition. Without inter blows of Communist criticism. To peepresent. The conference is a culminat order of the day, will give powerful in organization and its tasks. Settle this national connections and without exact mit petty bourgeois nationalism to mal ing point in three years of preparatory petus to this development.
labor for the gruelling battles yet to revolutioary perspectives, the Catalonian Test Itselt under the Communist mask Finish the Expansion Program be question in principle and explain the The future growth of the American Federation is reduced to guide itself by means at the same time to deliver a percome. Its deliberations have been ground fore the end of the year. Raise the bale views and methods of Lenin regarding professional revolutionary work.
section of the Left Opposition depends the sage theories of its local chiefs, in Adlous blow to the proletarian vanguard ed by all that has gone before and its ance of the fund. Stabilize the Weekly.
in a great measure upon our ability to significance of results can be anticipated, even now. Militant. Start the theoretical maga It will be seen at once that the sug win the youth to Ita banner. For this capable of profiting by the great lessons and to kill the propalism.
of the October revolution and of the petty bourgeois.
zine. Arrange at least two national gestions indicated above, taken all toge end we must understand correctly how. the program of Our ranks have been wolded together tours. Establish the system of field or ther, do not constitute a very ambitious to attract and secure their political and declarations by Maurin which we quote ish mean? The cconomic and political on the basis of a correct political line. sanizers on a permanent basis Conduct a campaign for fifty new small ones, they are comparatively simple button, despite weaknesses of minor haziness prevails in the mind of these words, the transformation of the Iberlan of the National Committee it will not members out of the circle of sympatl. and they are all easily possible. Yet it character, correctly establishes our ap chance leaders. In his speech at the peninsula into a sort of a Balkanle penizers of the Opposition. Our opponents find it necessary to confront the organ may laugh at the modesty of such a would be a mistake for the Conference proach to this problem and a successfull Madrid Ateneo, Maurin sald among other insula, with Independent states, divided o go far beyond them.
realization of ita alm. On fundamental things: It is necessary to demand nou by customs barriers with independent ization with any new or surprising turns goal, but we need not worry about that. It is not for us to adopt grandiose pro approach there be agreement. Our tak useless Constituent corteses, but a rev armies and conducting independent His only represent a synthesis of the policies Our aim is a selection of the vanguard, the moment, which are soon forgotten practical solution to the problem of win Derative and an executive assembly with will say that he does not want this. ut and methods already worked out and plied in our daily work and agitation can be recruited with a determined to compulsion to imitate the bluff proand fifty new members, a number which and never accomplished. We are under ning the youth to our banner.
a committee of public safety. In coul programs have their own logic, something on the basis of our platform. The apAt our first conference, over two and cluding his speech, Maurin sald that it Maurin hasn got.
fort will mean a material strengthenia grams of the Stalinists.
proval of this line by the Conference will of our movement which will guarantee to make a showing before anyone.
We do not havo balf years ago, we signalized our apis precisely by its national character that Are the workers and the peasants et necessarily carry with it an endorsement the success of every one of the prae. We are only oblige proach to this problem by asserting that the Spanish revolution will bave a univ. the various parties of Spain Interested of the course on which the National theal tasks of the moment. Bigger things do next with the forces at our disposal ranks, was to work the Communist Argquer, boast in La Batalla of being Identify the decisive struggle for the to know what to task of the youth members in our ersal radiation. La Batalla, 25 31. in the economic dismemberment of Committee has guided the movement and will follow, as oppositionists in a repudiation of the criticisms brought and do it.
the general struggle of Maurin and his young disciple, Jordi Spain? In no case. That is why, to against it. Any kind of indefiniteness on Enroll every member of the Com The practical proposals which have Left without concentrating speeltic Independent of the orders coming either right to self determination with propathis point is out of the question. The munist League in at least one of thel been outlined here proceed from this youth questions. We understood correct from the Comintern or from Trotsky. ganda tor separatism, means to accomConference is to draw the balance and non party mass organizations, and sya point of view. If we accomplish all of ly that during those days our main task As a sign of independence, Maurin has plish a fatal work. Our program is the decide. Proceeding from this the Na constructive building of these organiza strain if we have the will it will not position in this country, to make known engaged in copying servilely the VOC Hispanle Federation with tematically organize their work for the them and we can do so without undue was the establishment of the left op indispeos tional Conference is then obliged to detions and the propaganda for our ideas change our position in qualitative its position among the American Com the French revolution of 1780. From the have no intention of imposing this pro bulary of the bourgeois revolutionists of able maintenance of economic unity. Wo clare an end to controversy over the within them. Rejecting all phrase mon sense. But it will indubitably raise our munists and to sink its roots as an ortipe of a leader of a Communist organigram upon the oppressed nationalities disputed questions and to prohibit any kering agitation about mass work and hard pressed faction to higher ground and ganization. This continues to be ontzation, this language is simply ridicul of the peninsula with the aid of the arms further discussion of them. It can do independent work in general, and hold prepare it for a further ascent. That is task on a much larger scale.
this with full authority and with assuring fast to our essential function as pro enough. No more can reasonably be exance that its command will be support pagandists, we ought nevertheless to inpected from the Second National Confer our existence have passed. Our problems eration who, by their class instinct, take termination. If Catalonia separates, the The exigencies of the first period of tionary workers of the Catalonian Fed are sincerely for the right to sell. de ous. We are convinced that the revolu of the bourgeoisie. In this seuse, we ed throughout the organization. Our crease out activity in the class strugence. There is every reason to expect remain basically the same but that ua direct hand in the spontaneous strug Communist minority of Catalonia, conference preparations have been a sle, particularly in those flelds which that it will not yleld less.
organizational and political stabilization les of the Spanish proletariat, will not well as of Spain, will have to conduct triumph of proletarian democracy, al bring the Oppositionists into contact JAMES CANNON. has taken place nobody can deny. The take up any of the burlesque language struggle for Federation.
model mestration of its processes the American Left Opposition is here to stay of their leaders, but that they will em In the Balkans, the oil pre war soconly methods yet discovered whereby a Our problems today are broader. Our ploy the language of the proletarian rev. tal democracy already put forward the living workers organization can assert movement is much stronger and our foun olution, that is, of the October revolution, slogan of the democratie Balkan Federaits collective judgment.
The discussion has been thorough, free tion attempts to state in concise terme methods and means of work.
The Draft Thests on the Youth Ques y be ever before us when discussing youth dution is a solid one.
of the Comintern of Lenin and Trotsky. tion, as the way out of the madhouse An estimate of our membership wial and untrammelled by any kind of sup the position of the youth under capital The old slogan of the Young Commun show that the youth make up one of its the official in Catalonia, the conThanks to the extreme weakness of created by the separated states. Today, the Communist slogan in the Balkan pression. The selection of delegates pro ism, the need of a Communist youth 1st International Clarity and Action of the organization, and have contributed fusionist and Right wing leadership of is the Balkan Soviet Federation (by the ceeds in the same way. After this, it league, Its attitude toward other youth should be revived. The educational and a great share toward its growth. It is. Maurin still remains at the head of the way the Comintern adopted the slogan will be impossible to question the reorganizations and finally the tasks cultural character of the youth emphaspresentative riharacter of the Conference the Left Opposition youth. We ensayod ized in the thesis. We should not for Loweeyr, necessary, in view of a changed most humeros. Communist Federation at the Balkan Soviet Federation, but or its authority to speak for the entire to include only that which is essential. set that Communist training and educa situation, to organize the youth activity country. But in order to preserve his for Europe. Can we, under these conorganization. The membership as a whole The scantinese of the discussion on tion requires the intimate linking up of for our younger comrades who can now leadership, Maurin wants to discredit ditions, make our own the slogan at will wait for its signal to terminate the the youth is one of the none too few the theoretical with the practical, the devote their attention to it. Our up disenssion and concentrate all attention in this neid of our work. Among the studygroup with the field of the class proach is based on the analysis that while you Spanish Trotskyists who are o tua Balkanizatimo nest recue Spanish jeniuon the concrete tasks worked out on the signs that there is not enough interest struggle. It falls upon us to carry out hitherto our younger comrades were not viousy disconcerting him. Jordi Arquer sula? Isn it monstrous? The syndicalists, at least certain of basis of the fundamental decisions.
youth comrades there are many who have as much of this work as our forces will in a position to devote ther time and is the one charged with this job. In their leaders, declare that they will figat Outstanding among the questions con never been in the or carried on permit.
energy to youth activity that period series of articles in La Batalla, he domanast separatisme even with arms in hand. In case.
will insist on a categorical decision of are too absorbed in the general Opposl Youth Thesis. Militant, 22 31) takes that they partlepate in fall force in youth sowers of falsifications. Not having the the syndicalists would find themselves and courage to stand up been the tion activty. The adult comrades also do us to task for a number of omissions and work rectly against the the subjected to the greatest dispute. not appear to understand the importance commissions in the thesis. will brlely nature and political sphere find un The general problems of a theoretical ideas developed by Trotsky in his latest without sharing the separatist illusions, on two sides of the barreautes because the question of our attitude toward the of youth work.
touch on the points raised.
works, he crudely attempts to of The thesis treate the youth as walmous opleion among all our comrades, our Spanish comrades of the Left Or the Communists must stand up pitlessly oppose while criticizing them, on the contrars.
Party. The Platform adopted at the From this follows the necessity First Conference answered this question making the young comrades youth con though it were some queer product of This will help very much to facilitate position to Trotsky. Nin and the other against the hangmen of imperialism and tion would long ago have suffered ship that youth work is essential and can be relation to anything else. If this were Anding a form through which our young: false position the most important problem is that onian Federation. he writes, the Catalonian ques6. Should the pretty bourgeoiste suewreck. Now, with the help of the second done. Towards this end, the Draft so then it would be wrong to say, National Conference, we must take an Thesis proposes: the issuance of an In comrade Bord does in her opening son comrades can operate. In this pre comtion. But they have read Trotsky badly. ceed against the advice and the criticHasn he written in one of his letters ism of the Communists in dismembering other step forward on the same path ternal youth bulletin, the publication of tence, that The thesis of the youth ques. sider various propositions.
we submit the Spanish revolution from day to day) Spain, the negative results of such we have travelled heretofore. This the Young Vanguard as semi monthly ton on the whole treats the problem here, the proposal for the organization that in the present stage of development regime will not take long in manifest stands first in the list of concrete tasks section of the weekly Militant on the well. On the contrary, would favor which proceed logically from the gen one hand, and the section of a National the complete rejection of such a thesis, of a series of youth clubs wherever pos and with the existing relationship of ing themselves. The workers and the eral recommendation already subraltted Youth Committee of the the election of But fortunately the criticism cannot sider at this moment something tangible e progressive revolutionary factor. The peninsula will speedily arrive at this sible throughout the country. We con social forces, Catalonian nationalism is peasants of the various sections of the in the thesis of the National Committee. at least one comrade in ench branch to be accepted. Throughout the thesis, it which can be realized the organization is how the epigones of Trotsky falsity conclusion: yes, the Communists were In our judgment the practient program be in charge of youth work, the organ: ts stressed that the youth is a section of youth cluba, whose function it will their master!
of the Conference should run approximization of a fraction in the and the working class, that the problems of be to win the Communist youth and right. But this means precisely that we The letter by Trotsky which we pubbility for Maurin program, must not assume a particle of response ately as follows: Settling all disputes about the role youth Club It this work is successful etc. In the section on Youth in America Foung workers to our ideas and to our lish further on, will prove sufficiently to ranks. The work in such an organiza the members of the Catalontan Federa: syndicalists will create a new syndicalissue a separ. It is explained in some detail. In fact, of the Left Opposition as a faction of we will be in a position Monatte hopes that the Spanish tion must consist in the main of education that their leaders were not happy 1st state. Instead of this, the Spanish the party, and putting a stop to all argu ate youth paper by the next conference. the first sentence of the thesis reads ment about it, we must intensify our The aim of our youth the organiza Capitalism draws the youth of the pro derstood and correctly organized this can of Trotsky against his epigones. Triends of Monatte are integrating them.
work within the party ranks, organize tion, education and consolidation of letarian families into the productive successfully be carried through. It can will be seen from the first part of this state. It is the story of the luckless selves successfully into the bourgeol, our forces into a firm group and work out revolutionary, capable, and advanced process. Does this imply queer practical program for the direction of Communist youth cadre. In the im product of society complete in itself, and of a Communist Opposition youth more. Taurin is just as far from the Leninist hen who sits on duck eggs.
serve as a basis for the advanced idea letter that the separatist position of state Today. It their work. The proletarian militants mediate sense this means the winning of having no relation to anything else?
ment. The proposal of Spartacus youth conception of the national question as Spanish syndicalists say and do. Ta is very important to follow all that tho of the party and its peripheral organizathe Communist youth for the Left Op. The slogan of equal pay for equal Clubs under the guidance of the organt is committee of publle safety ts will open up possibilities tions are the futuro troops of the opposition. Through participation in the work. The thesis does not enumerate zation, united nationally through the et from the dictatorshlp of the proletariat Opposition in France to deal a harsh position: This is the idea which must work and affairs of the through any youth demands. We intend carry guide our work and from which we must classes on fundamentals of the coming on a discussion after the Conference, this moment the most logical step to blow to French Anarcho syndicalism.
One cannot doubt for a single instant into the party these are our slogans. Marxism, etc, by spreading the Milltant, bulletin. At the same time wodia like comrades must devoto their main efforts. questions of the Spanish revolution.
Once more on the subject of the times that under the revolutionary conditions The Oppositionists must strive by all and our literature we can attract the to comment as follows: The above de GLOTZER. Thus, Maurin, the leader of the themselves at every step.
the anarcho syndicalists will discredit means to draw nearer At the same time mand was taken from the program of the rank and Ale young Communists.
party members, approach them in a through open air meetings, Independent which holds good for European The gifted idea of the syndicalists confraternal spirit and explain the grean work in factorles where our young con conditions. As a general demand in this sists of controlling the Cortes without questions again and again with the trades are, and by improving the Young country it is wrong because (1) in mmmost patience and persistence. This work Vanguard, making it more of an educa skilled trades, automobile, textile, coal, particpating in it! To employ revolutionary violence, to fight for power, to goes hand in hand with a fiery proletar tional page we can win young workers etc. there is little wage discrimination lan hate of the Centrist bureaucracy anu who have never gone through the between adult and youth who do the The writer has consistently stated a solution for capitalism as wage cutseize the power all this is not permite its corruptlag Influenco, an unrelenting for Communism. If these activities same work. 2) In other industries, de his belief that America will recover from ting, but will unquestionally result from control of the bourgeoisie which is in ted. In its place, they recommend the Tighten up the organization. Make club in at least several of the cities which lated on the basis of the speelde condt whereby this will be done will apparent tons. Owing to the advanced state of ceoisie takes its breakfast, it lunches, it bear fruit we can be assured of youth mands for the youth have to be formuthis crisis, in the immediate. The mean the Intensification of present contradic power.
ness and black neas which hamper the York, immediately following the Confereases the slogan Equal pay for equal paign designed to restore the margin of tion of America with respect to the rest syndicalists control these operations Bolshevist development of the League once it is planned to take steps for the work will apply (3) For Workers un surplus value to the capitalists. Because of the world, imperialist conquest can on an empty stomach.
Impose tasks on every member and hola organization of a youth club.
der 18 years special hours (and therefore of this, the perspectives of increasing not golve America contradictions for TROTSKY.
every member to account for his activ The success of this work depends on labor performed should be formulated. militancy of strikes and radicalization of any long period. To apply the methods ity. Establish discipline worthy of first, the participation of all of the On the question of youth auxiliar the masse are justified, also in the im of primitive accumulation of capital, as Kadikoy, July 13, 1931 Communist organization close the youth comrades and second, a clear identes. The thesis states: thorough exmediate.
possible in India or China, to solve the door to windhags and trflers.
of Communist youth work and our aims amination of the functions of Youth aux This does not imply accepting contradictions of a world capitalism in Begin the actual formation of and tasks. The Thests endeavors to ans. Iliaries and the actual activities of the perspective of long time stabilization for an advanced state of dissolution is to preparations which it implies, cannot be professional revolutlonarios wer these questions. An important existing ones is needed. If this is not capitalism in America, which economie offer an old man the remedies applicable accomplished overnight, and is not the who put themselves entirely at the disthought expressed in it is that: children diseases. When peasants Immediate answer to the present crisis posal of the organization. Select a Limited experience with Communist uvity will continue to yield no results. long perspective implied ts of temporary in the most backward countries are torn of capfarlism.
group, out of the younger and footloose youth work requires that youth tactics. In other words we do not come out stabllization on lower plane, accom: lose out of elements, and train them deliberately for demands, slogans and special orgniza against all auxiliary youth self supporting village Rather do we expect such an Imperial ist war to break out in the course of full time professional work. Accept for tional forms should be put forward not sport clubs united into the scalzations, panied by further crises and temporarsl economy into the production of commoSporta stabilizations, with a generally down. dities for the world market, at a time the long downward trend this grouping only those who mean las dogmas or finished products which Union, under certain conditions, youth ward trend. The quotations from Marx when the world market cannot absorbery from the present crisis in express filces, who are willing and able to learn a view of testing them to practise, ex auxiliaries. What the thesis takes is permanent crisis in no way exclude such new production must displace an equi become even more acute than at preand boot aside the wise acres and the amining the results, and thereby laying sue with is the formation of such or a process of decline England since the valent supply from older sources, in sent such a situation, superposing the know. lt alls.
Even the beginning of such work slogans, etc. This, in my opinion would Young Defenders (Youth of the Ing capitalism in the sense meant by reason, we say imperialist conquest of top of a series of economic crises of in and Youth Section of International the writer.
foreign markets will merely. Workers Order. These were formed at long period of years of general scene of American capitalist contradiction of the socinl revolution in all its ter the had failed to live up capitalist advance, the opposite of the tions, not lessen their crushing weight. force, and will test the ability of the SPANISH REVOLUTION to its task: Become the cultural center above perspective, would involve in gen All of this refers, of course, to the long subjective factors of revolutionary leaderand political leader of the youth. Their eral repetition of the 1923 1920 situa er outlook over a decade or more. An ship to cope with the objective situation The Revolution in Spain. 100 existence facilitates the conversion of tion of slow paralysis of the labor move Imperialist war by or on behalf of Am then presented.
the Into a youth party.
ment. short period of advance, in the erica, with the ideological and material. FIELD.
The Spanish Revolution in Danger. 15e For example, the youth section of the other hand, in which capitalism solves stato These two pamphlets will give the reader an invaluable analysis of the We give expression to its immediate problems by cutting the present situation in Spain and the prospects of the forther development the cultural, athletic and social require wages of labor, on the contrary, would of the revolution. The standpoint of the Opposition, in contrast to that of ments of the youth. Who will be a not involve a deadening of labor resistall the other groups involved in the present Spanish situation (the official tracted? Primarily the youth sympathe ance, but rather an intensification of it.
Communist party, the Maurin group, the syndicalists, and others. is pretle to the Left wing and Communist we see this in the strike and politicul movement; children of adult Commun activity today, which would be still furTHE MILITANT, sented with the exceptional clarity and pentration for which the author is so well known.
1sts. These can be won directly to the ther Increased by a wave of wage cuts 81 East 10th Street, New York City.
youth league assuming correct tactica, beginning with steel and railroads, reSand Orders and Funds to the organizational methods and leadership. gardless of the prosperity based on Please enter me for a subscription one year, 00; six months, 00.
PIONEER PUBLISHER S84 East 10th Street, New York, At the same time we, the Left Opposl such wage cuts.
Name Address tlon youth, should work within these Imperialist conquest of foreign youth auxiliaries and thereby gain con markets is by no means as immediate City State Perspectives of the American Crisis cadre of ter a recovSubscribe!