SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1981 THE MILITANT PAGE IN THE INTERNATIONAL OF LABOR Reviews and News of the Working Class and Revolutionary Movements The French Congress Very Dangerous Strategic Error Policy of the Communist Party Hastens Facist Menace above.
IN GERMANY The delegate, Dehlem, who took part in the debates, on his own part developed the sectarian theory of red Issue of Trade Union Unity Confounded by Stalinists untons He boasted of the creation of in Germany, the Reconstruction ComThe last congress of the revolutionary, lost 100, 000 members while the reforma opposed to unity.
mittee in Spain and declared himself trade union center of the French work. ists recorded a period of growth. Not Thrve motions were taken to vote ers the Unitary Confeder. one of the many strikes that had taken that of the Unity Committee for reentr.
The external difficulties for Commun front, the party leadership has proved, very correctly wrote of the school of great deal of curiosity and with much the third period had been success the Teachere Federation (the same as ism in Germany are growing. Every day itself iscapable of actually bringing le bureaucratke centrism, as the school of hope. Curlosity and to a certain degree According to the reporter himself, the that of the Left Opposition) and that of brings new advances of the fascista. Let about. It is too inextricably tied down capitulation (witness China, Germany also anxiety, on the part of the bour general, line of the a. had been the majority of the Confederation. Natur us enumerate them briefly: the gathering by its ultra Lett phrases, to be able to in 1923, England, Poland, Bulgaria, Finrevolutionary center, no matter how The only thing which Monousseau took overwhelming majority. But one can judge of the forces of the reactionary coalition build up movement on a broad basis. Londote. ht is well known that Stallo weak it may be, constitutes nevertheless pridem, was the forecast of the crisis how serious this vote was by the fact at Harzburg, which did not, it is true. It can only conceive of that sort of in 1923 not to seize power themselves. a consistent and serious obstacle to the which they were supposed to have made alone that the delegates were informed lead to the immediate collapse of the united front with the social democratic but to allow the Fascists to try their exploitation and the deception of the before anyone else.
workers, and particularly in times of about the contents of the majority motion Bruening government, but whose econ workers, which requires of the latter hand first. In the latest Centrist stratTo hide their own sad balance, and only after the congress had adjourned. omic program is becoming more and adherence to its own organizations. Its egy dangerous enemy and rally the masses in order to distract attention from their The Computation of the metton represents more the common property of the whole entire trade anton work involves unsue talism in one country also plays a net about it. In this sense owerederown mistakes, Monmousseau launched a document full of Centrist confusion, in bourgeoiste. The elections in Hamburg. cessful and impotent attempts at the unimportant part. They do not want to eeted the hopes of the workers who had violent attack against the confounded in Anbait and in Hesse (the latter two erection of trade unions of its own.
endanger Russian construction, which is was just with units, hiding behind radical plorases are small federated states) which led to the sectarianism of the party leader to complete socialism in a few years, by expected from this congress that it would groups of all tendeneles. It correct the false line of the past few along this line of hiding their own weak the clear intention of the Centrist lead really phantastic successes for the Nazis. ship goes to such great bounds, that the risking a German revolution, but much years and establish a detailed program nesses as much as possible that the end of the not to pay any They almost doubled thertortes for the struggles to come.
congress proceeded, organizing all sorts attention to the sentiment for unity.
last year. Four parties are left alto leadership of the can afford to prefer to do the one after the other, of vociferous demonstrations against offer a united front to the party through according to the bureaucratic calendar, Rush Through Agenda gether: the Nazis, the clerical Center, its spokesman, Breitscheld, although the forgetting all the while how greatly inA few months ago, the congress of the the various minorities. The 80 dele reformists had been held und had de gates, 300 more than at the last con decided on by the Congresy, all the other tal Democratie party and the Commun: more than the devil himself. But they tactic.
Once the question of unity had been with Bruening, the greatly reduced 800 social democrats fear the united front tervention is facilitated by this very monstrated the disorder and the weak areas, were to hide the loss of 100, 000 questions were rushed through hastily. ist Party It must be observed that the know only too well that the party will ness of the reformists as well as the de members. The perfect unanimity in the explte their great importance. The rec. did actually harness the great not at all try to force them to keep their The Menace of German Fascism sire of the broud masses under their resolutions that were voted were to wipe ports on the Unemployment demands, on est part of the votes (not the member word. So they can afford this maneuver Dosing the question is to take into acThe leadership in the to unite without the barrenness of the discussion the foreign born workers, brought for the Social Democracy and that only the their ranks and to bring pressure on the count the entire experiences of the interthe revolutionaries for mutual support among the delegates who were composed no discussion whatsoever. The only efin the future struggles. At the time. for the greater part of appointees of tect of the turn seemed to be the re petty bourgeois camp followers have bourgeoisle.
national working class (Italy, etc. the which was also scheduled the party and the gone over to the Fascists.
cognition of the necessity to fight for The victory of Fascism means the supto hold its congress, had postpened it The activity report. and the discussion immediate demands, contradicting there It is most noteworthy that the Fasc False Strategy of Holds pression of the German revolution for on the request of the in that was rushed through without arous by the whole theory of the third period. Ists have succeeded in crushing the petty Grave Dangers for Workers a period of years and almost certain order to be able to prepare it better by ing very much attention, received a This elementary truth was announced bourgeois parties, but have not peneprofiting from the results achieved by majority of 1833 votes against 168, among triumphantly as a new dlscovery al trated into the bulk of the proletariat. strategy that is behind the whole tactie to prevent Fascism from selxing power.
The real misfortune lies in the false death for the US. It is the rer.
Congressional discussion of the ority tendency in the Teachers Union were made with regard to the organt cesses are extremely menacink, all the which, by disrupting the labor movework Nevertheless, their parliamentary suc of the Communist Party strategy The fate of the proletariat is completely which coincided with a new turn in which stands very close to our own con zation of the united front, the immedland entirely bound ur with this prothe French Communist party did inceptions.
deed, despite the distortions of the Cenate tactie, etc. In one of the most burn an ever growing extra parlamentary segerous than the external enemy, the blem. Open Letter of the German The Issue of Trade Union Unity trists, appear to be orientated toward Opposition. ing questions of the present moment in tivity. The bloody terror, tolerated and Fascists. The German Opposition has serious reconstruction.
The pivotal point of the congress was France, in the question of the foreign even encouraged by the police and the opened up a determined struggle against Their policy of despair is also expresthe question of trade union ynlty. Much born worker, who is among the very courts of the republic, built up and this strategy in its open letter. It bears sed in the fact that, at a time when Self Criticism has been written about this question in first victims of the crisis and of the capi protected by the Social Democracy, is on no less a question than that of evalu, extra parliamentary actions against Fasc.
Many of the mistakes committed in our Opposition press. Before the con talist repression, the Congress of the constantly on the rise (Eleven workers ating the victory of the Fascists. After ism and wage slashing constitute the the past, during the third period, had gress, this question was posed in the GT. had nothing to say. In short, murderd. by Fascists in the mouth be confuding the question for years, de only proper weapons, the party relles been severely criticized by the member following manner: everybody expected a the congress ship of the unions as well as by the decisive step on the part of the existence was one of the worst in the tween October 18 to November 18 alone. signating first the reformist, then the on parliamentary actions. Thus, it proof the One of its classical examples is Bruns clerical government as Fascist, the Party poses the dissolution of the diet in leaders; there was a real field day for which was to represent, on the one II, from the point of view of rev wick. There we already have Nazi today declares, in view of the threat Saxony, although the diet has become self criticism and not even Monmousseau, hand, a reply to the maneuvers of Jou olutionary importance, the congress of ministers. One hundred thousand armed of a Fracist victory: The Fascist gen completely meaningless in the eyes of the general secretary of the haux at the last congress of the the cannot be compared with Nazis marched into the state, and untlemen do not frighten us.
They are the masses, and although that can only had been spared. Little by little, there at which demagogic slogan the congress of the we can only disturbed by the police of thelr party going to go smash much faster than result in a united front with the Fase veritable every other government. Re in ists, as in Prussia, and thereby only was a return to trade union democracy, in favor of unity; and on the other hand, deplore the fact that so many hopes were comrades, they undertook a the punitive expedition into the proletarian the Reichstag, Oct. 14. serves to obstruct the genuine united which attained its apex when articles to show that the Communist leaders of shattered, that so much faith in front; and despite the fact that in conof Left Oppositionists (naturally, de the trade unions are genuine protagonists congress was destroyed by its derisive quarters, after the style of the Italian What does this mean? The model, announcing thereby their future Fascist tradistinction to the Prussian episode, great deal of effort and many ranged in the well known stalinist man of unity whereas the chiefs of the min reply.
tactic. Finally, the underhand dealings upheaval is inevitable, we are not in a it is quite clear in advance that the ner) appeared in the official party prenority who have seized on the unity issue months will be needed to bring the on one of the most burning questions of as a sort of an old war horse, in reality back to its correct path, to the of the semi fascist Bruening government position to prevent it, but that is no Fascists and not the party would be the in the question of trade union unity untonism, to the great advantage of the economic situation in France is growing with Hitler, show with what speed we misfortune the Fusclsts will very such a policy of self deception is quite pidly disintegrate; under their blows the in line with and completely justified by the leadership of the after reformists.
worse every day, unemployment which are going over to Fascism.
united front will really have to be the latest several changes of position, even appear The reporter on the unity question was was negligible up to the present. Is be Proletariat Develops United Front the Retrates coming a real menace, the working class Policy of Despair Against Fascism ed to come close to the position adopted one of the younger secretaries of the Is a necessary step toward the victory We are approaching the end of a cerWhat must be done now? Instiuctively, of the proletariat. This ideology is not from the very first by the Left Oppoal. Gitton who has already, de is preparing to react, the necessity of tain phase of development. The ultrathe working class entered on the correct confined to the mouthpieces of the leadtion, and taken up later on by a number spite his youth, accumulated in practise a mass trade union organization with a of trade union tendencies, that is to all the stupidities of the elder bureau, revoltationeryeprostem is becoming an path when it cloned ite ranks and die ership alone, but has, unfortunately, in Left phraseology ends in rotten opporsay, the position of unity through In his. imperative necessity.
regarded party affiliations in its active tested the minds of many sincere memtunts, with a capitulationist ideology, amalgamation conference on the basis of His report did not belle it. It was Left Opposition Has Correet Path defense against the Fascists by powerful bers as well. All this sounds terribly wkl, transcribed into practise, is bound the right to organize fractions and free melange of ultra Left ideas on the imFrom the point of view of numbers and strikes on the day the victims of the radical. And yet behind the radient to bring much worse results than in dom of discussion.
possiblity of ever having unity with the strength, the activity of the Left op Fascists were buried. Here there was phraseolox (not for the first time avance whether Centrism will follow this To be sure, the bureaucrats gave their reformists, on the united front from position at the congress was very weak. formed the united front, positive senti the Bulgarian June days have proved path through to the end. It is preciseown Interpretations to this program be below. unity within the etc. The mistakes committed in the past, ment for which has been very strong among other things) there is concealed formulas, such as class struggle imity him to even go as far as to repeat Monthe Flors of the Unitary Opposition on the factories, despite all illusions. what is most despicable for revolution Ly the nature of Centrism that makes the absence of theses on the trade union on this basis of common struggle against arles, namely: capitulation. Their par more turns possible and more adventurhave apin order to obscure the issues. But since ousseau famous phrase: Unified question that should have been elabor Faselsm, the ought surrendering tial ideological capitulation before Fascism. But the dangers It had for once taken the correct path, a of Betrayal.
ated by our National Conference, all proached the reformist workers, and in ism, arising with the national program without a struggle are very great. For this reason, and precisely because Centhe order to destroy their illusions the re and the people revolution of necesIt was hoped that an unanimous solution In brief, Gitton report was decidedly this contributed to the fact that trism is in a certain degree susceptible would be arrived at by the congress anti unitarian and refuted everything position of the Opposition was not de formist organizations as well, as was sity leads to what very nearly amounts to persuasion, all forces must be set in The belief that the had final that had been written or done in favor tended with the necesenry vigor at the already suggested by comrade Trotsky to betrayal in practice.
motion against the disastrous strategy ly found the road toward trade union of unity before the congress in the of congrese.
a year ago. Likewise, it ought to ex Stalinist Policy Lends to Capituation of despair. It is a matter of life and unity was strengthened by the fact that filal Communist press.
At the Congress itself certain mistakes ploit the strong sentiment against wage Before Enemy death for German, even for international reductions in factories in order to build Monmousseau was sharply criticized in This position served as the best wes were committed in the vote on the pollThe roots of this sentiment are quite Communism. BAUER the Communist press by Losovsky him pon for the demagogy of the anti Com tienl report. This mistake was later up the united front, which is the pre obvious. They lie in the complete poll. Leipzig. Nov. 20, 1931 self for his article United muntat minority leaders connected with corrected by the Executive Comission. requisite for all further development of of Betrayal. and by the fact the Unity Committee and greatly fac. On the other hand, we aid not seek any the class struggle in Germany. But for treal Impotence of the party in the face that even within the leading Communist 1litated their work of disintegration contact with the federation and unlong this, it was necessary to carry on sys of its task to withstand the rise of Fase fraction of the there was within the revolutionary trade union that the same point of view as tematic work toward the formation of smaby, obsan cheestelike unitedfrontAs the Balkanization of the Iberian penina strong current in favor of reentering center.
the reformist the hopestre Minority Delegates Propose Correct Line Brave mistake, so that our own resolution ions. The extraordinary danger inher transforming its own incapability into proletariat, and by employee te fin de ent in the situation demands just such law of nature, and they still enjoy criminately. You are quite right. If celved a brutal reburt from the congress of the Itself.
tion and the autonomous Federation of In spite of all this, the perspectives a tactie. In an open letter to the Ger the confidence of the membership, which have not underscored it sufficiently in The delegates of the Teachers Federa received only one vote.
man Central Committee, the German with its equipment of ultra Left phrases, my preceding letter, am prepared to do Monmousseau Reports 80 with ten fold stress right now. The Functionaries tried in vain to push of the Left Opposition, which alone has Opposition has made concrete proposals likewise has no faith in the possibility The report on the activity since the through a resolution in favor of unity, the correct path at the present, are very leading to the establishment of the adly leave this task to itler. This ly neexis to be completed. There was of establishing the united front and analogy between the two peninsulas reallast congress, presented by Monmous stressing particularly that they had good. Its role will take on a greater united front sentiment is an expression of despair, time when the Balkan peninsula was seau, contained an open admission of nothing in common with the liquidators importance as the crisis will develop and the false Hne and the heavy mistakes of the Unity Committee. The gather. It should show itself capable of pene Falls To Carry Out United Front signifying that the party has landed in united under the domination of the TurkToward a morass.
committed by the Centrist leadershiping appointed officials did not followtrating the broader masses.
ish gentry, the militarists and the proFELIX from December, 1931 During this time the had them but obeyed instructions Despite all its talk about the united After the Prussian plebiscite, Trotsky consule. The oppressed people longed for the overthrow of their oppressors.
If the idea that we do not want any Letter to Andres Nin associated in the minds of the Spanish experience push them into opposition to partitioning of the peninsula had been workers with the slogan of Soviets, and Caballero and the other fakers.
counterposed to these aspirations of the for this renson It seems too sharp, too We succeeded in creating Soviets in people, that would have meant acting as decisive, too Russlan to them that 18 Russia only because they were demanded, lackeys to the Turkish pashas and beys.
to say, they look at it in a different light together with us, also by the Mensheviks on the other hand, however, we know than the Russian workers did at the and the though for other ends. We that the Balkan peoples liberated from Dear Friend. the federation, wo And that we have, the federation as well as in the official corresponding stage. Are we not con cannot create any Soviets in Spain prethe Turkish yoke, have been at one anParty. But such a policy requires an fronted with an historical paradox, when cisely because nelther the Socialists nor other throat for decades. In this ques have received your letter of August derived more harm than profit from it 25th. You pose the question to yourself: The entire Comintern press, and the official center, no matter how small, of the existence of Soviets in the the syndicalsts want Sovieta. That tion, too, the proletarian vanguard can shall we call upon the workers to join Pravda in particular, has held is respon the Left Opposition in Catalonia. You paralyzes the creation of Soviets in means that the united front and the or apply the point of view of the permanent will perhaps recall that insisted on other revolutionary countries? This ques ganizational unity with the majority of revolution. liberation from the imperialthe Party or the (Catalonian) Redera sible for Maurin opportunist confusion this from the very first day of your artion must be given the utmost attention the working class cannot be created unist yoke as the most important element tion? The local conditions speak in favism. Comrade Mill articles in La rival in Barcelona, but, unfortunately, in private conversations with workers in der this slogan. But here is Caballero of the democratie revolution leade im or of the federation. The general Vorite also contributed to a great extent without success. At the present time, different parts of the country. At ang himself, forced to it by the pressure of mediately to the Federation of Soviet Spanish conditions speak in teroro in the matter. Nevertheless, we have too, cannot see any other way.
event. If the slogan of Soviets (Juntas) the masses, seizing upon the slogan of Republicy as the state form for the prothe Party. From the practical point of been forced to break with the federation does not catch (not yet. then we must workers control and thereby opening the letarian revolution. Not opposing the view, that is, from the point of view and we have left almost empty handed.
Maurin has isued the slogan: All the concentrate on the slogan of factory door for the united front policy and to democratie revolution, but, on the con of the relationship of forces at the given in other words, the experiences of the moment, it is dificult to solve this pro co operation with the federation have power to the proletariat, puthink your committee on wrote on this subject in organization embracing the majority trary, supporting the completely even con blem, but it seems to me that our prin weakened us on the whole Spanish, as nas chosen slogans of this sort in order above. On the basis of factory commit hold of it with both hands. Certainly porting the struggle and not the illuelple position is really of decisive im well as international to put up a bridge for himself to the tees, we can develop the Soviet organi Caballero will want to transform work stons. we at the same time bring our portance: we declare that we are a fac helping us any on the Catalonian scale and to lend himselt the zation without referring to them byers control into the control of the capl own independent position into the demtion of tho Party, a faction of the Com. It is time to draw up the balance to appearance of greater strength than be name.
talist over the workers. But that quesocratic revolution, recommending, counintern. The main struggle against us in my opinion, we ought to execute actually possesses. Unfortunately, the Workers Control tion already belongs to the domain of seling, propagating the idea of the Soviet carried on along the line that we are abrupt turn of policy here, to avoid conpursuit of appearances is very strong in On the question of workers control the relationship of forces inside the Federation of the Iberian peninsula as enemles of the and the timing to be confused with Maurio politics, and very disastrous in revolu you are, in my opinion, alsolutely cor working class, If we gucceed in creating a constituent part of the United States Comintern. Even Maurin Ilves on the his advantage and to our own disadvantionary polities. ask myself (at times) reet; to renounce workers control only factory committees all over the country of Europe. Only under this form is my crumbs that fall from this table. tage.
If we call upon the workers to join It would be most correct to call upon is the cause of this? In my former let it would be an enormous stupidity. On are witnessing, Messrs. Caballero will the Madrid comrades and the Spanish the federation, we compromise ourselves the workers to join the Communist Leftter, expressed several ideas in this the contrary, that is just why we should have lost the decisive battle.
comrades in general should use particuon the whole Spanish and on the Interfaction, to build up their own units and respect. have developed these much seize upon it all the more eagerly and The Separatist Movement and the larly great discretion with regard to the national scale. Do we gain at all, on the to demand admission into the Patry. That more amply in the article sent you on force the reformist workers to put it Iberian Soviet Federation Balkanization argument.
Catalonian scale? If we consider the does not at all prevent us from simultan workers control in Germany. It ap into practice by means of the united You describe how one can aid Madril. TROTSKY present results of the co operation with cously building up Left wing units in pears that the slogan of the juntas is front with us, and on the basis of this ene iberalism by distorting the idea that Kadikoy, Sept. 1st, 1981 The Catalonian Separatists, Soviets, and the Communists