PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, JANUARY 9, 1932 Letter to Member of the German Communist Party EDITORIAL NOTES The Workers United Front against Fascism Communism or Fascism in Germany?
PROLETARIAN PARTY SPLIT Every tendency to limit the opposition to the secondary tactical points is a pre. Continued from page 1)
Engels once wrote that every workers paration for such a debacle. serious role, but now, under the given condisay to himself: What the Communists party must necessarily develop in a pro study and consideration of German Communist Party propose is completely indispensible in cess of internal struggle, according to principle questions, and the adoption of tions, in the coming mopths and weeks, Thaelmann Considers the Vietory of the struggle against Fascism. On this the dialectical laws of development in a precise attitude toward them, are now basle condition it is posible to pull the general. This observation is again call indispensable for a fruitful ontcome of Fascism Inevitable social democratic workers along with ed to mind by the factional struggle the revolt in the Proletarian Party. correct policy is necessary in order when to strike and what keys to strike. life and death for the working class. us by our example and to criticize their now taking place in the ranks of the to achieve victory. That is, we need a The abstract question as to who is the We Must Foree the Social Democracy check and a brake. Only in this way is leaders who will inevitably serve as a Proletarian Party. It is a sign of vital.
ity that is well worth watching. For policy appropriate to the present situa lesser evil: Bruening or Hitler is just Into Block Against the Faseists tion, to the present relationship of forces as senseless. It is necessary to know victory possible.
over a decade this sectarian off shoot of BOMBS FOR NEW YEAR A Good Quotation from Lenin.
American Communism devoted itself to It looks like a big year for the bomb and not to a situation that may develop which of these keys to strike. Is that the misfortune is, that in the Central a tranquil observation and explanation and dynamite racket, it one can judge by in one, two or three years, when the clear? For the weak minded let us cite Committee of the Communist Party there are many frightened opportunists The present clay epigones, that is, the of social phenomena. The depression in the spectacular start that has been question of power will have been decided another exnmple. When one of my en for a long time.
emies sets before me small daily portions They have heard that opportunism con thoroughly bad disciples of Lenin, like the American labor movement during the made by the people who specialize in it.
The whole misfortune lley in the of poison and the second, on the other sists of a love for blocks, and that is why to fill up their kape on every occasion period of prosperity, and the indifference The new year was ushered in with the they are against blocks. They do not that offers itself with often entirely ir.
of the workers to revolutionary propa loud explosion of a bomb in Pennsylv. fact that the policy of the Central Comhand, Is about to shoot straight at me, ganda which ensued from it, created speanta, and by still noiser propaganda mittee of the German Communist Party, then will first knock the revolver understand the difference between, let relevant quotations. For the Marxists, cial conditions for the existence of such about other bombs which were found or in part consciously and in part unconsciout of the hand of my second enemys say, parliamentary agreement and the question is not decided by a quotation a group. And this was further facilit planted or imagined in various parts of ously, derives from the recognition of the for this gives me an opportunity to get an ever so modest agreement for a struktut ly means of a corret method. It ated by the errors and exaggerations of the country. Connected with this was inevitability of a Fascist victory. In rid of my first enemy. But that does not cle in a strike or in the defense of work one is guided by correct mettiods. it is not hard to also find the fitting quota the official Communist Party. The preudo the inevitable hue and cry about a con fact, in the appeal for the Red United at all mean that the poison is a lesser ers printshops against Fascist bands.
Marxkat policy of Keracher and Co. was spiracy of the Communists, the anti Front published on November 29, 1931, evil in comparison to the revolver. Election agreements. parliamentary tlons. After had drawn the above a complement to Pepperistie adventur fascists and other radicals. The bombe the Central Committee of the CommunThe misfortune consists precisely of olutionary party and the social demo said to myself: We can probably find compromises concluded between the rev analogy with the Kornilov insurrection, ism. Thus a number of revolutionary it is claimed were addressed to a ist Party of Germany, starts out with the fact that the leaders of the German cracy serve as a rule, to the advantage a theoretical explanation for our block workers were maneuvered onto a side number of the leading Fascists of the the idea that it is impossible to vanquish Communist Party have placed themselves the social democracy. Practical agree with the conciliators in the struggle track. Everything was quiet in the Pro country. of lourse, none of the Mus Fascism without first defeating the soc on the same ground as the social democr Thael letarian Party, ments for mass action, for purposes of against Kornilor, in Lenin. And actual acy only with Inverted prefixes: the Soc Its leadership walled it solini agents were injured. They never tal democracy. This same idea, struggle are always of use to the revolu. Ty, here is what found in the sceond off from the class struggle and from the are. The miraculous escape of the in mann reports in all possible shades in ial democracy votes for Bruening. re tionary party. The Anglo Russian Com part of volume XIV of the Russian ediflerce disputes which raged within the tended victims in these affairs is as bis article. Is this idea correct? On cognizing in him the lesser evil. The mittee was an impermissable type of tion, in a letter of Lenin to the Central general Communist movement. unfaling as the change that the radical ally correct. But that does not at all fuse to trust either Braun or Bruening mon political platform, vague, deceptive September, 1917 the historical scale it is uncondition Communists on the other hand, who re block of two leaderships on one com Committee, written at the beginning of By that state of affairs could only be workers are the guilty parties.
Nine times out of tenor, better, 29 mean that with its aid, that is, by simple in any way (and that is absolutely the binding no one to any sort of action. Even at the present it is not our duty struggle in the country, and the great times out of a hundred this is the real the day. An iden, correct from the point go into the streets to support Titler Time of the General Strike, when the That would be unprincipled. Someone repetition, one can solve the questions of correct way of acting. In the meantime The maintenance of this book at the tu support the Kerensky Government conflicts over principle which have meaning of the discovery of bombs of view of revolutionary strategy as munism to a crisis, have posed questions attack against the workers and to rail whole, turns into a He and at that into referendum, that is, the attempt of the General Council assumed the role of asked then we are not to fight against brought the world movement of Com and dynamite: to lay the ground for an Fascists to overthrow Bruening. But in strike breaker, signified on the part of Kornilov? Naturally, we are. But that ated this they themselves have recognised in the Stalinists, a policy of betrayal. is not one and the same thing. There is which can no longer be evaded. Con rond soine individuals as an example reactionary lle, if it is not translated troversy is sweeping through the Ker. This is American labor history. And the rect that in order to destroy unemploy the reterendum would not have brought democracy, or with the leaders of the many Bolsheviks who fall into coninto the language of tactics. Is it corNo common platform with the social limit to this. It is being transgressed acher party like a tornado, making up Mussolini regime has introduced this in fury for its long postponement. Al American plan all over Europe in the ment and misery it is first necessary to the proletariat into power but Hitler. To German trade unions, no common pub ciliationism and allow themselves to be most overnight the Keracher group of fight against the anti Fascist movement destroy capitalism? It is correct. But Филипікапитапништаинтипаниипедиципашинипаниинисаннннисаннине шипштешитіканнинсон driven by the current of events.
leaders, who ask only for peace and If we take the New Year bulabaloo to only a hopeless fool can draw the con We shall fight. we do fight against we do not quiet, have been confronted with gether with the dynamite plot in the have to fight already today, with all of Korniley but we do not support Kerenstormy Internal struggle. Following the New York harbor there is every ground our forces, against these measures with sky, we are uncovering his weaknesses.
national convention of the organization for the assumption that a new offensive the aid of which capitalism is increasing The distinction is very delicate, but highwhere criticism was smothered and all against the workers, introduced with We cannot emphasize too strongly the importance of the developments ly important, and must not be forgotten.
the misery of the workers.
the burning questions of the moment series of typical frame ups is in prethat are now unfolding in the class struggle in Germany to paraphrase the Wherein does the change of our tacCan we expect that the Communist were evasive opportunism, an opposition paration.
warnings contained in the recent studies of comrade Trotsky: Unless the ties, after the Kornilov insurrection, has come to life and is waging millThe Daily Worker speaks of the latest Party will in the course of the next leaders of the Communist Party of Germany make a sharp turn away from consist?
tant struggle on a national scale. The bomb senre as the prelude to an attack few months defeat toth the social dem heir present attitude, the fate not only of the German revolution but of the In this, that the forms of struggle opposition to publishing its own bulletin on the Communist Party, and limits its ocracy and Fascism? No normally think international working class will be castastrophically determined for a long against Kerensky vary. Without dimand has even gone so far as to project concern and protest to that. If the new ing person who can read and calculate time to come. It is toward the end of imposing the execution of this turn inishing our hostility against him even by a national conference. split appears machinations take on real proportions would risk such a contention. Politie that every class conscious worker, every Communist militant, and above all one note, without taking back one word to be the inevitable outcome of the con low at the Party will undoubtedly be ally, the question is posed in the followthe fighter in the Left Opposition, must direct all energies at the present mofrom what we have said against him, flict.
the objective. But the specific point of ing manner: Can we successfully repel ment. Everywhere, at every meeting, in every revolutionary organization.
without rejecting the task of overthrowattack in the present instance seems to Fascism in the course of the next few the workers must be made aware of the terrifle situation which is being In fact, the split has already began.
ing Kerensky, we say: We must calculate The leaders of the Proletarian Party, be the anti Fascist movement, and the menthe related vielseither exfareunately created. Every opportunity must be taken to arouse the communist workers the moment, we will not overthrow Ker.
in particular to the need of acting as revolutionists, that is, of intervening ensky at present. We approach the queswho lorrow so much in principle from Tidewater Bontmen Union. For our very strong social democracy? The Cen in the spirit of internationalism, of demanding that the course of the Gertion of the struggle against him differStalinist revisionism, have revealed man Communists shall be steered towards victory over Fascism instead of ently and namely: by explaining the themselves also as apt pupils of the part, these clrcumstances do not in the tral Committee replies in the negative.
least mitigate the danger nor the necesIn other words, Thaelmann considers the towards an ignominous defeat and annihilation.
administrative methods. The criticisms sity of fighting the conspiracles. We are weaknesses and vacillations of Kerensky ictory of Fascism inevitable.
The official Stalinist press, with that national self centeredness which before the people. who are fighting of the opposition everywhere are being Once Again: The Russian Experiences has characterized it in recent years, pays little or no attention to the German against Kornilov. answerd, not with arguments but with on the side of any worker, or any work In order, to express my thought as celar events. Brief and boastful dispatches, dealing with trifting episodes, are their We are proposing nothing different Opposition Bulletin six of the leading political complexion, in such a situation. ly and as concretely as possible will sole contribution to the burning problems that cry out for solution. True from this complete independence of oppositionists in Chicago have been exCommunists make a fatal error when come back once more to the experience to all the best traditions and teachings of revolutionary Marxism, we, on the the Communist organizations and press, pelled and 26 members have resigned they limit their protests to ease of dirwith the Kornilov uprising. On August 28 other hand, are putting the question as it must be put if victory and not complete freedom of Communist eritte defeat is is to be the outcome of the stirring battles that are imminent in ism, the same for the social democracy from the Party. Members of the ect attack against their own party. Such (old style) 1917, General Kornilov led his Germany.
witch quesions must be approached from a Cossack troops and one irregular division are being sent out on a and the trade unions. To allow the freeThis second contribution to the question by comrade Trotsky which is dom of the Communist Party to be limsmelling and heresy hunting campaign, principle that is, from a class point of against Petrograd. At the helm of power printed here is not our first word and will not be our last. Every opportun ited (for example, in the manner of with power to expel, suspend, or other view. There is practical wisdom, also, there stood at that time: Kerensky, lacist, every revolutionary worker concerned with the triumph of our great entrance into the Kuo Min Tang)
wise punish members, without the form in this attitude. The Communists can key of the bourgeoisle and three quarters cause, will henceforward place all emphasis on the subject which is so richly only despicable opportunists are capable ality of a trial. Three members have not fight successfully alone against an an ally of Kornilov. Lenin was still in been suspended and one expelleil in elk onslaught of the capitalists. They need hiding because of the accusation that he and so instructively illuminated by our exiled leader. The task of defending of. Our place is not among them.
and advancing the interests of the militant proletariat has fallen once more There is nothing to take back from our hart, Indiana. The entire branch of 40 the support of the working clase. The was in the service of the Hohenzollerns.
to the little group of Marxists organized in our ranks.
New more readiness they show to join in the on the same accusation, was at that Great historical at Buffalo has been expelled. At criticism of the social democracy. Nothorganization time Incarcerated in solitary continement battles, like the Russian revolution, and now like the German struggle, are York and other places necessions have defense of any workers ing to forset of all that has been. The under attack the stronger become their in the Kresty Prison. How did the Bolinfallible touchstones. Let us prove equal to the test.
taken place.
entire historical account, including the account for Karl Liebknecht and Rosa The course of the opposition movement own claims for similar support. and the sheviki proceed in this question? They aimezumunu mUMU COMMUNICATIE NCHINIHINNERUNICHT AUCH NICHTRAMIEJIROMINANCIRANIMESIMAMACIMIMINE Luxemburg will be presented in time, as within the Proletarian Party remains more readily will they receive it. feat the Korniloviade we must first de be sure, it is painful to have to argue lications, banners, placards! March ser we Russian Bolsheviks also presented it unclear. It is quite obvious, from a such questions. It is sad, arately, but strike unitedly! Agree only finally to the Mensheviks and Social reading of its campaign material, that feat the Kerensklade. They said this the opposition has not yet undertaken to The working men have no country. more than once, for it was correct and very sad indeed, when musicians like how to strike, whom to strike, and when Revolutionaries as a general accounting Remmele, instead of distinguishing be to strike! Such an agreement can be for the balting, slander, imprisonment answer the main question which arises we cannot take from them what they necessary for the entire further inevitably from its struggle against the have not got. Since the proletariat must anda. But that was entirely instalatween the keys, stamp with their boots concluded even with the devil himself, and murder carried on against workers, on the key board.
with his grandmother and even with soldiers and peasants.
leadership and policy of the party. That Arst of all acquire political supremacy. ground not to put up a resistance on But we presented our general account question is: Where are we going, and must rise to be the leading class of the August 26, and on the following days It is not a Question of the Workers Who Noske and Crzezinsky. On one condi him Have Already Left the Social tion: not to bind one own bands. to them months after we had utilized the why? Proletarian Opposition Bulletin nation, must constitute itselt the nation avainst Kornilov and to prevent Democracy But of Those Who It is necessary, withont any delay fin. partial accounting between Kerensky and Number 2, which we have at hand, dir it is so far, itself national, though not from butchering the Petrograd proletarStill Remain With It.
int. The Bolshevikt did not for that ects a sharp criticism against the bar in the bourgeois sense of the word.
ally to elaborate a practical system of Kornilov, between the lemoernts and eaucratle regime within the party; it communist Manifesto.
reason content themselves with a gener The thousands upon thousands of measures not with the aim of merely the Fascists and at that in order to recondemns the opportunistie election camal appeal to the workers and soldiers Noskes, Welss, Hilferdings, prefer, in the Communists. but with the aim of tainty. Only thanks to this circumstance. exposing the social democracy (before pel the Fascists with all the anore cerpaign in Detroit, and insists on a strug0000000llllll to break with the conciliators the Bolism. But for that they must once anal actual struggle against Fascism. The were we able to be victorious.
and sup the last analysis, Fascism to Communport the red united front of gle for immediate demands on the question of unemployment. On all these sheviki. No, the Bolsheviki proposed the for all tear themselves loose from the question of factory defense organizations, united front struggle to the Mensheviks workers. Today this is not yet the case.
of unhampered activity on the part When the Central Committee of the points the opposition is undoubtedly in and the Social Revolutionaries the right as against the leadership. But Today the social democracy as a whole of the factory councils, the inviol Communist Party of Germany adopts the when all is said and done these quescreated together with them common or workers opganizations position expressed in the lines of Lenin with all its internal antagonisms, Isability of the tions have a secondary imortance. They ganizations of struggle. Was this cor forced into sharp conflicts with the seals that may be seized by the social democratie masses and the trade and institutions, the question of arquoted above, the entire approach to the are by no means an adequate armament Among the lecture arranged for forth. rect or incorrect? Let Thaelmann give usests. Our task consists of taking scists, the question of measures in the anion organizations will change with one for real political struggle. The op coming weeks at the Minnes olis Forum me an answer to this question. In order advantage of these conflicts and not case of an emergency, that is, of the co blow: Instead of the articles and speech to show much more boldly, how matters uniting the antagonists against us.
position must equip itself with an all are the following: around platform, it must take a post. All meetings, unless otherwise men the following incident: Immediately upon Fascism at the present time. And this song in the struggle, ete, etc. must be out them, the agitators will find a. com stood with the united front, will cite The front must be directed ordination of the actions of the Comes which are convlucing only to those against munist and the social democratie divi people who are already convinced withtion on the basic questions of principle, tioned are at P. and make its tactical deductions accordingly. Otherwise it will not be able to Ism: What Next. Speaker: Vincent for me, went directly to the Committee Fascism, involving the entire prole dealt with in this program.
mon langunge with new hundreds of thouSunday, January 17, 1932: Imperial after the trade unions had put up ball common front of direct struggle against sauds and millions of workers. The avold a rapid disintegration. Such In the struk le against Fascism, the differentiation within the social demoernDunne.
fate will threaten it immediately.
and voted decisions regarding the strug tacks against the social democracy, which factory councils occupy an enormously ey will proceed in rapid tempo. The for National Defence, where discussed tariat, must be utilized in the tank at: One thing at least may be said with Sunday, January 24, 1932: DEBATE. a to certainty: the opposition cannot stand precise program of action necessary. tasks consist not only of defeating Bruen Soclalism versus Communism. Speak ele against Kornilov with the Menshevikare for all that no less effective.
alone an independent movement. ery: Victorian, representing the Dan and the Social Revolutionary Got It is necessary in fact, to show comErery factory must become an anti fasc. ing. Braun and Wels, but in taking up Having made a decisive break with the Socialist Party against Carl Cowl the allies of Kerensky who had imprison plete readiness to make a block with the Was this correct had was it social demoerats against the Fuscists in and its own battalions. It is necessary working class. On this plane, deer ist bulwark, with its own commandants the open struggle against the entire sterile circle of Keracherism and this representing Communist League of Amed me, Let Remmele answer this all cases in which they will accepted to have a map of the Fascist armories differentiation will inevitably begin with is a sign of its vital proletarian impulse erica (Opposition. question for me. the opposition confronts the necessity Sunday, January 31, 1932: The Proworkers: Throw your leaders aside and and all other Fascist strong holds, in in Fascism. Only by this road is vie of attaching itself to the living move.
Is Bruening the Lesser Evil. Reductions join our non party united front. means every city and in every district. The tory possible ment of Communism. This is the first posed Rallroad Wage The social democracy supports Bruen to add just one more hollow phrase to Fascists are attempting to encircle the But it is necessary to desire this vie and most pressing implication of the re Speaker: Hedlund.
ing, votes for him, assumes the responat a thousand others. It is necessary to the revolutionary strong holds. The encircl tory. In the meantime, there are among volt. With which faction will the new All these lectures and debates will be bility for him before the masses on the able to tear the workers away from their ers must be encircled! on this basis, a the Communist functionaries many cowgrouping affiliate? that is the question held at the Workers Open Forum, 1530 basis that the Bruening Government is leaders in reality. But reality today is pact with the social democratic and ardly careerists and turcauerut who Those whose seek to evade that question. East Franklin Ave. Minneapolis, Minn.
the lesser evil. The Rote Fahne at the struggle against Fascism. There trade union organizations is not only per hold on to their little ponts, to their in.
who hold up the prospect of a fourth The Admission is free.
tempts to ascribe the same view to me are and doubtless will be social dem missable, but a duty. To reject this for come and more than that in their skins, faction, can only deceive and mislead the mmmmmmmm on the basis that expressed mysellocratie workers who are prepared to fight reasons of principle (in reality be very dearly. These creatures are in movement That is only the Keracher against the stupid and shameful partici hand in hand with the Communist work cause of bureaucratie stupidity, or what clined to sprout ultra radical phrases un policy on a small scale; and the present THE MILITANT pation of the Communists in the Hitler ers against the Fascists, regardless of is still worse, because of cowardice) is derneath which is concealed wretchupheaval is, in the first place, a sign of referendum. But have the German Let the desires or even against the desires of to give direct and immediate aid to ed and despicable fatalism. Without the utter bankruptey of this policy. The Published weekly by the Communist opposition and myself in particular de the social democratie organizations. With Fascism.
a victory over the social democracy it fact that a part of the insurgent elements League of America Opposition and support Bruening? We Marxists re necessary to establish the closest possi with the social democratie workers, we say such terrible revolutionaries, practical program of agreements is impossible to strike against Fascism. in New York and other places have al and at 84 East 10th St.
ready gone over to the Stalin faction, gard Bruening and Hitler, together with ble contact. At the present time, how proposed as far back as September, 1930, for this reason. they are getting without waiting for the movement as a EDITORIAL BOARD Braun as component parts of one and ever, they are not great in number, The (The Turn in the Comintern and the ready their passports.
whole to licy, is warning Martin Abern James Cannon the same system. The question, which German wor has been in the situation in Germany, published by the Worker Communists, you are hundreds against temporizing and delay with this Max Shachtman Maurice Spector one of them is the main contenere in these me spirit of organization and of discipline. Militant)that is, a year and a quarter of thousands, millions, you cannot leave fundamental problem.
Arne Swabeck To save the new movement, or at least are fighting needs all these elements. But sides. The overwhelming majority of en in this direction? Next to nothing. ports for you. Should Fascism achieve a substantial part of it, from this fate Entered as second class mail matter these elements momentarily involved the social democratie workers will fight The Central Committee of the Communist power it will ride over your skulls and is the task of the serious communist November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at in conflicts with one another and the against the Fascists, but for the pre Party has taken up everything except spines like a frightful tank. Your sal elements within it. Keracherisin is only New York, y. Under the act of party of the proletariat must take ad sent at least only together with their that which forms its direct tasks. How vation lies in merciless strukelc. And vantage of these conflicts in the inter organizations. This a weak sprout of Stalinism: the ideology March 3, 1879.
stage cannot be much valuable, irrevocable time has been only unity in struggle with the social Vol. V, No. (Whole No. 38)
at bottom is fundamentally the same. est of the revolution.
skipped. We must aid the social dem lost. Truly, there is not much time left. democratic workers can bring victory, transfer of affiliation from the Proletar. Saturday, JANUARY 9, 1931 There are seven keys in the musical ocratie workers by deeds In his new and the program of action must be strictly Make haste, worker Communists, you lan Party to the Stalin taction signifies Subacription rate: 00 per year; for sale. The question which of these keys extraordinary situation, in testing the practical, strictly objective, to the point, have very little time left.
nothing more than an organizational eigh 60. Nyt cents per nopy is better. Do, Re or Sol 18 a senseless value of their organizations and lead without any of those artificial claims. TROTSKY.
secession and a capitulation in principle. Bundle rates, cents per copy question. But the musician must know ers at this time, when it is a matter of without any after thoughts, so that every Kadikoy, December 8, 1981.
Minneapolis Open Forum and