THE MILITANT. WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 Hast 10th Street, New York, Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New VOLUME V, NO. 13 WHOLE NO. 109 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1932 ork, under the act of March 3, 1879.
PRICE CENTS Rebel Miners in Action! Statement of the International The «Revolt» in Congress. Left Opposition able to stem the tide. While the state spontaneous rebellion in the offing hay. What are the causes that drove Stalin Bot at present find any other direction united in a defense of the money bags rebellion.
the for per New Movement in the Anthracite Growing Rapidly An Indication of Radical Changes in Bourgeois Politics The stormy and more or less spontane the People Lobby headed by Professor Strikes are once again, spreading! Yet, how far this is from settling the vus opposition of the representatives in John Dewey, etc. The scope of this through the coal fields. In the Penn issues becomes very apparent in the The decree depriving comrade Trotsky only dispensed with the veil of the parts congress of the pretty bourgeoisie to the movement is not to be underestimated.
sylvania anthracite region a large num uglded rumblings of new revolts. Such and three members of his family of Sov but even with that of the apparatus. It new revenue bill has found a loud echo at siguities the tirst large scale attempt ber of the black towering breakers are are coming from Minols. There the let citizenship rights and condemning has stripped itself bare. It is hard to in the country at large. The Houise line to give a political form in the America shut down as thousands of men have coal miners were from their recent op: them to perpetual exile, is not only an decide upon so dangerous anneasure ex: up on the revenue bill reveals a pretty of the present epoch, to the differentia left the collleries. It is what is called position of the Edmonson rank and Alle act of vengeance, it is also an act of cept in the case where nothing else re thorough going disruption of the old tion within the ranks of the bourgeoisie.
an insurgent strike. The combination, movement again driven back into the impotence.
mains to be done.
party lines. Democrats and Republicans As was to be expected, the American reof an insurgent movement and a powerfolds of the It was tempor That Stalin was preparing such an The approaching crisis of the appear of the middle class type joined hands in formists, the of L, find a prominful strike, has thrown both alarm and ary setback but not a settling of the act for some time, has been clear ever atus cannot help giving an impetus to fighting against a big bourgeoisie coali ent place in this movontent of the Left fear into the whole of the enemy camp.
issues. By April first the Illinois min since last fall. His notorious letter to the reawakening of the party. Therein tion of these same parties, whose chief wing of the bourgeois class. La Guardia, day during its first ers contract with the operators expires the editorial board of the magazine Pro lies the danger for the Stalin clique objective at the present is to put over by the way, in his statements replying Week is met the most territic opposition The latter efforts to reduce the preletarian Revolution served no other pur. This clique manifests the createst shoes a tax measurea direct sales tax rangto his big bourgeois opponents, such as from the united forces of the state cossacks and the United Mine open, and in the Southern section it is of reprisals. The exceptional law against alms at a reawakening, a revival, are the budget at the expense of the lower door wide operi for the participation of Workers officials So far this opposition has not been will resist. Thus there may be another fruit of the theoretical campaign. ed proletarian nucleus of the party cawines of both traditional bourgeois parties with some social reforms.
It is an old axiom for Marxist revolutroopers are massed in the territory ing also a double direction. For while to take such a step? They must have than that leading to the left Oppose and revealed the absolute uselessness of tionaries, that the petty bourgeoisie capruthlessly breaking up Insurgent meet the thieving office squabbles between been very serious ones, for the entire thon. Numerous symptoms are already Ings and making wholesale arrests, more John Lewis. for the International, and disadvantage of raising a new campaign becoming manifest. Pravda was obliged maintaining the separation. Both not lead an independent political life John 11. Walker, for the district, are not against Trotskyism is quite evident. to publish several symptomatie facts in same class the big bourgeoisie. The or with the proletariat the two chlet It can go only with the big bourgeoisie collleries join the movement.
First of all this strike is caused by the either will sanction a strike. Not even Stalin position has been greatly underat all settled it cannot be expected that the principal cause is the fact that the pre Conference period.
The essence of the matter is that the dispute on the sales tax crystallized contenders for power under the present terrible unemployment, the mined. To the hourgeois papers it an in the political make up of present day cap and the other leaders of the current starvation and the operators demands one against a wage cut Revolts Localized Not United pears that the last conference of the parallel with the decline of the authoritalist America.
that the collierles sign separate agree movement intend to go is indicated by All in all, a look at the mine fields Russian party was the apogee of Stalinity of the Stalinist clique. Despite the The increasing difficulties of balancing the former answer to Rainey the ments with loss of conditions Out of at this moment give ample evidence of int strength. In reality, the conference fact that Stalinism holds the masses in the little more than 100, 006) miners in the igns of stiffening workers resistance bore the character of a masquerade de check, they do not nevertheless stop the government budget, due to the rapia Democratic House leader charge domestle trade that the actions of the House opposition unemployed ever since the crisis began, weaknesses of almost numberless spon Stalin position. What do these paths struggle of the Lett Opposition against brought about by the prolongeul world are a move in the direction of Commun though largely as a result of increasing taneous rebellions and strikes, localized. of personal loyalty to stalin, which have the stalinist bureaucracy remain fresh cristo was bound to pose, the problem istm. La Guardia replied that it is predown of what is called unprofitable still lacking both perspective and organity? They signify that Stalin and his at least knows and recalls the documents party machines, after shedding a tear against Communism that the House of mines. But this is only one side of the ization. This is precisely as true for limited clique no longer can count, not and the facts.
It is precisely because it over the financial principles they had position is carrying on its polley. There picture. On the other hand the strike the Kenteky and other section, under only on the party which they have Is well informed that the apparatus is to drop, very quickly came to an agree is no doubt that within a relatively is an outright revolt movement against the leadership of the Left wing National strangled but even on the apparatus. disintegrating. It sees that stalin has ment not to disturb big business with short time, this revolt too will be har One need but recall a few incidents revolt movements; and, for that matter, tral Committee Is thereby regarded as all the major questions. Stalin policy would only cripple its investment power whole. With the prolongation of the which make up this recent history of also for other independent unions such concealed Oppositionist Stalin. Only in the German question combate only was thereupon came forward with an innovaers and the impoverishment of the mid and thereby prolong the crisis. They crisis, the growing misery of the workVote Stealing and Convention Packing by Frank Keeney. One characteristic mittee under the leadership of Stalin left of his authority. Stalin supported the sales tax. The whole burden of mak bourgeois regime will seek a new sup as the West Virginia organization headed those who speak of the Central Comliver the fatal blow to dle classes, it is not excluded that the At the last elections held in district nevertheless practically all of these move are safe. This formula signifies that if the participation of the Communists in was the ing up for the budget deficit was in undoubtedly carried the majority vote: an important characteristic, namely the Stalin, the undersigned, who subscribes author of the capitulationist formula this manner to be shifted to the smaller port for itself in a popular movement of business men, and indirectly to the con. The events around the revenue bill will but to no avail. It was counted out. At fact that they represent the unanimous to this formula, pledges himself to be first the Paseists then we.
sumer as such It could not help rous serve to raise false hopes in the petty the district convention following. this but sadly divided efforts of the rank for Stalin and against the Central Com. In his pamphlet What Next. Vital opposition again asserted itself but was and file to direct their struggle equally mittee. Precisely in the same manner. Questions for the German Working in the already impoverished petty bour oburgeoisie for a way out of its plight.
geols.
squelched with strong arm methods. against the operators and their corrupt at the conference of the Moscow organ Class) comrade Trotsky wrote several The fading away of these hopes may In congress itself, the perturbance of well give way to despair and political There is the one incident at the silver agents of the bureaucracy. That zation, the oath was prepared for the weeks ago. At the last conference of busi the Party, that is, at the conference of men opened up great reaction in the form of an American type Creek colliery near Pottsville in district alone should indicate the growing con Moscow Commitee with Kaganoviteh at its hend. The personal regime has not the Stalinist apparatus Trotskyism :notorious tribunes of the people as re the road is open for activities of a large (Continued on page 4)
possibilities for the demagogy of such of Fascist movement, In the meantime, where on Feb. 21 a meeting attended by about 000 miners unanimously and buried, was declared the vanguard presentative La Guardia, who rallied an scope on the part of the petty bourgewent on record to demand equalization of work, condemned their officials and de The Workers United Front in Canada of the bourgeois counter revolution. This opposition of Democrats and Republicans is demagogues. Their political transagainst the machine coalition in a sortie formation, the crystallization of these hardly intelligent and politically alto mandol a special district convention on the revenue bill. The La Guardia demagogues into distinct political types To these incidents can be added the last Due to the extremely difficult con which had charge of the defense of the gether terrifying decision lifts the cur M: convention at Indianapolis dittons under which the labor move eight, rent a call to the usual Party or tuin on several plans of an entirely prac opposition has already achieved several is bound to follow in short order.
where a packed audience steam rolled ment is forced to work in Canada ganizations for the forming of a defense tical order adopted by Stalin in the nel parliamentary successes. It has managed For the Communists, this differentiato muster a majority for two measures tion within the ranks of the bourgeoisie.
every demand and every grievance of at present, a delay of reports on movement. known as the Workers of personal despotism. It is not a warning to counter the sales tax proposal, pass represents a perspective for rapid the membership. This 18, of course, events there, is inevitable. The arti Rights and Anti Deportation BII; but nothing that Lenin frsued (Continued on page 3)
incomes of over growth, provided a correct policy is pur.
nothing new in the history of the United cle. we publish below, although be. the Party leaders were soon forced to ac 500, 000 ranging up to 65 per cent on sued. The half measures of the pettyMine Workers under the Lewis regime lated, is extremely interesting and knowledge that their own auxiliaries dla Friday, March 18 and on an increase in bourgeolyle and the reformists, once they but the constantly accumulating coninstructive. It should serve to stimnot contain the nrasses, and the confer the estate tax up. to a miximum of 45 are carried out, are bound to show up flicts between the membership Interests meant ulate a more active solidarity with ence began to crumble. This cent, applicable to net estates of all their weakness, all their hopelessand the reaction of the officialdom is raour Canadian fellow revolutionists that the eight would be railroaded to pidly approaching a breaking point.
as well as emulation of their splen Jall, the Party megalized and decapitat OPEN FORUM more than 10, 000, 000 on Tuesday last In addition, the opposition has defeated practice that the masses ness, with especial clarity. It is in The outstanding demand of the anth did efforts for united working class a measure relieving corporations paying quickly. By a clear and intransigeant learn most racite rebel movement is the one for action. Ed.
the working class against the encroach AMERICA ATTEMPTS TO GET taxes to foreign governments of regular propagation of the working class issue equalization of work. It particularly OUT OF THE CRISIS The last maneuver of the Comintern ment by the forces of reaction on the To Inaugurate such taxation. La Guardia is talking radio out of the capitalist dilemma, by a correflect the needs growing out of the strategy in the Third Period was the labor movement.
Lecture by cal, speaking of conscripting wealth rect utilization of the contiets bound to acute unemployment conditions but it policy of antagonistic struggle against a movement meant taking the initiative AL GLOTZER ete. The parliamentary movement has develop in the future within the enemy addition, received widespread supcamp, by pressing the demagogues to the unlte the employed with the unemployed. the social democratic and reformist and every body of workers, upon of the Communist League of America (Opposition)
port from a great number of petty bour wall, by forcing them to take a dernite The movement itself is by no means a bor movement, because Stalin postulated a focal issue which affected the rights geois organizations, which, according to position, the Communists will be able to Left wing movement. It still harbors that they were the Left wing of Fasc of the whole working class, in this case The capitalist solution: wage cuts, one paper, include some 50, 000, 0000 peoconsolidate the more decisive much confusion. Its leadership is not ism. Logically, therefore, they became the diabolical piece of legislation known speed up, mass lay offs, war.
ple.
Sections at all ready to break with the corrupt social Fascists. This has now been as Section 98 of the Criminal Code of The Communist solution: the abolition of the masses and in the first place, the traditions of the union bureaucracy let smuggled away, and the latest policy is Canada (which contains clauses making of capitalism, the erection of a classless To get a picture of the petty bourgeois increasing sections of class conscious alone to endeavor actually to found the a united front with the workers, but not it criminal for a human being to make society: as steps leading to this: the six character of this movement, here are a workers around their banner. To ham few of the organizations that have rallied mer out such a policy of revolutionary movement on a class hans. But that only with their organizations or lenders, which communista were the three die weich the hour day five day week with no redue behind the congress opposition: The advance, to prepare the American massof, Communists first victims.
bility for real Left wing permlation. slogan on paper, the Party still maintain The Turn In Polley long term large scale credits to the Sov: Farm Bureau Federation, the Nationales for revolutionary action, it is, howMine Strikes Elsewhere ing its isolation from the masses.
anderer, necessary to clear away all the As with the human organism, so withiet Union.
Co operative Union, the National Con eclectie confusionism of Stalinist theory on We said before that strikes are again While the Dally Worker merrily dazes the political organism, to function healsumers League, the National Association and to bring the Communist movement FRIDAY, APRIL 1932 spreading through the coal fields and itself with denunciations of the Opposlthily requires the shedding of the a of Retail Grocers and other we can add that yet more are in pro tion, and maintains an absolute silence tion of dead tissues, and re invigoration organizations: the American Federation back to the path of Marxism Leninism.
spect. The anthracite at this moment is on the Canadian Party and its illegal with new body building material. of Labor, the Railroad Brotherhoods.
merely the most outstanding case. In ity, it remained to one of the smallest united front meant breaking through the Labor Temple the Hocking Valley soft coal territory and weakest sections of the Comintern, crust of Stalinism and adopting the 14th Street and Second Avenue of Ohio a number of mine tipples have the Communist Party of Canada, to es methods of Leninism. The turn in pol been idle since February 1st. Now this tablish a policy of the Ugited Front in icy came with the changing of the name at P.
strike is also taking on bigger propor reality, of all sections of the labor move of the Conference, to the Conference for As could be foreseen, the outcome of Intended tion, with more miners walking out ment. It seems destined in the realm of the Repeal of Section 38, and the sendQUESTIONS and DISCUSSION to soothe the disturbance presidential elections in Germans within the ranks of the social democratic in protest against wage cuts. As an inthe revolutionary political movementing of resolutions throughout the coundication of how drastic these cuts were that the weakest link in the chain is the try to various bodies asking their endose was attended by a feverish mustering of following. That is about all the iron ADMISSION: 25 Centa forces on part of the Fascists. The al front of the reformists amounts to. The need but cite the example of the one to break onto new historical ground. ment for repeal of this Act and release Unemployed Workers Admitted Free Hanna coal company announcing a re The series of events leading to the ar of the eight Communists. 876 units and leged purpose of the Hitlerite maneuvers social democracy, through Severing, once prostrate duction from 30 to 20 a day. rest of the edght leaders and to the out locals, of the of and other un Auspices. New York Branch Communist is, of course, the protection of the peo again revealed itself as League of America (Opposition)
ple from red savagery.
In both of these instances, in the anlawing of the in Ontarlo have alsons, and miscellaneous organizations, reality, and senile Left wing of the bourgeoisie, Hitler and his hordes are arming not capable only of leading the workers to thracite and in the Hocking Valley, the ready been recounted in The Militant, with a membership of 171, 315 have ad(Continued on page 3)
only to crush the Communist vanguard, the slaughter, coal miners are fighting a determined The Canadian Labor Defense League, battle. The most aplendid militancy is but to seize the power and to subjugate working class movement, united the working class organizations as a against Fascism and prepared for strug displayed on the picket lines. There whole.
gle, would not have tolerated wuch a has been no lack of perfidious efforts to The movements of the Nazis were treacherous and deceptive maneuver as undermine and to split their ranks.
brought to light by raids made on their Severing Within a united front moveThat is the job which the operators have Prussian local groups upon the initia ment, in which the Communists are at assigned to their agents in the union tive of the social democratie Minister their posts, in which the revolutionary office swivel chairs. But their other The following is the introduction to comrade had attempted to solve by means of war. Acting of the Interior in the Prussian govern party represents the driving force of the weapon is being wielded just as freely.
In Pennsylvania the state troopers, in Trotsky new work on Germany. The First through the Hohenzollern government, the German ment, Karl Severing. Documents, out. proletariat in action, such a gesture bourgeoisie girded itself to organize Europe. Actining the line of action to be taken by would not be tolerated. It would be exOhio the national guard are applying the chapter will appear in THE MILITANT next week.
ing through the régime of Bruening Curtius it attempt raids. Their plan of action was con It would form a step in brute force to suppress the revolts. Ed.
ed. to form a customs union with Austria. It is Rumblings of New Revolts consolidaceived under the form of auxiliary troops tion of revolutionary influence within Capitalism in Russia proved to be the weakest link to such a pathetic level that its problems, potential aiding the police against Communist up the working class, that is, in the preod prenese renters have fought in the chain of imperialism, because of its extreme ities and perspectives have been reduced! But even risings. Anyone familiar with the ait. paration of the proletariat for a declaive tenaciously against almost overwhelming backwardness. In the present crisis, German capital the customs union was not to be attained. As the nation knows that this plan is not contest for power with the class enemy.
odds. Yet, when a comparison is made ism reveals itself as the weakest link for the diame witch house in fairy tales, so the entire European it was a matter of general mobilizaership of the German Communist Party.
the Northern oligarchs have been able to trically opposite reason: precisely because it is the system has for its foundation a pair of hen legs. The tion of the Fascist forces for decisive that allows the social democrats to with the Southern bourbons in stagger most advanced capitalist system, conditioned in its great and salutary hegemony of France is in danger and independent action. Severing, who retain their positions within the work ing the odds. These recent Kentucky development by the insolvable European dilemma. As of toppling over, should a few million Austrians unite carried out these raids, knew this very ing class at a time like the present. The and Tennessee strikes remained entirety the productive forces of Germany become geared more with Germany.
well. He knew that he could not count Fascists cannot be defeated if the social Stalinists propound the idea that the isolated and could not hold out when and more highly, the more dynamic power they gathe full weight of the brutal enemy ther, the more they are strangled within the state sys no advance is possible along the capitalist road. The any. The bourgeoiste values its Fascist is quite true. But it is precisely the For Europe, in general, and primarily for Germany federal government. And he did not get democrats are not defeated first. This These workers are now compelled to tem of Europea system that is akin to the system temporary resolution of the present crisis to be whip too dearly to really mean to impatr other stalinist idea, which makes Fasc drift back again to take up whatever of cages within an impoverished provincial 200. At achieved by the automatic interplay of the forces of it.
1sts out of the social democrats. ocwork 18 being handed out on the same every turn in the conjuncture of events German capi capitalism itself on the bones of the workers would In this light, Severing move al Fascists. and confuses the was for the workers, that prevents the ComIssue old starvation conditions, or worse talism is thrown up against those problems which it (Continued on page 4)
nothing more than an impotent gesture (Continued on page 4)
in at the The Raids on Hitler Nazis in Prussia the In WHAT NEXT. by Leon Trotsky