PAGE THE MILITANT SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1932 Report of the New York Anti War Conference Left Opposition Makes Itself Heard Cheer Contusionists Gag Oppositionists Reply to Us much (Continued from page 1)
ate opportunity for everybody spenk little too much. Discretion alone should seems to us that the reformists of all further world ruin then in this strug. to peak at least once, not to mention set the official tone of the conference by if the names of the speakers and their have dictated another choice.
countries are parting more and more cle the proletariat will come closer to summary, on a resolution accepted by the Olgin feebly and half heartedly mum with the working class and that they get her, and then we shall judge you not chair for vote lng an assemblage was applauded by the assembled Communist his speech, but it was enthusiastically or would be sent up to the on slips of paper. We have bling a repetition of the vulgar drivel follow a policy contrary to the daily de on the ground of this terrible past, but wimply and literally ignored. The Stalinworkers disorientated and intellectually never had any illusions about this pro with which the Dally Worker of that rense and welfare of the proletariat. We on the ground of fresh facts. So long ists were determined that the Left Opdemoralized by their leaders who, all cedure. It is employed for the purpose morning had greeted the conference do not donbt that they will be, under as these are not present, we go with position should not get the floor again to during the conference, did not utteral of enabling the chairman to make an tenderness for the pacifists and calumny any conditions, the adversaries and sab cold hearts into these negotiations, and present its point of view, which had al single word of criticism of the speech, arbitrary selection of speakers, for the and rudeness for the Opposition soughtoteurs of the real united front of the into this common action with deep mis ready caused so much embarrassment in did not make a single reservation, and audionce is left in the dark as to who in vain to put some revolutionary working masses.
trust that you may fail us ten times their ranks. While comrade Cannon was not indicate in any way that the Comhus asked for the floor until the chair spirit into his remarks against the Like Olgin at the Conference, and like, in this battle. But we will try to fight still on the floor attempting to get a remunists would not Identify themselves man announces his name and place. Trotskyists. At the same time, he in his masters in the Politbmenu, they together, not for love of you, but because sponse from the chairman, the lutter with the point of retty bourgeois pac However, immediately upon this antroduced a new idea Into Communist could not understand how the Comintern of the unprecedented need of the hour put the pactlist resolution to a vote. It fism. It is at them, that the criticiemnouncement, a slip of paper was sped politics: the substitution of moral stancould denonnce reformists as trait which drives us and compels you to wis overwhelmingly adopted, with regashould be directed!
to the platform in so ostentatious anandards for political and class criteria. ors and at the same time join in a un confer in this hall with the very com tive votes from less than ten percent of ner that the whole audience could see Men like Henri Barbusse and Romain ted front from the top (Horror of munits you have treated as criminals. the delegates, and the chairman tried to that we had been the first to make the Rolland are at least sincere in their horrors. with the same traitors. They Conference Minutes, pp. 39 33. proceed to the next order of business request. After a hurried consultation opposition to war. They will defend the could not understand it, because they Our readers will pardon our extensive without putting our revolution to u vote, on the platform with the Central Com Soviet Union. The radical phrases of simply neglected to notice that the requotations from the past. The Stalinist apparently under the impression that this mittee prompter in charge of the floor this Trotskyist resolution, he continued, formists had millions of workers bemarauders have brought such de educa was a jurty membership meeting, Voices arrangements for the party, Joseph criticize the Communists for uniting hind them, just as they have today tion into the movement, they have so of protest again were raised throughout If the party spokesmen maintained an Brodsky, the chairman save the floor with Barbusse and Rolland. And what the social democratic parties, and not violently obliterated the past, the Lenin the hull, and the steering committee de oyster silence on the role of pacifism to Sbachtman.
do they propose in their place? That the Sinclairs and Barbusses and Wellsex ist past, that the very foundations of cided to put our resolution forward. It. by By a snap vote, it had already been the Communist International shall make our movement have become obscured and received a small minority of the body, the Lenin Comintern remain unknown to the new generation a volce vote which included over twenty Opposition. It is no exaggeration to say war, the speakers from the floor woulational and the Amsterdam International!
of Communist workers. The maraud delegates.
that the real center of attention at the be limited to five minutes each. In view They propost. cried this maestro of ers compel us each time to dig up ABC Thus the Conference, which gugxed the Conference the truths out of the past, to elucidate them opprodition speaker and cheereul was the lett Opposition and of the delays in getting started, this left iron and revolutionary Intransigennce, in 1922 the standpoint if presented.
less than an hour for discussion on the that we with painfully elaborate simplicity, not pueitists, voted orerwhelmingly for BarAll the preliminary arrangements went most important Conference question: the Thomas and Morris Hiliquit to defend What was the Comintern resolution merely for the prematurely senile bureau use and bowled down the words of Com the Soviet Union! The indignant sare against the standpoint of Cuchin crats but primarily for the new Com. Lenin!
Vous decisions of the party. As an in rade slachtman was therefore able only am almost robe os of reply. However What was its attitude towards the In. munist forces when they are so cruelly The gagging of the Opposition on the Iniseducating novation in the party united front to read our resolution. It was heard in that may be the fact remains that we teruational hediled by such proven traitfloor came only after an unsuccessful conferences, the chairman and committees un intense silence throughout the hall never sat down with Hillquit and Abe ors and social patriots as Vandervelde. In any case, the quotations we have attempt to useat the Opposition delewere not appointed this time, but for and when, at the end of the first fiveCahan to attack the Soviet Union, where Henderson, Wels and Co. It declared cited a few ont of thousands are Gation. When the credentials committee mally at least elected from the floor. minutes, a few zealots began shouting as Olgin did. His conversion to Irrecon The Enlarged Excentive of the enough to show that when Olgin and met. Ludwing landy, not a committee Let nobody be deceived about this change that his time was up the chairman, cilability towards. Imiquit is very grattaking note the proposition of the Markoty played upon the emotions and inember, pointed to our credentials and of heart. It was not dictated.
by any with built an eye to his liberal partners, ifying, but it lacks the humility of the Vienna International declares for the Ignorance of the workers present, when observed That from the Trotskyists.
concern with elementary principles of announced that the speaker would be neophyte that should accompany it.
participation of the parties of the Comthey sought to whip up a mob spirit Unsent them! Dryar, committee workers democracy, but rather as a con permitted to finish his reading.
In any case, the manner in which manist International in the projected against the Left Opposition, they were member, turned upon him and demandcension to its prejudices on fairness The Opposition resolution is printed Olgin posed the question is both ludier Conference. The Enlarged Executive of actually jeering at Lenin!
ed: Are you a committee member? It entertained by the liberal partners of the on the third page. Let every workerous and unworthy of a revolutionist. The the Communist International also pronot, we dont take any instructions from you! Nevertheless, the proposal to un.
protests from Loft Opposition delegates most a word for word transcription in the Soviet Union is not exhausted or of all the industrialist federations and seat tis was made in the Committee, and and other non Stalinist forces at similar condensed form of all that Bolshevism even approached by moral considera associations, both national and internawere it not for the resistance of Dryar conferences falled to gain from the party has taught on the question of the war tons. Sincerity and honesty of this or tional; of the Red International of Laand his promise to the Stalinit membureaucracy, the petty bourgeois paclists struggle, which overy Communist work that Judividual is a great virtue, but bor Unions of the International Fed.
hers that he would bring the matter to and men of letters were able to gain er should be duty bound to support.
it is not decisive in polities. The deleration of Trade Unions (Amsterdam Olgin and Markort were not the only the floor and fight to have weated.
with little difficulty, if only as a formal But instead of fulfilling their revolu fense of the Soviet Union is a political International. of the a. of speakers, although they spoke offically their proposal for exclusion would un ity without real meaning. There was only tionary responsibility of mobilizing the question which is decided by the procese France of the Italian Syndicalist Un in the name of the Communist party doubtedly have been reported. As it was, one slight slip up in the party plans Communists in support of such a resolues of the class struggle. Not Barbusso ion; of the American Federation of Ln. The floor was also given freely to various the report was brought in to seat all the selection of the credentials committion as against the pacifist resolution. great consequence, but the masses. Bar Lother antonomous industrial asscolations. fusion existing among party members Jack Robinson! the report was declar.
sincerity or Sinclair repentance is of bor (even Gompers you see. and or other representatives. The terrible con delegates and before you could say tee. One non stalinist delegate, of supporting Lenin ng against Barbussebusse, Rolland, Einstein, Alla Nazimova, The Communist International also consi who spoke on this fundamental questioned accepted and the chairman hurried Dryer, who represented a branch of the and Sinclair, the party spokesmen and even Michael Cold, do not have nori ders it necessary to invite the principal of the struggle against war, could only on to the next order of business International Workers Order, was elect the conference did two significant thluge ed on the committee as the fourth memwill they ever have the masses follow anarcho xyndicalist organizations; the leave a saddening impression upon Com What they did not succeed in doing ter in addition to the three already ing them.
The Stalinists the Shop Stewards, etc. The munists acquainted with the elements with us, they succeeded in doing with the chosen for the posts in advance. Their The masses, that is, the majority of Communist International accepts epts the of Marxism. Few indeed spoke on the delegate from the Welsbord group who report will come up later on.
them, still follow the social democrats. agenda of the Conference as proposed by question from the standpoint of the class presented his credentials at the door The delegates of the Communist League Without the support of these masses, the the Vienna International, vix, a defenstruggle and revolutionary policy. One while the conference was in session.
of America (Opposition) were comrades struggle against war and for Russia will, sive light against the capitalist offensive was opposed to the war because a rela Upon his protests, the doors were imme James Cannon, Hugo Oehler and Max Shachtman. Despite the presence at the time in years at such conterences at But this can not be done by Venetian agenda with the following items: First, they felt compelled, for the first at best, Iimp along on one foot. The and a struggle against reaction, as au tive was killed in the last war. Another, diately closed at the rear of the hall, complete the an engineer who had been to the Soviet a scuffile took place and he was barred door of the Argus eyed Ludwig Landy, tended by them and the opposition to carnival where the Communists hide beUnion, and who continued to emphasize. without any of our delegation inside the professional Stalinist manager of discuss the two points of view: the Preparations of the fight against that he represented nobody but himself the hall knowing what had happened un hind respectable such projects, the Opposition delegates Stalinist and the Leninist. At previous masks. It can only be done by cor Relief action for the reconstruc of the respectable window dressing be of the scuffle, when membes (and isn that the case with the rest til after the conference. In the course petty bourgeois new imperialist wars.
were permitted to enter the hall without conferences, where comparatively of our Ser: rect policy, the policy of the united fronttion of the economie lire of Soviet Rus hind which the Stalinists are practising League had come to the assistance of being the lege invariably than the learner verledes el segons el despite werken in as adopted by the Comintern under ene sia. Esteetc. etc. to the permanent dis their opportunistic policy. deltvered the excluded comrade who was being hand either a copy of the Militant, or strength to be sufficent to settle the comfiture of all past, present and future speech which was a disgrace, not so attacked by Stalinists, the police were a mimeographed copy of the resolution question in the usual manner, e, by Caching and Olgins!
to himself, but to the conference called to preserve order They remainwe had prepared in advance for sub merely ignoring our standpoint or by mission to the Conference, or both. To shouting us down with infamons slandwards, the echo of the words of a Mark. One of his relatives, too, had been wear the entrance, supervising the new prevent in advance the complete supers or by ridding themselves of the prooff of those days: How? Yon denounce wounded in a war and he demanded (and comers to see that they conformed with pression of our point of view, we had tlem by expelling us forthwith. At this made adequate arrangements for the conference, where a fundamental queswar minister, Henderson as His Maj petition our governments against war, Committee! Their supervision was the distribution in the lobby of our resolution of principle was involved, where the Olein was followed several speakers esty war minister, Wels and Schelde but demand that they do not unleash the doubtedly of great assistance in preservtion so that. In any case, the bulk or party leaders hnd worked themselves later by his fellow party delegate, Dr. mann as the Kaiser war ministers, the work of war. Is the distinction plain to the level of the conference at the ten memorandum of the stantlpolnt of the fend pacifism as against Bolshevism, the cost in the professions of dental sur counter revolutionary agents of Allied ou representative of nobody but himself, its organizers.
Opposition, mechanical majority apparently did not gery and Stalinist officialdom. Both os imperialism and yet you propose to sit paign to enlighten the soldiers, the Asts! Suppression of the Marxists!
All doors open to petty bourgeois pacl.
elsewhere in this issue the chairman, parts line had to be met, at least to our servation on our resolution. Just look, of the fight against new imperialist war. He was thickly applauded but sia, the people who are, at best, weak In contrast to our resolution, printed suitice and the principle objections to the them worked up considerable merriment around one table with them to discussolice, the government spies (we quote Cheers and applause for the liberals, the in the audience with their principal ob as point on the Agenda Preparations literally. to humanitarian ideas against honest. the eltable friends of Rus Workers Industrial Union, presented sion of the merits of the respective stand they ferred, In one sentence they call waru. Down with the Executive Com, not one party member in his speech had reeds to lean on and.
resolution in the name of the American points. In this Iles the greatest victory the social democrats traitors and social mittee of the Communist International Committee. more wretched plece of for the revolutionists: the fact that for patriot. And in the very next sentence Down with Lenin. Trotsky, Zinoviev and word to say about his standpoint erous allies! Koos and hisses for the hellowtracinst literature could hardly the firt time on any extensive and public they propose that we should make a unt. All the other Toptskyist rene endoria How the pacifists against the Left Opposition. balance sheet of the party policy at the have been read by a Communist without scale, in the presence of hundreds of ted front with these same traitors and them down, workers of the worla!
patriots to fight against the war danger!
gagging. The tone set by the liberall Communist workers, the views of the the fact that the scores of party mem Radek, Bucharin, Zetkin, Rosmer, Kata of the Socialist party from Ithaca, New And yet, on April 2, 1922, comrades Another speaker was Roth, member New York Conference keynoter opposition were presented in head on up by the party fraction in the American the latter compelled to defend themselves commentary on the low level of under al literally sat down in Berlin with such sovlet Unton, and his decorative presente a deplorable, but quite comprehensible, legation of the Communist Internation lated socialist worker who supports the the totally disparate elements collected Second, in defending themselves the driven them. We shall be remitting Hiysmans, Vandervelde, Stauning, Otto ted front conferences, is the substitute New York in 1932 as the directors of the struggle against Stalinists not only made an elaborate in our endeavors to change that situa. Wels, Ramsay MacDonald, Tseretelli (the watch Stalinism offers today in place of war, ranging from Harry Elmer Barnea apology for pacifism and pacifists, button.
There is a striking analogy with our and Upton Sinclair to. Moissaye a demagogic attack upon Leninism. This Georgian Menshevik, whose party had winning the masses of reformist workers position contained in what happened at Olgin, and presented by a Communist was the only significance of the speech But Olgin and Markoff, who have the shot down scores and hundreds of rev. In a genuine united front. Roth speech the obscure London Conference of Febchairman for adoption by a Communist delivered by Olgin.
responsibilities of the leadership, even if olutionary workers and peasants audience.
As soon as Shachtman concluded the st was obtained by disemboweling them. Georgia. for the Second international, rom a word of comradely criticism by cial patriots and Centrists, to The resolution, which we challenge the reading of our resolution, the chairman selves, who know that our resolution, far and Crispien, Longuet: Martov, Abram the party speakers. After having heard Lenin Central Committee sent as its party press reprint as it was read at introduced Moissaye Olgin for the job from being a subject for mockery among ovitch, Adler and Baner of the Two and the sharp Communist criticism we made representative, Maximovitch (Litvinor. the Conference. endorsed the whole en of replying to the opposition was highlyent of established Bolshevik ideas, disted front against war and the capitalist Lion, not only consonant with participa war. His report is included in Lenin simple state a Half International to discurs a uni of the social democracy in our resoluto present the Bolshevik standpoint on call sent out by Romain Rolland. In which Olgin is well known to any de played a demagogic scoundrelism which offensive. Isu it strange, Dr. Markton in a united front but quintessential, article of March 3, 1915. On the London other words, the chairman called upon! gree in connection with war and the de is unforgivable. Their labored irony was off, this Socialist declared am glad to Conference Here is a brief, instructhe Communist workers present to enfense of the Soviet Union, is his ardent exclusively at the expense of Lenin. More And do you know, Messrs Olgin, Brow. see that the fratricidal war in the left tive quotation dorse a call which declares that war is support during the last world war of it was at the expense of the revolution der and Markoff, what Mr. Emile Vander wing movement of labor is confined to take the floor and protest against not a question of interest of one na Wilson and his Fourteen Points, and, ers present. Were the counter revola Communists? Whilst we are being told. Socialist movements. By Teatrleidal not having been luvited to the Internato the a few factions in the Communist and the official reprezentative of our party tion, of one close. To endorse a move after the Russian revolution, his faith tionary Trotskyist the danger at the for example that men like Jouhaux, war. he evidently meant our revolution tonal Socialist Bureau. The chairman, ion against war, whatever war it may Jewish Daily Forward, where he tried to ed by the stilling pacifist vapors which or Longuet are serving the interests of was justified. He met with no such rey whose names are known have been in gratification, too, interrupts me and contends that all those be, wherever It may come from, whom convince the readers that Lenin and rose to drug the senses of the workers the bourgeoisie, it is to say the least olutionary criticism from the Stalinists: vited. protest a second time against ever it may menace that is, to oppose Trotsky were not only German spies but Obviously, the latter, for the pacifists of it, strange that these samo men should nor did the pacifists who have been in the fallure to report on the actual reat all of the working class against the democracy in the blood of the people. ment, it is their resolutions which are proletarian interest.
a war the words have any meaning that they were strangling the Russian are the outstanding leaders of the move be invited to take part in the defense of posed upon the Anti War Congress as presentatives. Thereupon refer to our bourgeoisie, to oppose a war of national But It Upton Sinclair, another hero of presented. and adopted with Stalin Olgin, do you see who is the originator But if every well intentioned muddletowards the war and which was sent to Now, Chizen its leadership manifesto which expresses our standpoint against an automatie imperialist oppres. Wells, who played a similar role, are fit minist leader was to center his criticism in rism from a social democrat, a social of the Stalinists, a different atitude was race terms, we should establish with a victorious proletariat against a bourdanger of imperialist war, there is no sor, to oppose a revolutionary war of to lead a movement, now against the on the pacifists and not on Lenin.
geols enemy to oppose all those wars reason why Olgin should be excluded.
In deriding our resolution, the Stalin leaders to speak, permissible for a adopted towards the delegation of the what means we shall strive for them and in the struggle against war Left Opposition. Towards the end of towards that end it must be established which Lenin tried to tench the exploit. Only, one should retain at least a slight Ists not only took up the cudgels for And further do you know what reply the meeting. Brodsky, who manipulated if reneral revolutionary social dem.
ed of the earth to carry on unremittingly. sense of proportion and values of all pacifism, but brought out the graveyard Vandervelde and Confreres received from the conference of the patry with the ocratic basis exists, if we are conferring By this resolution, the Communist the people available in the party to aght of the Communist International those the Communist representative? Radek skill and cynicism common ot the legal is chauvinists, pacifists or as social dem workers were to commit themselves, for Imperialist war and defend the Soviet sorry remnants of sham radicalism declared: profession, suddenly made a motion to ocrats. read our declaration, but the example, against the idea symbolized by Union the course of a vicious at against which Lenin and Trotsky fought. Büt then you sny: If this is so, what bring the discussion to a close. Why? chairman does not let me conclude and the war of the Russian workers and tack upon the spokesmen at the conter such a terrific battle at the Third Con do you want of this Conference, what Beet ure comrade Cannon had sent up his declares that it is not yet made clear peasants against their bourgeolsleinence for Lenin standpoint the selection gress of the Communist International, tactical maneuvers are you after? And name to the chairman to speak in de. if am a delegate and that they 1917 1918, the war of the Chinese people of the man with the least rights of any and in the event of whose victory at will tell you boldly and clearly to your rense of our resolution which stalinist have come together not for the purpose against the imperialists in 1925 1927 or one to speak on the question, was the Congress, Lenin said, the Interna face what you want. You came to this speakers had been given extended time of criticizing the various parties. their war against Japan in Manchuria of the conference of the three Inter the instruments of world reaction, and comrade Cannon rose, as did other de order to establish if may remain.
the Soviets against Pilsudsky Poland in Because of the importance the nationals proposed by the Vienna (Two now, whether you want it or not, you legates in various parts of the hall, to the chairman interrupts me and does 1920 or against the Menshevik Agency Congress Against War. this issue of and a Hall) International, the ultra must be the instruments of the struggle demand if he would be given the right not permit me to put conditions to the of imperialism in Georgia more than a the Militant is being devoted largely to Leftist opposition was represented by for the interests of the proletariat. And to make a concluding defense of the conference. Etc. etc. in almost stup decade aso, concerning this reactionary the New York Conference and other as the Spanish, French and Italian deleck withont confidence say to you: we resolution before the house. The hall ofying similarity to the New York Condocument, the Communist stage manag pects of this movement. Consequently, tions. In their name, Cachin, the pro sit down at the same table with you, was in an organized tumult. Stalinist ference at which the Bolshevik delegates ers of the Conference had only words of we have been compelled to omit a num genitor of Olgin and Co. moved. we will fight with you, and this fight plants sought to shout down comrade were also denied the right to present prale. They sewed their condemnations wer of other articles and other material The enlarged Executive, after dis will decide whether it is a maneuver, Cannon request for a point of infor their standpoint in contrast to that of for something else.
which was intended for publication this cussing the invitation addressed to the as you say, in favor of the Communist mation from the chair as to the property bourgeois liberalism.
No sooner had the chairman announced week. Including next article in the Communist International by the Vienna International or a stream which will un cedure on the resolution. Without pay. Lenin views on the question of war that there would now be discussion from series on Nine Years of the struggle International for the participation in alte the working class. What you do willing the slightest bit of attention to his finally managed to make their way the delegates, thun comrade Shachtman of the Left Opposition. We ask the common conference of the Second, Two decide the meaning of our action. u insistent calls to the chatrman, the latter through the working class world despite up to request the floor to read a substi since the next issue of the Milltant will tionals, decides not to necept. And aftariat of all lands ot fight for dicta admonishing all to sit down and remain men who interrupted. Our views tute resolution. Taken aback, the chair publish the important articles we have ter this motion was defeated. the 1922 torship, we do not expect so much, but silent which we learned from Lenin, which we man replied that there would be adequ been forced to hold over.
Olgins and Manuilskyn declared: It fight for a crust of bread, fight against The elementary right of a delegation (Continued on page 3)
Olgin Irony at the Expense of Lenin bera ole al resolution, undoubtedly draws en interne ween the fiews of Centrism with London in 1915 and of