Weisbord Reply to Trotsky Letter The Elections in Greece ex Unity Urgent Need of lilinois Miners anders to Of hindrance to the proletarian revolution Congress how. contrary to your opinion toolt place with the obvious result of force the miners to accept the wage cut an Outcome of the Belgian Miners Strike SEPTEMBER 17, 1932 THE MILITANT PAGE bilities, never utilized by the Stalipists, for the large growth of the Communist prurts. In the but certainly also in the light of present day facts and Comrade Trotsky. The communist League of struggle has Statement of the Communist the opposition. comshich the Internations That the most probabile perspective to Left Opposition Holds Aloft Banner of International Communism leading sections of International which we can turn is that the Labor carefully considered your last letter to League of Struggle just now had the opportunity to have party like the Zubatur uous under our orgunization. In considering this The begluning of this year witnessed votes and approached thousands of We cannot be condemnet for being late the war, will be organized mainly as an intensilication of the crisis in Greece workers in the heart of the most reacletter we also had before us the report lullleeeeeeeee lo revising our views when yon yourself of our representative, comrade Albert Ax We see American conditions today (to the inain revenues of the country: The formation of workers councils in We sbord who has just returned from that it was necessary for the commun Dace only recently written on the sul. deliberate more against communism. the prospect of amelioration, sincetionary and in the his visit to you and to the various sects to help organize that Labor party feet, not having mentioned it even in morrow may compel another analysis portarlon of tolace and raisins. dratt Greece is imperative and inust take place tions of the Left Opposition.
What we failed to mulize was that the your first letter to tis.
America de immediately. bccause the result of the We cannot leave this important ques clare that out of the great complex of creased and its main industry, shipping. elections will prove that no party will based on new world events) we can do from the incrants of We are very happy to note tbat friend. Labor party was an amorphous mastion of the labor party without calling social forces leading to the formation or crippled by the lack of world trade.
movement that rapidly became a PARTY, master a parliamentary majority and lier relations have been able to be estah.
Lished and we feel that much misunder that it was more than an integrated ser atteutlon to several errors in the posi a Labor jarty. the primary leading for Premier Vinelos. the famous lackey therefon in the pretense of a Royalist tion of the Communist League of Am. will lie the movement of the working of British and French lungrialinm, vain tallerding has been wiped away and a its of united front but PARTY, orari. The American League, in its last loss to the left on the road of indepenly appealed to his master for a loan in op Eat the bourgeoisie will resort Inactical basis laid for the entrance orllo pil it another way, we failed to reallbesis, has declared that the question of deutlitical class action against the order to me the payments of amortizanuin to the services of the Milltary ize that in INTEGRATING League to put an end to the fragmentary renghunification with the Communist PARTY. rerorining and dual to the Comiticance than in the past. How ean this were to have in it enpitalist elements whol In spite of his dramatie appeals (ou enjoy. The refusal of the Stalinists to ague of America.
ar new letter his first of all. clear munint. We failed to understand that Onition be reconciled with your opinion are primarily concerned in utilizing the hility of Communist dictatorship in co operate with the oppositionists in and can be falls) bis masters did not need this important work places all the blame The ground of a good deal of matter than all united fronts created by the must be that the question of the Labor party haxl Labor jirty. a atinst Communism specific and definite, while Labor party now become decisive for the American And in the way of our mutual comin PERMANENT organization with Toupe adhering to the Left Oppositiour en ir those conscious anti. Communist his serve as they did during the war wuarely upon their shoulders.
elements were dominant, yet the labor and after, when he enthusiatically sup AR. CALDIS.
together and has taken an entirely dictm that rary, an organixation that took the American League helleve that party movement itself would be lehrted the French General Stuff with al Int approach to us. No longer are the masses carries an entirely different the Ruropeanization of American politics ing these very forces destined to over. rew Creek division in order to help our views o misunderstood that we are meaning than ordinary united front. In which you have stressed as imminent throw all and Communist plans To crush our proletarian fatherland; and charged with deriding publishing work in respect your recent article on the will take only the form of mass social coneive of the Labor party primarily as therefore they totally ignored him.
of ist and communist parties as In Ger. a movement carefully controlled by cap The Holshevik. Jeminists (Archio MarxNo longer in the churce made that we are great value in correcting these errors in any. Such an analysis is far from a Italists and formed to meet the menace ist) of Greece issued a Manifesto last connected with Landau in Europe or with the position of the Communist League of realistic approclation of the American of Communism rather than primarily se starch to the party and the working class Lovestone in America. In this respect we struggle.
situation at the present time and is for a spontaneous movement of the workurs outlining the crents that took place in are also happy to note that many of the It is no more the task of the American Cominnist League of struggle wishes pictur the facts. The against the capitalists is to distort the May with a cort Marxinn prognosis (Continued from page 1)
kiven by the elson.
the Amignored by you and thus tacitly repudiary standing between the hourgeoisieme lens important the labor party to make it merely an open question. der to rest effectively the capitalist of party in the Minois coal tields, to make and the proletariat in the form of a ated. No longer, for example is the labor party, than it would have been question will tend to become eren more whether, under such circumstances the fensive. The stalinists refused any kind any decision that the brauch may see charge made that we want have working class.
and more important in the ranks of the cominunists should participate and work of co operation and criminally neglected fit. Such is the leadership that the u blin, that we are opportunist on the for the Chinese Communists within the labor party.
to undertake any sort of preparation. The Socialist party gives the workers.
tection of China, that we belong with che organize the Kuo alin Tang in You care in your statement on the ll who has now, we hear. Joined them the Europeanization of politics Lahor purty question that you cannot or course, as the. Labor party is not Stalinit confld their activities to course, the real purpose of such a de the police many militant cision is to help Walker wis and the Sorialist Party etc. Quite the contrary Chinese politiek and it also historically attirm that the creation of a Labor party or anized yet in America, this is music Oppositionists, and asking the cupitalist con operators to put over the wage cut.
we are clad to learn that though the top, marked progressive step forward to would be a progressive step in the United to the frontiert we wish to call to warten to remove from the prison col. And the leading members of the Socialyour that the American leaders of the American Lagne aidelche Chinese masses and provided an Startes hause you do not know under has taken an un Leninist position on the live every Archio Marxist, including int party in the Illinois coal tields under people who wrecked our headquarters arena for Communism (as indeed it what circumstances such party would whole question of the united front, even some Invalid comrades. Their wole contand clearly the purpose and are loyaland stole our library and documents and might be conceived that even the creation be created. It is also our position as though on the labor furty question there is the creation of artificial barriers ly citrying out the decision of the Xaeven now welcome there wrockers at at of a Socialist party might their meetings, though one of these countries. yet history has decisively tively a progressive step It is not our Anerican league did reach a correct the monitionists.
between the workers of the party and clonal Committee of the Socialist party.
in some well as yours that even if it were objecconclusion.
John Hindmarsh, leading member of leaders had declared that only the rope hown us what criminality it would be duts to help organize such party. ported to you how, contrary to your opIn the meantime the financial crisis the Socialist party in Ilinois and a could be the medinm between us and that if the formation of such a Kuo Mi Tang proclaim its progressiveness, but on the Enton, the American sagte is against the sharpened and Venizelos was forced on benchman of the Walker Lewis machine we acted as agents blowing the whistle or hypothetical Socialist party) were contrary, its insuficiency ambiguity and idea that the Communists in india should April 27th to abandon the cold basis of was thrown out rank and file miners for the police, you have welcomed our due to the actions and propaganda of the Indian National representative and in your letter opened the communist themselves.
the door for entrance into the left op Nevertheless the question goes deeper position. On our art we shall do all we party exists for the sexure of power.
can to join forces with the Lef Oppost. Every worker knows that. To ask him to than a tactical one. The question stands the American League failed to semi dele. Medine the price of foodstuffs to the and go back to work under the Levis First of all we wish to admit that on alve him the conception that the labor polities are we tu America at the present called Los labur organizations outside the ages. The working masses were un member of the Socialist party and Editor serious error in that our group had wwer such a conception paves the way perspective in America is the huge growth orannize united trouts where possible. Ifruction was brewing among the workers, plece of the Walker Lewis Chiron, Houtbe declared in its beneral theses: The for all the monstrous crimes committed of a Communist party putting such preswehore erred on the Labor party queso farmers and state employees and the very active in trying to put over tide member of the Communists at this time especially erica actively partlebate in the life of On May 28 many spontaneous upris Springfield Socialist party and one of the Laborllowever, we must declare that in your Labor party would be organized by car wished that the Left Opposition in Am. form workers councils, but to no avail. there is Jack Itende must not drop the han of a weapon Party.
the American working clan and enter Inks took place in the agrarian sections members of the lawis Walker weale cometter to us we believe you have critic. tallat elements solely of the country trains were halted and mittee that made up the contract which Our error wax serious in that in call over two years, up to very recently, 1x too severely. You must know that against the communist party.
We believe such an analysis is not into all its concrete battles looteilly wants.
The reforints call the miners are now lighting against.
inx for the formation or the labor Party the Communist League of America also correct. Certainly there are great possil (To be continued)
rul Nirike whteh embraced eren Ileed voted for the wage cut and signed we were taking the same error, in a had the same slogans we did on the the State employees. Venizelos was the present outrageous contract. He bas sense, the Right wing and the Comin. Labor party question, changing its thesis tern had made in itx varlour adventures only at its last national conference. Yet forced to win and his successor Pap refused again and again to face the min.
analou the leader of the Workers of Springfield and explain why he did in which it had denied the legitimate all that time, the Labor party question and Parmers Party, got the co operation not carry out the instructions of the role of the arly and had actol on cooltes Wits not considered a decisive one, capof the reformists and called off the gen. miners of Npringfield. Then again, there for the reformists.
Our group had taken the following Opposition and it was not, Itherefore, engaged in one of the greatest and most tion were arrested.
able of barring a group from the left The Belgian working class is at present of the Comunist party and the Opposi wral strike, as was expected. Nqund 11 Adolph Germer. one of the leading 80rous of the British and French foot clalists in the state of Illinois and Editposition because of ibis question that the Com Important struggles it has witnessed for Lesson to the Workers rashed to the Greek watery ready for or of Rockford. II. Labor News He. The Europeanization of American munist League of America or the Inter years. The whole mining proletariat is It was a great opension for the work ut emergency. Passion was re too, is very active in trying to defeat the politie must bring about an inevitable national Secretarint at first rejected col. Ntriking! To understand the full importing claw to learn to see by itselr who loved by the big bourgeoisie 118 Suon as miners in their fight against the comand Imminent development of. is sufficient to the crisis and its danger polnt. Ven bination of the Lewis Walker and the mirty of workers destined to change the then through your letter to us, we have member that the coul mining industry in its defenders are especially for theirlos underton in the premiership coul operators. Stich is the role of the political face of the Historically leveruel that you considered this ques. Helgium is one of the inost inportant of Sonng, who hadn even yet experienced promising to the maskeneral eleverne agents of the coal. operators in the leading members of the Socialist party, such a mass party has taken three forms. tion a decisive one.
a kreat proletarian single They can tion for September all.
namely, a Nocialist birty. Communist In rowwet to this matter of decisire for months, the owners, cucouraged now see lutheneselves what the ser actory after factory closed its gate ranks of the workurs, thel and thus tens of thotinds of workers Communist Party now arises what form is prolable as the are other questions which we consideri leaders athy and consent, were apply young workers with the aim of fightink wert added to the tunemployed list. Even party. and Labor party. The question questions permit us to add that there and supported by the social trade union organizations who pretend Due to the incorrect policies pursued the Goveruinent public works, the so.
next step in the politieal history of the declive and which you should put tol ing successive ents in wages. Most or for their righteous claims, have done working class in the United States, where the American League. To mention only the miuers, moreover, were but working The Foung Christian Workers or entiel productive works, nimel to absorb Shin the party has been unable to unite by the official Communist party leader.
there is at present no max Socialist two of these questions: Is it so deci four or five days week. Notwithstand unixation, numerically the greatest youth part of the unemployed, were discon the miners under the banner of class party or Communist rty and where alve that a League should be num by Ing all the dangers of their work, the organization in Rello. dependent cu time. This unprecedented crisis yet the Labor party does not exist. Hople who voluntarily turn over the miners and their families were literally the Catholle party conservative. at its bra the pretty bourgeulsie also and yet matically trying to build united struggle. Instend of consistently and recent congruas dosu arou think that convinced by the timid and capitulat: fronts with allies, sympathizers and sup There is no question that the great names and addresses of members and driven to poverty and want.
sharjening of the inner and outer connaithizers, subscribers to their per. This situation couldn last and when cenery to mention the existence of wing attitude of the party, it is reporters of the Communists and the Left tradictions of Amerlean capitalism gives to the United States government?
strike in Belgium!
Is it a new cut was to be applied, the strike to orientate itself towards the Monarch wing, in order to deteat the main enemy.
the basis for a tenseness of relationship, not decisive that on such a burning broke out in several pits of the Rorin.
The Young Socialists tried, it must be ixts.
able both Communists al Socialists to Nero question. the American Langue ad cocate the extension of the strike, but, main. Ax in Belgium military service urchist nunched a vigorotis campaign tomatically attack every individual ales of the man which can en question in the Chited States as the age. The trade union leaders did not sold to conduct an anti militarist cam. The popular Party of Tsaldaris (men she American Stalinists, consistently and slow greatly It is a fact, however, that now for close to four years has taken noksing ahead of their leaders treachers compulsory, and all young men und so far is making great inroads in the addrive them further away from Com.
incorrect despite the great and unprecedented officia po dtion, taking the ground tous advice, the miners of the rank and twenty have got to enter the army, and camp of the agrurian masses also.
severity of the crinis and of its effects, must study the question (great con alc, in the local sections of their trade were now obliged to patrul with machium The progressives under Kafındaris and miners to such a point that the miners bureaucratie policy, is isolation from the the American working masses have solation to the struggling Negro massey. wnions, unanimously voted for the strike us in the mining villages, and even to aration Workers and Farmers will not even listen to their proposals.
fought why of hoth these parties or have Certainly all questions can be decal and its extension to the other districts relace the working men like strike break Party are in for obvious On The Stalinists have only one miner who not been effectively reached by them. ive once they are developed and ex. and industries.
er, keeping the mines in repair and the Venizelos Party where formerly they is really active in the new mluers union Such a growth of a revolutionary Compunded upon and brought into general outding coal wagons, the young Social themselvex belonged. Also a new party nuunist party is certainly not out of the relation with the general theoretical not foreseen by the leaders, and it wasn appealed to the soldiers tot to shoot aparea on the politiet rerne, the and he doesn dare to come out openly Agrarian Partyled declare himself ening of the capitalist contradictions must be kept in mind in relation to the them by the lightink will of the miners inist politics have been so diestrom. The big bourgeoisie alms with these. The miners have great forces ngainst As to the Young Comunist, the talents.
Communist party.
and the policy of the Communists nor Labor party question in Amerien Is: is the formation of a labor party inevit.
ombinations to deceive the them, yet the spirit There was no large scale move formists was to follow, and so they did that the Communist party is hardly ex: thoutri able. Nevertheless the existing situation ment for Labor party actually being trying by all means to regain over the intent in Belgium, and its intuence very uses ly drawing the attention of the linols miners was never as great as is such that the American workers will organized and that our error therefore minters the control that had slipped out contined in leed. Many of their leaders later from their severe misery and it is today. They have been winning be compelled to take independent polit wax concerning a contigency rather than of their hands.
being arrested soon as the strike orienting their attention to an election some kind of a victory from the coal.
tual action of their own so as to try an actuality and this made it easier for broke out, they were hardly able to do struggle not based upon the class strug operators almost every day. The strugto counterpose their class interests to us to fall into crror.
Strike Extends any revolutionary work ut all during sle. They exaggerate the possibilities of gle has not yet reached its height. It those of the bourgeoisie and to strive It was never the position of the The strike was extending rapidly. With the strike, this expectally on account of monarchist victory and thus attempt will probably be a long drawn out strug ameliorate their conditions. That such communist League of struggle to behave out any direction at all, the miners, men their acties of Revolutionary Trude to revive the old political passions not sle. Quite a number of the small in political action may very likely take the even remotely as Stalin in acting as the and women, occupled the streets, march Unton Opposition. which hud cut them upon the clay truggle but upon the dependent coal operators have signed up form of Labor yurty can be seen by coolle for the Kuo Min Tang. We have Ink and cycling from one mining village completely off from the centralind or question of the king and democracy with the Progressive Miners Union, yet the great movement for a Labor mrty constantly stressed the necessity and to another, to conne work. In a few days, canizations, The prospexts of Koyalist landslide the key to the whole Illinois mine situawhich prung up after the last crisis in historie independent role of the Communal activity was stopped in the whole And No it appears that it was lett similar to the one of 1920 are not at tion Franklin and Williamson countles.
the nited States in 1921.
It the can break the power of ist party. It was our intention to util. district of the Borinage, the Center and to the young Oppositionists, to lead all likels. The formation of a Labor party at ive the Labor yurty movement for the Charleroi, including the metallurgical real revolutionary action during the The only revolutionary party on the Lewis in these two counties, then the present time would mark a great step bullding up of a strong communist works, glass factories, tramwaymen, etc. strike. But our youth group is numeric political arena is the Communist Party Lewis union is done throughout the forward for the American working class. party that would woon liquidate and etc. and the strike was extending to ally very feeble, and Apart from its anti or Creces, even though it conceals itself country, And believe there is a good This Is true precisely because the premake antiquated the Lahor party rather wards Liege and Brussels. But this mag militaristic action, couldn work separ behind the banner of a socalled Work chance to break the hold of Lewis in xent luation shows it would be formed than that we should become subordin nificent mask movement of solidarity of ately during the movement, but all of our crx and ensants Bloc. In spite of these two counties the conditions under Ot de primarily to the great growth of ate to it. We nerter had the theory that all workers towards their brother miners. comrades were at their place at the the confused and opportunistte form of which the miners of Franklin and W11communism in America which the em hand in hand with the Kno Min Tang was to be brutally cut off by the social silen of the adults.
itx platform the Marxian criticism of it liamson counties must work will force players fear and wish to forestall, but (or Labor party) we would accomplish ist leaders treason whose tactles it all The Opposition, in fact. has done by the Archio Marxists, the Left Opposi the miners themselves to fight. The im.
primarily on tymptom of the beginning the revolution. For is the labor party ways was to divide the working class splendia work during this movement, tionists of Greece are conducting a vis portant thing is to keep the mines that leftward drift of the masses who are was no substitute for Communist in struggle, Indducing it to fight hepar greatly increasing intuence, especial. orous campaign among the workers and are out on strike soll. JOE ANGELO still Illusioned by democracy and still party. Rather have we constantly stress ately for its own special claims. Indeed, ly in the district of Charleroi, one of the poor farmers of Greece. The Stalinista mixled by reformists and who form ed that only hy a relentless fight against as the metal workers arrived at a partial four mining districts, where it is prae have resorted for support to every dis.
separate labor jirty despite the bour. the opportunism embolled in a Labor agreement with the bosses as to their tically leading the whole movement. caulted element in the labor movement Kooixle. Butirely different from 8o. narty would the workers be able to crous wages, and a more promises were through the strike committees And the and some paper untors beret redusere to MINERS! Read cialist party, the Labor yurty in its in over the bridge the Lahor party offered made to the miners, the trade union Opposition having been able to test in to accept the support of the Left op ception in really not Party at all but them, and more to the Proletarian Rer. leaders ordered the men back to work the action, its own capacities and the osition in the election campaign. The LEON TROTSKY an amor hic mits movement. In fact, olution and all workers, except miners, obey revolutionary peity of working Archio Narxists called mass meetings the labor party. in one sense. can be However, since the labor party was el. leing faced with the threat of not clue which seemed so low, can feel con throughout Greece urging the workers fident in the future.
conceived as an integrated series of uni not actually formed we were not able receiving any strike indemnities.
to support the candidates of the Com The Trade Union Question NORA. munist parts and appealing to the party text fronts by which the masses launch to show in practice how entirely differently now, still more than 100, 000 miners Charleroi.
their own intendent struggle against our whole conception and action was are on strike, some of them since more members to exercise their pressure on Communism and Syndicalism th bourgeoise on every day concrete from that of the Right wing their fight in than two months, but the bureancrats to stop this crimiaal attitude.
although Paper Cover: 64 pages: 15 Cents questions. The labor party Finally we must declare our contusion brought to a deadlock and their chance of NEXT ISSUE serving as a warrier to communism yet on the question of the labor party war vetory prently endangered by the soWe are sure that the party inembers Cents in bundles of Ave or more.
Drders from our literature agent in under the print circumstances sets the also due to the fact that the Comintern clalists maneuvers.
in many sections of Greece will follow The next Inne of the Milltant will contain another one of the articles in the revolutionary example of the dispringfield, Illinois Joseph Angelo: masses against the will of its reformist in the time of Lenin had taken a pation From the beginning of the strike, the from Foster Book Store, 410 leaders, on the road to overcoming those similar to ours not only in regard to repression of the bourgeois government trict of Lesbos and thus succeed in winthe series forming the new book on Pollee forces, Germany by coinrade Leon Trotsky, very barriers of refornlein. This am. Great Britain but specifically and con. brutally prevalled.
ning the majority of the working class Vashington Street, St. Louis, Mo. orphie politial mar movement called cretely in regard to America and the armery and troops were massed in the The Only Road. The forthcoming and poor farmers from the clutches of or direct from the labor party serves as an arena with American Labor Party. In the light of inining districts, preventing manifesta chapter is entitled. the rformists and other reactionay ele.
ments. Last year, the candidate of the PIONEER PUBLISHERS in which the Communists can wrest the these specific decisions of the Fourth tions, savagely provoking and even killing The Twenty One Mistakes of masses froin the reformists.
Communist parts of the island of Lesbos, 84 East 10th Street, Congress of the Communist Jnternational several workingen during street riots.
Where we made our error was in con which we believed correct we felt we Especlally fierce were the searches and Thaelmann comrade Achilles Contáros, accepted the New York, ding from these premises, the general could not change our views at least with arrests directed against all those wussupport of the Archio Marxists and suc.
which we still hold to be correct, out a long and thorough discussion with pected of Communism. Several members ceeded in polling one third of the total em1.
ON gend.