PAGE THR MILITANT SEPTEMBER 24, 1932 What Happened at the Barbusse Congress?
the honest being a spike Comrade Speaks Cachin Pledge and seu day clas it ex (Continued from page 1)
with the profound conviction that the festo, this charter. this platform, will (Continued from page 1) with these diplomatic, impersonal and Literature of all tendencies and from mulated by a single Congress delegate struggle against war is not upright ex. be an obstacle to the struggle against THE LEADER OF THE HINDU abstract conclusions, what purpose could all organizations was distributed to all Quite the contrary. He lles deliberate cept to the extent that it is effective and war. The party, the trade unions, the BOURGEOISIE OPENS AND have been served by Racamond speech delegates at the Congress. The Daugh 1y. The delegates of the Left Opposition weighs down on affairs.
various committees, will be unable to CLOSES THE DEBATES on the necessity of destroying the nerv ters of Peace and the Women Peace refused to make themselves accomplices It urges the mass, the only invincible engage in a real struggle against war in the criminal contusion of this mani power in the tragical disorder of our except by trampling upon this text, by Special mention should be made of ous system of preparation for war? League distributed their pamphlets. The In the Presidium, the social Fascist anarchists distributed a loatlet against festo, they refused to grant their conta times, to enter with disciplined ranks rejecting the advice of the International the speeches of the former president of ence for the permanent struggle against into this disorder and make its volce Committee, by fighting fiercely to put chief of the Hindu bourgeoisie, leader with Barbusse and the organizers. Atthe Indian National Congress, Patel, deputies Monnet and Planche fraternized the Congress.
But the distribution actively undertaken war to a committee composed of Gandh heard there loudly!
ista, Barbussists, Pacifists and Stalinists.
And right after that, is added. limited program of action of the united of its Right wing Patel came to this ter the categorical declarations of refusal by our comrades of the Declaration of The Official Bulletin of the Congress records our vote as follows: The man has any of it any sense. that it in. There is no other way. It is in this sense (but what sense front with all the workers organizations. congress for good cause, he knew the to sit at the same table as the Social the Bolshevik Leuinists in German, Engpolitical benefit he could gain from it Fascist murderers of the proletariat. Ish and French, twice caused incidents festo is adopted amid delirious enthus tends to have the Committee of struggle to cover himself before the tolling mass the Centrist representatives showed that of such great violence from the functionFor where in this charter is there of India, to obtain in Europe points at the table of Barbusse and Monnet, les of the Dutch, French and German lasm of the Congress by more than 2, 100 against War, which it has formed, work: anything precise and serious about the support for the negotiations of the they themselves were contributing noth parties. that they necessitated the winter votes against votes of the French Trots to extend this labor front throughout the methods of struggle, on the revolutionary Hindu bourgeoisie with English Impering less sterile, nothing more capable mention of the Congress apparates which way, the list of the members for the Here comes the grand:laquent cath that the struggle against imperialism? Now. class movement of the Indian workers proletariat and of causing its struggle, on the tactic and strategy of ialism and to stidle the revolutionary of efficiently serving the interests of the finally, refused us and us alone, the oprevolu portunity to distribute the writings of Permanent Committee of the Congress was taken in common, without the least where you find nothing but badly bloat and peasants. He cared very little with tionary vanguard to advance the Left Opposition.
against War was adopted by more than reservation, by the Patels, the Fontenys, ed literature!
2, 000 votes against the votes of the the Monnets and Bergerys, the General the white uniform of his caste, about THE INTERVENTION OF THE REThe party leaders refuse French Trotskyists.
von Schoenatchs, the Muenzenbergs and united front, that is, one based upon ed his politics. And this policy should the Congress the playa FORMISTS AND SOCIAL DEMOCRATS Our Indo Chinese Let us now examine briefly this char the Cachine: limited, precise proposals, made by the be known to the Communists for whom Congress hall, one bore the inscription: acter on which the Centrists at least made no reservations, The idea of class is totally absent from it, addressed to the responsible reformist gress of the Hindu bourgeoisie and, at its the banner was obliterated. About three on the first day, the floor was given to this manifesto. In our view, in the view of the Marxists, the question of war is Patel of thousands of workers Instead of this bocad, Patel, have already committed acts hundred of the delegates belonged to the comrade ka, delegate of a group of coloof class repression against the proletar. Second International. They stood up nial workers; we here reproduce the es class question, and the role of the they camouflage themselves behind it and its revolutionary militants. And against the cynical boycott of action sence of his speech. proletariat in war la determined by the Each of us here takes a pledge and pseudo united front committees, in con Patel himself did not fall to mention against imperialist war by the Adlers and In the imperialist epoch capitalism character of this war. We are we take it all together. fusion, and they are led to make a bloci the tribune of the Congress. Not Vanderveldes. But they were summoned cannot avoid conquering and fighting against the imperialist war, for the We pledge that we will never allow from above with the enemies of Communclxll war. We support certain national the formidable unity which has been es. ism! These are the facts which no in withstanding, the Congress answered him to sprak only on the confused basis of with guns over the colonial countries, manifestos. which are tremendous sources of raw wars. Each case requires a specific anal tablished here among the exploited and sults, no quibbling, will conecal from the with unanimous chanting of the In Barbusse speeches The director of the Geneva social dem material and markets for the capitalist the manifesto, nothing of the victimized multitudes to be broken up eyes of the vanguard. And the inevitable In his appeal, Rolland, apologist for ocratic journal, the Left socialist Nicole, states.
sort is to be found. Its language is vul We pledge to fight with all our force conclusion is this: for the moment, Cen Gandhi, the man who is disarming the intervenied in a more significant way. In the colonies capital creates a prolegarly democratic and with all our resources against cap trism profits by this indefinite current Indian workers and peasants, saluted politically. He used the language of a tarint and a peasantry which The Congress, it says there does not italism, purveyor to slaughter. houses. started and exploited by it; but in the India which is pursuing with its own left socialist with the borrowed scrape ploits harshly. The exploited colonials itical nuances which may divide the ele all our strength and all our resources to democracy, which will profit by it, in the invincible struggle of liberation. In his Communist ideas: On the basis of such struggle in China, Indo China, India, ments composing it. Thus, between the immediate and urgent tasks, standing hour when the proletarian Communist exposition, Patel, after expressing regret. a speech he was able to declare himself Africa, already honors the names of the Indian bourgeoisie, between the up against. Here follow the gen. ring will be tied. extremt selt amidst the applause of the Congress, in perfect accord with Marcel Cachin Shanghai, Canton, Yen Bay, Western petty bourgeoisie and the revolu eral slogans. from the morass of the Patels and the orer Gandhi, whose place would be so speech. At the same time he urged the Chauri Chaura. To the raising of the Against armaments, against the pre Monnets, and when the social democrats distinguished at this Congress the congress, there are nothing but. paration of war by the public powers will exclaim: There you see how in all that was missing. declared that as reunion of its parties. Extraordinary asperialists oppose machine guns, airplanes (that political unity of the proletariat and the Indo Chinese workers standard the imideological nuances! After that, nothing which ruleus. against chauvinism, sincere they were; they are now breaking for himself India was the central point it may seem, these declarations were and the guillotine, and unite to crush stands in the way of unanimity for hole against Fascisn which organizes the up a bloc which they made wthout ex of the imperialist war langer and, to received with great enthusiasm by the the vanguard, the colonial Communist low generalities, devold of any class civil war. against war budgets and loans pressing any reservations, without out the idea that the end of capitalism is French Communists. Muenzenberg had parties. Of this tyre are the decapitasense.
to Fascist states, against the campaign of lining the limitations, without foreseeing the condition sine qua non of the end of to make some remarks on this demonstrations at Yen Bay, the repression at Vinh, Precisely, the whole of the manifesto incitement against the against the future! And at that moment, the all wars. he opposed the central idea tion imeiliately. But such Congresses the arrest, followed by their death, of 18 a laborious assembling of paragraphs the dismemberment of China, against the workers will feel the brutal effects of of the end of the domination of Ens are not called to dissipate the confusion Guyau Ai Quoc.
caretulis doctored to give satisfaction to exploitation and oppression of the masses Centrist confusion. They will see that land over India. which he interpreted in which Centrism throws its good work These bloody colonial wars are in eterybody, and they bear the indelible of colonial peoples, for the struggle for the Left Opposition was right in the sense of the Hindu bourgeoisie. ing class elements.
evitably accompanied by class war in the mark of Contrism national and social liberation, for the Still another feature of the manifesto Patel Indiented that he repudiates Com Similarly, an intervention by Rosen colonies themselves. In this class consupport of the Japanese workers, for the should be emphasized. The text reviews munism and spoke of the attitude of the reld, leader of the German Socialist Lab. Hict Imperialism guarantees itself, by The Indelible Stamp support of the transport and munitions the international situation and the war Indian National Congress towards it. or arty, remained unreproached. means of the 2nd International fakers, workers, for the struggle by all means danger spots, but NOTHING IS SAID On the eve of the Congress, during a MUENZENBERG SPEECH the aid of the native bourgeoisie and against the impending catwysin. ABOUT THE GERMAN SITUATION! preparatory meeting, Patel had demanded However, Nicole intervention demand part of the pretty bourgeoisie. The Tonof Centrism This is the substance of the manifesto You do find this enormits, that it is Arti for himself a speaking time without any ed a reply from Mneuzenberg, upon in socialist section demands bloody which was adopted unanimously save for cle 217 of the Versailles Treaty which limitations whatsoever, else he would whom, in fact, rested the whole burden measures of repression against the Indovotes, amidst general confusion and is responsible for the rise of German quit the Congress with a statement for of the Congress. Muenzenberg interven Chinese revolutionists, at the same time capitalisten adsordere rand by the way in without a SINGLE COMMUNIST SPEAK: Fascism, but not a line can be read the press At no moment during the tion had the sale of bringing the whole that the faruruts and Icon Blums jure the which it engenders war, which concludes ER HAVING as follows: The Congress proclaim. ENDMENT ON THE SUBJECT: SLIGHTEST RESERVATION OR AM action as the greatest war menace to the policy. Patel served up to the Congress Congress, the discussion can be brought alize the exploitation of the colonials.
that out The whole manifesto is the policy of the class he represented.
this whole state of affairs it to the point only at the cost of a radical Among the reformist tendencies of is the human. masses who are and And now, let us put these questions: vague in this respect. In spite of the When the Congress had concluded with transformation of the Congress. And it the native bourgeoisie, those which the Why this manifesto, this war which is tearing up the ar East, the vote carried by the whole apparatus was exactly this which Muenzenbers did workers have bitterly experienced aro Sun who will be its victims. By the effect of the crists of over production and the charter. this basis for action. which the decisive threat, the knife which is for the ful manifesto, Patel demanded not want Yat Senism and Gandhisin. Sun Yat Sen detective is.
derived by the action of an increasing against war, been published to this day? German, Russian and international pro that he is in no way altered his frossages, Muenzenberg, who was announced pression of revolta he assured himself the Fasen Hitler, the tion and that he still rejected violence, as one of the leaders of the 3rd Inter the aid of French and American bankof labor are crushed, those who were cut alterations, after the fact, are being pre crushing boot of bloody capitalism which The English delegation had to rise national, did not speak the language of ens. After him the Kuo in Tang, with unemployment, etc. the multitude What does this silence conceal? What behar, pared for it?
down by the last war and who for the is writhing in convulsions. The mute against his declaration. Neither this final the 3rd International. Today do not its leaders, Chiang Kai Shek, Wang Chin last fourteen years still bear the sorrows ust meetings, gave a mandate to and au atus to remain silent about this fact. to the Congress. What organizations, what Commun. Stalin compels bis international appar speech nor this protest were translated speak here in the name of the 3rd Inter Wel and even Sun Yat Sen, fulfilled its and wounds of it.
thorized the Communist leaders to vote That is why the Congress directed by national, but in the name of the Con mission as imperialism valet in the gress, whose sentiments am sure ex massacre of the workers in Shanghai the maintenance of artificial (sle) fron. How should the vote without reservations German Communist Party, was able to tlers imposed by the peace treaties. it for the Barbusse platform be designated adopt a manifesto which passes over in the socialist leaders treason in 1914, the of March 26 and January 27. In India, of Communists ambiguous reference to the French dele Gandhi, by his concept of non resistance, gation outburst with reference to takes his share of responsibility for the the enpitalist universe and the Interna.
Nicole intervention, the necessity that peasant massacre at Chauri Chaura. The the sole responsibility, constitutes a cry This confused text was adopted by tional proletariat are passing in the el class ing untruth (sle) which, exploited by a the licensed representatives of the big struggle in Germany, a struggle which remarks, the theater front to whom the by actions. remained hollow As soon as Patel had concluded his the promises given should be followed colonial bourgeoisie, linked to imperialphrases ism in the exploitation of workers, in play of demagogiemysticiam has din part bourgeoisie, of the social Fascist today entirely dominates the problem of chairmanship had been entrusted, Mig. Withont class content, without the party spite of their antagonisms, have intermany.
It is not possible for us to dwell upon from the resolutions of their own parties. tion to say this. And yet, we do not new celebrity. From then on the fate the interests of the Indian bourgeoisie. liberation.
tists, etc. who find nothing in it different Not a minute was granted the opposi. former Catholic deputy from Crem. conclusions. To Patel. Muenzenberg ests which ally them to imperialism in a merely replied that non violence serves the wars of conquest and the wars of each of these phrases. They contain a to vote Jointly with them without re want to see socialist deputies, who vote of the Congress was scaled. No serious ho refuted it with whole world of confusion. Let us mark servations, doesn that mean to make an the war budgets of Boncour, who ap agenda was worked out. The Congress phrases.
several literary The struggle against war can only be out simply the passage that for the Con UNPRINCIPLED BLOC from above, in prove the tactie of treachery of Sever was compelled to confine itself to a sucled by the working class with its van.
gress the frontiers of Versailles are ar the dark of the moon?
Muenzenberg also replied to the left Guard, the Communist International, in ing and Braun, applaud Muenzenberg cession tificial. Are there, then, natural In the whole manifesto, one single when he evokes the sacrifices of the pro Indifferently delivered by literati, mill. He said literally: It is the Trotskyist proletariat allied to the peasantry. The of general speeches, of greetings Opposition the direction of the dictatorship of the frontiers? According to the manifesto, paragraph makes allusion to revolution letarians of Germany we want positions tants, politicians or by genuine fighters fraction which is most active in this con struggle against war has no meaning out.
there are; that is it sinks fully into ary methods of struggle. It is the fol to be taken on point, clear engage from the proletarian front. Amazing gress. He rejected our proposals in a side of the flerce battle for the overthrow petty bourgeois nationalism which simply lowing: the Congress aserts that the ments, so that everyone knows where he speeches were delivered: the autonomist, few sentimental phrases about devotion of the imperialist regime. This struggle reproaches the Versailles negotiators Japanese workers have already showed is going and how with having badly cut up the map of by beroic examples how will get there.
Europe!
against the imperialist war should be such a manlfsto we rejected with in. Nations declare it a duty, not to divide which he reproached Trotsky was his seology and intience of the imperialists Finally, the manifesto takes up its tac conducted, bý standing up against their com our own decare demanding gle of the revolutionary proletariat were er than the party. In reality he tried tional, the nativo bourgeoisie, and (I tierte strugede against an itu pertalls Weber own bourgeoisie. by endeavoring to oppose that it be put to the vote. They refused. nevertheless heard from the tribune in to defend this confusionist Congress hope don hurt Rolland and BarHere is literally what it says on the the production and transportation Yet it substituted for the pacifist Cen the course of the heterogenous and ster against our criticisms, and our comrades busse feelings)s all the petty bourgeois subject. Determined to stand up a munitions, and by opening the eyes of the trist hotch potch the clear thoughts of ile procession: the voice of an Inversor protested vigorously when he distorted pactist ideologies.
it is humanly posible against soldiers themselves as to the rapacious Marxism. It concretized the limited, de don sailor, the voice of a striker from your position.
this march to the abyss which involves character of this war. Naturally, this Anite program upon which a temporary the Belgian mines, of a revolutionary In this fight for liberation the coloall living beings, the Congress des sal paragraph was inserted to satisfy the united front and not a permament bloc) seaman, of Balkan revolutionists, nial workers are assured the active aid vation only in the concerted action of Communists. But in spite of this, it sow could be offered and pressed before the colonial militants. But all these speech of the world proletariat. The dictatorthe workers, the peasants and all the confusion for it does not say that it 18 responsible reformist workers organiza es were included in an endless chain of ship of the proletariat in the exploited and oppressed of the world. a question of utilizing the war to beat tions.
is a vital source of help for them. And that is all. Immediately afterwards the bourgeoisie, to vverthrow the capitalothers punctuated by revoutionary songs victory of workers in the metropolis is added: the Congress declares that ist regime, to substitute the proletarian Let those who greeted the speech of the greeted irresponsible literati.
Let every party comrade reflect upon it. with which the Congress too frequently will give them inestimable support and no other means of struggle against war dictatorship for the bourgeois dictator social democrat, Nicole, with erles of pacifist speaker proposed as against tion, the six delegates belonging to the trist leadership national reformist conFor the balance of the Congress dura vice versa. Here too the Comintern Censufficient.
ship. As It stands, the paragraph may Unity. who acclaimed Rolland, Barthe Sacred Union of War, to constitute International Left Opposition fought enception of socialism in one country is What does this mean to say? We detyl lend to the belief that it is simply a busse, Fonteny. Patel and Co. as theira Sacred Union of those who do not ergetically. They made themselves heard revealed as anti Communist. The colo any sincere comrade, whoever he may be, matter of a pressure upon the national leaders in the struggle against war, pon want war.
to explain this paragraph. Is there in bourgeoisie to bring the war to a halt. der again: the facts will open their eyes. Pressed to explain themselves about held conservations with the workers, sum tendency and will set their sole vanguard, despite the Bureau obstruction, they nial workers will fight this wretched it the slightest serious explanation of And it is just for that reason that Mon. They must demand in the party the re this confusion, the militants of the Commoning the Communist party to define the on the road of the world rev.
the methods of struggle against war? net and Planche, who vote for the war peciation of this manifesto. They must munist party and the revolutionary trade clearly its line Isn it a purely social democratie hollow budget of Herriot Boncour, also voted for force the apparatus to uncover its double unions showed thelr passive skeptleism and proposing concrete objectives of com socialism is impossible and peace 18 principle and action. olution, without which the realization of phrase? Concerted action. What acthis resolution in all tranquility!
tlon? Concerted among whom and whom? Take the text of the recent resolutions ent declaration of the party. Let them, over.
game. They must demand an independ or else replied: We ve got to win them mon struggle to the responsible workers Utopian.
We are not here as Communists. organizations.
By means of which organizations and to of the Second International in Zurich. adopt the position of the Left Opposition, THE COMMUNISTS ON THE TRIBUNE From the opening of the session, when the bourgeoisie and its class contradic At this period, when the crisis of what end? etc. All these questions Do we not also find there the slogan ot contained in our manifesto. Right now. OF THE CONGRESS must be answered. it became obvious that the Congress was tons force the German bourgeoisie to After this, the manifesto adjures the sabotage of munitions transportation, and tomorrow, it is the whole party that Among the French, Cachine and actings, one of our comrades, after having man proletariat, the struggle agaiust war Several Communists orators intervened. engaged in an endless stream of greet. unleash Hitler Fascism against the Gerconscientious objectors to thelr tactics. It speaks of noble dreams. hallow phrases which only serve, in the centrist combinations which run the the whole these speeches appeared to be, to speak on the agenda, demanded from not realize a flehting united front of renounce etc. Don we know that those are we will succeed in snatching out of the mond delivered long expositious, and on vainly asked the Presidium for the right remains dead Letter if the door of unfortunately useless sacrifice. Of as: analysis to dupe en masses. aplendid moral attitude. of herotel How could the Communist party rally vital question of war and peace.
Marxian doctrine of the proletariat in the of organization and of action, transform. his seat the privilege of intervening so workers organizations to crush Hitler methods. Who can explain the meaning to these hollow phrases without a word Parls, September 1932 the attenuation of all formulations, the that the Congress might determine its Fascist and defend the on of this phrase: To the men of character of reservation, of amendment, of critic total absence of conclusions in principles, proceedings in a fruitful manner, consider a class basis.
and courage who preach heroic methods itu! At the inevitable erwent when the NAVILLE of organibation and of action, transform the various doctrinal positions, and con In concluding, Ra hailed the fight unand by accepting for themselves the very Patels, the Fontenys, the Monnets, etc.
ed these speeches into embroiderings on clude with serious results. But when rodertaken by the International Left op grave consequences, it asks to be also will show that they stand in the long THE MILITANT Communist themes: that is, into un Com had gained the tribune, he was brutally position and its leader, Leon Trotsky. with the others. in order to bulld run for the interests of bourgeois demBatered a second claw mall mattermunist acts. For Communist specchce driven of it by the strong arm squad. The applause which first greeted our up, stone by stone, from the bottom, a cracy rather than those of the proletar November 23. 1028, at the Post Omice care distinguished by their conclusions in while Miglioll and Gibarti tried to lec comrade, whose tendencies were still unmassive and collective barrier. lan, revolutionary struggle against war, New York.
Under the act of principles, by organization and hy acture the Congress against these anar known to any one, gave place to the booing of the Communist functionaries. The Finally, the last paragraphs must be what will be the attitud of the Centrists March 3, 1879.
tion: they were wanting in the appeals chistle methods quoted: who united with them on the same platPublished weekly by the Communist of our representatives. How could things Starting with that moment, and during delegates who came in numbers to ask speech was not translated for the other The Congress turns towards the inform?
Lague of America (Opposition) have been otherwise in a Congress held the entire Congress, the united appar: why the end of the speech had been numerable proletariat whose sovereignty The bloc, without conditions or limit. at 84 Last 10th St.
outside of parties? Also, in place of aus defended the proceedings of the hissed. Its appearance in the honest depends only upon conscious organizacations, without clarity, serves only conEDITORIAL BOARD the precise assertion on the principle Congress from our persistent efforts. Congress Bulletin is carefully expurgated tion (and not upon the overthrow of the fusion, opportunist, that is, in the last Martin Abern James Carne line underlying the Communist party straining ceaselessly and in every way bourgeoisie purely social democratic analysis, the social democratic and Max Shachtman Maurice Spector actions, on the concrete platform which possible way to gag us. The Migliol and completely distorted.
thesis. treacherous petty bourgeois leadership Arne Swabeck It should have proposed for the mobili Gibarti Muenzenberg trinity redoubled On the second day, the efforts of our Strong with the mandate confided to Against that, the party must be warn SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1932 zation of workers organizations, Cachin false promises, alternating with threats, comrades caused the apparatus to grant It by a multitude of persons risen from ed, as well as the revolutionary vanguard Vol. No. 39 (Whole No. 135)
all the horizons of the universe and dir. who have been caught in the share of Subscription rate: 00 per year, For mark. We proclaim that seetarianism our omrades, and to try to keep the had credentials from the Greek creant ferent tendencies, but united in the sln. ambiguity and confusion.
de ws. Fronta per here would be a crime against the pro Left Opposition from uttering the opin zations. He said, in substance. It must be asserted loudly: this manicere and ardent desire for peace: strong Bundle rates, st per copp.
letariat itself. Under these conditons, ions of the Opposition to this Congress. Continued on page 3)
Pacifist Speakers and The Opposition at the Congress