Weisbord Reply to Trotsky Lettere Congress at Amsterdam Under Sharp takes on a different form from that of the the present general weakness of the Lat we do not wish to deny that in the course of the new union the BORSCS stop at gress has uncovered fatal wants. Paci must close with unanimous Act, had SEPTEMBER 24, 1932 TIE MILITANT PAGE CASSIE We believe that in the framework of the Left Opposition we shall be able, in a loyal and helpful way, to struggle for that viewpoint which can round out (Continued from last issue)
the work of the American Section and Statement of the Communist been partnered and purchand wrecked, he help it live up to its historie mission. Continued from page 2)
a sign of protest. Molinler, French II The comrades of the Greek or Trotskyist, attempted, by attacks against On the general question of Centrism, League of Struggle we feel that our differences are not very police, etc. Do you believe we could reply of the Left Opposition aid us in this canisations, beeause of police and finan. the 2nd International, to justify his progreat and in some respects are only of servicerece to these provocations without sharpness?
task.
cial difficulties, had to forego sending one posal the unitication of the two interformal character. In giving the name general authority and by that to help it on the other hand never have we taken We cannot close without expressing of their own active members to this con nationals. Moliner speech ended in an centris only to those groupings which to fulfill its reactionary historic mission, a sharp tone to the views of the Inter our warm appreciation for the hospitable ress: they sent their credentials to com indignant clamor. Dima Kopoulos got on the tribunal and the official camp of Communism, we ton of a united front with an organiza ward us in an extremely hostile and un graph and greetings which you have senters grouped around them that we express delegate of the Greek war veterans nor camps of reformism (social democracy for us to raise Into prominence the quee the Secretariat, under Mill, behaved to sentative, and for the autographed photo is in the name of the thousands of work and announced that Molinier was not a us. We are confident that our discus ourselves here.
of any other organization. He protested have used the term precisely as Lenin tion such as the Right wing which in warranted manner.
used it. However here the whole ques America is barren and without masses. On the question of the fight against against Molinier speech in the name of III sions will substantially contribute to our tion seems to be one of name and we However, it is quite possible that crIt is on the question of mass work, Bolshevik Leninists.
formal entrance into the ranks of the war, the Greek veterans, the wounded these Greek comrades. Vigoronsap do not wish to quarrel over that.
the revolutionary workers have a doc plause. cumstances may arise where it will be a most important question to us active What we emphatically deny is the im. advantageous for us to form a united Communists used to field work, whose Communist League of Struggle. trine based on the revolutionary action. It is well to note that the proposal atplications in your statement that we front including the Right wing even very life medium Is the working class of those among them who, when sent in tributed by a slanderous cynie to Molinier 1917 and 1918 Into Soviet Russla, frat actually was made at the Congress. The were concerned to efface the difference where the Party refuses to join or even to which we are indissolubly bound, it is ernized with the Red Army which proposal was made by Nicole, and it rebetween the official party, the Right wing nghts it. Here again it is the concrete on this question that we most heartily breathed life into the Communist anti ceived the vigorous applause of the traction (Lovestone group) and even the circumstances that decide. The fact that welcome your statement: am ready to war concept: the transformation of the French delegation. As for Kopoulos American League and the further state the Communist League of America fino admit that your group would be able in ment. This makes it easy for you to ally was forced to organize such a uni that respect to complete the work of Attack imperialist war into a civil war, under provocative speech, it was an impudent the guidance of Lenin and Trotsky.
remain in an eclectic position and defend ted front (Marine case) is proof of the the American League. What an enorslander which had to be disposed of imyour right of a bloc with the Lovestone correctness of our position. On the convocation of this con mediately before Miglioll. Justice was mous difference between this statement (Continued from page 1)
gress, we consider that it can have posl dealt out by the Credentials Committee group.
In our general thesis we have declared and the attitude of the leaders of the here clubbings, heating of women and tive results only to the degree to which which could not and for good reason is that we do not distinguish between the right that the Communist League of America Communist League of America? It was children and intimidation of all kinds it can disengage itself from these de contest the credentints of the Greek or wing and the Party. We consider our. also was a Right wing organization. We this false view of the leaders of the Com. are rife, a reign of terror similar tcbates, we think that peace depends on anizations. After this speech, Barbusse selves a fraction of the PARTY and not reuchied this conclusion on the basis of munist League which more than anything Britain Blacks and Tans during the civil war, that civil war depends of the Right wing. In the very begins its first thesis and actions. Since theelst, we believe, has alienated many Irish revolution. The bosses well know the proletariat capacity for action, and he was opposed to the action and innd ning of the organization of our tendency, time of our criticism the Communist honest workers and Communists from that to lose these counties will change that this capacity for action depends undertaken falling under the power of any in January 1981, in his debate with one League the picture of the miners, will bring the basically upon the unity, the strength party or fraction of a party. This erica has in correcting its past errors but its genIn this connection permit me to stress miners from the defensive to the offen and the correct orientation of its van speech, which signalized the obliteration of the American League, our representa eral practice, its methods of correction, the fact that the leadership of the Amersive and open up a new phase of the guardd. That is why we assert that it of the Communist party in the anti war tive declared. It is true there is a difference between its last general theses, its present un scan League in pursuing the sectarian class struggle. In all towns, mass meet is the duty of the which was born struggle, the French comrades, in their the Communist party (Stalin Browder principled internal factional Asht, etc. policies (sectarian in the worst sense of lines are being held and when the peak in the struggle against the socialist be blindness, applanded as hard as they Foster faction) and the Communist Party show that it has a long way yet to gº the word) has been fullty not merelyers call for a return to Franklin Co. trayal of 1914, to take the initiative in conta summoning a common congress of all THE CONGRESS APPARATUS RUNS (Majority group) Bucharin Brandler. really to deserve being part of the In of failing to apply principles which it there is vociferous applause did not theoretically deny, but of The Leland Hotel in Springfield is the proletarian organizations, in order to AWAY WITH THE FINAL VOTE Lovestone faction. These differences ternational Left Opposition.
can be summarized broadly as follows We wish to raise the general question: gross theoretical errors as well, errors headquarters of Lewis and his open gun make the masses decelved by social paOn the last day of the Congress, the The official Communist party has is it impossible for a group to agree totally in disharmony with the Left Op men who are imported from all parts triotism and pacifism come over into the more members, more good militant light certain formulate of the Left Opposition position and which only strengthened its of the country. Six striking miners were camp of defeatism and civil war. This sequence of speeches was brusquely inshot by those thugs at Braidwood Thurs road outlined by Lenin and Trotsky 18 Presidium was going into session. The ers who must be won over, has more in and yet all these formulae with such a false line.
fluence in the radical movement, etc. Right wing content as to nullify them? In agreeing with you that we can com day as they were sitting by the road the road we urge.
The opportunism of the Communist party Such situation can readily result from plete the work of the American League side. In their frenzy at the growth of In the series of debates, this con manifesto drawn by Barbussc, who was convinced in advance that the Congress flsm must be condemned and those who Majority group. The tempo of Opposition. Under such conditions it is of existence we hare made some serious nothing.
The From New York, while Lewis was intend to defend the with their been distributed the night before fers. These differences the Commoruulst international declarations and yet annul example on the Labor Party question negotiating with the anthracite operatives must be separated from those who presidium just barely brought itself to League (Opposition) must take into con them in their national practice. our mistake in alowing the impression toors to put over a 25 reduction in the scek notoriety by talkin about its de to ratify the agreement between Patel sideration. Its tacties must be to stress It is not correct to say that our seri get abroad that we wished a bloc with wages of the hard coal miners, he sent tense a The Weakening of capitalism the and Mueneznberg, between Madame Duc the winning of the ranks and Ale of the ous charges against the leadership of the the right wing, and our mistake in 18 no hand picking him as president of a locall of the are subordinated to hene and Cachin, between Fonteny And Communist party for there are the prin Communist League of America, which ing on certain questions the great critical Katayama. Barbusse read the docucipal ranks of the militants today. we believe are based on facts and which activity already done by the Left Ophere. The telegram was most laudatory that What we wish to affirm is that Stalin we stand ready to prove when necessary position, etc. and in our practice How of Rohanan fare qualities, honesty, in the creantentions we represent as which had never censed to protest against on the whole a form of centrism that is League of America made us an enemy nize that on the whole we are part of Only it didn work. Bohanan came dentials to the Congress to two men meifist confusion of the proceedings, was to the right of Leninism, in spite of of the International Left Opposition, the Left Opposition and belong inside it with the telegram to the head whom the repression against their in grouped around the foot of the tribunal, ultra Left zigzags, and is moving toward Quite the contrary, it was because we You write that we must keep clearly quarters saying that he couldn be brib transigeant revolutionary struggle has where it vigorously demanded a discusdenied admittance to this Congress.
Reformism. The fact that Stalinism wished to further the interests of the in mind that the road to the Internationed. Lewis has but few tricks left.
sion and the reading of the resolution it that we al Left Opposition leads through the rests upon the Soviet bureaucracy stin International Left Opposition One of them was for several years had submitted.
The Militant is playing an important Certainly comrade American League. We to Paris. have always role in this battle. It is the only rev. Soviet Russia ambassador tied to the workers by the frame of the made this criticism, It was surrounded by the strong arm proletarian revolution in the Soviet Union Trotsky. you must recognize that with fought for closer relations with the Am olutionary organ with a correct policy bat. French imperialism, the bloodhound squad, which endeavored forcibly to immeans that on the one hand this cenout a congress, without a strong and erican League. As long ago as Decem in the field. The more militant and Lett of the counter revolution, demanded his prose silence upon it. In the tumult, they trism has a more permanent base than authorative political bureau, the Interber 31, 1931 we made the following prowing miners peruse it and fight for the recall because Christian Rakovsky signed proceeded to a rote by show of hands Opposition has not pressed posals to the American League: the ordinary forms of centrism which national policy it proposes, one that the new una manifesto urging the conversion of im. The comrades of the Left Oppositon, are by thelr very nature ephemeral and its sections sufficiently to carry into efl, That Joint membership meeting ion must follow if it is going to march perialist war into civil war.
arrayed in vigorous protest, demanded transient, and that, on the other hand, it rect its principles that the sections must be held to discuss the differences between on the road to victory by broadening The second was Lenin in the negative vote: the six votes of the will be a tendency capable of movements behave as Communists sections in the both organizations.
the united front as proposed by the arms in the decisive moments of 1917 Left Opposition were the only ones cast of yielding to the pressure of the work struggles of the workers, and that pro That special place be allotted in Communist League of America. The Left Trotsky, who vitalized the proletariat against the Barbusse manifesto. The ing class and thus having leftward xl paganda must be put forth not in actie both the Class Struggle and the Militant Opposition is continuously gaining in answer to war by organizing and lead delegation immediately submitted a state ng peculiarities, It we ask whether Bureaucratic Cen participation in the entire life of the groupe.
of Communism aloft. The task would These two names, the names of thou delivered before the entire Congress, were trism is more to the right or to the left proletariat. That opportunity be given in the be easier but for the blunders of the sands of Russian Bolshevik Leninists recorded in the Congress Bulletin and in of the Right wing our answer must de In this respect permit us to state that Forums conducted by both groups for Stalinist bureaucracy. Despite everything are the expression of the program we Monde. Up to this very day the official pend on a concrete analysis of the given we have endorsed the organizational speakers of each group to state their we forge ahend. CARMODY. urge upon the Congress Loyalty to Lenarty press has concealed them from the time and place and set of circumstances statutes worked out by our representa positions.
inlsm.
workers. This vote is the first wound and not on an abstract generality Certive, comrade Weisbord, during his dis4. That both organizations cooperate RUSSIAN BULLETIN Every word of Molinler speech was from which will ultimately perish the tainly it would be most mechanical and cussions with you and that we are send as closely as possible in all united front The two latest issues of the Russian clearly heard. The consistent Communparalyzed confusionist apparatus for the formalistic to declare, as the American ing you further a special report on the activities and rally to mutual defence Bulletin have just arrived. These are ists of the French delegation, who had action of the proletariat against imperialLeague has done, that everywhere Stalin condition of the sections of the Inter when attacked by capitalist forces. numbers 28 and 29 30. Both numbers acclaimed or tolerated Patel and Dahlet ist war and against the capitalist class Right wing. The problem is not quite tain recommendations that we believe can only to separate Communism from Men with the latest developments in Soviet of the Left Opposition; they drowned out Muenzenberg Congress, the same in Sweden as in Russia, in Ger old the situation.
shevism as a whole but to separate the economy, the situation in the Communits end with hisses.
many as in America. dialectical ap Finally we must declare the actions Communists of the right from those who ist International and the activities of the The slanderen Bulletin of the Conproach to this question must be a con of the Communist League of America adhere to the views of the International We ask all comrades to send their or gress relates this speech as follows: crete one. Molinier, who had credentials from have materially contributed to the sharp Left Opposition. In all united fronts ders in immediately, since there are only In regard to the question whether the ness of our criticism. Our collaboration where other labor organizations are pre a limited number of each issue on hand the Greek wat veterans, despite every efVOTE has to COMMUNIST!
further away from Marxism than Left us when our class enemies attacked us, a unified policy agreeable to both groups letin should be acompanied with cash. succeed in making himself heard above Socialists this depends on concrete clr we have been ridiculed in a most vulgar and to act as a unit.
The price per bulletin is twenty five cents. the uproar which the assembly made as cumstances in which we must examine (a)
the direction. b) the tempo. c) the distance covered by the different groups, the peasant producers. The great feudalwere caused by floods, droughts, frosts, state religious purposes, the actual pow.
on the roads which they have elected to fords, the heads of great clans, called typhoons, volcanoes, insects. but the er passing over to the new militarists of travel. You yourself declare that under daimyos numbered 437 at the end of the suffering was due to the low stage of the successful clans, the Choshu and the a normal regime in the Comintern, Right era. Thare were 420 300 samurais or social organization, a stage in which Satsuma in particular. The daimyos and wing Communists would not be expelled military retainers whose familles and ease of communicaton is not desired and the samurais of these clans formed the from the Communist party, and it is a Its Rise from Feudalism to Capitalist Imperialism servants brought the number of non roads are made impassable to prevent new bureaucracy that ushered in capitalmoot point to be determined concretely producers entirely dependent on the lords invasion by neighboring enemies. Des ism under the leadership of feudal lords.
whether the fact of the expulsion of the and the Development of the Proletariat to well over one million. The entire peration often drove the peasants to rlot Feudalism was abolished but the lords, Right wing, etc. has forced it into such population numbered 27, 000, 000, the vast for rice. Fifty such riots are recorded. now peers of the realm, retained most a position that it can no longer be taken By Jack Weber majority peasants.
Five rlots of national scope occurred of their land and were compensated by back into a Communist Party or consi.
When Marx and Engels issued the rival military lords struggling for sup Despite the tense exploitation the between 1830 and 1846.
bond issue for the small part relin dered nearer to us than Socialists. Communist Manifesto in 1848, Japan remacy. His family, the Tokugawas, suc peasantry, the daimyos, with tew excepSuch poverty and misery kept the quished, and the samurals were granted And here we must energetically emphasize the fact that we have never proshut in as a hermit nation to hold back among the weltering mass of was still in its dark ages of foudalism, ceeded in maintaining the great peace tions, could not maintain their establish population stationary throughout this a state pension as well as a sum of feudal ments without defclts met by borrowing period. It is recorded Indeed, that due money outright. Feudalism was abolish posed a BLOC with the Right wing the threatening Inundation by rising ntoms until the Emperor Restoration from the rising merebant cina. Pre ing the first decade of the 19th century led but military dictatorship remains to (Lovestoneltes. meaning by a bloc a gen tide of world economy. Today we must in 1868. Simultaneously with the estab by the simple expedient of confiscation 1, 400, 000 due primarily to deaths by polls and so from 1808 to 1912 the quently enough the debts were wiped out the peasant population decreased by this day. To the victors belong the eral value alliance. In our thesis we Wrote: In the meantime the amplify the first sentence of the Manllishment of the Tokugawa shogunate the of the entire wealth of the rich merchant. starvation, altho a small part of this de general issuance, a scant sixty four years after end samurats of the Choshu clan had comconscript munist groups can work together on con. Japan, the spectre of Communism haunts tion of the cannon and the musket was debts of samurais null and vold in 1716 districts only boys were raised and in variably the senerals have been chos to effect united front so that all Com the beginning of the modern era in traders and missionaries. The introduc genral repudiations of debts were com to the towns. Under such conditions in plete control of the modern tion of the Communist character of each spectre has materialized and taken on with European civilization that aroused group. This will also help to re establish flesh and stands with a foot in either the tears of the ruling class for its pre up side by side with the barter economy. of every habiles. Near Nagano the to play second fiddle because of a premamass work, to resist the violent tactics continent, so that even as Japan reaches servation. One result of the trade with The money sconomy whose beginning large rock still stands where old women ture attempt to invade and annex Korea, power, the buccaneer merchants was the rapid traced back many centuries in Japan, past the age of usefulness were exposed orn navy. Almost every admiral has been a Satsuma. With minor exceptions these Communist group on a correct path. world economy already includes within draining of gold from Japan in exchange secured a firm hold through foreign to die.
When, some time later, Lovestone is itself at least the framework of a more for silver, the ratio between the two side by side with it up to 1875 when the The Restoration clans contributed between them the memsued a call for Commanist Unity we advanced stage of society.
The most powerful rivals of the Tok bership of that extra constitutional body.
replied (Class Struggle Vol. II, No. 4, April 1932. But first of all we want Under the direct influence of the in sixteen in Europe. Shortly too the sllystem of expressing wealth in terms of ugawas were the wealthy Choshu and the Genro or Elder Statesmen, who do to ask Lovestone: FOR WHAT do you dependent reality of world economy. ver was in danger of exhaustion as Japan bushels of rice was abandoned. In fact Satsuma clans, both near the seacoast not sive counsel but dictate his polley want to unite? To fight the organization Japan, the last of the powers to abolish had little to offer in trade except copper. trade had not ceased with the decreeing and both of whom has learned more of to the Emperor. True, elements ocracy exist today in Japan but it need only be recalled that the male workers erywhere? To destroy the new unions capitalist powers. The unprecedented entire identional basis of feudalism and exported from Japan a total of 100. 000. groups in Japan. Just before the aboll Tower 25) were granted the vote only in 000 lbs. of copper. At the end of the tion of the feudal system the Satsumas Such as the textiles To cover up the speed with which this process occurred when a Portuguese sea captain frankly 18th century they were still exporting had imported the latest cotton spinning 1926, exercising this right for the first elsewhere is it for this that you want geois writers who attribute the success the advance guard whose function. It then sending to China from Japan 1 land, thereby starting the first great in by the military bureaucracy at the preand the other opportunists in your shouts foresight of its ruling class. An exam so that the Portuguese could step in and sive feudal lords were enriched by en revolt for the overthrow of the decadently conceals the mailed fist. Under the unite. Are you not like Kautskyes of Japanese capitalism to planful was to undermine the existing authoritmillion lb. a year. Several progres dustry in Japan. These clans headed a sent time. The shadow government hardfor unity without specifying on what pro Ination of this planned economy will rule, the shogun promptly close the aging in this trade.
gram and on what basis. throw light on the present relation of country to all but a limited number of Tokugawas and for the restoration of Constitution the Minister of War practi.
The Peasants the Emperor, nominal overlord for many cally controls the cabinet. By resigning Is it not clear, from these quotations forces in Japan and will serve to con Dutch and Chinese merchants, at the Terrible as had been the lot of the centuries, around whom had grown the he forces the resignation of the entire that in our struggle against the terrible ned economy. picture of foudal and any Jap who tried to leave the country sufferings became indescribable during wittingly, Com. Perry, by his visit body) since no cabinet is permitted to trast Japanese with Soviet Russian plan, same time decrecins a death penalty for peasants before the Tokugawa ora thele usual numerous myths of divinity. Une cabinet (or parllamentary administrative disintegration taking place within the ranks of the Cotnmuniste, that we propost feudal Japan will not come amiss The Tokugawa Shogunate (1603 to 1868) this period. Even in normal times, the helped these clans end the shogunate.
function without a Minister of War who posed a united front not with the Right as a starting point.
The feudal system is essentially a form peasants did have enough to The New Militanist Bureauerney must be either a general wing alone but with all Communist The Feudal Period of military dictatorship over peasants. They ate the cheaper grains and potatoes, Lengthy as this historical outline mey No general or admiral will consent to groups, and not a general vague alliance, When in 1853 Commodore Perry knock. Its economy is a barter economy and, in and very seldom tasted the rice they appear, it is essential to an intelligent become Minister without the consent of but only on specified concrete questions ed at the gates of Japan with his cannon the case of Japan, its wealth was reckon produced, for it was taken away as tax, understanding of modern Japan. In the his contreres. Per contra the Minister of Further it is recognized by everyone balls in the Bay of Uraga, ordering them ed in bushels of rice. Takimoto states and what little was left them had to be Tokugawa regime, control was exercised War need not resign with the rest of here that in a number of instances we opened in the name of the rapidly ex in the Economie History of Japan that sold to get necessary money. Under by a feudal bureaucracy with the Em the cabinet. In short the military clique alone actually fought against the right panding American capitalism, he found in the latter part of the Tokugawa era feudal economy crop shortages were the peror as a figurehend. With the much form a class apart, responsible only to wing when the Communist League of Japan in the rotten ripeness of a stag the annual production of rice was 143, most frightful calamity (Just as over heralded Restoratior of the Emperor in the Emperor, that is, to themselves. These America was not even present.
nant feudallam. More than two centur 322, 000 bushels of this amount 102, 308. abundance for the market is contra change in form but remained exactly the glaring contradictions in Japanese demWe are in accord with you when you les earlier new shogun (the Emperor 000 went to the feudal lords. The Tok dictory capitalist calamity. From 1890 same in essence, as it had to since the ocracy became the focus of attention in write To conclude a bloc with the Love Chamberlain) had brought to a close the ugawas assessed a 50 tax on the reto 1840 there were 22 famines very de ruling class had not changed. The Em the Invaston of Manchuria and China.
e group would mean to augment ita period of perennial warfare between mainder, Raving 20, 476, 000 bushels for structive of human life. The faminea poror still remained a sigurohead for (To be ocntinued)
JAPAN