THE MILITANT. WORKERS OF THE WORLD.
UNITE Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America Opposition Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 East 10th Street, New York, Entered as second class mail matter, November 28, 1928 at the Post Office at New York, under the act of March. 1879 VOLUME V, NO. 42 WHOLE NO. 138 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1932 PRICE CENTS Zinoviev Expelled Again THE NEW CRISIS IN THE Right Wing Wins at Gillespie Mine Workers Conference Lytton Report Aims at Partitioning China nel centre come alertes because of Some Lessons of the Hat eu des this retreat the true revAmong the Imperialist Bandit Powers Gillespie Conference New Expulsions Denote Dangerous Crisis for Stalinist Regime SOVIET UNION For the second time in less than five against the Right wing Bucharin Tomyears, the former head of the Communist sky itykov group in 1929. Fiually, there What is the significance of the New International, Gregory Zinoviev, and the are the professional capitulators of the Expulsions in the Russian former chairman of the Russian party Leningrad school, Zinovies and Kamenev.
Communist Party?
Political Bureau, Leo Kamenev, have Whut common fine these disparate elubeen expelled by the ruling fuction in ments might have, it is diflicult to say.
Come and Hear the Russian wrty. The cublegram from Whether we have here a repetition of that MAX SHACHTMAN Miners Militant but Small Left Wing Fails to Stop 00 Day Scale Adoption the Inprecorr to the otticial party press hopeless venture undertaken some time leaves everything in obscurity, as is to ugo by the socalled Right Left Bloe of ARNE SWABECK be expected. From its own interual evid Syrzoy and Lominadze, Is also a de Thursday, ACTOBER 20, 1932 P. GILLESPIE, ILL.
The rogressive Miners constitutional convention, just concucs, only one thing is cleur: the charges claration which requires further details at OUR NEW HALL ilgainst Zimovies and Kamenes, as well for its confirmation.
The first convention of the Progressive Miners of America cluded at Gillespie, lll. had belore it, is its main job, the 126 East 16 Street as the other twenty two party members has ended with the acceptance of the Walker Lewis tive dol matter of luying a militant auton foundation. Second in orThe Crisis of Stalinism lar wage scale.
der came the question of the wuge scale. The breuk with who were expelled along with them, are typical product of that disloyalty and posal for the content assertion that the But enough information our This is the result of the political confusion existing among the decrepit Lewis Walker clue, which led to the formation st the leadership, and the lack of an organized Left wing occurred The Regular Open Forum Season in rudences for which Lenin stigmatized of the rogressive Miners of America, ostensibly New York Begins on Friday, which can be placed on the heads of our official Communist over the issue of the betrayal in the former of the basic Stalin and demanded his removal from latest news from the Soviet Union speaks volumes about the insoluble crisis of the October 28, 1932 party. The militancy of the rank and ble still exists. They 10 day wige scule. In reality, of course, it bad a far the post of general party secretary.
Stalinist regime. One fact alone: Zinraise no cry of botrayal or sell out, and in all probabllity more deep going cause. Nevertheless the question of the The Counter Revolutionary Plot oviey and Kamenev, who capitulated so THE NEW MINERS REVOLT will change the existing temporary leadership at the coming Wage scale, the manner in which it found its solution at Is it possible to believe that the ex. Pitifully to the Stalinist machine at the Speaker: elections in December of this year. They will replace the the convention and the consequences which will blow from it pelled twenty two were actually engaged since that time disavowed or swallowed 15th arty Congress in 1927, and have in the future, ure of real im vortune.
present leadership with militant fighters, who will more amJAMES CANNON ply mirror the degree of militancy displayed by the miner It is in respect to this that we can say contidently that but what the party press, without the their opinions for a party card and that Auspices. New York Branch, Communist since the 15lt began.
the correctness of the tight made by the delegates of the slightest League of America (Opposition) An indeluiteness and overcautiousness, due to the Red Let wing, by Allard, Fraser, Steed and others against a the dissidents, atreudy glibly denounces contemptuous toleration shown them by (Continued on page 3)
retreat will be more than vindicated in the future. The as it counter revolutionary conspiracy to was baiting campaign carried on by the bosses and reactionaries, were high water marks during the proconvention, however, concluded by ac overthrow the Soviet power and re inceedings. This was evidenced by the cepiting the reduction to the 00 day troduce cuplullsm. Still less worthy of advice of Claude Pearcey, temporary Nale, recorded in a vote of 18 to 47.
our credence is the charge that Zinoviev un Kamis, however wretched their radicals who are trying to cause dissenolutionists and the proveu militants in political course in the past few years, sion in our ranks, and whose only aim the field will know their duty. Their knew of a real counter revolutionary is to sinash the union. This polut was symptly, their warnest und unstinted pilot and failed to inform the party of taken up by Joe Ploek of Benld, who GILLESPOE, ILLsupport, their every ounce o energy and its existence Hardly a duy goes by without some instead the existence of a strong com The whole affair, we are prepared to report or other regarding eugugements munist movement.
spoke of brotherly love and an equitablo share in the products of labor. The first convention of the Progressive ability of sucritice as well as their remay even without the more detailed in between Chinese and Japanese troops in The report does not stop there; it cou formation which we know will shortly Mauchuria. Japan, by the ruthless exter tinues by suggesting a solution inter brief sketches of the other leaders.
The Militant in former issues has had Miners of Americu has just ended. It sources of strength extends to uu bewas a rank and tile gathering with a longs to the cause of the new union.
be available, smacks of those despicable mination of all opposition, is attempting national cooperation. The American The miners, disliking the acceptance of Noahs ark of politicul tendencies. The That we can atlirm even with the knowThermidoriul amalgams produced in the to consolidate its positiou in the terriand British imjerialists seeing in Japan the new wage scale, are mighty glad to convention adopted a constitution and proledge that the future course of the unlou Calot yet be foreseen. We know far there Ist workers that the Opposition was allied ation, utting up a site resistauce, the Japan invasiou of Manchuria are un by John Lewis and John Walker. Wits quite a number of delegates who will and determination of the rank and with Chamberlain and Chiang Kai Shek Chinese are nevertheless being slowly able to attack too strongly the actions of the miners are jubilant that no president were formerly members of the National Ille lu have forever done with the corand that the most trusted leaders of the subjugated.
ist agents of the by gove days. They October revolution Shehe rivalBut the hand of the United of the can hold office more than Miners Union, the conveution refused to ruptionists, lakers, grafters and capitalwere working to it was to investigate the present con states is obvious even in the mild attack two years, and feel that the agreements seat the National Miners Culon delegates have takell housures to drult their con bet lace with rate collier lu 1927ditions in Manchuria, and to suggest ac that is levelled agaiust Japan. We thus entered into are only preparatory for of six. It would be wronto createstitution sous to give the utmost posel.
of the fact that counter offensive in the near future. To the impression that the refusal to scatole guarante against repetition.
It The Dally Worker reports that those created by the League of Nations some the government of Manchukuo (Henry Puward that end, the militant Left wing the delegation was victory is it uniou belonging to the muluers and expelled were in counter revolutionary time ago. On October the lengthy and II) was forced on the Manchurian puo workers are at the moment preparing.
for reaction. The reason for not weatgroups. which crafted programs op ing Yoluminous report was made public. The using the party and almius at restora. commission being dominated by America and would collapse should the Japanese forming in its entirety to the class char: and false policies pursued by the stulinple against their will, by the Japanese, The preamble adopted, while not con the delegation expressed it. It can become the harbinger of a real self mostly against the blundering tactics militant national coal diggers uulou.
tion of capitalism and kulak power, and Great Britain, the content of the troops be withdrawn. Does the report acter of society, demands that the work ixed Communist arty in its work in The Left Wing Position lissolution of the Soviet and collective report could very easily have been pre. therefore demand the unconditional with The rogressive Miners of America furns and the granting How coustitutes a serious challenge to concessions to cupitalists. The Huality con dispatch to the New York Times of Hardly. It points to the need for a lor West Frankfort, for a National Min mportant dicted. As a matter of fact, a Washing drawal of the Japanese bluejuckets or receive the full social value of their the Illinois coal fields.
That the convention was imbued with the rule of corruption and servility to lid certitude with which the journalistic October emphasizes the similarity beforce capable of coping with the so calledors Unity Convention, to be held on some internationalism is proven with the the operators of the Lewis Walker com, van to pribut which not merely by their subserviency, but also states in the past, and those of the Lytton the creation of an international police met curried which left the date to the solidarity with the first workers repte faced with a serious combat to surBut it will by their complete ignorance of the facts report.
force to oppose this danger. There discretion of the executive board.
in the case.
The truth about the situation that has itself only to the question of Japan and order to the safety of capital already inThe report does not however devote porters stress the importance of law and The made a plea for unity, Soviet Union and the establishment of vive, to strengthen itself and to grow.
It is from this point of view that the book revealed with such breath taking the invasion of Alauchuria. One even vested, and that to be invested in the which was turned down on the pretext large scale credits to the Soviet Union. xht made by the Left wing against a It adopted a preamble which vaguely abruplness is more closely approached by sets the feeling that the above questions future. It recognies that should Japan De that the never won any batthe report printed in the orgau of the sort of occupy secondary position given a free hand to establish its own tles. This, the leadership thought, was recognizes the classrussle and a clausewage cut retreat assumes enormous sly Left Opposition in France two weeks Throughout the entire report the danger law and order. it would nean the virenough to prevent unification forget in the constitution which provides that nilienee. There was serious substance to the arguments made by Alex Fraser, yo: Ahort time ago rumors begun to al menace of Communism is stressed. tual exclusion of the other imperialists ting the great battles fought by the officials can only hold two terms as of showing that under the 16. 10 wage scale circulate about dissension at the top of the spread of the Communist movement from the enormous Manchurian market. in Pennsylvania, Ohio and Kenticials and then must go back into the ancout in coul markets; that the operators deep kolu turn bout face to the Right Ber to the bourgeoisie, and they mince to demand international cooperation policies of the leadership, would have not be over 1, 700 a year and quite could afford to ply the 10 was dethe party: the barbingers of a new and in China represents a real and live dat: The opposing inperialists are thus forced tucky, which, if not for the incorrect runks; that salaries of the officials call the Illinois operators had gained permade the birth of the unneces few other improvements over have been perceived: furthermore, the no words in expressing their opinion on and the creation of an Internatioal consaryThe. made another mis United Mine Workers constitution which monstrated by more than 100 independrumors were recorded in the Letter from the subject. There is a new menace, stabulary as opposed to the Japanese take at its first convention by not joining will give more power to the rank and file with the of prior to Oct.
3; loscow (printd in the Militant a few which had its origin in China in 1921 marines only.
hands in unity with the and put of the union, that it was not the PM of but the the report.
In discussing who, ting all groups to the test of sincerity. The wage scale adopted was the same Belleville operators who had called for sus back bilishe alisiteltat frommene In that country. the report continues, started the war (Sino Japanese) a thou Frank Borich, secretary of the that the Lewis Walker machine tried to the scale conference which showed their Humanite simply denied the report that communism has become an actual rival sand and one minor incidents are stress. in a written appeal for unity said, put over the miners of Nlinois. This was desperate circumstanes and that a de will or under empasion the post of investigate the conditions attending the killing of one Nakamura, a Japanese car duty bound to do everything in our power this wage scale being adopted, it was would also force Peaborly to his knee.
secretary of the of Chinese workers and peasants by the fact that the complete plans and maneu your fight, on the outcome of which de the striking coal miners in the Peoria and point and it would be wrong to argue Letter of the 18 Bolsheviks Japanese marines, the commission finds (Continued on page 4)
pends much of the future of the miners (Continued on page 3)
throughout the country. And because of (Continued on page Now, a document is being talked about this we feel we have the right and even which is called the letter of the eigh IN THE ELECTIONS the duty, to freely and in a comradely LEON TROTSKY teen Bolsheviks. which is circulating in spirit discuss your and our problems.
the Russian jarty It appears to emanWe feel that we have for many years ate from circles close to the Centrist apbeen carrying on a fight similar to yours, ratus. Its central slogan is: remove or and must Impart to you our experiences.
Stalin! It is a letter to the members of Though we are separated into two differthe party. Stalin is accused in it or ent organizations, thanks to the strikehaving stilled the Communist Interna: The Lovestoneites Propose a Reformist United Labor Slate breaking policy of Lewis, who sold out The Standpoint of the Red Proletariat in the Present Situation the party, or having zig zagged in econ Political elections at this stage of de interests between capitalism and the feel we are one, and must come closer Dear Comrades. The Tasks and Perspectives of the omic policy, of having broken the bridges velopment in the United States offer, workers are manifested daily in the shop, together. The rank and file of the min.
tretween town and country, and having from our point of view, opportunities for in the unions, in demonstrations and on ers union must be united for a common ceived your letter of June 15. There is two years ago and that evaluated the Following a considerable lapse, we re Chinese Itevolution. that was issued led the Five Year Plan and all of Soviet revolutionary propaganda and activities the picket lines. There the economie struggle.
no need of stating how much we were usant movement in the southern proeconomy into a stute of profound crisis. It is because of this that they can be basis is established. In the elections they The voice of the Left Opposition, overjoyed by the revival and the renasc vinces of China, declared, The Chinese In a word, it is already plain that the utilized to advance the working class can become the focusing points around though feeble, was the only consistent ence of the Chinese Left Opposition after revolution, betrayed, crushed and drainnew group which the Stalluists have political level. More than this we should which the workers can express their in organized fighter for a left wing policy the most ferocious police persecutions it ed of its blood, gives us proof that it lixcoveredt. is a manifestation of that therefore not expect from them. terest from a class point of view and throughout the convention. We proposed had endured. Insofar as one may judge is alive. Let us hope that the time is profound crisis which is tearing away Elections do not decide the important to that extent further prepare themselves a united front to the party on this score, from here, handicapped as we are by not far off when it shall once again litt the foundations of that structure of con issues of the working class which we ap for the struggle for power.
and while not being called counter rev extreme lack of information, the posi up its proletarian head. Further on, tradictions, patch work and bureaucratic proach in the sense of being essentially Reformist or Revolutionary Objective? olutionarists the proposal for unity was ton expressed in your letter corresponds it says The far flung flood of peasant violence which the usurpatory ruling issiles of power. That is, as the issue of In that particular objective the essenrejected.
to ours.
Insurrec ons will indubitably provide clique has sought in vain to pass off as which class shall hold power in society. tial difference between a reformist and a More than 300 Militants were placed in The irreconcilable attitude to the vul the impulse for the revival of political Bolshevism. The crisis in present day. There is no other way to approach it. revolutionary policy becomes apparent. the hands of the delegates. Our policies gar democratie view taken by the Stalin. strugges in the industrial centers. On Soviet economy, superinduced by the But elections can become stepping The reformist policy can never educate were discussed by the assembled miners ists towards the peasant movement has, this wo bank firmly.
Your letter benrs witness to the fact zig zagging blunders which make up the when they are correctly utilized to help can it serve to advance them in that Militant will succeed in advancing Com careless or a passive attitude to the that under the intluence of the crisis and line of Centrism, we have already an make clear the existing class relation direction because that is not at all its munism in the Illinois coalfields. peasant movement itself. The Manifesto of the Japanese intervention, against the alyzed in these columns. The reflection ships. The collisions of the conflicting. Continued on page CARMODY of the International Left Opposition background of the peasant war, flares up of this state of affairs in the form of a once again the struggle of the city work new party crists had to come to light.
ers. In the Manifesto we wrote on this The expulsions just announced are un.
mistakably the first tangible evidence of score with the requisite circumspection. None can foretell beforehand whether the new party crisis in the Soviet Union.
the bulwarks of the peasant uprisings It is as yet too early to pass judgment on the program of those who have been One more forward step is being real for the first part of the winter semester, The first two courses are given on Monwill maintain themselves without a break Our opening celebration of the new through the course of that expelled. In the miserable inadequate ized by the Left Opposition. Saturday, four courses scheduled. They run as days and the second two on Wednesdays. headquarters takes place Saturday, Oct. seriod which will be required by the extended reports, the Official cables to the party October 15, we move into our new head follows: press and the semi official cables to the quarters at 126 East 16 St. where the The History of the American Commun are still open. The fee is 00 for each nominal sum of be serves as an ad gather its own strength, to lend the The first and third will be conducted as ober 15 with a banquet, for which the proletarian vanguard in order for it to. speciile details necessary for a complete located.
Cannon course.
expect to meet all our friends and symbring into accord its struggle for power analysis. Among those whose expulsion Essentially the International Workers The State and Revolution. Instructor The acquisition of new headquarters pathizers who have stood by us in the with the general offensive of the peas.
Is annonneed we find the former Trot School is a part of the general program Jack Weber.
will have its significance for the national past in the greatest of dificulties and ants against thelr most immediate en skyist. Rintin. We also read the name of the League, heading toward becoming The History of the Commutern. Instruc center. It will in every sense enable us who we know will continue their sup mies. At the present time, it is ob of glanov, the former head of the Alos ever more of a factor of active interventor Max Shachtman.
to establish a center for the movement port solidly in the future. We expect rious, there are substantial bases for cow organization who was the first viction in the class struggle. For this it The Theoretical System of Marxism. in New York, capable of housing our resou to come and lend your final help to tim of the organizational measures taken is to be a training school. There are, Instructor Hugo Oehler.
ular open forums, etc.
the realization of this new forward step. Continued on page 4)
an. The Peasant War in China Banquet Saturday to Celebrate New Headpuarters and School Opening Banquet On Saturday Evening. OCTOBER 15 Friends and sympathizers are cordially invited. Come and bring your fellow New Headquarters 126 EAST 16th STREET New York City ADMISSION 50c