WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE THEMILITANT. Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 84 Bast 10th Street, New York, Entered as second class, mall matter. Norem ber 28, 1928 at the post ofice at New York, under the act of March, 1879 VOLUME V, NO. 44. WHOLE NO. 40 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 29, 1932 PRICE CENTS Miners Face Big Tasks OPEN FORUM Vote Communist!
Against the Party of Petty Bourgeois Reformism differences the COMMUNIST. New Militant Forces Join the Ranks of the Left Opposition Progressive Miners of America Must Be Class Vuion From the day the Progressive Miners given by the new union becomes the de FIFTEEN YEARS OF THE of America began to take on organized cisive question.
form it was clear that the real tests or RUSSIAN REVOLUTION its existence as a union, and particularOrganization of the New Unlon ly as a militant unon, were still ahead.
The new union starts out with the dis Speaker: These texts, of course, could not be exadvantage of the retreat to the 00 JAMES CANNON pected to be easy ones. It could not be scale. This part of the basis Is thus As the elections come to a close, the arouse the fear of a mobilized proletar, There would likewise remain under the merely a matter of going out to line equal for both unions. Which one will cold indifference of the two big capital lut in the hearts of the ruling class. The socialist commonwealth a certain small up the FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4th membership and collecting prevail? That question is more fundaist parties and their leading spokcemen narty which erased from its banner, in amount of private ownership in new 10dues. No, the job is a far more serious mental than the wage scale, It is now one. The existence of the new union an open direct struggle between the two.
126 East 16 Street, with regard to the burning problems and deep actuality as well as formally, the dustries, in handicrafts, in agriculture interests of the masses of the people recognition of the class struggle, aimed and in intellectual production.
will be conditioned upon its ability to But the strategy to be pursued must near Irving Place stands out in glaring evidence of the fact at shifting its base from the working Grocers, traveling salesmen tourist sive battle and its ability to fight to take into account the conditions existing wiu. That also presupposes a much in the various localities. It is not a mat.
ADMISSION: 150 that even in the wealth. saturated United class masses which at one time gave it home managers of the world, unite, and greater degree of clarity of views as to ter of direct head on. collision every States, the ruling class is not in a post their contidence, to the petty bourgeois vote Socialist! Your future is gunranttion to relieve the intense suffering strata bewildered by the crisis, crushed ced!
what really constitutes a militant union where. It is clear that in Franklin Co.
Auspices: brought on by the crisis. The hollow between the upper and nether millstones In word and deed, the socialist party. one which can actually win over the the process of winning the rank and file combined enemy forces, the Lewis Walker for the new union is by no means com Br. Communist League of America promises, the spread cagle oratory, the of capitalist society, and looking for a is a petty bourgeois party, masquerading clique and the operators.
pleted. Their strike was broken, they (Opposition)
mutual recriminations and self exposures way out which is smooth and not lined with yesterday tattered garments of a of the capitalist candidates do not hold with thorns or boulders.
working class movement. The class conOnly a few weeks have passed sluce are still in the UMWA. For the Proout the least prospect for a working The present campaign of the Social scious worker, who does not want to throw the day of formation of the union, and gressive Miners of America the task 18 the test is already beginning. The op to strengthen its foothold, to regain what class which is now in the fourth year ist party, perfectly typified by its stand. his vote away in a futile attempt to rehave line the Protest Meeting of the crisis.
ard bearer, must look for its equal in sister it until Norman Thomas is elected battle front against new union. In The ever present liberals, in a quand opportunism to the days of 1917 when president and 51 percent of the Congressthis they have obtained some measures break with the Lewis Walker regime.
What is Happening in China ary as to which of the two parties to Morris Hiligalt ran for Mayor of New men and Senators are members of the of success, at least temporarily. That The Taylorville and Canton territories, support, are taking refuge in great num York with an agitation centering chiefly Socialist party will register his protest this could be possible, there need be no on the other hand, present a different bers under tent of the socialist mes around the issue of. five cent milk. against the capitalist regime of starvadoubt, is due to some of the weaknesses picture. The new union is solidly rootChen Du. Hsiu, founder of the Chi siah, Norman Thomas. The arch Bour. We offer. the official social handbooktion, exploitation, misery, and war by displayed by the new union leadership. The issues can be settled to ed there and has already replaced the nese Communist Party and member of bon Hoover they cannot endorse.
As for 18612 hastens to assure all timid pea voting for the Communist ticket all along with at the Gillespie convention and since.
for Roosevelt, he has played the artful nut stand owners, not only the one true the line. Our the the Left Opposition, and six co work.
its advantage. its interests can be mainCarrying the offensive to the Miners ers were arrested. Unless action is dodger so openly even the bourgeois hope for reorganizing our economie life, party polles, which isolates it from the tained, only in the direct collision with taken at once they will be executed!
In Franklin County, it will be remem the enemy forees Any relenting in this ing out this tralt as his chler character things better. We are aware that maesthe revolutionary movement in this and bered, the powerful Peubody company respect will surely react by the latter istic that the muddlehead liberals for es of men will not vote for deeper pur other countries, cannot eliminate the fact What are the effects of Japanese had, at the time of the convention, with gaining ground, if not gaining the up that the Communist party is the only whom he winked a flirtatious eye have satory now in the dubious hope of para true invasion? What is the role of Amer.
not been able to muster around him.
dise hereafter. Beware the Bolsheviks. working class party in the field, the only the help of the Lewis Walker clique, per hand. This will surely hold lean imperialism? Hear about the Hence we are concerned with programs revolutionary party, the only party which plus the terror of unheard of proportions, wherever the operators extend the batPeasant Wany and the Soviets.
Regardless of the handful of intellec to keep the juce now to relieve men stands for the interests of the working succeeded in preventing the strike and tle front into the new union territory.
The Left wing must particularly make tual and relentine lights who have en ployed now; to help the farmers now. We class to lay and tomorrw.
compelling the miners to submit to the dorsed the Communist candidates, the ask you to examine our platform from 00 scale and with it to submit to the this clear to the mines. It is a part of Speaker: The Left Opposition therefore ranges UMWA. These efforts had been exthe process of building a militant union.
fact remains that the overwhelming ma this point of view. Are not our demands itself alongside its party and calls upon MAX SHACHTMAN jority of the socalled protest voters practical as no other proposals are: every worker tended to Taylorville, to cast his vote for his there the min. The issues, the conflicts can find their out of the ranks of the more conscious practical, that is, for all those who are twirty, the Communist party!
ers were still fighting on the picket solution only through struggle against all through Sunday, October 30, P. petty bourgeois elements, have swung not trying above all things to hang on lines and solidly with the new union. the enemy forces and not soldiers were on guard at the Peacollaboration with them. From the op into line behind the American edition to the wealth and power which a comof the social democracy.
120 East 16 St.
body mines there. soldiers also posite direction the Peabody interests, paratively small owning class controis? Good Meetings in Boston invaded Cantou, in the Peoria territory, Inois, have assumed this kind of an an which are the dominant interests in TAnd there is no barrier in their path. Page 30. Auspices Particularly since the war, the American Anil elsewhere (Page 61. the hand Boston and Lynn by Two successful meetings were held in Socialist Party and its leadership have book soothes the apprehensions of the League of America (Opposition. with Communist picket Wines appear to have been given proach and are attempting to advance Br. Communist League of America mored in a virtually unbroken line to small property holders, to whom Thomas Stux Shachtman of New York speaking np entirely by the new union. Opposition)
the Right, doing everything conceivable and Thomasism make such a warm ap on the situation to Germany.
This question of the picket lines is, rany is the main controlling factor in to deserve the designation of the third pal, that Socialists would not urge Otisfield Hall had betwen 60 and 70 In Boston.
of course, not the only point at issue machine mining. As such it represents That Itself is merely a part of the generAtul union control. The Progressive Mincapitalist party, which properly belongs that all industry be run hy the commun Boston workers listening to the standthe crux of the problem of job control to them. The party which surrendered ity. They would encourage many con point of the Opposition on the German al strategy pursued. But for a new wers will in this respect have to meet the VOTE to the bourgeoisie by deleting from its sumers and prodneers, voluntary cooperymestion, ending in a number of questions ion, for a progressive union, which has reabody company face to face on its own!
constitution the disciplinary warning ative organizations, particularly on the it to the speaker from the floor reto meet the crormous obstacles of all ground.
the enemy forces combined and merged (Continued on page 2)
and naval purposes, is not calculated to tional, journalistic and artistie ventures. ance of the events. Significantly enough, into one, the question of stratgy becomes a real problem. The rank and Ale will this is the first meeting held in Boston and readiness to fight can be depended on Germany, for the official party has upon but the strategy of the fight must not displayed sufficient interest in this he a superior one. It must be one which crucial problem for world revoluwill outwit the combined enemy forces.
tionary movement to organize one single In this respect. It is necessary to note We print here extracts from a number welcome these fighters into the ranks of in the Daily Worker of August 18, the meeting on it. As a result of the Boston Papcun Statement the very first weakness represented by of declarations which have been made by the Bolshevik Leninists, confident that istrict Secretarat of Dist. avoided the lecture, the branch expects to announce the acceptance of the 00 scale at the To the Rock Island Section Committee well known militants in the Communist they are only one small section of the entire issue raised in my doennent, sub shortly the adilition of several new Gillespie convention. For this those leadmovement, associating themselves with numerous Communist workers who will stituting for arguments, lies and land members, who are not new to the moveof the Communist Party ers who advocated its acceptance are To all Communist Party members and the Comunist League of America (Op continue Comoswell the ranks of our move ers calling me a disruptive clement, ment, having been active in the fully responsible. The weakness lies not Young Coinmunist League position. It is with great joy that woment.
charging that refused to appear when munist and labor movements for years.
merely in the sense of its immediate ef Dear Comrades: called to trial, etc. etc. immediately The meeting in Lynn exceeded all our fect but more so in the fact that the Greetings. With the greatest Joy do to rejoin the jurty is proof of that.
a pealed the action of the District See expectations, for it was arranged by one operators Jointly with the Lewis Walker greet the proposal of the Section or the ranks of the Communisti Interna retariat to the highest Committee.
Now. As at all times since my expul. tional, carrying on activity and abiding the Central Executive body of the party. comrade alone, Celia Cooperstein, one of the well known militants in the shoo The it. They will use it in this situation to reinstatement into the communist party. sion, am eager to rejoin the party. by communist discipline. In re entering Central Committee answered they appear industry there. Some twenty five work strengthen the Lewis regime. They win the thought that the invitation for my want to re enter the Communist party we do not demand that the party accepts with contemptuous since can readily crx cathered in the cooperative center including several be on the offensive, further extend the re entry was made in all sincerity is because boglieve that it is the only real our views but that we merely be free understand that all this is not accidental, to hear Shachtman, warm discussion took attacks to new territories and prepare especially heartening since it refutes the party of the working class. stand to exercise the rights guaranteed boy that it is, in fact, the fullest and highest party members.
for new and additional wage cuts. Na obviously absurd and turally we are not unmindful of the fact founded charges made by Jack Wilson, and abide by Communist discipline by presenting our stand before the memberexpression of Stalinist bureaucratis in weting ever held on the German events.
place. In Lynn also this is the first ready to participate in all party activities democratic centralism. the right altogether our party.
Indientive of the increasing influence that the logic of these measures inevit. at the conclusion of the debate on Frithe Leninist first principle of organiza ship at convention time, and having the Since the wall of 1927, that is since of the Opposition is the invitation exably brings their own conclusion in new day, September 30, 1932.
tion by the principle of democratie cen membership Judge the correctness of our and greater contradictions, position. After the judgment is passed the wholesale expulsion of the Opposltended to our comrades to organize a new and take it that you have realized the tralism.
greater antagonisms between the miners injustice of those slanders and the inThe reason for my being out of the by the membership we shall abide by its lon in Russia and the vicious campaign meeting in Chelsea shortly for the pure of the party leadership against Trotsky one of discussing the standpont of and the operators But in this respect vitation extended by the Section Comparty is, believe, well known to you decisions, be they what they may.
Comrades, you bave invited me to re was in full swing. I, time and again, the Left Oppsition. We are marching also the direction and the leadership mittee by your Organizer Jack Wilson am not out of the party by my own (Continued on page 2)
forward!
free will. Briefly stated, at the present join the party. My answer is that time am out of the movement because stand ready. But if you ask me to reI was rudely and bureaucratically ex pudiate the Marxian principles of the pelled by the Stalinist leadership for my Left Opposition refuse. For me as for refusal to condemn the position of the every real Communist, Marxian prinelLeft Opposition and of comrade Trotsky ple stands supreme. In spite of my dir.
as counter revolutionary. My expulsion terences with the present leadership Feature of Convention is Absence of Discussion by Members is due to my retusul to subordinate Cota am ready to take my place in the ranks. Theses Fail to Give a Reply to the Burning Questions of the Day BOSTON But where are the conclusions drawn? munist principle to the bureaucratie Davenport, Iowa. GEORGE PAPCUN. The thesis of the 12th Plenum of the ing to new low levels. It says the end of With the national convention of the What about our past activity and our leadership for not condemning the views ECCI, published in the Daily Worker of capitalist stabilization is at hand. in Cleveland. came to a close a plans for the future? That we did not which hold to be Marxlan and for a leadership October 20th (City Edition) once more In 1928 the Introduced the Third most important event in the life of our hear, for there was no time at the con not belly crawling before whose course runs counter to Marxismo organisation. And when we term a na vention to deal with the several resolu. Leninism.
Declaration by Pappas gives us an inside picture of the bank. Perlod. as the end of stabilization and ruptcy of Stalinism.
tional convention of the a most tions introduced at the last moment. It resolution with the beginning of a period of revolution important event we are not exaggerat The leadership that expelled more mistakes and with a greater numary upsurge. In 1930 the swung 18 To the Communist League of America is true that certain achievements have (Left Opposition)
ber of meaningless revolutionary phrases to the Right. That 18, the theoreticians Ing. for the sharpening economic crisis been made and important battles have part of the same Stalinist leadership is difficult to concelve of. thesis of of the moved to the Right as the and intensified persecution of the work been and are being fought by us. We which is responsible for driving out the Dear Comrades: the vanguard of the revolution must pre crisis was moving the workers to the ers by the explotting class, have un are justified in taking pride. But to best fighters from the Communist InterIn connection with menace questionably broadened the field of activ spend a whole convention priding our national, for exiling comrade Trotsky, Fascism in Germany and the ruinous situation. The thesis gives more Plenum informs us that the end of capiof sent the determining factors of the world Left. Now in 1982, the In the 12th ity for the defense organization of the selves on our achievements, however for imprisoning comrade Rakovsky, and policy of the German Communist Party space to secondary questions, leaves out talist stabilization is at hand.
working class. Under these conditions, small or great, criticising the member thousands of our Russlan Bolsheviks who and the BOCI especially on the question some determining factors and does not pared to the Right zig zag of 1930 (which Com.
with a clear hended leadership, correct ship to the extent that we forget to had the courage of conviction to fight of the united front as the most effective deal correctly with the important factors which retained the kernel of the Left policies and tactics, much can be gained learn from the past and consider the for Leninist policies.
the form of the Third perlod weapon with which to combat and sweep which are taken up.
but for the International Labor Defense. fuure, is false and detrimental. We Comrades, at this moment it is not away the Fecist reaction addressed Communist theals for 1932 survey of our successes and failures al must be able to give ourselves an ac only my readmission which is in ques. on August 8, a lengthy statement to my though it leaves out the fact the Com the 1928 Left xigang. However, facts even wig rang) this seems to be a return to fords us many lessons for the future. counting of the masses we approached tion. It is the re entry of all the thou party unit and to the District and Cen muniat International is Lack of Discussion Itself going prove the opposite that the Left shell in our struggles.
Have we organized sands of Bolshevik Leninists who have tral Executive Committees of the through a profound crisis under the of the present move is a cloak for a new Yet at this stage in the existence of these masses? How well are we able to become the victims of the bureaucratic In it, pointed out that no Stalin leadership must at least give an Rightward shift in the Soviet Union by the when a balance sheet should retain the recruits we make? The com regime of Stalin and Stalinism. If you conscientious Communist can keep silent answer to the following problems. 1) Staliniam presented by the recent bu.
be drawn up of the past and the basis plete turnover in our membership during desire my return, you must also strive any longer on the crimes of the Com the world crisis and the perspective. 2) reaucratie decrees, the expulsions of the criticised the sil the danger of Fascism in Germany. 8) 12th Plenum and the growth of the resc with was left behind. This material was October 1962 Labor Defender. is no stands in need of these comrades. It is ence of our central organ, the Dally the role of American imperialism in the tionary element.
nothing less important than the conclu accident but speaks for something sig only the Left Opposition which is cap Worker, and brought out the necessity of present period. 4) the invasion of China If, in the thesis way, we are consions, recommendations and proposals of nificant.
able of returning the party and the opening np a discussion to come to the by Japanese Imperialism (5) the post fronted with the end of the period of the entire organization after a thorough In the face of this, it was indeed pain. Communist International to a Marxian aid of our German brother party. tion of the USSR. after 16 years and capitalist stabilization, we would like to pre convention discussion by the member ful to hear that the point stressed most course and thereby placing it at the head For doing this, was summarily ex the relation of its contradictions to the know: was capitalism in a condition of ther was pro the convention was that the member of the working class, pelled from the party by the District imperialist contradletion. From this stabilization for the last three years of discussion in the despite the ship is not sufficiently active, hence the The demand of the Left Opposition has Secretariat without any hearing or trial. analysis, directives for the sections of the world crisis? crisis itselt is constant protests and demands on the stagnation in onr organization. But always been that we want to return to in the statement of expulsion appearing the must be formulated. The condition of the shaking of the economle part of members! Since this is the what else could be expected since the thesis does not take up these points in equllibrlum. It is the economie exploscase, it can hardly be said that ours was voice of the membership was not heard?
their proper relationship.
ton of the accumulation of the eontradie.
a convention reflecting the views of the Could we expect our leaders come 15th Russian Revolution Anniversary Celebration The third year of the world criats hastions of the capitalist mode of producmembership. It is a small wonder there down and tell us that they bear the long ago passed beyond the economic tion. Further, if the Third Period of fore that the reports given us were so greatest responsibility for the existing ENTERTAINMENT Keep this date open for a good time at stage, and has reached a stage of open 1928 ushered in the end of stabilization lifeless. It was Important to know the situation in the and are ready DANCE the International Workers School condict between the imperialists, in and in 1932 we again have the end of number of delegates who attended, the assume It? Not as long as they can REFRESHMENTS Hall, with comrades and friends China, in South America and in Spain stabilization, then it follows that stabill.
number of branches represented and dish out criticism to the rank and fle Saturday Night, November Sth.
ADMISSION 25 CENTS the enthusiasm displayed. From all this and make them swallow it.
and Germany where revolutionary situa. zation existed in between. This is a Auspices tlong developed out of the crisis. The contradiction the Stalinists do not exsomething can be learned. Continued on page 3)
126 East 16 street Br. Communist League of America thesis says that the crisis is mov. Continued on page 3)
unDead Handatl. Meet Bankruptcy at 12th Plenum me aropped