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 126 ast 16th Street, New York, Entered as second class mall matter, November 28, 1928 at the post once a New York, under the act of March, 1879 VOLUME V, NO. 149 WHOLE NO. 145 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1932 PRICE CENTS Police Attack The Stalinists and Trotsky Radio Speech to America Hunger Army Convention Talks «Radical. to Conference Seats St. astra estance to really see the wholly. Arrest Pittsburgh Greek Stalinists Fail Louis Opposition Oppositionists and that shows never be sorgente, bare To Meet Challenge The Stalinist press has developed ceased to put to them. Why has ment arrived at between the Stalina furious rage over the speech on the every important government in Eur 1st apparatus in the on Russian revolution delivered by com ope consistently refused grant the one hand, and the bourgeois govAs we go to press, latest reports tell rade Trotsky over the radio network comrade Trotsky a visa which would us that the hunger march is converging ernments of the entire world on the arranged by an American company. enable him to take up residence in other, to keep comrade Trotsky a upon its destination Washington, The stream of calumny and abuse From the four corners of the United Sta the country? Why have bourgeois prisoner in Turkey for the rest of which are constantly on tap in the republicans, yellow social democrats his lite. The visit to Denmark is a tes caravans of unemployed men and Stalinist editorial rooms for the spe women are moving towards the capital of all wings, reactionary and en purely episodic interruption of this Labor Discontent Forces Lip Service to Left Measures cial purpose of slandering the op lightened monarchists in a word, imprisonment, generously granted to raise their voices in the powerful reposition, were unloosed this time all the governments to which applica by the Danish social democracy besounding cry for relief and insurance also. An identic editorial in the Daily tion was made met the request for cause of the Insignificance of the Com.
for the jobless, hunger stricken millions.
Two measures of great significance trade union bureaucracy. Many others Worker and the Freiheit is filled with asylum with such a united front of munist movement and as a demaCongress which opens its were adopted at the American Federation left in utter disgust seeing none of the sessions on this stereotyped calumniation. Ac Dec. wll do all in its power to side NO! Why has only one country per gogic display of adherence to the of Labor convention just concluded at working class interests protected and becording to the hired scribblers of the mitted him to stay within its borders principle of the right of political Cincinnati, Ohio. It went on record for coming victims of countless sell outs. The track the burning needs of the masses apparatus, Trotsky speech was de. reactionary Turkey, and that only asylum. for three months.
with a gaseous debate upon whether the universal adoption, without delay, of bureaucrats fear a situation of lean livered in collaboration with British by secret agreement with Stalin? Why they will be able to drown out the hunger The speech delivered over the Imperialism, which controls the Danthe six hour day and tive day week, to treasuries. They have bad to face indid Czechoslovakia, where the latest radio for fifteen minutes by comrade and privation of the unemployed army carry with it no reduction in pay. It cipient revolts in many unions against ish government and is making good attempt was made (and gave the Trotsky, is reprinted here as it was by raising the alcoholic content of beer.
Indorsed with only five dissenting votes, their offhand wage cut acceptances. They use of the counter revolutionist to Stalinists the occasion for their someThe legislature of well fed and smugly received. In some parts, unfortun the proposal for compulsory unemploy have witnessed militant hunger demon poison the workers against the what premature cries about the satisfied flunkeys opens tomorrow for ately, we were unable to estabilah ment insurance, to be inaugurated by the strations which by the way could often Just how much credence united front between the Skoda the text with complete accuracy and the master. But the usual tranquility various states, at the cost of the owners have been bigger and much more power can be put in the mallelously deliber. works, French Imperialism and Trot the doubtful sections are indicated will no longer prevail. For through the of industry by assessing the amount of ful if the Stalinist leaders could retent ate lies of the Staliniste, will be cracks and crevices, the open windowe sky. finally refuse the visa which by three periods. While it is essen percent of their total payroll. Here from their blind stupidity and adopt the seen by reading the transcript of it promised Trotaky would tially correct, it should be read with we have a reversal of positions formerly united front policy. There is no reason and the open doors, there wil echo a Trotsky speech which we print be refrain from revolutionary action. that reservation in mind. Its conmighty shout of the hunger march that held, particularly in regard to the latter to doubt that these essentially reactionlow. But aside from that, the Stalin To answer these questions would densed nature was, of course, condi proposal, with a speed which left this as ary trade union leaders understand quite 15 determined to have its demands heard.
ists have still failed to answer the Indicate where the real united front tioned by the briefness of the time In spite of the mocking stories, in semblage of portly gentlemen gasping at well how to judge the latent forees yet embarrassing questions we have not lies. It consists in the tacit agree alotted for the speech.
which the bought press has done every their own audacity.
dormant within the American working thing possible to ridicule and discredit class which is, however, potential materExtracts from the Speech Delivered by Leon Trotsky and Broadcast from Copenhagen Is of Leadership Turning Left the hunger march the capitalist class is This presents a picture to our imagina ial for the revolutionary movement once hardly confident or at se. On the con will make an attempt to give the beg your indulgence all the more since of bourgeois liberalism acquires the pos Hon of superannuated troglodytes who, properly aroused and properly directed.
trary, to tearful are they of the et American radio audience a short ex it is the first time am addressing an ability to bring its state genius to when coming out from their ultra conserThe Fear for Safety of Capitalism fects the hunger army might have upon pose of my lecture on the Russian rev audience in English, full unfolding.
vative dug out, are struck by the Impact But this is only the one side of the the discontented working class back home olution. This, in two senses, is a dar. What question does the Russian rev. quote the page to show that the of a superior force and begin to march pieture. On the other hand the fear of that they are ready at moment noticing enterprise. The limits of time are olution raise in the mind of thinking theory of the Russian revolution which at a pace which leaves their whole past these capitalist lieutenants for the safety to abrogate the much vaunted democratoo narrow, and my English my poor man? First, why at all did this revoluwe advocated, preceded the October rev in the shnde. The question immedately of the capitalist system itself is undoubt.
tic right the right of redress and peace English is in no proportion to my ad tion take placeAnd, second, has the Olution by a long time.
occurs to us: Is the of leader. edly equally as genuine. To them the ful petitioning. All vacations and leaves miration for Anglo Saxon culture revolution stood the test? The fact that (Continued on page 3) ship turning Lertward? The answer. Continued on page 1)
for the Washington police force have the proletariat reached power for the which is an emphatie NO, must, to be been rescinded, and this veritable army first time in such a backward country as complete, cover several important 18of more than 5, 000 bluecoats stand ready czarlst Russia seems mysterious only at pects of the present situation, but it can to answer the demands of the unemploy nevertheless bo summed up under the ed with police batons, tear gas and bul.
accord with its histoical background.
general heading: mass pressure. Only, lets. word from Hoover and the standIt could have been predicted, and it was Ing army goes into action. The Executive predicted. Still more, on the basis of labor leaders. when they move forward Commitee of the ruling class wants no that prediction the revolutionists built a few inches at a time, always in doing repetition of the bonus army experlence ST LOUIS up the strategy long before the deciding so, lag way behind the masses.
PITTSBURGH.
event.
last summer.
More than 500 delegates representing Permit me to quote here a passage Two militant Left Oppositionists were the question of the changing economic Basically we are confronted here with NEW YORKThe sixth issue of Communistes that for Flere state and city governments to organizations (together with unat trom a work of mine in 1906. quote. arrested here last night following a mass structure of capitalist society in its de appeared on Nov. 12 contained among use all means at their disposal to dietached delegates. attended the united In an economically backward coun meeting conducted by the Pittsburgh cay stage This is best to leave its other articles an answer to the Stallist courage the hunger merch. an com front conference called by the Unemploy try, the proletariat can come to power branch of the Communist League (Op marks also in the United States. We slanders also a criticism concerning the pliance with this order dozens of cities ed Councils for November 20 in St. Louis, sooner than in the economically advanced position. They have been officially have here an army of millions of unem conduct of the Stalinist leadership in the the jobless army, In spite of the obvious position. St. Louis branch, sent dele our opinion, creates such conditlons un ance by spreading printed matter calling cannot escape even the trade union upper Empros attempts to evade the concrete ly empty armories and publle buildings sates and they were seated. Question der which the power can pass over to for support of the Hunger March to crust. Conditions have become rotten Recusations of Communistes by resorting alreads taken place in Chester, Par, and delegates seated in St. Louis and ex revolution it must) even before the policy ed as part of the Communist League by the r of convention. The lis Greek Oppositionist. About comrade the proletariat (and with a victorious Washington. The meeting had been call. ripe for such measures as those accepted to the time worn slanders against every Wilmington, Del. In Cumberland, Ma, cluded in New York? Ed. Our com participation in the Unemployed United toric significance lies not in the fact Pappas they are unable themselves to the National Guard has been called into rades were elected on the Resolutions Front movement here.
that they were accepted at this time. It fabricate any calumnes because they action to prevent the marcbers from pass Committee and also on the Committee to anything less than stupid and ridiculous.
The two arrested workers, comrades lies in the fact that they could be acknow very well that they are so dising through the city!
see Mayor Miller to present the demands When a leadership fails to understand the the larger Peringate to Persistent, hoitood on the Committee of 25 to be known as struggle, it understands nothing to the and are being held incommunicado at have as little chance of getting in as of the stalinist controlled Food Workers Today newspapers inform us that of the Conference. We were also elected stage and tempo of the revolutionary Pete Vomvas and Nick Lepirs, have been cepted at all in this gathering in which credited that no worker wil believe them will flow on the streets of Washington. the United Front Committee.
By this statement they unwittingly fix In so far as the conference reflected ers, one gets a vivid impression of the the Allegheny County penitentiary in the proverbial snowball in bell.
These gentlemen have been used to certain effect, not upon the revolution the responsibility for any bloodshed clear the growing militancy and determination militancy and the revolutionary strength The International Labor Defense, al. think that the dole was a sad plight ary workers of the union who voiced soveromenite in washington. the easiesto ret brutal ortensive of the capitalist class, to be brought forward by a policy and the request of a representative of the their last convention held in Vancouver convention, but upon those workers of Feates so that no one can possibly mis. It was a success the mood was indeed Leadership that will release be into ac Communist League (Opposition) to ap a year ago. They labelled it unAmer far cities who are not acquainted with understand just what the attitude oe the a fighting one a mood which with the live and intelligent channels of the class peal the sentence. George Martin, Discawet they have always held that the Pappas.
twin flunkeys of the two parties of the proper policies and tactics, with a correst in their ranks, but they know what they that his organization does not pay fines cal. But in time they will even find out varasadakis, they refrain from a los About the notorious bourgeols lackey paign promises, is towards the unem revolutionary party, could be utilized to want and they know that in order to as a matter of policy and considered an that revolutionary struggles are not con anything about their support to him.
ployed millions. Bullets to those Monarchist want bread! But despite all these recommunism. For this, a whole series of they are willing to fight and to sacri appeal inadvisable for reasons not stated. fined to Europe. And that will likely About Atlantis the dawn upon them much quicker than the which benefits by their one sidedness not pressive measures the voice of the hung questions must first be made clear to the face. It only remains to show them the YOUTH DEBATE snails race at which they themselves a word is mentioned either although the er marchers wil be heard! The cry for workers. Lenin said about a period in right road, to tell them how to Aght.
printers of Atlantis refused to accept a To many of us who listened to these This coming Saturday, December 10, move.
relief and insurance will rise higher. the Russian revolution, that the masses Whatever happens in Washington peace are Essentially their fear of the masses Wake cut and bave been picketing its thousand times to the Left of us. speeches of the workers, not unmixed at 8:30 In the Labor Temple big with petty bourgeois confusion, it is true, hall the Young Spartacus Youth Club of moving Lettward is a genuine one and premises for the last two weeks.
or bloodshed the movement of the job and the conference revealed a somewhat the introduction of the section organizer New York will debate the Young Peoples compels them to move. In this sense they even a strike is sufficient for the Stalinless will grow bigger, its voice more de similar situation. When one sees Lefttermined, its ranks firmer. The hunger ism among the masses, one is not sur of the Communist party appeared to come Socialist League on the question: Com see the handwriting on the wall. The rests to volce vigorously an attack against as a relief. Now would bear a real munlsm vs. Socialism which program for percussion of the capitalist crisis has al Atlantis. The alliance is too sacred to march is but one small step that will prised but pleased, even if they may be be broken by such an unsignificant rendy created considerable havoc within finally lead towards the destruction of far more to the Left than the possibil. Communist speech and all the confusion the working class!
The Ylpsels will be represented by Gus the union ranks. There is a marked and event. The first week they printed It only remains for the Communists to tions, warrant. But when this ultra consternation, this individual piled con Tyler: the Spartacus Youth Club by Joe ominous loss of membership. Whole un few lines on the eth page of the Empro confusion. a last tsdebate, ions have been almost wiped out under as news report and enlarge the present narrow movement by Leftst position passes over and finds un left to us to admit that the most in was held. Those who came late will re the capitalist offensive. Many members Pue they don mention thing about the the united front of all labor organizations medlemmede. pression on the alieper ised the excusably stupid speech of the entire con member that they had to stand. Come were unable to meet the inflexibly heaw that the National Herbst is the coloane leadership, it cannot be characterized as ference was made by the party organ early. The admission is only Afteen cents, financial obligations imposed by the labor paper and the most dangerous.
izer, the vanguard of the proletariat.
The Atlantis was able to appear thanks Are the contradictions of capitalism to the services of the strike breakers and the problems of the working class arising out of them to be solved by the ago performed the same honorable Job simple process of a parliamentary conSlanders on Chen Du Hsiu Arrests for the benefit of the National Herald test? Apparently so, since this StalinWe have always emphasized that both ist tells us that not only are we going SHANGHALrested on September 16, at a monsent to struggle now, but that when the spring NEW YORK papers are purely bourgeois organs and than the party in numerous disguises. as such they don differ an lota in their From the Reuter News Agency you when he was very sick. Right after that, elections come, the City Hall fakers will. The Joint Committee for Support of such a coordo inevitably isolates the anti labor character.
have probably heard some news about other militants of our Central Committee be turned on the streets. This assertion the National Hunger March which hela llunger March from the masses of the the Chinese Opposition. But while some were arrested, including the famous party inet with tumultous applause, despite its final ratification conference last Sun workers, with results that can only bring know that they can win their strike The striking printers of Atlantis must of it is right, there is a good deal of organizer, comrade Pan Fu Tze. the fact that it was presented as the cul day at the Irving Plaza Hall, denied the hard to the movement.
untruth in the reports.
According to a report, sle received in nation and most important result of delegation from the Communist League The National Hunger March initiated The fakers will not move ono by confining their activties to one shop.
Since the organization of the Blue 100, 000 silver dollars for his work from the movement!
of America (Opposition) the right to by the party should have made the most finger to assist their struggle in a sub Shirt Society, nearly all the students Chiang Kal Shek. The prisoners number Nor was this bolstering up of parlia participate in the Hunger March to Wash. vigorous efforts to bring the Socialist stantial manner. Only a militant policy from the Moscow Sun Yat Sen University nearly 30, and all the organs ere destroy mentary illusions all. Together with this ington. This conference particularly was party and the AF unions into the and leadership can guarantee a success have concentrated in it. They learned ed.
many things in the Right Winx tendency, was the equally dominated completely and mechanically conference. The discontentment of the ful struggle. The strike must be extend USSR, especially On October 30, comrade Chen and the stupid Leftist solution of other responat. by the official party bureaucrats.
rank and file workers would have made ied to the other Greek printing plants from the GPU, and they are using it others were transferred to Nanking, the blo party spokesmen.
With the exception of a scant dozen or this possible. Had it been done, the because, as they know very well, the faithfully, especially to strengthen Chians capital of the Kuo Min Tang govern. The conterence was a success in spite two from the left wing F. locals, Hunger March would have been an enor other seab shops assist the Atlantis to Kat shek. According to an official re ment. Reuter and other news agencies of the leadership. Its results will be the composition of the delegates was mous demonstration of for greater et appear regularly. Since the Greek State port, the students miseducated by the declared that Chen had requested the Kuo shown the only seld where the work overwhelming from the TUUL unions fectiveness. Such a united front would inists are reluctant to give their support Stalinlsts number about 500. Their only Nin Tang to take him to directly ers can effectively make progress in and the fraternal and sympathetic or have meant a repetition of the recent lest they will harm Atlantis, they must task is to arrest Communists and destroy with Chiang about the Trotskyist move the field of actual struggle. It is bere sanizatons close to the party. The flop successful demonstration in Chicago, but accept the support of the Lett Oppoelthe Communist organizations. They have ment in China. Though this rumor was that the workers will learn, and not houses, municipal lodging houses and the on a much vaster scale.
tion. From the fakers they can spread to all the important provinces of refuted three days later, the Stalinista merely from speeches and declarations. unemployed seamen had huge delegations. Withlu the ranks of the Socialist party expect no support except friendly negoChina, but their main strength is in and the other anti Opposition forces con The Left Opposition is small here, but The Communist party itselt was conspi and particularly in the F untons, a tiations with the bosses of Atlantis.
Shanghai.
tinue to use ths le to fight the Oppost in spite of its numerical weakness, it cuous by its absence, It had likewise genuine appeal for united action would The leader of this group is Koo Song ton.
will give these activtiles ts fullest sup abstained at the preliminary meetings. have resulted in arousing sympathy and Chong (the head of the special detach The first wave of arrests is over but port. 11 ment of the Chinese Communist Party in the second and more extensive wave of 1921) and Ma Yu Fu (a former member persecution is being prepared.
MIMEOGRAPH WANTED No serious attempt was made to organ. Bring pressure to bear upon their reac OPEN FORUM united front which woula tionary leadership. But the Stalinists.
of the Central Committee who quit it The Stalinists are cynical about this Any comrade a friend who has a mimeo embrace all the existing organizations chose to take a different road.
three months after Koo. They not only loss to the forces of the revolutionary graphing machine, in good condition, for of the working class. The result was arrest Communsts, but spend a great movement. They tell the Chinese work sale at a low price, is urged to get in that the Joint Committee represented, in ters presiding. In his itnroductory re National or Proletarian The Conference opened with Carl Win The Negroes in America.
deal of money to buy up Communist mill ers that the Trotskyists are anti revolu touch with George Papeun, 2224 2 actualty, nobody but the party and its marks he emphasized the necessity of Revolution. tants who have a tendency to grumble. tionary, that our organization 19 the Rockingham Road, Davenport, Iowa. allied organizations. This stupid and eliminating from the conference any sples In this way, they got to the private sec Left wing of the bourgeoisle. They deshort sighted policy serves, as usual, to or stool pigeons or disrupters and enemies Speaker: retary of comrade Chen Du Helu, by the clare that Chen Du Hslu arrest is not CELEBRATE play right into the hands of the reaction of the working class who were possibly MAX SHACHTMAN name of Sle Seu San. He is also one of a blow to the Chinese revolution but a NEW YEAR EVE aries who are happy to see the movement present; that in order to eliminate such Friday, December 9, 1932 the returned students from the Sun Yat matter of indifference to it. But our comwith the confined to the revolutionary vanguard, elements, it was necessary to go through 128 East 16 Street, Sen University. Sle told the Kuo Min rades are fighting the persecutions Communlet League of America without drawing in those workers not an elaborate and lengthy ceremony.
ADMISSION: 15 Tang Where comrade Chen home was and looking for ald from the workers in yet within the sphere of Communist in New Kind of Committee Auspices: located he being the only one to know other countries.
126 Fast 10 Street, fluence. The united front now practis. Morals Committee was appointed Br. Communist League of America place. Hence, comrade Chen was ar October 20. 1992. Watch for turther announcement ed by the Stalinist is not much mor (Continued on page Opposition)
organ Not thel Reply from Shanghai to the Stalinists Hunger March in New York