THE MILITANT WORKERS OF THE WORLD.
UNITE Published weekly by the Communist League of America (Opposition) at 126 East 16th Street, New York, Entered as second class mail matter, November 28, 1928 at the post omes at New York, under the act of March, 1871 VOLUME VI, NO. (WHOLE NO. 150 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1933 PRICE CENTO CRISTALERIE Weekly Organ of the Communist League of America (Opposition The New WHO WILL PREVAILI Trotsky III Japanese Invasion of Jehol Party Turn Creates Tense Situation of we will Leon Trotsky Defends the October Revolution tront. Up to now the strength of the Full Text of Speech Delivered to the Social Democratic Students at Copenhagen November 27 th 1932 An Associated Press dispatch from They are watching the financial appeal Its cadres grow firmer, harder, more Istanbul on January reports that comrade Leon Trotsky is seriously ill column every week now interested confident of victory and more determin the people watch the fever chart of a sick ed to achieve It. We have the right to in his home on the island of Prinklpo.
The new turn, or half turn, Party in the unemployment movement man. Our MILITANT is sick. Of this victory and we have no right to tum rado Jan Frankel, who has worked as World Imperialist Powers Press for Their Share of Loot opens up the possibility for a broad de its enemies are, by now, quite convinced back from the path of resolute struggle Trotsky secretary for almost three velopment of the unemployment struggle and its creators, those who have made that leads toward it.
years of his exile, is on his way to The rattle of the sabre grows louder anese press that the United States is which hitherto has owed its stagnation and those for whom its word has been In this struggle the MILITANT is our Europe for the purpose of securing in the Far East. As the Japanese con making huge sales of war supplies to and ineffectiveness, in no small degree, light, have no reason to deny it. Invoice and our banner. The voice shall the services of a foreign specialist.
quest grows in scope and as the plunder the Chinese. The United States foreign to the absurdly narow and sectarian pol deed, they cannot, for the appeals that not be silenced. The banner shall not It appears that the exertions attendund murder of these robber bandits pro office counter by saying the whole matfey of the Stalintats. To the extent appear here every week now are all too come down. The means will be found, ant upon his root trip through Eur ceeds unabated grave events of inter ter is a colossal fabrication, that the that it creates the conditions for the Anal more than that, the two issues that will be saved. We say this because we ope en route to Copenhagen, overtarnational consequence loom on the horisale of ammunition to China in the last ed comrade Trotsky a rendered non. Per for their territory and merial was a mere bagatelle. The truth zations, whose members have a good were skipped and the two issues that have unfidence that those who have more sute the ailments from which sources of exploitation have struck fear terhaps lies soinewhere between these cause and a genuine will to react against came out in half size described too graph made the paper and kept it alive in all into the bearts of American and British two, although it is a well known fact he has been suffering for many years the fearful pressure of unemployment, ically the mad upward course of the adversity will do thelr duty when they imperialism. The Quinimity that mark that the Du Ponts are not wasting any is no now. The secret agreement between the new polley of the party creates the temperature markings on the fever chart know how matters stand. Ther ed the origual attitude of American im Oppo to reap profits from their of the sick paper doubt now how matters stand. The need Stalin and Kemal Pasha has kept primary conditions for the transforma perialism has given way to an attitude of deadly products. And they will sell this tion of the solated vanguard actions of trouble. The financial crisis burns like a That is your first obligation. Do not Yes, the MILITANT Is in desperate is for money not tomorrow, but today, Trotsky virtually a prisoner in Tur extreme anxiety orer Japan possible war juraphenalia to the Japanese Just the Communist militants into united high fever from work to week and from let anything take precedence over it.
key. Under the pressure of the So purpose in her invasion of the Jebol as soon as to the Chinese. Such movement embracing masses of workers day to day. The slekness is a financial Send in your contribution now.
viet embassies in various countries, territory. At the outset, when it seemed the noble and principled motives that that the Japanese military expedition actuated these same gentlemen in the every application for a visit has appalling mass misery and discontent, sickness the procesie bills, peast due, ne JAMES CANNON.
been denied by practically all of the might end in intervention against the last world slaughter. They have but one and putting all parties and leaders to the cumulating, becoming more and more in Soviet Union, the diplomatic circles in criterion pecuniary gain. They reserve test of action, can lead to a stormy this is the mortal Illness that assails the sistent in the demand for payments uropean governments, whose claims Washington were quiet as the to the defense of the right of asylum, grave. the sentimental phrases for consumption development of working class struggle paper.
JANUARY YOUNG SPARTACUS OUT But now, when it appears that American by the masses.
do not extend to the leader of the profits and the huge Chinese colonial and a rapid expapaion of Communist in Who will prevail? that is the quesBolshevik Leninists. His isolation in The January number of the YOUNG market will be swallowed up by JapanSimultaneously a new sensation has fluence. From this point of view the the tion. With your help, dear friends of SPARTACUS is of the press and ready Turkey has made it impossible for Left Opposition is bound to greet American scandal ese capitalism, a virtual furor ot pro flashed across the tall the MILITANT, we shall answer that for sale and distribution. It is an eight him to obtain the special medical atworkers, new turn, to support it with tention he required.
test has emerged from the Washington sheets. group of Japanese strength and to penetrate into the very question our way. The paper will pre pager devoted primarily to the anniverwatchdogs of the Wall Street bankers. according to these press reports stormed plant in vail. Its message will prevall. The sary of Lenin, Liebknecht and Luxemheart of the unfolding movement.
Is it not high time for the Com munition makers and manufacturers in the Singer Sewing Machine munist workers everywhere to reflect At the same time the new turn puts courage, the sacrifior, the unconquerable burg and the struggle against imperialist terests in every part of the globe.
Yokohome and left a wreckage behind spirit of the Bolshevik Leninists will war. It contains reports of the New the Left Opposition before new opporupon this matter, and to raise their Already recrimination, abuse and con. them amounting to several hundreds of York and Chicago Anti War Conferences voices in protest against the hideous tunities and tasks. By releasing their prevail.
tradictory rumors calculated to incite thousands of dollars. Counter charges The Left Opposition in America, and and articles on the latest developments united front between Stalin and the monopolistic strangle hold on the emacithe war fever all the air, both in Amer and claims are made that there was inated movement, and inviting all work on an International scale, is on the eve in the Young Communist League, besides European bourgeoisie which keeps in ica and in Japan. The old and familiar sufficient police protection; that it was Turkish confinement the organizer of ens organizations, Irrespective of poliforest advances. All its Ideas are be items of general working class interest.
story of atrocities begins to group of Left wing workers that commake tical opinions or affiliations. the Stalin. Its organization grows and extends to communists, Yipeels and working youth ing vindicated. Its predictions verified. Order your bundles. Reach the young the Bolshevik Insurrection, the leader screaming headlines on the front pages mitted the deed, eta, etc. ad nauseum.
of the Red Army, the closest colla of the yellow Journals. The Tokio War And now we hear still more ominous crack open for the reared and hated every capitalist country in the world. with the YOUNG SPARTACUS, borator of Lenin?
othee gives out information to the Jap news that the Japanes fleet maneuvera have been advanced from October Trotskyists. We must and June or July in the Pacife. And the make our way through that crack, spread American naval maneuvers, likewise in it wider, and establish direct contact the Pacific, are scheduled to take place with the workers, including the Comin about a month. Naval maneuvers are munists, who are assembling for strugusually the prelude to more serious acgle under the banner of the united tion.
At the same time we notice another Marxist wing of the movement has been significant fact. The attitude of the revealed chiefly in its criticism. The ary dear listeners, passionate drama of the Revolution as living an Shakespeare says, There is a tide in the allairs of Jengue of Nations has undergone opportunity to participate in a moveevent, we shall endeavor to treat it as dispassion men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune. abrupt and fundamental revision. In ment of struggle gainst the plague of ermit me to begin by expressing my sincere ately an anatomist. If the lecturer is drier unemployment places us also before the regrets over my inability to speak before a CopenTo sweep away the outlived ocial order, the less than a week the position of the because of it, the listeners will, let us hope, take it black international of Imperiallam test of action. The Left Opposition will hagen audience in the Danish tongue. Let us not progressive class must understand that its hour bas into the bargain.
grow in numbers and influence to the ask whether the listeners lose by it. As to the struck, and set before itself the task of conquering changed from one of ylelding to all the extent that it makes good in this test speaker, his ignorance of the Danish language de Let us begin with some elementary sociological power. Ilere opens the field of conscious revolu Japanese demands to a hard bolled atto the extent that it demonstrates its prives him of the possibility of famillarizing himself principles, which are doubtless familiar to you all, Lionary action, where foresight and calculation comtitude of no concessions whatever. At astonishqualities as a Aghting political organi with Scandinavian life and Scandinavian literature but as to which we must refresh our memory in bine with will and courage. In other words: here first glance this is somewhat zation not a mere propaganda circle.
ing. But upon looking deeper into this approaching so complicated a phenomenon as the immediately, at first hand and in the original. And opens the field of action of the Party.
Revolution.
itsell change it is quite in accord with the The revolutionary Party unites within But this direct participation in actions that is a great loss.
spirit of recent international events.
can be really effective for the unemploythe lower of the progressive class. Without The German language, to which have had to Human society is an historically originated colParty which is able to orientate itself in its environDuring this past week when the Lytton laboration in the struggle for existence and the asment movement and for Communism only take recourse, is rich and powerful. My German, if it supplements and relpforces the crit. however, is fairly limited. To discuss complicated surance of the maintenance of the generations. The ment, evaluate the progress and rhythm of events, report hung fire the American colossus icism of all harmful and retarding cur questions with the necessary freedom, moreover, 18 character of a society is determined by the characrents and tendencies, including the tend possible only in one own language. must there ter of its economy. The character of its economy victory of the proletarian revolution is impossible. publle it merely reaffirmed its policy on ency of bureaucratic Centrism. In no case fore beg the indulgence of the audience advance. is determined by its means of productive labor.
These are the reciprocal relations of the objective the Far Eastern question of January and under no circumstances can this The first time that was in Copenhagen was and the subjective factors in insurrection and in 1982. Protection of the open door.
revolution.
For every great epoch in the development of respect for the territorial and adminiscriticiem be submerged in a general sen at the international Socialist Congress, and took the productive forces there is a definite correspond trative integrity of China. the Nine timent of unity. First of all, we away with me the kindest recollections of your ing social regime. Every social reime until now has Power pact. the Kellogg Brand Peace have to see things as they really are city. But that was over a quarter of a century ago.
The Causes of October Treaty and all the other shams that secured enormous advantages to the ruling class.
and to talk out loud about them. Not Since then, the water in the Ore Sund and in the a few party serve to camouflage the desire of the members discouraged fjords has changed over and over again. And not What questions does the October Out of what has been said, it is clear that revolution American capitalist class for self asand demoralized by the devastation of the water alone. The war broke the backbone of social regimes are not eternal. They arise historie raise in the mind of a thinking man?
grandizement in China and the opening the Third Period. will hail the new the old Kuropean continent. The rivers and seas of ally, and then become fetters on further progress. Why and how did this Revolution take up of huge markets for the profiteers.
turn uncritically, as a way of salva Europe have washed down not a little blood. Man All that arises deserves to be destroyed.
place? More concretely, why did the proletarian But behind the scenes another and more tion. Is it possible that a Left Opposi kind, and particularly European mankind, has gone revolution conquer in one of the most backward powerful weapon was brought into actlonist here and there, chating for action through severe trials, has become more sombre and But no ruling class has ever voluntarily and peacefully abdicated. In questions of life and countries of Europe?
tion. And with this weapon the Amand wearled of the drawn out struggle more brutal. Every kind of conflict has become death arguments based on reason have never re What have been the results of the October erican imperialists bludgeoned the of our small faction for the principle more bitter. The world has entered into the period placed the argument of force. This may be sad, revolution? and finally, League of Nations to make its position foundations, can fall into the same er of the great change. Its most extreme expresalons but it is so It is not we that have made this world, ror? Hardly. But such things have are war and revolution Has the October revolution stood the test. conform to American Interests.
We can do nothing but take it as it is.
The first question, as to the causes, can now be has been suspended over the heads of This weapon is the war debt, which happened before. Every zig zag of Stal Before pass on to the theme of my lecture, answered more or less exhaustively.
Inism, the whole course of which is a the Revolution, consider it my duty to express series of zig zags to the Left and to the my thanks to the organizers of this meeting, the The Meaning of Revolution tempted to do this in great detail in my History of the defaulting nations, by the for the Revolution. Here can formulate only the this purpose among others.
Right, has claimed its credulous victims. Copenhagen organization of the social democratic For this reason also a critical appraisal student body. do this as a political opponent.
Revolution means a change of the social order.
most important conclusions.
The voice of the American Shytock It transfers the power from the hands of class of the new united front policy at the My lecture, it is true, pursues historico scientific and The fact that the proletariat reached power for has thundered forth; If you want a beginning, and at every turn, must go not political aims. want to emphasize this right which has exhausted itself into those of another the first time in such a backward country as the favorable settlement on the debt you class, which is on the rise. The insurrection is the along with and condition our support. from the beginning. But it is impossible to speak former Tsarist Russie seems mysterious only at first owe us then support our policy against sharpest and most critical moment in the struggle In Initiating the new tactic the Stalin of a Revoluton, out of which the Soviet Republic glance; in reality, it is fully in accord with his the Japanese! And as the old saying of two classes for power. The insurrection can ists have been true to themselves to the arose, without taking up a political position. As a torical law. It could have been predicted and it goes money talks. The whole League vacillating, cowardly, half measure char lecturer stand under the same banner as did lead to the real victory of the revolution and to was predicted. Stiu more, on the basis of the pre of Nations including France which has the establishment of a new order only when it is diction of this fact the revolutionary Marxlats built previously given Japan her acter of Centrism. In the Arst place when participated in the events of the Revolution.
Warmest based on a progressive class, which is able to rally Up to the war, the Bolshevik Party belonged the turn from the sodal Fascist theory up their strategy long before the decisive events. support fell into line. And DOW around it the overwhelming majority of the people.
is not a complete one: the branches of to the international social democracy. On August The first and most general explanation is. Russia papers tell us that a strong condemna the Socialist party and the local of 4, 1914, the vote of the German social democracy for As distinguished from the processes of nature, unions are invited to the united front the war credits put an end to this connection once a revolution is made by human beings and through economy, only an element of the capitalist world adopted. Great Britain which had been. but what of the central bodies of these and for all, and opened the period of uninterrupted human beings. But in the course of revolution, too, system. In this sense Lenin exhausted the riddle reticent about provoking Japan has organizations? What of the leaders and irreconcitable struggle of Bolshevism against so men act under the influence of social conditions of the Russian revolution with the lapidary formula, now offered diplomatic representations which are not freely chosen by them, but are handCan you convince any Socialist worker cial democracy. Does this mean that the organizers The chain broke at its weakest link to the latter about the tense situation or of unionist that these lead of this assembly made a mistake in inviting me as ed down from the past and imperatively point out which is endangering British interests. crude illustration: the great war, the result The American whip strikes sharply and ers are unwilling and unable to particla lecturer? On this point the audience will be able the road which they must follow. For this reason, of the contradictions of world imperialism, drew imperatively. But any illusion that any (Continued under Editorial Notes on to judge only after my lecture. To justify my acand only for this reason, a revolution follows cer into its maelstrom countries of different stages of possible action of the League of Nations Page Four)
ceptance of the kind invitation to present a report tain law.
development, but made the same claims on all the will permanently stop Japan adventure on the Russian Revolution, permit me to point to But human consciousness does not merely pasparticipants. It is clear that the burdens of the in Jehol and elsewhere is not only TIVI TIVI the fact that during the 35 years of my political sively reflect its objective conditions. It is accus.
war had to be particularly intolerable for the most absurd but dangerous. The most any tomed to react to them actively. At certain times backward countries. Russia was the first to be action of the League can accomplish is the this reaction assumes a tense, passionate, mass aud of my actions. The four years of my stay in character. The barriers of right and might are from the war, the Russian people had to overthrow to cause new alignments and intensify imperialist rivalry to the breaking point.
REPORT OF THE OPPOSITION Turkey were principally devoted the historical broken down. The active intervention of the mass the ruling classes. In this way the chain of War The Wall Street agents in Washington DELEGATES TO THE UNITED FRONT) elaboration of the problems of the Russian Rey es in historical events is in fact the most indispensbroke at its weakest link.
are using the League of Nations olution. Perhaps this fact gives me a certain UNEMPLOYMENT CONFERENCE.
able element of a revolution.
Still, war is not a catastrophe coming from out their battering ram against the Japanright to hope that will succeed, in part, But even the stormlest activity can remain in side, like an earthquake, but as old Clausewitz said, at least, in helping not only friends and sympath(Continued on page 4)
Speakers: the stage of demonstration or rebellion, without rlathe continuation of politics by other means. In the izers, but also opponents, better to understand many ing to the height of revolution. The uprising of the CANNON last war, the main tendencies of the imperialiattic features of the Revolution which had escaped their masses must lead to the overthrow of the dominasystem of peace time only expressed themselves International Workers School MAX SHACHTMAN attention before. At all events, the purpose of my tion of one class and to the establishment of the more crudely. The higher the general forces of prolecture is to help to understand. do not intend domination of another. Only then have we a whole duction, the tenser the competition on the world to conduct propaganda the Revolution nor to revolution. mass uprising is no isolated undermarkets, the sharper the antagonisms, and the madJanuary 27, 1933 Class call upon you to join the Revolution. intend to taking, which can be conjured up any time one der the race for armaments, in that measure the 128 Dust 16 Street, explain the Revolution.
pleases. It represents objectively conditioned more difficult It became for the weaker participants. do not know if in the Scandinavian Olympus ELEMENTARY COMMUNISM ADMISSION: 15e element in the development of a revolution, as a For precisely this reason the backward countries there was a special goddess of rebellion. Scarcely!
by assumed the first places in the succession of colrevolution represents an objectively conditioned proAwplows: In any case, we shall not call upon her favor to cess in the development of society. But if the neceslapses. The chai world capitalism always tends MARTIN ABERN Br. Communist Lengoe of America day. We shall place our lecture under the sign of sary conditions for the uprising exist, one must to break at its weakest link.
MONDAY P. Opposition)
Snotra, the old goddess of knowledge. Despite the not simply wait passively, with open mouth: as (Continued on PAGE TWO)
126 East 18th Street the OPEN FORUM lite the question of the Russian Revolution has been as BANQUET FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE MILITANT Spaghetti Dinner SAT. JAN. 21 at P.
126 16 St.
ADMISSION 40c Music Entertainment