Centrism and the 4th International Communism and the intellectuals dented, situation for work in the cept even the most extreme con. waiting. The struggle with hidden Bolshevik Leninists on the basis of Quincy Howe, protesting the actions course it was no such thing: what still some who have not exhausted spirit of year ment of one and the same end tent as now with all the colors of party to the discipline of the bour the most left offshoots of cen of forces within the proletariat, to the arty to defend its policy, of the Party fraction in the intela blow for the right policy If trisin.
to and the SATURDAY MARCH 17, 1934 THE MILITANT PAGE will prove conjunctural or final (in reality they will be of both kinds. the general conditions for the formation of the Fourth International on the basis of genuine Bolshevism beRealignments in the International Labor Movement cause more and more favorable. The Toward an Alliance of the Workers and Intellectuals chase of the extreme left centr. The events in Austria, coming tunist zig zags (Kuo Min Tang, advanced workers to sleep by in ists after the simply lefts, of the (Ed. Note. This is the first the outgrowth of the intellectuals jizations and in private talks, with after the events in Germany, placed Anglo Russian Committee, pacifist culcating in them the idea that the moderates after the rights, like the of two discussion articles by campaign committee for Foster and the perspective of loss of Party final cross over classic reform foreign policy, anti Fascist bloe, revolutionary regeneration of thelp the chase of a man after his own one of the signers of the Open Ford) to call upon the Party to confidence growing ineffectiveness, ism. Henceforth only the dullest etc. party is already achieved.
Letter to the Communist Party permit the League to build an or. und passivity. Why do they not go leaders of British and American (3) centrist swears readily by New Forms of Struggle shadow, can not create any stable on the Madison Square Garden ganizational united front with so further at this time? The Party trade unlonism and their French the policy of the united front em. Por a revolutionary Marxist mass organization: the miserable affair. cial cultural defense organizations Teror. the phrase is general among follower, Jouhaux, the president of ptying it of its revolutionary con the struggle against reformam la ent Party (U. retains now Toward An Alliance of Intel. of different political tendencies and tutellectuals keeps some in line.
lectuals and Workers affiliations for effective action Perbaps it is the intellectual develde, and similar political ichtb tactical method ino a supreme prin struggle against centrism. The mere also its full force. Under the presAs the immediate repercussions against Fascism. This proposal, plorable sensitiveness, or his cowyosauri will dare to speak openly of ple.
League ardice, but one must appreciate the the perspectives of peaceful develop (k. centrist readily resorts to gle to illegal, of peaceful means to criticism and our slogans, the ad or the Madison Square Garden at which no member of the remembered that overwhelming majority of reform. ideological emptiness; he does not ship now goes beside the mark as vacillations of the most left centrist Ingly clear that at least on the to. peals to Party loyalty made by the It is only too bits. con could take on new. colors understand that revolutionary mor the majority of cases because the leaders, and, if it should become tellectual front the landscape has Party fraction, and by private in an editor of the New Masters had a these very been tremendously and permanently timations that the Party policy it political disagreement wito the the arty and woke up one morning to numerable shadings of centrism basis of revolutionary doctrine and himself, is ready to accept the most leaders. On the road to a new in. changed. Last week Militant was soll was soon to be changed Open Letter direction of the organizational tind himself publicly and officially which now dominate the field of the revolutionary policy. revolutionary formulas it only ternational the proletarian vanguard rls accused by the Party in the Daily workers movement in the majority Words and Deeds they do not obligate him today to will find no other answers than of 27 sympathizers, including united front.
of countries. This creates an en Under the pressure of circum a decisive break with his own irre those which have been elaborated John Dus Passos, Edmund Wilson, This the Party considered a vie Worker or buying driven his wito tirely new, and in a sense unprece stance the eclectic centrist may alsoluteness, indecision and expectant and are being elaborated by the Theodore Dreiser, Elliot Coben and tory over intellectual dissent. Of to suicide. And, alus, there are revolutionary Marxism clusions only to retreat from them or nusked op wortunists must there international experience during ten oC the in the Garden, as an im the party won was not approval the delights of acting that noble (Bolshevism. The New Interna: afterwards in practice. Having tore be transferred chiefly to the years of uninterrupted theoretical portant revolt against the disrup of Party policy, but a shortterm ex double role on the revolutionary tive policies of the leader tension of sufferance and toleration. stage: red swash buckler in the tional can develop principally at the accepted the dictatorship of the sphere of practical conclusions from and practical struggle.
ship. But to one who has This truce the Party has been able parlor and the committee room; expense of the now prevailing tend proletariat he will leave a wide revolutionary requisites.
Conditions for Success himself shared both the activities to maintain during the intervening silent good little underground mouse encies and organizations. At the margin for opportunist interpret Before seriously accepting centr 10. During the past and the dilemmas of this group of months only by the dissolution of in some bourgeois editorial sanctum same time the revolutionary Inter tions; having proclaimed the necesist talk of the dictatorship of the political influence has greatly intellectuals, and who helped draft the League, and the enforcement of or academic grove, restraining him.
national cannot form itself otherwise sity of a Fourth International he proletariat we must demand a grown in a number of countries. and signed the protest, it is more a policy of no discussion, no critic self under Party discipline from than in a consistent struggle against will work for the building of a serious defense against Fascism, a We will be able to develop and than that. To him it is a milestone ism of the Party within the National taking even a little proletarian centrism. Under these Two and a half International, etc. complete break with the bourgeoisie, broaden these successes in a com in the progress of the American Committee for the Defense of Poligaw.
ideological irreconcilability and the The most malignant exar ple a systematic bullding of a workers paratively short time under the intellectual toward the revolution. tical Prisoners, the League against But most in this group stay in flexible policy of the united front or centrism is, if you wish, the Ger militia, its training in militant following conditions: The fact is that the Letter is by War and Fascism, and in the party line, as their predecessors did for serve as two weapons for the attain man group Begin Anew. Neu spirit, the creation of inter party (a) Not to outsmart the historic no means the first sprouting of ser intellectual organ (or ruther, organ long before them, because they be.
Begionen. Supertically repeating defense centres, anti Fascist states, process, not to play hide and seck ious political thinking on the part for Party intellectuals. the New lieve in the possibility of reform Characteristies of Centrism the Marxian criticism of reformism, the banishment from their ranks of but to state what is; of intellectuals close to the move Masses.
within the Party. Some have faith One must understand first of it comes to the conculsion that all parliamentary, trade unlonist and (b) to give ourselves a theoretic ment. It is rather the first overt That this meant the withdrawal in this or that member o the all the most characteristic traits of the misfortunes of the proletariat other traitors, bourgeois on this eral situation which in the present and sleep in their ranks. In the of a large section of the best blood Beld (ah, those mytnical healthy Tackets acounting of the changes in the gen product of a ferment that goes wide from activity to mass for sanizations for the middle leadership in the Trst, because centrism due to its tion lies in the safeguarding of the plane the main fights against cens epoch frequently take on the nature minds uz many, the Garden atale. attracted to the movement in the in Denver and Dubuque. difficulty to a positive definition: it les. These gentlemen place the on this struggle with success it Iste) to heed carefully the mood of or the content marked the promotion anemia, has not seemed to the Party ating impact of worsening objective is characterized to a much greater organizational discipline of Wels necessary to have free hands, that the masses, without prejudices, serious discussion, but by consider. Leadership too great a price to pay conditions, or a cleansing flood of extent by what it lacks than by what and Co. higher than the historic is not only to retain full organi without illusions, without sell. de able Inner struggle and revolt. The for maintaining the public fiction spontaneous rauk and file, revolt 11s.
it embraces, secondly, never has interests of the proletariat. And Zational independence, but also crl. ception in order on the basis of a high significance of the Letter is of support by intellectuals of poling in the provinces and washing centrium yet played to such an ex since Wels Co. Subordinate the tical intransigeance with regard to correct estimate of the relationship that it was u publie challenge to licies watch, it knew, it could not away the Ninth Floor Swamp: some defend in discussion, The success think they will be able to striko the rainbow, because never get geoisie, the group Begin Anew avoid opportunism as well as adven exemplified by the insune Garden have the ranks of the working class cloaked by left criticism stolen Events Force Realignments turism and to lead the masses for tactic, and to drastically reform it, lectual organizations is apparently only they keep in the good graces been in such ferment as at the pre from the Marxists, represents in Bolshevik Leninists in all ward, not to throw them back; it it means to keep its influence on measured not by its achievements in of the leadership until the Propitisent time. Political ferment, by the reality a harmful agency of the countries must realize clearly the (a) every day, every hour to an intellectuals seriously concerned winning support and leading con. ous Moment comes; a few cherish very essence of the term, means a bourgeois order, even though an peculiarities of the new stage in the wer clearly to ourselves what our with their own fate and with that structive activity for working class notions of ignoring broad questions realignment, a shift between two agency of second degree. struggle for the Fourth Internation next practical step must be, tireless of the working class, two fates which ends, but by its success in upbold of polley, and doing a good honest poles, Marxism and reformism; that The London Bureau al. The events in Austria and ly to prepare this step and on the they have learned to think of asing the public prestige of lead practical job, in some restricted ership. More and more during the Geld behind the back of the Party is, the passing through the various The so called London (now France give a powerful impetus to basis of living experience explain one.
past months the intellectual front while the is not looking.
stages of centrism, Amsterdam) Bureau represents an the realignment of the forces of the to the workers the principled dir.
revolutionary terence of Bolshevinin from all other Year of Probation No matter how difficult aattempt at creating an international proletariat in the has become a mere facade, behind Yes, some are not very bright, It was, of course, the German which inanition and stagnation re and all are slow. But a better thing general definition of centrism, which focal point for centrist eclecticism, direction. But precisely this univ. parties and currents; of necessity always has a conjunc under the banner which the right ersal supplanting of open reformism The Basie Historic Task events that first crystallized into ign, galvanized on rare occasions to say is that they have come tural character, nevertheless, we and the left opportunist groupings, by centrism develops a powerful (e) not to confuse tactical tasks a serious current of political critic into bursts of febrile, ineffective long way, and are likely to come farther. Nor are they likely can and must bring out the out which dare not choose finally attractive force with regard to left for a united front with the basic iam dissent among Party sympath activities standing churacteristics and pecu direction and a banner, try to un centrist groupings (s. Historic tusk; the creation of new izers. All were deeply shaken by Shattering the Intellectual Facade take so long to come into the open originating from the break down of centrists try to direct the movement about to unite with the Bolshevik (1) not to neglect even the weak the impotence of the German the strain of the past year, under or events is too fast. Yesterday, the Second and the Third Interna obliquely along a diagonal course Leninists. This dialectic process est ally, for the sake of practical and the In the face of counter the impact of the Garden atfair the Germany. Today, Austria. Tomor.
tionals.
The elements composing the bloc may produce the impresson on the action.
revolution. Most intellectuals felt, fabric binding the intellectuals to row? On the wall they see the (a) Theoretically, centrism is am pull in opposite directions; the surface that the Marxian wing is (6) to watch critically the most many out of a bumility not alto the Party was rent asunder. This shadow of the bayonet phorous and eclectic; so far as pos Norwegian Workers Party) again isolated from the masses. left ally as a possible adversary. gether reprehensible, that they had most flagrant example of fail. Fascist axe. The ferment among sible it evades theoretical obliga cautiously moves towards the Sec. flagrant delusion! The veerings (h) to treat with the greatest at no right to draw final conclusions ure and persistent error, ended them is too great. Moreover, many tions and inclines (in words) to give ond International; the In or centrism to the right and to the tention those groupłngs which ar as to the character and causes of year of probation of the Party. The of them are bound to the signers preference to revolutionary prac dependent Labor Party) partly to Left follow from its very nature. tually gravitate to us; patiently and communist defeat in Germany. Party account under the heading of the Letter by the closest ties of tice over theory, without under ward the Third, partly toward the There will yet be tens and hundreds carefully to listen to their critic others felt that they had reason to United Front 0133 1934 was im friendship, intellectual and artistic can Impart revolutionary direction Workers Party of Germany) and would be the most wretched falnt help them develop toward Marxism; horrible events in Germany, Commediately called for audit, the bal respect, and common labors in the ance was struck, and the verdict past on the working class front.
the Independent Socialist heartedness to fear to go forward not be frightened by their caprices, munist policies would improve. Pol was unanimous. insolvency. Try as the Party will to isolate them Centrist Ideology Party of Holland) veering and just because the road is strewn with threats, utimatums (centrists are itical insight had progressed to al Not merely among the twenty from the men who have taken an (b) In the sphere of Ideology vacillating toward the fourth. obstacles or because not all the fel always capricious and touchy. not point where it was recognized that seven signers of the Open Letter, open stand, they will not succeed.
centriem leads a parasitle existence: Explolting and preserving the ideolow travellers will arrive at the to make any concessions to them in the united front tactic was the crux was it uuanimous. The writer has The Challenge of the Intellectuals it repeats against revolutionary logical amorphousness of all its very end. principle: of the whole problem. move was heard, or had reliable reports of the In the meantime, the twenty seven (1) and once more: not to fear made as long ago as February 1933. reactions of perhaps thirty Marxists the old Mepshevik argu participants and trying to compete The Fourth International other stand firm. The fact that the Daily ments (Martov, Axelrod, Plechanov) in the work for the creation of a Whether the new opportunist to state what is.
in the League of Professional Intellectuals, some members of the Worker has not dared to print the usually without suspecting this; on new International, the bloc of the vacillations of our centrist alles February 23, 1934 TROTSKY Groups (an organization which was Party.
In no instance was the re Open Letter for workers to read, the other hand, its main arguments London Bureau plays a reaction.
action other than violent disgust contrms their judgment.
against the rights it borrows from ary role. The failure of this groupwith the Party behavior in the Far from wavering, they the Marxists, that is first of all ing is absolutely inevitable.
Garden. Such words as sickening: tound their action an impetus to from the Bolshevik Leninists, dull Bureaucratie Centrism revolting. horrible. nauseat Curther action. They have discover ing however, the sharp edge of The defining of the policy of criticism avolding practical conclu the Comintern as that of bureauslons, thereby rendering their crit cratic centrism retains its full force Spanish political situation has un had.
Alliance was established including gle intellectual would defend or ex self questionings of the past months ately, and in contidence, not a sin. indecision, vacillation, confusion, 1clsm meaningless.
now too. As a matter of fact, only dergone great changes. The Left Following the general trend of Pestana Federacion Sindicalista de Moreover, a large majority has letism has been somehow exorcised. what the Party sneers at as Hamhis hostility to reformism; but he trom opportunist betrayals to ultra tically eliminated from parliament opportunism or lack of self confiacalist Party, with its unions, the the year brooding over tac strike simple, honest, forthright does not mention centrism; more Left adventurism; only the powerover, he considers the very definitul Soviet bureaucracy could for and the socialists reduced to lessence, inclined towards the Socialist Unio Socialista (Autonomoustics. Almost without exception they blow for a cause they believe in: tion of centrism as unclear. ar ten years assure a stable base for than half of their former represen: party whose revolutionary tones party. Maurin Workers and pea. recognize that there is something bitrary. etc. in other words cen the ruinous policy of zig zags.
tation. The government has in fact during the electoral campaign sants Bloe, the Union de Rabas recogni united front from below; they have see, breeds in the Party atmosphere, Buscism. Hamletism, many of them its name.
trism does not like to be called by Bureaucratie centrism, in distinc. passed into the hands of the Mon created the most naive hopes and Slares (very important peasant or seriously rotten in the tactic of the unity of the workers against tion from centrist groupings which archists. a) centrist, always uncertain crystallized out of the social dem The present Lerroux government will do something this is the senti Left has to its credit no victories, and Party functionaries for thelr own of his position and his methods, ocracy, is the product of the degen. depends on the Monarchical forces ment of the majority Including the side or the united front: inecolicies an unbroken record of catastrophic ends. For the first time in months.
views with batred the revolutioneration of Bolshevism; it retains just as the previous governments most class conscious sections of the one writer expresed It, feel like is inclined to substitute for a prin traits, still leads a considerable constituted the largest group in this is that, the whole working munist Party. The Stalinists and analyses of the united front and can really get down to some use clpled policy personal maneuvering number of revolutionary workers, parliament. In the former Cortes classes is at a standstili, awaiting Wered the call with the expressed the testing of his contentions by uit few good licks for the RevoluAnd think could be organizations. Once the united (e) centrist always remains in and technical means, but by its poll could exist without the socialist do.
have attained a clarity on this pro front was constituted, the party blem which contrasts to hit them.
spiritual dependence on rightistical influence is now the crassest, support, just as at present Lerroux Meanwhile, the latter continues to realized that its mission had been with their ignorance and confusion the utmost seriousness. The intelamazingly The dilemma expressed bero is of groupings, Is Inclined to cringo be most disorganizing and harmful could not govern without depending make vague therats for the near fulfilled and it withdrew in order a few short fore those who are more moderate, variety of centrism. The political on the Monarchical to remain silent on their opportun break down of the Comintern, clear parliamentary sltuation then parties. The future, at the same time that it to unmask the Allanza from with know now that the united front Lectual is in a mood for action, has does not offer the least resistance to out. The official absence of the ist sins and to color their actions to the whole world, signifies of made a turn of 180 degrees. Theibe blows that the government dealsc. incans nothing in view or from below never has worked, and means to act. But how? Where?
What next?
necessity the turthen decomposition miserable petty advances made by every day against the conquests of the sectarianism of the anarchists, why.
never will work, and they know SIGNER OF THE (1) His shilly shallging the cen of bureaucratic centrism. In this the Republicans and Socialists dur the workers. The last anarchist but the decomposition of the OPEN LETTER.
trist frequently covers up by refer sphere our task is to save the best ing the period of their domination theu rrections naturally could not do not in the region, converts the on the level of overt action, there (In next week Militant the ence to the danger of sectarian elements for the cause of the pro are now helng gradually liqudated, more than a centuate this state of Allanza Obrera into a more import parting of the ways. Twenty seven same writer will continue the ism. by which he understands not letarian revolution. Side by side while they object and protest inef affairs.
ant and influential force in the Cat. Intellectuals took an open stand.
discussion in an article entitled abstract propagandist passivity (or with tireless principled criticism, rectually in order to keep up appearUnited Front in Catalonia alonlan labor movement than thie Almost as large a group, agreeing the Bordigist type) but an active our main weapon for influencing ances and cover up their own im Program for Intellectuals. concern for purity of principles, the workers still remaining under potence as a parliamentary force.
official leadership.
The most important fact, and one with the others in sentiment, would clarity of position, political consist the banner of the Comintern is the For National Alliance not openly criticize the Party.
PARIS COMMUNE Workers Prepare For Struggle which opens the greatest of possiency, organizational completeness. turther penetration of our ideas and The first step of the Alianza Ob What does this mean? In terms MASS MEETING (8) centrist ocuples a position methods into those wlde masses, Conscious of the danger of bour buities in the midst of the already rera, has been to propose that of action, the present development March 18, 1871 the Parisian workers between an opportunist and a Marx. who stand now in overwhelming geois reaction the proletariat, now outlined unfavorable situation, united front be organized nationally. may be described as the moving of seized power. 63 years later the ist somewhat analogous to that majority outside the influence of as in other instances previous to that the tendency towards the unl. This proposal met with the opposi two groups of intellectuals one step Austrian workers rose in battlo which a petty bourgeois occupies the Comintern.
the establishment of the Republic, ted front, always present among the tion of the Socialist Party, which each to a higher political level. The against reaction. What are the between a capitalist and a prole Adaption to Reformist Maneuvers prepares Itselt for struggle. But workers, has at last been made a for the moment accepts the united first group, Individuals who during lessons these historic working elass uprisings?
situation in Speaker: transforming or dyeing itself into revolutionary action is accompanied to the workers of the whole come dirt with the united front without the Party, and found themselves in ALBERT GLOTZER (h) On the international arena centrism, some croupings of Lett by a momentary inactivity. This try. The Initiative for the united carrying it to its final consequences, consequence more and more isolated Just Returned From Europe the centrist distinguishes himself centrism not by blindiness then by short store in their development and even the preponderance which the Social group of Pestana. the most influen: and the proletarlat the impression graduated into open publle critic. tional Youth Conference schedul.
sightedness; he does not understand move backwards. It seems to them ist party has acquired in the last cih trade union group side toe te that the Socialist Party is disposed ism, and the freedom from special ed to be held in Amsterdam, cald.
gion) which is now outside of the to adopt a revolutionary attitude obligntion to or toleration of the ed by police and held in Brussels, revolutionary party can be built grasped almost everything, that it As a consequence of the unfortun.
But the current in favor of the uni Party. In its struggles with Visited Trotsky only as part of an international is only necessary not to play with ate policies of the revolutionary It would have been difficult Ited front is so strong that, in spite class enemy, they will defend it, or party; in the choice of his interna exorbitant demands, criticism, ex. wing (principally the as not impossible to constitute this of the inevitable obsateles, it can cooperate with it, if it permits them, tional allies the centrist is even less treme phraseology, and that then the Communist party has not man united front if it were not for the be reasonably hoped that its or but they wll not defend its fratri SUNDAY, March 18, 1934 at p.
discriminating than in his own with one blow one can create a massaged to play an important role) the fact that the most influential curganization will continue and that cidal course within the ranks of the BROWNSVILLE LABOR LYCEUM country.
219 Sackman Street revolutionary party.
Socialist party strengthened itself rent in the movement supported the it can assume an effective interven working class. in the In reality. reformism, forcel by during its period in power. Its fall, slogan. The remainder of the ortion of the proletariat in the situa The second group in turn moves Admission 10c of the Comintern only ultra Lett events to disavow itselt, having no at a time in which the revolution unizations responded favorably, ton. FERSEN. to occupy the position just vacated Auspices. Communist League of deviations, adventurism, putechism, clear program, no revolutionary ary wing is broken and branded either because they really desired Prison Celular, Madrid. by the first: inner criticism and America, Brownsville Brang Ignoring completely the right opportactles, is capable only of lulling thelby failure, has contributed to augu Jthe united front or because of the January 26, 1934. opposition within mass organ. Spart Youth Club of Brownsville have The Political Situation in Spain Since the November elections the ment the influence which it already, Importance of the call. The Labor lag recur again and again. Prived to their amazement that their (c) centrist readily proclalms centrism is capable of constant leaps Republican parties have been prac. the masses, the leadership of the and the unions affiliated to it, the tenuate the disruptive action.
other oganization, either because of Catalonian orguniuztion of the So drawn political conclusions from once they found the courage to expectations. The Socialist party anization) and the Communistgiven up defending a tactic whicolis indeed carefully nursed along by ary principle: to state what is; he in caricature form some of its depended on the socialists who then proletariat. The consequence of aul section of the and the Con through acquaintance with Trotsky ful writing before the workers.
tarian: he kowtows before the first 7. Precisely now, when reform although this may seem strange reality in Catinlonia, giving a powerfront only on a regional and local the past year have engaged in deepthe Belgium.
in France