SATURDAY APRIL 21, 1934 THE MILITANT GE Once More on Centrism Who Lost the National Income?
61 Discussion Article inadequacy of centrism. The cen trists like to speak of illegality, of conspirative, underground methods.
As a rule, however, they do not take Editor NoteThe following Trotsky Answers the him.
55. This is, of course, true and An Analysis of Facts and no doubt Mr. Lippmann is correct article by comrade Trotsky was cize Trunmal meanwhile makes like to poke fun at bourgeois demo 81 billion dollars; in 1930 it was written in reply to a criticism of Criticism of Dutch his previous article on Centrism mnie to the extent that the working always show naive trust in it. For 1932 19 billion. Who lost the in Figures Regarding Wages welke For the yearst 1930 3121 Warm and the Fourth International Paper agreement with him remains unbro instance, when they call together come?
in terms of prices, only 35 billion. Militant, March 17) which apken, that is, apparent criticism is an international conference it is Labor income, which includes and Dividends However, it must be recorded for peared in De Fakkel, organ of made which only serves as a cover handled as though it were a matter both salaries and wages, de An their sake that the two staple comthe Independent Socialist Party ponent part. Precisely because they for the out and out reactionary bloc. es tropes en tron Peruhtees y sa creased 40 in the three years. In the amount which the boss decides modities for which the worker of Holland (O. De Fakkel feel their principled weakness and The gallant Shakespearian actor tastrophe with a toll the wyobra comes to entrepreneurs, which in he is going to pay himself for be spends a large part of his wages, disputed comrade Trotsky con their inability to give the working who was supposed to play the lion methoskerificere the matter should cludes farmers, decreased 44. ing the boss. While rent, interest bread and milk, bear about the same class a clear answer they must al at the court feared to frighten the be looked into a little closer it will But incomes from property, includ and dividends are three different price tag in 1982 as they did 10 placed reformism as the main vert the attention of workers from beautiful ladies and therefore Invariably be found that such oring dividends and interest, de things and are derived differently, 1929.
tendency in the International centrist sickness to reformist dang roared as softly, as tenderly as a ganizational Slovenliness is concreased only 30. As it will be they are, nevertheless, the three Commodity Prices labor movement. De Fakkel also er. In this they resemble old liber dove Our highly respectable left nected with the ideological loose shown futrher on wages actually categories into which the surplus It is, however, true that the comdefended the adhesion of the alism which always scared the centrists become very grupe to Bolness of centrism. Woe to those who decreased 61.
value extracted from the hides of modity prices by 1032 had found to the London Amsterdam workers with reaction in order to shevik sectarians. to the Tran cannot learn from experience! Taking 1929 to represent 100 we the workers is divided. In this low levels which thoy had not Bureau and its relations with the hold them back from the fight maels they coo like doves.
Norwegian Labor Party (N. against liberalism itselt.
From Marxist Quality to Mass find that in 1930 wages paid to la light it would be well to reexamine struck for years. In terms of comThere Old Arguments of the Stalinists Quantity bor in industry had fallen to 83. the figures given above and see modity prices it would be bard to fore, for instance, the declarations It is true that the organizational on the other hand salaries pald in what they mean. De Fakkel on Centrism De Fakkel acknowledges our base for the Fourth International industries (that is to the big shots, say to what point the real wages Dividing the National Income of the workers had been depressed, De Fakkel criticism of my ar Youth conference contain nothing as that of bureaucratie centrism. however, the basis for the third stationery, being listed at 10. In the national income into the two ures on 1829 commodity prices de ticle (Centrisin and the Fourth Lu or almost nothing on centrism. This, however, is only lip service, International was even narrower. comes from real estate stood at classes belonging to it the amount by 1932 the monetary was oothie It is in fact necessary to divide since we have not on hand any fig.
of the make up of the leadership cisely those parties that did not with the Amsterdam Bureau is consist, however, of grovelling beat 102.
the whole working alliance The work of building up did not 84. 4; Dividends at 97. and Interest that went to the bourgools and workers had fallen to 81 it would of the as well as of left permit themselves in the past to be nothing else but a wiited, sickly tore opportunist organizations of centrism in general. It therefore held back from a merciless fight edition of the infamous Anglo Rus the type of the but on the petty bourgeois class, constituting be safe to say that the cut in real deserves to be analyzed.
Wages in 1931 about 32 of the people, and the Wages amounts to about 35 to 40 Is it correct that the main tend proved to be the bravest fighters found British lefts of the type oferation of the workers from the income from real estate to 65. Hoov comprising the remaining 88 In 1981 wages fell to 61 and in amount that went to the workers at the end of the third year.
It was on the basis of the 1932 ency of the working class movement galust reaction. The same holds Finn Moe who were used as bait Muence of such organizations. The erville elties, two and three families Thus we find that while wages collar and its commod purchasof the world consists in the trans true now. Those revolutionists will by the real leaders. In defending real Initiators of the Fourth Inter of workers moving together, account decreased in 1930 to 83 of the ing power that the codes of the trism? De Fakkel disputes it. Itsolutely independent of centrism De Fakkel, as well as the Neue to turn it afterwards into mass real estate sharks. The wages or which went to the hosses decreased supposed to do three things. First, formation of reformism into cenoght reformism best who are ab their brotherhood with Tranmael national begin with Marxist quality for this decline of income of the 1923 level the share of the boodle NRA were based. The NRA was believes that everywhere is to be and view it critically and intransl Front, repeats all the old arguments quantity. The small but well hard the workers have observed simultaneously the strivdriven down to only 96. In other words the increase the purchasing power of ing to orient the movement towards seantly.
of Stalin and Bucharin. Masses. ened and sharply ground ax splits, more than one third. Salaries in workers suffered a 17 loss while the workers by increasing wages.
the right. It points thereby to the The London Amsterdam Bureau French Neo Socialists, the Belgian The London Amsterdam Bureau but in a worse form If anything. should begin with an ax of stoel. found in 1930, recorded at 88. Div. crease. In 1931 the wages of the road in the history of one of the Workers Party, the English Labor is unable to fight against reformismThus, cannot recognize the val Even here the means of production deuds drop to 72 and income to workers were driven down to 61 biost strike waves which the Party and the Dutch Social Demo since it is a mutual aid society for idity of a single argument which is decisive.
farmers to 76. Interest remains at of the 1920 level. Not so the bosses. American boss class has ever faced.
cracy. The facts indicated by De the vacillating and hesitant. De De Fakkel brings against my ar. With regard to the as in 99, having suffered very little.
Their average Income stands at Secondly, it was supposed to increase Fakkel only confirm when one Fakkel says: The aim of the Burticle, by which, however, do not all other cases, we draw a distine In 1982 wages went to a new low appoximately 80 of the 1929 ng production as a result of the inknows how to interpret them in cau is to win for the Fourth In want to say that there are no flaws tion between the centrism of the level 37. Salaries tell to 50. ure. But in 1932 while the wages crease in purchasing power. It has Marxian fashion my assertion. ternational as many adherents as in the article. Thus, for instance, workers, which is only a transition dividends to 13, farmers 59. Inter of the workers dropped to the star. also failed to do this, due to the Why were the Neo Socialists possible. The could have one could point out correctly that stage for them, and the professional est held its own at 98.
vation level of 39 of 1929 the third thing the NRA was supposed ejected from the old party? Be joined the Second International the article does not reveal suficient centrism of many leaders among while bourgeois economists sep average income for the boss class to do and actually has done incause it was clothing itself with with the same justification. That ly the practical and organizational whom there are also incurables. arate dividends, interests and sal still remains relatively high at crease prices of commodities. Since the price increase has exceeded the centrism. The right wing changes we must fight for the Fourth InThat we will meet with the major aries and try to make us believe into a conservative, nationalistic ternational wherever possible is Besides its left Finn Moes who ity of the workers on the that they represent three different It can safely be said that the inwage increase (Wherever such wage clique that has nothing more to do clear. This task, however, means face the and the Tran road to the Fourth International classes of income it is done only come for the exploiting classes as increase has been obtained) the rewith the working class movement. an irreconcilable struggle against mael has also his right Finn Moes of this we are quite certain. for the purpose of confusion and to a whole remained at 61 of what sult is that the worker has acceptwage cut. And, of The Belgian example is also a case the treacherous policy of Tranmael) whose face is turned towards the TROTSKY. throw dust in our eyes. Salaries it was in 1920. Yes the bourgeoised another in point. De Fakkel reminds us of and certainly not a brotherhood in King palace.
March 28, 1934 Jare in many cases in reality only economist will admit and immediocurse, we are speaking in terms of Vandervelde recent avowal of alately try to say that the workers real wages which the bourgeois legiance to the King. But there is stilistisk 180 now a condition exists where ley. The League members demand income level has sunk to 39. But economist over emphasizes when he nothing new in this. The plan of there is no great gap between young ed youth sections in the trade un this is a falsehood as he no doubt is apologizing for the Hoover rede Man is new. In substance as well and old workers; a gap which must tons. In certain countries where knows. When we consider that at the sime, and which he doesn like to as by its author admission the be bridged by youth fractions and Red trade unions existed, such end of 1932 at least one third of the mention at all when defending the plan is but an attempt to oblitereconomic organizations. Virtually youth sections were born. These workers are unemployed, and that Roosevelt New Deal.
ate the line of demarcation between Street the same difference exists between new born sections in turn began to about one half of these were already The 59 Cent Dollar men and women as between young yowl for youth trade unions. The out of a job in 1929 then it can be But the end is not yet hero. The reform and revolution. In this precisely consists the essence of cen On the Resolution of the National Youth Committee and old. Why not women shop realized the danger, and in seen that the income level of the 50 cent dollar, they tell you glibly.
trism.
committees and trade union frac the resolution on economic trado class as a whole has sunk to 32 was designed primarily to force our tions. Centrism and Centrism The resolution of the National become an overwhelmingly petty.
union work adopted at its Fourth This is the unpalatable truth which dollars into foreign markets where The logic of a position that sup Congress, condemned the idea of even such liberals as Walter Lipp the pound and the franc could not Monarchistic servility indicates Youth Committee was received with bourgeois organization. In a revgo, le, to increase our exports.
only that must distinguish be certain amount of disagreement. olutionary crisis, in which a strong ports youth trade union tractions is youth trade unions and trade union mann prefer not to see.
This is true and leads to what the tween centrism Bosses Income Stood Up and centrism. None of it appeared in print, theredemagogic Fascist movement exist to go over to the support of the sections.
bourgeois economists are wisely There are honest centrist moods of fore the delay in the appearance of ed, the probabilities are that the Idea of youth trade union sections The youth must form a part of the masses and there are conscious his article. We propose to deal would come under the control and your love trade renforce and this contenere treated by committee eten. income of the boss class average word war for the purpose pour le it Communist trado union fractionof. the world market. But liamentary cheats of the masses. At a later date we hope to return perform no good. It may rendersounds. It has its precedent. The Future resolutions must reject the on the same basis it could be argued the American worker, too, will feel here idea is not as far fetched Young Communist International, idea of youth trade union fractions that the workers for the same three the effects of the 69 cent dollar and But such designs have become necto a more thorough discussion of immeasurable harm. It must essary precisely because of the shift these points and their ramifications destroyed!
which promoted the idea of trade and shop committees in no uncer years averaged 61 of their 1920 when he begins to draw his pay in of the party base to the left. In III.
union youth fractions, had to deal tain terms.
income. However, if we accept that 50 cent dollars he will speedily BERNARD LANDAU. 25 will represent the average un realize that what he most of all essence the matter stands no dit Among some of the comrades of The resolution rejects the idea of with the logical results of its polferently also with the English La the Communist League there ap periphery organizations, and in the employment during this period (and needs is a substantial wage increase bor Party although in tempo and pears a certain tendency to the same paragraph speaks of the forit is, all in all, a conservative esti to offset the devastating wage cat The Tasks of the National Youth in phenomenal form it is quite dit effect that the Spartacus Youthmation of sports teams by the mate) then the average wages of of the devaluated dollar. And he ferent. The going over of the Mac League should not be subordinated No one can object to either the working class as a whole has will find the NRA and its complt.
Donald clique to the reaction, on politically to the Some 50 idea, but putting the two so close Committee sunk to 45 of what it was in 1929. cated legal machinery in his way.
the one hand, the expulsion of the further and state that the youth together suggests (and it is so unBut these gentlemen will howl, Wages and Interest from the Labor Party on the should never have been subordin derstood by certain comrades) that The entire development of our abnormal development and de: 108 but merely a monetary loss. brought out by the statistics quoted this long represents not a real There are two significant things other, are two very significant ated to tho Party. These latter we are opposed to a Workers Sport organization from its very symptoms of the above mentioned comrades forget that during the Federation, contending that the scon, has been an abnormal one.
incep veloping above the working youth. The argument is that the real av in the previous paragraphs which Education and Mass Work processes.
World War the International Union Will perform that function.
erage wages of the workers has not we will call to your attention, In the coming period we will in of Socialist Youth was the center of The overwhelming majority of not only by virtue of its political This highly developed system of sunk 39 (their figures, in reality First, that the actual wages o character, but even from the point the evitably observe a new development the European revolutionary anti the organized American proletarian of view of the elements composing education is OUR CONTRIBUTION employed workers dropped to 30 of centrist currents in the Laborwar fighters. They forget that the south is in a sporta organization of the movement to the revolutionary youth move ence discussion, reflects also the of the 1929 level, and that if you Party. That the German lead Socialist youth organizations were one form or another. The over Coming from an organization ment, but this remains a positive failure to comprehend the difference take the class as a whole, wages Bhine with Wels, as well as the political parties in their respective whelming majority of these are un(the isolated from the feature ONLY TO THE EXTENT in youth age from the physical dropped to about 32. But the clothe their philistine prejudices in as the Third Congress of the Comin. present moment these organizations the offspring necessarily set about TION WITH OUR MASSWORK. the intellectual. youth in the employed. Not so. Even the miserleaders of Austro Narcis now countries. They forget that as late der bourgeois influence. At the masses of American young workers. THAT WE BLEND THIS EDUCA point of view as distinguished from bosses will say, we feed the unthe language of Revolution. istern, in reality, two parties existed are militarists. We must ther to the cause of the Left Op learn for the sake of learning. We youth notwithstanding his age only unemploegd was made up in large a backward political development by age. For that reason it was do wrest the workers from their con position (Marxism. For two or educate ourselves with the aim of to the degree tbat he is inexperi part out of the pay envelopes of the afford, in the face of threatening uit, be recognized as the political own class sport organizations. Soort For two or more years we concern majority of the youth to the pro comprehend problems from Marx the social democratie apparatus can cided that one organization, the ad. trol and organize them into their more years we strove In this way, employing our knowledge in the enced intellectually. When once be workers already receiving starvathe advances to the stage where he caption wages.
dangers the growth of Fascism leader of the working class.
The second thing we would call ang simultaneously be internal cen. The other comrades contend that Federation will be to fight against saction activity with regard to the gram of Marxism, otherwise it 18 san point of view, his perlod as a to your attention is the high intrist opposition the attempt to at the present time a youth organi. reaction, militarism, and Fascism. and with the education of as the frosting without the cake. youth is terminated and he is come level held by interest during Some of our members have conready for the adult movement. the worst year of the depression, right to the state, and by represimum program, but with no political sport organizations, with Communist our membership in the spirit ceived of a youth organization with regret that cannot elucidate. It never sunk below 96. The one slons against the lett, against its subordination. The result would be nuclei working within, and, if possi: orthodox Marxism.
Necessary Steps When the vicissitudes of time de grades depending upon the intellecof the people who own 33 of the own opposition. The formation of a mass organization, built up by the ble, directing these organizations.
The steps necessary to accomplish nation wealth, the handful of the of. in Holland was the first Opposition youth, but being used us The main slogan in the process manded a change of character of the superiority of one group over the our tasks are two fold: our organization, we looked about the other. This variation of step in the open decomposition of a battleground by all the existing organization is. banks dominated and controlled by Class against and beheld a ghastly sight. Stalinist system of periphery or Training our members to act the Rockefellers, Morgans, and the old Dutch social democracy political youth organizations (v. elass!
ganizations around a highly politicas young workers; training them Mellons, who in turn dominate The development will proceed in L, each IV.
Sectarian Organization alized youth party is a direct to interest themselves in the prob through finance and credit the nathis direction.
of which would have its own front. On the question of industrial work Not only was the organization it product of this high hatted attitude tems of the young workers; training tion industry they must have Stages of Development conduct its operations from there, the resolution is very ambiguous. solf a sectarian one, devoid of all of looking down upon the average them to work with and among the their pound of flesh. The income As a matter of practical policy in and eventually destroy the organt. It states that the economic work of contact with the masses of young young worker. And what is far young workers. That is the process of the 68 sunk 68. The income every country it is naturally veryzation. Furthermore, the idea of the youth must not be separated workers, but its membership. more important, those members of the Americanization of our or of the as expressed in Interest, important not only to keep track of constructing a non political youth from that of the adults and must through its long isolation a sec who defend the idea of a primary ganization.
sunk less than the general tendency of development organization is merely an involunt be politically subordinated to the tarlan and a more sectar guild in the where the Making contact with the ROBERTS.
but also of the stages thru which ary support to the slogan of the latter. That is undeniable. The lan had lost all of its members will be trained for mem masses of American youth.
It passes. For Holland as well as bourgeoisie and their sociallst comrades (and also the connections with the American bership for the upper The success of all of our work, for every other country it is of im agents: The youth must stay out subscribe to that. Some of the com young workers; had lost the pulse group. reveal their complete ignor economic as well as anti militarlat Dutch Aid Hitler portance, however, to recognize in of politics.
rades (and also the leadership of beat, the temper and the mood of ance of the function and purpose (the resolution had not a word to time the centrist disguise of form.
II.
the see no contradiction the young workers. And more, our of the youth movement as the say about anti militarist work. de That the Dutch Government is er reformism so that reformism it year ago comrade Martin Abern between supporting the above pro comrades had forgotten how to work training school for the class strupends largely upon our ability to favorably inclined toward the Nazis sell be combatted not by centrist wrote an article in the Militant position and building youth trade among the proletarian youth. Thus sle and for the preparation of its make contact with the masses of or at least underestimating the exbut by Marxian methods. 4 33 11 33) in which he call union fractions and shop commit matters stand today. We are sec members for entrance into the pa youth. This can be realized only tent of poisonous Hitler propaganda Viewed historically reformism hased for the liquidation of the Na tees, even where such adult groups tarian our members have forgot rent organization which is the poll by advancing the slogan Into the In Holland, is amply proven by an lost completely its social basis. tional Students League. No one exist. To this we are opposed. sep ten the elementary laws of work tical force capable of leading that opponent mass youth organizations. investigation of Nazi activities by formism, without prosperous capitions of a revolutionary youth or trade union fractions presuppose have, so to speak, developed Space does not permit elaboration all the gap of our transition period. Oficial rules forbidding political talism, no reforms. The right re ganization (S. could oppose urgent demands of the youth that above the American working but the author is preparing a series Opponent work departments must activities of foreign residents in formist wing becomes anti reform such a position. The reason we are quite different from those of the youth.
on youth problems which will deal be established. Comrades must Holland are enforced only against 1st in the sense that it helps the bring the question to the fore again adult workers. But no such con We have given our membership in greater detail on this point. Sur. be sent into mass youth organizathe German emigrees, while the acboureoisie directly or indirectly to is because it becomes now a more citions exist.
a good education, oft times, be fee now to say that, in so far as ations where they will be able to tivities of the Nazis and their symsmash the old conquests of the urgent task than ever to define our In 1930 (according to the census lieve, too good. We have intro youth organization is a training contact young workers, and where pathizers are benevolently overworking class. It is false to consid policy towards the When bureau report that year) there duced our comrades to fields of pol school. and therefore, opens its their knowledge can be utilized in looked. The incident at Laren, the er the Neo Socialists as a working Abern wrote his article, the were approximately 33, 000, 000 emles in which only trained Marx ranks to practically all youth, to winning over young workers to our recent prison sentence against the class party. The split did not still called itself a revolutionary workers over the age of otteen. ists had heretofore dared to enter that extent in contradistinction to point of view.
German emigrant writer Heinz Liepweaken the old French Socialist organization. Now it is a mass 22, 422, 485 of these workers were we have offered our members good the adult organization) it is a not easy to enter large fac mann for alleged Insults to Hindenparty, it strengthened it since, after student organization based upon from the ages of 15 to 24 inclusive company to satiate their literary BROAD organization. Anyone who torles or to contact young workers burs, and many other instances are the cleansing the party enjoys Immediate demands of the students. Out of approximately 48, 000, 000 and musical appetites: all of which conceives of the youth organiza from the outside of the factory; it cases to the point. Nazis, on the greater confidence on the part of its main appeal has shifted from workers over the age of ten, 38, 723 is good excellent, were it not so tion as one with a section of in is easy to enter mass organizations other hand, are free to indulge the workers. But it must adapt it the proletarian students to the 069 were from 10 to 24 years old lop sided. Every radical and intellectually capable comrades and a where youths working in large fac systematic propaganda. Recently self to this confidence, and the petty bourgeols. It is now begin. Inclusive. The quantitative increase tellectual youth has learned to look section of intellectualy inferior com tortes gather. Draw them into our German Nazis were permitted to form of this adaptation is called ping negotiations with the Inter in highly concentrated and central up to us. whilst our members have rades, concelves in the last anal crganization and you have a real cross the border in military forma centrism.
collegiate Council of the League Ized large scale Industry in Amer learned to look down upon every In ysis, of the youth movement as a base for collaboration with the tions and visit the Dutch border Left Centrist Groupings for Industrial Democracy, a petty Ica has resulted in a qualitative dividual who cannot create six met political parallel to the adult or adult organization in the economte town Toetinchen. Nazi meetings and Left centrist groupings such as bourgeois Socialist organization, change in the workers engaged in aphors and eight similes in every ganization, differing only in age. Aeld and the execution of the duties street parades were held under the the are not conscious of this tor amalgamation. The this industry (their wages, ages, paragraph of his writing. That is This conception, expressed in of a youth organization in every protection and escort of the Dutch process of which they form a com built by the Communists, can easily hours and conditions of work, etc. what we mean when we speak of some of the articles in pre confer lother feld. NATHAN GOULD. Police bo of It is