SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1934 THE MILITANT PAGE Before the Detroit Convention Of the Socialist Party Critical Analysis of the American Workers Party Since the time the congress was velop revolutionary clarity; Bolsbe workers, etc. As their strength It was a harrow ng speech. liinate the Congress that even tbehele new events have served to in viks are certainly not made at such Krew, the militants did not fail to Bolshevik party playing no decisive ican delegates. Six additional voles were registered for it in the Congress. Thus almost the entire Congress of 300 delegates supported the reactionary right wing.
Leit Wing Confuses Issues It is clear that in August 1933 the lines of difference in the Editor Note. The following Prema ni uspelading collectie of the The Paris Confernce is understood, and its pr»wer will be were tirst beginning as a result of The Political Evolution empt for twory or minimizing of were the many examples of conthe German events. They were des is the first of a series of articles shortly before Hitler apopiutment of the 2nd Imter va ional. The whole e discussed all tined to grow sharper and clearer. contributed to the discussion of to the Chancellorship of the German Of the the role of theory. There is no three points on the agenda as one. But then, there was still a great the movement for a new party by subtler way of blurring the distincRepublic, was the background to There were no limits to the sub deul of confusion. The Polish Bund Felix Morrow. tion betweent reform and revolution the first decision to hold it worla guilt, although without courage to jects argued at one time, and the always represented the Interna The year after the 1932 convention than by shying away from fundacongress in January 1983, of the admit it, as ope who tries to explain discussion drifted in such a manner. tional tendency and it needed only To all who look upon the building the leaders of the were in mental theoretical discussion. In Labor and Socialist International way instead of defending bs as The majority resolution of the con the German situation to force it for a new revolutionary party and the Farmer Labor Federation. Pre rcformist parties centrists express actual.
influential Party in the diding inembers of the International ments on their position. The reso time. Even so, the left wing re American Workers Party is of ser breakdown of the largest and most wels realized that he was address claims, fail to give definite state urma prosition it has had for some tusk today, the evolution of the or the way to abolish capitalism. the militants in the exemplity December Conference this mood. In revolutionary parties not hasten this gathering but rather only.
lution reiterated the position of resolution is marked by confusion, ious import. For here is a group, or parties gravitating to a revoluled to its postponement.
In his speech at the conference, formism. It did so on all questions, and by a failure to draw correct of undoubted seriousness of purpose of planned capitalism, with its too much theoretical discussion. Then came the Roosevelt program lunary position, centrists poob pooh Its sessions did not convene unto however, he was surer of himself. There was one slight change. The lessons from their analysis. The almost all of whom have come from repercussions in the labor move or by emphasis on events or mass was a real desire by the leadership it necessary at this conference to countries where fascism was includes the largest and most of Labor Action with some training in the Sociulist Party for Roose and party. At the conferences, the Progressivement. It deflated the right wing uction denigrate the role of theory of the 2nd International to hold cast aside the accusations that the power it would be necessary to em ential parties in the asserts in mass work, and who have come volt was their program. The milit most ambitious, and the most resuch a world gathering to take in German Social Democracy was not ploy revolutionary means to bring the polies that has been pursued by out as a revolutionary organization. tants, Muste former allies, now caling example of this was ventory of the condition in which nationalistie enough, that it had not about its overthrow. But by no social Democracy for many years. No one could seriously bave ex began to come to the fore, talking Hardman discussion of the Rus this movement found itself. The shown suficient interest in the means should the working class en the policy that led to heavy sacri pected, of course, that such a group like so many Musteltes about sian Revolution.
powerful reformist British Labor German nation. In short, speaking poy revolntionary means in the nices and defents of the world prole with no experience in party site and unilitary in the labor unions und Party and the Swedish Social Demo at he did, Wels had his German democratic countries!
tariat.
thought, and so new to the revoluThe Role of the Party ocratic Party even opposed the or nudience in mind rather than the Right Wing Dominates Congress iginal decision for the Janaury Con audience of the conference.
Lionary road, should overnight de unemployed work, reaching the llardtian built up a picture of the gress. In reality not a single memSo much did the Right Wing domber of the International Bureau eilently my gaze teļl on the French weuk kneed efforts of Bauer to state iremocratie movement on the funda political equipment of the The re, as they were doing, notice) carried out the surrections crease the discussion in the Social Short notice. Serious gaps in the point out that if militaney was do role in the revolution. Only the wanted the conference. it it was delegate Murquet (representing the simple truths failed of their pur mental policies followed by it. The were to be expected. The important to sired, the way to get it was to win thority (of the Central Commitbeld it was due to the fact that no extreme right wing of the French rose. Thus the following clause growth of Fascism reached a new question is wbetber, after a period to set up one own sect. The nec the majority was against it. For ing to move Its further postpone in the ment. In a word, the pressure in France Neo Socialist party of the resolution. The German Democracy in Austria. The armed cau Workers Party will take to the cant tres tban militancy became discuss. Fortunately nearly all its essity of distinguishing themselves a quarter of century the Russian the Socialists in more signit working classe de dately beauties that the ranks of u good number of the teristie smile, he listeneil to Wels. be Socialist or not come into exist trusle of the Austrian workers, road for a new party aud interna apprent in the Nor could leaders had nothing to do with the leading parties in the International Murquet himself hasu too great a ence. In the Fascist countries the when it was too late, has provoked foreed the holding of the congress belief in internationalism. What a goal of the revolutionary struggles new doubts in the minds of many leftward moving centrists close revolution.
Alost of them were emThree closely related tendencies their eyes any longer to the essen Igres, and at the crucial moment any member of the Internationallten to the antionalistie utterances democracy but the conquest of So cisions of the Congress in August new road. sball summarize these er laborism. In December, 1933 the held out as most significant the sap That explains the unwillingness of joy it must have been to him to lis must not be the return to bourgeois xial democratic workers. The de stand between the 1, and the tially reformist charucter of farm be leaders were in Finland. He Bureau to take responsibility for its of Wels.
postponement.
cialist Democracy Criticisms of The congress became the forura Graphic enough! The great ma the League of Nations were stricken 18643, when social democracy, fol tendencies, including the form they convention decided to build retween Kusslan feudal government take in the Program of the the American Workers Party. un and its growing capitalist industry, for the expression of the diversified jority of celegates at the Congress out. Affirmation of disarmamentlowing the cereut in Germany, re and then suggest the latest lightlc. members automatically be contrasting it with the close nexus represented the same point of view conferences as a means of prevent affirmed the defense of bourgeois etween industry and government The horrible detents of the working ax Wels presented to them. In a ing war was included. The right democracy, and declined to adopt a row on them, by the pub cune members of the Aw. e.
lic lecture in York in America. Thus, said Hardman, At no time Including the 1933r problem in America is very class acted as the lostrument in worl, International Social Demno wing insisted upon the deletion of policy of revolutionary struggle for convention resolutions. but the cerent than the Russian. He raising serious doubts in the minds cracy reiterated its policy of re the following: The International power with the aim of destroying the on April 14, 15, 21, 22 of wide strata of social democratie Tormismi, coalition governments, the will opiose by all its means any lit the proletarian, received another capitalist state and substituting for made the decisive distinc could say this, of course, only by The Past of the workers as to the eticheycol social theory of the lesser evil. extreme assession against the Soviet Union, blow in Austria. The continuod rise The is proud of its origin tion. Throughout this period the ween industry and government on tions between reform and revolu ignoring the gap in America beleadership wensed at once that the downright reactionary policies that of Japanese imperialism against the try forces to a head the disputes Progressive Labor Action. While munist parties had never been put corces on the other. So, said theory congerous could not meet without were given expression by other del Chinese Revolutions and the menace over fundamental questions revolv there is much that is useful in this in political terms; always the quartlardman, the Russian Revolution this question rising to the forefront. It was clear that was The report of Wels on the Gertern frontter of Russia. It denounc the working class. Thousands of the sharpest theoretical clarity is Not until the Program of the unspecified. By making what defeat of the German working class on the sides in the conference. Out of the League of Nations in the criting new and practical instrue the useful heritage and its reform with the assistance of revolutionary live action carried through by the was one more great test of the in of the report there naturally arose presence of these dangers.
tions in the character of the state, ist nature.
The Marxist Bauer, who then break with this re intellectuals with no back Bolshevik party, into blind history.
mocracy, applied to the concrete ere, and breaking beyond the con sharply criticized the German Socialdemocracy and the struggle for Cormist past is necessury. In view ground) does there begin the first arlinan is able to dismiss as poternational program of social de la discussion on the policies pursued power. They are learning, and rap of the proud boasts about criticisms of the Socialist Party in culiar and local events which were Country The facts were that the course of the International. There me fate for the Austrian proletar their balls and made them easy critical analysis of its past reform here the talk is mainly of its mass tal principles of revolutionary revolutionary situation in that tines of Germany, took up the whole promovente tor the Austrate proletarials, too, that reformism has tied its origins, and its insufficiently terms of its reformism, and eventually the resultants of fundamenGerman Party suffered an inglorious were three points on the Congress at Withdrew everytime the right victims of capitalist oppression, isin (see Chapter IV of the Pro work(see Chapters III and iv. Strategy defeat, and committed in disgraceful agenda (1) The struggle for dow Wing made its demand. The man The leftward movements in the 2nd gram. ained to It is true, as Sidney Hook says, Boldly enunciate which fundamenThat Hardman did not betrayal of the working class. er. 2) The struggle against war: jority resolution in its accepted Leading Role of German Party and (3) The unity of the working form, continued to endorse social International are therefore to be that the stands more in that the theory of the state is thelial principles he dismisses this is It was discussion upon these class. Around each one of these a democratie policy as we have known sought in the events of the last yeardanger of reformist hangovers that touchstone of a party nature; it also typical of centrist ambiguity. It is of losing any useful elements is true that the Program (plus fur Hardman is simply reserving in adquestions the International Bureau contlict broke out between those de it to be: rejection of the revolution and a half.
Left Tendencies Grow of its past. glance at its history ther statements by leaders) vance the right to differ, wbenfeared. It knew that the congress, manding adherence to the old poliary struggle for power, the proletarwilly. nilly, had to occupy itselt not cles, continuation of the past and lan dictatorship, the Soviet system, Since August, the left tendencies will make this cleur enough approaches the Marxist theory of ever a fundamental issue becomes Beginning, in 1929, as an organiz the state (though it contains omincrucial. keen observer once put alone with the German Party and a small group demanding a break and relterated its reformist policy. have grown throughout the its leadership, but with the entire with the policies of the past. The Just as Stalinism has learned The Polish Socialist Party accepted ation of trade unton progressives, ous missions and ambiguities. Hardman case aptly. He trying Democratic Party bore the same re treme right wing making up the the past years, the Labor and So ing a proletarian dictatorship of bor Action won a certain amount of armed Insurrection, the ambiguous monplaces. don be dogmatic, be International. The German Social meup appeared as follows: The ex libsingle lesson from the events of resolution at nts congressender bor Coliference for a progressive Lacrole of Soviets before taking power to make a philosophy out of com lation to the LSI. as does the majority of the Congress and led by cialist International similarly pre workers and peasants. Lett tend success, due to the fact that the formula of workers democracy sub realistic, let be sensible, etc. etc.
Russian Communist Party in the the Gernuu delegation, the British para continuation of a course that encles and groupings exist in almost Communist Party had launched it. stituted for the Marxist formula, Everything is there, in fact, except Stalinist International.
it domin Labor Party, the Scandinavian del has brought disaster to the interna every party in the International self on its dual unionism, while the dictatorship of the proletariat. a theoretical foundation.
ated the 2nd International. That is egates and part of the French deletional working class. By its asser The Spanish youth organization has Socialist Party had long capitulated Further Analysis Needed Too Much Better why a discussion on Germany, and gation. center group led by Ad tion of the class collaborationist declared itself for the Fourth luter to the of leadership. Po There must be a period of thorThe youth organizations litically, the was reformThe conferences supplied other the role of the Social Democratie ler and Bauer, which always suc policy, pursued now for more than national, discussion and Illuminating examples. Answering Party in the cracial situation meant cumbed to the pressure from the a decade, and the promise to contin of Poland, Belgium, rance and the ist; in advocating independent po ough theoretical unavoldably a discussion on the right wing And finally the left ue a nationalist course, there is not United States also move rapidly to litical action for labor, it was little analysis, in order to see whether the charge that the was in number of very impor further advanced than the unlons the rest of the Program, and par langer of all the pitfalls of the whole International course of social wing of the Congress led by the the slightest hope in this organiza the left on tant questions. In Paris, the Right which in 1924 declared for La Fol ticularly what the brings Kross empiricism characteristic of democracy. Yet the Bureau could Polish Bund and supported by deletion.
Resolution of Polish Bund wing dominated completely. Un letto. Even when it began evolving over from the LA, is actually the whole history of the American not avoid the congress for fear of gates of the French Parts, the Itala world wide inner revolt which can arty, and paradoxically enContrasted to this was the resolu doubtedly if a congress were hela more militant trade union policies, in consonance with Marxism. The labor movement, Calverton would disrupt its ranks. The con ough, the majority of the American tion presented by the Polish Buod now, there would be a different re building rank and ble oppositions, mere presence of the class theory ald: The Socialist Labor Party and supported in all by 18 of 300 lation of forces.
and branched out into the unem of the state does not guarantee the shows what too much theory can gress then became the means of delegation.
stemming the obvious leftward delegates. This resolution repre The Polish Buod, we said above, ployed movement, the re rest, certainly not when the intro lead to. Its theory is so perfect, it Polish Bund Leads Fight sented the left current at the Con did not really move toward the left. mained definitely reformist in poliduction of the theory of the state can move. It was a good joke trend of large sections of social The victories of Fascia forced gress. of so recent origin. No revolu and got the laughs but revealed a As pointed out previously. It reaffirmed, in reality a position ties. Nor was there further clarity is democratie workers.
the Congress to consider, under the it was inevitable that any serious it has had for some time. While it in the declaration of the September, tomary but is gratified that the true Philistine attitude toward In order to understand the con discussion of the arst point on the convict on fundamental questions demands a break with reformism, 1982 convention which made the leaders who were a year ago theory, as it to say, little of it gress it is necessary to turn briefly agenda, the validity of the policy of within the socialist movement had it does not lend to clarity. It is into a political organiza preparing to build a Farmer Labor is all right in its place. But reau. In his pamphlet The Strug light nga inst the old point of view the state and the struggle for pow struggle for power and the proletar list and communist parties was lim. volte face reveals a gross empirl Radicals have been analysing the. Ele for Revolutionary Socialism. and presented the new position thater. This is the point of departure lun state. it deliberately confuses ited to their mass work, and in a Heinrich Erlich, one of the leaders is becoming current with the numer of the Bund resolution.
Stalinism with Bolshevism, as do all way was linked up with political cism which must be overcome by world as they saw it, but they had of the Polish Bund, describes vivid lous left groupings in the Socialist It says for example: The Ger neo darxists. That is why it speaks fundamentals. Its declaration that theoretical discussion and training. inetaphyxies on their mind. We ly the character of this meeting movement.
been trying to sell the workers He says: When the session of the man events condemn at one and the against both, Communism. and it aimed to abolish, not to reform. Clear formulation of fundamental Executive Committee was called.
That viow calls for an end of the same time the fallure of the Com Social Reformism. And in its place the capitalist system. was only re principles is a necessity at this llogel and Saint Kårl. What was there was not a member on the Ex policy of reform and states that munist policy of divisiot (It shoulait demands Ievolutionary Social peated the other day by the right point. By all means let us be Elexthe power of the Because didn sell workers any philosoecutvio who had the least desire to the only wible means for a vie read Stalinist and the re ism. Marxian Socialism. But wing Parmer Labor Party of Min ible in the application of our For the the con principles. But let us first bave phy. Then, most innocently. Peck discuss the past, particularly the tory against capitalism lies through formist policy of Socialism. Fur Revolutionary Socialism, Marxian nesota.
German past.
the destruction of the capitalist ther: The Conference declares that Socialism, is the quintessence of crete meaning of the phrase ap principles to be flexible about. went on to say that the IW.
Naturally! An effort was made to state and the establishment of the it is not the task of the Socialist Bolshevism. The fundamentals of peared to be, not evolution toward in the light of what has been was killed by prosperity. discuss only the future without ref. dictatorship of the revolutionary parties to attempt to straighten out Marxism are contained in the deci a revolutionary workers party, but sald, one of the most disturbing as could scarcely be expected to un erence to the past. That effort was party. during the period of 80 the capitalist world or even to col sions of the early congresses of the a reformist Farmer Labor party. pects of the conferences derstand that this meant they had cialist construction This position, laborate in such attempts. It de Communist International, no adequate philosophy!
in no sense realized. The discus However, was by no means the clares on the contrary that by what it is not as it we are beginning wing groupings in the 2nd Interna come more active and seek one com George Schuyler even sion, at the Executive Committee dominant one. Retormism is all ever means. they are going to new. The revolutionary movement tlonal at once accept a full commu mon level on the basis of a clariticarassed his own comrades with the Germany. caule ideas, plans, crit: rowerful in the 2nd Internatonal, achieve power they must not secure was already passed through the warnist program. We do point out, tion of the issues involved. True assertion. Marx hasn got any.
o that discussion. But in general, Delegate, Andersen, who declared at structure of the capitalist regime the betrayal of social democracy declares at the Paris Congress that these left groupings and tendencies have to borrow any European philbintiye criticismo male koe the course very unfortunate if the workers as destroy the bourgeots state and to perialist capitalism with the out ways and break with Communism shevik Leninists will endeavor to Not every spokesman of the pursued be the German Social e a result of our discussions, would stall the dictatorship of the revolu break of the warp to the present and reformism. that it tends to help in the education of the work. so denigrates theory, of course ers. It will be necessary to demon but what do they do in the face of mocracy came from the Polish Bund ather the impression that recent tionary party (not the proletariat day. And the left wing today has confusion and not clarity.
which attempted to draw some les events compel us to seek new ways during the period of Social not expressed a single new thought strate to them, that upon the basis this tendency which has to be It has expressed only half truths Perspectives of the Fight of the struggles they are engaged fought as uncompromisingly as outsons from the catastrophic events and new methods. for car ist construction.
According to Ehrlich, in the Execu rying on our struggle. should like Again: It is evident that the and confusion. One does not need As the struggle develops, natur in, only one possible outcome ex right reformism? So far as could tive Session, Otto Wels, the leader to warn against the statements working class will defend energet to investigate the different ways ally, a greater clarity will be ach ists. Either a complete break with see all they do is grin embarrassedof the German spoke with made here to the effect that the ically its democratic achievements and means to take power. Revolu ieved. For the moment however, reformism and the 2nd Internationly when their comrades make asse an alim ole ellerines By Popering or his cerınau events mean the end and against all reactionars attempts but tiguars means (9) in Fascist coun the struggle is still in its early al or else capitulation to it. On the or themselves.
party and for himself. There bankruptcy of reformism. It is one the struggle against Fascism cannot tries and the old ways in democratic stages. The numerous groups that basis of such a break, it will be im FELIX MORROW.
wasn a trace of his former self of those slogans that result in dan have as its goal the maintenance or countries can only prepare more exist all over the world, will begin possible for these workers to go to assurance. Tute was ready to admit serons illusions and leads to dang re establishment of bourgeois demo defeats for the working class. You to find their centers. There will be stalinism, which deserves the same crous generalizations.
THE MILITANT that the toleration policy was Entered as a second class mall mistake. In the conference, re Vougt, the delegate from Sweden, inequality but that of constructing that the road to power lies through doubt. But the genuine left wing now in the Socialist International 28, 1928, at the cords show that the greatest num volced similar sentiments: If the a real Socialist democracy. it is the armed assault of the working movement will also find its center must participate in the movement Post Office at New York, UD.
to reorganize the ranks of the inder the act of March 3, 1879.
ber of participants in discussions, International wants to succeed it necessary that the working class be class upon the whole structure of and its path.
were the critics of the line of the state, regardless of all theories des gle by all the means. which may order. It means the destruction of Such is the background to the ternational proletariat. In other Published Weekly by the ComL.
munist League of America tined for the far distant future, secure victory. Asserting the need the capitalist state and the estab present situation in the Socialist words it must participate in the Wels Defends Policy in Germany that we defend democracy, the tree to struggle against the crisis, to lishment of the proletarian dicta International and in the American Construction of the Fourth Interna 126 East 16th Street, New York, Phone: Grammerey 9524 In the Congress Wels changed his dom of nations. We do not want a work out plans to win the middle torship, which serves as the transl party. The pressure of events ational, attitude entirely. He spoke sharp proletarian dictatorship. We want class, expressing lack of confidence tional power of the working class, driving great sections of the social The general background of the Vol. VII, No. 20. Whole No. 224)
SATURDAY, MAY 19, 1934 ly and vigorously as of old. He ad to preserve the democratie Institu in the League of Nations, the Dis in the erection of the classless 80 ist workers to the left. The moods groupings in the American Socialist EDITORIAL BOARD mitted nothing and defended every tions. Let us discuss the con armament Conference, the Economic clety. This is fundamental There of these workers drives many lead Party lies in the International Con thing. We refer to Ehrlich de quest of power, but let us talk less Conference, and concluding that is no other way!
ers to the left some genuinely, the gress. On the basis of an under Slartin Abern James Cannon scription of his speech at the con about how to go about making revo only the working class alone can Maurice Spector And so it is with a whole series majority, as experience has shown, standing of the situation in the In Max Sbachtman gress lutions When the International win struggle against Fascism, War and ot questions: the Soviet system, the only to head to see real break with ternational, which grew out of subscription rate 441. 00 per your This speech was unlike the one appeal to the League of Nations for the crists, the resolution ends. The struggle in the trade unions, against the past and to decapitate the move world shaping events, we shall be 50 per half year. Canada able to understand the situation in and Foreigo: 50 per year: he delivered at the Executive. peace and freedom, for the struggle resolution was signed by two Bund, the crisis, against war, the liberaThere, he spoke as a broken down against war, for the defense of two French, two Italian, one Fetion of the colonial peoples, etc. Out of the Parls conference, the the American Party.
76c for six months.
man. as one conscious of his demoeracy, Its purpose will be clear tonian, one Belgian and four Amer Iwe do not demand that the left groupings and tendencies have beALBERT GLOTZER. Bundle rates one crat per.
embarment.