SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1934 THE MILITANT PAGE A Critical Analysis of the is may he Field, but it is not what Pield Werbearingly assured everya body he was when he broke from the League.
Example: ati general membership meeting of the League on NovThe Gitlow Group and the Field Clique Form a Principled Bloc ember 26, 1933, where reported The Political Meaning of Adaption to the American Scene.
on our negotintions with the Gitlow group, the jointly accepted formuThe crisis in the international: Stalin break with Marxism and ficld where we come in contact. At lation on socialism in one coun The trouble with the with reformists to the theory of place for itself which the labor movement hus assumed such Leninism on the Etussian question that time, the field was bounded try was read. One motion was according to the Program is social fascism. It is probable, will be fortunate to approximate in formidable proportions that no ix contined exclusively to those by the hotel and restaurant work introduced, reading: The assem that Throughout its history it has therefore, that the a shorter length of time. And not group or current, not even the points where Gitlow really at one ers branch of the Amalgamated bled brauches view the formulation thought and felt in terms of Rus is rending the whole history of the even the Stalinist movement! For smallest one, has been able to ex with Bucharin: against super in Food Workers, where a group of relating to the theory of socialism und European rather than Am Comintern and its fifteen years in despite everything, despite progrescape its effects. Some of them dustrialization, bureaucratic collecour comrades were members, and the country in the joint state erican working class experience. America in terms of these last five sive degeneration, hundreds of thouhave been forced forwarı, as in the rivization; premature abolition of the Gitlow group had two of its ment as dangerous and misicading. This line is similar to the Love years. If this surmise is correct, sands of American workers found case with sections of the socialist the The break with Marx militants functioning But here too Field and Kaldis were among the stoncie Stalin right in Moscow the process is unintelligent, but at their way to the apparent represenmovement. Others have recoiled to im and Leninism of the joint Stal we encountered difficulties, not so tiny group which voted for that wrong in America. but goes even least understandable.
lative of Communism duirng these an even more reactionary position, in Bucharin period against indus fundamental in character, but nevmotion, as well as for this one further in elaborating the myth that Origin of False Analysis last ten years. That they did not as is the case with the bulk of the trialization and planned economy, ertheless, as was subsequently re. which was also defeated. The cetarianism is the root cause of What has happened is that trade stay, that does not mean that the Stalinist movement. Noue has been the alliance with Kulak and Nep vealed, significant enough. National Committee is asked to re stalinist failure. The fallacy of the union progressives, reformists in movement had shut itself out from able to stand completely still. Even man is studiedly ignored.
consider the joint statement as too approach is given away in the fact politics, found themselves confront the mass thought of America. That Policy of the League wbat seem to be the most inert and Socialism in One Country The policy of the League aimed itex. At the eud of the meeting. years of the A, as of a dual unionism, great concession to the Gitlow that the program treats the aftened by a Communist Party practicing tells a story which the Communist been compelled to run around in Weatherefore politely on laia jote ileti formatione cu bile between the minutes read: Comrade piece, merely referring in passing fronts, and working only in organ. underline; but the story is not. circles in order to create the illa aside the Gitlow dratt and proposed eneselves and the Gilewsroup in Pield abstains un account of the is the party guits up to 1925, am luations controlled by the restory of sectarianism. but a story sion of motion.
due to the formists saw that these policies led of the death of party democracy, fundamental question of socialism cleus around which a broader group party and the Labor Party question party bnking in the glory. of to defeat after defeat, and yet were the death of internationalism, the Essentially in the latter category in one country. In its final form, or Left wing and progressive work in the negotiations and also on the the Soviet Union. The entire signi continued. Why? Instead of anal triumph and degeneration of Stalinis the Organization Comittee for Revolutionary Workers Party. y accepted after considerable ers could be rallied for the purpose grounds of the motion and resolveance of the date of the dividing yzing the structure of the party and ism.
urbate, it rend: The theory that of strengthening the uuion, assur lution. Esther Field associate line between the period of success discovering that its membership was Behind all this talk of sectarianformed by the Workers Communist the building of socialism can being it a militant. class conscious hersely with the Field statement. and ensuing Pilure, which is the powerless to change or even discussism and the exaggerated AmertHeld and Co. group expelled completed in a single country, ac Leadership and policy, preparing it date of the rise to dominance of policies; instead of tracing this ab canism of the P. lles a healthy League Not Radical Enough for a successful strike, and saving for treachery from the Communist can be constructed in one hand, it from degeneratiou in the hands In other words, two things at Stalinism in the Communist Inter sence of marty democracy to the motive. They would like to cut League of Amerien. few prelim without the spread of the proletar or the conservative, patriotic ce contele Wrongfar as this su international scope and causes of in the fight against Trotsky: in out into the high road of American inary remarks on this union, which ian revolution to the advanced capments on the one side, and the Holshevik Leninist was So would do not pretend to exhaust the ques italist countries of the world, which stalinist vultures on the other. Cer: our formulation on nation the rature of Stalinisen ure ob stead of asking why the Stalinist workingclass struggle.
tion any more than is sufficient for presupposes an uninterrupted co Gitlow and his group agreed at the socialin was too great a cousseared behind the phrase sectar bureaucracy does not permit party the Communist League, but it has the moment, will not prove to be existence of the workers socialist outset with this conception.
xion to Citlow, and secondly, we ianism and irtisan exclusiveness. discussion; instead of asking why the lessons of the factional period. unilluminating Fighting this view, lternately hai tot get proposed to to Gitlow Whut exactly does this term see the and line is a wbile the group were not in hade the consequence of a break with open and covert opposition, die ever for the story towely bandied about by Socialists tunism, of adventurism and coward these last ten years and have yet tarinuism mean, which has been so melange of sectarianism and oppor the revolutionary movement during The Negotiations with Gitlow Group with Leninism in Soviet internal was the Field group, at that time to The last issue of the Voice of polics, and in practice on the inter organized as a faction without pro point opposing his right wing view any vestoneites, and now by the ice, of everything, in fact, but to assimilate its lessons, Its Search.
revolutionary analysis; instead of for a short cut is futile. It does Labor, organ of the Gitlow gronp, national field the abandonment of gram or principle in the ranks or on the labor party.
What Sectarianism Means tracing the degeneration of the seem simple to say of the that dontains a report of its Negotia the world revolution.
the League, and specifically in our Now, behold our intransigeanut, For Marxists, who save the term to the theory of socialism in one it has thought and felt in terms tions with the Left Opposition.
The report is not only startingly in the declaration of the Workers backed by its membership, its velaration that he and not the line phase of the proletariat communists, to revolutionaries. Re ence. It does seem simple to de Then, says the voice of Labor. peated warnings from the League ist, who broke from us with the its currency, the word had definite country but the foregoing analysis of Russian and European rather accurate, but it bears such an intercommunist League (le, esting relation to the subsequent above mentioned draft. includ mittes the two leading officials to her of Leine and trotski ruggle against the bourgeoisie, formists naturally tended to a clare for a new party on the ground Gitlow Field fusion, that it requires ing the above formulation was of the union, Field and Kuldis con the United States! He has success liciently developed to act us at class. social fascism, bureaucratic control, ational subordination to the com is not yet suf shorter analysis: Dual unionism, that the Stalinists are in organisretutation.
The report reproduces three doc order to maintain our polite tone, lation of our policy, but with such culis fused. And the joint program this period, suid Marx, Indivi etc. all the must fiow from the munist International. which has uments: 1) the briel outline draft we will simply call this assertion arrogantly bureaucratic contempt is. step backward even from Gitanal thinkers, subjecting social an doctrines of communism. Eventended in recent years to become submitted by our delegation to the reposterous and incorrect. The for all and sundry in the Amalga ww original draft resolution or agonisms to criticism, sive imagin the clue to the real source of the branch of the foreign Office of the representatives of the Gitlow group formulation on socialism in one mated as was not only disgracefur oxuber 1983: Its views in a numary solutions to the question, which malady, the absence of party de Soviet Union instead of the leader as a basis for discussion; 2) the country was and remains the sin ror Communist, but even for an ber of deks do Bot go so far even the working masses have only to mocracy, whose absence could only of the world revolution. But this draft resolution submitted to us in sto, solitary document ever agreed ordinary conscientious trade union as those of Muste (see his practical way. Ily their very nature not on the membership, but on the nores the whole question. why a accept, pollarize, and apply in a mean that the bureaucracy rested, ever so simple formulation 1gits place by the Gitlow group: 3) to hetween the Gitlow and our delist.
article in labor Action ou the unit a formulation against the theory of legation during the negotiations. It Their outrageons, unconcealed. front) in point of revolutionary luck from the political strug Union; even party dictatorship was longer revolutionary.
the sects formed by such priests stalinist bureaucarey in the Soviet branch of the foreign Office 18 DO socialism in one country, proposed was just as possible for the main aisdain for all their collaborators position.
by us, and with slight amendments, Gitlow craft resolution to be was displayed not only toward The theory of socialism in one. they are aloof from all real taken by some reformists to be part No Simple Analysis finally agreed to by Gitlow, So far, so good. But the Voice would be for us to apply for mem mated, but particularly toward two hep of Field (and the white hope ditions in a word, from all torship of the proletariat, no demo. the masses with a clear and simple agreed upon by both sides as it Lengue members in the Amalgacomtry? Not mentioned. The black activity, tool from politics, strikes of the Communist doctrine. DictaBy all means, let us come before militants of the Gitlow group, Coror Ghibow. the Labor party? Dead sectarianism is only the outcome of and the same thing. We have no word activity of any kind.
of Labor account of the negotia bership in the Gitlow group.
To sum up: cracy in the party it was all one program, understandable to all tions, and what happened to these Declaration of Four Las and Kalfides. We insisted at silence. The Fourth International?
the infancy of the proletarian move desire to rake up froin the past the however, the distinction between workers. Let not the forget, three documents, belongs to the They are for Without returning for a mo one fraction meeting after another careful evasion.
school tictitious literature.
Iment to the Gitlow draft. we put pon a comradely bloe of Coinmun international composed ornt. Sunt as axtrology and alchemy Cornus by whch different LAI clear and simple program, and the The facts are as follows: represent the infancy of science. spokesmen linked up Stalinist errors The first document to be sub International and the Declaration frum. Field and Co. opposeil the world. Which? Of all those in a later period is the Socialist of Communism. The point of this on which such a program must be rorth again the question of the new int workers with a left wing pro the new revolutionary purtles of the isolated example of sectarianism and distortions with fundamentals by no means clear and simple mana of events and theoretical knowledge mitted was our outline draft, which cf the Four. Gitlow narrative bloc with the two Gitlowites, then which Git low refers in his pressur Party which, despite its reference to the past is merely to based. Marxism in all its ramificacontained, among other declara reads as though we threw this ques. Tormally accepted it on paper, and with mal enthusiasm, emphasis Narsing terminology, was an infan show the origins of their notion luons is not simple, but without it tions the proposal that the two tion into the discussion arbitrarily, systematically sabotaged it and impartiality the as well groups endorse the Joint declara anexpectedly, unwarrantedly, like The Pair of Deuces 28 the luternationalist Communist 1te reaction to the puzzling prob that the cause of Stalinist errors as a foundation no program can League, the Norwegian labor Partlem of a rally changing Americanseetarianism. This term would lead anywhere. Leninism, with its tion of the four organizations (the la bombshell, without previous mencommittee for the Fourth Internation. But his own report prints broken more than once.
Before the strike, this bloc was as well as the Revolutionary Soworkingclass, and developed the be correct if the failure to set mass analysis of imperialism and nationtional which emerged from the our first outline draft in which this our League committees were come of them or none of them. The every form of the day to day strug ist doctrine, as such fallure flow ist theory of the state, its contribuEach timecialist Party of Holland? Of someory which effectively left it outsideles in motion flowed from Communalism, its development of the Mari from doctrine.
participate in the further work of position. It had not been with knuckles, and heal the breach. On or a petty bourgeois liberal with only to the foregoing political tions to the strategy and tactics of Relies of Reformism the joint commission established by drawn at any time; it had been bela two distinet occasions, Costas and his war paint on could have written phenomena can the term sectarian Were the group sufri revolution, its enunciation of the the four organizations for the furin beyance, we repeat. Having Kalfides caine directly to our Nathat paragraph for the defense of sectarianism as a generic form can with their reformist past, one or tarian masses, its conception of the ther development of their work and reached agreement on point the first Lional Committee, berging us to in the Soviet Union.
ism to applied with any precision tently self critical in their break role of the party and the non prolethe elaboration of an international (socialism in one country. we pro tervene with Field and Kalls, to not be said to characterise any part the most obvious elements for them the soviets all this is not easily place of democratic centralism and programomatic manifesto. After ceeded to a discussion of point the demand of the latter that they put Mutual Amnesty of the labor movement today with to drop would be this talk of Comhaving examined this draft, Gitlow second.
an end to their insufferably bureau The programmatic manifesto of eut doing violence to the meaning munist sectarianism. This phrase, learned, but it must be learned by and Becker proposed to submit one And here, let it be pointed out. cratie conduct which was not only the Organization Committee con of the term. We do, however, term und such phrases factional Jara revolutionary party. The ten of their own for discussion. Await. we did not demand for a moment driving the two Citlowites to destitutes, politically, a literary pic sectarian certain specific incorrect gon are relies of a time when not ist Communists, involving a further year struggle of the Internationaling this document, we held our own that itlow endorse the Declaration pair but whleb (according to them, ture of Field generously white policies, by which we mean that the only were the group not clarification and refinement of every in abeyance, but at no time did we of the Pour out of hand, as Gllow and they were right in this in wasting Citlow. But the Emerson. specie policy prevents us from revolutionaries, but thought that cundamental question of revolutionwithdraw it from consideration in infers, Gitlow draft resolution stance) was endangering whole in law of compensation is not is drawing the workers into struggle the international struggle of the ary theory and strategy is certainly the negotiations.
showed us the inadvisability of prospect of the union and the im nored. Kindness for kindness. Im False Characterization of two major tendencies in the CommuFundamental Questions se an attitude We merely pre pending strike.
Contas, a regular the Voice of Labor Gitlow does just To characterize as sectarianismnist movement was just a cat and not a simple story to read, but without understanding and acceptance Upon an examination of the said. This contains the fundamen treated by Field and Kaldis with all pages on the hotel strike not is, therefore, essentinlly false. Such But if the Programs analysis of tating toward a revolutionary outsented the aris Declaration and official of the union, was beings generous a job for Field. Two the whole course of the dog light.
of Its lessons, any new party gravisecond document submitted to the cal points for fusion. Please tell the insolence of Prussian officers white wash this time, but plain a characterizatioa makes an incom. Stalinism reveals reformist hang ook will find itself drifting between tion, our delegation decided not to us where you agree with it, where toward a uniformed peasant. In hozwash. The leadership of the prehensible mystery of the powerful overs, the references to the Stalinist centrism and reformist lose itself in a discussion of it point you disagree with it. and why, and bis arguments against our polley of uion may have been a bit inexper itality shown by the party from in the speeches at the February centrism.
by point without first attempting to citlow and not merely refuse to Pield coined the winged phrase. ils conceptions and conduct were. e. theory sectarinnism and were reformist pure and some the reasons given by a new party There are no easy short cuts. And establish agreement upon one after endorse it (which was not request. They are only a pair of deuces. impeccable. The Trotskyists made thinking in terms of Russian and plo. Stalinism and its oppositions another of those points which weled. but even to state bis views on considered fundamental agreement With this attitude towards Costas mies of things, but not Fiell, not uropean experience were just as were lumped together: Muste de for its existence logically determine If sectarianism failupon which would have facilitated it! Why? Because he had had who was but one of scores who citlow. They collaborate enormously a discussion of the nothing to do with drawing it up: smarted under the same parvenu, only they didn get anywhere Why should sectarianism not have a fargon in the labor movement ure to adapt itself to the American gods secondary questions, and possible drawn up by he knows not who, and lated himself from the League, from them.
were against prevented the swift growth of the represented by Union Square. The scene is taken as the cause of the the then the agreement upon them, too. This where, and how, rammed down his the left wingers in the union, from new group? Not at all.
arty from 1919 to 1921 and then wrangling in obscure terminology degeneration An suddenly become operative after allen to America has to go. Jab polley will be a frenzied was essential because the Gitlow throat. he had had bis full of all the progressive elements, threw old gronp. the Gillow group with 1921? The and berwocky was the term applied by adaptation, an exaggerated Ameridocument, being more detailed and the Comintern, not only in Stalin the doors wide open to the Stalin lits whole old program. It has course from 1924 to 1920 cannot be Budenz to the issues in the Com canism, which, if it does not degenpretentions than our first draft, time, but even in Lenin s; it hadists who battened on the discontent berdly gained a few new members, characteriwed as sectarianism.
Asmunist movement.
erate into outright chauvinism, will half truths, ambiguity and down etxet. In 1910; and above all, he co. and finally provoked his degree it.
was such a muddle of confusion, been fulsely organized from the ment of the workers with Field and which we camot truthfully be a matter of fact, that period was At the recent lecture conferences, certainly be a policy of gross empirright semi Stalinism, as made its stood for the conception that first sertion by the workers who, he had title bit of mutual amnesty.
It gained them by a une of the most unprincipled oppor. the level of analysis of Stalinismicism, susceptible to all the errors consideration as the draft for the national parties must be built so supereillonsly admitted to every tunion, of hanging on to the tail of was a little higher, but the of all previous workingclass activA new arty?
joint statement inconceivable.
Not at all. It the reformists, here and everywhere. leadership was still far from a cority, in America and elsewhere.
What strange fruit may be born few examples will suffice: up solidly, with a native program body, sat in adoration at his feet. wants, not the old party, it is true. It is the period of the Anglo Rus rect view. One heard no more talk and leadership, and then they would The theory of the united front all coalesce into an international Deuces Become Allies but a party concocted of political sian Committee, unity with Chiang of actional Jargon or Jabber from the Americanist approach?
odds and ends: a bit of Brandler, Kai Shek, support of La Follette. wocky. Muste and, of course, Hook Consider the implications of the from below is rejected, but not alof equals.
But, strangely enough, in his fight a bit of Stalin, a bit of Lenin and loyalty to the of cte. What and Burnham (whose roots are very following statement by Hardman at word is said about its complement, against the League and its policies, Trotsky.
equally Stalinist, which yielded The Paramount Question can it possibly mean to attribute different from those of the the contgrences: as he leaned more and more upon No, thank you. The revolution in Ameries will the failures of this period to sec. spoke of the decisive role in such disastrous results in the AngloOur delegation then went so far the Rooseveltians and flag wavers MAX SHACHTMAN. tarianism and partisan exclusive the of socialism in one country. be the American revolutionary Russian Committee, in the alliance as to offer to submit the Declara. in the union, when the break with ness But there was present as ever movement, not the revolutionary with the Kuo Min Tang in the per tion not in the name of the four the League proved frreparable, SUBSCRIBE TO THE MILITANT. The came on the scene the tendency to talk of Marxists movement in America. It was not lod between 1921 and 1928. Why? European groups which had Field abruptly converted his pair in 1929, the same year that the in one lump, and the famillar reby accident that we called the party Because with Gitlow the crisis in signed it, but in our own name, as of deuces into allies. He rebound JOIN THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE xigzagged from unprincipled blocs train of sectarianism. Charac the American Workers Party Inthe Comintern really begins with our own discussion draft, for com ed from the League into the camp teristic was Louis Budenz Marx stead of the Workers Party of the the expulsion of the Right wing in mout, agreement disagreement by of Gitlow. At first, he led his few Jians have a tendency to be Martiana.
1928 1929. He is against the third Gitlow. He obdurately refused to followers along that road with the Not the workers will be responsible FELIX MORROW.
perlod of Stalinism fundamentally move from his postion. In the explanation that there is nothing THE NEW INTERNATIONAL for Fascism, but leaders who see in the same sense as is Lovestone. warm discussion, he revealed that wrong with forming a bloc with an the correct path, but refuse to show ay is (or was) Bucharin.
THE MILITANT his group had indeed taken step other group in the trade unions An Organ of Revolutionary Marxism the path to workers in such terms forward in one field by breaking Finally he merged with the other as will rouse them to action. The matter November 28, 1928, at the Entered as moond clau mall Ambiguous Formulations with the Lovestone Right wing: in group into a single political faction Max Shachtman, Editor Martin Abern, Bus. Mgr.
chief Indictment of the revolution Post Omes at New York, US The theory of socialism in one other fields it still occupied the with a single political program Station Post Office Box 119 ary movement is that it has shut it der the act of March 3, 1870.
country is not even mentioned, its same ground, or had taken a step not Field s, but Gitlow s!
New York, self out from the mass thought of Publiabod Weekly by the place being taken by the ambigu backward. The negotiations had This faction, the Organization One Year, 50; Seren Issues, 00: Single Copy, 15 Cents; America.
munist Logo of Ameri ous, and by no means acomrate, come to a stalemate on that para Committee. has issued its program Canada and Foreign countries One Year, 75.
Who Are the Marxists 126 East 16th Street, New York, term: national Bolshevism. Becker mount question of fundamental im in the form of a leafle For a Rev.
Who are these Marxists that Phone: Grammeroy 9524 at first denied that the Stalinista portance: internationalism, the sur olutionary Workers Party. To Budenz speaks of? Would he main Vol. VIL, No. 21. Whole No. 225)
have ever stated their advocacy of est touchstone of the genalne revo read it is to arrive at an unmistak enclose herewith. for which please enter my tain that the Stalinists are leaders SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1934 the theory in print. Gitlow refused lutionist and revolutionary group. Jablo conclusion: this is Gitlow and subscription for the NEW INTERNATIONAL: who see the correct path. Is the to reject the theory specifically be Having laid bare our incompati not Field. Or, more accurately, it correct path (which they refuse Martin Abern EDITORIAL BOARD JADN Cannes cause Max Eastman is right: you bility in principle with the Gitlow Name to show the workers. the united Max Bhachtman Maurice Spectre can win over the workers with group at least for that stage of These notes do not, of course, front from below and social fasArno Swabeek negative slogans. Compare the our relationships with it we nev aim at an analysis of the hotel Address cism? What is the revolutionary Subscription rate: 31. 00 per year social democratic argument against ertheless continued to have rela strike. They deal with it insofar movement that has shut itself out 50 per half year Canada the Communist contention that you tions with it consonant with the as it is related to the subject in City State from the mass thought of Ameri and Foreign. 50 per year can win socialism by casting bal degree of political harmony which hand, e, the evaluation of the ca. Certainly not the movement 7be for de months.
lots for parliament. Taid exlst between us and in that Gitlow and Field groupe.
which from 1919 to 1924 made al Bundle ratos ene sent per copy.