PAGE NEW MILIT INT SATURP APRIL 4, 1936 SPANISH REVOLUTION REACHES CRITICAL STAGE Workers Misled as Capitalist DUBIOUS ALLY FOR STALINISM Class Conspires Against Them AS SOON AS LITVINOV PLAYS LEAGUE OF NATIONS POLITICS ties from 1981 To leave them continue in their present status would mean to prolong the victory of February. But whether the government decides to postpone the HOW THE OLD GUARD BECOMES FRIEND OF THE SOVIET UNION By ALFREDO ROJAS cotting because they know they elections or to hold them as deThe Spanish revolution has ar have no chance of victory. But this creed, the Popular Front should often seen in previous revolutions, Party, which is by far the main continue unted on the same repubwhen all sections of the bourgeoisie party of the proletariat, were to lican aspirations as those which By MAX SHACHTMAN League subsoil and requiring only viet Russia both from Germany and the argument that the working conspire to rob the proletariat of conduct an independent campaign, were victorious in February. Any What is cheaper and easier now the tender and patient care of social Japan, no Socialist aware of the class movement is weak and must the fruits of its struggle and are it could sweep the country.
adaye than to be a Friend of the democratie cabinet ministers for realities of the situation and posseek assistance for its cause outalded in their maneuvers by the Instead of the proletariat taking lutionary class struggle politician so Incking in astuteness tower.
other conception (i. e. that of revo Soviet Union. Is there a labor their eventual emergence into full sessing a sense of responsibility can side its own immediate ranks, that cowardice and confusion of the of advantage of the situation, it is the would be premature.
criticize Soviet Russia for its pol it must therefore support the cial leadership of the proletarian republican bourgeoisie which seeks organizations.
The Soviet Union sifiliation to ley of collaboration with the League League, however inadequate, 18 In other words, the republican as not to understand that merely The city and land workers still press does not criticize the rear the stalinists and the right wing from the international Stalinist of. is the continued support of the in the task of checkmating Hitler cisely because it supports the inst to reap a harvest. The republican bourgeoisie, aided and abetted by by avowing himself friend of the League has had the same effect and of any countries whose inter arguing in a vicious circle. The direct conflict with the left bour as proof conclusive that the reac clections unless the workers organ cialdom an extensive measure of thieves kitchen at Geneva by the war conspiracy. The interests of tutions of its class enemy. The way geois government of Azana. Within tionaries refuse to submit to the izations concede the bourgeoisie the last week alone, the land work will of the majority. On the con majority in the elections!
well be (and usually is) his entirely more damaging effect, however change in Soviet Russia foreign reliant, is to teach it to continue ers of Spain have confiscated large trary, the government is cocquet reactionary policy? There are many And that precisely because the So policy from III founded, bitter op supporting enemy institutions. The estates in three provinces. ting with the reactionaries demand Army held in Readiness left who remain obtuse on this viet Union today still stands for position to the League of Nations labor movement internationally has Dividing the Landed Estates that the government call off the In order to frighten the already score, but their number diminishes the great traditions of the Russian to class collaboration with the indeed been brought to the edge of The biggest movement on the municipal elections.
cowardly proletarian leadership daily.
revolution in the minds of the mass League and any bourgeois govern a treacherous swamp. It stands In this move, it is very likely into granting the republican bourwhere, after sixty thousand workers that there is a secret understanding seolste demands, every section of caused the number to diminish to give the league of Bandits the necessity of Collaboration with rests on the surface of the swamp.
nel credit rating where ad for. Soviet Russia. We have no hesita By that very fact it is unbalanced, returned to their villages and con aries. Knowing that the rights can threats. The republican press be the Soviet Union, a man who also merly had none tion in saying that those Socialists and consequently weak. The Old tented themselves merely with not win the elections, and fearing moans the end of the Republic bears the name of John Powers, To the same extent that the Stal and Communists of the Left who Guard of the Second International, drawing up plans for dividing the that the proletarian organizations. The workers are not reasonable. If Powers, in addition to his literary lin Litvinov policy confusion and self defense are, Stalinism, in the League of assail Russia legitimate policy of ardently assisted by there is any danger of the republic work for other reactionary papers, Nations bas speaking objec keeps warning the working class estates into small parcels and ap even if they do not conduct an inparently had been persuaded to dependent campaign may neverthe from the best, the army wall step not only writes every week the in demoralization to the otheus working lively, dolng the work of Hitler that it is not in a firm position by itself and that the way to strenging program, two days later 25, 000 majority on the joint election slate, patches. President Zamora 18 quot. New Leader, official organ of the reaucracy the approbation of the then itself is to lean more heavily famles marched back into the es the reactionaries may have with a from reliable sources, as pre Socialist party Old Guard, but second ynternational at why not The Trotsky Borah Amalgam on the swamp. And the heavier it leans in that direction, the closer tates, divided them up, and are already tilling the soll.
government pretext for forcing national concentration, if there is leading theoretician of his faction comes, that is, the more violently The reason for Powers newly dis it comes to toppling over into the In the province of Seville thou through a bourgeois majority on the any danger of a revolution.
Thus all sections of the bourgeot Up to quite recently. Powers has he tramples under foot the teach covered passion for the Soviet Un swamp and being entirely ensands of land workers went on Joint ticket.
strike, driving many landowners The Threat of Postponement sle conspire to consolidate the not made the slightest effort to con ings of Marx and Lenin and the in son becomes clearer a week later. culfed by it.
The Second International is prefrom their estates government. This is borne out by the way answer to this poulidoxing is the Union of communism of every more confidently the rulers of the Leader he lets fy a new attack on paring feverishly to play the same unrds sent to drive off the workers be question is posed in the repub independent concentration of prole thing for which the Russian revo Second International feel that he Norman Thomas and the Socialist role in the coming war that it killed four but had to retreat.
Militants. The latter are, according played in 1914. When Powere In Gerona province workers are lican organ, declares that the tacandes. Only this power can pre sts.
lican press. La Libertad, repub tarlan power in the Workers Alll. tution stands in the minds of Marx. is one of them.
Even if rather less sensato Powers, a curious combination writes that its ends are the main But even more than this is in of Left wing communism and prim. tenance of peace, if at all possible, confiscating estates.
the ot the rightists in abstaining rent a debacle. But instead of tionally, he has been to the estates olved Having brought Sowiet noritive, parochial American isolation, and the mobilization of the nations In Malaga workers attempting to creates a problem that deserves breaking with their already treach of Adolph Ochs and James Oneal tionalism to its logical culmination ism. His column, according to its and peoples against any military Selze estates were attacked by gove serious consideration by the goverous et bourgeois altes, the what Harry Lang was to the es, in social patriotism, Stalin makes headline, is devoted to some com aggression by Hitler Fascism, he ernment guards, two of them being ernment. It gives as the reason Communist and Socialists leaders tates of Wimiem. Bandolpbestearest este posibile era the patrioterade the ments on the Trotsky Borah policy means: when war does break out, murdered. These are merely frag why the government may perhaps are trailing them.
we will mobilize the proletariat for out asying that especially since the the revolutionary reputation of Rusmentary reports from capitalist decide to call of the elections, that press sources, and indicate a coun there is a possibility of a break Fay of Hope sharpening of the Socialist party sia in their base work of mobiliz As is evident from the headline, the trenches where it may be try wide move on the estates. between the republicans and the The one ray of hope is that the internal struggle between the Left ing the proletariat for the coming Powers and Co. have learned quite slaughtered in the interests of the How much of this move is purely proletarian organizations over spontaneous drive of the masses is wing and the Old Guard, hardly a war. What is new in the situation a bit from the art of Stalinist pol democratic bandits, which ought spontaneous, is indicated by the location of seats on the election reinforcing a sharp differentiation week has gone by in the New Lend now as compared with 1914, there ities. Just as Trotsky is always to be at least as much consolation on March 29 by Juan Simeon VI a division in the Popular Front ship. Outstanding among the left clous attack on the Militant group Stalinism, the second International White Guards and counter revolu 1918 to die for republican France.
darte, secretary of the Socialist asks this bourgeois spokesman. Socialist figures is Javier Bueno, from Powers pen. Between the can perform its reactionary role in tionists, the Old Guard has learned poor little Belgium and demoParty executive in Badajon. He de We do not believe it, we do not leader of the Asturian rebellion, pages of the New York Times and the name of defending the Soviet to bracket the Left wing with every cratic America.
one and everything that is abhor. The Third International not only clared that the workers were simply expect it, but it is necessary to treed from prison by the workers the columns of the Old Guard press Union.
surveying the estates but would consider this possibility. United, after the national election he has laid down a drum fire at Where lies one of the greatest, ren to conservative socialism. What, takes the same line of policy, but wait for the government to parcel the victory will be as decisive as At numerous mass meetings, Ja tack upon every progressive and if not the greatest hope for a gen for example, have Trotsky and Bor supplies the old school of socialthem ont legally. Vidarte flatly that of February 16. But the gov. vier Bueno has declared his lack revolutionary current in the Soctal. uinely proletarian movement and an in common, especially on the patriots with a new argument which Front. ist movement. No social democratic struggle denied that the workers were takernment should reflect whether it of confidence in the inst the impen im question at issue, the League of they did not have the benefit of ing possession of the lands. Two is not convenient for the republican and has urged the workers to bulla idea so reactionary, no current sperialist war?
for that world peace Nations? Borah stands, presumably. twenty years ago: defense of the days later came the news that 25. regime to make postponement. the workers Alliances, embryo of storile, no record so bankrupt, but which only international socialism or American isolation in principle Soviet Union. Under cover of this 000 families had taken over the e Today the local governments of the soviets, as the indispensable in that powers has come pugnaciously can assure In the sweep to the tates, Spain are composed of left elements strument of both the immediate and to its defense.
Left of the militant Socialist ele capitalist rule free from commit of scoundrels, who either never Strike Movement Aggressive (i. e. bourgeois republican majori future struggles.
Support for Democratic ments in the Second International, ments in Europe, so that it may gave a damn about the Soviet rein their logical evolution to the pursue a world Imperialist policy public or who have been system The workers in the cities are Capitalism also on the move. Strikes are position of consistent revolutionary with the maximum of latitude atically undermining its revolutionIn a number of coun. Trotsky is opposed to the League of ary foundations, are fostering the widespread throughout Spain, in al.
20 the ideas prevalent in the tries, these elements are moving at Nations on grounds common to poison of chauvinism in the body most every case resulting in reSecond Luternational, few are a greater or lesser speed, with great every revolutionist, namely, because of the working class, sounding victories. Typical of the deceptive, treacherous and fraughter or lesser clarity, away from the brigands, and his opposition is en this polson, whoever seeks to dispek Whoever offers an antitoxin to feeling of the workers is the ulti(Continued from Page 3) where in the factories in the res with matom presented to the bosses by could safely say that over half taurants. etc. Agents provocateurs working class as the doctrine that mism, and especially away from tirely in conformity with his lurre it from the ranks of the proletariat the powerful metal workers organ the inhabitants of Naples are han are constantly at work ferreting out the proletariat must support the water increasescents This is by no means all. For extremely distrustful of one another war with the Fascist countries in sucelaucrately seeks the heat less of whether the latter is in the for itself, is now dismissed by both opponents of the regime. People are democratie capitalist nations in And the clubs with which the Right rule in the United States, regard strong and able to rely on and fight the workers notified the bosses that been forbidden to quit their jobs The application of sanctions by the same conception converted most and more from the arsenal of StalLengue or not.
kranted, they wou moecupy the most con penalty of losing their syndicate England has siven the government of the socialist parties into eanmon amicumor The position taken by Norman labelled. a Trotskyist.
What significance must the left cards. They can however as before heaven sent opportunity to direct Rodder suppliers for their respective Thomas, in spite of those of its tories and run them on a socialist te fred at the will of their employ the wrath of the masses against capitalist fatherlands. Nothing har of how this is being done. In the with his main argument, and there the fact that the reactionary Powers offers a concrete instance aspects which are not consistent wing Socialist necessarily attach baris.
ers. This system of labor conscrip. Pangland. But this patriotic fervor the changed in the old Guard of attempt to smash the militant fere not thoroughgoing, is never and corrupt Old Guard of his party unions, hitherto sharply divided of equality and a legal covering by the frantie efforts of the Pasclsts consequently to be found today ov for aid and invokes their con olutionary stand than the position with the same shibboleths and InIn Valencia, the various trade tion has been given an appearance is beginning to die down, despite the second International, Powers is Group, he calls upon Stalin Litvin theless infinitely closer to the revhave united to force the bosses to the provision that the bosses must to keep it at white heat. People inong the teachers of social patriception of the defense of the Son of the Second International. In with the same arguments, and even political grounds during the host from the Fascist syndicate, but in How long can this last? Where tomorrow between Fascist Germany viona y position.
otie doctrine. Let a war break out viet Union to buttress his reac fact, the two move in opposite dibels, as the Stalinists have always rections. Thomas, for example, deattacked the revolutionary Interna has not attempted to setor de the an enses where permission was tt of It Mussolint only answer for a new re division of the world, met so that we matysite the fan presents real hope. If this means pelled from their party!
law for rehtring, and Valencin refused. It is a mere formality and is tighten your belts and prepare and Powers is certain to range him significance of the growing can that the struggle against war can Old Guard.
Let us quote extensively froin clares that only a socialist appeal tionalists whom they finally exexample shows that the proletariat Mahterfuge. This has all the ad for another and bigger war.
is beginning to take the matter into vantages of chattel slavery without of materia e are rumorser friction Belfeen the base de manera French proachement between the right he condected effectively only by Draws Closer its own hands.
any of its disadvantages. And the between the army high command land and Yugoslavia would, in all and the bureaucracy of the Third working class movement, it is un Still clinging to Azana The Stalinists, having completed Italian workers are asked to sup and the Inselst party tops There likelihood, he counted in the French assailable. The pontiffs of the Sectheir development towards socialond International, however, who decreasing attractive power for the patriotism, find that they have a re those combined into eiter worker order to abolish slavery in the waring and widening in all die leerder te front would make ng Powers Concern for rections within the regime, althongh difference to Powers. For it shoula Russian Revolution conflict with the republican government, the Socialist and Communist intolerable conditions They can Why do the workers endure sitehas yet they are carefully covered sors of 1014 were not made less to demoralize the proletarian move. Left wing Socialist workers be Litvinov speech before the ment, take the position that hecausecause they are travelling in oppoFor the same reacoattails of the Axana government. wise. The pervasive system oes will come with the return of the Allies because of the fact that the in London on Tuesday, he beginsennfused. the only way of preingly counmon program in theory stor. directions mot son, the Stalinists find an increas The repriblican bourgeois groups Fuscolini cxar and the Mikado were also (New Leader, March 21. 1036. en renting wars to get behind and in action with the reactionary Irons from Ethiopia In the February 16 national elecFor make It Imissible for them to has over 300. 000 nen under making the world safe for demo plasiad again the extent to which capitalist war mongers, or at least wing of the Second International having got the best of the harekin pionage and the governmental ter Soviet Russia is committed to col. a section of them.
tions by being given an absolute pressors or to strike at them. They Italy. He cannot demobilize them speak ont openly winst their oparnis in Africa and a million in cracy.
The League of Nations is today taboration with the League and Like draws unto like. For the same The Old ago reason, who are so genrepublican workers slate, demand teeth and closed fist.
majority of the seats on the joint bear their burdens with clencle without the greatest dangers to merely a pseudonym for the 50 her military allies France and any lict in the ability of the rally covered with the beloof himself.
ed a similar joint state for the Perhaps, it will not be called emanci Trotskyjam the reactionary municipal elections which take necessary for him to do so. The Jointly dominated by France, the many war plans. For Soviet Rus The Opposition Movement So far as have been able to close.
new world war is so perilonsly gendarme of Europe and England, sia to pursue any other policy would rate itsel, but even to fight its bureaucracier, even if not always place on April 12, The Communist slave owner on six continents, its be to neglect criminally her very working class is to be saved from must inevitably draw together also.
daily battles under capitalism. The very necurately and warrantedly.
party immediately came out for a certain, there is almost 110 or such a coalition. After a sharp ats. Benim opposition working under inn campaign, the efforts of the polities in our time has been (and conquest of the revolution. After porting. capitalism and its in though they have traveling though The prolongation of the Ethio Principal pre occupation in world life interests and to Jeopardize the capitalism and its ravages, by sup. Coming from different directions agreement within the Socialist round against the regime amonffects of the economic sanctions, is) the preservation of the unpre Hitler speech announcing the adThere were a number the heavy expenses of the war. the servable status quo. The status quo vance of German troops into the Nations, the only international Hung their road towards the revstitutions. By deriding the League they do at different paces, they are Kui independent proletarian course small revolutionary groups, or growing discontent among all ranks. the state of things as they are demilitarized Rhineland, there instrument for collective action to the in the municipal elections, the Right ganized in groups of tive, onerating of the people the tenseness in the means not only the infamous Ver. could be no more doubt of the alms available. Powers reproaches Tho agninst war and Fascism, and proletarian struggle and the Socialist party ngreed to go. But police agents streceded the stability of the Fascist state the yeast on which Hitlerism rose fered to Europe was 22 year ment to the enemies of internationalism from which these twin evils.
enter a joint slate.
The apologists for the condition broke them up: and the revolution ingly desperate measures. Il Duce rule of bankrupt capitalism over change for a free hand against comfort to Hitler.
al cooperation and gives kid and inexorably arise.
with the honrgeoisie in the Febru ists are now in prison or on the days are mumbered. But whom tens of millions of workers and Russia. The militarist Fascist banThe political allinnce between the ary 16th elections defended the covenal islands the gods would destroy, they first hundreds of millions of colonial dists of Germany have the temerity cany of the older workers remake mad.
The League, in Powers mind, is old Guard social democrats and the alition on the grounds that it was Into what bloodier serfs.
10 suggest openly that if permitted the only international Instrument Stalinists, not organizationally exsolely for amnesty and restoration member the occupations of the fac. adventures will he drag the Italian of democratic rights. This excuse tories during 1921 22 and retain people before his doom is sealed. Nations, from the very beginning, they will not attack the rest of the simple renson: He has not the lions of an essentially secondary The support given the League of to despoil and disinember Russia. for collective action available, for pressed only because of considera no longer holds for the April 12 co their Socialist convictions. The by the Second International has Europe. Litvinov emphasized this sightest belief that the world proorder, ouly foreshadows that heal.
alition. The left gorernment in younger generation, however, remerely been another way of suppoint very well and exposed com letarian movement, be it organized thier and truly progressive coming fact, is curtailing democratic rights, cret to report that has been NEW MILITANT porting the continue existence of fletely the true character of Hit in the second or Third Internation together of all the revolutionary Spain is under a modified form of bronght up under the present rewith whicwis merged capitalism, thinly covered with ref ler objectives als, is available for collective ac forces who understand the situation martin law decreed by Azana. The cime and stuffed with Fascist proTHE MILITANT erences to the alleged potentialities In the light of the very real and tion or action of any other kind in and know how to draw the proper government has prohibited all out paganda, are greatly confused by conclusions from it.
They have Published weekly by the New Mil for peace residing somewhere in the formidable dnnger confronting Sots own behalf!
door meetings and congregating on had no Socialist education, are ta tant Publishing Co. 55 want 118 the streets. It has sent guards and ken in by his anti cirpitalist utter St. Phone: Lgon. 8.
troops to put down the land work ancos; and more or less believe Entered as second class mall matter SPEAKER ers. It is with this bourgeois gov that the empty Ast he waves at the at the Post Office at New York, ernment that the April 12th coal capitalists will be brought down under the act of March 1870 ISAACS tion is being made.
upon them and 118ed to crush them.
JAMES CANNON: Editor The Former editor, China Forum, recently returned ar Crisis in the Far Fast Catholies Boycott Elections from five years sojourn in China.
But they will learn from their subcription rates: In the finited What makes the coalition even own bitter experience what Fas States 00 per year: por QUESTIONS DISCUSSION more ludicrous is the fact that the cism really is.
months: Canada and formir I IS REVERTS TO BLOC OF FOUR CLASSES IN CHINA Ausp. District, Workers Party Catholics and Monarchists and wish could convey to you for. ix mrn.
other reactionary groups have an. the extent of the explongavstemmin nounced that they will boycott the It is the cement that holds the re IRVING PLAZA HALL 15th ST. IRVING PL municipal elections. They are boy Igime together. Sning Letter from Italy JAPAN, CHINA THE ponte ner