SOCIALIST APPEAL JULY 16, 1938 New Workers Party Letter from England months. Foreign: 56 Pfle copies cents.
SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. II No. 29 Saturday, July 16, 1938 Published every week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS at 116 University Place, New York, NY Telephone: National Office: Algonquin 8547 Subcriptions: 00 per year; 00 for six Bundle order Single All checks and money orders should be made out to the Socialist Appeal.
Entered as second class matter September 1, 1987, at the post office at New York, New York, under the Act of March 3, 1879 MAX SHACHTMAN Editor HAROLD ROBERTS FRANK GRAVES Associate Editors STANLEY Business Manager bepalen neveltimento do serve a tremendate le center er det til en soit Hypocrisy at Evian The first sessions of the conference on political refugees at Evian, France, has quickly demonstrated how little the participating governments are prepared to alleviate the situation to any appreciable extent. The big powers, France, Great Britain the United States, who alone possess the resources and diplomatic weight to aid the refugees, showed themselves far less ready to assume additional obligations than mich small countries as Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Peru.
Most hypocritical of the great powers was the United States, which had taken the initiative in convening the conference. In a windy speech, full of high sounding phrases, Myron Taylor, head of the American delegation and permanent president of the conference, declared that the business would be restricted to German and Austrian refugees. He also declared that the American government, which prides itself on the liberality of its existing laws and practices regarding immigration would not increase its annual quota, which means that no refugees over and above those who are at present able to enter the United States under the existing quota will be admitted to this country.
This news was conveyed to the delegates shortly before receipt of a telegram from Presi dent Roosevelt which said: hope for all success to the committee and its work, which is of such importance for a large part of humanity now plunged into despair.
The proposal of the American representatives that a separate and permanent body be established by the confere to handle the small minority of cases was prepared to accept, and to regularize international procedure, was adopted in preference to the British plan to have the League of Nations assume authority over these cases. This was considered a diplo matic triumph for the American government.
In his opening words, steelmaster Taylor stated: Some millions of people, as this meeting convenes, are actually or potentially without a country. The number is increasing daily.
The increase is taking place, moreover, at a time when there is serious unemployment in many countries, when there is a shrinkage of subsistence bases and when the population of the world is at a peak. In other words, the imperialist government at Washington pays a hypocritical lip service to the need for extending the right of asylom to the persecuted victims of European fascism, but when it comes to practical measures, simply refuses to do any.
thing about it.
The three major powers ran the conference with the same iron hand and secret bargaining with which they rule all other affairs in the capitalist world. Colombia, speaking for the small powers, protested vainly against the high.
handedness and secrecy of the giants.
The Evian Conference presents the repulsive spectacle of the richest and gest capitalist regimes wrangling among themselves, hesitat: ing to take the smallest steps toward helping the outcasts of the poorer and absolutely reactionary states. The million masses of refugees hold out their hands in vain while their lives are made pawns in a diplomatic game.
tion and struggle, the position of the unemmovement at the present time.
ployed, bad as it is today, would have been ten The speakers and writers of the Gauche Revolutionnaire have times worse.
often referred to the Charter of But the organization of the unemployed was 1905 of the Socialist Party. But not created by the Democratic Party or the New Deal; it was created against them, and indeon which it is impermissible for Armaments Alone Boom As Brief Spell of EDITORIAL NOTE. The following analysis of the newly an organization regarding itself pendently of them. The struggles were not led created Workers and Peasants Socialist Party of France, led by as revolutionary to evade taking Prosperity Passes; Courts by the Roosevelts, Barkleys, and Thomases; Marceau Plvert, and the circumstances which have led to its forma a position.
Liberals; Union Bosses Back they were conducted against the government tion, is reprinted from La Lutte Ouvriere, organ of the Revolutionary We do not belleve that the Socialist Party of Belgium, section of the Fourth International headed by these gentlemen. had to wait for the 1938 split War Plans In our opinion it is far more to cease being a party of the By ELSBURY Whatever gains the unemployed and their important to dwell on the trans The Federal Council expressed class struggle and the revolution.
organization have to record were accomplished formation of the Gauche Revolu its solidarity with the guilty As far back as 1914, it became LONDON, England. The brief Labor Party should have softened by means of independent class action.
tionnatre (the French Left Wing) ones and retained them in their steeped in the treachery of nealmost before it ernments for its treatment of Lasser and Benjamin, secretary of the Alli on the long and dull debates of replied with the dissolution of the of the Second International. This in Great ance, have been gradually changing all this. the congress of the French social dissident Federation and reorgan treachery has been confirmed over was noticed by the workers of Eden, so as to secure the sup They have followed a policy dictated by the democracy itself or the clique Ized the Selne Federation under and over again subsequently: In this democratic country. The lat port of Conservative s!
the struggle of the social patriotic est government figures, 18suedThe same story of the political The bureaucracy, basing itself fakers against the October Revo early in June, show jump in and moral turpitude of the Amerviolation of the stand taken formalig andere only demonstrate once more the putrescence of reformism and its on purely statutory grounds, pro lution of 1917, against the libera the number of registered unem ican Stalinists, recounted in the ficially by the Workers Alliance in regular faithful attachment to an exploit voked convention ing and murderous imperialismus nim in mind. It could no longer ans in Germany, Italy, Hungary, the figures of last year and this of their British brothers; detalls Sot Morocco, Indo China, India, China, during month when employ alone differ, the line is the same.
When the Workers Alliance was founded in well as its inability to propose to tolerate a faction of operaction etc. furthermore, by the activement is normally on the upgrade. Fascism is the enemy Peaco the proletariat a correct program national unity, of the Washington in 1936, as a merger of the three of action against the bosses and of the living standards of the aid given to reconsolidation of the Neither of the Popular Front the ideal is the professed prounemployed organizations then in existence, it declared for independent working class political are already well acquainted with methods of the imperialists.
The in the governments of the exploit Worker and the liberal News Lionaries the world and new crisis of the LO, was simply ers, by the illusions spread in the Chronicle, deemed the news of vided for them as between good action, for a Labor party.
First of all, let us examine what a manifestation of the class working class under the slogans sufficient Importance to com capitalists and bad ones; between By what authority do Lasser and Co. now has already passed into history struggle inside the framework of of collective security, League of ment upon in their leading ar war loving ones and peace loving ones, the British, believe it or ignore and violate this decision? It meant colopposed the Federal Bureau of clashed with the representatives struggle for democracy.
the origin of the conflict which the party, the progressive wing Nations, disarmament and the ticles of the day.
Armaments Boom not being included among the laboration with all other forces in the labor the Seine to the party leadership of the bourgeoisie and the spokes On more than one occassion the Apart from the armament in last. The theory of the class movement for the establishment of an inde the further development of this men of the labor aristocracy. Gauche Revolutionnaire has dedustry, which is having a boom struggle and the fight for socialpendent party of the workers. It did not mean conflict, the discussion of the Fed Legalistic Battle nounced the fallure of the Peo other Industries show significantism has been consigned to the eration and finally, the split. But the leadership of the ple Front. That did not prevent figures of decline. British imports old lumber room in favor of the converting the Workers Alliance into voting Critical Letter Gauche Revolutionnaire wanted the dissolved federation from in havo dropped 11. per cent, ex Popular Front.
cattle for Roosevelt and the Democratic Party. Early in April, the Federal to remain on Juridical ground; it sisting on remaining in this organ ports 13. per cent Building Liberal Come Back Lasser is a prominent member of the Thom Bureau of the Seine addressed defended the uncontested right of ization which deceives and weak plans drop of 20 per cent, Har land and Wolff, a leading shipOnly the Liberal Party, which asite Socialist Party, whose recent convention letter to all the federations of federations to correspond with ens the working class.
the French Section of one another, and its sole preoccuin Kenosha reiterated the party position in The pacifist formulas and the ping firm, showed no profits et ses in the Popular Pront a the Second International) criticizel pation was to prepare for the phrasemongering about generall for last year. Railways gross Incans of making a come back on its French confreres, favor of a Labor party. By what authority does ing the policy of national unity. Royan Congress and an appeal to disarmament and peace guaran sterling. Rayon has fallen 227 has accepted the stalinist proreceipts declined half a million the lines of Lasser now ignore and violate his own party which greatly displeased the the party. In this manner, the tees which in the pages of its per cent. Bad as this picture is posals. The Labor Party madecision? We would like to hear from Thomas, gentlemen at the top.
Laidler, Tyler and Co. on this point!
The National Contiets Commis ity for the split on the shoulders grave doubts as to whether than it would have been definitely done for reactionary and temsion. sort of grievance commit of Paul Faure and his clique as give the Marxist solution to worse, but for the Japanese at. dered them repeatedly. recent We, for our part, do not believe that a Labor upon request of the Perman if such responsibility had not al: foremost problem of our time, lessening of Japanese competition election, at Aylesbury deserves ent Administrative Committee ready been sufficiently established that of the coming war.
party, particularly with a program con(the executive organ of the with the creation of a new fedagainst British goods on the examination, although its lessons, ceived by Harry Laidler or David Lasser, would party. took disciplinary action eration, the work of the Right Finally, it is still questionable world market, Britain horror at as usual, are being wilfully distorted by the Stalinists.
solve the problem of the working class, or the against Plvert and several of his Wing tendency grouped around which International organization Japanese aggression is sweetthe will join. Will it re ened somewhat by this toothsome largely agricultural and therefore At the previous election in this unemployed, much less bring the workers into friends, all members of the the Le Soclaliste clubs!
that domination of government power which Bureau and of the Gauche Rev. The was entirely satisfied quest affiliation to the Second Intit bit.
backward area, the Conservative ternational, that stinking Combined with the huge inthey must have in order to put an end to exolutionnaire. It suspended them with this attitude of the opposil corpae, or to the morphous crease in the unemployed figures had been elected as against his from all offices for from one tion, which showed such respect ploitation and misery three years. Among the evidence for its system of cloaked organ and opportunist London Bu which now total over millions runner up, a Liberal, who had But is is a dead certainty that the attempt to used to convict Plvert was a let izational maneuvers. In the mean rau. is the steadily increasing cost of polled well and a Laborite who The wants to be ter he had written to Weltz, the time, it did not spare the latter tie the Alliance to the kite of one of the capi leader of the Autonomous social from attacks, against which there class struggle party. But, if we common necessity. These concrals and Stalinists indulged in living, affecting every article of bad polled badly. On the plea of talist parties, which is pledged to maintain the ist Youth (formed after the dis was little if any resistance (the are to take its name as Indica cealed wage cuts are being suprotten system that has brought so much misery solution of the regular youth sec Luna Park meeting of the reform tion, is not its intention to base plemented with open wage cuts a tearing campaign against tho cuts. official Labor candidate, workand pain to the unemployed in particular, is a tion of the Seine district some ist federation from which the itself on two classes, the proleta In April 330, 000 wage earnerer with Trotskyist leanings, in months before, or perhaps it was militants of decidedly reactionary step. It not only does not Gauche Revolu riat and the peasantry? The lat suffered reductions. Capitalism, bring the workers closer to their goal it pulls expulsions in the French social nor from attempts at spreading snow. Yet, in order two years ago dissolutions and connaire were expressly barred) ter can never have an independ whether democratic or fascist, this new election. The Daily Marxist appears almost equally costly for Worker dubbed the Labor candidate a friend of Chamberlain, them farther away from it. It is a cynical be attract the workers. an agent of Franco and so forth Tender Toward Fascism that confusion is to actual dates into its ranks of expelled mem and pull along with it the agritrayal of the Alliance membership and of the is quite excusable. bers of the youth.
cultural workers and the poor position taken by its convention.
In the field of world politics in the best Stalinist manner. Disregarding the Liberal Stalinist This letter was of especial interPrecious time was lost by this peasants, a revolutionary party Great Britain, or rather its rulefront he fought the election on The main job of the American working est to the prosecution. In it, Mar opportunist waiting policy which must jealously guard its working class, continues to show comparatively militant Socialist class today is to break away, most rapidly and ceau Pivert made a sharp attack resulted only in the weakening of ing class character. That what touching tenderness towards the program and had the satisfacmost drastically, from their dependence upon on the ruling bureaucracy of his the Left Wing. The militants were Lenin demonstrated in practice. Fascist countries and sometion of more than doubling party. The bureaucrats showed politically disarmed; they were will the party progress from what sterner exterior. to its dem labor vote at the expense of the the political parties of their enemy, the capi. talists. The main job is to find the road to duch a decided interest in this left stranded with the perspective the confusionism of Pivert to the ocratic allies. Premier Chamber Liberal who came last in the tetter that they enter poseb18 reformation of the revolutionary clarity of Lentinhos long been known for poll. The moral of the election 18 dependent working class political action, with deny their guilt or complicity in It was therefore not sur Our French comrades are a militant program of struggle directed against the rifling of private correspond. prising to find tendencies of heait gaging the Workers and Peas botes Friendshine for Mussolini to a militant labor policy despite the capitalist government and its system.
The Stalinists, and their partner, Lasser, are for the police methods actually in against the new turn in the faction at the point of production ary workers who have followed all the red herrings of Popular Frontism.
use in the organizations of the tions throughout the provinces. and by means of frank and his career. His position as preWorkers Are Hoodwinked obstacles on that road. The unemployed, who Second International. Naturally, New Party Future friendly criticism, are attempting mier accounts largely for the Nevertheless it would be inhave so magnificently demonstrated their ability this does not prevent certain We still do not know what the to clarify the questions agitating weakness of the avowed fascist to deal with obstacles in the past. will know seente Maze from writing in an program of the Workers and the rank and fle on the basis of movement in the country. The coronet ptop says that the popular what to do with the obstacles in their own ranks.
radical paper La Fleche devoted However, it is not hard to fore ences. They are thus aiding in ceased to boost the blackshirt ground in the labor and Co opto closing of Parliament, that sce. It is enough to examine the the creation of a real party of movement within the country cent Co operative Congress the our social democracies have a positions of the Gauche Revolu the class struggle and the revo since his appointment.
The Blackwell Case vote in favor of the Peace Alllong background of intellectual tionnaire on the different prob lution, a Bolshevik party.
For largely the same reasons, ance, the latest alias of the Pophonesty. lems that are agitating the labor too, their antagonism to the offi ular Front, was over two millAlthough under arrest and in prison in Madcial trade union movement has ion, though it was defeated by a abated considerably. The grant two to one majority: Large sec rid for more than a month, it is only now that word has reached the United States that Russell tary of the Trade Union contions of the workers, hoodwinked Blackwell, member of the Revolutionary Workgress, Sir Walter Citrine, carried Peace Alliance under the impres and deluded, actually support the ers League of the prior to his departure An Editorial with it a significance which evsion that it will ginger up the ery day becomes more apparent.
for Spain, has been seized by the Loyalist aureactionary heads of the labor The fight over the nomination of the man to politicians in the Democratic party, namely, the Trade union heads are consulted movement. The parallel of the thorities.
fill the unexpired Senatorial term, following the headed by Lehman, the well known lover Blackwell, known in revolutionary circles in openly with a view to alding the troops who shot down the workdeath of Royal Copeland, has revealed an in of liberty and progress who recently endeared armaments program, and they ers in Barcelona in 1986, under this country and in Mexico also under the name teresting situation in the American Labor Party himself to the unemployed by his proposal to offer their services with alacrity the officer given impression that of Rosalio Negrete, has been in Loyalist Spain of New York. purgo the relief rolls because the jobless, unfor bulldozing the workers in the workers were anti republican, like Mr. Lehman banker friends, are living preparation for the next war in seems exceedingly apt.
almost since the beginning of the civil war. His As soon as the nomination race began, a trial off the fat of the land.
balloon was sene up in the press by the leaders defense of capitalism.
record in the movement in America as well as in of the without any direct official reThe current Stulinist trick of Hillman and Co. who do make all the use Chauvinist Bureaucrats Spain are sufficient proof that his political acswitching revolutionary enthusisponsibility being taken for it In the form of a they can of the servile assistance the Stalinists Unfortunately for them, the asm into pro capitalist channels tivity has always been motivated by loyalty to proposal that the Democratic Party accept as are so ready to give them, have taken a stand Amalgamated Engineering Union, is, of course, by no means pecuthe working class. The fact that the entire Loy its Senatorial candidate the name of Sidney for Hillman nomination. 1) not because they the largest union involved in the liar to Great Britain and the alist territory centered around Madrid has re Hillman, president of the Amalgamated Cloth believe he will be nominated and (2) not bemaking of armaments, refused to movement exposing it is as yet ing Workers of America and vice president of cently been put under control of the Stalinist cause they are opposed to endorsing a capitalist behave like perfect gentlemen pitifully weak and divided in rethe politician on an old party ticket and want a and to play the game of their intion to the task before it.
commissar Fernandez, increases the apprehenOn the heels of this announcement came labor man instead, but (8) only because they bosses, and citrine proposal for Three monthly printed journals sion that all of Blackwell friends feel for his statement by Abe Cahan, editor of the Jewish are part and parcel of the other gang in the a joint board of government rep are issued supporting the Fourth life.
Daily Forward and close associate of the Du Democratic Party, namely, the one headed by resentatives, employers and un Blackwell is the sixth known revolutionist International, Fight, The Millbinsky Waldman wing of the which Roosevelt.
ion officials appears, temporarily, tant and the Workers Interna of the United States who has been imprisoned the aged social democrat flatly opposed the It is no secret that Hillman has conferred to have ben squashed, tional News, each of them creditThis chauvinism of the trade able productions and doing good and imperilled by the Stalinist Republican nomination of Hillman, among other reasons, on the matter with Roosevelt. It is also no se union leaders finds a reflection in work. At the time of writing, neon the grounds that he was cooperating too cret that Roosevelt and his clique are opposed in Spain. Only the most vigorous protest closely with the communists.
to the nomination of Lehman, with whom the the official Labor Party (His gotiations are proceeding between made it possible to force the release of the other Majesty Opposition as it is the Fight and Militant organizaFireside sitter has had falling out. RooseAbout the same time, Dubinsky, president of five, Harry Milton, of the Socialist Workers velt hasn the slightest idea of supporting Hillcalled in Parliament. which purtions which, if successful, will rethe International Ladies Garment Workers Unsues a precisely similar plan of sult in a merger and the likeliParty; Sam Baron, of the Socialist Party: ion and prominent leader in the niso man as an actual candidate for Senator in the class collaboration. It votes regu hood of a fortnightly If not weekNovember elections. Hillman is simply put forissued a statement in opposition to Hillman Huge Oehler, of the Revolutionary Workers ward for the purpose of spiking the nomination larly and automatically in sup nomination and in favor of the at present most League; and Lois and Charles Orr.
port of all the armament measly journal.
prominent official candidate for the post, of My Dear Herbert, so that Roosevelt real ELSBURY.
The same protest is now imperatively rechoice as yet not clearly known may be able ures but advances democratic instead of Imperialist reasons for Governor Lehman of New York. In this statequired to obtain the release of Blackwell, whose ment, Dubinsky was shortly joined by Luigi to walk away with the nomination at the com so doing. Its press organ, the ing New York Democratic convention.
real crime is his opposition to the Stalinist Antonini, vice president of the International Daily Herald, is run for it by Iowa Farmers garroters of the Spanish revolution. The organ and chairman of the American Labor Party. Meanwhile, the two groups of party borses capitalist form, odhams, Ltd. in the are seeking to keep the party a Whereupon, Alex Rose, secretary of the ALP.
ization with which he was affiliated before he which owns half the capital, and Oppose Rail Cut announced that the Executive Committee of the football in the factional fight going on in the is an extremely valuable properleft for Spain has already sent protests to Sec party had not put forth any nominations as yet Democratic Party. Hardly noble role they ty. It relies upon the League of Labor and farm organizations retary of State Hall and to the Spanish am and was not responsible for the rumor about have assigned to the LP. Nations and collective security to in Iowa have gone on record bassador at Washington.
Hillman.
Also, it occurs neither to the Hillman Stalin preserve peace and expelled the against the proposed 15 per cent It is necessary that all labor organizations Some have pretended to see in the dispute ist gang, nor to its Dubinsky Cahan partners Communists during the left railrond wage cut and have do follow suit in communicating their position to between the two sets of leaders a strugin leadership, to break completely and drastical period of the Communist Party. clared themselves ready to initily with the corrupt old capitalist parties. And gle between a progressive and a conservative ate join action. The resolution Ambassador de los Rios who represents a gov.
how could It? All of them are bound by a To Left of the wing. Among them are those who look upon the was signed by Wm. Jeffries, ernment which, behind its democratic preten Dubinsky Cahan position as more progressive thousand threads with their alles and bosses Reactionary as the leadership Order of Railway Conductors, sions, carries on a violent campaign of repres because it is opposing the Hillman Stalinist in the capitalist camp. The to them, is of the huge Labor Party 1s, it temporary chairman: Al Couch, merely an organization of labor voting fodder.
has well over a million members, president, Iowa Nebraska State sion against all militants, Spanish as well as combination, which is notoriously against breaking from the Democratic Party. Others, on the It is aimed to serve not for the advancement and is well to the left of the Industrial Union Counell; foreign, who have demonstrated a genuine contrary, see the Hillman position as more of the independent interests of the workers, but British Communist Party which Johnson, State President, Iowa loyality to the cause of the working class.
bargaining points over the table with the has now fallen on the neck progressive because it proposes a labor man the Farmers Unto James Soutfor the nomination instead of Lehman, capitalist politicians, and for the promotion of discredited and visibly decaying ter, secretary, Trades and Labor the political careers of the labor bureaucracy.
Liberal Party (the traditional Assembly, and Wm. Beebe, preslNeither position has anything to do with the party of British capitalism as op dent, Des Moines Industrial UnIt a Cockeyed World reality. What we actually have is a fight be Anal interesting commentary is worth mak posed to the Conservative Party, ion Council. At the same time, tween two bureaucratie cliques, who have no ing. In the official resolutions adopted by H11 which at first represented mainly ra trond unions in the Chicago Headlines a few days ago informed us: differences in principle whatsoever, and whose man Amalgamated officials, denouncing Abe the feudal and landed interests) area are considering the resoluvery last idea is to allow the membership of Cahan and his statement, we find a familiar HUGHES SAFE IN MOSCOW. We conIn the sacred name of the Popu tion calling for unqualified supthe to have a decisive voice in the whole lar Front. The Communist Party port to a general strike ballot, touch, An innocent by stander, reading the reso.
lutions with their talk about playing the game gratulate Mr. Hughes. Apparently he is the swing towards Liberalism occa which was adopted at the last Dubinsky and Co, who have no use for them of Hearst and the Liberty League, etc. etc. slonally over balances: Daily delegates meeting of the standonly one who is.
right now, simply want to keep the tied might Imagine that they were written on the Worker leading article on Feb. 24 ard organizations of the Chicago to the apron strings of one gang of ospitallat 9th floor of a certain 18th Street building. declared that the Parliamentary and Northwestern Railway Mr. Cahan versus Mr. Hillman The and Politics David Lasser, president of the Workers Al.
liance, has announced that his organization is To going to throw all its forces into the political cofreld in the Fall elections.
Our organization is in the political field with es both feet. We say this bluntly, we re going to Surally the maximum amount of support for candidates who stand by the economic interests of the unemployed.
Becoming more specific, Lasser declared that the Alliance would place itself behind the can.
didates sponsored by the Roosevelt New Deal gang, including Barkley of Kentucky, Lewis of Maryland and Thomas of Oklahoma In plain English, Lasser has announced that the Workers Alliance, the organization of the unemployed workers who have suffered most cruelly from the crisis, is going to be converted into another of the numerous tails of the Demo cratic Party kite.
If you want another tragic illustration of how the Stalinists, with whom Lasser works check by jowl, have scuttled a promising labor organization, it is provided by this latest action.
Every unemployed worker who thinks for himself knows that even those miserable crumbs that have been doled out to him by the government, have been obtained only as a result of militant, aggressive action. Without organizaquestion.