SOCIALIST APPEAL AUGUST 27, 1938 SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. II No. 35 Saturday, August 27, 1938 Published every week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS at 116 University Place, New York, Telephone: National Office: Algonquin 8517 Subscriptions: 00 per year: 00 for six months. Foreign: 50 per year. Bundle order cents per copy. Single copies cents 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. Explaining the Republican Pinning em Down ALP Coalition MAX SHACHTMAN Editor HAROLD ROBERTS GEORGE CLARKE Associate Editors STANLEY Business Manager Labor Will Clean It Own House (Continued from page 1)
In the struggle between the bureaucrats and the of bureaucrats the main strategy of the latter group is to smear the with a Communist color. For the moment the Dies Committee is perfectly willing to lend its services to the of. leaders, but only for the purpose of destroying the To the reactionaries even the of is unacceptable, but they are willing to be friendly to Green and his lieutenants in order to weaken the Lewis organization. Their friendliness to the of will disappear suddenly under conditions where they can no longer use it against the In their blindness the of leaders do not see that Dies and those behind him are out to destroy every form of unionism, no matter how conservative. In strengthening the hand of the reactionaries against the the of leaders are preparing their own destruction.
esta the Scolists in Wrecking the poulet Spurns United Front United Mine Workers, than see this influence for GPU Victims in Spain Bridges and denounces as dangerous radicals Horse Trader Alibi the majority of the industrial unionists who protested this fiasco as a culmination of the de bilitating rule of the same Bridges.
Wyndham Mortimer, announced in the press By JAMES CASEY to le Lewis favorite in the auto union, declares at the Stalinist rump conference at Toledo that CAMPAIGN THUNDER the expelled officers have at all times consulted The election campaign is on and for the militant class conscious and been advised by the head of the worker this means redoubled political vigilance and action. Issues, By JAMES BURNHAM No official statement of support for the new possibly hold the balance in term, are made by the display of large and small, are being distorted, ignored or their existence the State Assembly and even if independent working class denied. Candidates and their helpers are rending the air with the administration of the National Maritime Union In the history of the politics of in general a position of holding strength: it is this which forces latest demagogle whoppers. These professional fish storytellers which ousted the Stalinist clique has been forth the labor movement, there have the balance is worth anything, it concessions much more thors are all lovers of humanity they say so themselves and anyone st be mankind deadliest foe.
coming from Lewis or his lieutenants. This si shameless deals than the cost obviously does not do the slight oughly than drawing the teeth critical of their fables must lence, at best, indicates non support.
The militant worker will not be abashed either by the thunder est good to hold it in one house of working class strength through raised by these soothsayers or the imposing strength of their army, tions recently entered into in and not in the other. But in the coalitions. An LP, candidate New York City by the American Second piace, even luding bol running Labor Party. With the workers are of power in the legislature third in Mid second or even to wrestle with the nation political and economie problems and He will recognize in their tales a confession of fear and inability On the West Coast, in the auto union and in but doing so the maritime organizations, progressive unioncut working class pro ists are waging a bitter battle for the life of party of their own, the bureau would be bought it such a price gram with firm working class In recent years millions of voters have been won over to the their unions. The issue that is being decided crats running the have as the is now paying, support will get a lot more at proposition that only the Republicans would plunge the country into is whether the labor organizations shall be a treated them like a flock of cat would not be worth a inker tention in Albany, and every war and folst upon the American people a yoke of fascism; that the weapon against capitalist oppression or whether they shall be subtle tools for Stalin forcign district where they were able to in his third point, which is sur of Kenneth Simpson Republic proposition was evolved a second one, which is now making the where else, than an LP. can. Democratic party would fight both these evils and lead the people to one of the old parties in every Rose himself rey proves this didate running with the support out of the economic crisis to a new prosperity. From this sunny policy. There can be no neutrality in this strug.
strike up some kind of cont. plgle. Where does Lewis stand?
ible bargain with the cla party prisingly enough, that neither of an machine, and on program widest rounds, to wit: that only President Roosevelt could guide the Fosses the old parties is any good. The acceptable to Kenneth Simpson government ship in these troubled times and any change in the White House would foredoom the nation to blackest disaster. rejects the illusion that Lewis favored the Stalinists and promoted The incipient mass protest Only Wins them to key positions soon after the creation the ranks has finally stimulated either one of the major parties, against But what caps the climax is of the LO The Stalinists ferreted deeply into an official sta ment from Alex a political party, Rose, Secretary of the the other is more concerned with that the Republicans have en THE MESSIAH IS COME!
dorsed LPcandidates only in dangerous Rooseveltian fiction has been fashioned out of a the organization, and, now after their long published in full in the New progressive legislation.
Pader. Thi Argument Worthless districts which are virtually cer maze of paralogisms and it tling pol sapping work has been completed, the job of How this argument is in favor tain to go LP. without out liberals, progressives, Stalinists and other self appointed spokesit is being endorsed as political truth by ogy comes close to a new low.
undermining the labor unions is under way in of the deal made with the regu side help, or virtually certain to men of the working class.
real earnest. Lewis is reaping the whitlwind.
Three Main Points lar Republican Party organization to lose even with it; whereas the Until the time the Communist Party was ordered to change its But it appears that he is so completely involved The statement makes three of New York County is beyond LP. endorsements to Republi line to conform to Moscow imperialist alliances, Stalinist leaders that he can no longer extricate himself. Thus main points. To begin with, Rose the powers of ordinary mortals cans are in each case absolutely (now the loudest exponents of the Rooseveltian myth) were among explains that only a few Re to discover.
essential to give the Republican the most energetic and eloquent in their indictment of the President in union after union, the wreckers count heavily publicans and Democrats have The truth is that for labor to nominees a chance to win. The as an arch enemy of the working class and the New Deal as a smokeon Lewis support and get it.
been endorsed 80 why should organize its own political strength sell out was paid for by a rubber screen to save the profit system.
everyone be so excited. In other on the basis of numbers of off check.
Lewis leans upon the Stalinists today as a As for the liberals, who have ever scorned the necessity of words, there have been only about cials immediately elected is al Naturally, Bro. Rose does not acquiring a sound political philosophy, and whose only care is the counter balance to those forces in the 25 or 30 sell outs, which is not bad ways who fought against his prestige politics which, for an imperfect world. He ar ho Wrong and self defeating see fit to explain why the whole maintenance of the status quo, the Rooseveltian Messiah myth is an holds not merely for the deal was carried through in the expression of wish fulfillment.
of the night with the Millions when joined with Bill Green s, threw a monkey sues like the father of the Indian long term, but for the short term dead of rank and Alers, harassed by hunger, unemployment, wrench into the unity negotiations. Lewis can princess who was only a wee as well. Clearly, the can membership of the glven low wages and impelled by the threats of war and fascism are bit pregnant.
bloc up with one or the other or not one single chance to make almost helplessly falling in line behind their vacillating leaders.
no longer trade on his great personal popularity. Secondly, he claims that there the old parties at Albany only by its voice heard. Rose and his Rooseveltolatry is sweeping the city and countryside. And the That was on the wane since the little steel is a chance just a chance, mind accepting policy acceptable to friends all express their eager. President is not the least of those spreading the gospel of the new strike was defeated and went down precipityou that with the coalition poli the given old party: that is, only ness to defend democracy on the messiah.
ously as the ensuing months went by, and the cy the will hold the bal by rccepting capitalist policy battlefields which Roosevelt is In his first and second campaigns for the Presidency. Roosevelt drive made no headway. rupture with ance of power in the State Senate. and by throwing over a working preparing for them. But they are talked a great deal about loyalty to the Democratic Party platform.
Few points could be worth less. class policy.
terrified even at the thought of Today he talks principally of loyalty to Franklin Roosevelt and the Stalinists at the present time would place in the first place, he doesn even Far more substantial and con a little democracy intruding into is calling upon the electorate to confound and retire Senators and Lewis at a decided disadvantage in the CI. pretend that the could al crete gains, even on the short their party.
Representatives whom he has placed on the purge list.
and probably give Dubinsky and his allies the upper hand. The bureaucrat Lewis would sooner Nazi Chieftain PROGRAMS AND MEMORIES ful o. unions, as he once wrecked the To the average voter, this development suggests the existence of basic differences on major issues between the President and the group of parinhs. Such an impression is further being strengthened a secondrate by a powerful daily press, by droves of faithful government position. Lewis comes first the labor move. On Dear Comrades, officials, Federal job dispensers and political units in every corner August 1st, the National Committee of the Socialist Workment second Your rejection of our proposal of the land, ers Party addressed a communi to create a united front of all As a matter of fact, the blacklist has nothing to do with any Lewis failure to speak out in the present cation to the Socialist Party, the working class organizations infundamental disputes between the warring Democratic factions and crisis has contained within it more than Independent Labor League (Love terested in defeating the Spanall talk of one side being purely left and the other extremely to stoneites) and to the Anarchist ish fascists and consequently in the right is plain, unadulterated poppycock.
a tacit support of the Stalinists. In his own group of Carlo Tresca requesting the liberation of all anti fascists In 1932 Roosevelt and colleagues were tapulted into office cunning way, he is allowing his agents to stick the establishment of joint action now in the jails of Barcelona because the American masses were sick of the capitalist crisis, of their necks out while he watches the reaction.
against the frame up trial of loyal was indeed surprise to us, Hoover and Republican reaction. Again, in 1936, the administration If the kickback from the labor movement is too anti fascists and political oppon especially in view of your claim was returned to office due to the still bitter memories of Hoover, strong, it is not impossible that Lewis will drop ents of Stalinism being prepared that you are actively interested coupled with Roosevelt rosy promises and the steady drift of the in behalf of the antifascist voters to the left.
the Stalinists like a hot potato. With this thought by the Spanish office of the in Barcelona.
prisoners.
But, despite the leftward swing of the citizenry, the Democratic firmly in mind, let no one be surprised if one The letter pointed out that the We consider the matter of Party platform was and is a definitely anti working class document saturated with demagogie phrases and dedicated to restoring and of these days he reads a flamboyant denuncia planned trial was only a climax freeing them of such vital imtion of Communism by Mr. Lewis.
to a long series of persecution portance to the anti fascist skyrocketing profits for the bosses. On all major issues, it is basically and repression by Spanish author movement that we ceem it the same as the Republican platform as like as two peas in a pod.
But in any case, that will in no way mitigate ities against revolutionary workRoosevelt and his Democratic associates have all worked necessary to comment on the reasons which you give in your harmoniously in raising the dividends of Big Business and in shame Lewis responsibility for the present wreckingers and urged that action be activities of the Communist Party. It is within taken to prevent a Moscow trial letter for refusing our effort to less betrayal of the demagogic pledges embodied in the platform.
The few controversies that have arisen center merely around his province to deal them their heaviest blow for united front activity were create a united front.
right now. His failure to do so makes him suggested.
Reason 1) You state that The methods of how best to restore the normal heartbeats of the gasping capitalist monster.
Socialist Party has been enguilty with them of the damage and destruction Five Proposals In the formulation and execution of the methods, the record gaged in a constant campaign FRITZ KUHN being wrought on the labor movement. Telegrams of protest to the shows Roosevelt to be sometimes to the left of his party associates, in the interest of the working Spanish government; Setting at other times decidedly to the right. On the armament question, class in Spain, and that you The alliance of Lewis with the Stalinists is up of a lawyers committee to go expect to continue with inde, the nation peacetime history and for a navy second to none. On to Spain as defense counsel; not without principle if anything these un pendent activity.
That the trial be suspended until the issue of war preparations Roosevelt has been as reactionary, it scrupulous adventurers purvey can be called the accused had full opportunity It is exceedingly difficult to not more so, as any member in either house of Congress, Democratic principle. They share a common stand for the reconcile such a statement with for free choice of their own coun or Republican.
Roosevelt war program. For different reasons, it sel: Organization of an Interyour rejection of our offer. Does This all leads to the question as to what achievements the Presis true, but nevertheless with similar actions.
national Labor Commission to it not appear incongruous that ident can dangle before the people eyes to warrant his presumptious The labor movement is now warned in advance attend the trial; Letters along because of your interest in the LOS ANGELES Two members attitude leaving aside entirely the fact that he was re elected mainly these lines to well known IntelSpanish workers, you should of the Socialist Workers Party, because he was opposed to reaction, tyranny and war.
of the disastrous consequences of this pro lectuals and trade unionists.
refuse to act jointly with other John Murphy and John Morino, Replies to this communication organizations on behalf of these last week were found guilty by signifying their willingness to workers? It seems to us that jury of violating the Los Angeles LOOK AT THE RECORD The reports are daily coming through that the because of that very interest, handbill ordinance and sentenced join in common action have been When Roosevelt assumed the Presidency, the national debt defeats suffered by the Stalinist union busters you should gladly accept our to five days in the county jail by totaled 23 billion dollars and there were in the country from twelve received from Carlo Tresca and are being turned into routs. Neither Lewis nor the Lovestoneltes. The Socialist offer to build a united front on Judge Paonessa of the Loom to fifteen million unemployed. Today, after six years in office, the behalf of the Spanish political les Municipal Court. Marshall Roosevelt administration has increased the debt to 38 billions and ten like him can stop this onslaught. And if Party, however, rejected the proposal. Because of the urgency of prisoners, for it is obvious that Ross, attorney representing the there are again from twelve to Afteen million workers looking for he is foolhardy enough to get in the way, he action in beh of the victims of our joint efforts would be more two men, requested bail be fixed jobs. In addition, the standard of living has declined while prices will place himself directly under the double the and because the issue fruitful than our separate activ for purposes of appeal, and it was and wages have been sadly out of proportion to huge profits amassed barrelled fire of progressive unionism. in question reveals the sincerity ities set at 500 for each of the two by the large corporations.
of all organizations involved, we Reason 2) You state that We defendants It is very true that the Roosevelt administration appropriated are reprinting below the text of believe the political difference in Murphy and Morino were are runds for WPA projects. It is likewise true that scores of companies the correspondence with the Na our attitude toward the Spanish rested for posting leaflets an have benefited by contracts to supply materials for the made work.
government is so basic that thatnouncing a recent demonstration It is also a fact that the administration voted inadequate relief funds Sacco and Vanzetti tional Executive Committee of the difference could not be recon and picket line before a German for hundreds of thousands facing starvation but, then, would it not Replies ciled by any kind of united Bund Anti Communist convention have been far worse for the liberal administration to allow the Pittsburgh judge announces that he will Dear Comrade: action in Los Angeles on the 6th of millions of jobless to be driven into a state of desperation?
publish a book proving the innocence of Nicola Your letter of August 1st was Undeniably there are basic August. The Los Angeles section Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, and promises to presented to the National Action differences between us. You be of the and the solve unemployment and the latest crisis is sapping further the name the guilty persons. We hope the judge has Committee of the Socialist Party the American masses. continuance of the artificial lieve in supporting the Loyalist were the most active and mill Vitality at their regular meeting last government politically, while it tant supporters and participants pump priming program capitalist planning will serve only to inwritten a book so revealing in its facts, so night.
is our polley to reject support in the demonstration attended by crease the national debt, within a year or two, to 45 or 50 billion devastating in its exposures and so convincing They asked me to transmit to politically to the Loyalist gov over 3, 000 people.
dollars. Eventually, it drastic devaluation of the currency will be in its logic that even Harvard president emeri you their decision in the matter. crnment a government which The Communist Party members decided upon as imperative to save the financial structure and the tus, Lawrence Lowell, will be forced to reIt was the decision of the Na jails revolutionary anti fascists appeared only through the guise workers, farmers and middle class will be the chief sufferers.
cant his academic sanction of the murder of tional Action Committee not to confining our efforts to mate of the Anti Nazi League and the Sacco and Vanzetti eleven years ago.
accept your proposition for rial support. We beg to point United Anti Nazl Conference, and united front action on the Span out that our proposal for united were very militant and enthusi CONGRESS WITHOUT CONGRESSMEN To millions of workers throughout the world, ish trials for the following action does not aim to reconcile astic in singing the StarRoosevelt has made sufficiently plain that he wants a thoroughly reasons books proving the innocence of the two Italians any differences, but to help free Spangled Banner, My Country The Socialist Party has been are merely redundant. They know that when the the revolutionary anti fascists. Tis of Thee, and shouting the service Congress. He intends also to staff all the Federal departments engaged in consistent com Why should basic differences slogan Down with Fascism Up with 100 per cent yes men. From Senator Berkley, who nominated executioner pulled the switch that sent the paign in the interest of the Roosevelt at the last two conventions, and Jim Farley come strong prevent us from acting jointly? with Democracy.
death dealing current through the bodies of working class in Spain. By off The very concept of a united Sing Workers Songs intimations that the President will seek a third term.
Sacco and Vanzetti, two innocent men were cial protest and statement and front presupposes basic differ At one point in the meeting, the Should the President succeed in his present plans of centralizing murdered murdered as surely as if paid asby various means they have ences. In the particular instance leadership was incapable of power, it is not within the realms of impossibility that he might, it made known to the Spanish sassins shot them down from ambush.
of helping Spanish political curbing the enthusiastic singing re elected, tell his servile Congressmen to go back to their homes government the position and de prisoners, we can take these of the International by its and stay there as an emergency measure.
And these millions of workers know where sire of the Socialist Party, and basic differences for granted working class membership when In the meantime it is clear that the liberals and progresalves they expect to continue that inthe real guilt rests, too. The seven years of legal We can continue to discuss and the revolutionary song was begun are helping Roosevelt to create the very situations open capitalist dependent activity with all the trappings that preceded the death of Sacco and debate them without in the least by the contingent who indictatorship and war which they are trying hard to avert. Their resources at their command.
Vanzetti hid not for a moment the identity of interfering with joint meet jected the only union and work adherents and other rank and Alers must be made aware of the We believe the political dif ings, joint resolutions, and ing class songs and slogans in the dangers in following Democrats, right or left. as well as their the cruel exploiters who hoped to deal all labor ference in our attitude toward similar joint activities pertain demonstration, while holding the reactionary Republican brothers.
a blow by the lives of the little fish the Spanish government is so ing only to the question of front line position in the demonbasic that the difference could liberating the Spanish political stration and receiving the brunt This is the job cut out for the militant class conscious worker.
peddler and the good shoemaker.
not be reconciled by any kind The sham justice of the Massachusetts courts prisoners and thus help defeat of all the jostling and shoving carrying forward the banner of the Socialist Workers Party.
In performing it, as part of the program of Socialism, he will be of united action.
fascism in Spain.
of the police.
that legalized the killing of these two men made We believe, because of these We are hopeful that you will At the very height of the dem clear to workers everywhere the whole sham of differences, that such united consider a change in your onstration the leadership of the vocateurs who would attempt to any real conflict with fascism. democracy. the democracy that answers a action would not be of specific attitude, and if you do, shall Anti Naxl groups gave orders to lead them into struggle with the that the only fighting force able aid to those we seek to help at simple worker plea for freedom and justice be most glad to come to a most disperse and were booed and op fascists. The crowd became con to protect the working class the present moment.
definite agreement as to the posed by a large section of their fused and finally dispersed, many would be the working class or with death in the electric chair.
Fraternally yours, nature and scope of our joint own followers. When large sec characterizing their leadership asganizations led by a militant rey.
Today, cleven years after, workers through (Signed) Roy Burt, activities.
tions of the crowd demanded to strikebreakers and finks. olutionary leadership discarded Executive Secretary, Comradely yours.
remain until the Nazis left their out the world remember the tragic death of It was apparent that the middle by the Third International in the Writes Again Albert Goldman, convention hall, the frantic lead class organizations established by struggle against fascism and for Sacco and Vanzetti. Nor will they soon forget. Attention: Roy Burt, Acting National Secretary. ership warned them against pro the would be impotent in working class power.
The Dies Committee is concealing its real motive of attacking every form of trade unionism (and incidentally the New Deal) by concentrating its attack on the Communists. It is using the time honored method of smearing labor organizations with an unpopular color.
Militant and progressive workers will not be misled by the fact that the Dies Committee is attacking the Stalinists and in some cases ac.
tually showing the truth about their activities.
The justifiable hatred which every sincere revolutionary worker has for the treacherous Stalinist leaders on account of their disruptive and demoralizing activities in the unions, their slanderous accusations against and their willing.
ness even to murder their political opponents, should not lead any one into the incorrect po sition of openly or secretly supporting the Dies Committee No one is more anxious than we are to destroy the influence of the Communist Party in the labor movement. That influence is of the most reactionary character. One can truthfully say that the Dies Committee is not conducting a red baiting campaign for the simple reason that the Stalinists are themselves the most vicious red baiters. It is as if one section of red baiters is persecuting another section of the same tribe.
Either because of stupidity or as a crafty maneuver, the reactionaries still consider the Stalinists as revolutionists. The attitude of hostility to the Communists among the most reactionary sections of the population will disap pear only during a war when the Communist Party will be recognized by everyone as the most loyal supporter of the government conduct ing the war. At present the reactionaries find it convenient to attack the labor movement by picturing it as under the influence of the Com munists.
Our appreciation of the Stalinists as a reactionary force cannot and does not minimize our hostility to the Dies Committee. We want the Stalinist influence destroyed but by the workers themselves, and not by reactionaries of the stamp of Dies. We look to the development of the class consciousness of the workers to uproot the influence of the Stalinists.
When the workers in the automobile workers union mobilize against the Stalinists for their disruptive work, then we offer our support. But the hounding of the Stalinist hounders by reactionaries will be met by our opposition The aim of the Dies Committee is not to de stroy the Stalinist influence in the labor move ment but to destroy the labor movement itself.
This fundamentally reactionary character of the Dies investigation determines our attitude of implacable hostility to the Committee. Every bit of influence we have in the labor movement will be mobilized against the Committee and its phoney investigation JAIL TWO IN ANTINAZI PROTEST gram.
Lewis Eloquent Silence John Lewis is still silent on the works of the union wreckers in the But his actions speak volumes.
While Lewis does not find it expedient to make any personal statement, his agents are loudly peddling a policy which undoubtedly has his approval. More likely, Lewis is the author of the policy.
John Brophy, Lewis right hand man, turns up at the California State Convention of the bestows his official blessings on Dictator