MARCH 2, 19 10 SOCIALIST APPEAL ON THE WAR IN FINLAND LABOR WATANCIPATE ITSELE WHITE SKIN The Negro Question Why We Should Defend the Soviet Union Feet Brilish West Indies Wartime Rule the HOW STALIN SERVES HITLER By ALBERT GOLDMAN By JOHNSON IV workers he did not hesitate a that revolutionary workers con la simpleton who can condemn ops into a moment to violate their demo demn reactional activities of Stalin for wanting to fortify im union and the ble between the boss and the de(This week column is written by Robert Many and serious have been cratic sentiments. He proved that the leaders of their trade union, portant bases on the Gulf of Fin feat of the union by the boss Birchman, in the absence of Johnthe crimes of Stalin from the he never interested in fight activities which would not in the land, in order to protect Lenin must inevitably result in the By ROBERT BIRCHMAN son. very beginning of his regime. In ing fascism because it is the mor least prevent them from defend grad against an attack either by weakening of the union, then fact, his internal and his foreign tai enemy of the workers but ing the union against the bosses: England and France or by Gerclass conscious workers defend idad oil fields in January gave the governor, partial stoppage of work in seven of TrinThe Philadelphia Independent, Negro newspapolicies constitute one colossal simply because it represented a Revolutionary socialists do not many or by all three. Only mid the union against the boss reper of Philadelpia asks some questions of President Roosevelt in a recent editorial crime against the interests of the danger to his regime. As soon look upon boundaries sacred. dle class liberals or middle class gardless of the cause of Major Sir Hubert Young, the pretext to crack as conditions made Hitler willing When the Soviet Union invaded socialists will take the atti strike. The workers themselves detention, Uriah Butler, militant Negro trade down on agitators and to place in compulsory Why should Negroes be secretly excluded workers of the whole world.
Bitterly as we condemn and to make peace with him, Stalin oiand in 1920 and Georgia in tude that the Soviet Union has no must punish the treacherous leadfrom wide scale industrial recovery? Why does unionist, just released from two years in prison not President Roosevelt call attention of the nafight against his crimes and be dropped the fight against fascism. 1921 no class conscious worker right to ask a smaller state to ers and not permit the boss to defor his activities in connection with the Trinidad trayals, nevertheless we do not WE PREDICTED THE hesitated for a moment in sup cede important bases for its de feat the union.
tion, and the industrialists in particular, to the yield an inch on our fundamental STALIN HITLER PACT porting it. Socialists con fense. Class conscious workers Even if we should consider that recurrence of the 1937 strike, when they landed general strike of 1937. The authorities feared a fact that the recovery of America must include position of defending the Soviet Our party was not shocked, not demned the invastons of those make a distinction between capiStalin invasion had an object. bluejackets and marines in order to suppress the the emancipation of Negro workers. Union against the capitalist even surprised by the pact. We years as red imperialism but talist states and the Soviet Un: ive which we would condemn, it strike. The governor put through an agreement Why must President Roosevelt remain silent on the equalization of educational standards for the Soviet Union based on nation an alliance; we warned the work keys world. We distinguish between foresaw the possibility of such that was to be expected from lac. ton. It does not at all follow that would not alter our attitude, be with the oil companies under which the strikers the capitalists. If and what we oppose as far as capital cause the struggle in Finland is were induced to return to work. Under its terms Negtoes of the South? Why must he remain alized property and the stalinisters against that possibility. The when it is necessary for the So ist states are concerned we essentially, as explained in a silent as to the need for passage of the anti lynch a wage increase of two cents an hour was grantbill? Why must he remain silent at the brazenbureaucracy capable of the worst Stalinista raged at us; the Stalin. viet Union, in order to defend it should oppose in a workers state, previous article, a struggle beness of the Ku Klux Klan, which is again started all around, plus war bonus of halt cent crimes against the working class. Ist liberals sneered at the an self, to invade the territory of even though degenerated.
tween an hour for every five point rise in the cost of ing out on a race terrorist program?
shevik Leninists, led by Trotsky, make an alliance with Hitler When Stalin expelled the Boltastic idea that Stalin could some capitalist nation, it would We condemn the invasion of italist Finland representing the be perfectly justified in doing so. Finland not because the Soviet capitalist world. In such a strugliving. These concessions are less than meagre. We call upon President Roosevelt to not ex from the Communist Party of the We turned out to be correct. But it should be done under cir. Union has become imperialist, gle we defend the Soviet Union.
as they are to be nullified by soaring prices tend too great a hand across the geas before he Soviet Union, when he hounded and events have demonstrated cumstances where the workers of but because under the circumFrom the few reports of conditions in the West extends much needed one at home. We want and jailed them, he committed that the pact was a betrayal of the world can clearly see the ne stances it had a terrible effect SASLI OVERTORROW. IS Indles that seep through to the American Negro to see the establishment of a true democracy crime against the revolutionary, the workers. Recognizing it ascessity for the invasion. The sen upon the workers of the world. TASK OF THE WORKERS press, despite the rigid censorship, it is clear the West Indians are suffering from the burdens bere before we begin hue and cry for it abroad proletariat, but these Bolsheviks, such, we ask all our crítics: what timents of the workers must be it was not proved to the workers Stalin objective, however, as that we hounded by Stalin, pledged loyal change in the economic structure taken into consideration because that the invasion was absolutely mentioned above, is not some of the war. Increases in such prices of foodstuffs when we interfere too much in European attairs ty to the state which they were of the Soviet Union did the Hit in the last analysis the defense necessary to defend the Soviet thing that we can condemn. The in Trinidad are as much as 180 per cent (ex that is why the Neutrality Law was passed. instrumental in creating. ler Stalin pact usher in? We have of the Soviet Union depends up Union. No attempt was made to invasion is what we condemn. amples: split peas, usually cents per lb. now President Roosevelt must remember that in When, in order to save himself thus far heard no answer. In fact on them.
appeal to the Finnish workers be Frequently it happens that reac 14 cents. and 28 per cent in (84 cent 1940 Negroes of this Nation will loudly ask from the danger of an attack by the economic structure remains GAINS FROM INVASIONS fore the invasion took place. Ri tionary trade union leaders want stockings are now 08) but there has been no. What About Us, Uncle. Hitler, he made an alliance with the same, and our policy of un OUTWEIGHED BY DAMAGE diculous les were spread about to organize a section of workers corresponding rise in wages, Sugar in large quanFrance and, as compensation to conditional defense of the Soviet Now it is true that to some ex Finland threatening to attack who are opposed to unionism and is exported to England, while the populathe French imperialists, actually Union against the imperialist ten the Soviet Union has gained the Soviet Union. The same tac the reactionary leaders, instead tion is restricted to purchases of lbs. Bread, Not Bullets ordered the Communist Party of world must still be followed. certain advantages by occupying ties were used by Stalin in in of educating these backward Reports are that in Trinidad there has been An editorial, BREAD NOT BULLETS in the France to cease its anti militara section of Poland. One advan vading Finland as by Hitler in in workers, send up gangsters to near riot and discontent over the colony gift of Feb. Chicago Defender states: President alliance as a betrayal of the pact came the invasion of Poland) aris are now out of reach of Hit criminal because, even if Stalin antagonizing not only these but ist activities, we condemned the following upon the heels of the tage is that all of the Ukraini vading Poland. The invasion was beat and intimidate them, thus 1, 000, 000 to England for the support of the war.
In January city corporation laborers were batlion dollars means mass starvation for the maworkers. But the revolutionary by the Red Army.
More liberals ler so that he cannot establish a gets what he wants, it will not be other workers. Nevertheless, if tling to have their pay increased to 96 cents per day and were meeting with vicious opposition.
jority of the Negro People Congress accepts alogan of unconditional defensie whole capitalist press began to ized in an attack against the So loss of faith in the Soviet Union circumstances where the union is of the Soviet Union.
arations, the outlay for all social services will howl about Stalin imperial viet Union. There may also be amongst the workers. placed in a bad position in the Food Profiteering Widespread be drastically reduced.
By frameups, by torture, by ism. Norman Thomas and his some military strategic advan WE DEFEND UNIONS of public Profiteering in foodstuffs and textiles wideNegroes have been the largest group on relief outright murder, Stalin exter followers took up the cry: the tages. But all of the advantages DESPITE FALSE LEADERS the public opinion of workers, spread throughout the colonies. So terrific has minated the generation of Bol Lovestoneites joined in, and, al put together cannot compensate But the invasion is one thing there would be nothing else for proportionally in the country been this upturn in prices that laws have been The Unemploy: sheviks who organized and tea 15, some of our close sympathiz for the damage the invasion has and the defense of the Soviet Un us to do except to support the ment Census of 1937, the latest complete figures enacted in several of the colonies to curb the available, show that 28. per cent of the Negro the revolution. That crime diuers permitted themselves to be done because of the terrible ef ion is another. If we condemn union to the utmost.
merchants. At St. Georges, the chamber of comworkers were unemployed compared to 19. per not cause us to eliminate from led astray by the crime of Stalin fect it has had on the workers of Stalin invasion, that does not Because we condemn the reac merce petitioned Sir Popham, governor of cent of the white workers. While 67. per cent of our program the slogan of de and by the pressure of capitalist the world.
mean that we change our atta tionary leaders of the Soviet Un the Windward Islands, to set right the obvious public opinion.
Had Stalin invaded Poland in tude to the Soviet Union. ion for invading Finland does not hardships created upon merchants by the adminthe white workers were fully employed, 53. per fense of the Soviet Union.
cent, little more than half of the Negro workers, STALIN GREATEST CRIME We too condemned the inva order to struggle against Hitler, There are those who argue that mean that we should permit the istering of the regulations consequent on the WAS IN SPAIN were fully employed.
sion, but from a totally different no class conscious worker would even if we consider the Soviet Finnish bourgeois army repre war. The governor has promised to investigate The Negroes, the most poverty stricken secThe greatest crime that Stalin ve an imperialist venture. him not only to invade Poland not defend it in every struggle feat the Red Army representing. All others condemned have objected; it was criminal for Union as a workers state we can senting world capitalism to de and effect changes to aid the merchants, which translated means that the poor people who have tion of the American population will be the has committed thus far was the it chief victims of further relief cuts. The editorial crushing of the Spanish revolu We condemned it because it con but to permit Hitler to seize the that the Stalinists see fit to throw the workers state.
difficulties in peace time to buy the food necescontinues: ition. When Franco began his re fused the masses, undermined best section of Poland. The inva it into. Suppose a trade union, Because of its criminal acts sary exist upon will have their standard of Mensure relief cuts against such phenomena volt, the Spanish workers took their faith in the Soviet Union sion, in and of itself, is not the they argue, calls a strike to com. against the working masses the living further reduced as a result of the war.
of our national life as 9, 000, 000 already unemployed, and seeking anything to do, consider the italists and the peasants took struggle which some or all of the which it took place and the effect Revolutionary workers would not erthrown but only by the work. Royal Commission Report discrimination against Negro Job seekers by pow. tords. Stalin bought this way indo wageringatinations will come they on the marketing me titue crime supporter une internet strike erstatte against the capitalist Suppressed Negroes, by the millions, supported the New the leadership of the Spanish the invasion in the same way invasion of Finland. It is only called for a bad purpose, devel defended at all costs.
The report of the British Royal Commission Loyalists, sent a large contingent on conditions in the West Indies, concluded beDeal program although it was palpably a stop of his GPU to Spain, took control fore the outbreak of war and pigeon holed, rex gap. Whatever its inadequacies, it was the befused to stay buried and has emerged to plague ginning of a new conception of government of the Spanish government, murand embarass Malcolm McDonald, the colonial that the welfare of the American people, white dered hundreds of revolutionary and colored, meant more to the future of Amerworkers and crushed the Spanish Secretary. The report contains documentation of recent labor struggles in the West Indies and recica than the opportunity for industrial magnates revolution The program of our party was ommendations for correction of conditions. So Which does not mean of course that the written after that crime and in LETTER TO COMMUNIST WORKER, DISCUSSING THE EFFECT OF STALINIST revealing are the sections on Trinidad, Jamaica that program was included a sec 11 Negro will return to the Republican party which and Barbados that Mr. McDonald has refused PROPAGANDA IN NAZI GERMANY tion dealing with the necessity of to release them even to the members of Parliapacified him so long with oratory and a few ment that recommended the creation of the comvery few political jobs. At this late stage, after defending the Soviet Union agmission. One group is pressing for an immediate almost eleven years or economic crisis, the Ne ainst capitalism.
Why did we cling to that slo Dear Will: eign policy and have the power they are responsible for this war. line in Germany.
gro will inevitably share in any forward move release and the institution of sweeping reforms Thank you for sending me the The way to stop the war is for In America, your party is raisgan? Because the crimes of Stalto guarantee such treaties.
of the white masses.
in order to earn the gratitude of the colonial Yes, note the provided us, the workers, to stop fighting, ing the slogan: Not a man, not peoples. but Mr. McDonald holds to the theory Nor does a president always get what he in, taken separately or together, article from the Feb. 25 Sunday wants from thing else. Congresif the people want some did not change the nature of the Worker. have noted all the page that. But the Stalin Hliler pact to stop working for this war ma cent, not a gun, for the imper that the Empire is at war now and cannot gamialist war! Why don your par. ble with the colonies now.
can be told emphatically by Soviet Union. They undermined sages you have marked the was concluded without those pro chine. German Communists visions; the German workers had STALIN WHITEWASHES ty raise the same slogan in Gerthe American people that the situation demands the basic structure; they weak headline many? Because, in return for the create a wave of reaentment, and add fuel to the He fears that if the report is released, it would an increase in reliet expenditures rather than a ened the Soviet Union but they lead fight on Nazi hunger the no voice in it and no power to HITLER WAR GUILT did not destroy nationalized prop picture of Thaelmann and the guarantee it. Apparently, there. But the worker under the influ pact with Stalin, your party explosive conditions Bready existing in India, decrease; that. Bread is wanted, and not bullets!
to insist on the unconditional de sertion that The Communista definitely be protected by peace to that point of revolt: For your must do so not too crudely Most embarrassing is the evidence contained in fense of the Soviet Union against correcting in their exposure of the bound and gagged and tortured ler is responsible for this war. One of their central rallying missions, made up of planter barons and high the report that in every instance the local com.
Which Way Now?
lies of the German imperialists by Hitler!
Thaelmann office holders, whitewashed the issue, released Here is another tremendous man worker that the main ene Tease of Thaelmann.
The New Deal was not the beginning of a new Came the Hitler Stalin pact. as with the war propaganda of compliment paid to Hitler by the my is at home. Your party is should be freed. But can that pos mous sums for modern arms and munitions to wrong figures on the casualties and voted enorThe liberals conception of government and certainly the New were dreadfully the Anglo French bloc.
Deal did nothing and will not do anything to shocked. They had depended on You so desperately want to be same Sunday Worker article: telling him that the Allies are sibly be a CENTRAL rallying terrorize the peasants and workers. The Soviet Union responsible for the war. quote slogan?
prevent the industrial magnates from gouging Stalin to save their democracy Heve that the Comintern is un.
In an attempt to improve its colonial position, Look profits out of the masses of the people. In fact and now the great savior changed dermining Hitler in Germany, pacts with Germany rescued another of the many key parathrough that article the New Deal served to protect and extend the playmates and left them holding and to disprove my arguments the German people from the graphs you did not underline: again, and what other rallying Colonial Secretary Malcolm McDonald that the the British government has announced throughthat the Comintern now serves the bag.
worst of counter revolutionary Brushing aside the legalist cries do you find. They call the government has abolished the color bar at home interests of the capitalist class of America and now, openly becoming the War Deal, serves to Sad to say, some of our own Hitler in return for the Stalin. wars and ditched the predatory te origins of the present war, people to action against the fear and overseas and that colonial governors have enrich the pockets of the armaments and munisympathizers were shaken out Hitler pact, that you painstaking plans of the Allied warmakers the Communists point to THE fully low wages and the sky high been instructed to give preference to colonials of their equilibrium by Stalin ly searched out every conceivable REAL PROVOCATION OF of war profits, the mistreatment against both the Soviet and the tions makers.
over Europeans in office appointments. This is betrayal of the democratic word in that article which might German peoples.
THE WAR IN THE SYSTEM bad food. and hege ROThe problem which these editorials do not annations.
an attempt to pacify the colonies, Britain resprove your point. But you didn Hitler has seldom had such ATIC EFFORTS OF THE AN tion slogans are justified by swer is how are the Negro people to solve the ervoir of man power in its death struggle with him, even GLO. FRENCH IMPERIAL this: The Communists empha the Naxi war machine. The refusal of England to Did Stalin betray anyone when underline very much! The few compliments paid problems of job discriminations, unemployment, he signed the pact with his erst things you underlined dire so by his own lickapittles. Just ISTS to bring the Soviet Union size that the fight for the imme grant dominion status to India and the growing war, educational inequality. Jim crowiam, etc. while arch enemy? Undoubtedly, much embroidery: the main con think! With a wave of his pen, and Germany fnto a head on diate interests of the people is anti British movement there has seriously shakthat face them and which face the masses of he betrayed the working masses, tent of the article, and in this it Hitler saved the German people collision. With this goal in identical with the struggle en British morale in Asia and Africa.
the white workers as well.
but essentially no more and no undoubtedly accurately reflects, from the worst of counter re view the British imperialists against the war policy of German The direction in which the masses of the New. of Sentiment of the Negro Colonials cated by Wilfred Dickerson, a young Negro trade The Soviet Union effectively FOR SERVING HITLER PSEUDO RADICAL COVER In spite of the severe consorship existing in unionist, and delegate from West Virginia to the are betrayals of the Hitler Stalin EFFECT OF STALINIST by degree, his crushing of the tification scotched these plots by its the colonies and the repressive measures against recent convention of the United Mine Workers Spanish revolution was by far pact.
PROPAGANDA IN GERMANY pacts with Germany.
labor organizations we can be sure that the atThat sounds radical, until you titude expressed in The Barbados Observer in when he stated: worse than the signing of the It, the day before the Hitler. What, logically, would be the If your party could convince analyze it. Is the war policy of September is still the sentiment of the colonials. The results of this convention will be the laying of the ground work for a great political la pact with Hitler.
it possible for Hitler to conduct man workers who want a free, systematic efforts of the Anglo with fearfully low wages, war of democracy are denied the native masses.
bor party. Through such a labor party the labor. WHY HIS ALLIANCES ARE ing man Negro and white will get the best CRIMES AGAINST THE a foreign policy beneficial to the united Germany, who want to be French Imperialists is the real profits, etc. or is it something Therefore we are opposed to conscription. For WORKERS German workers. what would rid of Hitler, but fear also the oc provocation of the war. then more? We, the Trotskyists. example, when such savage sentences as ten type of representation.
The Negroes must unite with their white broth It must be clearly understood you have answered. No! How cupation of Germany by the Al why should they cease fighting would say that low wages, profitand working for the German ar eering. etc. although to be years imprisonment have been given to the negro ers in the trade unions to fight for the building that, in and of itself, there is no can bestial fascism do anything lies?
worker, Ulric Grant, for championing the cause of a militant labor party since experience has thing criminal in the leaders of which serves the interests of the If he accepted the propaganda my? What would be the use, if fought against, are merely acof his fellow workers, it is sheer impudence on proved that labor and especially the Negroes the Soviet Union making a tem workers! You understood then, of your party, the German work the Anglo French are alone re companiments to German imperthe part of the British ruling class to appeal to have received little of value from the boss parties porary alliance with one imperi quite firmly, that there was no er could only conclude: After sponsible for the war? To stop talism war policy. The war polcolonial workers to help them defend their illand that they cannot make use of the boss par alist nation against another. Ex difference between Hitler trea all, Hitler at the helm is not the war one must deal blows at isy itself in the aim of imperial gotten gains.
ties and must have a party of their own. It is isting in an imperialist world, a tles and Hitler breaking of trea worst only along this line that the Negroes can fight workers state must of necessity ties: no difference, for instance, from ing. He has saved us those responsible. They, accord list expansion, the attempt to re We colonial workers have not forgotten the the worst of counter rev. ing to your party, are outside divide the world. In other words, War, effectively for jobs, adequate rellef, educational take advantage of the conflicts between Munich and his march olutionary wars, has ditched the Germany. The main enemy is not German imperialism Hitler, is made to us if only we would help get rid of between the imperialist nations into Austria. Everything that he predatory plans responsible for the fact of war equality, against lynching, against war and for Kaiser and Prussian militarism! Hundreds of Pull economic, political and economic equality in order to strengthen itself to did, at home or abroad, was rewarmakers, has protected our vi LENINIST SLOGANS ABSENT itself thousands died in Europe, Palestine and Africa.
a certain extent.
for the Negro people.
actionary. Everything without tal interests by peaceful treaties FROM COMINTERN LINE But your party cannot say But our masters have not fulfilled one of their What constitutes Stalin exception.
with the Soviet Union. Better The article points out correctly this, for it has already blamed promises. Instead, our reward has been more crime in making these alliances Now, however, you and your that than another Versailles. We that the Anglo French are not the war on the Allies. Nor can it repressive laws, unemployment, and starvation.
is that he ties the working mass party try to tell me, Hitler has must wait until after the war be fighting for the freedom of Po even fight against low wages and Just look at the condition of the African To the Readers of the es to that section of the imperial done something very good. Very fore overturning a regime which land, the Czech and Austrian hunger effectively.
Peoples in South and East Africa, in Jamaica, ists with which he enters into an good is, indeed, a miserable un can do these things.
Negro Column: alliance. When he was courting derstatement. Few rulers, indeed, Not even the terrible hardships and all the others of your party ture of your party in Germany? West Indies. Even a hard boiled imperialist like peoples. But search that article. In a word, do you want a pic in Trinidad, in Barbados and other parts of the problems that tace the Negro people in their daily agency, the Communist Interna motely comparhi anything re of the war as it unfolds, the daily since the Hitler Stalin pact, and Then look at the Socialist party Lloyd George described them as the slums of We would like to deal more concretely with the the democratic imperialists, his have ever achieved on behalf of toll of dead and wounded, the nowhere will you find the ele of France, or the British Labor Empire.
life in the shops, in the trade unions, in their tional, was backing France and their people. Just see what, ac hunger at home as the blockade mentary slogans on this question Party. They, too, talk of fighting Furthermore, we shall never forget the organizations, etc.
England against Hitler. Now that cording to that Sunday Worker finds its victims from afar, not dictated to every real Leninist: low wages and hunger, but their shameful betray dominated by the great deof Abyssinia by the so called We would like to have your comments on the he has entered into an alliance article, Hitler has done for the even these things, which caused for the freedom of the Polish, war policy makes it impossible. League of Nations column, your experiences in the trade unions, the with Hitler, the Communists are German people by concluding his the German proletariat to make Czech, Slovak peoples from the Thus they serve the British and mocracies Britain and France problems you face in promoting better relations in fact supporting Hitler. Not so pact with Stalin: a revolution in 1918, will spur to yoke of Hitler! Is it an accident French rulers as your party We have no faith Imperialist governments, between the Negro and white workers in your openly, it is true. But openly en The German Soviet pact revolt German worker who that a lengthy article describing serves Hitler.
regardless of whether they call themselves demunions and shops, the problems and living condi ough so that an intelligent work shows that the vital interests is under the influence of your Communist propaganda in Ger More, much more, can be said ocratic or fascist. They are all Imperialists, and tions of the Negro WPA and unemployed workers. er can see what their real game of the German people can def. party. For, to revolt, the work many does not say these things. on this question. shall return to as such the exploiters and oppressors of colonial We shall print and comment on the reports is.
nitely be protected by peaceful (ers in 1918 had finally to see: the No, it is by design: the Leninist it next week.
peoples. Therefore we are determined never again sent in by our readers.
In his alliance with Hitler, Stal treaties, provided that the Ger main enemy is at home, the Kal slogans against war are comFraternally.
to allow ourselves to be used as cannon fodder NATIONAL NEGRO DEPARTMENT in proved his contempt for the man working people decide for ser, the Junkers, the capitalists, pletely alien to the Comintern FELIX MORROW by either camp in the coming war.
er en vor keria e producten their effort te wees tirade with imperialist France. Iek we ganda being carried on by the the predatory plans of the Allied Germanfareistagsressionele