SOCIALIST APPEAL MARCH 9, 1940 ON THE WAR IN FINLAND LABOR WITH WHITE SKIN MANCIPATE ITSELF Negro Question Why We Should Defend the Soviet Union Nazi Comment On Moscow New Attitude ideas.
matPoromises the How Lenin Negotiated Treaty By ALBERT GOLDMAN surplus capital and sell their ognize the difference between the blow to imperialism. By means Far sighted leaders of the cap By JOHNSON products.
economy existing in the Soviet jof the foreign trade monopoly italist class understand just as The Republican Party has issued a statement The war being waged between If and when the United States Union and that of the capitalist the Russian workers erected a well as Marxista that, in the last on its policy for the election in 1940. It is not too France and England on the one enters into the war it will be an countries and still use the term wall to prevent the economic pen analysis, the Soviet Union with hand and Germany on the other imperialist war on its part no imperialist to describe Stalin etration of the Soviet Union by its nationalized property and its By OSCAR FISCHER early for the Negroes to begin a careful consideration of the programs and candidates at the is an imperialist war. great matter how many times Rooser policies. They even attempt to the forces of imperialism. One planned economy must be de The Frankfurter Zeitung, mouthpiece of the many people make that assertion velt will assert that it is a war justify the use of the term by sixth of the earth surface was stroyed or else the whole capitalchemical and export Industries, published on coming election without, however, understanding to save the world from fascism. stating that the aim of Stalin is thereby closed to the imperialist ist world is in danger. Although December 24, 1939, an extensive report from its The Republican party for years masqueraded as the real meaning of the term The United States, being an im to increase the revenue, prestige world which was unable freely to Stalin policies have been of trethe friend of the Negro. To quote Frederick imperialist. There are many perialist nation, cannot wage and power of the bureaucracy. sell its products or invest its cap mendous help to the imperialists. balance sheet. The report bears the significant Moscow correspondent in the form of an annual Douglas famous words, The Republican Party is the deck and all else is the sea. People have the class of imperialist countries character.
can be pointed out to these peo greatest blow imperialism has for the imperialists to permit ple that the aim of every bureau ever received.
one sixth of the world surface rors faithfully the raised hopes which a Fascist claimed that the adherence of the Negro to this and to prove this they point to journalist today experiences in Moscow: particular position for so many years is proof of the invasion of Poland and Fin LENIN DEFINITION cracy, including that of the trade it has been the policy of rev. to be excluded from their clutch German observers have been undergoing an the Negro backwardness, stupidity, and inepti land. The net result of applying OF IMPERIALISM incomparable year in Moscow, reporting and detude for politics. It was nothing the kind. Here the term imperialist to the so Marxists have insisted on a tige and power. That, however, colonial and semi colonial coun ferent form of economy. By and scribing things from intimate proximity. The again the Negro has been vilely slandered.
narrow circle of Moscow Germans suddenly disers the idea that it is folly to de perialism. especially since Len the trade union bureaucrats into ary character of their govern and, so long as nationalized propcovered itself in the very midst of historic events.
Why Negroes Backed Republicans tend the Soviet Union against im wrote his pamphlet on imper. imperialists, unless one wants to ment, against attack by imper. erty continues to exist in the soA breath taking political development took place perialist countries because it too ialism, in which he severely con use the term in such a broad ialist countries. When Italy at viet Union, will continue to be: under the After the Civil War, the Negroes, contrary to is an imperialist country. demned everyone who did not use sense as to make it meaningless. tacked Ethiopia we defended either the destruction of the Soaides andery eyes of the spectators. Their friends unexpectedly assumed the roles the general belief, flocked to the polls and lived an intense political life. Naturally they supported England and France are fighting acterize the latest stage in the the imperialism of Stalin, whe Ethiopia even though its ruler. viet Union or the destruction of of fighters for new conceptions. They arose from When we say that Germany, the term imperialism to char. In effect, they who shout about Haile Selassie, was a slave driv the capitalist world.
their desks and engaged in conversation with the the Republican Party. The Republican party was the party of Lincoln; in it were revolutionary rad something more than that the It should used only to apply any distinction between the econ China against Japan even though valries and conflicts between the an imperialist war we mean development of capitalist nations, ther they do or do not recognize er of the worst type. We defend This does not mean that the rileading men of the Soviet state. They initiated an icals like Thaddeus Stevens and Sumner who agi people who happen to be at the to the expansionist policy of omy in the Soviet Union and the Chiang Kal shekhas butchered imperialist countries cease to exunterrupted, highly significant exchange of tated for expropriation of the Southern landlords head of the government of those finance capitalism.
economy in capitalist countries, tens of thousands of Chinese ist. They continue and, as Retrospectively, it seems almost impossible and forty acres and a mule for the Negroes. countries have bad motives. It is There are of course many peo are all against defending the So workers. In defending the colo ter of fact, the imperialists have viet Union not only in the pres. nial and semi colonial nations we succeeded in dragging the Soviet to say just where the point of departure was for true that Hitler aim is to de ple who use the term ImperialWithin their limits, the Republicans, anxious to this new policy, for this reshaping of relations ent conflict with Finland but, it follow the principle that, as Union under stalin into their crush their rivals, played a progressive rolestroy the British Empire and ob ist to designate any kind of agbetween Germany and the Soviet Union. Untain the colonies that Britain gression, but they are not Marx is safe to say, they will refuse against imperialism, the indepen conflicts. At times, as at present, small wonder that the Negroes voted for them.
This they did in unusually large numbers.
now possesses. But it is import ists, although they might claim to defend it in case England and dence of the backward countries the inter imperialist conflicts doubtedly a more pacafic attitude among the two ant to understand that German to be such France send their troops Into So is progressive. The defeat of any may succeed in pushing into the former antipodes developed as far back as De cember last year (1938. under the impress of Not that they were not tempted. In Virginia, industry needs these colonies in When the Red Army. In the viet territory, imperialist country trying to sub background the contradiction bethe Munich settlement. There was also an elefor instance, the Southern landowners embraced order to obtain raw materials, early days of the Soviet Union, IMPERIALISM IS ject colonial people, is a blow tween the social system in the ment of readiness to be noted in Stalin speech the doctrine of Negro suffrage, and made an at markets for its products, and for invaded Georgia, the reactionary to all of imperialism, and revolu capitalist world and that in the at the party conference in March, an undertone tempt to win the Negro vote. They posed as the investment of German cap socialists set up a howl about THE MAIN ENEMY!
tionary Marxists consider it their Soviet Union. From all appear friends of the Negroes and in addition to ital. Bolshevik which later on grow perceptibly louder and which At imperialism. Calling the Soviet onlopion the duty to help defeat their main Germany have decided to fight finally swung with it all of Soviet Russien pubthey made threats: If the Negroes would not vote Great Britain on the other present every writer in the cap imperialist country conceals the enemy, imperialism.
hand wants to retain these col italist press, every liberal and fact that the imperialism of as their Southern employers wished, they swore If we defend Ethiopia against scores with the Soviet Union. But it out to the last before settling mains the day on which was issued the report to drive them from employment. This was a very onies for the same reasons that every pseudo socialist insists that France, Germany, England and real threat, carried out without merey. But in Germany wants to get them. The the invasion of Finland by the the United States is the most re haly manch Chong against Japan, they make a serious hiunder who of Litvinov downfall.
ruling classes of both countries Red Army is a sign of red of actionary phenomenon of mod: upon us to defend the Soviet Un tal contradiction that exists be those early days the Negroes would not be coRegarding the sentiments of the population ern society and the greatest en ion against the imperialist world, the Nazi reporter has, to be sure, nothing at all desire to exploit the hundreds of Stalinist imperialism erced. Some few Negroes were bribed and even won elections against Republicans with the supmillions of colonial peoples. The Marxists, however, will conport of the Southerners. But the majority of the same is true of the French rul tinue to ask: Is the Soviet Union mankind in general. It is the im in spite of Stalin The Soviet tween the capitalist world and to say. He only speaks once on this point and a capitalist country? If not, perialism of the capitalist coun: Union is completely closed to the Stalinist regime. Sooner or later vinov downfall: Negroes voted solidly for the Republican Party. ing class. sat in a Russian railroad train In fact, far from being apathetic about politics, Why? Because these countries then the term Imperialist to tries that causes wars, exploits imperialist world whereas the that contradiction must lead to it was the political energy of the Negroes that are imperialist countries: their characterize Stalin invasions hundreds of millions of colonial colonies, whether they are inde an attempt by the imperialist provotnik, hoping for a good tip, handed the drove the old Southern landowning class into competitive capitalism has de and policies is absolutely incor. slaves and its own workers, pendent or not, are subjected to world to destroy the Soviet Un foreign passenger the latest Pravda. Anything suppressing the Negro vote, at all costs. veloped into monopoly capital rect and can only result in con causes unemployment and retards imperialist exploitation. As yet ton and open up its territory to now the other passengers asked, crowding around. The German hesitated as he looked at ism, the banks (finance capital fusing the masses and weaken the development of the product no imperialist country has the capitalist exploitation.
the dispatch and then turned the paper over to In Virginia the whites outnumbered the Neg ism) have replaced industrial ing their struggle against real ive forces roes. Soon after the Civil War they gained a po capitalism as the real power; ev. imperialism.
The Russian workers, by ex right freely to sell its goods in NATIONALIZED PROPERTY his neighbor, pointing with his finger to the dislitical majority and controlled the government. ery one of these countries needs Some radicals of various kinds propriating the capitalists and the Soviet Union or to invest its The undisputed fact remains patch in question. Maxim Maximovitch liquiThey would not vote funds for public education colonies in which to invest their and types insist that we can rec landlords, delivered a terrific capital there.
that, within the territory oceudated! the latter summed up philosophically.
and insisted on the full payment of the interest on a huge public debt. William Malone led a split which formerly belonged to Bureaucrats Welcome Nazi Gains from the government party and rallied the poor land, the land and the banks and HOW STALIN SERVES HITLER Nothing more was said by his Russian neighfarmers and the middle classes against the relarger industries were nationalbor and the Nazi can report no more. But this actionaries. The Negroes voted in great numbers ized and thus another section of for Malone.
philosophical silence is no less instructive than the world was taken away from the warm sentiments which the Fascist press capitalism. Stalin could not atrepresentative discovers inside the Stalinist His party, the Readjusters, was returned with ford to permit a differe ruling bureaucracy and upon which he dwells at the a majority and, backed by the middle classes, and class to remain in the territory Another Letter to a Communist Worker the poor, white and black, Malone reduced the annexed to the Soviet Union. it close of his article again, as the most important result of the great turn. public debt and raised the appropriations for pub.
is not because Stalin is anxious lic education. The Southern landowners saw that selves Communists, that the en 2, 1918, declared: tions. German successes are observed with unconTheir revolutionary mes to advance the interests of the this combination of the poorer classes, both black slavement of a foreign people We now declare that the Russage took Dear Will: cealed satisfaction, which resounds even more time, however, in social revolution. All he is anx strongly in private conversations than in the and white, meant death for them. They sought for Last week sent you an anal meant tightening by that much sian Revolution remains faltnrat reaching and moving the work icus to do is to save and strengthpress and on the radio. The fate of the armored the weakest link in the chain of their enemies ysis of the Feb. 25 Sunday Work. the hold of a ruling class on its to the policy of internationalism. ers to action. The Soviets made en the Stalinist bureaucracy, but and found it in the slogan against Black Dom er article, German Communists own people. Hitler enslave we defend the right of Poland, one more demonstration of the by virtue of the fact that this cruiser Admiral Graf Spee has had a tremenination. With this slogan, and by intimidation lead fight on Nazi hunger. ment of 22 million Poles is there. Lithuania and Courland to disdous effect on the Russian power of imaginasituation to the world workers; bureaucracy rules over state tion.
and terror, they split the ranks of their enemies tried to show you that the title fore a disaster not only to the pose of their own destiny, really, they refused to sign the treaty. where nationalized property exand regained power. The number of German press representatives in Moscow as well as that of Soviet journalists the article showed that the main masses. That this is a result of the justice of imposing the will when the treaty was signed ev. capitalism in such territories as Active in Populist Movement activity of the Comintern in Ger the Soviet German pact is a fact of a foreign nation on any other ery class conscious worker in the it makes part of the Soviet Un in Berlin is increasing in proportion to the greatworld understood that the iniqui son.
er desire for information.
many, by its own claim, consists which terribly compromises the nation whatsoever.
Near the end of the century, the populist of propaganda on behalf of the Soviet Union in the eyes of the An incomparable year. The strictly enclosed tous terms of the treaty were when Stalin invaded Finland movement asserted itself. Once again the Negro Stalin Hitler pact. And, in claim German workers and class conIzvestia, organ of the Soviet solely due to the German Austri he set up a government which circle of persons within which the German obfarmers rallied to it. The reactionaries used the ing that the pact protected the scious workers everywhere.
government, that same day de an Imperialists.
old tactics of Black Domination allled with immediately issued a program for server used to carry on his work has very rapidly vital Interests of the German Note that your party does not as wolves in sheep clothing. WHAT SOVIETS SAID THEN violence. In vain the white farmers in the South the expropriation of the big landbeen extended far beyond its former confines.
people. your party was helping say that the Soviet Union could Once again, after so many years of an alien atlords and for state control of protested that this new struggle had nothing to INDICTS STALIN NOW Hitler. For if it is possible for not help itself and had to sign TREATY MAKING large industry. His aims in Finmosphere, a social bond is being forged between do with the conflicts of the Civil War, Once more Hitler to conduct a foreign pol the pact. Your party doesn say REVOLUTIONARY WEAPON Germans and Russians. Among the foreign their ranks were disrupted. It was then that in icy beneficial to the German pcothat rather than plunge the SoThe All Russian Congress of land were not realized so quickguests in the Moscow hotels, the Germans are despair the poor and middle class whites decided ple, to that extent his overthrow viet Union into war and thus enthe Soviets, meeting March 14, ly but the fact remains that Stalthat to have the Negroes with them meant the The same day Soviet agitators 1915, ratified the treaty in a decin course in the territory that at present the predominant element. There are ruin of their course and finally acquiesced in the is not a desperate necessity for danger its existence, it was bet distributed leaflets in the Gerlaration which said: the German people.
ter to save the Soviet Union ev man lines, denouncing the Ger It is unworthy of a true so sued by Hitler or Chamberlain.
he invades and occupies is funda quartered the various delegations, the German husinese representatives and industrialists loven exclusion of the Negroes from politics. Under the powerful pressure of legalized lynching, the German travel book authors are beginning to You reply to me, heatedly and en at the cost of letting Hitler man peace terms.
celist if badly defeated. to Stalin actions nationalizing make their appearance.
Negroes gradually sank into political apathy.
The German generals consti deny that facr. It is not true property in the territory he ocment, it is this: the Hitler Stalin said that one could then arguc tuting the negotiating delegation that we have betrayed our ideals cupied is a confirmation of our The Southerners rallied round the Democratic pact is of enormous benefit to the whether or not it was possible constantly protested against the or our friends, when we signed theory that the character of the Party. The Negroes, when they voted at all, were German people, but no thanks for the Comintern to call upon revolutionary propaganda con the peace. We have not sanc Soviet Union is fundamentally driven into the Republican camp. In the days Hitler. For, in the words of that the Polish people not the Polish ducted during the negotiations, ticned or covered any lle. We different from the character of when the Democrats were systematically excludSunday Worker article: ing them from participation in politics, the Neg The Communists (in Gerstate of the colonels to rise up and called Trotsky speeches have not refused to aid any capitalist states. It is absolute against Hitler and for the Red provocative and addressed to friend or comrade in miscortune folly to call imperialism that ro only hope for salvation seemed the Republic many) patiently explain to Army to join the Polish masses the gallery. You behave as it in any way we could, or hy ev. which in actuality narrows the an Party. In many respects the Republican Party their fellow workers that it in preventing Hitler occupation you were dictating the peace to ery means at our disposal.
was indeed the deck, a very small and slippery was the victory of the prolebase of imperialism.
deck it is true, but a drowning man tches at tarian tober Revolution But your party doesn say the us, when the fact is that we are The treaty sacrificed the na INVASION REACTIONARY much less than the Republican Party, and the the successful construction of Soviet Union couldn help itself. victorious and are negotiating on tional On the contrary, it boasts, in the occupied Russian territory, the Ukraine. But every Ukrainian IN WHAT SENSE Negroes were drowning socialism which gave the the strength with which words of the Sunday Worker ar. Germans complained to the SoJames Ford, leading Negro Stalinist and twice worker understood that the So When the contention is ad vice presidential candidate on the Communist Broke with Republicans in 1932 to foil Chamberlain plans and ticle already quoted above, that viet delegation, viets had not refused to aid vanced that the invasion of Pin party ticket, has been removed from power in the to strike fear into the heart of the Soviet Union had the The German generals listened any friend. by every means land is reactionary, we say: yes, party, as a result of the alarming decrease in the With the coming of the New Deal, however, the Hitler and to compel him to strength to strike fear into in bewilderment at some of the at our disposal. No lie was cov yes, that is true. But reactionary party membership among the Negroes, according Negroes sat up and took notice. New Deal. Il the heart of Hitler and to com Soviet demands: that passports ered or sanctioned.
seek peace with the Soviets.
in what sense. Reactionary in to The Pittsburgh Courier March 2, 1940. Ford, any group of people in this country need a New has discredited So we must thank Stalin, and pel him to sign the pact as a be issued immediately to the Ger Compare all this with what the sense that Deal the Negroes did! They rallied to Roosevelt not Hitler, for all the conse result of which the Nazi andman Independent Socialists for stalin has done in the Hitler Stau. the Soviet Union in the eyes of vision of the was kicked upstairs at the the former executive secretary of the Harlem diin 1936 and carried consternation into the ranks of the Republicans. The Republican High Comquences of the Stalin Hitler pact. Red armies collaborated in divid a visit to the Soviets; that any Very well, then. Let us, for ex ing Poland and turned over to publications the Soviets desired in pact!
its only real defenders, the work recent meeting of the National Committee of the mand appointed Dr. Bunche of Howard Univering masses. But look on the other and appointed as special representative for sity to make a special investigation into the rea these consequences the partition million Poles (not to mention the war in Germany and to the So politics of Lenin and Trotsky and pehold the imperialist world, the ample, thank Stalin for one of Hitler the lion share and 22 should be sent to prisoners of The difference between the side of the battlefield and you the Stalinists in Mexico.
sons for the desertion of the Negroes, though why of Poland.
doomed Jews. Ford was given the Mexican assignment after cialists of Germany and Austria. the polities of Stalin is epitom most reactionary thing in existthey should have needed a special investigation a special report was read to the meeting that of The Polish state was every. DIFFERENCE BETWEEN to find out what everybody knew, passes ordinary The Germans presented a pro ized in this: ence.
an estimated 5, 000 Negroes who joined the party thing which the Comintern press comprehension. But the New Deal has failed. It is posed treaty which began with The German social democrats, For every worker, the worla in 1939, only 250 now remain as members. The now a corpse. The Negroes have begun to realize has called it: a dictatorship of STALINISM AND LENINISM the colonels, a monstrosity, im Compare Stalin negotiations the usual diplomatic formula: a lackeys of German imperialism, over, the main enemy is imper report stated that there are only fifty paid up the beginning of a swing back to the Republicans, perialist oppression of the Ukrain, and collaboration with Hitler tweety Germany and recordinirebe voted in the Reichstag for rat. talism, the breeder or wars and Negro members in Hurlem.
Ford Harlem work, says The Pittsburgh as seen in a Philadelphia election some months colonial peoples. Courier, etc. Yet one more of his crimes edly strong with Lenin and sla. Trotsky demonstratively treaty, justifying their vote on of millions being taken over by a bureau which is ago. Stalin announced himself ready Trotsky negotiations with Gerstruck out the phrase of friend the ground that the Soviets had Stalin poltcies hurt the strug reported to be planning a campaign on the exSwing back to what, however? What have the to defend this monstrosity in alman imperialism when the new ment could not permit itself such as traitors to the working class. contrary to the interests of the and the The stalinists dropped these issues Republicans to offer? In their new draft pro liance with Britain and France, ly born Soviets were pitifully until the Hitler Stalin past was weak!
a lie!
gram, the Republicans make a strong plea for For the Soviets, the treaty was world revolution but the Stalin in recent years during the People Front and bitter necessity to secure a ist bureaucracy rules over a state Democratic Front periods.
the Negro vote. What they offer we must examine signed.
On December 12, 1917 Trotsky Strikes in Germany were greet Bitterness over the failure of the Communists closely. But this much is already clear. 1940 is a But what has replaced this arrived in Brest Litovsk to open ed by official Soviet messages: as breathing spell. But the social which has taken one sixth of the and the Soviet Union to aid Ethiopia. 18 great turning point for the large masses of monstrosity, thanks to the pact? negotiations. He insisted, success the Soviet Congress met on Jan. democratic deputies should have carth away from imperialism.
blamed for the big drop in Negro membership, Negro voters. They know that the Republican Party has nothing to offer, and after eight years about the liberation of the completely public.
Every speech Austria the Congress halled their own rapacious imperial muy temporarily strengthen the as well as the published charges of experted western provinces. Let us assume by the Soviet delegation consti the rising of the Austrian work ists.
stalinist bureaucracy but the de Negro leaders that the Communist officers pracfeat of the Red Army strength ticed discrimination against Negro reds in unever they were. They form one third of the ten it is liberation. But this libera tuted a public exposure of the ers.
Lenin denounced any German ens the main enemy of the work ions, WPA and functionary jobs controlled by million unemployed in the country. Roosevelt tion is one result of the pact; and imperialist aims of the German another is the enslavement of the negotiators and a ringing call to the midst of the negotiations the of his imperialist rulers. But your Under no circumstances, there Thus, in every possible way in who supported the peace treaty ing class, the imperialist world. the party.
about the Anti Lynch Bin. It seems to be a case rest of Poland by Hitler. Eleven the international working class newly born Soviets called out to party calls upon the German fore, can a revolutionary worker revolutionary line it was necessary for them to Now that the Stalinists are following a pseudoof either the Devil or the Deep Blue Sea.
navien. Alterthis rate, socialism to overthrow their rulers. By ev. the German and Austrian work workers to support the peace be indifferent in a struggle be find a scapegoat for past crimes and Ford is the But in 1940 there is a way out. There is no need will be achieved at the cost of ery possible device of radio, telers over the heads of the negoti. treaty of their imperialist rulers, tween the Red Army and any to limit oneself to the reactionary Republicans or the enslavement of two thirds of egraph, speech and print, Soviet ators.
the hypocritical New Dealers. Why must the the world population!
workers continually trail behind the bosses? What agitators communicated the pro rAfter the German and Austrian pressed the unbridgeable gap be talis world. cted worth the imper: The attendance at a Harlem meeting at which revolutions of 1918 we learned tween the Stalinist bureaucracy tory of the Red Army in such a their attempt to win back their Negro memberwe want is a Labor Party, a party of the workers HITLER GAINS ceedings to the entire world.
In the midst of the negotia proletariat for mobilizing the and the revolutionary interna struggle as against the capitalist ship, was not more than one hundred, whereas in how important and the farmers, white and black. If we are to ENSLAVE GERMAN PEOPLE those revolutions tionalism of Leninism.
army is a duty of every worker, previous years they had packed the Renaissance Fraternally.
form it, however, we must start laying the basis It used to be understood, tions the Central Executive Com were the speeches which Trotsky in the Soviet Union, in Finland Casino and the Rockland Palace with party and for it now.
among people who called them mittee of the Soviets on January delivered as treaty negotiaFELIX MORROW or anywhere else.
united front meetings.
The Stalinists Are Losing Out In Harlem