MARCH 16, 1940 SOCIALIST APPEAL ON THE WAR IN FINLAND. LABOR WITHINCIPATE SKIN IMGK The Why We Should Defend the Soviet Union Canada OK for Patriotism In Negro Question Thomas VI Cana the price restrings of the tong term usly referbere discredited the Soviet Union in It is only in a case of civil war support Mannerheim. But what revolutionary defeatism for both consciously to favor the Finnish ng neto e motheonsent to anything that will drag By ALBERT GOLDMAN sition of our critics, especially tives and intentions of Stalin, the mander in chief of the armed erty relations prevailed. At the By JOHNSON those who claim to speak in the war between the Soviet Union forces!
very worst, the workers fighting name of Marxism. We need not and Finland is a war of forces Even more miserable are the against their own capitalist class (Robert Birchman has written this week When Stalin ordered the Red argue with the liberals, the so representing on the one hand na arguments of the Lovestoneites, would come under the control of column, in the absence of comrade Johnson. Army to invade Finland, we con cial democrats and labor bureau tionalized property and on the who are proclaiming that the another capitalist class.
In the socialist Call this week we find an There editorial fulminating against the latest peace We say to our children, do not bring in a red not permit his crime we did crats, with the people, that is other capitalist private property. Trotskyites have capitulated to would be no change in property front maneuvers of the and which refers demned the invasion; but to deter us who openly support the falsehood the Stalinists. Coming from the relations.
cent for this cause.
from our fundamenal policy of that the war between England THE SOVIET UNION people who up to a few years ago Far different is the situation Just how much of this vituperation is against to the latter as the Russian American Bund.
This was the editorial advice given by the defending the Soviet Union. The and Germany is a war for democ REPRESENTS THE FUTURE!
Louislam worden mene ne temple the school represents the imperialist world people who, in advance, have live under better conditions than trials, this leaves one flabbergast defeat for the workers state stalinism and how much of it is support of the But do not the Finnish workers cluding the Moscow frame up in a war with a capitalist state. the treacherous anti working class policies of Board to force Negro students, parents and and our policy of unconditional promised their whole hearted sup. the workers in the Soviet Union? ed. In an article by Donald Gra means the destruction of nation ideological campaign of the democratic patriots Fund. It cites the fact that Negro education in against capitalism applies in the when it deems it advisable to ea ard of living and greater frec we are completely laid low by the economy and no revolutionary becomes evident only from another item in the Louisiana is 25 years behind that of the whites war against Finland. While the ter the war. The advanced work. dom. They leave the ground of profound argument that since we Marxist can be indifferent to such samer issue of that paper. We refer to an item and that Negroes are in at least as dire need as advanced workers of the Soviet ers understand these people well Marxism who present such argu support China against Japan in a possibility called Canadian Socialist Election Program the Finns. Many of the Negro teachers protested Union must not give up their and there is no danger that they ments.
spite of the fact that Chiang Kai The argument is advanced that which is reprinted without a word of adverse the program of the School Board to have them struggle against the Stalinist will follow them.
One thing that every worker Shek is as ferocious a butcher as a defeat of the Red Army by the comment under the ironical heading World Sowrite letters to the parents asking for money.
bureaucracy, and while the ad If there is any danger that the must understand is that capital Mannerheim we can also support sorkers in the Soviet Union to Finnish cialism.
army would lead the This is but one of many cases of resentment vanced workers of Finland must advanced workers, due to their ism is in a stage of decay and Finland.
That election program is the program of the of the Negro press to the attempt of the Hoover redouble their efforts to over justifiable hatred of the Stalinist with it capitalist democracy. Whe For just one little reason, Mr. Overthrow the Stalinist bureauce brother party in the Dominion of the Amer the Canadian Commonwealth Federation Finnish Aid Fund to solicit funds from Negroes, throw the Finnish capitalist gov bureaucracy, will be led to take ther in Finland or in any other Graham, does our policy difter. racy. We cannot exclude that poslican Socialist party. It begins: Eagle (Jan. 25, 1940. speaking of the proposed the Finnish workers, as well as there are those who glibly speak workers face a choice between attacked by Japan, an imperialist probability is that a defeat of the are called upon to make the sacrifices demanded For the second time within a generation we or me that it would be much more practical, much of the world, must do everything vance the false theory that on the revolution. Capitalist democracy country and the outpost and tool would result in a capitalist coun by war. The appeals to Canadians: Act more rational, to shoot this 25, 000, 000 here in teat of the Soviet Union.
basis Marxist principles we is doomed whether this of English imperialism, is attack ter revolution now, that these sacrifices shall not again be in America to bolster the relief checks of thoumust either support the Finnish year or in ten or twenty years ited by the Soviet Union, a workvain.
History knows no example of sands of undernourished, impoverished Ameri Terrible. cried every middle: government against the Soviet will be destroyed by the fascists ers state even though a degen a unton defeated by the bosses Then, after a few mild protests against the class democrat, beginning with the liberals and going on through the victory of elther side.
Union or else be indifferent to or by the proletarian revolution erated one. Isn that a slight dit in a serious struggle coming unrestriction of civil Jiberties, an exhortation to establishing a higher form of ference? And by the way, Mr. der the control of revolutionary make the rich do their part. a complaint that Ethiopia Called To Defend Finland! Call, the Lovestoneites, and even the socialist party and the Love Finland is part of the decaying er do we support the Invasion of teat. defeat of the union by Graham; we do not justify, neith workers as a result of the de the government has broken its promise to pay.
The Chicago Defender, in an editorial (Feb. close sympathizers of our move stoneites point to the democratic capitalist world. The foundation Finland.
as you go in financing the war and similar planks, the election program winds up with the 1940) on the League of Nations states: ment. This showed that either character of the Finnish govern of the Soviet Union, nationalized Yes, the Lovestoneites warn the tion of the union. To be for revfollowing paragraph. Members of the League of Nations have they did not understand our prot ment. They furnish us with ang property, represents part of that Finnish workers not to trust the slutionary defeatism within the These are the issues which face the Canadian people in the present election. The believes their utter and complete hypocrisy to the they did: cave in under the pres socialists in the Finnish parlia and the production of goods for follow an independent policy of the defeat of a union in a strug that the war will be won and peace assured only world specialy to the world of colored peo sure of the bourgeois democrats, ment and 143 representatives of the welfare of the people. In the revolutionary defense because it gle against the boss. An the if the military defeat of Hitler is followed by the ples.
The difference between all of workers and peasants. On the last analysis the existence of the is a pawn of defeat of Hitlerism and reaction in every land.
The League has asked aid of Haile Selas. these people and ourselves is the same basis, however, the workers (Stalinist regime is to be explained please explain how llam. But crimes of a reactionary trade the workers union leadership would not We appeal to the Canadian people to help us credifference between the revolu should be asked to support by the fact that the capitalist can fight under capitalist control make it any loss of a crime on sie for Finland. Shades of Saint Peter and ate social and economic justice, both at home Paul! Was it not the same League that sold tionary Marxists led by Lenin in France and England. Are there world still exists.
the King of Kings down the river. What col1914 and the others who called not more representatives of the and still Lollow an independent the part of a worker to follow and abroad.
Let the workers destroy the policy of revolutionary defense. a policy of defeatism in a document that the Kaiser socialists of lossal shamelessness.
themselves socialists. Lenin workers in the parliaments of capitalist world and Stalinism in a war one either fights under struggle between the union and 1914 would have been proud of. Why does the did not yield an inch to the cap For the Negro people to send funds to the italists when war actually came, stng of Germany? These Marx disappear from the Soviet Union and thus aids it or nights against those countries than in the Reich will have no base whatever. It will the control of the capitalist class a boss.
Call reprint it without comment? How does it Finnish Mannerheims and Tanners, who have jibe with its own avowed policy to Keep Amer while the others showed that in forced thousands of Finns to leave their coun reality they were nothing more to determine whether the work the pus has been drained.
ists have found a new criterian like the scab on a sore from which the capitalist class in control of Will the world revolution gainica Out of War try, and to flee to America seeking democracy the government.
through a victory of Stalin Red What, in actuality, is the role and meaning than middle class democrats.
and freedom, would be like a Negro sending ers should support one capitalist The advanced Finnish workers, Army in Finland. That question of the pacifism of Norman Thomas and his party money to Cotton Ed Smith and Bilbo of Carcountry as against another, considering the historic interests RADICAL VERSION is supposed to slay all of us who in this light?
olina and Mississippi. DEMOCRATIC ARGUMENTS namely, the relative number of of their class have no alternative OF ANTI SOVIETISM are for the defense of the Soviet Black men who fled Mississippi, wouldn FOR SUPPORT OF FINLAND representatives of workers in the but to defend the Soviet Union small group in the Socialist Union. We calmly answer: Wat Our Canadian Comrades send money to help those who lynch and murThese pseudo Marxist critics parliaments of the countries from the capitalist world.
party, led by Herbert Zam, advo the world revolution gain by a Analyze the Pacifists der Negroes, would they.
falsify our position by insisting fighting each other!
cates a policy of defeatism for victory of the Finnish capitalist both camps. The people who ad army representing the imperialist by a comment printed in the February issue of That question can perhaps best be illuminated News (Jan. 13. 1940) advises the Negro people invasion. In the Feb. 17 Nation, ly look with contempt upon these HELPING MANNERHEIM BY vocate such policy don want world? victory of the Red Socialist Action, the organ of our Canadian comRoy Wilkins, in his column in the Amsterdam that our party supports Stalin Revolutionary Marxists can onto keep their thinking straight on the main is in his swan song bidding good people who have not yet learned WORKING CLASS METHODS to be caught helping Finland, Army guarantees the continued rades of the Fourth International, with regard sues before the public: bye to whatever Marxism he still or who have forgotten that the The Norman Thomas social which they recognize to be a existence of the first workers to Woodsworth, the counterpart of Norpossessed, the Lovestoneite Lew capitalist state remains a capital, ists have discovered a method by tool of imperialism, but they are state, thus giving the workers an man Thomas in the Woodsworth had de Specifically have in mind the present sweep is Corey makes the assertion that ist state no matter how many which they are able to claim that for the defeat of both sides. That opportunity to clean out the Stal clared in parliament, dissociating himselt for of ultra reactionary propaganda, marching to new power and prominence behind the Help Fin according to the Appeal the in socialists there may be in parthey are not helping the Finnish sounds more revolutionary than inist bureaucracy. That will con the moment from the rest of his colvasion of Finland is justified. liament, that the capitalist state, capitalist government but only helping Finland against the Sov. stitute a tremendous victory for leagues land movement. The plight vided a new screen for vicious assaults upon any fact that from the very begin of the capitalist class and these that help be sent through the Fin. as much against the principles of subjected to criticism, any polstry gain nothing by slaughtering the common progressive, liberal or radical thought. The ning we have condemned the in interests are of no concern to the nish trade unions, whose official revolutionary Marxism. icy other than that of defending people of another country. Personally can mighty wire pullers in America are tugging at vasion on the ground that it has workers.
dom house broken socialists not give my consent American public ostensibly for the relief of the the eyes of the working masses, between fascists and democrats flase their control on the gonsisted that to carry on the talist world or objectively to all under way. When the holocaust was on, he de war.
That was before the war was itself actually Finns, but in reality for the destruction of what few gains have been made in past years in social Thomas and the Lovestoneites can give material (but not politic ernmental power? Who controls struggle against one own capi the capitalist world by being in. clared again in that same august body.
advancement and Western civilization against the pagan Ory sition: more or less open support what our party advocated in the portant instrument of the state, defeat at the front was a lesser Army guarding the nationalized one of my colleagues (Coldwell, the leader of the We are told that Finland is fighting for God have approximately the same po al) support to the latter, That is the army which is the most im talist class even at the risk of a different to the defeat of the Red The position of the, will be stated by ental hordes of Russia and that in effect, Amer of the Finnish capitalist govern. Spanish civil war. In war be: especially during a war? Soft evil than class peace and victory property of the Soviet Union.
parliamentary group. say frankly, that with ica first line of defense is the Mannerheim line. little more careful and use a few only thing that can possibly be at Mannerheim and his White gen willing to take the risk of a depart of that policy heartily agree, but with George Sokolsky, hireling of the National more Marxist phrases than the stake are the rival Imperialist in erals have been deprived of pow. feat of his own imperialist govTO OUR PROGRAM some portions of it cannot agree. Yet WAS New York Herald Tribune, greets the New Year Thomasites, but essentially they terests. In the war between Fin er. Can one imagine greater non ernment. If one tries to get at How easy it was to defend the never so proud to belong to the group with with a piece in which he suddenly discovers (as agree that the Red Army should land and the Soviet Union, the sense! The creator of the Finnish the basic reasons for his attitude Soviet Union before war actually Here is how our comrades in Socialist Action did the Kalmer) that God is mixed up in this war geois feated by the Finnish bour Fighting capitalmecray against en el tallontanatate e the butchered of studs clear that Lenin formulated cames and especially when Stalin size thing.
business. Pulling out all stops, letting himself go Let us take a glance at the po fascism. Regardless of the mo power and and still the com sides of the war the same prop imperialists: Many a time did we wehe social cause for the contradiction bein an emotional orgy, and raking up all the tried issue the warning that the tween the official policy of the and Woodsand true Fourth of July oratorical Cliches, Sokol friends of the Soviet Union worth public avowal lies in the presence in sky tells us the Finns may yet win the war the get his snout into the SUP MF gram. Progress for the American would scurry to cover when the Canada a large body of opinion that rejects larger war between liberty and despotism, beOw treasury, to gain control of seamen is impossible in that ditest of war would come. The Stal the war by its failure to accept it with enthusitween civilization and collectivism, between Christhe jobs and the ships these un rection. Progress is possible in Inists, the liberals, the social asm. The National Council under the influtianity and paganism, between the progress of ions control, to strengthen his the direction and under the polists, the Lovestoneites, all prosence of Coldwell kneeled before the interests of mankind and the degradation of mankind.
own position on the backs of the icy of the SUP SIU. History has claimed us to be enemies of the the boss class by supporting the war, but found seamen. To do this he knows that it necessary to throw a bone to the anti war Negroes Won Be Taken In he must get rid of Lundeberg demonstrated this to the Amerinsisted on making a distinction sentiment that exists in Canada. Woodsworth ican seamen in the last few was the bone. This drive to clean out the Reds and smear and the SIU.
between the Stalinist bureaucracy (Continued from Page 1)
That Curran unity pro years.
and the Soviet Union.
Our comrades have given here the clue to the anything progressive with Red paint is one of which Negroes should beware. They should ask to about three thousand unlon The war came and all these role of pacifism not only in Canada, but unithemselves how much of liberty and of despotism men, Qulll assured the member fair weather defenders of the versally. Not that of Woodsworth alone, but that they have had under these American skies. na. Continued from Page 1)
ship that this time the union Soviet Union find one reason or petty bourgeois politics that rejects class anal.
of Norman Thomas as well. Like all forms of tion which has resisted stubbornly for forty years too high cursed by unemploy.
leadership was not blufting. If another for scurrying to cover. It Out This Week!
any attempt to wipe out the shooting, hanging ment.
the Mayor sees At to arrest any is not so easy now to defend the capitalist war mongers and their agents in laysis, such pacifism is only bell wether for the and burning of human beings at the stake has a The SUP MFOW each has a of us during the strike there will Soviet Union as it was when Stal bor ranks. In rejecting the class analysis of lot of nerve trying to tell Negroes it is civilized large, well guarded strike fund.
come ten times as many to lead in was firting with the democrat Marxism: in including Soviet Russia within the and the other te fellow is a heathen. nation whose The NMU is bankrupt. Its strike you from your own Christianity is ruled by the color line has a nerve fund was squandered by Curran same category as Nazi Germany: in confounding leadership had better not to imperialists.
pointing to someone else as a pagan. By their last summer in his attempt to be bluffing this time! However, the Stalinist party (which in spite of its treachOur party does not adopt a pro erous and criminal policies is a tendency within fruits ye shall know them.
put down the rank and file revolt you look at it, the Transport gram to be followed only during the labor movement just as much as the Social An empire with its heel on 400 million black in the gulf.
SYMPOSIUM: and brown men has a nerve talking about des. For the rank and file of the Workers Union is today entimes of peace. Our program of Democratic Federation with Fritz Kuhn Ger gaged in a fight for its very potism. And, closer at home to Negroes, the NMU there is absolutely nothing defending the Soviet Union was man American Bund; in speaking the confusionlife. The membeship of the ON National Manufacturers Association, many of to be gained by continued loyalty union has responded admirably based on the fundamental fact ist language of Red Fascism and Brown Bolwhose members fight labor in open warfare with to the NMU. That outfit has been the Call is doing a distinct service, giving full evidence of their de that nationalized property makes not to the struggle against Stalinism nor that THE SOVIET FINNISH WAR spies, tear gas and guns, and most of whose revealed in its true colors as an termination to fight for their members shut the door of employment in the face agency of the maritime commisof the Soviet Union a workers against war, but to the imperialist war mongers.
rights. It is now up to the THE CLASS CHARACTER OF THE state regardless of of Negroes, has its nerve talking about liberty sion, as a strike breaking organStalin leadership of the Transport and despotism.
crimes. No one has shown us why ization, aut dues collecting Workers Union to make good SOVIET STATE Martin Richardson, in his column Left racket run by a gang of Stalinon all of the promises they we should change that program. MARXIST PREDICTION Face in the Boston Chronicle (Feb. 19, 1940. ists and their stooges.
THE ROLE OF STALINISM IN WAR have made to the membership.
states. the newspapers are very careful to The rank and file seamen on Under no conditions must there be a rotten compromise This concludes Comrade make sure that you do not have too much of an both coasts can Is it not clear that no matter how servile the opportunity to distinguish between the poor Fin. Increased cooperation without inte DIALECTICAL MATERIALISM between the union officials and Goldman series of articles. Zionist movement will be to Britain it will not nish people and the vicious, tricky Mannerheim SUP and with the national or the Mayor. The Union has deBeginning with the next issue, receive in return the right of unrestricted imthe feudal lord followers, few though they ganization created by the SUP THE HISTORY OF MARXIST in manded the recognition on the Comrade Goldman will answer are, of General Mannerheim, after whom the the Seafarers International Unpart of the city administration THEORY advance. British imperialism weighs in the balquestions sent in. All readers ance: 400, 000 Jews in Palestine, backed by some Finnish defense line is named and with whom the ion. It is significant that Curran of the contracts that the union British and French have been making for joint announcement omitted all menNOW holds with the private are invited to send in ques part of the 16 million Jews of the world tions. invasion of Soviet Russia, their real aim, if we tion of the SIU. This is undertransit companies. If the Mayor take the word of their own Lloyd George. General standable when you know that Articles by backed by the whole Moslem world. Lest the does not grant this, the union Arabs seek freedom from Britain, the British Mannerheim and his clique of money hogs bear the great majority of the SIU leadership must use the manthe same relation to the Finnish people that the are rank and file seamen who dates given it by the memberruling class diverts them from that path by preoccupying the Arabs with the Jewish problem.
Mikados and the Mitsul family do to the Japanese left the NMU or were expelled ship to call a strike and close Downtown Labor Forum The Jew thus serves Britain de scape roatu iso the laborers and peasants whose daughters they force for their opposition to Curran 51 East 7th Street into the streets; they are as much of the Finnish phoney policy and disruptive line.
New York City and the Polish and Rumanian gangster rulers as people as the Lady Astor set is to the millions of methods.
The membership of the TWU scapegoat in Europe. But in return for the col.
Limehouse cockneys in London. That Soviet It is also significant that and Others must be on the alert to protect Is the Soviet Union laboration of the most powerful Arab landlords Russia and the Mannerheim group happen to be Curran announcement conthe union conditions that they fighting it out in the ice and snow of the Karelian tains the usual blast at Harry Still and capitalists, Britain keeps a sharp rein on have won after years of sacrifice 20 CENTS PER COPY; 16 CENTS IN BUNDLES the influx of Jews into Palestine and never, unpeninsula is but a circumstance; Chamberlain, Lundeberg, secretary treasurer OF FIVE OR MORE and effort. The membership of Workers State?
Daladier, Hitler and Co. would have engineered of the SUP and leader of the der British imperialism, will the Jews be freed the TWU must never again put the showdown somewhere, anyhow.
from that rein. In return for this mess of potSIU. Yet erg and faith or trust in politician Speaker: tage, shall world Jewry support Britain and lose The above comments are typical of the attitude the SUP rank and file who, Order Copies Now From friends of lapor or in any union FRANK the friendship and potential alliance with the and opinions of the Negro press on the Finnish more than anyone else, elabofficials who preach a stupid, sui. National Committee, peoples of Asia and Africa, the colonial peoples war and clearly indicate that the Negroes are not orated the policy that strengthreadily falling for the war propaganda of Amer ened West Coast maritime unNEW INTERNATIONAL cidal policy of this kind. As in the present fight, they must de Sunday Eve. March 17 everywhere the oppressed of the earth? No, it ica Sixty Families and their paid hirelings under ionsm.
is too high a price to pay when the only result 116 UNIVERSITY PLACE NEW YORK, pend only upon the independent AT O CLOCK is perpetual civil war in Palestine in which a the slogan to make the world safe for democ Curran desire for unity is strength and fighting power of Adm: 10c Questions Discussion small segment of Jewry faces the Arab masses.
racy purely hypocritical, a desire to labor itself.
Socialist Appeal, December 17, 1938.
CURRAN UNITY SPELLS SPLIT FOR SEAMEN TWU PREPARES GENERAL STRIKE March New International regime, Leon Trotsky Max Shachtman