Quotas Set for Two Week Appeal Drive. Let Get Going Socialist Appeal See Your Friends for the Twice a Week Appeal Official Weekly Organ of the Socialist Workers Party, Section of the Fourth International Vol. IV, No. 18 NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1940 FIVE (5) CENTS By JAMES CANNON Our campaign to restore the Socialist Appeal to twice a week publication is the result of a spontaneous decision of the delegates at our recent party convention. The proletarian optimism of the delegates found expression in the demand that the party take a determined step forward at all costs. It was the unanimous sentiment of the delegates that this forward step could be expressed best of all by re establishing the twice a week Appeal.
The retreat to the weekly Appeal after ten months publication of the twice weekly was a heavy blow. It was part of the price our movement had to pay for the faction struggle against the petty bourgeois opposition. The victorious conclusion of this struggle created the conditions for a bold decision to regain the lost ground by again returning to the twice a week publication of the Appeal.
Not what is possible, but what is necessary that is the fighting motto of the worker Bolsheviks. Their decision in this case was dictated by necessity. The United States drifts at an accelerated pace towards entry into the European war. The events in Norway have given the imperialist war mongers and their agents in the labor movetremendous impetus to the campaign of ment. The time for a revolutionary counter campaign the time in which we can speak freely and openly and out loud against the war preparations grows shorter every day. We must utilize this time to the best advantage.
We must strain all resources and energies to make our voice heard as frequently as possible. We must broadcast our message twice as often as before. That means, first of all, that we must publish our fighting paper twice a week. The delegates at the convention demanded it. They pledged in the name of their branches the necessary funds to make it possible within a sixty day period.
We believe in the seriousness and determination of the delegates who made this decision. We believe in their ability to in spire their branches with the necessary enthusiasm to make good the quotas pledged in their name. That is why we launched the campaign on May 1st with full confidence that by July 1st our twice a week Appeal will again be a glorious reality.
Fight the war mongers with the twice a week Appeal!
Build the party with the twice a week Appeal!
SAILORS WIN GREAT VICTORY. OWNERS YIELD 10 INCREASES Pace Toward War Entry Firm Strike Vote Speeded Up As the Allies Falter Forces Concessions AKRON STRIKE PARLEYS WOMEN PICKETS Scripps Howard papers, reported on April 30: Undere OPEN; HOURS PLAY BIG PART ly troubled. The reason is that serious doubt exists as to ISSUE PRESSING the Pacific won one of its greatest victories today when, at twilight storm.
By the end of the first week of the campaign 618 has been turned in to the fund to restore the Two a Week Appeal.
This means that almost fifteen percent of the pledges made at Stop Work Meetings Held on West Coast; the convention have already been redeemed. And the branches are spurring their efforts to go over the top in record time.
The Nazi victories in Norway are pouring fuel on the fires already lit by the war makers in this country.
Owners Cough Up Small Slice of First honors of the campaign go to Upstate New York where comrade beat the rest of the country all hollow in isolationist columnist Wartime Shipping Profits fulfilling the pledge.
St. Paul and Flint are the next two runners up. They have only 50 percent to go. Both branches assure us that it won neath the surface of public discussion, Washington is deepbe long now. Next in line are the steel workers of East Chicago, and the Boston and New York City branches.
The amounts listed in the scoreboard below are not quotas whether the Allies can win the war. Not much is being said set by the National Office. They are the voluntary pledges made publicly, but anxious thought is being given to future 11:30 a. the Pacific American Shipowners Association by the various delegations at the convention. which is bearing down with the ominous darkness of a capitulated to the SUP wage demands for a flat 10 increase Each branch is at iberty to increase its pledge as it sees at Rubber Strike Called. Norway has had a profound effect.
Men Are Determined to all ratings and a 10 cents an hour increase on overtime pay.
and finds possible of realization. New York City officially in creased its pledge by 400 over that made at the convention, To Prevent Imposing Yesterday stop work meetings were held in every port on To Realize 30 Hour What this means in plainer language is that the Washingthus raising its quota to 1800. Other branches should do the the Pacific, when the SUP members were called off the ships same if they consider it feasible and inform the office here of Of Longer Hours ton government is hastening the job of paving the way to Work Week to consider the counter proposals of the shipowners, who in any changes made, so they can be listed in the scoreboard, swing the country into the war on the pretext that it is our the face of a decision by the SUP to take a referendum strike Some branches have not yet been heard from, whose delegates duty to save civilization by preventing a Nazi victory.
were not in a position at the convention to report any definite AKRON, April 26 800 pickets FLINT, Mich. April 27 Nego vote, had offered a 50 in pledges before consultation with the comrades back home.
The Roosevelt administration has already put more than tiations et lieben General Motors crease. Attended by well over massed in front of the Genert half this country foot into the conflict by okaying the bil. Corporation and the UAW CIO 2800 members, the stop work CAST COAST and GULF pete with the branches, but it is expected they will do their part SEAMEN: in putting this campaign over the top.
Monday morning, April 22, in ac lion dollar airplane and munitions deal which will turn this began Thursday April 25. Union meetings voted practically un see Editorial. SUP and NMU Lists of prizes to be awarded to quick pledge fillers and those Page who go over the 100 percent mark will be published in the next made the night before at their country into a giant supply base for the Allies.
set up a schedule of meetings with animously to reject the offer issue of the Appeal.
The effect of this gigantic teal and others that are sure the corporation representatives in of the shipowners.
mass meeting to stop a reported conduct a secret referendum Next week we ll print a thermometer. With the good start back to work movement. to follow is to tie American industry to the Allied war ma order to negotiate revisions in the Confronted by the firm strike vote. The referendum dealready made, the old mercury ought to rise in record time!
Although the morning shift is chine. From this point on it is easy to predict the next present contract.
stand of the Sailors, it took cision was taken by practically Meanwhile rank and Ale mem the shipowners less than 24 unanimous vote. Eleven days more than 100 pickets were al steps in the path worn so well in 1916 1917. From cash to bers of the UAW CIO have shown later the Sailors had their inSCOREBOARD ready on hand by 4:30 a. By credit, from economic financial support, to direct material an increasingly militant spirit, hours to change their minds creases Branch Pledged Paid 8:30 a. Chief of Police Roy and military support.
and are determined that their and concede the union de Significance of Victory Willams, notorious for his brutal 50. 00 great victory in the NLRB vote Upstate New York. 50. 00 How resounding victory this mands Having already covered a good deal of the necessary shall result in provisions for real methods in the rubber strikes of Chicago 100. 00 50. 00 50 is for the Sailors can only be The union victory means appreciated it one understands Flint.
100. 00 50. 00 1988, had on hand, in response to ground in linking American industry and finance to the security of employment and a St. Paul.
83. 00 Mayor Schroy call, 76 police war, the Administration is starting out to win the farmers much greater share for the auto that Ordinary Seamen are the situation in which the Sailors workers in the huge profits of raised from their present scale vious contract expired on Sept.
East Chicago 25. 00 10. 00 of the Middle West with the bait of profits. There is a and clubs.
GM 170. 00 65. 00 Boston.
Up the street strikers were definite move afoot, reported the Wall Street Journal on New York City 1300. 00 280. 00 22 of first importance to the auto of 57. 50 to a scale of 67. 50 30, 1939. With freight rates going National Office.
550. 00 30. 00 el capirere attempthileen teren de bes April 16, to arrange indirect credits for the purchase of workers is the demand for the per monthshable Bodied Seamen up on account of the war and the go from the present shipowners coining money, the Maritime Workers 780. 00 00 Minneapolis 300. 00 00 Only this can begin to insure the timidating the strikers with a Newark.
100. 00 00 show of arms, mounted the runThese are the moves that are gearing American economy men against technological unem Quartermasters and watchmen 80 position to secure wage increases Los Angeles.
100. 00 00. if the shipowners faced united ning boards and escorted the 100. 00 for war. These are the first giant steps by which the bosses ployment and put back to work from 82. 50 to 92. 50, etc. 00 San Francisco of the thousands already 174 Per Cent Increase action of the waterfront crafts.
scabs through the picket line. will to herd us once more to the slaughter.
Detroit.
75. 00 00 For the two main ratings, that tossed on the ash heap by the Instead, however, the Stalinist chain picket line to block off means a 1714 per cent increase leadership of the West Coast New Haven 55. 00 00 But we know what kind of civilization was saved the corporation.
the entrance to scabs was atfor Ordinary seamen and a 15 longshoremen came to the rescue Lynn 50. 00 00 tempted by the strikers, but was last time. We know what kind of culture was preserved First glimpse of the mount per cent increase for Able Bodied of the shipowners. Without any Toledo 40. 00 00 dispersed by the police who ing rank and file sentiment for Seamen.
by that last bloody boss war which took twenty million lives consultation with the other unPhiladelphia 00 25. 00 cleared the street and the plant the 30 hour week and 40 hour Omaha 25. 00 00 The issue of a wage raise for ions, the Bridges machine of the entrance and forced the pickets to only to bring us around after 25 years to the edge of the pay slogan, came this week the Sailors had dragged along longshoremen signed an indefinite Seattle 15. 00 00 stay behind the curb.
same abyss.
when, in a plant meeting in since Sept. 30, with the bosses extension of their contract, to be Portland 10. 00 00 The workers of this country want no part of these Buick, a motion was introduced stalling at every stage. Action followed by begotiations with the Oakland 10. 00 Women Pickets Active 00 and passed UNANIMOUSLY, began on April 15 when the SUP shipowners, with a clause requirAkron 10. 00 00 Friday morning saw a greatly sugary lies. They fell for them once. They must not, will Instructing the International went on record on a coastwise ing sixty days notice of termina 1190. 00 618. 00 (Continued on Page 2) not, fall for them again. Continued from Page 2) Iscale to instruct its officials to (Continued on Page 2)
100 200. 00 50 41 40 38 0 some 0 14. Petty Bourgeois Moralists and the Proletarian Party By LEON TROTSKY The discussion in the Socialist Workers Party of the United States was thorough and democratic. The preparations for the Convention were carried out with absolute loyalty. The minority participated in the Convention, recognizing thereby its legality and authoritativeness. The majority offered the minority all the necessary guarantees permitting it to conduct a struggle for its own views after the Convention. The minority demanded license to appeal to the masses over the head of the party. The majority naturally rejected this monstrous pretension. Meanwhile, behind the back of the party the minority indulged in shady machinations and appropriated the New International which had been published through the efforts of the entire party and of the Fourth International. should add that the majority had agreed to assign the minority two posts out of the five on the editorial board of this theoretical organ. But how can an intellectual aristocracy remain the minority in a workers party? To place a professor on equal plane with a worker after all, that bureaucratie conservatism. In his recent polemical article against me, Burnham explained that socialism is a moral ideal. To be sure, this is not so very new. At the opening of the last century, morality served as the basis for the True German Socialism which Marx and Engels criticized at the very beginning of their activity. At the begin ning of our century, the Russian Social Revolutionaries counterposed the moral ideal to materialistic socialism. Sad to say, these bearers of morality turned out to be common swindlers in the field of politics. In 1917 they betrayed the workers completely into nies and he same bene Long political experience has taught me whenever petty bourgeois professor or journalist begins talking about high moral standards it is necessary to keep a firm hand on one pocketbook. It happened this time, too. In the name of a moral ideal petty bourgeois intellectual has picked the proletarian party pocket of its theoretical organ. Here you have a tiny living example of the organizational methods of these innovators, moralists, and champions of democracy.
What is party democracy in the eyes of an educated pettybourgeois? regime which permits him to say and write whatever he pleases. What is bureaucratism in the eyes of an educated petty bourgeois? regime in which the proletarian cipline. Workers, bear this firmly in mind!
The petty bourgeois minority of the split from the proletarian majority on the basis of a struggle against revolutionary Marxism. Burnham proclaimed dialectical materialism to be incompatible with his moth eaten science. Shachtman proclaimed revolutionary Marxism to be of no moment from the standpoint of practical tasks. Abern hastened to hook up his little booth with the anti Marxist bloc. And now these gentlemen label the magazine they filched from the party an organ of revolutionary Marxism. What is this, if not ideological charlatanism. Let the readers demand of these editors that they publish the sole programmatic work of the minority, namely, Burnham article, Science and style. If the editors were not proparing to emulate a peddler who markets rotten merchandise under fancy labels, they would themselves have felt obliged to publish this article. Everybody could then see for himselt just what kind of revolutionary Marxism is involved here. But they will not dare do so. They are ashamed to show their true faces.
Burnham is skilled at hiding his all too revealing articles and resolutions in his briefcase, while Shachtman has made a profession of serving as an attorney for other people views through lack of any views of his own.
The very first programmatic articles of the purloined organ already reveal completely the lightmindedness and hollowness of this new anti Marxist grouping which appears under the label of the Third Camp. What is this animal? There is the camp of capitalism; there is the camp of the proletariat. But is there perhaps a third camp a petty bourgeois sanctuary? In the nature of things, it is nothing else. But, as always, the petty bourgeois camouflages his camp with the paper flowers of rhetoric.
Let us lend our ears! Here is one camp: France and England.
There another camp: Hitler and Stalin. And, a third camp: Burnham, with Shachtman. The Fourth International turns out for them to be in Hitler camp (Stalin made this discovery long ago. And so, a new great slogan: Muddlers and pacifists of the world, all ye suffering from the pin pricks of fate, rally to the hird camp!
But the whole trouble is that two warring camps do not at all exhaust the bourgeois world. What about all the neutral and semi neutral countries? What about the United States? Where should Italy and Japan be assigned? The Scandinavian countries? India. China. We have in mind not the revolutionary Indian or Chinese workers but rather India and China as oppressed countries. The schoolboy schema of the three camps leaves out a trifling detail: the colonial world, the greater portion of mankind!
India is participating in the imperialist war on the side of Great Britain. Does this mean that our attitude toward Indianot the Indian Bolsheviks but India is the same as toward Great Britain? If there exist in this world, in addition to Shachtman and Burnham, only two imperialist camps, then where, permit me to ask, shall we put India? Marxist will say that despite India being an integral part of the British empire and India participating in the imperialist war; despite the perfidious policy of Gandhi and other nationalist leaders, our attitude toward India is altogether different from our attitude toward England. We defend India against England. Why then cannot our attitude toward the Soviet Union be different from our attitude toward Germany despite the fact that Stalin is allied with Hitler? Why can we defend the more progressive social forms which are capable of development against reactionary forms which are capable only of decomposition? We not only can but we must! The theoreticians of the stolen magazine replace class analysis with a mechanistic construction very captivating to petty bourgeois intellectuals because of its pseudo symmetry. Just as the Stalinists camouflage their subservience national socialism (the Nazis) with harsh epithets addressed to the imperialist democracies, so Shachtman and Co. cover up their capitulation to American petty bourgeois public opinion with the pompous phraseology of the third camp.
As if this third camp (what is it? a party. club? League of Abandoned Hopes? People Front. is free from the obligation of having a correct policy towards the petty bourgeoisle, the trade unions, India and the USSR!
Only the other day Shachtman referred to himself in the press as a Trotskyist. If this be Trotskyism then at least am no Trotskyist. With the present ideas of Shachtman, not to mention Burnham, have nothing in common. used to collaborate actively with the New International, protesting in letters against Shachtman frivolous attitude toward theory and his unprincipled concessions to Burnham, the strutting petty bourgeois pedant. But at the time both Burnham and Shachtman were kept in check by the party and the International. Today the pressure of petty bourgeois democracy has unbridled them. Towards their new magazine my attitude can only be the same as toward all other petty bourgeois counterfeits of Marxism. As for their organizational methods and political morality, these evoke in me nothing but contempt.
Had conscious agents of the class enemy operated through Shachtman, they could not have advised him to do anything different from what he himself has perpetrated. He united with anti Marxists to wage a struggle against Marxism. He helped fuse together a petty bourgeols faction against the workers. He refrained from utilizing internal party democracy and from making an honest effort to convince the proletarian majority. He engineered a split under the conditions of a world war. To crown it all, he threw over this split the veil of a petty and dirty scandal, which seems especially designed to provide our enemies with ammunition. Such are these democrats, such are their morals. But all this will prove of no avail. They are bankrupt. Despite the betrayals of unstable intellectuals and the cheap gibes of all their democratic cousins, the Fourth International will march forward on its road, creating and educating a genuine selection of proletarian revolutionists capable of understanding what the party is, what loyalty to the banner means, and what revolutionary discipline signifies.
Advanced workers! Not one cent worth of confidence in the third front of the petty bourgeoisie!
April 28, 1940