SOCIALIST APPEAL Tuesday, March 14, 1939 Why Decided to Quit the Communist Party SOCIALIST APPEAL VOL No. 16 Tuesday, March 14, 1989 Published twice a week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS at 116 University Place, New York, Telephone: Algonquin 8547 Subscriptions: 00 per year; 00 for six months.
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IN THIS CORNER Editor: MAX SHACHTMAN Associate Editors: HAROLD ROBERTS FELIX MORROW Staff Members: EMANUEL GARRETT JOSEPH HANSEN Business Manager: STANLEY FIGHT WITH THE SOCIALIST WORKERS PARTY FOR: job and a decent wage for every worker. Open the idle factories operate them under workers control. Twenty Billion dollar Federal public works and housing program. Thirty thirty! 30 weekly minimum wage 30hour weekly maximum for all workers on all jobs. Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability pension. Expropriate the Sixty Families. Al war funds to the unemployed. people referendum on any and all wars.
No secret diplomacy.
10.
An independent Labor party.
11. Workers Defense Guards against Vigilante and Fascist attacks.
For Labor Unity President Roosevelt wants labor unity because he believes that, with the help of the labor bureaucrats, he will be better able to line up the labor movement solidly for his war if there is a single national trade union federation Lewis and Green are governed in their considera tions by parely bureaucratic struggles for posts, priv.
ileges and power The workers of the country eed a unified labor movement in order to achieve a firm, united front of struggle against the bosses. The fundamental interests of the workers have nothing in common with the interests of either Roosevelt or Messrs. Lewis and Green.
Lewis proposal for a joint convention of the of L, the o. and the Railroad Brotherhoods to establish a united American Congress of Labor was, doubtless, from his point of view a slick publicity stunt to give him an advantage in factional maneuvers.
But Lewis motives are unimportant.
The dramatic idea is absolutely sound. If Lewis himself doesn take it seriously, then it is up to the rank and file of all three organizations to hold him to his words and to demand action from the three officialdoms.
While demanding action, the rank and file will also do well to make a few amendments to Lewis six point plan. Somehow Lewis forgot to include any proposal for democratic representation at the convention or a democratic structure for the new Congress of Labor, or the need for the unified organi.
zation to adopt a militant policy of struggle for labor rights and interests. unified federation will serve labor only if founded on internal democracy and dedicated to militant struggle. second set of amendments should cut off from the start the Lewis provisions which would tie the unity convention and the new federation to the admin istral machine.
The proposal has been made. It is now public property.
Let the workers themselves take it out of the hands of the President and the bureaucrats, and go forward under their own steam to a unified American Con.
force relief families to banquet three times a day instead of arbitrarily starving themselves as they now do.
Cutting the cash allowance to one eighth would place these families on yachts and allow them to winter at Bermuda. just like the rich. Let us divide five vacuums and two zeros and fatten the multitude!
Carl Hichin, Former Prominent Member of the Ballyhooed as a method of elevating the living Canadian Communist Party, Tells the Full Story of standards of those on relief, the plan is actually an insidious device to lower still further the present Doubts Which Brought Him to 4th International By Max Shachtman starvation levels. Special to the Socialist Appeal) announces my firm convictions. to follow this new linc in time of In a letter to the editor, Mrs. Mary Brite of New TORONTO, Ont. Publicly re STRENGTHENS FASCISM war, it must be started in time of You complain that you are starving on your relief York takes us to task for a reference to the American pudiating the Communist Party My decision to make a public perce. Indeed, this calling upon check? says the plan. Then it is only because you Civil Liberties Union occurring in the Socialist Appeal for its social patriotism, Carl break with the Communist party the workers to support their own are too mentally incompetent to buy food. The gov.
article (March 3) on Should Fascists Be Allowed the Hichin, former prominent mem of Canada was made early in bourgeoisie has begun. We find it ernment will arbitrarily force food down your gullet. ber of the Canadian section of the December last. However, found in the unions screes and coul! Right of Free Speech. We said in the article that the rushed into Third International has joined it impossible to get any publication cabinets known as the PopuIn brief, too much relief is being given the unemprint to insist that the right of free speech be extended the Fourth International as an tion to make public my decision lar Front governments, in the to the Hitlerites. But the capitalist press did not menployed. If they are under nourished it is their own nounced in the last issue of the in the terms desired and not fawning at the feet of Roosevelt tion, Erys Mrs. Brite, that the Union requested the fault. They are wasting it in riotous living. Give Socialist Appeal.
wishing to join in the red baiting and Kind, in the complete emsame protection for the demonstrators as for those them a cut to sober them up.
His complete statement calling the prevalent, withheld all pubbracing of reformism and the holding revolutionary attending the meeting. think corof According to the plan, the scrip must be exchanged upon all militant workers to join Toronto muntelpal elections.
Even class struggle.
rection in the columns of the Socialist Appeal is in order.
at ordinary grocery stores at current prices. That in building the true party. then, us we shall see, failed to HITLER FEARS means placing the unemployed at the mercy of the revolutionary Marxism the 4th And a satisfactory medium. WORKERS REVOLT Our correspondent also encloses the Press Service Surely Mr. Buck knows that Bulletin of the Union which quotes from its letter to Here, space requires that comer grocer. Colored scrip exchangable only for May this serve as the public touch upon only one central point, what Hitler fears most is not the Police Commissioner Valentine as follows: In condesignated products means automatic jacking up of announcement to the labor movellustrative of the Communist In verbose declarations of democratformity with our firm belief that the only way to preserve Americanism is to protect the rights of Asprices. It means discrimination at every food market ment of my complete organiza ternational abandonment of revic bourgeoisies but the sounding in the country. Colored scrip? You ll take what tional and political severance Olutionary Marxism, its embrace of the tocsin on the barricades of of unpopular or undesirable their doctrines may be, we good for you at the price asked. It government Canada (Third International) and victories of Franco and the many. But Buck blithely goes wish to request you to give full police protection to orders isn it?
its now irrevocable reformism, strengthening of fascist and war along creating a Canadian union both those holding and attending the meeting, and to Only militant mass demonstrations can fittingly an and may it also serve as a declar. Porces in almost every country. sacred and blessing others. As all persons and groups who may wish to protest the swer such an insidious attack and such colossal con ation of my accord, politically and and has been obvious, particular Clarion, he quoted a Roosevelt same by picketing or other lawful means.
late as February 2, in the Daily particularly in France organizationally, with the Social tempt for the unemployed!
ist Workers League of Canada y since the 1935 Communist In dictum that the first duty of our It The Blew the Police Whistle (Fourth International. the one ternational Congress, that Stalin statesmansh The full statement of the Civil Liberties Union does today is to bring Many tribes of savages do not know that the sun is Canadian party and International socialism in one country had led capital and man power together, not seriously change the situation, ospecially when it adhering to revolutionary Marx him and the Communist Interna and hopefully added: Can this be is considered in the light of what actually happened the source of daylight, reads an Item in the Minneapo ism, tional into satisfaction with the done in Canada. sky: Yes.
around Madison Square Garden on the night of the 20 YEARS IN Nazi mobilization.
labor is the source of all wealth.
LABOR MOVEMENT international status quo, complete APPEALS TO MEMBERS The accompanying news release of the Union, which As one who had been publicly revolution, and the changing of a more brazenly outspoken deabandonment of the international It would be difficult to imagine is dated Feb. 25, that is, after the meeting had taken associated with the Communist the Communist International sec. sertion of the revolutionary class place, notes with apparent satisfaction that In line We Mean Action Too party of Canada and its organ for tions into reformist parties whose struggle. Surely those thousands with a request by the New York Civil Liberties Com several years, and one who had main task was to act as Soviet who joined the Communist party mittee for adequate police protection both to the Nazis Life is too short to make speeches unless you are been active in the labor move: border guards (We do not seek of Canada in the firm belief that and those picketing in protest, 1, 700 members of the going to do something about it. Harry Hopkins, ment for more than 20 years, an inch of foreign soll, neither they were joining a revolutionary police force were assigned to the meeting.
Secretary of Commerce, is reported to have made this gave long and serious considers will we surrender an inch of our party must now see into what The Union, however, ignores completely what actually happened not in the realm of its iberal wishful statement at a press conference in which he amplified on to the question of transfer own. Stalin. treacherous blind alley they have thinking, but at the Garden itself. In spite of almost what he meant concretely when he made his notorious actually taking the step. As carly Defense of the Soviet Union hasten to join in repudiation of been led, and surely they will two decades of activity in the field civil Wherties Des Moines speech on March 3rd dedicating the as 1935, told the Communist from the blows of capitalist en such rank reformism and social it has not yet penetrated the liberal mind that the Roosevelt administration to going down the line for party District Bureau through emies is, of course, the elementary patriotism and turn to building police are not an above the battle institution impar big business.
Jock MeN. that the party was and imperative duty of every the only present party of revolutially conferring the benefits of democratic rights upon prostituting the name of Com honest labor organization. But it clonary Marxism, the Fourth Inall and sundry. We have held, and still do, that the The something which Hopkins pledges the ad munism in relation to its fight must also be borne in mind that ternational.
police are an institution, like all the armed forces of ministration to doing in order to increase profits for against fascism.
the fate of the Soviet Union wm mentioned above the difficul capitalism, for the suppression of the working class Even after being removed be decided in the long run not on ty experienced in gaining suitthe economic royalists consists of outlawing strikes, and the protection of its enemies.
from the Clarion by a decision of the maps of army staffs but on able publicity for the announce Hence, whoever blows the whistle for the cops in a slashing relief appropriations, revising taxes for the the Political Bureau in May 1938, the map of the class struggle, and ment to my revolutionary coldispute between labor and its opponents, is willy nilly benefit of the rich, engaging in secret alliances, and hesitated for more than six that the task of the proletariat is leagues of my break with the calling upon the police to do the dirty job for which it plunging the country into war.
months before making me a public not the perpetuation of existing Communist Party of Canada. Fin: is organized and maintained. That is precisely what It is high time that the American people stopped announcement of my break with imperialist boundaries and states ally, after the Toronto elections, the oh, with the very best of intentional dia with its statement; that is why we attacked its action.
listening to speech making by vultures like Hopkins the party. During those including those that beset the felt constrained to resort to Mac How can there be any doubt of this when the real, keep the and began answering in the language of the working record straight, declined severad Soviet Union but their revolucan and the Winnipeg Free ties are kept in mind?
class. And we don mean just speeches. We mean invitations to renew my party ac Simitarly, in Press, and to a treatment that rder to utilize was far from satisfactory. For the only language the bosses can understand, the tivity, resigned from the party in the imperialist contradictions of that sharp criticism is due. LiberCops Did Not Protect Workers Rights July and as late as January the day, there is not the slightest ties taken by the editor with my The unprecedented police guard made it possible for language of action.
1939, declined an invitation to re need for idealizing as champions article made matters even worse.
the facists to organize their first large public mobiliHopkins assures the capitalist class that he means Join the party, extended through of peace and liberty, way. France therefore specifically repudiate zation of anti labor thugs. Without that guard, the action when he says he is out to raise their profits two of the party prominent and England, both of which are the impression left in the article Nazis could no more have carried through their impuat the expense of the American public. Let the members, and far from being democratic in that the Communist Party of Candent provocation of the workers than thugs at a comworking class, employed and unemployed, answer him BEGAN SERIOUS their colonial exploitation. In ada still secretly pursues revolupany gate can, generally speaking, carry through a stead, if this is done, then the tionary policies.
strike breaking job without the benevolent protection with action. Life is too short to make speeches unless INVESTIGATION Particularly during those six sections of the Communist Inter JOIN THE of the police. Swinging their fists and clubs and trampyou are going to do something about it months did give myself over to national are transformed into FOURTH INTERNATIONAL ling upon the pickets with their horses, the police dia a serious investigation and study political agencies of imperialism think have made it clear indeed give the Nazis all the protection they wanted which had previously been re in relation to the masses.
and. needed.
that the Communist Party of CanChief Justice Hughes in a speech to Congress noted stricted by pressure of party EXPLAINS DEVIATIONS On the other hand, the same police, who came to ada has in fact embraced reform especially the necesity for protecting the rights of work. considered it necessary. That, in fact, is the miserable ism and that any duplicity that the Garden on their mission with the blessing of the minorities in order that democratic government might before making any public an role of the Third International to exists is directed towards mainUnion liberals, were not at all concerned with the not destroy itself by the excesses of power. He added nouncement, that satisfy my day. Browder has put it quite taining control and leadership of rights of free speech and assembly of the workers who that we are all partners; one member of our body self, beyond any possible doubt. bluntly open support for Roose those honest workers and party came to protest against the Nazi gangstera. Qulte the politic cannot say to another have no need of that the Communist International velt billions for armaments contrary. It was the workers who were deprived of thee. Workers could say this to the bosses. As yet had abandoned revolutionary promise of Communist party sup to help in achieving the revolu.
members whose greatest desire is their rights. It was the workers who were slugged and they haven got around to doing it, but they will! Marxism, as had frequently sug port for the United States govern tionary emancipation of the world wounded. It was the workers who were arrested.
Incidentally, Mr. Justice, how about the rights of the gested, and that thorough bur ment should it become involved proletariat. To the latter, have That sums up the entire affair. The police made posmajority, the workers, who have only wrongs? eaucratization of the Third Inter in a war with Japan and pre already addressed my that sible the reactionary Nazi mobilization against labor.
national had made it impossible sumably Germany.
they too, publicly repudiate the The police brutally dispersed the labor mobilization to accomplish rectification by in This is the fight against fas Communist International and join against the Nazis. If the police did not act in accord ner party work. Then, of course, cism now substituted by the Com in building the true party of revoance with the request of the Civil Liberties Union, it arose the necessity of satisfying munist International for its old lutionary Marxism The Socialist did act in accordance with its natural and proper myself that the party of my new stand that the only alternative to Workers League of Canada function in capitalist society. If the liberals are shockOnly a short twelve months ago, Leslie Hore allegiance was revolutionary fascism is the proletarian dicta (Fourth International. ed at the results of their request, it is only because Belisha, War Secretary of the British Government, party. The statement given above, torship. It follows of course that Carl Hichin.
they refuse to understand what this function really is.
and to act accordingly.
appeared in the British Parliament with his estimate for funds needed in his war plans, and, in order to reassure the general public of England, told them But come to think of it, we haven noticed anywhere that the Civil Liberties Union was shocked by the Garden affair. Is it possible that it considered its alm not be repeated in the next war.
achieved when the Nazi meeting was peacefully con History sometimes repeats itself, but rately in the MINNEAPOLIS. Rev. Roy neapolis Labor Racketeering the assertion that the information cluded? For it has not come to our attention that the same context, he told the assembled members of Burt, elected National Secretary Fact or Fancy.
Union, after the meeting, addressed an indignant pro Parliament. The assumptions of an unforgettable of the Socialist Party at its last Labor is gouging capital, de of the confessional, and there test to the New York Police Commissioner and Mayor past are not always the surest guide to an unpredict officially the chief executive of It is piracy, buccaneering. He La Guardia against the vicious anti labor conduct of able future.
the police cordon around the Garden.
Two nights later, Dr. Mecklencer of Norman Thomas party. claimed that Minneapolis workers burg made an appeal over the As is known, Acting Mayor Newbold Morris, the 11That was a year ago. Last Wednesday Leslie Hore has become assistant pastor to had come to him with informa radio to all persons who might lustrious partisan of Democracy, gave a protesting Belisha appeared again in Parliament. This time he Dr. George Mecklenburs pastor tion about union racketeering. have information against the Gendelegation organized by the Socialist Workers Party told the assembled members that the British Govern Methodist church of this city.
of the prosperous Wesley Temple and that legitimate business was eral Drivers Union to get in touch the lun around at City Hall, and refused to see or paying tribute to the unions.
with him.
hear it. Did the Civil Liberties Union also send a ment is planning to send 300, 000 men to France as News his appointment was But the demand of Vincent delegation of protest to City Hall? If It did, we have soon as the approaching slaughter bursts over the published by the local press on Dunne and questioners in the the enmity of organized labor by In 1932 Mecklenburg Incurred heard nothing about it. It would be interesting to learn March The blographical Infor audience, that Mecklenburg cite attempting to channelize the unif it had as much success in protesting against labor 300, 000 men! That is four times the size of mation provided by Rev. Burt to specific Instances of racketeering employed into a being deprived of its rights, as it had in getting the self help organthe press, as published by the was evaded by the reverend with ization under his control at the police to assure the rights of the Nazia. And in the the expeditionary army which Britain sent to die in Journal and the Star, was: alternative case, it would also be interesting to learn France in 1914. He has held pastorates in AMERICAN FUND church. He paid the unemployed why the Union made no protest at all.
for their work in scrip exchange The crosses in Flanders field will quadruple their inois and Wyoming, served as rows in the new war. That is what capitalist democyoung people secretary of the ASKS NAMES ON able for food and clothing at fanboard of education in the Methodcy prices The labor movement racy means! The unforgettable past will avenge ist church and worked for the itself with four times its fury on those who did forget. board of home missions. He will this scab enterprise.
Why did Hore Belisha assure the people of Great have charge of the youth pro. Special to the Socialist Appeal) Strikebreaker Preceded Burt The Press Britain last year that his war plans did not contem gram at the church and will as NEW YORK, Mar. Thou Burt predecessor as assistant plate sending them to die in France? Any capitalist tor, in pastoral work.
By ARTHUR HOPKINS sist Dr. George Mecklenburg. Pas sands of signatures are being pastor, Rev. Brown, tried to block diplomat can provide the answer to that question.
gathered by the American Fund the famous July August, 1934 gen. have read my Bible every day of my life since In his first appearance before for Political Prisoners and eral strike of truckdrivers by the days of my youth, in the days of peace and the Public opinion was not yet drugged enough. The war the church congregation, which Refugees to a petition addressed calling a rump meeting of drivers. days of war, declares Major General Bobble, machine was not yet ready to be launched at the was broadcast over the radio, the to the President and Congress, The Drivers Union marched in who heads the defense of Singapore. Wonder what he throats of the opposing capitalist camp.
Rev. Burt ended his prayer with: demanding that all natives of and took over the meeting.
does when he comes across the fifth commandment. Bring thy Kingdom on earth in India residing in the United The Wesley Temple congregaNow a year later the time draws swift at hand our time.
States be granted the right to tion is one of the wealthiest in Secretary of State Cordell Hull says: The present when the ordinary people, the workers, the farmers, Pastor Anti Labor become naturalized citizens. this part of the country.
form of American government, in which congress has must lift rifles for their masters. England is almost Burt superior, Rev. Mecklen The petition was drawn up by the final control over declaration of war, has proven ready. She has divided the country into twelve dis burg, is a notorious enemy of the the India Welfare League, a Rev. Burt, as the National Sec. its wisdom and practibility. There was no question tricts each with its totalitarian dictator. She is putting he devoted his Sunday afternoon which represents the interests working class organization, retary, was Norman Thomas more acuately before the minds and purposes of the the finishing touches on the greatest assembly of chief aide in expelling the left founding fathers of this republic than of keeping the radio broadcast to a denunciation of more than 12, 000 persons wing of the Socialist Party in American people out of war. Lying like a scholar and death dealing machines in history of the British Minneapolis unions es racket born in India who have immi 1937. The expulsion was designed gentleman to save the honor of his whorish mistress eering organizations. On June 23, grated into the United States to prevent the left wing from tak. American Imperialism.
Now the people must be informed that they are he opposed Vincent Dunne, or and who under the provisions ing over the party at the next conganizer for General Drivers Un of the Exclusion Act of 1917 to die.
vention. Those expelled consti WORK AND PRAY LIVE ON HAY ion Local 514, in a debate: Min are denied the right to become tuted the Socialist Workers Party, John Edgerton, president of the National Assoch History sometimes repeats itself, but rarely in the naturalized citizens.
ation of Manufacturers, explains how he gets efficiency same context. Yes, Mr. Hore Belisha, history does FLASH!
Write to the American Fund Horror Item: Chief of the or into his workers. am proud to say that morning repeat itself. on more violent and bloody levels. Dr. Francis Townsend, origina for Political Prisoners and Ref ganization (of Nazi propaganda) prayer exercises in my factory (in Tennessee) have tor, too, of a unique pension plan, And the blood bath you are preparing will end in ugees, Room 1609, 100 Firth is cultured Dr. Goebbels, proba had the finest economie effects. Workers are producdenounces Downey 30 every Avenue, for blank petitions to bly the best educated and most ing far more good than before the prayer system was drowning you and all your kind in the coming work Thursday plan as wholly imprac circulate among your fellow talented member of the Nazi up started some years ago. See Joe Hill, the Wobbly ers revolution in Great Britain. tical and absurd workers.
per. circle.
song writer, for comment.
300, 000 Men SP Rev. Sec y Burt Joins Anti Labor Where Was the s Protest Delegation?
that Britain slaughter of her citizens in 1914 need Pastorate to Bring Heaven on Earth gress of Labor Let Them Eat Cake world.
INDIAN PETITION ay drove Hocklenburg out of Labor Looks Through Government officials have cooked up a new experi.
ment in regimenting that guinea pig, the hapless worker on relief, according to press dispatches last week from Washington On April Fool Day, after the first big slash in relief rolls has been instituted, the remaining guineapigs will have their allowances divided into two portions if the plan is put into effect. One half will be paid in cash. The other half will be paid in orange colored scrip which can be exchanged only at grocery stores and only for food products.
An extra allowance of blue colored scrip will be issued at the same time. This scrip will be exchangeable only for products declared surplus by the Federal Surplus commodities Corporation. The surplus product during any particular week might be anything from sausage casings to baled straw.
Neither the blue colored nor the orange colored scrip can be used for clothing, for rent, fuel, shoes, transportation, for books, magazines, or newspapers, or for the grave emergency situations that occur at times in every family sudden illness or death. Many relief families, said the officials, now spend too little for food. Under the new program they would be forced to increase their food expenditures to the point required for minimum health standards.
If this theory holds true, the next step will be to cut the cash allowance to one fourth. This would Empire.