Tuesday, March 21, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL By Dwight Macdonald OFF THE Hitler Seizes Slovakia; March RECORD Eastward Threatens the Ukraine At long laat, after many delays and false alarms, Daniel Guerin Fascism and Big Business ta off the press. am informed by persons whose testimony believe to be reliable that they have seen with their own eyes a large number of copies neatly plled up in the offices of Pioneer Publishers. Considering that wrote the introduction and helped get out the book, it is perhaps unnecessary to my that consider it a most Important work. We have had a flood of books on fascism, which in liberal circles has become the new demonology, but Fascism and Big Business stands out both as to form and content. Simply written, clearly organized, it should be of great use in workers educational and discussion groups.
Guerin analyzes the phenomenon of fascism in Marxist terms. That is, he deals not in backstairs gossip nor in Freudian psychology, but in basie economic factors. His primary question is always: who profits? He helps explode a myth hich become a platitude certain libera quarters: that fascism is a form of state socialism, that Hitler and Mussolini are middle class revolutionists, that the iron hand of the fascist state rests as heavily on business as on inbor, etc.
These propositions Guerin buries under landslide of data as to the casentially capitalist nature of fascism. An especially interesting chapter he devotes to the struggle for power between the fascist plebeians and their big business masters. He shows that even though the plebeians seem to control entirely the State power, in fact when the real showdown comes (the Party reorganizations of 1923, 1925, and 1928 in Italy; the 1934 Blood Purge in Germany) the plebeians always knuckle under, and he shows why this must necessarily be the case. Above all, Guerin makes clear in copious detall that fascism can be fought only by the united, milltant power of the workers. After reading his account of how the progressive governments of Giolitti and Braening handed over the power to the fascists without a murmur, it takes an airtight closed mind to continue to believe in reformist political action, Guerin Marxist economic ana lysis leads him straight to the conclusion that the fascist drive to power can be smashed only by its natural enemy: the working class.
It Has Happend Here Guerin writes of Italy and Germany. but our own experience bears out his points. There was the recent Nazi Bund meeting in Madison Square Garden, for instance. What could express better the policy of the Stalinists and the other reformist and liberal groups towards this incipient fasciat threat than these words of Guerin: Let us be careful not to reply to fascist violence, the reformist leaders said in both Italy and Germany: we should arouse public opinion against us. Above all, let us avoid forming combat groups and semi military bodies, for we should riak antagonizing the public authorities, who, we are confident, will dissolve the semi military groups of fascism. And what could be more PEACE OVERTURES HOLLYWOOD TO MIAJA MANUILSKY EXPANDS ON STALIN; JUNTA BY SPANISH WINS DEFEATS THROUGH SILENCE MERRY GO ROUND MEN AND WOMEN OF LABOR Out of the Past (Continued from Page 1)
closely applicable to the Madison Square Garden NAZI THUGS HAVE DOOMED CZECHOSLOVAKIA JEWS TO THIS!
affair, where the 50, 000 workers and other antishocked by the swift, sudden coup fascists who demonstrated under leader of his axis partner. And because ship against the Bund were attacked and disMussolini wants it, Hitler may persed again and again by La Guardia policepermit that common frontier to what could be more pat than this quotation from stand for a brief time. If, hower, Guerin: They counted, not on the militancy of his plans call for Immediate ad.
the masses but on the Prussian police. But vance toward the oil fields of the forces of Law and Order backed up the Rumania and thence toward the Brown Shirts. For Berlin Sportspalast, 1982 granaries of the Ukraine, we may be sure it will not stand for long.
Harried map makers would be Patching Up the Barrel well advised to wait before rushRadek once wrote: Fascism is the iron hoop ing new gazetects to the presses.
Mussolini has been left holding with which the bourgeoisie tries to patch up pretty empty bag. He had sucbroken barrel of capitalism. great many peoceeded in keying up London and ple these days waste much time in demonstrating that an iron hoop is not the most comfortParis to the expectation of early demands for a Mediterranean able thing in the world. They reason that since Munich, but he was retarded by the business man under fascism suffers from all sorts of burenucratic restrictions, he is sorry he Hitler seeming passivity. Hitler, ever heard of Adolf Hitler. Therefore, scism is with an eye on British and American rearmament, did not regard not a class phenomenon. One more article a Mediterranean offensive, at the along this line appears in the current issue of moment, as offering him suffiHarpers: Doing Business in Germany by Gun he thrust ther Reimann. The interesting thing about Reicient advantages, eastward on his own and won mann article is although he thinks he is proving that the business man gets it in the neck enormous strategic gains without firing shot.
under Hitler, the actual data he brings up tends to confirm Guerin analysis of the class nature Not the least of the loot was the of fascism. Thus Guerin writes that heavy indusarms and equipment for 40 divisions, brought with the voted aptry (steel, iron, coal, etc. for good economic proval of the Czech Communist reasons backs the fascist drive for power, while light Industry (textiles, foods, and other conParty and paid for mostly with funds provided by the French sumer goods) in general opposes fascism until government with the voted sup.
it grows too strong to be peacefully suppressed, port of the French Communist at which point light and heavy Industrialists Party. Hitler also got the great unite to place the fascists in power. Reimann Skoda munitions plants, ore and article tells how the heavy Industrialists, due Inrgely to the rearmament program, are proscoal mines, gold stocks, foreign exchange reserves and an open pering as never before, while by comparison the manufacturer of consumer goods appears as an road into Hungary, Rumania and Poland.
unhappy Cinderella. Guerin shows how the fascists hand back to private ownership many enNext on Program Thus in less than three years, terprises formerly operated by the State.
by a polley of open power politics, Finally, Guerin demonstrates that the condi Hitler has destroyed the Verenilles tion of the small shopkeepers and petty bourstructure created by the World geois who flocked to Hitler banner became War vietora over the corpses of worse, not better, after their Fuehrer took pow.
CRISIS, produced and directed 20, 000, 000 dead. He re occupied er. Reimann calls the small retailer the most The second big feature of the, a series of Popular Front govern by Herbert Kline, photographed the Rhineland, took back the (Continued from Page 1)
depressed and the most restricted business man 18th congress of the Communist ments. Manuilsky finds no need by Alexander Hackenschmied, Saar, recreated Germany armed points: in Germany. This is his major argument, in The Communist party did not Party of the Soviet Union was the to analyze these events. Instead, commentary by Vincent Sheban, fact, to support his thesis that Nazism is not forces, absorbed Austria, the Supresented at the 55th Street Play the shield of private property. But it is, to any detenland, and now has gone be make a decision to revolt against lengthy speech of Manuilsky. he blames the reactionary bour published in the geoisie of France and England, house, New York City.
yond to swallow the countries Miaja Party units, attacked by Daily Worker, March 13. e. precisely those whom the the least, mlaleading to jump small shopkeepers carved out of the defunct Austro the Junta, merely defended them and steel magnates under one head as capitalIt followed slavishly, of course, Popular Front polley was sup Herbert Kline and those assoista. In fascist Germany, as Guerin abundantly Hungarian Empire. Next on his selves. As soon as possible, they cut the line laid down in Stalin posed to render impotent! These ciated with him have brought program and there will be no demonstrates and as Reimann himself indicates, those who control the very heart of modern lengthy intermission will be Me. short the fighting, having no in spatele Appeleze duur des love inspektoration or the preparamente entre los back a film chronicle of those. capitalism, the big Industrial magnates, are still and the Ukraine.
ing the struggle to the point of arate commentary on a number enjoyed the support of the Peo that marked the first phase of the ple Pront. Was that capitula break up of Czecho Slovakia.
Armly in the saddle. What is really happening in German business, writes Reimann, Add to this Nazi program of overthrowing Minja. The main of points: Where Is Dimitroff! tion not to be foreseen, was it One sees everything within the gradual fusion between private enterprise and expansion the natural aspira forces under Communist military tions of Italy in the Mediter leaders were not brought into the The totalitarian regime exist not actually foreseen by all real State bureaucracy. or, to put it another way, ranean, the development of acute fighting.
the capitalist magnates retain their class suing in the Communist Internation Marxists, did not the Fourth In power of a single cameraman to The Communist party was in al is revealed by the appearance ternationalists predict that Dels record, from the beginnings of premacy by taking over the state.
tension between the Soviet Union and Japan likely to flower into fundamental agreement with the at the Russian party congress of dier and the progressive bour the crisis in May all the way full blown crisis next month Miaja Junta for making peace Manuilsky as Secretary of the geolsle would inevitably betray? through to the fateful Four Power Who And did not the Stalinists de meeting at Munich. The film is a and one realizes how hopelessly with Franco, but speaking of an Communist International.
enmeshed the world has become honorable peace, Only after elected him? When? Titles come nounce, us, and in no way warn powerful document, evoking all in Imperialist rivalries and how they were assaulted, did the com and go in the Comintern without the masses of what was to come the explosive elements which six months ago close it is to a new imperialist munist party leaders discover a even the pretence of democratic Manuilsey blandly goes on to seemed perilously near bursting war.
tactical difference on how to seelections. This is Manuilsky pleasanter subjects.
But the commentary, written by Accepting this now as an infirst appearance under this title. Applying the Popular Front cure the best peace.
Vincent Sheean, is quite another evitability and knowing no way Stalinist press claims that they where is Dimitroff holmsman Manuilsky says that appll. matter. It is nothing else than an of averting it, the iberal Pacl and Negrin were for a last ditch of the Comintern. cation of the Popular Front tac expression of sterile anger at the fists and democrats in the demo fight are thus blasted by the tes The Secretary of the Comte has given rise to certain policy pursued by the European cratic countries have become the timony of their own Spanish lead munist International, making a tendencies of Right opportunist democracles toward little Czecho, BY EMANUEL GARRETT most rabid partisans of preparing ers. They had no principled dir. oport to Panty congress on the nature to tendency to abate Slovakia. Mr. Shocan la pained seat in the Commune. Again sentenced to a life that will assure Anglo Franco fascist Minja Junta, and the week after the seizure of power vocating capitulation. The ten was given up without carrying term, he was freed in 1879 after a great agita American domination in the world United Press was probably correct by the Casado Maja Popular dency to idealize the role of the to the pointo imperialist war.
tion for his release which ended in his election in preference to German Italian in reporting, the day after the Front Junta and while it was in so called democratic states and as a deputy. For the remaining two years of his Japanese domination.
Junta took power, that the Com the midst of shooting down pro of glossing over their imperialist partnership of democratic France ure, he edited a journal. Neither God, Nor Clean Out Swamp!
Master!
We say the workers of the support to the Junta, But Minja ticularly Communist Party mom. the capitalist countries are not a defense of that partnership has not a word to say about sufficiently prepared support, and abrupt meant the defense of the demo Advocated Proletarian Dictatorship world have nothing in common rejected their cratic robbers against the Nazi with the greeds and appetites of launched an attack upon them, this event which demonstrated the turns in events.
There was more however to Blanqul than either of these bands of capitalist for one of the primary purposes of hopeless bankruptcy of Peoples thus chastised for. translating Sheean stripe are now in postof the singleness of purpose, loyalty and self sacrifice gangsters the one that will fight establishing the Junta was to Frontism.
Congresses, in the Stalinist sys Pravda editorials. Human Intion where, unable to present any Few men have ever been more resolutely devoted to protect its swag, or the other throw the Stalinists to the wolves to the cause of the oppressed than was Blanqui that want to hijack that swag for in the hope of thereby securing tem, are a time for self congrat. genuity has not yet learned to program for averting the horror ulation. How possibly congratu. anticipate what Stalin has not yet of war, they become its most who never for a moment wavered despite per itself. Our job in this country is better concessions from Franco.
secution and hounding. But Blanqui contributed to make it impossible for our late themselves on the Spanish de thought about. Now that Salin shameless partisans, Threaten Resistance hacle? By the simple expedient has made a half turn away from It is of some note that when more to the working class than an incorruptible bosses to drag us into another spirit and a body wracked by revolutionary laFranco continued insistence on of saying nothing about the Misja the democracles, they become so the film showed a band of re war to save the world for demo unconditional surrender and pre. Junta, nothing about its assault called democratic states and fugees stranded in no man land bors. Blanqui brought French socialism the cracy. The last one produced parations for life blood of the class struggle. In that Fascism, starvation, unemploy. Madrid may be the cause of the on the Communist Party of Spain! the servile flunkies everywhere on the Czech Polish frontier, must take the blame for having woman in the audience shrieked, he may be said to have the bridge between ment, and a new war is upon us compromise between the Junta frontery to report that the mira said what he told them to say shame. of admission of rethe Utopian philosophers. political reaction This way and this way alone will and the Stalinists. The reappear cle of holding out in Spain is previously.
arios, he called them) and the fighting Marxista.
enable us to cut across the foul ance of the Spanish Stalinist press Most important, however, is that he was national and race rivalries nou may be notice by the Miaja Junta because the masses of the people in the usual Stalin method of Soviet Union, Mr. Shoean, of in Spain have been united into preparing for a turn, Manuilsky course, said nothing.
ished on the greeds of the masto Franco that if he does not among the first to advocate te in action the dicta.
the anti fascist Peoples Front, digs up a quotation from the torship of the proletariat. Unforunately, a stigma tera, to join hands with the work grant their request for amnesty, that this front has been cemented Stalin of 1927 which, had he or has been attached to his theories which belittles ers of all lands and with them they will reunite with the Stalin together by the Communist Par. any other flunky dared repeat bei CROSSROADS, produced by Francaise, story by the tremendous value they had in the middle of the last century. It was his view that the workswamp in which it breeds the That tomorrow Miaja will again ty, which has grown into a major tween 1935 and yesterday, would Kafka, directed by Kurt Bernswamp of the capitalist system.
have cost him his head: British ers and declansed bourgeoisie had to band tothrow the Stalinists to the wolves At the moment when the Span capitalism has always been, and hardt, with Charles Vanel, Jules gether, arm themselves, seize power, disarm the in return for minor concessions ish section of the Comintern is will continue to be the most vile Berry and Suzy Prim. At the bourgeoisie and establish a working class dietafrom Franco must be obvious to being hounded by its loyal al executioner of popular revoluFilmarte, New York City.
torship. Inasmuch as communism cannot be inthe Stalinists. But their main lles. its best militants shot down tions. Thus Stalin warns Cham.
It may be remarked that while troduced by decree (he overlooked his own warnpreoccupation now is not the lives or executed. Manuilsky boasts berlain Daladier that he will not the current feature at the Filming on this score. it would be the duty of the of thelr Spanish party members new government to educate the masses to combut the preservation of the Popu. party which has mastered in fun their course. What will he do? wood would have committed mayabout its 300, 000 members, a remain passive if they continue arte is Hollywood stuff, Hollymunism. The actual seizure of power need not lar Front myth.
seriousness Comrade Stalin wise His poo poohing of possibilities hem upon it. As It stands, or runs, involve the bulk of the masses; it would be ac(Continued from Page 1) if they can patch things up advice. Satire stands de of German designs on the UK Crossroads is a highly engrosswith. complished by a conscious minority that would it necessary. They suggested callagaint such brazen raine, reiterated by Manuilsky, ing motion picture.
win over the majority after the transfer of ing in state and local relief ad afterward the peace means, that, once he gives up Briefly, it is the story of a man power had been accomplished.
ministratots in order to question whereas to fight Miaja would Few Perfunctory Words hope of an alliance with the who was shell shocked during the them. They wished to learn from mean to admit publicly that the Even in the days when Stalin democracies, he will turn to war and after many years is reLifted Utopian Fog first hand sources how the unSpanish Popular Front has beminded of his pre war origin. At It is possible to explain at great length the employed would react to a slash trayed the fight against fascism, and his henchmen were covering Hitler.
up their criminal policies resultfirst unable to believe that he is Polish Party Dissolved as large as they hope to obtain flaws in this theory. Today we know that the ing in such disasters as the de Nearly a year after capitalist merely Jean Pelletier, one time great majority of the working class must be The Only Answer REMAINDERS feat of the Chinese Revolution press reports on the subject, never common thief, he nevertheless won over to revolutionary action by a well conFor all those on relief there is Journey to the End of the (1927. the memory of the original denied or confirmed by the Sta submits himself to a thorough ceived plan of action. Without the support of the only one way of safeguarding Nigh Louis Ferdinand methods of Lenin and Trotsky in linist press. Manuilsky partially search concerning his real iden masses, the revolution cannot possibly succeed, their checks, that is by militant Celine. 50)now 58 the Comintern were still so pre. confirms the fact that the Polish tity.
or defend itself from attack.
The chief character is acted mass demonstrations of protest valent, that the Salinists went Communist Party has been dis.
The Crisis of the Middle Class all rellet headquarters on April 1, But his views in the context of their generathrough the motions of drawing solved: The Communist Party with great sincerity and under Lewis Corey 760 tion helped lift the fogginess of utopian hopes the day the first cuts are a balance sheet of events as they of Poland was most affected by statement by Charles Vanel. On scheduled Europe In Arms Liddell Hart from the working class movement. Like Marx he occurred. By today, however, the enemy elements. Agents of Polish the whole, it is a worthy two 750 Demand all war funds to the the cinema by most terrible defeats are passed fascism had succeeded in gaining hours spent at was primarily concerned with the world around unemployed! jobs at The War in Outine Liddell over with a few perfuctory words, positions of leadership in the those who would escape being him, and how to destroy it, and not with the union wages for all unemployed; Hart 760 world to be.
with no pretence at estimating the Communist party. ustify the mangled by the star spangled a blanket 30 minimum: 2, 000. Travels in Two Democracles causes and the lesson of the dissolution by the external inter offerings now showing elsewhere.
And if today with the greater precision and 000, 000 public works program; Edmund Wilson 750 future.
vention the Comintern appara Nat Levine understanding of Marxism, we can give more opening of all idle factories to be SPECIAL Collected Works of The Stalinists, through the tus, Manuilsky says: And it was complete and adequate answer to the problem of operated with government subsimedium Lenin volumes 95 the Peoples Front, the fault of the Communist work.
how to seize power, it is nevertheless well worth AT YOUR SERVICE!
dies under workers control.
delivered the French masses Into ers that they allowed themselves pausing for a moment to pay tribute to the LABOR BOOK SHOP THE APPEAL And no cuts whatever not a the hands of Deladier. From June, to be deceived by class enemies, contributions and devotion of truly great single worker taken from the 28 East 12th St.
proletarian leader, Auguste Blanqui.
1936, until the Munich pact, the that they failed to unmask the POSTER SHOP Add 3c per book for postage rolls!
Stalinists supported continuously latter maneuvers in time.
LOUIS AUGUSTE BLANQUI (Feb. 1, 1805. Jan. 1, 1881. For the realization of this emancipation of the workers, this abolition of the classes, aim of the social revolution it is neceasary that the bourgeoisie be deprived of its pontCAIOA privilege by which it ts necessary duntains a period of ary dictatorship for the proletariat to employ for its freeing the power till then used against it, to turn against its adversary the very weapons that till then have held it down in oppression.
Nineteenth century France was chock full of people who had worked up beautiful schemes for the betterment of society. Some of them added to their pictures of a future perfect worla a really vivid and potent criticism of contemporary society, thus answering in part the demands of the masses. Virtually all of these schemers, Utopians, were found wanting when events, the successive series of revolutions which culminated in the Paris Commune, actually required leadership and program.
The truth was that organizers of a futuro no real idea of how their own world operated, or what to do about it; they were not, in short, revolutionists. AN, that is, except a few, and of these few, one in particular. That one was Louis Auguste Blanqui who was in every sense of the word a real revolutionist, and who paid for his convictions and activities with forty years imprisonment.
Masters Held Him Prisoner Blanqul was born into a family whose mem.
bers had been active participants in the great French Revolution of 1789. Before he was twenty, he joined a conspirative insurrectionist society Revolution of 1830. From then on, he was a u he the prominent and leading figure in every revolu.
tionary action of the French masses up to the day of his death.
Sentenced to death after an abortive attempt at insurrection in 1839, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment. Released shortly before the Revolution of 1848 (because his jailers expected him to die. he advocated a more so.
cialist policy in the conduct of the revolution, and criticized the conlition government that was then established. Arrested again, he was interned until 1859. Released, he began to organize se.
cretly, and built up a secret armed force of 4, 000 men.
On the eve of the Paris Commune, on March 17, Thiers who was preparing seize the arms of the Paris National Guard, had him arrested Though kept under lock and key by Thiers, who knew his enemy well, Blanqui was elected to a PLAN SUBMITTED TO SLASH Franco. smugness.
at