What Lies Behind Stalin Bid For Agreement With Hitler?
SOCIALIST APPEAL Vol. III, No. 19 March 28, 1939 Published twice a week by the SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS at 116 University Place, New York, NY.
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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. 30. The Uses Of Terrorism hour weekly maximum for all workers on all jobs. Thirty dollar weekly old age and disability pen.
sion. 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.
II. Workers Defense Guards against Vigilante and Fascist attacks.
Billions For Gunpowder the gress.
tange guns and other instruments for the destruction Stalinists Hurt SOCIALIST APPEAL Tuesday, March 28, 1939 ment granting the hour day, walked off all jobs in their territory operated by the Master Plumbers of the Bronx and Manhattan. All plumbing work on new construction is tied up tight in Manhattan and the Bronx.
Work at the World Fair is at a standstill. The Plumbers are in an excellent position to win all their Diplomatic Circles Of All Capitalist Countries Are demands. But they must keep a watchful eye on Now Considering Possible Moscow. Berlin Axis; the International officers and guard against any attempt to arbitrate away the six hour day.
What Does It Mean To Workers Of The World. By Max Shachtman Encouraging indeed to labor everywhere is the In recent months, the newspa state and an imperialist state, and would thereby render more whole hearted support accorded the striking plumbers pers have printed a good deal con including a Fascist one, are in difficult a rapprochement between When they cannot conveniently find anything else and helpers by Local No. International Brotherhood cerning secret negotiations be general permissible, and if so, Moscow and London. The presence to say against Trotskyism, the amateur wits among our opponents in the labor movement try to make of Electrical Workers. This local which has already been rumored that a political and this question. in its abstract signifies a direct and an imme merry over our international organization. It does won the hour day is engaged in a big campaign even a military agreement in the form has lost all meaning today. diate censorship exercised by im not, you see, have a million members in its ranks; it to spread the fight. They have issued buttons, leaflets. guise of an economic treaty is in In question is not a worker perialism over the actions of the does not have a powerful and well financed apparatus: stickers and sent out speakers to other locals. Their preparation. It is difficult to state, in general, but a degener. Labour Party. Under the cover of and it does not always function with that perfect slogan is The 30 hour Week Practical Solution in these communications. At all state. The nature of an agreement, able to render all the necessary unanimity displayed, let us say, by a Stalinist Congress.
for Unemployment.
events, there are quite unmistak. its aims and its limits, depend services to British imperialism. Now, all this is true. But it is no less true that The example shown by the Plumbers and Electrical able symptoms which testify to directly upon those who conclude STALIN TRADES THE our International, which has suffered for more than workers must be followed by unions everywhere. the fact that some sort of nego such an agreement. Lenin gov. WORKERS MOVEMENT ten years from a double barrelted persecution such as The fundamental trait of Stalno section of the labor movement has ever experiWith the same spirit and determination which the tiations have been and are going ernment might have been comon. In any case, the outcome of pelled in Brest Litovsk to conclude in international policy in recent enced, has nevertheless succeeded in preserving and trade unions of America started the fight for the hour these secret negotiations, at the a temporary agreement with Ho years has been this that he tioning in the world today. It is simply a statement day years ago, organized labor must today take up present stage, depends, not upon henzollern in order to save the trades in the working class moveextending the only revolutionary organization functhe fight for the six hour day and the day week. Stalin loyalty to the principles revolution. Stalin government is ment just as he trades in oil, of fact when we say that the banner of the Fourth Division in labor ranks is an obstacle to that fight. of democracy nor upon Hitler capable of entering into agree manganese and other goods. In International is now unfurled in almost two score For a United Labor Movement!
fealty to the banner of anti ments only in the interests of the this statement there is not an countries, and on every continent of the globe. The Third International has no banner; its sections are Against unemployment and starvation!
Marxism but rather upon the ruling Kremlin clique and only to iota of exaggeration. Stalin looks international conjuncture. An the detriment of the interests of upon the sections of the Comintern able to wave only the pay checks of the Kremlin Forward to the 30 hour week!
agreement between Stalin and Hit the international working class. in various countries and upon the bureaucracy or their respective national capitalist Hail the fighting ranks of Local No. 463!
ler, if attained and there is the agreements between the liberating struggle of the op flags. As for the Second International, the only banner nothing impossible in that coula Kremlin and the democracies pressed nations as so much small its sections have in common is the white flag astonish only the most hopeless meant for the respective sections change in deals with imperialist surrender simpletons from among all the of the Communist International powers.
varieties of democratic Fronts the renunciation of the cines When he requires the aid of Very Quiet Funeral and pacifist Leagues.
struggle the strangulation of France, he subjects the French There is of course the Lovestone International.
In a report just made public, the Senate Civil Liber FACTOR IN revolutionary organizations, the proletariat to the Radical bour More accurately, there was for it is now at an end.
ties Committee reveals a picture of terrorism and vio INTERNATIONAL POLITICS support of social patriotism and, geoisie. When he has to support And it would be hard to imagine a quieter funeral, lence in industrial warfare that should confound once We shall not dwell here on the in consequence, the destruction of China against Japan, he subjects so few are the mourners at its bler and so nonchalant and for all the assertions of apologists for capitalism agreement between Stalin and tage of the class struggle of the Kuomintang. What would he do made in the current issue of the Workers Age, and the gravediggers. The announcement of the burlal is that in America there are no classes and that the Hitler, or, to put it more correctly. French proletariat.
in the event of an agreement with since it is a family affair in Potter Field there is American way is the democratic and peaceful way. between Hitler and Stalin in the KREMLIN CLIQUE Hitler? Hitler, to be sure, does not even a request for flowers.
We refer to the planned, deliberate, premeditated immediate future. This question CRUSHES WORKERS not particularly require Stalin Although the death seems to have occurred in the use of terrorism and violence by employers in the would require a detailed analysis The agreement with Chians assistance to strangle the German bright daylight of December 19, 1938, there were United States. We refer to their conscious, calculated on its possible variants. But liquidation of the revolutionary cant state in which the latter evidently so many more important trifles to take care purchase of revolvers, shot guns, rifles, gas guns, even if this were done, the answer peasant movement, the renuncia Ainds itself has moreover been 18of that Lovestone didn get around making the announcement until three months later. In the interammunition, and hand grenades with which they plan would still have to be rigidly tion by the Communist Party of sured by its entire preceding pol vening period Lovestone was so busy clinging to long in advance to spill the blood of the human beings qualified, inasmuch as the players its last vestiges of independence icy. But it is very likely that Stal Homer Martin heels, from which he has just been who work under their domination.
themselves could hardly state to and the official replacement of in would agree to cut off all unceremoniously kicked away, that the corpse of his day with complete certainty just Marxism by Sun Yat Senism. The subsidies for illegal work in GerThe arming of the capitalist class is not just an where the play will lead them. semi agreement with Poland sig many. This is one of the most International was allowed to lie around without even public notice of its demise.
isolated racket that can be stamped out with a few well But even before the rapproche nifled the destruction of the Po minor concessions that he would We learn now that last December 19, Lovestone meaning laws. Capitalists laugh at such laws. The use ment between Moscow and Berlin lish Communist Party and the an. have to make and he would be National Committee wrote a letter to the German of arms, private thugs, organized murder, terrorism has been factually attained, it has inihilation of its leadership. Every quite willing to make it. Brandlerites (C. which, in effect, called the whole and violence forms the core of their strategy in mainbecome a factor in international agreement of the Kremlin clique THE FEBRUARY 20 thing off. The reasons seem to be the mistaken politics, for all the diplomatic cen with a foreign bourgeoisie is im ANTI NAZI DEMONSTRATION organizational methods employed by Brandler in taining their stream of super profits.
ters of Europe and the world are mediately directed against the One should also assume that the dealing with his own dissidents, and a dispute over The war for a peaceful system of life does not lie in now taking this possibility into proletariat of that country with noisy, hysterical and hollow cam the attitude of the International Communist Opposithe direction pointed out by Roosevelt. It is right here account. Let us, too, briefly con which the agreement is made, as paign against Fascism which the tion (the Lovestone Brandler organization) towards well as against the proletariat of Comintern has been conducting sider this possibility, at home. And the enemy has been listed by name and the British Independent Labour Party. Brandler ap AN AGREEMENT The Bonapartist for the last few years will be slyly pears to favor support to his own tiny left wing in individual corporation in the report of the Civil Liber. WITH SLAVEHOLDERS gang in the Kremlin cannot sur squelched. It is noteworthy that the LL. Lovestone piously opposes boring from ties Committee.
An agreement with an imperial vive except by weakening, demor on February 20th when our within.
it is fascist or democratic is an iat everywhere within its reach. siderable masses of workers to Brockway as revolutionary socialists, where win you ist nation regardless of whether alizing, and crushing the proletar. American section mobilized con If you are so ready to reject such people as Fenner agreement with slave owners and COMINTERN POLICY fight against the American Nazis, ever find the people with and through whom a new exploiters. temporary agree IN GREAT BRITAIN the Stalintats refused point blank revolutionary International could possibly be built?
Following in close succession, two unions have quit course, be rendered compulsory is nowadays conducting agitation onstration which had nation wide ment of such nature may, of in Great Britain the Comintern to participate in the counter dem Our attitude is quite different. Our experience with Fenner and others like him (it is not a case of Brockthe in protest against union wrecking Stalinist by circumstances. It is impossible in favor of creating a People repercussions, and did everything way personally) convinces us that it is here we must leadership. First, the Executive Committee of the to state once and for all time that Front with the participation of in their power to minimize its im look for the cadres of the future.
Southern Tenant Farmer Union ordered all its locals agreements with imperialists are the liberals. At first glance such a portance, thereby giving ala to to withdraw from the United Cannery Workers, a impermissible under all and any policy appears to be absolutely in the American followers of Hitler. Painting Broadway Red conditions, just as it is impossible comprehensible. The Labour Par What is there behind this truly affiliate, after a referendum among its member to tell a trade union that it has ty represents a mighty organiza treacherous policy? Is it only conThe mental picture of Lovestone making a revolutionary Marxist out of old Fenner Brockway by butship. Then, 500 office workers in New York voted to no right under any conditions to tion. One could easily understand servative stupidity and hatred of tering his joints and stroking his locks, surpasses leave the United Office and Professional Workers Un conclude a compromise with the an urge on the part of the social. the Fourth International? Or is anything you can find in the comic strips. The real ion, and to apply to the for a charter. of to bosses of the LLP. are its incorrigible Parliamen nature would be sheerly, verbal. to it. But the liberals represent an example, the latest instruction Both the office workers and the tenant farmers made So long as the workers state utterly compromised and politi from Moscow recommending to disposes. He flouts the wordy radical decisions of tarians, like Maxton. The party proposes, but Maxton they are firm believers in the remains isolated agree cally second rate force. Moreover Messrs. Anti Fascists that they the party with Impunity, and doesn hesitate to blackmail the membership into submission to his private upon which the was founded. But in both extent or another are inevitable. In the struggle to maintain their interfere with the negotiations policy by threats about what the party would be with Moscow and Berlin cases, the workers, who constitute the progressive ele that the question reduces itself reject any idea of a bloc with the diplomats? This supposition is by out the blessings of his presence.
Brockway role in the past few years has been ment in their fields, found that the anti democratic to profiting from the antagonisms liberals, so as not to infect them no means far fetched. The next union leadership made the proper functioning of the between two gangs that of mediator between the Maxtonians and the imperialist selves with a gangrenous poison. few weeks will bring their verimilitant membership what left of it. That is, union impossible. No union can function, certainly not powers, and nothing more. There They are defending themselves fication.
he is the chain that binds the rank and file to Maxton militantly, under the stultifying whip of bureaucracy such agreements by means of expulsions against the idea of a WHAT THE AGREEMENT wagon. And Lovestone whole policy in England and class collaporation which are the chief features of common idealistic slogans, for People Front.
centers around constructing a revolutionary InternaCommunist Party union policy.
example, the common defense of WHY INCLUDE We can state one thing with tional with this incurable centrist. When he gets democracy. slogons which in LIBERAL SHADOWS: certainty. The agreement between Those militants who flocked to the with the through with Brockway or rather, when Brockway is through with him! his recent experience in trying Why then doesn the Comintern Stalin and Hitler would essenvolve nothing but the most intasincere hope of forging mighty mass unions have be mous deceit of the workers. It is confine itself to fighting for a col tially alter nothing in the counter to make a militant Jabor leader out of Homer Martin, fore them an object lesson. Unless the and essential that the workers in cap. laboration with the Labourites. revolutionary function of the and by the same methods, will look like a model success those principles which it stood for at its founding, are italist countries be not bound in Why does it instead invariably de Kremlin oligarchy. It would only Lovestone launches his inspiring campaign their class struggle against their mand the inclusion of the liberal serve to lay bare this function, to be completely lost, it is absolutely necessary to rid the unions of Stalinist influence. And that can best be own bourgeoisie by the empiric shadows of the past into the make it stand out more glaringly breaking with Brandler. We have already notifled agreements entered into by the united front? The crux of the and hasten the collapse of illu you of our proposal to dissolve the altogether accomplished by uniting in progressive groups which worker state. This fundamental matter lies in this, that the pol sions and falsifications. Our po and to have the constituent elements join with the can pit organized resistance against talinist domina rule was rigorously observed dur icy of the Labour party is far litical task does not consist in constituent elements of the London Bureau into a tion and policies. Where the structure of the union, or ing the first period of the exist too radical for the Kremlin. An saving Stalin from the embraces new International Center.
the control of the Stalinists, rules out the democratic ence of the Soviet republic alliance between the Communists of Hitler but in overthrowing both Balance Sheet of Lovestoneism LT.
However, the question of wheth and the Labourites might assume of them.
expression of membership will, there is a union er agreements between worker some shade of anti imperialism March 6, 1939 The old time Lovestoneite may well say: This is doomed to death where came in! He might also ask for an analytical union cannot possibly function for the best interbalance sheet of almost ten years of existence of the Lovestone Brandler International, which was not, ests of its membership if it is dominated by a clique praise the Lord, as sectarian as the Trotskyist world which thinks in terms of its own reactionary, factional movement. Since he will not get it from Lovestos necessities. In such a case, progressive unionists are (silence is golden. here it is in brief: forced to seek a path which will free them from the Roy, the Indian section, is now a 100 blight of Stalinism. The sharecroppers, who returned to Stalinist, without recognition from Stalin. David Wijn.
an independent status, and the office workers who rekoop. the Dutch section, is now a 100 Staliniat.
Another weapon for the build times are ripe for socialism, saysdian scribblers did admit the with recognition from Stalin. The whole Czech section turned to the acted in accord with that neces.
ing of the Fourth International the Program. And in a lucid dis size and the importance of the went to the Second International years ago. Willi sity movement has just been forged cussion of the situation in Canada demonstration. Some time later, Schlamm, the Austrian section, turned democratic with the formation in Canada of it lays down a course of action the Clarionites got the real patriot. The Swedish section turned social democratic the Socialist Workers League as which the revolutionary militants line that the New York had and is all but affiliated with the Second International an independent organization, and must follow to achieve socialism. sabotaged the demonstration. In The Alsatian section, Huber and Co. is pure Alsatian the publication of its paper, So In addition to the Program, the their next report, therefore, the nationalist withdrew from the The hoped cialist Action.
demonstration for French section Party of Proletarian Unity just One of the glorious principles of democracy didn materialize. The Swiss section in SchaffhauThe Canadian Trotskyist move first issue of Action publishes great anti Nazi sen is finished. The Mexican section vanished years which we will presently be asked to defend with ment which entered the Canadian among others, an article on the ganized by Trotskyite members of our lives, is freedom of the press. We are told that Commonwealth Federation two mine barons assault against the the Socialist Workers Party ago. In Latin America, nothing. In Africa, nothing In Asia, nothing. In Australia, nothing.
one of the features distinguishing a democratic nation years ago begins its independent living standards of the poor, and while 2, 000 police struggle to Left in the Lovestone plus Brandler. Now from a dictatorial nation is the freedom which is world history. Huge possibilities Canada. Particularly interesting of spectators who crowded the even that at an end. What Lovestone couldn recomexistence at a crucial moment in an article on the popular front in keep order among the thousands granted the press in the democratic nation.
lio before it.
however, for American readers is streets.
plish with Brandler, Thalheimer, Hais, Roy, Samuel was able an article on the Daily Clarion If all this is true, then France can be wiped from to publish a printed paper imme. Stalinist sheet) handling of the and publication with the warmest We greet our brother section son and colleagues, he is starting all over again to accomplish with Brockway, Maxton, Gorkin. and the list of the democracies. She has moved over into aiately upon its organization be. Feb. 20 anti Nazi demonstration. comradeship. Our hands are Balabanova, a We would send condolences to him on the recent death if the coolness with which he takes the loss a monopoly on destruction of liberty and human rights. it has had a demonstration of from Browder headquarters in ing of a gigantic edifice of revoAs a direct result of the decree powers handed over future successes in store for it New York, the Canadian scribes, lutionary action on the American didn show that he has no use for them.
We would wish him luck on his new enterprise if to Daladier last week, a whole series of laws muzzling Carl Hichin who was formerly read it in the papers, hailed the Forward to a weekly Socialist we didn realize that not even Lovestone he win the press are now being formulated. These laws one of the most important jour action of the thousands of anti Action.
pardon as the mangling of an old adage can make a ostensibly are in the interests of national defense. nalists of the Canadian Commu. Nazis who had surrounded Madisilk purse out of the London Bureau Long live the Socialist Workers but an idea of their true nature can be gained from nist Party. See Appeal, March aon Square Garden, To be sure, 14, Says social leader Elsa Maxwell: So utterly and they didn get the whole story League of Canada!
the fact that among other things they will prohibit Program of Action straight. In accord with their Long live the Fourth Interna irrevocably dead is the art of conversation what criticism of Hitler, Mussolini, or any other head of The publication of Socialist own imaginings, and cousinli tional!
Mr. Paul (Cholly Knickerbocker) nicknamed Cafe Soa government no matter how inhuman and brutal he action is an especially signal nees, the demonstration was reciety, that make it a point to have two orchestras at may be. So far as the workers press of France is deed. In its eight pages, Action ported as a protest at the dese AT YOUR SERVICE!
my parties because the twelve minute rest which the presents to the Canadian working cration of Washington memory.
musiciang union insists on is sufficiently long to kill concerned, these laws will completely suppress and THE APPEAL class a Program of Action based Well, we know that that quite any party. Nobody wants to listen to anyone for muzzle it if they do not immediately wipe it out of existence.
revolutionari socialism. on the lin this worst statement, the cana: POSTER SHOP knows, almost nobody in Care Society is able to talk it is impossible for anyone to estimate at the present time the eventual amounts which Congress will divert from the pockets of the unemployed to the war machine. Conservative commentators in Washington believe that before the present Congress adjourns it will go down in history not as the Economy Congress which it would like to call itself, but the National Defense (Imperialist War) ConThey predict that authorizations for direct expenditures on war planes, battleships, submarines, long of human life may reach 3, 000, 000, 000 for this session with appropriations for indirect expenditures bringing the total to not less than 4, 000, 000, 000 Hearings began this week, for instance, in a House committee upon one appropriation, the proposed naval budget, which alone, not considering other appropriations for the army, the air force, spies, secret diplo.
matic maneuvers, will amount to 755, 000, 000. That is 50, 000, 000 more than Congress has allowed for all the unemployed in the United States. And there is absolutely no indication whatsoever that the least cut will be made in this request for war funds.
Not since the last World War has any Congress dumped such vast sums of money down the gullet of the ravenous war beast.
And while these Washington representatives of the present ruling class shovel out funds by the billion in order to bomb cities, shoot down women and children, desolate whole nations in defense of their profits, they haggle among themselves over the possible repercussions still further reductions in the meager appropriations for the unemployed would bring about That the very person whom they now deny a meal, and a bed to sleep in will later die on a bayonet in defense of their profits does not move them in the least He a sucker, they say among themselves. So he fights and dies for the company stockholders.
So what? If he fool enough to do it, there no one to blame but himself.
Billions upon billions of dollars, a mighty torrent of money taken from the workers, money stolen from the cupboards of the needy, wasted for war by these 10, 000 a year Congressmen. For the unemployed, a kick in the stomach. That preliminary training for life in the army a little later. If the unemployed take it meekly, without saying anything, they deserve it don they?
Congress has its hands on unlimited funds. It can use those funds for any purpose it thinks necessary.
But only DEMONSTRATIONS will convince these stockholders watch dogs that it is necessary to feed people who are starving.
All war funds to the unemployed!
industrial uniorisne that is to say. these principles ments with the imperialien te onderhany use and into oneral procure Momente en procistes de totes bt Canada 4th Internationalists Begin Publication of Socialist Action Curbing the Press The Plumbers Strike The Socialist Appeal greets with enthusiasm the splendid struggle of Plumbers and Gasfitters Local No. 463 of Manhattan and the Bronx for the six hour day and retention of the present wage rate.
This strike, brought about by a revolt of the membership against an attempt of the Master Plumbers with the assent of the International leadership to put over the hour day and a 10 pay reduction, is but one indication of the rising temper of building trades workers against years of unemployment and chiselling on working conditions and wages.
Local No. 463 bas elected a strike committee, secured strike headquarters, elected publicity, picket and other committees; picketing by the membership is carried on throughout the city and they have issued the first number of a strike bulletin. Remember this is the Plumbers union.
Building Trades Workers generally are reported to be in solidarity with the Plumbers. Pickets were enthusiastically greeted everywhere. Members of Local No. Plumbers and Gas Fitters of Brooklyn and Queens, despite the fact that they bave an agree