Tuesday, April 4, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL By Dwight Macdonald OFF THE Turn Imperialist War Into Civil War. Lenin RECORD The Main Enemy Is in Your Own Country. Karl Liebknecht This is what The Things They Don Talk About Already we are getting a pre view of what is in store for the labor movement in the next war. They don talk about these things much in political speeches, they don print much about them in the papers, and so you very prob.
ably don even know they happening. You might think, for instance, that an army fighting for democracy would accept Negroes on equal terms with whites. You might think that when a nation goes off on a holy war for democracy.
the rights of its at home would be uits workers scrupulously guarded. You might think that, in such an idealistic enterprise, business men would not be allowed to make money out of their fellow citizens blood. But what happened last week in Congress when the Army Air Corps Expansion bill was passed shows that you would be wrong on all three counts. To itemize (1) The bill originally provided that at least one Army air school should train Negro pilots. Much distressed, reports Time, the Air Corps quietly went to work on Capitol Hill to get Negro aining killed. 2) The bill originally forbade the award of contracts for Arny planes to all firms which had been convicted of violating the Wagner Act.
The and the had joined forces to get this provision inserted. But as the bill was going through its final stages, the War Department emphatically demanded that this protection for labor be removed from the bill. It was. 3) There is a lot of talk in Congress about taking the profits out of war. Just what the honorable Congressmen mean was clearly enough shown when the Air Corps bil limited profits on all Army contracts to. 12. Those idealistie liberals who want us to act as policeman for the world seem to be forget ting as they did in 1917 that to fight a war, whether for democracy or not, you must turn the nation over to those experts in deaths: the munitions makers and the War Depan ment.
The next war will be a crusade for democi acy somewhere else Tom Girdler, Dove of Peace The steel industry abhors war and rervently hopes for peace, Tom Girdler, of Republic Steel Corp. and the Memorial Day Massacre, recently told a gathering of mining engineers. The impression prevails, he said sadly, that the steel industry looks eagerly at profits from war. That is not true. War brings no genuine prosperity to the steel industry.
It would be interesting to get Girdler definition of genuine prosperity. In 1917 Bethlehem Steel earned 54, 000, 000 and in 1918, 57, 000, 000. Steel earned 333, 000, 000 in 1916 and 530, 000, 000 in 1917, declaring in the latter year an extra dividend of 18. Coming down to the present, see by the papers that the Navy Department has signed contracts for 24, 000, 000 Only The Revolution Can Put An End To War!
MEN AND WOMEN OF LABOR Out of the Past In 1915 Lenin and Zinovlev collaborated in writing a pamphlet, Socialism and War, Karl Liebknecht together with Rosa Luxemburg were leaders from which the excerpt below is taken. The of the valiant band of revolutionary Internationalists in the great majority of the leaders of the InterGerman Spartakusbund. During the World War they fought worth of armor plate with three steel companies national socialist movement had turned. this being merely one of many such contracts traltor to the workers and become rabla against the capitalist slaughter and tried to organize the working involved in our current preparations to save patriots, but Lenin and Zinovlev in exile, class for socialist revolution. They were murdered by Noske and the world again as we did so nobly in 1917.
with a small group of other loyal socialists, Scheidemann, former socialists who had turned traitor to the In a certain sense, however, it is true that continued to oppose the war. Two years workers and supported the German capitalist class during the the steel barons don want war. We have seen later, in 1917, Lenin returned Russia and the effects of war, said Tom Girdler, as writled the magnificent revolution of Russia war. It was Karl Liebknecht who penned the immortal phrase ten in the social, economic and political upheav toiling people against their oppressors, Lenin The main enemy is in your own country!
als since 1918. These stresses and strains have died in 1924. Although Zinovlev worked as brought clvilization near the cracking point. Anone of Lenin closest collaborators in the other world war might well result in the com leadership of the revolution, he was shot But learn and not forget applies also, and above all, to the plete collapse of civilization.
by Joseph Stalin in 1996 as a fascist mad Neither Tom Girdler nor any other responsible dog. Just as the Social Democratio organiheroic struggle against the war which our Italian comrades waged member of the ruling class wants war zation in 1914 18 stood for support of the LENIN and are still waging. They fight with their press, with meetings, ito can be avoided in any possible way short of capitalist deinoeracies against Kalserism with street corner gatherings. They fight with revolutionary giving up their pronts, that is. As any one so its spriritual off spring today, Stalinism, of this war, the shameless lie of the bourgeoisie strength and courage, opposing their bodies and their lives to the who has seen his gun thugs action knows stands for patriotie support of capitalism of all countries which covers its predatory aims Tom Girdler is no humanitarian. When he ex.
raging impact of the waves of nationalism whipped up by the under the slogan Fight to Save Democracy with national idcology, all this inevitably presses fears lest the next war may mean the from Fascism. Leninism stands for uncom.
creates, on the basis of an objective revolu government. Their struggle is worthy of our enthusiastic felicitacomplete collapse of civilization, he really promising struggle against capitalist war.
tionary situation, revolutionary sentiments in tions. Let their spirit be our model. May it become the pattern for means the complete collapse of capitalism.
the masses. Our duty is to help make these the International.
It is behind the concessions made Social chauvinism is adherence to the idea of sentiments conscious, to deepen them and give by Chamberlain and Daladier to Hitler at the defending the fatherland in the present war.
them form. The only correct expresslist war of this The absurd watchword, see it through, was disastrous; it Munich Conference last fall. To quote the Lontask is the slogan Turn the From this idea follows repudiation of the class can lead only deeper into the maelstrom of destruction. Internadon correspondent of the Times: The real struggle in war time, voting for military appro into civil war. All consistent class struggle in motive of appeasement is the fear of a war priations, etc. In practice, the social chauvinists time of war, all mass action earnestly con tional proletarian class struggle against the international imperialist that might crack the political, economic and conduct an anti proletarian bourgeois polley, be dueted must inevitably lead to this. We cannot mangling of the people is the command of the hour.
social structure of this country beyond repair, know whether in the first or in the second cause in practice they insist not on the defense whether Britain won the war or not. Mr. Cham of the fatherland in the sense of fighting against imperialist war between the great nations, The main enemy of the German people is in Germany: Gerberlain and his colleagues feel sure that the the oppression of a foreign nation, but upon the whether during or after it, a strong revolution man imperialism, the German war party, German secret diplomacy.
British Empire could survive a war with Gerary movement will flare up. Whatever the right of one or the other the great nations The German people winst wage a political struggle against this many at the cost of untold human misery, but to rob the colonies and oppress other peoples.
case may be, it is our absolute duty system they are not so sure that the men and the enemy in its own country, in conjunction with the struggle of the atically and unflinchingly to work in that par The social chauvinists follow the bourgeoisie in ticular direction.
proletarians of other countries against their own imperialists.
system that have ruled the country for so many deceiving the people by saying that the war is years would still be ruling it when the war was conducted for the defense of the freedom and DUTY OF REVOLUTIONISTS The enemies of the working class rely upon the forgetfulness over. Moral: the more militancy the workers the existence of the nations; thus they put them. mass sentiment for peace often expresses show, the less chances of a war.
selves on the side of the bourgeoisie against the of the masses; take heed, that their reliance may be groundless!
the beginning of a protest, an Indignation and They speculate on the forhearance of the masses but we raise the a consciousness of the reactionary nature of proletariat.
Business Is Business BETRAYAL OF PAST the war. It is the duty of all Social Democrats stormy cry Business men overwhelmingly approve of President Roosevelt imperlalistic foreign polTo the social democrats belong those who to take advantage of this sentiment. They will take the most ardent part in every movement justity and idealize the government and the How wnch longer are the imperialist gamblers going to icy: and but you don find them passing up bourgeoisie of one of the belligerent groups of and in every demonstration made on this basis, abuse the patience of the people? Enough of butchery! Down any chances for profits. Il a dictatorship wants but they will not deceive the people by assumnations, as well as those who, like Kautsky, lecwith the war mongers on boib sides of the border!
munitions and can lay cash on the line, it gets them and from the same business interests as ognize the equal right of the Socialists of all ing that in the absence of a revolutionary movebelligerent nations to defend the fatherland.
ment it is possible to have peace without annex The slaughter of the people must end. drive to save democracy. Thus, the Departsupport so enthusiastically the New Deal war Social chauvinism, being in practice a defense ations, without oppression of nations, without of the privileges, prerogatives, robberies and robbery, without planting the seed of new wars ment of Commerce has announced that the bigProletarians of all countries! Follow the heroic example of among the present governments and the ruling violence of one own (or any other) impeyour Italian brothers! Unite for the international class war against gest foreign purchaser of American steel ingots classes. Such deception would only play into the and scrap fron in January of this year was rialist bourgeoisie, is a total betrayal of all the conspiracy of secret diplomacy, against imperialism, against Socialist conviction and a violation of the de hands of the secret diplomacy of the belligerent the war, for a socialist peace!
Japan. In 1937 Italy got 63 per cent of its scrap cisions of the International Socialist Congress countries and their counter revolutionary plans.
iron Imports from this country. Last year the Whoever wishes a durable and democratic peace United States supplied 68 per cent of Italy in Basle (1912, Ed. The main enemy is in your own country!
The war has undoubtedly created the acutest must be for civil war against the governments serap imports.
and the bourgeoisie.
crises and has incredibly intensified the suffer (From a leaflet issued on the occasion of Italy entrance into Not long ago, a friend who had just returned the World War 1918. from Pittsburgh told me of an interesting mer ings of the masses. The reactionary character Socialism and War, August, 1915, of a big firm of scrap tron deniers, and his best Trotsky Interviewed by the London Daily Herald customer was the Japanese government. His wife was a leader in the Stalinist stooge out, the League for Peace and Democracy, and at the time was especially active in getting the women of Pittsburgh to boycott stockings made of Japanese silk. Continued from Page 1) sessions, for the domination of both camps. It will be the war more resolute and audacious will mature revelation of his sympaGerman Masses Will the world. The attempt to repre ot the slave owners who cover be the polley of the proletariat thies, France, as ever, executed sent this brawl of interests and themselves with various masks: the less the socialist revolution the will of the French bourgeblale.
Find a Way appetites as struggle between democracy, civilization, on the will provoke sacrifice, the sooner The Soviet government played the democracy and fascism can one hand, race, honor on the mankind will enter upon a new role of hangman toward the rev.
Is not the world too afraid of olutionary Spanish workers, in Hitler only dupe the working class other. Only the overthrow of all road.
order to demonstrate its trust2 Spook upon Hitler, who succeeded mocracies in the world (there are an end to war and open an epoch war in Spain! have expressed The democratic governments Chamberlain will give all the de alave owners can once for all put My opinion about the civil worthiness and loyalty to London myself on this subject in the and Paris.
a great of India.
press many times.
tion, with admiration and fear.
The fundamental cause of the Does Hitler recracies The Spanish revolution was so defeat of a powerful and herolc The working class, which during The strength of Hitler (at the danger for the BY EMANUEL GARRETT one and a half centuries, periodi same time also his weakness)
The democracies themselves cialist in its essence: the workers revolution is the treacherous antiJoining the Brotherhood of Locomotive Fire cally shook the clvilized coun consists in the fact that, under represent a much greater danger attempted several times to over soclallat policy of the so called men, he before long rose to the position of natries of Europe by its revolts, is the pressure of the helpless post for thomselves. The regime of throw the bourgeoisie, to seize the people front. If the peasants tional secretary. Disgusted, however, with the suddenly reduced to complete si tion of German capitalism, he is bourgeois democracy appeared on factories; the peasants wanted to had seized the land and the work conservative methods of the Brotherhood, realMessrs. the official politicians at treme means, using blackmail and that is to say free competition front, led by the stalinista, stran would have been able to wrest izing the need of new, more militant tactics, risk of That epoch is now far in the past. gled the socialist revolution in the this victory from their hands!
Debs quit the Brotherhood, and organized the tribute this success to the in bluff In passing, at th Can the regime of Franco American Railway Union. In April, 1894 the ternal, quasi mystical properties leading to war. Hitler has fully the present monopoly capitalism name of an outlived bourgeois won an important victory from the of Fascism and National Social realized the fear of the old colony. which has decomposed and de democracy. Hence the disappoint maintain itself of course not for a thousand Great Northern Railway, after an eighteen day ism. In reality the strength of holders before any disturbance graded the petty and middlo ment, the hopelessness, the disHitler is not in himself, nor in and has played on this fear, if bourgeoisie, has thus undermined couragement of the worker and years, as the boasting National strike.
his contemptible philosophy, but not with a very great heart, at the ground under bourgeols de peasant masses, the demoraliza. Socialism of Germany promises.
When shortly afterwards the Pullman work mocracy. Fascism is the product Lion of the Republican army and, But Franco will maintain himself in the terrible deception of the least with indubitable success.
era struck, they turned to the for ald.
The declared a boycott against the Pullof this development. It does not as a result, the military collapse. for a certain time thanks to the working masses, in their confusion and in their lassitude.
Counsel for the come at all from without. In Democracies same conditions as Hitler. After man Company, and Debs lent his services to great efforts and sacrifices, after Italy and Germany fascism conWorkers During many decades the prothe leadership of the strike. sweeping injuncquered without foreign interven Aided Franco terrible defeats, in spite of these letariat of Germany built up a tion was handed down by the courts against Should the democracies and tion. Bourgeois democracy is to invoke the treacherous pol sacrifices, the Spanish working trade union organization and a the strike: an Injunction more severe in its Social Democratic party. Abreast the unite to crush dead not only in Europe but also icy of England and France ex masses must disappointed to provisions than any previously issued. President Hitler: of the strong Social democracy in America plains nothing. Of course the the bottom of their bearts in the Cleveland sent federal troops to smash the appeared later a powerful Com do not feel that it is my mie Capitalism Cannot democratic imperialists were old leading partion socialista, anstrike.
smash the strike. Deba, who had defled injuneTroops and injunction together did munist party. And all these or ganizations, which rose upon the governments, even if they call Be Saved their hearts and helped Franco their common forces, under the tion, was tried for contempt of court, and sent the people front, shoulders of the proletariat, were themselves democratie, nor to the If it is not liquidated in time as much as possible. It was so banner to all for six months.
in the critical moment a zero, and Bonapartist clique of the Kremlin, by socialist revolution, fasclam and will always be yo. The Brit strangled the socialist revolution, In jail he read; in jall he became a socialist. crumbled away before the offen even if it calls itself socialist. will inevitably conquer in France, ish were naturally on the side The Spanish workers will now Debs, leaving the jail, was no longer a mere sive of Hitler. They did not find can only give counsel to the work. England and the United States of the Spanish bourgeoisie, which pass inevitably through a period trade unionist. Debs was socialist: he under. in themselves the courage to call ers. My counsel to them is not with the aid of Mussolini and passed entirely to the side of of discouragement, before they stood the need of working clasa political action. the masses to struggle, as they to believe for a single instant that Hitler, or without this ald. But Franco. Only, in the beginning begin slowly and stubbornly He worked at first with Daniel De Leon, and themselves were completely de the war of the two imperialist fascism is only a respite. Capi Chamberlain did not believe in to look for a new road. The then in 1904 he helped found the Socialist Party. generated, bourgeoisified and had camps can bring anything else talism is condemned. Nothing the victory of France and feared period during which the masses Five times, Debs ran as socialist candidate lost the habit of thinking about but oppression and reaction in will save it from collapse. The to compromise himself by a pre. Continued on Page 4)
for President. His Red Special, in the cam struggle.
paign of 1908, became famous as he toured the The masses pass through such thundering his denunciations of capi catastrophes heavily and slowly.
in 1912, he polled 901, 062 votes. It is incorrect to say that the 1920, while in jail, he polled 919, 799 votes. German proletariat has reconciled Hardly a worker, conscious of his being a itself with Hitler! But it no longer believes in the old parties, in the worker, failed to go to hear Debs. Debs was old slogans, and at the same time the idol of the American worker in Terre Haute, Indians, and in New York. Mothers, It has not yet found a new way. Leon children, came to hear Debs not only This and only this explains the ause he was a great orator: they came also strong arm omnipotence of fasbecause they loved this relentless fighter in will continue until the Trotsky masses have dressed their wounds, freedom cause. Citizen of the World have regenerated themselves and Addressing once more lifted their heads. Great events pressed. And Debs did not try think we can expect that in not a the to avoid them. From his jail cell, Debs criticized long time.
the for watering its revolutionary aims.
From his cell, he defended the Russian revolution from attack despite Incidental criticisms he Domination Army himself made. Behold, he had written of the The fear Great Britain and Revolution, its sublime majesty, catch its holy France has for Hitler and Mu1830 of the spirit and join in its thrilling, inspiring appeal to lini explaing itself by the fact that the oppressed of every land to use their might, the world position of these two shake off their fetters and proclaim their free Russian colony holding countries, as has dom to the world.
already been said, no longeomle cor In the history of American labor, Debs stands responds with their Revolution as its greatest figure. He was great because he specific weight. The war can bring did not have the feeling of nation; he was a nothing to them, but can take a worker, a socialist, and only that. While social great deal from them. It is natists voted war credita in Germany, and others ural that they attempt to postturned to the selling of liberty bonde for Amerl pone the moment of a new parti.
can or German, or French democracy. Debs tioning of the world and that they cried out: have no country to fight for; my toss a bone, as Spain and Czechocountry is the earth; am a citizen of the slovakia, to Mussolini and Hitler.
worla.
The struggle is for colonial posEUGENE DEBS (Nov. 5, 1885 Oct. 20, 1926. hate; loathe; despise Junkerdom. hava no earthly use for the Junkers of Germany, and not one particle more for the Junkers of the United States.
Gene Debs was speaking. The day was June 16, 1918. The place, Canton, Ohio.
The United States had declared war upon Germany a few weeks earlier. The great majority of leading socialists, even those who had in April approved a Declaration the Socialist Party convention against the war (the St. Louis Declaration) had turned avid war patriots.
Charles Edward Russell, William Walling, and scores of others. The entire peace movement, bad collapsed in an orgy of jingolam.
The Moral Courage to Stand Erect Gene Debe rose that day in Canton to pillory the jailers, the bosses, the traitors who were hounding worker militants, and socialist fighters.
His tall Agure towering from the pintform, his al outstretched, hls Anger pointed Accusingly at bose Injustice, Gene Debs affirmed his solidarity with all the persecuted anti war fighters.
Bitterly he denounced the turncoats, and those who howled for working class blood. Passionately, he made his own sympathies known. They who are animated with the unconquerable spirit of the socialist revolution, they who have the moral courage to stand erect, to assert their convictions, to stand by them, to go to jail or to hell for them they are welting their names in this crucial hour, they are writing their names in fadeless letters in the history cf mankind.
The government swooped down on him. The boss press was furious. The Terre Haute Tyibune wrote that Debs was suspected of being In a plan with the Trotsky group to spread Bolshevism in this country.
Debs was arrested. Debs was tried. Debs was sentenced to ten years imprisonment for the crime speaking his mind. Wilson denied him an amnesty. And so Debe entered the jail on April 18, 1919. enter the prison doors a Haming revolutionist my head is erect, my spirit untamed, and my soul unconquerable. Later, Debs wrote his Prison Creed. While there is a lower class am in it: While there is a criminal element am of it; While there is a soul in prison am not free.
In 1921, the war time hysteria abating. Harding released him, without restoration of his citizenship rights. Life Devoted to Socialism Debe loyalty to the sociallat cause in the face of war was the crowning act of a life richer in its devotion to the working class than any other American. When Debs, the leader of American socialism, walked through the gates of the jail, he had behind him years of ceaseless socialist labor Born into a family of ten children, Debs had gone to work in his youth on the railroads.
In cism. Struggle for World Red