FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 1939 SOCIALIST APPEAL In the World of Labor. in Crisis Toward the Party Convention As Strike Ends On Mass Work and Its Relation to Stalinist Leadership Doomed Strike by play. he Struggle Against Stalinism By Paul Stevens good deal of time was taken in discusCongress of French Workers and sion of the Trotskyist infiltration of the Peasants Socialist Party (P. party, attacks against the Trotskyists being Two weeks ago, on May 28 29, the French made mainly by the defenders of the FreeWorkers and Peasants Socialist Party held masons in the course of the dispute over ing Ball with Government Gulf Seamen By JAMES CANNON its first regular congress in the proletarian whether the membership in the latter organization was compatible with membership in Show Way to Progressive Action Since the death of Lenin and the beginning socialism center of Saint Ouen, suburb of Paris. Some one countryand the whole train the The attacks fell flat when the of the decline and degeneration of the Russian 160 delegates, representing close to 5, 000 of theoretical and practical consequences flowing from it. Those who responded to our members, gathered there to sum up the speakers of the revolutionary tendency refused to be hornswoggled into an anti Trotsky (Continued from Par. men nacked the Hoft. Revolution, the most important and decisive party experiences since the split with Leon critical work have constituted the basic cadres Blum S. and to outline a course of ist campaign and insisted on the discussion of members of the were man Island training school. Is factor in the defeats of the working class has of our movement. This was work well done. It action for the future. Representative of the the political content of the motions and resolut forced to accept on freighters it not curious that shortly after been the Stalinized Comintern. An understand was an unavoidable stage in our development, tions proposed. The attackers did manage, by order of Curran, thus being the strike began the schooling of this central problem has been andre drift leftward of various strata who have the prerequisite for all that is to follow. It was broken with the parties corrupted by social however, by sheer weight of numbers to push compelled to fink on their own suddenly found room for a hell mains the key to fruitful revolutionary work. In essence a factional struggle within the restricted circle of the vanguard.
reformism and Stalinism, this gathering has through an organizational statute requiring striking brother members. Ex uva lot of new men? Is it, per At all stages of the struggle to reassemble the eighteen months continuous membership in cept for two or three insignifi chance, possible its importance for the development of the that, as scattered and disoriented elements of the pro Our error consists, not in continuing the revolutionary movement toward the building the of former members of other pro cant companies with which members report, there letarian vanguard, the analysis of Stalinism fight against Stalinism with unabated vigorof the Bew. Fourth International.
letarian parties before they are accorded contracts were signed the were suddenly a lot of nice occupied first place. Those who misunderstood that is necessary, more than ever. but in As was to be expected, the Saint Ouen con equal rights with the other party members. strikers were obliged to end the finky Jobs offered on struck this misunderstood everything and condemned clinging to out moded methods and types of gress was not at all a homogeneous body of The statute received 96 votes and was opposed strike without gaining any of tankers to Hoffman Island gov themselves to futility and defeat. Only those argument. The average Stalinist worker of thought. Most of the participants had only the present day finds most of this over his with 88 votes and 16 abstentions.
ernment trained union men, who save the right answer to this questionThe situation is full of evi who showed what they had and the Fourth Internationalists alone did this head. What does socialism in one country recently left the ranks of the old parties. The All in all, the congress, as recorded in the dence that the strike was hor really learned, by patriotically were able to move forward and gain votes quoted, showed that the leftward devel. ribly bungled from the begin grabbing the jobs. centrist current of Marceau Plvert still proved mean to a worker who lacks elementary into be predominant. But the revolutionary strength.
struction in the meaning and principles of soThis holds true also for the present and the Marxist tendency made considerable head been concluded that consistent revolutionary ning, chief item being the careGulf Shows Way cialism? What does a deviation from Leninism way in the course of the sessions.
mean to one who vaguely associates Lenin in sentiment within its ranks is sufficiently trial ful Panthem of the King The present status of the ac near future. The center of gravity in all rev.
On the all Important war question, the revhis mind with historical figures of bourgeois strong to augur well for the future. By the diversion of the membership boycott continues, and, al in the isolated circles of the vanguard to mass ago designed as atlon ts: The strike is over, the olutionary work shifts from ideological battles democracy like Jefferson and Paine? We must olutionary defeatist position put forward in find a different, simpler approach to the presthe motion drawn up jointly by Jean Rous the period ahead, the Marxist minority de chine mounting record of be little chance to get their jobs mass movement. Here also stalinism is the ent day Stalinist worker. We have to take note (formerly of the French Fourth International clared that just as in the previous period, trayal of their interests. The back, the leadership most formidable obstacle. Those who ignore of the great differences between him and the ist party. the Daniel Guerin, the au when it proved itself in action, it would have King trial and expulsion pro still hypocritically holds out the this obstacle or deny its existence soon bump Stalinist militant of ten and fifteen years ago thor of Fascism and Big Business and no difficulty in collaborating with the party ceedings are being handled in idea that in a very short time their heads against reality. The struggle Lucien Weitz, the leader of the and address him accordingly. Above all, we leadership the best Moscow Trial fashion. they will be able to control the against Stalinism can in no way be moderated. must distinguish between decelved workers in youth, received 59 votes, the same number as the motion of the Pivert tendency drawn Willie Gallacher, and There is no question, of course, tankers again. How? Members The forms and methods of the struggle, howthe ranks and the conscious scoundrels of the up by Michel Collinet. An outright pacifist bureaucracy.
British Imperialism of King actual guilt. This has should try to get aboard the ever, must be adapted to changed circumbeen known for some time, tankers (the company, motion received 26 votes and a motion by of stance and new environments. We have yet to Basic Distinction for Us Lucien Herard attempting to strike a middle Recently the Appeal reported the formation particularly by. Curran and the course will welcome them do this effectively.
Mass work is a simple enough prescription, course between the Rous Guerin Weitz and This latter point is all important for our fuCollinet motions received 45 votes.
lic, an organization which has set as its task is that the leadership is un Standard on company union, but those who try to over simplify its applicature success. Without realizing it we have practical motion on anti war activity. the organization of a revolutionary socialist loading its own crimes on as. by quoting the Wagner Act, us. tion have very painful experiences. It is a big however. proposing to exclude in the future been slipping into the same error we once party in Ireland and which has already held sociates who participated ing the crews who have error to think good will and hard work alone criticized in the Comintern during the frenzy collaboration with such alliances in France as demonstrations in London of a mass charac equally with them, attempting not reached port yet, as a base are enough to gain a leading influence in the the Keep America Out of War Committee in ter. That such a move was in the cards goes to connect them with the bona for further organization. mass movement. Parties and groups which of the third period. when Social Democratic this country, received 53 votes as against 120 without saying ever since the degeneration of fide militants so as to smear Yet in spite of the terrible operate on such a simple formula usually leaders and workers were all lumped together for the Pivert motion endorsing such alliances. the Communist party which has left the field the latter and prevent their be mess the curranites have made work for the benefit of others less addicted to indiscriminately.
Highly significant for the revolutionary cur in the Irish fight against British imperialism coming a center of organized of things, the prospect for a Christian ideas.
rent was the result of the discussion as to The composition of the Stalinist movement to the heroic but muddled and utopian terror rogressive opposition.
progressive reformation floetere. Ignoring the Stalinists Bent Knee to Bosses has been profoundly changed. Much of it is whether membership in the Freemasonry or ists of the What finally gave the imganization was compatible with membership petus to the move may be whichom such worthless, that is sure. The complete adaptaThe tanker strike fiasco, the even if not always with full In the past we have heard many lectures on in the After a heated debate, the tion of Stalinism to bourgeois democracy and an item as the following we reprint sing trial, and the Gulf auton clarity, in the Gulf action of the art of simplified mass work in the SocialGuerin motion for incompatibility received the patriotism has had the effect of attracting from the Militant of London: omy action, reflect the crisis declaring itself an autonomous ist Party, especially from its most stupid highest vote, 76, while two separate motions During the Great War to End War, 1914 18, that the is in as a re body, within the but wing, the Clarityites. With a self assurance toward it a good sized horde of petty bourgeois dilettantes and pseudo intellectuals who are opposing Guerin each polled 62 and 50 votes the workers of the Clyde and other industrial sult of the whole past policy of paying no dues to New York, born of ignorance and inexperience, they ex nothing more than liberals of an especially unrespectively. This problem which touches centers insisted on fighting for better condi the Stalinists. Unless this is un nor accepting its decisions. Full plained how they would win over the masses.
upon the very essence of the proletarian char tions and workers rights. They caused a great derstood, any attempts at a details are not available as we including the Stalinist workers, simply by setattractive variety. But in addition to this trash acter of the party is bound to continue to agi deal of annoyance to the government which progressive solution of this so to press, but the salient ting a good example of constructive work the has acquired a strong following of a different kidney in the trade unions. Discount tate the in the future if one is to be denounced them as unpatriotic and disloyal. crisis by the bona fide militants facts are, in addition to the and ignoring the Stalinist Party. We know all the careerists who are bribed by the guided by the great concern and dissatisfac Among these disloyal and unpatriotic work in the will prove fruit above what happened to them, and to others like tion shown by many unattached rank and file to serve it, and all the stupid ones and weak ers was one William Gallacher.
less, and will result only in a (1) The Gulf evidently is not them. To the extent that they built or helped lings who are terrorized, and there still reworker delegates at the fact that the leader Now Mr. Gallacher is Communist for large section of the taking the fatal step of break to build organizations, the disciplined mamains a veritable army of militant but unof the party is still a Freemason.
West Fife and is he loyal? When Mr. Cham membership losing all faith in ing completely with the organ chine of Stalinism took the control away from schooled and misguided workers who support On the trade union question, a motion pro berlain made a statement to the effect that unionism. It can all be summed ization, but seems to be fol them and put them to work as errand boys the strategy of and stooges (Workers Alliance. Auto Union, the Stalinist party and constitute the backbone posing the organization of party fractions re Northern Ireland was to be exempted from up as follows: policy of bend lowing roughly of its power in the unions. We will begin to ceived 62 votes, while one opposing organized conscription in order to give scope to its loying the knee to the shipowners, the West Coast Firemen, in etc. make real advances in the mass movement party work in the unions received 122 votes. alism, Mr. late comrade) Gallacher rose in a no strike policy, depending on fighting the Headquarters or No, you cannot ignore the Stalinists. More Finally, on the international question, the his wrath. No longer was he the Clydeside mil the government, etc. have canization, where the main than that, you cannot gain a single inch of when we learn how to approach these workers and win them over.
congress voted to affiliate with International itant who defied Lloyd George and the en made of the an organ power of the Stalinists is con ground and hold it in the trade unions without They have not come to the either as Marxist Center (formerly the London Bu gineering bosses, but one of the boys of the ization of 50, 000 weak. By concentrated.
an intelligent and unrelenting fight against reau. by a vote of 120, against motion by members or sympathizers, as the result of a bulldog breed, stirred to his innermost depths trast, the following a (2) The Gulf announces that Stalinism. This, to borrow an expression from deliberate study of its present program, but Weite proposing non affiliation for the time because his patriotism had been called into class struggle policy, e. rec it will issue a paper, expressing Grover Cleveland, is a condition, not a theory.
being which received 42 votes. An amendment question. He demanded to know whether the ognition of the shipowner as its own point of view. We hope Stalinism in the United States has taken on in the course of struggle. They have been attracted to Stalinism by a combination of facby the latter recommending that an invitation Prime Minister in making such a declaration the seamen natural enemy, a that the Gulf will have learned the proportions of a mass movement and has tors its aggressive methods, its demagogy.
to the coming conference of the International about North Ireland is not casting a slight on strike policy, and no depen from the Mariner Club expe become an evil power of tremendous scope Marxist Center in September be extended to Scotland, Wales and Northern England. Truly. dence on the government, but rience, and that it will come in the trade unions, especially in the more prothe memory of past militancy, the lack of another strong force articulating their sentithe Fourth International was accepted by as the party of which Gallacher is a member only on on its own strength and forward with a positive progressive and militant sections. How can any ments of discontent, etc. They have not in agreement after considerable discussion. so frequently remarks, times have changed. that of brother unions, have gram. purely negative fight comrade active in the trade union movement made it an organization of will only result in further con conceal this fact from himself? It stares him their hearts joined the to fight for democracy. It is not their ambition to maintain 000 strong.
fusion, and enable enemies of in the face at every turn. And why should we the status quo which spells privation and misThe whole no strike policy of labor to infiltrate into the Gulf wish to conceal it? It is ery for the great bulk of them; but rather, in the Stalinists stems from their opposition and discredit it, as reality and deal with it. Otherapy to face we are some way, by collective action to change it.
line of working for a military happened with the Mariner fumbling in the dark.
Between these deceived workers and the cynpact between the imperialist Club. Further, the Stalinists Our comrades, with perhaps a few excepical bureaucracy of Stalinism there is an government and the are fully capable of exploiting tions, understand this very well. Pacifist sen enormous chasm.
Stalin bureaucracy. To accom any purely negative opposition, timents toward the Stalinist turncoats and Traveling is about the fondest thing am of until the next flareup a few years ago be plish this, they bleached their to their own ends.
finger men do not infect our movement very Deep Contradiction especially when there is plenty of scenery and cause forty years is a long time to be digging ultra red in politics to a light. The main fight must be on seriously. But what we do not yet understand a nice comfortable seat from which to look at in the side of a mountain.
saffron, and carrying this into the basis of a positive progres. and we are all more or less culpable on this The contradiction between the leadership it and then too, you meet the most interesting But Huberdub is just as smart as the next he trade unions, used their sive program, in contrast with score, think is how to fight stalinism most and the proletarian sections of the ranks is people and find out all kinds of new facts perhaps deeper in the Stalinist Party than in city slicker by this time and merely reverses former militant reputation to the reactionary program of the effectively in the light of the new develop any workers organization in history. The which help to broaden the mind and open the eyes like the story about the Mormon named his field as they say in football lingo and tancy, divert strikes up blind the membership on the Atlantic changes have taken place in recent years, in more openly the bureaucrats announce their Huberdub who was a nice quiet homebody un scares the daylights out of the whole kit and alleys, etc. in order to prove will be able to choose between our own position and apostasy and confirm it in deeds, the deeper til he had a revelation which is the result of kaboodle of them by announcing another rev. to War Deal Roosevelt that two definite lines, clearly, and composition of the Stalinist Party. It is now must this contradiction grow. The ranks of the continually seethe with discontent consuming too many oysters and bananas just elation to wit: there is going to be a universal they had something to offer in in this way. If the Gulf propo generally recognized that the degeneration of which is smothered o War Deal sals are of ti positive progres the Stalinist Party along the lines of social pa before going to bed.
repressions expulHuberdub was a quiet little guy like said catastrophe in two parts directed by the Lord return for a pact.
sions, only to break out afresh. Browder anRoosevelt, worried about la sive character that we think triotism has become definitive. There is no himself who will first bring on an earthquake bor resistance to war propa they will be, they and was respected by all his Mormon neighwill be able longer any attempt to conceal it. The prenouncement of a new purge of spies and wreckers is eloquent testimony to the inbors when all of a sudden he announced to the to be followed by a flood and all those who ganda particularly the sea to swing the Atlantic District tended revolutionists of yesterday are down citizens of Utah that the divine spirits had wish to be saved from this double feature pun men section, this was a wel. membership to their side, unity on all fours before the imperialist masters.
ternal crisis of the party. This crisis is in its dropped in unexpected in the middle of the ishment had better take it on the lam imme come help. particularly with the two coasts, and be in a po. Browder taste for shoe leather is like a perwhole essence a reflection of the irreconci! night and told him that there was a lot of easy able conflict between the aspirations and dediately and start work under the supervision regard to maritime, even if he sition to consummate unity verted lust. The main concern of the assorted pickings in the dead center of the big snow of nobody but Bro. Huberdub who by this time does not openly thank the with the West Coast organiza Browders is to convince the masters of the sires of the shamefully deceived workers in covered mountain across the valley and that is considered to be an up and coming young boys.
tions of maritime labor which sincerity of their renegacy.
the ranks and the bureaucrats cold blooded he is elected to organize the farmers for the man by the Angels on an ark with which to and deliberate betrayal of the movement to purpose of extracting said valuable minerals ride the flood and a house full of supplies so icy was verbal agreements The effect of the above pol. are so essential for the very continuance of maritime unton Fighting Stalinism Today the imperialist war machine.
hat Huberdub and his flock won starve to with the shipowners, excepting ism.
without losing no time.
Expulsions take place continually. But due, All this has brought about a change in the death during the big show which is to wipe one or two contracts with minor Indications are that Faithful Buy a Dream the think, in large part to the ineptness of our out all of modern civilization work and our lack of a proper approach to the So he sure enough collects a lot of dough companies, which were blithely Gulf understanding of pro position of Stalinism and our relation to it.
Stalinist workers, too many of them simply and gets a gang of volunteers who are willing So the merry go round begins where we violated, the shipowners being gressive maritime unionism is in days past we had to fight Stalinism for in fall by the wayside in disillusionment and deto work for shares in the promised take incame in and to this day the swindle is produc convinced that the very close to that of the Muence over the proletarian vanguard. In the spair.
stead of cash money which is after all pretty ing more dividends than any mine in the would not fight. When the If such is the case, then the main that chapter is closed. The class concountry considering the original investment membership Gulf will progress in influence scious revolutionists (naturally, ex revolution We must re examine this question. We must material stuff and not at all to be compared finally became learn how to appeal to and reason with the with a barn full of gold, etc, and this Huber which was nil on the part of Huberdub and it aroused, the Stalinist leader and will be able to play a realists do not belong to this category) have former in a friendly and comradely manner dub bird starts work on a hole in the side of you don believe this all you have to do is ship finally managed to get a role in the fight to establish one turned away from Stalinism. The new recruits and denounce the latter in the tone they decheck up on the Dream mine which is lothe Rocky Mountains which he calls the serve as betrayers of their own membership. Dream Mine cated about forty miles south of Salt Lake freighter companies, but with based on a progressive, class the present membership and sympathizing circles of the Communist Party are utter We must take thought once again of the tacAfter several years of digging and blasting a score of loopholes that the struggle policy, strangers to Marxist doctrine. This transform tic of the united front. Did it not serve in its and at the same time collecting plenty on And the more think about Huberdub and company could take advantage ANNOUNCEMENTS ation imposes not a slackening of our fight but day as the best means of separating workers the shares the Mormon top committee decides who aspired to struggle for better things from the beak for four periods of ten consecutive while. Particularly rotten is that enough is plenty and that this revelation We began our struggle primarily with pro leaders who sabotaged and betrayed that does not smell exactly kosher and they hand a perfect description of how the capitalist company against crew action years each, the more the whole story fits into the clause guaranteeing the CAMP SEVEN DAKS. Eaten: Tennis. Swim grammatic criticism addressed to vanguard struggle? Why can it not serve again as a revHuberdub his walking papers. But there is a system works.
olutionary weapon against the most corrupt ming. Ping pong. Plumbing workers who knew something about the docIs it any wonder that Curran lot of poor folk who figure their investment Ain it the truth how some poor fellow is had to drown the strike in hot 50 per day. 14 a week. trines and traditions of the revolutionary and consciously treacherous clique of leaders should not be forgotten just like that and they sold on a idea that if he works like the old oil. For if he had authorized Car leaves every Friday at movement. They were capable of interesting the history of the labor movement has ever hang on with some donating the sweat of their Harry and has faith in the system he will the crews to take action against p. from 58 4th St. to themselves in such questions as the theory of known, the foul bureaucracy of Stalinism?
brows and others mortgaging the family homeeither get his little pile to coast on in his old loading hot oil, the freighter Camp Make reservations, stead in the hope of retiring on the fat of the land when the Dream breaks down and the age and when after giving his life to the job companies would have declared please! You may also pitch promised dividends begin to flow like Huberhe wants to get an accounting so as to find the agreement nullified, and your tent at Seven Oaks. We out why the jackpot missed he is told that this would have doubly exposed equip it and you can have dub said the Angels said.
there is a plot which has been cooked up by Curran and Co. by showing in use of Camp Kitchen, 20 for This goes on for a long time because the Greet The Anti War Convention of the Socialist Workers the Reds or the Jews or the men from Mars action how worthless the agreethe summer. Phone: Eaten more the poor suckers put into the scheme to keep the system from producing the prom ment was, basically. Contrast town 515.
Party! Hear The Internationalist Position on War!
the more they hang around and the harder ised social security.
this with the successful refusal BY POPULAR DEMAND! Rethey work until one day a few weary workers Chairman: JAMES CANNON corner Huberdub and put the question right to But maybe the workers and the others who of crews, under have put their hard earned cash into this contracts, to take hot oil. peat performance of Bury him with the aid of strong language and a the Dead, presented by the Reporter for the Political Committee: MAX SHACHTMAN couple of pick axes which they have learned Dream will come to one of these days and further development: Be Theatre of Youth At the Speakers: DUNNE of Minneapolis, GENORA JOHNSON of Flint, GLEN really put Huberdub to the wall and demand cause of the above mentioned to use with dexterity if may use such a word.
Downtown Labor Center. 51 TRIMBLE of San Francisco, GEORGE CLARKE of Detroit, REUBEN an immediate accounting or else. Maybe one policy of working for a East 7th St. Sat. June 24, Huberdub Falls Fast of these days the poor suckers which has been stalin pact, Curran and Co.
PLASKETT OF NEWARK, NATHAN GOULD, National Secretary 9:30 Dancing. refreshHuberdub is nobody fool and he stalls off living on thin soup will realize that Huberdub had to go down the line with ments. Subscription 25c. Aus the neck tie party with a bigger whopper and Co. can be dispensed with altogether and the government link halls and pices, Downtown Branch.
FRIDAY, JUNE 30, P.
which is that it is no less than Interna the work and cash put to good use instead of fink training ships. This is the tional Plot of the Government and Bankers being invested in revelations which as said real reason, not the garbage Get Your APPEAL Irving Plaza, Irving Place at 15th Street and city folks not to accept Huberdub precADMISSION 250 ious stones. So back to work for the suckers are the result of eating too much too often about or backwithout sharing it around sociable like. door shipping. Therefore, At the Newsstand On the Line. with Bill Morgan MASS MEETING