AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL EARL BROWDER

THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL: A FORCE FOR WORLD DEMOCRACY ~ ... -,.A~ · X BITTELJ\IA . (R eview of the M onth) LENIN AND INTERNATIONAL LABOR UNITY D. Z. M NUlL KY

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From From Introduction Introduction to to History History of of the the C.P.S.U. C.P.S.U.

throughout throughout the the entire entire world." world."

Party Party of of Lenin Lenin and and Stalin, Stalin, the the victory victory of of Communism Communism

confidence confidence in in the the final final victory victory of of the the great great cause cause of of the the

"The "The study study of of the the history history of of the the C.P.S.U. C.P.S.U. strengthens strengthens our our

the the driving driving forces forces of of the the revolution. revolution.

velopment velopment and and political political struggle, struggle, with with the the knowledge knowledge of of

arms arms us us with with the the knowledge knowledge of of the the law.s law.s of of social social de­

"The "The study study of of the the heroic heroic history history of of the the Bolshevik Bolshevik Party Party

Central Central Committee, Committee, C.P.S.U. C.P.S.U.

Prepared Prepared under under the the supervision supervision of of the the

of of the the Soviet Soviet Union Union

History History of of the the Communist Communist Party Party

Ready Ready in in March March

A A BOOK BOOK OF OF WORLD WORLD IMPORTANCE! IMPORTANCE!

c5\. c5\. nnouncing nnouncing VOL. XVIII, No.1 MARCH, 1939 'Jhe COMMUNIST A MAGAZINE OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXISM-LENINISM PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE ·u.s.A. EDITORS: EARL BROWDER, ALEX BITTELMAN, Y. ]. JEROME

CONTENTS

Review of the Month. A. B. 195 America and the Communist International EARL BROWDER 209 Lenin and the International Labor Move- ment D. Z. MANUILSKY. ~~~6 The Congress of the Communist Party of Cuba . WILLIAM Z. FOSTER 225 The Day of International Women's Solidarity . N. K. KRUPSKAYA 232 Canada-The Key to Anti-Fascist Unity of the English-Speaking Peoples . TIM BUCK 237 Deterioration of Labor Conditions During the Last Decade GEOGRE WALLACE 245 The Mexican Question in the Southwest EMMA TENAYUCA and HOMER BROOKS • 257

Class Forces in California Agriculture. HARRISON GEORGE Class Conflicts in the South, 185o-x86o HERBERT BIEL From the World Communist Press. Book Reviews HARRY ROBINSON.

Entered as second class matter November 2, I927, at the Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March J, z879. Send checks, money orders and correspondence to THE COMMUNIST, P. 0. Box I48, Sta. D (5o E. I]th St.), New York. Subscription rates: $2.00 a year; II .oo for six months; foreign and Canada $2.50 a year. Single copies 20 cents. J'I!.INTED IN U.S.A...... 101 The proletarians have nothing to lose but their chains. They have a world to win. Workingmen of all countries, unite! -Marx and Engels, 'The Communist Manifesto'

The Communist International 1919--1939 REVIEW OF THE MONTH

Twentieth Anniversary of the Communist International. A Marxist-Leninist International. Proletarian Dictatorship in Theory and Practice. Lenin's and Stalin's Teachings. Democracy and Dictatorship. What Is a Fascist Dic­ tatorship'! Communism and Fascism. The Anti-Fascist People's Front and the Higher Type of Socialist Democracy. What Is the Economic Outlook'! Reactionary Economy Drive Is a Disturbing Factor. What About the Growing National Debt'! Borrowing and Taxing. Contradictions Between Public Debt and Private Economy. Immediate and Long­ Range Solutions. Marx and Hamilton on Public Debts. Historical References and Comparisons. The Spanish War Is Extending. Compel Withdrawal of Hitler's and Mussolini's Invaders. Presi­ dent Roosevelt's Anti-Fascist Orientation and the Reactionary Maneuvers. Labor's Task and Duty.

WENTY years ago this month­ revolutionary upsurge began in West· T March, 1919-representatives of em Europe. The new republican re­ Communist Parties of the most im­ gime in Germany, and the existence portant countries in the world assem­ there of Soviets of workers' and sol­ bled in Moscow, where they held their diers' deputies were having a revolu. first world congress and established tionizing influence over the rest of the (Third) Communist Interna­ Europe. It is true that the German tional. Thus had been formed an in­ revolution was a bourgeois and not a ternational revolutionary working socialist one and that the German class organization of a new type, a Soviets, because they were dominated Marxist-Leninist International. by Social-Democrats, soon became Lenin led in the work of the Con­ subordinated to the bourgeois parlia­ gress. In his report on bourgeois de­ ment. And in this lay the weakness mocracy and the proletarian dictator­ of that revolution. Yet it was a revolu­ ship. Lenin demonstrated the tion, which overthrew the regime of significance of Soviet power, the new William the Second, liberated the en­ type of govemmeJ..lt, as the genuine ergies of the masses, thus helping to democracy for the toiling people. The stimulate a revolutionary rise in the congress adopted an appeal to the other European countries. world proletariat, calling for decisive A widespread revolutionary move­ struggle for the proletarian dictator. ment was developing in Austria. In ship, for the victory of the Soviets in Hungary a Soviet republic was estab­ all countries. lished. And in many countries, Com­ While the young Soviet country munist Parties were coming into the was at that time preparing to re­ political arena on the basis of this sist foreign intervention, a widespread revolutionary wave.

195 196 THE COMMUNIST

It was this sort of world situation deceived by the Kautskys, Bauers and in which the conditions matured for MacDonalds, is there any doubt that the unification of the various Com­ socialism would today be the prevail­ munist Parties in the Communist In­ ing system in most countries? No doubt ternational. Leninism became the at all. Had this happened, there guiding theory and practice of this would be no fascist dictatorships in new type of world labor organization. Germany and Italy, no second impe­ Learning from the model Communist rialist war, no economic crises, none Party, the Party of the Soviet Union, of the miseries and pain resulting to all the other parties affiliated in the the masses from dying capitalism. Communist International made the One does not have to rely upon Lenin-Stalin theory of the proletarian theory alone to show that this is true. dictatorship the basis and essence of Just take the Soviet Union, in which their ·struggles. the masses started out to build so­ The Left wing of the Socialist Party cialism, inheriting a relatively back­ of America, organized in 1918 under ward economy, largely agricultural, the leadership of Charles E. Ruthen­ ruined by years of imperialist war berg, which later founded the Com­ and foreign intervention. And see munist Party of the United States, what ·this country is proving as it pre­ made its main fight in the old Social­ pares for the Eighteenth Congress of ist Party and among the class-con­ its Communist Party which opens on scious workers generally on this fun­ March 10 in Moscow. It proves that damental issue: the acceptance of the Soviet power works. It abolished capi­ Lenin-Stalin theory of the dictator­ talism and has built in the main a ship of the proletariat. socialist system. It eliminated all the On this occasion of the twentieth causes that give rise to a country's anniversary of the founding of the imperialist aggression and to fascism. Communist International, and in the Fascist agents cannot for long survive. face of the increasing world offensive It knows how to deal with aggressors, of fascism and reaction, it is absolute­ to maintain the freedom and indepen­ ly imperative deeply to reflect upon dence of the country and to fight for and to consider the following truth. peace. The right to a job, to leisure, In the years 1918-:zo, the countries of to education and to security is guar­ Europe were passing through a revo­ anteed by the Stalin Constitution to lutionary crisis. The socialist revolu­ every citizen and is realized in actual tion was growing. Life itself had fact. then placed on the order of the day From 1932 to 1937, average annual the overthrow of capitalism and the wages for workers and office em­ establishment of the dictatorship of ployees have been more than doubled. the proletariat. Today, this should be The wage fund, out of which the so­ evident to all. If in the situation then cial security needs of the workers are prevailing the workers of the most im­ met, has increased in the same years portant capitalist countries had fol­ two and a half times. The gross in­ lowed the path of the Soviet proleta­ come of collective farmers has in­ riat, instead of letting themselves be creased in the four years from 1933 REVIEW OF THE MONTH 197 to 1937-2.7 times while the money tradictions between worker, peasant incomes paid out to the collective and intellectual, differences inherited farmers · in accordance with · their from capitalism, are disappearing, A work increased four and a half times moral and political unity of the in these years. whole of Soviet society is becoming a The development of the Third reality. So much so that the Commu­ Five-Year Plan-1937-1942-calls for nist Party of the Soviet Union, in an increase of industrial output of preparation for its Eighteenth Con­ 88 per cent. Production of articles of gress, is proposing to establish one consumption is to be increased 70 and the same requirement for Party per cent. And agricultural produc­ membership to hold good for all ap­ tion is to be increased 53 per cent. plicants, modifying in this sense its The same plan calls for a more than present constitution which lays down 50 per cent increase in consumption different requirements for persons of by the people of the Soviet Union, different social positions. with the average wage rising 35 per The proletarian dictatorship builds cent. socialism and moves to communism. Just compare this progress in the It is proving itself in the Soviet land of socialism, in the land of the Union and before millions of toilers dictatorship of the proletariat, with throughout the world. It is proof the stagnation, decay and retrogres­ conclusive of the correctness and uni­ sion in the capitalist world. Here, in versal validity of the Lenin-Stalin the capitalist world, the fascist coun­ theory of the dictatorship of the pro­ tries play the first fiddle. The fascists letariat, the ·theory which guides all keep their own peoples in a living the activities of the Communist Par­ hell, already waging a second impe­ ties affiliated in the Communist In rialist war against China, Spain and temational. Ethiopia, and threatening the lives and existence of many more peoples • • • and countries. HEN we say we believe in The proletarian dictatorship, the W the proletarian dictatorship. basis and essence of the Marxist­ our enemies come back at us with Leninist International, enriched by the charge that we are opposed to de· the world-historic ·theoretical and mocracy, that we are the same as the practical contributions of Stalin, the fascists, that we are insincere in ad­ proletarian dictatorship works and vocating and supporting the policy of succeeds despite all difficulties. It the democratic front. Even though points the road to ·the workers in all this sort of "charge" is perfectly ridic­ capitalist countries. ulous and, in nine times out of ten, In the Soviet Union, the proleta­ is made by people who know better rian dictatorship has already effected but are seeking purposely to confuse a most significant transformation in the masses, we have to answer, ex­ the class structure of the country. plain and educate. True, we have There are no longer any exploiting been doing so in a measure, but we cl~SC.$ the:re. Th~ differences 4\n<\ con- mu.st do xuo:re. J\Qd q-qr a,nswe.r i& THE COMMUNIST relatively plain. We answer by point­ To which we could reply by asking a ing to both our theory and our question ourselves. Supposing that practice. "both" are dictatorships, then the To take our praCtice first. This in· really relevant questions would be eludes the actual workings of the these: Who is doing the dictating proletarian dictatorship in the Soviet under communism, on the one hand, Union. It is the theory in practice. and under fascism, on the other? And it shows plainly that a genuine What does this dictating in both in­ democracy for the people is being stances mean to the rights and well­ realized in the land of socialism. A being of the people? And where is it higher type of democracy than that leading to in each of these cases? prevailing in the bourgeois-demo­ What kind of social order is emerging cratic countries. A higher type-be­ from it? And one more question, cause it excludes exploitation of man which really should be answered first. by man; because it raises to active How and why did these dictatorships participation in government all hon­ come into being? est citizens, developing in them the An honest attempt to answer these capacity to government and self-gov­ relevant questions is the only way of ernment; because social security is its getting at the truth. And there are very essence; because it provides op­ many people today, non-Communists, portunities for the unlimited develop­ even opponents of communism, who ment of every citizen's creative ca­ are sincerely and honestly seeking an pacities; because finally it creates the answer to these questions. conditions for a complete moral and Taking the thing historically, as we political unity of the entire society. must, we find that the proletarian dic­ In short, because it is socialist de­ tatorship in the Soviet Union arose at mocracy. a time when old Russia was in the When the reactionaries say, as they grip of a most far-reaching economic, do every day, that communism is the social and political crisis. A revolu­ same as fascism because both are die. tionary crisis. The ruling capitalist tatorships, we point to the realities of class was enmeshed in the imperialist the land of socialism and contrast them war of 1914 which was ruining and with the economic and political reali­ destroying the country. The capitalist ties of the countries of fascism. But class was no lo~ger able to rule as of that is not all. We also point to the old and the masses of the people­ realities, to the deeds of the Commu· the overwhelming majority-would no nists in the capitalist countries, to the longer stand the old order. It was a fact that no other section of the peo­ catastrophe as far as the old social ple fights as energetically and consist­ and political order was concerned. ently as the Communists for the The masses wanted peace, bread, land, preservation and extension of de­ and freedom from intolerable op­ mocracy. pression and a chance to live. Granting this to be true, some peo­ None of the existing political par­ ple ask none the less: but isn't it also ties or groups, with the exception of true that both are "dictatorships"? the Bolshevik, Communist Party, had REVIEW OF THE MONTH 1 99 any program that would lead the peo­ ing its plan to the country in this ple out of the catastrophe. On the sense, pointing out that this would be contrary, all of the parties which stood a socialist revolution leading to the for bourgeois democracy as against the building up of a socialist society. proletarian dictatorship during that "Yes," we can hear somebody inter­ revolutionary period were in fact try­ jecting, "but did not the Bolsheviks ing to perpetuate the old order which destroy democracy in the process of became an impossibility, and were in carrying through this plan?'' fact paving the way for a return to To say "no" to this interjection power of the White Guard reaction­ would be correct but not enough. The aries and monarchists. first thing that was accomplished by In this situation of social collapse the struggle for the proletarian dic­ and disintegration, the Bolsheviks tatorship was to save the existing lib­ (Communists), the Party of the work­ erties established by the bourgeois ing class, presented to the people a democracy from the destructive hands plan and program of action that of White Guard reaction and terror pointed the way out to peace, freedom, and from the capitulating hands of democracy and security. It was a plan the bourgeois and social-reformist to form an alliance between the work­ parties. And-this is decisive-to save ing class, the toiling peasantry and the these bourgeois-democratic liberties middle classes of the cities for the pur­ under the conditions of the revolu­ pose of taking power into their own tionary crisis prevailing in the coun­ hands and, under the leadership of try, it was imperative to go beyond the proletariat, to establish peace, the confines of bourgeois democracy, order, and the minimum require­ to move toward socialist democracy, ments of economic security. which was accomplished by the vic­ Politically, this meant that the So­ tory of the proletarian dictatorship. viets, which had already establh;hed This supplanted bourgeois democracy themselves as the recognized govern­ by a higher type of democracy. In mental spokesmen of the people, other words, under the conditions of should become the actual government revolutionary crisis as then develop­ of the country. Economically and ing, it was impossible to save and socially, it meant garnering all re­ further develop the democratic liber­ sources to feed the people, giving land ties brought about by the bourgeois to the peasants, breaking the sabotage revolution in February, 1917, without of the big capitalists and monopolies removing from power the bourgeois­ which was strangling the country, and democratic capitulators to White establishing governmental and work­ Guard reaction, without the proletar­ ers' control over the most important iat and its allies assuming power, branches of the national economy. In without overstepping the bounds of the revolutionary crisis, which then bourgeois democracy. prevailed in the country, this neces­ Thus it is seen that the struggle for sarily meant going beyond the con­ socialism and the proletarian dictator­ fines of capitalism. And the Commu­ ship in old Russia, the struggle which nist Party, led by Lenin, was propos- established the Union of Soviet Social- 200 THE COMMUNIST ist Republics (U.S.S.R.) was a strug­ in Germany (in March, 1933), lacking gle for democracy, for its development a united working class, kept split by to the very end, for the discovery of reactionary Social-Democracy, with a new and more adequate forms of splendid Communist Party but which democracy, for its growing over into a did not yet lead the majority of its higher form of democracy. class, the German masses were unable This brief glance over the his~oric to take power and to rule in a more process already indicates the answers advanced way. The result was the to the other relevant questions. It coming of German fascism to power. shows who is doing the dictating This is the first fundamental differ­ under the proletarian dictatorship: ence to consider in contrasting the the people themselves under the lead. proletarian dictatorship to a fascist ership of the working class. It shows dictatorship. that the inner laws of this dictatorship Second, the fascist dictatorship came of necessity work toward the abolition into existence to save the rule of the of all classes and class divisions in most reactionary and imperialist mon­ society, of all exploitation of man by opolies by the only way open to them man, leading for the first time in his­ -by the destruction of bourgeois tory to the moral and political unity democracy, by terror for the masses of the whole of society. lt shows that and by enslaving the people. The it is the only true government of the proletarian dictatorship came into be­ people, by the people and for the ing in the fight to save the people, people which only socialism makes their liberties, security, their lives, and possible. it did so by preserving and extending In the same way, one should now the liberties acquired through the review the origin and development bourgeois revolution, by developing · and perspectives of fascism; its mean­ democracy further, by building up a ing to the masses of the people, to the new and higher democracy. nation, in the past, present and im­ Third, the fascist dictatorship mediate outlook, because the future creates nonewsocialorder. It aggravates of fascism is on the scrap-heap of his­ and intensifies to the utmost all the tory. Such an examination would im­ ills, miseries and sufferings resulting mediately show that, though fascism from the capitalist system. Instead of also arose in conditions of deep crisis, uniting the people, it further divides it was a different sort of crisis from them, breaks them up, and sharpens the one in Russia in 1917. In both all the contradictions between them. countries the bourgeoisie was no This fascism does because it is the longer able to rule as of old. But terroristic rule of a handful of mon­ whereas in Russia (in November, opolists, the most reactionary and im­ 1917), the masses of the people, headed perialist circles of finance capital, by a united working class and led by sacrificing the vital interests of all the Party of Lenin and Stalin, were other groups and classes (even bour. able to take the power themselves and geois groups) to the interests of these begin to rule in a new and more ad­ reactionary circles. · vanced way, the masses of the people And the proletarian dictatorship? REVIEW OF THE MONTH 201

Does anyone still have to bring elab­ fering. It is to direct and organize the orate proof that it builds-and has al­ transformation of one social order, ready built up in the main-a new outlived and decaying, into a more social order, socialism? It has built up progressive and superior order for a system of society which knows no which all material prerequisites have, monopolies, no exploitation, no re­ already matured. It is to incorporate action, no fascism-a system which is into the new social order, integrally the complete negation of everything and organically, all the progressive fascism stands for. A system superior and cultural achievements of human­ to capitalism whether under bour­ ity. It is to hasten the emergence for geois democracy or fascism. the first time in history of a true Fourth, the proletarian dictatorship humanity with unlimited opportuni­ rests upon the principle of the broth­ ties for growth and creative activity. erhood and equality of nations, a At this point somebody might say: principle realized in the Soviet Union. Good, you may have made your point The proletarian dictatorship in that about the proletarian dictatorship as country came into power in the strug­ against the fascist dictatorship and gle against imperialist war, for peace, capitalism generally. But how do you for the true self-determination of square this with your present policies nations. of the democratic and people's front? And fascism? Everybody should Isn't there a contradiction between know by now that fascism is the nega­ your ultimate political aim, whose tion of all these. things. Fascism is the realization spells the negation of bour­ most reckless and brutal imperialism. geois democracy, and your present Its very nature is war, war agains.t the policies, which seem to be directed people at home, war against other toward the defense and preservation peoples abroad. Its very national of bourgeois democracy? chauvinism, a threat to all other When the people become ready for nations, is also destroying its own it, the proletarian dictatorship "ne­ nation. gates" bourgeois democracy by produc­ Fifth, the net result and effect of ing a higher type of democracy. His­ fascist dictatorship is to prolong and torically, as we have shown in the case intensify the agonies of dying capital­ of the revolution in Russia, this higher ism, destroying all the progressive and type of democracy is the culminating cultural achievements of humanity point of a process of struggle for acquired in the course of centuries, democracy, for more democracy, for reviving and "perfecting" the worst better and more progressive forms of features of barbarism and medieval­ democracy. It is a process which, at a ism. certain stage of development, begins And what about the proletarian dic­ to grow over from bourgeois to social­ tatorship? What is its historic role? ist democracy. Our own country offers As proven by the experiences of the one of the best illustrations of this Soviet Union, it is to hasten the in­ historic process of struggle for democ­ evitable transition from capitalism to racy, only here it has not yet reached socialism with the least pain and suf- the stage of growing over.

the the on on effect effect disturbing disturbing highly highly a a ing ing masses masses the the against against offensive offensive its its fying fying

hav­ is is Congress Congress in in drive drive economy economy the the intensi­ only only not not is is fascism) fascism) of of agents agents

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has has home home at at power power purchasing purchasing Mass Mass countries countries capitalist capitalist the the of of geoisie geoisie

October-November. October-November. bour­ reactionary reactionary the the when when affairs affairs

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caught caught had had Production Production enough. enough. fast fast so so Interna­ Communist Communist the the of of formation formation

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inven­ and and "sluggish" "sluggish" as as characterized characterized it. it. stop stop

are are commodities commodities basic basic for for Markets Markets to to trying trying were were they they forward; forward; process process

circles. circles. financial financial and and business business to to historical historical the the pushing pushing are are We We fascism. fascism.

encouraging encouraging very very be be to to seem seem not not does does of of coming coming the the for for way way the the pave pave to to and and

inventories inventories of of and and prices prices commodity commodity democracy democracy bourgeois bourgeois destroy destroy to to action action

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factors factors economic economic essential essential the the ·tO ·tO As As democracy, democracy, bourgeois bourgeois of" of" name name the the

o. o. from from to to rise rise "in "in revolution revolution 11 11 socialist socialist 113 113 growing growing the the

a a showed showed industries industries non-durable non-durable the the combatting combatting were were in in who who crats, crats, 1918-20 1918-20

while while November November in in 95 95 from from December December Social-Demo­ those those But But theory. theory. this this

in in to to decline decline a a showed showed indices, indices, new new 92 92 by by guided guided are are we we front, front, democratic democratic

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accord­ These, These, country. country. the the in in dustries dustries crea­ the the for for today today fight fight we we When When

in­ durable durable the the of of lagging lagging the the fore, fore, dictatorship. dictatorship. proletarian proletarian the the

be­ noted noted already already situation situation economic economic of of theory theory the the of of stones stones foundation foundation the the

the the of of characteristic characteristic major major a a display display of of one one is is turn, turn, its its in in plan, plan, this this And And

to to continue continue also also months months ary. ary. These These peoples. peoples. colonial colonial enslaved enslaved and and tions tions

Febru­ and and January January through through way way that that na­ oppressed oppressed the the cities, cities, the the of of people people

continued continued have have to to seems seems and and cember cember working working all all farmers, farmers, toiling toiling the the with with

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improve­ business business this this that that certain certain unity unity the the for for calls calls which which plan plan the the is is It It

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respects respects many many in in is is months months ing ing of Comrade Comrade of report report the the in in and and tions tions T

com­ the the for for outlook outlook economic economic resolu­ its its in in International, International, munist munist HE HE

Com­ the the of of Congress Congress Seventh Seventh The The

• • • • • •

theory. theory. in in and and

dependence." dependence." life life in in both both itself itself resolves resolves tradiction" tradiction"

in­ and and dignity dignity liberty, liberty, its its of of tion, tion, "con­ the the how how is is this this And And democracy. democracy.

na­ the the of of backbone backbone "the "the as as tioning tioning socialist socialist into into over over growing growing eventual eventual

func­ people, people, the the unites unites which which force force its its for for development, development, and and extension extension its its

that that become become must must class class working working the the for for democracy, democracy, for for fight fight a a is is tatorship tatorship

why why reason reason more more much much So So nation. nation. the the dic­ proletarian proletarian the the and and socialism socialism for for

of of interests interests the the betraying betraying also also is is but but fight fight the the that that seen seen clearly clearly is is it it Thus Thus

COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE 202 202 REVIEW OF THE MONTH economic outlook even though P.W.A. able the government to stimulate and W.P.A. investments continue. private enterprise by greatly augment­ Trade prospects in Latin America can­ ing (instead of curtailing) the flow of not be expected to show much im­ purchasing power to the masses and provement, if any, in the coming by assuming greater and more sub­ months, while the economic situation stantial responsibilities for large-scale in such countries as England and capital investments. Public ownership France is deteriorating. of the railroads, an enlarged housing Highly detrimental to .the economic program and the nationalization of the outlook, long range and short, is the banks-these are becoming indispens­ further unfolding of the second im­ able measures for the promotion of perialist war waged by the fascist recovery. powers. It should be added that in­ Significantly enough, big business creased armaments in the United reaction and its coalition in Congress States, carried out as part of a pro­ have seized upon the growing national gressive program of social and nation­ debt (not for the first time) as a stick al security, would at this time have a to beat the Administration for its favorable influence on economic con­ "spending" policies. This national ditions. debt, which is nearing the 40-billion­ And then-the sabotage of big busi­ dollar mark, is represented as a terrific ness, especially in the heavy indus­ threat to the nation, its economy, its tries. They still continue to operate well-being. Is this debt, by itself, really from hand to mouth without any vis­ such a threat? A brief answer to this ible intention of initiating large-scale question would be that the present capital investments. And it is hard to size of the national debt constitutes at believe that the mere settlement of the the present time no economic threat dispute between the utilities and the but that the political use of this grow­ Administration over the Tennessee ing debt by the reactionary opponents Valley Authority, .that this alone will of the Administration does create release a large flow of investments by serious economic difficulties. One has finance capital in the coming months. no right to overlook either the one From the foregoing, one would be side or the other. justified in concluding that the con­ The arguments on the dangers of tinuing economic crisis is on the way the increasing debt have been sum­ of passing over into the depression marized by the Bulletin of the Nation­ phase of the cycle. Should this turn al City Bank (February) under three out to be so (by spring, very likely), heads: Credit expansion, the burden we shall again have a special kind of of interest cost, and fiscal unprepared­ depression, with little chance for ness for a war emergency. It is worth boom and real recovery. Unless, that examinging these points even though is, the people are able to force upon briefly. the government the realization of a Since about 44 per cent of the fed­ thorough and rounded-out program of eral debt is held by commercial banks, social and national security. We refer raising their total deposits to a level here to a program which would en- higher than in 1929, the point is made THE COMMUNIST

on tl,te dangers of a credit inflation. ume of "idle" capital, thus intensify­ But it is hard to take these "fears" ing deflationary trends. Should the seriously, for the simple reason that fiscal policy continue unchanged, the the main trouble is, and will continue solution is increased taxation of the for some time, not that the banks are monopolies and rich. advancing too much credit for busi­ Lastly is the "fear" that, if war ness but too little or none at all. It comes, the government will find diffi­ is rather a credit deflation or stagna­ culties in financing it because of the tion that American capitalist economy present huge public debt. To which is suffering from. Therefore, the the answer is (again if we take these dangers of a growing public debt at fears seriously) that the borrowed this time are of an entirely different funds should be used to finance a sort. Government borrowing has the broad program of social and national effect, in this connection, of providing security. We repeat: national and earnings to idle capital which refuses social security. This means projects to or is reluctant to go into production. provide jobs at decent wages for the Conceivably, if there were no steady unemployed. If this is done, on a flow of government securities to invest much larger scale than now, this coun­ capital in, and tax exempt, finance try will be well prepared for emerg­ capital might be forced to make real encies in a social and economic way capital investments-in production. as well as militarily. With this taken This is the trouble and not the imag­ care of even in a measure, the purely inary dangers of credit inflation, al­ financial problems will present no in­ though such danger might arise but surmountable difficulties. under entirely different circumstances. All of the foregoing is merely to in­ It is for this reason, among many dicate that the increasing public debt others, that the Communist Party, to­ constitutes at present no economic gether with other progressive forces, threat. But it is not to say that it favors a wider resort to taxation of presents no difficulties which may not the rich instead of a wider resort to become seridlls. It is the political op­ borrowing. However, even with the position and sabotage of the mon­ present fiscal policies, a nationalized opolies. How does ·this enter the situ­ banking system would enable the gov­ ation? It enters into it because there ernment to force the bank deposits is a fundamental contradiction under­ (arising from federal borrowing) lying the public debt, all public debts either into private or public produc­ under capitalism. The contradiction tive enterprises. is .this: whereas the debt is public As to the burden of interest costs, (national), the economic resources (the this is a real thing. And the important wealth of the country which is back­ consideration about this burden is ing the debt) are private. This means that, while the poor pay a good deal that finance capital, which controls to provide the interest cost, most of the resources of wealth that are sup­ this money goes to the banks and the posed to support the government's well-to-do. This decreases mass pur­ credit, is in a position to undermine chasing power and increases the vol- and destroy it whenever it sees fit. The REVIEW OF THE MONTH two hundred families have been do­ especially to those who think that, if ing it in France. Our own sixty families the socialist Soviet Union can go are maneuvering along similar lines, ahead and "create" money and ac­ though not yet so openly and bra­ quire a public debt, why can't we zenly. This may become very acute. without being fearful of consequences. and the better part of wisdom is to The answer to this is already given: be prepared, to curb such maneuvers in the Soviet Union debt and economy before they become too dangerous. are both public, with no contradiction And the way is the nationalization of between the two. the banking system under democratic So, leaving the future aside for the control. moment, it is important to remember It is really a major contradiction, that the father of the first public debt and it underlies the central struggle of (national) in the United States, as today for democracy-for curbing the well as of the banking system, was no economic and political power of the other than Alexander Hamilton, the monopolies. darling of the young capitalist class of Perhaps a brief historical reference those days. And during, as well as would be relevant at this point, a ref­ after, the Civil War, it was again the erence that has some humor in it. spokesmen of the industrialists, mer­ Our bankers, who are today so fear­ chants and bankers that were promot­ ful of the public debt, have probably ing the growth of the national ·debt forgotten that the institution of the and the banking system. "public debt" stood at the very cradle Therefore, if it was moral, permis­ of modern capitalism, and that the sible and all right in every other way banking system itself is in part the off­ to pile up national debts to build spring of the public debt. capitalism, why should it (from the Marx shows that in the beginning same standpoint) be immoral and of capitalism "the public debt be­ reckless to use the same institution comes one of the most powerful levers to the extent that it is possible to pro­ of primitive accumulation," and that tect the people from the miseries pro­ "the national debt has given rise to duced by this very capitalism? What is joint stock companies, to dealings in the answer? negotiable effects of all kinds, and to agiotage, in a word to stock exchange • • • gambling and the modern bank­ ocracy." (Capital, Vol. I, p. 8~7-) HILE it is nearly impossible, at Through the dialeGtics of history, W this writing, to secure an exact the public debt may also become a picture of what is happening in Spain, means of ending the existence of this several things stand out more or less bankocracy, a means of transforming clearly. The war in Spain is not over. private banking into public banking On the contrary, it is entering a more and thus solving the contradiction acute stage, bringing it .closer to the between the public nature of the debt frontiers of France and making it in and the private character of its true reality a war of the fascist powers also collateral. These words are addressed against France. And this means an ex- 206 THE COMMUNIST tension of the second imperialist war "Boycott all goods to or from Germany, now waged by fascism instead of a Italy and Japan. Refuse to load goods on "localization" which the criminal and ships going to or coming from Germany, Italy and Japan. treacherous "non-intervention" was "Not a ton of coal, not a barrel of petro· supposed to achieve. And this we have leum, not a bar of steel, nothing for the foretold, warned and fought against. troops of invasion and the traitor Franco. The task of the anti-fascists now is "Demonstrate everywhere, in workshops, bigger, but the army of willing fight­ factories, offices, in the cities and in the countryside. Take every form of action, even ers is also growing bigger. Here as well work stoppage, to force the governments to as in Europe. respect the people's will and allow repub­ The appeal of the Communist lican Spain to procure the means of struggle • Parties of Europe and America, issued and victory." from Paris, France, on January 26, indicates the main lines of united anti­ To see clearly under what terrific fascist resistance which are of great handicaps the republican armies have actuality today. We shall quote the been fighting in Catalonia, and to main proposals: show the technical equipment con­ centrated by the fascist intervention­ ists there, we quote from a dispatch "Compel immediate and complete with­ by Messrs. Drew Pearson and Robert drawal of Hitler's and Mussolini's armies, material, technicians. Demand the immediate S. Allen, dated February 8. On the opening of the republican frontiers. Demand strength of information available in the end of the blockade. Demand the ap­ Washington, they write: plication of international law by complete freedom of trade for the Spanish Republic." "Here is a tabulation of Franco's arma­ ment compared with the loyalists: Franco­ We draw attention especially to the field guns 1,500, planes Boo, tanks lJllO. Loy­ alists-field guns 500, planes 86, tanks 6o. first demand to compel the immediate "Furthermore, whenever Franco lost equip­ withdrawal of Hitlers and Musso­ ment it was replaced almost immediately, lini's armies, material, technicians. being delivered by German warships which This is a major line of struggle be­ entered Spanish ports without any inter­ cause it hits directly at the fascist national restriction. "Meanwhile, the loyalists were receiving interventionists and brings up the absolutely nothing from France. Since June central issue, which is the national in­ the border has been shut tight•••• Only dependence and territorial integrity medical supplies arrived from }'ranee." of Spain. Mussolini's spokesman, Virginia Gayda, has already indicated Speaking of the qualities of the re­ that fascism, Hitler and Mussolini, spective armies, the dispatch con­ propose to stay in Spain, to transform tinues: it into a colony and to use it as base for the extension of their war also "Compared man for man, American ob­ against France, England, threatening servers report the loyalists as having the better army .••• During the advance on Bar­ all the time the United States. celona, one loyalist brigade perlormed the The appeal of the Communist miracle of holding off Franco for 35 days Parties goes on: without fresh ammunition, food or supplies REVIEW OF THE MONTH of any kind. Living on 'iron rations' they Trotskyites and Lovestoneites. The so­ retreated inch by inch, using as little am· called isolationists in Congress are munition as possible, until they were l;i.ght· clearly and definitely helping the fas­ ing with their bare hands." cist aggressors. But all of these ele­ This is the spirit of .the Spanish ments speak for a small minority of people fighting for the territorial in­ the American people. The administra­ tegrity of their country against the tion of President Roosevelt is there­ fascist invaders and oppressors. It is fore fully justified, from every stand· the spirit and struggle which defend point of democratic principle and pro­ also France and England and the cedure, to proceed consistently with United States. the realization of the principles of At this writing, the republican foreign policy enunciated by the Pres· forces still hold ten provinces (about ident in his opening message to one-fourth of Spain), with ten million Congress. inhabitants, 500 miles of coast, a good Reaction and pro-fascism in this army and a good fleet. In the terri­ country are maneuvering. Maneuver­ tories held by the fascist invaders, the ing to gain time. To allow them to do bulk of the population is known to so is to play into their hands~ be hostile to the foreign invaders and So far, pro-fascist reaction and its desirous of a free and independent spokesmen in Congress have not yet Spain. These· constitute tremendous chalJenged directly and fully the forces for driving Hitler and Musso­ President's anti-fascist foreign orienta­ lini out of Spain, for preserving its tion. Why? Because they know that national independence and territorial the majority of the people are sup· integrity. France needs that, England porting the President on this central does and so does the United States. issue. Therefore reaction has chosen The. peoples have it in their power to provoke the fight on such dema­ to compel the governments of these gogic issues as "secret diplomacy," and countries to come to the assistance of "foreign entanglements," hoping in Spain against Hitler and Mussolini. this way to delay and obstruct action We have not much time to make in support of Spain and China. up our minds about it. The job is not to let. the main issue It is well known .that the majority of resistance to the fascist war-makers of the American people want this be sidetracked by the "anti-secrecy" country to do all in its power to help maneuvers of reaction. Let the ad­ check the advance of the fascist war. ministration put the issue squarely makers. The national and social secur­ before the people and with their sup· ity of the United States demands that port proceed to render all possible this be done. And President Roosevelt aid to the struggle for Spain's nation­ has expressed this wish of the people al freedom and independence, aid to on numerous occasions. the Chinese people against the Jap· Hoover and Co. speak for the pro­ anese invaders, aid to the anti-fascist fascist monopolies. The traitorous forces in Europe, collaboration with fascist priest, Coughlin, speaks for the Soviet Union. Hider and 1\lUMOlini, assi&ted by the American lalx>r has a great duty 208 THE COMMUNIST and task to come forward and help conference of workers' organizations rally the American people for these to establish a united front of labor aims. American labor has also the task against the fascist aggressors and war· of throwing the full weight of its great makers. influence in favor of an international A.B.

"At the time when fascism has already set about the repartition of Europe, when it is crippling other peoples and tearing them to pieces, the task of the working class now ts to head the liberation struggle of the enslaved nations and the defense of the peoples threatened by for­ eign domination. "The nation is not the gang of fascists, reactionary financiers and industrial magnates who rob and betray the people. The nation is the many millions of workers, peasants and workmg people generally­ the people that is devoted to its country, cherishes its liberty and defends its independence. Just as.in Spain and China where the people are fighting with arms in hand, and in Austria and Czechoslovakia, so also in all countries menaced with fascist invasion from without, only the working class can rally, rouse and· lead the people to a vic­ torious struggle for national liberation. The wo_rking class is the back­ bone of the nation, the bulwark of its liberty, dignity and indepen­ dence."-Manifesto of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, Nov. 7, 1938. AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL

BY EARL BROWDER

T WAS inevitable that the rise of the International by the old opportunist I Communist International in 1919 leadership of the Socialist Party should find one of its points of sup­ brought about the birth of the Com­ port in the United States. This was munist Party of the United States as predetermined by the character of our a split-off from the Socialist Party, country, as the most advanced capital­ while the political and organizational ist land with the largest industrial immaturity of the movement caused working class; by the composition of its division at birth into two parties its population, a large proportion (Communist Party and Communist- acutely conscious of its origin in other Labor Party), which were finally lands, and therefore international­ united only two years later. minded; and by its whole history, The infamous repressions of the which from 1776 onward was inter­ Palmer raids and deportations of 19~0 twined in the main stream of inter­ broke up the normal development of national development, outstandingly the Party until the end of 1921, when exemplified by the correspondence be­ its scattered forces were drawn to­ tween Karl Marx, for the First Inter­ gether and emerged in the Workers' national, and the administration of Party of J\merica with Charles E. J\braham Lincoln. Ruthenberg at the head, uniting the best members, leaders and traditions A HISTORIC SURVEY of the old Socialist party. Four years later the name was changed to Work­ The large majority of the member­ ers' (Communist) Party, and in the ship of the Socialist Party was inter­ Sixth Convention, March, 19~9. to nationalist in its sympathies and re­ Communist Party of the U.S.A These sponded to the victory of Leninism in formal dates roughly coincide with the October Revolution, and to the the main periods of economical and call of the First Congress of· the Com­ political developments in the world, munist International on March ~-6, and in the United States, and serve to 1919. The J\merican Socialist and mark the main periods of develop­ labor movements had always had close ment of the Communist Party. connections with the First and Second The period of the post-war crisis of Internationals. But the stubborn re­ the capitalist world, which to some sistance to the post-war rebirth of the extent involved the U.S., was the time 210 THE COMMUNIST of the gathering of our forces into a of firm consolidation of Party unity Party able to begin the systematic based upon proving in practice the study and application of Lenin's profound lessons of Lenin's and teachings in the national and world Stalin's teachings; it is a period of situation. That was the period of the unprecedented rise of the labor move­ consolidation of the workers' power ment and of the united and people's in the Soviet Union, the defeat of its front. This is the period of the gigan­ armed enemies within and without, tic strides forward of the Soviet Union, and the beginning of its economic re­ the completion of the foundations of construction. socialist economy, the tenfold multi­ The period of partial and tempo­ plication of production, and the ,his­ rary stabilization of the capitalist toric realization of the socialist democ­ world, after the post-war crisis, in racy of the new Stalinist Constitution. which capitalism regained the pre-war These are the great landmarks of level of production, reflected in the the history of the twenty years since U.S. by the Coolidge "prosperity," the founding of the Communist Inter­ was a time of relative stagnation in national, which rise before us as we the American labor movement, dur­ review this interval of time so rich ing which the Communist Party grad­ in experience, so crowded with world­ ually hammered out its first elemen­ changing events, as to challenge com­ tary Leninist leading personnel and parison with centuries of pre-war his­ mastered the basic principles of tory. It is with this background always Leninism, a period distorted and pro­ in mind that we should study the re­ longed by a protracted and fierce fac­ lations between America and the tional fight, the roots of which sprang world Communist movement crystal­ from the hostile and alien groups of lized in the Communist International. Trotskyites and Lovestoneites then within the Party, and expelled finally REFUTING THE "ORDER FROM in 1928 and 1929. That was the period MOSCOW" SLANDER of the Soviet Union's reconstruction of economy above the pre-war level, The professional "Red-baiters" and the beginning of socialist industrial­ anti-Communists have never ceased to ization, leading into the First Five­ spread the idea, in a thousand varia­ Year Plan and collectivization of tions, that the American Commu­ agriculture. nists are some sort of automatons The period of the renewed world or puppets operated by strings crisis of capitalism, beginning with from Moscow and speaking as the stock market crash in the U.S. in phonograph records for some mysti­ the last half of 1929, and leading to cal "foreign body"; this fantastic con­ the rise of world-fascism and the be­ ception they have symbolized in the ginning of the second imperialist formula "Orders from Moscow." This world war, marked the beginning of slanderous · attack is particularly the steady political and organizational spread today by the Dies Committee growth of the C.P.U.S.A., year after and its agents, and by all supporters year, up to the present; it is a period of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo "Anti- AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL 1111

Comintem Alliance" of war-makers. were such Communists they would not be Because this slogan is the chief worth a cent. Communists are bold and cour­ ideological instrument of the Rome­ ageous, they are fighting against a host of enemies. The value of a Communist, among Berlin-Tokyo axis, in its war against other things, lies in that he is able to de­ all democracies, the task of refuting fend his convictions. Therefore it is strange it and unmasking its true significance to speak of American Communists as not becomes not merely the narrow Party having their own convictions and being capa­ concern of the Communists, but an ble only of working according to 'orders' from outside. urgent necessity for the whole camp "The only part of the asliertion that has of democracy. any truth in it at all is that the American The Red-baiters become sarcastic Communists are affiliated to an international about the "sudden change of attitude" Communist organization and from time to when on June 29, 1988, I presented a time consult with the central body of this organization on one question or another. fonnal statement for the Communist But what is there bad about this? Are the Party, before the McNaboe Commit­ American labor leaders opposed to an inter­ tee of New York State, declaring: national workers' center? It is true they are "The Communist Party makes its own de­ not affiliated to Amsterdam [the Interna­ cisions, it bas never received orden from tional Federation of Trade Unions; since then the A. F. of L. bas affiliated to the Moscow or anywhere else, and if it did re­ ceive any such orders it would throw them I.F.T.U.-E.B.]; not because they are opposed in the wastebasket." to an international workers' center as such, however, but because they regard Amsterdam But this is not something new, and as being too radical. (Laughter.) was not a changed attitude in any "Why may the capitalists organize inter­ way. It has always been the position nationally and the working class, or part of it, not have its international organization? of the Communist Party of the U.S.A., Is it not clear that Green and his friends in and this position has always charac­ the American Federation of Labor slander terized the relationship between the the American Communists when they slav­ Communist International and the ishly repeat the capitalist legends about C.P.U.S.A. 'orders from Moscow'? Some people believe As an important confinnation of that the members of the Communist Inter­ national in Moscow do nothing else but sit this fact, which needs to be brought and· write instructions to all countries. As to the attention of all democrats and there are more than 6o countries affiliated progressives who have been frightened to the Comintern, one cari imagine the posi­ by the Dies Committee, let me cite the tion of the members of the Comintern who words of Joseph Stalin, spoken in r927 never sleep or eat, in fact, do nothing but sit day and night and write instructions to in reply to a question put by a dele­ all countries. (Laughter.)"• gation of American trade unionists (non-Communists) who were visiting This quotation confirms that my the Soviet Union. Stalin said: statement to the McNaboe Commit­ "The assertion that the American Commu­ tee contained the long-established nists work under 'orders from Moscow' is position of the Communists of all absolutely untrue. There are no Communists in the world who would agree to work • Published in the pamphlet, An Interview with Stalin by the American Trade Union 'under orders' from outside against their own Delegation, 1927, and in Leninism, Vol. I, by convictions and will and contrary to the re­ Joseph Stalin, pp. 38!1-84, International Pub­ quirements of the situation. Even if there lishers, New York, 19!1!1· tilt THE COMMUNIST countries, that there was nothing new versations with Americans. And what in principle in my declaration, nor was always the main theme of these was there anything opposed to gen­ conversations? I have gathered in­ eral Communist views on this ques­ formation from a dozen sources which tion. all agree in the main. Lenin gave most of his attention, OUR INDEBTEDNESS TO LENIN, STALIN talking with Americans, to asking in­ AND DIMITROFF numerable questions and making com­ Having cleared this question out of ments on the answers. Thus he was the way, the much more important never talking at but instead drawing point remains of the nature and di­ out his visitors. By his questions he rection of the influence which the directed attention to what he consid­ Communist International has exer­ ered the most important problems. cised in the development of the By a thousand questions on conditions C.P.U.S.A. Communists are the last of labor and life, and on the labor to deny that influence; we have movement, he taught that fundamen­ learned the most profound lessons tal lesson that no one could be a seri­ from our affiliation to the Communist ous Communist who was not im~ International, and above all are mersed in the daily life of his own American Communists indebted to people, in this case the American peo­ the individual contributions of three ple. His constantly reiterated question, men, Lenin, Stalin and Dimitroff. It "Why do you not have a daily news­ is this above all that I would discuss. paper?" and his incredulous and Lenin's writings during the World quizzical attitude to all answers that War reached American Socialists only tended to exaggerate the difficulties in a fragmentary and sometimes dis­ in the way of such a project were real­ torted form. Despite this, they were ly the genesis of the Daily Worker, the decisive factor in bringing to­ which was born in the very week in gether the Left wing which later which Lenin died. founded the Communist Party. With His intimate knowledge of the the victory of the Russian Revolution, fundamentals of American develop­ Lenin's thoughts began flowing to us ment always astonished American more completely and directly, and visitors; it was only after his death furnished the main theoretical guide that we learned of his book on Amer­ of the formative days of our Party. ican agriculture, the first really scien­ With the establishment of the Com­ tific study of the American agrarian munist International in March, 1919, question, as distinct from its separate Lenin personally devoted many long parts, ever written. He was fully ac­ hours of most painstaking educational quainted with the deep connections of work with the American delegates Marx and Engels, and the First Inter­ who visited Moscow. In the midst of national, with America, and had a pro­ the most pressing problems of state, found understanding of the world­ of an enormous country struggling historical importance of the Revolu­ with heart-breaking problems, Lenin tionary War of 1776 and the Civil found time for long and intimate con- War of 1861-65; unfortunately for us. AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL us he was not able, during the years of American problems takes a permanent his own life, to impress this sufficient­ place in the history of our Party, ly upon the visiting American com­ which first placed squarely the historic rades for this understanding to take international role of our Party, with­ root and grow in the American Party, out the full understanding of which and it is only in the last few years no OQe can claim to really under­ that we have awakened to the rich stand this history. Moreover, Stalin revolutionary content of American taught our Party the meaning of the history which Lenin was trying to Leninist style of work, the necessity of point out to us. From these brief combining Bolshevik zeal and devo­ characteristics, it is clear that Lenin tion to the working class with "Amer­ was always bringing us closer to ican efficiency" which is "an antidote America, closer to the working class to 'revolutionary' phrasemongering and people of our own land, closer to and fantastic invention." And this, our own nation and the treasures of too, is not the least of those many its history. And that is not the least reasons for the universal confidence of the reasons why rapidly growing and love felt by all American Com­ masses of Americans learned to love munists for Stalin. Lenin and to follow him; and why Dimitroff became for the American with every passing year Lenin's spirit Communists a decisive influence, grows stronger in our country. quite inevitably, through his glorious Stalin's intimate political and spirit­ achievement in turning the "Reich­ ual collaboration in the solution of stag Fire Trial" into a world-condem­ the problems of growth and consoli­ nation of the Nazi incendiaries them­ dation of the American Communist selves, and defeating them in their movement came fully to our con­ own courts by his brilliant and ster­ sciousness in 19.29. That was a year of ling Leninist-Stalinist abilities. With climax of factional strife, threatening the historic Seventh World Congress, the disintegration and destruction of and Dimitroff's world-historic con­ our Party, in which the anti-Party tribution of the united front of the and essentially anti-Communist group­ international proletariat and of the ings of Trotskyites and Lovestoneites people against fascism, he became not had played the principal role; It was only in general a decisive influence, the calm wisdom, incisive analysis, but in a most intimate sense an in­ and unanswerable, devastating criti­ tellectual collaborator and a spiritual cism of errors and unprincipledness inspiration in the American Commu­ wherever they showed themselves, con­ nist movement. Dimitroff has become tained in two short speeches by Stalin "ours," one of the fundamental facts in the discussions of 19.29, that closed in our life, his thought as essential the formative period in the history of to our political life as the air we our Party, setting it firmly and united­ breathe is to our physical life. The ly upon the road to become a mass helmsman of the Communist Inter­ Party, a Bolshevik Party. national is the living embodiment of Stalin's fraternal opinion in the everything we trust, admire, and love form of two speeches of 19.29 about in Lenin and Stalin. THE COMMUNIST

BETrER INTERNATIONAUSM MEANS ish people to the fascist invasion, and BETrER AMERICANISM epic struggle of the people of China against the invasion of Japanese fas­ It is most emphatically clear, there­ cism, are the only active defenses now fore, that when we contemptuously being put up that keep the Rome­ repudiate the conception of "Orders Berlin-Tokyo axis from turning full from Moscow," slander of the Rome­ attention to Latin America. Berlin-Tokyo axis and its agents Among the great powers, only the everywhere, we affirm with equal em­ Soviet Union has pursued a firm, con­ phasis our closest comradely union sistent policy of intransigent resistance with the greatest spirits of the inter­ to the fascist world offensive, and of national Communist movement, and active help to the attacked and threat­ with our millions of comrades in ened people. other lands, who are united in the Among the capitalist democracies, Communist International. Because we only the United States has assumed are becoming every day better Ameri­ an attitude which gives promise, if cans, we are also becoming better in­ consistently developed, of creating an­ ternationalists; because we were inter­ other great world center of organized nationalists we were able to become resistance to fascist world conquest. Americans in the truest and most But this promise can be realized only profound sense. We have revived on if the United States policy is built a higher plane the great traditions of upon a consistent world-view, taking internationalism, which was always into consideration all the active and the most living core of the American latent forces of a world democratic revolutionary tradition, as exempli· front. fied in the great figures of Jefferson, It is one of the historical functions Paine and Franklin. of the American Communists, which Never before have the international we can perform best because of our spirit and outlook been more vitally organic connection with the world necessary for the very continued ex­ movement, through the Communist istence of our nation as an expression International, to contribute to bring of human liberty and progress. the U.S. fully into the world demo­ The Rome-Berlin-Tokyo war alli­ cratic front by making our people ance is threatening to engulf the world-conscious, by creating a clearer whole world outside the impregnable understanding that the national se­ stronghold of the Soviet Union. curity of our country is most intimate­ Great Britain and France, under ly bound up with the fate of world the domination of monopoly capital, democracy and peace. From the time continue the suicidal policy of "ap­ of Marx and Engels this has been a peasement" and surrender before the conscious goal of Communists. It is fascist axis, which not only endangers worth while to recall the words of their own national existence, but al­ Marx, contained· in the Inaugural ready presents a direct threat to the Address of the Workingmen's Interna­ Americas. tional Association (the · First In­ The heroic resistance of the Span- ternational) on September 28, 1864: AMERICA AND THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL 215

"If the emancipation of the working class consistent peace policy of the Soviet requires their fraternal concurrence, how are Union, which is supporting in every they to fulfil .that great mission with a for· way the democratic peace forces of eign policy in pursuit of criminal designs, playing upon national prejudices, and ·squan­ the entire world against the robber dering in piratical wars the people's blood ways of the Rome-Berlin-Tokyo Axis. and treasure? It was not the wisdom of the Every nation, every class, every party ruling classes, but the heroic resistance to and every individual leader in the their criminal folly by the working classes world is choosing today between sur­ of England that saved the West of Europe from plunging headlong into an infamous render to the war-making alliance on crusade for the perpetuation and propaga· the one hand, or the stern defense of tion of slavery on the other side of the the policy enunciated by Marx in Atlantic. 1864 on the other hand. "The shameless approval, mock sympathy, There can no longer be any doubt or idiotic indifference, with which the upper classes of Europe have witnessed the moun­ that the great majority of the Ameri­ tain fortress of the Caucasus falling a prey can people have chosen to "vindicate to, and heroic Poland being assassinated by, the simple laws of morals and justice" Russia, the immense and unresisted en­ . . . "as the rules paramount in the croachments of that barbarous power, whose intercourse of nations." In the fight head is at St. Petersburg, and whose hands are in every cabinet of Europe, have taught to realize the will of the people on this the working classes the duty to master for issue, upon which the fate of the ·themselves the mysteries of international world depends, the Communists will politics; to watch the diplomatic acts of their be in the front ranks of the most ef­ respective governments; to counteract them, fective fighters, because they are if necessary, by all means in their power; when unable to prevent, to combine in si­ worthy members of the Communist multaneous denunciations, and to vindicate International, worthy followers of the simple laws of morals and justice, which Marx and Engels, and of their best ought to govern the relations of private in· continuators, Lenin and Stalin, and dividuals, as the rules paramount of the in· because they are thereby also the best tercourse of nations. "The fight for such a foreign policy forms representatives and continuators of part of the general struggle for the emanci­ the great traditions of Franklin, Paine pation of the working classes." • and Jefferson. This thought has always been a On the twentieth anniversary of the basic guiding line of followers of Karl Communist International, we repeat Marx since it was uttered, to the ex­ the words of Stalin on the occasion of tent that they understood their Marx­ Lenin's death: ism. Lenin developed it to its climax "In departing from us, Comrade Lenin be­ in the great October Revolution, queathed to us the duty of remaining loyal which took its origin largely in "the to the principles of the Communist Interna­ fight for such a foreign policy," in the tion. We vow to you, Comrade Lenin, that fight for "peace without annexations we will not spare our lives to strengthen and and without indemnities." Stalin has expand the union of the toilers of the whole world-the Communist International."• further developed it in the firm and

• The Founding of the First International, • Joseph Stalin, The Lenin Heritage, p. 15, pp.lJ8-gg,lnternational Publishers, New York. International Publishers, New York. LENIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR MOVEMENT

BY D. Z. MANUILSKY.

HE main thing in Leninism is greater confidence and courage. Along T "the question of the dictatorship with Lenin in marking out this path of the proletariat, of the conditions was Comrade Stalin. It is along this for winning it, of the requisites for its path that, since Lenin's death, Stalin's entrenchment." (Stalin.) The teaching genius has led the working people of on the dictatorship of the proletariat our country and brought them to the is the soul of Leninism. This teaching world-historical victory of socialism. has been tested by the experience of Lenin's tremendous service to the millions. This teaching is now not world labor movement lies in the fact only a revolutionary theory, it is a that he restored and upheld Marx's living reality. It is expressed in the doctrine, which had been distorted mighty socialist state, it is materially and discarded by the opportunists of embodied in the tremendous victories the Second International; in the fact of the socialist revolution. Lenin's that he developed it further, trans­ doctrine of the dictatorship of the forming it into an ordered theory of proletariat has now been developed the proletarian revolution in the new and enriched by Comrade Stalin on conditions of the class struggle. the basis of the great experience, For the workers of the capitalist summarized by theoretical thought, of countries who are still on the road to socialist construction in the U.S.S.R. the overthrow of capitalism, the Len­ The theory of Marxism-Leninism inist-Stalinist doctrine of . the prole­ is inseparable from all that has been tarian dictatorship is of decisive sig­ contributed to it by Comrade Stalin, nificance. Lenin was right a thousand who in all his theoretical creative times over in mercilessly trouncing work teaches the international work­ and exposing all varieties of oppor­ ing class that Marxist-Leninist theory tunists who, on the pretext that no is not a dogma, but a guide to action. clause regarding the dictatorship of the proletariat was included in the THE PATH OF THE PROLETARIAN program of the majority of the West­ DICTATORSHIP European Social-Democratic Parties, Lenin's genius marked out for man­ wanted to throw overboard the very kind the path of the proletarian revo­ idea of the proletarian dictatorship. lution which millions of workers in Lenin was right a thousand times over the capitalist countries will tread with in incessantly castigating the oppor· LENIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR MOVEMENT 217 tunists and centrists who, at the mo­ masses of the people in the Sudeten­ ment when the socialist revolution land, Austria, in the Spanish territory was maturing in Europe, fought.....;un­ occupied by the interventionists, in der the guise of defending bourgeois Germany, Italy, Japan! democracy-against the proletarian The Kautskys, Bauers, MacDonalds revolution and saved capitalism from alleged they were defending bourgeois destruction. democracy, but by their entire ruin­ Had the workers of the most im­ ous policy of retreat before fascism portant capitalist countries in 1918- they have prepared its downfall. In 19.20 followed the path of the Soviet the Soviet Union, on the other hand, proletariat, had they not allowed which followed the path of Lenin­ themselves to be duped by the Kaut­ Stalin, the path of proletarian revo­ skys, Otto Bauers and MacDonalds lution, socialist democracy flourishes, who persuaded the workers of their embracing the entire people, a de­ countries not to overthrow capitalism mocracy such as has never yet existed but to follow the path of bourgeois in history. democracy towards reforms, the world would have looked different now. THE PARTY OF A NEW TYPE There would not today be a sanguin­ The victory of the dictatorship of ary fascist dictatorship either in Ger­ the proletariat would have been im­ many or in Italy, nor would we now possible without the formation of a have the second imperialist war; we new type of working class party. A would not now be witnessing t}le party free of opportunism, irrecon­ brigandage of the fascist intervention­ cilable towards conciliators and ists in Spain, the outrages of the Japa­ capitulators, revolutionary in rela­ nese fascist militarists in China, the tion to the bourgeoisie. A party enslavement of Austria and the dis­ capable of uniting the basic masses memberment of Czechoslovakia. So­ of the working class, and rally­ cialism would have been the prev­ ing to the side of the proletariat its alent system over the greater part of allies. A party capable of utilizing the the globe. opportunities of every situation for The Kautskys, Bauers and MacDon­ the organization and mobilization of alds sought to scare the workers with the masses, and of leading the toiling the fact that the proletarian revolu­ people to the storming of capitalism. tion is accompanied by difficulties and The formation of such a new type of privations. But can one compare these party as the Bolshevik Party was not difficulties and privations with the a "Russian," a "national" affair. It horrible calamities which dying capi· was the supreme achievement of the talism inflicts on mankind? What end­ entire international labor movement. less suffering and sacrifice were in· Fashioned, reared and steeled by Len­ flicted on the proletariat by the world in and Stalin-the two giants of revo­ economic crisis of 19.29 alone, not to lutionary thought and revolutionary speak of the new crisis that has be­ deed-the Bolshevik Party is a model gun! And what agonies of White ter­ for the entire international Commu­ ror is fascism today inflicting on the nist movement. All the sections of .uS THE COMMUNIST the Communist International learn to the Communist movement, that from it. It has elevated to tremendous they are curbing the working class heights the significance of the Party for long. of the working class as the decisive "The schooling of civil war," instrument in the struggle for the wrote Lenin, "is not wasted on the liberation of the toilers, for the social­ peoples." The Russian Bolsheviks un­ ist revolution, in the struggle against derwent this severe schooling and in fascism and predatory wars. the fire of it they hammered out the Under the direct influence of the new type of party. Hundreds of peo­ Leninist-Stalinist teaching there have ple are coming forward in the fas­ grown up parties such as the heroic cist countries to take the place of Communist ·party of Spain which plays every tortured, murdered Communist, a part of prime importance in the and in the hour of historic reckoning defense of its country and its peo­ -there will be hundreds of thousands ple against the invasion of the foreign and millions. And the hundreds who interventionists. The Communist Party are rising up today constitute the of France, the initiator of the Peo­ iron shock troop of the new type of ple's Front in France, with growing Party. influence over wide masses not only But this by no means implies that of workers but also of the peasantry the Communist Parties in the capi­ and of the urban toilers has grown talist countries are already Bolshevik into a first-rate political force. The Parties in the full sense of the tenn. Communist Party of the U.S.A.; which They have yet much to learn, and, has won new strength in the struggle above all, to learn revolutionary against fascism, in the struggle for theory from the great classics of Marx, the development of the democratic Engels, Lenin, Stalin. They need to front, is becoming transformed into make a deeper study, in the light of an important political factor, and is the history of the C.P.S.U., of the ex­ drawing into its ranks, on an ever perience of the revolutionary struggle wider scale, the best elements of the of their respective countries and of American labor movement. The he­ the world revolutionary movement, to roic Communist Party of China is in fashion out of this study a keen wea­ the front ranks of the armed struggle, pon for their day-to-day activities. giving tens of thousands of its best sons to the cause of liberating the THE STRUGGLE WAGED BY LENIN AND great Chinese people from the yoke of STALIN AGAINST OPPORTUNISM the Japanese invaders. Severe is the ordeal through which Lenin and Stalin always taught the Communists in the fascist coun­ the Communists to establish Better tries are now passing. But let the fas­ contacts with the masses, not to grow cist executioners not delude them­ conceited at moments of success, not selves into believing that by killing to give way to panic at moments of hundreds and thousands of Commu­ defeat. They taught th~ Bolshevik nists in the fascist countries, they are vigilance, the lack of which has in­ putting an end to Marxism-Leninism, flicted no small damage on the Com- LENIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR MOVEMENT ug munist Parties. They taught them to type act today as spokesmen of the be ever on their guard, to be on the working class. alert for every maneuver of the en­ The Leninist-Stalinist teaching of emy. In the present grim days of the proletarian dictatorship · presup­ acute class struggle, the experience of poses the unification of the basic Spain and China goes to show that masses of the working class under the the Communists must master all revolutionary leadership of a new forms of struggle. type of party. The path to the solu­ In putting forward the task of es­ tion of this task in the contemporary tablishing a new type of party as the labor movement of the capitalist chief weapon of the working class countries lies through the establish­ struggle for the proletarian dictator­ ment of the united working class ship, for socialism, Lenin conducted front. The united working class front a merciless, irreconcilable struggle helps to draw into the general stream against all opportunists. He did not of the class struggle millions of work­ wait for opportunism to become trans­ ers disorganized by the policy of re­ formed into open counter-revolution. treat before fascism pursued by the He did not wait for the Mensheviks, Social-Democratic capitulators. It fa­ Socialist-Revolutionaries, bourgeois­ cilitates in every way the most speedy nationalists, centrists, openly to desert formation of the People's Front for to the camp of intervention. He did the struggle against the capitalist of­ not let them develop, acquire in­ fensive, fascism and predatory wars. fluence over the working class, but It enhances the activity of the from the very first appearance of these masses of workers, trains them trends attacked them with the utmost in the spirit of irreconcilability to revolutionary passion. the class enemy, steels their revolu­ Stalin defended with supreme de­ tionary will, leads them on to the votion the doctrine of Marx-Engels­ practical realization of the final aims· Lenin against the Trotskys and Bu­ of their movement. kharins long before· these latter de­ The Communists fight for the generated into a gang of spies, diver­ united working class front because it sionists and assassins. Both Lenin and enables the workers, at the moment of Stalin were irreconcilable in clearing the oncoming new economic crisis, to out of the way of the working class, wage a successful struggle against the all that was rotten, foul and hinder­ capitalist attempts to reduce still fur­ ing its progress. And had the active ther their standard of living. The elements of the international labor Communists fight for the united work­ movement mastered the essence of the ing class front because its establish­ profoundly principled struggle waged ment will contribute to the victory by Lenin and Stalin against oppor­ of the Spanish and Chinese people tunism, the monstrous betrayal of the over the fascist vandals, because it parties of the Second International will help to frustrate the insidious during the imperialist war of 1914- plans of the Munich plotters who are 1918 wouLi. not have taken place, preparing chains of still worse slavery nor could pro-fascists of the Citrine for the peoples, because it hastens the 220 THE COMMUNIST overthrow of the bloody fascist dic­ that cements all the laboring sections tatorship by the downtrodden peo­ of the people, becomes the backbone ples. of its nation, of its liberty, dignity and independence. THE LENIN-STALIN STRATEGY FOR RALLY· The People's Front tactic outlined lNG THE ALLIES OF THE PROLETARIAT by the Seventh Congress of the Com­ The teaching of the proletarian dic­ munist International both in its reso­ tatorship further presupposes the ral­ lution and in the report of Comrade lying to the side of the working class Dimitroff, is part of this great Lenin­ of their allies-the peasantry, the ur­ ist-Stalinist plan. And precisely be­ ban toilers, the oppressed nations and cause this tactic constitutes a danger the enslaved colonial peoples. The to world reaction, it has encountered opportunists of the Second Interna­ considerable diffirulties in a number tional never seriously posed the ques­ of capitalist countries. A furious tion of the allies of the proletariat, struggle has been waged against the because they never seriously posed People's Front by fascism. the question either of the overthrow Operating hand in glove with the of capitalism or of the defense of latter have been the reactionary bour­ so-called bourgeois democracy against geoisie of all capitalist countries, par­ the encroachments of fascism, or even ticularly of Great Britain. Strenuous of the defense of the working class aid is rendered to reaction by the against the capitalist offensive. capitulators in the Labor Party and It is precisely today, when there is the Second International. All the fas­ an intensification of monstrous im­ cist-Trotskyite spies, provocateurs and perialist brigandage, when the turbid stool-pigeons endeavor to injure the waters of fascism threaten to inun­ People's Front movement. date new countries, when the condi­ It needs to be stressed in addition tions of the working class and labor­ that in those countries where the ing people generally in the capitalist People's Front already exists, the countties are becoming ever more Communists, in the course of realiz­ terrible-it is precisely in the present ing it, have to take account of the specific historical situation that Len­ fact that the allies of the working class in's great strategic plan regarding the -the peasantry, and the toilers in the allies of the proletariat assumes ex· cities-are frequently still under the ceptionally great significance. The influence of Qther parties 3llld Qr­ significance of this plan is increased ganizations, that these parties and or­ by yet other factors. It must not be ganizations pursue a vacillating pol­ overlooked that the reactionary bour­ icy, that the struggle against the geoisie systematically betrays the in­ vacillations of such parties is no terests of the nation. They are ready easy matter, all the more since to place their own peoples under the the Socialist Party leaders contribute heel of alien fascist domination, for to these vacillations. The partners the sake of preserving their own nar­ of the Communists in the People's row class interests. Under these con­ Front frequently endeavor to switch ditions the working class is the force over the policy of the People's LENIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR MOVEMENT 221

Front to the path of coalition with united and people's front means in the reactionary bourgeoisie. It is ab­ addition to extend it to such coun­ solutely clear that the so-called policy tries where it does not as yet exist. of non-intervention pursued by cer­ This, in its turn, demands of the tain leaders of the Radical and So­ Communists a great deal of persistent cialist Parties in France was not the work to convince workers who are policy of the People's Front at all, honestly mistaken,· who have been led but the policy of agreement of big into an impasse by the capitulatory business in England and F'rance with elements of Social-Democracy, or have German and Italian fascism against been confused by the blows which the interests not only of the Spanish the Munich policy inflicted on the but also of the French people. People's Front in France. At the same The policy of the People's Front time, however, it aemands of the runs directly counter to this policy of Communists a most ruthless struggle reaction. It does not mean agreement against those pro-fascist leaders in the with fascism, but a resolute, consis­ labor movement who, by their ma­ tent struggle against it both on the licious policy of systematically reject­ internal and the international arena. ing the united working class front, The People's Front policy does not brought the international labor mean the suppression of workers' movement to such a pass that it strikes, but the defense of the elemen­ proved \mabie to prevent the Munich tary demands and needs of the work­ plot against the peoples. Only by ers. It does not mean attempts to split fighting in this way for the united the labor movement and the demo- workets' and people's front will the . cratic forces, but self-sacrificing work Communists be acting in the spirit of to bring about their unification. It the Leninist-Stalinist teaching. does not mean the reactionary, fascist­ THE PROLETARIAT IN ALLIANCE WITH like baiting of Communists, but joint THE OPPRESSED NATIONS struggle by all the anti-fascist forces against reaction. The Leninist-Stalinist teaching of The Communists must not forget the proletarian dictatorship includes that the united working class front not only the problem of the alliance and the anti-fascist People's Front are of the proletariat with the urban and not a peaceful idyll of "genial neigh­ rural toilers of one nation, but also bors" but a militant association with­ the problem of the reserves in the in which it is necessary to conduct shape of the oppressed nations and comprehensive, tenacious, patient, ex­ the enslaved colonial peoples. planatory political work, persistently The fascist obscurantists, in devel­ and resolutely to criticize all waver­ oping their aggressive policy, basely ings, ruthlessly to expose every act of endeavor to exploit the national sen­ treachery. On no account must this timents of the peoples belonging to be forgotten, for otherwise it will be other multi-national states. They en­ impossible to secure and entrench the deavor to exploit the slogan of the united and people's front. self-determination of nations, for the But to secure and entrench the dismemberment of those states against .2U THE COMMUNIST which their plans of aggression are tem wielding undivided power over directed. This method is no new one. the whole world; besides the capital­ It was used by Metternich. It was re­ ist countries, there is the U.S.S.R., sorted to by the ringleaders of the the powerful land of socialism, the imperialist war of 1914-18. foremost stronghold of the interna~ Now times have changed. At the tiona! proletariat, the fatherland of present time there .exists the U.S.S.R. all laboring people, the defense of which has shown all peoples how to which against foreign attack is the solve the national question. The sacred duty of the toiling people of U.S.S.R. is realizing, before the eyes the whole world. of the whole world, the Stalinist pol­ Second, there exist, not only im­ icy of great friendship, nf real na­ perialist states in general, but also tional equality and fraternal alliance such imperialist states as have estab­ between the peoples. This solution of lished a sanguinary fascist dictatorship the national question is exerting a in their countries, created a bloc of profound influence over all the .op­ aggressors, are rallying around them­ pressed nations and peoples. In the selves the dark forces of reaction of capitalist countries of today the so­ the capitalist countries, and have cial factor will play a decisive role in jointly begun a new forcible redi­ the self-determination of peoples. vision of the world. It is the prime Lenin taught us that all questions duty of the toiling people of all coun­ of home and foreign policy must be tries to contribute the utmost to examined and decided from the view­ bringing about the defeat of these point of the fundamental interests of fascist governments. the proletariat and of its struggle for Third, the object of the imperialist the liberation of all laboring people. redivision now is not only the colo­ That was how Lenin approached also nial and semi-colonial countries, but the question of wars. Not to war in Europe itself as well (Austria, general, but specifically to each given Czechoslovakia, etc.), in which there war. Lenin taught that: thus arises the possibility of national anti-fascist wars, wars for national in­ ". . . Marxism, which does not stoop to Philistinism, demands an historical analysis dependence, just wars. of each individual war, in order to deter­ Only the Trotskyite blackguards, mine whether that war can be considered who are direct agents of the Gestapo as progressive, as serving the interests of de­ and the Italian Ovra, can assert that mocracy or the proletariat, and in this it is a matter of no concern to the in­ sense legitimate, just and so on.''• ternational proletariat which coun­ What distinguishes the present try emerges victorious in such a war. situation from the situation obtain­ It is well known that the proletariat ing at the time of the world imperial­ has no desire for imperialist wars. It ist war of 1914-18? is well known that the Communists First, capitalism is no longer a sys- wage a resolute struggle against im­ perialist wars, for peace. But if the fascists force war on the peoples, then • V. I. Lenin, Collected Works, Vol. XIX, pp. Ig8·199, Russian Ed. it is absolutely clear that the Com- LENIN AND THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR MOVEMENT 223 munists will be acting in complete victorious socialism. It is manifested harmony with Lenin's teachings, if in the powerful political support be­ they caU on the masses to utilize this ing given by the Land of the Soviets war to overthrow the bloodstained to the Spanish people in their heroic fascist regime, to extend and deepen struggle for independence. It is mani­ the gap in the world imperialist sys­ fested in the effective solidarity of all tem begun by the great socialist revo­ the peoples of the U.S.S.R. with the lution in October, 1917. great Chinese people, who are con­ ducting a life and death struggle THE INTERNATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF against the Japanese imperialist in­ PROLETARIAN THEORY AND PRACTICE vaders. A striking manifestation of this Proletarian internationalism runs proletarian internationalism is pro­ through the entire teaching of Marx­ vided by the heroic page of the st"rug­ ism-Leninism, the entire theoretical gle of the international brigades in and practical work of Lenin and Spain, of whose feats the entire world Stalin. Away back at the dawn of the Communist movement and the entire 1905 Revolution, Lenin spoke of the international proletariat are proud. international significance of over­ All these constitute new, higher forms throwing the tsarist autocracy, that of proletarian internationalism. "most powerful buttress not only of These are no paper resolutions, in European, but . . . also of Asiatic re­ the production of which the reaction­ action." He pointed out at that time ary leaders of the Second Interna­ that the overthrow of tsardom was tional, who disrupt united action of the most revolutionary of all the im­ the international proletariat, are past mediate tasks facing the international masters. These are living revolution­ proletariat. Of no less significance for ary deeds, from which the entire in­ the international proletariat is the ternational working class, all the best task today of overthrowing the fascist people in the world, are learning. dictatorships. By building socialism An expression of this effective pro­ in the U.S.S.R. and by strengthening letarian internationalism is to be the socialist state to the utmost, the found in the splendid advice of Com· working class of the U.S.S.R., led by rade Stalin to the workers of all coun­ the Communist Party of the Soviet tries, when he said: Union (Bolsheviks), headed by Com­ rade Stalin, has solved the gigantic "The international proletarian ties between task of advancing the cause of the the working class of the U.S.S.R. and the working class of bourgeois countries must be international proletarian revolution. increased and strengthened; the political Thereby Comrade Stalin has raised assistance of the working class in the hour· the cause of proletarian solidarity to geois countries for the working class of our heights such as had never been country must be organized in the event of reached in the history of mankind. a military attack on our country; and also every assistance of the working class of our Leninist-Stalinist proletarian inter. country for the working class in bourgeois nationalism is the internationalism countries must be organized; our Red Army, which is put into life by the land of Red Navy, Red Air Fleet, and the Chemical

The The p. p. United United Front, Front, 83. 83.

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International International Publishers, Publishers, New New York. York.

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THE THE COMMUNIST COMMUNIST 224 224 THE CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST

PARTY OF CUBA I

BY WILLIAM Z. FOSTER

HE Third National Assembly of three cows were donated by workers, T the Communist Party of Cuba peasants and small business men to was held from January to to 15, in help feed the delegates. During the Santa Clara. This city, two hundred week of the convention its thirteen­ miles from Havana, is in almost the hour workday was broken up by a exact center of the island and was round of sports, shows, fireworks, etc. chosen largely because nearby took It all wound up with a rousing meet­ place the famous battle of Mal Tiem­ ing of w,ooo people at the baseball po in December, 1895, during the war stadium. Santa Clara, a city of only of liberation. Representing the 23,300 about 25,000 people, will not soon Party members were 347 regular dele­ forget this Communist gathering. gates (of whom 259 were workers and THE FRUITS OF AMERICAN IMPERIALISM 25 peasants, and 221 were white and 83 Negro) to which should be added For forty years American capitalism 72 fraternal delegates from various has dominated Cuba and as a result mass organizations. Representatives this glorious island, which could be were also present from the Commu­ an arthly paradise, is an abode of nist Parties of Mexico (Carillo), poverty and misery for the masses. I Canada (Morris), Venezuela (Silva) was amazed, riding to Santa Clara and and the United States (Trachtenberg, back, to note the destitution of the Foster). Many prominent trade union people and the undeveloped state of and political leaders, artists, writers, the country. Many workers and peas­ etc., were in attendance. ants were obviously underfed; beggars The congress was extremely color­ swarmed about our automobile at ful. The local population greeted the every stop, and-a monument to delegates with open arms. At the en­ American imperialism-! was in­ trance to the city a welcome arch formed that about 40 per cent of the spanned the roadway, banners were people are still illiterate. strung across many streets, and every Cuba is now in the midst of a severe telephone pole in the city bore a Com­ economic crisis. Sugar, the basic crop, munist poster. Official greetings were is at only about 50 per cent of normal extended by the Mayor and also by production, and tobacco and coffee, the the local military commandant. other two main crops, are also in deep Chickens, fish, bread, cheese and even depression. Consequently, the econo- 226 THE COMMUNIST my of the whole island is crippled. gates represented almost 8oo,ooo work­ Unemployment is rife-4oo,ooo job­ ers-exceeding by far the number· of less out of a population of 4,5oo,ooo. trade unionists before the general The unemployed receive no insurance strike of March, 1935. The numerical or government relief whatever. The strength of the Havana gathering was workers who have jobs receive miser­ equivalent, considering the difference able wages-about 40 cents a day for in the populations, to a convention of agricultural laborers and a dollar to a some 19,ooo,ooo organized workers in dollar and a half for city workers. The the United States. cost of living is very high and is Among the many political organiza­ steadily mounting. With his present tions there is also a great ferment, with wages a worker can buy only about 75 the several parties of the Center and per cent of what he could buy in Left growing rapidly. Most spectacu­ 1935. Among the small farmers actual lar is the expansion of the Communist destitution prevails. They suffer from Party. Illegal for the thirteen years of· the usual evils of low prices for what its existence until September 25, 1938, they sell; high prices for what they our Party, under the brilliant leader­ buy; high rents, high taxes and high ship of the shoe worker, Bias Roca interest on mortgages-all in very ex­ (Francisco Caldierio), is now advanc­ aggerated and brutal forms. ing with remarkable rapidity. During the past four months, since its THE PEOPLE ON THE MARCH legalization, it has increased its Bad economic conditions, following membership from 4,ooo to 23,300. long years of imperialist super-exploi­ It has set itself the goal of 50,000 mem­ tation and savage political oppression, bers by next June, which it will by all plus the stimulating effect of the indications realize. As evidence of the democratic upsurge in Mexico and the vitality and activity of the Party it is United_ States, have set the Cuban only necessary to point out that it people politically in motion. All the publishes a twelve-page daily, Hoy, popular mass organizations, including proposes to circulate 50,000 copies of those of the youth, Negroes and farm­ Bias Roca's congress report, and is ers, are growing and increasing their campaigning for a fund of $wo,ooo. activity. The masses are moving on These are very big achievements and towards a great Constituent Assembly, objectives in a small and poor coun­ in order to introduce deep economic, try like Cuba and for a party which political and social betterments. only a few months ago was illegal. There is an especially strong renais­ The Communist Party's mass influ­ sance among the trade unions. During ence is also large and is growing the last week of January there took rapidly. No party in Cuba is increas­ place in Havana the huge convention ing its prestige so fast among the of the Confederation of Cuban Work­ people. The Party is a real power in ers to unify and reorganize the trade the trade union movement and in all union movement. Among the out­ other economic, political and cultural standing leaders is the young Negro organi;zations of the masses.- In the cigarmaker, Lazaro Pena. The dele- coming elections the Party counts on CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CUBA 227 securing a minimum of about one­ First, there are the Cuban openly eighth of the total vote. It is a vital if fascist groups, such as the A.B.C. not decisive factor in the struggle for Party, supported by the big banks and the Constituent Assembly, which the Spanish merchants. Along with these reactionaries are resisting desperately. are active German and Italian fascist The Party congress attracted wide at­ organizations, which have their own tention nationally; Roca's speeches press services, newspapers, espionage, were broadcast over several stations, etc. These fascist elements carry on a and many of the most prominent peo­ ferocious campaign against Roosevelt ple in the nation listened in to hear and Cardenas as "Communists" and, this rising young leader and to learn by implication, against Batista also. the message of his Party. A member of They hold up the Communist Party the Santa Clara City Council, a con­ as the main enemy and they denounce servative, paid the Communist Party democracy as "half Communism"; they the tribute of saying it is the best or­ are fomenting a Jew-baiting and anti­ ganized and best led of any party Negro campaign, and doubtless they in Cuba. would also discriminate against the The young Communist Party of Indians if these had not long been Cuba has many shortcomings, of exterminated by the Spanish ex­ course-lack of a solid dues-collecting ploiters. basis, need of a Party school system Second, there are the rich bourgeois to develop cadres, organizational weak­ elements, including big American in­ ness among the farmers, women and terests, that tend to group themselves youth, etc. But it is conscious of these around Menocal's Republican-Demo. shortcomings and is working dili­ cratic Party. They are constantly more gently to eliminate them. One thing open in opposition to Bastista and that surprised me was the way the their line is to sabotage his govern­ Party, so newly emerged from illegal­ ment by a sit-down strike of capital, ity, is taking hold of its tasks of broad by resisting and persecuting the trade mass agitation and organization. This, unions and by a fierce campaign of the Cuban comrades pointed out, is wholesale evictions of farmers. because even under conditions of Third, there are some pseudo-lib­ harsh repression the Party gained ex­ eral, or former liberal groups, such as perience in leading real mass Grau San Martin's Cuban Revolu­ struggles. tionary Parry, whose policy is to put Roosevelt and Batista in the same pot THE OFFENSIVE OF REACTION with Hitler and Mussolini. Here the While the Cuban workers, peasants Trotskyites play their counter-revolu­ and other democratic forces unite and tionary role; their demagogy dovetail­ become more active politically, the ing with that of the open reaction­ reactionary elements do not fail to aries. take the offensive. There are several The foregoing groups of reaction­ groups of reactionaries, but more and aries are strong in the Congress of more they tend to unite and to be­ Cuba, forming a definite majority in come fascist. the Senate and also having a large uS THE COMMUNIST

degree of control in the House. They workers, farmers and soldiers will sabotage Batista's progressive legisla­ liberate Cuba. Batista has recent­ tion, such as the legalization of the ly denounced the fascist · totali­ Communist Party, the formation of tarian states, has taken a more friend­ trade union federations, the coordina­ ly attitude towards Loyalist Spain, tion of transportation and the revalu­ and has opposed racial discrimination. ation of farm mortgages. They control Batista's policy has been much influ­ most of the daily press and they also enced by Roosevelt and Cardenas. He have some grip on the army-Batista's has, however, been criticized for fail­ stronghold. ing on numerous occasions to cham­ The bogey of all these reactionary pion aggressively his own program in cliques is the proposed Constituent the face of the attacks of reaction. Assembly. They are sure that if this , gathering takes place it will result in THE POUCY OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY a big victory for democracy; they use The main slogan of the Santa Clara all tricks of demagogy and maneuver­ Congress was, "For Democracy, the ing to prevent its convocation. just People's Welfare and Defense of the recently some of the main reaction­ National Economy." To realize this, ary groups (A.B.C., Republican­ the Communist Party called for a Democrats, Republican Action, and united national front of all democratic Cuban Revolutionary), formed a pact and progressive elements and for the to fight against the Constituent As­ holding of the long-talked of Constit­ sembly. They are prepared to use des­ uent Assembly. Comrade Bias Roca perate means. summarized its general policy briefly In Havana, during our stay, there as follows: was open talk of some sort of putsch on their part. The recently increased "We fight for the unity of the people of forces of reaction in the United States Cuba, for the unity of the revolutionaries, and. for a great united national front to Congress stimulate all these Cuban realize immediately an urgent practical pro­ fascist and near-fascist elements; for gram: to achieve a free and sovereign Con­ political events in this country always stituent Assembly, to establish democracy produce strong repercussions in Cuba. with equal rights for Negroes and women; Batista, increasingly supported by to aid the unemployed, to protect the peas­ the popular masses, on the one hand, ants against evictions; to apply the social laws, to extend culture, to save the thousands and facing an aggressive capitalist re­ of Cuban debtors by means of a law for the action, on the other, continues to de­ revaluation of mortgages, to work for the de­ velop his progressive line. He encour­ fense o~ the national economy, for the defense ages the formation of trade unions, as of our country from Naii-fascist invasion, for well as organizations of farmers, stu­ help to Spain and China, for collaboration with the democratic countries." dents and Negroes; he favors the Con­ stituent Assembly and although he On the basis of this general proc proposes no definite program for gram the Party is leading a militant it, he declares it will cure Cuba's struggle for the immediate demands ills. He hopes for a progressive of the. masses, especially for relief for democracy and says that unity of the the unemployed and against the evic- CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CUBA 229 tion of debtor peasants. It is also velt administration . ; . represents the vigorously fighting for the convening growing democratic, progressive movement in the United States, the mobilization, the for­ of the Constituent Assembly. The ward march of the millions of workers who Revolutionary Union, a Left party of in the United States, as we in Cuba, have some 1oo,ooo members headed by suffered the oppression of the imperialists, Marinello, has outlined a project for ,the great financiers, and the powerful mo­ the Constituent Assembly which, if nopolist companies." adopted even in the main, would THE GENERAL POLITICAL LINE-UP make Cuba one of the leading bour­ geois-democratic countries in the The present political struggle in world. The Communist Party sup­ Cuba turns around the question of ports this outline of demands. the Constituent Assembly. The Towards Batista the Communist masses see in the Assembly an effective Party maintains a general attitude of means to democratize the government support, while criticizing him for his and to realize their urgent economic failures to fight for his own projects. and social demands. They feel assured Roca declared that, Trotskyites and that despite reactionary opposition phrasemongering pseudo-liberals to the Assembly will eventually be held the contrary notwithstanding, the con­ and that the prospects are excellent tinued trend of Batista towards demo­ for registering a real advance for cratic reform has fully justified the Cuban democracy. Party's "positive attitude" towards The present line-up of the many him. political parties is confused and shift­ The Communist Party places fas­ ing. The main mass trend is towards cism as public enemy number one, democracy. In the Constituent Assem­ and fights militantly for Cuban na­ bly and the preceding elections there tional liberation. It proposes close col­ will be three definite blocs of parties. laboration between the Carribean From appearances now the Right bloc countries against the fascist menace will probably consist of the A.B.C.'s, and it likewise demands world con­ the Cuban Revolutionary Party (San certed action of the democracies to Martin), the Republican-Democrats, check the Berlin-Rome-Tokyo aggres­ and the Republican Action; the Cen­ sions and to aid their victims. The ter bloc will be made up of the Lib­ Party supports Roosevelt's Good eral and National Union Parties; the Neighbor policy, urging at the same Left will include the Revolutionary time intensification of the struggle Cuban Party (C.A.R.B.O.), the Revo­ against the great American imperialist lutionary Union and the Communist interests which dominate the island. Party. Between the Left and Center Roca estimated Roosevelt and the blocs there will doubtless be more or New Deal as follows: less of a working agreement. This probable line-up of forces, with rea­ "The Roosevelt Administration does not sonably good strategy, should be able represent, as previous governments have to win a substantial victory for de­ done, the interests of Wall Street, the inter­ ests of the most reactionary sections of fin­ mocracy. That is why the reaction­ ance capital in the United States. The Roose- aries are so strongly opposed to hold. THE COMMUNIST

ing the Constituent Assembly and are ' of fascism in Latin America can be willing to use violent measures to averted is for all the democracies in prevent it. this hemisphere, from Canada to Ar­ gentina, to stand united against the TWO PERSPECTIVES ltalo-German-Japanese fascist invad­ ers and their local supporters, at the The penetration of fascist Ger­ same time waging the struggle against many, Italy and Japan in this hemi­ reactionary American and British sphere confronts · all the peoples of imperialism. The declarations of the Latin America. The people of Cuba, Lima Conference and Roosevelt's with a turning point in their history, Good Neighbor policy offer a basis for face a double perspective. If they join such democratic cooperation. The with the democratic peoples of the peoples of the Americas would then United States and Canada in resisting be a real factor for world peace. the fascist invaders they will enter Meanwhile, it is the task especially of into a new and higher period of. de­ the people of the United. States to mocracy, prosperity and national in­ keep their government out of the dependence. But if they do not build hands of the reactionaries and to this common anti-fascist resistance, if make of the Good Neighbor policy a they surrender to, or weaken before real instrument of democracy through­ the fascist powers, they will confront out the three Americas. the worst period of retrogression and The fight against fascism in this oppression in all their history. hemisphere, however, is not merely a Hitler, Mussolini and the Japanese defensive one. It opens up the coun­ militarists do not intend to set up ter perspective to a general forward civilized relations with the Latin march of the many American peoples American peoples, treating them as towards freedom, democracy and full equal, independent nations. Far from national independence. For the very it. If they can secure the opportunity, struggle against fascism on a national, these barbarians will try by armed hemispheric and world scale implies force and trickery to rob the Latin that the Latin American peoples must American countries of their national fight to improve profoundly the con­ independence. They will seize their ditions of their toiling masses, to de­ rich natural resources, destroy their velop their democratic institutions, to democracy and culture, subject their assert their national independence, toilers to the most barbarous exploi­ and to secure more and more control tation, treat their people as inferior over their lands, industries and nat­ beings, incite one republic to make war ural resources which are now so large­ against another and use their citizenry ly in the hands of American, British as cannon fodder all over the world. and other imperialists. Fascism would introduce a new and That the great masses of the Latin terrible type of colonialism into Latin American peoples want to realize this America, more ferocious than · this second, democratic-national liberation hemisphere has yet seen. perspective is certain. It is proved es­ The only way a disastrous victory pecially by the people's front advances CONGRESS OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF CUBA '~lP in Chile and Mexico and the demo­ shows that the Cuban people are ac­ cratic movements in many other Cen­ tive participants in the great renais­ tral and· South American countries. sance, the advance on every social The historic Santa Clara Congress of front, resulting from the struggle of the Communist Party, as well as the the Latin American peoples against general political situation in Cuba, fascism and all imperialist reaction.

Be Sure to Read the March Number of-

NATIONAL ISSUES A SURVEY OF POLITICS AND LEGISLATION

CONTENTS Planes and Plain Talk • Congress and the Farmers • The People's Health • The Byrnes Report and W.P.A. • Rescue the Housing Program • The Life Insurance Monopoly • A Study of Un­ employment in the U.S.A. • Congressional Calendar and Digest • The Republicans and Lincoln • Hoover, Hitler's Echo • Mr. Dies and Foreign Propaganda

PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE NATIONAL COMMITTEE, COMMUNIST PARTY, U.S.A.

Single copies 15c. Subscription $1.25 THE DAY OF INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S SOLIDARITY

BY N. K. KRUPSK.AYA

[International Women's Day, like from the experience of revolutions in May Day, had its origin in the United every country, we learned the right States. On March 8, zgo8, the Social­ way to fight, the right road to follow. ist women of New York organized, in Life has proved how correct is the · contradistinction to the bourgeois teaching of Marx. The Russia of the suffrage movement, a mass demonstra­ past, ignorant, backward, poverty­ tion of working class women in favor stricken, devastated by the imperial­ of woman suffrage. The effectiveness ist war, a country where the land­ of this demonstration led to the es­ lords and capitalists ruled unchecked, tablishment of March 8 as Women's where the crudest forms of exploita­ Day on a national scale. In zgzo the tion and national oppression pre­ International Socialist Congress, held vailed-has become the mighty Union at Copenhagen, proclaimed March 8 of Soviet Socialist Republics. It has International Women's Day. become so owing to the leadership of We present here in translation the Party of Lenin and Stalin, owing Comrade Krupskaya's article, first to the heroic, unselfish struggle of the published in February, zg38.-The workers, who succeeded in securing Editors.] the following of the peasantry, the following of all working people. We will never let the banner of socialism HE Stalin Constitution is the con­ out of our hands. We know that it T stitution of the land of socialism. will soar over the world. For forty years, since its foundation in Equal rights for women is not a 18g8, our Party has fought for social­ new question. Our Party has fought ism, for a system that will know no for it all the time. From the very exploitation, poverty, ignorance, outset, women have taken part in the desolation and neglect; it has fought revolutionary struggle. From the very for a plentiful, healthy, bright and outset working women have fought enlightened life for all. shoulder to shoulder with their hus­ Our Party is the offspring of the bands and brothers. From the very international working class move­ outset our Party has devoted a great ment, · and we regard our victory as deal of attention to the emancipation the victory of the working people of of women, exposing the economic and the world. From Marx and Engels, political roots of women's inequality. THE DAY OF WOMEN'S SOLIDARITY

THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION ABOLISHED Women took an active part in the INEQUALITY OF WOMEN civil war. Those were hard years. The When the working class seized Whites spared neither women nor children; women who were Red Par­ power in October, 1917, one of its first measures was to abolish the legal tisans, or mothers of Red Par­ inequality of women. Speaking at the tisans, peasant women, teachers were Fourth Moscow City Conference of whipped and shot down; so were chil­ Non-Party Women Workers on Sep­ dren. Can this ever be forgotten? The civil war opened the eyes of the work­ tember 23, 1919, Lenin said: ing people; it showed them who was "The Soviet government has applied de­ friend and who was foe. Reading now mocracy to a greater extent than any other of ·the atrocities committed by the fas­ country, even the most advanced, by the cists, the women who took part in fact that in its laws not the slightest hint of any inferiority of women is left. I repeat, our civil war cannot but recall what not a single state and ho democratic leg­ they went through; they cannot read islation has done even half of what the without emotion about events in Soviet government did for women in the Spain and China today. very first months of its existence." When the civil war was over in our But Lenin always said that this is Land of Soviets, wo:r:king women be- . only the beginning in the emancipa­ gan to take an ever more active part tion of women; that in reality women in public affairs, to develop in this will be finally emancipated only when sphere and learn the art of adminis­ the whole of society is reorganized on tration. the principles of socialism; that to At first this work proceeded slowly, make the victory of socialism durable, for women were handicapped by the prolonged organizational work will ignorance that had been their lot be necessary, into which millions and under tsarism; they were handicapped millions of working women must be by household drudgery, by the isola­ drawn. tion of petty individual farming, by Ever since the beginning of Soviet survivals of the old views regarding rule, equal rights for women have women. been an object of interest not only Soviet women enjoyed every right; for women, but for men as well­ but they did not always know how to yotlng men, Red Army men. I re­ use their rights. As late as 1926 only member how surprised Mirbach, the 28 per cent of the women entitled to German Ambassador, was when, do so voted in the elections to the while paying an official call on Lenin village Soviets, and only 43 per cent in 1918, he saw one of the Red Army in the elections to the city Soviets. men who acted as Lenin's guard sit­ There was a core of active women, it ting a:t a table reading a b?ok. He is true, but many millions of work­ wanted to know what the book was ing women had not yet been fully and asked to have the title translated. drawn into political life, into social- It turned out that the guard was read­ ist construction. · ing a ·translation of Woman and So­ After restoring the economic system cialism by Bebel. and reinforcing heavy industry, the THE COMMUNIST

Soviets launched a widespread cam­ mous force our Union of Soviet So­ paign of agitation for collective farms. cialist Republics has become; they The collective farm movement, the showed that the U.S.S.R. is the true reorganization of farming on a collec­ home of women, beloved by them. tive basis, did much to enhance the During the election campaign we political consciousness and activity of women recalled to mind the women Soviet women. In 1934-35, 90.4 per comrades who have worked actively cent of the women electors in the to build socialism in our Land of cities voted in the elections to the city Soviets. During the campaign we also Soviets, and 80.3 per cent in the elec­ frequently spoke of the civil war in tions to the village Soviets. Spain, of Dolores lbarruri and the The Stalin Constitution records other heroines of Spain, and thought what has been achieved in twenty of the unknown heroines of China. years of Soviet rule. The discussion of What they are going through now is this constitution, which registers the so close to the hearts of our women, full rights of women, plainly demon­ who fought heroically against the strated that ·the rights of citizens are White Guards and lost their fathers, inseparably bound up with the reor­ husbands, brothers and sons in the ganization of the whole system of so­ civil war. During the election cam­ ciety. This discussion of the Stalin paign we recalled Clara Zetkin, whose Constitution by the entire population name is known to every enlightened served still more to enhance the po­ woman in the world. litical understanding and activity of women. CLARA ZETKIN, CHAMPION OF WOMAN'S The elections to the Supreme So­ EMANCIPATION viet• fully proved it. Nearly every Clara Zetkin in 1910 initiated the woman elector voted in the elections; celebration of March 8 as Interna­ the activity displayed by housewives, tional Women's Day. On March 8, by collective farm women and wom­ 1933, shortly before her death, she en belonging to the national minori­ was awarded the Order of Lenin. She ties was particularly marked. The spent her last years in the U.S.S.R. elections demonstrated the friendship and was greatly loved by out working among the nations of the Soviet and collective farm women. She was union, the confidence they place in frequently visited by women's delega­ the Party of Lenin and Stalin, which tions. She was filled with joy at the is the object of such vicious hatred development of Soviet women. It was on the part of the fascists. In the a painful blow to her that Germany course of the election campaign the had fallen into the hands of the fas­ Party became still more closely cists. Though she never for a moment welded with the masses of non-Party doubted that fascism is the last agony people. of dying capitalism, ·that fascism is The elections showed what a doomed, it is natural that events in powerful organization, what an enor- Germany should so deeplv have agi­ tated her. At the age of 7·5, though

• Held December 12, 1937.-The Editors. seriously ill, she went to Germany to THE DAY OF WOMEN'S SOLIDARITY 235 exercise her right of opening the oppression, terror, starvation and war, has Reichstag as its oldest member. In been destroyed." doing so she risked her life, she risked So Clara Zetkin wrote. She died on falling into the hands of the fascists June 20, 1933· During the years that and being tortured to death. On have passed since her death, fascism August 30, 1932, she opened the has become ever more arrogant; it has Reichstag• with a long speech against come more and more to rely on the fascist dictatorship, and concluded jingoist elements, to provoke national with a fiery appeal for a united revo­ animosity and to exploit the unen­ lutionary front. lightened section of the petty bour­ Clara Zetkin was chairman of the geoisie. The example of Germany has Executive Committee of the Interna­ been followed in a number of other tional Labor Defense and issued an countries. Now fascism has become an appeal against fascism. international phenomenon; it is "Look at Germany, where dying capital­ raging ever more arrogantly and bru­ ism is seeking salvation in fascism," she tally in a number of countries, is mak­ wrote. "Fascism has established a regime of ing open and secret connections in all physical and spiritual destruction, a regime countries, is not only hatching impe­ of barbarism whose atrocities exceed even rialist war but already waging it in the horrors of the Middle Ages. The entire world is filled with indignation over the Spain and China. brutality of the fascist reign of terror.... The memory of the imperialist war "Working women, remember that fascism still lives in every mind; the working deprives you of the rights you have won people have not forgotten it. They all in bitter struggle and denies you the right know how the capitalists made profits to independent work. Remember that the 'Third Empire' wants to turn you into your out of this war, how they plundered husbands' servants and child-bearing ma­ the weaker countries. The fascists are chines. Do not forget the brave women taking account of ·the lessons of the fighters who have been tortured. to death imperialist war; they are using them by fascism or are languishing in its dun- for their own ends, exploiting the geons••.• "Scientists, artists, teachers, -writers, pro­ achievements of science. But the fas­ fessional people! Do not forget that the cists also know that war rouses the fascists make auto-da-fes•• of the works of class-consciousness of the masses, that culture which you created and carefully pro­ it organizes the masses; they know tected, and whose destruction is depriving that the October Revolution was mankind of one of the sources of human development.••• born in the fires of imperialist war. "How vile is the baiting by fascists of And they are making haste. representatives of other races; and, in par­ The trial is now proceeding of the ticular, how vile are their Jewish pogroms! ... "bloc of Rights and Trotskyites," "Enemies of fascism in all countries! Not those traitors to the cause of the work­ a single one of us should rest at ease until fascism, which brings in its train bloody ing class, the cause of socialism. A feeling of disgust mounts in one as • At the last convocation of the German one reads the statements of these parliament before the Nazis usurped com­ plete state power.-The Editors. traitors, who for years passed them­ • • This term designated the burning of selves off as leaders of the working "heretics" by the Inquisition.-The Editors. class, builders of socialism, while in THE COMMUNIST fact they were mortal enemies of the The events in Spain and China workers, and deceived and betrayed show that the war which the fascists the Land of Soviets, and sold them­ are so eagerly kindling will hit the selves to the fascists. . . . History has masses of working people much never known such baseness, such mon­ harder than the last imperialist war. strous betrayal. This is dear, not only to the wom­ Now we must rally for concerted en of Spain, China, Italy, Germany action. and Japan; it is clear to the women The Party of Lenin and Stalin is of all countries. filled with profound confidence in the Ten million people were killed in strength, might and organization of the World War and over twenty mil­ the working people not only of our lion wounded. Poverty and devasta­ own Soviet land, but of the world. tion are what this war brought the It never doubts that the working working people; human lives were ac­ women of all countries will offer con­ counted as nothing; millions of chil­ certed resistance to fascism, which re­ dren were orphaned; long years of suf­ lies for support in every country on fering fell to the lot of those who lost White Guards, on double-dealers like their eyesight, were crippled or went those of the "bloc of Rights and Trot­ mad; and with them suffered their skyites," whose purpose is to make kith and kin, their mothers, wives capital, make careers at the expense and sisters. of the working people's blood. The events in Spain and China The experience of the October show that the war started by the fas­ Revolution already attracts the atten­ cists is even more brutal, many times tion of the broad masses in the capi­ more so; it is spreading to new coun­ talist countries; and this experience tries and bringing unparalleled de­ cannot be burned in an auto-da-fC. It struction. is not fortuitous that in 1934 an inter­ The working people of all coun­ national women's congress was held in tries must rally ever more closely in a Paris against war and against fascism, united front of action in order by this scourge which is doing everything their concerted effort to frustrate the to kindle a world war. It is not fortui­ fascists' designs. tous that in a number of countries On March 8, the day of the interna­ women's committees exist for com­ tional solidarity of women, the wom­ bating war and fascism. Nor are these en of all countries should march in committees made up of Communists the front ranks of the united front, in alone; they are gaining ever more sup­ the ranks of those who are fighting port among women who know how for peace and against war. much grief and suffering war will For peace! For friendship among bring. the peoples! CANADA-THE KEY TO ANTI-FASCIST UNITY OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES

BY TIM BUCK General Secretary, Communist Party of Canada

HE sharpening international situ- TWO BASIC TRENDS T ation and the reckless efforts of In Canada, as in all capitalist conn- Neville Chamberlain to make Britain tries, the two basic political trends are the underwriter of the expansionist rallied around either the slogan of schemes of Hitler and Mussolini have democratic progress or the interests of forced the issue of foreign policy pro-fascist reaction. There is the b_ody sharply to the front in Canada. of opinion which favors concessiOns There is a growing realization that to the fascist aggressors. It is against Canada's national future is at stake. Republican Spain, open and aggres­ The great majority of her people are sive in its support of Franco, against profoundly democratic and resent the small nations, against the Soviet Chamberlain's policies, but the com- Union. It fights against democratic plicated problems invo!ved in r~ad- unification of Canada itself. It fights justment of her international relauon- against even elementary social legis­ ships are little understood. Only the lation in spite of the fact that Canada working class movement and its de~o- has the least advanced social legisla­ cratic allies are able to grapple With tion of any English-speaking part of the problem in a democratic way and the British Empire and less than any carry through a policy in the real in- except the four most backward re­ terest of the people, because the issue publics of the two Americas. This is that of whether the narrow selfish trend makes a principle of the fight interests of monopoly capital or the against the C.I.O., and against any interests of the nation are to be su- extension of democracy and civil preme. In Canada the interests and liberties, as part of its drive to keep aspirations of the working class wages and farm incomes in Canada at movement and its democratic allies starvation level. It is pro-Chamberlain are the true interests of the nation, but and against Roosevelt. in the struggle for direction of her This trend is represented most foreign policy the representatives of clearly by the Duplessis "Union Na­ reactionary big capital still hold sway. tionale" government of reactionary 237 THE COMMUNIST concentration in Quebec, where the " ... now that Mr. Bennett is leaving lowest standard of life and the highest Canada he can speak the truth." rate of infant mortality and illiteracy Such frankness is exceptional, how­ of any part of North America are ever. The favorite technique of there­ maintained by the infamous Padlock actionaries is demagogy combined Law. Duplessis is not alone, of course. with systematic efforts to narrow the Drew, the leader of the Conservative front of the struggle by focusing their Party in Ontario, and, only a little fire upon the Communist Party in less clearly, Hepburn, the "Liberal" Canada and upon the U.S.S.R. and Prime Minister of Ontario, each gives republican Spain abroad. Their cen­ public support to the policies of tral. political slogan is "A Coalition which Duplessis is the outstanding ex­ Government." Organizationally they ponent. They are the policies of the are striving for a national concentra­ forces which elected the present leader tion of reactionary forces. They give of the Conservative Party of Canada, consistent support, extending in Que­ Manion, to leadership. bec to governmental assistance, to The powerful influence of this re­ open fascist organizations. actionary camp does not flow from Systematic efforts to build a wide­ any mass support from the people but spread semi-military fascist movement from the strategic position it occupies in Canada have been going on for in the nation's highly monopolized years. The widespread and well-fi­ economy. Its public spokesmen are nanced campaign of organization in­ adopting all the demagogy of Hitler cludes purchases of buildings in nu­ in an effort to gain mass support but merous industrial towns, smuggling their real attitude was expressed per­ of arms from the United States, and fectly by ex-Prime Minister R. B. open drilling in several places. The Bennett, in his farewell speech on the fascist organizations have been united. eve of his departure to join forces They have dropped the names of with Chamberlain in Britain. Re­ "Fascist" and "Nazi" and call them­ lieved of public responsibility, Ben­ selves the "National Unity Party of nett spoke his mind. Throwing off the Canada." While they still wear the disguise of an ardent reformer, worn swastika on arm-bands, they have since his notorious "New Deal" adopted a new national emblem cal­ speeches of 1935, he warned the audi­ culated not to remind Canadians of ence of multi-millionaires and their Hitler and pogroms. hangers-on to beware of democracy, During the spring of 1938 a Ger­ capping a series of such warnings man paper manufacturing concern with his pet formula: "Democracy, in opened negotiations with the provin­ essence, is government by those least cial government of Quebec to purchase fitted to govern." The absolute the entire Island of Anticosti in the cynicism of the spokesmen of this Gulf of St. Lawrence. Five men who camp was even more clearly demon· made a survey of the island were dis­ strated by the later declaration of a covered to be, not industrial techni­ newspaper publisher who, in warm cians, but high officers of the Reichs­ praise of Bennett's speech, declared: wehr acting under the leadership of CANADA AND ANTI-FASCIST UNITY 239 one Gerhardt, "Landesgruppeleiter" ances of President Roosevelt and look of the Nazi Party for Canada, work­ more and more to the United States ing through the office of the . Nazi for leadership in the struggle to make Consul-General in Montreal. the Western world safe from the The systematic drive to establish a threat of fascist aggression. foothold in Canada has been empha­ The weakness of this democratic sized recently by publication in Ger­ camp lies in its disunity. Its support­ many of a book entitled Between the ers are separated by sectional interests. United States and the North Pole. Its greatest need, which is at the same This is a careful survey. of Canada. time the urgent need of Canadians Its geography, topography, natural re­ as a nation, is for leadership that will sources, mineral wealth, vast area and give expression to the democratic as­ the strategic importance of its terri­ pirations of the majority of our people torial relationship to the United and their deep-seated desire for demo­ States are all emphasized. Concerning cratic progress and a positive policy the fact that Canada is part of the against the fascist threat. British Empire, the writer remarks: "The fact that Canada is part of the CANADA AND MUNICH British Empire means only that the The contradiction between the future of Canada is just as uncertain anti-fascist sentiment of the majority as is the future of the British Empire of the people and the strategic advan­ itself." tage enjoyed by the reactionary minor­ The opposite political trend was ity was reflected in Canada's policy well illustrated during September by during the crisis which culminated in popular demonstrations all over the Munich. The official record shows the country against the Chamberlain pol­ Canadian government backing Cham­ icy and by the hundreds of Canadians berlain during the crisis without reser­ who volunteered for service in Czecho­ vation, although the facts of life in slovakia if she should be attacked. Canada showed that the mass of the Even the League of Nations Society people were against Chamberlain. felt the pressure of public opinion. The National Convention of the It took a stand against the Chamber­ Trades and Labor Congress, the na­ lain policy and called for security by tional leadership of the United concerted action. This trend supports Church, dozens of important central the striving for democratic unifica­ labor councils, the League of Nations tion of Canada and enactment of Society, League for Peace and Democ­ democratic measures to meet the press­ racy, some municipal councils, and ing needs of the people. lt demands dozens of big mass meetings all over abolition of the barriers which make the country all registered powerful each province an economic entity, en­ public sentiment against Chamber­ abling a small financial oligarchy to lain's policy during the last two dominate the political and economic weeks of September. life of the country while evading so­ The King government steered a cial responsibility. Supporters of this course calculated to evade the issue. democratic trend welcome the utter- No independent statement was re-

versal versal of of Mackenzie Mackenzie or or war war King King is is of of directed directed one one of of his his and and operated operated by by

eign eign policy policy in in vened. vened. matters matters The The involving involving reason reason peace peace for for this this hurried hurried re­

three three weeks weeks be be before before borne borne Parliament Parliament in in mind mind that that con­ Canadian Canadian for­

without without a a public public their their announcement, announcement, results. results. At At the the same same only only time time it it must must

this this one one was was made made for for the the by by Canadian Canadian the the Cabinet, Cabinet, people people to to escape escape

is is competent competent to to responsibility responsibility make make such such decisions, decisions, for for Empire Empire policies policies than than

to to the the principle principle for for that that Canada Canada only only Parliament Parliament to to evade evade her her share share of of the the

kenzie kenzie King's King's matters matters oft-reiterated oft-reiterated stand, stand, devotion devotion it it is is no no more more possible possible

conquest conquest of of Ethiopia. Ethiopia. true. true. Canada Canada Despite Despite shares shares Mac­ responsibility. responsibility. As As

Canadian Canadian recognition recognition policy, policy, but but of of actually actually Mussolini's Mussolini's that that is is not not quite quite

was was well well illustrated illustrated helpless helpless in in victim victim the the of of recent recent British British imperialist imperialist

nates nates the the Dominions' Dominions' makes makes foreign foreign it it appear appear policies, policies, that that Canada Canada is is a a

minion minion government government method, method, in in with with foreign foreign which which affairs affairs London London domi­

The The efficiency, efficiency, The The if if traditional traditional not not the the exact exact policy policy of of the the Do­

to to the the imperial imperial government. government. peated peated the the mi~take. mi~take.

in in the the British British peace peace Empire Empire or or war. war. and and Whitehall Whitehall of of Ottawa Ottawa has has never never re­

out out of of the the peculiar peculiar position position of of Canada Canada questions questions of of foreign foreign affairs affairs involving involving

the the several several contradictions contradictions which which grow grow decide decide for for themselves themselves in in future future upon upon

popular popular opinion opinion condemned condemned is is one one of of that that the the Canadian Canadian people people intended intended to to

gave gave official official support support to to a a policy policy which which world. world. It It was was hailed hailed widely widely as as a a sign sign

That That the the ture ture Canadian Canadian aroused aroused government government interest interest throughout throughout the the

mit mit Canada Canada

to to such such a a course. course. The The ges­

CANADA CANADA AND AND IMPERIAL IMPERIAL POLICIES POLICIES

(which (which was was not not in in session) session) could could com­

ment ment with with him. him. plied plied coolly coolly that that only only Parliament Parliament

Canada Canada had had been been in in continuous continuous agree­ become become Prime Prime Minister Minister of of Canada, Canada, re­

the the Dominions Dominions Mackenzie Mackenzie and and implied implied King, King, who who that that had had recently recently

he he had had been been in in in in the the constant constant event event touch touch of of war war with with with with Turkey. Turkey.

Commons Commons he he assurances assurances emphasized emphasized that that the the they they fact fact would would that that aid aid Britain Britain

himself himself before before George George the the British British cabled cabled the the House House Dominions Dominions of of seeking seeking

hands hands of of Chamberlain. Chamberlain. lowing lowing the the In In "Chanak" "Chanak" defending defending incident, incident, Lloyd Lloyd

This This rule rule was was conditions conditions broken broken became became in in a a Fol­ weapon weapon in in the the 1922. 1922.

Canada's Canada's pledge pledge being being made made without without them. them.

Canada Canada was, was, so so to to speak, speak, off off guard. guard. until until it it is is too too late late to to do do much much about about

moment moment when when public public opinion opinion in in members members of of Dominion Dominion Parliaments Parliaments

Canada Canada to to Chamberlain's Chamberlain's policy policy at at a a and and decisions decisions rarely rarely become become known known to to

government. government. Thus Thus King King committed committed and and recordit:tg recordit:tg their their agreement. agreement. Issues Issues

ing ing complete complete support support to to the the British British isters isters of of the the decisions decisions made made in in London London

ment ment issued issued a a public public statement statement pledg­ informing informing the the Dominion Dominion Prime Prime Min­

that that war war was was unavoidable, unavoidable, the the govern­ practice, practice, this this usually usually boils boils down down to to

it it appeared appeared to to the the people people of of Canada Canada ments ments of of the the various various Dominions. Dominions. In In

Chamberlain. Chamberlain. On On September September 27, 27, when when perial perial government government and and the the govern­

varying varying from, from, the the policies policies followed followed by by is is that that of of consultation consultation between between the the im­

interpreted interpreted as as being being opposed opposed to, to, or or register register opinions opinions on on current current questions questions

took took no no action action which which could could have have been been method method by by which which the the Dominions Dominions can can

leased leased and and the the Canadian Canadian government government the the British British government, government, and and the the only only

THE THE COMMUNIST COMMUNIST CANADA AND ANTI-FASCIST UNITY

favorite "principles" was that Cham­ dination are quite acceptable to re­ berlain was about to visit Mussolini. actionary big capital in Canada. They Canada was withdrawn from honor­ create complications, sometimes dif­ able association with the United ficulties, hut in general they favor the States, New Zealand and the Soviet interests of big capital. Through the Union in non-recognition of Musso­ course of time and development they lini's Empire "so as to avoid embarrass­ have become fences behind which the ing Mr. Chamberlain." The means monopolists frequently find shelter by which London persuaded Macken­ from the resurgent working and farm­ zie King to do that are the means by ing people. The peculiar relationship which the course of Canada's foreign mirrored in these legal hangovers has policy is determined. enabled the Canadian bourgeoisie to enjoy almost all the economic and DOMINION STATUS IN PEACE AND WAR commercial advantages of partnership This situation flows out of the com­ in the Empire while hearing very plicated relationship between the Do­ little of the Empire's cost. minions and the rest of the Empire which in turn determines the status CANADA AN AMERICAN NATION of Canada and its role in world af­ fairs. Canada is a member of the The relationship of Canada to the British Commonwealth. The King of rest of the world is further complic­ England is also the King of Canada, ated by the fact that, while Canada hut he is King of Canada in an en­ is a British Dominion, she is also an tirely different way than he is Em­ American nation. History, economic peror of India. Canada is an indepen­ interests, export markets and mutual dent self-governing country. Her interest in British policies hold Can­ Prime Minister signed the Versailles ada to the Empire; hut geography, Treaty; she is a member of the League and again economic interests, cultural of Natiops with the same status as ties, the trade union movement and any other country and has legations the sense of being Americans, unite in Washington, Paris, London and the interests of Canadian people in­ Tokyo. The Parliament of Canada has timately with those of the people of the sole legal right to declare Canada the United States. at war. The Statute of Westminster When President Roosevelt declared enacted in 1926 declared the Domin­ at Queen's University last summer: ions and the United Kingdom (now " ... the people of the United States Great Britain) to he equal in status, will not sit idly by if domination of · in no way subordinate one to the Canadian soil is threatened" he sent other, united only by the common a thrill of satisfaction and assurar\ce allegiance to the Crown. Thus, in through the hearts of go per cent of theory at least, the Dominions are the Canadian people. Nobody was each sovereign states and the King is surprised; on the contray, it echoed King of each of them separately. their own unspoken hopes. It received It should he emphasized that these unstinted applause as an acknowledge­ vestigial remnants of colonial suhor- ment of the long recognized unity of THE COMMUNIST interests in matters of national defense als and bourgeois democrats in all between the two countries. capitalist countries, but his call for The relationship between Canada unity of the American democracies in and the United States is not a matter joint defense against aggression offers of geography and national defense the one positive guarantee of national alone. Among the nations of the security for Canada. Americas Canada is second only to The fall of Barcelona was a sharp the United States in developed na­ warning to Canadians in this respect. tional wealth, industrialization, value The fact that Catalonia was finally of production, foreign trade and capi­ overwhelmed precisely because her tal invested abroad. The basic eco­ powerful neighbor, France, refused to nomic inter-relationship of the two grant facilities for her to secure even countries and the intimate relation­ the bare necessities· of life is generally ships between the people have long recognized, and its lesson for Canada been dominant . factors in Canadian is being acknowledged by an increas­ life. It is quite correct, therefore, to ing number of responsible men. say that Canada can only play her Chamberlain, above all men, was re· proper role as a member of the Brit­ sponsible for the policy which brought ish Commonwealth by taking full cog­ victory to M ussolini and Franco, and nizance of her interests and respon­ Canadians are beginning to recognize sibilities as one of the Great Ameri­ the cynical logic of his so-called "ap­ can democracies. peasement." They see now that to Chamberlain, and the interests he rep­ CANADA'S DILEMMA resents, the collapse of the Hitler or Mussolini regimes would appear dan­ In the minds of most Canadians gerous. They recognize also his cyn­ Munich changed the position of Eng­ ical point that weakening democracy land in the developing alignment of at home-and throughout the world­ forces. Before Munich, Britain was is the most ready means of which considered the leader of the demo­ to strengthen the fascist aggressors cratic capitalist states and the ulti­ abroad. mate rallying center in their struggle Thus, the issues of foreign policy against fascist aggression. The mar­ before Canadians are conditioned by tyrdom of Republican Spain and the the fact that the spokesmen of the pitiless torture of her people by Cham­ governments of the two great English­ berlain's policy did not change this speaking nations with which we are general opinion; but Munich did. intimately associated are supporters The change which has taken place of opposite policies, with Roosevelt since then has been stimulated greatly now the spokesman for the demo­ by the statements of President Roose­ cratic camp-in which every Canadian velt and the positive alternative there­ feels he should belong. in proposed. It was not only that The dilemma thus created has firm adherence to the principles of sharpened the whole issue of foreign democracy and concerted action made policy in Canada, stimulating· at once him the real leader of genuine liber- the imperialistic jingoism of the pro. CANADA AND ANTI-FASCIST UNITY

Chamberlain warmongers and the jects and foreign property of Cana­ remnants of isolationist sentiment dians is British property. The highest which nurses the illusion that. peace Court of Appeal for Canadians is and national security can be assured still the Privy Council sitting in Lon­ by the simple expedient of withdraw­ don which disallowed unemployment ing from her economic and constitu­ insurance and other social legislation tional relationships; in other words, enacted by the Canadian Parliament retiring from world affairs, if Britain as recently as 1936. becomes involved in war. The words of Sir Wilfred Laurier This sentiment was for some time are as true today as they were when widespread. Sections of the labor Canada was a colony of the British movement, the nationalists of Quebec, Crown. Obviously Canada cannot many of the radical agra1ians on the solve her problems by the simple ex­ prairie provinces and important sec­ pedient of ignoring them and the idea tions of progressive people through­ of quietly withdrawing from the out the country, seized upon it as an world when trouble starts is seen to alternative to Canadian subordina­ be an illusion and a snare. tion to the British Foreign office in matters of peace and war. Reaction­ THE VOICE OF AMERICAN DEMOCRACY ary pro-fascist elements and their Trotskyite agents utilized it to con­ The foregoing does not mean that fuse sections of the labor and pro­ Canadians must remain passive vic­ gressive movement so that, behind the tilllS of Chamberlain's imperialist screen of isolationist propaganda, schemes. On the contrary, it means preparations for involving Canada that Canadians must consciously as­ could be pressed forward without any sert themselves in their own interests embarrassing discussion as to the and the interests of the British people principles for which Canadians would as a whole. The last word has not yet be called upon to fight. been spoken by the British people. In its complete demolition of this In the formulation of the reply of illusion, Canada's involvement with British democracy to Chamberlain's the British government in the Munich pro-fascist line, Canada can and must betrayal merely emphasized the rela­ play an important role. It is the one tionship which caused Sir Wilfred role that can save her from involve­ Laurier to declare in 1910: "When ment in war and from entanglement Britain is at war, Canada is at war in the dark web of intrigue behind also." which the scl~emes of Chamberlain Our Parliament can decide whether and the fascist aggressors are devel­ or not to send troops abroad, but it oped. That role is to face courageous­ cannot decide what attitude an en­ ly the responsibility imposed by her emy, locked in decisive conflict with dual relationship to Britain and the Britain, will adopt toward her Do­ United States. Canada could thus be­ minions. Canada's ships, including come a positive force in unifying the her ships of war, are British ships. democratic millions of the British Canadians abroad are British sub- Commonwealth in support of the pol- THE COMMUNIST tctes enunciated by President Roose­ be on the basis of resistance to fascist velt, drawing the British democracies aggression. into closer relationship with the de­ The people of Canada desire such mocracies of the Americas for coop­ a policy, but to make it the official eration against the co,mmon danger policy of the Dominion government of fascist aggression. is a job that only the labor move· It would be entirely wrong to as­ ment, supported by its democratic sume that British policy cannot be allies, could perform. influenced in this direction. One has The tasks involved are tremendous; but to recall the "Councils of Ac­ but they can be accomplished. Their tion" which stayed the hand of Lloyd accomplishment coincides with the George to realize the strength of the national interests of Canada and the democratic traditions of the British aspirations of her people as well as people. Transfer of the support of with the desires of the majority of the English-speaking Dominions from the people of the democratic domin­ Chamberlain to the broad movement ions. The effort to relegate Canada which opposes his pro-fascist policy to the role of passive bystander in would be a tremendous influence British-American affairs must be de­ within Britain itself. feated. She is between Britain and the To recognize the vital importance United States but not simply as the of this question to Canada one need meat in the sandwich. She is an active only visualize the tragic conse­ participant with each and must share quences she would suffer if Britain in the making of policies just as she and the United States should ever shares their consequences. Hitherto become involved in open conflict in her role has been mainly that of the any part of the world. To argue, as representative of British policies in both isolationists and the pro-Cham­ North America. This has got to be berlain camp in Canada do, that such changed. Instead of being the voice of an eventuality is improbable is only the pro-fascist Chamberlain in Amer­ the most despicable method of evad­ ica, Canada must become the voice ing the issue. For Canada, unity of of the American democracies in the Britain and the United States is vital; councils of the British Empire: rally­ and national interests, no less than ing the democratic English-speaking the sentiments of the great mass of peoples of the world for joint struggle the people, ·demand that such unity to make democracy supreme. DETERIORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS, DURING THE LAST DECADE

BY GEORGE WALLACE

INTRODUCTORY the profit system to perpetuate their control of natural resources and of HE decade 1929-1938 has been the means of production, but for the T marked by profound changes in high rate of profit and every key po­ American social and economic life. sition, economic and political. These The crisis of 1929, by its intensity, its tactics reveal themselves in the vicious protracted character and world-wide attacks on labor, on civil liberties and scope. shook the capitalist world to its on American democracy. They show foundations. themselves in the fascist methods used The ravages of this crisis bared all to fight any progressive and liberal the evils inherent in the capitalist sys­ program. They also take the form of tem. Developing under the conditions sabotage of recovery measures intro­ of the general crisis of capitalism, the duced by the New Deal administration. great crisis of 1929 was not succeeded They do not stop there. Among the by an upturn similar to those follow­ more insidious methods used by the ing previous crises. capitalists and their agents is the in­ The revival of 1933 and of the fol­ tensive and continuous propaganda lowing years was uneven in its charac­ to the effect that the living standards ter. Even before it reached the level of the American workers are so high of 1929, another cyclical crisis had that any struggle by the workers for come in the summer of 1937. During higher wages and higher living stand­ the period between the spring of 1937 ards is unjustified. and June, 1938, industrial production These propaganda tactics of the em­ in the United States (not adjusted for ploying class of this country cannot seasonal variations) dropped 36 per be ignored. Although any worker cent. This was followed by a climb of knows in a general way that these 27 per cent to December, 1938, when yarns of the capitalists and their doc­ the index was still 20 per cent below ile press are not sufficient to hide the peak for 1937. the deterioration of labor conditions, Characteristic of the declining stage concrete factual data must be used of capitalism are the defense tactics to refute them. Precisely because these developed by the capitalists. Natural­ tactics can be fought best with the real ly, we find them fighting, with every knowledge of labor conditions, we weapon they command, not only for present below a review of labor 245 THE COMMUNIST conditions over the last ten years. for earlier years. The other, more im­ portant reason, is that 1929 is the last WHAT IS LABOR'S INCOME? so-called prosperity year and is fre­ What do we mean by labor condi­ quently looked back upon as a year tions? Various economic factors enter when our economy flourished and into them-job security, wages, hours conditions, including labor condi­ of work, industrial accidents, amount tions, were at their best. We know, of leisure time, total income, changes and the figures will show, that even in the cost of living, etc. The scope 1929 was far from being a millenium of this article does not permit explor­ for American labor. We know that ing the changes in all of these factors. even then many were unemployed and We limit ourselves, therefore, to such that living standards for many work­ major aspects of the problem as na­ ers were below the bare essentials of tional income and labor's share in it. a minimum budget. We look into what happened to la­ Let us look first at the amount of bor income and labor's living stand­ income received by labor and non­ ards over the last decade. We exam­ labor groups during the significant ine labor's per capita income, com­ years-the prosperity year 1929 and paring it with workers' budgets and the year which marked the bottom of noting the effects of changes in the the great crisis, 1933, as well as 1938: cost of living. This helps us to round Non­ out a picture of recent developments Total Labor labor in terms of their effect on labor. income income income Available statistics are not adequate (In billions of dollars) to get all the details; we have, there­ 1929 ...... ·· ·· · 79 48 31 1933 ...... 46 28 18 fore, to content ourselves with an 1938 ...... 64 41 23 average picture. Such an average, of course, has serious limitations. We Total national income figures re- may recall how Lenin showed in his ferred to throughout this article rep­ "Development of Capitalism in resent the actual payments of income Russia" • that averages fail to reveal to individuals estimated by the U.S. how bad real conditions are; the aver­ Department of Commerce. Income age tends to show a better condition payments to the working population, on the whole than actually prevails. calculated by· the Labor Research As­ Thus, in combining the income fig­ sociation on the basis of these esti­ ures for employed and unemployed mates, including wages, salaries, relief workers, we are forced to hide to some payments, social insurance benefits, extent the terrible plight of millions etc., represent fairly accurately the of the unemployed. amount of money workers actually re­ We take the year 1929 as a bench ceived. This cannot be said about the mark for two reasons. One is the fact non-labor income because it does not that many of our figures cannot be include money reinvested in business, compiled with reasonable accuracy for example, corporation profits not paid out in dividends but instead • Selected Works, Vol. I, p. 219. Interna· tional Publishers, New York. added to surplus. DETER!ORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS 247 Looking at these figures, could we During the depression years follow­ say that labor is pretty well off, since ing the 1929 crisis, labor income went its share of the total income payments down somewhat more drastically than of the country during these three non-labor income. However, from years as well as during the entire dec­ 1933 on, during the recovery years, ade of 1929-1938 has been over 6o per the increases in the total labor income cent? Naturally not. For one thing, were more pronounced. This was due as we noted, the non-labor income in large measure to the great wave of would look much better if all profits unionization through which American of the employers kept by them in their labor was able to wage a successful business were included. fight for higher wages. This accounts But far more significant is the fact also for the fact that the index of la­ that the working population, receiv­ bor income went down only five ing this slightly over 6o per cent of points from 1937 to 1938, while the the total income payments of the na­ index of non-labor income went down tion, is relatively much larger than seven points. Government appropria­ the non-labor population. tions, both for direct and indirect re­ Assuming that the average family lief, have, of course, also been an im­ size is the same among labor and non­ portant contributing factor in hold­ labor groups, then over 75 per cent ing up labor income in the period of the people depend on slightly over since 1933. 6o per cent of total income payments. Comparing changes in labor and Taking 1929 as 100, we find that non-labor total incomes since 1929, both labor and non-labor income fol­ we should always bear in mind the lowed a similar course during the last relative effect of these changes on ten years: the two groups respectively. Any downward change in labor income TABLE I. NATIONAL INCOME, U.S.A. 1929-1938 means incomparably greater hardships Non­ for millions of workers than a similar Total Labor labor or even greater decline in non-labor income income income income. It is obvious that a 10 per (Index, I929=zoo) cent drop in a worker's annual in­ ...... 1929 100 100 100 come of $1,000, reducing it $100, 1930 0 •••••••••••• 98 92 95 1981 ...... So 8o 82 would force the worker to cut down 1932 ...... 68 62 65 on essential things needed to feed and 1933 ...... 58 58 58 clothe his family. Now the same per­ 1984 ...... 66 68 64 centage drop for a person with $1o,­ 1935 ...... 71 73 68 ooo income, although causing a loss of 1986 ...... 82 84 78 1987 ...... 88 go 84 $1,ooo, would perhaps result in cut­ 1938· ...... 85 85 77 ting down on a few luxuries, but it would certainly mean no reduction • Preliminary. in such essential items as food, cloth­ Source: Total income based on U. S. De­ ing, medical services and the like. partment of Commerce, national income se­ When we take the total labor in­ ries. Labor income based on Labor Research Association ·series. come and divide it by the working THE COMMUNIST population we get an average income Since the working population con­ per member of the working popula­ sists of all salaried and wage workers, tion: both .employed and unemployed,

TABLE a. LABOR INCOME PER MEMBER OF WORKING POPULATION, U.S.A. 11gli9•193S

Cost of Money Income Living Real Income Index Index Index Year Dollars (1929=100) (19a9=10o) (1929=100) 1929 ...... $1,310 100 100 100 1930 ...... ········ 1,194 91 97 94 1931 •••••••••••••••••••••• 0. 1,0llll 7S S7 go 1932 ...... 79a 6o 7S 7S 1933 ...... 742 56 75 76 1934 ...... S51 65 79 Sa 1935 ...... ················· 914 70 Sa s5 1936 ...... ····· 1,04S 8o S5 94 1937 ...... 1,110 S5 ss g6 193S• ...... ········· 1,03S 79 S6 92

• Preliminary.

Source:· Income based on Labor Research Association series. Cost of living index is that of National Industrial Conference Board recomputed on 1929 basis. IHOI!J( '140

1.20

TOTA LA& )!\ INC. pi'1E 100 - ~ ~~- ~ ~ .... 80 ~ ... :::-- ~~ INCOt EPER _, ~ ME'M EROF 60 __ ~ W01 U

192..9 19JO 1931 193~ 1933 193i 1935 193b 193'1 1938 DETERIORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS 249 average income per member of the If, let us say, wages dropped by half, working population shows us rough· but at the same time the retail prices ly how niuch money the "average of what the worker buys also went worker" both on the job and jobless down by half, then the worker could has had at his disposal to spend each maintain the same living standards. year since 1929. But such things do not work out this From Table 2 we find that in 1929 way under our capitalist system. A this average amounted to $1,310. It glance at the third column of Table 2 dropped to $742 in 1933, a decline of explains this. 44 per cent. During the recovery With the 1929 crisis, retail prices years it climbed to $1,110 (in 1937), for goods a worker buys, the amount to drop again in 1938 to $1,038. Thus, of rent he pays, declined. They went at a glance, we see how small the aver­ down, in fact, 25 per cent, from 100 age incomes were and how inadequate in 1929 to 75 in 1933. However, as labor's income was even in the column 2 shows, during the same pe­ "boom" year 1929. riod the per capita labor income went Most striking is the fact that these down 44 per cent. depressed conditions continued over When the worker's income began the entire period. Inadequate earn­ to go up, retail prices also began to ings in one year were not compensated rise. Thus, the cost of living rose by good income the next, nor were from its index of 75 in 1933 to 88 in depression year incomes balanced by 1937. The crisis of 1937 again sent large incomes during recovery years. labor incomes down. Cost of living Instead, year in and year out, average declined, too, but not so much as in­ labor income remained miserably comes. low. If we correct the average money in. come by the corresponding change in LIVING STANDARDS DETERIORATE the cost of living, we get what is These average income figures, of known as "real" income. It is particu­ course, hide the real conditions, which larly important to know about the -for millions of workers-are much changes in the amount of goods the worse. Thus, the U.S. Bureau of La­ worker can buy with his money, that bor Statistics, making a study of fam­ is, to know how real income changes. ily incomes in 1935·36, found that in The last column in Table 2 gives us New York City over 24 per cent of these figures. Taking 1929 as 100, we the population consisted of families see that the per capita real income with incomes of less than $1,000. At continues to remain considerably be­ the same time, about 50 per cent of low the 1929 level. The index went New York's Negro families had in­ down to 76 in 1933, in other words, comes below $837. the worker could then buy, on the To check the validity of our con. average, only three-fourths the clusions, let us tum to the cost of liv­ amount, of goods he could purchase ing, which covers the cost of food, in 1929. The upturn after 1933 im­ clothing, light, fuel, household goods proved his conditions, but this im­ and various sundries. provement was gradual, never reach- THE COMMUNIST ing the 1929 level. Even in 1937 the every single year covered in the table. real income was 4 per cent below, These figures are the average for the while in 1938 it was 8 per cent below country as a whole. Statistics from the that of 1929. In a word, this row of same source for individual cities show figures tells us that labor has failed how these budgets varied. For ex­ to regain the losses it sustained in in­ ample, with an average minimum come during the depression years. budget for all cities of $1,955 for In his testimony before the mo­ 1938, the budget requirements for nopoly committee, Dr. Lubin, Com­ New York City were $1,835, while in missioner of Labor Statistics, stated Schenectady, N. Y., they were $1,747, that according to his estimates the in Chicago $2,005, and in San Fran­ loss in wages and salaries since 1929 cisco as high as $2,245. arising from unemployment alone ex­ The budget column tells us that a ceeded $119,ooo,ooo,ooo. This is two worker had to earn $2,348 during and one half times as much as the 1929 to maintain even the low mini­ total labor income of $48,ooo,ooo,ooo mum health and decency standard. in 1929. We know that these minimum re­ To get a picture of how inadequate quirements do not allow for any the average money income per mem­ luxuries. ber of the working population is, let We hardly need any figures to con­ us consider it in relation to what we firm what we all know only too well, call a "minimum health and decency that very few workers earned the cost budget." This budget was first worked of this family budget. A look at col­ out for various cities by the U. S. umn 3 reveals that the annual income Bureau of Labor Statistics in 1919. per member of the working popula­ It is supposed to cover the "minimum tion in 1929 was only about 55 per amount" of food, clothing, housing cent of the minimum budget. In other and other essentials for a year in a words, the average worker, even in family of five, consisting of father, that "prosperity" year, earned only mother and three children. It is gen­ slightly more than half of what was erally admitted to be inadequate, and required to maintain mmtmum a new one is now being worked out health and decency standards. by the Bureau. The study of Consumer Incomes in Taking this budget for various cities the United States made by the Na­ as a basis, the Labor Research Asso­ tional Resources Committee revealed ciation has estimated the annual cost that in 1935-36, of 29,ooo,ooo fam­ of the budget for the United States ilies: 14 per cent had incomes under as a whole. In Table 3 (next page) $5oo, 42 per cent had incomes of less we compare this minimum health than $1,000, 65 per cent had incomes and decency budget with average in­ of less than $1,500. come. The same study showed that during The cost of this low minimum bud­ that period, almost one-third of all get, it is dear, is greater than the in­ families and single individuals in come received by the average American the country had incomes of less than working family. This holds true for $75°· DETERIORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS

TABLE !1· MINIMUM HEALTH AND DECENCY BUDGET, U.S.A. 1929-1938 Income per member of Ratio of Deficiency Average Cost working income to index Year of budget population budget (I929=zoo) 1929 ...... $2,348 $1,310 55·8 100 1930 2,294 1,194 93 1931 2,110 1,022 87 1932 1,916 792 74 1933 1,So4 742 74 1934 1,856 851 82 1935 ...... 1,goo 914 86 1936 ...... 1,922 1,048 g8 1937 ...... 1,978 1,110 101 1938• ...... 1,955 1,038 95 • Preliminary. $3.000

.~ ...... -~ ~UM ~UDGEir- 2,000 ""-~<-1-r ..... 1--

1,500 r- ...... t---._. 1.000 .... --- ...... --~ \COME- PERM MBER ~-,- ---- 01 1 ~0R lNG f OPlJL ~TION so 0

0 192.9 19Jo 1931 t!il-52. 1933 19J1t 1935 •936 1937 193S Source: Labor Research Association.

Sometimes one may wonder whether tial data available on this question it is fair to compare a family budget indicate that the overwhelming ma­ with the average income of a mem­ jority of working class families de­ ber of the working population. Not pend on the earnings of one bread­ only is it fair, but it is the only cor­ winner. Thus, a survey of native rect comparison. Our figures show an white families in New York City, con­ average picture. Some workers cer­ ducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor tainly earned more than $1,310 in Statistics, revealed that more than 1929, but some were without jobs and four-fifths of the income in these fam­ starving. Some families probably had ilies was contributed by one chief more than one breadwinner in the breadwinner. Only one out of six family, but many had none. The par- native white families had a supple- THE COMMUNIST mentary breadwinner, while the if we look at figures showing what proportion among Negro families, happened to workers' health and which, by the way, had much lower living standards during all these income, was somewhat higher-four years. to one. Thus, the survey of the people's From the figures on per capita in­ health, made during 1935-1936 by the come and minimum budget we com­ U. S. Public Health Service, showed pute the figures of column 3· showing that both sickness and death rates are the proportion of the income to the higher among the working popula­ cor,responding budget. Year by year tion. As income goes down, sickness this column tells the story of how goes up. The working masses are sick inadequate the workers' income was. more often and for more days at a The figures show that in 1932 and time than are people with comfort­ 1933 the workers' average income able incomes. And as income goes dropped but slightly over two-fifths down, there is less medical care. of the minimum budget, rising some­ (See Labor Fact Book IV, p. 84.) what in the subsequent years. And only during the last three years the INADEQUATE INCOMES-DECREASED income slightly exceeded half of the CONSUMPTION-DECLINING budget. PRODUCTION In the last column the figures show the deficiency index based on the ratio It is instructive also to observe the of income to budget, with the 1929 effect of insufficient incomes on the ratio taken as 100. volume of consumption. The Federal Looking at this column, the reader Reserve Board collects and publishes should bear in mind that in 1929 the figures on department store sales in deficiency in the per capita income, as the United States. These figures do compared to the minimum budget, not show all the purchases, but they was close to 50 per cent. The defi­ reflect buying trends of the consum­ ciency index went down from 100 in ing public. The more money a worker 1929 until in the depression years receives, the more he and his family 1932 and 1933 it stood at 74, that is, are in a position to spend on cloth­ 26 per cent below the 1929 level. The ing, household articles, furniture-va­ revival which began after 1933 rious articles which he can buy at a brought it up, but only in 1937 did department store. it reach the level of 1929, when Table 4 shows how these purchases another crisis sent it down again at department stores declined since to 95· 1929, and how they stayed down. The The figures tell the story of starva­ table also takes into account the fact tion wages, continuous unemployment that the population has been steadily and inadequate relief. They show that increasing. By 1938, it was 7 per cent in eight out of the last nine years, the more than in 1929. So, to determine deficiency in earnings was much the changes in the depart~ent store greater than it was in 1929. They sales per capita of the population, we reflect what we could expect to find corrected the index of sales for the in- DETERIORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS 253 crease in population, thus getting the the 1929 level during the entire index of per capita sales. period. Total production did not re­ cover sufficiently since 1932 to reach TABLE 4· DEPARTMENT STORE SALES, the 1929 level. By 1937, it reached an U.S.A.-1929-1938 index of 92, which is still 8 per cent below 1929; ..;:., ;: .... but the new crisis of ~.: .. ~ 1937-38 sent it down to 72 in 1938, "'"'e-~ ~J~ ..... s ~ ...... ~ ...::;..., that is, 28 per cent under 1929. As .a:: ..,...... ,...... ,c the population meanwhile grew con­ l:l~ ~ ll.."tl~"' "' c siderably, per capita (Index, I929=IOO) production was Year still farther under the 1929 level-in 191!9 ...... 100 100 100 fact, about 33 per cent: 1930 ······ ...... 91! 101 91 81 1931 ...... 83 102 TABLE 5· PRODUCTION, U.S.A.-1929-38 1932 ...... 62 102 6o 1933 ...... 6o 103 58 1934 ...... 68 104 65 1935 ...... 71 105 68 1936 ...... 79 106 75 1937 ...... 83 106 78 ...... 1938• . 77 107 72 Year (Index, r929 = roo) • Preliminary. 1929 •••••••••• 0 100 100 100 1930 ...... 81 101 So Source: Computed from Federal Reserve 1931 ...... 68 102 Board index of department store sales and 67 U. S. Census estimates of population. 1932 ...... 54 103 52 1933 ...... 64 103 62 1934 ...... 66 With 1929 sales taken as 100, per 104 64 1935 ...... capita sales in department stores went 76 105 72 1936 ...... 88 106 83 down 42 per cent by 1933. By 1937 1937 ...... 92 106 87 the index reached 78, that is, 22 per 1938...... 72 107 67 cent below 1929. In 1938 it went down • Preliminary. again to 72, or 28 per cent below the Source: Computed from Federal Reserve 1929 level. Board index of industrial production and Since this index represents the dol­ U. S. Census estimates of population. lar value of department store sales, the drop in prices after 1929 would MASS UNEMPLOYMENT CONTINUES mean that actual volume of goods The volume of production, as we sold did not drop as severely as the observed, since 1929 has been con­ dollar sales. However, the decline in siderably below the level of that year. prices was re~atively smaller than the As shown in 'Table 6, unemployment decline in sales, indicating that even was greatest in 1932. Almost 17,ooo,­ physical volume of goods sold did de­ ooo people were then without jobs. cline appreciably since 1929. Although production has risen When we look at industrial produc­ markedly since then, estimates of un­ tion in the United States, we find a employment indicate that the num­ similar situation. Both total and per ber of jobless continues high. As the capita production have been under table shows, the unemployed num- 254 THE COMMUNIST bered 12,3oo,ooo in 1938, even if seekers are added to our working those working on various federal population, both employed and un­ emergency projects are counted as employed. These 7oo,ooo do not in­ employed. clude those who replace workers with­ The continuing large-scale unem­ drawn from industry each year. Final­ ployment is frequently referred to as ly, we know that during the last two chronic mass unemployment. Our crises, thousands upon thousands of capitalist system, in spite of its pro­ impoverished farmers and members of ductive capacity, cannot absorb the the middle class joined the mass of unemployed workers. Production, as job-seekers. we have seen, did increase, but not This mass unemployment is a bur­ fast enough to compensate for tech­ den on labor, contributing heavily to nological change and industrial ra­ the deterioration of labor conditions. tionalization. These changes reduce The employed workers, supporting the number of workers required unemployed relatives and friends, do to produce the same amount of this at the expense of their families' goods. living standards. The unemployment figures used TABLE 6 here are those of the Labor Research EXTENT OF UNEMPLOYMENT Association. There are many various estimates of unemployment. All of them are rough approximations of a true picture. In a recent study of these estimates, Dr. Jerome B. Cohen, in -t- the journal of the American Statisti­ l~ cal Association (December, 1938), cor­ ~ .,... ;: E rectly pointed out that the differences c., are due to coverage, classification and (millions) Year• definition. As he put it: 19!Jll ...... 16.8 16.8 19!J!J ...... 16.1 .6 15·5 "The Labor Research Association's esti­ 19!J4 ...... 16.8 !J.O I!J.8 mate included unemployment among farm 19!J5 ...... 16.6 2-5 14.1 labor. Other estimates did not consider farm 19!J6 ········· 14·7 !J.6 11.1 labor. Allowances for persons leaving school, 19!J7 ·········· 14·9 ll.ll lll-7 seeking work but never having had a posi· 19!J8 ...... 16.1 !J.8 II.!J tion before, varied. The higher estimates of unemployed [the L.R.A.'s estimate is among the highest] included a one-million correc­ • As of November of each year. tion of the United States Census of April, Source: Labor Research Association esti­ 1930. Despite the mass of reputable statisti­ mates of unemployment. cal opinion in favor of this correction, those If we consider also the important responsible for the lower estimates made no fact that our working population is such allowances. Unemployment among pro­ fessionals was not considered in the lower steadily growing, we learn why un­ estimates.'' employment continues to be such a grave problem. It is estimated that We use the Labor Research Asso­ each year about 7oo,ooo new work- ciation estimate because we believe it DETERIORATION OF LABOR CONDITIONS 255 gives us a more inclusive picture of affect the living standards, we may unemployment. observe from a few examples given Impoverization of the toiling masses below. of the population over this entire The wage-and-hour law, while a period increases still further the wide gain for labor, is not adequate. A cam­ gap between the huge growing pro­ paign should be carried on to extend ductive possibilities of capitalism and it to service workers, agricultural the narrowing boundaries of con­ workers, transportation workers, work­ sumption. ers not engaged in interstate commerce, The 1937 crisis pushed a new bur­ who are not now covered by the pro­ den on the shoulders of the working visions of the law. American labor class which had not completely re­ should also be on its guard against the covered from the consequences of the attacks of employers on the law when preceding one. The e~onomic condi­ its full provision for 40 cents an tions of American labor, as we have hour and 40 hours a week goes into seen, are marked by chronic unem­ effect. ployment and deteriorating living Much is yet to be done in safe­ standards. guarding and expanding various so­ Unemployment continues to run at cial security laws. Payment of old age high levels. The recent studies of benefits should begin at once and bourgeois economists reveal that even benefits to older workers should be if production runs at the 1929 level, raised. The coverage of the unemploy­ millions of workers would continue ment insurance law should be ex­ to be without jobs. panded to include workers now ex­ The unprecedented growth of trade cluded. Benefits should be increased unionism and the strike wave of and should last longer to give ade­ 1936-37 helped both to raise wages quate protection to unemployed and to reduce somewhat the working workers. hours of labor. Our findings show, The fight for adequate W.P.A. ap­ however, that these gains were not propriations should be intensified and sufficient to stop the general deteriora­ never relinquished, because we know tion in labor conditions of the em­ that both direct and indirect relief ployed and unemployed taken to­ payments have been important in pre­ gether. venting a further depreciation of liv­ These findings show that to prevent ing standards. This means a need for any further deterioration and bring stronger organization of employed an improvement in the labor condi­ workers in trade unions, and of the tions, it is essential to fight for it jobless in the Workers Alliance-and along the entire economic front. joint action of the employed and un­ The figures we have presented are employed. With further unionization themselves weapons to use in this of labor goes organization of consum­ fight. How wide is the economic field ers to fight .for lower prices on milk, where the struggle for more progres­ bread, meat and other necessities. It sive legislation, larger government means also the building of stronger appropriations, and similar steps organizations of farmers and farm

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COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST

BY EMMA TENAYUCA and HOMER BROOKS State Chairman and State Secretary, Communist Party, Texas

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND tion that followed the Civil War, last­ ing until a relatively late period in the HE war of the United States with Southwest, saw the importation of T Mexico, in 1846, following the an­ thousands of Mexican workers into nexation of Texas, resulted in the con­ Texas, California, Colorado and Ari­ quest of the territory which now makes zona. (To a lesser degree this was true up the states of California, New of New Mexico, for geographical rea­ Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and part sons. Deserts and mountains border­ of Utah and Nevada. From the his­ ing Mexico prevented free interrela­ torical point of view the forcible in­ tion with old Mexico; at the same corporation of these areas in the time this border region has not made United States was progressive, in that for the development of large-scale it opened up for development these c~pitalist farming.) Railroad compa­ territories which until then had stag­ mes alone were responsible for a great nated under the inefficient, tyrannical, number of those imported. It is safe and semi-feudal control of Mexico. to say that most of the railroads of The predominant influence of the these five states were built by Mexican Spanish in the Southwest, particularly labor. in California, New Mexico, Arizona, With the development of capitalist Colorado and Texas, can be seen in farming in these states, and particu­ the names of such cities as Los An­ larly in California and Texas, Mexico geles, Santa Fe, San Antonio, San was again a source of cheap labor. Diego and San Francisco. Early figures on the number of Mexi­ The acquisition of these lands brought into the Union a population cans immigrating into the United originally Spanish and later Mexican, States are not available, since until a whose customs, language, traditions relatively late period entrance into the and culture were essentially different United States was comparatively sim­ from those of the rest of the country. ple. Complete figures as to the num­ In the border area of the Southwest ber of Mexicans in the United States the Mexicans have always constituted are today not available, since until a majority, both before ancl. after the 1930 Mexicans living here were not war with Mexico. · classified separately. The expansion and industrializa- However, between 1925 and 1929 THE COMMUNIST the heaviest immigration from Mexico However, there is no sharp distinc­ took place. In the course of these five tion between these two groups, either years, 283,738 Mexicans entered the in their social conditions or in their United States, as follows: treatment at the hands of the Anglo­ American bourgeoisie. Assimilation I!Jll5 ...... 50,6oll among those groups which were here I!)ll6 ...... 58,017 1927 ...... 77,161 before the conquest of these territories I!)ll8 ...... 58456 by the United States has been slow, 1919 · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · · !J9,501 and the Spanish language remains to­ Source: The World Almanac, 19!17· day the language of both groups. The distinction has been sharpened The 1930 census showed 1,500,000 somewhat in New Mexico, since a Mexicans residing in the United lack of direct contact with Mexico led States. Of these, all but 15o,ooo were the majority of Mexicans to regard found to be living in the states of themselves as Spanish-Americans or California, Texas, New Mexico, Colo­ Latin Americans, and consequently rado and Arizona. However, these fig­ to regard Spain rather than Mexico as ures include only the foreign-born the mother country. However, this dis­ and first generation Mexicans. They tinction is being done away with more exclude the large Spanish-speaking and more by the social conditions un­ population of New Mexico, which, der which the Mexicans or Spanish­ according to H. T. Manuel of the Americans are suffering, which are University of Texas, numbers over breaking down barriers and leading to 250,000, or approximately half the unification. The pro-Mexico senti­ state population. These figures also ment among the people in New exclude Mexicans of the third, fourth Mexico was seen when the Spanish­ and fifth generations and those de­ speaking population rallied to sup­ scendants of the early Spanish1colonists port Mexico during the recent oil ex­ of any of the other four states. There­ propriations and even raised funds to fore, we can readily state that the be sent to Mexico. Mexican population of the Southwest Those Spanish-speaking people of numbers approximately 2,ooo,ooo. Texas whose ancestors were in the Thus, we can see that the present state prior to its annexation from Mexican population in the Southwest Mexico today regard themselves as is made up of two groups: descendants Mexicans. We can thus state that the of those living in the territory at the Spanish-speaking population of the time of annexation, and immigrant Southwest, both the American-born Mexicans and first or second genera­ and the foreign-born, are one people. . tion native-born drawn from the im­ The Mexican population of the poverished peasantry of Northern Southwest is closely bound together by Mexico to work as super-exploited historical, political and cultural ties. wage workers in railroad and 'building The treatment meted out to the constru<:tion and in highly developed Mexicans as a whole has from the (capitalist) agriculture in the border earliest days of the sovereignty of the area. United States been that of a con- THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST 259

quered people. From the very begin­ American workers. The vast majority ning they were robbed of their land, of the Southwest are today found do­ a process that has continued even up ing only the most menial work, the to the present time. In 1916, immedi­ bulk of them having been excluded ately following the abortive De la from skilled crafts. In the cities, al­ Rosa movement in the Texas lower though Mexicans are found in the Rio Grande Valley for an auton­ garment industry and laundries and omous Mexican regime, Texas Rang­ as laborers in building construction, ers, in cooperation with land specu­ the overwhelming majority are also lators, came into small Mexican seasonal agricultural workers. This is villages in the border country, mas­ true of the Mexicans in all states ex­ sacred hundreds of unarmed, peace­ cept the Spanish-Americans of New ful Mexican villagers and seized their Mexico, where instead of being agri­ lands. Sometimes the seizures were cultural workers, the majority are accompanied by the formality of sign­ small farmers, tenants or share-crop­ ing bills of sale-at the point of a gun. pers. So that, where, until 1916, virtually In Texas, in the area of Corpus all of the land was the property of Christi, few if any Mexicans are Mexicans, today almost none of it is found working in the extensive oil Mexican-owned. In many cases farm­ field discovered there several years ago. ers who were well-to-do land owners Corpus Christi, we may add, is one of today barely eke out a living em­ the cities that lies within the belt ployed as irregular wage workers at where the Mexicans form the major­ 6oc to 75c a day on the very lands they ity of the population. An example ' once owned. This land-grabbing has of the kind of industry that Mexicans continued under one guise or another are not excluded from is the pecan throughout the Southwest. In New industry in San Antonio, which until Mexico fewer than one-half of the recently employed 12,000 Mexican Mexican or Spanish-American farm­ workers, with wages averaging two to ers retain any of their ancestral lands. three dollars a week. Near-starvation faces thousands of THE PRESENT SOCIAL STATUS OF THE Mexican agricultural workers who MEXICAN PEOPLE must live part of the year in the cities and try to get work on W.P.A. A spe­ With the penetration of Anglo­ cial clause in the relief appropriation Americans into these states, the Mexi­ act of 1937, which excludes foreign­ cans have been practically segregated born workers who have not taken out into colonies. This is particular!y true citizenship papers, resulted in dismis­ of Colorado. Disease, low wages, dis­ sals of thousands from W.P.A. In El crimination and lack of educational Paso, for example, 6oo out of 1,8oo facilities are typical of these com­ on W .P.A. were so dismissed. munities. The reaction of most of the Mexi­ Mexican labor imported into the can W.P.A. workers to these dismissals United States has uniformly received could not lead to acquiring citizenship lower wages than those paid Anglo- papers duP to language, cost, and 260 THE COMMUNIST other burdensome obstacles. Their re­ agricultural workers of the Southwest sentment was expressed by demand­ has been the iarge migration of Anglo­ ing the opportunity to work on all American farmers from the dust bowl. jobs, regardless of citizenship, a de­ The crisis has intensified the 'com­ mand which by virtue of their his­ petition for jobs; a fact that is result­ torical rights in this territory is un­ ing more and more in displacing challengeable. Mexican workers in the cities. For Discrimination against the Mexican example, the Sun-Tex canneries in people can also be seen in regard to Texas, located in a city with an over­ relief appropriations. The Relief whelming.majority of Mexicans, hires Commission of Los Angeles presents only Anglo-American workers. a special budget for Mexicans, claim­ The Mexicans are not only subject ing that diet and living expenses are to wage differentials and discrimina­ lower among the Mexicans than tion, but a view of their political among other sections of the popula­ status in the five states referred to, tion. Since the Mexicans live in reveals conditions in many ways com­ houses without electricity or natural parable to the political status of the gas, they are subject to smaller relief Negro people in the South. Denial of portions in every state in the South­ voting rights to the foreign born west. means disfranchisement of nearly half The conditions of the Mexican agri­ the adult Mexican population. Sec­ cultural workers can be compared ondly, the semi-migratory character of only to those of the Negro sharecrop­ the work of most of the Mexican pers in the South. According to the workers disfranchises in addition United Cannery, Agricultural, Pack­ many of those who are citizens. ing and Allied Workers of America, Finally, in Texas the poll tax dis­ the average wage of the Mexican beet franchises many of those who would worker in Colorado is from $100 to otherwise be able to vote. Thus, due $200 per year. The average wage of the to one or another of the three causes, Texas cotton picker is considerably in San Antonio, a city of 250,000, less; in 1938 it ranged from 35c to 75c nearly half of whom are Mexicans, per 100 lbs. In those places where the only 8,ooo Mexicans were eligible to U.C.A.P.A.W.A. carried on struggles, vote in 1938. the prices were raised. This disfranchisement has resulted In New Mexico, where the Mexi­ in nearly complete Anglo-American cans or Spanish-Americans have been domination politically in most of the engaged in small farming, fully one­ communities where the Mexican peo­ half of the farmers have lost their ple are a majority. In only two or land. Individuals such as John T. three counties in Texas do the Mexi­ Raskob and large corporations have cans hold the decisive elective posi­ taken over ownership, and sharecrop­ tions. (In New Mexico the situation ping is rapidly taking the place of is otherwise, since there the majority small independent farming. Another are Spanish-American, non-migratory, factor which threatens the existence and no poll tax is in force.) The 8oo,­ of the farmers of New Mexico and the ooo Mexicans in Texas have only two THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST 261 representatives in the State Legisla­ students from Mexico was excluded ture. from a restaurant. Signs bar Mexicans Lack of representation in local or from dance halls in Los Angeles. In state politics and low economic stand­ Colorado small town restaurants dis­ ards have resulted in poor health play signs: "White Trade Only." conditions and lack of educational Segregation of Mexican children in facilities. An example of this is Texas, small town public schools· in Texas where the death rate among Mexicans is a common practice. Several years is decidedly higher than among ago a group of Mexican tax-payers in Anglo-Americans, and even higher San Antonio, by threatening to with­ than the rate among Negroes. The hold the payment of school taxes, following statistics well illustrate this successfully fought this issue. A few fact: months ago Dr. Juan Del Rio, a resi­ Per cent of Deaths per dent of San Marcos, had to bring suit Illiteracy Io,ooo against the school board of that city to Counties with a heavy win the right of his children to attend Mexican population 15.5 98 Counties with a heavy the school established for Anglo­ Negro population . . 6.7 86 American children. Counties with Anglo- The suppression of the Spanish Anlerican population 1.7 58.5 language, of the native culture of the Actually, the relative difference in Mexicans, is one of the reasons for the death and illiteracy rates is the high rate of illiteracy. The most higher, since the statistics refer to important reason is, of course, the county averages which include con­ semi-migratory life of the agricultural siderable Anglo-American and some worker, which forces the children out Negro populations in all of the coun­ of school at an early age, and makes ties having a heavy Mexican popula­ school attendance irregular for many. tion. Health conditions among the The social conditions of the Mexi­ Mexicans are evidently worse than cans can well be summed up by the among any other section of the popu­ following statistics based on the cen­ lation in the Southwest, or even in sus of 1930: the United States. San Antonio has the PERCENTAGE OF ILLITERACY highest infant mortality rate of any large city in the United States. It like­ New Mexico Arizona Colorado wise has a higher rate of deaths from Native white.. 7·7 ·5 .8 Mexicans . . . . . !J64 118.5 u.o tuberculosis than any other city in Negroes ...... !1·9 the country. The unequal treatment that the Source: The World Almanac, 19!17· Mexican people suffer is manifested in all phases of life. The practice of ex­ To summarize, the Mexican people cluding Mexicans from hotels and of the Southwest have a common his­ restaurants is prevalent in all these torical background and are bound by five states. A few years ago an interna­ a common culture, language and com­ tional incident took place in Victoria, munal life. It should be noted, h?w­ Texas, when an official delegation of ever, that the Mexican communities THE COMMUNIST exist side by side with Anglo-Ameri­ ly, territorial and economic com­ can communities within a territory munity. where the populated districts are sepa­ THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN MEXICAN rated by large but thinly populated ANE NEGRO CONDITIONS mountainous and arid regions. Should the conclusion, therefore, be The status of the Mexican people drawn that the Mexican people in the as an oppressed national group may Southwest constitute a nation-or that be compared in a number of aspects they form a segment of the Mexican with that of the Negro people in the nation (South of the Rio Grande)? South today. The policy of a wage Our view is no. Historically the differential, based upon the super­ Mexican people in the Southwest have exploitation of the Negroes, has been evolved in a series of bordering, carried over from the South and ap­ though separated, communities, their plied to the Mexican population of economic life inextricably connecting the Southwest. The treatment ac­ them, not only with one another, but corded the Mexicans is also a. carry­ with the Anglo-American population over to the United States of Wall in each of these separated Mexican Street's imperialistic exploitation of communities. Therefore, their eco­ Latin America. nomic (and hence, their political) in­ The degree of oppression can also terests are welded to those of the be compared to that suffered by the Anglo-American people of the South­ Negro people. Every effort of the west. Mexican people to organize has been We must accordingly regard the met by repression, as in the case of the Mexican people in the Southwest as lettuce strikers in California; or by at­ part of the American nation, who, tempting repression, as in the case of however, have not been so accepted the San Antonio pecan workers. The heretofore by the American bour­ threat of deportation has been an im­ geoisie; the latter has continued to portant weapon used by the reaction­ hinder the process of national unifica­ ary forces to break strikes and keep tion of the American people by treat­ the. workers from organizing. ing the Mexican and Spanish-Ameri­ Likewise, we might compare the cans as a conquered people. social forms of discrimination of the Comrade Stalin's classic definition Mexicans, previously cited, with those of a nation states: "A nation is a his­ of the Negro people. torically evolved, stable community of language, territory, economic life and SOCIAL AND POLITICAL DEMANDS psychological make-up manifested in IN RECENT STRUGGLES a community of culture."• We see, therefore, that the Mexicans in the During the first series of demon­ United States lack two of the impor­ strations among the unemployed in tant characteristics of a nation, name- San Antonio, the Border Patrolmen were used against the Mexica~. Scores • Joseph Stalin, Marxism and the National were herded before the United States and Colonial Question, p. 8, International Publishers, New York. Immigration office and threatened THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST t68 with deportation merely for member­ successfully, but has also taken up ship in the Workers Alliance. On one the struggle against all kinds of dis­ occasion · a number were beaten, in­ crimination and for W.P.A. jobs. cluding several American-hom Mexi­ Thus, Liga Obrera and the U.C.A.­ cans. P.A.W.A. unions in Texas and Colo­ The demand for the right to organ­ rado have not only taken up the eco­ ize into unions without interference nomic demands of the workers, but from the immigration authorities was have entered the struggle for social, immediately raised. As a result of the cultural and political demands. struggle by the Mexicans around this WHAT PATH TO FOLLOW issue, the Border Patrolmen of San Antonio have not been used again as Until now the various struggles of a strike-breaking agency. the Mexican people in the Southwest Upon the formation of locals of the have been limited in the main to U.C.A.P.A.W.A. in the Rio Grande isolated instances enjoying· only par­ Valley in Texas, the Mexican workers tial or purely local support. Strike raised the demand for schools con­ struggles by the Mexican workers in ducted in Spanish. At the Brownsville all Southwestern states; struggles to (Texas) district convention of the hold the land in New Mexico; large U.C.A.P.A.W.A., a resolution calling demonstrations against discrimination for the establishment of schools to be in relief in most centers of Mexican conducted .both in English and Spanish population, particularly in San An­ in all towns where Mexicans were a tonio; and, finally, occasional strug­ majority was unanimously adopted. gles by various middle-class organiza­ A year ago the announcement by tions, especially the League of United the Workers Alliance of San Antonio Latin American Citizens (L.U.L.A.C.) of a campaign to combat illiteracy against discrimination and segrega­ brought 250 Mexicans who registered tion, is the record of recent years. for classes. However, the Mexicans The struggles of the last few years would only attend classes providing signalize the awakening of the Mexi­ they were taught in Spanish, a demand cans and Spanish-Americans in the to which the W.P.A. acceded. Southwest. The task now is to build The tendency of the Mexican peo­ the democratic front among the Mexi­ ple toward solidarity was dearly mani­ can masses through unifying them on fested during the pecan strike in San the basis of specific needs and in sup­ Antonio a year ago. Scores of small port of the social and economic mea­ Mexican merchants signed petitions sures of the New Deal. demanding of Mayor Quin the right A significant beginning in this di­ of the strikers peacefully to picket the rection is the forthcoming First Con­ factories Without interference from gress of the Mexican and Spanish­ the police. American people, to be held in Albu­ The recent struggles of the Mexi­ querque, New Mexico, on March cans in New Mexico are significant. 24-26. The preparations for the Con­ Liga Obrera, an organization of small gress are a direct outgrowth of the farmers, has not only fought evictions mass struggles in San Antonio and THE COMMUNIST

New Mexico. It is sponsored by labor, crafts, particularly skilled trades; dis­ fraternal and religious organizations crimination against professional and among the Mexican people, as well as white collar workers; discrimination by Anglo-American political, and in relief and right to employment in community leaders in Southwestern W.P.A. states. 2. For educational and cultural The desire of the Mexican people equality-equal educational facilities for unification is indicated, not only for the Mexican population; no dis­ by the present preparations for this crimination against children of Mexi­ Congress, but also by two conferences can parentage; a special system of held recently in Texas, initiated inde­ schooling to meet the needs of the mi­ pendently of the Congress movement gratory families; the study of the Span­ but which now have joined in its ish language and the use of Spanish as sponsorship. We refer here to the well as English in the public schools Dallas national conference of the and universities in communities where Camara de Trabajadores Mexicanos Mexicans are a majority; the granting of the United States, a national group of equal status to the Spanish lan­ of loosely federated workers' clubs, gqage, as has been done in New and the Port Arthur State Conference Mexico and in those counties and of Mexican Societies, initiated by a states where the Mexican people form number of Mexican fraternal societies a large part of the total population. with consular support. 3· Against social oppression-for In California, a thoroughly repre­ laws making illegal the various forms sentative State Congress of the Mexi­ of Jim-Crowism, segregation in living can people has been held in prepara­ quarters, schools, parks, hotels, res­ tion for the national gathering. Simi­ taurants, etc. This struggle must be lar steps are under way in New linked with that of the Negro people. Mexico, Colorado and Arizona. 4· Against political repression. The Upon what is this movement for struggle for the right to vote is divided Mexican uni&cation based? What are into two phases: its main objectives? (a) The majority of the Mexicans It is a people's movement, uniting are American-born. The problem is, the interests of large and important therefore, one of enforcing their citi­ sections of the population, over two zenship right. This means demanding million strong, who, in alliance with that all legal and extra-legal restric­ the country's democratic forces, in the tions to the free exercise of the ballot Southwest and nationally, can free be removed. These include residence themselves from the special oppression qualifications, difficult for semi-migra­ and discrimination in all its phases tory workers to meet; and in Texas, that have existed for almost a century. the elimination of the poll tax. The struggle is directed: (b) Those who are foreign born 1. Against economic discrimina­ must join with all of the immigrant tion-extra low wages; expropriation groups in the United States tp secure of small land holders; discrimination the democratization of the federal in the right to work in all trades and regulations pertaining to length of THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST 265 time, cost, and language conditions re­ It would, of course, be the greatest quired for citizenship; the aim being mistake to give a purely labor aspect to simplify the process whereby all to this broad people's movement. But who intend to remain permanent resi­ to be most effective, this movement dents of the United States-and this must bring about the closest relation­ includes nearly all of the Mexicans­ ship with the labor and democratic and who express a desire for natural­ forces in the Anglo-American popula­ ization, can become citizens. tion of the Southwest. In some states, as in Texas, it may That the Anglo-Americans will re­ become feasible to restore, at least spond to any initiative taken by Mexi­ until federal requirements for becom­ can people in seeking a closer relation­ ing citizens become less onerous, the ship and mutual benefits is evident provisions in the Texas state constitu­ from such examples as that in Colo­ tion which, until 1921, granted voting rado, where the Mexican beet workers rights to all Mexicans and other for­ (U.C.A.P.A.W.A.) have an agreement eign born, citizens and non-citizens, with the Anglo-American farmers for providing they met residence require­ joint action against the beet-sugar ments and declared their desire for interests that exploit them both. American citizenship. • In San Antonio, last year's strike of In this general movement the lead­ u,ooo pecan workers could not have ing role will undoubtedly be played been successful without the important by the proletarian base of the Mexi­ support it received from national and can population, its overwhelming ma­ state councils of the C.I.O. and from jority. This is already evident from progressive Anglo-American political the impetus given the movement for leaders, such as Maury Maverick, in Mexican rights by the large strike defense of civil rights. In the Texas struggles in Texas, California and Rio Grande Valley, unity between the Colorado. The surest guarantee for· small Anglo-American farmers and the full and successful development of the Mexican agricultural workers will the people's movement will be in fur­ be the key to improving the condi­ ther trade union organization among tions of both. the Mexican workers; in the first place, in the U.C.A.P.A.W.A., affili­ STERILE PATHS ated with the C.I.O. One of the oldest organizations among the Mexican . people is the • The special status due to historic condi­ League of United Latin American tions that the Mexican people occupied prior to the migration of Anglo-Americans into Citizens (L.U.L.A.C.) with branches the Southwestern states can be seen from the in most of the Southwestern states. following two factors: First, only six months' residence but not citizenship was the require­ In the past, its viewpoint was colored ment for voting among Mexicans in Texas by the outlook of petty-bourgeois na­ until after 1921, when the state constitution was amended. Secondly, the Spanish language tive-born, who seek escape from the has, from the earliest days, been an official general oppression that has been the language alongside of English in New Mexico. However, this does not mean that the Mexi­ lot of the Mexican people as a whole. cans during this time were not subject to It meant an attempt to achieve Amer­ discrimination, Jim-Crowism and unequal wages. icanization, while barring the still un-

that that now now anxious anxious is is section section Another Another to to solutions solutions proposed proposed the the Among Among

quo. quo. Status Status the the with with content content is is labor labor rights. rights. Mexican Mexican for for movement movement

wage­ Mexican Mexican of of exploitation exploitation the the general general the the in in role role increasing increasing an an play play

from from super-profits super-profits derives derives which which tion tion will will class class middle middle Mexican Mexican the the of of tion tion

sec­ That That uniform. uniform. not not is is Southwest Southwest organiza­ important important this this that that pected pected

the the in in question question Mexican Mexican the the to to geoisie geoisie ex­ confidently confidently be be can can it it unification, unification,

bour­ American American the the of of attitude attitude The The people's people's the the of of friends friends all all by by comed comed

workers. workers. unskilled unskilled wel­ is is which which L.U.L.A.C., L.U.L.A.C., the the of of tion tion

as as status status their their for for responsible responsible tions tions orienta­ the the in in change change this this With With cans. cans.

condi­ the the eliminate eliminate help help will will which which Mexi­ all all of of but but citizens, citizens, American American of of

people, people, Mexican Mexican the the of of velopment velopment behalf behalf in in only only not not etc., etc., parks, parks, schools, schools,

de­ cultural cultural the the facilitating facilitating In In 2. 2. public public in in segregation segregation against against struggles struggles

work. work. sional sional successful successful led led have have they they Texas Texas In In

profes­ and and collar collar white white skilled, skilled, of of organizations. organizations. labor labor including including groups, groups,

categories categories all all in in Mexicans Mexicans of of ployment ployment Mexican Mexican other other with with relationship relationship tive tive

em­ to to barriers barriers the the removing removing In In coopera­ into into entered entered has has L.U.L.A.C. L.U.L.A.C. 1. 1.

lies: lies: solution solution the the Mexico, Mexico, New New in in and and Texas Texas in in

the the that that say say must must we we people people these these To To cities cities several several In In motherland. motherland. cultural cultural

solved." solved." be be never never can can reemployment reemployment the the as as Mexico Mexico recognizes recognizes stitution stitution

their their of of problem problem the the that that labor labor mon mon con­ its its to to amendment amendment An An changes. changes.

com­ unskilled unskilled of of proportion proportion large large a a significant significant undergone undergone has has L.U.L:A.C. L.U.L:A.C.

such such is is "there "there Antonio) Antonio) San San in in ample, ample, the the of of policy policy splitting splitting this this Recently, Recently,

ex­ for for (as, (as, that that assumption assumption the the on on proposal. proposal.

necessity, necessity, economic economic an an cities-is cities-is larger larger this this endorsed endorsed Denver Denver in in L.U.L.A.C. L.U.L.A.C.

the the from from least least exodus-at exodus-at of of means means the the and and relief, relief, on on were were who who workers workers

other other some some or or repatriation repatriation either either Mexican Mexican so,ooo so,ooo deport deport to to posed posed

that that hold hold who who Anglo-Americans, Anglo-Americans, pro­ governor governor Republican Republican a a pression, pression,

liberal liberal among among even even those, those, are are There There de­ the the of of height height the the at at when, when, ago, ago,

Mexico. Mexico. in in not not and and Southwest Southwest years years few few a a Colorado Colorado in in shown shown was was

the the in in lies lies Americans Americans Spanish Spanish and and cans cans C. C. .L.A. .L.A. U U L. L. the the led led policy policy this this which which to to

Mexi­ the the of of problem problem the the to to solution solution extreme extreme The The foreign-born. foreign-born. and and native native

the the No, No, ties. ties. social social and and economic economic ent ent the the between between split split possible possible a a to to except except

pres­ by by and and Southwest, Southwest, the the in in people people nowhere nowhere them them lead lead would would it it that that felt felt

Anglo-American Anglo-American the the with with generations generations who who masses, masses, Mexican Mexican the the from from tion tion

several several through through intermingling intermingling to to due due isola­ its its in in beginning beginning the the from from most most

peculiarities, peculiarities, cultural cultural roots, roots, torical torical al­ resulted resulted L.U.L.A.C. L.U.L.A.C. the the of of gram gram

his­ by by soil soil American American the the to to bound bound pro­ This This workers. workers. super-exploited super-exploited of of

are are consideration consideration under under people people ooo ooo masses masses the the among among organization organization labor labor

2,ooo,­ the the shown, shown, have have we we as as because, because, for for need need the the ignored ignored it it finally, finally, And, And,

only only if if fantastic, fantastic, is is plan plan this this that that see see societies. societies. local local the the within within Spanish Spanish

to to easy easy is is It It Mexico. Mexico. to to transported transported prohibiting prohibiting of of extent extent the the to to culture culture

be be can can Southwest Southwest the the in in people people ican ican Anglo-American Anglo-American and and language language English English

Spanish-Amer­ and and Mexican Mexican 2,ooo,ooo 2,ooo,ooo the the of of glorification glorification the the in in resulted resulted It It

the the proposal, proposal, this this By By repatnauon. repatnauon. bership. bership.

of of idea idea the the is is question question Mexican Mexican the the mem­ from from foreign-born foreign-born naturalized naturalized

COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE THE MEXICAN QUESTION IN THE SOUTHWEST 267 capitalist expansion and construction It is likewise significant in relation in the S~uthwest have passed their to the movement for Negro rights in peak to get rid of the relief burden the South. For, the special exploita­ of the unemployed masses, by deporta­ tion of the Mexican people in the tion to Mexico, a la Hitler. A third ,Southwest is, in many respects, simply section still clings to the former pro­ a continuation of the special exploita­ gram of the L.U.L.A.C.-Americaniza­ tion and oppression to which the N e­ tion by assimilation. gro people in the South have been It is only recently, with the growth subjected. A blow against the op­ of the labor movement among the pression of one will be a blow for the Mexican people, that a correct pro­ freedom of both. gram has developed, calling for aboli­ Internationally, the Mexican and tion of all restrictions-economic, po­ Spanish-American people's movement litical and cultural-and for due in the United States has an important recognition of the historic rights of bearing on the relationship between the Mexican people in this territory. the United States and Latin-America, especially Mexico. Unless the "Good THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE MEXICAN Neighbor" policy begins at home, with RIGHTS MOVEMENT respect to the treatment of the Mexi­ "No people oppressing other people can people, it will be difficult to con­ can be free," wrote Engels• in 1874· vince Latin American of the sincerity The correctness of Engels' statement of this policy. is validated in the low wages, and gen­ It is interesting to note that a fas­ erally low social status of the majority cist publication in Mexico City, Nove­ of the Anglo-American workers who dades, a vehicle for Nazi influence, live in the areas where the Mexican and therefore an opponent of the ef­ people form a large portion of the forts made at Lima to organize the population. The status of the Mexi­ Western Hemisphere against fascist can people in those areas has, further, penetration, seized upon the .fate of tended to make them easy prey to cor­ the 2,ooo,ooo Mexicans in the South­ rupt and reactionary political ma­ west-whose condition it described as chines-a consequence that affects the being worse than that of the Jews in vital interests of the Anglo-American Germany-as an argument: ( 1) against population in the Southwest. the Mexican people concerning them­ The rise of the Mexican people's selves with Jewish persecutions in movement is therefore of crucial im­ Germany; (2) for a struggle against portance to the general democratic the "Jewish-dominated capitalists" of and progressive movement of the the United States, who "hold the Anglo-American people in the South­ Mexican population of the Southwest west, which is already developing in bondage." The winning of the peo­ under the leadership of such men as ple in the Southwest for an anti-fas­ Maury Maverick in Texas and Olson cist peace policy and for continental in California. solidarity of the Western Hemisphere, therefore, means winning them to a • Yolksstaat, 1874, No. 6g. realization of the need for granting THE COMMUNIST

recognition to the historical rights of cans in the border states in order to. the Mexican people in the Southwest. further their aims in Mexico itself. Due to their proximity to Mexico, The Mexican people's movement in it is important to the democratic peo­ the Southwest will · constitute one ple's front movement in that countr.y more important and powerful link in that the Mexican people of the United the growing movement for the demo­ States be organized, united and brought into progressive alignment cratic front in the United States. The with the democratic forces of the achievement of its objectives will be United States, as a barrier to. the ef­ ·a decisive step forward toward the forts of .the Nazi-financed Mexican national unification of the American fascists to win a base among the Mexi- people.

"Only through the medium of an alliance of peoples conducting a self-sacrificing struggle for the cause of peace is it possible to frustrate the criminal plans of the instigators of war. A defense cordon of armed peoples who have joined their forces with the great Soviet people will doom fascism to impotence and hasten on its defeat and its inevitable ruin."-Manifesto of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, Nov. 7, 1938. CLASS FORCES IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE

BY HARRISON GEORGE

E CONCLUDED the previous arti­ wineries and other processing enter­ Wcle• with the officially stated prises, as well as wholesale distribu­ purpose of the "Pro-Rate Law" which tion agencies, and the hanks which fi­ was put into effect during the Merriam nance the whole set-up. Thus, the fac­ regime in California. This law restricts tory farm might well engage in a game agricultural production indirectly by of freeze-out with the small family restricting marketing, and making free farms and "lose money" on its farm marketing by farmers punishable un­ operations, while making excellent der state law as "a misdemeanor." profits on processing, distributing and financing. CLAIMS FOR THE PRO-RATE LAW Another argument for the Pro-Rate To get small farmers to accept the Law is the simple one of "regulation" Pro-Rate Law, the time-worn theory of the "flow of products to market." was propagated that limiting the sup­ This is an appealing argument. But ply would increase the price, without this is not the purpose of the Pro­ regard to the total purchasing power Rate Law-which is restriction. And in the market. This theory also left while the federal A.A.A. gives definite out of the reckoning that, since the and known compensation payments full crop must be raised, though not for restrictions, the Pro-Rate gives marketed, the cost of raising the "sur­ nothing, except the mentioned promise plus" held off the market must be that restricted supply may return included in the total production cost, higher prices. thus narrowing the profit margin on The "discussion" of a program on the marketed crop to the point of dis­ any product is dominated by proces­ appearance. sors, big growers and-bankers. This prospective loss is a reality to Thus, although there is nothing in the family-sized farm, whose unit the law about price-fixing or prices, cost is higher than that of the big the small farmer is told that he must "factory farm." Such "factory farms" vote for the price offered as an in­ are owned or operated by the same tegral part of voting for the program. capitalists who operate canneries, And, though the price be ruinous to • This is the second and concluding sec­ him, the whole battery of propagand­ tion of Comrade George's article, the first ists from big growers, processors and part of which appeared in the February 1ssue.-The Editors. bankers are put to work on hastily 16g

tion tion as as enlarged enlarged purchasing purchasing power power The The Communist Communist Party, Party, pointing pointing out out

such such outcome outcome is is illusory. illusory. In In propor­

GROWING GROWING OPPOSITION OPPOSITION TO TO RESTRICTION RESTRICTION

there there is is a a market market for for all all the the raisins, raisins,

there there is is no no reason reason for for a a Pro-Rate Pro-Rate if if profitable profitable for for the the latter. latter.

handling handling costs costs are are deducted. deducted. But But since since being being at at the the most most only only slightly slightly less less

of of the the pool pool proceeds proceeds after after storage storage and and ing ing impossible impossible for for the the former, former, while while

trying trying to to sell. sell. And And he he will will get get a a share share the the big big capitalist capitalist grower grower makes makes farm­

will will compete compete with with those those the the farmer farmer is is upon upon the the small small family family farm farm as as upon upon

raisins raisins from from it-though, it-though, if if it it does, does, they they "equality." "equality." The The same same restriction restriction laid laid

that that pool. pool. The The Commission Commission may may sell sell herent herent in in the the very very pretension pretension of of

Theoretically, Theoretically, he he has has an an "equity" "equity" in in who who remain remain largely largely in in control, control, is is in­

find find a a buyer. buyer. practised practised by by Merriam's Merriam's corrupt corrupt agents agents

sell sell the the other other 70 70 per per cent-if cent-if he he can can Inequality, Inequality, aside aside from from that that widely widely

nage nage certificate" certificate" that that authorizes authorizes him him to to ruined. ruined.

sion, sion, before before he he can can get get a a "free "free ton­ from from a a Pro-Rate Pro-Rate restricted restricted crop, crop, is is

warehouse warehouse of of the the Pro-Rate Pro-Rate Commis­ family family and and home home depend depend on on returns returns

30 30 per per cent cent of of his his raisins raisins to to the the "pool" "pool" draw, while while draw, the the small small farmer, farmer, whose whose

30 30 per per cent, cent, the the farmer farmer must must deliver deliver on on it, it, reap reap the the profit, profit, and and then then with­

With With raisins, raisins, if if the the Pro-Rated Pro-Rated part part is is rent rent land, land, throw throw modern modern machinery machinery

trees trees and and let let them them rot rot on on the the ground). ground). ing. ing. The The speculators, speculators, example, example, for will will

a a percentage percentage (shake (shake them them from from the the purely purely capitalistic capitalistic "speculative" "speculative" farm­

last last season, season, were were instructed instructed to to "drop" "drop" invariably invariably taken taken advantage advantage of of by by

rot rot in in the the orchards. orchards. Prune Prune growers, growers, a a good good market market in in a a one-season one-season crop crop is is

crop crop may, may, as as with with apples, apples, be be left left to to At At the the same same time, time, any any prospect prospect of of

stricted) stricted) percentage percentage of of the the estimated estimated forced forced by by the the restriction restriction program. program.

upon upon occasion. occasion. The The Pro-Rated Pro-Rated (re­ formed formed into into a a lower lower price price and and en­

The The Pro-Rate Pro-Rate works works differently differently restricting restricting the the market market has has been been trans­

the the "higher "higher price" price" promised promised

him him by by

WORKINGS WORKINGS OF OF THE THE PRO-RATE PRO-RATE LAW LAW

tioned, tioned, he he frequently frequently finds finds that that

Commission Commission appoints appoints its its choice. choice. 'Come, 'Come, from from 28 28 acres. acres. And, And, as as men­

per per cent cent mortgage mortgage a a list list with with of of 70 70 "nominees" "nominees" per per in. in. cent -but -but the the State State

paying paying principal principal ers. ers. and and Theoretically, Theoretically, interest interest on on a a the the farmers farmers "elect" "elect" 100 100

all all big big growers growers must must and and farm farm Associated Associated forty forty acres, acres, Farm­ for for example, example,

grapes grapes in in 1938 1938 it it was was 55 55 per per cent). cent). He He appointees appointees who who under under Merriam Merriam were were

crop crop out out of of 70 70 Pro-Rate Pro-Rate per per cent cent administration administration (in (in wine wine consists consists of of

acres! acres! And And the the cost cost whole whole of of producing producing apparatus apparatus of of per per cent cent of of his his 100 100

expression, expression, for for the the Observe Observe final final that that voting voting a a farmer farmer is is by by must must get get the the

volved, volved, and and equity equity defeat defeat vanishes. vanishes. real real democratic democratic

of of the the Pro-Rate Pro-Rate feed feed at at Law Law $15 $15 are are a a ton-and ton-and most most in­ the the farmer's farmer's

jorities" jorities" at at will, will, their their the the disposal disposal literal literal as as provisions provisions a a "by-product"-hog "by-product"-hog

warehouses warehouses until until not-as not-as the the next next they they crop crop do-manufacture do-manufacture forces forces "ma­

too too often often the the pooled pooled Even Even if if raisins raisins these these lie lie interested interested in in parties parties did did

raisins raisins may may be be sold sold from from the the pool. pool. But But "carried." "carried."

ings," ings," and and the the the the program program market market demand, demand, is is declared declared the the Pro-Rated Pro-Rated

through through general general called called recovery recovery and and may may unrepresentative unrepresentative increase increase "meet­

THE THE COMMUNIST COMMUNIST CLASS FORCES IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE 271

the anti-social nature of all restrictions DEVELOPING FARMER-LABOR UNITY on production or marketing while mil­ lions go hungry, opposes all such com­ The California organization of the pulsory restrictions. It advocates that Communist Party has taken some all "surpluses" be purchased by the laudable forward steps. It studied this Surplus Commodities Corporation of question and adopted a general and the federal government for relief to specific program last year; But its the needy; likewise that the farmers' ability to apply the program was demand for prices based on the cost limited by an almost total absence of of production be given legislative farmer members in the Party. Its recognition. membership even in the rural centers With the election victory in Cali­ was negligible. Since then it has built fornia, and a growing indignation at fairly good branches in the main cities the Pro..Rate, the revolt against this of the rural regions; now from this restrictive law is taking organized base it must actually organize farmers form. At its last convention the State into its ranks and build the demo­ Grange pledged itself to Pro-Rate re­ cratic front among them. peal. With Grange support the The political basis is surely there. Farmers League for Pro-Rate Repeal Every California county voted for was organized at Santa Rosa in Feb­ Roosevelt in 1936, and the Olson ruary, representative of organized ticket swept the rural regions in 1938. small growers in olives, prunes, figs, On the clearly labor issue of the Asso­ dry wine grapes, apples, walnuts and ciated Farmer-proposed Proposition apricots. It has to buck the well-oiled No. 1 to destroy the unions, the rural machine of the Associated Farmers, counties (towns included, of course) the processors and bankers, and their went against it by 122,000 votes. The numerous stooges in the Legislature, farmers, indeed, are running ahead of . where the Senate, at least, remains in many of the more sectarian elements control of reaction. of organized labor as concerns farmer­ Bills have been introduced for re­ labor collaboration. peal by Assembly progressives. But the The state Grange officially declared farmers will not control the marketing for such collaboration last election. of their products until this fight for Frequent delegations from farmer repeal is carried over into ·a move­ groups visit the large cities seeking to ment for democratically managed co­ interest the unions in consumer co­ operatives. These should get aid from operatives for their products. They state and federal agencies like the offer union contracts to labor on their Farm Security Administration-and farms if union labor will help them from the trade unions, which can do find markets through cooperatives. much to assist, especially through con­ It is the writer's impression that sumers' cooperatives, and by carrying such connections have too often been out the neglected decision of the neglected. The assault on unionism C.I.O. for a "Joint Farmer-Labor by· the Associated Farmers, and the Committee on Cooperative Enter­ simultaneous discovery that a large prise.'' section of the farmers voted progres- THE COMMUNIST

sive aroused organized labor for the farmers (out of 15o,ooo-3o.8 per first time to reach out for an ally on cent) who worked an average of 172 the farms. These factors also illus­ days each off their farms as wage trated to labor that there are class dif­ laborers-often on the big growers' ferences among farmers and that the farms. They put in a total of 7•950,253 small farmers are ripe for an alliance, work days as wage workers. Why at least on specific issues of visible mu­ should these semi-proletarians be tual interest. hostile to unions? The reactionary theory of the Asso­ ·If these figures are not enough to ciated Farmers that-even if farmers refute the myth that "all" farmers are might "get along" with city union "inherently" hostile to organized labor-they have basic interests op­ labor, we must recall that thousands posed to unionization of farm wage of farm boys and girls must each year labor, is seen to be fundamentally seek work in canneries and other jobs. false upon the Slightest analysis. These youth, still too much neglected Out of the 15o,ooo farms of Cali­ by the labor and progressive move­ fornia, we find that (in 1935) no less ment, certainly belong to labor, and than 93,499 are worked with farm constitute a nexus between the pro­ family labor exclusively; and that letariat and the mass of small farmers. 31,lU 1 farms use "both family and There remains only the need for hired help." Of the 14,247 that use activity by the labor and progressive "hired labor only," the genuine big movement to establish the fraternal business farmers who use "ten or bonds of farmer-labor cooperation. more" hired laborers are only 2,o14- The class differences serve as a guide a mere handful out of the state's to such activity. On one side, we see 150,000 farms. a small percentage of great capitalistic Whether the strictly "family labor" landholders, a Junker type of feudal farmers have thought it out or not, baron. The traditional feudal patern­ they-and to a large degree those who alism toward serfs has, however, been use both family and hired labor-can entirely replaced by the ruthless greed be shown in five minutes that their of the great industrial capitalist and own labor will be cheapened if and banker, with whom the .California when their rich farmer neighbors Junker is indistinguishably allied and succeed in beating down the wages of identified. their farm wage workers (more than On the other side, we see about likely producing the same crop). For 2oo,ooo migratory laborers ("fruit what the small farmers produce must tramps") from "Dust Bowl" and compete in the market with the "tractored out" sources, who are product of their slave-driver neigh­ abused worse than animals. We see bors. the vast majority of 6oo,ooo actual Still further, with deepening im­ resident farm people, and the bulk of poverishment, more small farmers 1,ooo,ooo people in the rural towns seek to add to their inadequate farm and villages-all of whose interests are income by wage labor. In 1934, there opposed to the reactionary bloc of were no less than 46,326 California agrarian and industrial monopolists. CLASS FORCES IN CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURE 273

The task is to uproot the centers that the direct interest of the Party. The greater reaction has built up among these the number of peasants whom we can save from actual downfall into the proletariat people by deceit and violence throu?h and win for ourselves while they are still the Associated Farmers, and to bulld peasants, the mo~;e rapidly and easily will the democratic front among the farm­ the social revolution take place." • ing and rural town masses. The menace of fascism consolidat­ Reaction, particularly with the aid ing its influence among the rural pop­ of Trotskyism, seeks to poison the ulation admits of no conciliation with workers against the farmers, as the such tendencies that underestimate or Associated Farmers try to poison the oppose the democratic potentialities farmers against the workers. They of the farming masses. Such "theo­ complement each other in a division retical differences" are the conscious or of labor. Thus, in California, too, we unconscious importations into the hear some ideas expressed in the labor labor movement of counter-revolu­ movement such as "the farmers are tionary Trotskyism, which Lenin all reactionary and capitali~t-minded." fought from the beginning and over Marx and Engels fought against which Stalin and his co-workers fi­ Ferdinand Lassalle on exactly this nally triumphed. point. As Comrade William Z. Foster has In his article, "The Peasant Ques­ shown, American history since colo­ tion in France and Germany," writ­ nial days is rich with incidents of ten in 1894, Engels stated: unity of the toilers of farm and fac­ .. • . . And, indeed we stand decidedly on tory against their common exploiters. the side of the small peasant; we will do It is a natural affinity founded in com­ everything in any way admissible to make his mon interest, and upon it Lenin and lot more bearable, to facilitate his transition Stalin, with the guidance of Marx and to the cooperative, if he decides to take this step, and even if he cannot as yet bring him­ Engels, built and guided the Party of self to this decision, to make a longer period Bolshevism that gave the world the of consideration possible for him on his hold­ first socialist nation. ing. We do this, not only because we • Cited in The Co1Tespondence of Marx regard the small peasant who does his own and Engels, p. 526, International Publishers, work as virtually belonging to us, but also in New York. · CLASS CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH-I85o-186o PART II •

BY HERBERT BIEL

NON-SLAVEHOLDER VS. SLAVEHOLDER been the maintenance of the planter class in control." 2 But never did that N 186o there were over eight mil­ class face greater danger than in the I lion white people in the slavehold­ decade preceding the Civil War. ing states. Of these but 384,000 were Let us briefly examine the chal­ slaveholders among whom were 77 ,ooo lenges to Bourbon rule in a few owning but one Negro. Less than .IIOO,­ Southern states. ooo whites throughout the South In Virginia, a at the insistence of the owned as many as ten slaves-a mini­ generally free-labor, non-plantation mum necessity for a plantation. And it West united with artisans and me­ is to'be noted that, while, in z85o one chanics of Eastern cities, a constitution­ out of every three whites was con­ al convention was held in 1850-51. On nected,directly or indirectly, with slave­ two great questions the Bourbons lost; holding, in z86o only one out of every representation was considerably equal­ four had any direct or indirect con­ ized by the overwhelming vote of 75,- nection with slaveholding. Moreover, 748 to 11,063, and the suffrag~ was ex­ in certain areas, particularly Dela­ tended to include all free wh1te males ware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri above twentrone years of age. The and Virginia, the proportion of slaves history of Virginia for the next eight to the total population noticeably years revolves around an eversharpen­ fell. 1 .. ing struggle between the slaveholders These facts are at the root of the and non-slaveholders. The power of ~aturing class conflict-slaveholder the latter was illustrated in the elec­ versus non-slaveholder-which was the tion of Letcher over Goggin in 1859 outstanding internal political factor as Governor. In that campaign slavo­ in the South in the decade prior to cratic rule was the issue and the East­ Secession. It is, of course, true gener­ ern, slaveholders' papers appreciated ally that, " ... the real central theme the meaning of Letcher's victory. of Southern history seems to have Thus, for example, the Richmond Whig of June 7, 1859, declared: • This is the concluding section of Com­ rade Jloi.el's article begun in the February "Letcher owes his election to the tremen­ issue.-The Editors. dous majority he received in the Northwest • • All references to sources, indicated by superior figures, will _be found at the end of Free Soil counties, and in these ·counties to this article.-The Editors. his anti-slavery record." CLASS CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH

In North Carolina, too, there was was promptly read out of the Demo­ an "evident tendency of the non-slave­ cratic Party, but, in 186o, ran as an in­ holding West to unite with the non­ dependent and was elected. The issue slaveholding classes of the East,"4 and split the Democratic Party in North this unifying tendency brought im­ Carolina and seriously threatened the portant victories. In 1850, for the first political strength of the slavocracy. time in fifteen years, a Democratic Professor W. K. Boyd has remarked,7 candidate, David S. Reid, captured the "one cannot but see in the ad valorem governorship, and he won because he campaign the beginning of a revolt urged universal manhood suffrage in against slavery as a political and eco­ elections to the state's senate (own­ nomic influence. . . ." ership of fifty acres of land was then Similar struggles occurred in South required in order to vote for a sen­ Carolina.8 The bitter congressional ator) as well as to the lower house. Slaveholders' opposition prevented the campaign of October, 1851, in which enactment of such a law for several secessionists were beaten, again by a years but the people never wearied in united front of farmers and urban their efforts and, finally, free suffrage workers, by a vote of 25,045 to 17,710, was ratified,5 August, 1857, by a vote was "marked by denunciations hurled of 50,007 to 19,379. by freemen of the back country A valiant struggle was also carried against the barons of the low coun­ on for a more equitable tax system­ try." The next year a National Demo­ ad valorem taxation-in North Caro­ cratic Party was launched, led by men lina.6 A few figures will illustrate the like J. L. Orr (later Speaker of the situation. Slaves, from the ages of u National House), B. F. Perry, and to 50 only, were taxed 5% cents per J. J. Evans.9 Their program cut at hundred dollars of their value. But the heart of the slavocracy. Let South land was taxed 20 cents per hundred Carolina abandon its isolationism, let dollars, and workers' tools and imple­ it permit the popular election of the ments were taxed one dollar per hun­ President and Governor (both se­ dred dollars value. Thus, in 1850, lected by the state legislature), let it slave property ·worth $2o3,ooo,ooo end property qualifications for paid but $118,330 tax, while land members of its· legislature, let it worth $98,ooo,ooo paid over $19o,ooo equalize the vicious system of ap­ in taxes. A Raleigh worker asked in portionment (which made the slave­ 186o: "Is it no grievance to tax the holding East dominant), let it estab­ wages of the laboring man, and not lish colleges in the Western part of tax the income of their (sic) em­ the state (as it had in the Eastern), ployer?" and let it provide ample free schools. The leader in the fight for equalized And, finally, let it enter upon a pro­ taxation was Moses A. Bledsoe, a gram of diversified industry. None of state senator from Wake County. In these reforms was carried, except par­ 1858 he united with the recently tial advance along educational lines, formed Raleigh Workingmen's Asso­ but the threat was considerable and ciation to fight this issue through. He unmistakable. to

the the 182o's 182o's the the by by but but Jefferson, Jefferson, from from (legalize (legalize 16 16 slavery slavery reform reform Negro: Negro: the the

derived derived was was Party Party Democratic Democratic concerns concerns the the as as ideas ideas two two were were There There

Formally, Formally, ideology. ideology. its its investigate investigate to to do? do? to to What What progress! progress!

instructive instructive is is it it slavocracy, slavocracy, the the of of and and mind mind ideas-liberty ideas-liberty "moon-struck" "moon-struck" same same

the the upon upon white, white, and and Negro Negro the the for for ploited, ploited, dying dying and and conspiring conspiring and and ing ing

ex­ the the of of misbehavior misbehavior the the of of agitat­ effect effect doggedly doggedly South, South, the the of of white, white,

the the properly properly evaluate evaluate to to order order and and In In Negro Negro farmers, farmers, and and artisans artisans

and and mechanics mechanics the the were were here here But But

SLAVOCRACY SLAVOCRACY THE THE OF OF IDEOLOGY IDEOLOGY THE THE

theorists?"l5 theorists?"l5 moon-struck moon-struck and and ers, ers,

souri.18 souri.18 farm­ small-fisted small-fisted operatives, operatives, filthy filthy chanics, chanics,

Mis­ and and Delaware Delaware me­ Maryland, Maryland, greasy greasy of of and and conglomeration conglomeration a a but but it it is is

What What name. name. the the at at sicken sicken we we society! society! "Free "Free Virginia, Virginia, Western Western Carolina, Carolina, North North ern ern

West­

Tennessee, Tennessee, Eastern Eastern Kentucky, Kentucky,

· · claim: claim:

Western Western in in widespread widespread very very was was tainly tainly ex- might might 1856, 1856, of of Herald, Herald, Muskogee Muskogee

cer­ it it

and and feeling, feeling, a a such such to to testify testify the the paper, paper, Georgia Georgia a a too, too, thus, thus, And And

witnesses witnesses contemporary contemporary Competent Competent

man."14 man."14 of of

corruption corruption

and and fall fall the the

itself."12 itself."12 slavery slavery of of

institution institution

denied denied other other the the because because and and

existed, existed, ever ever

the the to to belt belt black black the the of of outside outside crats crats

had had as as it it society society civil civil of of constitution constitution

whole whole

Demo­

non-slaveholding non-slaveholding the the

of of some some the the at at struck struck one one the the because because announced, announced,

of of part part the the on on hostility hostility a a to to point point been been have have not not could could falsehoods falsehoods greater greater Two Two

...... self-government self-government of of capable capable pronounced pronounced which which indications indications "certain "certain noted noted also also

was was man man

and and equal, equal, declared declared were were men men all all

has has Cole Cole C. C. A. A. Professor Professor Union."ll Union."ll the the

God, God, of of word word revealed revealed the the of of but but experience, experience,

in in man man enlightened enlightened every every by by mitted mitted

of of only only not not face face the the in in

and and degree degree

impious impious

ad­ is is slavery, slavery, of of wrong wrong the the

evil, evil,

"the "the

an an to to exalted exalted was was man man of of reason reason The The ......

that that declared declared had had Trader, Trader, Free Free the the authority. authority. all all against against war war declared declared we we ...... " "

Mississippi, Mississippi, of of paper paper Democratic Democratic ing ing

Revolution, Revolution,

American American

the the following following

lead­ a a year year same same that that Earlier Earlier slaves. slaves.

that that

1862, 1862, 23, 23,

February February

Savannah, Savannah,

at at

no no owned owned who who city city the the in in workers workers

declare declare would would

Elliot Elliot

Bishop Bishop Thus Thus

many many so so were were there there because because so so was was

problem. problem.

class class no no have have

we we

this this that that said said writer writer letter letter anonymous anonymous

slavery, slavery, chattel chattel

but but

wage slavery, slavery, wage

a a

An An emancipation. emancipation. for for vote vote to to willing willing

not not is is

ours ours since since

secondly, secondly, and, and, good; good;

be be would would Orleans Orleans New New of of people people the the

particularly particularly

slavery slavery

our our

makes makes

ple ple

of of two-thirds two-thirds that that thought thought even even Some Some

peo­

"inferior'' "inferior''

an an enslave enslave

we we

that that

fact fact

numerous. numerous. were were declared, declared, it it who, who,

the the

itself, itself, in in

good good

is is slavery slavery

while while

men, men, anti-slavery anti-slavery native native castigating castigating to to

and and

Negroes, Negroes,

are are

slaves slaves

our our

first, first,

editorial editorial an an devoted devoted 1850, 1850, 25, 25, October October

reasons: reasons: two two for for

delightful delightful

especially especially

of of Courier Courier Orleans Orleans New New The The

is is slavery slavery of of form form our our slavocrats, slavocrats,

the the

spiracies. spiracies.

said said

And, And,

slavery. slavery.

be be

always always

should should

con­ their their in in slaves slaves with with implicated implicated

there there and and

slavery, slavery, be be

always always

will will

there there

often often were were whites whites that that showing showing terial terial

slavery, slavery,

been been

always always has has

there there

nature; nature;

ma­ the the in in presented presented been been has has this this of of

authoritarian authoritarian an an of of

one one

for for

South, South,

the the

evidence evidence One One South. South. the the in in lacking lacking

in in

scrapped scrapped

being being was was

himself, himself,

govern govern

not not was was sentiment sentiment anti-slavery anti-slavery Overt Overt

to to competence competence and and right right man's man's i.e., i.e.,

philosophy, philosophy, democrat's democrat's that that of of crux crux SENTIMENT SENTIMENT ANTI-SLAVERY ANTI-SLAVERY SOUTHERN SOUTHERN

COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE CLASS CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH marriage, forbid separation of fam­ the slaveholder, against the laws of ilies, allow education); and further re­ the country, and against the peace of pression.· The latter, repression, won the Commonwealth." 19 And "slaves with hardly a struggle. are constantly associating with low The Bourbons were, too, keenly white people, who are not slave own­ aware of the dangerous trend among ers. Such people are dangerous to a the non-slaveholding whites. Prop­ community, and should be made to aganda flooded the South to the effect leave our city." 20 that the interests of slaveholders and A visitor to Georgia, in December, non-slaveholders were really the 1859, felt that "the slaveholder seems same. Said the press, ". . . arraying to watch more carefully to keep the the non-slaveholder against the slave­ poor white man in subjectian than he holder ... is all wrong.... The fact does to guard the slaves." 21 The that one man owns slaves does not in North Carolinian Calvin Wiley the least injure the man who owns warned in 186o: none." 17 ". . • that there was as much danger from Slavocracy's leading publicist, J. D. the prejudice existing between the rich and B. DeBow, issued a pamphlet on The poor as between master and slave [and felt Interest in Slavery of the Southern that] all attempts ... to widen the breach between classes of citizens are just as dan­ Non-Slaveholder (Charleston, 186o), gerous as efforts to excite slaves to insur­ and the politicians played the Bour­ rection."22 bons' trump card, the non-slaveholders In 1850 a South Carolinian, J. H. "may have no pecuniary interest in Taylor, had written that: slavery, but they have a social inter­ est at stake that is worth more to ". • • the great mass of our poor white population begin to understand that they them than all the wealth of the have rights, and that they, too, are entitled Indies." 1s to some of the sympathy which falls upon But, asked the Bourbons and their the suffering. . . . It is this great upheaving apologists, .why then does it so often of our masses we have to fear, so far as our happen that whites aid slaves in their institutions are concerned."23 plots? Why, they asked, do some agi­ And in February, 1861, another tate against slavery and distribute South Carolinian, · observing the "vicious works" like that by North growth of a white laboring class and Carolina's "renegade son," Helper's its opposition to the slavocratic phi­ Impending Crisis1 Why do they strug­ losophy declared: gle for political and economic reforms "It is to be feared that even in this State, similar to those of Northern "moon­ the purest in its slave condition, democracy struck" theorists? may gain a foothold, and that here also the Merchants and capitalists, even contest for existence may be waged between Northern merchants and capitalists, them."24 are sympathetic, they reasoned, "but One month later, March ~7, 1861, the mechanics, most of them, are pests the Raleigh, N. C., Register observing to society, dangerous among the slave the increasing class bitterness in its population, and ever ready to form own state actually "expressed a fear combinations against the interest of of civil war within the state." 211 THE COMMUNIST

What, then, is the situation? The " ... communicated privately by members national supremacy of the slavocracy of each delegation (to the Confederate Con­ stitutional Convention) that it was supposed is gone. And its local power is threat­ people of every State except S. Ca. was in­ ened by both its victims-the slaves disposed to the disruption of the Union- ' and the non-slaveholding whites­ and that if the question of reconstruction separately and,. with alarming fre­ of the former Union was referred to the quency, jointly. The South Carolina popular vote, that there was probability of Senator James Hammond had its being approved."29 warned, in 1847, that slavery's "only The Raleigh, N.C., Standard, whose hope" was to keep "the actual slave­ editor, W. W. Holden, had been read holders not only predominant, but out of the Democratic Party be~ause paramount within its circles."26 of his non-slaveholding proclivities,

THE SLAVEHOLDERS' REBELLION saw very clearly the result of a rebel­ lion whose base was merely several This "only hope" appeared to be thousand distraught slaveholders. Its slipping away, if it were not already editorial of February 5· 1861, warned gone, by 186o. Desperation replaced that: hope, and desperation-the conviction "The Negroes will know, too, that the that there was everything to gain and war is waged on their account. They will nothing to lose-led to the slave­ become restless and turbulent. . . . Strong holders' rebellion. governments will be established and bear And it was their rebellion. As one heavily on the masses. The masses will at of them, a South Carolinian, A. P. length rise up and destroy everything in their way.•. .'' Aldrich, wrote November 25, 186o: "l do not believe the common people un­ CONCLUSION derstand it; but whoever waited for the common people when a great movement was This article has attempted to pre­ to be made? We must make the move and sent a new emphasis upon a factor · force them to follow. That is the way of all hitherto insufficiently appreciated in great revolutions and all great achieve­ appraising the causes that drove the ments."2T slaveholding class to desperation and One month later a wealthy North counter-revolution in 1861. This des­ Carolinian, Kenneth Rayner, confided peration was not merely due to the to Judge Thomas Ruffin that he "was growing might of a free-labor indus­ mortified to find . . . that the people trial bourgeoisie, combined, via in­ who did not own slaves were swear­ vestments and transportation ties, ing that they would not lift a finger with the free West, and to that group's to protect rich men's negroes. You capture of national power in 186o. may depend on it ... that this feeling Another important factor, becoming prevails to an extent, you do not more and . more potent as the slav­ imagine."2S ocracy was being weakened by capital­ Just a few days before the start of ism in the North, was the sharpening actual warfare Virginia's arch-seces­ class struggle within the South itself sionist, Edmund Ruffin, admitted to from i85o to 186o. This· struggle his diary, April 2, 1861, that it was: manifested itself in serious slave dis- CLASS CONFLICTS IN THE SOUTH affection, in frequent cooperation be­ Robert B. Rhett, New York, 1931,' p. 123 and Chapter VIII; Wallace, op. cit., III, pp. tween poor whites and Negro slaves, 129·38. and in the rapid maturing of the po­ 10 For accounts of similar contests else­ non-slave­ where see, T. Abernethy, From Frontier to litical consciousness of the Plantation in Tennessee, Chapel Hill, 1932, holding whites. p. 216; C. Ramsdell in Studies in Southern History and Politics, New York, 1914, p. 66; And, taking another step, he who W. E. Smith, The F. P. Blair Family in seeks to understand the reasons for Politics, New York, 1933, I, pp. 292,300,303, the ultimate collapse of the Confed· 337· 374· 400, 416, 440. 11 J. B. Ranck, Albert G. Brown, New eracy will find them not only in the York, 1937, p. 65. military might of the North, but, in 12 Cole, The Whig Party in the South, Washington, 1913, p. 72; it is true that an an essential respect, in th~ highly un­ anti-Negro feeling was often mixed with the popular character of that government. anti-slavocratic feeling of the poor whites. Nevertheless, the latter feeling was present. The Southern masses opposed the For example, Hinton R. Helper was anath­ Bourbon regime and it was this op­ ema to the slavocracy notwithstanding the fact that he was possessed of a vicious anti­ position, of the poor whites and of Negro prejudice. the Negro slaves, that contributed 13 Olmsted, Back Country, p. 18o; Stirling, Letters, p. 326; J. Aughey, The Iron Furnace, largely to its downfall. Philadelphia, 1863, pp. 39, 228; see G. G. Johnson, Ante-Bellum North Carolina, p. REFERENCES 577· 14 W. S. Jenkins, Pro-Slavery Thought in 1 A. C. Cole, The Irrepressible Conflict, Old South, Chapel Hill, 1935, p. 240. New York, 1934, p. 34; L. C. Gray, History of 15 Following title page of A. Cole's Irre­ Agriculture in the Southern United States, pressible Conflict. Washington, 1933, II, p. 656. 16 See Liberator, February 1, 1856; R. Tay­ 2 W. Hesseltine, Journal of Negro History, lor. North Carolina Historical Review, 1936, XXI, p. 14. 19:15, II, P· 53'- 3 See two studies by J. Chandler, Repre­ 17 Charlotte, N.C., Western Democrat, sentation in Virginia, Baltimore, 1896, pp. June 12, r86o. 63-69; History of Suffrage in Virginia, Balti­ 18 Senator A. G. Brown of Mississippi more, 1901, pp. 49-54; C. H. Ambler, Ameri­ quoted by Ranck, op cit., p. 147; see also W. can Historical Review, 1910, XV, pp. 769-76. Bean in North Carolina Historical Review, 4 H. M. Wagstaff, State Rights • . . in 1935, XIII, p. 115. North Carolina, Baltimore, 1906, p. 111. 19 Olmsted, Seaboard, II, pp. 149·50, quot­ 5 Memoirs of W. W. Holden, Durham, ing a South Carolina paper. 1911, p. 5; C. C. Norton, The Democratic 20 Mobile, Mercury, quoted in New York Party in Ante-Bellum N.C., Chapel Hill, Dail7 Tribune, January 8, 1861. 1930, p. 173· 21 J. S. Abbott, South and North, New 6 W. K. Boyd, Trinity College Historical York, r86o, p. 150. Society Publications, 1905, V, p. 31; Wagstaff, 22 G. G. Johnson, op. cit., p. 78. op. cit.; p. 110; Norton, op. cit.; pp. 199-204. 23 DeBow's Review, January, 1850, quoted 7 Annual Report of the American Histori­ by P. Tower, Slavery Unmasked, Rochester, cal Association, 1910, p. 174. 1856, p. 348, emphasis in original. 8 In 1849 a white man was tried for in­ 24 Charleston, Mercury, February 13, 1861, cendiarism in Spartanburg, S.C., and one of in Political Science Quarterly, 1907, XXII, the pieces of evidence against him was a p. 428; see D. Dumond, The Secession Move­ pamphlet by "Brutus" called An Address to ment, New York, 1931, p. 117. South Carolinians urging poor whites to de­ 25 H. M. Wagstaff, op. cit., p. 145. mand more political power. See H. Henry, 26 D. D. Wallace, op. cit., Ill, p. 130. Police Control of the Slaves in South Caro­ 27 L. A. White, Rhett, p. 177; see also lina, Emory, 1914, p. 159; D. D. Wallace, Marx to Engels, July 5, 1861, in their Civil History of South Carolina, New York, 1934, War in U. S., pp. 228-30, where the votes Ill, p. 130. in the secession conventions are analyzed. 9 Laura A. White in South Atlantic Quar­ 28 C. C. Norton, op. cit., p. 204. terly, 1929, XXVIII, pp. 370-89; White, 29 White, Rhett, p. 202. FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS

THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE arms, deprived of everything, are re­ OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY sisting foot by foot the invaders from TO THE PEOPLE OF FRANCE Rome and Berlin, are not only de­ fending their liberty and their father­ L'Humanite, Paris, January 25, 1939 land, but the security of France as [On the eve of the fall of Barcelona well. to Mussolini's hordes, the following manifesto was issued to the French TO HELP REPUBLICAN SPAIN IS TO people by the National Conference of HELP OURSELVES the Communist Party of France, The capitulators and the traitors which met at Gennevilliers from must not be allowed to sign, upon the January 2I to January 23. The mani­ quivering flesh of a sacrificed Spain, festo was printed in l'Humanite of a new Munich, which would enslave January 25.-The Editors.] our country. ILLIONS of French men and We must prevent that; Spain must M women, with a pang in their be left to the Spaniards so that France hearts and with fists clenched in anger, may be left to the French. That can follow the unfolding of the Italian be done, that must be done. offensive in Catalonia. It is not true that it is too late to They understand that the martyr­ prevent the worst. dom of the Catalonian people is the We can, we must save Spain and herald of the unleashing of the bar­ thereby save France, by compelling barian forces of fascism against the the opening of the Catalonian fron­ free countries and, in the first place, tier, by insisting that the Republican against France. government of Spain be allowed to They see now, in the face of the obtain the indispensable means of de­ tragic reality of the facts, that there fense. must be an end to the policy of so­ The cannon and machine guns of called "non-intervention," this policy the invaders must be answered by the which deprives the Spanish republic cannon and machine guns of the de­ of the means to defend itself, to de­ fenders of freedom. fend us, while it cloaks the Italian The children of Spain likewise must and German intervention in Spain. not die of hunger. Bread, milk, food Frenchmen worthy of the name and clothing are what humanitarian know that, through Catalonia, France and generous France, in a surge of is being aimed at. solidarity, must give to the great and They know that the heroic Spanish noble Spanish people. · soldiers who, though deprived of In order that the heroism of the

280 FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS

Spanish people shall not have been peace, intend to do everything to as­ in vain, in order that the blood of sure its maintenance and develop­ Frenchmen shall not flow tomorrow, ment. we must impose a French policy. We sound a call for the rallying of No longer are the Communists the French nation, the nation of alone in this idea; it is the profound twenty races which, during the course desire of the entire country, and this of centuries, have burned with the desire will become irresistible if all same love of independence, have con­ those who know that the fate of tributed our beautiful French lan­ France is being decided in Spain unite guage to the treasures of human civil­ from one end of our country to the ization and, in the great hours of his­ other. tory, have shown other peoples the The groupings and the men of the road to freedom. People's Front are henceforth all The fascist barbarians oppose their agreed upon the necessity of saving racial theories to the living reality Spain. Catholics and moderates rec­ which is this nation, but against them ognize that a victory for Franco would they find and they will find, with the be a catastrophe for France. exception of a few traitors, the mass That is why the Communists, con­ of Frenchmen proud of the past of scious of the necessity to assure the their nation and co~cious of the independence of France, are ready to greatness of its mission in the world. support a government policy which, by effectively aiding Spain, would as­ TIIE FRENCH NATION DEFENDS AND sure the security of our frontiers. WILL DEFEND CIVILIZATION France is threatened and, whoever we are, whether Communists, Social­ It will defend civilization against in­ ists, republicans, trade unionists, ternational fascism, which denies the Catholics, Jews, Protestants or free truth of science, which would like to thinkers, we are all threatened. establish the rule of obscurantism The enemies would not choose be­ over. the world and drag mankind tween us; if our country went under, back to some degrading state of bestial we would all go under together in the existence.... abyss of persecutions, crimes and hor­ No doubt Frenchmen may not think rors. alike on one or another problem, but many are the reasons why they should UPON OUR UNITY DEPENDS OUR unite their efforts to bring about the COMMON SALVATION triumph of a policy of peace, freedom and national renascence, which only But our country will not go under, the sinister forces of international despite all the efforts of international capital are interested in opposing. fascism and its agents in France. All honest Frenchmen can unite We Communists, who are proud around a program of national recov­ to have struggled with all our strength ery whose principles are contained in to unite the democrats within the the People's Front program approved People's Front f9r bread, freedom and in the general election in 1936.

This This union union countries, countries, is is hoped hoped by by for for effective effective by by the the aid aid to to Spain Spain and and

new new capitulation capitulation before before the the fascist fascist Bonnets Bonnets say say and and do. do. · ·

people, people, whatever whatever by by the the an an Flandins Flandins unwavering unwavering and and opposition opposition the the to to any any

This This .union .union is is with with wanted wanted honor honor by by the the and and French French dignity dignity for for France, France,

They They can can unite unite to to safeguard safeguard peace, peace, lin-Tokio lin-Tokio axis. axis.

do do no no harm. harm. of of the the war-makers war-makers of of the the Rome-Ber­

fascism fascism shall shall be be put put where where they they can can is is alone alone capable capable of of forcing forcing a a retreat retreat

traitors traitors and and agents agents of of international international United United States States and and the the Soviet Soviet Union Union

our our liberties, liberties, and and to to compel compel that that the the The The union union of of France, France, England, England, the the

republic, republic, which which are are the the guarantee guarantee of of states states are are ready ready to to come come to to their their side. side.

functioning functioning of of the the institutions institutions of of the the is is such such that that the the small, small, threatened threatened

They They can can unite unite to to force force the the regular regular countries, countries, whose whose power power of of attraction attraction

duction. duction. union union of of all all the the great great democratic democratic

·providing ·providing new new outlets outlets for for French French pro­ live live free free and and independent; independent; by by the the

conditions conditions must must be be improved, improved, thus thus unity unity of of all all Frenchmen Frenchmen who who wish wish to to

for for the the colonial colonial peoples, peoples, whose whose living living forces forces of of oppression oppression and and war: war: by by the the

forward forward as as the the country country of of freedom freedom The The essential essential thing thing is is to to oppose oppose the the

They They can can unite unite to to have have France France come come France France can can be be saved. saved.

denounced denounced by by French French democrats. democrats. Yes, Yes, Spain Spain can can be be saved; saved; yes, yes,

whose whose wrongdoings wrongdoings have have long long been been can can be be saved. saved.

the the economic economic and and industrial industrial feudalists feudalists quietly. quietly. But, But, despite despite that, that, everything everything

pose pose the the indispensable indispensable sacrifices sacrifices upon upon others others thought thought it it better better to to think think it it

Paul Paul Reynaud Reynaud decree decree laws laws and and im­ that that they they proclaimed proclaimed loudly, loudly, while while

would would put put an an end end to to the the evils evils of of the the is is to to the the honor honor of of the the Communists Communists

cial cial policy policy based based on on justice, justice, which which done done much much harm harm to to our our country; country; it it

They They can can unite unite to to compel compel a a finan­ The The Munichmen, Munichmen, it it is is true, true, have have

to to national national recovery. recovery. No! No!

the the big big capitalists capitalists but but a a contribution contribution France France is is weak, weak, that that she she is is lost. lost. No! No!

should should not not be be a a source source of of profits profits for for would would like like to to have have it it believed believed that that

the the workers workers are are ready ready to to consent consent The The propagandists propagandists of of Hitlerism Hitlerism

to to compel compel that that the the sacrifices sacrifices to to which which dictators dictators of of Rome Rome and and Berlin. Berlin.

tenance tenance of of the the social social achievements achievements and and has has been been trampled trampled underfoot underfoot by by the the

They They can can unite unite to to assure assure the the main­ fense fense of of international international morality morality which which

in in taxes taxes to to the the state. state. For For respect respect of of treaties treaties and and the the de­

manufacturers manufacturers and and additional additional revenue revenue sonality sonality against against barbaric barbaric racism; racism;

For For the the respect respect markets markets of of the the to to human human the the peasants, peasants, per­ orders orders to to

workers, workers, customers customers to to storekeepers, storekeepers, fascist fascist demagogy; demagogy;

ery ery which which would would give give jobs jobs to to the the independence independence of of France France against against the the

the the elements elements of of an an economic economic recov­ For For the the defense defense of of the the freedom freedom and and

ment ment of of our our country, country, thereby thereby creating creating ing ing can can prevent prevent unity-

in in production, production, such such in in a a clear-cut clear-cut technical technical French French equip­ policy, policy, noth­

to to work work by by forcing forcing remain remain capital capital among among investment investment certain certain persons persons about about

They They can can unite unite But But to to even even put put if if France France some some back back hesitation hesitation should should

pact. pact.

a a strengthening strengthening of of the the Franco-Soviet Franco-Soviet YES, YES, FRENCHMEN FRENCHMEN CAN CAN UNITE UNITE

THE THE COMMUNIST COMMUNIST FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS

English people, against whose desires lation and despair spread by the Mr. Chamberlain is acting. agents from abroad, by those who This union is awaited by the Amer­ dream of a new Munich, oppose your ican people, who have echoed the firm resolve to live as free men work­ words of President Roosevelt in con­ ing ih an independent and respected demnation of fascism, the war instiga­ France. tor and the oppressor of the con­ All united to save Spain. science of man. All united to save ourselves. This union is desired by the Soviet No, fascism will not have the last Union, the· rampart of peace and de­ word. mocracy in the world, bound to We will conquer under the banner France by a pact in which .millions of of freedom and peace. Frenchmen see the guarantee of our We will conquer under the banner security against Nazism, which seeks of human civilization to realize the first of all to isolate France in order slogan: Long Live France! to annihilate her afterwards. Will all our hearts, with all our Frenchmen, courage and confidence! faith, against the bloody hordes of Workers, peasants, storekeepers, fascism, government employees, intellectuals, Let us come to the aid of Repub­ men and women, young and old, Com­ lican Spain! munists, Socialists, Radicals, trade unionists, men of all religious beliefs: THE NATIONAL CONFERENCE OF To the counsel of cowardice, capitu- THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF FRANCE.

A Great Contribution on the Negro Question- The Negro and the Democratic Front BY JAMES FORD

Price $1.75

The The large large section section rogression, rogression, on on the the as as sugar sugar Messrs. Messrs. industry industry Gayer, Gayer, Homan Homan and and

etc. etc. This This is is not not a a ports ports program program of of sugar sugar of of economic economic were were increased. increased. ret­

ooo ooo in in 1933, 1933, while while the the acreage acreage and and ex­ for for cattle, cattle, seed, seed, fertilizer, fertilizer, farin farin machinery, machinery,

trophically trophically from from $7,071,000 $7,071,000 in in 1926 1926 to to $125,­ The The farmers farmers must must be be helped helped with with credits credits

in in 1933, 1933, and and coffee coffee exports exports still still more more catas­ is is inapplicible, inapplicible, or or through through other other measures. measures.

clined clined from from $21,ooo,ooo $21,ooo,ooo in in 1927 1927 to to $4,000,000 $4,000,000 the the authors authors insist-ever insist-ever so so "objectively"l­

seen seen in in the the fact fact that that tobacco tobacco exports exports de­ the the existing existing five five hundred-acre hundred-acre law, law, which which

by by the the depression depression and and monoculture monoculture can can be be people, people, whether whether through through the the application application of of

imports! imports! How How this this The The situation situation land land was was must must aggravated aggravated be be given given back back to to the the

in in the the first first place. place. food food to to the the extent extent of of 40 40 per per cent cent of of its its total total

agricultural agricultural country country ers ers producing producing was was forced forced for for Puerto Puerto to to import import Rican Rican consumption consumption

tobacco, tobacco, and and some some fruit. fruit. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, this this creation creation of of a a stratum stratum of of independent independent farm­

to to export export crops, crops, principally principally sugar, sugar, coffee, coffee, market, market, which, which, in in turn, turn, depends depends on on the the

In In 1929, 1929, 72 72 per per cent cent of of the the land land was was planted planted damentally damentally on on the the building building of of an an internal internal

to to a a completely completely dependent, dependent, colonial colonial status. status. Rican Rican economic economic reconstruction reconstruction depends depends fun­

tent tent to to which which Puerto Puerto Rico Rico has has been been reduced reduced untold untold misery, misery, require require its its rejection. rejection. Puerto Puerto

Conclusions. Conclusions. The The people's people's first first part part very very immediate immediate reveals reveals the the need need ex­ for for relief relief from from

Puerto Puerto Rican Rican Economy; Economy; liberation liberation The The from from Sugar Sugar national national Industry; Industry; oppression, oppression, but but the the

The The book book is is divided divided precisely precisely into into what what three three must must parts: parts: be be The The rejected. rejected. Not Not only only

resulting resulting from from this this problems problems system. system. is is possible. possible. But But this this premise premise is is

comes comes also also a a presentation presentation mental mental solution solution of of the the of of mass mass the the misery misery island's island's economic economic

the the effects effects of of monoculture; monoculture; work work necessarily necessarily inevitably, inevitably, concludes concludes it it be­ that that no no funda­

ture ture of of the the colonial colonial plantation plantation system system and and to to rest rest on on an an "exportable "exportable cash cash crop," crop," this this

of of long long standing, standing, provides provides a a valuable valuable pic­ that that Puerto Puerto Rican Rican economy economy must must continue continue

man man and and James, James, who who have have academic academic records records Proceeding Proceeding as as it it does does from from the the premise premise

detailed detailed study study can can made made monopolist monopolist by by Messrs. Messrs. domination. domination. Gayer, Gayer, Ho­

Puerto Puerto Rican Rican people. people. However, However, the the carefully carefully misery misery and and sickness sickness are are corollaries corollaries of of Ameri­

reach reach a a basic basic solution solution of of the the problems problems of of the the age age about about $150 $150 a a year year in in wages. wages. Hunger, Hunger,

at at least, least, an an argument argument against against any any attempt attempt to to exploitation exploitation of of the the sugar sugar workers, workers, who who aver­

Economy Economy of of Puerto Puerto Rico Rico is, is, in in its its conclusions conclusions pressure pressure of of the the monopolists, monopolists, intensify intensify their their

the the continental continental sugar sugar United United farmers. farmers. States," States," The The These, These, Sugar Sugar in in turn, turn, under under the the

financed financed principally principally by by capital capital coming coming from from completely completely the the small small would-be-independent would-be-independent

gaged gaged in in the the cultivation cultivation of of transportation, transportation, of of sugar sugar sugar sugar cane cane and and mills, mills, etc., etc., dominate dominate

landowning landowning partnerships partnerships their their control control in in of of Puerto Puerto the the credit credit Rico Rico en­ facilities, facilities, means means

1"\.was 1"\.was produced produced only only at at control control the the request request most most of of of of ·the ·the "two "two land, land, but but through through

A A s s be be expected expected Of Of course, course, from from the the a a huge huge book book sugar sugar which which corporations corporations not not MIGHT MIGHT

765,375 765,375 acres acres planted planted to to sugar. sugar.

acres acres comprise comprise 498,592 498,592 acres acres of of the the total total versity versity Press. Press. 13·75· 13·75·

the the 7,693 7,693 cane cane

farms, farms, 156 156 farms farms of of over over 500 500 man man and and Earle Earle K. K. ]ames. ]ames. Columbia Columbia Uni­

the the

peasantry peasantry

shown shown in in the the fact fact is is that that of of RICO, RICO, by by Arthur Arthur D. D. Gayer, Gayer, Paul Paul T. T. Ho­

in in foreign foreign hands hands and and the the pauperization pauperization of of THE THE SUGAR SUGAR ECONOMY ECONOMY OF OF PUERTO PUERTO

exports. exports. The The extent extent of of centralization centralization of of land land

that that total total crop crop is is nearly nearly 70 70 per per cent cent of of total total SUGAR SUGAR ECONOMY ECONOMY

tions tions produce produce over over half half the the total total crop, crop, and and

THE THE PUERTO PUERTO RICAN RICAN

tion tion system. system. Four Four huge huge American American

corpora­

A A BOOK BOOK OF OF APOLOGETICS APOLOGETICS FOR FOR

is is a a revealing revealing picture picture of of the the colonial colonial planta­

BOOK BOOK REVIEWS REVIEWS BOOK REVIEWS

James would have us believe, but a pro­ of the New Deal, decent wages, minimum gressive program of establishing a native hours, elimination of sweat shops, etc. Puerto Rican ·economy. This is, too, what a consistent Good The New Deal has apparently begun to Neighbor policy requires. Puerto Rico can­ grasp this fundamental principle, although not occupy the strategic position it must slowly and hesitantly. However, even such hold in the defense of democracy in the measures as it has attempted to advance­ American hemisphere so long as its popula­ the Lafayette Cooperative Sugar Mill, con­ tion is oppressed and horribly exploited. struction of public works, and a minimum Economic reconstruction and popular de­ of native industry-have been sabotaged by mocracy will make Puerto Rico a strong and the anti-New Deal, anti-democratic Gov­ important neighbor allied to a great Amer­ ernQl', Major-General Blanton Winship, who ican democracy in the resistance to fascist accompanied his sniping at the New Deal aggression. with terroristic acts against freedom of Despite the valuable factual material con· speech and assembly. tained in the book, its conclusions, constitut­ Progress demands that the United States ing an apology for the oppressive monocul­ grant large-scale credits to make possible the tural sugar economy, are anything but a brief buying up of the sugar corporation lands; for bringing to an end the mass misery of at the same time the urban population to the Puerto Rican people. receive the benefits of the social legislation HARRY ROBINSON

Immortal Words! The Lenin Heritage BY JOSEPH STALIN Speech delivered at the Second Congress of Soviets of the US.S.R., January 26, 1924, five days after Lenin's death. Price 3 cents LATEST BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED

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