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The Peace That Passeth Understanding 2 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 2nd, 1919.

in this country is a story of cowed submission unless both black and white worker recognize The Revolutionary Age to brutal tyranny. In few instances have the their common interests, not only are race riots Combined 'zr;th Th.e New York ttCommunisf' black men struck back. bound to become more frequent, but each That they should strike back now is the race must inevitably bind the chains of wage National Or.an of the Left Win. Section occasion for much surprise and not a little slavery tighter round both. Socialist Patty indignation on the part of the bourgeois press LoUIS C. FRAINA, Editor and the "best people." The statesmen in the The Left Wing Conference nation's capital, where the first outbreaks oc­ JOHN REED, Associate Editor. HIS issue contains the first instalment of EAI>:MONN MACALPINE, Managir..g Editor cured, share the common feelings. Race riots T are actually taking place within the sacred pre­ . verbatin report of the National Left Wing Owned and Controlled by the Left Wing cincts of the national legislature, the Negroes Conference. Right from the opening of the Section of the Socialist Party roes are fighting back, if they did'nt fight back Conference there was discussion of the ques­ NATIONAL COUNCIL a one night's lynching party would have settled tion of immediate formation of a new party· John Ballam C. E. Ruthenberg the whole affair, therefore the Negroes are The preliminary report of Comrade Batt, as Max Cohen Benjamin Gitlow obviously to blame and they must be punished! Secretary of the Ways and Means Committee James Larkin 1. E. Ferguson Several Congressmen immediately call for the of the Socialist Party of Michigan, at once Bertram D. Wolfe establishment of the Jim Crow system in the projected this question. I. E. Ferguson, National Secretarv national capital. In view of the developments since June 21st Issued Weekly. B. Gitlow, Business Managf'r The Jim Crow system, on the doorsteps of it is important to note that the discussion of a 5c. a copy. Six months, $1.50. One year, $.~.()(). the national legislature where the worH's Communist Party, which produced a split in Bundle orders, IO,or over, 3~ cents a copy. charter of democracy and liberty is at the the Conference, was in the first instance an 43 West 29th Street, New York City. moment under debate! The Jim Crow system issue of new party at New Y ork b~, action of as America)s first contribution to the "new the delegates to the Left Wing Conference. freedom!" The Jim Crow system as the laurel These delegates had not yet agreed on the wreath for the brows of America's "black first principle of Communism. Conspiciously heroes' 'of the late war! The Jim Crow system. the Michigan delegates, who first projected the expression of the ideology which causes the proposition of immediate new party, insist­ WI!. are pleased to be able to inform Otir race riots, as the cure for race riots! ed at all times that they did not agree with the readers that John Reed, has joined the staff platform of the Left Wing. The most ardent Qf The Revolutionary Age and will now con­ The Washington riots have spread to Chi­ cago and within a few days the list of dead advocate of immediate new party, Comrade tribute regularly. It is planned to have Reed Zucker of New York, during and since the eover some of the big happenings that are­ has mounted to nearly fifty, while the list of woun<;led runs into hundreds. The causes of Conference, has spoken only in scorn of the taking place in the labor and Socfalist world Left Wing platform. Of the minority group so that our readers mav have a first hand the riots as given by the newspapers vary of the Conference, only the Federation dele~ interpretation of these events and their re]~ somewhat, but the most general is the assault of white women by Negroes. It is stated that gates were in entire accord with the funda­ ation to and effect upon the revolutionan' mental principles of Communism as e1aboratec! movement as a whole. within a short period six white women have been assaulted by Negroes in Washington and in the Left Wing Manifesto and Program. that this was the direct cause of the trouble. Comrade Batt makes it very plain that Mich­ The Internal Struggle It is not stated, however, by what process of igan is the only State where there are any WE regret that we are forced to elevote so reasoning a whole .race is marked down for real "reus" worthy of taking the jefuddled much space in this issue to matters dealin:~' slaughter because of the color of a degenerate's American party situation in charge. Those with the internal affairs of the Left Wing-. skin. who have been taught the truths of Bolshevism It has always been the policy of this paper te> As a matter ·of fact, this is like the boy's by the historical developments of the past two devote most of its attention to the broader cry of "Wolf," it has been used too often to years are not to be taken seriously. Michigan aspect of the revolutionary movement. \V ~ inspire any belief in its truth. The weight of has had a non-reformisiic platform since 1914, are, however, going through a cdsis in Ameri­ evidence is all on the other side. It is the therefore Michigan alone is worthy of leader­ ca just now. The revolutionary Socialist move­ Negro who has cause for complaint. Only a ship. There is much merit in a nqn-reform­ ment of this country. is beginning to take Ii few days ago an old Negro, over 72 years of istic platform, but that does not by any means definite form. Within a few weeks it will age, was lynched for the "crime" of killing a make of the Michigan group adherents of Bol­ emerge as the Communist Party of America. white man in defense of his daughter~ while shevism. And so this group was unceremo­ It is the duty of all revolutionary Socialists it is generally admitted th~t all over the South niously told by the real Bolsheviki who agreed to see that this new Party is launched on such the whites violate Negresses practically at with them only on the point of the Commu,list a basis as will ensure its steady growth, its will. Party, butwho made the Michiganites swallow unwavering adherence to the principles and In Chicago, a reason leaks out which IS whole the Left Wing platform adopted by the ideals out of which it is born, its power a1110n~ much nearer the mark. It is stated that the Conference. the masses of the proletariat in America and big employers have been using the Negro to Consider the character of the Michigan its ultimate success. cut wages, and on several occasions it is re­ proposal: We have laid down the platform Much of what is transpiring may seem ported that the Negroes have been attacke I and the program of action. You have had no to some to be unjmportant and in the natur~ while leaving the factories and shops. chance to discuss anything at all. But, we of'a petty squabble rather than one of those The influxe of the N egroe into the Northern tell you in advance, we are here to take you essential struggles without which no movement industrial field has already resulted in several in complete charge, and if you dare go your can be initiated. On the principles upon which racial clashes, the most n'otable of which was own way in any respect, be assured Mi~higan the new party must be formed there is no the East St. Louis riots. But in East St. Louis will go right ahead to form a new party all dispute, on the nature of its organization and the blacks did not strike back and the casual­ alone. Anyone reading Comrade Batt's spe~ch the initial tactics it must pursue there hav"! ties were all on one side. It is, however, useless made before there had been a word of dis­ arisen grave differences. These differenct's to blame the white worker for these tragedies. cussion in the Conference, will realize that must be fought out and eliminated so that the He is not yet able to see below the surface. this little group from Michgan would have Communist Party of America may be lattnche~l He feels that he is being injured, he sees the been shunted out of the Conference in a mi"­ as the unified expression of the revolutionary Negro working for less wages than a white ority all of their own, if not for the single Socialist forces in this country. man. and he attributes his troubles to the fact of new party involved in the Michgan It is for these reasons that we ma\' have tr) Negro. The color line has' become part of the proposal. It was only on the basis of the Con­ devote much space in the next few' issues to national ideology, the craft unions, obsessed ference platform of Communism that this pro­ this internal struggle. with that ideology, have in the majority of posal actually became a plan for a Communist cases refused to recognize the Negroes with Party. The Race Riots the result that the black race has been forced For the rest, the preliminary reports showed to take employment where it can or starve to absolutely no membership mandate for imme­ THE race riots which have broken out in death, and the industrial barons have used diate formation of a new party. That was Washington and Chicago are distinguish­ the influx of Negroes, as they have used the true of New York and of the Federations, ed from the usual clashes between whites an'l various waves of immigration in the past. whence came the other champions of imme­ Negoes by the fact that in both these cities against the organized workers. diate formation of a new party by the New the latter have offered an attempt at organized The workers, whether they are black. white York Conference. In fact, the representative resistance and in several instances have taken or yellow, have the same interests. The Negro of the Russian-speaking Federations, Comrad( the initiative. The history of the black race worker has come into industry to stay and Stoklitsky, made no mention of a new part' Saturday, August 2nd, 1919, THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 3 The New N. E. C. Meets

THE n~wly-elected N ~ti?nal Executi~e B9 Louis C. Fraina control of the Emergency Convention. A CommIttee of the Soclahst Party-meet­ committee of three consisting of Ruthenberg. Report of the Meeting of the N ationl Exec1t­ Harwood and Fraina, was elected to draft a ing in spite of the sabotage of the party bu· tive Committee, Socialist Party-Chicago. declaration of the issues before the convention. reaucracv-has fulfilled the revolutionarv ex­ July 26-27. . The declaration, unanimously adopted, de­ pectations of the members who placed' it in clared that the issues were not comprised in power. A committee was elected to demand of party democracy against party autocracy, but The new N., E. C. has declared that the Executice Secretary Adolph Germer to turn of revolutionary proletarian Socialism against Socialist Patty must become the Communist over the National Headquarters to the new moderate petty bourgeois Socialism, and af­ Party of the United States. It re-instates all K. E. C. and appear at its sessions. This cie .. firmed: "Out of the Emergency Convention expelled or suspended comrades. mand was presented in writing to Germer, must come the Communist Party of the United The new N. E. C. urges the party member­ who refused. States." (This declaration was incorporated ship to elect Left Wing delegates to the Emer­ At the afternoon session, the following in a final declaration-published in full else­ gency Convention at Chicago, August 30. motion was adopted: "That we declare the The new N. E. C. requests the co-operation where in this issue.) office of National Executive Secretarv vacant, State secretaries on motion, were urged not of the National ·Council of the Left \Ving inasmuch as the present incumbent violates his Section Soci~list Party, and its official organ, to purchase dues stamps, unless absolutely functions by refusing to tabulate the vote on necessary, in which event they can purchase The Revolutionary Age. referendums expressing the will of the mem­ These acts are historic. They assure the regular party stamps from Temporary Secre­ bership, and refuses to recognize the regularly tary Wagenknecht. (This does not include ex­ formation of the Communist Party of the elected N. E. c." A. Wagenknecht was elected United States.... All decisions were 1t1lani­ pelled and suspended organizations, which will to act as temporary secretary until the conven­ buy stamps from the National Council of the mous· tion of August 30. The N. E. C. met Saturday morning at the Motion: "that the Massachusetts and Mich­ Left Wing.) Bradley Hall, Chicago. Present: from District igan state organizations be re-instated in the Several motions were passed to prevent the One--Louis C. Fraina and Edward I. Lind­ Party, and that the suspension of the Russian, old N. E. C. from retaining control of party gren; from District Two-Fred Harwood, Polish, Lithuanian, South Slavic, Hungarian, property. Marguerite Prevey, C. E. Ruthenberg; from Lettish and Ukrainian Socialist Federations Motion: "That we recognize the National District Three--William Bross, Lloyd; from be revoked. Council of the Left Wing Section, Socialist District Four-none; from District· Five­ This means that these expelled Left Win £; Party, organized at the National Left Wing L. E. Katterfeld and H. M. Wicks. Eight organizations can elect regular delegates to Conference, June 21-24, and its official organ, members were present, constituting a major­ the Emergency Convention; where this is im­ The Revolutionary Age, as an organized ex­ ity and a quorum of the whole committee. possible, suspended and expelled comrades pression of the revolutionary sentiments of Comrade Katterfeld called the meeting to must organize Left Wing organizations itt­ the party, and that we request their co-oper­ order. Chairman: Katterfeld; Secretary. A. dependent of the party and elect contesting ation." Unanimously adopted. Wagenknecht. delegates. Harwood and' Katterfeld were elected a A committee of three, consisting of Katter­ committee to tabulate the vote on the elections. The N. E. C· condemned the expulsions and feld, Fraina and Wicks, was elected to draft They reported that the eight members present suspensions perpetrated by state and local or­ a final declaration to the party. The declaration were duly elected with a vote so large as to ganizations, and demanded re-instatement. It after slight amendments, was unanimously dispose of the lying charge of fraud, as were: calls upon members to purchase convention adopted. (Printed below.) District One--Nicholas 1. Hourwich; District assessment stamps; money from this source After discussion of organization problems, Three--Dennis E. Batt and John Keracher; not to be sent to the old N. E. c., but held by a committee of three, consisting of Katter­ District Four-Dan Hogan, Mary R. Millis the State Secretaries and given to the conven­ feld, Wagenknecht and Harwood, was elected and Pat Nagel; District Five-Kate Green­ tion delegates. to bring in an organizaton report to the next halgh. The committe further reported that Plans were made to raise money to defray session of the N. E. c., August 22, in Chicago. Louis C. Fraina, John Reed, C. E. Ruthenberg extra cost of delegates; all members are urged The final act of the N. E. C. was to expres~ and A. Wagenknecht were elected overwelm­ to contribute, and the Yipsels are asked to co­ its confidence in the revolutionary spirit of the ingly as Internationl Delegates and Kate Ri­ operate. membership, which would align the partv with chards O'Hare as International Secretar~!. The new N. E. C. decided to assume full the new International. • N. E. C. Declaration to the Party T HIS meeting of the National Executivp Issued by the National Executive Committee Germer, who refuses to recognize your N. E. Committee of the Socialist P2rty occur; of the Socialist Party. C. as the organ of the party. -An American Communist Party Urged. 2.-To re-instate the expelled State organ­ under extraordinary circumstances. Elected b~ the votes of the membership-overhelmingly - izations of Michigan and Massachusetts, and the suspended Language Federation restoring it is compelled to meet without the co-operation will of the revolutionary masses in the party; of the old party administration. to the party, with all rights, more than 35,000 you comrades, must act; we meet simply to comrades. The old N. E. c.. overhe1mingly repudiaterl provide you the opportunity to act and assert 3.-To re-organize the Socialist Party as a on referendum, usurped power and attempted your supremacy. Communist Party, in harmony with our to prevent the new N. E. C. from functioning. At this moment of crisis-of crisis in the affiliation with the Communist International. This usurpatory action, together with the ex­ world of Capitalism and of Socialism-action 4·-To call upon the members, regardless pulsion and suspension of more than 35,c)OO is imperative. Action is imperative against Ca­ of the party-wrecking old N. E. c., to rally revolutionary comrades from the party, is a pitalism and against moderate Socialism in the to the support of the class war prisoners. desperate move to retain control of the party party. 5.-To consider seriously and comprehens· for moderate, counter-revolutionary Socialism. Your N. E. C, accordingly, acting under The «DId N. E. is dead; it throttled the ively problems of organizatiDn shamefully neg­ e. mandate of the party membership, convened in lected by the old party administrations. session at Chicago, July 26-27. Comrade Hiltzik, who spoke for the Jewish It met to rally our revolutionary forces for 6.-To request the co-operation of the Na­ Federation (Left Wing), was afterwards re­ the struggle against Capitalism. tional Council of the Left Wing Section, So­ cialist Party (and its official organ, "The Re­ pudiated by his Executive Committee on the It met to rally the party members for the point of separating himself from the Confer..) volutionary Age") as an organized expression definite assertion of Communist Socialism in of the revolutionary sentiments of the party. ence majority, though approved for his st

(Continued from page 3) "To carry out this purpose we adopt the following .where the Convention will meet, together with program: Here I.-We re-affirm the call for the Emergency Na­ and There the roster of delegates. Our temporary execut­ tional Convention to be held on August 30, in ive secretary will call the convention to order. Chicago, and call upon all party units to send WE, of the Left Wing, have had some ex- delegates irrespective of any action which the usurp­ perience with a group in New York who * * * inJ members of the former National Executive Com­ The purpose of the old N. E. C. is to retain mittee may take. issued a paper called The Socialist. We now control for moderate petty bourgeois Social­ II. The convention will be held under the di­ find the first number of a paper called The rection of this committee and the Executive Secretary Communist, issued by a group in Chicago. As ism as against the proletarian Socialism of the elected by it will make up the roster of delegates Left Wing. It sabotaged the election; it ex­ and will call the convention to order. far as we are able to discover the only Social­ pelled and suspended more than 35,000 mem­ IlL-We call upon all sections of the party ex­ ism in The Socialist was that contained in the bers (and threatens to expel more) in order pelled or suspended by the reactionary Executive title. Knowing the difficulty of getting out a Committee and re-instated by this committee, to send new paper we don't want to be harsh in our to control the Convention. This must be pre­ delegates as provided in the rules of party procedure. vented; and your N. E. c., accordingly, IV.-We call upon all party units expelled by crItIcism but we must candi41y admit that the assumes full control of this Convention-the state or local organizations to take such actions, in only Communism we can find in The Commun­ most important in the party's history-in order accorarty. - ments which constitute a "fetid swamp." On the Bolsheviki of Russia. You cannot, comrades, brook any compromise learning this astounding fact we immediately Local after local, in resolutions and demonstrations on this - issue. You' must act, and act un­ urged the National Executive Committee to caU a reverted to the first page Convention call to convention, great masses of the membership declared compromisingly as an integral part pf the Com­ see wherein this real Communist-Bolshevik their adherence to the new revolutionary principles, munist International. group differed from us only to find to our but the National Executive Committtee, the repre­ The Communist Party in every nation is astonishment that the call is lifted bodily from sentative of moderate Socialism-the Socialism of rallying the revolutionary proletariat against Scheidemann and Kerensky-acting as self-appointed the . Manifesto and Program of the "fetid guardians of- the party, refused to accede to the Capitalism and Imperialism. Hearkening to the swamp." As we said before we are always inspiration of the Communists of the First demand of the membership for a convention. willing to learn but so far no one 'has told ttS It was only after the membership itself had take.1 International and of the Paris Commune, and how a Communist Party can be formed on a the matter out of the hands of the National Ex­ answering the call of the Communists of Rus­ ecutive Committee and had endorsed the convention centrist program. We always thought there by an overheIming vote, that the convention was sia, Hungary and Germany, the Communist was some sort of relation between a party and finally called. Party calls the proletariat to the final strug­ the program upon which it is founded. In their effort to maintain their rule of the party gle. the moderate Socialists of the National Executive Comrades, histOl:y calls to you! We must Committee did not hesitate. to disrupt the organ­ The bourgeois press* * is * jubilant over the ization. Members have been expelled and suspended challenge Capitalism; we must rally the wholesale in order to influence the vote of thc proletariat for the Communist struggle, in "failure" of the General Strike in Italy, referendum election, and to give the old National accord with our own conditions. France and England. So far .as we can ascer­ Executive Committee and moderate Socialism control The Socialist Party is hampered in its tain t~e failure lay chiefly with the "leaders"­ of the convention and the party. These reactionary activity. But August 30, in the Chicago Con­ such "failures" have an awkard way of spell­ and. treacherous acts have injected into the present ing success for the proletariat.. party situation a bitter struggle for' control of thl!' vention, will mark the end of the Left Wing party organization and the danger exists that this controversy. Revolutionary Socialism will con­ * * * factional struggle over democracy against autocracy trol. You will crush the moderates. You will We see by' the papers that the English within the organization maY overshadow the origin,,) act! You will transform our party into a Com­ House of Commons approves the Peace Treaty purpose of the call for a national convention-to re­ organ\ze the Socialist Party of the U. S. on the basis munist Party, to express.the mass struggle of -now it only requires Congress to do like­ of the Communist Socialism which is sweeping the proletariat. wise and then everybody will know that it is through the ranks of the Proletarian movement of Then-action! Then-the revolutionary an iniquitous document. the world and everywhere bringing new inspiration struggle! .' and courage to the workers in their struggle for * * * emancipation. The old National Executive Committee We must go to the proletariat. We must Puzzle: What connection is there between consciously inspired this process by attempting to build our movement anew. We must get the the "rights of small nation;-' and Italy taking refer to th~ convention the contreversial questions masses in our party-and answer the Com­ the cables from Austria? over administrative actions, which its disruptive munist call for action. Recognizing this danger we call upon the member­ There are 30,000,000 American wage-work­ * * * ship to elect representatives to the Emergency Na­ The New York Times sees in the race riots, tional Convention, not merely on the basis of settling .ers-the force of potential revolution. Our questions arisen out of the reactionary administrative chief task is to awaken and organize these the results of Bolshevik and pro-German pro­ action of the old National Executive Committee­ proletarian masses, wage the working class paganda among the negroes. Would it not be the issue is not party democracy as against party struggle. nearer the mark to say that the riots are the autocracy, but Revolutionary Socialism against result of the Americanism of the N e'w York Moderate Socialism-but on the basis of reorgan­ It is our determination-as it is vours, ising the party 'for tofte achievement of Communist comrades-to act on problems of organi~ation. Times brand. Socialism. We shall, as conditions allow, develp and unify The action of the membership in this question has already been indicated in the overhelming and all our means of action; we shall systematically N ow-do not r~lax your agitation. Do not but unanimous endorsement by referendum vote of develop our press under party ownership, es­ allow the old N. E. C. to hamper your struggle affiliation with the Communist International, side by tablish a party-owned publishing house, a party for our class war prisoners-ccncentrate on side with the Communist Party (Bolsheviki) of school for agitators, and a comprehensive this issue locally. Integrate your organization. Russia and the Communist Labor Party (Spartacans) of Germany and other Communist parties of Europe. lecture bureau. We shall develop the necessary Elect Left Wing delegates to the Emergellcy The work of the Emergency National Convention technique to get your call for revolutionary convention to express your revolutionary ideals. of August 80, will be to re-organize the Socialist action to the masses of the American You shall conquer! Party on the basis of the Communist Socialist prin­ proletariat. Act, comrades-against Capitalism and re­ ciples and tactics outlined in the declaration of the Communist International. Out of the Emergency Na­ The final struggle is coming. Our deeds in actionary Socialism. tional Convention came the Conummist Party of the the days to come shall make proletarian history. Greetings to the revolutionary masses in our United States. Comrades-prepare! party! Long live the Communist International! Saturday. August 2nd • .1919-. THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 5 • What of Amnesty?

HAT can I say in answer to your cry? A Letter from a Left-Winger to a Left-Over. cipation and self-rule! Our purpose, as rev­ olutionary Socialists is to make a class cons­ W Were I to say "I care terribly as to the cious proletariat and build working class soli­ fate of our bravest and best beloved Comrade­ The "ranting reds," as some of our mi~taken darity. Thus, by coalition with the bourgeosie our 'Gene,'" would yoU: believe if, in the very comrades have joined the bourgeoisie in nam­ -for amnesty or any other political purpose same breath, I added "but I must put all my ing us (the Left Wing Section of the .Socialist -and the resultant confusion to the workers, energies into the organization of the Com­ Party soon to be the Communist Party) are we aefeat the very purpose for 'Which we suffet munist Party and into the industrial organ­ convinced that the most effective work they can imprisonment gladly. Vvould it not, therefore. ization, of the working class?" Would· you do for the successful release of our comrades be the strangest of contradictions for revolu not think that, perhaps, like the Pharasees of is to agitate like mad fot the industrial organ-: tionary Socialists to take part in such a con­ old, I was offering merely lip-service? That ization of the workers and give the workers vention as the official Socialist Party had pro­ I do not really care what becomes of him who a consciousness of their ow.n power. The or-. posed? Imagine: here we have worked for has devoted his long life to the workers that ganization of a Communist Party will do more years and bitter years, to build up the class they might set themselves free, and is now to force the capitalist government into a new solidarity that would set the workers free. As imprisoned for their sake? Nevertheless, it is attitude toward our prisoners than would a the struggle becomes more clearly defined, the true that I care terribly, even though I am dozen "Amnesty" Conventions. There are a inevitable happens: many of us are thrown into not giving any of f!1Y time and energy to the few comrades who believe that the wav to prison. Then we rush into an "Amnesty" con­ pulling of wires, seeing "people of influence," help is by '''getting together" with the ['best vention, taking into our arms and falling on working up amnesty sentiment among the elements" among the bourgeois-liberals, and the necks of the historic foes of the workers­ "liberal elements," or drawing up, and getting petitioning the president etc., etc. and smash goes a good bit of the structure signed. petitions ,to the President. We have no illusions on this score. We we have so painfully reared! May I hope, dear Comrade and friend, that know that power lies with a conscious, nnified All honbr to the comrades who are of the vou will nevertheless believe that I am con­ working class; we are letting no grass grow Left Wing, who refuse to lend therriselves to ~nced I am doing more toward the freeing under our feet before setting to work to instill such a policy of betrayal. With their attitude of our "Gene" than those who work by the I am in full accord. I might myself have means above enumerated? Years ago, I left that consciousness and aid that unity. We been confused on this issue, but for the fact all the "charitable and philantropic" work I want the prison door~ open, ana we are con­ that my own wandering (in- I9I7), blindly was then intensely engaged in, and joined the vinced, this is the only way, it can be done. and in confusion, has given. me clearer sight. Socialist Party, to which I gave all my· devo­ If I were to be asked to enter the prison gates Knowing where I was weak, I now prefer a tion and service. This did not mean that I tomorrow, I would be selfishly.glad, as well longer term of prison for myself, rather than was less a lover of my kind or less charitable to expose the weakeness of my own fellow (though it seemed so to the superficials). It as glad for all the imprisoned workers, that workers to the same banal influences that con­ only signified that I had found a more funda­ outside, was a new Communist Party ana· a fused and blinded me for a while. mental means of "helping" the poor. Instead gathering industrial unity in the country­ I see no other way. There is no royal road of working through surface reforms, I began the only power in these United. States that to hammer at the root of the evils my "char­ to emancipation. We shall beg of none of our ities" never touched. can ultimately get and keep us out of priso!1. enemies, in the Government or out. I 'Nill If all who were busy flirting with the A. F. agree with you that there are many sincere I believe that today I am taking the same of L. offiCialdom and with the bourgeois-lib­ people, not of the '%rkers, who are "friendly," fundamental attitude toward the question of but we are not concerned with individuals· the release of our class-war prisoners. Let eral elements had instead busied themselves We must work on the clear line of the class who will putter with "Amnesty" conventions, making inroads upon the consciousness of the struggle. We must build our woletarian rank:; petitions. sympathy of liberal-bourgeois refor­ rank and file, the Convention in Atlantic City conscious, determined, numerous as the "sands mers, it is my business to go to the root of might have demanded the release of all political of the sea." They shall be invincible. Upon power-the working masses-the proletarian and class-war prisoners. That would have them we rely for their freedom and our own ranks-with whom, and with whom alone, If there is no help in them, there is ,no help power lies. some significance. Let the industrial unions anywhere. While the class conflict lasts (and I wish that, somehow, you could be saved grow strong enough, and the Communist Par­ that must continue, with increasing intensity from the bitterness with which misunderstand­ ty formidable enough and the working class until the prol~tarian revolution is an accomp­ ing of the great issues involved in the party will command the opening of all the prisons­ lished fact), we may not hope fO.r freedom. divisions threaten you. If you had clear un­ a command that none will dare disobey.We Released from jail one day by the "friendly" derstanding of these issues, you could not enemy, ·we shall surely be clapped into jail believe that petty quarrels, senseless quarrels. shall not go begging on bended knee-kow­ again the next-unless we aesert the struggle! within the party, are preventing the early re­ towing to the enemies of labor, for justice to No, there is no hope for help anywhere, except lease of "Gene" and all our class-war prison­ our own class-justice to their enemies. No in the workers. The worker, conscious, unified, ers. A vital difference in tactics is not a petty compromise with them is possible. We must determined, is to be our deliverer. And him senseless thing. Tactics! I know with what stand alone-a working class depending on its we have yet to create! Can you wonder then, a scornful curl of the lip the word is echoed that I believe in going to the task without any by some. Yes, tactics, we say. Can there be power-a power that is gathering to the point more delay? I want 'Gene out of jail-I want unity and harmony between those who, for of invincibility. Untii then, we must be will­ everyone of my comrades out of jail, when example, .approach the social question, some ing to suffer imprisonment, death, if need be. I am in jail, I shall want myself out at the from the point of view and theory of the I am sure that 'Gene,' himself, the clearest of earliest possible moment, and I want the work­ charity-worker, others from the viewpoint and class conscious rebels, would agree to every ers out of the jail of their slavery. That is conviction of the social revolutionists? Only why I am with the Left Wing, and shall be a question of tactics, isn't it? Yet the two word here uttered. with the Communist Party. I know some of the arguments offered in elements cannot conceivably work together. 'Gene with his clear vision, sees this. That is Either the one is right, or the other. They favor of coalition for amnesty at this particular why he too is of the Left. It is naturally cannot both be right, and the wrong, if pur- time, but no immediate advantage is worth harder for some of us to keep our vision clear,

;ned 'eadl to futility or disaster. the confusion that would result to the workers. because our eyes are blinded with tears. We We of the Left Wing, have no faith-not We, in effect, become traitors to the working suffer too intensely for him, to think or see the slightest scrap of it-in the many-sided class if-for whatever laudable purpose-we clearly with him. Without true vision, how­ game of appealing to the logical enemies of gloss over or ignore irreconcilable class anta­ ever, there can be no right action, and without the worker. Be they called liberal, radical, or right action no emancipation-no hope. anything else under the sun, we know that no gonisms-make the workers feel that their eco­ nomic enemies are their political friends. Not Please believe that I am yours with the dear power lies in that direction; and not only no love of Comrades, power, but worse than that: betrrayal-for that way Iiespower. That way lies only every real or apparent "favor" granted! There confusion. Confusion I-the one thing in the is only one power that can safely release our ROSE PASTOR STOKES. prisoners; that is the power of a conscious worker's consciousness that causes him to proletariat. allow exploitation and delays the day of emap- July 28, I9I9. THE REvOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 2od, 1919. 6 The Left Wing and the Communist Party

HE purpose of this statement is to set .A. Statement by the National Council instructed by the Left Wing groups within their respective States; 2) co-operation with T forth the position of the' National Left delegates elected by expelled and suspended Wing Council in relation to the Socialist Par:. mittee, International Delegates and an InterNa­ tional Secretary. Left Wing groups, aside from the regular ty; also in relation to the controversy which party elections;· 3) co-operation with delegates has arisen within the ranks of the Left Wing. f) However, there may come a time when from groups not within the Socialist Party, The National Left Wing Council came into by the ready assistance of capitalist courts the who desire to affiliate themselves with us on existence on June 23rd, 1919, by action of the Right Wing reactionaries will retain legal pos­ the basis of the Left Wing Manifesto and National Left Wing Conference held in New session of the party machinery and property. Program. York June 21st to 24th. Since this Council Should .therefore the National Emergency Convention prove reactionary and in the con­ From the side of the machinery to be used was created by the National Left Wing Con­ by the National Left Wing Council, the in­ ference, the most exact way of arriving at an .trol through the assistance of capitalist police powers, of the moderate and despotic official­ structions of the Conference cover: I) the understanding of the character and purposes Emergency Convention; 2) an August 30th of the Council is by reference to the proceed- dom of the party; should this Emergency Con­ vention rule in favor of the shameful acts of Convention in case the Emergency Convention ings of the Conference. the present autocratic National Executive Com­ is put off; 3) a special conference on Septem­ . On June 23rd (fifth session) the Conference ber first with all elements desiring to unite Committee on Organization reported, among mittee, then the Left Wing Delegates to this Convention shall immediately organize a new on a Communist basis; 4) the reconvening of other matters, as follows: the Left Wing Conference on September "This Conference shall organize as the Left Communist Party, representing the vast major­ ity of the present Socialist Party, a party first. Wing Section of the Socialist Party and shan Finally, from the angle of the actual tasks to have as its object the capturing of the Socialist which shall speak the will of the rank and file of the more than 50 per cent of the party al­ be fulfilled there are two clear-cut alternatives: Patty for revolutionary Socialism." ready expelled and suspended, a party which I) control of the Emergency Convention by the (Adopted byvote of 43 to 14; recorded as will be true to the Communist International Left Wing delegates regularly elected, seating not voting, 14') and revolutionary Socialism. by them of Left Wing delegates elected by "Toward this end the Conference shall elect g) The National Council shall be instruct­ suffrage of expelled and suspended locals, a National Council of nine members to act ed to call delegates from all branches. locals, States and Federations, and transformation of as the executive of the Left Wing Section. state and Socialist Federations to meet in the Socialist Party into an organization of The National Council shall elect an executive Chicago or any other place designated to revolutionary Socialism; or 2) formation of secretary ." which the Emergency Convention is sum­ a new party regardless of the Emergency Whereupon the Conference proceeded with moned. In the event that such Convention re­ Convention, on August 30th, or on September the election of the Council, the following be­ fuses to seat the Left Winrz cleleg-ates-the first, to be called the Communist Party. ing declared elected: Ruthenberg, Fraina, delegates accepting the Left Wing Manifesto The National Council is now engaged in Ferguson, Ballam, Wolfe, Cohen, Gitlow, Lar­ -the Council shall call such delegates, expell­ gathering information, mobilizing the Left kin, MacAlpine. Announced as not taking ed to call delegates from all branches, locals. Wing forces, and carrying on the propaganda part in this election, 24 delegates. party based on the call summoning the Con­ which will assure a party of revolutionary So­ "The National Council is authorized to pub­ vention in Moscow on the initiative of the cialism, by nation-wide co-operatiqn of the lish one or more educational and propaganda Communist Party in Russia. Left Wing elements, by September first. Those papers; issue declarations; print literature; (Note: this call is inco.rporated in the Plat­ who have attempted to raise the contention route speakers and undertake such other act­ form adopted by the Left Wing Conference.) that the National Left Wing Conference did ivity as will place the principles and program h) In the event that the National Emer­ not sufficiently lay the basis for a Communist of the Left Wing Section before the rank and gency Convention of the Socialist Party is not Party by September first deliberately misstate file of the Socialist Party membership. called on August 30th, as at presentschedulec1. the plain facts. The National Council shall co-ordinate aU the National Council is instructed to call the There is no part of the Left Wing Confer­ suspended and expelled branches, locals, state delegates who have already been voted upon, ence program which is open to legitimate organizations and Language Federations, and hold a convention that will organize a attack by any member of the Left Wing. That issue a temporary dues stamp to these organ­ new party then and there at Chicago on Aug~ the National Left Wing .Council is acting izations and do aU in tbeir power to keep these 30th, the Communist Party. (Unanimously upon this program with' a view to making the organizations intact until such time as they carried.) " broadest possible preparation for the launching may. again' function as sub-divisions of a na- At a further stage of the Conference (eighth of a new party of revolutionary Socialism on August 30th and September first is conclusive­ tional organization." session) a resolution was adopted that we call "The National Council shall direct an agit­ a conference in Chicago on September first ly shown by the record of our work and state­ ments in ation to realize the following results and condi­ of all revolutionary elements desirous of unit­ The Revolutionary Age. The main argument of the minority group tions at the· National Emergency Convention ing with the revolutionary Socialist Party, or with the Communist Party to be organized by in the Left Wing Conference was that it is of the Socialist Party: a) It shall assist il1 all ways within its the Left Wing delegates who may secede from impossible to expect the Right Wing to sur­ the convention of the Socialist Party on Aug. render control at the Emergency Convention. power to secure the election of Left Wing How then can there be any question, under the delegates to the Emergency Convention of the 30th. In explanation of this resolution refer­ ence was made to a group of expelled members instructions above quoted, of the formation Socialist Party. of a Communist Party outside the Emergency b) It shall call upon all suspended and ex- of the S. L. P. who might be desirous of join­ ing themselves with a Bolshevik party; also Convention? How could the National Council, pelled sub-divisions of the Socialist Partv to assuming it were so disposed, which is not the elect delegates to the Emergency Convention it was stated that this provision would include such Federation groups as might want to join fact, evade the responsibility for opening a of the Socialist Party; shall insist that these convention to start the Communist Party. delegates be seated at this convention and that with the Left Wing on September first. the convention organize as if no suspensions The final motion of the Conference was as Also, under these instructions, how could follows: "That all business that may be left a Left Wing Emergency Convention-seating or expulsions had occured. c) The National Council shall exert every over, if any, shall be refered to the National all Left Wing delegates-fail to establish a influence to the end that the Emergency Con­ Council, and that we do now adjoun~ to meet Communist Party? vention of the Socialist Party may adopt the in Chicago September first." Obviously there is no sincere argument that Left Wing Manifesto and Program as the From the foregoing it is clear that the Na­ the Left Wing Conference did not completely basis for the Party's platform and policy. tional_ Council carries over the Left Wing cover the situation. d) It shall insist that the Emergency Con­ Conference of June 21-24 to September first. Let those who favor a Communist Partv vention of the Socialist Party affiliate the So­ Meanwhile its central task is to bring together realize once for all, on the face of the Con­ cialist Party with the Communist International at Chicago delegates from all groups desirous ference record itself, that so far as the ques­ which affiliation has in fact been decided by of establishing in the United States a party tion of a new party is concerned the minoritv referendum vote. of revolutionary Socialism. group was defeated in the Conference on but e) It shall demand that the Emergencv The instructions to the National Council one point: the immediate forma!ion, at N trw Cpnvention ?f. the Socialist Partv shall recog­ cover: I) co-operation with delegates electerl York. of a Communist Party. Such an action mze the vahdtty of the National Referendum to the Emergency Convention under the re­ would have been without mandate from the elections for a new N ational'Executive Com- gular party methods who are recognized and party membership; it would have been without Saturday, August 2nd, 1919, THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 7 reckoning of the viewpoint of many thousands minority: I) the Michigan group which want­ opposed in principle to the 1Iichigan group, of revolutionary Socialists who are still mem­ ed the Conference to accept in toto its pre­ yet joined with the Michigan group when they bers of the Socialist Party in good standing; arranged plan and program, substituting the found that tkese delegates were ready to abandon their principles for the sake of "put­ it would have been the coup d'etat of a partially will and judgment of the Michigan State Con­ representative body, ignoring many states and ting over" their coup d~ etat. vention for that of a group of delegates from tens of thousands of party members; it would Let anyone answer: which one of these have meant a surrender of the splendid pro­ all over the country, a group which has not groups acted on principle in separating them­ paganda opportunities within the Socialist even yet joined itself in any way with the selves from the National Left Wing? Party until August 30th. 'But as for the prin­ National Left Wing, but was given the cour­ The call lor the September I st Convention ciple of a Communist Party, and guarantees tesy of representation at ,the Conference as of its b~nning by September first, there can made by this strangely assembled minority is be no dispute about the actions of the Con­ an expelled State; 2) a small group of dele­ based directly upon the Platform formulated ference. gates who persisted in their demand for im­ by the Conference. Evidently the Conference mediate formation of a new party, who ob­ did not falter in the principles of revolutionary So far as the minority group in the Con­ Socialism. N either in principle or tactics did ference are now attempting to claim a dif­ viously compromised their position by joining the Conference waver or compromise on a ference with the majority of the Conference, in a call for a new party on September 1st; single point, and the experience since the Con­ that claim falls to pieces when the actual facts 3) the largest element of the minority, the ference proves beyond a doubt that the major­ of the Conference are considered. At the Sun­ ity chose the best way in which to bring to­ day evening session of the Conference (third Federation delegates-who acted only after defeat of the proposition to give absolute con­ gether all the elements in the Socialist Party' session, June 22) there was a roll call vote ready for a Communist Party of revolutionary of 55 to 38 against the proposition of imme­ trol of the Left Wing to the Federation Exe­ Socialism. diate organization of a new party. On Mon­ cutive Committees. This group was openly day morning all delegates continued their par­ Comrades of the Left Wing: there is much ticipation in the Conference, though part of important work to be done during the next the minority group refused to vote on the pro­ month for the future of revolutionary Social­ position ·to join the Michigan call for a Sep­ From a Soldier in France ism in America-for a Communist Party that tember first Convention to start a new Social­ will be much more than a flourish of a glo­ ist Party, On Monday afternoon, all delegates IN the midst of the deluge of abuse that is rious name, for a party that will actually voting, there was an election of a committee being directed against Soviet Russia by the bring into common action all the revolutionary to take over the work of the Conference pro­ press it is gratifying. to find a few courageous proletarian elements in the United States. The vided that a raid and arrests should make it pUblications like yours, attempting to stem the Council has already appealed to you for funds impossible to bring a quorum together again. tide, presenting the case of the Russian work­ wherewith to carry on its work. The Council Four of the delegates elected to this committee ers and explaining and justifying the new has already urged upon you the support of later identified themselves with the minority society they are trying tct. build upon the ruins Left Wing candidates to the Emergency Con­ which discontinued activity within the Con­ of the monarchy. The A. E. F. have even less vention, or the formation of separate Left ference, though not leaving. This step of con­ access than you to any authentic and reliable Wing provisional organizations as the basis ditional secession from the Conference oc­ information on Russian affairs and while I for representation at Chicago. The Council curred only after defeat of the proposition that possess little accurate knowledge of the stirring appeals to you also for information about your each Federation should have a member on the and momentous events in that land of mystery local or branch so that we may know how to National Left Wing Council, to be designated and promise, I do know something of the bring our plans into conformity with the varied by the Executive Committee of the Federation, party situation in the different States. in addition to the 9 members to be elected by principles and practices of the American press. the Conference (in which election the Feder­ This knowledge suggests to me but one inter­ We address ourselves in this statement pri­ ation representatives would also participate). pretation of the campaign of hate that is being marily to those already in accord with the In a word, this meant that the National Coun­ waged with such vigor against the Soviets fundamental principles of Communism, to cil of the Left Wing should become subsidiary namely: that the privileges for which that those who have already grasped the vital sign­ to the Central Executive Committees of the press stands and the interests whose message ificance of the Left Wing movement in the Federations. This proposition was defeated it preaches are in danger, perhaps even threat­ class struggle in America. Weare just as eager to deal with the questions of those who have 23 to 41. ened with early and complete annihilation in Russia as the hands of a victorious proletariat, not heretofore been presented with the opport­ On Monday evening (sixth session) the fol­ unity to study developments in world history lowing announcement was made: "Some 31 an event that could not but hasten the doom of special privilege in other lands outside of and in Socialism itself out of which the Left comrades from the various foreign federations. Wing movement took form. But in the exi­ and some English comrades met about half Russia. In no other way can I account for the hysterical and vicious denunciations of gencies of the immediate party campaign we an hour ago and decid~d to organize a new Bolshevism and its leaders that stare at me are forced to deal first with the pressing prob­ Communist Party on the basis of the principles lems of party reorganization. However, we laid down by the National Left Wing Con­ from every page of the daily papers. The strategy and also the tactics here employed so shall welcome the opportunity to answer al1 ference on June 22nd, for which purpose they questions, through our Secretary, and to bring joined the convention call of the Michigan closely resemble the plan of campaign pursued by the press in the ceaseless industrial war in our literature into the hands of those not as State. Convention of September 1st. At the yet aligned with the Left Wing. same time ,it was decided to withhold all act­ the States that it is possible to make a fairly ivities of these 31 members from active par­ accurate estimate of the character, the strength We repeat our appeals for funds and for ticipation in this Conference, and reserve their and the purposes of the Bolsheviki. And hav­ active co-operation. The response already has right to resume those activities at the time ing observed the habits of the press in that been most encouraging, but there are many that they find fit." war and noted its utter lack of the sportsman­ parts of the country yet to be heard from. Act Of this minority, the Federation delegates like spirit and its shameful disregard of the at once. Do your part to' give the Socialist most elemental requirements of literary honor, movement in this country an impetus on Aug. did not support the Michigan call when offered 0 in the Conference, because they disagreed with and knowing something of the sinister influ­ 3 th which will carry us a long way toward the ences that control it, I cannot effect any sur­ goal of the Dictatorship of the Proletariat in the call in principle. On the other hand, the America! Federation delegates accepted the basis in prise at its present behavior. principle for a new party as laid down by the I cannot resist the conclusion that the mas­ National Left Wing Council. majority of the Conference. Not one delegate ters of America, disturbed by visions of a JOHN BALLAM MAXIMILIAN COHEN left the Conference on the issue of immediate Socialist government in Russia, are in ISAAC EDw. FERGUSON BENJAMIN GITLOW formation of the Communist Party. The Mich­ their rage and desperation sounding through igan call itself, and so the Michigan delega.tes their mouthpiece the call for the sympathetic JAMES LARKIN C. E. RUTHENBERG explained, conceded the advisability of the strike,the boycott, the lockout, the blacklist BERTMAN D. WOLFE campaign in connection with the Emergencv and even for the war of extermination in de­ The Revolutionary Age. Convention of August 30th. In other words, fense and on behalf of their vanishing brethren LOUIS C. FRAINA, Editor the Michigan call added absolutely nothing in Russia. In this they are obeying, though in to the actions of the Conference, and was a blind and stupid way, the instinct of self JOHN REED, Assoc. Editor simply a bid to let the Conference make of preservation. They are fools of more kinds EADMONN MACALPINE, Manag'ing Editor the National Left Wing a tail to the kite of than one but yet shrewd enough to understand Address all communication to 1. E. Fergu­ Michigan. that if the Russian proletariat wins, the Ame­ son, National Secretary, 43 W. 29th Street,. Three sets of delegates made up this curious rican proletariat cannot lose. New York City. 8 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 2nd, 1919- Labor and the League of Nations T HE League of Nations Commission on By E. Sylvia Pankhurst ImIiall Labo'f'; indeed, we can hardly believe that they wilt the masses Df the workers International Labor, appointed by the Editor of "The Workers' Dreadnought.~~ attow London, England. and peasants to moose their own representa­ Council of Ten in Paris, has devised a "Char­ tiv.es, tfrougfr they might safely do so, since ter of International Labor Legislation," which LabClr in all' CO'll't'Itries is to. be placed in a hope­ it is proposed to insert in the Peace Treaty. League of Nations is put forward as the one less' mimllrity. The Charter bears a striking resemblance to force that can stave off Bolshevism! And this that adopted by the Government Socialists at Labor in aU' countries sho.uld refuse to have is the Charter which the League o.f Nations anything to. do with this scheme. It places Berne, We should not be surprised by that o.ffers to the workers as an alternative to So­ Labor in an insulting minority. It brings :fact; it is not a chance coincidence. The ap­ cialism! Labor into the international machinery set up :proved. policy of all Government Socialists, The machinery of the International Lab01" by ilie capitalfst ~overnments to fight Social­ :and -of the weaker reformist Liberals, is always .office which the Co.uncil of Ten ("moved," ism. It is the coping to the national machinery 10 find out what the Government means to they say, "by sentiments of justice and hum­ by which the Governments are seeking to. .give and then to ask for that. The Peace Con­ anity"), are about to set up, is as unsatisfac­ divert Labor from the direct, independent ference Charter contains many of the out-of­ tory as the Charter. It consists of a Generaf action, in' whiCh it is daily gro.wing mo.re date resolutions of the oldest of ancient con­ Conference o.f four representatives from each powerful and successful. In direct action the ferences on Labor. Most of the things it offers of the countries represented; two of these four wire-puUers and' negotiato.rs·take second place, have either been obtained here alreadv or are are to be, representatives of the Government, and the rank and file are the rulers. By direct about to be obtained; the most notable excep­ one of employef"s of labor, and one o.f the actio.n the Russian working classes, the in­ tion being "a reasonable standard of life" for workers. Labor is thus placed in a safe min­ dustrial' wo.rkers, the peasants, the so.ldiers and the workers, and of course opinions differ o.rity of one to three! Each delegate may be sailors, established a government and abolished a(!utely as to what is reasonable! The provi­ accompanied by two advisers, and where wo­ landlo.rdism and' Capitalism. By direet action sions inciude:- men's questions are concerned "one at least o.f the miners won the minimum wage and the Children not to be gainfully employed under 14 the advisers should be a wo.man." This is to eight-hour- Eastern Europe turn towards the Soviets, the we think it is Henderson's duty to make these imprisonment for those who spread reports Allies prepare to fight Hungary as well as matters public; we think he should have done prejudicial to recruiting. The Navy is appeal­ Russia. Reuter reports that Foch has consult­ so as soon as they came to his notice. At the ing for volunteers for Russia, to sign on for ed with the Council of Four regarding the same time we know that every artifice will be nine months. Boatswains and motormen are to military aspect. Le Populail"e, March 26th, used to induce the members ,of the various so­ get $13 lOS. a month, A.B.s and firemen $12 announces that two British monitors have called Labor Councils to consider themselves a month, free kit or an allowance, and, in arrived in Budapest. bound to help in enforicng the decisions of the Councils. Only those Labor representatives who are prepared to accept the Henderson Clara Zetkin Defends the Bolsheviki standard of honor will be acceptable to the Governments and the employers as members IN L'Humanite of April 15th appeared an Even after the Revolution the Independent of these Councils. account of the Congress of the German In­ Socialist Party, instead of understanding the The powers that be are complacently pre­ dependent Socialists. Kautsky took the place action of the masses, had allied itself with the paring this network of Councils, which will of the murdered Eisner in reporting on the majority Socialists, who had betrayed revolu­ take many months to arrive at even the simp­ Berne Socialist Congress. He defended his tionary Socialism. Instead of immediately ap­ lest decisions, and which on big controvercial action in having voted against the Adler-Lon­ plying itself tQ the struggle against private matters cannot decide at all. Perhaps it is guet resolution, which refused to criticize the ownership, the Independent Party opposed hoped that the workers will take years to dis­ Russian Soviet Government on the ground of strikes and thus helped to bolster up Capital­ cover that the Councils are ineffective. lack of proper information. Kautsky declared ism. I t failed to consider socialization as a Henderson and Huysmans, so often publicly that a condemnation of the dictatorship of the question of political power, and regarded it snubbed by the Allied Governments, vet still proletariat was essential. He weakly argued only from the standpoint of surmounting eco­ playing the part of eager messenger 'boys to that the Bolsheviki would not be impressed by nomic and technical difficulties. The Party them, are busy in all these intrigues. The an evasion of the question and that they could assumed it to be of first importance to increase London Daily Herald reports that Henderson. only be brought back into the International if production; this was an error, a relapse into Ramsay MacDonald, Stuart Bunning, Brant­ they saw it to be strong and determined. bourgeois economic conceptions. Not by scientific commissions, put by practical action ing, Renaudel, Longuet, and Huysmans are The conference called upon Clara Zetkin to conferring in Paris on the Berne resolutions, will progress be made in the economic field. reply to Kautsky. She said that the Party Clara Zetkin reproached the Independents the organization of the International and the lacked energy and clear vision. During the war International Labor News Agency; Henderson for joining the Coalition Government, declar­ its policy had. been feeble and hesitating; it ing that they had contributed to limiting the had failed to take up a definite attitude on the power of the Workers' and Soldiers' Councils * Generally called Dora. The English equivalent question of national defence. Its peace policy of the American Espionage Law. It was supposed and that the National Assembly, which is on to be aimed at German spies but, like the ESp"ionage inclined to an entente with the governments parliamentary lines and which they had sup­ Act, operated almost exclusively against Socialists rather than towards the international action ported, is incapable of freeing the working and radical labor agitators. of the workers (Continued Ot~ page 14) 10------~ THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, August 2nd, 1919 .. Moscow During the Early Part of 1919 T was a cold day wh€n I struggled through By Arthur Ransome and we went together into the citadel of the the crowd out of the station in Moscow, I accomodation has been taken. In every dist­ repUblic. and began fighting with the sledge-driv­ rict there are housing committees to whom A meeting of the People's Commissars was­ ers who asked a hundred roubles to take me people wanting rooms apply. They work on going on in the Kremlin, and on an open space' to the Metropole. I remembered coming here the rough and ready theory. that until every under the ancient churces were a number of a year ago with Colonel Robins, when we made man has one room no one has a right to two. motors black on the snow. We turned to the ten roubles a limit for the journey and often An Englishman acting as manager of works right down the Dvortzovaya street, between travelled for eight. Today, after heated bar­ near Moscow told me that part of his house the old Cavalier House and the Potyeshny ga,ining, I got carried with no luggage but a had been alloted to workers in his factory, who, Palace,. and went in through a door under the typewriter for fifty roubles. The streets were however, were living with him amicably, and archway that crosses the road, and up some white with deep snow, less well cleaned than had, I think, allowed him to choose which dark flights of stairs to a part of the building the Petrograd streets of this year but better rooms he ~ould concede. This plan has, of that used, I think, to be called the Pleasure cleaned than the Moscow streets of last year. course, proved very hard on house-owners, Palace. Here, in a wonderful old room, hung The tramways were running. There seemed and in some cases the new tenants have made with Gobelins tapestries absolutely undamaged to be at least as mafiy sledges as usual, and the a horrible mess of the houses, as might, indeed, by the revolution, and furnished with carved horses were in slightly better condition than have been expected, seeing that they had pre­ chairs, we found the most incongruous figure last summer when they were scarcely able to viously been of those who had suffered directly of the old Swiss internationalist, Karl Moor, drag themselves along. I asked the reason of from the decivilizing influences of overcrowd­ who talked with affection of Keir Hardie and the improvement, and the driver told me the ing. After talking for some time we went of Hyndman, " in the days when he was a So­ horses were now rationed like human beings, round the corner to the Commissariat for cialist," and was disappointed to find that I and all got a small allowance of oats. There Foreign Affairs, where we found Chicherin knew so little about them. Madame Radek were crowds' of people about, but the numbers who, I thought, had aged a good deal and asked, of course, for the latest news of Radek, of closed shops were very depressing. I did was (though this was perhaps his manner) and I told her that I had read in the Stockholm not then know that this was due to the nation­ less cordial than Karakhan. He asked about papers that he' had gone to Brunswick, and alization of trade and a sort of general stock­ England, and I told him Litvinov knew more was said to be living in the palace there.* She taking, the object of which was to prevent about that than I, since he had been there feared he might have been in Bremen when profiteering in manufactured goods, etc., of more recently. He asked what I thought would that town was taken by the Government troops, which there were not enough to go round. be the effect of his Note with detailed terms and did not believe he would ever get back Before I left many shops were being reopened published that day. I told him that Litvinov. to Russia. She asked me, did I· not feel al­ as national concerns, like our own National in an interview which I had telegraphed, had ready (as indeed I did) the enormous differ­ Kitchens. thus, one would see over a shop mentioned somewhat similar terms some time ence which the last six months had made in the inscription, "The 5th Boot Store of the before, and that personally I doubted whether strengthening the revolution. I asked after Moscow Soviet" or "The 3rd Clothing Store the Allies would at present come to any agree­ old acquaintances, and learnt that Pyatakov, of the Moscow Soviet" or "The 11th Book ment with the Soviet Government, but that. who, when I last saw him, was praying that Shop." It' had been found that speculators if the Soviet Government lasted, my personal the Allies should give him machine rifles to bought, for example, half a dozen overcoats, opinion was that the commercial isolation of so use against the Germans in the Ukraine, had and sold them to the highest bidders, thus vast a country as Russia could hardly be pro­ been the first President of the Ukrainian So­ giving the rich an advantage over the poor. longed indefinitely on that account alone. viet Republic, but had since been replaced by Now if a man needs a new suit he has to go I then met Voznesensky (Left Social Rev­ Rakovsky. It had been found that the views in his rags to his House Committee, and satisfy olutionary) , of the Oriental Department, of the Pyatakov government were further left them that he really needs a new suit for him­ bursting with criticism of the Bolshevik atti­ than those of its supporters, and so Pyatakov self. He is then given the right to buy a suit. tude towards his party. He secured a ticket had given way to Rakovsky who was better In this wayan attempt is made to prevent for me to get dinner in the Metropole. This able to conduct a more moderate policy. The speCUlation and to ensure a more or less equit­ ticket I had to surrender when I got a room Republic had been proclaimed in Kharkov, but able distribution of the inadequate stocks. My in the National. The dinner consisted of a at that time Kiev was still in the hands of the greatest surprise was given me by the Metro­ plate of soup, and a very small portion of Directorate. pole itself, because the old wounds of the rev­ something else. There are National Kitchens That night my room in the Red Fleet was so olution, whidt were left unhealed all last sum­ in different parts of the town supplying simi­ cold that I went to bed in a sheepskin coat mer, the shell-holes and bullet splashes which lar meals. Glasses of weak tea sold at 30 under rugs and all possible bedclothes with marked it when I was here before, have been kopecks each, without sugar. My sister had a mattress on th~ top. Even so I slept very repaired. sent me a small bottle of saccharine just before badly. Litvinov had given me a letter to Karakhan I left Stockholm, and it was pathetic to see The next day I spent in vain wrestlings to of the Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, ask­ the childish delight with which some of my get a better room. Walking about the town ing him to help me in getting a room. I found friends drank glasses of sweetened tea. I found it dotted with revolutionary sculptures, him at the 'Metropole, still smoking as it were From the Metropole I went to the Red some very bad, others interesting, all done in the cigar of six months ago. Karakhan, a Fleet to get my room fixed up. Six months some haste and set up for the celebrations of handsome Armenian, elegantly bearded and ago there were comparatively clean. rooms the anniversary of the revolution last Novem­ moustached, once irreverently described by here, but the sailors have demoralized the hotel ber. The painters also had been turned loose Radek as "a donkey of classical beauty," who and its filth is indescribable. There was no to do what they could with the h.oardings and has consistently used such influence as he has heating and very little light. A samovar left tho!lgh. the weather had damaged mar:y of in favor of moderation and agreement with after the departure of the last visitor was their pictures, enough was left to show what the Allies, greeted me very cordially, and told standing on the table, together with some an extraordinary carnival that had been. Where me that the foreign visitors were to be housed dirty curl-papers and other rubbish. I got the a hoarding ran along the front of a house be­ in the Kremlin. I told him I should much waiter to clean up more or less, and ordered a ing repaired the painters had used the whole prefer to live in a hotel in the ordinary way, new samovar. He could not supply spoon, of it as a vast canvas on which they had paint­ and he at once set about getting a room for me· knife, or fork, and only with great difficulty ed huge symbolic pictures of the revolution. This was no easy business, though he obtained was persuaded to lend me glasses. A whole in the Tverskaya was so decorated an authorization from Sverdlov, president of The telephone, however, was working, Best, I think, were the row of wooden booth~ the Executive Committee, for me to live where and after tea I got into touch with Madame almost opposite the Hotel National in Okho· I wished, in the Metropole or the National, Radelc, who had moved from the Metropole tina Ryadi. These had been painted by the which are mostly reserved for Soviet delegates, into the Kremlin. I had not yet got a pass fut?i'ists or kindred ~rtis~s, and mane a really officials and members of the Executive Com­ to the Kremlin, so she arranged to meet me delIghtful effect, theIr bright colors and naive mittee. Both were full, and he finally got me and get a pass for me from the Commandant. patterns seeming so natura:! to Moscow that a room in the old Loskutnaya Hotel, now the I walked through the snow to the wbite gate I found myself wondering how it was that Red Fleet, partially reserved for sailor dele­ at the end of the bridge which leads over the they had never been so painted before. Thev gates and members of the Navel College. garden up a step incline to the Kremlin. Here used to be a uniform dull yellow. Now in clea"r Rooms are distributed on much the same a fire of logs was burning, and three soldiers primary colors, blue, red, yellow, with rough plan as' clothes. Housing is considered a State were sitting round it. Madame Radek was • It was not till later that we learned he had re­ mQnopoly, and a general census of housing waiting for me, warming her hands at the fire, turned to Berlin, been arrested, and put in pri

Flrst Session. JUlie 21St, 1919 Owing to the fact that it is impossible to the movement in their section, short five-mi­ Opening Address get out the complete stenographic report of nute speeches. the proceedings of the National Left Wing Mr. MacAlpine: I make a motion that we Meeting was called to order at 2 :30 p. m. Conference, June 21-25, in booklet form in Maximilian Cohen presiding. listen to the State Secretary of the Socialist the short time at out disposal, it has been Party of Michigan. Mr. Fraina was elected temporary chainnan. decided to run extracts from the report deal­ Chairman: Left Wing Comrades of the ing with the matters now under dispute. Mr. Batt: He is not here. But I am secretary Socialist Party: I think all of us realize that It is proposed to give such extracts as will of the Ways and Means Committee of the this conference is laying the basis for a new Socialist Party of Michigan, and might ac­ state the position of both sides and will quaint you· with the situation. revolutionary Socialist movement in the United throw all possible clarity on the issues in- States. I think all of us realize that the tasks volved. .of course, there is nobody here that is not of this conference are tasks that are going to aware of the details of the activity of the Na­ detennine the future of the movement in this tional Executive Committee, in expelling the country. And the conditions that have brought forces to express revolutionary Socialism in Socialist Party of Michigan, and suspending this conference into being are conditions of the policy and the practice of the Socialist the various language federations. in all ap­ crisis in Capitalism-conditions of crisis in movement. And this does not mean, as the proximately forty thousand members of the Capitalism that have not only produced critical RIght Wing within the party tries \0 insinuate, Socialist Party. The State Secretary of the conditions in the life of Capitalism itself, but ,that we necessarily must have immediate rev­ Socialist Party of Michigan went over to Chi­ have equally produced conditions of crisis in olution. We are simply trying to prepare our­ cago to verify the reports that we have receiv­ the international Socialist movement, and in selves for the day' when the revolution shall ed unofficially as to the expulsion of the State our own American Socialist movement. come. of Michigan. And as a means of dealing with We have met here this afternoon in answer The test of revolutionary Socialism is not the issue, he called a special emergency con­ to a mass impUlse within the Socialist Party­ simply an immediate revolution. The test of vention of the Socialist Party of Michigan, a mass impulse that is trying to transfonn the revolutionary Socialism is in its policy during which met last Sunday in the House of Masses, Socialist Party into a revolutionary party of the actual struggles of the proletariat at all Detroit, to consider what would be the future Socialism- a movement that is trying to times, under all conditions in the struggle activity of the Socialist Party of Michigan in square Socialism, not with passive, hesitant, against Capitalism and 'the ruling class, and we reference to the Socialist Party of America compromising theory of ultra-Socialism and of can express the tactics and the principle of and the genral Socialist movement in this the ultra conditions of Capitalism, but with revolutionary Socialism' just as well in ordin­ country. We have a peculiar condition in the new militant conception of revolutionary ary times, just as well in pre-revolutionary Michigan that does not exist in any other Socialism of the proletarian struggle against times, as we can during the stress and tunnoil organized group of Socialists in the United Capitalism. We have been told by our oppon­ of the revolution itself. And as a matter of States. The Left Wing program that you ents in the Socialist Party that it is just an fact, this revolutionary policy of ours, by im­ brought up and that has been endorsed, I isolated movement-that this Left Wing is pregnating the proletariat with the conscious­ dare say, over 50 per cent-yes. 75 per cent not something that has its, roots deep within ness of militant action, is preparing the pro­ of the delegates here this' afternoon, re­ life itself-that it is simply an emotional ex­ letariat and ourselves as well for the final present organizations that have only adopted pression of the proletarian revolutions in Eu­ struggle against 'Capitalism-a preparation that program in the last few months. I poinf rope. It is true that the proletarian revolution which is necessary because unless you have out the fact that the Socialist Party of Michi­ in Europe is a vital contributing factor toward that preparation, unless the movement devel­ gan has been carrying on its propaganda on a. the development of the Left Wing movement ops that revolutionary consciousness out of the non-refonnistic basis since. 1914. For the last in the American Socialist Party. But it has actual struggle, the immediate struggle of the five years, the so-called "left" element has had been a factor in developing this Left Wing proletariat, when the day of the revolution control of the Socialist Party of Michigan. movement in that it is proven by the actual does come, we shall find the movement lined There has been no reform propaganda carried test of the revolution that the concepts of the up with the counter-revolution against the So­ on officially by the Socialist Party of Michigan Left Wing within the American Socialist cialist proletariat. in that number of years. We have concentrat­ ,Party-a Left Wing that was not born today So, comrades, I don't think that we have ed our activity upon pointing out to the work or the day before, but which has always been ing class the necessity of seizing control of the the militant "left"-the militant minoritv of to elaborate upon this thesis'. I know that we are going to face this task in a spirit of rev­ political state and establishing a workers' gov­ the American movement that their concepts of ernment, generally called the Dictatorship of revolutionary action have been proven correct olutionary Socialism, and of revolutionary reality. I know that we :ire going to lay a the Proletariat. And when we convened last by the experience of the proletarian revolution. Sunday afternoon there was no question of al­ So that we don't have to base this move­ basis here for a movement that is going to engage in the militant struggle against Cap­ tering our position one iota. We never consid­ ment of ours simply upon European events· ered for one moment the proposition of apolo­ We can base this movement of ours upon itaHsm. Because behind this 'conference is not simply the masses within the Socialist gizing t'o the National Executive Comittee and events within the American Socialist mov'!­ reversing our stand upon the refonn amend­ ment itself. We can say that the Left Wing of Party that have sent you here in order to realize their concept. of revolutionary Social­ ment that we placed in our constitution. That today is the child of "the Left Wing of yester­ was not even considered by.the convention. It day which has been given an experience, which ism, but behind these masses within the party are the proletarian masses that are anious was moved by the Finnish Translator-Secre­ has been given a new courage, and a new mil­ tary in the name of the Finnish delegates to the itant insight into its problem by the Commun.., to get the call of militant struggle against Capitalism, in order to realize the coming of convention that we do that kind of a thing, ists of the revolutionary proletariat in Europe. and the convention hooted him off the floor. And so, comrades, we are met here this the Socialist republic. And the spirit of this They would not listen to him. conference, the spirit of the delegates here afternoon for two purposes-or rather, our The questions that we considered there last task is a dual task. On the one hand, it is to assembled, the spirit of the masses in the Party behind this conference, is the spirit of the Sunday are the questions that the comrades are crush the moderafe Socialism within the Ame­ going to have to consider here. The National rican movement, by trying to conquer the So­ Communist International which calls upon the proletariat of the world to prepare itself for Executive Committee has demonstrated its re­ cialist Party for revolutionary Socialism. And actionary tendencies by expelling from the So­ we are also met to lay down here this afternoon the final revolutionary struggle against Cap­ italism. (Applause.) cialist Party of America forty thousand mem­ not only a basis for this conquest of the So­ bers-practically expelling them-suspending cialist Party but a basis for a new militant rev­ Preliminary Reports some and expelling others. If I know anything olutionary party, for a party that can function The Chainnan: about yellow Socialists-if I have learned any­ either as the Socialist Party or as a party in­ thing by the past activity of yellow Socialists dependent of the existing Socialist Party, if There being nothing before the house, com­ both in the American movement and in the dif­ conditions compel us to realize that task. rades, I wonder whether it would be a good ferent European movements, there is no step And this party of ours is going to join hands idea to fill in the time, I think it would be a too degrading, too contemptible, too miserably 'with revolutionary Socialism the world over. good idea, as the Credentials Committee will mean for the Executive Committee to take It is going to do its task in accordance with take probably half an hour or so to get its in order to maintain their control of the So­ the spirit and the tactics of revolutionary So­ report-it might be a good idea to have some cialist Party of America (Applause.) cialism. It is going to do what it can in of the comrades from the various parts of the I warn you here, and I warn you now that accord with its own conditions and its available country make reports upon the condition of the National Executive Committee of the So-- Saturday, August 2nd, 1919, THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE 13 cialist Party of Ametica would ruin the or­ you will have no representation-fight in a con­ Committee would make a motion to Adolf ganization rather than turn the control of it vention in which it is not as yet known that Germer to call the N. E. C. in session, and if over to you. The reason for the expulsion of you will even have a voice-fight against such he would refuse the newly-elected N. E.- C. the Socialist Party of Michigan is plainly ap­ contemptible creatures as Victor L. Berger, would meet in spite of Comrade Germer. This parent when you' consult the votes taken on Adolf Germer, Morris Hillquit, Seymour Sted­ newly-elected Executive Committee, the majora the National Executive referendum at the man and a few others. They.have demon­ ity of which are Left Wing delegates, would last election. 'The vote went overwhelm­ strated, in my estimation, beyond the perad­ proceed to function as the regular National ingly for what is commonly called "the red venture of any doubt that they are not going Executive Committee of the Socialist Party, slate" or the "Left Wing slate"-Wm. Bross to allow the control of the Socialist Party of issue a declaration to the membership, and try, Lloyd of Chicago, John Keracher of Detroit, America slip from their fingers. They have, to a large extent within its power, to take over and myself. The expulsion of the state of Mich­ since the expulsion of Michigan and the sus­ the actual official work of the organization. igan excludes those 'three candidates who were pension of the language federations-they have The four Left Wing delegates elected to the duly elected. Keracher and myself are exclud­ ~timed the property of the Socialist Party of International Congress would meet in July, ed, of course, by our expulsion from the party, America over to trustees elected for long and issue a declara'tion to the party member and Wm. Bross Lloyd of Chicago loses all terms of years so that there will be no chance ship as the delegates to the International Con­ chance of being a member of the Executive of any Left Wing element getting control of gress of the American Socialist Party. We Committe~ because the loss of the Michigan it. And some-some would ask us to continue would furthermore try to take over the arrange­ vote puts him behind Victor L. Berger of Mil­ a vascillating policy of fighting within such ments for the convention and bring the final waukee. So, you see, they very conveniently a corrupt organization of that 'sort. Some fight to the Emergency Convention of August defeated the slate of the Left Wing in that wou1d even hesitate to strike now once and 30. We furthermore suggested to the com­ district to which we belong. Their cry of con­ for all for a real Socialist movement in Amer­ rades of the State of Michigan ,that they refuse stitutionality, their cry of living up to party ica. Some of you would prefer to fight this to recognize their expulsion by the National rules, etc., is here plainly shown as just so much thing out within the party, ,but I, for one, have Executive Committee. We recommended to camouflage. They don't propose to perform given'up all hope of fighting it out in the Party. them that they stay within the party, and ,send all kinds of extra-constitutional acts in order I considered, and we have considered-I speak contesting delegates to the emergency con­ to maintain their committee membership. in the name of the Socialist Party of Michigan vention at Chicago. And we furthermore re­ You are invited to attend a convention in -we considered that by this act of expelling commep.d the same procedure to the expelled August in the city of Chicago. You are in­ some forty thousand members from the So­ locals and branches of N ew York-that they vited to go-like hell you are. (Laughter.) cialist Party of America, the National Execu­ organize independently of the Right Wing You ,are not going to be represented there. tive Committ~e has thrown down the gauntlet Party as the official Socialist Party in New The state of Miehigan has been expelled. In to the Socialist within, the \ Socialist Party, York State, send their delegates to the con­ all probability, other states will follo,w. The and I for one will not hesitate to pick it up and vention, and then at the convention, we would language federations which have formed a very hurl it into their teeth. (Prolonged and hearty decide whether we have got the Socialist Party: strong part of the Left Wing movement has applause.) or whether we have to follow some other been suspended, and none of its membership Mr. Paul: Comrade Chairman and Com­ courSe of action. (Great applause.) will be represented at the national convention rades: The question he (delegate Zucker of Mr. Ballam: Comrade Chairman and Com­ in Chicago in August. You are going to be New York) brought up was a resolution that rades: As Chairman of the Convention of the tried, convicted and sentenced by whom? By was submitted by the Resolution Committee State of Massachusetts, which Convention the Right Wing of the Socialist Party of last Sunday, that the City Convention of the elected its State Secretary, Comrade Sproule, America. And if I know anything about the Greater City instruct its delegates to the N a­ and the Chairman of the Conventien, who is activities of that Right Wing in the past, the tional Left Wing conference to organize a also editor of its official organ, to represent the fact that the suspension of the language feder­ Communist'Party-The question was debated State of Massachusetts in this Left Wing Co~­ ations will be changed to expulsion is a fore­ thoroughly on all sides, and the resolution was ference, I want to say speaking for its dele­ gone conclusion. And as for any repudiation finally adopted by a vote of 62 to 51. The gation, that it has gone solidly to the Left­ of the acts of the Executive Committee of the matter was then left for a referendum to the decidedly to the Left-that it does not intend Socailist Party of America, as for their repu­ members of the branches and locals represent­ to quibble or treat with this proposition-that diation of those acts, there is absolutely no ed in that convention last Saturday. Outside it has wiped out the Centre-recognizes no hope on your part. We considered these thing~ of that, the Secretary of the City Committee Centrist position; and in making this report in the convention in the State of Michigan last has not received any reports from the various I want to make that plain. I appreciate, and Sunday afternoon, and we arrived at a conclu­ branches or locals. I think every delegate here appreciates the sion-a conclusion which I am going to offer outraged feelings of the comrades of Michigan, Mr, Ferguson: Comrades, at the time of the and of the various Language Federations il­ to you in the course of the convention to con­ meeting of the National Executive Committee, sider-a conclusion which I think you ought legally suspended and illegally expelled by the Comrade Ruthenberg, Comrade Fraina, Com­ N. E. C. We have made our propaganda to to agree upon if you view the conditions right­ rade Keracher came in, and an informal meet­ ly. We drew up a manifesto of the Socialist the rank and file of the Socialist' Party, and ing was held-I remember these delegates, and the rank and file of the Socialist Party has Party, and we intend to send it broadcast, with all of the Translator-Secretaries, and perhaps or without the endorsement of this Left Wing accepted the Left Wing position. We have I have forgotten two or three, some of the captured the party of America f01~ the Left conference. We drew up a manifesto laying comrades from Chicago-a group of about down what we have believed for the· last five Wing. It is now in our hands. So that the twenty comrades met and informally organized position of the delegates from Massachusetts years to be the basis upon which the Socialist a provisional committee, to carryon what Party should be organized. We have laid as the position of the Socialist Party of Mas­ campaign could be carried on until the time sachusetts, is that we will stay in the Party down that basis clearly and concisely as a ten­ of the meeting of this conference. In view of tative program upon which the Socialists with­ and fight this thing out, not allowing the N. in the Socialist movement may unite in a con­ what has been said, I might state the point of E. C. to expell us" but that we will expell the vention and draw up a program and platform view-the policy of the members there gather­ N. E. c., and every member connected with for a new Socialist Party in America. (Hearty ed, and that was decidedly that it was up to them (applause) that we will prefer charges and prolonged' applause.) the Left Wing to make the fight for control against everyone implicated in illegal acts such within the party, in spite of all the suspensions as they have performed, and throw them out We have set the date for that convention as that had been made. So there you have another of the Socialist Party. of America, capture it September first 1919 in the city of Chicago. angle. The committee was unanimous in that for revolutionary Socialism-first throw them And I, as the Secrtary of the Ways and Means respect. There was no proposition about or­ out, and let them take their places in America Committee of the Socialist Party of Michigan, ganizing a new party. The proposition was together with the other social-patriots that have charge of the arrangements of that con­ that we had enough strength within the party left the party during the war of their own vention. Before this conference is over, you -that the rank and file is so thoroughly dis­ accord-the Spargos and the rest of them. are going to have an oportunity to endorse gusted-so thoroughly permeated with the Now, that is the position of Massachusetts. that call. You are going to have an oppor­ ideals of revolutionary Socialism, that We do not want to get out because they want tunity of urging the Lefts in this country to there is no question that if we do us to get out. They cannot throw us out be­ line up on their tentative program for the or­ some measure of propaganda work, some cause' they have not the power to throw us ganization of a real Socialist Party. I know measure of, organization. we have the out. But if it should be proven after the Con­ some of you don't want to do that. I know overwhelming majority of the newly' elect­ vention in August that in spite of the fact some of you would prefer to follow the middle ed Executive Committee on the vote which the that by every demonstrable proof, by a count­ course of fighting it out within the Socialist old N. E. C. refused to recognize. We decided ing of noses and votes, that we have the Party, Party. I know some of you would want to that at the appropriate time one of the newly­ but through their machinations they hold the sit in and fight-fight in a convention in which elected members of the National Executive (Continued Ott page 16) 14,;· THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE SaturdaYI August ~nd, 1919. ~.- ~ Correspondence D EAR Comrade: I will try to give you a The Situation in rill/ada walked do.wn the street with him until I met little history of the past two months. I clC President of the Policemen's Union. I spoke to him a little and then boarded a car guess you know that the workers of Winnipeg About midnight on J t11y' I. I got a visit from were out. on strike, and I may say that they the North-West Mounteu Police. fO·.lr were in to go home. About half a block from my home put up greatserap. They had most of the uniform and one in plain clothes. I went to I came upon a policeman sitting on his door­ a step having a smoke, I stopped to talk to him City Ald~rmen, the provincial legislature. the a Federation meeting that night and when I Federal Government, the International Union came out I met our International. Officer and as he comes from the same part of the old Officers· and a bunch of the reactionary country as I do. (The North-West Mounted elements in the unions against them. It was Police, who are a semi-military body, act­ surprising to me how they kept it up so long. Zetkin Defends the Bolsheviki ed against the strikers while the regular city After they had been out a month the radical (Continued from page 9) police offered to go out on strike in sympathy boys were arrested, Armstrong, Russell, Johns, with the men-Ed.) While we were talking . class. She urged that the dictatorsh~p of the a car passed us, stopping about two doors from Blumenberg, Verenchuk, Charitinoff, Ala~a­ proletariat is an essential transitory measure, where we were sitting. the plain clothes man zoff. Private Schappelrie of Winnipeg, Pri­ the object of which is the abolition of the cap­ chard of Vancouver, all of whom belong toihe jumped out and asked a man sitting in the italist class. In opposing the dictatorship of veranda what the. number of this house was· Left Wing, then,there were Queen and Heaps, the proletariat, the Independent Socialist who are Social-Democrats and Aldermen of We noticed four Mounties in the car, and the Party had become an accomplice in ·preserving policeman said to me: "I'll bet they are going the City, Bray of the returned soldiers, Dixon the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie. and WOodsworth of Vancouver, who are mem­ to your house." As he said it they stopped Zetkin demanded the immediate resumption right in front of my door and asked my wife, bers of the La~r Party, and Ivens, the editor of relations with the Russian Soviet Republic. of The Western Labor News. They were all who was sitting on the veranda, the number The fact that the Soviet. Government had so of the house. My wife went into the house taken from their beds between 2 and 3 o'clock long maintained its power was the best proof to wake my brother up and when the detective in the morning and taken to the Stony Moun­ that it was not an arbitrary regime resting tain Penitentiary, except Prichard, who was knocked at the door he opened it. The men solely upon tl)e force of bayonets. in the car got out with their guns in their arrested in Calgary, Johns and Dixon, for It was wrong for the Independents to go to whom ~arrants were issued and who gave hands and immediately dropping on their Berne and illogical for those to participate in it hands and knees began crawling over the . themselves up, and Woodsworth, who was ar­ who had been represented at Zimmerwald. rested on Main Street and taken to the Pro­ boulevard towards my house. I watched the Berne she described as "a conference of reci­ whole affair from the policeman's door-step. vincial Jail. Mrs. Armstrong was also arrested procal and general amnesty." The delegates and taken to the Provincial Jail. He said to me: "Well what do you know about conjugated: "I am a sinner, thou art a sinner," that? I never saw the likes of it in all my life, With the exception of Blumenberg, Chariti­ and so on, and believed that it was possible thus noff, Alanazoff, and Schapperlie, who were you would think you were a desperate mur­ to re-establish the International! "The old derer." transferred to the Immigration Hall, and Ve­ International died in shame: it can never be renchuk, who was released, all those arrested resurrected /" They got a lot of books and papers and I are out on bail. learned later that they raided about fifty houses The Berne Conference, so far as it could, had that morning. They are carrying out these , The day of the riot-we call it Bloody Sa­ frustrated the establishment of an International turday-the returned soldiers were to hold a raids all over the country and they have g-ot of action, and had betrayed and deceived the the people sore, and believe me the workers silent protest parade in the afternoon, but be­ masses. Great confusion had been created bv fore they got in line about .,0 North-West the fact that the German Independents had are preparing for them nQw. Mounted Police and mounted regulars in refrained at Berne from separating themselves Well comrades, we lost the strike, but we khaki started their horses at full gallop into from the Majority Party. gained a lot of experience.· The police, fire­ the crowd. Of course some ().f the boys were Zetkin insisted that: "A union of peoples men and all the rest of the civic employees run over, which made the rest angry. and will never result from Wilson's League of Na­ had to sign a card that they would not belong when ,the soldiers and police re-charged the tions, 'but at the Berne Conference more faith to the Trades and Labor Council. Lots of boys had a bunch of stones ready for them and was placed in Wilson than in Marx." Kautsky them lost their jobs because they would not let fly with full strength. Shortly afterward abused his influence at Berne. The repudiation sigri. AlJ the mail carriers in Winnipeg, Sas­ a street car tried to get through the crowd, of the Bolsheviki deserved the strongest con­ katoon, and.Calgary lost theit: jobs but I guess but the boys attacked it.. broke the windows, demnation. The rejection of the Adler-Longuet the workers will get over that. What they ordered the scabs off, and then set fire to it motion was a provocative insult to the Bol­ have lost in jobs they have gained in experience with the result that the Fire Department was sheviki. and they have also lost a few phrases like: called out. The Mayor read the Riot Act and Hitherto the German Independent Socialist British Justice, Our King and Country, Bri­ the Mounties again charged the crowd only to Party had not been inspired by that necessity. tons never shall be slaves, etc. receive the same dose as they got previously. It was a product of the process of decomposi­ I am sorry I am not getting your papers Two Mounties were knocked off. their horses tion which had been going on in the old So­ and books. I could sell them very easily now, and were taken into an undertaker's parlor cial Democratic Movement, and its parentage but I guess this "People's Government" we opposite the City Hall. has involved it in that process. The antagon­ have got is holding them up. I will see the The Mounties reformed and came round isms which existed in its verv midst could not boys at the next meeting and will send .you the front of the City Hall, pulled their guns be eliminated by a mere resolution of the Con­ some money along for the papers that arrive. and opened fire on the crowd, killing one man ference. A complete severance between the Well, the One Big Union has started and and wounding over thirty. while about forty left and right wings had become imperative. the majority of the unions have decided to arrests were made. I forg-ot to mention that "Personally," said Zetkin, "I am faced with leave· Gompers' outfit and go over to the O. when the Mayor read the Riot Act the Special a painful and difficult decision. It is impossible B. U. Poli4!e were called out with clubs and revolvers. for me to remain in the Partv if it maintains its I forgot to tell you that this is Decoration About twelve of these police had their guns present majority. I will not spend the closing Day-the capitalist class puts flowers on the taken from them and believe me it was a scene years of my life in an atmosphere of death. I graves of the Canadian boys who died here as that the workers will never forget. It was the will spend my last years in an atmosphere a result of the wounds they received in the finest education they have ever had. I had all pregnant with the forces of the future. Some war. They always have a parade of the re­ kind of fellows come up and shake hands with people appear to think they can bury the Rev­ turned soldiers and the Boy Cadets on this day me and say they were Bolsheviki from now on. olution. but the Revolution is more alive than but this time it turned out a frazzle. About You know comrades, it made me laugh to think ever. The agitations for higher pay have be­ 150 returned soldiers paraded out of over of the uphill fight we Left Wing Socialists have come revolutionarv. The masses are ani­ 20,000, but to make the thing look big- they had and now the workers are coming to us mated by a new ~pirit. It is our duty as turned out the mounted police, so you can of their own accord. Socialists to guide them, but to do so we re­ see that the returned soldiers are getting wise. Johns and Russell got a great ovation when quire a vision rendered strong by its keen fore­ There is going to be a peace parade on Satur­ they appeared at the Trades and Labor Coun­ sight. Thus Socialist theory will become a liv­ day, but not so far as }he workers are con­ cil last Thursday. The workers see that they ing force which will take possession of the cerned. I will let you know about it later. are the only ones to be trusted. The Labor masses." scates and fakers have got themselves in bad Clara Zetkin's closing words were received Yours for the cause, with the masses, so much so good for 11S. with loud and prolonged cheers. WALTER HENDERSON. .Saturday,. August 2nd, 1919. THE REvoLUnONARY AGE 15 Official Left Wing News

WAIL goes forth from the National Office of Now it appears· that the Finnish Federation is no up for common action on SelJtember 1st at Chicago, the SoCialist Party that the membership has longer going to allow itself to be used for purposes ought to instruct their delegates to act with the Na­ ,A withdrawn almost completely its financial of reaction, and the Finnish delegates to the Mas­ tional Left Wing on the basis of the program of the support. For the first· four months of the year, the sachusetts Convention ought to line themselves tip National Left Wing Conference. dues stamps sales exceed $5,000 per month, which with the Left Wing. On the other hand, the groups in meant an average membership of over 100,000. In Massachusetts which have recently separated them­ * • * May the dues sales went down to $3,:l35; June, selves from the Left Wing under spur of the de­ OREGON $2,109; first half of July, $533. ceitful campaign carried on in that State by the secessionists from the Left Wing Conference, Local Portland, Oregon, is looking for a good The Literature Department is practically out of Left Wing organizer and lecturer. The Oregon party business, according to the July report. The "Defense particularly by ComradeStoklitsky among the Rus­ sian members, ought to be ready to realign them­ has about eighteen hundred members, of which more and Organization fund ran for the first five months than one thousand are in Portland. of the. year as follows: $7,309.; $2,868.; $1,095,: selves with the National Left Wing Organization $2,474.; $4,349.; $837; with first half of July, $276. by the time of this Convention. The letter comes to this office from Constance In other words, there is no membership willing Svedsen, Secretary Local Portland, 131 Second St., to entrust funds to the National Office, even for the This is a highly important Convention, and the a:nd says, among other things: .. As to wages, we purposes of legal defense. But this does not mean comrades in Massachusetts who are anxious to see could not· pay more than a living wage at present, that the members will desert the comrades whoBoston. This Convention will instruct the as for "over" (left) that I am only holding on to the delegates from Massachusetts as to their stand at Labor Council, Trades Hall, James Street, present organization by that stub of a finger left Chicago, on August 30th. Winnipeg, Manitoba. from an industrial accident." There is a small Right Wing group in Massachu­ setts, heretofore dependent on the Finnish Federation. r. E. FERGUSON, Nat. Sec'y. Greater· New York News RGANIZERS of all branches contesting the that you can stay hon1e and let the branch take care All Left Wing brancl:tes participating in the primaries should file their petition lists in this of itself means only one thing-stagnation-and that primary election should send in the names of the O office not later than July 28th. must not creep into our movement. We have youth, candidates so their names can be published in the First Bi-Weekly Letter To Enrolled Socialists­ enthusiasm and proletarian ideals on our side-this '·Age." is now ready for distribution to branches. Price per combination is invincible. Make your slogan-All MANHATTAN BRANCH NOTICE: hundred letters 60 cents. power to the Left Wing-and act upon it by be­ Nominations for delegates to National Emergency Lists of enrolled voters can be purchased at this coming active in your branch. Convention should take place in every branch office. The 18-2Oth A. D. will hold an Entertainment and immediately. Each branch is entitled to make twelve • • • Dance on Saturday, August 9th at Socialist Hall, nominations. These should be sent in to this office Branches desiring more petition lists for enrolled 1848 Lexington Ave. The proceeds will go to rebuild and when all the nominations are in, a letter will be SociaHst Voters can procure them in this office. the branch headquarters. raided by the Right Wing. sent to all nominees asking for acceptance or de­ Branch secretaries or' organizers should procure * * * clination and those accepting and otherwise qualify­ new Left Wing application cards and duplicates frolR IMPORTANT NOTICE ing as delegates (three years membershib in the this office as no one will be permitted in to the Due to the tremendous success obtained at the party) will be placed on the ballot and then sent membership meeting on August 3d unless he shows "Left Wing Excursion" to Great Bear Mountains, out for referendum to the various branches. his Left Wing appliclition card and his Socialist last Saturday afternoon, July 12, the 1st and 2nd • * • Party card. Assembly District Branches of the Left Wing Sec­ The 3d, 5th and 10 A. D. will hold a symposium • • • tion of the Socialist Party, decided to run a second debate, MondaY, August 4, at 43 W. 29th St., on All Left Wing New York Branches should elect excursion for the convenience of all those who held "The Limitations and Functi(tIls of Unionism." Its their delegates on the basis of one for every twenty­ tickets for the first excursion and were not able limitations will be presented by Comrades Daniels five members to the new Left Wing N. Y. Central to get on the boat, as· well as for the benefit of and Slater, while Comrades Larkin and Brahdy Committee. their friends. will present its funCtions and uses. Open discussion • • • This second and 'last excursion will be held on to follow. Branch secretaries should send in the place and Saturday afternoon, August 16, 1919. The boat will • • • date of their meetings so they can be published in leave the Pike Street Dock at 2 :30 P. M. sharp. The Left Wing Central Committee of Local Bronx this column regularly. Also reports of activities of Dancing, singing, rowing, swinging and other enter­ was organized on Saturday. July 26, at 1304 South­ the branch. tainments are on the program for this day. Tickets ern Boulevard. The following officers were elected: • • * may be obtained at the following places: 180 Henry Recording Secretary, Abraham Nefsky; Organizer, Emergency Due Stamps and Emergency Party Street, 255 Grand Street, Novy Mil', 113 E. llOth St. Louis A. Baum ; Treasurer, L Glouberman. In Cards are now ready and can be procured at this and at The Revolutionary Age, 43 West 29th Street. addition an Executive Committee of 13 was elected. office. * The Central Committee will meet every 2nd and * • * * • 4th Saturday, at 1304 Southern Boulevard. The Ex­ Special Propaganda Stamps are also ready and General membership meeting of 1st, 2nd and 3d Russian Branches of N. Y. will be held on Friday, ecutive Committee will meet every 1st and 3rd Wed­ the Left Wing comrades should do their best to nesday, at 1258 Boston Road. push the sale of these stamps among the comrades August 1st, at Madison Hall, 1666 Madison Ave. and friends and sympathizers. Every comrade should between llOth and 11th St., at 8 o'clock sharp. * • * carry a book of these stamps with him to the shop I. -- The 1st A. D. will hold a concert and dance on and union meetings and sell them to their comrades. MEMBERSHIP MEETING Saturday Evening, August 2, at the Lettish Hall, . At the same time it gives him an opportunity of 371 Willis Avenue. explaining the Left Wing organization to those Sunday, 1 P. M. August 3. 1919. • * • workers who as yet are in the dark about our move­ MANHATTAN LYCEUM Announcements~th A. D. Brnnx. ment. Friday, August 1st: A debate at the headquarters, • • * 66 East 4th Street, New York 1304 Southern Boulevard, "Is there, room for a Left Push the sale of the Propaganda Stamps-It pro- Ratification of. the National Left Wing Wing movement in the Socialist Party?" Jay Love­ vide's us with funds and offers you the chance of stone affirmative; Maurice Amberg, negative. presenting the Left Wing case to the workers. Conference and election of officers. Admission free. All comrades should get busy in their branches as Admission by Left Wing Application Card Tuesday, August 5th: Regular Branch meeting. the branch activities must not be neglected at this and Socialist Party Card. Business will be suspended and Comrade 1. E. Fer­ important time. Every Left Wing branch must be guson, National Secretary, will sP,eak on "What is made stronger than ever it was in the past., W t' Application Cards can be secured at head­ the Left Wing." ore building for the future-the Communist Party quarters or from Branch secretaries. Wednesday, August 6th: Open air meeting at of AmericI-:--and the Social RI'T'nltltinl1. To think Intervale and Wilkins Aves. 16 ------~HE REVOLUTIONARY AGE SatuJOday,. August 2nd, 1919. Report of the National Left Wing Conference (Conti1tU ed from page 13) is not a real policy. of Communists, we will to repudiate the St. Louis platform, and to Convention, it will be plenty of time to act,· fight, and we will fight very hard, even for a recognize the social patriotic stand of all social and if it is necessary, then to organize the small technical thing. Weare used to it. And patriots in the world. At that time, they de­ Communist Party in America. We can do so, the main power of the Bolsheviki is that they cided by a fake majority of twenty-five against but at this time, we mean to take possession­ fight big things and small things with the nineteen to support the WiTson administration, physical possession of all the party machinery same power and with the same force, and we and to repudiate the S1. LtDuis platform. That that is built up through the sacrifice of the will do that. I thank you, comrades. (Ap­ is the time when the revolutionary comrades rank and file, and we do not propose to leave plause.) in the Jewish movement found it necessary to that intact in the hands of a. few renegades Chairman: There was a convention recently, organize and to test the rank and file of the' that propose to use it for bourgeois purposes comrades, of the Jewish Federation of the Jewish movement, and we found that before to betray the Socialist movement. Socialist Party, in Boston. This convention the Left Wing was organiZed· that the Jewish' was packed by the moderates. They used all comrades in theJ movement were already in I think, briefly stated, that this is the posi­ kinds of parliamentary tricks to strangle the revolt against their federation. And we finally tion of the Socialist Party of Massachusetts, Left Wing delegates there, and the Left Wing decided that when the Jewish convention will and I sincerely hope it will be the position of delegates stayed away, and formed a Feder­ be called, we are certainly going to capture the Left Wing Conference. (Applause,) ation of their own. I have been asked to present the Jewish Federation for' the' revolutionary Mr. Stoklitsky: Comrade Chairman and to you the request of a representative of this Socialist Party-that is, for the Left Wing. Comrades: We have had a very pleasant time new federation-revolutionary federation, to But when we came to the convention we found discussing questions with Comrade Germer. speak on this matter, Comrade Hiltzik. that they had also at this convention a fake There were certain moments when I person­ Mr. Hiltzik: Comrade Chairman and Dele­ majority of social-patriots and opportunists, ally felt that I must leave that office and go gates: I am here to greet this convention in who have been trying to put a Jewish Socialist away from there. Comrade Wagenknecht is the name of the Jewish Left Wing Federation, Federation on record as against the Left Wing. here, and he can illustrate that thing from the just lately organized in Boston. Comrades. When we could not d'o' anything else, we' side of a Comrade who was in the place and I just want to mention a word or two as to split the convention and a great minority, saw how we were treated there. As a matter how our Left Wing has been formed in the about- 40 per cent of the delegates present­ of fact it was not the office of the Socialist Jewish movement. You all know that the only that is we were in the majority. if not for Party, but it was merely a police station, com­ two conservative federations up to date have their fake make-up of a majority-we left the rades. (Laugher.) But we are used to fight, been the Jewish and the Finnish-that is the convention and formed' our own convention. and we did our share. I don't think it is neces­ information that we got here in New York We named our convention the Jewish Left sary for me to explain how it happened. You from the Socialist Party. We began a revoltt­ \"'ing Federation of the Socialist Party. We know all about it. I am sure that out federat­ tion in the Jewish Federation as early as May also decided at that convention that we go on ions- they will stay together as federated fe­ 1918. It was at the time when the Jewish record as joining the Left Wing-supporting, derations, with the Left Wing of the Socialist machine-the machine of the Jewish Feder­ the Left Wing morally and financially. We Party, if the Left Wing of the Socialist Party ation organized an effort to turn the Jewish elected our officials, and the only thing we qre will prove that they are real Bolsheviki. Federation into a campaign of social-patriot­ waiting for now is for the establishment of (Hearty applause.) But, comrades, if there ism, and they called for that purpose a Nation-' a Communist Party, and' at that time we are will be any question, and we will see that there al conference here in N ew York last May, going to join the Communist Party,

Die and Tool Makers' Lodge No. 113 Gentlemen:- Chicago, Ill., July 18, 1919 Kindly send us one hundred (100) copies of your weekly, until further notice, C. O. D. Machinists Society; 113 S. Ashland Ave. Also let us have information as to best discounts in bundles of 50, 500, also infor­ mation about return privileges. Yours truly, Machinist Society By A. J. Predit. pear Comrade: Denever, Colo. '~, Enclosed please find check for $25.00 as a contribution to the Left Wing section ofilhe Socialist Party from Local Denver. As soon as we are in a position' we shall try to send more. Harry Intemann, Fin. Sec'y. Dear Mr. Ferguson: Philadelphia, Pa. Enclosed please find check for $5.00 for the National Council. Please credit this to the Philadelphia allotment. I do not belong as yet to the local branch and therefore it is immaterial through what channel my contribution reaches the fund. H. Golden, M. D. Comrades of the Left Wing-history calls to YOU! The Natiollal Left Wing needs $15,000 for its immediate work. We must prepare to bring together at Chicago August 30th, a truly represen..tative Left Wing delegation from eyery State in the Union. I. E. Ferguson, Secretary, N atiorial Council 43 West 29th Street, New York City.