20¢ MAY 1944

t "j

MAY DAY FOR VICTORY LOUIS F. BUOENZ • I I(

TRENDS IN' THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES I AQAM LAPIN • THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM N. SPARKS • THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS I• HENRY P. HUFF • CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAl HANS BERGER • ENEMIES OF TEHERAN BOB THOMPSON New Books on the Soviet Union

VLADIMIR LENIN A Political Biography Prepared by the Marx-Engels-Lenin Institute of the U.S.S.R., this new definitive study of the founder and leader of the Soviet Union constitutes in many essential respects a history of the so­ cialist revolutiol) of 1917 which gave' birth to the mighty Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and an exposition of Lenin's social, economic and politico! theories which guided it to power. Price $1.90 The Red Army By Prof. I. Minz The history end organization of the Red Army and a record of it> ochievements from its foundation up to the epic victory at Stalingrodo ' Price $1.25 Soviet Economy ancf the War By Maurice Dobb A factual record of economic developments during the lost few , years with speciol reference to thelr bearing on fhe Soviet war potential. ' Paper $.25: Cloth $1.00 Soviet Planning and Labor in Peace and War 'By Maurice Dobb Economic planning, the financial sysfem, work, woges, the economic effech of the wor, ond other special aspects of the Soviet economic system prior to end during the wor. Paper $.35; Cloth $1.00 The Secret of Soviet Strength By Hewlett Johnson, Dean of Canterbury The sources end challenge of Soviat economic, political and military might, described by the outhor of the best-selling bQok, The Soviet P9wer. I Paper $.35; Cloth $1.50 • WORKERS LIBRARY PUBLISHERS P. 0. Box 148, Station D (832 Broadway), New York 3, N.Y. VOL. XXJII, NO. 5 MAY, 1944 THE COMMUNIST

A MAC.AZINE OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXISM-LENINISM EDITOR: EARL BROWDER

CONTENTS

May Day for Victory and the Teheran Goal Louis F. Budenz 387

Trends in the Two Major Parties Adam Lapin 397

International Monopolies and the War K. Hofman 410

The Two-Party System N. Sparks. 415

Enemies of Teheran Bob Thompson 42~

Concerning a Charge of Betrayal Hans Berger • 431

The Maryland-District of Columbia En­ lightenment Campaign . Doxey A. Wilkerson 440

The Seattle Municipal Elections Henry P. Huff 450 Issues and Tasks in the Primary Elections 457

Hungary's Occupation by Hitler E. Gavrilov 461 Where Is Finland Going-Toward Peace or Catastrophe? 465 Historic Documents 469

Entered as second class matter November 2; 1927, at thie Post Office at New York, N. Y., under the Act of March 3, 1879. THE COMMUNIST iB published Monthly by Workers Libra7'11 Publishers, Inc., 4t 832 Broadway~ New York ·3, N. Y. (mail addresa, P. 0. Box 14B, Station D), to whom aubscriptions, payments and correapondence ahould be sent. Subscription . rate: $2.00 4 year; $1.00 form months; foreign and Canada, $2.50 II 1/Car. Single copies 20 ceuts.

PRIN"'''!D IN THB U.a..&; PAMPHLETS ON TH~ WAR

Communists and National Unity, by Earl Browder .63

The Negro People and the Communfsts, by Doxey A. Wil- ~~n m Labor Faces '44's Challenge, by Joseph North .02

Teheran and America, by Earl Browder .05

Moscow, Cairo, Teheran, by Earl Browder .05

Farmers in 1944, by Charles J. Coe .10

Soviet Trade Unions and AHied Labor Unity, by Wi'lliam Z. Foster . .05

A Talk About the Communist Party, by Earl Browder .03 Jewish Unity For Victory, by Alexander Bittelman .1 0

The Path Dimitroff Charted, by V. J. Jerome .05

We Will Join Hands With Russia on Polish-Soviet Relations .05

The 16 Soviet Republics: Molotov's Speech to the Supreme Soviet .03

The War of National Liberation, by Joseph Stalin, in two parts . Each .15

George Dimitroff, with an introduction by Earl Browder .10 •

WORKERS LIBRARY PUBLISHERS P. 0. Box 148, Station D (832 Broadway), New York 3, N.Y. MAY DAY FOR VICTORY AND THE TEHERAN GOAL

BY LOUIS F. BUDENZ

TN A WORLD much changed since the triumph of the pledges and the J. that which gave birth to the first program of Teheran, with its prom­ May Day, the workers' holiday in ise of peace for several generations. 1944 stirs labor everywhere anew to It is fifty-five years since the First visions of anti·Nazi victory. Congress of the Second Internation· The responsibilities placed upon al adopted a resolution, as proposed the working people in this globe- by Paul Lafargue, to celebrate May encircling war of national liberation 1 annually as the workers' holiday. are different in degree and form It was a day to review the forces from those which faced the workers of the international working class. on that first May Day six decades It grew out of the understanding ago. Underlying both periods, and and initiative of the most advanced through the intervening years, there section of the workers' movements, have been nonetheless the same which included in the forefront broad and basic objectives in each those who marched under the ban­ succeeding May Day. This holiday· ner of the .fight for Socialism. has been dedicated to that solidarity The resolution which brought this of the labor movement internation· holiday into being, as presented by ally which would produce the maxi· one of the outstanding disciples of mum victories over the enemies of Marx and Engels and adopted by the peoples, and it has had ever as the Congress of the Second Inter­ its goal the establishment of an en· national in 1889, called for a great· during peace. international demonstration on this Such objectives-the great goals day. The first theme of the demon­ of May Day-are expressed today stration was to be the eight-hour amid the thunder of battle and the day, that center of struggle which hopes of mankind, in the new moves led to the development of our first for closer cooperation among the permanent American trade union American, British and Soviet trade movement. union organizations for the wiping Three years before the Lafargue out of Hitlerism. They are likewise resolution, May Day had rocketed brought into life through the strug' across the horizon as a militant day gle in our country ·and elsewhere for of international labor solidarity in 387 383 MAY DAY FOR VICTORY the big mass movement of the Amer­ of all human freedom. For they have ican workers for that eight-hour-day furnished one large occasion for demand. May 4, 1888, will ever be strengthening the sinews of the la­ remembered in the annals of human bor movements everywhere and in freedom as the time of tbe Haymar­ giving those movements better polit­ ket frame-up and massacre. It will ical perception. These developments also long be recalled that the then in turn have made these movements youthful American Federation of strong enough and alert enough, in Labor, deeply stirred by the battle humanity's present gigantic crisis, for the eight-hour day and by the to turn out the production and help terror represented by Haymarket, carry on the war which has seared made a decision in 1888 that May 1 and will destroy Hitler. be a day of militant workers' dem­ onstrations. The French Trade Union * * * Congress followed with a similar In the United States, for instance, resolution, thus opening the way for the. existence of a strong labor move­ the decision reached through the act ment has been a major factor in the initiated by Lafargue. record-breaking aircraft production It was with an eagerness justified that has distinguished the American by subsequent history that Freder­ war effort. On April 2 Charles E. ick Engels waited for the first inter­ Wilson, chairman of the Aircraft national celebration of May Day in Production Board, could announce 1890. "I am looking forward to May with some pride that America had 1 with great impatience," he wrote reached an all-time monthly record his friend Sorge. And on that day of 9,118 planes in March. It is the itself he hailed the unity which it American trade union personnel of signalized, in so many communities 12,000,000 members that has done so and so many lands. much to bring about the condition Although widespread provocations that Donald M. Nelson, chairman of and military precautions were taken the War Production Board, could re­ by the reactionaries in country after fer to on Jan. 24. Then he said that country, tbe first international cele­ "the nation has definitely solved the bration of May Day brought out major problems involved in mass thousands of working people in production of munitions," and has many different nations. In Britain been able to arm its own millions of and Germany, Belgium and France, men and devote considerable lend­ Sweden and Norway, Italy and lease to the armies of its Allies. Spain, Austria and Russia, the work­ The intelligent, cooperative, vig­ ers downed their tools and marched orous trade unions were strong in the big demonstrations. enough to stimulate their members Called in ·the name of labor and to achievements of this character; for the furtherance of labor's aims, they have sprung up, let us remem­ these mighty mass parades and ber, out of the struggles of the past, meetings have contributed in the to which May Day gave fire and long run of history to the progress energy. More than production had, MAY DAY FOR VICTORY 389 of course, been involved. The trade were and are in those armed forces. unions have been the dynamic cen­ Other millions, women and children ters in all communities for spurring included, were and are behind the the offensive spirit, pushing the sale lines-doing better in their miracu­ of war bonds, arousing the people to lous production effort because they the menace of the fifth column and had the inspiration of their trade welding the solidarity of the com­ unions as well as their Socialist munity back of price control and fatherland. Such is a trade union the whole war effort. movement with which all brave and One of the mighty towers of progressive labor men and women strength to the Soviet Union has might feel proud to cooperate and been its powerful, democratic trade to call friends and allies. This trade unions. Twenty-six million members union movement is the highest prod­ are in their ranks and they have uct of the slogans and struggles cen­ been a tremendous source of that tered around the May Days of the moving of mountains that has distin­ past. guished the Soviet war effort. The The Communists, direct heirs of unions have long understood some May Day, are a boon to the fighting of the grave responsi!bilities which free peoples at this hour of fi,ery were laid upon labor's shoulders in ordeal. Out of their long under­ all free nations in this anti-Hitler standing of the nature of the enemy war. Theirs has been the task of of labor and the people, the. Commu­ raising the cultural and technical nists h'ave contributed immensely to level of the millions of workers in the effectiveness of the battle the U.S.S.R., by which they blazed against fascist savagery. the trail for the huge productivity of Their work, too, is. coming to be the war period. recognized among the free peoples. The success of the Soviet trade In Yugoslavia, it is a Communist unions in reorganizing their work Tito who is in charge of that na­ along wartime lines is indicated by tion's defense forces in the war for Marshal Joseph Stalin's Order of the liberation. In the French Committee Day of May Day, 1942: "The front for National Liberation Communists and rear of the country are united have been given posts of major re­ in a single fighting camp, firing at sponsibility, specifically because of the same target. . . . The Soviet peo­ the urgings of the fighters of the ple in the rear supply our front with Underground. In Italy their aid to constantly growing quantities of national unity becomes more mani­ rifles and machine guns, trench mor­ fest every day, under the leadership tars and guns, . tanks and aircraft, of Palmiro Togliatti (Ercoli), their food and ammunition." noted representative. In our own The sweep of the Red Army from country, the Communist movement Stalingrad to Jassy and from Mos­ has been of vital value in emphasi!z­ cow to Tatar Pass has been likewise ing full backing to the Commander" the sweep of the Soviet labor move· in-Chief, in insisting upon the keep­ ment, millions of whose members ing of the no-strike pledge, in point- 390 MAY DAY FOR VICTORY ing, through the report of its leader, of the enemy requires a difference . Earl Browder, to the urgency of in the character of the struggle for complete national unity against the freedom compared to forty or sixty defeatist forces of chaos and catas­ years ago. It lays upon labor on May trophe. Day the grave responsibility to pro­ All anti-fascist forces in the free duce to the maximum as its means to nations, no matter what class they struggle; to weld stronger the win­ may belong to, have benefited by the"war alliance with all groups who the parades and pledges of the suc­ seek to smash Hitler, as the road to cessive May Days. For these observ­ its own salvation. ances of the workers' holiday have In the framework of this current strengthened the labor backbone of battle, May Day has a message of the nations fighting this war of lib­ vital value to give the laboring peo­ eration against Hitlerism-the pow­ ple of the world. International trade erful labor movements particularly union unity, which has been written of such mighty members of the high on the banners of May Day for United Nations as Great Britain, the many years, becomes of imperative Soviet Union and the United States. urgency in the present great his­ The members of these labor move­ torical moment. With the great of­ ments look upon a much different fensive against Hitler so ne·ar at scene and to a much different strug­ hand, with the promise of victory so gle from that which greeted the vividly real, with the possibilities martyrs of Haymarket or the march­ for a long-term peace so much en­ ers in many of the ensuing May Day hanced by Teheran, the closely­ parades. Fifty-five years ago the in­ welded solidarity of the labor move­ fant labor movements were viewing ments of the United Nations could the dawn and early development of go far to make all these aspirations the imperialist era; they were en­ speedy realities. gaging in those forms of struggle If labor will work cooperatively which would build up and extend across national boundaries--particu­ the workers' organized strength to larly the trade union movements of meet that period. Great Britain, the Soviet Union and Now the workers allied with other the United States- then will the groups and classes in the free na­ alliance of these mighty anti-Nazi tions are locked in a death grapple powers be put on ever firmer and with the most monstrous of imperial­ more permanent foundations. Then, isms, Nazi-fascism. This hideous re­ also, will it become easier to rout gime of open and depraved force the continued connivings of the de­ aims to enslave the entire world, to featists against the Second Front put in chains the large and small and against that international coop­ countries alike, to reduce to one eration for peace laid down at Te­ slave mass all the nations of the heran. earth. It is this characteristic which The working people of every belongs uniquely to Hitlerism and country in the United Nations have its Axis allies. The very character a distinct "vested interest" in pro- MAY DAY FOR VICTORY 391 curing a speedy victory. They are Hutcheson, has decided not to par­ not like those speculators in stocks ticipate in this congress. The council · who are stricken with fear when members have rung all the rounds news of a possible big Allied offen­ of Red-baiting and bearing of false sive or of the nearer approach of witness against the Soviet trade Hitler's fall is indicated. More ex­ unions in their backward attitude in tensive international cooperation, to this matter. "Ominous" was the hasten victory over Nazism, is there­ word which the British liberal week­ fore a matter of major concern to ly, The Manchester Guardian, used the trade union movements of the to characterize the refusal by the free nations. Boston convention of the A. F. of L. The labor movement of every to participate in close cooperation country, and specifically of our with the Soviet and British trade United States, is likewise the nerve unions. It was a correct designation. center of complete, pulsating, trium­ For such an act definitely retarded phant national unity. H is that force the war effort of the United Nations. in the community which can peer It perpetuated in the labor movement more sharply through any clouds of that chosen device out of the arsenal confusion which the enemy or his of Hitlerism, the Communist bogey. agents may seek to create. Labor is It has given impetus to other reac­ that portion of the general popula­ tionary moves 'by the executive tion which can proceed with more council, as witness the dog-in-the­ clear-headedness and determina­ manger act against the C.I.O. in the tion to the gaining of all-out victory. case of the International Labor Of­ By its working together with the fice meeting, the endorsement of the trade union movements of our witch-hunter Martin Dies and the mighty Allies, the American labor defeatist Gerald Nye by William movement then contributes to a Green and the A. F. of L. president's closer welding of the bonds of friend­ letter against political cooperation ship and permanent cooperation with the C.I.O. The Dies endorse­ with the Anglo-Soviet-American coa­ ment was too much for the local lition and all the United Nations. affiliate of the A. F. of L. in Dies' Literally by such an act it leads the district to stomach, and it was re­ people of our nation nearer to full­ pudiated by that organization. fledged international cooperation. Appreciation of the dangerous character of the A. F. of L. stand * * * against international labor unity has All these reasons have combined begun to be expressed by note­ to attract the eyes of free peoples to worthy figures and sections of that the World Labor Congress which federation. This is an indication that will open in London next month. the fight for international coopera­ The American Federation of Labor tion is not at all ended within the executive council, still under the A. F. of L., but has r-ather just be­ evil influence of the Republican de­ gun. The strong Ohio Federation of featists Matthew Woll and William Labor, represented by 450 delegates

those those of of the the United United Nations. Nations. The The for for the the world world unless unless labor labor acted. acted.

unions unions of of neutral neutral ed ed lands lands as as well well as as stood stood the the blood-bath blood-bath that that was was in in store store

countries. countries. The The invitation invitation has has includ­ trade trade unions, unions, which which keenly keenly under­

labor labor movements movements of of thirty-seven thirty-seven voiced voiced in in particular particular by by the the Soviet Soviet

gress, gress, has has sent sent out out invitations invitations to to the the ing ing labor labor and and the the world. world. It It was was

pressed pressed at at the the Southport Southport T.U.C T.U.C .. .. con­ accelerated accelerated by by the the danger danger confront­

strong strong sentiment sentiment for for such such action action ex­ Hitler Hitler to to power, power, this this desire desire became became

Union Union Congress, Congress, as as a a result result of of the the organization organization itself. itself. With With the the rise rise of of

General General Council Council of of the the Trades Trades rious rious countries countries are are as as old old as as labor labor

the the British British capital capital in in June. June. The The among among the the labor labor movements movements of of va­

labor labor assembly assembly will will be be convened convened in in about about international international cooperation cooperation

Trades Trades Union Union Congress, Congress, the the world world don. don. The The desire desire and and effort effort to to bring bring

Citrine, Citrine, Secretary Secretary of of the the British British represented represented in in this this congress congress in in Lon­

machinations machinations with with Sir Sir Walter Walter tion tion of of what what a a golden golden moment moment is is

unity unity and and all all the the accompanying accompanying war war world world furnishes furnishes further further realiza­

persistent persistent attempts attempts to to prevent prevent this this international international labor labor unity unity in in the the pre­

Despite Despite the the executive executive council's council's The The history history of of the the struggle struggle for for

anti-Nazi anti-Nazi victory. victory.

• •

• • • •

tribution tribution on on a a large large scale scale toward toward

the the free free nations. nations. That That will will be be a a con­ sures sures which which will will fully fully assure assure it. it.

in in international international and and stand stand cooperation cooperation strongly strongly among among for for those those mea­

tees tees of of America's America's the the C.I.O., C.I.O., full full will will participation participation have have to to look look keenly keenly

A. A. F. F. of of L., L., as as one one of of the the big big guaran­ bor bor movement, movement, for for the the United United States States

ternational ternational labor labor unity unity within within the the that that every every participating participating national national la­

continue continue . . waging waging urgently urgently the the on on the the battle battle order order for for of of in­ the the day day and and

can can well well be be say say the the again again determination determination that that international international to to unity unity is is

among among the the Soviet Soviet workers workers labor. labor. on on this this Such Such May May incidents incidents Day Day merely merely

One One of of the the the the pledges pledges representatives representatives and and resolves resolves of of American American and and

similar similar declarations declarations preparations preparations of of for for late. late. the the June June Congress Congress

hangers hangers and and Decorators Decorators have have made made stance, stance, to to avoid avoid bringing bringing into into the the

the the Brotherhood Brotherhood British British of of T.U.C. T.U.C. Painters, Painters, leadership, leadership, Paper­ for for in­

Workers Workers International International the the part part of of a a Alliance Alliance certain certain and and section section of of the the

Leaders Leaders has has the the been been Hotel Hotel an an and and apparent apparent Restaurant Restaurant disposition disposition on on of of

toward toward the the ternational ternational SOviet SOviet trade trade labor labor cooperation. cooperation. unions. unions. There There

which which arise arise in in connection connection tion tion of of with with the the A. A. in­ F. F. of of L.'s L.'s position position

that that there there of of should should course, course, be be a a solve solve re-examina­ all all the the problems problems

before before this this The The Ohio Ohio mere mere action action act act was was of of meeting meeting taken, taken, does does not, not,

council, council, had had of of its its declared declared leading leading officers. officers. a a few few days days

Teamsters, Teamsters, tions tions who who will will is is a a ·member ·member represented represented of of the the by by twelve twelve be be

the the International International the the Congress Congress Brotherhood Brotherhood of of Industrial Industrial of of Organiza­

ference. ference. President President be be present. present. Daniel Daniel For For the the Tobin Tobin United United of of States, States,

send send delegates delegates Soviet Soviet to to trade trade the the London London union union committee, committee, con­ will will

council council to to expansion expansion reconsider reconsider of of its its the the refusal refusal successful successful to to Ang'lo­

March, March, taken taken called called the the upon upon initiative initiative the the executive executive in in urging urging an an

at at a a meeting meeting Soviet Soviet in in Columbus Columbus trade trade unions, unions, in in early early which which have have

MAY MAY 392 392 DAY DAY EOR EOR VICTORY VICTORY MAY DAY FOR VICTORY 393 How different indeed would have Then it was, after debate and been the course of history had in­ pressure from many quarters, that ternational solidarity been attained the Congress finally decided "in at the conference of the Internation­ view of the serious nature of the al Federation of Trade Unions, international, situation" to ask all which took place in 1936 in that labor movements throughout the very London where now the world world to join hands. While this was congress is to meet. Madrid was what all labor wanted, in this case about to make its historic defense it was obviously a diversion by and thereby signal to labor every­ the Social-Democratic leaders of a where the urgency of a united stand number of national labor move­ against the Axis aggressors. The ments to block the fusion with machinations of the Hitlerites in the the Soviet trade unions by put­ Sudetenland were already throwing ting forward a bigger agenda and the shadows of the destruction .of one much more difficult to attain Czechoslovakia over the world scene. quickly at that tilpe. It was a crude So pressing had world events be· attempt at creating an alibi for no come that one week after the con­ unity by seeming to want inclusion clusion of this Seventh Triennial also of the American labor move­ Congress of the I.F.T.U., Franco's ment. It was thus a bald maneuver fascist insurrection was to rear its on the part of certain Social-Demo­ bloody head in Spain. The congress cratic connivers to bring forward the which met from July 6 to 11 took A. F. of L. officialdom's opposition to place with trade union unity al­ cooperation with the Soviet trade ready on the march. In France and unions. For Matthew Woll was as Spain the trade unions had united, busily at work then on behalf of after their previous division. blocking international labor unity as But the anti-Soviet Social-Demo­ he is today. crats of the Friedrich Stampfer­ How well it can be seen today that David Dubinsky type, particularly unity at London in 1936 would have represented by Sir Walter Citrine, helped to hem Hitler in, would have resorted to every trick at their com­ given a firm foundation to the Peo­ mand to block unity. This was not ple's Front movements developing new for them; it was tragic for the against the fascist war danger! It labor movement of the world. would have saved Spain and have Scarcely had the meeting opened prevented the ravages of war which when the Nor.wegian unions pro­ the fascist gangsters brought down posed a motion to open negotiations upon the world. with the Soviet trade unions, looking The Hitler - Mussolini aggressors to their entl"-J at that time into the went on to sharpen their Damocles I.F.T.U. The vote on that was 32 to sword which they .held with a thin! 32, but Sir Walter Citrine, in the ning thread over the heads of Euro­ chair, declared the motion to refer pean labor. Through the farce of the whole matter to a commission "non-intervention," Spain was being ''not carried." slowly choked to death. The urgency 394 MAY DAY FOR VICTORY for unity beeame so clear that the morale in Britain, that its expansion committee set up by the I.F.T.U. to into a wider united agency was pro­ treat with the Soviet trade unions posed. Certainly, this committee has came to what was said to be an made a deep impress on the rela· agreement. That was in Nov., 1937. tions between the British and Soviet But the anti..Soviet Social-Democrats peoples and has effected indirectly (the little brothers of the Munich­ a better relationship among these eers) swung again into action people and the American workers. against unity. At the I.F.T.U. Gen­ In preparing the way for the eral Council meeting at Oslo in achievements of Cairo, Moscow and 1938, it was decided by a vote of 16 Teheran, the unity of the British to 4 to break off negotiations with and Soviet trade unions has had its the Soviet trade unions. Within two due share. years thereafter Hitler's troops were tramping through the streets of the • • * city in which the I.F.T.U. leaders On this May Day we can recall had rejected unity. the united front appeal from Spain How much could unity still have to "the working class of the world" achieved the following year, fateful of that last May Day in Madrid six 1939, at the Eighth Congress of the years ago. Said the Spanish trade I.F.T.U. at Zurich! By then the unions then: "This First of May is British trade unions had been marked by the desire to preserve, art alarmed to the extent of standing no matter what price, elementary solidly for unity. Along with the liberties conquered at the cost of Norwegians, they were the pro­ blood ·and which we are forced to ponents of the resolution favoring repurchase in the currency of blood. speedy negotiations with the Soviet Formerly the First of May was ex­ trade unions. Through the machina· pressed in rights to be demanded­ tions of such shady characters as now, while the war lasts, it is con­ Mertens of Belgium, who had con­ verted into the indication of duties nived against unity from the start, which demand fulfillment. For the the motion was defeated by 46 to soldiers of the people we have 37. Within two months, guns and one watchword: to fight. For the bombs were shaking European earth workers in the rear its equivalent: again, Warsaw was under attack, to work.... " (Manifesto of Social­ Britain and .. Germany were at war ist and Communist Parties in Spain and the first phase of the new world and the Spanish Trade Union Fed­ conflict had opened up. eration, 1938.) It was in the fiery test of the peo­ The f·ulfillment of our duty con­ ples' war for liberation that unity sists in nothing more urgent than began to be first . achieved through the forwarding of solidarity and co­ the Anglo-Soviet Trade Union Com­ operation among the trade union mittee. So we'll did it function and movements of the United Nations. so great was its acknowledged value That entails the pushing forward in in stepping up production and other A. F. of L. affiliates of the MAY DAY FOR VICTORY 395 patriotic insistence of the Ohio State ,fue challenge represented by this Federation of Labor for cooperation shadow over America's political fu­ with the World Labor Congress. It ture. Its activity is being speeded up involves the forwarding in every everywhere. The victory for the local union, whatever its affiliation, Committee for a United Labor Party of an understanding of the necessity in New York goes in the same direc­ for making international labor rela­ tion, and the announcement by such tionships a complete and unqualified an outstanding leader in the Amer­ success. ican Federation of Labor as Daniel American labor's duty and that of J. Tobin of the Brotherhood of the people as a whole is bound up, Teamsters of his all-out backing for too, in the mammoth national con· the fourth term is a barometer of test centered around the Presiden­ the sweep within labor ranks to the tial ~lection. The fate of the war, as President's banner. well as the pattern Qf the peace, is The real campaign which Tobin involved in its outcome. It is the has promised to wage for the fourth triumph of the Teheran agreement term, as indicated by the dedication that is at issue with the promise of of the entire April issue of his enduring peace, over against the union's official journal to that sub­ disaster which Earl Browder has ject, is also a throwing down of the said "is the only alternative to Te­ gauntlet to the defeatists Matthew heran." Woll and William Hutcheson. In Events of the last .few weeks have coming out four-square for Roose­ brought out in bold relief that the velt, President Tobin has also felt drafting of President Roosevelt for impelled to stress more strongly his the fourth term is not a matter of friendship for the Soviet trade bargaining or quibbling an the part unions and our powerful Soviet ally of labor and the people's organiza­ and to emphasize the need for in­ tions. It is a solemn obligation that ternational trade union unity. labor and the people appeal to the These issues all are intertwined. President in the most emphatic They are all parts of the grand strat­ terms to run again for the Presi­ egy centered around the President, dency. The Republican Party has which stands for a vigorous offen­ demonstrated that it is hopelessly sive in the war and the firm building dominated at present by the Hoover­ of the Anglo-Soviet-American coali­ Spangler coterie of Rightist reaction tion as the foundation for the peace. and defeatism. These are the leaders In dedicating our 1944 work on of the America First-imperialist this May Day to these aims, we can clique who are set upon a reaction­ be guided by the pertinent words of ary course for the United States Earl Browder in his report of Jan. 7, both in the war and the post-war 1944. "Our course is not easy and it world. will require political struggles," said ' On May Day it is encouraging to he at that time, "but these must be record that the C.I.O. Political Ac­ struggles for unity in the nation, tion Committee has begun to rise to not struggles which will break that I 396 MAY DAY FOR VICTORY unity; struggles against the enemies has become imperative in the new for which we will have to find ever and higher phase of the war for the new means and forms; of unity and destruction of Hitlerism and for the for uniting everyone who recognizes, building of a stable post-war world. even indistinctly but enough to take By expanding city and state cooper­ the first steps; the need for going ation, American labor will go for­ along the road of the Teheran Con­ ward to national and international ference."* solidarity, and it will be the better To make itself the dynamo for the able to weld the overwhelming pa­ doing of these things within the na­ triotic majority of the population tion and on the world scene, Amer­ who are working for the winning of ican labor has to pool its own full victory. From out of the serried strength. Working-class solidari-ty on ranks of the millions of May Day a national and international scale marchers through the past years of struggle comes the full-throated cry to us now: "Onward in Unity to Vic­ *Earl Browd€f", Teheran cmd Americ4, Work~ ors Library Publishers, p. 4 7. tory!"

NOTE The concluding installment of the article "The Communist Van­ guard," by V. J. Jerome, the first part of which< was pt£blished in the April issue, will appear in the June issue. TRENDS IN THE TWO l\1AJOR PARTIES

BY ADAM LAPIN

HE historic 1944 election cam­ 1944. elections, are in fact "coalitions Tpaign has not yet formally been of many groups which in most coun­ launched. But in actual fact it has tries would be separate parties." But been under way for some time. Im­ under the impaot of the Teheran portant preliminary battles have al­ conference, of the sharp legislative ready been fought. Wendell Willkie, struggles in Congress and of the ap­ the one Republican Presidential as­ proaching Presidential election, the pirant who did not stand for Hoover­ leading circles of both these amor­ ism, has withdrawn from the race phous political groupings have tend­ after his crushing defeat in Wiscon­ ed in recent weeks to solidify. sin. The Administration victory in The Republican Party has become the important Oklahoma by-election increasingly the vehicle of the forces has shattered the myth of an invin· which oppose the perspectives of cible Republican tide. peace and international cooperation Organized labor has begun to play held out by Teheran, the forces of an increasingly important role in the downright defeatism. Defeatists like election struggle. The C.I.O. Political Senator Robert Taft of Ohio and Action Committee led by Sidney Herbert Hoover, who has had such Hillman has emerged as a decisive long experience in leading the na­ factor in developing the unity of the tion into economic disaster and anti­ Roosevelt forces. Daniel J. Tobin of Soviet adventures, have strength­ the teamsters union has come for­ ened their grip on the machinery of ward as the leading supporter of the Republican Party. They have President Roosevelt in the A. F. of been able to stop Willkie. They have L. And the Woll-Hutcheson group been able to make Hoover's protege, in the A. F. of L., frightened at the Governor Thomas Dewey of New prospect of unity behind the Presi­ York, the leading Republican candi­ dent and win-the-war candidates for date. • Congress, has intensified its efforts This has created a measure of to thwart unitep labor action in the unity in the official leadership of the political campaign. Republican Party. But it has also Earl Browder has pointed out that created new possibilities for winning the Democratic and Republican Par- millions of Republican voters for a ties, the principal organized expres- different kind of unity, for unity be­ sions of the contending forces in the hind the President in the November 397 398 TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES election. These possibilities are en­ for olir going to war when we did hanced by the actual unity which was to avoid a war in the future. has begun to develop in the Demo­ Certainly there may be some justifi· cratic Party under the leadership of cation for"joining a league of nations President Roosevelt. and for engaging in a small war to The April 2 meeting of the Demo· prevent a larger war; but there can cratic National Committee was be no logical justification for engag­ unanimous in urging the President ing in an all-out war such as the to seek re-election and in endorsing present war in order to avoid an­ his record. The votes in Congress on other all-out war.... We were told subsidies and the soldier vote issue that if we did not do so we would showed more cohesion in the Demo­ have to set up an Army· and a Navy cratic Party, more support for the which would drain the resources of President than had been evident for the United States. Mr. President; we some time. Senator Barkley's revolt could have set up an Army and a on the tax issue emphasized the dif­ Navy and could have paid for them fuseness and the loosely knit char­ for fifty years without involving the acter of the Democratic Party. But expense that one all-out war is cost­ it did not reverse the fundamental ing in two years the people of the trend. It was Barkley who made an United States." ardent plea for support of the Presi­ Taft sharply attacked the notion dent's policies in the Oklahoma by­ that the Moscow Declaration closed election. the door on a negotiated peace. He insisted that this is not "binding on * * * the United States of America be­ The frankest statement of under· cause after all we have the right to lying Republican policy came after declare war. Only the Congress can the Moscow conference from Sena­ make a peace. Certainly only Con­ tor Taft, who is now in name as well gress can say that we will not under as in fact his party's leader in the any circumstances make peace ex­ Senate. Taft conceded that tbere cept with the consent of other na­ might have been some excuse for tions." going to war against Japan; he had Most Republican Lincoln Day ora­ apparently heard of Pearl Harbor. tors were not quite so frank. They But he insisted that "the question of did not .explicitly renounce the war whether our entrance into the war or call for a negotiated peace. They with Germany was justified seems to simply failed to discuss the proDlems me to be a debatable one." As a of winning the war and of achieving matter of fact, Taft fiatly took the lasting peace by cooperation be­ position that it was not justified. tween the United Nations. They sim- • On the basis of his premise that ply substituted for the great war in the United States would not have which the nation is engaged a war been attacked and could have de­ of their own, a war against the fended itself if it were attacked, President and his policies. Governor Taft said that "then the only reason Tom Dewey of New York, described TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 399 89 aptly by Senator Claude Pepper and that every local Republican poll· of Florida as the "coy candidate" tician is a miniature Herbert Hoover. who "came out against isolationism There are, of course, millions of pa­ only when it was ridiculous any triotic Americans who vote Repub­ longer to embrace it," drew a dis· lican. There are many •Republicans torted parallel with the war in Lin· in Congress, even though they have coin's day. It was not the war not been sufficiently articulate and against Hitlerism and fascism which aggressive, who sincerely want to is the twentieth · century equivalent win the war. But it would be accu· of the Civil War. Not at all. The rate to say that the Hoover-Taft great crisis today in Dewey's opinion group has been able to manipulate is the centralization of authority in the narrow partisanship which is all the Federal government and the '1ab· too prevalent in the Republican dication" of power by the states. Party. It would be accurate to say Perhaps the closest equivalent to that Republican policy is made by Taft's statement of policy, and all the Bob Tafts and the Ham Fishes the more significant because it and, of course, by Hoover, and that comes from a routine Republican the complexion of the Republican politician who is in no sense a Party leadership is predominantly policy-maker and who reflects what anti-Teheran, anti-United Nations, so many of his colleagues in Con· and defeatist. gress are thinking, was made by It is this group which has com· Senator Raymond Willis of. Indiana. pletely taken over' the nine - man Contrasting, unfavorably, of Republican steering committee in course, Roosevelt's record with that the Senate. Taft is now the chair­ of Lincoln, Willis said: "All the man of the steering committee strange schemes which the crackpots which will make policy on all major and theorists could cook up were issues for the Republicans in the foisted upon the people.... Now we Senate. Senator Arthur Vandenberg find ourselves not only confused and of Michigan, a faithful follower of confounded with the problems here Hoover policies, is chairman of the at home, but with a war on every Republican caucus and a member of sea and on fifty fronts. So far have the steering committee. Curley we drifted from the pattern of the Brooks of Illinois, the Chicago Trib· government which our fathers laid une's mouthpiece, is .a member of down for us, and which Abraham the steering committee. And so is Lincoln saved for us, that there is Senator Harlan Bushfield of South a well-founded doubt we can ever Dakota, who was elected with sub­ take it up again." For Senator Willis stantial contributions of du Pont the war is apparently just another money in 1942. Senator Wallace "crackpot" New Deal fancy. White of Maine, the Republican It would be an oversimplification floor leader, is not a defeatist, but to say that every Republican Con· he has been all too pliable in the gressman is a Ham Fish, that every hands of Taft and Vandenberg. Care­ Republican Senator is a Bob Taft, fully kept oft the steering commit·

Republicans Republicans The The voted voted votes votes for for for for these these subsidies. subsidies. amendments amendments rep-

most most unbroken unbroken over over its its lines. lines. functions functions Only Only to to nineteen nineteen the the Red Red Cross. Cross.

House House Republicans Republicans a a United United Nations Nations maintained maintained agency agency al­ and and turn turn

eliminate eliminate U.N.R.R.A. U.N.R.R.A. discarded. discarded. completely completely as as

such such as as the the Busbey Busbey where where amendment amendment party party to to labels labels are are frequently frequently

is is unique unique for for under under a a whole whole a a political political series series of of set-up set-up amendments amendments

fort fort with with 'Seventy 'Seventy a a partisan partisan or or solidarity solidarity eighty eighty in in each each which which case, case, voted voted

against against the the the the interests interests Republicans Republicans of of the the on on war war the the ef­ floor, floor, some some

three three issues issues Republicans. Republicans. the the Republicans Republicans About About three-quarters three-quarters voted voted of of

tipn's tipn's 11,000,000 11,000,000 crats crats sided sided servicemen. servicemen. with with a a On On solid solid all all mass mass of of

and and the the democratic democratic cases cases only only about about rights rights half half of of the the a a dozen dozen na­ Demo­

control control and and U.N.R.R.A. U.N.R.R.A. economic economic funds funds stabilization stabilization in in half. half. In In both both

involve involve the the the the broad broad Rogers Rogers problems problems amendment amendment of of price price to to slash slash

dies, dies, taxes taxes and and and and soldier soldier there there voting, voting, were were which which 131 131 votes votes for for

trol trol of of U.N.R.R.A. U.N.R.R.A. before before away away from from Congress Congress him him this this year year are are subsi­

three three most most to to important important slap slap the the President President issues issues to to by by come come taking taking con­

of of the the Republicans Republicans 175 175 votes votes in in for for Congress. Congress. the the Vorys Vorys The The amendment amendment

tained tained remarkable remarkable various various amendments. amendments. control over over most most There There were were

The The Hoover-Taft Hoover-Taft opposition opposition group group to to U.N.R.R.A. U.N.R.R.A. has has main­ came came

on on

however, however, the the real real test. test. The The actual actual • • • • • •

U.N.R.R.A. U.N.R.R.A. measure, measure, this this was was not, not,

eign eign policy. policy. lican, lican, against against final final passage passage of of the the

that that the the United United States States lacks lacks a a for­ four four votes, votes, practically practically Repub­ all all

publican publican freshman freshman Congressmen Congressmen tion. tion. While While there there were were on}y on}y fifty­

complaint complaint of of the the twenty- four four Re­ lief lief and and Rehabilitation Rehabilitation Administra­

angle angle that that was was most most apparent apparent in in the the approval approval of of the the United· United· Nations Nations Re­

defeatists. defeatists. was was the the - anti anti - Soviet Soviet It It sue sue to to reach reach Congress Congress this this year year was was

publicans publicans in in Congress Congress who who are are not not The The only only major major foreign foreign policy policy is­

anti-soviet anti-soviet trend trend among among some some Re­ colleagues. colleagues.

policy. policy. There There is is in in fact fact a a disturbing disturbing mite mite in in this this issue issue than than their their House House

now now his his chief chief concern concern with with :foreign :foreign more more aware aware of of the the political political dyna­

anti-Soviet anti-Soviet in in recent recent months; months; this this is is tisanship tisanship and and showed showed themselves themselves

Bridges Bridges has has become become increasingly increasingly did did make make a a break break with with narrow narrow par­

long long before before Pearl Pearl Harbor. Harbor. But But vote vote issue, issue, ten ten Republican Republican Senators Senators

of of American American intervention intervention the the war war President President in in on on taxes. taxes. On On the the soldier soldier

it it is is true true that that Bridges Bridges was was in in favor favor Republican Republican Senator Senator sided sided with with the the

is is not not exclusively exclusively "isolationist." "isolationist." And And tors tors voted voted for for subsidies. subsidies. Only Only one one

evidence evidence that that the the steering steering committee committee House, House, only only three three Republic!J.Il Republic!J.Il Sena­

Styles Styles Bridges Bridges of of New New Hampshire Hampshire as as traditionally traditionally even even looser looser than than in in the the

The The Republicans Republicans point point to to Senator Senator the the Senate, Senate, where where party party lines lines are are

Administration Administration foreign foreign policy. policy. override override the the President's President's tax tax veto. veto. In In

Ohio, Ohio, who who have have generally generally supported supported up up of of the the House House Republicans Republicans to to

South South Dakota Dakota and and Harold Harold Burton Burton of of vious vious example example was was the the 199-to-3 199-to-3 line­

Austin Austin of of Vermont, Vermont, Chan Chan Gurney Gurney of of ballot ballot for for servicemen. servicemen. The The most most ob­

tee tee were were men men like like Senators Senators Warren Warren Only Only eighteen eighteen supported supported a a Federal Federal

TRENDS TRENDS IN IN THE THE TWO TWO MAJOR MAJOR PARTIES PARTIES 400 400 TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 401 resented opposition to even the most He has voted for renewal of the elementary form of United Nations Reciprocal Trade Agreements Act cooperation. and for measures to aid the fariner, Unfortunately, there failed to like Farm Security and Federal emerge during these crucial Con­ Crop Insurance. So the Hoover-Taft­ gressional battles any cohesive or du Pont boys are after Gurney. substantial group of Republicans But the most significant evidence Who consistently supported the Pres­ of the control of the Hoover-Taft ident's policies. There were, how­ clique is seen in the race for the ever, from fifteen to twenty out of Republican Presidential nomination.· the 211 Republicans in the House Governor Dewey of New York, Her­ who on some occasions voted for bert Hoover's young protege, has Administration measures. Represen­ forged far ahead of his contenders. tatives Burdick of North Dakota, Dewey has maintained a consistent Welch of California and Wolverton silence on most national and interna­ of New Jersey were perhaps out­ tional issues, in keeping with his standing among House Republicans. pose of not being a candidate at all. Representatives Ellison of Maryland, But he has occasionally broken out La Follette of Indiana and Bolton with anti-Soviet comments. He has of Ohio have also shown signs of favored an exclusive Anglo - Amer· independence. Some Willkie Repub· ican alliance. He did take an active licans like Judd of Minnesota and part in opposing the Federal ballot Baldwin of New York have been for servicemen. It is Dewey who has distinctly disappointing in their per­ almost everywhere the support of formance, and have tended to vote the dominant Republican machine. along partisan lines. He also has the backing of the New The controlling Hoover group in York Daily News and of defeatists the Republican Party, backed by like Senators Nye and Bushfield. those sections of American capital­ A number of other candidates ism such as the du Fonts and the have been important primarily as Pews which are opposed to the per­ part of the stop-Willkie movement. spectives of Teheran, is determined Governor Bricker of Ohio is not to stop any candidate, whether for taken too seriously. He will undoubt· the Presidency or for Congress, who edly throw his support to Dewey, is out of step with their policies. An although, if Senator .Taft himself interesting example of this is seen shows any real chance of getting the in South Dakota, where du Pont nomination, Bricker's votes at the money is being freely used to defeat convention will go to Taft. The can­ Senator Chan Gurney in the Repub­ didacies of General MacArthur and lican primary. Gurney is no maver­ Lieut. Commander Stassen also seem ick; he is a very conservative Re­ to be part of the stop-Willkie drive. publican. But, like Senator Austin But MacArthur has the backing of of Vermont and Representative Senator. Vandenberg and other ex­ Wadsworth of New York, he does perienced Republican politicians, as support the war after his own lights. well as of America Firsters like Gen. 402 TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES Wood and Col. R .. R. McCormick, speech in which he announced his and his candidacy may become a withdrawal to an attack on Admin­ serious threat if it develops into a istration foreign policy. rallying ground for all those who If Willkie should take the bold oppose the Administration's basic step of supporting the President, he war strategy of crushing Hitler Ger­ would find millions of Republican many before completing the war in voters ready to follow him. For, not­ the Pacific. withstanding the cry of the McCor­ Willkie has made serious conces­ mick camp, the majority of the sions to the superior forces of the Republican voters, like the rest of defeatists in his party. He has been America, are not isolatiqnist; they guilty of unprincipled partisanship. want to win the war and smash the After failing to lift a finger to help Axis. The Hoover-Taft group now pass an adequate tax bill, he criti­ has a stranglehold on the official cized the President for not asking for machinery of the Republican Party. $16,000,000,000 in new revenue. And It will pick the candidate at the Chi­ when the President fought with all cago convention in June. But this he had for a more substantial tax very development means that the bill, Willkie criticized him for fight­ Republicans run the risk of forfeit­ ing. Willkie has criticized the State ing the support of many millions of Department for dealing with the voters who are more concerned with Darlans in North Africa-but he has the welfare of their country than also hinted his criticism of the State with party regularity. It won't be Department for not being more easy to win their support. But the friendly to the Polish Darlans. possibilities have begun to emerge. All this appeasement of defeatism and reaction did not help Willkie in • • • the Wisconsin primary. He was up President Roosevelt's policies against the powerful Republican ma­ stand out in distinction to those of chine. And the very contradictions the Hoover-Taft group. His is a pol­ in his speeches made it difficult for icy of winning the war in full coali­ him to rally the support of the ma­ tion with our allies. His foreign jority of the patriotic Republican policy is embodied in the Moscow voters. Willkie has now drawn the and Teheran agreements-and it is obvious conclusion that he cannot clear enough, even if Republican get the Republican nomination. politicians profess to be mystified by Whether he will draw the ·equally it. The President's domestic policy is obvious conclusion of throwing closely linked with his foreign pol­ his support to Roosevelt remains icy. The President himself pointed to be seen. He did intensify his criti­ to the need for developing a pro­ cism of Col. McCormick and the de­ gram on all domestic issues attuned featists in the Republican Party. He to the needs of winning ,the war, at did direct much of his fire against his celebrated press conference in Dewey and the men behind. him. But which he told how Dr. Win-the-War he devoted most of the Omaha has now taken over in place of old TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 403 Dr. New Deal. This created dismay tee of the House and the Senate among some panicky liberals who Appropriations Committee, and you are only too eager to believe the have a real basis for exposing the worst of the President. Republican demagogy among the But the President's fight for an Negro people and for winning over­ effective soldier vote bill, for sub­ whelming Negro l>upport for the Ad· sidies and for an adequate tax pro­ ministration. gram shows that he is uncompromis­ The President has also succe.eded ing in battle against Rightist reac­ in exposing the hollow demagogy tion when the interests of the war of the Republicans in attempting to effort are at stake. As a result of his make "free enterprise" the issue in courageous messages to Congress on the November elections. The Baruch these three major issues, the Presi­ report has sketched a post-war per· dent has enormously strengthened spective of full employment and full his position with labor, servicemen, production on the basis of. the Tehe­ and the people generally. ran agreement. And it has empha· On a!l three issues the President sized that post-war America will be has exposed the reactionary position safely capitalist, with government­ of the Republicans. They stand for owned plants and equipment sold to a tax bill which the President ex· private industry. The Republicans posed as a "tax relief bill providing have been robbed of their pet issue. relief not for the needy but for the The Baruch report should be an greedy." They stand for an anti-sub­ important factor in winning for the sidy bill which the President twice President even more substantial sup­ described as "an inflation measure, port among the most influential capi· a high-cost-of-living measure, a food­ talist circles. Charles E. Wilson and shortage measure." And they lined Donald Nelson of the War Produc­ up solidly with John Rankin and tion Board have already spoken for the most reactionary Southern Con· the most far-sighted sections of gressmen for a soldier vote bill American capitalism in warning of which the President properly brand­ the dangers of "Rightist reaction" ed a "fraud" designed to keep the -and this attitude will undoubtedly nation's servicemen from voting in be reflected in the elections. the November elections. A major problem still facing the The Republiaan alliance with the Democratic Party is winning more Rankin poll-taxers has created deep support among the farmers. There resentment among servicemen and is no doubt that the Republicans their families. But this alliance also have made great headway among has enormous significance in the farmers, exploiting dissatisfaction battle for the Negro vote, which in and confusion on the subsidy issue many states may be decisive. Add as well as shortcomings of the Ad· the Republican record on soldier ministration program in mobilizing voting to their support for the at· agriculture for the war. Resentment tack against F.E.P.C., as shown in against labor has been deliberately their activity on the Smith Commit- stirred up by leaders. of. the Grange 404 TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES and the Farm Bureau Federation, portant indication of this is seen in and has become an important factor the fourth term resolution passed at in political line-ups among the farm­ the recent meeting of the Demo­ ers. The labor movement has been cratic National Committee which all too slow in reaching the farmers, said: "We, assembled, realizing his in developing plans for unity and world leadership and knowing that joint activity behind the war effort our allies are praying with us for on a local and state scale. the continuation of his services both Despite the many still unsolved in war and peace, do now earnestly problems, the conditions necessary solicit him. to continue as the great for the re-election of . the President world leader." are present. The issues are there. The Democrats know that they The record is there. The President cannot win without Roosevelt. This has developed a rounded-out pro­ was unquestionably 1;1 factor in the gram which should win him and unanimity of the Democratic Na..­ the Administration support and tional Committee. There are still unity unparalleled in our history. several interlocking movements with The real problem is how to take the professed aim of blocking the advantage of the potentialities, how Presidtmt's nomination at the Chi­ to utilize them to th~ utmost. cago. convention in July. There is· the Byrd-for-President movement in • • • the South. There is the stop-Roose­ The Democratic Party cannot do velt movement led by former Gover­ the job unaided. It needs the ener­ nor Ely in Massachusetts. And there getic and united support of the en­ is the Woodring organization com­ tire labor movement, of the inde­ posed mostly of outright fascist ele­ pendent voters, and of the patriotic ments in the midwest-from which Republicans. The Democratic Party former Secretary of War Woodring should, however, learn from past has himself resigned in an open ad­ mistakes. The issues of the war were mission of defeat. It is clear that not sufficiently stressed in the 1942 these groups are doomed to failure elections and in the subsequent by­ in terms of actually preventing the elections. But the fact is that Admin­ nomination of the President, if he istration candidates can win when should agree to run. They are pri· the issues are actually made clear. marily designed to lay the ground­ The Republicans wanted to make work for a committee of "Demo­ the Oklahoma Congressional race a crats" to support whatever nominee test of Administration strength. They is selected at the Republican con­ succeeded in making it just that­ vention. and in losing the ele_ction. All these anti-Roosevelt move­ The enormous strength of the ments, particularly the Woodring President and his policies with the Committee, counted on receiving the people has resulted in a definite if support of James A. Farley, chair­ uneven trend toward unification man of the New York State Demo­ within the Democratic Party. An im- cratic Com~ittee,. who had opposed TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 405 a third term for the President. The There are, of course, in Congress New York State Democratic Com­ nominal Democrats like Senators mittee's recent unanimous declara­ Wheeler of Montana, Johnson of tion in favor of a fourth term for Colorado and Reynolds of North Roosevelt, stimulated by the Jan­ Carolina, who l,ll"e outright defeat­ uary resolution of the National ists. But to a degree the same trend Democratic Committee, and by the toward unity which was expressed rising pro-fourth-term tide, had the at the meeting of the Democratic concurring voice of Farley-a de­ National Committee is also founa in velopment whose significance is not Congress. lessened by whatever motives On the soldier vote and subsidy prompted the adoption of his pro­ issues, the President was able to win Roosevelt position. substantial support within his 6WD Robert Hannegan, the new Demo­ party. He got 130 Democratic votes cratic National Committee chairman, on the subsidy issue in the House, has set himself the job of unifying and 147 on the soldier vote issue. the party and of eliminating the dry With only a few scattered excep­ rot and disorganization which were tions, he succeeded in obtaining all marked both in national headquar­ the votes of Democratic Congress­ ters and throughout the country. men north of the Mason-Dixon line. Hannegan is for the President for a And, very significantly, he got the fourth term. Beyond that he is just support of about half the Southern an organization man, hardly noted Democrats in the House. for political ideas or policies. But an The Republicans and the most re­ effective organizer can certainly be actionary Southern Democrats were used by the Democratic Party. defeated by the President on the One problem Hannegan has in ce­ subsidy issue and outmaneuvered on menting De!l1ocratic Party unity is the soldier vote issue. They realized the drive by some diehard poll that the President was taking the taxers in the South and Rightist issues to the people. They therefore Democrats in other parts of the launched their counter-offensive on country for the elimination of Henry the President's tax veto- and got Wallace as Vice-Presidential candi­ the support of Senate Majority lead­ date and the substitution of a con­ er Barkley. The anti-Roosevelt coali­ servative Southerner. A recent Gal­ tion successfully used the slogans of lup poll has shown that Wallace has Congressional solidarity and inde­ substantial popular backing and is pendence from executive dictation. running far ahead of all other Vice­ The President had to contend with Presidential possibilities in the weak Administration leadership in South as everywhere else. Whether Congress and a whole array of spe­ the anti-Wallace movement succeedS cial interest groups and lobbies. Nor depends in part on Wallace himself, did he receive · sufficient support who has weakened his position with from the labor movement which had indiscriminate attacks on all big asked him to veto the bill. Despite business. the wishful thinking o:f some reac- 406 TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES tionary commentators, the line-up Texas delegation lined up fifteen to against the President.was temporary five for the President on the soldier and can be prevented from reap­ vote. It was split eleven to six pearing to the same degree. against the President on subsidies, One of the most important fea­ and was almost unanimous against tures of the recent Congressional the President on taxes. battles was the development of a In the Senate the split between real split between the Southern pro- and anti-Roosevelt Southern Democrats in Congress. This is a Democrats did not take such a sharp product of the growth of the labor form. This was partly because Sena­ movement in the South and of the tor Lister Hill of Alabama, the Dem­ political awakening of progressive ocratic whip and the obvious leader and forward-looking forces. It is a of a movement to support the Presi­ reflection of the same factors which dent, thought he could mend his have made possible the historic Su­ political fences by lining up with preme Court decision outlawing the the reactionary poll-tax Senators. white primary in Texas, which in Hill failed the President on subsi­ turn makes possible great new demo­ dies and the soldier vote. He did, cratic developments in the South. It however, support the President on is now possible to draw a clear line the tax issue. between men like Martin Dies and The Democratic Party in the John Rankin who represent the South still confronts the President most oppressive poll-tax reaction of and the whole labor movement with the South and men like Lyndon enormous problems. Both Senator Johnson of Texas and John Folger Hill and Senator Claude Pepper of of North Carolina. Florida, a consistent Administration Differences can now be discerned supporter, face stiff primary opposi­ between Southern states where the tion. It would certainly be a mistake labor movement has begun to grow to underestimate the diehard Bailey­ and make itself fl!lt and states where Byrd-Cotton Ed Smith group. But it the workers are still unorganized · would be an even greater mistake and democracy is still ruthlessly to assume that the Southern delega­ suppressed. The Tennessee delega­ tion in Congress is one solid rea·c· tion in the House, for example, has tionary mass; to forget that more an excellent voting record. Out of than a half of the Southern Demo­ the eight Tennessee Democrats, six crats in the House abandoned John supported the President on subsi­ Rankin on the soldier vote issue; or dies, seven on the soldier vote, and to take it for granted that the poll the same number even on taxes. The tax, although admittedly a serious N\)rth Carolina and Florida delega­ obstacle to democracy, bars all dem­ tions backed the President over­ ocratic political expression in the whelmingly on the soldier vote and South. subsidies, although they switched on There is substantial support for taxes. There are now important the President and his policies in the splits within state delegations. The South. The growth of the labor TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 407 movement and the Supreme Court labor movement will hardly be neu­ decision on the white primaries have tral in a contest within the Repub­ opened new opportunities, especially lican Party in Oregon between a to labor and the progressives, for defeatist like Senator Rufus Holman ridding Congress of men like Martin and a man like Dean Wayne Morse Dies, Howard Smith, and Frank who has consistently supported the Boykin. This is a fact of the great­ war effort. By explaining the issues est political importance. It is the to the patriotic Republican voters, real reason that Senators Josiah the labor movement has a chance to Bailey and Cotton Ed Smith were enlist their support for the Presi­ unable to carry through their threat dent. to form a Southern Democratic Par­ Organized labor can play a major ty and that Senator Harry Byrd is role in winning for the Administra­ not winning popular support in the tion support of Negro voters, hun­ sOuth. dreds of thousands of whom are now enrolled in unions. It can combat the • • • Republican demagogy among the The labor movement has tremen­ Negroes, and it can actively support dous responsibilities, and tremen­ the F.E.P.C. and the anti-poll-tax dous opportunities to take a real bill. Labor can bring the issues to position of leadership, in the elec­ women, the millions of women in tion campaign. The official Demo­ .industry and to the wives of organ­ cratic Party machine cannot single­ ized workers. It has the job of ex­ handedly unite the people behind posing the "Equal Rights" amend­ the President. Many of its leaders ment which the Republicans are lack the vision and the grasp of the trying to use as a vo~atching de­ issues. The labor movement can give vice among women. The labor move­ direction to the campaign, bringing ment can also help win the support the issues to the people. It is surely of servicemen and veterans and not an accident that in Cleveland, ·break down the artificial barriers where the broadest support has been between workers . and men in the rallied for the win-the-war city ad­ armed forces. ministration and where the SO-'Called The most positive political force Republican trend has been reversed, in the trade union movement is the the labor movement is a united and . C.I.O. Political Action Committee, powerful factor. which has done important work in Labor, which is primarily inter­ registering war workers in key in­ ested in issues and in candidates dustrial centers. The Hillman Com­ rather than in party labels, can help mittee has already paved the way win for the President the support toward building a powerful Amer­ of many independent and Repub­ ican Labor Party in New York State, lican voters. In some instances, the which will be a major factor in the labor movement will back those Re­ November election, by its recent de­ publican candidates that stand for cisive victory at the primary elec­ winning the war. For example, the tions over the Red-baiting Social-

unity unity behind behind Daniel Daniel the the Tobin Tobin President President who who has has is is repeatedly repeatedly al- at-

supporting supporting Roosevelt, Roosevelt, instead instead the the the the main main position position trend trend of of toward toward

endorsements endorsements leaders leaders of of still still this this hesitate hesitate type. type. They They to to are are endorse endorse

and and while while are are some some enthusiastically enthusiastically prominent prominent union union ignoring ignoring most most

in in Illinois. Illinois. not not yet yet But But developed developed A. A. F. F. of of quickly quickly L. L. unions unions enough enough

While While labor's labor's Reps. Reps. Fred Fred political political Busbey Busbey activity activity and and has has Stephen Stephen Day Day

hearted hearted support support kota, kota, Rep. Rep. for for the the Martin Martin war war Dies Dies effort. effort. in in Texas, Texas, and and

has has recently recently dates dates reiterated reiterated like like Senator Senator his his Nye Nye whole­ in in North North Da­

triotically triotically group group backed backed in in the the endorsing endorsing war war effort effort defeatist defeatist and and candi­

another another is is labor labor leader leader policies policies who who has has pa­ of of the the Woll Woll -Hutcheson -Hutcheson

Brotherhood Brotherhood Railroad Railroad Trainmen Trainmen Green Green of of ·has ·has again again carried carried out out the the

other other states. states. F. F. Whitney Whitney A. A. of of the the operating operating with with the the C.I.O. C.I.O.

issues issues in in Ohio, Ohio, Washington Washington it it plain plain and and that that it it will will go go right right on on co­

the the C.I.O. C.I.O. on on legislative legislative and and other other political political states states the the A. A. F. F. of of L. L. has has made made

bodies bodies have have been been cooperating cooperating Rhode Rhode Island, Island, with with in in Ohio, Ohio, and and in in many many

under under Hoover." Hoover." Teamsters Teamsters the the nearest nearest union union waste waste paper paper basket. basket. In In

Roosevelt Roosevelt and and we we know know what what we we got got sponded sponded by by filing filing Green's Green's order order in in

swer. swer. We We know know what what we we got got under under have have acted acted on on the the issue issue have have re­

any any working working man's man's mind mind over over the the an­ C.I.O. C.I.O. Most Most F. F. of of L. L. A. A. bodies bodies that that

There There shouldn't shouldn't be be much much from from de.bate de.bate political political in in cooperation cooperation with with the the

what what the the election election boils boils down down to. to. local local bodies bodies to to "cease "cease and and desist" desist"

or or another another Hoover? Hoover? That That stiff stiff is is exactly exactly directive directive to to A. A. F. F. of of L. L. state state and and

vember--another vember--another term term of of Roosevelt Roosevelt the the Woll-Hutcheson Woll-Hutcheson group group with with his his

, , "Well, "Well, boys, boys, what what will will it it in in Green Green be be has has yielded yielded No~ No~ to to the the pressure pressure of of

forcefully forcefully put put the the issue issue as as A. A. follows: follows: F. F. of of L. L. President President William William

Tobin's Tobin's TeamsteT TeamsteT has has Intenu~tional Intenu~tional ing ing price price control. control.

a a fourth fourth term. term. And And the the editor editor of of Smith Smith and and Hobbs Hobbs bills bills and and in in fight­

officially officially endorsed endorsed the the President President for for licans licans in in Congress Congress in in voting voting for for the the

election election of of the the President. President. Tobin Tobin has has ently ently anti-labor anti-labor record record of of the the Repub­

factor factor in in the the A. A. F. F. of of for for the the re­ L. L. the the workers workers forget forget the the will will consist­

Daniel Daniel Tobin Tobin has has become become a a major major tor tor James James Byrnes. Byrnes. They They hope hope that that

and and in in the the Railroad Railroad Brotherhoods. Brotherhoods. Vinson Vinson and and War War Mobilization Mobilization Direc· Direc·

has has powerful powerful allies allies in in the the A. A. F. F. of of L. L. rulings rulings of of Econonuc Econonuc Stabilizer Stabilizer Fred Fred

istration, istration, the the Hillman Hillman Committee Committee lization,. lization,. and and with with the the p~cularly p~cularly

labor labor movement movement •behind •behind the the Admin­ with with some some a5pects a5pects of of economic economic stabi­

In In working working for for the the unity unity of of the the the the A. A. F. F. of of L. L. and and in in the the C.I.O., C.I.O.,

potentialities. potentialities. workers workers in in the the railroad railroad unions, unions, in in 1 1

its its effectiveness effectiveness fo fo and and to to its its great great hope hope to to exploit exploit the the dissatisfaction dissatisfaction of of

Dies Dies and and Howard Howard Smith Smith is is a a tribute tribute counting counting heavily heavily on on these these men. men. They They

against against it it by by men men like like Reps. Reps. Martin Martin reverse. reverse. The The t,O" t,O" Republicans Republicans 'are 'are

bor. bor. And And the the ferocity ferocity of of the the attacks attacks ··A. ··A. F. F. of of L. L. are are working working desperately desperately

independent independent political political action action by by la­ Woll Woll and and William William Hutcheson Hutcheson in in the the

important important ly ly development development toward toward United United Mine Mine Workers Workers and and Matthew Matthew

Committee Committee Hillman Hillman is is an an enormous­ men men like like John John Lewis Lewis of of L. L. the the

Democratic Democratic Dubinsky Dubinsky group. group. The The ready ready clear. clear. is is trend trend this this which which It It

' '

408 408 TRENDS TRENDS IN IN THE THE TWO TWO MA.TOR MA.TOR PARTIES PARTIES TRENDS IN THE TWO MAJOR PARTIES 409 tacked defeatist members of Con­ the Communist Party was eloquent­ gress and has specifically thrown his ly stated by Earl Browder in June, weight against Nye in North Dakota. 1943: The Woll-Hutcheson group has been unable to make endorsements of "The preparations for the 1944 this kind stick or to stop the devel­ election campaign are not formal oping movement toward coopera· and traditional preparations. They tion between the C.I.O. and A. F. bear all signs of the development of a major battle for· power between of L. on a local scale. two fundamentally irreconcilable There is, of course, still much to trends of policy. The question of the be done. But labor has begun to President's succession involves the move in preparation for the 1944 determination of whether the United elections. It has begun to move with States goes forward in the Anglo­ a growing realization of the stakes Soviet-American coalition to the un­ involved for the labor movement, conditional surrender of the Axis for the nation and for the entire and all its works, with the reconsti­ world-which will anxiously watch tution of the world order on that the elections in the United States, basis, or whether the U.S. shall dis­ knowing that the re-election of solve the coalition and embark upon President Roosevelt and the election a course of salvaging the Axis pow­ of a win-the-war Congress will lead ers and combining with them against to the hastening of victory and to our present Allies, Britain and the the realization of the Teheran deci­ Soviet Union. That is the issue of the 1944 elections.... sions. "And in this whole struggle, whether it be electoral alignments * * * for 1944 or the daily questions of In · this crucial election struggle, life today in the development of the the Communists, as an organic part war, our friends and our allies are of the win-the-war coalition, taking not determined by any. ideological their stand consistently for a firmly considerations, or any formal politi­ welded national unity in the inter­ cal alignments. We are partners and ests of speedy victory and the Tehe­ allies with every American who is ran objectives, solidly throw their ready to fight the defeatists at home strength, in conjunction with all con­ and prosecute the war to victory at sistent win-the-war forces, for the all costs. That is our political plat­ continuation in leadership of Presi­ form today and next year; along that dent Roosevelt, in support of his line we must carry on without devi­ policies for advancing in ever­ ation. That is the line of struggle stronger coalition with our British for the next period of the war, and and Soviet Allies to shattering vic­ the line for the 1944 elections." * tory over Hitlerism. The position of • The Communist, July, 1943. INTERNATIONAL MONOPOLIES AND THE WAR*

BY K. HOFMAN

HE question of the role of inter­ over Hitler Germany and her bloc, T national monopolies and cartels, the monopoly groups are each striv­ and their influence on economy and ing for control over world markets politics and the future war efforts of and sources of raw material, and a the Anglo-Saxon countries, acquires dominating influence over interna­ a special significance at the decisive tional trade. stages of the war. The clearer the To them the war and its victori­ prospects of a final defeat of Ger­ ous conclusion mean primarily the many loom ahead, the greater the strengthening of the might and interest in post-war reconstruction power of their cartels. The present problems manifested by the circles war has shown the tremendous im­ of Wall Street and London City, the portance which communications be­ centers of international finance, in­ tween the continents acquire for the dustry, and trading relations. destinies of the world. A number of projects for post-war reconstruction recently published by * * * British and American economists re­ flect the desire of one or anotlier With the present development of monopoly group to extend the realm aviation, domination of the seas is of their activities and their sphere no longer adequate. It is no accident of influence in the post-war world. that the biggest British shipping con­ Moreover, considerable attention cerns recently created a consortium is paid to the question of the fate of for stimulating the development of German monopolies and the role of British civil aviation. They arrived international cartels in Germany's at the conclusion that Britain's con­ post-war economy. The discussion of tinued lag behind the United States all these problems proceeds against in the establishment of new air a background of sharpening compe­ routes may create a danger to Brit­ tition between the biggest monopo­ ish power on the sea. lies of the old and new worlds. With Vast projects for intercontinental all their general interest in victory air routes, and the problems arising from the necessary new bases for * Reprinted from the Soviet journal, The War and the Working Class. these, and above all the problem of 410 MONOPOLIES AND THE WAR 411 oil, have evoked a lively discussion sidering the question of building two in the British and American press. new oil pipelines in addition to the Aviation and oil, all that relates to already existing Iraq pipelines. This . the development of aircraft and the plan is a reply to the American oil industries, including the produc­ initiative. tion of strategic fuel, also occupy an One of the new pipelines planned important place in the plans and by the British is to link the British practical measures of the respective oilfields in Iran with Haifa via monopoly groups. Abadan, while the second one is to Recently the British government run parallel to the existing Kirkuk­ sent a commission of experts to the Haifa pipeline. It has been proposed U.S. for preliminary negotiations to discuss these projects in detail in with the object of settling the dis­ the course of the negotiations of the putable question relating to the Near British experts in the U.S. East oil. In the opinion of numerous organs It all goes back to 1934, when the of the British press, the solution of American oil companies obtained a the oil problem by means of an concession in Saudi Arabia; and now agreement between the respective they have decided to accelerate the British and American oil companies output of Arabian oil and build a is the principal prerequisite for the gigantic pipeline from the Saudi effective development of an interna­ Arabian oil fields to the southeast tional trading policy in the post-war Mediterranean port. period. This decision affects the interests The oil discussion has shown that, of the British oil concerns, hitherto as regards the question of cartels dominating the Near East. At pres­ and their post-war rule, the view­ ent the American oil companies are points of the British and American controlled by Standard Oil, which economists differ. With small excep­ is ·coming out in the Near East not tion, the British favor the preserva­ only as partners and· shareholders of tion of pre-war forms of cartels and the British oil companies, but also the immediate restoration of the in­ as an independent, and, moreover, a ternational contacts of the cartels very important factor. after the war. Thanks to the activity of the In America this viewpoint is being American oil concerns, the role and defended only by those economists influence of the U.S. in Near Eastern who reflect the interests of the affairs are becoming increasingly American monopolies which are greater. British circles fully realize connected by cartel agreements with the big changes in the correlation of British and other European monop­ forces in the Near East that may re­ olies. sult from the further extension of As regards the rest, although the sphere of activity of American many of them favor the develop­ monopolies. ment of international collaboration, According to the New York Times, they presume that it must not be the British oil companies are con- based on the old cartels, but on 412. MONOPOLIES AND THE WAR "free competition." This competition that of concealing from public con­ must involve a:Iso those American trol the secret of the roundabout groupings which have considerably paths through which raw materials expanded and consolidated their po­ and Caribbean and South American sitions on the home market as a oil, sent to Spain, are finding their result of big government war orders. way to Germany; and how the new­ The fact that these tendencies est patents employed in Allied war with regard to the question of car- · production so soon become known tels are growing in the U.S. causes to the enemy. uneasiness and concern among the The American Senate Commission British monopolists. The latter are for the investigation of war indus­ trying to use their extensive busi­ try, headed by the Democratic Sena­ ness contacts in the u.s. to secure tor Truman, recently published a for themselves a corresponding place report on the cartels,in the U.S. and and influence in the new associations their pre-war contacts. The report which may arise on American initia­ stresses that many of the cartel tive. agreements remain in force during The polemics in the press between the war with slight changes. Before the champions of pre•war cartels and December, 1941, some American their international connections, and companies connected through .cartels the supporters of "free competition" with the Axis monopolies' helped on the world markets continue un- them evade the British blockade, es­ abated. ' pecially through the channels of The Wall Street Journal of Com­ Latin-American and neutral Euro­ merce, whose publisher, Ritter, an pean countries. American of German origin, occu­ The agreements concluded by pied a pro-German position before some of ~he American companies, the war, took up the cudgels in de· for example the duPont de Nemours fense of the international cartels in chemical concern, provide for the their pre-war form. In the opinion of immediate restoration after the war this paper, no restriction of cartel of cartel relations interrupted with rights is permissible, since this would the German companies. It is known be tantamount to strengthening gov­ that this concern concluded an ernment control over foreign trade. agreement on the division of world Inclined to the same view is the markets· with the British Imperial Christian Science Monitor, which chemical industries and the German manages to combine the propaganda I. G. Farben industry. of Christian ethics with the defense The report also stresses the fact of the interests of the leviathans of that after the entry of the U.S. into the international financial and in­ the war one of the American aircraft dustrial monopolies. companies, to evade the action of The progressive American press the U. S. Department of Justice, points out tnat such a defense of tii.e sought the American government's international cartels pursues in the permission to send a representative · present conditions only one aim- to Germany, Italy, France and Japan MONOPOLIES AND THE WAR 413 to propose changes in the cartel circles which may be characterized agreement. as " 'economic appeasers,' of whom Even Standard Oil, a monopoly there is regretfully no small number . especially patronized by the Amer­ in our country." ican government, broke its cartel The "economic appeasers" operate connections with Farben-Industrie behind the stage. They imagine no only after the Department of Justice one can see them and the world started proceedings against it. knows nothing about their activities. Nevertheless, the Standard Oil What a dangerous delusion! Their Company refused to pledge to re­ aims and intentions are absolutely frain from contact with the German clear. They place above all else per· cartels in the future. The American sonal selfish interests, and the small conception on the question of cartels handful of international monopolists has not wholly crystallized as yet. who are receiving tremendous super­ profits from war. orders are con­ * * * cerned only lest the gold cease to This fact renders easier the game pour in as a result of a "premature" of the supporters of the British con­ conciusion of the war. ception. Even the Atlantic Charter They are already seeking ways is utilized by them for proclaiming . and means for boosting post-war "the inviolability" of the rights of business under the banner of the the cartels. Matters have gone so far "reconstruction" of Europe's econ­ that the whole campaign for the re-. omy through the efforts of the old, striction of the rights of the cartels international cartels and with the conducted by the American Depart­ participation of German monopolies. ment of Justice was declared a cam­ The international cartels are con­ paign directed against Britain. Grist cerned with the preservation of to the mill was poured by a London everything that inevitably breeds Times editorial stating that before new world conflicts and wars. the war decisive branches of Ger­ That is why, now that the exten­ many's industry were closely inter­ sive offensive operation of the Red locked with the industries of neigh­ Army, supported by mass Allied boring countries, that today this blows from the air at the German process of interlocking must be rear, is steadily undermining the pushed still further, and Germany's might of the Hitlerite war-machine, economy must be closely welded built up by the German monopolies, with the general European system. world public opinion is watching American monopolists, preparing with great interest the discussion of for extensive "reconstruction" in the problems relating to Germany. Europe after the war and defending It is common knowledge that, like the "freedom of competition," have Kaiser Germany, Hitlerite Germany started a campaign against this con­ made extensive use of the interna­ ception. One of the American radio tional cartels for war preparations. observers referred, in this connec­ So it was, but it must not happen tion, to the positions of those British again. 414 MONOPOLIES AND THE WAR Meantime, there is a secret head­ ing the manipulations of interna­ quarters functioning in Switzerland tional capital." concerned with the preservation of The leaders of the cartels, the the contacts of the British and author stresses, "invariably organize American with the German monop­ the cartels so that in case of a war olies. between the component parts, each Writing in Harpers Magazine, an of them could continue their activi­ employee of the New York Guaranty ties within a national framework, Trust Company, who spent the and organize them so as to render first years of the war in Switzerland, easier their reunion after the war." describes as follows the impressions At a time when millions of people gained during his stay in the inter­ on the globe are concerned onlywith national cartel center: speeding the defeat of Germany along with her monopolies, which "For many years Switzerland has succeeded in the pre-war period in been a most convenient place for the capturing the dominating positions meetings between the various Brit­ ish, American, German and French in the economy of the democratic citizens, members of a small inter­ countries, a handful Qf monopolists national consortium of business men is planning the preservation of the engaged in the organization of cartel German cartels and their restoration agreements. to full volume after the war. "Switzerland has become a coun­ The American lawyer John Dick­ try where money loses its national inson unquestionably was right when color and is transformed into an in­ he wrote in Foreign Affairs in Octo­ ternational medium of exchange be­ ber, 1943, that .if the plans of these tween people who understand each monopolists materialize, the danger other, even at a time when their of German penetration in American countries are at war with one an­ industry will not be eliminated after other. According to a local official of this war. the D.T.A., in 1939 little Switzerland Lasting peace among the peoples, had 2,278 registered international finance corporations (of which, 260 and economic business relations were registered only in 1939), and among countries can be achieved 214 banks as well as more than 2,000 only on a basis of the principles of control associations and investment post-war collaboration formulated in companies, private corporations and the decisions of the Moscow and other legal institutions for conceal- Teheran Conferences. THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM

BY N. SPARKS

ECENTLY Winston Churchill, the United States than in Great R discussing the rebuilding of the Britain. The average American con­ House of Commons, which was de­ cept of a political party is indeed in stroyed by bombs during the Ger­ sharp contrast with the European man blitz, expressed his hopes that concept. In Europe a party represents the House will be vebuilt in the a certain fairly well defined set of same oblong shape as before. Ex­ economic and political principles, as panding on the political significance well as a fairly definite section of of the architecture of legislative the population, and secures a repre­ halls, he expressed his distaste for sentation in the national legislature the semi-circular type of legislative . that has some relationship to the hall characteristic of European coun­ strength of its support among the tries, which he felt stimulated the people. Usually in the European growth of all kinds of gradations of countries, under the multi-party sys­ political principle-Right, Center tem, no single party secures a ma­ and Left, with all the shades of jority of the seats in the chamber. transition in between-and, as a re­ Negotiations are then carried on sult, general political instability and among parties that are politically lack of responsibility. The House of "neighbors" until a coalition is Commons, on the other hand, Mr. formed which comprises a majority Churchill felt, where His Majesty's of the votes in the chamber, and this Government on one side of the majority elects the Premier. House was faced by His Majesty's In the United States, on the other Opposition on the other side-and hand, each of the two major parties the only change any member could is itself a coalition. As Comrade make in his politics was to cross Browder states in his report: over to the other side of. the House- conduced to a system that main- " ... The choice [for President] will tained stability and responsibility in be between two candidates selected British politics. by two notninating conventions Despite Mr. Churchill's theories of known by the names of Democratic political architecture and the semi- Party and Republican Party. These are parties only in a formal and circular shape of our own American legal sense; they are not parties in legislative halls, the two-party sys- the sense of representing well-de­ tern is even more firmly installed in fined alternative policies. They are 415 416 THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM coalitions of local and regional in­ cratic Party was for "states' rights" terests, diverse tendencies of politi­ while the Republican Party was for cal thought, and institutionalized "centralization" serves only to con· politics, from which national policy ceal the essence of the struggle for and national interest come forth in democracy against reaction carried a distorted way, with much confu­ sion, and with a maximum depend­ on alike by the Democrat Jefferson ence upon the personality which against the Federalist Hamilton, and emerE!es as leader. It is a peculiarly by the Republican Lincoln against American system, without a counter­ the slaveholders of the Democratic part anywhere else in the world." * Party. Despite the fact that this so­ called "principle" issue is refuted by This two - party system is not all th,e facts of history, these facts grounded in the Constitution, but, are still treated by the orthodox on the contrary, arose out of the commentators merely as"paradoxes" realities of American political devel­ (such as the "paradox" that the Re­ opment, in an obvious break with publicans today are loud-mouthed the. perspective of many of the champions of "states' rights" and Founding Fathers that there would voted for a "states' rights" bill to be no parties, but only a united peo­ prevent the soldiers' vote). To the ple led by a single party of patriots, generation preceding World War I among whom the voters would select the "principle" distinguishing the the best men. The 12th Amendment two parties was supposed to be low to the Constitution had to be adopt­ tariff (Democratic), or high tariff ed during Jefferson's administration (Republican), although actually once the two-party system had devel: these demands represented chiefly oped, to change the method of elect­ territorial sectional interests. ing the President and Vice-President, Despite this absence of any gen· so as to insure cooperation ana con­ eral difference of "principle" be­ tinuity between them, and to avert tween the two parties, the two-party the .\dnd of crisis that faced the system has been maintained through­ country in 1801, when the Federal­ out American history, surviving the ists sought to rob Jefferson of the most severe crises, and undergoing election and replace him by Aaron modification in one way or another Burr. under the people's demands for a Having once become established solution of these crises in the direc­ however, the two-party system be: tion of progress and democracy. But came a dominating factor in Amer­ during the periods when reaction ican political life. All attempts of was in the saddle and the people the historians to find some definite had not yet succeeded in bringing "principle" that distinguishes one their forces into effective organized party from the other led only to the expression and political influence for misinterpretation and falsification of the solution of the decisive problems history. The theory that the Demo- of the period, the two-party system acted as a most serious barrier to • ll:arl Browder, T eherdn dnti Amhen, 1944, p. 29. their efforts. THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM 417 It was at such a time (1891) that Lincoln, this was accomplished Engels gave his well-known descrip­ through the creation of a new party tion of the two-party system in which came forward almost at once America as "two great gangs of po­ as a majority party and almost im­ litical speculators, who alternately mediately swept into power. In each take possession of the state power case a former major party, the Fed­ and exploit it by. the most corrupt eralists and the Whigs soon disap­ meaJUi and for .the most corrupt peared from the scene, leaving after ends." And a similar description was the Jeffersonian period the Demo­ given for the same period by an crats and the Whigs, and after the American politician who struggled Lincoln period, the Republicans and (and in his own state s~cceeded) to the Democrats. find a means of popular expression But in the last fifty years another through the two-party system-Bob process has been going on: the con­ La Follette, Sr.-wpo said: tinual modification of the practices, procedures, and even structure of "Until my fight was finally suc­ the two major parties themselves by cessful, Wisconsin was a corrupted state, governed not by the people law, as a result of the pressure of but by a group of private and cor­ the people, bringing them substan­ porate interests. They secured con­ tially closer to control by the people trol of the old Republican party or­ and considerably modifying the ganization- the party with the statement of Engels made before splendid history-and while its ora­ this process had set in, that "the na· tors outwardly dwelt upon the tion is powerless against these two glories of the past and inspired the great cartels of politicians." people with the fervor of patriotic Wisconsin, under the leadership of loyalty, these corporation interests Bob La Follette, Sr., was one of the were bribing, bossing and thieving within. The machine organization of classical battlefields of that strug­ the Democratic party was as subser­ gle and one of the first to win sub­ vient to the railroads and other cor­ stantial victories. Thus, La Follette porations as the Republican machine, wrote: and mastery of legislation was thus rendered complete through all these "At that time [1896], I had never years."* heard of the direct primary. Indeed, there was no direct primary statute Nevertheless, at the critical turn­ in any state. . . . After portraying ing points in our history, the new the evils of caucuses and conven­ political alignments arising from the tj.ons, and showing how readily they . development of new class relation­ lend themselves to manipulation, de­ ships did succeed in crystallizing feating the will of the majority, I themselves and reaching decisive outlined a complete system of direct expression in government. In the nominations for all county, legisla­ days of Jefferson and in the days of tive, and state offices, by both par­ ties upon the same day, under the • Robert M. La Follette, A P

*Madison Capital Times, March 24. • Milwaukee Journal, April 5. 424 THE TWO-PARTY SYSTEM of these elements to support of the divisions between the mass Roosevelt, but in doing so can help voters for the two major parties are to create among the conservative not in line with the basic issue of circles of their contacts the atmos­ the day-for or against the Teheran phere of national unity as against Conference; but the policy of labor, partisanship. centering around support of Presi­ The two-party system in this pe­ dent Roosevelt, the leader of our riod does not preclude the independ­ war effort-whose leadership is em­ ent political action of labor, as is bodied in the Teheran Agreement­ claimed by the supporters of third­ is sufficiently flexible to pick out a party movements. The plans and ac· path among the contending parties tivity of the labor Political· Action and unite the people to elect those Committees constitute, where ade­ candidates to Congress and to state quately carried out, the most effec­ office that will truly express the na­ tive form of independent political tion's will to victory in the war action in this decisive period. And effort and support of the Teheran it must be said that labor and the Agreement. In this great united ef­ people have barely begun to take fort of the majority of the American advantage of the democratic possi· people, the Co~unists, as part of bilities existing within the two-party the laJbor movement, will play their system at this time. It is true that part. ENEl\1IES OF TEHERAN

BY BOB THOMPSON

CONSIDERABLE effort is un- early future date. Secondly, the A der way to sharpen up the activities of openly treasonous attack orr the basic propositions of movements such as "Peace Now" the Teheran Conference and to un- help to mask the true character of dermine public confidence in Gov- those basic forces in the country ernment war policy. Directing this that are doing their damnedest to effort are powerful pro-fascist forces set in motion a chain of events lead­ whose resources include the active ing to a Hitler peace. One could support or befuddled neutrality of almost say that "Peace Now" is the the bulk of the press. Unfortunately, lightning rod of the Hoover, Taft, under the heading of "temporary Dies, Dewey, Norman Thomas recourse" (one hopes it is tempo- Junta. rary) must be included also certain Negotiated Peace :with a Nazi­ of the old school liberals who under controlled Germany is the logical, the cover of Leftist spoutings are the inevitable, the inescapable end pursuing a course of action in es- objective of every force opposed to, sence paralleling that of the pro- and fighting against, the Teheran fascists. accord as the foundation of our gov- An important part in the stepped- ernment's policies. This is so, ir­ up activities of the pro-fascists is be- respective of whether the particular ing played by openly 'treasonous forces fighting Teheran are pro­ movements such as "Peace Now." fascists consciously striving to save Movements such as "Peace Now" Nazi Germany from destruction, or are serving a twofold purpose. First, are essentially patriotic forces, such by publicly advocating "immediate as liberals with near-sighted eyes negotiated peace" they serve as and pious intentions, or others rallying points for the fascist ele- momentarily entrapped in the mesh ments who are the products of the of partisan entanglements. There activities over a number of years are not three or four or five pos­ of such movements as America sible lines of development along First, Ku Klux Klan, Coughlin, etc., which the war and the world can and, at the same time, they prepare proceed. There are only two. The the ground for other, more "respec- war and the world can proceed table," forces to take up the cry along the path charted at Teheran "Immediate Negotiated Peace" at an to the complete destruction of :fas- 425

a a give give means means no no by by items items These These which which columns columns Several Several lowing: lowing:

Germany. Germany. Nazi Nazi bombing bombing .fol­ the the are are these these Among Among figures. figures.

cease cease Allies Allies the the that that demand demand fist" fist" public public by by matters matters military military on on ments ments

"paci­ a a Europe; Europe; fascist-controlled fascist-controlled state­ and and commentators commentators military military

to to food food by by ship ship States States columns columns of of United United consists consists the the first first The The

that that demanding demanding Fish Fish Hamilton Hamilton by by groupings. groupings. two two into into roughly roughly

House House the the into into introduced introduced measure measure They They magazines. magazines. and and fall fall papers papers

a a Britain; Britain; Great Great and and Union Union Soviet Soviet news­ from from clippings clippings of of number number

the the against against Exile" Exile" in in Government Government a a are are me me ibeside ibeside desk desk the the On On

"Polish "Polish the the of of side side the the on on tervene tervene inspiration? inspiration? their their

under under broadcast broadcast being being in­ are are views views of of government government U.S. U.S. the the that that ing ing

'demand­ 58" 58" kind kind of of what what and and "statement "statement a a Union; Union; pro-fascists pro-fascists the the by by

Soviet Soviet the the against against engineered engineered being being satellite satellite are are Finnish Finnish activities activities of of

Hitler's Hitler's with with kind kind what what itself itself align align detail, detail, more more ernment ernment little little a a In In

gov­ U.S. U.S. the the that that essence essence in in ing ing peace. peace. ated ated

demand­ negoti­ Hoover Hoover for for He11bert He11bert by by working working ment ment objectively objectively of of

state­ A A type: type: stigma stigma the the following following bear bear the the of of must must items items accord accord ran ran

of of consists consists Tehe­ the the group group of of second second workability workability The The and and value value

the the in in faith faith front. front. and and second second policy policy the the war war ment's ment's

of of opening opening the the Govern­ our our against against in in record record on on confidence confidence dermine dermine

go go to to un­ to to Legislature Legislature fighting fighting national national forces forces our our on on those those all, all, and and

calling calling One One Summers Summers peace. peace. Jessie Jessie •by •by negotiated negotiated a a House House for for striving striving

are are peace" peace" into into "negotiated "negotiated the the yelling yelling those those linttoduced linttoduced resolution resolution

only only that that holds holds a a which which that that matter"; matter"; than than try try protracted protracted a a prolonged, prolonged,

coun­ our our in in illusion illusion a a "quite "quite dangerous dangerous be be to to more more out out turn turn will will Europe Europe

of of no no invasion invasion is is the the There There that that it. it. 1 1 from from March March escape escape any any

isn't isn't there there and and on on situation situation world world predicting predicting the the States, States, United United the the to to

Ambassador Ambassador of of logic logic British British iron iron the the Halifax, Halifax, is is Lord Lord This This troyed. troyed.

des­ ibeen ibeen not not has has by by fascism fascism speech speech a a which which in in undertaking; undertaking; military military

major major a a for for forces forces Germany Germany our our of of role-a role-a paredness paredness anti-Soviet anti-Soviet an an ing ing

play­ again again of of capable capable pre­ the the Germany Germany a a is is question question into into calling calling forces, forces,

world world post-war post-war a a such such armed armed of of U.S. U.S. the the requisite requisite of of morale morale and and ment ment

pre­ prime prime ·A ·A equip­ domination. domination. tactics, tactics, world world the the in in deficiencies deficiencies

for for war war world world third third a a of of ership ership supposed supposed length length great great at at itemize itemize

the the of of Baldwin Baldwin Times, Times, York York New New lead­ American American under under organization organization

Hanson Hanson by by series series entire entire an an ing ing the the ·for ·for exist exist prerequisites prerequisites of of mum mum

includ­ others, others, England; England; from from sion sion maxi­ a a which which in in world world post-war post-war

inva­ Anglo-American Anglo-American the the meet meet to to a a is is course course this this of of objective objective end end

Staff Staff German German the the by by allotted allotted forces forces The The Hitler. Hitler. ;by ;by charted charted course course the the to to

the the further further strengthen strengthen to to order order path path Teheran Teheran the the from from country country our our

in in Front" Front" Western Western the the to to sions sions turning turning of of course course the the to to leads leads tive, tive,

divi­ [German] [German] of of transfer transfer the the by by this this accept accept to to Not Not world. world. perspec~ perspec~

necessitated necessitated "withdrawals "withdrawals as as Front Front the the of of sectors sectors capitalist capitalist and and socialist socialist

Eastern Eastern the the on on armies armies German German the the between between collaboration collaboration itable itable

the the of of rout rout current current the the of of speak speak prof­ term, term, long long basic, basic, a a and and cism cism

TEHERAN TEHERAN OF OF ENEMIES ENEMIES 426 426 ENEMIES OF TEHERAN 427 full picture of the current stepped­ forces under today's conditions con­ up anti-Teheran, pro-fascist cam­ stitute direct opposition to the es­ paign. They do give an indication sentials of our Government's war of its nature. They do indicate policies and openly involve the ob­ some of the issues being pushed structing and undermining of our forward lby it. country's war effort. In short, they A clear understanding of certain come under the head of treasonous general features of this campaign activities in even the limited legal is of primary importance. The first sense of the word. such general feature is the over-all The third general feature is that situation within which this cam­ 1944 is a presidential election year paign is taking place. and that in all likelihood our coun­ The most important fact of this try's future is bound up with the situation, the most important fact success or failure of the people's of our times, is that the joint deci­ efforts to secure the re-election of sions and the unified outlook of the President Roosevelt and the election Teheran Conference are determin­ of a victory Congress. . That this ing the course of the war. In short, is a presidential election year is .the current heightened activity of an element favorable to the pro­ a pro-fascist, defeatist nature is tak­ fascist, defeatist . forces. It throws ing place under circumstances in into the arena or" struggle innumer­ which the forces .basing the:tpSelves able partisan factors and considera­ on Teheran occupy the driver's seat. tions that have nothing to do with The second general feature is the the issue of our era. The enemies changed relationship between these of Teheran and our Government's defeatist-inspired views and activi­ war policies are calculating on mak­ ties and the established, officially ing maximum use of a policy of proclaimed policies of our govern­ partisan diversion. ment. During 1943 and earlier the de­ The Second Front featists operated under conditions in In his historic January Plenum which a struggle to shape many of report, Comrade Browder made the the fundamentals of government following evaluation of the military war policy was taking place. Those aspects of the Teheran accord: conditions no longer exist. The fundamentals of our Government's "Complete agreement as to the war policy have been shaped. The scope and timing of military opera­ always existing sharp divergence tions from east, west and south, between the views of the forces di­ reached between the High Command recting the fight against policies of the three great Allies, has long based on Teheran, and the policies been understood by all serious per­ of our government which are based sons as the sole guarantee of vic­ tory. The Nazis have long known on Teheran, has vastly widened'­ this to be the sure doom of the has become an unbridgeable chasm. Third Reich. The only thing that The views and activities of these was not certain was whether that 428 ENEMIES OF TEHERAN complete agreement could be that we and the win-the-war forces reached. ·The Nazis based all their generally have to a certain extent hopes upon that complete agreement done just that. bei~g block~d by differences among It is a fatal error to think that their enemies, whipped up and because the most advanced patriotic played upon by their friends with­ forces in our country have a clear in Britain and America. All anti­ fascists based ·their word and deed understanding of the crucial need upon contributing everything to for, and sound basis of, the strategy bring that complete agreement into of ·the Second Front, that this un­ being. That was accomplished in derstanding is shared by all or even Teheran. the overwhelming· majority of the "In the nature of things the de­ American people. It just isn't so. tails of that agreement will be The military aspects of the agree­ known only as they unfold in ac­ ment at Teheran finalized a most tiO!n.. For the world outside the fundamental transformation of the ~ctive military command, the only Important thing is the existence of strategic premises upon which Am­ the agreement. Given this agree­ erica's conduct of the war has been ment, the rest of us have no res­ based. ·ervations to the motto, 'Leave it Hitherto America's conduct of the to the experts,' which we opposed war has been largely dominated by only when it was used to block the the concept of a prolonged war of agreement rather than . to find and attritiQn agaiqst Germany, aimed at execute it."* the eventual reduction of the effec­ Events since our plenum demon­ tive war potential of the German strate the correctness of this evalua­ military machine to a point below tion. Clear indications of the that of the combined Anglo-Amer­ preparations for, and imminence of ican forces. The principal elements the Anglo-American blow from th~ of such a concept were: An ex­ west are abundant and show that hausting but largely stalemated the military policy of our country struggle on the Eastern Front; large­ is based on the agreement of Tehe­ scale actions of the Mediterranean ran. Comrade Browder's evaluation German industry; relatively small­ of this question has made and is scale actions of the Mediterranean making a profound contribution to pattern on the perimeter of Ger­ the correct orientation of the labor many's -''Fortress Europe"; economic movement and 'the entire win-the­ blockade. war camp. Teheran represented the culmin­ Comrade Browder in his Plenum ating point in the process of aban­ report did not say, did not mean, donment of the concept of a pro­ and did not imply that we should longed war of attrition and the "leave our military experts to the adoption of a new outlook corre­ mercy of the defeatists." Yet I feel sponding to real relationships of forces and actual strategic possibi­ lities. The principal elements of *Earl Browder, Tt:heran and ii.meric.z, Workers Library. Publishers, p. 7. thiS' concept are: Full coalition war- ENEMIES OF TEHERAN 429 fare; a correct evaluation of the through pressure to transform what offensive powers of the Red Army must be a crushing all-out blow and its ability to smash all Ger­ aimed at decisive objectives into a man efforts to stabilize the Eastern western edition of the Italian cam­ Front; the launching of 'an all-out, paign. crushing Anglo-American invasion Third: They hope to convince of Europe from the West timed to large sections of the American peo­ merge with the present mounting ple that the opening of the Second Red Army offensive; the destruc­ Front is unsound strategy and that tion of Germany's armed might on "Soviet demands have pressured the field of battle through the Roosevelt" into it. The traitorous combined use of all arms. ghouls look forward with fiendish This represents no small change glee to the day when the casualty in our country's military policy and lists, which are the inevitable ac­ strategic outlook. Bringing a full companiment of any large-scale understanding of it to the American operation, begin to arrive in Am­ people and arousing their enthus­ erica and hope that this will result iastic support for it is no simple in mass resentment and disaffection over-night proposition. It is an among the people. especially difficult and important job, The military policy of our gov­ because· a large section of the press ernment and General Staff is firi1J.ly is systematically attempting to ob­ founded on the rock of the Tehe­ scure for the American people the ran accord. Support of that policy actual military situation by such means explaining to the ·people means as: belittling the already again and again and again all the decisive accomplishments of the Red factors which make an immediate Army; exaggerating the ability of launching· of the Second Front the Germany to cope with an invasion one and only sound, the one and of strategic proportions from the. only winning military policy for our West; over-emphasizing of the dif­ country. ficulties of amphibious operations; undermining of confidence in the The Drive to Destroy Conviction in sterling qualities of our armed tire Ju.stness of the United forces. N ati

BY HANS BERGER

R. MAX LERNER, in an arti­ The misconception lies in Lerner's M cle entitled "The Unpopular interpretation of Browder's position. Front," in, PM of March 28, criti­ Browder took as the starting point cized the Communist policies as Earl in his basic report, as well as in his Browder developed them at the Jan­ interview, not the Soviet Union, but uary meeting of the National Com­ Teheran-that is, the agreement en­ mittee of the Communist Party. tered into by the leaders of our own Since that criticism brought into fo­ country, Britain, and the Soviet cus all liberal criticism of an ap­ Union for strengthening the leading parently "Left" character currently coalition in the United Nations, for directed at the Communists, it hastening victory through establish­ merits discussion. Lerner's main ar­ ing the timing and the scope of the guments against the policy present­ Western Front, and for laying the ed by Browder are the following: basis for post-war reconstruction through the continued Anglo-Soviet­ "There are two premises in the American colla:boration "in the war new Comniunist Party line, as ex­ and in the peace that will follow." pounded authoritatively by Earl Browder's starting point was not the Browder in his interview given to question: What kind of policy must PM's Harold Lavine, upon which we pursue in order to help the So­ everything turns. One is that the viet Union? His starting point was world's fate Hinges on Russia's fu., the question: How best can the na­ ture and Russia's alone. The second tional interests of the United States i8 that American progressives must -the winning of the war, the main­ give up their home-front struggle to fulfill the promise of American life, tenance of future peace, and the lest Wall St. fall out of the Tehe­ furtherance of economic and social ran alliance. I consider the first a· well-being-be promoted? misconception, the second a betray­ If Lerner would attempt a serious .al." (My emphasi8-H.B.) analysis instead of indulging in gen-

431 432 CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL eral phrases, he could not deny that countries in order to obtain allies, this is the central problem on which gendarmes, and quislings. American the future of our nation and of the reaction, American fascists would at­ world depends. Browder explained tempt to achieve with far more open in great detail that the significance means what English policy achieved of Teheran lies not only in the fact between 1917 and 1939, not without that it paves the way for effective help on our part, and what was so military cooperation (the second "brilliantly successful" in Germany. front) but in that it offers also the This is the basis on which Brow­ perspective of post·war collaboration der focuses the attention of America betwen the democratic capitalist on "Teheran," as the core of every powers and the Soviet Union. The present and future policy affecting peaceful co-existence and coopera­ our nation and the world. Browder tion of the United States, the Soviet does this as a Marxist, warning with Union, and Britain following the Marxist farsightedness against the defeat of Hitler-Germany and her horrible possilbility of a new world satellites is the prerequisite for ob­ war, with the most terrible conse­ viating another world war. If, after quences for the life of the entire na­ the common victory over Hitler, tion and especially for the conditions certain imperialistic circles were to of the American working class and succeed in their aim of ur.leashing all liberals, including ,the Max Ler­ unbridled inter-imperialist rivalry, ners. Browder the Marxist has never or of setting the course of the United declared that Teheran automatically States or England toward war guarantees against the possibility of against the Soviet Union, the world such a development. Just because would head for a still more ter­ "Teheran" must be fought for, and rible war catastrophe, in the maintained and developed in strug­ course of which ultra-reaction gle against its opponents, just be­ would proceed to black out the dem­ cause reactionary pro-fascist forces ocratic life of our nation. Such a war are attempting and will increasingly would be prepared, as was the case attempt to destroy the basis it has. in Germany, by systematic reaction, given us, Browder warned so ex­ by a systematic campaign for pHcitly against the anti-Teheran per­ stupefying and brutalizing the spectives and urged upon the nation masses, by systematic suppression full understanding and whole­ of the working class movement hearted implementation of the war-­ and of all liberal opinion. The time and peacetime policies of col­ American fascistic reactionaries, laboration agreed upon at Teheran. just as Hitler did, would support the most anti - democratic adventurist * • * elements in other countries, would intervene directly and indirectly to · Where is the misconception of' crush all working class and gener­ which Lerner speaks? Without: ally progressive forces in other question, the Teheran Agreement is, CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL 433 also in the interest of the Soviet But when Browder presents the full Union. It is of utmost importance to meaning of Teheran as the basis of the Soviet Union, and equally so to every serious progressive policy, the United States and Britain, to end then Lerner talks about "miscon­ this war as swiftly as possible . in ception." It behooves one in Ler­ coalition warfare through the second ner's position to accustom himself front. It is of the utmost importance to thinking questions through to the to the Soviet Union, and equally so end. Were he to discard the arro­ to the American and British nations, gance of superficiality, it might be not to be drawn into a new· world possible for him to learn from the war and to prevent such a war. Communists to be a consistent pro­ Nor is Teheran less in the interest gressive. of France and of the other peoples of Europe, whose Uberation depends • • • on the cooperation of the great pow­ ers, arid whose post-war develop­ Lerner accuses Browder and the ment would be in the greatest American Communists of "betray- · danger if American and English re­ al." He asserts that the Communists actionaries attempted to make them demand that the "American pro­ gendarmes against the Soviet Union gressives give up their homefront and other peoples. struggle to fulfill the promise of Browder's premise, therefore, does American life, lest Wall St. fall not, as Lerner falsely interprets, out of the Teheran alliance." Lerner make "Russia's future and Russia's writes: alone" the pivot of all policy. That premise is the premise recognized by "What is Browder's basic fallacy the President of the United States in is the belief that the American isola­ conjunction with the leaders of tionists and the reactionary primit­ Great Britain and the Soviet Union, ives can be appeased rather than who voiced the deep-going sentiment they must be mastered; it is his be­ of the American, British, and Soviet lief that they can be lured into good behavior on foreign policy if onlfl peoples, as the only basis for policy we surrender to them on domestic for the three great Coalition Powers policy. This is to substitute the on the road to victory and an endur~ politics of blandishment and man­ ing peace. When the German Com­ ipulation for the politics of ma­ munists declared that friendly rela­ jority strength. To abandon the tions to the Soviet Union were a life­ home-front struggle thrus is a betray­ and-death matter for the German . al of the best American progressive nation, they were charged by the tradition. It is a betrayal of the German Max Lerners with consider­ Marxian tradition as wen in its ing the Soviet Union "primarily" crucial principle-that men can, act­ ing together, transform themselves and "in opposition to" the interests by transforming their living condi­ .of the German nation tions and their power structure. I Lerner declares he is for Teheran. know of very few thinking Amer- 434 CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL ican progressives who will not be struggle against the defeatists and surprised at the extent to which the pro-fascists who would hinder the Communists now depart from their prosecution of the war, who put all. basic principle." (My emphasis­ possible obstacles in the path of the H. B.) Administration, who systematically attempt to disunite and demoralize Lerner has often expressed his the nation? Don't the Communists spiritual concern about our exist­ carry on a consistent struggle ence, and has let it be known that against the reactionary, pro-fascist in his opinion it would be best if forces who want to undermine our we disappeared. Lerner belongs to relations with our allies ·and smash that group of liberals who have a the strength of the United Nations? troubled conscience concerning the We ask Lerner and PM: In what Communists. They fear to be brand­ does the betrayal consist? ed as fellow-travelers, since that What other policy is a. progressive would create difficulties for their one? Is John L. Lewis, perhaps, whole material and social existence. Lerner's ideal? Is Lerner's ideal the They must therefore continuously Trotskyite camp, which defames this still their conscience and better great war of national liberation as judgment with new arguments "imperialist"? Is Lerner's progres­ against the Communists. They must sive ideal Norman Thomas, that continuously prove to the world and "Socialist" helpmate of Hitlerism to themselves why they are not con­ who finds a dozen "progressive ques­ sistent. tions" a day, all of which have but Wherein does this "betrayal" con­ one aim, to prove that the consist­ sist? Lerner does not make clear ent prosecution of the war is not in when this betrayal occurred. Does the interest of the American nation? the betrayal consist perhaps in the Browder condemned the First fact that we support the Roosevelt World War as an imperialist war. Administration? That we are op: He went to j·ail for his just belief. posed to strikes in the war? That we Browder and the American Commu­ oppose the raising of divisive issues nists, in common with all enlight­ that would weaken our nation's ened American patriots, know this fighting power and civilian morale? war to be a war for national libera­ Does the betrayal perhaps consist in tion. They, therefore, draw all the the. fact that we are inflexibly de­ conclusions that will help prosecute termined to carry this policy this war victoriously. The American through to victory? What other pol­ Communists would ·be traitors to the icy have Lerner and PM to propose? interests of the American working Where do Browder and the Amer­ class and of the nation if they did ican Communists "appease" the not make speedy and decisive vic­ American "isolationists" and the "re­ tory in the war the guide to all their actionary primitives"? Don't the policies, to which all other questions Communists carry on a consistent must be subordinated. CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL · 435 Hence, the Lerners must be asked ican people? Can the Lerners cite publicly: Wherein lies the betrayal one instance from our practice or by the American Communists in this one sentence from our declarations war of liberation? And what, gentle­ that could substantiate such a men, is your policy? charge? Does Lerner accuse us CYf betrayal Or is the accusation of betrayal because we do not consider socialism made on the assumption that we the issue on the order of the day? have proposed that the workers, the We do not know to what degree toiling farmers, the great masses of Lerner and PM and the liberals of the nation say "amen" to whatever whom he speaks consider the so­ the reactionary forces in the nation cialist revolution to be an issue on decree in the way of taxes, wages, the order of the day. That is not prices, etc.? Lerner cannot deny that stated very clearly either in the we carry on an energetic struggle .articles of Lerner, or in PM. And if against all depredations on the liv­ they really do consider it an actual iss:ue for our day, they have been ing standards of the men and women singularly skillful in concealing on the production front and support from the nation the task which they all campaigns that undertake such propose it undertlilke. action. In conducting this policy of Or is the charge of betrayal per­ struggle, we make clear that under haps made on the assumption that war conditions we are opposed to we do not regard the working class all such actions that would disturb any longer as the most progressive war production and interfere with class in society, the class which, by the prosecution of the war. That is its development, strength, and polit­ why we have vigorously opposed ical maturation, qualifies itself for Lewis and all advocates of strikes functioning as a leading force in during the war. the nation? But there are no Com­ The President in his Annual Mes­ munists, there have been none, and sage to Congress, in January, pro­ there will be none who ever doubted posed an economic Bill of Rights, this basic thesis of Marxism. On the much clearer and more meaningful contrary, our liberals, including Ler­ for victory and a progressive post­ ner, don't understand to this very war development that anything day this unalterable principle of proposed to date by liberals of the Marxism- despite their extensive Max Lerner type. It is a program of libraries. far-reaching reforms which can be Or is the accusation of betrayal carried out in the framework of leveled on the assumption that we American capitalism. We welcomed have given up the fight for the de­ this program, as did milliol!s of velopment of our democracy, for trade unionists and millions of full equality for the Negro people, Americans of the most varied strata for wiping out the poll-tax shame, and occupations. As Communists for safeguarding the democratic lib­ together with all labor and progres­ erties so dearly won by the Amer- sives, together with the American .o!o36 CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL fathers, husbands, sons and brothers If, instead of resorting to general in uniform, we support such a pro­ phrases, Lerner would present a bill gram which declares: of particulars, he would discover that he has not the slightest grounds "In our da.y these economic truths for accusing us of betrayal. If he have become accepted as self-evi­ endeavored to formulate concretely dent. We have accepted, so to speak, the needs of the American people, a second Bill of Rights under which now and in the post-1war world, a new basis of security and pros­ he would find himself on the Perity can be established for all, re­ same platform with the great gardless of station, race or creed. trade unions of our country, and "Among these are: also, whether it be to his liking or "The right to a useful and re­ not, with us Communists. Only so munerative job in the industries or long as he stays in the hazy "higher shops or farms or mines of the na­ regions," can he hurl lightning bolts tion; at us-bolts that are cold, devoid of "The right to earn enough to pro­ the fire of truth. vide ad~quate food and clothing and Lerner reproaches Browder for recreation; "his acceptance of monopoly control of the American economy on the "The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a re­ ground of inevita'bility and handing turn which will give him and his the world over to the despoilment family a decent living; by the cartels." "The right of every businessman, What does Browder accept and large and small to trade in an atmos­ what does he see as inevitable? phere of freedom from unfair com­ Browder realizes that in its dom­ petition and domination by monop­ inant sections American monopoly olies at home or abroad; capital supports the war. The "The· right of every family to a American capitalists have he~lped, decent home; by and large, to produce everything "The right to adequate medical necessary for the war. In this his­ care and the opportunity to achieve toric hour for the American nation, and enjoy good health; the decisive sections .of American "The right to adequate protection capitalism are aligned with all the from the economic fears of old age, patriotic forces of all classes in the sickness, accident and unemploy­ great national war of our country. ment; This very significant fact, in contra­ "The right to a good education; distinction to the situation in those "All of these rights spell security. And after this war is won we must European countries where the de­ be prepared to move forward, in the cisive strata of the bourgeoisie have implementation of these rights, to brought national catastrophe upon new goals of human happiness and their peoples, taken together with well-being." · the non - socialist ideology of the CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL 437 overwhelming mass of the American majority of the people can be united people, must be taken into considera­ for the institution of socialism in tion by every Marxist who wants to the United States. pursue a practical progressive pol­ "Toot time is not now, and cer­ icy. What, therefore, is the issue, the tainly not in the 1944 elections."* inevitable issue, as it presents itself For the Max Lerners, who refuse to every serious Marxist? to face this reality (not created by Should one ascend to the "higher the Communists), the only perspec­ regions" a la Lerner, in splendid tive is darkness, hopelessness, and isolation from the actual present desperate <.harges of "betrayal." situation, howl meaningless phrases Earl Browder and the Communists about the power of tJ:;le mon-. do not see any reason for despera­ opolies? Or should one set tion. The American Communists himself to work with labor, with consider it possible, even within the the people, toward the effective so­ framework of American capitalism, lution of the most urgent wartime to avoid the Lernerian darkness.** and post-war problems of the na­ The precondition for objective post­ tion? These are not little problems war reconstruction is an apprecia­ unworthy of a liberal custodian of tion of the extent of the problems to Marxism. They are the problems of be solved after victory and the winning the war and of prevent­ cooperation of all strata of the popu­ ing a terrible post-war cns1s lation who are determined in their with possibly 10,000,000 or 15,000,- mutual interest to avoid a colossal 000 unemployed, and the most dan­ crisis. gerous social and political conse­ Max Lerner appears outraged quences, nationally and internation­ when Browder speaks of cooperation ally. What have the Max Lemers also with the patriotic sections of to offer toward the solution of these monopoly capital; Max Lerner does problems? not understand what cooperation Browder well put it: means. Consequently, he accuses the Communists of appeasing reaction. " ... Today, to speak seriously of One can cooperate in various ways. drastic curbs on monopoly capital, Chamberlain cooperated with Hit­ leading toward the breaking of its ler. The result was war and fascist power, and imposed upon monopoly triumphs. The German Social-Demo­ capita[ against its will, is merely crats cooperated with Bruening in another form of proposing the imme­ the great economic crisis. This diate transition to socialism--or else oo­ operation consisted in permitting the it is the Utop~an trust•busting pro­ gram ·of return to an earlier, pre­ *Earl Browder, Teheran and Americtt, Workers monopoly stage of capitalism. Library Publishers, p. 23. "National unity around a program **We would earnestly . recommend to Mr. Lerner that he study the highly enlightening ar· to break the power of monopoly cap­ tide by Gilbert Green in The Comm"nist for ital is poss~ble only if and when the April. 438 CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL Bruening government to throw the cult social and economic problems full burden of the crisis onto the of the post· war world in a way backs of the toilers. As a result, the which will guarantee the maximum fascist offensive was the more suc­ of peaceful development. It is co­ cessful. In these cases the word "co­ operation in the interests of an eco· operation" was a synonym for capit­ nomic Bill of Rights, not cooperation ulation, sacrifice of the interests of a la Chamberlain, or a la Social­ the working class and of the nation Democracy. to reaction and fascism, with the But Max Lerner has still another well-known consequences. But Brow­ argument against cooperation. The der has not proposed cooperation in Communists are so weak that the order that the burden of a terrible "tough capitalists" will not cooper­ cns1s might be placed on the ate with them at all. Of course, the people. On the contrary, he pro­ American Communists are still too posed cooperation through anti-fas­ weak today to convince "tough cist national unity, precisely for American capitalists" of the need guaranteeing the adoption of such for cooperation. Therefore, if this measures that will avoid the crisis. cooperation depended on the Com­ Browder states to the class in con­ munists alone it would be con­ trol of American e.conomy: The demned to failure. Cooperation great masses of the American people among various classes, in their are convinced that our rich and re­ mutual interests, can only be suc­ sourcefuil oountry can, by internal cessful, and not be transformed measures and through economic into labor's capitulation, when the cooperation with other countries for working-class movement, on the ba· achieving the Teheran objectives, sis of maximum unity and an under­ avoid a post-war crisis and mass un­ standing of the whole situation, employment. To solve the post­ uses its strength to cooperate war problems will not be a simple and to solve these urgent problems task. But they can be solved. If with the organizations and represen­ you wish to avoid crisis and disin­ tatives of the other classes. There­ tegrating social conflicts, it is fore, at the very time that they necessary that in conjunction with establish the necessity for this labor, farmers, and middle classes, cooperation, the Communists, as you work for the adoption of such part of the labor movement, empha­ common policies, supplemented by size the necessity for labor unity, the governmental measures, that will strengthenimg of trade union organi­ solve the problems of the post-war zation and joint action. world. Where in all these considerations, It is a proposal to cooperate in these conclusions is there betray­ against unemployment, against cri­ al? Who can seriously assert that the sis, against the danger of fascism development of such a policy as and new imperialist adventures. It Browder has outlined makes it is the proposal to solve all the diffi- easier for reaction, for fascism, in CONCERNING A CHARGE OF BETRAYAL 439 America or in other countries? On course of achieving a speedy victory the contrary, it is precisely such a and of returning to peace without a policy-the policy based on Teheran post-war crisis, without threat to -which shows the working class, national security, and of creating the 'broad masses of the people, the the preconditions for further social whole nation, the great historic progress. THE MARYLAND-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN

BY DOXEY A. WILKERSON

HE "Enlightenment Campaign" methods of work. AB a result, the Tfollowing the January meeting of Maryland-D. C. Communist organi­ the National Committee has enor­ zation looks forward w1th complete mously advanced the political under­ confidence to the crucial task of this standing and influence of the Mary­ period; namely, the building of real land-D. C. Communist organization. fighting unity of all democratic Centering around the study of Earl forces in this area-for the triumph Browder's report, .Teheran and of the win•the-war coalition in the America, there have developed a 1944 elections, for a speedy victory pronounced improvement in the over our Axis enemies and the de­ quality of branch political discus­ struction of fascism, for the organi­ sions, an upsurge of theoretical zation of a just and enduring peace. study of the Marxist classks, a defi­ nite trend toward greater public Branch Discussions understanding and acceptance of the Beginning with the second week party, and especially a more inti­ of January and continuing until mate and effective working relation­ now, every bi,weekly meeting of ship between Communists and non­ every branch in the Mar;Yland-D. C. Communists in the trade union District has entered into a discussion movement. of some aspect of the perspective There have also been problems, and program outlined at the Plenary many of them, both ideological and Meeting of the National Committee. practical. Moreover, some of these Approximately 60 per cent of the problems, even now, move very membership has participated direct­ slowly toward solution. Yet, in the ly in these discussions. Others have continuing struggle for theoretical been reached through bulletins clarity on the new perspective which which many branches mail regularly the Declaration of Teheran has to their members. Moreover, a copy opened up for our nation and the of Browder's Teheran and America world, there are being developed, was mailed to every member in the first, a solid basis of political under- District; and the sale of the Febru­ standing among ihe membership, ary issue of The Communist, carry­ and secondly, definitely improved ing reports on the National Commit- 440 THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN 441 tee meeting, was unprecedented for decisions is a deepened understand­ this aTea. ing of, and heightened admiration The response of comrades to the for, the party's dialectical approach political conclusions of the Plenum to the problems of history. Although has everywhere been enthusiastic. the commercial press continues to Although full clarity on all the theo­ snicker at alleged "flip-flops" in the retical and practical implications of party policy, our members are com­ the Teheran perspective has still to ing increasingly to appreciate the be achieved, practically the entire profound change in world relation­ membership hailed the National ships which was registered at Committee's decisions with warm Teheran. They see the increased acclaim. strengthening of the Anglo-Soviet­ One significant initial reaction American coalition as the fruition of to the Plenum decisions came from the basic anti-fascist policies which a branch of white-collar and our party has consistently advocated professional Negro comrades. They throughout the past decade. They readily saw the historic neces­ observe how unreal, grotesque and sity for the program outlined in dangerous are the outmoded slogans Browder's report, but they ex­ of certain "liberal" and other groups pressed real concern over an errone­ who take pride in adhering to for­ ous report .they had received that mulas which arose in a historic era the party was now "giving up" the which has now passed. Moreover, goal of socialism. Their anxiety grew they grasp even more fully the out of the fact that they had come earlier changes in Communist strat­ correctly to associate the achieve­ egy and tactics in response to the ment of socialism with the complete sharp turns in history during 1935, liberation of the Negro people, the 1938 and 1941. As a result, they are primary basis upon which many of coming more and more to under­ them entered the party. It required stand Marxism as the science of a thorough discussion of the appli­ social change, as a body of living cation of Marxist political economy principles guiding to progressive ac­ to the post-war world envisioned by tion rather than a set of dogmas. the agreements of Teheran, and es­ Consequently, their respect for the pecially to the • perspective now Marxist leadership of our party and opened up for the peaceful transi­ their confidence in it are immeasur­ tion to socialism, to reassure these ably strengthened. comrades that the Plenum decisions Most of the !branch discussions are thoroughly consistent with its during January and February were historic mission to lead the working led by state and city party officials class and the nation to the ultimate and other leading comrades. This socialist solution of the problems procedure was necessary in order to which inhere in the capitalist or­ assure a prompt and correct inter­ ganization of our society. pretation of Plenum decisions to all An extremely valuable outcome of branches. Its weakness, however, lay branch discussions of the Plenum in the tendency of party leaders to 442 THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN dominate the discussions. Real demo· branch is becoming adept at the cratic give~and·take by the entire dramatic presentation of political membership was unwittingly dis­ issues--with sound effects and all. couraged by the "authoritative" pre­ Several branches are organizing dis· sentations of the recognized leader­ cussions around the Robert Minor ship. In due time the obvious cor­ series of questions and answers in rective was applied. Discussion lead­ the Daily Worker. Still another ers are now selected from the branch delegates some member to branch itself. Although city and make a five-minute introduction of state officials still attend and par­ some one issue involved in the ticipate in branch discussions, they Plenum decisions, after which the consciously ·avoid giving "the an­ meeting is opened for general dis­ swer" to every problem that arises, cussion. A state official who observed leaving it to the membership to this latter procedure commented: "I think. through to correct formula­ have never participated in a party tions. discussion where so large a propor­ One resUlt of this withdrawal of tion of the members took an active the "top" leadership to the back­ part." The further development of ground is a distinctly broader and such new forms of branch discussion more democratic discussion by the obviously warrants the utmost en­ branch membership. Problems and couragement. issues which members formerly kept The initial emphasis in branch to themselves tend increasingly to discussions of the National Commit­ be brought into the open for discus­ tee decisions was upon general un­ sion. This, of course, is all to the derstanding of the over-all policies good. The new problem that has agreed upon in the light of the Te­ emerged is how to keep the branch heran perspective. There followed a leaders from assuming the position period of great7r emphasis upon of dominance voluntarily relin­ more specialized aspects of policy­ quished by city and state officials. the new perspective and the strug­ There is still much progress to be gle for Negro democratic rights, the made before genuinely democratic 1944 elections, new forms of strug­ give-and-take, involving all the rank· gle by the trade unions, the current and-file members, becomes the pre­ problems of political reorganization vailiJlg" practice in branch discus­ in Poland and France and Italy. To sions. some extent there also developed a Another effect of the withdrawal re-examination and application of of state and city officials from the basic Marxist postulates of political leadership of branch discussions has economy, imperialism, the role of been the emergence of new and the. state, and the working class and more fruitful forms for such dis­ the nation-all in the light of the cussions. One branch tried the panel­ perspective of Teheran. discussion technique reported in the Now, the emphasis in branch dis· Daily WOTker from the California cussions has shifted again, this time District, with notable success. One to the practical application of . the THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN Plenum decisions to the functioning and the related decisions of the Jan­ of neighborhood branches and the uary meeting of the National Com­ tasks of the trade union movement mittee; and ( 4) the organization and in the immediate community. This is functioning of the community becoming the dominant emphasis in branch. These several discussions the pre-Convention discussions now are rotated in four-week cycles. Each under way. It is being fostered and new member is assigned to one of· guided through use of a printed Pre­ the classes and is expected to par­ Conventton Bulletin distributed to ticipate in a complete cycle of four all members of the Maryland-D. C. discussions, beginning at whatever Communist organization. point he enrolls in the party. The experience with these new New Classes members' classes has been that the The ferment of theoretical discus­ discussions are extremely profitable sion which the Enlightenment Cam­ for the new comrades who attend, paign has stimulated in party but that the record of attendance is branches led naturally to inCTeasing very poor. It is now apparent that demands by membersfor even more main reliance will have to be placed systematic· study of fundamental upon branch education programs for Marxist theory. At the same time, the ideological integration of new there was recognized the special members. need during this period for advanc­ One of the most vital classes in ing the political understanding of the District is that for branch or­ the party leadership, and also for ganizers in Baltimore. Irt serves as a providing some special "orientation" clearing-house for questions and is­ program for the new members being sues which are raised in branch dis­ enrolled during the recruiting drive. cussions and which require further The result is an ever growing num­ clarification. The general procedure ber of specialized study groups is for branch organizers to formulate which sorely tax the District's abil­ the questions they have encountered, ity to provide an adequate corps of and for other branch organizers in instructors. the class-not the instructor-to sup­ Several classes have been organ­ ply the answers. This procedure not ized for new members in different only stimulates maximum participa­ sections of Baltimore and Washing­ tion, but it also reveals to the city ton. They center around a series of leadership the nature of the theoreti­ four weekly discussions: · (1) the cal problems facing the several background and history of the Com· branches and the aJbility of branch munist Party of the U.S.A., its over­ leaders to cope with them adequate­ all program and organization; (2) ly. A somewhat similar class is be­ the background and development of ing conducted with community World War II, up to the Moscow branch executives in Washington, Conference; (3) the Conferences of D. C., with a more formal and sys­ Cairo and Teheran, their implica­ tematic program of study. tions for victory and enduring peace, The District staff, itself, has initi- 444 THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN ated a long-time program for weekly portion of the membership, but a discussions of basic Marxist theory very, very small proportion of city and its application to the present and District leadership. The ques­ period. Attention is given to Marxist tion was subsequently raised in an postulates regarding imperialism, po­ informal discussion with several litical economy, the role of the state, leading Negro comrades. All were the working class and the nation, the keenly alert to the prOiblem and national question, the farm question, eager, themselves, to participate in dialectical and histoncal material­ a special study program geared to ism, the nature and role of the Com­ the urgent need for more theoreti­ munist organization, and the history cally prepared Negro leadership. of the Communist Party of the As a result of these discussions, U.S.A. The class promises greatly there · has been organized a weekly to raise the theoretical level of the class involving seven or eight lead­ District leadership-if its much­ ing Negro comrades. The study pro­ harried and busy members can re­ gram includes a Marxist interpreta­ sist the constant temptation to fore­ tion of Negro history, the theory of go scheduled theoretical study and the national question, current prob­ discussion in order to give more lems in the struggle for Negro dem­ attention to the ever-pressing prob­ ocratic rights, and more general lems of party organization. postulates of Marxist theory. Time The Negro question is coming in is given at each meeting of the class for increased study and discussion for informal discussion of any theo­ as a direct result of the Enlighten­ retical or practical problems which ment Campaign. The Negro Com­ have arisen during the week. Effort mission in Washington has under­ is being made to involve members taken a syst(!matrc, long-term pro­ of the class in a series of mass activi­ gram of study of Marxist theory on ties in the community. The common the national question, with special hope of the District leadership and application to the problem of inte­ of the seven or eight students is grating the Negro people into Amer­ that within a few months there will ican society. Several Washington emerge from this class at least a few branches have also worked out co­ real Marxist leaders of the Balti· operatively a three - session study more Communist organization. program on the theoretical and In addition to these, there is a practical aspects of the current new and growing class of Commu­ struggle for Negro democratic rights. nist and non-Communist housewives A recent branch discussion in Bal­ in Baltimore, which serves the dual timore turned to the question: Why purpose of Marxi~ education and are so few Negro comrades theoreti­ recruitment. Many branches in cally prepared for responsible party Washington, Baltimore, and Western leadership? Here was opened up one Maryland have set aside definite of the most serious questions facing periods, in addition to their regular the District, where Negro comrades branch discussions, for the syste­ constitute an ever-increasing pro- matic study of Marxism. A class has THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTEN.JIIiENT CAMPAIGN recently been organized among Slo· the Hearst-Patterson press and the vak comrades in Baltimore, which it fulminations of Dies and Tydings is hoped will soon be paralleled by and Bilbo and their ilk. Some such similar classes with other national measures have been taken, however, ' groups. and they are bringing wholesome The Baltimore br·anch educational results. directors decided to initiate, for Twenty Communist Party radio themselves, a program of bi-weekly broadcasts have been made as a part study and discussion on the use of of the Enlightenment Campaign, two the Marxist classics during this pe­ in Cumberland, six in Washington, riod, with special reference to their eleven in Baltimore, and one over a application to the perspectives and statewide hook-up. Among them was problems which stem from the a series of eight Sunday afternoon agreements of Teheran. They began discussions over a Baltimore station. with a discussion of "The Nature This latter series, which was widely and Role of the Marxist Party," advertised, included talks on "Lin­ based upon Stalin's Foundations of coln and Today's War Against Fas­ Leninism (Chap. VIII), History of cist Slavery," "300 Years of Struggle the Communist Party of the Soviet for Negro Freedom," "Who Are the Union (pp. 44-52), Williamson:s Communists?" "Capital and Labor­ "New Problems of Communist Or­ Key to Victory," "American-Soviet ganization" (The Communist, Feb· Relations in the Post-War World," ruary, 1944) and Jerome's "The "Post- War-Prosperity or Chaos?" Communist Vanguard" (The Com­ "Issues in the 1944 Elections," and munist, April, 1944). Over a period ·~The Communists' Message to Trade of time, this group plans to review Unions." the whole range of basic Marxist There are a few evidences that postulates in the light of the present these radio broadcasts have brought period, and thus to achieve a more favorable responses from the public. functional command over the theo­ The Baltimore Sun made the un­ retical premises which underlie our precedented request for a copy of party's program. Such an ambitious the Executive Secretary's address on project by branch educational di­ "The Meaning of Teheran for Amer­ rectors opens up exciting possibil­ ica," and played it up in a full and ities for a still more general revival accurate front-page story which was of Marxist study in the District. picked up by other papers in the This group is the key to the educa­ District. A number of letters and tion of the membership as a whoie. telephone calls CYf commendation have been received, along with re­ General Public Reactions quests for copies of radio addresses. Effective measures to interpret the Several persons are known to have National Committee decisions to the joined the party as a direct result of general public have been far from the broadcasts. Formerly strained adequate in this area whose political relations with officials of one large atmosphere is constantly polluted by broadcasting station have become 446 THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN warm and cordial; and even the greater respect and appreciation for obstinate attorney for the station, the party's program. .,who for months has precipitated a Also during the recent period, one fight over every Communislt Party party District official has received manuscript submitted for his ap­ invitations to speak to meetings of p~oval, now passes upon proposed ·two non-Communist mass organiza­ speeches with little or no objection. tions. Another official played a lead­ The big weakness of the radio ing role in a non-Communist mass broadcasting. program was failure to demonstration against Negro em­ arrange for, and to guarantee, a ployment discrimination and spoke large number o·f listening-in parties at the City Hall Plaza meeting .by comrades and their non-Commu­ which culminated the campaign. In nist friends. Effective organization Washington, not long after the to this end would have enhanced Plenum, two leading Communist tremendously the value of the trade union officials felt free for the broadcasts. first time to speak openly as Com­ Early in the Enlightenment Cam­ munists, taking part in a public paign, the District of Columbia panel discussion organized by one of party held a reception at its newly the community branches. Only one remodeled offices. It was attended who has experienced directly the by an unusually broad group of political climate of the nation's capi· Communist and non-Communist dti­ tal can appreciate the full signifi· zens. Several ministers and civic cance of this latter development. leaders present expressed genuine There is no doubt that, despite appreciation for the party's ap­ continued slanders in the defeatist proach to the problems facing the press, the Communist Party in the nation and the ·community during Maryland-D. C. District is coming this period. more and more to be understood and All branch meetings during the accepted as an important force in Enlightenment Campaign have been the struggle for victory and endur­ open meetings, with many non-Com­ ing peace. This trend, although still munists participating in discussions. not tremendous, has very definitely Such meetings and discussions have been pushed forward during the pe­ proved to be the most effective tech­ rioo of the Enlightenment Campaign. nique thus far used to enroll new members. Relations with Trade Unions Shortly after the meeting of the Copies of Comrade Browder's Te­ National Committee in January heran and America were mailed to a there was initiated a series of in­ large number of non-Communist formal discussions between party trade union leaders in the Maryland· officials and leading non-Communist D. C. District. Many of these leaders individuals in Baltimore and Wash­ were also engaged in informal dis­ ington. In every case, face-to-face cussions about the decisions of the interpretations of the Plenum deci­ National Committee meeting and the sions brought forth attitudes of implications of Teheran for the role THE MD. .:.D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN 447 of labor in strengthening national mediate problems faced by the unity in the country as a whole. workers in their industries. "Bethle­ Further, the Executive Secretary's hem Steel," some are inclined to say, radio address, "The Communists' "·isn't pulling for Teheran; they're Message to the Trade Unions," was trying to break our union." Implicit printed as an eight-page accordion­ is the assumption that the union fold pamphlet for wide distribution must fight back in the old way, as throughout the District. the only means of self-protection. The responses of non-Communist There is failure to understand that trade unionists to these approaches labor cannot solve today's problems have generally been warm and ap­ merely through insistent demands preciative. Many of them are coming upon management, but only as an for the first time to understand the organized and powerful force in the true relations of the Communist or­ national unity demanding the right ganization to the trade unions. They to collaborate with management and are also getting rid of distorted no­ government in the interests of the tions, engendered by the press, as to nation as a whole. the nature and import of the Plenum Second, there is the related ten decisions. dency for many trade unionists to As an important feature of the become overwhelmed by a multitude Enlightenment Campaign, the Dis­ of unsolved grievances, and thus to trict leadership held a series of dis­ lose confidence in the applicability cussions with groups of leading of the Teheran perspectives to their trade union comrades representing industry. They fail to see that the the major industries in this area. effective approach to specific griev­ The purpose of these discussions was ances must now be on the basis of to interpret the implications of the labor's over-all role as the major Plenum decisions for concrete pro­ force for strengthening national grams of action by the latbor move­ unity. The big need is for.labor to ment in relation to the problems of establish a common meeting ground the several industries. with employers for agreement on Among other outcomes of these general policy-in the interest of discussions with leading trade union war production and national unity. comrades, there emerged several ma­ Only when there is agreement on jor problems of theoretical under­ general policy will labor cease to be standing which must be cleared up harried by company obstructions to before the labor movement can ef­ the settlement of specific grievances.. fectively assume its responsibilities Third, far too few trade unionists to the nation during this period. fully understand that the national­ First, there is far from adequate unity implications of Teheran will appreciation, by both Communist nat be realized automatically, but and non-Communist trade unionists, will come only through correct and of the urgent need to apply the persistent struggle. The labor move­ Teheran perspective of growing and ment will command respect and at­ continuing national unity to the im- tention from management and gov- 448 THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN ernment only to the extent of its it would be impossible for the demonstrated strength and continu­ Hearst press of Baltimore repeatedly ous struggles for its necessary place to slander our great Soviet ally with­ to function with full effectiveness in out a word of protest from organized the coalition of national unity. Let la'bor. Otherwise the scheduled ad· labor organize its power as an inde­ dress of Gerald K. Smith in Balti­ pendent political force dedicated to more would have evoked over­ the strengthening of national unity. whelming mass protests from the Let labor demonstrate that the na­ trade union movement. Labor still tion simply cannot solve its prob­ must learn that it can no longer de­ lems except through collaiboration fend either its own or the nation's between government, management interests until it moves vigorously and the trade union movement. to smash the anti-Sovieteers who Then, and only then, will the deci­ now function with relative im· sive sections of the capitalist class munity. be convinced of the necessity for These are some of the still un' constructive relations with organized solved problems facing the Commu­ labor. nist Party of Maryland-D. C. in its Fourth, the labor movement is un­ efforts to help the labor movement duly laggard in mobilizing its full adjust its outlook and forms of influence in the struggle for Negro struggle to the crucial task of weld­ democratic rights, both on the job ing all win-the-war, pro-Teheran and in the community. This is espe­ forces in this area into a firm and cially serious in view of the coming fighting coalition of national unity. elections and the urgent necessity And the first step toward this end is for unity between labor and the redirecting trade union policy to Negro people in order to assure the achieve absolute clarity on the return of President Roosevelt to the part of Communist members of the White House and the election of a trade unions. win-the-war Congress. Not only is it It is appropriate to end this dis­ important f.or labor to estaiblish firm cussion with accounts of two in­ unity with the Negro people; it is stances in which the· Plenum deci­ also easy of accomplishment. But sions really were applied to the im­ the only basis upon which it can be mediate problems facing the trade done is for the trade unions to enter unions--and were found to work! far more vigorously into the struggle In one major war industry in Bal­ for Negro democratic rights. timore the union has long been beset Finally, many trade union leaders by artificial divisions of "Right" and still fail to appreciate how directly "Left," with consequent weakening the continued freedom of our nation, of the win-the-war leadership, in indeed, its very existence, depends which there is really little difference upon the closest coliaboration and as regards the immediate political the maximum coalition with the So­ and other tasks of the trade unions viet Union within the framework of during this period. In the course of the Teheran agreements. Otherwise the Enlightenment Campaign the THE MD.-D.C. ENLIGHTENMENT CAMPAIGN "Lefts" went to the "Rights" with a the handling of grievances. That we proposition to bury the hatchet, stat­ do so is necessary to hasten war ing that for or against the defense production and safeguard the morale of our nation is now the only valid of the workers." The outcome was basis for division between trade a comprehensive agreement which unionists or any other patriotic has notably speeded up the satisfac­ Americans. The proposition was ac· tory handling of grievances and has cepted, with consequent enormous brought qualitative changes in the strengthening of the progressive formerly hostile attitudes of com­ forces in the union. pany officials toward the union. In another industry in Baltimore The latter experience was a reve­ the union and the company have lation to one trade union comrade, long been bickering and clashing whose comment reflects a discovery over grievances. Every little issue many of his colleagues will make if led to a fight. Several weeks ago a they really come to understand and · committee from the union went to apply the Plenum decisions to the company officials and said, in effect: problems facing the trade union "It is natural that problems arise movement. Upon leaving the success­ between us, and the only sensible ful negotiations with the company, way to solve them is to sit down and this comrade exclaimed: "Teheran ai!"ee upon a general approach to is wonderful!" THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS

BY HENRY P. HUFF Secretary of the Northwest District of the Communist Party

HE outcome of the Seattle mu- a total of 195,755 registered voters Tnicipal elections has brought only 71,062, or 36 per cent of the rather sharp, if not shocking, disap- eligible voters, cast ballots in the pointment to the camp of labor and primaries of February 29, and 101,­ all patriotic win-the-war forces of 978, or less than· 52 per cent of the this key war industrial and political eligible voters, went to the polls for center of the State of Washington. the final elections on March 14. The defeat of the win-the-war candi- Because the win-t!1e-war candi­ dates constitutes sufficient grounds dates and their campaign directors, for most serious concern to labor as well as the precinct workers, and all democratic forces as we ap- failed to make the issues in the elec­ proach the greater and more decisive tion sufficiently clear to arouse and political struggles of the 1944 state mobilize into action the whole eli­ and national elections. gible voting population and to ex- In this first major political skir- pose the true connections and defeat­ mish of 1944 against the reactionary- ist policies of the Langlie-Devin defeatist Republican Party machine, forces, the incumbent Mayor Devin headed by Governor LangUe, Mayor was able to return to office with Devin and Co., a coalition of a con- 58,000 votes, or only 29 per cent of siderable section of the labor move- the total registered electorate. James ment, business and middle - class Scavotto, the people's win-the-war forces, backing a slate of !ive candi- and pro-labor candidate, received dates for mayor, city council, and 40,880 votes, trailing Devin by 17,220 school board, respectively, failed to votes. score any decisive victory in the In the councilmanic race the two elections and the reactionary forces incumbent candidates, John E. Car­ were able to slide back into office. roll and Mrs. F. F. Powell, both of However, it should be said that whom have a long standing anti­ they did not win the fight without labor and reactionary record, were bearing considerable scars of battle. also re-elected by a two-to-one rna­ True, they are still in power, but jority over their closest opponents. confronted with stronger forces For a third councilmanic vacancy, united against their reactionary poli- Alfred R. Rochester, who made no cies than ever before. mention of the war in his campaign It is important to note that out of speeches and received the support 450 THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 451 of the reactionary forces, including acted to unite and to take any active the Hearst and defeatist Republican part in the elections. newspapers, won over Mrs. Jean­ Although some thirteen A. F. of L. nette Testu, National Democratic and C.I.O. unions were finally united Committeewoman and a progressive in a formal manner behind the win­ member of the State Legislature, by the-war slate of candidates, such the small margin of 3,380 votes. powerful unions as the boilermakers Failure on the part of Mrs. Testu took no official position, with part of to speak out more forcefully on the its leadership supporting the anti­ war issues and her refusal to speak labor Devin camp. The aero-mechan­ out against the reactionary, defeatist ics union, with some 40,000 mem­ policies of her opponents were un­ bers, only halfheartedly committed doubtedly responsible for her defeat. itself to the support of part of the In the school board race the two slate backed by labor and took very incumbents, who were also support­ little action to throw the full strength ed by the most reactionary forces of the union into an active and or­ and the defeatist press, were re­ ganized participation in the cam­ elected by a large majority. Mrs. paign. The teamsters union refused Florence B. James, a runner-up in to take any position until after the the school board race and a ;new­ primaries and finally came into the comer in politics, came out on a 100 campaign too late to be very effec­ per cent win-the-war pro-Roosevelt, tive. pro-Teheran program, and furnished These weaknesses, coupled with one of the bright spots in the elec­ the fact that the labor unity which tions by rolling up 22,453 votes. was finally achieved was never de­ With this general picture of the veloped much beyond the formal or Seattle elections before us, what are agitational stage, contributed mate­ the main reasons for the defeat of rially to the lack of interest and the win-the-war candidates? What spirit in the elections and, in the positive features were registered in final analysis, to the loss of the elec­ the campaign and what lessons can tions. Practically none of the unions we draw from the election that can involved in the labor front coalition contribute toward a people's win-the­ ever succeeded in involving any ap­ war victory in the 1944 state and preciable number of its membership national elections? in organized, active campaign work, either in the industrial plants or in • • • the precincts. First, in our opinion, one of the All of these weaknesses taken to­ prime reasons for the defeat of the gether reflect the results of a serious win-the-war slate was the failure of division that developed some five the labor movement to achieve the years ago in the State Federation of necessary unity behind the candi­ Labor, at which time the teamsters, dates committed to a people's win­ shipscalers, and building service the-war program, and particularly unions disaffiliated from the State the slowness with which the unions A. F. of L. Federation. The disasso- 452 THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS ciation of these three strong and talized on this weakness by making progressive unions contributed con­ Scavotto out to be a candidate of the siderably to labor's division in the teamsters union and of the Wash­ elections, with part of the trade­ ington Commonwealth Federation, union movement aligned with anti­ excluding any . mention of other labor, defeatist Langlie-Devin forces, trade unions which were also a part in one of the most crucial elections of the labor coalition. in Seattle's history. The sum total of Had the labor movement presented sucli a situation, of course, amounted a .solid front behind the candidates to a defeat for all of labor and all pledged to carry out the victory other forces who place victory in policies of President Roosevelt and the war and a stable, durable peace Teheran, neither Devin or the reac­ above all other considerations. tionary newspapers would have been * * * quite so bold in lashing out against The second main reason was the the teamsters union, or against Sca­ fact that the campaign was permitted votto, or even against the Washing­ to become narrowed down to a ton Commonwealth Federation as purely labor and Left -wing cam­ part of such a unity coalition. paign. This kind of campaign cer­ Without such unity, labor's ability tainly did not reflect the true char­ to influence the necessary broader acter of the win-the-war candidates, unity of all patriotic forces and all of whom were truly people's can­ bring the whole win-the-war forces didates, representing the best inter­ from the "Left to the Right" more ests of all sections and classes of the fully into the elections was greatly population. This weakness was re­ weakened, and ineffective. This was flected in the fact that not a single precisely why Devin and the local business man, not a single employer, press singled out Scavotto, Dave not a single civic or church leader Beck and the Washington Common­ spoke out during the whole cam­ wealth Federation and hurled paign for the election of Scavotto, against them the demagogic cry that although he is a small business man "Beckism and W.C.F.-ism" were out himself, a veteran member of the to dictate the policies of the city City Council, and certainly not a government. The purpose of such an Left-wing or labor candidate. attack was to intimidate business Here again we cannot overlook or and middle-class forces and some underestimate the degree to which industrialists, and scare them away the division in the labor movement from support of the win-the-war can­ contributed to the failure of business didates. and middle-class forces to come for­ Had business leaders, civic and ward more energetically for the church leaders been brought more election of Scavotto and the win-the­ actively into the election struggle, a war candidates for City Council and great deal more interest and support School Board. Certainly, Mayor could have been won, not only from Devin and the reactionary Hearst business, middle - class and church and defeatist Republican press capi- forces, but from the thousands of THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 453 workers in the large war industries those identified as Washington Com­ who are gaining their first experi­ monwealth Federation leaders or as ences as industrial workers and Left-wing forces, spoke out for the trade unionists. Many of these work­ election of the candidates pledged to ers, from the farms of the Midwest carry out Roosevelt's policies for and the South and many from mid­ winning the war. At the same time, dle-class families, are not fully con­ it must be noted that the whole scious yet of their responsibilities as Langlie-Devin Republican machine trade unionists and are not yet was on the job in the Seattle elec­ prepared to accept fully the advice tions to re-elect their candidates into even of their own union leaders on office. all political questions. Here, too, labor must accept a Thus, for lack of unity in its ranks, large share of the responsibility for labor failed to fulfill a very impor­ the lack of initiative and the un­ tant political responsibility to its stable situation which exists within own best interests and to those of the Democratic Party. In the midst our nation. of this great people's war for free­ • * * dom and liberation, faced with great A third factor contributing to the political responsibilities to itself and unfavorable outcome of the elec­ to the nation, labor needs to become tions was the lack of serious concern more seriously ·concerned about the and leadership displayed by the status of the Democratic Party, state and local Democratic Party. which represents the strength be­ While it is quite noteworthy that hind Roosevelt and Teheran in this eighteen members of the state legis­ state, and to begin to involve labor's lature issued a joint appeal to the forces more actively to strengthen voters of the city of Seattle for sup­ and unite the Democratic Party, if port of the democratic, win-the-war more disastrous defeats are to be candidates, a number of the most avoided in the 1944 elections. influential state and local Demo­ * • * cratic Party leaders failed to give A fourth factor that affected the serious consideration to the Seattle outcome of the elections was certain elections and did little, if anything, organizational weaknesses which to win the elections. had been permitted to develop with­ For example, some of the most in the Washington Commonwealth influential King County leadership Federation during the last two years. was involved in an internal fight Although the W.C.F. has maintained which brought before the voters of its prestige and influence and now Seattle the question of dissension constitutes the strongest and most and a split in the Democratic Party active force within the Democratic as the issue in the midst of the Party, it was unable to overcome the Seattle election campaign. Of course, effect of incorrect policies directed the defeatist press made capital of toward its own dissolution and this situation. Consequently, none of which caused a certain organiza­ the Democratic Party leaders, except tional deterioration in precinct and 454 THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS neighborhood organization. While primaries,· receiving 10,339 votes, or this weakness was partially over­ 392 votes short of nomination, was come during the Seattle election mainly responsible for giving a win­ campaign, the Federation's cam­ the-war character to the whole cam­ paigning was not brought up to the paign. It was this introduction of the standards of past elections, and cer­ real issues into the Seattle elections tainly not up to the requirements that was mainly responsible for the of the decisive political struggles yet consistent, win -the -war campaign to come in the 1944 elections. conducted by Scavotto, which was Still one other contributing factor one of the constructive features of in the loss of the elections was the the Seattle elections. lack of adequate consideration for It was the program introduced by · the special problems of the Negro Terry Pettus in the primaries, and people prior to and during the elec­ carried forward by Scavotto in the tion struggle. As a result, the Negro final elections with more than 40,000 people were not clear as to the issues votes behind it, that forced Mayo.r involved in the elections and were Devin to call for an elimination of not adequately involved in the elec­ the differences of the past and "for tion campaign. This is also true of a united Seattle to win the war as other national minority groups. soon as possible" in his acceptance · ·Such, in our opinion, are some of speech on the night of the elections. the basic reasons that the most pro· It was the clear-cut, win-the-war, gressive, win -the -war candidates pro-Roosevelt, pro-Teheran program were defeated and the most reac­ introduced by Terry Pettus, calling tionary defeatist candidates were for a United Seattle for a quick vic­ elected in the Seattle municipal tory and for a stable, peaceful and elections. prosperous Seattle in the post-war • • • period, that brought about the over­ The next important question is: whelming rejection in the primaries was the election struggle a total of City Councilman Frank McCaff­ loss? What were the positive fea­ rey, candidate for mayor-the only tures registered in the Seattle elec­ candidate who dared to talk dema­ tions and how can the lessons drawn gogically about winning the war and from these elections be utilized to at the same time indulge in open turn this temporary setback into a Red-baiting. McCaffrey, a public of­ democratic people's victory in the · ficial, received 2,282 votes less than coming 1944 political. struggles? Terry Pettus, who was a new figure In answer to these questions, it is in politics in the city of Seattle. The important to note the campaign con­ defeat of McCaffrey, which also ducted by Terry Pettus, editor of the eliminates him from Seattle city Washington Commonwealth Federa­ government, was a victory for the tion organ, Tll New World. His pro­ people in the Seattle municipal elec­ jection of the war issues in the tions. early stages of the campaign, al­ The fact must not be overlooked though he was eliminated in the that while the results of the Seattle THE SEATI'LE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 455 elections were disappointing to a torial analysis of the Seattle elec­ large section of the labor. movement tions in the Washington Teamster of and all win-the-war forces, the re­ the teamsters union, which said: "As sults were far from satisfactory to a test of the voting strength, the the Langlie-Devin Republican Party elections proved conclusively that or to the defeatist press. They see unless working people go to the in these results a growing conscious­ polls, their friends cannot win. La­ ness among labor and the people of bor made a far better showing in what the real issues are in this war the finals than in the primaries, but and in American political life and it will have to do better in Novem­ they see an ever-growing unity of ber. As pointed out before the elec­ labor and the people that threatens tic>n, Devin's chief backers are also to sweep them from positions of anti-Roosevelt. Devin himself will power unless they can find some probably be on the air in behalf of new schemes to confuse and deceive Dewey, or whoever is picked to be t.he people. the reactionary candidate for Presi­ These facts are best expressed by dent." the fact that the Hearst Seattle Post­ These statements expressing the IntelZigencer was forced to point out views of the powerful aero-mechan­ editorially that the "victorious can­ ics union and the teamsters union didates will have to face the win­ also express the sentiments of an the-war issues introduced into the ever-increasing number of trade Seattle elections by the losing candi­ unions_ and their hundreds of thou­ dates." The defeatist forces see a sands of members who are not will­ further warning of things yet to ing to accept the outcome of the come in the editorial comments of Seattle elections as a permanent de­ the Aero-Mechanic, official organ of feat. Out of these lessons of defeat the powerful aero-mechanics union, great new forces are beginning to which stated: "Recent political cam­ emerge looking toward a more pow­ paigns in which the aero-mechanics erful movement for labor's united union participated prove one point: political action and a great demo­ there is a sad lack of unity among cratic people's victory in the 1944 labor organizations"; and further, primaries and fall elections. "Labor has a strong voice, but only * * * when everyone controlling. that voice We are, of course, proud of the sings out in harmony. The coming fact that our Communist organiza­ fall elections prove an interesting tion, although, fn the interests of challenge. By serious and careful win-the-war unity, it did not put for­ planning, labor in this area could ward its own ticket, nevertheless help map the future laws of our waged an intensive political cam­ state. Yet nothing but misguided, ill­ paign and played a most construc­ fated ventures will result if different tive role. It was most keenly con­ organizations advance and sponsor scious of the need for breaking the · different proposals." controi of the reactionary defeatist Further, we can point to the edi- political forces over Seattle's politi- 456 THE SEATTLE MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS cal life, and worked energetically for these elections, regardless of the im­ the election of all win-the-war candi­ mediate results, the groundwork has dates. It was also the Communists been laid for a more united and po­ who saw most clearly the weak­ litically active labor movement, for nesses in the campaign and tried to a more united Seattle behind the point them out to all forces inter­ war effort. ested in the elections of the win-the­ On the basis of our experiences war candidates. and new relationships with new and The experience of the Seattle elec­ broader mass forces· in the elections tion campaign proves more conclu­ we can approach the coming strug­ sively than ever before the need for gles with the confidence, symbolic of building the Communist Party in the our great Communist movement, of trade unions, especially those unions final great victories for the people. which took little or no active part On this eve of the opening up of the in The elections. The election activi­ greatest and most costly stage of the ties have also proved the need fur­ war for our country, we must still ther to strengthen our party neigh­ further extend our relationships borhood clubs both theoretically and with all patriotic and democratic organizationally in preparation for forces to hurl back the offensive of the greater tasks immediately ahead. the appeasers and obstructionists in Our work in the Seattle elections Congress and their foul defeatist has helped us to see more clearly the press, who shout "no foreign policy" need for bringing greater clarity and in the face of the Atlantic Charter, understanding to the hundreds of the Moscow, Cairo and Teheran Dec­ thousands of trade unionists on the larations-documents and accords vital issues confronting labor and which establish policies that open the nation in this war, on the mean­ the road to greater freedom for all ing of the Teheran declarations, on mankind. the fight now going on in Congress While involving our whole party and its relation to the Teheran deci­ in the pre-convention discussion, our sions. tasks in the coming weeks are to This calls for greatly increasing work more energetically for labor our educational and agitational ac­ unity and labor's united political ac­ tivities, our literature distribution tion, strengthen our ties with the and the circulation of our press. great war industry unions and with Out of all the hard work, the dis­ the Negro people. appointments, and the temporary We must prepare for the coming defeat experienced in the Seattle primary elections, for the re-election elections, the Communists must of President Roosevelt, the election draw the necessary lessons and ap­ of all win-the~war candidates in No­ ply their Marxist understanding to vember. And in order to contribute the new conditions and tasks created effectively to fulfillment of these out of the struggle. It is oUr Marxist major political tasks, we must understanding and training which build and strengthen the Commu­ enable us to see that in the heat of nist organization in the Northwest. ISSUES AND TASKS IN THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS

DRAFT STATEMENT BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE COMMITTEE, COMMUNIST PARTY

HE California primary elections the Red Army on the Eastern Front, Ton May 16 place the most urgent the outcome of the ele'Ctions as well tasks on the labor movement and all as the election campaign itself wiTI win-the-war forces in the coming have a decisive bearing on the weeks. It is the opening round of course of the war, its length, and the the Presidential election struggle of character of the peace after victory. 1944, and will play a decisive part The coming election campaign i nthe selection of candidates for must see the strengthening of a United States Senator, for all mem- broad w'in-the-war coalition behind bers of Congress, and for the State our Commander-in-Chief, with labor Legislature. taking the lead and setting an exam- In many cases the primaries may ple for all progressive forces in the determine whether there will even shaping and influencing of our na­ be a progressive candidate in the fi- tiona! policy, in support of the Tehe­ nal elections. The moving up of the ran Declaration of America, Britain, date of the primaries from August and the Soviet Union. The war and to May places handicaps on the la- home-front policies of President bor and progressive forces, with less Roosevelt, and the post-war perspec­ time to increase the registration and tives for America and the United organize the campaign for win-the- Nations made possible by the Tehe­ war candidates and issues. It is all ran agreement, must be supported the more important that there be no and reinforced by labor and the underestimation of the importance common people in the course of this of the primary elections. election campaign, to the end that The major all-embracing issue of the President shall be drafted for a these elections is national unity for fourth term and re-elected, together the winning of the war and for a with a Congress which will advance democratic, enduring peace when the national interest and the war the fascist Axis is destroyed. Com- effort. ing as they do at the moment when In order to contribute to the unity our armed forces are poised for the of the win-the-war forces in Oalifor­ invasion of Western Europe, to nia, the State Committee of the match the magnificent offensive of Communist Party, in accordance 457 458 THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS with the policies and decisions out­ itself, the election of a United States lined at the January meeting of our Senator and Representatives who National Committee, will not file or support the President, and the de­ run candidates on a party ticket in feat of those California Congressmen the 1944 elections. It will devote its who have voted with the obstruc­ entire efforts to working with all tionist bloc, are all-important to as­ other win-the-war forces in support sure a Victory Congress which will of President Roosevelt and other not sabotage the war effort and a candidates who advance the cause of democratic peace. This will be the national unity. test for all candidates regardless of The pro-Roosevelt forces in Cali­ party labels. Nearly all the Repub­ fornia haw a great responsibility to licans are supporting the defeatist counter the attempts of the reaction­ bloc, but there are a few Republican ary Hoover-Warren clique to capture candidates for Congress and the the state for the Republican column. Legislature, the outstanding exam­ Earl Warren, who still tries to put ple of whom is Congressman Welch up a liberal and progressive pro-war of San Francisco, whose stand for front, has come out in the open as national unity behind the President the leader of the defeatist bloc in entitles them to the support of the California, by heading the Repub­ voters of all parties. On the other lican Presidential ticket against hand, those Democrats who haw Roosevelt in the May primaries. been voting with the anti-Roosevelt Anyone who still had illusions about bloc to the detriment of the war Warren must admit that this is his effort do not deserve the support of present role, especially since his alli­ the Democratic voters because they ance with the Dewey-Taft-Bricker represent as great a danger to na­ group in the Republican Party and tional unity as do the reactionary the elimination of a number of win­ Republican candidates. the-war RepUblicans for the Warren The most essential prerequisite for slate. achieving victory in the elections is Warren's refusal to support ade­ the establishment of the political quate Federal legislation for the unity of labor. The general agree· servicemen's vote, his negative atti­ ment already reached by the Cali­ tude taward national post-war plan­ fornia State A. F. of L., C.I.O., and ning and cooperation with the Fed­ Railroad Brotherhoods on common eral Government, as well as his ap­ candidates in most election districts, proval of the Republican Party's and their joint activities on the position on subsidies, price-control, voters' registration campaign, are a taxation, and foreign affairs, show great step forward in developing that any gestures toward liberalism such labor unity. But the parallel on his part are merely political ex­ activities of A. F. of L. and C.I.O. pediency to· deceive the voters as to bodies must develop into completely his reactionary alliances with the united labor activities in the election lose-the-war bloc. campaign, beginning with the union Next to the Presidential contest members in each election district, to THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS 459 the central labor bodies and state The farmers have been an easy councils of both organizations, if prey to the disruptive in1iuence of they are to be effective as they must defeatist forces. Labor and the Dem­ be to win California for Roosevelt ocratic Party must seek to win the and for a win-the-war Congress. majority of the farmers to active Political unity of labor can also support and alliance with the labor­ further the unity of the Democratic Democratic coalition behind the Party behind the President and Con­ President, where their interests lie. gressional candidates supporting his The honest desire of the farmers to policies. Democratic party unity has help the war effort must not be di­ been advanced by the filing of a verted to anti-Administration chan­ broadly representative slate of dele­ nels, through the neglect of the gates in the primaries pledged to a labor-Democratic camp in counter­ fourth term.for Roosevelt. Although ing the propaganda of the forces of this slate is running unopposed in disunity. the Democratic primaries, it is essen­ This election campaign must not tial that a large vote be registered be viewed as one of labor versus for the Roosevelt delegation, to es. capital. Nothing would be so harm­ tablish in unmistakable terms that ful to the national interest as to pit the majority of the voters demand class against class. The issues being that the President be drafted for a fought out in this election, as in the fourth term. In every co111munity, war itself, do not concern the fate neighborhood, and election district of any one group alone, but of the there should be politic-al clubs or whole nation. Middle-class and busi­ committees of trade unionists, Demo­ ness elements who understand this crats, and all other pro-Roosevelt can also be rallied to support the voters to conduct campaign activi­ pro-Roosevelt camp in the election ties. campaign, on the basis of the need The election campaign gives an for a program of national unity in opportunity to lalbor and the Demo­ wartime, and for the solution of cratic Party to reach all sections of America's post-war problems by a the population in the state with a united nation, including all classes, people's program for national unity. following the policies outlined at The Negro people, even those who Teheran. are traditionally Republican, can be The Communist Party will seek to rallied to such a program because clarify these issues in the election their interests lie with the labor and campaign. All party organizations progressive forces behind Roosevelt, must give major attention to the and. because national unity for the primary campaign, establish friend­ war effort demands that all win-the­ ly and cooperative relations with war forces support the Negro peo­ trade unions, Democratic Clubs, and ple's fight against the Jim-Crow bar­ all other organizations concerned riers of race discrimination, for full with these issues. Communists will citizenship and equal democratic make every effort toward labor rights. unity, and the unity of aU progres- 460 THE PRIMARY ELECTIONS sive forces in their community. National Conventions of the party in Party members must actively en­ May, Communist Clubs should dis­ gage in all phases of the election cuss these tasks as part of the pre­ campaign in their communities convention discussions, and take through the Communist Clulbs as steps to mobilize their entire mem­ well as with all other organizations bership for the election campaign supporting the war effort. and for the successful completion of In preparation for the state and the national recruiting drive. HUNGARY'S OCCUPATION BY HITLER*

BY E. GAVRILOV

'J"HE Red Army's sweeping offen­ a million tons, are especially impor­ .1 sive, victoriously developing tant for Hitler, now that the Red along a wide front in the Ukrainian Army is nearing the Rumanian oil· and Moldavian · S.S.R., its attain· fields. ment of the state border with Ru­ By virtue of its central geograph­ mania on the Prut, were like a ical situation in this part of Europe, powerful earthquake rocking to its in conditions of the Red Army's ad­ foundations the Hitlerite system of vance, Hungary has now acquired alliances in Southeast Europe. the importance of a key position for In the face of menacing disaster, Hitler, trying as he is to build up a the German fascist imperialists tried new defense line and to keep 1n at any price and by all means to submission all his other vassals in retain hold of their front, to secure this area- Rumania, Bulg·aria and communications leading to the Slovakia. In view of his desperate Balkans, to prevent the downfall of military position, Hitler decided· to their vassals at all costs. At the same occupy Hungary and Rumania. Sus­ time, the Hitlerites want to drain the taining nothing but defeats on the remains O'f their satellites' man· Soviet-German front, Hitler is con­ power and material resources to soling himself with his easy vic­ make good at least part of the tre­ tories over his own vassals. mendous losses suffered by the Hit· Hitlerite Germany by no means lerite army in the gigantic battle of possesses reserves for the occupa-. the Ukraine and in the course of the tion of Hungary which are not tied winter offensive of the Red Army in down in other places. Scores of Ger· general. man divisions were smashed this Of all fascist Germany's vassals winter on the Soviet-German front. fighting the Soviet Union, Hungary Thousands of German guns, tanks is the only state with relatively and planes were destroyed and cap­ large manpower reserves and cer­ tured by Soviet troops in the last tain food and other resources. Hun­ four months alone. gary, too, possesses a most extensive Apart from the divisions thrown network of communications. Its oil· by Horthy on the Soviet-German fields, with an annual output up to front, the Hungarian army numbers some 300,000 men. Had Hungary's • Reprinted from the Soviet journal T ht w.. dtld the working cr .... rulers even the slightest will for re· 461 462 HUNGARY'S OCCUPATION BY HITLER sistance, Hitler would need a mini­ German imperialism. Northern mum of twenty to twenty-five divi­ Transylvania was Hitler's second sions for the occupation of the coun­ bribe for future participation of try. Not a single report about the Horthy's Hungary in Hitler's war strength of the Hitlerite troops for world domination. which occupied Hungary named In 1941, a mere three months more than six German and two Ru­ after Hungary's conclusion of the . manian divisions. It is indicated, agreement of "eternal friendship" moreover, that they are poorly with Yugoslavia, the Hungarian equipped and inadequately trained army, on Horthy's orders, attacked divisions. It would be ridicuious to this unfortunate country as it was think that the occupation of Hun­ plunged in distress. gary could be possible with such This time the Hungarian jackals forces, had she offered any resist­ received a third bribe from fascist ance. 'Germany for participation in the at­ The German occupation of Hun­ tack on the U.S.S.R. Hitler permitted gary became possible solely because Horthy to tear pieces of flesh from the Hungarian rulers, Horthy and Yugoslavia's bleeding body-Backa his clique, opened wide the gates to and the so-called Baranja triangle. the Hitlerite groups. Horthy long On seized Yugoslav territory the ago was preparing to surrender Hun­ Hungarian troops engineered a hor­ gary for Hitler to devour. He pre­ rible mass slaughter of the civilian tended that he reluctantly took part Se(b and Croat ·population, which in the predatory war of the German for cruelty and barbarous sadism fascist imperialists, that he was not rivaled the crimes of the Hitlerite ,"gi~ in and was. sabotaging Ber­ executioners. lin's demands. Before the occupation of Hungary Horthy needed this to conceal his by the Hitlerites, Horthy prudently vile treachery from the people and concentrated Hungarian troops far from the world. The facts reveal from the borders where the German Horthy's complicity with Hitler. He troops were to cross to Hungarian preferred to sell out the country to territory. He denuded the Austro­ ' the Germans rather than defend it Hungarian frontier, thereby encour­ against German attack. aging the Hitlerites to enter the country. * * * Precisely on the eve of the Ger­ Horthy's plot with Hitler was man occupation, the Hungarian preceded by a long chain of vile acts rulers staged a comedy, the sudden of betrayal and treachery by the sharpening of the Hungaro-Ruma­ Hungarian regent. The spoils which nian conflict. This comedy was nec­ Hungary won during the partition essary to Horthy and his clique to · of Czechoslovakia were the first divert the people's attention from bribe received by Horthy from Hit­ the blow being prepared then on ler for Hungary's subsequent par­ Hungary's western frontiers. ticipation in the military gambles of The Hitlerites appointed a new HUNGARY'S OCCUPATION BY HITLER 463 Hungarian "government" of the Party, the Democratic Party and a Quisling type. This government con­ number of other groupings-pur­ sists of Horthy's close associates: sued a policy of "waiting." War Minister Csatay; Finance Min­ They long ago entertained no ister Remenyi- Schneller; Minister doubt as to the fact that Germany of Justice Antal; Minister of Agri­ and Hungary had lost the war. They culture and Food Supply Jurcsek; clearly realized that Hungary was Minister of Industry Szasz, for following Hitler Germany into an years member of the Kallay and abyss. But they did not draw the other earlier governments appointed necessary conclusions therefrom. by Horthy. Far from manifesting the neces­ Along with them are the fresh­ sary activity of courage· and persis­ baked ministers in the "government" tence to wrest Hungary from fascist with a long record of service for the Germany, far from appealing to the Gestapo and its chief, Rimmler, pri­ masses and putting into· action all marily the "Premier," Sztojay, an the levers at their disposal in the old Hitlerite spy. form of their influential organiza­ That is why the attempts of some tions, they tried, on the contrary, to foreign observers to depict Horthy's hamper every initiative from below. role as a different one, to transform In many cases the· Hungarian le­ him to a certain extent into Hitler's gal opposition circles, instead of "victim," ~re clearly. bankrupt. ruthlessly fighting Horthy, actually Equally bankrupt are the attempts supported him. to depict the ex-Hungarian Premier Kallay, an old-time anti-Hitlerite * * * now dumped overboard, as a "na­ Hitler's occupation of Hungary tional hero!' means the complete enslavement Until the last moment, that is, and depletion of the country, the before the Germans dumped him subordination of all its economic re­ into the ashcan, he kept on repeat­ sources and manpower to the Ger­ ing "anti -Bolshevism," that is, a man oc·cupation authorities in ac­ struggle against the Soviet Union cordance with all the rules of has been and remains the principal Hitlerite "total mobilization": orgy, lip.e. of his .foreign policy. terror and brutal, alien yoke, the The anti - Hitlerite opposition mass destruction of the Jews and circles in Hungary also landed in the liquidation of the last remnants an unenviable position. It is against of state independence for Hungary. them that Hitler's S.S. gangs, as Characteristic is the fact that fol­ well as Horthy and his "govern­ lowing the Hitlerite occupation sev­ ment," are directing their blind ter­ eral Hungarian ambassadors has­ ror. Prior to the Hitlerite occupation tened to declare their non-recogni­ of Hungary these opposition circles tion of the legality of the new Hun­ -we have in mind primarily the garian "government" and to aban­ leadership of the Social-Democrats, don the sinking ship. the independent Small 'Peasant The recent experience of Hupgary 464 HUNGARY'S OCCUPATION BY HITLER represents a grim warning to all The near future will show wheth­ those who are now frightened by the er the masses and their anti-Hitlerite fascist terror, thinking perhaps that leaders in the now German-occupied by passive conduct they can save Hungary and Rumania are capable themselves from the fascist cut­ of proving this to the freedom-loving throats and save their country from nations. Hitler's occupation of Hun­ doom. gary, and subsequently Rumania, Actually the whole experience of fuHy exposes the weakness and in­ the struggle in the countries seized stability of the Hitlerite brigand by Hitler shows that salvation lies bloc. It is extremely clear that under only in a resolute struggle against the powerful blows of the Red the German invaders and their Army the Hitlerite coalition is crack­ agents. The Hitlerite occupation of ing and disintegrating. Hungary constitutes an object lesson Hitlerite Germany's allies are to Hitler's other vassals and a grim easily becoming occupied countries. warning of the danger Oif alliance The transformation of the vassal with fascist Germany. country which formally retained its Such an alliance leads only to a independence into an occupied prov­ frightful catastrophe, and no other ince of the German fascist Reich, outcome can be expected by a single losing even illusory independence, is · Hitlerite satellite continuing its al­ rendered easier by the service policy liance with Germany. Salvation for of Hitler's puppets. Germany's satellites is possible only The Berlin clique's "victories" 'on the condition of a resolute and over its ill-fated allies, in the final final break with the German ally. analysis, are not solving but on the But time does not wait and the contrary are aggravating Germany's slightest delay is tantamount to difficulties. death. Smashing the Hitlerite troops on The additional transfer of the the Soviet-German front, · the Red German troops to the territory of Army is marching to the Carpathi­ the occupied "allies" will cause the ans. It is bringing ltberation to those further weakening of the already who prove by their deeds that they lean Hitlerite reserves in the west, are not and do not want to be Hit­ thereby creating an even more fa­ ler's serfs, but represent a people vorable condition for the blows worthy Oif freedom and who are ca­ against the common enemy from pable of selflessly fighting for it. the west. WHERE IS FINLAND GOING-TOWARD PEACE OR CATASTROPHE'?*

N FEBRUARY of this year the control of the government, reacted I Finnish government authorized to the Soviet conditions. its representative to ascertain the The Finnish papers, as if prompt­ Soviet government's conditions re­ ed, began to assert, without any garding Finland's withdrawal from grounds and despite the truth, that the war. the Soviet conditions were "heavy" The Soviet armistice terms were and "brutal," and "unacceptable." made known to the representative of Moreover, the Finnish papers dis­ the Finnish government on his re- torted the actual contents of the So­ . quest, and then published in the viet terms, claiming, for instance, press, where they were unanimouS· that "The Soviet conditions are in ly characterized by public opinion camouflaged form nothing other in the democratic countries as mod­ than unconditional surrender." erate and generous. But it is most characteristic Als'O a majority of the papers of that such a paper as the Uusi the neutral countries commented fa· Suomi, the main organ of the voraibly on the Soviet terms. The leading .government party, was com­ Turkish paper Tan draws attention pelled indirectly to admit the mod­ to the fact that the Soviet proposals erateness aJDd justice of the Soviet do not contain a single point which terms. The newspaper realizes that would affect the independence and refusal to accept the Soviet armis­ sovereignty of Finland, that the So­ tice terms would make the ruling viet Union "offers the Finns the circles of Finland responsible in the possibility of an honoraJble with­ face of the world for the conse­ drawal from the war." quences of such "stupid stubborn­ Evidently opinion differs in the ness." political circles of Finland on the Nonetheless, it is precisely this question of war and peace. However, line of action which the paper rec­ it is impossible not to draw atten­ ommends the government to take. tion to the manner in which the They see the main stumbling unified press of Finland, under the block above a:ll in the first point of the Soviet terms, the · point against which other leading papers of Fin­ * Reprinted from the Soviet Journal War anti the Working Cl•ss, Issue No. 6. land also object, The Finnish press 465 466 WHERE IS FINLAND GOING? represents the elementary demand allegedly waging 'our own )Var' with that relations with Germany be sev­ the sole aim of preserving freedom ered and the German troops be .in· and the independence of Finland, terned, without which Finland can­ when you now admit that your deci­ not withdraw from the war, as the sive object is to preserve not free­ main obstacle to Finland's with­ dom and independence for Finland, drawal from the war. but your 'fraternity of arms' with The demand to intern the German the Germans?" troops, declares Uusi Suomi, will Either Finland now withdraws place Finland in an impossible posi­ from the war and thus saves herself tion. from disaster or she continues to By this invented impossibility the fight together with the Germans and paper is trying to brush aside the share Hitlerite Germany's inevita­ elementary condition for Finland's ble, inglorious fate. withdrawal from the war. Finland cannot attain peace with· Another paper, Hufvudstadsbla­ out breaking off with Germany. The det, is frightening its readers by continued alliance with the Ger­ assuring them that if Finland were mans means a war to the end, until to accept this point, she would "fall the complete destruction of the out of the frying pan into the fire," Germans and all their ''brothers in that is, would clash with the Ger­ arms." Here it should be noted that • mans. The paper, however, hides the the Finnish version, about alleged fact that Germany does not possess "impracticability" of the demand to the forces for operations against Fin­ break with Germany and intern the land. Hitlerite troops, is meeting with The third of the leading papers support from certain sections of the in Finland, Helsingin Sanomat, de­ press in neutral and even Allied clares: "It is clear to all that the countries. Thus, for instance, Stock· fulfillment of this paint is detrimen­ holm's Tidningen wrote on March tal to the honor and dignity of the 11: Finnish people." Accordingly, the arguments of the Finnish papers "Acceptance of this Russian de­ against the first point of the Soviet mand, the meaning of which on the terms amount to an obligation to whole is very vague (!) would place remain loyal to "their fraternity of Finland in an impossible position." arms with the Germans." If such is the case, a question The same day the· Stockholm cor­ naturally arises, a question ad­ respondent of the New York Times, dressed to the Finnish ruling circles Axelsson, repeating the inventions responsible for ·the publication of of the Finnish propaganda, wrote these papers: "Why then did you that the "attempt to carry out the approach the Soviet government conditions proposed by the Soviet with an inquiry about Soviet armis­ Union would lead to civil war in tice terms? Why have you been Finland, since in this even the Finn­ making ~ssurances that you were ish Nazis, who comprise a consider- WHERE IS FINLAND GOING? 467 able section of the army, would help will thus be. proved to the world the German troops." that it places the interests of fascist Also, the Daily Mail carries a simi­ Germany, which strives to drag out lar dispatch from its Stockholm cor­ the war, above the interests of sav­ respondent. Isn't it clear that such ing Finland from Hitler's death aets are a disservice to Finland?' The grapple. subterfuges of the Finnish papers In vain do certain Finnish news­ shed light on the position of the papers, such as the Ilta Sanomat, Finnish government. console themselves by saying that A month has already passed since · "the war is not yet over," and who Finland ha'!> been notified of the knows how it will finish. It is quite Soviet armistice terms, but the Finn­ clear to those who are not blind. ish government is delaying its deci­ Of eourse, the newspaper Helsin.. sion. When the representative of this gin Sanomat obviously is resorting government raised the question to self-deception, when it declares through Seiss, the mediator, whether that "the Russian army is by no the Soviet government agrees to means as powerful as it was at the have dealings with the present Finn- beginning of the war." This paper . ish government, he was informed presents the generosity of the Soviet that the Soviet government has no armistice terms as a sign of weak­ grounds to entertain any particular ness on the part of the Soviet Union. confidence in the present Finnish Isn't it clear that such self-decep­ government, but that if the Finns tion can only lead to the most bitter have no other possibility, the Soviet disappointment and have ruinous government agrees in the interests consequences? The Hitlerite Field of peace to negotiate with the pres­ Marshal Mannstein, against whose ent Finnish government to cease troops in the south the Red. Army hostilities. Whereas the Finnish government has struck a number of crushing blows during the last few weeks, has taken certain steps in the diree­ could inform his Finnish colleagues tion of an independent policy for of a numiber of interesting things Finland by approaching the U.S.S.R. 'about the actual strength of Soviet government on the question of . armistice terms, the impermissible arms. procrastination in making a deeision The Finns could also have food on the Soviet armistice terms by no for thought if they cared to note the means speaks of the Finnish govern­ fact that Hitler's satellites in south­ ment's determination to withdraw eastern Europe, toward whose bor­ its country from the war. ders the Soviet troops are advanc­ This procrastination makes the ing, and above all Rumania and Bul­ sincerity of the intentions of the garia, are _most zealously .studying Finnish government very doubtful. the Soviet armistice terms offered to If the Finnish government discards Fin!l.and. the last opportunity offered to Fin· Only recently the British Times land to withdraw from the war, it _x;eminded the Finns that "Finland 468 WHERE IS FINLAND GOING? as a good neighbor to Russia has a circles of Finland capable of avail­ future. As a satellite of Germany, ing themselves of the last chance to she has no future." save their country and its future This is beyond question. It may be which is open to them thanks to the said that precisely today the ques­ Soviet conditions for Finland's with­ tion is being decided: Are the ruling drawal from the war? HISTORIC DOCUMENTS

ADDRESS OF SECRETARY OF STATE CORDELL HULL ON DEVEL­ OPMENTS IN AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY, WASHINGTON, APRIL 9.

WANT to talk with you this our allies have moved from relative I evening about the foreign policy weakness to strength. In the second of the United States. This is not, place, during that same period we as some writers assume, a mysteri­ in this country have moved from ous game carried on by diplomats a deep-seated tendency toward sep­ with other diplomats in foreign of­ arate action to the knowledge and fices all over the world. It is for conviction that only through unity us the task of focusing and giving of action can there be achieved in effect in the world outside our this world the results which are , borders to the will of 135,000,000 essential for the continuance of free people through the constitutional peoples. And, thirdly, we have processes which govern our demo­ moved from a careless tolerance of cracy. For this reason our foreign evil institutions to the conviction policy must be simple and direct that free governments and Nazi and and founded upon the interests and fascist governments cannot exist to­ purposes of .the American people. gether in this world, because the It has continuity of basic objectives very nature of the latter requires because it is rooted in the tradi· them to be aggressors, and the very tions and aspirations of our people. nature of free governments too It must, of course, be applied in the often lays. them open to treacherous light of experience and the lessons and well-laid plans of attack. of the past. An understanding of these points In talking about foreign policy it will help to clarify the policy which is we!J. to remember, as Justice this government has been and is Holmes said, that a page of history following. is worth a volume of logic. There are three outstanding lessons in our * * * recent history to which I particu- In 194Q, with the fall of France, larly wish to draw your attention. the peoples of the free world awoke In the first place, since the outbreak with horror to find themselves on of the present war in Europe, we the very brink of defeat. _ Only and those natioO,S who .are now Britain in the west and China in the

The Rise of the American Nation 1793 - 1824 By Francis Franklin

A major new study of the formative years of Americ?'s rise to nationhood, the development of events and forces leading to the War of Independence, the democratic victery over Federalist - reaction under Jefferson's leadership and the national victory over foreign aggression culminating in the War of 1812. Franklin also describes the beginnings of the rise of industrial capitalism and the political realignments of 1824. Pri ce $2.00 • / .. Builders of the Nation .. Series Edited by Dr. Philip Foner

Al5raham lincoln: Selections From His Wr i ting ~ ' lincoln's writings on democracy, slavery, the Civil War, and labor, arronged and with an introductory essay by Dr. Foner.

Thomas Jefferson: Selections From His Writings Jefferson's writings on dem,ocracy, slavery, education, world affairs, etc., o rn~nged and with an essay on his life ond work by Dr. Foner.

George Washington: Selection Fr:om His Writings W oshington's speeches and letters on nationol unity ond the revolu­ tionory Wor of Independence, on education, religious freedom, etc., / • orronged and with on essoy by Dr. Fon e r. Reody next month. Paper 25¢ - Cloth 85¢ • WORKERS L IBRARY PUBLISHERS P. 0. Box 148, Station D (832 Broadway), "New York 3, N. Y. .A New Boolc of ~meri can History: The Struggle for American Freedom The First Two Hundred Years By HERBERT M. MORAIS

Herbert Morais' new st udy of tne fir# two hundred years of 1\meriCll 's history is a first-rate contribution to the growing arsenol of literature on this subject. The- fi rst part, deali ng with a ce"'tury and half of struggle and growth toward nationhood, provides an insight into t he Engli sh I and American h> ackground, starting with the economic revolution of 1350-1600, t he rise of the Tudor mona rchy and t he growth of merchant capital seeking new sources of raw materials and wealth. It describes the era of colonization in the New World, the d evel­ opment of tobacco colonies in the South and the r~pid growth of commerce in the New• England colonies 6f the- Atlantic seaboard .. Jt shows the influence of the English mercantile system.on imperial­ colonial relations and the unfolding struggle between t~e mer­ chants . of Old England and Nf3w England culminating in the revoi~Jtion of 1688-89 which gave powerful impetus to immigra­ tion and economic expansion and which led to a sharpen.ed str~ggle for control in Am~rica. 1 The second part of Morais' book covers the vitally important years from 1763 to 180 I, the growing conflict of interests between Britain and the colonies, the , revolutionary ypsurge and broad movement for separation leading uf to the revolutiortary War_of Independence and the founding o the American Republic. The book is enriched with copious reference notes1 a ,bibliography, index and several maps. Price $2.25 • WORKERS LIBRARY PUBLISHERS P.O. Box 148, Station D (832 Broadway), New York 3, N. Y.