REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF THE CONSTITUTION BY EARL BROWDER
Vanguard Role of the Communist Party .-\LEX BITTEL~L \N
The Sino-Japanese V\Ta r and the .-\merican People LA'\ VRE1 CE HEARN
Scottsboro and the Negro People's JAMES W. FORD Front and NA D .\:\101\'
Communi t-Sociali t nity in Spain C. P. OF SP:\f1
From the \iV orld Communist Press
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Live--- History History Making Making VOL. XVI, No. g. SEPTEMBER, lf57 7he COMMUNIST
A MAGAZINE OF THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF MARXISM-LENINISM PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF THE U.S.A.
CONTENTS
Review of the Month A. B. 779 Revolutionary Background of the United States Constitution EARL BROWDER • 793 The Vanguard Role of the Communist Party ALEX BITT:ELMAN 8o8 The Sino-Japanese War and the American People . LAURENCE HEARN
Scottsboro in the Light of Building the JAMES W. FORD Negro People's Front and ANNA DAMON
An Open Letter on Communist-Socialist Unity in Spain
Thoughts on Peace and the Probable Ad vantages Thereof THOMAS PAINE •
From the World Communist Press
Recent Publications Acknowledged
Entered IJ$ second eltiU matter NOIJflmlnr 2, :c927, at the Post Of/ice at New York, N. Y., under the A.et of March J, :c879· Send eheclu, money orders and correspondence to Tm: CoMMUNIST, P.O. Box :c48, Sta. D (5o E. IJth St.), New York. Subscription ratu: l•.oo a year; $I.IXJ for six months; foreign Mid Canada $2.50 a year. Single copies 20 emu. PIUNTBD IN U.S.A. ....289
BROWDER BROWDER EARL EARL FOSTER FOSTER Z. Z. WILLIAM WILLIAM
1882·1927 1882·1927
RUTHENBERG RUTHENBERG E. E. CHARLES CHARLES
U.S.A. U.S.A. PARTY, PARTY, COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE OF OF LEADERS LEADERS THE THE
R R E BROWD L L AR E R R STE O F . . Z M M WILLIA
927 927 1 882- 1
G G R E B EN H T RU . . E LES LES R A H C
I I '
U.S.A. U.S.A. PARTY, PARTY, COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE OF OF LEADERS LEADERS THE THE REVIEW OF THE MONTH
Labor Evaluates Political Experiences. How Can the Government Be Made More Responsive to the Needs of the Masses? Leadership or Alliance? Two Wrong Reactions to Failures of the Federal Government. The Progressi11e Camp and the Municipal Elections. Senator Black's Nomination. A New Phase in the Fight for Supreme Court Reform. Evaluating Experiences of First Defeat. The Labor Movement Needs Some Self-Criticism. A Situa- tion That Was Not Utilized. The Role and Contribution of the Con gress Session. No Dependable Roosevelt Majority. Elections in I9J7 and I9J8. Statement of Labor's Non-Partisan League. Cotton Loans and Crop Control. The Struggle for Trade Union Unity. Growth of C.I.O. Makes Unity Practical Task. Unity of Action the Burning Need. Brophy on the First Anniversary. The Central Committee Initiates a Two-Month Recruiting Drive. A Matter of Duty and Honor.
ROGRESSIVE labor is today inten And what did the federal govern P sively evaluating the country's re ment do about it? Says the report: cent political experiences. In doing so, labor seeks an answer to a number of "The federal government throughout this urgent and practical questions. What entire situation has not displayed the slight political conclusions are to be drawn est interest in protecting the rights of the from the steel strike, from the struggle steel. workers on strike which have been so for the reform of the Supreme Court, flagrantly disregarded. Violations of the na tional statutes, such as the national Fire from the various successes scored by Arms Act, by the steel corporations have pro reaction in Congress and outside? duced no activity on the part of national In its report to the International officials." Executive Board of the United Mine Workers of America, the Steel Work ers Organizing Committee (S.W.O.C.) The action taken by the Executive has the following to say on the con Board of the United Mine Workers duct of government agencies in the upon this report is well known. It steel strike: "condemned" the anti-labor practices and policies of the local and state offi "In each of the steel areas where the strike cials who did the work of Girdler and has been in effect, local authorities acting in Grace; it "protested" the complete complete collusion with the officials of the lackadaisical and unconcerned atti steel corporations and the National Guard have violated state and national laws and tude of the national and state author have infringed in the most flagrant manner ities; and it "demanded" that these upon the civil liberties of the steel workers." authorities bring to justice all those 779
allies; allies; its its and and class class working working the the for for ~ionaries. ~ionaries.
good good is is that that one one process, process, progressive progressive reac the the and and royalists royalists economic economic the the
a a is is leader" leader" against against "labor's "labor's fight fight as as joint joint a a for for Roosevelt Roosevelt "D") "D") capital capital
in in disillusionment disillusionment of of process process the the that that the the (without (without democracy democracy bourgeois bourgeois of of
clear clear is is It It progress. progress. of of camp camp whole whole spokesman spokesman outstanding outstanding the the with with force force
the the to to and and labor labor to to harmful harmful extremely extremely political political independent independent and and distinct distinct
be be to to bound bound are are alliance, alliance, Roosevelt Roosevelt a a as as class class working working the the of of alliance alliance An An
labor a a of of policy policy class class correct correct a a by by aims. aims. specific specific and and purposes purposes specific specific
counteracted counteracted not not reactions, reactions, if if wrong wrong for for coalition coalition and and alliance alliance of of tionships tionships
such such of of consequences consequences practical practical The The rela as as practice practice in in developing developing been been
leader. leader. have have which which administration, administration, Roosevelt Roosevelt
and and spokesman spokesman our our as as him him treat treat to to the the with with relationships relationships true true its its of of ness ness
continue continue must must we we therefore therefore sentative; sentative; conscious gaining gaining was was time time same same the the
repre political political our our still still is is he he theless theless at at labor labor illusions, illusions, these these with with parting parting
never us, us, to to obligations obligations his his all all filled filled steadily steadily While While spokesman. spokesman. political political its its
ful not not has has Roosevelt Roosevelt though though is: is: tion tion and and labor labor of of leader leader 'the 'the was was Roosevelt Roosevelt
reac other other The The end. end. an an to to come come must must that that labor, labor, of of representative representative class class uine uine
him him with with relations relations our our therefore therefore man, man, gen the the was was administration administration Roosevelt Roosevelt
spokes our our be be to to ceasing) ceasing) is is (or (or ceased ceased the the that that illusion illusion the the shedding shedding steadily steadily
has has Roosevelt Roosevelt is: is: reaction reaction one one forms, forms, been been has has Labor Labor administration. administration. velt velt
extreme extreme their their in in Stated Stated labor. labor. of of man man Roose the the with with relationships relationships its its of of
spokes and and representative representative political political the the nature nature exact exact the the of of conscious conscious more more ing ing
is is administration administration Roosevelt Roosevelt the the that that grow been been has has labor labor industry, industry, auto auto
illusion illusion the the of of remnants remnants the the in in rooted rooted the the in in strikes strikes great great the the since since Ever Ever
are are reactions reactions wrong wrong these these of of Both Both labor? labor? of of
labor. labor. to to responsibilities responsibilities its its fulfil fulfil to to demands demands just just and and rights rights needs, needs, the the to to
government government federal federal the the of of failure failure the the responsive responsive more more made made be be ernments) ernments)
to to reactions reactions wrong wrong two two of of know know We We gov state state and and local local the the (and (and ernment ernment
gov federal federal the the can can How How workers. workers. the the labor. labor. and and administration administration Roosevelt Roosevelt
of of minds minds the the agitating agitating question question eral eral the the between between break break a a about about bring bring to to
gen more more the the is is there there Second, Second, tating. tating. reactionaries reactionaries the the of of provocations provocations the the
hesi still still are are they they that that is is authorities authorities effectively effectively counteract counteract to to way way only only the the
federal federal the the about about said said be be could could that that also also is is This This demands. demands. just just and and rights rights
best best The The forces. forces. progressive progressive genuine genuine needs, needs, their their to to responsive responsive more more ment ment
all all among among and and movement movement labor labor tire tire govern the the make make to to how how to to as as masses masses
en the the in in support support and and response response thetic thetic the the of of question question the the to to found found be be swer swer
sympa a a received received which which decisions decisions ers, ers, an practical practical correct correct the the will will way way this this
Work Mine Mine United United the the of of decisions decisions in in Only Only movement. movement. labor labor the the for for hour hour
the the by by for for called called direction direction the the in in ing ing present present the the of of need need imperative imperative the the is is
mov not not are are still still authorities authorities federal federal understanding, understanding, this this upon upon act act to to and and
the the thing, thing, one one For For question. question. the the close close forces), forces), class class independent independent and and separate separate
not not did did and and not not could could they they themselves, themselves, alliance alliance (an (an at at administration administration velt velt
by by are are actions actions these these as as Important Important Roose the the with with relationship relationship labor's labor's
workers." workers." of of steel steel nature nature seventeen seventeen exact exact the the the the of of is is this this that that fact fact
murder murder wanton wanton the the the the of of "for "for conscious conscious responsible responsible become become To To full'V full'V
COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE REVIEW OF THE MONTH provided, however, that this process of spect, it was perhaps :.:evitable (given disillusionment is made to lead to the relation of class for\'es) that labor more class consciousness, to more po should pass through a stab"e in which litical independence and organization it followed Roosevelt as the "leader." by labor and its allies, and, conse We say "perhaps" advisedly; because quently, to a more conscious and even with the situation as it was shap stronger alliance between labor and ing up between the middle of 1935 Roosevelt as separate class forces yet and election day in 1936, it was fully fighting together against reaction and possible to achieve the defeat of the fascism. This is the direction in which Liberty League and the re-election of the Communist Party has been exer Roosevelt and, in addition, to elect cising, and continues to exercise, its a more progressive Congress by fol influence and work in the mass move lowing a more conscious class policy ments. This was the line freshly re of alliance with Roosevelt (instead of stated and further developed by the following the "leader") and by build June meeting of the Central Com ing up the independent political mittee of our Party. This is the way power of labor and its allies in a more at the present time to push forward determined and consistent way. This the building of the People's Front was what we advocated. It is now even and the eventual crystallization of the clearer how correct and possible such national Farmer-Labor Party. a policy was. But, at the time, the On the other hand, if the disillu "leader" policy prevailed in the labor sionment in Roosevelt as "labor's movement. Hence the masses had to leader" is not made to grow over into go through a certain development and a conscious class position and policy learn from their own experiences. of alliance with Roosevelt, then the Now they are beginning to learn consequence may be far from progres and are becoming ready to accept and sive. It may for the moment dampen follow a conscious policy of alliance interest in politics among certain sec Testing upon the independent political tions of the masses and cultivate ten class line and organization of labor. dencies to political passivity and in Therefore, to insist n'()w upon con difference. It may create favorable tinuing the old "leader" orientation conditions for semi-fascists and fascists is objectively to push the movement to divert the disillusionment into re backward. This is bad enough. But it actionary chann~ls; it has happened also militates against the building up before and it may happen again. In of labor's independ!ent political either case, it would play directly into strength and activity which is today the hands of resurgent reaction which the most effective means of strength today seeks nothing so anxiously as ening Roosevelt's hands against the to bring about a break between fierce attacks of reaction. This can be Roosevelt and labor. stated even more plainly: those who Similarly with the attitude which are reluctant to build labor's inde still persists of viewing Roosevelt as pendent political strength and organ labor's "leader" and of acting upon ization are in fact, and despite their iliis view in practice. Seen in retro- wishes, weakening Roosevelt and THE COMMUNIST strengthening his reactionary adver and demands of the people. They give saries. And, finally, by failing to take this answer in the preparations for the proper note of the process of disillu fall elections this year and for the sionment in the "leader" orientation forthcoming Congressional elections· taking place among the workers, by in 1938. In New York, the American failing to help this process grow over Labor Party is entering the crucial into a position of political class in Mayoralty elections as an indepen dependence and alliance with Roose dent political force, joining hands velt, those who continue to persist in with all other progressive forces in the the "leader" orientation are actually building up of a people's ticket to re fostering that extreme attitude which elect La Guardia and to defeat the tends to accept as desirable the ending concentration of the Liberty League of all relations with Roosevelt. forces around Copeland and AI Smith. We repeat: 'these are extreme reac This is universally recognized as of tions to the failures and weaknesses national significance. What is abso of· the Roosevelt administration. The lutely necessary is that the leaders of dangers that these wrong attitudes the American Labor Party demon carry arise not so much from their strate a more independent political own strength as from the still insuf line and program in relation to its ficiently clear political class line and progressive allies. This will strength orientation of organized labor, al en the people's combinatio111, not though labor is moving steadily in the weaken it. direction of such a line. This line is: There is also taking place intense independent political organization political activity by labor in the one and program, correct relations with industry towns: mining, steel, rubber, labor's allies among farmers and mid textile, auto, etc., in preparation for dle classes, collaboration with and the fall elections. In most of these support for the progressive forces in places, Labor's Non-Partisan League the Democratic Party (in some· places, is entering the fight seeking to crys among the Republicans), active sup tallize progressive tickets through the port of Roosevelt's measures against primaries in the Democratic Party. reaction, coupled with criticism of his The latest news from Akron and Can weaknesses and shortcomings (for ex ton shows how successful this policy ample, the resolution of the United can be. It is necessary, however, to Mine Workers on the steel strike), emphasize that this participation in and a conscious orientation towards the Democratic primaries has to be the building up of the People's Front carried on in a certain way, if labor is and the eventual national Farmer to derive the utmost advantage from Labor Party. such a policy. Labor's Non-Partisan League,. the The June resolution of the Central unions of the C.I.O. and the progres Committee of the Communist Party sive forces in the A. F. of L. are be formulates this certain way as fol ginning to give the correct answer to lows: the question of how to make the gov "Insofar as mass trade unions and other ernment more responsive to the needs progressive groups, politically active in the REVIEW OF THE MONTH
direction of the People's Front platform, are labor can do when organized for po not ready at present to join in the formation litical action" and as "a harbinger of of the Farmer-Labor Party, we should en courage them to systematic and organized what will happen in the 1938 Con activity within the Democratic Party, with gressional elections." He said: the utmost possible independent organi%a· "Overwhelming victories for candidates of tion, making a common front with all Left forces to defeat the reactionaries and to organized labor in the Democratic Mayoralty strengthen the progressive forces in that primaries in Akron and Canton are starters in labor's drive to elect progressive candi party." dates to municipal offices this fall and to Utmost possible independent or Congress in 1938." ganization-this means largely build Absolutely correct. Hence: more in ing up the local bodies of Labor's tensive organization and democrat Non-Partisan League in most cases. ization of Labor's Non-Partisan Making a common front with all Left League in accord with the decisions forces-this means avoiding the pit of the March national conference of falls of narrow craft union politics Labor's Non-Partisan League. which isolates labor from its progres sive allies and thus makes labor the • • • helpless plaything of capitalist poli ticians. This is why our Party's reso ENATOR BLACK's nomination to the lution urges upon labor the making SSupreme Court to fill the vacancy of a common front with all Left created by the retirement of Van De forces in building up the program and vanter can be made the opening of list of candidates with which to enter a new stage in the struggle for the and win the Democratic primaries reform of the Supreme Court. It is in (where such is the policy) and then this possibility, aside from the merits the elections. of the nomination itself which are Of exceptional importance are the considerable, that the chief signifi political activities in Detroit where cance and value of the Black nom the C.I.O. and A. F. of L. unions are ination lie. organizing to bring about a people's Reaction has already indicated its ticket in the city elections. There is attitude unmistakably. Such hardened no need to emphasize the tremendous enemies of the people as Senators significance of these activities. What Glass, King, Burke, Vandenberg and has to be stressed, perhaps, is the ut Bridges, the coalition of reactionary· most need of maintaining the polit Democrats and stalwart Republicans ical unity of action of the C.I.O. and which brought about the {lefeat of A. F. of L. unions in Detroit and the the President's Supreme Court meas equal need of the common front of ure, were quick to make it known labor and all other progressive forces publicly "that they would oppose his in the coming elections. confirmation" (New York Times, E. L. Oliver, executive secretary of August 13). The New York Herald Labor's Non-Partisan League, hailed Tribune literally rages: the result of the Akron and Canton "The naming to the Supreme Court of Sen primaries as "an indication of what ator Black . . . is an affront to the Court THE COMMUNIST and to the people. It reveals the President of the usurped powers of the Supreme not only as unable to brook criticism or op Court. position but as resolved to cast his Jot against In order to do so successfully, it the ovenvhelming sentiment of the nation is necessary to learn fully the lessons and with those extremists who care not how they gain "their power so long as they have of the defeat suffered by the progres it. The nomination is as menacing as it is sive forces in the first stages of the unfit."" (August 13.) struggle for the reform of the Su We wish it were true that the nom preme Court, because a defeat, ination of Black reveals the President though temporary, it was, and not as being resolved to"cast his lot with only for President Roosevelt. those extremists" who are determined A serious effort to learn these les to realize the people's mandate re sons, we find, was made by an impor gardless of how much it may hurt or tant labor paper, the Advance, organ enrage the Morgans, du Ponts, Gird of the Amalgamated Clothing Work lers-or Bernard Baruch, Gamer and ers, in its August issue. The Advance Hugh Johnson. We wish it were true. poses the natural question of how was Yet it is possible to agree that the this defeat possible? It says: nomination of Senator Black may re "Only nine months ago the President was veal on the part of the President a returned to office with the greatest majority determination to resume the fight the nati Communist Party has spoken of the bership of the A. F. of L. and railroad matter in its July statement as unions, the sooner will the American follows: trade union movement become united. This will, of course, come "Capitalist reaction, assisted by William about not automatically. Unity, like Green and the Executive Council of the The A. F. of L., is deriving great comfort from everything else, has to be made. the division in the ranks of labor. It is ex increasing strength of the C.I.O., and ploiting this fact not alone to hamper the the spreading of the C.I.O. principles struggle of the workers for a better life, but in the A. F. of L. unions, create the also to arouse the middle classes against most favorable conditions for the labor. It follows from this that, hand in practical unification of the trade hand with the building of the C.I.O. unions, the progressive labor forces must work most union movement. actively for winning the unions of the A. F. That is why the June meeting of of L. to the principles of the C.I.O. and to our Central Committee said in its the cause of genuine labor unity." ·resolution: It is possible and necessary to say "Complete support of the C.I.O. is no that the cause of labor unity is mak contradiction to the policy of struggle for ing considerable advance. The first unity of the trade union movement. On ihe and most important expression of this contrary, only through such support of the advance is the continued growth and C.I.O. does the unification of the labor movement become a practical task." strengthening of the C.I.O. Its present membership is upward of 3,ooo,ooo This means that the struggle for organized in twenty-nine national trade union unity is a special task and unions, 438 local unions, and twenty must be treated as such. nine local industrial councils. Even How is the Communist Party han more revealing is the importance of dling this task? this growth when viewed from the in First, by continuing to win wider dustries in which the C.I.O. unions masses for the complete support of are organizing. Such unions as in the the C.I.O., by contributing all in its steel, auto, rubber and textile indus power to help build the C.I.O. unions tries have already established their and to strengthen them. place and role in the labor move Second, by supporting and helping ment. With them, new and powerful the progressive forces in the A. F. of organizations are growing in city L. to combat in practice the splitting transport and other utilities, in agri and strike-breaking activities of the culture, in marine and among various Hutchesons and Freys, and by actively basic groups of white-collar workers. seeking to win the membership of the The most recent beginning in the A. F. of L. and of the Railroad field of communications is highly Brotherhoods to the principles of the promising and significant. C.I.O. and to the cause of unity of This it is that makes the question the trade union movement under the of unity a practical task. The stronger slogan of a national unity convention. the C.l.O. becomes, the higher its Third, by urging, encouraging and prestige grows among the masses gen supporting united action between the erally and especially among the mem- unions of the C.I.O. and A. F. of L. REVIEW OF THE MONTH on the economic and political fields. F. of L. reactionaries to united action Unity of action against the Gird is still sufficiently strong in many lers and 'other open-shop employers, places to thwart the unity efforts of against InJunctions, against strike the workers. Yet this movement for breaking government officials and for united action is spreading. And it is all measures of benefit to the workers the task of all progressives to push in all unions. this forward with all their might. Fourth, by persistently propagating In the current weeks, many conven among the workers in all industries tions of city and state federations of and unions the ideas of labor unity, the A. F. of L. will be held. This as the chief strategic task of the pro presents a fresh opportunity for rais letariat in this period, and of trade ing the issue of united action and union unity as a most basic phase. of trade union unity before wide' circles the unity of the working class. of the A. F. of L. members and for This is the Party's policy and ac crystallizing various forms of struggle tivity. It is necessary to intensify all for these objectives. The most recent phases of this work, especially as con effort along these lines was made at ditions are becoming more favorable. the convention of the Massachusetts Unity of action, in the face of com Federation of Labor. The unity reso mon danger and the common enemy, lution introduced there by the secre between the unions of the C.I.O. and tary-treasurer of the Boston Building of the A. F. of L., is no longer a rare Trades Council and by the represen· occurrence but is becoming more sys tatives of the Cambridge Central tematic and widespread. Recent weeks Labor body was defeated by the re have seen such unity of action in New actionaries; but the resolution re Jersey in the formation of the Anti flected the genuine feeling of wide Injunction League; also in the forma circles of workers in the A. F. of L. tion of the Pennsylvania Joint Com and thus served the purpose of mittee with the following important strengthening the unity movement four-point program: (1) United ac and of pushing it forward. Similar tion against company unions; (2) Or resolutions, taking note of the specific ganization in industries where unions conditions and relation of forces, can of both organizations exist should be and should be introduced and fought coordinated; (3) Jurisdictional dis for at all forthcoming gatherings of putes to be settled amicably; (4) A. F. of L. unions. Labor candidates in elections should John Brophy, director of the C.I.O., be supported by both the A. F. of L. was fully right when he said on the and C.I.O. unions; also in the numer first anniversary of the C.I.O.: ous joiqt political actions of C.I.O. "Looking back over the year that has and A. F. of L. unions through passed since the A. F. of L. Executive Coun Labor's Non-Partisan League; and in cil split labor's ranks by suspending the similar developments. C.I.O. unions, we in the C.I.O. can say that events have fully These united actions are still em justified the course of action we adopted in forming the C.J.O. to bracing only a fraction of the labor promote industrial organization of the un· movement. The opposition of the A. organized." 792 THE COMMUNIST More power and strength to the The two-month recrUitmg drive C.I.O. More conscious understanding proposes to make a great effort in the of the great importance of trade direction of recruiting and absorbing union unity for the working class and the best elements of the working class. for the entire camp of progress. More In this way, it is intended to bring intensive struggle for united action into the Party by the close of Septem· against the reactionary splitters in the her a large number of new members A. F. of L. Executive Council, neces who are ready to come in and whom sary for the fight against capitalist re the Party needs at once, and at the action generally. same time to puild up a tempo, ex perience, methods and a large corps of • • • Party builders whereby we shall be HE Communist Party recruiting able to carry on successfully the sys T drive is on., Following out the de tematic work of Party building after cisions of the June meeting of the the close of the drive. Central .Committee on Party build The directives say: ing, directives have been issued to the Party organizations calling for: "The two-month recruiting campaign is a drive for mass recruiting. Our Party every " ... a two-month recruiting campaign to where has established close contacts with take place in September and October cul thousands of people who have cooperated minating in a National Party Builders Con with us in united front activity. These ele· gress to be held in New York in November" ments can be brought into the Party." (Daily Worker, August 10). Yes, they can be brought into the The directives are detailed and ex Party and they must be brought in. plicit. They constitute in fact a pro This has become a matter of duty and gram of action for Party building in honor for every Party member and or all its phases and ramifications, and ganization. It is a great opportunity the Party membership should master and a serious test. We must make the the directives from that point of view. most of the opportunity and pass suc It is important to understand the cessfully the test. true role of the two-month recruiting In the words of the directives: drive in the entire scheme of Party "The two-month recruiting drive initiated building. The latter, i.e., Party build by the Central Committee is the primary ing, is not a campaign affair. It is a immediate task before the Party today. It permanent task to be carried on daily must focus attention upon all the problems in the course of the mass work. This of Party building, and make maximum use of all available resources, experiences and is one of the central ideas stressed by forces. It must set the entire Party in mo the June meeting of the Central Com tion, and lay the base for continuous mass mittee; building the mass movements recruiting by our membership in intimate and building the Party are two phases relations to the mass work of the Party and of one task to be carried out simul the mass movements in which the Party taneously and in organic connection participates." with one another. Recruiting (and The Party will soon call the honor Daily Worker circulation) is a basic roll of Party builders. phase of Party building. A. B. REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF THE UNITED STATES CONSTITUTION BY EARL BROWDER EW countries have a richer herit sions which we draw from them. But F age of traditions of revolutionary the facts will speak for themselves, struggle for human freedom than our and, in our opinion, also for our con own United States. Yet this heritage clusions. has been shamefully neglected by the The three books are: jefferson and modern fighters for liberation from Hamilton, by Claude G. Bowers, a oppression. By default, the reactionary study of the first twelve years under camp has been permitted to claim for the Constitution, the period of Wash itself the championship of the preser ington's two administrations and that vation of the American tradition. It of John Adams; jefferson in Power, is only in the past few years that the by the same author, dealing with the Communist Party has broken with ensuing eight years of Jefferson's presi this neglectful attitude, foisted upon dency; and Bulwark of the Republic: the radical movement some genera Biography of the Constitution, by tions ago by the sectarian influences Burton J. Hendrick, a running ac that dominated the Socialist Party, count of the constitutional struggle and, following the advice of Lenin, from 1787 to the present time. even if belatedly, began to develop the slogan "Communism is Twenti THE DILEMMA OF THE CONSTITUTION MAKERS eth Century Americanism." The revolutionary gold in the ore The United States Constitution was of American history is so rich and a product of the American Revolu abundant that even the reactionary tion, which separated the thirteen col miners digging here turn up a great onies from England, established them wealth for us to begin to work on. as independent states, and united This is why I spent many hours re them in a loose Confederation, not cently, while traveling, in a study of yet a united nation even in the most three books on American history (two limited aspect of a customs union of them recent publications), some (such as for example later laid the material from which forms the basis foundation for the German national of the present article. Needless to say, unification). Under the Confederation the authors of the books in question a single united policy in dealing with would probably object to the conclu- foreign relations was impossible; the 79~ 794 THE COMMUNIST same thing was true of domestic prob of political parties; it posed the essen lems affecting all thirteen states. The tial questions which run through revolution which cut off the oppres American history, in forms corre sive and economically strangling con sponding to the stages of social and trol of London had at the same time economic development of various pe removed the unifying authority of riods, down to the present. Britain without substituting a new The camp of privilege and reaction one, but set up instead thirteen au was apparently in the saddle. But the thorities, all too often in sharp con forces of democracy among the masses, tradiction to one another. At the same though scattered and unorganized, time, the revolutionary war had loosed were powerful and rising. This was a democratic mass movement among the inevitable consequence of the rev the population, which was not at all olutionary war, which Lenin had in welcome to the ruling circles in the mind when, in writing his Letter to thirteen states. In fact, it was the American Workers, he said: threat of the unruly democratic masses "The history of modern civilized America which, more than any other single fac opens with one of those great, really liber tor, brought these ruling circles (aris ating, really revolutionary wars. . . . It was tocrats, landowners and slave-holders, a war of the American people against English and rich merchants) to a keen realiza robbers who subjected America and held it in colonial slavery ...." • tion of the inadequacy of the Articles of Confederation, and gave birth to Everything that has marked off the the Constitution. development of America, as distin Having participated in making the guished from that of Europe, finds its revolution, the problem of those in origin in this "great, really liberating, terests which dominated the Consti really revolutionary war," which tutional Convention had become how planted deeply in the American peo to curb that revolution among the ple the aspirations of democracy; its masses, how lo harness it to their spe unexampled growth in wealth and cial class interests, and how to make productive resources, its welding of a the realization of national unity, a population of manifold national and generally felt necessity, dependent racial origin into a united nation, upon the dominance of their class and its extension of the concept of the groupings in the central government. nation to embrace half a continent Their dilemma was that these aims all those features that made America brought them into conflict with the preeminent among capitalist nations aroused and crystallized aspirations found their origin in the revolution of the masses, which had been flam ary war and the mobilization of the ingly voiced in the writings of Tom people to carry it to success. Paine and in the Declaration of Inde This war unleashed incalculable pendence. The struggle around the forces among the masses, which oper formation and adoption of the Con ate down to the present day. The stitution was the first great battle be • V.I. Lenin, A Letter to American Work tween democracy and reaction; it ers, p. g. International Publishers, New York, gave "birth to the first national system 3 cents. REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 795 struggle between these forces of the It is not the purpose of this brief people and the forces of property and article to examine in detail the con privilege is the hallmark of constitu tradictions and compromises of the tional history. The dilemma of the Constitution, and of its evolution. To Constitution makers in 1787, who pre the extent that they are essential to dominantly represented property and our argument, we will refer to them privilege striving to subdue the revo in relation to the great constitutional lution and hamess it, was that of find struggles that arose. ing out how far they could go without wrecking their whole plan upon the THE STRUGGI"E FOR THE BILL OF RIGHTS resistance of the people. Their task The first great constitutional strug was to find the minimum to which gle arose on the question of the adop they could keep the democratic tion of the proposed document. As it achievements of the revolution with affects the present day, the chief point out completely wrecking it. of interest was the embryonic gather This judgment is not confined to ing of the democratic forces around the radical, or popular, camp. It is the demand for a Bill of Rights, final agreed to by Mr. Hendrick who, on ly victorious in the first ten amend the whole, belongs decidedly to the ments which became a condition for Tory camp. He says: the adoption of the Constitution. The democratic-minded people correctly "The underlying purpose was to keep po recognized in the Constitution as litical power, as far as possible, out of the hands of the masses .... They [the drafters drafted a victory for the Tories, for of the Constitution] had before them a more all its concessions to the revolutionary difficult task even than framing a constitu spirit of the time. At the same time, tion; the more difficult job was to get it both camps were agreed upon the ne ratified. And the concessions gradually made cessity for establishment of a govem to what today would be called the proleta riat represented their ambition to establish ment sufficiently strong to deal with a strong, effective government, and one that, difficult foreign relations and subdue at the same time, the propertyless, who then, divisionist forces, which threatened as always, comprised the great majority of destruction to the fruits of the revo the people, would accept." (Pp. 92-93.) lution. Thomas Jefferson, chief figure The Constitution that emerged was among the democratic forces, absent thus a compromise. It was a compro in France on a diplomatic mission mise between conflicting regional when the Constitution was being interests of the bourgeoisie; it was a drafted, nevertheless sent his criticism compromise between two antagonistic of the document and demand for a social-economic systems, the slave sys Bill of Rights by mail to Madison, tem of the Southern plantation own Washington, and other friends, and ers and the budding capitalism of the he finally retumed in time to play a Northem merchants and manufac leading role in the fight for the Blll turers; and, most basic of all and con of Rights and its adoption. tinuing to the present, it was a com Tremendous significance attaches to promise between aristocratic and dem this struggle and the Bill of Rights ocratic principles of govemment. which it achieved. Not that the people ' THE COMMUNIST actually received those things osten tional unity accomplished by the new sibly guaranteed by the first ten Constitution. He inevitably became amendments. The fight for these the first President, serving in that rights was merely transferred to the position for eight years, until 1797 · separate states where the struggle for His role in the creation of an inde their realization continues down to pendent united nation was unques the present, although it must be tionably of the first order. The noted that a number of states such as honorary title of "Father of his Coun Virginia and Pennsylvania had pre try" given him by history is solidly viously adopted highly progressive based in historic fact. Bills of Rights. Even the negative gain It is of peculiar interest to note of specifically prohibiting the national today that the theory of government government from encroaching upon embodied in the Constitution made civil rights did not prevent the Adams no room for rival parties contending administration (1797- 18oo) from for control of governmental office. adopting the notorious Alien and Se There were in fact no national dition Law5 (the predecessors· of our parties, when the Constitution was modern criminal syndicalism and de drafted, nor were party struggles fore- portation laws), in the desperate . seen as a major instrumentality of struggle of the Federalist Party to government. Washington's Cabinet crush the rising democratic trend, rep was theoretically chosen on the basis resented by the Republican Party of picking the most qualified men for which put Jefferson in power in 18oo. particular duties without thought of Notwithstanding the absence of en party divisions; and in fact, according forcement of the Bill of Rights (which to general agreement, by its inclusion continues until today), the struggle of Hamilton and Jefferson, chief lead for its inclusion in the Constitution ers of the two great parties which soon crystallized an elementary program arose in opposition to each other, it for the democratic camp which was had in this respect at least realized its gradually achieved in the separate theory. states to a greater or lesser degree, be Hamilton and Jefferson, the two in gan the organization of the demo . tellectual giants of America's forma cratic forces, and set the popular mind tive period, should, according to the in a democratic direction. It was the theory, by their collaboration under first great victory in the constitutional Washington's presidency, have real struggle for the forces of the people, ized national unification by a perma with not only national but worldwide nent collaboration of the two basic consequences. camps which had produced the com promise of the Constitution. The FEDERALIST PARTY RULE UNDER camp of property and privilege had HAMILTON its perfect representative in Hamilton, George Washington, commander-in founder of the American financial chief of the victorious revolutionary system, the first great manufacturing armies, was the popular symbol of na promoter, monarchist and anti-demo tional independence, and of the na- crat in political tendency, and to this REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 797 day the hero as well as ideological States and France. • Jefferson finally guide and inspiration of the camp of resigned this position to have his reaction. hands more free to organize the The democratic camp, that of the struggle against Hamilton and the masses of the people (that meant), first Federalist Party, which he bodily of all, agrarian democracy), had an labeled "monarchical" and "mono equally fitting representative in cratic." Thomas Jefferson, close friend of Democratic clubs sprang up all over Tom Paine (the fiery revolutionarv the country to struggle against the tribune of the people whose writings oppressive and corrupt rule of Ham inspired the masses and the revolu ilton's party. They were stimulated tionary arniy · to the heroic effort re by the example of the J acobin Clubs quired for victory), author of the of the French Revolution, with which Declaration of Independence in col the democratic masses of the United laboration with Paine, student of pro States were enthusiastically in accord. gressive thought throughout the They found their leader in Jefferson. world, philosopher and statesman of The Federalist Party was alarmed democracy. But life quickly consigned by the signs of the rise of a rival party to the waste-basket of history the basing itself upon the "unruly masses" theory of peaceful collaboration be and democratic principles. It set out tween these two antagonistic forces. to crush these clubs before they could Hamilton and Jefferson were soon en organize the majority. Then began gaged in a death-struggle within the first "Red scare" in American his tory, which has served as a model for Washington's Cabinet for dominant all others down to the present time. influence in directing the course of The democratic clubs were denounced government. Out of that struggle grew as "alien and subversive influences" the Federalist and Democratic (offi financed by "French gold," and all cially then called Republican) Parties, the powers of public authority and and the first national party conflict. repression were brought into play to Jefferson could not long remain in break them up. Even the aging Wash Washington's Cabinet, because Ham ington was drawn into this battle with ilton soon became the decisive influ a vitriolic denunciation of the demo ence, more and more winning domi cratic movement in one of his last nance over Washington, and estab presidential messages to Congress. It is lishing the Federalist Party which one of the little ironies of history that Tammany Hall, which, through AI reached out to control every office. Smith and Senator Copeland, is stag Jefferson, in the few years he was ing a similar "Red scare" against Secretary of State, already had laid President Roosevelt, itself originated the foundations of one of the most in the last years of the eighteenth cen cherished American traditions-active tury as one of those "alien and sub- solidarity with the forces of democ racy and progress in other lands-in • See pamphlet, Lenin and Spain, by Earl Browder, Workers Library Publishers, Nelli the relations between the United York.-Ed. door door the the left left had had adoption adoption its its over over especially especially backers, backers, own own His His loosed. loosed. fight fight great great first first the the in in masses masses cratic cratic un recklessly recklessly so so had had he he ambitions ambitions demo the the by by won won concessions concessions The The and and greed greed passions, passions, the the on on wrecked wrecked makers. makers. its its failed failed had had years, years, twelve twelve were were party party his his and and schemes schemes ilton's ilton's for for classes classes privileged privileged the the of of lution lution Ham associates, associates, close close own own his his of of one one counter-revo the the enthrone enthrone to to served served naming naming for for way way the the pave pave to to authority authority had had which which Constitution, Constitution, The The power. power. his his destroyed destroyed and and Adams, Adams, President President in in were were party party his his and and Jefferson Jefferson puppet, puppet, his his betrayed betrayed having having him, him, behind behind arrayed arrayed citizens citizens "substantial" "substantial" COURT COURT SUPREME SUPREME THE THE AND AND JEFFERSON JEFFERSON the the all all with with government, government, national national the the of of agencies agencies the the all all of of control control plete plete States. States. United United the the of of memberment memberment com in in Apparently Apparently own. own. his his of of fall fall dis the the toward toward directed directed Burr, Burr, of of t.Q.at t.Q.at down the the preparing preparing and and integrating integrating including including conspiracies, conspiracies, treasonable treasonable of of dis while while party, party, Jefferson's Jefferson's solidated solidated series series a a in in involved involved be be to to soon soon was was it it con and and ends, ends, his his defeated defeated offensive offensive worse, worse, to to bad bad from from Going Going recovered. recovered. Hamilton's Hamilton's of of fury fury very very The The party. party. never never overnight. overnight. almost almost fallen fallen It It had had new new the the into into democracy democracy of of forces forces P scattered scattered the the gathering gathering stubbornly stubbornly arro The The feud. feud. political political historic historic this this and and patiently patiently was was Jefferson Jefferson Laws. Laws. ended ended that that duel duel famous famous the the in in pistol pistol Sedition Sedition and and Alien Alien notorious notorious the the of of Burr's Burr's before before fell fell Hamilton Hamilton later later years years period period the the was was This This reaction. reaction. of of fury fury few few A A vice-president. vice-president. became became theory, theory, full full the the unleashed unleashed he he term term Adams' Adams' constitutional constitutional original original the the to to cording cording ac Burr, Burr, Aaron Aaron college. college. electoral electoral the the of of years years short short four four the the In In ambitions. ambitions. in in deadlock deadlock long long a a after after elected, elected, was was dictatorial dictatorial his his realize realize to to desperately desperately Jefferson Jefferson entirely. entirely. bearings bearings political political and and hard hard rode rode power power in in Hamilton Hamilton his his lost lost had had he he that that conspiracy. conspiracy. indicates indicates party party evidence evidence secret secret a a through through the the all all and and hysterical, hysterical, and and herent herent Washington, Washington, from from entire entire over over taken taken inco become become had had period period this this in in ings ings Cabinet, Cabinet, his his controlled controlled who who ton, ton, writ His His Hamil principles. principles. of of hands hands political political the the any any in in as as puppet puppet a a was was much much as as egotism egotism and and arrogance arrogance treme treme Adams Adams disappeared. disappeared. Party Party Federalist Federalist ex Hamilton's Hamilton's thank thank probably probably must must the the and and Hamilton Hamilton upon upon restraints restraints history history service service all all this this Adams Adams For For John John party. party. by by his his of of succeeded succeeded was was ton ton leadership leadership from from Washing retired retired 1797 1797 and and in in defeat defeat when when to to But But headed. headed. down down went went he he associates associates which which his his of of nation nation the the conspiracy conspiracy founding founding in in role role the the to to submit submit than than important important rather rather and and traitor, traitor, tremendously tremendously their their forget forget future future that that entirely entirely against against party party never never his his could could warned warned leaders, leaders, cratic cratic sharply sharply Burr, Burr, demo with with active active other other association association the the any any and and Paine Paine son, son, refused refused Jeffer steadfastly steadfastly he he from from that that estranged estranged country country while while who, who, and and his his for for great, great, performed performed was was masses masses Hamilton Hamilton the the that that among among authority authority services services political political whose whose few few the the of of President, President, one one is is the the It It by by restraint restraint some some in in held held was was sharpening, sharpening, constantly constantly choice. choice. Hamilton's Hamilton's to to position position while while struggle, struggle, the the presidency presidency ton's ton's op in in presidency, presidency, the the to to Burr Burr Aaron Aaron Washing of of years years eight eight the the During During elect elect to to conspiracy conspiracy a a into into entered entered policy, policy, financial financial Washington. Washington. Hamilton's Hamilton's by by riched riched George George by by en denounced denounced been been clubs clubs had had who who versive" versive" speculators speculators those those COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 799 open for the defeat of the reactionary ly as weapons of party struggle. It was party. Those who but a few short not until ten years later, during years before had been denounced by Madison's first administration, that Washington himself as "subversive" Jefferson was able to write: were in control of Congress and the "At length, then, we have a chance of Executive. getting a republican majority in the Su But the Tories, though defeated, preme judiciary. For ten years that branch braved the spirit and will of the nation, had no thoughts of surrender. They after the nation had manifested its will by still had a powerful ace up their a complete reform in every branch depend sleeve. The people had rejected them ing upon them." (Letter to Wm. Gallatin, -but they still had the national ju September 27, 1810.) diciary, appointed for life and irre John Marshall, a leading Federalist, movable; especially, they had the member of Adams' Cabinet, had been Supreme Court. Not only that, but in appointed Chief Justice of the Su the closing hours of their expiring preme Court in the last days before administration they rushed a judiciary Jefferson assumed office. He it was law, doubling the number of judges who molded that institution into an and courts, and issuing the certificates instrument of reaction which, in 1935 of office in the last moments before and 1936, could so arrogantly assume midnight of their last day in power. supreme power over Congress and They had double-locked their control legislation-and get away with it. But of the judicial power, apparently for when Marshall took office, the Su a generation at least. It was one of the preme Court was in low public most shameless and brazen reaction esteem. He would never have dared ary coups in American history. From assume the arrogance of Chief Justice that day to the present, the Supreme Hughes, knowing that a political up Court and the judiciary in general rising of the aroused masses would have been recognized by the privi have put an end once and for all to leged and property classes as their auch pretensions. What he could not final and supreme stronghold, to do directly, he proceeded to do by maintain which they are ready to go judicial trickery. . . to any length. Jefferson, righteously indignant at Jefferson's two entire administra the Federalists' packing of the courts tions were carried through in constant after their defeat at the polls, had struggle with the Supreme Court and caused Congress to repeal that ~n the judiciary. The struggle continued famous measure, and refused to honor long afterward, so long as the J effer the notorious "midnight" judicial sonian tradition continued to domi commissions. Marshall and his party nate the government. Even though he were furious over this balking of their followed up his first victory four years pretty scheme. It was a ruthless over later with a smashing defeat of the riding of the Tory theory of the "in Federalist Party, which was thorough violability'' of the judiciary at the ly discredited everywhere, the rejected hands of democracy. They denounced Tories continued to hold the Courts the repeal as "unconstitutional." in their hands, using them shameless- They played with the idea of having 9oo THE COMMUNIST the Supreme Court declaring it there- · trine, thus affirmed, stood upon such fore invalid. Such a power is not a flimsy foundation, was so alien to granted in the Constitution, and in the American mind as dominated then fact had been specifically rejected in and for years thereafter by the teach the Constitutional Convention. But to ings of Jefferson, and was so fiercely the Tory mind it was an "implied attacked by Jefferson throughout his power," a supreme power out of reach life that for over fifty years it was of the people, without which govern never again invoked in a major po ment was to them unthinkable. But, litical issue. It was clear to all that afraid of an open test of strength with any attempt to exercise this usurped the triumphant democracy, they power at that time would have caused abandoned their original :intention a political upheaval and the shearing for a more subtle road to the same from the Supreme Court of its im end. munity from popular control. When, Choosing an obscure justice of a finally, in 1857, this doctrine was minor court, a certain Marbury, again invoked in a major political whose commission, granted by Adams issue, in the Dred Scott Case, a revo and Marshall, had not been executed lutionary civil war. was required to by Jefferson and Madison, they wipe out that decision and its con brought suit in the Supreme Court sequences. It was only generations against Madison (Secretary of State) later, when the Supreme Court and to compel the issuance of the com the Tories found the democratic mission, citing an existing law grant forces divided,. that they dared to re" ing jurisdiction over such questions vive and apply this usurped power. to the Supreme Court. Whereupon And only in the past few years, when Marshall issued that historic decision the country is in the deepest crisis of upon which was later erected the its history, the Supreme Court has whole structure of judicial dictator found the desperate temerity to ap ship. He declared that Marbury was ply the judicial veto to a whole justified in his demand, that his com series of laws passed by Congress and mission had been wrongly withheld affirmed at the polls by a renewed from him, but refused his request for electoral mandate. a court order to enforce that right Jefferson was always outspoken in on grounds of lack of jurisdiction, de denouncing this usurpation of power claring that the law passed by Con by the judiciary. Here are a few of gress creating that jurisdiction was his typical expressions: itself unconstitutional and therefore void. Thus, the case was decided ap "Certainly there is not a word in the Con parently in favor of Jefferson and his stitution which has given that power to them more than to the executive or legis administration, but in reality affirm lative branches." (Letter to W. H. Terrance, ing, in a form giving no opportunity June 11, 1815.) for challenge, the power of the Su preme Court to annul acts of "The right they [the Supreme Court] usurp of exclusively explaining the Consti Congress. \ tution." (Letter to Judge Roane, September This more tha.H questionable doc- 6, 1819.) REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 801 "A very dangerous doctrine indeed, and privileged classes, is extolled by them one which .would place us under the des as the great protector of the Constitu potism of an oligarchy." (Letter to Mr. tion and of national unity. This claim Jarvis, September 28, 1820.) needs to be examined in the light of "When the legislative or executive func much-neglected historical facts which tionaries act unconstitutionally, they are re sponsible to the people in their elective it is the merit of Mr. Bowers to bring capacity. The exemption of the judges from out sharply. These facts are: that is quite dangerous enough. I know no 1. That Marshall, a fierce partisan, safe depository of the ultimate powers of leader in his Federalist Party, was society but the people themselves." (Ibid.) deep in the councils which plotted ''The judiciary of the United States is the with the British to divide the United subtle corps of sappers and miners con stantly working underground to undermine. States, reclaiming the West and New the foundations of our confederated fabric. England to the British Crown, as the . . . A judiciary independent of a king or only means of defeating the hated executive alone is a good thing, but inde Jefferson and the Democrats; pendence of the will of the nation is a solecism, at least in a republican govern 2. That when Aaron Burr was ment." (Letter to Thomas Ritchie, Decem caught in his treasonable expedition ber 25, 18:10.) to separate the Louisiana Territory ". . . The germ of the dissolution of our (which failed due to the double federal government is the constitution of treason of his chief military confed the federal judiciary; an irresponsible body erate, a United States Army General), . . . working like gravity by night and by day . . . advancing its .noiseless .steps like it was Justice Marshall, presiding over a thief over the field of jurisdiction." (Letter Burr's trial, who secured his acquittal to Mr. Hammond, August 18, 1821.) by a ruling which excluded the evi "Let the future appointment of judges be dence in the hands of the government, for four or six years, and removable by the a ruling which reversed a previous one President and Senate." (Letter to Wm. T. of Marshall himself delivered not two Barry, July 2, 1822.) months before, a ruling which has These quotations, peculiarly never been followed since by the Su enough, are not to be found in the preme Court or any other court in the popular histories. For access to the world; outspoken words of Jefferson, the stu 3· That while Burr was awaiting dent must dig into the libraries of trial on the charge of treason, of collected works and original sources. which history has fully convicted him, And, of course, it is needless to say Justice Marshall, knowing he would that for AI Smith, Carter Glass, and preside at the trial, openly attended a similar self-styled "Jeffersonian Demo banquet given in honor of Burr by crats" of today, Jefferson's teachings the treasonable circles of the Federal about the Courts are to be carefully ist Party aristocracy. Such a record is hidden. They have use for Jefferson's quite fitting for one of the chief name only to cover up their own des founders of American Tory politics, perate Toryism which is the exact but hardly squares with the boasts of opposite to Jeffersonianism. the modem Hamiltonians of his Chief Justice Marshall, next to loyalty to American independence Hamilton the chief hero of American and the Constitution. THE COMMUNlST SOME CONFUSION IN INTERPRETING from office, by bringing the national AMERICAN HISTORY government into harmony with ~e development of local democracy 1t Much of the prevailing confusion largely reversed its attitude toward among students of American history strengthening the national unity. arises from the effort to interpret Never before was such national uni events as the working out of abstract fication achieved as under Jefferson, conceptions and particular ideas in in his second election. And it was the world of reality. Real events re Jefferson who, to the horror of the fuse to fit into such schemes, for which Federalists, used the national power the historians usually refuse to accept (in a way not provided by the Con the blame, preferring to put the con stitution) to secure to the United fusion to the account of history. A States the great territory of the typical exampl career. He is fighting against vested which was the last stronghold of Tory interests· and monopoly, and against reaction within the Constitution; the financial control of government, for notorious Dred Scott decision de opening up the continent to the clared the American people without masses, and the fullest development power to determine their own na of the economic life of the people as a tional destiny. • Again it was the whole, not merely of the rich and forces of democracy, of the people, privileged. At one moment this called this time united with the rising in for opposition to the national govern dustrialism of the North, which rep ment, at another for its unexampled resented progress as opposed to the use of power. If he had been true to plantation-landlord slavery and· their abstract "principles," he would have allies, that reasserted national unity betrayed his followers; being true to and achieved it in four years of civil the people, he is accused by the his war, incidentally wiping out the slave torians of betraying the "principles" system forever. Again it was demon which they wish to use for interpret strated that national unity and a ing history. strong central government are not Similarly, it was the complete trans necessarily opposed to progress and formation of the country by the devel democracy, but on the contrary may opment of transport and industry, and do become essential instruments following the opening up of the con for their achievement. tinent for development, and the tre mendous role played by the discovery • • of gold in the West, and the conse We are now in the third great con quent "Gold Rush" that created an stitutional crisis, exemplified for the entirely new set of circumstances to ! The decision in the Dred Scott case was ward the middle of the nineteenth harlded down in 1857· century, which again reshuffied the Dred Scott was a slave in Missouri whose position of men and parties on all owner took him to reside for a time in a free state and in free territory. Scott on this the abstract "principles" of Constitu basis claimed his freedom after having tional law. • A large part of the moved back to Missouri. The Supreme Court Democratic Party, and of the Whigs, decided that under the Constitution free Negroes could not be citizens and that the revived the early-Jefferson "princi Congressional Act, the Missouri Compromise, ples" for the emphatically anti-Jeffer prohibiting slavery in the Northwest Terri sonian purpose of extending slavery tory, was unconstitutional, because it de over the continent: the party of reac prived Southern citizens of their property if they moved into this territory. It was in this tion, of the Tories, again came for decision that Chief Justice Taney stated that ward with the doctrine of state the Negro has no rights which the white rights, masking their position with man is bound to respect. As a result of this decision Congress from a hypocritical appeal to all the great then on had no authority to regulate slavery founders of American democracy. in the great western territory extending Again it was the Supreme Court south from Canada and west to the Pacific Ocean. In those states already admitted to the Union the regulation of slavery was • See quotation from Marx and Engels on under the jurisdiction of the individual pages 8o6-7 of this issue.-Ed. states.-Ed. THE COMMUNIST moment by the fight around the another. But in each of the main Roosevelt proposal for reform of the camps there is emerging a more or Supreme Court. Again parties and less stable core, with growing con men are being reshuffled in their re~ sciousness of what the struggle is lation to abstract "principles" of Con about. On the democratic side today, stitutional law. Again we can find no this more conscious center is the pro clue to understanding the struggle in gressive labor movement. The new terms of these abstractions, nor in alignment will draw the whole popu terms of old political labels. As in the lation before long into two main previous great crises, the solution in camps, which will constitute in es" all probability will require a new sence two entirely new political par system of political parties, the old ties. The reactionary side will be the alignment having lost all meaning. American equivalent of Europe's fas Again we can understand the struggle, cism, the democratic and progressive find our place in it, bring order out side will be America's equivalent of of chaos, only by seeing beyond and the People's Front. beneath all talk of abstract "princi PLACE OF THE COMMUNISTS AND THE ples" to the real forces which are SOCIALIST PROGRAM struggling with one another-social and economic classes. and groupings, We Communists know quite well in which the polar forces opposing where is our place in this realignment each other are, on the one side Tory of our country's political life. We reaction-now materialized in finance know we belong in the camp of de capital, Wall Street, and the demo mocracy and progress, as the most cratic camp of the people on the other conscious and loyal fighters and or side-now materialized in the organ ganizers of the fight against reaction ized labor movement, first of all the and fascism. We belong with the great movement of the Committee for People's Front. · Industrial Organization (C.I.O.) and The program of the People's Front the progressive movements led by does not include the establishment of middle-class figures within the . old socialism. In the material ·aspect of parties. our country's development it is fully The modern crisis finds many of the and adequately prepared for social social groupings formerly associated ism, the common ownership and oper with progress, now occupying an ex ation by all the people of our coun treme reactionary position. This has try's unexampled economic heritage always been true, and will be so long for the benefit of the whole people. as we are dealing with the develop But we also know that the overwhelm ment of a society based upon classes. ing majority of the people, including A great part of the population are in the working class, does not yet under the midst of political change and re stand the necessity, the inevitability, grouping, which they understand only of socialism. The Tory camp, the re dimly or not at all. Individuals and actionaries and fascists, the ·camp of groups grope their ·way blindly, some Wall Street, have a well-defined pro times on one side of the fight, then on gram which would, by speculating REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 805 upon the ignorance and prejudices Communist Party program they would of the masseS concerning socialism, either join our Party or the fascists. and by making it seem a fearful thing So long as they think a democratic to them, stampede the population on" and progressive road short of social to the paths of reaction and fascism, ism is possible, and will fight for it, to the destruction of the democratic they have the guarantee of our loyal and progressive heritage of our coun" cooperation so long as the majority try. That is why we, as the Party of so of the people agree with them. cialism, as the best exponents of so A hundred ·and fifty years have cialism, as the Party of those who will passed since the American Constitu lead in the building of socialism, de· tion was drafted. The world today clare the first necessity of our coun presents a far different picture than try's political development is the in those early years of our national creation ·of the People's Front to ·history. The struggle against fascism guarantee against the victory of re and for the extension of democracy action and fascism in America. is of worldwide significance. When we We of the Communist Party never speak of the changes that have oc did and never will hold to a program curred throughout the world, we are of forcible establishment of socialism most strongly reminded of the new against the will of the people. While Stalin Constitution which has been the majority of the people, and above adopted in the Soviet Union, and all of the working class, do not yet ac whose foundations rest on the con cept the program of socialism, our struction of a new social order, where program of socialist reconstruction of capitalism has been abolished and so society is a matter for educational cialism successfully established. work to win the majority, while our The Constitution which has gone practical and immediate political into effect in the Soviet Union "pro work is to be in the forefront in the ceeds from the fact of the abolition organization of the majority of the of the capitalist system, from the fact workers and of the people generally, of the victory of the socialist system against the reactionary menace to in the U.S.S.R.''• their rights and interests, for a pro Stalin stated in his report on the gram of betterment of their lives such Constitution: as the majority is ready to accept and "Bourgeois constitutions usually limit fight for now-the program of the themselves to recording the formal rights of People's Front. If our understanding citizens without. concerning themselves about the conditions of exercising these rights, of history is correct, this is the surest about the possibility of exercising them. and least difficult road to winning the the means of exercising them. They speak majority for socialism in the long run. about equality of citizens, but forget that Those who do not believe in socialism real equality between master and workman, have no reason, on account of our between landlord and peasant, is impossible if the former enjoy wealth and political understanding of history, to fear our weight in society, while the latter are de- collaboration with them in the Peo ple's Front; if they believed with us • Stalin on the New Soviet Constitution, p. 15, International Publishers, New York. that history itself will reinforce the 2 cents. Paciftc Paciftc the the to to Europe Europe of of trade trade enure enure the the •!bid. •!bid. years, years, thirty thirty and and hundred hundred three three For For Amenca_. Amenca_. of of discovery discovery the the even even than than results results magn!ficent magn!ficent un- and and inexpert inexpert still still is is it it of of tation tation more more much much have have will will discovery discovery this this that that interpre our our and and history, history, this this of of facts facts foreseen foreseen be be can can it it later, later, months months eighteen eighteen scarcely scarcely now, now, Even Even mines. mines. gold gold ~ahforma ~ahforma the the even even with with armed armed little little too too far far are are the the of of discovery discovery the the is is Revolution, Revolution, Feb:uar~ Feb:uar~ We We begun. begun. even even hardly hardly is is masses masses the the the the than than even even important important more more here, here, curred curred among among dissemination dissemination serious serious its its and and oc· oc· has has that that eve,nt eve,nt important important most most "The "The study, study, serious serious its its begun begun only only have have following: following: We We it. it. of of neglectful neglectful been been we we have have the the wrote wrote 1850, 1850, January, January, Revue, Revue, on on ische ische Rhein Neue Neue the the in in Engels Engels and and Marx Marx long long too too Far Far abounds. abounds. it it which which with with traditions traditions revolutionary revolutionary of of wealth wealth 8o3:] 8o3:] page page on on to to referred referred the the and and country, country, our our of of history history the the of of quotation quotation the the zs zs Following Following [NoTE: [NoTE: * * * * * * ;understanding ;understanding deepened deepened and and vived vived re a a by by played played be be must must and and can can role role canism.'' canism.'' great great a a fascism, fascism, and and reaction reaction against against Ameri Century Century Twentieth Twentieth Is Is nism nism Front Front People's People's solid solid a a forging forging In In "Commu America. America. socialized socialized pletely pletely principles. principles. com a a of of aim aim ultimate ultimate its its for for and and democratic democratic of of application application extensive extensive day day present present the the for for program program practical practical most most and and logical logical the the to to way way the the ing ing its its for for Party, Party, Communist Communist the the cialism, cialism, show program program a a is is Constitution Constitution Soviet Soviet so of of Party Party the the of of position position the the for, for, the the world, world, the the throughout throughout masses masses foundation foundation a a build build and and to, to, material material the the For For society. society. socialist socialist a a of of tion tion give give to to serves serves non-socialists, non-socialists, by by even even construc the the namely, namely, U.S.S.R., U.S.S.R., the the America, America, of of study study historical historical serious serious in in achieved achieved been been has has what what records records and and honest honest every every which which in in way way the the by by Constitution Constitution Soviet Soviet The The land. land. every every witnessed witnessed is is this this of of truth truth deep deep The The in in fascism fascism fighting fighting are are who who masses masses socialism. socialism. toward toward marches marches History History the the to to weapon weapon unbreakable unbreakable an an gives gives time. time. this this at at faces faces Constitution, Constitution, new new its its under under Union, Union, country country our our which which problem problem every every Soviet Soviet the the world, world, the the throughout throughout upon upon understanding understanding and and light light ing ing but but China, China, and and Spain Spain in in only only throw today, today, for for meaning meaning and and meat meat not not democracy, democracy, destroy destroy to to drives drives cism cism of of full full thing, thing, living living a a into into it it forms forms fas as as scale, scale, worldwide worldwide a a on on Thus, Thus, trans history history American American to to proaches proaches so,cialism. so,cialism. of of existence existence ap tentative tentative first first our our even even key, key, this this the the by by guaranteed guaranteed and and maintained maintained are are With With Stalin. Stalin. and and Lenin Lenin by by veloped veloped leisure leisure to to right right the the and and job job a a to to right right de and and Engels Engels and and Marx Marx by by founded founded the the because because capitalism capitalism under under possible possible materialism, materialism, historical historical history, history, of of conceivably conceivably is is than than reality reality more more has has study study scientific scientific the the in in treasures, treasures, great great Union Union Soviet Soviet the the in in Democracy Democracy races. races. these these unlock unlock to to key key the the lack, lack, others others and and nations nations equal equal of of society society socialist socialist a a all all that that however, however, something, something, have have to to way way given given have have nations nations and and classes classes We We effectively. effectively. weapon weapon this this of of use use exploiting exploiting because because Union Union Soviet Soviet the the making making in in difficulties difficulties grave grave have have they they in in established established been been have have democracy democracy said said be be must must it it though though we, we, than than fact fact real real for for prerequisites prerequisites material material The The historical historical of of command command more more far far have have reactionaries reactionaries open open the the and and gressives gressives exploited."• exploited."• are are latter latter the the and and pro anti-socialist anti-socialist The The satisfactory. satisfactory. exploiters exploiters are are former former the the if if both; both; of of prived prived COMMUNIST COMMUNIST Bo6 Bo6 THE THE REVOLUTIONARY BACKGROUND OF U.S. CONSTITUTION 8<>7 Ocean was conducted with the most touch is now the southern half of the North ing patience around the Cape of Good Hope American Peninsula. The industry and trade or Cape Horn. All proposals for cutting of old Europe must make a tremendous through the Isthmus of Panama came to exertion if it doea not wish to fall into the naught because of the stupid jealousy of the same decay as the industry and trade of trading nations. The Californian gold mines Italy since the sixteenth century, if England have been discovered for eighteen months and France are not to become the same as now, and the Yankees have already begun Venice, Genoa and Holland are today. a railroad, a great highway, a canal from "In a few years, we shall have a regular the Gulf of Mexico; already steamboats are steam-packet line ftom England to Chagres, plying regularly ftom New York to Chagres, ftom Chagres and San Francisco to Sidney, ftom Panama to San Francisco; already the Canton and Singapore. Thanks to Californian trade of the Pacific Ocean is concentrating in gold and the indefatigable energy of the Panama and the voyage around Cape Horn Yankees, both coasts of the Pacific Ocean will is antiquated. soon be just as populated, just as open for "A coast thirty degrees latitude long, one trade, just as industrial as is now the coast of the most beautiful and fruitful in the from Boston. to New Orleans. Then the world, hitherto as good as uninhabited, is Pacific Ocean will play the same role that transformed at sight into a rich, civilized now the Atlantic plays, and in antiquity land, thickly populated by people of all the Mediterranean Sea-the role of the great races, ftom the Yankee to the Chinaman, water-highway of world commerce; and the ftom the Negro to the Indian and Malayan, Atlantic Ocean will sink to the role of an from the Creole and Mestizo to the Euro inland sea as is now played by the Medi pean. California gold pours out in streams terranean. over America and the Asiatic coast of the "The only chance, then, for the European Pacific Ocean, and sweeps the obstinate bar civilized countries not to fall into the same barian peoples into world trade, into civil industrial, commercial and political depen ization. dence in which Italy, Spain and Portugal "For the second time, world trade receives now find themselves lies in a social revolu a new direction. What Tyre, Carthage and tion which, as long as there is still time, Alexandria were in antiquity, Venice and transforms the method of production and Genoa in the Middle Ages, what hitherto distribution in accord with the needs of pro London and Liverpool have been, emporiums duction itself proceeding ftom the modern of world trade, New York and San Francisco, productive forces, and thereby makes possible San Juan de Nicaragua and Leon, Chagres the creation of new productive forces which and Panama are becoming now. The center secure the superiority of European industry of gravity of world commerce, in the Middle and. thus equalize the disadvantages of its Ages Italy, in more recent times England, geographical position." 8oi 8oi women women farmers, farmers, Negroes, Negroes, the the among among objective objective the the Given Given automatically. automatically. activities activities pioneering pioneering historic historic similar. similar. about about come come not not did did course, course, of of This, This, struggle; struggle; · · and and organization organization class class ing ing position. position. favorable favorable a a such such work of of fields fields all all in in work work pioneering pioneering in in itself itself found found Party Party our our has has yet yet as as our our circumstance; circumstance; every every and and all all Never Never class. class. working working the the of of vanguard vanguard under under Stalin Stalin and and Lenin Lenin Engels, Engels, Marx, Marx, true true the the as as Party Party the the build build to to which which of of teachings teachings the the to to principles, principles, tionary tionary from from position position favorable favorable mos-t mos-t a a is is revolu our our to to loyalty loyalty interests; interests; these these this this Clearly, Clearly, collaborators. collaborators. close close as as but but of of defense defense in in struggles struggles sacrificing sacrificing movements movements these these with with conflict conflict in in not not self our our allies; allies; their their and and workers workers the the participants; participants; active active as as but but observers observers as as of of interests interests class class the the to to loyalty loyalty and and not not them; them; of of thick thick very very the the in in side, side, devotion devotion constant constant our our following: following: the the in but but outside outside Not Not people? people? the the of of and and to to especially especially refer refer I I that. that. for for us us pared pared class class working working the the of of movements movements sive sive pre has has Party Party our our of of history history previous previous progres big big these these to to relation relation in in self self whole whole The The true. true. absolutely absolutely is is It It class? class? it find find Party Party our our does does where where And And working working American American the the of of tachment tachment Negroes. Negroes. de advanced advanced true true the the as as Party Party our our of of and and classes classes middle middle city city farmers, farmers, up up building building the the for for vanguard, vanguard, the the as as the the among among allies allies its its with with relations relations role role historic historic our our of of fulfilment fulfilment the the for for correct correct for for out out reaching reaching and and country country favorable favorable most most is is allies allies its its and and class class the the in in factor factor political political leading leading a a ing ing working working the the of of movements movements mass mass the the becom class, class, a a as as life life into into come come has has It It in in Party Party our our of of position position present present the the politically. politically. and and economically economically ganizing ganizing that that true true not not it it is is or or then, then, true, true, it it Is Is or is is It It motion. motion. in in is is class class working working position. position. advanced advanced this this to to Party Party the the reasons: reasons: following following the the for for And And the the brought brought that that Front Front People's People's the the class. class. working working the the of of vanguard vanguard the the as as for for and and class class working working the the of of unity unity for for successfully successfully function function to to Party Party munist munist struggle struggle correct correct our our was was It It position. position. Com the the for for today today is is it it as as favorable favorable so so this this in in Party Party our our placed placed that that masses masses situation situation the the was was Party Party the the of of history history the the among among it it for for struggle struggle the the and and the the m m never never that that see see to to us us for for tion tion I line line correct correct our our was was it it ternationally, ternationally, inv:stiga much much require require not not DOES DOES T T in and and nationally nationally situation, situation, present present the the characterize characterize which which conditions conditions C.P. C.P. THE THE OF OF ROLE ROLE VANGUARD VANGUARD THE THE I. I. BITTELMAN BITTELMAN ALEX ALEX BY BY C.P.U.S.A. C.P.U.S.A. THE THE OF OF ANNIVERSARY ANNIVERSARY EIGHTEENTH EIGHTEENTH THE THE OF OF OCCASION OCCASION THE THE ON ON PARTY PARTY COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE OF OF ROLE ROLE VANGUARD VANGUARD THE THE VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY Sog and youth; our struggle against op bounded devotion to the cause of the portunism and sectarianism in our proletariat." (P. 38.) own midst; our readiness to admit That means, first, recruiting. With errors and to correct them publicly out day-by-bay recruiting by which we and with the help of our class; our seek to absorb into our midst "all the devotion and loyalty to our Party best elements of the working class," and to the Communist International our Party cannot become the van to its principles, discipline and lead guard. He who talks about the Party ership-all these vital achievements being the vanguard but does not exert and experiences in the history of our himself to stimulate and help recruit Party, which we placed at the service ing is merely a phrasemonger and a of the line of the Seventh World Con chatterer. gress, for the struggle for the united That means, second, to cultivate and People's Front, have helped to and enrich the experience, the revo bring about the present forward lutionary spirit and proletarian de march of labor as well as-to place our votion of the new members. The Party in the present favorable posi Party builds itself as the vanguard of tion in the mass movements. the class only by absorbing continual Favorable in what sense? In the ly the experience, the revolutionary sense of being able to render greater spirit and proletarian devotion of the service to our class and to our people new members which it recruits. We in the struggle against their exploit continually seek new members be ers; in the sense of being a more cause we want 'more of this experi effective force in the struggle for the ence, spirit and devotion. New mem unity of the working class and for the bers have a good deal to contribute to People's Front against reaction, fas the building of the Party as the van cism and war; in the sense of being guard, that is, when we recruit the able to help the whole class and its best elements of the working class. allies to proceed from lower to higher Therefore, we must create for the new stages of struggle and to the socialist members the most favorable condi revolution; in the sense, in short, of tions to transmit to •the Party their building up our Party as the true experience, their revolutionary spirit, revolutionary vanguard of the work and to demonstrate their proletarian ing class. devotion. And on this basis we under How does the Party build itself as take to transmit to them our experi the vanguard of the working class? ence, our principles, our theory. Comrade Stalin's Foundations of In other words, recruiting (without Leninism* gives us the answer to the which there is no building of the question. He says: "The Party must Party as the vanguard) is not a mere absorb all the best elements of the formal act of bringing in a new mem working class, their experience, their ber, but is a process of absorbing his revolutionary spirit and their un- experiences and revolutionary spirit, thus enriching the Party's own "Foundations of Leninism, by Joseph Stalin. New York, International Publishers. experience and revolutionary spirit, 10 cents. and, at the same time, of enabling the BIO THE COMMUNIST new member to absorb the Party's ex ing class think or experience, if it drags . perience, its traditions, its theory, along at the tail of the spontaneous move principles and organizational prac ment, if it does not know how to overcome the inertness and the political indifference tices. of the spontaneous movement, or if it can This is the most fundamental way not rise above the transient interests of the of building the Party as the vanguard proletariat, if it cannot raise the masses to of the working class, that is, by ab the level of the class interests of the pro sorbing continually all its best ele letariat." (P. 38.) ments, their experience, revolutionary Stated even more concisely: spirit and proletarian devotion. "The Party must take its stand at the Are the circumstances. today more head of the working Class, it must see ahead favorable or less for such work? More of the working class, lead the proletariat and favorable, of course. Why? Because not trail behind the spontaneous movement." the best elements of the working (Ibid.) class are coming forward now by the "2. It must at the same time be a unit of thousands in all the big mass move the class, be part of that class, intimately ments (which was not the case when bound to it with every fiber of its being. the working class was not as actively The distinction between the vanguard and in motion, as today), you can literally the main body of the working class, between Party members and non-Party workers, will point these people out with your continue as long as classes exist, as long as finger; because, being in the midst the proletariat continues to replenish its of these mass movements and in the ranks with newcomers from other classes, as front lines, we are daily rubbing long as the working class as a whole lacks shoulders with these people, associat the opportunity of raising itself to the level of the vanguard. But the Party would cease ing with them, working with them in to be a party if this distinction were widened all fields, gaining their confidence; into a rupture; if it were t~ isolate itself and and because, finally, the prestige of break away from the non-Party masses. The Communism and of the Communist Party cannot lead the class if it is not con Party is growing day by day. nected with the non-Party masses, if there is no close union between the Party and the Hence the conditions are most non-Party masses, if these masses do not favorable for recruiting the best ele accept its leadership, if the Party does not ments of the working class and thus enjoy moral and political authority among building the Party as the vanguard. the masses." (Ibid.) How do we fulfil the role of van There is nothing to add to these guard? Comrade Stalin formulates principles. They have stood the test two fundamental Leninist principles of time and have proven invulnerable. governing this question. I shall quote \Vhat has to be discussed at vital _them. turns in the class struggle is the con "1. The Party must be armed with a revo crete ways in which these principles lutionary theory, with a knowledge of the can find their best and most effective iaws of the movement,· with. a knowledge expression. These concrete ways are of the laws of revolution. Without this it not always the same. TheY. depend will be impotent to guide the struggle of the upon many factors, among them the proletariat and to lead the proletariat. The Party cannot be a real Party if it limits itself maturity of the class struggle, the re to registering what the masses of the work- lation of class forces, the degree of VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 811 "moral and political authority" which This is the duty of every Party organ the Party enjoys among the masses, ization and of the Party as a whole. etc. Taking this into consideration, the Second, we must initiate correct Seventh World Congress defined these policies. Initiative is good provided it concrete ways of realizing the van produces good policy and good policy guard role of the Party as follows: is one that mobilizes the widest masses "The Congress emphasizes with particular of toilers for united struggle against stress that only the further all-round con reaction, fascism and capitalism. To solidation of the Communist Parties them be so, policy has to be based on Marx selves, the development of their initiative, ist-Leninist principles. the carrying out of a policy based upon Third, good policy brought to the Marxian-Leninist principles, and the appli masses by Party initiative is good for cation of correct flexible tactics, which take into account the concrete situation and the the masses and good for the vanguard. alignment of class forces, can ensure the Yet this alone is not enough. Just as mobilization of the widest masses of toilers good initiative can be ruined by bad for the united struggle against fascism, policy, so good policy can be ruined against capitalism." by bad tactics. To prevent this, we Let me draw your attention to the need correct flexible tactics. This, essentials of this very important state however, is not and cannot be given ment on the concrete ways of build once and for all because correct flexi ing the vanguard in the present ble tactics must take into account "the period. concrete situation and alignment of (a) Party initiative; (b) policies class forces." These; as we know, vary based on Marxist-Leninist principles; and change ~nd hence tactics must (c) correct flexible tactics, taking into vary and change. It is therefore in account the concrete situation and cumbent upon every Communist and alignment of class forces; (d) the aim Party organization to be constantly being the mobilization of the widest alive to the problem of "correct flex masses of toilers for the united strug ible tactics" because this is just as de gle against fascism, against capitalism. cisive as timely initiative and good This is our guide. First comes Party policy. In fact, when these two are initiative. This is fundamental. With given, correct fle}'.ible tactics will de out it, there can be no building of cide everything. And remember: to be the revolutionary vanguard, there can correct and flexible, tactics must take ' be no mass mobilization of the widest account of the concrete situation and scope for the fight against fascism and of the alignment of class forces. capitalism. This means that we con Compare, for example, some of our tinually have to discover . the best policies and tactics prior to the policies for the mobilization of the Seventh World Congress and subse masses for this struggle and to bring quently. During the years prior to the these policies to the mass movements Seventh Congress, we fulfilled our and to win them for these policies. role as vanguard by propagating the final aims of our Party, by pointing • Resolutions, Seventh Congress of the out the next steps in the daily mass Communist International, p. 36. New York. Workers Library Publishers. 10 cents. struggle for partial demands and by Bu THE COMMUNIST independently orgamzmg masses of of action of large mass movements toilers to fight for these demands, in (unemployment relief, organize the dependently, that is, from those mass unorganized into industrial unions, organizations of the workers and trade union unity, Negro rights, other toilers in which the reformists farmer demands, youth demands, in were successful in preventing the dependent working class political ac workers from struggling and expell tion, alliance with farmers and middle ing the militant forces from the or classes, etc.). It served as a check upon ganization. We fought for the united the capitalist offensive in many cru front all through these years but, be cial instances and also as a check upon cause the objective conditions were the extent and scope to which reac not as favorable, because of our sec tionary reformists were able to betray tarian habits and practices, and be the masses. It actually succeeded di cause of the ·splitting tactics of the rectly and indirectly in securing im reformist leaders, we were making portant concessions for the masses relatively little headway in bringing from the exploiters. It-this tactic of about the united front. But we independent leadership-strengthened couldn't, because of that, give up the our Party and prepared us for the fight and capitulate to capitalism as vanguard role in the present period. the reformists did. This we never wiil Those who would negate in our do. We will always defend the inter past not only the sectarian and Right ests of the masses against their ex opportunist errors but also our strug ploiters, regardless of the forms and gles against these errors and with that methods which conditions may dic would cancel our achievements in tate. We were forced to lead minority helping to bring about the birth of movements and minority struggles. the American working class as a class Thus, in the former period, we re -the propaganda of revolutionary so sorted as a rule to the tactic of organ cialism and the leadership of minor izing mass struggles independently, of ity movements and struggles-those leading them largely ourselves and of who would knowingly want to do that raising the movements from lower to are in danger of ceasing to be good higher levels at a comparatively fast Communists nor would they be de tempo. pendable fighters for the vanguard On the whole, barring the sectarian role of our Party in the present and Right opportunist errors which situation. distorted this line and militated What is the situation today? The against its greater success, this was a working class is moving. The masses correct tactic. It laid the groundwork are moving. The unity of the work in part for the present advance of the ing class and the People's Front is mass movements. It helped prepare being cemented in the heat of major . many of its cadres. It popularized economic and political struggles. The many of our slogans which in the past objective conditions and our past were either slogans of agitation or de struggles are moving· the inasses for mands of minority movements and ward. And we are in the very midst struggles but which are today slogans of it all. Where thousands would rally VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 813 around our. slogans in the past, hun and in the front lines of the mass dreds of thousands are doing it today. movements of our class and its allies, From this, certain important tactical in line with the policy of the united changes had to follow. We are now and People's Front, instead of being in a position to place before ourselves forced (as in the past) to lead by our tasks of major magnitude in the strug selves minority movements and strug gle for the united front and for the gles. This is clearly more advan People's Front. Instead of being tageous to the class, as well as to forced to lead minority movements ourselves as its vanguard. It. is more and struggles independently, we are advantageous for the needs of the day, getting into a position of collaborat as well as for the ultimate socialist ing with big progressive majority liberation. movements of the working class and At first glance it might appear as its allies, of actively participating in though the tempo of transition from these movements and establishing our lower to higher stages of class strug selves as a vanguard of the class. For gle must necessarily be slowed down the first time in the history of the because of the new relationship be United States, the revolutionary van tween the revolutionary vanguard and guard of the proletariat-the Com the mass movements. This is not abso munists-are able to begin to function lutely so. The tempo of transition within the class and its mass move need not necessarily be slowed down ments in' the way in which The if the relationship of class forces con Communist Manifesto envisaged it, tinues, nationally and internationally, namely: in a direction favorable to our camp. But even if, at one point or another, "They have no interests apart from those of the working class as a whole. . . . The this tempo of transition from lower Communists are practically the most advanced to higher stages of struggle should and resolute section of the working class have to slow down as compared with parties of every country, that section which past years, this would be only relative; pushes forward all others; and theoretically, because in compensatiop. for that we they have over the great mass of the prole· tariat the advantage of clearly understand would have the decisive fact that the ing the line of march, the conditions, and transition, when made, would be the ultimate general results of the prole made not only by ourselves and mi tarian movements."" nority movements led by us, but by great mass movements, by the class. This is the way in which we have In other words, not only minorities begun to function and to build our would be marching forward, but the selves as the vanguard of our class. decisive sections of our Class and its The present way differs in many essen allies. In the past we could dream of tial respects from the old way. And idea and unfold necessarily so. As a rule we seek to ful that, propagate the the perspective; today it has become fil our function as vanguard within a practical task and a practical pos sibility. " The Communist Manifesto, by Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. New York, Inter Does it follow from that that in the national Publishers. 5 cents. present situation, with the new rela- recruiting recruiting activities, activities, these these of of Both Both follows: follows: Worker. Worker. Daily Daily as as task task same same the the elucidates elucidates troff troff the the building building of of importance importance the the mated mated Dimi Comrade Comrade outline, outline, broad broad In In underesti woefully. woefully. has has organization organization movement." movement." the the of of demands demands Party Party York York New New the the that that admission admission progressive progressive the the supporting supporting and and initiating initiating gle, gle, the the produce produce will will estimate estimate self-critical self-critical strug the the of of steps steps next next the the out out point point ment, ment, A A circulation. circulation. paper's paper's our our of of source source move mass mass the the of of vanguard vanguard the the As As "(c) "(c) main main the the for for look look must must we we where where and and ism. ism. located located is is organ organ social central central and and power power Party's Party's class class the the working working of of aims aims final final its its for for propaganda propaganda mass mass on on Carry Carry "(b) "(b) where where York, York, New New in in especially especially said said Party; Party; mass mass be be to to has has This This circulation. circulation. Worker Worker a a into into Party Party Communist Communist the the Build Build (a) (a) " " Daily Daily of of said said be be must must same same The The must: must: organizations, organizations, and and on. on. ing ing membership membership Party Party Communist Communist the the ments, ments, can)' are are they they that that recruiting recruiting of of tity tity move mass mass these these of of midst midst the the in in that, that, means means quan and and quality quality the the by by This This organization organization movement. movement. Front Front People's People's the the of of tion tion sec revolutionary revolutionary and and advanced advanced most most the the as as Party Party a a of of and and member member Party Party a a of of role role its its strengthening strengthening of of task task the the in in slacken slacken usefulness usefulness the the measure measure to to begin begin must must or or identity identity its its lose lose way way no no in in should should Party Party We We organization. organization. Party Party each each of of as as well well Communist Communist the the platform, platform, Front Front People's People's as as member member Party Party individual individual each each of of democratic democratic this this of of basis basis the the on on "Working "Working task task a a is is It It task. task. permanent permanent and and tal tal us: us: to to it it puts puts resolution resolution plenum plenum fundamen central, central, a a is is Recruiting Recruiting The The it. it. against against guarding guarding of of ways ways the the CIRCULATION CIRCULATION indicated indicated and and dissolution dissolution of of danger danger WORKER WORKER DAILY DAILY AND AND RECRUITING RECRUITING II. II. the the against against warned warned It It situation. situation. ent ent pres the the to to application application in in fully fully ciples ciples talism. talism. prin these these concretized concretized has has Committee Committee capi and and fascism fascism reaction, reaction, against against Central Central the the of of meeting meeting June June The The struggle struggle the the for for Front, Front, People's People's it. it. of of head head the the at at and and class class the the With With and and front front united united the the for for struggle struggle the the vanguard. vanguard. the the of of role role the the governing governing in in class class working working the the of of vanguard vanguard true true Stalin Stalin of of principles principles two two the the more more once once the the as as Party Party our our building building of of task task the the Recall Recall Communism. Communism. with with common common to to answer answer correct correct the the have have we we Thus Thus in in nothing nothing have have conclusions conclusions Such Such superstitions." superstitions." religious religious not. not. course course Of Of mass mass the the mo~ements? mo~ements? all all of of free free is is which which outlook, outlook, Marxian Marxian our our of of participants participants as as Communists Communists of of ties ties from from retreat retreat not not do do we we believers, believers, of of tion tion activi the the from from aside aside on on carry carry ties ties to to persecu fascist fascist the the against against freedom, freedom, ligious ligious re of of defense defense in in forward forward activi come come we we independent independent When When no no have have izations izations people. people. our our of of sons sons true true and and revolutionaries revolutionaries organ its its and and Party Party Communist Communist the the proletarian proletarian as as so so do do we we patriots; patriots; bourgeois bourgeois or or that that follow follow it it Does Does Party? Party? Communist Communist nationalists nationalists become become not not do do we we liberty, liberty, and and the the building building cease cease should should Marxists, Marxists, independence independence their their of of defense defense in in people, people, and and Communists Communists as as them them within within own own our our of of interests interests national national the the of of fense fense de in in forward forward come come we we function function Where Where to to cease cease reformists. reformists. should should movements, movements, or or democrats democrats bourgeois bourgeois as as not not and and tionaries tionaries mass mass the the in in dissolved dissolved become become to to selves selves revolu proletarian proletarian consistent consistent as as Marxists, Marxists, them permit permit should should Communists Communists the the as as so so do do we we fascism, fascism, and and reaction reaction against against statement, statement, Day Day May May his his in in Dimitroff Dimitroff liberties, liberties, and and rights rights democratic democratic of of defense defense the the Comrade Comrade by by well well so so stressed stressed tionship tionship for for struggle struggle resolute resolute a a on on carry carry we we "When "When COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 815 and circulation, are fundamental members among non-Party workers phases of Party building. This is so creates the prerequisites for successful plain that one feels embarrassed to recruiting but not recruiting itself. have to argue for it. Yet the need for This has to be carried on, consciously, persuasion and argument is still with deliberately, planfully, and in an or us. I hope the time is coming when ganized way, by the individual Party it will no longer be necessary to argue member under the direction and con the vital importance of recruiting and trol of Party organizations. Daily Worker circulation. There are a number of negative First, some important aspects of re methods and characteristics of ap cruiting and retaining new Party proach , that are today militating members. Let us retain firmly in our against successful recruiting and re minds that recruiting means, in Com taining of new members. Comrade rade Stalin's words, to "absorb the Browder has t>poken repeatedly on best elements of the working class. some of these negative habits and atti their experience, their revolutionary tudes of old Party members. I should spirit, their unbounded devotion to like merely to list them. You will rec the cause of the proletariat.". Wher ognize them at once, and you will ever they are, whatever they do, Party agree that these are negative and members must seek to attract to them harmful attitudes. selves these best elements, to win their Here is a partial list: vanity; boast confidence and respect, to bring them fulness; we know it all, the non-Party into the Party, to see to it tha! these worker knows nothing or very little; new members are surrounded with a wholesale, mechanical approach to most favorable conditions for trans all non-Party workers instead of an mitting to the Party the best that is in ) individual and differentiated one; dis them as well as to receive from the regard of individual traits of char Party all the best that we can give. acter; an over-exaggerated air of The surest way to accomplish these secrecy, something that might · be results is to be a good Communist in called an "illegality" complex; failure the mass movements; to be the best to consider the fa~ily position of the member of these movements, most de non-Party worker and how that may voted and self-sacrificing, most help affect his coming into and remaining ful, most experienced, most politically in the Party; insufficient regard to the mature. In short, an advanced fighter. ability of the Party .candidate or new This is basic. When this is done, our member to fulfil the financial obliga; comrades will continue to gain the tions arising from Party membership; confidence of the best elements of the a good deal of indifference to the mass movements. Without such confi· development of a politically rich and dence, recruiting will be difficult. But interesting inner life in our units; confidence in Communists by non lack of encouragement of the initiative Party workers does not automatically of the new Party member (and of the produce new members. Some of our old one), lack of proper attention to people may think so, but they are and respect for his views and pro mistaken. Confidence gained by Party posals, and not enough systematic de- THE COMMUNIST . velopment of inner Party democracy; Party-a hundred thousand, two hun and last, but not least, the off-hand dred thousand-as a practical perspec manner of making assignments with tive and possibility. But we will not out due regard to the inclinations, get these numbers, and we will not re abilities, experience or circumstances tain them even if we· do get them to of the comrades. apply for membership, if we view Such negative habits, sectarianism them merely as numbers. I think prac of the worst kind, still eJt.ist among tice has proven that already. The high many Party members and· function and continuous fluctuation is proof. aries. And can there be any doubt that A candidate for membership is a these are in part responsible for the living worker, with valuable experi slow rate of recruiting and for the ence, with revolutionary spirit, with • high rate of fluctuation? No doubt at devotion to the cause of the prole all. It is ther~fore imperative that tariat. That's why we want him or each Party comrade, especially lead her in our Party. This means we have ing ones and functionaries, examine something precious to learn from themselves from this angle. Have you these people. Does _that mean that we got some of these bad habits? Do you have nothing to teach them? The practice some of these impermissible Party has a whole lot to teach them approaches? If so, take them under and to give them. That's why they observation, check them, and work want to come in. But they also have upon yourself to eliminate them from a lot to teach us and to give us. And your system. It will make of you a this is the point I am trying to make better Communist, more liked and now especially. more respected by Party and non Naturally, this question of recruit Party workers alike. It will surely help ing the fluctuation is a matter to be recruiting and reduce fluctuation. handled not only by each individual Let no one get the impression that Communist adopting correct attitudes we are urging Communists to display· and approaches to the non-Party a false and hypocritical humility, or workers and to the new members, de to behave like blushing violets. What cisive as that is. It is the Party organ we urge upon the comrades at this ization as such that must improve all moment is to give life and blood to its organizational methods and condi the words of Stalin that recruiting tions as called for by the resolution means absorbing into the Party the of the June meeting of our Central best elements of the working class, Committee. This resolution you want their experience, their revolutionary to restudy very carefully. You will spirit, their devotion to the cause of find in it the weapon you :r;teed at the the proletariat. A new Party member, present time for effectively arousing or a candidate for membership, is not and mobilizing the Party for the task a dead number to be added by way of of building itself in the process of arithmetic to the numbers already on struggle for the unity of the :working the Party rolls. Numbers are of tre class and for the People's Front mendous importance. We want num against reaction and fascism. bers. We want a numerically strong Secondly, on some aspects of Daily VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 817 Worker circulation. You have begun the facts as known, this is the impres to build it. The problem is to extend sion that one is bound to get. and intensify this work. What is today the main problem Need I say here that we have today in extending the Daily circulation? one of the best newspapers in the It is, in my judgment, the problem of country? There was a time when we making the wide masses acquainted couldn't say that, but now we can. with the Daily Worker. Just find ways That does not mean that there is no and means of bringing the Daily to more room for improvement. No. these wider masses, so that they get to There is plenty of room. And the know that there is such a paper as help and urging that you can give for ours, and you have solved a good part further improvement will be more of the task. If we could spend as much than welcome. as bourgeois papers do for promotion We· have to improve the political and advertisement, our task would be initiative and fighting qualities of the much easier. But we can't. Hence, the paper; we have to enrich, make more Party membership and organizations popular and attractive the educa must undertake to do the job, supple tional features of the paper-in eco mented by as much promotion as the nomics, politics, culture, etc.; we must Daily Worker itself can and must do. have more theoretical articles; more Again, I say: we have a good news effective advocacy of our final revolu paper. It can be sold. But it has to be tionary aims; we must have more sold. And the New York Party bears leadership by the Daily in the work the major responsibility for that. of Party building, this being a central Another aspect of Daily Worker point; more attention to Negro strug circulation, and one that is quite gles, and farmers, etc. The Daily often overlooked, is the role our paper Worker has such a program of im plays in making friends for the Party provement. As we go along, we shall and thus even indirectly paving the have to provide for more adequate way for recruiting. It is no exaggera treatment of the life in NewYorkCity tion to say that the IJ,aily Worker is and state (all phases), and also of the our best recruiting agent and with im regions nearest New York, such as provement in its handling of Party Jersey, Connecticut, New England building, we can make the Daily the and especially Pennsylvania. But is it most effective Party builder;_pro not clear that a greatly increased cir vided, however, that the Daily Worker culation, in New York and vicinity, gets into the hands, day by day, of will make sure that these improve larger masses. The Daily Worker be ments can be made to the extent comes a power only when it is read necessary? by the masses. One of our major tasks There is all too little evidence that is to bring it to the masses. That is you, comrades, feel sufficiently your why the June meeting of the Central obligations to the building of the Committee coupled organically the Daily Worker circulation. If I am two tasks: recrmtmg and Daily wrong, you will correct me. But from Worker circulation. They are two THE COMMUNIST phases of one task. And in this man cease to do all in their power to sup ner it must be handled. port the struggles led by the unions, to rally support of the working class III. INDEPENDENT ACTIVITIES BY generally for such struggles, to rally THE PARTY the support of farmers and middle classes. But as a matter of fact, many Because our major policy today is Party organizations behave as though the united and People's Front, some they thought that they had nothing comrades may have gotten the notion to do in the matter as Party organiza that there is no room or need for any tions. Just review the recent activities independent activities by the Party. of your own Party units and sections What is worse, many Party organiza from the point of view of the support tions actually display insufficient in ting actions organized by them during dependent acti~ity. This, comrades, the strikes in the auto industry, in is bad. It hurts the united and Peo steel, in the marine industry, in the ple's Front. It militates against the shipyards, etc. And if you do so, you building of our Party into a mass will find that they have done very Bolshevik Party. Concretely: its mili little. tates against more successful recruit Then review the Party organiza ing as well as against building Daily tions from another angle. How much Worker circulation. have they done in connection with A few examples will be helpful. these economic struggles to educate The economic struggles of the the masses politically, in their respec workers are carried on by the unions, tive territories and shops and indus of which the Communists are an in tries, on the political significance of separable part. We do not, at the these strikes, the role of reaction, the present time, organize economic strug role of the Roosevelt administration, gles in the industries independently and the role of the local and state ad of the unions, or in opposition to ministrations, pointing out the need leaders who practise class collabora of a united People's Front and how to tionism and reformism. We do not do work for it? Very little has been done it, because the masses are in motion, on that. Yet this is one of our main because reformism can no longer keep tasks as the vanguard: to make the the masses in check. The masses are masses conscious of their struggles, the becoming more class conscious, they class nature of these struggles, and the are being organized into powerful political lessons and conclusions to unions-majority movements-of be drawn from them, all of which which we are a part, and in which we must lead to winning the masses for are doing our duty as class-conscious our political line. When our Party workers and Communists. It is the organizations do not fulfil this task, working out of our fundamental pol they do not function fully as Com- icy of the unity of the working class munist organizations. . and of the united front. Another example is the campaign That does not mean, however, that for Supreme Court reform. The Party Party organizations as such should correctly decided to support the pro- VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 8xg posals qf Roosevelt, even though they say that Party organizations were only partial, and to work carried on such activities of the the masses, to rally organized ~"'""''"' .. ••line,cessarv scope and. intensity. for Roosevelt's measure and to One could list many more exam- larize our full position on curbing (Spain, peace, China), but the Supreme Court. Here was an are sufficient to illustrate the tion and opportunity for the that the Party organizations are organizations. How much have fulfilling their task satisfactorily made of it? The answer is, very the matter of initiative, in the or- Take the Scottsboro campaign in of independent actions un- most recent phase. The Party as Party auspices. The immediate whole was very deeply and actively · are obvious. They are two: it, through the Communists in ( 1) The united front mass movements International Labor Defense not receiving , the necessary aid through the Scottsboro Defense stimulation from the vanguard mittee. But how much supporting and thus they are not growing educational activity have Party strong as they could; (2) The Party and sections carried on in the · as such do not appear phase? I mean activities that before the masses as inde- mobilize the masses in support of bodies and thus Party concrete measures of the is hampered, its vanguard is not sufficiently displayed. masses to the Communist position Seeking apparently to avoid "in the Negro question generally and actions of the wrong kind pecially on the Party policy of (and there may be such), some Party ing a Negro People's Front. iCOJillr;adc~s tend to hesitate in the whole much of such activities have the of independent actions, even organizations carried on? Very little. and needed oh.es. Surely, inde Or take the rise of vigilante bands. IPena,ent actions by Party organiza Our policy, as made known publicly, in conflict with united front is to help bring about joint action in opposition to them labor, the middle classes and the actions our policy excludes with ers, through local anti-vigilante qualifications. And those, if there ferences, for common action to such, who tend to favor this kind bat this vigilante outbreak. Our independent action had better re icy is that the decisive sections the Party's main policies and these groups should come together But to reject independent this purpose, and not only the altogether is a bad mistake. advanced organizations. But for should say this: independent we must agitate, we must con of a supporting character (not the masses of the need of it. Yes, ellopposinl! or conflicting) to the activi mu'St mobilize pressure of mass of the united front mass move opinion to convince certain leaders independent actions of a mass movements to undertake ulating character (not to be con united action against vigilantism. t:•lifl'"'"'':u with a provoking and disorgan- B~o THE COMMUNIST 1zmg character) to the mass move letting it go at that. To carry our ments; independent actions of an message, pointing out the next steps educational, politically enlightening, to the masses, not in an academic way, character, which would draw the class but in the process of rallying support lessons before the masses from their for their daily struggles, this is the · daily struggles in the· mass move task of our Party organizations. ments; independent actions designed "Initiating progressive demands of to bring before the masses our Party's the· mass movement"-this means initiative in the formulation of poli again formulating such demands and cies and demands which we seek to bringing them to the masses in order have the mass movements adopt; such to create a mass public opinion independent actions our Party organ among the toilers that will win the izations must engage in always. I am mass movements to make these de not speaking here of the manner and mands their own. This is the task of conditions under which our Party en Party organizations. This is how we gages in such independent activities as function as vanguard and help the placing its own candidates on the whole movement (not only ourselves) ballot in election struggles. This is to march forward. governed clearly in Party resolutions "Supporting the progressive de and decisions. But even where we mands of the movement." This does have no Party candidates as such, not mean merely to adopt a resolu where we succeed in helping to bring tion favoring this or that demand of about farmer-labor and other People's the mass movement. No, it means that . Front formations, as in our main the Party organizations as such must policy, the field is broad for indepen step forward and help rally the masses dent Party activity-to bring before in active support of such demands. the masses the face of the Party, its This is how we stimulate the mass political line a:J\d its revolutionary movements and help make the steps aims. stronger. The resolution of the June meeting In short: this is how we build the of our Central Committee is clear and mass movements and the Party. outspoken on this question. It says: IV. PROPAGANDA OF MARXISM AND "As the vanguard of the mass movement, ADVOCACY OF SOCIALISM point ·out the next steps of the struggle, initiating and supporting the progressive The starting point here is that the demands of the movement." situation is extremely favorable for the mass propaganda of Marxism, for Analyze it and you find the follow the widest advocacy among the masses ing: of our final aims of working class "Point out the next steps of the power and socialism. We must organ struggle"-this means formulating ize to utilize these favorable oppor such steps and bringing the message tunities to the utmost. to the masses, winning them for such The Daily Worker and The Com steps. It does not mean making up munist have a great job to do in this our own minds about these steps and field. I am able to say that the com- VANGUARD ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY Su rades engaged in this work are alive now our main task to help organize to the ·task and are undertaking to into the united and People's Front, is tackle it under the guidance and with opening the way for the hatred of the direct help of the Central Com capitalism. Because, what sort of sys mittee, in line with the decisions of tem is it that produces fascism? What the June meeting. sort of system is it that fascism seeks It is nothing new to say that the to save? Capitalism. This conclusion masses of the American toilers have the masses will not make automatical been deeply stirred by the suffering of ly. We have to help them make this the crisis years, by the apparent conclusion. And this means: propa breakdown of the capitalist economy, ganda of Marxism, of our final aims by its obvious inability to provide of working class power and socialism. work for almost w,ooo,ooo workers As to socialist successes of the Soviet even today, in its phase of cyclical re Union. At times it seems as though covery. Such facts as these: that at the some of us still underestimate the very beginning of recovery, fears are revolutionizing role of these successes. already freely expressed by capitalist The contrast between capitalism, as spokesmen themselves of the menace the masses here know it, and socialism, of another crisis. Or the constant as it is built in the Soviet Union menace of anew world war (with two this contrast is making its way surely wars already being waged by the fas and deeply into the minds of millions cist powers in China and Spain), which of American toilers. This means more again capitalist spokesmen are forced favorable opportunities for us to win to admit is being caused by "eco converts to opr final aims of working nomic" causes-a euphemism for capi class power and socialism. There is no talism and imperialism, with their fas doubt that the epoch-making flights cist storm troops. Or the obvious con of the Soviet airmen to the United tradiction, which the masses cannot States opened up a new chapter not fail to sense, between the forces of only for closer all-around collabora production, what the capitalists call tion between the U.S. and the "technological advance," and the so U.S.S.R. but also created new favor cial relations, the capitalist monopoly able opportunities for our advocacy over these forces of production; some of socialism. thing they call euphemistically "the Even the illusions which are preva lag" between technological advance lent among wide masses that the and social advance; a contradiction United States will not need working with which the President's commis class power and socialism in order to sion on technological developments achieve security, prosperity and hap has struggled so helplessly. All this piness for the masses, on the ground makes the masses highly receptive to that this country is rich enough (in the Marxian message, to its theory natural 'resources and technical skill) and practice, to our program of work to provide both profits for the capi ing class power and socialism. talists and a good life for the masses; But there is more to it than that. I say, even such illusions as these offer The hatred for fascism, which it is a favorable ground for dissipating Bu THE COMMUNIST such illusions, and for the propaganda ing the masses more receptive to our of Marxian socialism. Because in these message of Marxism, working class illusions there is already present a power, and socialism. Not automati critical view of capitalism as it is, an cally. The New Deal experimentation urgent desire for fundamental change creates both: new illusions and· new (for security, for happiness), a de- experiences for the masses. It is our mand and expectation that society task to utilize these experiences in (the federal government) must, as a order to dissipate the illusions. matter of duty, provide the masses By way of self-criticism it should with 'security and happiness. True, be said that we have not produced there is still a belief that you can have enough popular Marxian literature a good capitalism, or that you can. dealing with these questions. We have somethipg that is neither capi have made the analysis, discussed the talism nor socialism but which is good questions in our press, turned out and satisfactory. This is an illusion some pamphlets, but we need more which we must dissipate. But when popular literature for the masses. A the masses think of and want funda little reminder from the Party organ mental changes, when they begin to izations, especially when coupled with feel that they cannot and will not live suggestions as to what particular ques as of old, then the situation must be tions should be dealt with and how, considered highly favorable for the would be helpful. mass propaganda of the Communist We also need more forums, more program for fundamental changes, lectures, more public discussions of for the propaganda of our slogan that these fundamental questions. Here "Communism Is Twentieth Century is where our Party organizations could Americanism." do an important and valuable job The New Deal, especially as under in spreading Marxism among the stood by the sincere New Dealers, masses and in advocating our final aims essentially to save capitalism, aims of the proletarian dictatorship but by certain concessions to the and socialism. masses and by democratic means. And finally our criticism of re That's why it has aroused such an formism. I have in mind now espe tagonism, opposition and hatred .on cially the Thomas "school" of Social the part of the economic royalists ism, the school which combats our and fascists. But the experimenta policy of the united and People's tions with the New Deal (NRA, Front against fascism "in the name AAA, and subsequent plans) not only of Socialism." Our criticism of this foster illusions as regards the possibil variety of reformism is a most fruitful ity of a "good" capitalism, a regu field for the propaganda of Marxism lated one, an "organized" one, but and revolutionary socialism. Com they also give the masses practical ob rade Browder has on many occasions · ject lessons in the correctness of our dealt with this "school of Socialism" theory that there is no such thing in a most effective way. Utilize these as a "good" capitalism. In this way speeches and spread them among the these experimentations result in mak- masses, especially among the Social- VANGUAIUl ROLE OF THE COMMUNIST PARTY 823 ists. In criticizing the Thomas refor shall also be immunizing the imma mist conceptions we are enabled to ture Socialist elements against the accomplish two tasks. We are enabled poison of Trotskyism which is today to win converts to our policy of the identical with fascist banditism, as People's Front as well as to the only well as against the ideological cor possible socialism-the socialism of ruption of Lovestoneism, which is be Marx, Engels, Lenin and Stalin. The coming less and less distinguishable theoretical and political line we have: from Trotskyism. the road to the socialist revolution All of which is intended to make lies through the unity of the working you, comrades, realize more fully the class and through the victory of the tremendous importance of the deci People's Front against capitalist re sions of the \June meeting of the action and fascism. This is where the Central Committee and to help you road lies today and this road we must mobilize the Party for the successful follow. · fulfilmenJt of these decisions along Let us take this theoretical and the lines of the decisions of the Cen political line and elaborate it, and tral Committee and of your State discuss it among the masses, and Committee in the Party building among the Socialists. In this way we drive. THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE BY LAWRENCE HEARN HE new climax in the war of the anese policy which now threatens the T Japanese militarists upon China peace of the world and aims to reduce intensifies the need for strengthening China to vassalage. all forces of peace and democracy and An analysis of the Far Eastern situ bringing them to bear against Jap ation shows: (1) that Japan is steadily anese fascist aggression. The possibili becoming more fascist, and, in con ties of tipping the Far Eastern scales sequence, its foreign policy more re in order to provide security and peace lentlessly aggressive; (2) that internal through the establishment of a united, unity in China is almost accomplished democratic China have not been so with the Kuomintang gradually great since the outbreak of the hos adopting the broad policies of na tilities in September, 1931. tional salvation long advocated by the While the Japanese militarists have Chinese Communist Party; (3) that, relentlessly pursued their grandiose nevertheless, treacherous elements v1s1ons of continental expansion, within the Kuomintang are still at China has steadily strengthened inter tempting to hold the Nanking gov nally until today she is on the verge of ernment to a weak, wavering line of turning back the invader. However, policy; (4) that simultaneously the during a century and a half of im united front of all groups for democ perialist rivalry, European imperial racy and for resistance to Japanese ist powers and the United States have aggression advances; (5) that, al so penetrated the economy and body though the international setting politic of China that, whether they of the Far Eastern conflict be wish it or not, it is now to a consider comes increasingly important, the able degree up to' them to determine United States and Great Britain the outcome of the present war. In fail to take a firm stand against action on their part will operate in Japan's treaty-breaking advance, and, favor of Japan, as it has during the finally (6) that the determined peace last six years. Collective pressure policy of the Soviet Union and its against Japan and in support of powerful defense of the Siberian bor Chinese salvation, on the other hand, ders remain the greatest bulwark of will mean a big setback to the Jap- strength in the entire situation. THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 825 OBJECTIVE AND STRATEGY OF THE China was the great objective of JAPANESE MILITARISTS' POLICY Japanese foreign policy, to be fol OF CONQUEST lowed at a later stage by even more ambitious conquests, the events of the The classic formulation of Japan's last six years have dispelled them. aims remains the Tanaka imperialist Including the earlier phases, the Memorial, formulated by the princi progress of the Japanese imperialist of the "positive foreign pal advocate invasion of China has been as follows: policy" in the middle 192o's, Premier I8g4: Following the Sino-Japanese General Tanaka, in a IJJ.emorial . to \Var, Japan annexed Formosa and While the legal authen the Emperor. prepared for the annexation of Korea ticity of this document as an actual through forcing Chinese recognition memorial to the throne has been ques of its independence. She obtained, there has never been any tioned, also, the Kwantung Peninsula, but doubt that it represented the most was forced by other foreign powers to authentic description of the "strong" return it to China. Japanese foreign policy available. I905: Following the Russo-Japanese Under the heading "General Consid War, Japan secured the lease of erations" the Tanaka Memorial said: Dairen, the K wan tung Peninsula, and railway rights in South Manchuria. "For the sake of self-protection as well as the protection of others, Japan cannot re IgiO: Japan annexed Korea. move the difficulties in Eastern Asia unless I9I5: Japan seized most of Shan she adopts a policy of 'Blood and Iron.' ... tung Province previously under Ger In order to conquer China we must first man domination, but by the Washing conquer Manchuria and Mongolia. In order ton Conference was forced to return to conquer the world, we must first conquer China. If we succeed in conquering China, the area and its railway concessions to the rest of the Asiatic countries and the China. Japan presented China the South Sea countries will fear us and sur notorious Twenty-one Demands of render to us. Then the world will realize which the only immediate result was dare that Eastern Asia is our5 and will not the extension of railway leases in to violate our rights. "The way to gain actual rights in Man Manchuria and the extension of the churia and Mongolia is to use this region lease of Kwantung. as a base and under the pretense of trade Igp: Japan invaded all of Man and commerce penetrate the rest of China. churia and in 1932 set up the puppet . . . Having China's entire resources at our state of Manchoukuo. disposal we shall proceed to conquer India, the Archipelago, Asia Minor, Central Asia I932: Japan invaded Shanghai and, and even Europe." after crushing strong local resistance, forced upon China a demilitarized The gross conceit of such utterances zone. would seem fantastic, were it not for r933: Japan invaded Jehol Prov the fact that in the decade since the ince and added it to Manchoukuo. Memorial was formulated the action Japan began the gradual invasion of it advocated had been so faithfully Chahar Province. By the Tangku followed. If any doubts once existed Truce Japan established a demilitar that the annexation of the whole of ized zone in North China extending THE COMMUNIST from the south of the Great Wall to labor reservoir. If we recall that it was Peiping and eastward to Tientsin. the emancipation of the peasant-serf z935: Japan invaded the Peiping that provided early Western capital Tientsin area and forced upon China ist enterprise with an internal market, the Ho-Umetzu Agreement. The five we see the acute problem with which province (Chahar, Suiyuan, Hopei, Japan has been conf;ronted by the in Shansi, Shantung) autonomy move troduction of capitalist industry un ment failed, but Japan managed to accompanied by the liquidation of the establish the East Hopei Autonomous feudal peasantry. Anti-Communist regime, consisting of The problem of markets is par twenty-two di~tricts, and was strong ticularly severe and the urge for ex ly influential in setting up the Hopei pansion particularly strong in Japan. Chahar Political Council. Even more conspicuously than in zg36: Japan 'invaded Suiyuan Prov other capitalist countries, Japan's pur ince but was repulsed. Further Jap suit of foreign markets takes prece anese encroachments in Hopei also dence over attempts to develop its failed, temporarily. · internal market by raising the stand z937: Japan again invaded Hopei, ard of living of its workers and Chahar and Suiyuan, and at the time peasants. of writing is beseiging Shanghai and Japan's policy of attempting to the Yangtze Valley as well as prac solve its internal problems by expan tically the whole of North China. To sion has been further aggravated by date Japan has obtained complete its lack of the most important raw control of a wide area around Peiping materials of industrialization. Both as Tientsin. a result of world imperialist rivalries and as a consequence of the nature of FACTORS IN JAPAN'S POLICY its own internal development, Jap OF . EXPANSION anese imperialism is forced to fight The conspicuously aggressive char for colonies. acter of Japanese imperialism which Japanese expansion follows a fa leads to the violent invasion of China miliar pattern. springs from the peculiar socio-eco The general strategy of Japan's nomic structure of the country. The present occupation of Chinese terri basic socio-economic structure of J ap tory has involved the following steps: anese society is capitalistic, but, un 1. The manufacturing of an inci like the capitalism of the bourgeois dent; democratic countries of Europe, 2. The dramatization of the inci which grew out of the collapse of dent on the basis of some previously feudal society, the capitalism of Japan claimed or acquired right, actual or was grafted upon its feudal structure. alleged; The strong feudal element in Jap 3· Widespread publicizing of the anese society has resulted in excessive event to justify further action at burdens upon the peasantry and upon home, to delude the Chinese masses the workers who come from that peas as to the true facts of the situation, antry which furnishes a constant and to confuse the issue abroad for as THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 827 long as possible under the guise of The Ho-Umetzu Agreement• re "national honor," "self-protection," or veals the Japanese imperialist objec "just punishment" for an insult; tive of cutting off the northern prov 4· Rapid military action; inces from the rest of China. The 5· The simultaneous presentation Agreement stipulated the discharge of of demands which far exceed retribu Chinese northern officials hostile to tion for the alleged incident and the Japanese policy; the withdrawal which are purposely couched in such of certain specified troops from a re vague terms as to permit almost any stricted area around Peiping and in interpretation at a later date; certain cases from Hopei Province 6. Insistence on "localizing'' the (this has since been "interpreted" by dispute, that is, on dealing solely with Japan to forbid the entry of any Nan- local authorities and the promotion king troops into areas north of the of separatism. This last maneuver is Yellow River); the suppression of intended, first, to discredit the Kuomintang activities, of political Chinese National government in the military training, the dissolution of eyes of Chinese and foreigners; sec the Blue Shirts Organizations, etc., in ond, to force under military pressure Hopei; and the prohibition of all a quick capitulation by local authori anti-Japanese and anti-foreign activi ties so that the National government ties in China. will be confronted with a fait accom It very· shortly became apparent pli by the time negotiations become that the purpose of this so-called generalized; agreement, as of all others similarly 7. Consolidation of the new posi forced upon China, was to establish tion; another stepping-stone towards the 8. Provocation of another incident formation of a North China puppet and a repetition of the entire process state similar to, and allied with, Man based upon some right allegedly chukuo. In the fall of the same year, gained in the previous one. under the personal supervision of This strategy may be precisely illus Japan's leading intriguer, Colonel trated by referring to the present (now General) Doihara, Japan in large-scale invasion of North China. stigated the ·~North China five prov The alleged basis for Japan's posi ince autonomy movement" designed tion in North China was the illegal to complete the transfer of all of Ho-Umetzu Agreement of June, 1935, China north of the Yellow River to which in turn was forced on China Japanese control. It was at this stage on the basis of incidents based on the that the Japanese advance first .felt illegal Tangku Truce of 1933, which the impact of the heroic Chinese in turn arose from Japan's alleged struggle for defense. The North need for proteoting the illegally-ac China five province autonomy move quired puppet state of Manchuoko ment collapsed and with it Japan's which, in turn, was seized because of immediate designs. alleged infringement of alleged treaty Ominous events in the background, rights previously acquired. And so on, ad infinitum. • Published in the May, 1936, issue of China Today. THE COMMUNIST however, pointed with certainty to the expansive foreign policy. A wave of early renewal of the Japanese push. strikes, the worst trade balance in Mussolini's invasion of Ethiopia and years, the rapid depletion of gold re Hitler's arrogant bludgeoning re serves, and the alarming rise in the vealed the essentially weak position cost of living made it apparent that of the League of Nations under the a cabinet commanding greater con tutelage of such compromising lead fidence from all capitalist groups was ership as that of the British Tory gov required both to meet the domestic ernment. The advance in the United emergencies and to cope with the fail" States of the isolationists, under the ing policy toward China. cloak of neutrality, further weakened The elections of April 30 repudi the anti-war front. The fascist in ated the government, but with a total vasionof Spain by Italy and Germany, disregard of parliamentary procedure the well-niglr fatal duplicity of the it attempted to remain in power. British-led policy of non-intervention, Finally, on May 31, in the face of the and the move of the United States in combined opposition of th~ Minseito boycotting the Spanish government and Seiyukai Parties and of the newly while permitting aid to the fascist prominent Social Mass Party, the Ha belligerents through trade with Nazi yashi Cabinet resigned. Germany and fascist Italy, lent fur While making several adroit con ther encouragement to Japanese im cession to parliamentary sentiment perialism. The German-Japanese appointing three party men to the Anti-Communist Pact of November Cabinet, reviving a system of party 25, 1936 (probably initialled the pre vice-ministers-the new government ceding January), simply proved to an formed by Prince Konoe, retained unsurprised world the advantage be the worst features of the old Cabinet, ing taken by the fascist states of the namely, War Minister Sugiyama and chaotic nature of the opposition to Navy Minister Yonai, and brought them. back to Foreign Ministry the notori The early months of the year wit ous warmonger, Koki Hirota. nessed political confusion in Tokyo The stage was set for another China making it impossible for the militar incident-it occurred in the small ist-fascists to push forward on the con town of Lukouchiao a few miles tinent with the speed and on the scale southwest of Peiping, on July 7· Jap required to forestall the rapidly in anese troops, illegally maneuvering creasing internal strength of China. in the vicinity of Lukouchiao sent Members of the Japanese Diet a few soldiers into the town to search launched outspoken attacks on the for one of their men alleged to have military policy, and the power of the been lost. An incident was provoked proletarian parties showed startling and the entire pattern of invasion set gains. General Hayashi's cabinet, in motion. openly military in complexion and A month later, on August g, a Jap fascist in intention, failed to secure anese naval officer and his driver in the cooperation of important capital attempting to enter the Hungjao Air ist groups required to carry out an port outside Shanghai-where Jap- THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 829 anese milit~ry men had no business internal fighting primarily against to be-were shot in another inspired the Red Armies, but also in order to incident, thus spreading the present crush all other opposition to its for warfare to Central as well as North eign policy of capitulation. The pol China_ icy completely fails because: the Red Armies emerge victorious from their CONTRASTING POLICIES OF THE KUO long march, provincial rebellions con MINTANG AND THE COMMUNISTS. tinue in the face of ruthless suppres TOWARD JAPANESE INVASION FROM sion, Nanking's political base continu SEPTEMBER, 1931, TO THE SIAN ally narrows because of the unpopu INCIDENT, DECEMBER, 1936 larity of its policy towards Japan and The history of these five years and of its fascist-like trend at home, and three months was marked by two in the meantime a large section of the broad trends: on the one hand, under country is lost to Japan. the brilliant leadership of the Chinese I9JI: Nanking offers no resistance, Communist Party the great masses of except in the diplomatic field, to China and ever larger groups of lead Japan's invasion of Manchuria. Nan ers in all walks of life pressed with king is unable to secure any coopera increasing vigor and effectiveness for tion from provincial leaders whom it internal unity and national resistance has previously alienated by its high against Japanese invasion; on the handed policies. other hand, the Nanking government, I932: Nanking fails to support the under the dictatorship of Generalis~ famous Nineteenth Route Army in simo Chiang Kai-shek, under the the heroic defense of Shanghai; it former influence, moved from an at agrees to the Japanese-dictated demili titude of abject capitulation to the tarization of the Shanghai zone. Japanese advance to one of military I933: Nanking fails to support the peace with the Red Armies, greater defense of Chahar Province under political freedom throughout the taken by General Sung Cheh-yuan, country, and open diplomatic resis and under the direction of the treach tance to Japan. At present the two erous Foreign Minister, 'wang Ching broad trends have united in practical wei, agrees to the Tangku Truce_ cooperation on the line of resistance Nanking actively opposes the efforts consistently advocated by the liberal, of the "Resist-Japan-Save-China Al patriotic elements. On August 13 and lied Army" of Feng Yu-hsiang and 14 Nanking armies for the first time Fang Chen-wu to drive the Japanese , fought the Japanese invaders at invaders out of Chahar, and their ef Shanghai. forts consequently collapse. The series of events listed below I933: Nanking crushes the Nine and Nanking's attitude towards them teenth Route Army in Fukien which show the gradual defeat of those had concluded an agreement with the advocating a policy of non-resistance Red Army in order to press Nanking to the Japanese. to adopt a policy of resistance to I9JI-I9J6: Nanking continually Japan. spends the country's energies on I935: Nanking capitulates to Jap- THE COMMUNIST anese demands in North China and convinced that China could not de signs the Ho-Umetzu Agreement. The fend itself against the greatly superior Chinese signer, General Ho Yin-ching, technical advantages of the Japanese is later made Nanking's Minister of army. War! What brought about the change in /935: Nanking ruthlessly suppresses policy and attitude? The answer lies nationwide student demonstrations in in the new conception of the problem favor of the united front and national and in the convincing solution of it defense. consistently put forward under the zg36, june: In settling the Kwang leadership of the Communist Party. turig-Kwa~gsi revolt carried out to The Party pointed out that the de press Nanking to reform its foreign fense of China must be ·undertaken policy; the National government, for by the people as a whole in a. vast the first time, recognizing the unpopu national movement coordinated at, larity of its attitude, does not resort but not imposed from, the top. A to force, but instead accepts a com democratic movement rallied under promise with i.ts own people. the patriotic slogan of internal unity zg36, summer and fall: For the first and national defense was the only pos time Nanking flatly refuses Japan's sible way of achieving internal unity demands and lets it be known that it and effectively combatting an invad will fight to resist any further en ing army technically superior. croachments on China's sovereignty. What has been the cause of the suc zg36, December: Nanking again cessful piecemeal invasion of China? avoids using force in an internal dis The basic factor has been the linger pute to settle the Sian incident. Chi ing feudalism which has retarded the ang Kai-shek begins a series of per political unification of the land, thus sonal conversations with Communist laying open to foreign imperialist in leaders and agrees to a cessation of cursions and conquests, first by one Kuomintang military attacks on the power, then by another. Red Armies, pending united front ne The result of the course Nanking gotiations. Following this incident, was following would have been an in while Nanking continues to infringe definite prolongation of disunity while on civil liberties throughout the coun piece by piece the territory of China try, there is a marked liberalization was being sliced off by militarist of the strict censorship on newspapers, Japan. public discussion and political free Immediately after the Japanese in dom heretofore enforced. vasion of Manchuria in 1931, there Up to the last six months of 1936 it fore, the Chinese Communist Party had been evident that the pro-Japan launched the united front movement ese clique dominated Nanking poli by publicly announcing its intention cies, even though an increasing num to join with any and all groups in the ber of government officials were becom country in a People's Front against ing openly hostile to non-resistance, Japanese imperialism. Until the spring and it had been evident that Chiang of 1936 the Party retained an anti Kai-shek and his entourage had been Chiang Kai-shek slogan as well in THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 831 order to focus mass pressure on the sources for a struggle against Japan problem of resisting Japan through ese invasion. completely changing the Nanking pol r935: At the Seventh Congress of icy. But by that date the movement the Comintern, Wang Ming and other had grown to such dimensions and representatives of the Chinese Com had already had sucli effect in gov munist Party make emphatic appeals ernment circles that the pro-Japanese for a unified People's Front of all groups had become narrowed and iso groups and parties within China, lated. While these groups still main against Japanese imperialist aggres tained a strong influence in Nanking sion. it was possible to drop the anti"Chiang r935: On August 1, the Chinese So slogan and thus practically universal viet government and the Central Com ize the united front within China, ex mittee of the Communist Party of cluding only outright traitors. China issue joint m~nifestos to the The prominent steps in the devel Chinese people making a broad appeal opment of the united front position to resist further invasion and recover were these: lost territory and proposing the for rgJr: The Communist Party pro mation of a government of national poses the organization of a united defense and a united anti-Japanese front of all patriotic Chinese for a imperialist army. revolutionary war of liberation. r935: In December the great stu r932: Red elements in Shanghai dent demonstrations occur in Peiping actively assisted the Nineteenth Route · and elsewhere. Army in the defense of Shanghai. I935-36: During this winter numer r932: The Soviet government of ous articles and statements appear China declares war on Japan. elaborating the liberalization of the I9JF Soviet China declares itself program in the Soviet areas in the in ready to enter into agreements to fight terests of the united front and ex against Japanese invaders with any plaining in detail the united front other Chinese military group under policy and strategy. • three conditions: cessation of civil war, rg36: In the spring ·the Communist granting of democratic rights, and Party of China withdraws the anti arming of Chinese people for an anti Chiang Kai-shek slogan in the united Japanese war. This offer made in Jan front program and appeals for the uary is repeated in April. ousting solely of the pro-Japanese I933: The conclusion of a united clique. front agreement between Soviet China rg36: In June the Kwangtung and the Nineteenth Route Army. Kwangsi rebellion is launched to force r934: On August 2, Madame Sun Nanking t-o fight the Japanese ag Yat-sen and over 3,ooo other promi gressor. nent citizens issue a document entitled rg36: In August the Chinese Com The Basic Program of the Chinese munist Party sends a letter to the People in a War Against japan, call ing for the arming of the whole popu • See especially The Communist Interna tional, International Press Correspondence. lation and the mobilization of all re- and China Today, for that period. 1937. 1937. March, March, Today, Today, China China See See • • liquidation liquidation The The democracy. democracy. internal internal win win to to is is goal goal the the which which during during stage stage united united anti-Japanese anti-Japanese an an for for movement movement second second the the introduced introduced also also it it peace, peace, the the of of development development successful successful the the internal internal for for conditions conditions the the lishing lishing salvation; salvation; national national for for and and invasion invasion estab by by front front united united a a for for stage stage first first Japanese Japanese against against stand stand a a for for the the provinces provinces of of close close the the marked marked Sian Sian If If of of groups groups important important of of demand demand the the CRISIS CRISIS PRESENT PRESENT THE THE TO TO SIAN SIAN FROM FROM Kuomintang; Kuomintang; the the in in elements elements Left Left of of influence influence the the of of development development the the try; try; practice. practice. into into put put be be shall shall tion tion coun whole whole the the over over and and salva Province Province national national for for measures measures Other Other Suiyuan Suiyuan in in upsurge upsurge anti-Japanese anti-Japanese rialism. rialism. growing growing the the northwest; northwest; the the impe of of people people Japanese Japanese to to resistance resistance China's China's the the of of and and -cheng -cheng H u u H to to Yang Yang and and liang liang sympathetic sympathetic countries countries other other with with Hsueh Chang Chang under under troops troops of of established established surge surge be be shall shall Cooperation Cooperation up anti-Japanese anti-Japanese growing growing the the ences: ences: ures. ures. influ following following the the by by meas conditioned conditioned salvation salvation national national anti-Japanese anti-Japanese government,* government,* Soviet Soviet the the People's People's the the of of determine determine to to convoked convoked be be shall shall Chairman Chairman Tse-tung, Tse-tung, Mao Mao by by circles circles and and analysis analysis armies, armies, groups, groups, parties, parties, an an to to according according was, was, all all incident incident of of The The ism. ism. congress congress salvation salvation national national A A imperial Japanese Japanese against against resistance resistance aggression. aggression. Japanese Japanese fight fight to to Army Army of of policy policy a a adopt adopt to to Nanking Nanking Red Red suade suade Chinese Chinese the the with with made made be be ~hall ~hall per to to leaders leaders their their of of most most alliance alliance and and an an nese nese and and terminated terminated be be shall shall icy icy Chi the the of of masses masses the the of of pol effort effort the the of of "Communist-suppression" "Communist-suppression" The The climax climax the the represented represented It It Armies. Armies. Red Red guaranteed. guaranteed. be be shall shall people people the the and and the the Kuomintang Kuomintang of of the the rights rights between between civil civil ties ties the the and and leased leased hostili military military re of of be be shall shall cessation cessation formal formal prisoners prisoners the the political political all all and and marked marked it it for for front; front; united· united· prisoners prisoners internal internal salvation salvation Shanghai Shanghai The The an an of of formation formation the the in in stage stage elements. elements. first first the the Japanese-imperialist Japanese-imperialist of of culmination culmination the the anti represented represented the the of of Sian Sian inclusion inclusion the the and and clements clements pro-Japanese pro-Japanese the the armistice. armistice. of of tary tary elimination elimination the the mili a a to to agrees agrees Chiang Chiang which which with with during during reorganized, reorganized, be be shall shall government government and and unharmed, unharmed, National National Ka1-shek Ka1-shek the the and and Chiang Chiang turn turn Kuomintang Kuomintang The The re and and peacefully peacefully incident incident the the date date terms: terms: liqui to to six six Kuomintang Kuomintang the the following following of of the the section section fulfil fulfil to to promised promised revolting revolting the the persuading persuading definitely definitely by by Sian Sian at at intentions intentions Kai-shek Kai-shek Chiang Chiang their their of of sincerity sincerity the the demonstrate demonstrate forces. forces. nists nists liberal liberal Commu and and the the Left Left all all which which by by during during advocated advocated incident incident long long so so Sian Sian the the peace peace occurs occurs internal internal of of December December policy policy In In the the to to I936: I936: clique) clique) pro-Japanese pro-Japanese the the government. government. (excepting (excepting groups groups Chinese Chinese the the of of reactionary reactionary and and middle middle democratization democratization the the the the of of for for shifting shifting resolution resolution a a gradual gradual the the issues issues Party Party marked marked therefore, therefore, Communist Communist Sian, Sian, Chinese Chinese peace. peace. the the for for front front September September world world In In the the of of I936: I936: opment opment front. front. devel the the and and Army; Army; anti-Japanese-imperialist anti-Japanese-imperialist Red Red and and united united ment, ment, a a of of govern formation formation the the Soviet Soviet and and Cliinese Cliinese hostilities hostilities Party, Party, of of munist munist Com cessation cessation Chinese Chinese the the the the by by on on demanding demanding carried carried front front Kuomintang Kuomintang COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ~33 of the Sian incident was followed on change, the Kuomintang began to correct February 1·5, 1937, by the Third Plen its erroneous policies of the past ten years dictatorship and non-resistance. From these ary Session of the Kuomintang Execu past policies the Kuomintang is turning tive Committee. On February 10, the toward peace, democracy and resistance and members of the committee had re is beginning to accept the policy of the ceived from the Chinese Communist anti-Japanese national united front de Party, on condition that the Kuomin manded urgently by us and by the people tang would support the promises made of the whole country, as was also noted in its Third Plenary Se:;sion. The problem by Chiang Kai-shek at Sian, a pledge hereafter remains: whether or not the Ku to carry out the following terms: omintang will make a thorough change. The Stop organizing armed uprisings for achievement of our goal, therefore, requires the . overthrow of the Nanking gov a bigger and bigger development of the anti ernment. Japanese and democratic movements by us and by the people of the whole country. Change the Soviet government to The Kuomintang must be further criticized, the government of the Special Region encouraged and promoted. Its elements who of the Republic of China and the Red are for peace, democracy and resistance must Army into the National Revolution be consolidated, its vacillating and hesitating ary Army under the direct leadership elements must be led toward courage and firmness and its pro-Japanese elements must of the Central government and the be repulsed. Military Affairs Commission in Nan "The present stage, from the Third king. Plenary Session to the realization of war of Enforce a thorough democratic sys resistance of a national scope against Japan, tem of universal suffrage in the regions is the second stage of the new era of the Chinese revolution. Both the first and sec under the government of the Special ond stages are transitory periods to carry Region. China over to such a war of resistance. If Cease expropriating the property of the main task of the first stage meant the landlords, and execute persistently the acquisition of the first prerequisite for the common program of the anti-Japanese establishment of the anti-Japanese national united front, then the winning of democracy united front. in the second stage will mean the acquisition The reply of the Kuomintang, is of the second prerequisite for the same pur sued in the form of resolutions, was pose. The building of a real and strong evasive, but nonetheless left the way anti-Japanese united front for the general open for united front negotiations. goal of anti-Japanism and national salvation will be impossible without both internal In a recent statement (China Today, peace and democracy. So to win democracy August, 1937) Mao Tse-tung analyzes is one of the central purposes of the revolu the Kuomintang position and points tionary task at the present developing stage. out the cardinal importance of now We cannot build a strong and real anti concentrating on winning democracy: Japanese national united front, bring about a war of resistance national in scope against "The Third Plenary Session of the Ku Japan and carry it through to complete suc omintang, owing to its inclusion of pro cess so as to defend China and to recover Japanese and vacillating elements, did not the lost territory if, failing to see the im make a clear-cut and thorough change of portance of the task of establishing democ Kuomintang policy and failed to solve the racy, we strive less energetically to win various problems concretely. Yet on account democracy. of the mass pressure and its own internal "Under the slogan, 'For a Democratic Re- THE COMMUNIST public', China should immediately begin sistently leads the nation in a war of with the following democratic reforms on resistance it will receive no internal two fronts. On the one hand the aristocratic opposition. No group can take advan dictatorship of one party and one class should be displaced by a democratic form of tage of the situation for its own government representing the cooperation of aggrandizement. The nation is becom all parties and classes. The Election and ing more united in its opposition to Organization Laws of the People's Congress the militarist invaders. The people are that are contrary to democratic practices ready to respond to decisive leader must be displaced by real democratic elec tion. The free assembly of the Congress must ship in defense of their land and be guaranteed~ Then a real democratic con freedom. stitution must be worked out, a real demo cratic congress convoked, and a real demo POLICIES OF THE FOREIGN POWERS cratic government elected to carry out real In the present Sino-Japanese war democratic policies. In this alone can internal peace be consolidated, internal opposition it is necessary to distinguish among removed and internal unification strength the · foreign imperialist countries. ened to facilitate preparation by a united While it is true that historically all na~ion for resisting the external aggressors." imperialist countries have exploited NANKING AND THE PRESENT CRISIS China, the policies of some may now assist China against the policy of On July 19 Chiang Kai-shek an others. In isolating Japan as the pres nounced four points on which he said ent imperialist enemy of China, the China would take a clear stand: leaders of the united front movement Any settlement must not infringe on have not overlooked the fact that China's territorial integrity or sover Japan is actively aided by Nazi Ger eign rights. many and only in lesser degree by The status of the Hopei-Chahar Po fascist Italy. Those three fascist pow litical Council having been fixed by ers stand together and under their the Central government, illegal alter present governments must be counted ation would be intolerable. as unalterably hostile to China's China would not agree to removal national salvation. by outside pressure of the local offi The other imperialist powers, how cials appointed by the Central govern ever-Great Britain and the Domin ment, such as the chairman of the ions, the United States, and France Hopei-Chahar Political Council. are at the present stage more hostile China would not allow any restric to Japanese ambitions than they are tions to be placed on the positions opposed to seeing the development of now held by' the Twenty-ninth Army a strong, united, and democratic outside Peiping. China. If China successfully turns back As a result of the successful carry the Japanese invasion these powers ing out of the first stages of the united have much to gain or much to retain, anti-Japanese front China's response as the case may be, in the Chinese to the present crisis has been alto market; if China falls further under gether different from her response to Japanese domination these powers are the invasion of Manchuria in 1931. not only permanently expelled but It is now certain that if Nanking con- also risk the loss of their own colonies THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 835 and of other markets and sources of scales in China's favor. It is vitally raw materials in Asia and the Pacific important to note, therefore, that as area. the British position is in the balance Of these democratic imperialist strong and persistent pressure can powers Great Britain is the most un throw it on the anti-Japanese side. certain. Traditionally an ally of Much of this pressure must and will Japan, Great Britain is alert, however, come from liberal groups within the to Japan's increasing encroachments British Empire. Some can also come on Chinese sovereignty. As the Open from this country. The policy, there Door is shut and locked wherever fore, that the United States takes will Japan advances, it is logical to sup tend to be crucial. pose that Great Britain could see American policy in the Far East was Japan along with Germany and Italy originally formulated at a time when as her immediate competitor. The other imperialist powers had already completion of .the Singapore Naval established themselves there. It was de Base, the rapid strengthening of the signed to combat their position, not in Hongkong fortifications, the effective order to preserve China from exploita activities of British financial agents tion, but solely in order to give Wall in China, and the outspoken support Street an equal opportunity to exploit given by the British to Nanking's China along with Great Britain, tsar efforts at reconstruction and unifica ist Russia, Germany and France, and, tion support this logic. later, Japan. Our famous Open Door Nevertheless, the alternatives open policy contained no touch of altruism; to a British Tory government have it was as thoroughly imperialistic as been well, if tragically, illustrated by was the policy of any of the other its policy toward the Spanish situa powers. The Open Door formula has tion. One of the alternatives, which since remained the keystone of the must be considered in the present Far United States Far Eastern policy, for Eastern War, is t.l;lat Great Britain it was foul(ld to be sufficiently general will take no clear stand, with the re to cover all the eventualities of im sult, as in Spain, of heavily favoring perialist exploitation'. It consisted of the aggressor. The affectionate passes three mutually supplementary parts: which Mr. Chamberlain. has recently equal trading opportunity for the na been making toward Hitler and Mus tionals of all countries in China; the soHni, and the widespread misinter most-favored-nation clause, whereby pretation which has been given in any imperialist advantage gained by England to developments in the Soviet one of the contestants immediately Union make it clear that Great Brit accrued to all; and preservation of ain is not a factor to be strongly the territorial and administrative in counted on in the'Sino-Japanese war. tegrity of the Chinese nation. Great Britain, nevertheless, is a The objective situation in which factor of importance in that situation, this policy has operated has so com for, as has been remarked earlier, it pletely changed in recent years that may,. along with the other democratic the Open Door policy is now a posi capitalist powers tip the Far Eastern tive factor on the anti-war, anti- THE COMMUNIST imperialist front. The rapid ascend How can this be explained? The ancy of Japan during the last twenty explanation lies in the State Depart five years has completely altered the ment's erroneous interpretation of the scene for which the Open Door policy Japanese situation, an interpretation was originally drafted, with the result which has been basic to America's that its strict application today would recent feeble policy. Japan, accord operate unequivocally in favor of Chi ing to the United States Department, is nese resistance to the Japanese inva tom asunder between a wicked mili sion. tary group that wants to grab China The ascendancy of Japan is not the by force and an upright civilian group only change in the Far Eastern scene; that wants simply to exploit China a more important long-term change is commercially. The civilian group is the emergence of a modern Chinese not the Social Mass Party, or the other nation, rapidly becoming capable of peasants' and workers' , organizations taking care of its own defense, arid that want cessation of all imperialism. under the influence of powerful liber The period from December 1931, alizing groups within the country. when Secretary Stimson clearly saw Indeed, the American bourgeoisie can the fallacy of counting on Japanese not forget that no other development industrialists (as he frankly admits in would so favorably affect its trading his book The Far Eastern Crisis), until and investment interests in Asia as November 1932, when his government the establishment of a powerful Chi was repudiated at the polls, marked nese nation. an exception to this policy. During The Nine-Power Treaty of 19u rep this exceptional period the United resents the historic eml:iodiment of States invoked the treaties which the Open Door policy, for it explicitly Japan had violated, seriously consid binds the signatories to respect· Chi ered economic boycotts, and probably nese sovereignty and provides for would have moved to them, had not mutual consultation whenever one of London double-crossed Washington. them infringes upon Chinese rights. The American State Department for The Treaty was supported by two mulated the censorious Non-Recogni other pacts at the time, one providing tion Doctrine. Stimson's successors, in for naval limitation to prevent ag handling United States relations with gressive acts and the other providing the Far East, reverted to the earlier for the non-fortification of Pacific policy. Thus, the United States gov Islands. Three years later the Kellogg ernment fails to use these pacts in the Briand anti-war pact further strength interests of the peace purposes it so ened the peace front. repeatedly avows. Since 1931 Japan has directly and The Roosevelt administration faith repeatedly violated both the Nine fully inherited one of the worst fea :!_lower Treaty and the Kellogg pact. tures of the Stimson period, namely, It is significant that the United States the collapse of British-American co has only once invoked them since operation. The basic importance of 1931, and that was in the winter of confronting the Japanese militarists the first year of fighting. with a common policy of the two THE SINO-JAPANESE WAR AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE 837 countries, remains unrecognized. As a which must be advance4 by the result, the United States fails to co American people. operate with the British Left forces All supporters of peace must de in order to force the Tory cabinet mand the immediate invocation of in the correct direction, or make this the Nine-Power Treaty and the imple question another factor in its over menting of the Kellogg-Briand Anti throw. War Pact. The Soviet Union has been the one The American people must demand consistent factor for peace in the Far the repeal of the false neutrality law East. By announcing with no uncer so that it will not operate in favor of tainty its determination to resist Japanese aggression and against Chi aggression, by fortifying and industri nese resistence, and so as to· stop its alizing its Far Eastern sector and man operation against Spanish democracy. ning it with a perfectly disciplined We Communists must be especially army, by entering into a pact of mu active in building a vast, mass move tual assistance with the Outer Mon ment involving millions of American golian People's Republic, and by la people against Japanese aggression and for Chinese salvation. Toward boring on every occasion to build the this end we must support intensively anti-war front among the democratic the campaigns of the American countries, the Soviet Union has been Friends of the Chinese People, and the cornerstone of world pressure help to build up the broadest cam against Japanese fascism. paigns on the part of the American The peace forces of the United LeagtJ;e Against War and Fascism. States and of Great Britain must make "the circulation of China Today, and demands on their governments to co of Fight should be pushed into new operate with the peace policy of the and broader circles. . Soviet Union. The ground must be laid for the Collective action by Great Britain, organization of extensive technical r and medical assistance for the Chinese the United States, France, China, and people. ·. the Soviet Union for peace and se We must, throughout our work of curity in the Pacific, for frustrating assisting the Chinese people and curb Japanese militarist-fascist aggression ing the Japanese fascists, benefit by and for the support of the Chinese our experience in aid of Spanish people, is one of the first demands democracy. SCOTTSBORO IN THE LIGHT OF BUILDING THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT BY JAMES W. FORD and ANNA DAMON FTER six and a half years of hard nationalities, of all religions, of A struggle, f<:>ur of the nine Scotts every political viewpoint; people of boro boys have been set free. all classes-writers, lawyers, doctors, This victory-and it is a distinct artists, workers, trade union leaders, victory, although it is partial-must men and women of every walk of serve as a lever to pry loose the five life-took part universally in this remaining boys. At the series of trials, struggle to free the Scottsboro boys. that ended on July 24 when Roy "The Scottsboro Boys Shall Not Wright, Olen Montgomery, Willie Die!" "The Scottsboro Boys Must Roberson, and Eugene Williams were Go Free!" "Help Save the Scotts set free, the state of Alabama meted boro Boys!" These slogans have been out the following sentences to the written and read, spoken and sung, remaining five boys: Clarence Norris carried through the streets, painted was sentenced to die in the electric on walls in almost every language chair. Andy Wright was sentenced to known to man. It has been one of 99 years in the penitentiary. Hay the most profound expressions of the wood Patterson was given 75 years. better human conscience against in Charlie Weems received a 7 5 years' justice and persecution. sentence. Why has the Scottsboro case And Ozzie Powell, who was shot aroused such wide social interest? in the head by a drunken deputy Because the destiny of a people is sheriff on the high road between involved. Scottsboro symbolizes a Decatur and Birmingham, Alabama, colossal struggle of the Negro peo following the last trial, January 24, ple, their friends and their allies. 1936, was suddenly, on July 24, Scottsboro has smashed the "rape" 1937, found not guilty of rape, but ·libel of the ruling class against the sentenced to twenty years in the peni Negro people. tentiary for "assaulting" the deputy The Scottsboro case has established sheriff. a sharp dividing line between That is how the Scottsboro case two camps; those who would per stands now. During six and a half petuate the degradation of the Negro years the Scottsboro case attracted people and keep up endless exploi worldwide attention. Millions of peo tation and oppression, and those who ple in every part of the world, of all are organizing to end this oppression SCOTTSBORO AND THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT 839 and establish equality and freedom historic mission of the Ku Klux Klan, for the Negro people. Rival forces that is, to help maintain the dog-eat justice against inhumanity, liberty dog economic basis in the South. The and democracy against enslavement Governor, most of the judges, and and reaction-fight for mastery in the the courts in Alabama design not only Scottsboro case. The Scottsboro case to terrorize the Negro people, but held the attention of the Negro peo to sow hate and distrust between poor ple because it awakened in them a whites and the blacks so that exploi fundamental understanding of dis-. tation may continue. crimination, segregation, denial of Alabama reactionaries posed as de civil rights and liberties, lynching, fenders of "white womanhood." They general exploitation and terror. raved about saving the South from The Scottsboro frame-up was de Bolshevism, and against "Jew money signed by the reactionary section of from New York." They did every· the officialdom of the state of Ala thing possible to stir into a conflagra bama as a signal for an intense ter tion sectionalism and the basest racial ror campaign to frighten the Negro passions. The staging of the Scotts people. Every act of the prosecution boro case was aimed to throttle the in the case gave that signal. Each emerging organization of Southern move was aimed to develop psycho labor; especially since the pro logical intimidation. It was the in tests and the organization of black tent of the reactionary Alabama and white labor were rising against officials in the mass murder of nine economic slavery and feudalistic rem Negro youths to stifle the spirit of nants. This trial was to serve as a struggle of the Negro people, to mor springboard to attack trade unions tify their dignity and crush every and all other forms of organization noble, honest and forward-looking as of black and white labor. But the piration they might have. reactionaries reckoned without con The first txial in the little town of sidering things that would prove Scottsboro, Alabama, was held in the their undoing. midst of a raving mob atmosphere, They failed to reckon with the deliberately planned and executed. strength and indignation of the mass A band played "There'll be a hot movement that would arise among time in the old town tonight" as an the people who stand for justice and accompaniment to the death verdicts civil liberties in the United States and the jury brought against one after an particularly the progressive forces in other of the boys. the State of Alabama. They ignored The incitements in the Scottsboro the maturing political consciousness case were clearly for the purpose of among the Negro people and their developing a monstrous pschological determination to struggle for their setting to overawe the Negro people, rights. They had not foreseen that to "keep them in their place." the Communist Party would arouse a But, moreover, Alabama jurispru mighty movement to free the Scotts· dence, which was dominated by the boro boys. reactionaries, took upon itself the Whence come the power and boy. boy. ninth ninth the the of of case case the the in in trial trial of of representatives representatives in in drawing drawing front, front, mis a a was was There There jury. jury. Alabama Alabama an an united united the the of of tactic tactic the the applying applying t~ t~ on on serve serve permitted permitted been been man man ing ing committees committees of of organization organization The The 3· 3· liv of of memory memory the the in in ever ever had had groes groes of of paigns paigns prote~t. prote~t. Ne no no as as served, served, Negroes Negroes no no which which cam national national of of conduct conduct The The 2. 2. on on jury, jury, petit petit a a before before tried tried jury, jury, protest. protest. of of campaigns campaigns grand grand a a by by indicted indicted were were They They sel. sel. international international of of conduct conduct The The 1. 1. coun proper proper permitted permitted not not were were boys boys lows: lows: The The down. down. handed handed were were sentences sentences fol as as summarized summarized be be may may struggle struggle death death successive successive Eight Eight trials. trials. lynch lynch of of forms forms these these main main the the In In world. world. through through railroaded railroaded and and train, train, freight freight the the of of parts parts all all in in work work practical practical a a on on girls girls white white two two of of rape rape with with in in effective effective proved proved had had that that forms forms charged charged were were They They Alabama. Alabama. Rock, Rock, those those evolved evolved we we beginning, beginning, very very Paint Paint in in arrested arrested were were boys boys boro boro the the from from policy policy this this to to Adhering Adhering cess. cess. Scotts nine nine the the 1931, 1931, 25, 25, March March On On suc bring bring could could millions millions by by ported ported sup slogans slogans only only basis, basis, mass mass a a on on ISSUES ISSUES AND AND FACTS FACTS THE THE struggle struggle only only that that realized realized fully fully We We others. others. all all from from activities activities our our guished guished ties. ties. activi and and work work distin that that day-to-day day-to-day this this of of is is part part a a leadership. leadership. and and It It been been have have but but unity unity happens," happens," international international "something "something required required forces forces when when just just to to Our Our resorted resorted case. case. been been not not Scottsboro Scottsboro have have the the to to periences periences Defence Defence ex Labor Labor and and methods methods International International our our the the applied applied We We and and Party Party Communist Communist the the both both of of gle gle fascism. fascism. strug of of forms forms and and reaction reaction fundamental fundamental against against These These unite unite to to is is it it est est inter whose whose in in those those all all and and lectuals lectuals masses. masses. wider wider and and wider wider win win to to intel order order working working in in people, people, Defence Defence business business small small Labor Labor International International the the by by rendered rendered farmers, farmers, workers, workers, of of millions millions volving volving work work the the of of popularization popularization The The g. g. in in in consists consists method method The The cliques. cliques. reactionary reactionary ruling ruling powerful powerful by by out out etc. etc. artists, artists, writers, writers, scientists, scientists, of of enlistment enlistment The The 8. 8. carried carried are are persecution persecution of of forms forms est est terror. terror. of of system system whole whole the the of of rank the the where where countries countries in in Brazil, Brazil, large large at at public public the the to to exposure exposure the the Hungary, Hungary, Poland, Poland, Ita]y, Ita]y, Germany, Germany, and and facts, facts, of of publication publication The The 7. 7. Japan, Japan, China, China, in in successful successful proved proved have have that that class, class, working working ized. ized. ternational ternational victim the the of of freedom freedom the the manding manding in the the of of experiences experiences the the of of out out up up de people, people, of of thousands thousands by by signed signed grown grown have have that that forms forms and and methods methods petitions, petitions, of of circulation circulation The The 6. 6. oppression, oppression, national national and and reaction, reaction, prisoners. prisoners. the the of of tions tions against against fight fight the the in in Party Party munist munist condi the the investigate investigate to to and and protest protest Com the the by by followed followed struggle struggle of of ods ods to to delegations delegations of of sending sending The The 5· 5· meth the the of of speak speak to to has has here here One One demonstrations. demonstrations. and and parades parades ferences, ferences, STRUGGLE STRUGGLE OF OF METHODS METHODS con mass mass of of organization organization The The 4· 4· etc.) etc.) people, people, Negro Negro of of organizations organizations prisoners? prisoners? political political organizations, organizations, cultural cultural unions, unions, (trade (trade of of defense defense in in tactics tactics and and methods methods toilers toilers the the of of organizatiom organizatiom various various its its Party, Party, Communist Communist the the of of ~trength ~trength COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE SCOTTSBORO AND THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT 841 On April 1, 1931, the International case, retaining Walter Pollack, noted Labor Defense stepped into the case. constitutional attorney, to make the Combining its two-fisted tactics of the argument, reversed the death sen best court defense with the best mass tences on the ground that the Scotts defense, it challenged the whole boro boys had been deprived of Bourbon South over these convictions. proper counsel in their trial. The Communist Party developed the New trials followed, this time in campaign nationwide, and beyond the Decatur, Ala., following a change of borders of the country, supporting venue from Scottsboro secured by the the fight for the freedom of the boys, LL.D. Ruby Bates, one of the white for vindication and defense .of the girls whom the boys were charged whole Negro people. with having violated, dramatically Joseph Brodsky, chief International appeared in the middle of the trial. Labor Defense counsel, went to Scotts She repudiated all charges, and told boro to demand retrial of the boys. a damning story of having been This was denied. Appeals were taken forced to testify to a lie in the first to the State Supreme Court. trial. From her experiences she The Alabama State Supreme Court learned of the trickery and de upheld the verdict against seven ception used by the white ruling boys, remanded the other two to the class to divide and exploit both the custody of the Probate (juvenile) Negro and white working people. She Court. saw these Bourbons ready not only The roar of protest rose, and ex to sanction but to organize the mass tended around the world. Tours were murder of innocent boys in order to organized for the Scottsboro mothers. further their selfish interests. Her ex One of them, Mrs. Ada Wright, toured periences have made a working class not only the United States, but, in fighter out of Ruby Bates. company with the late J. Louis Eng Under the direction of the Inter dahl, chairman of the International national Labor Defense, Samuel S. Labor Defense and veteran Commu Liebowitz, chief defense counsel, nist Party leaders, toured through raised the issue of the exclusion of twenty-six European countries. Mil Negroes from Alabama juries, proved lions the world over participated in that they were systematically and il the struggle. In Chemnitz, Germany, legally excluded, in violation of the police fired upon a demonstration United States Constitution. called by the Communist Party and Haywood Patterson and Clarence the I.L.D. of that country, resulting Norris were again condemned to in the death of a Communist. A mar death in a lynch atmosphere created tyr to the Scottsboro cause, Engdahl by the now deceased Attorney-General collapsed from the strain of the tour, Thomas E. Knight of Alabama, who contracted pneumonia, died in a Mos took personal charge of the prosecu cow hospital on November 21, 1932. tion. The campaign mounted to new On November 7 of that year the heights of protest, under the leader United States Supreme Court, to ship of the Communist Party and which the I.L.D. had appealed the the International Labor Defense. On Roy Roy Williams, Williams, January, January, Eugene Eugene in in boys, boys, opened opened Four Four trial trial fourth fourth The The boys. boys. nine nine country. country. the the the the of of throughout throughout one one every every by by raped raped was was she she that that stand stand people, people, of of millions millions ganizations, ganizations, witness witness the the on on sworn sworn times times eighteen eighteen or of of thousands thousands of of support support the the has has had had who who Price, Price, Victory Victory of of perjury perjury the the and and Service, Service, Social Social for for Federation Federation dist dist on on entirely entirely depended depended It It same. same. the the Metho the the and and Democracy, Democracy, Industrial Industrial precisely precisely was was case case every every in in evidence evidence for for League League the the Defense, Defense, Labor Labor tional tional the the since since Interna sentenced, sentenced, the the been been had had who who (Episcopal), (Episcopal), Democracy Democracy four four the the against against Industrial Industrial for for prosecution prosecution League League false false Church Church the the murderous murderous of of itself itself Union, Union, indicted indicted Liberties Liberties Civil Civil Alabama Alabama American American the the of of State State the the so, so, doing doing In In doubtful. doubtful. People, People, Colored Colored of of Advancement Advancement the the was was them them for for against against evidence evidence Association Association the the that that National National the the cludes cludes explaining explaining boys, boys, Scottsboro Scottsboro the the of of in It It formed. formed. then then was was which which tee, tee, five five against against charges charges Commit rape rape Defense Defense the the missed missed Scottsboro Scottsboro united united dis state state the the move, move, sudden sudden a a In In a a of of formation formation the the initiated initiated basis, basis, again. again. trials trials front front the the united united through through a a on on grind grind to to defense defense the the ing ing began began Callahan Callahan extend counsel. counsel. and and defense defense broadening broadening chief chief of of policy policy its its was was Liebowitz Liebowitz out out Lawson. Lawson. following following Tom Tom Defense, Defense, Solicitor Solicitor Labor Labor tional tional Interna the the 1935, 1935, Assistant Assistant by by December, December, In In prosecutor prosecutor as as replaced replaced was was before, before, months months few few a a decision. decision. died died this this by by had had time time first first the the who who Knight, Knight, for for more. more. once once established established was was Decatur Decatur in in juries juries Southern Southern opened opened trials trials the the 1937, 1937, 12, 12, July July On On on on serve serve to to right right whose whose people, people, Negro Negro the the by by and and for for life. life. won won victory victory for for him him major major crippled crippled a a and and and and again, again, paralyzed paralyzed has has saved saved been been had had boys boys Scottsboro Scottsboro the the of of which which lives lives head, head, The The Powell's Powell's jury. jury. in in bullet bullet a a put put deliberately deliberately the the and and out, out, from from got got car, car, Negroes Negroes of of the the in in exclusion exclusion illegal illegal was was who who of of County, County, grounds grounds Morgan Morgan the the of of on on time time Sandlin Sandlin this this sentence, sentence, Sheriff Sheriff knife. knife. the the small small a a _reversed _reversed with with Court Court throat throat Supreme Supreme States States deputy's deputy's the the United United scratching scratching the the on, on, back, back, rolling rolling struck struck and and mounting mounting campaign campaign the the with with Powell Powell time, time, second second self-defense self-defense A A in in until until boys, boys, the the of of one one Powell, Powell, Ozzie Ozzie case. case. taunted taunted the the and and appealed appealed fense fense beat beat sheriff sheriff De deputy deputy a a Labor' Labor' Birmingham, Birmingham, in in International International the the again again prison prison to to And And Decatur Decatur death. death. from from to to back back taken taken condemned condemned were were ris ris being being were were boys boys Nor the the and and as as day, day, Patterson Patterson Next Next again again Once Once trials. trials. journed. journed. new new the the in in him him succeeded succeeded Klansman, Klansman, ad hastily hastily were were Klux Klux trials trials Ku Ku other other Callahan, Callahan, The The Washington Washington William William Judge Judge sentences. sentences. elections. elections. death death next next of of the the series series the the in in break break in in defeated defeated was was a a who who forced forced had had Horton, Horton, Judge Judge campaign campaign front front united united The The prison. prison. in in against against years years 7 5 5 7 pressure pressure to to put put tenced tenced state state the the ment, ment, move protest protest the the by by expressed expressed tice tice sen was was and and convicted, convicted, was was Patterson. Patterson. jus of of dictates dictates the the to to yielding yielding pre-arrangement. pre-arrangement. For For by by evidence evidence defense defense defendants." defendants." the the of of vital vital all all favor favor in in excluding excluding greatly greatly Patterson, Patterson, wood wood preponderates preponderates Hay of of evidence evidence trial trial "the "the the the that that through through sped sped bama, bama, ground ground the the on on verdicts verdicts the the aside aside set set Ala of of Lieutenant-Governor Lieutenant-Governor now now Horton Horton E. E. Judge Judge by by trial trial Knight, Knight, 1933, 1933, and and 22, 22, June June Callahan Callahan Judge Judge 1936. 1936. COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE SCOTTSBORO AND THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT 843 Wright, Olen Montgomery and Wil victory of the united front we have lie Roberson were freed, under con experienced has been the freeing of dition of exile from the State of Angelo Herndon. Except for the Alabama. Scottsboro and Mooney-Billings cases, The first partial victory in the broader forces, involving literally Scottsboro case was won. millions of people in specific united The basis was laid in this victory, action, through their organizations for the greatest campaign of all in and individually, were brought or the history of the Scottsboro case, ganically into this united front than which can free the other five boys, on any other issue with which we make the victory complete. have been faced. It was this campaign, brought LESSONS OF DEFENSE UNITED FRONT about by unity, which forced the ACTIONS United States Supreme Court to free The Scottsboro· case contains the Angelo Herndon, and nullify the most definite lessons of our united Georgia slave insurrection law under front experience in defense work, and whic~ he had been sentenced to of the role of the International Labor eighteen to twenty years on the Defense in the development of the Georgia chain-gang. The national People's Front. The partial victory tour of the chain-gang cage organized in the Scottsboro case is proof of the by the I.L.D.; the circulation: of the correctness of our united front policy. Herndon petitions, which were signed The concrete and positive lessons in by two-million people, through' the united front in defense go back to the agency of scores and hundreds of the San Francisco general strike in 1934. most diverse organizations, involving At that time the International Labor the Socialist Party in united action Defense for the first time successfully with the Communist Party, the Young initiated a united front of the most People's Socialist League with the varied elements in the fight against Young Communist League, the Amer vigilantes. A united committee, includ ican Federation of Labor, the Na- · ing the American Civil Liberties tiona! Negro Congress; the National Union and Socialist organizations, was Association for the Advancement of formed on the initiative of the I.L.D., Colored People, all unemployed or as ·a national center for the fight ganizations, church groups and or against the vigilante terror which ganizations, the Y.W.C.A., the mon was unleashed against the strikers. ster mass meeting, held for Hernd~n This was the first step in the series in every part of the country; the for of developments which have reached mation of local Herndon committees their greatest heights so far in the on a scale even broader than the Na Scottsboro fight. For the first time tional Committee to Aid the Hern the most diver~ified elements, some of don Defense-are highlights in the them representing fundamental di Herndon campaign which illustrate vergences in political viewpoints, were in the most graphic, dramatic manner united on a specific defense issue. the power of the united front. The most outstanding complete The Mooney-Billings case is an- THE COMMUNIST other outstanding example of the gether through the initiative and ac unifying character · of defense issues. tion of the I.L.D., and to them are In this case the I.L.D. has acted as linked organizationally the allies of a basic moving force in developing the working class among the liberal the campaign which has joined the and progressive middle class groups. A. F. of L. and C.I.O. forces, together There are many other examples, il with liberals and professionals in lustrating the united front lessons in struggle. . In the recent struggle varying forms. Outstanding among against the mistreatment of Tom these are the trade-union defense · Mooney in San Quentin prison, committees, such as the King-Ram the I.L.D. was one of the main agen say-Conner Committee and the Mo cies through which a nation-wide desto Committee in California, in the campaign was organized which forced formation and work of which the the prison authorities to change their I.L.D. played an important role. tactics, although they had already In the Scottsboro campaign we mistreated him to the point where his have an outstanding example of the life was in danger_ As this is written, effectiveness of united action in win the I.L.D. is again, in dose coopera ning victory. The united Scottsboro tion with the Mooney Molders' De Defense Committee undertook re fense Committee, organizing a new sponsibilty for the joint work of campaign to force action by the Gov conducting the defense. The organ ernor and the State Supreme Court izations supporting this committee, of California for Mooney's freedom. although with varying degrees of The recent visit of Vito Marcantonio, energy and initiative and at times president of the I.L.D., to California, with hesitations or reservations on on invitation of the Mooney Com concrete measures, brought much mittee, did much to crystalize and wider circles into concerted effort unify the fight for Mooney in that which has resulted so far in the free state. dom of four of the boys. The Sacramento and criminal syn This united action continued, de dicalism campaigns, the de J onge, veloped and extended with renewed Butash, and Simpson cases, are out vigor, is necessary for the winning of standing examples of the power of the freedom for all the remaining the I.L.D. as an independent organ boys. The National Association for ization for initiation and develop the Advancement of Colored People ment of the united front, of the cor branches throughout the country, rectness of its two-fisted policy of many of which were already involved mass defense combined with legal de in the campaign, were moved in fense, and of our correct united front larger numbers by the establishment policy. of the united committee. Socialists, Other exa~ples can be found in liberals, civil liberties groups, trade the united front in New Jersey against unions, fraternal organizati<;ms, church injunctions, in Philadelphia against and religious organizations, and many vigilantism, where A. F. of L. and others within and without the sphere C.I.O. union leaders are joined to- of influence of the organizations in SCOTTSBORO AND THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT 845 the Scottsboro Defense Committee This has been true especially in re were brought into action through the gard to defense issues, where fre establishment of the united front. quently we have failed properly to Through all these and other united support the I.L.D. and to give it the front actions, the I.L.D. has estab necessary political and organizational lished closer links with the trade assistance for the development of the union movement and with the organ united front on specific issues. In his izations of Negro people, with the report to the recent plenary meeting liberal groups and movement. The of the Central Committee, Comrade working relationship with the Na Browder pointed out the important tional Association for Advancement role of the I.L.D. in building the Peo• of Colored People, established in the pie's Front. Comrade Browder said: Scottsboro case, is an outstanding ex "Among the manifold organized expres ample, and it has been the N.A.A. sions of the growing moves toward unity, the C.P. and its speakers who in many International Labor Defense is coming f~r cases have put forward before the ward more and more to an important role.""' masses the key role of the I.L.D. in There must be no hesitancy on the the Scottsboro case. part of our comrades in the further The most important lessons to be ing and development of this role.. learned from our united front experi Experience has shown us that ences in defense are the necessity for around defense issues we can weld to alertness and vigor in conducting this gether unity of all progressive forces. work, the need for patient, untiring effort to win to united action on spe THE CHANGING SOUTH cific issues the broadest elements of The partial victories stand before the people, no matter how sharply us. The results represent marked they may differ from us on other achievements for the Negro people. questions, and the importance of a The Supreme Court was forced to conviction of the correctness of our affimi. the right of Negroes to sit on united front policies. These policies juries although this is still denied in have been proven in action. The vic practice and can only be realized by tories of united action in the Scotts the united struggle of progressive boro and other cases have not been forces. We think nobody can deny accomplished overnight, nor was the that there is a breaking down of the work easy. Jim-Crow lynch spirit, that among A weakness in application of our the masses there is growing tolerance policies which has been evident in on the Negro question, that among many instances and on many issues large sections of whites the persecu has been an underestimation of the tion of the Negro people as exempli possibilities for extending and broad fied in the Scottsboro case has awak ening the united front, an.d a certain ened strong humanitarian ideals and lack of faith in the ability of an or a feeling that the suffering and priva- ganization such as the International Labor Defense to initiate and carry "' Earl Browder, The Communists in the People's Front, p. 55· Workers Library Pub through the united front program. lishers, New York. 10 cents. THE COMMUNIST tion of the colored people is a blot on Scottsboro boys, the Birmingham Age their conscience. Moreover, they are Herald said, on July 26: beginning to see the Negro people as "The statement asserts that the prosecu a noble and great people. tion is convinced of the guilt of the four Th~ Communist Party is proud of Negroes who have been tried again and the leading part it has played in these convicted, but in the view of the Age Hemld the doubt of the guilt of those who achievements. Credit is due to those have been convicted will be greatly increased forces that have responded to an un by the action of last Saturday, despite this derstanding of the issues involved statement of the prosecution and without and united to fight for victory. questioning the good faith of those who Few have understood the contri issued it . . . that admission will inevitably deepen the opinion of many fair-minded bution and the change that came citizens that the possibility has been more over large sections of the South and than 'mistaken identity' in the cases of those particularly in Alabama. The best who have been convicted." opinion of Alabama and of all of the This the admission will certainly South was not represented in the per do. The courts of Alabama stand con secution of the reactionaries. We must victed by their own statement of hav give credit to a change in attitude of ing tried to execute five Negro boys an influential and large section of on a false charge. Why are not the Southern opinion-workers, farmers others innocent, who were convicted and intellectuals, who finally saw on the very same perjured testimony? through this shameful frame-up, and This must be asked of Alabama jus out of decency and honesty brought tice! This question must ring pressure to bear on the state and the throughout the land! courts, which helped to make possible A most significant development has the victories in the Scottsboro case. been the expression organizationally Even the transformation in the life of the liberal and progressive senti and outlook of Ruby Bates who was ment in the South. The Scottsboro born in an atmosphere of intolerance Defense Committee has formed in and prejudice is a plainly evident Birmingham a Southern committee, example of a maturing new attitude in which outstanding liberals and in the South. Those unfortunate ut trade unionists in the South are terances of Mr. Samuel Liebowitz at joined together. This coming together the conclusion of the first trials at of progressive Southern forces con Decatur, reflecting on the Southern tributed a powerful lever to force the people as a whole, were certainly Bourbon reactionaries ·in their sub unjustified. sequent retreat in the Scottsboro case. An important indication of this It should be further developed into trend is the fact that the C.I.O. is put a broad movement for progress ting into practice in the South a against reaction and for full rights policy of abolishing Jim-Crow trade for the Negro people. union locals and organizing the Negro workers on a basis of trade IMMEDIATE TASKS union equality. The Scottsboro victory is not com Following the freeing of four of the plete. The freedom of the remaining SCOTTSBORO AND THE NEGRO PEOPLE'S FRONT 847 boys must be gained. The Scottsboro the Scottsboro boys and the entire Defense Committee, the International Negro people. Labor Defense, the Communist Party We cannot stop here. Scottsboro and all other organizations and the is a much broader issue. The Scotts millions of supporters of the Scotts boro fight and the issues around the boro boys and the Negro people have Scottsboro case and the tremendous said dearly and unalterably-the fight lessons learned in this struggle must is not ended. It will never end until be made a basis for a fight for the all the nine Scottsboro boys are free. larger interests of the Negro people. Appeals have been taken in all the A fight against lynchings, mob vio cases. Petitions . will be circulated lence and police brutality; for the throughout the country. Mass meet enactment of a federal anti-lynching ings should be held everywhere to law; for the right to vote, serve on mobilize and unite that public opin juries, and enjoy complete civil liberty ion which has always believed firmly -these are a part of this great strug in the innocence of the boys, and gle developed around Scottsboro. add to its ranks the new millions The right of Negro youth to equal who are now convinced and ready to opportunity in education and in the help win the fight. Moreover, these economic and social life is part of this millions must be welded into a mighty struggle. unity in defense of the oppressed Complete equality for Negro wo Negro people as a whole. men, their right along with all women Broad united front conferences to equal pay for equal work, their need to be organized. The Negro peo right to a suitable environment for ple in every Negro community should themselves and their children-an en be organized around the Scottsboro vironment which demands adequate case as an active force and main lever housing, good schools and recrea in the campaign. A wide campaign tional facilities-is a part of the strug will be developed to send telegrams gle around the Scottsboro case. and letters of protest against the sen The fight for the freedom of the tences meted out to the remaining Scottsboro boys still itnprisoned is not five boys to Governor Bibb Graves, an isolated b-attle. It must be consid Montgomery, Alabama, demanding ered and organized as _a campaign the release of the boys, and to the around the fight for the democratic Supreme Court of the United States. rights of the Negro people, the safe Letters and telegrams should be sent guarding and extension of the demo to the Congressmen from their con cratic rights of the people as a whole, stituencies demanding that they take and against all forms of vigilantism, a stand for the freedom of the Scotts discrimination of Negroes, against boro boys. fascist tendencies everywhere. It must be so organized as to develop the Appeals must be made to Presi unity of Negro and white in the com dent Roosevelt demanding that in mon struggle against reaction, for the fight against the reactionary Su progress, and so as to bring the Negro preme Court, adequate protection be people unitedly into the People's made for the constitutional rights of Front in the United States. AN OPEN LETTER ON COMMUNIST SOCIALIST UNITY IN SPAIN (From the Political Bureau of the In accordance with this, the Central Communist Party of Spain to the Committee of the Communist Party Executive Commission of the Spanish now makes, in a public and official Socialist Workers' Party, making an form, the concrete and practical pro official and concrete proposal of uni- posal for the unification of the Com fication.) ' munist Party of Spain with the So cialist Workers' Party of Spain. [This document contains the prac It is not necessary to insist that the tical proposals for the fusion of the problem of the political unity of the Spanish Socialist and Communist Spanish proletariat has been for a Parties. It explains clearly the reasons very long time, and particularly since why this fusion is desirable, and lists July, 1936, the question of the most the points probably to be included in importance to the conscientious work the program of the proposed united ers of our country. · party.-THE EDITORS.] The fusion of the two parties in one united party is a:waited with im EAR CoMRADEs: patience by the revolutionary prole D The recent plenum of the Cen tariat of Spain. tral Committee of our Party, in the session held on June 18, carefully THE CONDITIONS DEM~DING THE examined the different aspects of the IMMEDIATE CREATION OF THE problem of the political unity of the UNITED PARTY proletariat of Spain. Comrade Dolores The conditions in which we live, and Ibarruri (La Passionaria) gave a spe the necessity of winning the war as cial statement on the question. The quickly as possible, make this unity plenum of the Central Committee an absolute necessity. The single ac unanimously approved the line taken tion of the founding of the united in this statement, and with great en· party of the proletariat will have an thusiasm passed the following reso extraordinary significance; will mul lution: tiply tenfold the fighting power of the "The Political Bureau is asked to com republican army; will to a great ex municate at once with the Executive Com tent speed up the decisive victory of mission of the Spanish Socialist Workers' the people of Spain over the military Party, in order to examine together the forces of the national and · German program, tactics and practical methods for the quickest possible realization of the fusion and Italian fascists; and will help of the two workers' parties." the complete triumph and consoli- COMMUNIST-SOCIALIST UNITY IN SPAIN dation of the Spanish popular revo tary victory and essential condition lution. for the consolidation of the popular The carrying out of political unity revolution, must be realized, cost among the workers of Spain imposes what it may, and must be realized at itself as an urgent necessity, as much once, or as quickly as possible. Every from the military point of view as delay, every postponement, increases from that of the organization and di the military, economic and political rection of the economy of the coun difficulties, complicates the practical try; as much from the point of view tasks, prolongs the efforts and suffer of safeguarding public order as from ings of the war, and weakens the fight that of strengthening the Popular ing potentialities of the people. Front. At the same time the achieve The hour is grave, the great strug ment of this political unification will gle being carried on by our people has constitute the most powerful factor entered its decisive phase; we are pass in favor of the unification of the ing through the most critical, difficult workers' trade unions of our coun and responsible of moments. The fate try, without which it is difficult to of our soldiers, of all the workers of conceive the economic and social or our country; the fate of the Spanish ganization of the new Spain. people; of our independence and of The urgency of the unification of the territorial integrity of Spain; the the two parties is as evident to the fate of our revolution is at stake and Communists as it is to the Socialists. depends, fundamentally, on the man In this respect there are not and there ner and rapidity with which Com~ cannot be either doubts or hesitations. munists and Socialists come to an The Socialist workers and the Commu understanding in order to forge the nist workers understand the realities political unity of the proletarhit. of the situation; the immensity of the The responsibility we bear is im difficulties that still remain to be con mense. It is necessary to bring about quered; the number of tasks that re the political unity of the proletariat main to be accomplished before of Spain; to create , the powerful victory can be achieved. Both Com united party by the immediate fusion munists and Socialists understand the of the two workers' parties. This is immensity of the constructional and the task that history has confronted organizational tasks-economic, politi us with. This is the ardent desire, the cal, military, social and cultural-that firm will, and the unanimous impera the Spanish people, and more particu- tive demand of the Socialist and Com . larly their leaders, the workers, will munist workers. be faced with twenty-four hours after The organizations of the Commu victory. The execution of tkese tasks, nist Party and the Socialist Party have which are of such historical signifi for some months followed the road cance, nationally and internationally, toward the practical realization of appears to be impossible if the po harmonious political unity. The Uni litical unity of the proletariat has not fying Committees of the two parties been accomplished first of all. This already constitute a real system, and unification, guarantee of certain mili- their work has served and will serve THE C_OMMUNIST for a base, every day firmer, for the the U.S.S.R.. represents the common drawing together of the two parties. fatherland of all the workers of the The relations of contact and of mu entire world; that the interests of the tual and fraternal consultations that U.S.S.R. are identical with the inter exist between the Executive Commis ests of the workers of all countries and sion of the Socialist Party and the that, in consequence, the defense of Political Bureau of the Communist the U.S.S.R. against all its enemies is Party are one proof more of the real a sacred duty for the Spanish prole possibility of working in common for tariat, as it is for the proletariat of the the practical realization of political rest of the world. u~ity. The two parties, defenders to the end of the national independence of THE SOLID BASE; FOR THE PROGRAM AND Spain and of the territorial integrity TACTICS FOR THE UNIFICATION OF of the country against national and THE TWO PARTIES IS ALREADY" foreign fascism, will rise solidly at the IN EXISTENCE correct time for the terrain of prole- , tarian internationalism. It is certain that the political union If we take into account at the same of the proletariat, to be effective, must time that the parties share a common be built on a solid base of fundamen point of view on the character, the tal principles. On this essential ques particulars and perspectives of the tion difficulties do not exist, neither Spanish revolution in progress and on can they exist;there are no divergences the tactics of the Popular · Front, it of principle between the two parties. can be categorically affirmed that Both are inspired by the Marxist there already exists the concrete base Leninist ideology, whose best expo for the program and tactics for the nent and upholder today is Comrade unification of the two parties, and the Stalin; both regard as their historic only thing lacking is to initiate the mission the destruction of capitalist practical work so that this unity may exploitation, of all exploitation and be made an accomplished fact. oppression of man by man, or of one Is it necessary today, before we nation by another, and the building have united and before we have won of the socialist (communist) society, the war, to elaborate a complete and without classes, without exploitation detailed program for the united or oppression of any kind. party? It seems to us that it is not To this identity of ideological con necessary. ception is added the identity of atti The problems and the obstacles that tude of the two parties toward the will arise after victory over the enemy great proletarian revolution and the will he so numerous, of such a nature, triumph of socialism in the U:S.S.R. so different from those that we are The Socialists and the Communists faced with today; they will arise in recognize, in agreement with the pro conditions so different fro~ those of letariat of all countries, that the today, that it would be foolhardy and Soviet Union constitutes the first great incorrect to try to settle now the post victory of the world proletariat; that war program of the united party. COMMUNIST-SOCIALIST UNITY .IN SPAIN AN INDISPENSABLE WAR PROGRAM; THE command, which will effectively direct ARMY, INDUSTRY, TRANSPORT the army and the ·operations on all AND FORTIFICATIONS fronts; practical and moral help to raise the prestige of the war commis More essential and indispensable sars in their extremely responsible than a general program for the united work; military vigilance against the party is a program of war, a, program agents of the enemy; pre-military or of action adequate to the conditions ganization of the working class youth; and necessities of the war. To win the practical, political and moral help for war means to assure the triumph of the strengthening of the fighting abil the popular revolution and the ity of the navy, the air force and the favorable conditions for its consolida specialized sections of the army; con tion and its ultimate development. To stant attention to the living condi· assure the decisive victory of the tions of the soldiers of the great republic over national fascism and to Popular Army, who comprise the drive the German and Italian fascist most heroic and self-sacrificing fight· invaders from our country are the ers and who must therefore be the central political task of the present object of special attention; attention period, the task that towers over all to their conditions of diet, hygiene, others, over all problems, all ques· medical service, clothing and pay; tions, all preoccupations. This task, pensions to the families of those who therefore, must be the axle of the have been killed in battle, and pen· united party's program of action. sions for invalided soldiers, as well as This program must embrace the professional and technical re-educa stabilization of the principles, condi· tion for these disabled men. tions and tasks that will carry the war 2. A powerful war industry: Organ rapidly to a victorious end. The fol ization and development of a power owing are therefore essential points: ful war industry that will produce in 1. Strengthening of the fighting sufficient quantities all kinds of arms power of the popular regular army of and munitions necessary for the the republic, the regular unified fronts and for the reserves. To attain army and the suppression of the this objective it is necessary to ask the militia or of autonomous sectors of government to proceed immediately the front; better application of the with the nationalization and militar decree on obligatory military service; ization of all existing war industries; steady increase of the number of well to attend to their increase and per trained, well-armed and well-disci fection; to undertake the organization plined reserves; energetic and meth of new factories for the wa:r; intensi odical purge to cleanse the military fication of production and control of apparatus of traitors, saboteurs and the quality of the things produced; incapables; a fearless policy of pro the handing over to the authorities moting to the high command the lead for distribution to the army of all the ers who have sprung from the people arms and munitions existing in the and have received their training in rearguard in the hands of groups or the fire of battle; supreme unified organizations; severe punishment for THE COMMUNIST the hiding of unauthorized stores of everyone while the war lasts, are per arms; a campaign carried on for the fectly understood by our admirable workers, in the factories and in the working class. Nevertheless, if this is trade unions, to develop the spirit certain, it is no less certain that with of emulation and 'initiative in the better national economy and with a intensification of war production and better understanding of the equitable in the discipline of work in the war distribution of sacrifices and of efforts industries. it would be possible (and is necessary) 3· To contribute actively to the or rapidly to improve the conditions of ganization and rapid functioning of the workers. To equal work, equal transport at the service of the fronts pay, without distinction of age or sex; and of the army, carrying on a con differentiation of salaries to ensure a tinuous policy of, public works on the just remuneration of work according construction of new strategical roads to the amount and quality produced and the repair of present highways.· and effort spent; adequate means to 4· Active assistance for the organ lower the high cost of living. ization of fortification works and the 7. Policy of the intensification of construction of refuges for the fight agricultural production and of ers and the civilian population. strengthening the unity of the urban and rural proletariat with the peas COORDINATION OF ECONOMY, IMPROVE ant workers, not only during the war, MENT OF WORKING CONDITIONS, but after the victory. For this it is in INTENSIFICATION OF AGRICUL dispensable effectively to guarantee TURAL PRODUCTION the soil to those who work it, to the 5· Coordination and planning of agricultural workers and to the peas economy. Policy of centralized coor ants, recognizing fully the peasants' dination and planning of the national right of choosing freely, without any economy by means of the National form of violence, the collectivized or Council of Economy, in which the individual form of work, and respect representatives of the trade unions ing the rights of the peasant to his and the cooperative workers' organ own produce, financial, technical, izations and of the autonomous re agricultural and commercial help, gions must participate; municipaliza as well as assistance in such mat tion of the public and urban services; ters as exportation, to the freely appropriate means to prevent mis formed collectives and to the individ management and other abuses of ual farmers; active assistance to in primary materials and manufactured spire and to give practical help to the goods. agriCultural cooperatives for produc tion, buying and selling. 6. A practical policy of systemati cally and seriously improving the RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHT OF INDE material situation, the conditions of PENDENCE FOR CATALANS, GALICIANS, work, life and culture of the urban BASQUES; THE PETTY BOURGEOISIE; and rural working class. The demands RIGOROUS PUBLIC ORDER of the war, the lack of certain prod 8. Recognition of the democratic ucts, the necessities of sacrifice for right of national independence for COMMUNIST-SOCIALIST UNITY IN SPAIN the Catalans, Basques and Galicians, tive means to purge the rear guard of national independence that can and spies, enemy agents and saboteurs; should assure the real and lasting campaign of enlightenment for the union, close and fraternal, and the masses in order to create a spirit of common fight of all the peoples of true vigilance against the enemies of Spain against their common enemy, the people. against the Spanish fascists and the No doubt these essential points German and Italian fascist invaders. from the program of action, briefly g. Policy of maintaining good Te expressed, do not constitute the com lations between the petty bomgeoisie, plete and definitive formula for a both industrial and commercial, and planned program of action. We pre the workers. It is necessary to take sent this to you, not as a cut-and into account that in the system of co dried proposal, but as material that ordination of the principal branches conforms to the general line of the of the economic life of the country statement made by Comrade Dolores the free functioning of private com at the plenum of the Central Com mercial and industrial enterprises is mittee. We are informing you of our indispensable for strengthening the exact position in order that the ques national economy. On the other hand, tion can be examined carefully. this attitude will also serve to We are absolutely convinced that strengthen and safeguard the bonds by following a program of action, of the Popular Front with the masses Socialists and Communists can come of the petty bourgeoisie. to an agreement, and we are sure that 10. A waT policy of supply that will we are on the way to that agreement. assure in the first place the supplying Socialists and Communists, we shall of the combatants at the front and in reach an agreement on the question reserve, and the workers of transport of policy to follow with regard to the and war industries; appropriate trades unions, the U.G.T. (Socialist means to ensure that this will be done Trade Unions) and the C.N.T. in a rational manner and without in (Anarcho-Syndicalist Trade Unions); terrupting the supplies for the civ to the J.S.U. (United Socialist ilian population. Youth); and with regard to many 11. Rigomus public oTdeT in all other problems it would be superflu the Republic's teTTitory. The mainte ous to enumerate. nance of public order, as an affair to Socialists and Communists, we bear be kept exclusively in the hands of the in mind the experiences of other authorities. Dissolution of the rem countries, but we also take into ac nants of committees or patrols of con count the particulars of the workers' trol existing on the initiative of any movement in Spain, and we are in organization whatsoever; severe penal agreement in recognizing the essen· ties, scaled according to the demands tially revolutionary part that the of war, against any person or organ workers' unions play and ought to ization that prepares or executes play in contributing to the victorious armed acts against the Republican direction of the war and the direc authorities; political and administra- tion and organization of the economic THE COMMUNIST and social life of the new Spain. It is Finally, we should like to point out certain that the Socialists and Com the enormous importance of the prob munists will be completely in accord lem of the working groups of the when it comes to working in common future united party; a problem whose and with the greatest enthusiasm for solution is urgent in order that we the strengthening of all the organs may end the campaign of the adver of the U.G.T. and in helping to bring saries of unity, whose efforts are in about a frate111al and continuous col vain, for they endeavor to present the laboration, during and after the war, zeal of the Communist Party for with the C.N.T.; and that we will unity as a maneuver to absorb and make every effort to bring about trade liquidate the Socialist groups. Our union unity as soon as possible. firm conviction is that all the actual working groups of the Socialist and PRINCIPLES OF ORGANIZATION Communist Parties are able to feel On the question of the principles completely sure that the creation of of organization of the united party, the united party of the proletariat not and of the fundamental rules of its only will not result in the deprecia internal life, we shall do no more tion of these groups, but will actually than enumerate, simply, the most im raise both their value and the respon portant points: sibility of the work that they carry out To consider the party as the solid in their present positions. The most organized fighting vanguard of the varied tasks in every branch of the workers, with a single will: demo political, administrative, syndical, cratic centralization and severe, vol military, industrial, cultural, etc., life; untarily imposed discipline, right of the internal tasks of the direction of criticism and discussion and duty of the Party, are of so many different and self-criticism, but, when a decision is important kinds, and grow so con taken on a question discussed over stantly that, without any doubt, the an action to be carried out, the agree utilization of all the groups existing ment must be obligatory for every in the two parties will not be enough one: obligatory respect for all the to constitute more than a fraction of leaders of the party (Cabinet Minis the required groups. It will be neces ters, Deputies, Governors, newspapers, sary, indispensable, to learn a policy etc.), and for the decisions and direc of formation of groups on a grand tions of the supreme leading body of scale. We repeat this. We intend the the party, methods of organization unity of the Communist Party with that ensure the expulsion and pubic the Socialist Party to be done in a condemnation of all those who dis complete, integral and indissoluble obey revolutionary law, against those manner; an organic unity that will who commit acts of treason, or who respect and embrace the different discredit or sabotage the actions of shades of thought of the party and of the party, methods of organization the militant Socialists witb,out ex who carry out a work of disintegra cluding anyone; an organic unity that tion that threatens the unity of the will respect and value even more than Party. before the position and the experi- COMMUNIST-SOCIALIST UNITY IN SPAIN ence acquired by the responsible mili litical unity of the working class of tants of both Parties. Spain. We present them for your at Concerning the name of the future tention and examination. We do not unified party and its international re pretend to have originated the idea lations, we consider, in spite of the nor to have raised the problem that fact that we are dealing with a huge confronts us, in all its aspects. The question, that after a common exam problem of the unification of the two ination we shall arrive at an agree workers' parties of Spain is so serious, ment, as we have already, to some and at the same time of such breadth, extent, come to an agreement about that for its positive solution it is abso the problems of program, tactics and lutely imperative that the Commu formation of the new party. · nists and Socialists in common exam At the end of this letter we want ine it carefully with the maximum of to point out again that the important reciprocal sincerity. We are not in thing at the present moment is the ignorance of the many difficulties it urgent necessity of ceasing to be con will be necessary to overcome. We tented with merepropagandaforunity understand perfectly that the work of and tackling energetically the prob unity from its first stages will encoun ems of practical realization. ter a certain resistance. Nevertheless, Since the situation is completely we have the firm conviction that unity ripe for unity, and since there is al will sweep away all the difficulties and ready full agreement on the princi obstacles and will triumph more ples and tactics; and since the condi quickly than we imagine, for the good tions of war demand it, no one can of the proletariat and all the people argue against the leaders of the two of Spain. Parties starting immediately on the In the hope of your positive reply. work of creating the common organ please accept, dear comrades, our ization to decide on the concrete pro fraternal Communist and unitarian cedure of unity and at the same time salutes. to form committees of unification or fusion among the Socialist and Com FoR THE PoLITICAL BUREAU oF munist organizations all over the THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF country. THE COMMUNIST pARTY OF Here, dear comrades, are briefly ex SPAIN (SPANISH SECTION OF. THE pressed some of the most important COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL.) considerations with regard to the po- THE SECRETARY GENERAL. THOUGHTS ON PEACE AND THE PROBABLE ADVANTAGES THEREOF BY THOMAS PAINE [Hardly had the clouds of battle the new nation. It is of special inter cleared from ~oncord and Lexing est today, because it contains one of ton, when Thomas Paine pub the earliest and best formulated at lished his Common Sense, which put tacks upon the theory of state rights. forth independence as the pivotal slo Here Paine argues vigorously that the gan of .the revolution against England. Union of the States is indispensable His wrzy the first major agitational for further progress and growth. He pamphlet of America and Paine be foreshadows the whole struggle which came the chief propagandist and was to arise in the Constitutional Con agitator of the American revolution. vention and which was to break out Each critical point in the hard strug in even greater force later. The doc gle against the British autocracy drew trine of state rights as opposed to the a new pamphlet from Paine. These federal authority has as a rule worked pamphlets he called the American in the interests of reaction just as the Crisis. His first Crisis, beginning with present-day support of state rights the oft-quoted words-"These are by the Liberty League is a part of its times that try men's souls"-was writ attack upon all progressive legislation. ten on a drum head in General The short piece reprinted here Washington's camp during the re hardly does justice to Thomas Paine, treat into New jersey and inspired so extensive was his work aS the fore the much needed victory of the revo most spokesman of the democratic and lutionary army at Trenton...... republican enlightenment in Europe The Crisis XIII, reprinted here, is and America. But it serves to draw one of a series of sixteen. It was is attention, on the occasion of the z5oth sued after the surrender of the Brit anniversary of the American Constitu ish and their recognition of American tion-which he helped to inspire-to independence. The revolution had the significance of the man and his been won, but it still had to be con work, at a time when all the principles solidated; the particularism of the he enunciated and fought for are be separate states hindered the establish ing threatened by the Tories and ment of a strong, centralized union economic royalists of today. which would be able to maintain the The document printed here be independence won in war and solve longs to the literature of historic tra the numerous problems which faced dition inspiring the struggle of the THOMAS PAINE THOMAS PAINE THE COMMUNIST Amercian masses today and the hitherto unknown-and to have, as it building of the American People;s were, a new creation intrusted to our Front for preserving and extending hands, are honors that command re our democratic rights.-The Editor.] flection, and can neither be too highly estimated, nor too gratefully received. THE AMERICAN CRISIS XIII In this pause then of recollection while the storm is ceasing, and the HE times that tried men's souls" long agitated mind vibrating to a T are over-and the greatest and rest, let us look back on the scenes we completest revolution the world ever have passed, and learn from experi knew, gloriously and happily accom ence what is yet to be done. plished. Never, I say, had a country so many But to pass from the extremes of openings to happiness as this. Her danger to safety-from the tumult of setting out in life, like the rising of a war to the tranquility · of peace, fair morning, was · unclouded and though sweet in contemplation, re promising. Her cause was good. Het .quires a gradual composure of the principles just and liberal. Her tem senses to receive it. Even calmness per serene and firm. Her conduct reg has the power of stunning, when it ulated by the nicest steps, and every opens too instantly upon us. The thing about her wore the mark of long and raging hurricane that should honor. It is not every country (per cease in a moment, would leave us in haps there is not another in the a state rather of wonder than enjoy world) that can boast so fair an origin. ment; and some moments of recol Even the first settlement of America lection must pa~s. before we could be corresponds with the character of the capable of tasting the felicity of re revolution. Rome, once the proud poSe. There are but few instances, .in mistress of the universe, was origin which the mind is fitted for sudden ally a band of ruffi~ns. Plunder and transitions: it takes in its pleasures rapine made her rich, and her op by reflection and comparison and pression of millions made her great. those must have time to act, before But America need never be ashamed the relish for new· scenes is complete. to tell her birth, nor relate the stages In the present case-the mighty by which she rose to empire. magnitude of the object-the various The remembrance, then, of what uncertainties of fate it has undergone is past, if it operates rightly, must in -the numerous and complicated dan spire her with the most laudable of gers we have suffered or escaped-the all ambition, that of adding to the eminence we now stand on, and the fair fame she began with. The world vast prospects before us, must all has seen . her great in adversity; conspire to impress us with contem struggling, without a thought of plation. yielding, beneath accumulated diffi To see it in our power to make a culties, bravely, nay proudly, encoun world happy-to teach mankind the tering distress, and rising in resolu art of being so-to exhibit, on the tion as the storm increased. All this theatre of the universe a character is justly due to her, for her fortitude THOUGHTS ON PEACE has merited the character. Let, then, of its character, and it will be chastely the world· see that she can bear pros just in protecting it. None ever began perity: and that her honest virtue in with a fairer than America and none time of peace, is equal to the bravest can be under a greater obligation to virtue in time of war. preserve it. She is now descending to the scenes The debt which America has con of quiet and domestic life. Not be tracted, compared with the cause neath the cypress shade of disappoint she has gained, and the advan ment, but to enjoy in her own land, tages to flow from it, ought scarcely to and under her own vine, the sweet of be mentioned. She has it in her her labors, and the reward of her toil. choice to do, and to live as happily In this situation, may she never for as she pleases. The world is in her get that a fair national reputation is hands. She has no foreign power to of as much importance as independ monopolize her commerce, perplex ence. That it possesses a charm that her legislation, or control her pros wins upon the world, and makes even perity. The struggle is over, which· enemies civil. That it gives a dignity must one day have happened, and, which is often superior to power, and commands reverence where pomp and perhaps, never could have happened splendor fail. at a· better time. And instead of a It would be a circumstance ever to domineering master, she has gained be lamented and never to be forgot an ally whose exemplary greatness, ten, were a single blot, from any cause and universal liberality, have ex whatever, suffered to fall on a revolu torted a confession even from her tion, which to the end of time must enemies. be an honor to the age that accom With the blessings of peace, inde plished it: and which has contributed pendence, and an universal com more to enlighten the world, and merce, the states, individually and diffuse a spirit of freedom and lib collectively, will have leisure and op erality among mankind, than any portunity to regulate. and establish human event (if this may be called their domestic concerns, and to put one) that ever preceded it. it beyond the power of calumny to It is not among the least of the throw the least reflection· on their calamities of a long continued war, honor. Character is much easier kept that it unhinges the mind from those than recovered, and that man, if any nice sensations which at other times such there be, who, from sinister appear so amiable. The continual views, or littleness of soul, lends un spectacle of woe blunts the finer feel seen his hand to injure it, contrives a ings, and the necessity of bearing with wound it will never be in his. power the sight, renders it familiar. In like to heal. manner, are many of the moral obli As we have established an inheri gations of society weakened, till the tance for posterity, let that inheri custom of acting by necessity becomes tance descend, with every mark of an an apology, where it is truly a crime. honorable conveyance. The little it Yet let but a nation conceive rightly will cost, compared with the worth go, go, could could endeavors endeavors my my as as far far So So it; it; constitute constitute and and compose compose that that parts parts the the all all protect protect to to place. place. the the power power have have must must with with varies varies one one Sovereignty Sovereignty inferior inferior name. name. a a of of CANS-our CANS-our whistling whistling the the AMERI is is title title great great Our Our world. world. by by awe awe in in held held be be to to not not is is enemies, enemies, the the to to former former the the by by home, home, at at known known of of world world the the especially especially and and world, world, are are we we latter latter the the By By distinction. distinction. the the but but please, please, they they what what themselves themselves local local our our only only is is state state particular particular any any call call may may states, states, individual individual or or als, als, in in citizenship citizenship Our Our Individu· Individu· character. character. supported. supported. be be national national to to impossible impossible our our is is States States United United the the in in zenship zenship and and maintained maintained be be to to expensive expensive -too -too citi Our Our of. of. had had tender tender we we if if and and us us for for proud proud fatal fatal be be most most even even would would be be should should man man every every which which that that and and It It States. States. United United as as than than sovereignty sovereignty America, America, of of national national constitution constitution other other the the no no in in have have thing thing we we short, short, In In sacred sacred most most the the is is attack. attack. It It of. of. foreign foreign a a spoken spoken ently ently against against sovereignty sovereignty irrever least least the the support support to to safety, safety, and and sufficient sufficient be be liberty liberty not not would would it it revenue, revenue, in in our our expended expended of of them them of of palladium palladium richest richest great great that that union, union, the the hear hear I I the the when when even even hurt hurt of of myself myself worth worth feel feel whole whole the the were were And And itself. itself. to to I I than than capital. capital. further further the the no no go go than than can can greater greater interest interest They They local. local. are are annual annual state state an an each each draw draw of of and and affairs affairs give, give, we we what what by by gain gain we we things things The The of of ceases. ceases. view view this this In In distinction distinction secure. secure. this this abroad abroad but but convenience, convenience, own own whole whole our our the the for for is is make make to to up up states yielded yielded b.e b.e must must something something into into society; society; in in empire empire the the individuals individuals of of with with division division The The as as states states confederated confederated title. title. with with or or is is It It name name other other no no by by us us knows knows Europe Europe and and States, States, misfortune. misfortune. United United endless endless of of source source a a the the of of us, us, sovereignty sovereignty to to the the be be under under would would and and formed formed them, them, to to is is tion, tion, execu into into are are decision decision that that commerce, commerce, and and or or cision, cision, peace, peace, liance, liance, de a a to to al measures measures of of their their whether whether bringing bringing treaties, treaties, of of our our All All style. style. same same the the under under impossibility impossibility obtained obtained be be almost almost must must the the and and enemies; enemies; passes passes and and Mediterranean Mediterranean Our Our calamities, calamities, port. port. eign eign losses, losses, intrigues, intrigues, ous ous for a a in in or or seas, seas, the the numer on on to to safe safe them them merce merce exposes exposes condition condition disjointed disjointed com Their Their and and ships ships sovereignty. sovereignty. our our dividual dividual renders renders which which in of of effects effects the the States States of of United United instance instance the the of of fortunate fortunate flag flag the the is is it it world; world; the the in in un an an known known are are nationally nationally Holland Holland of of be, be, states states The The can can or or are, are, all. all. we we for for that that serves serves only only this this through through that that aggregate aggregate is is an an It It forms forms home. home. and and at at it, it, to to use use security security and and abroad abroad no no of of be be can can importance importance inadequate, inadequate, us us give give being being by by must must which which this this is is It It depends. depends. which, which, that that character character state, state, national national each each from from collects collects it it Because Because of. of. great great admit admit our our can can this this On On America America of of STATES. STATES. THE THE OF OF circumstances circumstances the the UNION UNION which which the the is is government government concerns, concerns, inferior inferior all all in in invention invention easy easy happiest happiest renders renders the the and and and and erful, erful, includes includes which which and and pow being being of of mind, mind, way way easiest easiest penetrating penetrating great-the great-the thoughtful, thoughtful, a a strike strike being being of of way way cheapest cheapest the the is is mented, mented, forcibly forcibly more more must must which which that that But But ce and and regulated regulated wisely wisely and and well well change. change. union, union, Our Our not. not. are are we we otherwise otherwise but but profitable profitable a a be be will will character, character, ex~ ex~ title, title, the the of of national national importance importance the the of of the the to to value value equal equal the the and and ject, ject, are are we we STATES STATES UNITED UNITED as as and and ob the the of of greatness greatness the the states, states, the the of of COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE 86o 86o THOUGHTS ON PEACE 861 they have P.O.U.M. HATCHERY OF SPIES nerable points of our fronts, in order DOES NOT DESERVE TO BE DE to do disorganizing work among our FENDED BY ANY ANTI-FASCIST troops, and in order to create conflicts in the rear-guards which weaken the Editorial, Mundo Obrero, Madrid, power of the army, and of the Spanish July 3· 1937 people, deserve only inexorable pun ESPECT f~r all the parties, organi ishment. And this is the case with R zations and groups that defend the Trotskyite elements of the P.O.U. the cause of the people, but implac M. who today are submitted to the able annihilation of all the allies of police and judiciary procedure for fascism. their criminal activities dedicated to A group of bands, who, in open espionage, to sabotage and betrayal criminal activity, fall into the hands of in the interests of fascism. the police, does not deserve to have But the Secretary of the C.N.T. any anti-fascist voice raised in its de [Anarchist-controlled National Con fense. This is the case with the ele federation of Workers] p e r h a p s ments of the P.O.U.M. who have been because of misunderstanding, has held by the police as agents of the thought it opportune to come out in enemy. They have been imprisoned, defense of the group of adventurers not only for their activity in general who have been held by the police. for which they merit that treatment, In spite of the facts, the comrade·or but for concrete acts, for reasons of comrades who come out in defense internal security, in order to avoid of Trotskyites are not convinced that their being able to develop the mon they are elements worthy of crushing strous work which they were carrying punishment by the people. Their on. They are accused of the crime of error arises from the fact that they espionage. The government has suffi consider the P.O.U.M. an anti-fascist cient proof which it will disclose when party. We have said, numerous times, it deems it opportune. that we do not deny that there may Do these people deserve to be de be in the P.O.U.M. honest workers, fended? Every honest conscience, every deceived by the criminal demagogy of anti-fascist will answer with us that the Trotskyite leaders. But that is no such bandits do not deserve to be reason to consider. the P.O.U.M. as an defended. Those who utilize the de organization that carries out favorable ceit of disguising themselves with revo work for the benefit of the people. In lutionary names in order to inform the same way as before the elections the enemy of the movement of our of February there were in the Spanish forces, in order to point out the vul- Phalanx [Falange Espanola, a fascist FROM THE WORLD COM,MUNIST PRESS group headed by the son of Primo de What danger does the punishment Rivera] some workers, some honest of the spies, traitors and saboteurs of people who had gone into that fascist of the P.O.U.M. entertain? For the party-deceived by diverse motives. Republic, none; for the Revolution, But not for that reason were we, all none; for the Popular Front, none. the anti-fascists going to stop fighting For any party of anti-fascist organiza tooth and nail against the Spanish tion, there is no danger. The argu Phalanx. Very well, actually, the P.O. ment that the punishment of the U.M., by dint of its activity and com counter-revolutionaries of the P.O.U. position, does not differ greatly from M. points to a dangerous road, is com the Spanish Phalanx of pre-war days. pletely absurd. · The government P.O.U.M. fights against the Popular shelters all tendencies. It defends all Front, the P.O.U.M. is an element of the parties, small or large; all the disintegration in the heart of the pro organizations, small or large; when letariat. The P.O.U.M. fights against the latter maintain themselves within the Socialists, the Communists, against the anti-fascist orbit. There is then the Republicans, against the army. no danger for any organization or The P.O.U.M. in the field of action party. But, yes, there can exist a warn holds the greatest responsibility for ing for all the hidden enemies, for all the bloody events in Catalonia. All its those who in one way or another help activity is headed, in the interior, the enemy, that the government will toward producing uprisings, .to sabo be inflexible in its punishment of all tage our victory. And its activity in who do not march on the road to the the field of betrayal and of counter revolutionary and popular victory, in revolutionary adventurism, has con its punishment of those who contrib verted itself into an agency of espion ute an obstacle to the triumph of the age in the service of Franco, with Spanish people. whom one of the main leaders of the Those who were not convinced· will P.O.U.M. was in direct contact. be convinced. The P.O.U.M. is not an Note, therefore, how a party of anti-fascist party. It is. a group of ad bandits in the service of the enemy venturers without principle, of rene must not be defended.. And don't gades of people· of such abject coun come to us with the argument that so tenance that do not find any difficulty and so has had a revolutionary past. in furnishing military .secrets to We are going to admit it. But that is Franco and his masters. It is a fascist just what the defenders of Doriot said salient in our rear-guard. And every in France. We could say the same of honest person, every revolutionary, Mussolini before he was a fascist, the every anti-fascist has to demand in same could be said to every other per exorable punishment for those who son who has turned renegade on his deserve it. past and has gone over to the enemy We are at war. One cannot feel with arms and baggage. We suppose sentimental as those Socialist com that those who direct the C.N.T. rades of Paris who instead of spurring shady lawyers in this case-will know their government to help the Spanish many deeds of betrayal. people, and their International to and and urgent urgent in in is is forces forces Marseilles Marseilles at at anti-fascist anti-fascist held held the the was was meeting meeting all all of of union union the the that that a a Party, Party, persuaded persuaded be be Communist Communist French French the the of of must must Italy Italy in in Committee Committee reached reached been been Regional Regional yet yet the the not not of of auspices auspices the the has has under under Front Front June, June, of of Popular Popular IOth IOth the the of of the the On On stitution stitution con the the for for hour hour the the that that state state who who 1937) 1937) June, June, comrades comrades Socialist Socialist Those Those us. us. to to lost lost be be May Paris, Paris, Opr:rais, Opr:rais, Stato Stato lo lo (From (From not not will will and and not not must must Front, Front, Popular Popular Italian Italian the the of of vanguard vanguard the the talion, talion, Italy Italy C.P., C.P., the the of of Secretary Secretary General General Bat Garibaldi Garibaldi the the of of example example The The GRIECO GRIECO RUGGERO RUGGERO BY BY democracy. democracy. the the consolidate consolidate will will it it row row FORCES FORCES ANTI-FASCIST ANTI-FASCIST tomor and and today, today, struggle struggle the the to to tion tion THE THE OF OF TASKS TASKS IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATE THE THE direc give give will will and and forces forces democratic democratic the the all all of of unification unification of of organism organism the the be be will will Front Front Popular Popular The The Front. Front. revolutionary. revolutionary. a a self self Popular Popular the the of of constitution constitution diate diate him calls calls who who anyone anyone by by anti-fascist, anti-fascist, imme the the for for banner banner the the us us with with up up an an himself himself calls calls who who anyone anyone by by fended fended take take they they that that comrades, comrades, Socialist Socialist our our de be be not not should should and and cannot cannot guard guard to to appeal appeal an an make make we we all, all, Above Above rear our our in in enemy enemy the the of of agents agents the the people. people. Italian Italian the the of of gle gle why why is is This This combatants. combatants. our our to to ing ing strug the the in in fraternization fraternization and and unity unity lack be be will will projectile projectile cannon cannon one one nor nor the the of of center center the the ourselves ourselves make make can can bullet bullet one one not not moments, moments, decisive decisive the the we we United United anti-fascism. anti-fascism. democratic democratic .in .in that that so so state, state, the the of of hand hand the the in in of of unification unification of of point point the the us us with with materials materials war war of of factories factories the the put put to to find find to to want want will will all, all, us us upon upon weighs weighs triumph, triumph, of of conditions conditions the the all all rapidly rapidly that that responsibility responsibility great great the the of of scious scious forge forge to to government, government, the the to to hesion hesion con organizations, organizations, anti-fascist anti-fascist the the of of ad loyal loyal and and collaboration collaboration the the with with and and parties parties the the of of conventions conventions W more, more, little little a a contribute contribute they they that that and and congresses congresses the the that that HOPE HOPE E E us us to to better better seem seem would would It It defense. defense. their their for for guarantees guarantees judiciary judiciary given given given. given. here here is is be be should should they they that that remember remember day, day, excerpt excerpt An An today. today. forces forces anti-fascist anti-fascist of of another another on on 'different 'different been been have have may may duties duties the the out out pointed pointed Gramsci, Gramsci, tonio tonio he he because because spy, spy, a a as as jailed jailed An so, so, of of and and teachings teachings the the recalling recalling Grieco, Grieco, so so that that remember remember army, army, our our of of Comrade Comrade action action speech speech his his of of part part second second the the the the to to efficacy efficacy more more give give to to In In elements, elements, workers. workers. the the of of 8truggle 8truggle new new the the turbid turbid of of class class every every of of of of saboteurs, saboteurs, and and organizer organizer defeat-as defeat-as the the and-after and-after spies spies of of enemies, enemies, revolution revolution hidden hidden and and post-war post-war the the traitors traitors of of organizer organizer of of rear-guard rear-guard our our cleanse cleanse as as to to Party, Party, sary sary Communist Communist the the of of leader leader neces is is it it which which and and in in founder founder moment, moment, as as these these class, class, in in working working the the who, who, C.N.T., C.N.T., of of the the of of leader leader administration administration Marxist-Leninist Marxist-Leninist militant militant a a national national the the of of as as that that like like movement movement Or Or them. them. workers' workers' for for Italian Italian the the in in played played clemency clemency he he ask ask part part and and the the spies spies of of Gramsci, Gramsci, group group a a Antonio Antonio on on spoke spoke imprisoned imprisoned has has Grieco Grieco Ruggero Ruggero government government the the Comrade Comrade that that remember remember workers, workers, assassinatio'f1. assassinatio'f1. his his of of Spanish Spanish the the help help demnation demnation to to order order in in con action action in in of of and and unity unity Gramsci Gramsci establish establish Antonio Antonio of of honor honor COMMUNIST COMMUNIST THE THE FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS must not be delayed, because the situ as well as the recent adhesion of a ation will·not await those who have group of comrades from the "Gius lingered. tizia e Liberta" movement. The The social basis of the Popular united action of the Italian Commu Front must be very broad, as is the nist Party and the Italian Socialist actual condition of a struggle of the Party has aided· the attempts toward masses for liberty, democracy and united international action, for which peace. Our task of unifying Italian Comrade N enni took up a courageous anti-fascism is that of uniting all who defense at the last International So wish to struggle to aid in any way the cialist convention held at London. overthrow of fascism. As Comrade , Nevertheless, the united action has Dimitroff so justly stated, it is essen not given all the results it should have tial that in this Front the proletariat given, especially in Italy, the cause count above all on its own strength of which we believe to reside in a and realize its own unity. lack of unity on the outlook of the I must say, therefore, a few words Socialist direction, on the problems on our relationship with the Italian of the Italian political struggles, and Socialist Party, to whom we have been with the Communist Party. bound by a three-year old Pact of Ac It is possible that we Communists tion and on the development of this have committed some errors, for which relationship. we have been reproved, and that some The Communist Party acknowl times we took certain political posi edges with pleasure that in the current tions without having consulted our discussions within the Italian Socialist Socialist comrades. I believe that these Party, in preparation for the congress, criticism are just, if they are limited the great majority of those present to form. But does it seem to you, demand the constitution of united comrades, that we Communists would action. have voluntarily avoided the discus We think that the Pact of Action sion of political problems with our So between the Italian Socialist Party and cialist comrades? No, comrades, we did the Italian Communist Party has had not voluntarily wish to avoid the dis several important results: it has cussion of these with the Socialists. allowed the greater unity between the It is already a year and a half that Communists and Socialists, not only we asked the adjournment of the Pact, among the emigrants, but within Italy in vain. In. this year and a half many itself, a factor that has often served incidents have come up before which to help the work done in the factories it was necessary that we, too, take a and in the fascist mass organizations. position. It has permitted the two parties to There are, comrades, within the So" take a united. stand on agitation cialist Party certain tendencies that against the fascist African war, and are not convinced of the necessity of to forge that magnificent example of united action and that are not in military and political unity, the Gari accord on the very basis of the pact baldi Brigade, uniting Republicans that of action; and these tendencies and an important group of Anarchists, are sometimes very active. Reading the 866 THE COMMUNIST Nuovo Avanti one often has the confusion that, has been created by impression that they decide the poli those who thought to see the same cies of I.S.P., which is fortunately form of organization in the Popular untrue. Comrade Nenni has correctly Front as that of L'Unione Popolm·e written that the unity of action must Italiano (which also sought to mo be accepted, if it is accepted, in en bilize the popular masses of Italy and tirety, and only then it can strengthen is composed of . masses of emigrant the parties participating in the accord workers). The Popular Front, how and be effective in the mass struggle ever, is an alliance of parties and of one position before all essential inter anti-fascist organizations within Italy,' national problems. I assure you, com- . in which the associations maintain rades, that on these conditions the their autonomy, a condition for the understanding between the two par success of popular anti-fascist action. ties cannot·be but a cordial one. The The Popular Front is distinctly differ first obstacle to be wiped out in order ent from the defunct anti-fascist Con to consolidate united action is the centrazione in which the proletariat resistance to this unity by the Trot was at the foot and not at the head of skyite counter-revolutionary pressure anti-fascism, and which had as its ob that operates within the ranks of jective the return to the old democ I.S.P. and by the conciliatory spirit racy. Furthermore, the Communists towards it. take part in the Popular Front, an We earnestly hope that the next important factor in its existence, for congress of I.S.P. will answer the ques without the inclusion of the Com- tion: What are the political objectives ' munists the Popular Front would in of our common action? The 1934 Pact evitably be an anti-Communist front, had all the timidity of a first agree popular in name only, and favorable ment. It will be necessary to take some to fascism. Who struggles against the courageous steps forward and to for Communists, whether he so wishes or mulate positive objectives. not, struggles against a democratic The second great problem is that revolution, as we have learned by of the practical form of action. We experience. hope that the I.S.P. congress will dis UNITY OF THE WORKING CLASS AN cuss this on the basis of the experience ESSENTIAL FOR VICTORY of practical action in Italy, the basis of action, and the reason for existence The fourth question is the strength of every Italian political party. We are ening of our common action to accel ready to discuss these essential prob erate the united international action lems with our Socialist comrades, and, of the proletariat against fascism and once having fixed our aims, these de war-and, concretely, to give an im cisive problems will be the basis for mediate and favorable answer to the our united action. requests of the Spanish Socialist and The third question is the immediate Communist parties, and of the Gen formation of the essential nucleus of eral Union of Workers [U.G.T.], that the Italian Popular Front. At this a meeting of the political and union point it would be well to clear up a Internationals be called to take up a FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS suitable .measure to oblige the invad that the road to organic unity will be ing Italian. and German troops to greatly shortened. We feel that a evacuate Spain. We believe that the united policy is a necessity for the I.S.P. will support this and will de working class and a necessary condi velop the positions sustained in Lon tion for the success of the struggle for don some months ago by Comrade liberty and democracy. Nenni that unity of international ac We believe that had the organic tion is imperative at this time. Con unity of Red Spain been achieved vinced of this, we must struggle with before the insurrection, events in the maximum energy against those Spain would have taken a different who would retard it or set obstacles path. The insurrection itself possibly in the way of realizing it. would have been avoided. We believe that on the basis of an The problem of unity cannot be understanding on the fundamental postponed until the morrow of the points here indicated that the adjourn great armed action of the masses of of the old agreement with the I.S.P., our country. We must unite now to an amplification of it, rendering it work and prepare for the action ~hen more concrete, giving it positive pol it comes. itical objectives, is the task before us. After which it will be relatively easy PARTITION IS A CRIME to resolve a whole series of questions AGAINST ARABS AND JEWS that were suspended, such as the ques tion of the participation of the I.S.P. The Daily Worker, London, in all the mass initiatives that were July 17, 1937· taken by the emigrant Italians and [Statement of the Political Bureau others, so useful for the approach to of the Communist Party of Great masses of Italians living outside the Britain on the proposals of the Pales country. tine Royt.tl Commission.] On the basis of practical and daily action a closer-knit relationship be HE recommendation of the Peel tween Socialists and Communists can T Commission on Palestine consti be achieved, within Italy and outside tute clearly a fresh endeavor of British and in all degrees of our organization imperialism to strengthen its position as well as bringing the hour of our in Palestine. The Commission's Re organic unity nearer, the unity of the port shows that after seventeen years' proletariat that is desired by them and trial British rule has failed to bring which we desire as well. We will pro good government and peace to Pales pose to the I.S.P. the constitution of tine. It has admitted that under the a commission to study the problems of mandate the problem of Jewish and the unification of the two parties. If Arab grievances cannot be resolved; it with conviction and reciprocal loy therefore recommends the termination alty the two parties will achieve a of the mandate on the basis of parti practical ground of unified action, tion. The proposed partition is a crime struggling against the enemies and against both Arabs and Jews. saboteurs of united action, we believe British imperialism is concerned not 868 THE COMMUNIST with the interests of Arabs or Jews, of the inhabitants of Palestine. but with rendering secure the vital The proposal for partitioning Pal strategic military and naval centers in estine does not provide a solution to Palestine. For this reason the Commis the problem, neither is it workable. It sion recommends that H~ifa, an im denies the inhabitants of Palestine the portant naval base and head of the right of national self-determination oil pipe-line from Kirkuk, should be and puts obstacles in the way of Jew retained under mandatory control for ish development in common citizen an indefinite period. By the recom ship with Moslems and Christians. mendation that a permanent British Partition is against the economic and mandate be established over an en commercial interests of both Arabs clave running inland from Jaffa to a and Jews, and would aggravate and point east of Jerusalem, and a man not diminish the tension. The creation date over a second enclave on the of two separate states would produce northwest coast of the Gulf of Aqaba, friction over frontiers, tariffs, limited Britain will have a firm footing in access to the sea. Palestine and control of access to the The most fantastic and mischievous Red Sea. proposition, however, is the offer to forcible expropriation of almost a "OFFER" OR THREAT quarter of a million Arabs, although It is significant that the "offer" of the Royal Commission admits that it partition is made with 18,ooo armed is not known whether there is suitable forces standing by in Palestine, rein land available to settle these Arabs. forcements ready .to move, the battle Furthermore, the wishes of the Arabs cruiser Repulse at Haifa, and Com are not considered; just because they munists imprisoned or deported as a happen to be living within the terri precautionary measure. The Govern tory assigned by the Commissioners to ment's Statement of Policy announces the Jewish state they are to be evicted. that the Palestine Government will The creation of a corridor dividing not hesitate to impose martial law the Jewish state into two will un should it be considered necessary. doubtedly provide a basis for fric The Arab and Jewish problem, tion. It is clear from the above few which the British Government is con examples that, should partition be cerned now to liquidate by partition, affected, Palestine, thus divided, would was created by the policy of British become a virtual powder magazine. imperialism in its operation of the There is no justification for the mandate. For centuries Arabs and denial of self-determination to the Jews have lived together in harmony. Arab people. At the same time it is Prior to the advent of British rule in incumbent on the Arabs to guarantee Palestine, 6o,ooo Jews lived in friendly equal democratic, civil and cultural relationship with the Arab popula rights for Jews within an independent tion. It is proposed now that the man Palestine or wider Arab state. date be terminated. The problem is The Communist Party fully sympa now to be solved by partition in com thizes with the position of the Jews. plete disregard of the views and wishes For centuries the Jewish people have FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS 86g been the object of vicious persecution U.S.S.R., which has just ended, has in many ·so-called civilized countries. unanimously ratified the new suffrage The whole situation has been aggre law of the Socialist state. This law, vated since Hitler came to power. which for the first time in the history Anti-Semitism, the weapon of fascism, of mankind fully answers the needs must be fought. Along with the work of the broadest masses of the people, ing class of all countries, the Jewish will translate into life the great prin people have played an heroic part ciples of the Stalinist Constitution, in this fight. will carry into practice an actual, The illusion of a national home genuine, universal suffrage, based for the Jews in Palestine is now ex upon the material economic and po ploded. Only the smallest minority of litical setup of the new socialist Jews could hope to escape from the order. terror of the fascist countries to Presently, the Soviets will .begin to Palestine. Immigration, therefore, is prepare for the coming elections. no solution. And these elections will be as differ The question of immigration can ent from the sham elections of the be dealt with only by a democratically capitalistic countries as night from elected government representative of day. There, criminal demagogy, the the whole population of Palestine and most sordid machinations, the most cannot be forced upon the people involved intrigues contingent upon against their will. the age, sex, education and social and We therefore demand the termina property status of the voter, are used tion of the mandate, the withdrawal by the cunning falsifiers of so-called of troops and garrisons from Palestine. universal suffrage, for the purpose of The proposal to partition Palestine converting it into a vicious farce di against the wishes of both Arabs and rected always against the interests of Jews calls for the immediate coopera the mass of the people. tion of the people of Palestine, irre What question can there be of uni spective of religion, in the face of versal suffrage in the majority of capi common danger: talistic countries, when their women Cooperation on the basis of the (that is, a good half of the popuia. demand for the termination of the tion) are .altogether deprived of these mandate; the recognition of an inde rights? It is only in the Soviet Union pendent Arab state with full rights that a woman-a genuinely free citi of citizenship for the jews; and the zen-enjoys the voting right on an institution of a democratically-elected equal basis with a man; nor is this legislative assembly. right a fiction or a sham-it is a right fortified by the general position of a ~OVIET WOMEN TO THE FORE woman in the Soviets, where she is IN THE SOVIETS! an active builder of socialism, a po Pravda, Moscow, July II, I937· litical force, and a happy mother of her children. HE Fourth Session of the Central It was not without reason that T Executive Committee of the Article I37 of the Stalinist Constitu- THE COMMUNIST tion, which deals with the equality of "They speak of equal voting rights for women, has been met with such en all citizens, but in the same breath they limit these rights by the issues of residence, thusiasm and pride by the toilers of of educational and even property qualifica the entire world, and has aroused .tions. They talk about the equal rightS of such bitterness and hatred among the citizens, but immediately they make the foes of the Soviet coun~ry. The bour reservation that these do not refer to women, geoisie, the fascists, and the Trotsky or refer to them only in part.'' ite-Bukharinist spies understand well The foregoing words of Comrade the popularity, the full significance of Stalin, in his Report of the special the realization of the dreams of the Eighth All-Union Congress of Soviets, multi-millioned masses of mankind refer to the constitutions of so-called for the first time, by the Soviet power. democratic countries. An eloquent fact: There are 15,ooo,ooo women in WOMEN' UNDER FASCISM a population of 42,ooo,ooo in present The fascist rule_rs, dreading more day bourgeois-democratic France who, than anything else the masses of the together with the army and navy, are people, frankly and cynically trample completely deprived of the right to on all the rights of the workers. Fas vote. It was only very recently that the cist Germany, arming for the "Big People's Front government of France War," needs cannon fodder. "Women decided to include in its offices as should be servants of the nation and Assistant Minister the daughter of bear it soldiers" -the contemporary the famous scientist M. and Mme. fascist vandals bellow. Curie, discoverers of radium. She her Fascism and democratic representa self is a world famous scientist. But in tion are diametrically opposed con order that she might take the govern cepts. One excludes the other. In ment office she was obliged, in con fascist Germany representative bodies formity with French law, to receive have been abolished. There, of course, permission from-her husband. In there can be no question of women's modern France the family right is to rights. A woman has only one right: this very day regulated in essence by the right to a poverty which forces the Napoleon Bonaparte Code. her to suicide when the sight of the In England, where the bourgeoisie suffering of her hungry children is is especially boastful of its democracy, no longer bearable. It is not for noth women received the right to vote only ing that in Hitler Germany suicide in 1918, and up to the late date of has assumed the nature of an epi 1928 only women of thirty or over demic! In military-fascist Japan vot were allowed to participate in the ing rights (which, by the way, are elections. But even then, a woman, considered "universal") are denied in order to vote, had to have "some above all to soldiers, women and stu property," or else be the wife of a dents. The fascists want to reduce person who had the vote. women to abject slavery; but women But even where a woman is granted hate the fascist regime which inflicts the right to vote, in actuality she can war and destruction upon their not enjoy its advantages. In the eco children. nomic and political sense, she remains FROM THE WORLD COMMUNIST PRESS dependent-for "a genuine emanci Party of Lenin-Stalin guides her. pation only exists where exploitation The elections activities of the So has been exterminated, where there viet women are developing constantly. is no oppression of man by man, Already at present the women of col where there are no unemployment lective farms, in their active participa and poverty, and where a man does tion in the elections, hardly lag be not live in the day-to-day fear of los hind the women in the cities. ing his work, home and bread." There were 378 women delegates at (Stalin.) Only the hypocrites and the Seventh All-Union Congress of dissemblers of the Second Interna Soviets, and 419 participated in the tional can praise the humaneness and special Eighth All-Union Congress of democracy of the bourgeois order Soviets; whereas, at the First All whith is rotted through and through! Union Congress of Soviets there were only 49 women delegates present. At WOMEN UNDER SOCIALISM present there are 101 women who are It is only in the Soviet Union that members of the Central Executive woman Jives a full political life. Hav Committee of the U.S.S~R. In what ing learned to utilize the rights be capitalist country do we see such a stowed upon her by the great October picture? socialist revolution, she daily develops The Soviet women work with great a broader initiative, creativeness and enjoyment and enthusiasm in the talent. In the Soviet Union the wom most diverse fields of Soviet construc en are active participants in the social tion. Small wonder that 1,305 women life of the country. in the U.S.S.R. have been awarded The Soviet woman takes interest the highest order of the country-the and part in every enterprise of her Order of the Union; and 349 of these country-from the organization of the have been awarded the Order of creches and village libraries to gov Lenin! ernment projects, gigantic construc Woman is a tremendous source of tions, and heroic ventures in aviation. power for the fortification and better The women learn through practice ment of work in the Soviets. A woman how to govern the country. Thou deputy justifies the faith of her voter. sands of fine women-Stakhanovites, Now, as never before, we are facing industrial workers, women collective the vital problem of more boldly ad farmers, sports-women, brave, cmu vancing women into the leading ranks ageous young girls, youthful patriots of the builders of socialism; into the who recently have gone to conquer very leadership. In this question, in the richest part of our country, the decision or bureaucracy would prove Far East-all have proved what the most detrimental. Soviet woman is capable of. It is not Make way for women in the So for nothing that the Soviet govern viets-they are ardent patriots of the ment guards her interests, that the socialist fatherland! RECENT PUBLICATIONS ACKNOWLEDGED BOOKS Workers Library Publishers, New The Period of War Communism. York. 10 cents. V. I. Lenin. International Publish A Manual of Industrial Unionism. ers, New York. 460 pp. $2.00. William Z. Foster. Workers Library The History of Anarchism in Russia. Publishers, New York. 10 cents. E. Yaroslavsky. International Pub Mother Bloor 75th Birthday Sou lishers, Ne'V York. 127 pp. 25 cents. venir Book. Mother Bloor Celebra Technological Trends and National tion Committee. Workers . Library Policy. Report of the Sub-Commit Publishers. 15 cents. tee on Technology to the National Catholics Speak for Spain. 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