Published Weekly as the Organ of the Socialist Party of New York, Left Wing Branches. Vol. II. - No. 2. 40) Saturday, January 8, 1938 5 Cents per Copy To Fight War Plans WarFightToNewParty Formed; ìi Convention Resolutions Stress Left Wing Delegates Found Fight on War, Mass Work, Defense Socialist Workers Party of Soviet U nion by New Party at Convention in Chicago The Convention of the revolutionary socialists " It is entirely inconceivable that American im­ meeting in Chicago over the New Year’s Day perialism can succeed in resisting the inexorable week-end devoted most of its sessions to a serious tendencies that are pulling it into the vortex of CHICAGO, 111. — The most impressive convention consideration of the problems facing the Ameri­ the coming World War. The United States is to­ of the revolutionary movement in America during the can and the interrfational working class. The day the strongest world power. The bases of its past decade was being held here this week by the rank results of,its deliberations, embodied in the réso­ economic and political strength extend over every and file of the Socialist party left wing branches who had lvio ns adopted, will be published in full in sub- continent, and the shocks and convulsions of ca­ «jaqUrent issues o f .the Socialist Appeal. In the pitalism anywhere in the world have their im­ been expelled by Norman Thamas and his executive com­ jçùfrent issue we will confine ourselves only to mediate, direct or indirect, effects upon this mittee for the advocacy of their revolutionary Marxist the most striking passages in the main resolutions country. This is expressed in military terms by views. T>- towards a raging crisis is already that were passed, in order to give a general im­ the fact that, despite the virtually invulnerable Over 100 regular and fraternal unmistakable.” geographic position of the United States, its ar­ pression of the spirit and policies of the convention. delegates representing in th:*r Stressing the democratic na­ maments program today is the largest in its peace­ majority trade union workers ture of the inner life of the re­ Political Resolution Points to W ar time history, adjusted to the objectives of world were registered and meeting in volutionary party, Shachtman Danger conquest rather than to the myth of self-contained sessions that began promptly on said, "Democratic centralism, isolation. Politically, it was expressed in the d eal­ Friday morning, December 31. which is our principle of orga­ The Political Resolution analyzes the role of est terms in the aggressive, interventionist speech After a brief speech of wel­ nization, Is based in the first American imperialism and the task of the social­ of Roosevelt in Chicago, announcing the determi- come by Albert Goldman, Chica­ place upon a common adherence ists in the coming war as follows: (Continued on page 2) go labor attorney, the convention to the fundamental program of plunged into the intensive and the party. It implies the free extensive work before it. exchange of opinion, the right of discussion, presentation of and W ar Crisis Looms defense of views within the Appeal View Confirmed in Convention I j The first major report was dc- frame-work of the principles of j ivered by Max Shachtman, revolutionary Marxism, the un­ editor of the New International, impaired light of the member- Sidelights Ion the political perspectives of ship to decide freely the policy of the United States and the tasks the organization and to select “Robinson” -GPU Mystery of the revolutionary movement. its leadership.” Riding the rails, thumbing their " It is entirely inconceivable way, traveling by train and car, I that American imperialism can Stalinist ‘Democracy’ By Junius Delegates coming to the conven­ succeed in resisting the inexorab­ tion represented all sections of le tendencies that are pulling it "The ‘democracy’ of the Sta­ While the powers that be in Washington and Moscow the country and a wide variety into the vortex of the coming i linist parties is confined to the continued all last week trying to make up their minds of backgrounds, and experiences. world war,” Shachtman declared, j ‘right’ of the party membership to carry out unquestioningly all .what to do about the “ Robinson”-Rubens case, which now Here are a few, picked at random. * ❖ $ " If the working class is unable ' the decisions arbitrarily arrived to prevent the outbreak of war. ^ a bureaucratica])y api)0int- bids fair to be a Frankenstein monster capable of devour­ California: The honor of tra­ and the united States enters di- ed leadership over which the ing its creators, a few facts leaked into the capitalist press veling the longest distance to the 1 rectly into it., our party stands for the first time, penetrating the wall of silence which Convention goes to two young ranks of that party have abso­ pledged to the traditional posi­ lutely no control." had previously prevailed. comrades from Fresno, who mad? tion of revolutionary marxism." upon foreign Trotskyist move­ the trip the hard way, by hitch- | The resolution on political per­ A significant dispatch from ments and a spy scare against iking and riding the rods. They’re Defeatism Reaffirmed spectives was adopted following Washington, published in the Japan. It was reported that the concentrating at the present time a lengthy discussion. New York World Telegram of American publicity given the Ro­ on setting up party locals in the “ It will utilize the crisis of ca­ A full day was devoted to the January 4th, confirms the ana­ binson case had been received agricultural villages in the sur­ pitalist rule engendered by the problems .of the labor movement lysis of the affair made by James with great satisfaction by Soviet rounding territory, a grape grow­ war to prosecute the class strug­ and the -role of revolutionary so­ P. Cannon on December 17th authorities as ‘a fine build-up.’.... ing locality. gle with the utmost intransigen- cialists in the unions. It began and repeated 'in these columns * * * ce, to strengthen the independent with a report on the trade union "A series of coincidences, de­ last week. resolution by James P. Cannon. veloped by the investigations Minnesota: A leader in the labor and revolutionary movc- The World-Telegram dispatch ments. and to bring the war to national secretary of the Conven­ here, have drawn Washington’s Minnesota Farmers Union, John follows in part: tion Arrangements Committee. attention to the secret agent I Enestvedt, oi Olivia, Minn., is a a close by the revolutionary over­ "Informed Washington circles theory, originally put forward by living refutation of the Manhattan throw of capitalism and the i "Unity of the labor movocnent said today it is now believed that Max Shachtman and other Ame­ ' notion that Scandinavians make establishment of proletarian rule is a vital necessity and our party the mysterious Donald L. Robin­ rican Trotskyist, leaders. ! phlegmatic revolutionists. He’s in the form of the workers state," must be in the forefront of the sons, Soviet prisoners in Moscow, ! busy trying to convert what he Shachtman said. struggle to achieve that unity,” were former Soviet secret agents. Ravitch Linked to Foster terms the petty bourgeois slogan Speaking of the present eco- Cannon emphasized. He warned ;• j* The W’ashington theory, it | “ Land to the peasants” into nomie situation, the reporter that unity which did not include was learned, is that the Robin­ " It was learned that new study “ Land to the Teamsters Joint .pointed out that, "it is possible a class struggle program against son arrests were to be followe I has been given to the part play­ Council and the Farmhands." ¡that the full development of the *ke bosses, a recognition of the by a new series of confession ed in the case by Helen Ravitch, I The Twin Cities sent a delega­ present recession into a deep crisis rights of industrial unionism, trials in Russia. director of the Drama Trav :1 tion of about 15 delegates and se- may be temporarily arrested by a no’ democracy for the rank and ¿“- '‘Major objects of the new League Bureau, who receipted ! veral alternates and visitors. It a certain period of economic up- would become meaningless, trials would have been an attack (Continued on page 8) (Continued on page 2) turn, but the line of development1 (Continued on page 2) 2 SOCIALIST APPEAL January 8, 1938 The main responsibility for the split two years ago SOCIALIST APPEAL unquestionably lies on the shoulders of the A .F . of L. bureaucracy. By its reactionary control of Vol'. II. - No. 2. Saturday, Jan. 8, 1938 the labor movement, the Executive Council of the Published every week by the A. F. of L. sought to stifle every attempt to SOCIALIST APPEAL PUBLISHING ASS’N. modify the obsolete craft union structure upon Published at 116 University Place, N. Y. which it is based, and actively sabotaged all efforts Subscriptions: $2.00 per year; $1.00 for 6 to organize the unorganized, especially in the (months. Foreign: $2.50 per year. Bundle order mass-production industries, on an industrial, that 3 cents per copy. Single copies 5 cents. is, on the only conceivable basis. All checks and money orders should be made "The formation of the C .I.O ., its fight against out to the Socialist Appeal. the Green-Woll-Frey machine, its decisive plunge into the work of organizing the masses of the (Continued from page 1) by B. J. Widick, former research Entered as second-class matter September 1, unskilled in the key industries, were progressive director of the United Rubber 1937 at the post office at New York, New York, steps and more than warranted the active support Workers of America.