Workers of (he World, Unite! MURRAY on 'MORALITY 7 OF DUTCH BLITZKRIEG AGAINST INDONESIANS ••• See Page 3 — THE MILITANT PUBLISHED WEEKLY IN THE INTERESTS OF THE WORKING PEOPLE V ol. X III - No. 1 267 NEW YORK, N. Y., MONDAY JANUAY 3, 1949 PRICE: FIVE CENTS SWP Plenum a Opens Offensive Dubinsky Deals Stab-in-Back O n A nti-Marxists National Body Outlines Program to Defend To Labor in Taft-Hartley Fight Union Democracy, Labor Independence N E W YO RK , Dec. 27— The 20th Anniversary Plenum of the Socialist Workers Party, which concluded here tonight, NMII Chiefs Copy mapped out an ideological and political counter-offensive against ILGWU Bureaucrats Peddle all the enemies of Marxism in®----------------------------------------------- CP Methods in the labor movement. elected National Secretary, and Taking advantage of the crimes M. Stein was again chosen as OwnAnti-Strike'Substitutes’ Organization Secretary. A Trade Purge of Stalinists of Stalinism, the top union of­ By Art Preis ficials and their Social-Democratic Union Department was establish­ By Ralph Bell ed, with Bert Cochran, veteran allies are waging a war of distor­ The anti-Stalinist purge in tion and defamation against the CIO leader, as chairman. While basking in the sunshine of swanky Miami Marxist program for the socialist Farrell Dobbs, presidential the C IO National Maritime candidate in 1948 and for many Beach, Fla., the well-heeled bureaucrats on the gen-i liberation of mankind. At the Union was accelerated last week years editor of The M ilitant, war same time they are attacking with the expulsion of three prom­ eral executive board of the AFL International Ladies elected National Chairman of the democracy in the unions and inent Stalinists and the suspen­ SWP. Dobbs, who was the Party’s Garment Workers Union ' h fastening their dictatorial grip on sion fo r one year of four others banner bearer in the election the workers, aiding and abetting on charges of “anti-union activi­ announced on Dec. 26 campaign, w ill now continue, :r the schemes of the capitalist gov­ ty.” Under the general head of details of a proposed “ substi­ the capacity of party chairman ernment to deprive the unions of “anti-union activity” were includ­ tute” for the Taft-Hartley Act their independence. the activity he began during the ed such charges as participating that has promptly been dubbec presidential campaign. He will in an illegal meeting, circulating The campaign of the SWP to (he “ Bubinsky-Taft-Hartlcy Bill.’ testify before congressional com­ literature containing slanderous strengthen and advance the Marx­ ILGWU President David Dubin­ mittees and utilize all possible attacks on union officials and ist program in the labor move­ sky—whom the Big Business press mediums of expression to publicize disruption of union meetings. ment w ill begin w ith the follow­ nas frequently praised as the the program of the party. The tria l was strongly remi­ ing measures decided on by the niscent 6f the technique perfected “ most responsible” and “ states­ plenum: CANNON’S REPORT by the Stalinists in dealing with manlike” union leader in the 1. An organized and well-in­ The report that aroused the union opponents during their country—is the chief author of legrated campaign in the ideo­ greatest, discussion of the two period in office. It was a mass this first “substitute” anti-labor logical, theoretical and political day sessions was the one bj trial in which diverse elements bill put forward by any major spheres against the enemies of Cannon on “ New Problems of were lumped together in a group union. But it is widely know- Marxism in the labor movement, the American Labor Movement.’ and voted on as a whole. Included that Dubinsky and’ other AFL whose sinister influence has been The growth and consolidation of with the Stalinists were individ­ top leaders held a secret meeting growing in recent years. a conservative labor bureaucracy uals charged with such offenses with Truman in the White House 2. A struggle to defend demo­ he said, and its alliance with as shipping o ff the dock, use of several weeks ago at which the cracy in the unions, for the in­ Social Democrats and renegade: deadly weapons, defacing union AFL heads made far-reaching dependence of the unions from in support of American imperial­ shipping cards, etc. The latter commitments on a new labor- the government, and fo r in­ ism, obliges the Marxists to re­ came off with the lightest penal­ control law. dependent labor political action. examine the situation in the ties. Dubinsky’s “ substitute” law St. An intensified campaign labor movement and define their The tria l committee was a would go beyond even what Tru­ against the current witch-hunt, methods of struggle more “hanging committee” composed of man is reported to be seeking in administration adherents. The with the objective of defeating precisely. the way of union-curbing legisla­ thg government’s attempts to count was taken by administra­ tion. It would foist on all Amer­ The early days . of the move­ tion-appointed counters. A re­ DAVID DUBINSKY outlaw or half-outlaw the SWP ment, Cannon recalled, were of ican labor a law modeled on the and other working class organ­ quest by the accused that the notorious Railway Labor Act the Taft-JIaitlcy Act arid' the necessity a 1 m o s't exclusively count be checked by their own izations through the “subversive” that has hamstrung the railroad Railway Labor Act, for stalling devoted to. theoretical exposition counters was rejected by the ad­ Who Will Do Planning blacklist. and polemic, designed to combat workers since the first World o ff union demands and halting ministration chairman. The ac­ militant union struggle. 4. An extension of the effec­ the degeneration of Stalinism, to cused were required to speak War and driven them from first tive propaganda and agitation work out the party’s program to 20th position in comparative This proposal is all the more first, w ith the last word reserved treacherous coming at the very methods developed in the presi­ and to assemble the cadres of the for President Joseph Curran, the Under U. S. Socialism ? wages with other industries. It time one million members of 16 dential election campaign. organization. In recent years the main architect of the purge. would give the capitalist govern­ By Farrell Dobbs non-operating railroad unions are 5. A strengthened SWP staff, SWP devoted itself increasingly A fter Curran completed a ment exceptional powers to in­ increasing the striking power of to practical work of organization twenty minute attack on the ac­ The nature of planning under socialism is described by Farrell Dobbs, National Chairman terfere in internal union affairs, being stalled by a “ cooling o ff” period after months of fruitless the Trotskyist press, improving and general anti-capitalist agita­ cused, discussion was immediately of the Socialist Workers Party, in the following letter to Sylvia E. Porter, columnist on the regulate the unions, break strikes the direction and coordination of and otherwise fulfill the aims of negotiations, climaxed by a dirty tion. The 1948 presidential cam­ closed and a vote taken. Observers New York Post. the party’s work in the trade paign was the highest point of at the union meeting concede that the Taft-Hartley Act itself. deal handed them by the gov­ December 29, 1948 man needs and to erect a new that only the rich can now afford unions and other mass organiza­ the party’s activity in this field. i f an accurate count had been ernment’s “ fact-finding” board. tions. taken of the hand vote, the report, Dear Miss Porter, culture not for an elite but for w ill be enjoyed by everybody. MAJOR FEATURES This board rejected all the unions’ In the next period, however, Your column of Dec. 21 in the the mass of the people. While collective ownership will James P. Cannon, the founder Cannon warned, the party must of the trial committe would have The major feature of Dubin­ basic demands. For instance, been rejected. As it was, the N. Y. Post reports that Norman Socialism w ill abolish the cap­ prevail in the means of produc­ sky’s proposed stab-in-the-back when the unions asked for a 40- of American Trotskyism, was re­ (Continued on Page 2) Thomas, in an interview on the official tally recorded was 1,172 ita list system of causing a rtificial tion, each person w ill retain p ri­ at American labor is the provi­ hour instead of the present 48- radio program “ Meet the Press,” to accept the trial committee re? scarcities in order to coin huge vate ownership of his fa ir share sions fo r blocking strikes in so- hour veck, with premium pay failed to answer your questions corporation profits. Wealthy cor­ of the fruits of production. port with 667 opposed. The de­ called “ vital” industries through for Saturdays, Sundays and holi­ about economic planning under poration owners will no longer mand for a recount was summari­ You may object that this is mere days, the board offered a 40-hour socialism. You ask if “ any social­ “ theory,” not ‘’practice.” For you compulsory “ cooling off” periods Stalinist Legislator in Ceylon ly refused. live in fantastic luxury at the staggered work week, without ist among you” wants to try his expense of the great mass of the spy in your column, “ To date, no and “ fa ct-fin d in g ” government premium pay on week-ends and “THEIR OWN MEDICINE” hand at it? I accept your invita­ people. The basic means of pro­ one has shown me how to avoid bo:irds.