The Daily Worker Newspaper, December 20, 1924, Page 6

Lore and the Comintern Third Article. Comrade Lore and the October Events in Germany.—Comrade Lore. and MacDonald.—Comrade Lore and the Communist International. As early as May 15, 1921, the “Volks- zeitung” expressed its opinion on the advisability of aggressive revolution- ary action in times of a receding re- volutionary wave in the following form: “What happened in Italy after Li- vorno is known to us. The new Com- munist Party immediately began an aggressive offensive policy and it accomplished by it that the fascist organization, previously insig- nificant, met the offensive with still sharper attacks and so drove the Com- munists from an offensive to a de- fensive position. Not the red, but the white terror now reigns in Italy.” These remarks may serve as a key note to Comrade Lore’s attitude towards revolutionary action. Com- rade Lore was averse to revolution- ary battles of the working class, pro- ceeding from a general assumption that Europe was not ripe for revolu- tion. Comrade Lore considered ap- peals to revolutionary battles untime- ly and therefore, .disastrous to the working c!css. His attitude towards the October events in Germany is a point in case It is now conceded even by the right wing of the German Communists thai the situation in Germany in October, 1923, offered unusual revolutionary possibilities, that the bourgeoisie was in a state of confusion, that its power was weakened, and that the working clars was only waiting for leadership to storn. the mainstays of capitalism in Germany. It was lack of activity on the part of the central committee of the Communist Party of Ger nany, and it was an opportunist notion con- cerning the united front with the Saxony social-democrats in the goyv- ernment of Saxony that turned the October events inte a defeat of the working class. This policy of inac- tivity was subsequently repudiated by the German rank and file Communists who at the Frankfort convention (March, 1924) elected a left wing central committee, and also by the fifth congress of the Communist In- ternational. It is significant, how- ever, that Comrade Lore, without di- rectly communicating with the Ger- man Communisis, maintained in New York the idea that the Communist Party of Germany should not lead the German workers into decisive battles, should, on the contrary, restrain the workers from spontaneous outbursts and revolts, In an editorial entitled “Hunger, not Communism,” in the “Volkszei- tung” of Oct. 25, 1923, he expresses the idea that revolts in Germany are a result of hunger and not of a reyolu- ticnary plan conceived by the Com- munist Party, because, in his opin- ion, there are no objective. possibili- ties of a revolution in Germany. The revolt in Hamburg, Bremen and oth- er German cities he considered to be hunger riots which should be kept within limits. “The Communist move- ment works” he writes, “in Germany as elsewhere, for the social revolu- tion. But it does not conduct a pol- icy of adventurism. It chooses the most favorable time for its aim of so- cial overthrow in order to be able to deal capitalist society the decisive blow. This is particularly true about the German Communist Party at pres- ent: It is hunger that drives the masses'to despair. It is the intoler able misery which drives the masses into the streets, which compels them to plunder shops and warehouses ful! of foodstuffs and commodities of every kind. And when the natural im pulse, the wish to live and not to starve, finally moves them to actions which, while certainly not bringing a liberation from under the capitalis yoke, still bring a momentary relief from the hunger, then it is only a self-understood duty of the Commun- ists to put themselves in the ranks of the rebels, to aid them with ad- vice and action, and to take the best care that the greatest possible ad- vantage be gained with the least num- ber of sacrifices. The Ger- man Communists do not cause hunger tevolis but they do not leave the hungry ones who are driven to despair in the hour of their greatest misery. At the same time, however, the Com- munists do not wish a revolution in Germany —because at present every- thing speaks against the possibility of a success of a proletarian revolu- tionary upheavel. They therfore con- centrated their struggle against the fascisti and monarchists, against the _| constitutional” dictatorship and for securing the republic and supporting it thru a workinginen’s government in the union and thru workingmen’s governments in the individual states The Communist Party of Ger- many is placed before immensely dif- ficult tasks. It must keep the revo- lutionary fire alive, it must not, how- ever, allow the flames to shoot too high. It must take account of the de- spair of the pauperized German work- ing masses, it must, however, only educate for struggle those who are ready for struggle, knowing that the struggle will be fought out only when victory is possible.” (Blackface mine. —M. J. 0.) Comrade Lore certainly was not in favor of a revolution in Germany vhen the time was ripe for such revo- ition. The fifth congress of the Com- munist International branded such titude as opportunism, Even after the October defeat, when 's disastrous consequences were man- ‘est !o every observer, Comrade Lore defended the Gerinan Communists on 1@ ground that they did not want a revolution. Commenting on the ‘uppression of the German Commun- ist Party, Lore writes in an editorial November 24, 1923: “Even the German government au- thorities know that it was the Ger- nan Communist Party which hitherto veld the masses back; that it was the Communists who warned the despair- ng and pauperized masses against ac- tions of despair, against useless sacri- tices. They know that if it were not for the strong Communist movement in Germany, a guerrilla warfare would have long broken out in Germany. ” Comrade Lore praises the German Communists for preventing guerrilla warfare against capitalism in Ger- many. Comrade Lore sees in this a particular merit of the German com- rades. Viewing the revolutionary move- ment in Germany from such angle it was natural for Comrade Lore to maintain that the Russian comrades were also against decisive revolution- ary action on the part of the German workers in October, 1923. In an edi- torial entitled “Russia and Germany,” published in the “Volkszeitung” Oct. 26, 1923, Comrade Lore writes: “What those bourgeois and social- ist-reformist elements fail to under- stand, or claim to misunderstand, is that it is the Russian conception that the proletarian revolution in Germany should. not be overestimated either from without or by the Communist Party. The proletarian masses must be spiritually prepared for it. They must know their aim before the real struggle begins. They must not again, 's was the case in former years, step on the battlefield aimlessly and un- equipped.” Comrade Lore attributes to the Rus- sian comrades his own aversion to a decisive revolutionary upheaval. On the other hand, he is most favorably inclined towards the left social-demo- crats, particularly towards the coali- tion government in Saxony. Com- menting on the declaration in the Saxon parliament by the social-demo- cratic prime minister Zeigner, a very mild and non-revolutionary declara- tion, Comrade Lore writes in the ‘Volkszeitung” of Nov, 14, 1923: “Dr. Zeigner’s declaration in the Veople’s Parliament of Saxony which served to introduce the socialist-com- munist era, deserves a place of honor in the rank of revolutionary mani- festations.” Comrade Lore seemed to believe in the constructive possibilities of a combined socialist-Communist govern- ment. This belief in parliamentary possibilities was even more pro- nounced in his attitude towards the labor government of Great Britain. Generaliy speaking, Comrade Lore maintained a benevolent neutrality to- wards MacDonald, considering his government an “interesting experi- ment,” praising it for what Comrade Lore .considered good actions, mildly criticising it for its hesitation, and spreading the illusion that the gov- ernment of the Second International had a genuine wish to serve the inter- ests of the working class but that it was thwarted by the opposition of the liberals who held the baiance of power between the conservatives. and laborites. In an editorial of January 24, Comrade Lore writes: “We do not believe it necessary to emphasive at this point that every fabor party and labor paper meets the new British government with great sympathy, even, when, as is the case with Communist parties anc papers, they are from the very be- ginning of the conviction that w: have to deal here with nothing bu an experiment which in addition i: being undertaken with entirely in sufficient and unfitted means.” faving thus outlined his attitud of “great sympathy” towards th MacDonald government, Comrad Lore proceeds to find favorable indi- cations in the first steps of the new sovernment. Commenting on the re- lease of Ghandi, who was freed by the new government after signing a declaration of renouncing the strug- gle, Comrade Lore writes: “Here also the British prime min- ister conducts a policy which would like to sneek between two extremes without offending either. In this, however, the prime minister, who surely means well, will not succeed. it is not only a question of freeing a couple of political prisoners or to warn against excesses. The British labor party government will have to decide to declare itself either for or against the British imperialist Policy We know very well that the labor party government can not help but follow in the imperialist paths trodden by Lloyd George, Asquith, Baldwin, ete., otherwise the liberals will immediately tighten the noose whose end they hold in their hands. this being the case, the labor party men in the government should at least keep their mohtus shut on such tuestions, as long as they insist on exercising a power which is based on the good or bad will of the capitalist »oliticians.” This rather pessimistic remark seemed to indicate that Comrade Lore had its doubts as to the possibilities of a radical course of the so-called labor government. However, subse- quent articles showed that Comrade ‘Lore was rather inclined to praise the activities of the new government. Commenting on MacDonald’s discus- sion of foreign problems with invited press correspondents, Comrade Lore, an editorial of Feb. 16, 1924, put what he calls “the open diplomacy” methods of MacDonald on the same level as the methods of the Soviet Republic. The article says in part: “Soviet Russia had to conquer the confidence of the labor world and thus put the possible capitalist peace breakers in the wrong before the rest of the world. It is therefore that Tchicherin published all notes sent by him to the powers and all diplomatic papers, and it is therefore that it was impossible for the political clowns in high public and state positions to spread suspicion against the foreign policy of the Soviet Republic. Just the same is at present being aspired to by MacDonald. We do not put too great hopes on the success of Mac- Donald's foreign policy, altho Mac- Donald does not lack perspective and clarity of aims. He cannot achieve By Moissaye J. Olgin Nevertheless, it will be impossible for the British government's policy under this administration to be anything else but the first attempt at reconcillia- | tion of the nations, at the greatest ; possible avoidance of war, . at the © sharpest fight against national hatreds.” But Comrade Lore saw a bright view not only in the field of the for- eign policy. He believed the so-called labor government was opening a new era also in domestic policies. Com- menting on the impending strikes in England, Comrade Lore says in an editorial of Feb. 20, 1924: “Under the ‘liberal’ coalition of Lloyd George and- under the recent conservative government, the strikes of the British workers for the most part ended in bitter defeats. This is easily explained by the fact that the representatives of the interests of. large capitalists in the government caused all means at the disposal of the capitalist state without exception to be arrayed against the strikers. ... ‘his, however, is impossible under a abor government. MacDonald will not and cannot mobilze either the po- ice or the soldiers or even the courts n favor of the employers. Just as ‘ttle will his departments be able to tilize the unemployment doles as a ‘eapon against the strikers and for ‘e recruiting of scabs. It is therefore hat the most favorable opportunity sonceivable is now offered to the Brit- sh workers for the conduct of their struggles against capitalism.” If this is not spreading parlia- mentary illusions, what is? ee. ¢ Comrade Lore’s conception of the history and the role of the Commun- ist International was most clearly re- vealed in his article published March 5, on the occasion of the 5th anni- versary of the Communist Internation- al. After reviewing the history of the Communist International, Comrade Lore proceeds to say: : “For the first time in the history of the labor movement we see a revo- lutionary organization at work, an organization knowing only one aim and constantly accentuating this aim before the entire worid—the over- throw of the capitalist order of so- ciety, the construction of Communist society by means of the proletarian dictatorship; an organization which— and this differentiates it from’ similar organizations of previous times—uses all means capable of bringing it closer to its aim, not even stopping to ask whether it has not repudiated or even. condemned the same means a day be- fore. The Third International changes its tactics, nay, even its methods, every day, and if need be, even oft: ener. Heedlessly it strides over its own guiding principles, squashes theses accepted yesterday and adapts itself in every country to new situa- tion which may offer itself. The Com- munist International is, therefore, op- portunistic in its methods to the ex- tremest point, but since it keeps in its mind the one and only revolution- ary aim, the reformist method works for the revolution and thus loses its opportunistic character,” . If this characterization sounds more like a disguised mockery than like an appreciation of the work of the Communist International, the follow- ° ing paragraph is an open condemna- tion of all past history of the Com- munist International. The paragraph reads: “The Third International has in the five years of its existence gone thru - a8