The Daily Worker Newspaper, May 23, 1925, Page 14

¥ ne ee A RA A RAN ASEAN STORRS er en NER A A HN RRS ERASE English Pacifism and English Aversion to Theory (Continued from page 1) ment, let us not attach too much im- portance to numbers and the appear- ance of outward strength. A few thousand with enthusiastic faith and determination are stronger than a mil- lion of more cautious and respectable people. And there is no greater dan- ger for the socialist movement than the danger of becoming an accepted institution.** j As we see this is a naive, not well thought-out theoretically, but a thoro- ly right exhortation against allowing socialism to become rotten and a sum- mons to revolutionary struggle. THAT is Blatchford’s reply to this? “That war is caused by capital- ist and militarist interests, all this is quite true. And I am striving, not less than any other socialist, for peace and the overcoming of capitalism by socialism. But Sinclair will not -con- vince me by means of rhetorical and beautiful phrases, he will not be able to get away from the facts. Facts, ** Re-translated from the Russian. my dear Sinclair, are obstinate things and the German’ danger is a fact. Neither we nor the German socfal- ists are in a position to prevent war, Sinclair tremendously overestimates our forces. We are not united, we have neither money, nor weapons nor discipline. There only remains one things for us: to help the English government to increase its fleet, as. there is and can be no other guarantee for peace.” ‘ On the continent of Europe fhe chauvinists, neither before nor after the outbreak of the war have ever proclaimed themselves so openly. In Germany there prevails in the place of such sincerity the hypocrisy of Kaut- sky and the playing with sophism; the same is the case with Plekhanoff. It is especially instructive therefore to observe the conditions in a more developed country. Here it is impos- sible to mislead anybody by sophistry and by a travesty of Marxism. Here, the questions are stated directly and correctly. Let us learn from the “ad- vanced English.** ** Re-translated from the Russian. Sinclair in his appeal, altho this ap- peal is at bottom thoroly correct—is naive, as he has neglected to observe the 60 years development of the so- clalist mass movement and the strug- gles of tendencies within this mass movement; he fails to observe the conditions of growth of revolutionary action along with the existence of an objective revolutionary situation and a révolutionary organization. One cannot make up for this lack by “sen- timent.” One cannot by means of rhetoric evade the hard and ruthless fight of powerful tendencies in social- ism——the opportunist and the revolu- tionary tendency, LATCHFORD badly proclaims the truth, and puts forward the con- cealed argument of the Kautskyites who fear to speak the truth. We are still weak and that is all—say Blatch- ford. But thru his sincerity he imme- diately reveals and lays bare his op- portunism, his chauvinism. That lte serves the bourgeoisie and the oppor- tunists is to be seen at once. After having admitted the “weakness” of socialism, he weakens it himself by advocating an anti-soctalist bourgeois policy. Like Sinclair; but on the other side, not as a fighter but as a coward not as a hot-head but as a traitor, he also fails to-take into account the conditions for the creation of a revo- lutionary situation. But in his practical conclusions and in his policy (renunciation of revolu- tionary action and of the propagation and preparation of this action), Blatchford, the vulgar chauvinist, fol- lows precisely the same path as Ple- chanov and Kautsky. Marxist phrases have nowadays be- come a Cloak for the complete denial of Marxism. In order to be Marxist one must expose the “sham Marxist saintliness” of the leaders of the 2nd International, one must fearlessly ‘keep in view the struggle of two ten- dencies in socialism and think out the questions of this struggle to their logical conclusion. This is the infer- ence to be drawn. from the English conditions which reveal to us the Marxist essence of the matter without Marxist phrases. REMARKS TO THE MILITANT PARENTS By NAT KAPLAN. N the Communist Children’s Movement, the Junior section of the Young Workers’ League the basis for the new, more realistic, relationship be- tween adults and children is being laid. This is demonstrated on the one hand by the methods used by the group leaders (in the main members of the initiative and self activity instincts of the child; the development of its observing instincts thru which it ac- quires material for its self instruction, etc., and on the other hand, by draw- ing the parents into the life and strug- gle of the children, thru the creation of parents’ conferences and proletari- an parents’ school councils. ~ Why raise this issue of a new re lationship between adults and chil- dtpa? ‘Stmply because the old rela- tfonship—the one in force at the pres- ent time is an utterly false one, is based on the bourgeois conception of the “right of the stronger,” and as such must be completely discarded. The wielding of an unpremeditated, nonsensical discipline over the child, by virtue of the economic and physi- cal domination of the adult over the child, in no wise can be conceived as the guiding of the child along a cor- rect line of procedure. Im only one sense can the adult gain superiority over the child for the safe of guiding its actions and that is by acquiring a greater knowledge and a more keen- ly developed mentality than the child itself. Hence, Herbert Spencer in ad- dressing himself to parents at large has ably remarked: “In brief, you will have to carry on your higher edu- cation as the same time that you are educating your children.” One of the first lessons to be learned in this course of “higher education” is that adults and children must meet on an equal plane of comradeship, that only to the extent that the adult is able to win the confidence and friendship of the child, is he able to guide and lead that child in the acquiring of knowledge and in its general activ- ities. Militant Parents Must Line Up. For the Communist parents and the militant parents of the labor move- ment there can be no better start made in this direction than by acquir- ing a knowledge “of the principles at work in the Communist children’s ‘movement. Once this is realistically undertaken, we will no longer hear of the many cases of radical parents who have obstructed the class strug- gle activities of the young rebels by a parential treat, a castigation, or even by depriving the child of a meal. We will then see the parents taking the initiative in the creation of school councils. We will see them setting up committees to visit the school au- thorities and presenting the demands of the children. We will see them helping in every manner possible to * strengthen the school organization of the children—the school nuclei of the Y. W. L.) in the development of the 0 Junior section and even helping to lead the concerted actions of the children against the school authori- ties, against the nationalist and re- ligidus dope peddled under the guise of “education” and against the gen- eral miserable conditions of the prole- tarian child in our citadels of learn- ing. The American bourgeoisie has long recognized the necessity of co- ordinating the home life of the. child with its life within the public ‘schools. For this purpose they have set up powerful parent-teacher associations which are decidedly reactionary in character. The answer to the Ameri- can bourgeoisie on this field must be the united front between the prole- tarian parents and their offspring in the children’s struggle and the class struggle at large. Wherein the Principles Are Contained In order to make th‘s start the militant parents will have to acquaint themselves with the literature on the Communist children’s movement. The international theoretical and practical publication of the Communist chil- dren’s movement is known as “The JOHN REED JUNIORS’ AFFAIR COMES OFF TODAY, MAY 23RD The John Reed Juniors’ affair, the surprise party and dance, will be held this Saturday, May 23, at the Workers’ House, 1902 W. Division St. They have a splendid program, a surprise and dance, and a speaker direct from Russia, Comrade Max Shachtman, editor of the Young Worker, who will bring greetings frmo the Russian Pioneers. Admis- sion Is the cheapest in town, only 20 cents for adults, and 10 cents for children. Come! J. KAPLAN MERCHANT TAILOR Suits Made to Order at Reasonable Prices 3546 ARMITAGE AVENUE Phone Albany 9400 Philadelphia, Notice! Weber Printing Co. 350 N. FIFTH STREET, Philadelphia, Pa, Bulletin for the Leaders of Commun- ist Children’s Groups” and is publish- ed by the executive of the Young Com- munist International. Volume No. 2, Issue ™% of the Bulletin (Ten Cents, Y. W. L., 1118 W. Washington St.) has just arrived from the publishing house. This issue is decidedly up to its standard. Under the title: “The Character of our Work in the Com- munist Children’s Group,” Comrade Gertrude Graeser has a very clear article dealing with the systematiza- tioon of the educational work in the C. C. G. She divides the subject into two main features: (a) The training of the leaders, and (b) The education of the children. The important feat- ure of this article is the plan of edu- cational work that the writer presents us, which is especially adaptable to the 12 to 14-year-old children (Those who are about to leave public school and are entering the Young Commun- ist Movement). Comrade Sigi Bammatter wrftes in this issue on the necessity of “A closer organizational-form for the C. Cc. G.” The American Junior section comes in for special mention as hay- ing maintained a compact, centralized organizational form for its children’s movement from the very start. Other important and interesting features of the issue are: A discus- sion statement on the reorganization of the Communist children’s groups on the basis of school nuclei. An ar- ticle by Comrade Rosa Moeller on the New Generation in Soviet Russia, a contribution to the question of the “New Humanity,” which clearly de- scribes the lot of the child in the U. S. S. R. at the present time; an ar- ticle dealing with the formation of the Young Spartacist League in Ger- many to replace the loosely knit Com- munist children’s groups. Two highly instructive articles on the functions of the Young Pioneers in Soviet Russia with its 700,000 young members. Two interesting reports from. Great Britain and America and an article portray- ing the literary achievements of the children in accurately».picturing the conditions of the workers’ children in the capitalist countries. You should not miss the opportunity of securing your copy at once. Soviets Open Bank In Turkey MOSCOW—(By Mail):—It is re ported from Constantinople that the Bank for external commerce of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Constantinople branch office) was of- ficially inaugurated in the presence of the highest Turkish authorities, the prefect of the capital and numerous deputies and representatives of the financial and commercial world and the press. TEN YEARS OF LABOR MUSIC! A Concert in Honor of JACOB SCHAFER Director of the Freiheit Singing Society and the Freiheit Mandolin Orchestra COMPOSER OF WORKING CLASS MUSIC First Appearance of the Freiheit Children’s Chorus SUNDAY, MAY 24th, - 2:30 P.M. .- at the STUDEBAKER THEATER 418 S. Michigan Blvd. Chicago Tickets tor sale by Fretheit Singing Society, 3837 Roosevelt Road; Daily Worker Office, 1113 W. Washington Blvd,; Local Chicago W. P. Office, 19 S. Lincoln St. Fy eh Sc atalriertintie a