The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 8, 1929, Page 2

| —¥héle, thruout the country, the Op- __ Two Balan By JAY LOVESTONE. ‘At this moment when the Party units are d the problems confronting u especially in order to give an estimate ¢ cent membership meetings thruout the cou First of all, me general fea- tures: The total number of mem- bers attending these meetings was far larger than in any previous Party gatherings of this character. | This is true not only absolutely but} also relatively. A larger proportion | ofthe membe was present at the meetings. This is true despite| the fact that in a number of cities | like Boston, Philadelphia and Chi-| cago, the attendance was lowered thru the absence of active Party comrades being away to the Needle} Trades Amalgamation Convention. This broader participation is even more gratifying in the light of the interference with maximum attend- ance at these meetings by the last| moment postponement and shifting of dates because of the protracted Plenum deliberations. Compare the total attendance fig- ures of 1928 with those of 1927. A year ago there participated in the membership discussion meetings} 2863 comrades. This year the total present reached 3877 Also, in this year’s discussion more comrades participated. The} debate was on a higher level. The| proportion abstaining from voting was lower. The Opposition was given equal time and equal opportunities ‘in| every respect in the presentation| and refutation by principal speak- ers as well as in the discussion from the floor. Membership Supports Central Com-| mittee. The membership meetings showed that no previous Central Committee | of our Party had as much support as the present one. In 1927, the] Central Committee received 1661 votes. This year the number in- dorsing the Central Committee’s policies rose to 2614, This is an in-} crease of almost a thousand. Last year the Opposition vote was 1130. In the recent membership meetings it was 1154; or an increase of only 24 votes for the Opposition. While the Central Committee increased its absolute vote 57 per cent the Op- position vote remained stagnant. Relatively the Central Committee’s proportionate vote increased from 58 per cent of the total in 1927 to about 70 per cent today. At the same time the Opposition’s propor- tion declined from about 40 per cent of the total in 1927 to only 29 per cent this year. One must not overlook the fact) that the Opposition mobilized its maximum strength in the member- ship meetings. In the units as al re- “held position is even weaker. Besides, a number of the most industrial sec- tions of the country, like the hard and soft coal fields of Pennsyl- vania where the ,support for the Central Committee is nearly one hundred per cent, have not had membership meetings. Particularly instructive and welcome is the fact that in the great industrial triangle of Pittsburgh, Cleveland and De- troit—the most proletarian districts of our Party—the proletarian back- bone of our Party—the Central Committee had a higher proportion and the Opposition a lower propor-| tion of strength than in the Party as a whole; namely, 75 per cent for the Central Committee and only 21 per cent for the Opposition. Note the trend. A year ago the Central Committee received only 65 per cent | of the total membership meeting | vote and the Opposition 85 per cent | in this proletarian section of the| Party. Within the year the Central | Committee’s relative proportion rose | ten per cent while the Opposition’s declined 14 per cent. Let us delve a little further into} the social composition of the voting at the membership meetings. It is precisely in those Party districts where the social composition of our Party organization is poorest and ideological level is lowest, that the Opposition is strongest. Take for instance the fact that the Opposition carried the New Haven meeting by 19 to 11 and San Francisco by 47! to 41. An analysis of the social composition of the Opposition’s vote in all the membership meetings only emphasizes still more firmly the fact that the overwhelming majority of the proletarian forces of the Party are fully supporting the Cen- tral Committee. The primary conclusion to be drawn from these voting results is that the Party is today more con- solidated and unified than ever be- fore, that the Central Committee has a broader base of support and | firmer roots in the membership than any of the preceding Central Com- mittees in our Party. Issues Debated. Now, to sketch briefly the issues before the membership meetings. In general, the decisions and policies of }ership from top to bottom, on the} {the Party organization, and on the} jurgent necessity of achieving unity |of the unreserved acceptance of the | gies jagainst the imperialist war danger, |of the membership meeting debates | vations. jthe entire Opposition at the Sixth| jwith the Communist International DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, TUES: Y, JANUARY 8, 1929 {More Crui Special emphasis |was placed by the Central Commit- tee’s representative on the danger- ous Right line manifested by the | Op tion, firstly in its underesti- mation of the poisonous influence jof the social reformist and outright bourgeois ideology on the working class on our Party; and secondly, in its underestimation of the W: Danger as a result of its analy based on the separability of inne: and outer contradictions and the er- roneous conclusion of the primacy of inner contradictions in the pres- ent world situation. It is particularly enlightening to note that since the membership meetings the Opposition has partly seen the error of its ways on |the important issue of Trotskyism as evidenced in its declaration ap- jpearing in the Daily Worker of January 7th. In the membership meetings only a few days ago the Opposition vehemently rejected pre-| cisely this criticism leveled against | it by the Central Committee repre- sentatives. Great stress was laid by the Cen- tral Committee spokesmen on the need for the convention giving the most decisive push to the proletar-| ianization of the Party and its lead- basic importance of strengthening of all Communist forces on the basis decisions of the Communist Inter- national—in order to wage a suc- cessful struggle against the Right) Danger and Trotskyism, in order to| mobilize the full forces and ener- of the Party for the fight and for the building of new unions. An especially important feature was the enthusiastic and decisive support given to the Central Com- mittee’s call for the acceptance of Comintern decisions without reser- It was made clear to the| membership that despite all of its| formal acknowledgments of accep- tance of Comintern decisions, the Bittleman-Foster Opposition _ still pursues a policy of entertaining reservations towards Communist In-| ternational decisions on important! phases of policy. For instance, the hammer and tong blows of the Cen- tral Committee representatives to move the Opposition towards a re- jection of the following reserva- tions, amongst others, on the Theses on the International Situation and the Tasks of the Comintern, made by Comrade Johnstone in behalf of! World Congress of the Communist International: “The section fails to emphasize sufficiently the growing contradic- tions confronting American imper- ialism, the increasing radicalization | of the masses and the increasing prospects for mass struggles, and the failure of the majority of the Central Committee to see these new developments and adopt policies in accord with them. “The section does not clearly re- pudiate the Right wing line of the majority leadership which has sys- tematically magnified difficulties and minimized the possibilities of struggle. . .” * © In view of the fact that exactly the same, the above, criticism which | the Opposition makes against the} Comintern World Congress Theses, it is making against the Central Committee, the representatives of the Opposition took Comrade John- stone’s declaration of disagreement as its platform in the struggle! against the Central Committee. Likewise, the plea of the Central} Committee spokesmen for the Oppo-| sition to accept without reservation the Comintern Pol-secretariat’s de- cision of September 7th, which said) that the charge that the Central) Committee is a Right wing commit- tee is unfounded, fell on deaf ears. So persistent was the Opposition in| its attitude of reservations towards Comintern decisions, that not a, single one of its representatives at} the membership meetings would un- reservedly indorse the Communist International Pol-secretariat letter of November 21st, criticizing in part, | | very properly, the Central Commit- t.e for the mistakes it made in its declaration of October 2nd. Features and Lessons of Membership Meetings. To summarize: The lessons and , outstanding features of the recent | membership meetings are: | 1—The general increase in at-| tendance, the larger number partici- |pating in the debates, and the high- jer ideological level. | _2.—The overwhelming support for | the Central Committee by the mem- |bership, particularly marked by a substantial increase within the last year. The present Party leadership jhas a broader and deeper support ee any of our Party leaderships ad. the Sixth World Congress of the Comintern and the December Plen- um of the Central Committee were ‘examined. Such basic problems as the estimate of the present world Position of American imperialism, immediate economic situation, extent and degree of radicaliza- in the light of the presiden- lal election results, the task of h the main danger befure the the Right Danger—the nuc- ity for annihilating Trotskyism, » Right errors of the Central C ittee and the Party as a whole, he Right errors of the Opposition, | the theory of partial dis- | nt advocated by Comrade | the political leader of the on, in his slogan “Agaitist in the United States, particu- \- 3.—The special strength of the! |Central Committee support in the! jmost proletarian section of the |Party—Pittsburgh, Cleveland, De-| | troit. | 4.—The emphatic demand of the) |membership that the Opposition drop | \its policy of reservations towards Comintern decisions. 5.—The categorie rejection by- the | Vast majority of our membership of | \ the Opposition’s persistence in main- |taining a caucus machine, a fac- tional apparatus to perpetuate the factional struggle in the Party. —The unmistakable desire of the membership as a whole, to put an end to the cursed “two-party” system of groups in our Party. 7.—The whole-hearted _indorse- ment of the Central Committee’s campaign against the i tight Danger | j ce Sheet of Membership Meeti Our Shortcomings in Negro Work € At the Sixth World Congress of the Communist International the jquestion of the Negro Worker in America has been discussed to a lurge extent. During that discussion it has been brought out that we have many shortcomings in our Party, in re- |gards to the organization of the Ne- gro workers. The comrades of the Foster-Bittelman Opposition in the Central Executive Committee are trying tc prove from anything and everything that the C. E. C. is a right wing leadership. At the Communist International Congress the Central Executive Committee has been charged with “advertising itself’ concerning its work in the field of the Negro masses. The comrades of the Min- | | | |the Negro question only as s fac-| | tional football in their fight against the C. E. C, } | It is true that a number of our | | members need a lot of education in| the line of Negro work. But this | does not mean that every mistake made in this direction is evidence \sgainst the C. E. C., nor does it} jmean that the C. E. C. is doing only | ja lot of “advertising” before the! Plenary Sessions of the E. C. C. I.| and R. I. L. U. Congresses. The | |Party Nominating Convention has | |shown that our work amongst the | | Negro working masses is evaluated | correctly and is getting practical re- | sults. The election campaign also | has shown that the Party is orien- tating itself more and more toward |the exploited Negro working masses. ngs: Overwhelming GILBERT SEES MORGAN CHIEFS Figure on Bonding of; German Debt in U.S. WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.—Fresh from a conference in New York with Dwight W. Morrow, a Morgan part- ner until his recent resignation to become ambassador of U. 8. in Mex- ico, S, Parker Gilbert, agent gen- eral of reparations, comes to Wash- ington to confer with Mellon, an- other Morgan man, and with Cool- idge and Hoover. To Bleed Germany. He will return soon to Germany ‘the Negro working masses. ority of the delegation have tried| Attendance at open-air and indoor |t, watch over the council of experts, to create the impression that the | mass meetings increased and Negro | who are to meet in April to modify C. E. C. of our Party has been giv-| workers were recruited into the /the Dawes plan. ing only lip-service to the C. I. and} Party. In our district a number of} Gilbert’s negotiations in New that nothing definite has been done | Negro workers joined the Party and | york and Washington seem to be in regards to the organization of | there is no doubt that other dis- |, get orders from Wall Street as tricts have even more success in that |t) the amount of total reparations True, there is noticeable in our direction. |to force from Germany, and to ar- Party a certain degree of white| The C. E. C, is fighting all Right jrange for floatation of German chauvinism—an outgrowth of the | deviations, whether they show them- | bonds to cover them. bourgeois ideology of “white su-|selves in white chauvinism, trade | premacy.” But this is shown not|union work or any other denect| only by comrades supporting the C.|ment. The membership has been | LONDON (By Mail).—A Kilmar- E.C. On the contrary, in our dis- | supporting and accepting the leader- | mock worker has invented a pot to trict (Detroit) this has been shown ship of our C. E. C. in the past, and prevent scalding accidents in steel by comrades who are the most ar-| will do so in the future—as long as Hooves, When the pot is knocked dent supporters of the Foster-Bittel-|this leadership is following the di- loa the lid automatically locks. man opposition group in the C. E. C.| rections and instruction of the C, I.| Not only are they supporters, but|without reservations. they are the leaders of this same| T. GERLACH, minority in our district. | WORKER INVENTS LOCK-POT DETROIT, (By Mail).—The Sign and Pictorial Painters’ Union reports a 200 per cent increase in member- Primo De Rivera, dictator of signature to the trade treaty 1 is now engaged in a reign of teri anti-Soviet war bloc. Reactionaries Sign Pact regime, in line with the other reactionary governments of Europe, and the militant workers and peasants, Spain (left) is shown afficing his | with Czechoslovakia. ‘I'he Czech ror against the Communist Party It is also involved in the | Army to Practice for Next Great World War WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.—The U. | S. army will conduct extensive mili- tary games in May in Ohio. Two | hundred airplanes and officers from | the regular army, as well as na- | tional guard and reserve officers | Youth “Responsible”— Has Good Market Value The New York State working youth is a sane, responsible indi- vidual, the Industrial Education Bu- | reau of the State Education Depart- | ment reports smugly in its study of | the “progress” of several thousand | boys, ranging in age from 14 to 17, employed in various capacities thru- la | Endorsement of CEE BRUCE WAR-LIKE IN PACT DEBATE Compromise Plan Fails and Argument Goes On WASHINGTON, Jan, 7.—Debate on the Kellogg treaty was resumed in the senate this afternoon by Sen- ator Bruce, democrat, of Maryland, while off the floor “reservationists” tried again to reach an agreement with treaty advocates. The “reservationists” merely wish to make the treaty more obnoxious to rival imperialisms, particularly Britain, by including a frank state- ment that the United States will not submit the Monroe Doctrine ques- tions to the decision of any inter- national body, in effect, that U. S. imperialism maintains a sphere of influence in Latin America. Bruce took up the discussion after Senator Borah, republican, of Idaho, who is leading the ratification fight, had consented to let Senator Edge, republican, of New Jersey, discuss his bill for a survey of the Nicara- guan Canal, while negotiations for compromise proceed. Leading Silk Barons Talk “Stabilization” Mergers, trustification, and the forcing out or buying up of little competitors by the big men of the | had to take drastic disciplinary mea- | who had come to hear Comrade Fos- t ; , ter and the comrade mentioned, in| will be “The Red Draft” in keeping |cital, there will be numbers by ‘even totally neglecting to mention |tive leadership for the proletariani- \getic Communist campaign against whelming majority of the member- | ship is earnest, insistent, and deter- |port of the Central Committee poli- ‘A few months ago a leading mem- | ber of the Foster-Bittelman group | in Detroit, member of the District Political Committee, was in charge of the Miners Relief work. A dance had been organized for the relief of | the striking miners in the Graystone | ballroom, When a Negro comrade | with his friends wanted to go in the | management objected. The comrade in charge of the affair did not pro- | test, hecause the “hall was donated.” | What's more, one of the Party mem- bers, being at the door, told the Ne- | gro workers that “this is a dance) for whites only.” The District Political Committee | sures against the comrade in charg of the affair in censuring him, noti fying all Party units and Negro workers, and expelling the comrade | who was attending the door. In ansther instance, a few months | assurance that fully 250 members | tribute to Lenin, the founder of the |of the singing society of New York |Communist International and the ‘and Paterson will be heard in 4 leader of the first workers’ and pea- later, the District Political Commit- tee again had to take drastic dis-| ciplinary measures and expel a com- | rade, again an ardent adherent of | the Foster-Bittelman opposition, for | her behavior at a mass meeting. At this meeting it came to an argument between a Hindu worker which she used expressions against | this Hindu worker, a language like “you black son of a b——” and/ “your skin is black, but your heart | is more black,” etc. All this was | said in the presence of a number of | fense of the Soviet Union. The song) Hindu and Negro workers at an open | mass meeting. | Charges have against her and she was expelled from the Party. Comrades support- ing the opposition group in the Cc. FE. C. voted against her expulsion. Some of them recommended that she should be only censured because “of being inexperienced in the | movement,” although she had been | Opposition supporters proposed that | she should be suspended for three months, and threatened with an ap- | peal to the C. E. C. | These two cases show that the Foster-Bittelman opposition is using | as the main danger and the swift energetic measures taken against Trotskyism. ‘ 8.—The sharp rejection of all ten-| dencies of pessimism manifested by! the Opposition in its minimizing or the Party’s achievements or the need | for Party unity. 9.—The enthusiastic response to the plea of the Central Committee for a bigger and better Party, for a) broader and even more representa- zation of the entire Party and all its leading committees, for merci- less self-criticism of the errors of the Central Committee and the Party | as a whole, for strengthening the) Party organization, for organization of the unorganized, for intensifica- tion of the Negro work, for a sharp- ened fight against the influence of social reformism, and for an ener- the imperialist war. 10.—Last but not least, the over- mined to complete the unification of the Party on the basis of the ac- ceptance of Communist International decisions without reservations. The demand for Party unity made by the Ford factory nucleus of Detroit is especially encouraging. This is the balance sheet of the successful discussion membership meetings just closed in our Party. The Party members, thru their un- mistakable, decisive voice of sup- cies have taken a real forward step towards Communist unity and mass work. This is only a prelude to the still stronger impetus which the shop and street nuclei will lend to the unification of our Party and towards its establishment as a mass Com- munist Party to lead the workers in the United States, under the ban- ner of the Communist International, to the overthrow of American capi- talism, nal AR ARE ENTE ERENT 5 Shop Nucleus 4, Distrist 7. | Detroit, Mich. ship in 4 years. Full Freiheit Chorus Will Perform at Lenin Memorial Paving the way for the greatest working class mass demonstration ever held in Greater New York, the arrangements committee for the Lenin Memorial meeting, Saturday evening, January 19, announced last night that the Freiheit Gesangs Verein will appear in Madison Square Garden in full force for the rst time in its history. In the past, only one or two sections at a time took part in Garden programs. The present arrangements giv revolutionary recital. Rehearsals for the memorial meeting, which will emphasize the imperialist war danger, have been under way the past several weeks under the lead- ership of Lazar Weiner. A featuresnumber by the chorus with the revolutionary spirit of the occasion. Through this ballad surges the wholeheartedness and satisfaction with which the revolu- tionary youth takes his stand in de- rings with a sharp contrast to the days when Russian workers and {uniforms to give their lives for the ezar and for the continuance of proletarian oppression. All that is past, “The Red Draft” heralds to |the world. The Russian workers will fight together with the rest of the world’s proletariat for the Com- | munist International and the very | gates of hell will not prevail against jthem. That is the spirit of “The |Red Draft.” Another selection distinctly appro- |priate to the occasion will be “Our eader” by Schaefer. This pays \sants’ republic. Other numbers will! include “Workers! Brothers!” which carries an appeal for working class | solidarity and “Forward Comrades” which calls for the march to emanci- pation from wage slavery. | \Jascha Fischermann, noted Soviet | pianist, and a Soviet sports spec- tacle by the Labor Sports Union. |Among the speakers will be Jay | Lovestone, executive secretary of the In addition to the singing re-|. from a number of states, will parti- | cipate. silk industry are some of the means whereby key silk producers will seek to “correct overproduction” at a meeting, the exact date of which has out the state. This preparation for the real In its report, the bureau indicates | thing is intended to train officers jene mete oe mie Rae rea fe ; . |ing given the young men in the con- ia Da ene re Mein ae |tinuation schools. “The schooling | Nor, hag ne fe naped oad forces of that territory. The seri- [oa Ue baer ian in the upper | rth ada e ae baie cities ousness of these “games” will only |Srades,” the guardians of the youth | 7 me near fe es be realized by the masses of work- | state, “gives him a mecket value; A suenie pibedt ee HOES ate ers when the next world war, for | Which enables him to secure a bet- |ownership of one of the largest silk which it is a sort of local dress re. |tet Job when he leaves school.” | manufacturing, concerns in the in- haeteal, ean ok | eet ene, if ela Hae will ultim- ‘s 4 | : | ate 7 the t i it : |Pension Not Enough ately “leave the trade in a stronger Scots Worker. Jailed) |condition” at the end of the year., for Christmas Meal | What part wage cuts, speed up and in Free Speech Fight | GREENOCK, Scotland (By Mail). | |l>ager hours will play in the race —Recause he was one of a group | to the “stronger condition” has not NOTTINGHAM, England, (By yet been divulged. which demonstrated against low | unemployment relief scales, J. Mail).—Forced to exist on a meager PERE ANS IndictWomanWhoSent O'Donnell, charged with “forming | pension of ten shillings a week from ‘ a grateful state, William Walker, | 107, the oldest man in England, se- | + cured his “Merry Christmas” by | Sex Book Thru Mails part of a riotous mob,” was sen- i. tenced tc thirty days in jail. Mrs. Mary Ware Dennett, of As: selling the only book he owned. | at MAnKOT qugne te: Have donble | oeta, Quekns) plokded abt pailhy yan : i |the ordinary pension,” Walker de- | ‘°™!@ eres ch is Perales Denies Wt a aaa | clares, “for I am more than twice | series, sa indictment charging her i . P the age of the Minister of Pensions.” | With sending Subscene inate: Sircugit # month in the poorhouse. |the mail. She was held in $2,500 bail for trial Jan. 15. “The Party Is the highest form r tr ot me class organization of tae | The indictment charges Mrs. Den- roletarint.—Lenin, Attend the “ ‘ Lenin memorial meeting, January |¢tt sent the book, “The Sex Side of 19, in the Madison Square Garden. ' Life,” through the mails. Workers (Communist) Party, and | William Z. Foster. Tickets for the | event may be obtained at the Party’s been brought | peasants were dragged into military ' District 2 office, 26 Union Square. AFGHANISTAN ORDERS ARREST OF LAWRENCE ALLAHABAD, India, Jan. 6,— their hatred of the Union of Social- in the Party for a number of years. Afghan authorities have ordered the| ist Soviet Republics, with which the arrest of Col. Thomas E. Lawrence, famous British spy, adventurer and army officer, for assisting rebels in the present uprising, according to advices received here tonight. Lawrence, known as “Lawrence of Arabia” because of his operations \there, tricking Arab tribes into posi- | tions where they fell prey to Eng- lish imperialism of the world.” Photographs of Lawrence were distributed among Afghan army commanders. Hid Near Border Lawrence was last definitely lo- cated in the little state of Swat, ready to go into Afghanistan. The revolt of the Shinwari and other Afghan tribes developed immedi- ately after his arrival in Swat, and the tribesmen, loudly proclaiming | Afghan government has a treaty, tried to seize power. They were ‘equipped with British artillery, ‘rifles, and transport material. | The armies attacking Kabul, pre- sumably under the general direction lof Lawrence, were fighting osten- sibly against reforms in the status }of women. Their aim was to place jin ruling positions the most reac- tionary clerical elements, the Mo- hammedan mullahs, with Britain ex- ercising a protectorate and secur- ing an airport against the U.S.S.R. Lawrence capitalized on his Ara- bian treacheries by writing a book, ‘of which the first ten copies were sold for $100,000 a piece. A later abridged edition was put out to fleece the general public, at a much lower price. Judge Forced to Free 11 Workers Jailed at Balbo Demonstration So ridiculous. was the “evidence” submitted by police against the 11 anti-fascist workers who were ar- rested at a demonstration against Italo Balbo, fascist emissary, Fri- day night, that Magistrate Jean Norris, in Fourth District Court, 158 E. 57th St., was compelled, much against her will, to dismiss the cases against all the workers. The workers were charged with disorderly conduct, a policeman tes- tifying that they had broken a win- dow in the Italian consulate at 22nd St., near Fourth Ave. But the po- liceman inadvertently als» testified that he arrested them at 22nd St. and Broadway. Jacques Buiten- kant, representing the International Labor Defense, which had bailed out the workers when they were ar- rested, immediately pointed out how impossible it would be for them to break a window near Fourth Ave. when standing at Broadway. The magistrate, though she inter- fered with the defense as much as she could, had to concede the point and discharge the workers. |“Singing Jailbirds” to. Reopen Tonight at the Grove Street Theatre Upton Sinclair's labor play “Sing- ing Jailbirds,” which concluded a very successful month’s run at the Provincetown Playhouse, reopens tonight at the Grove Street The- atre, 22 Grove St., for an indefinite run. : Sinclair’s play has proved popular with labor audiences and decision to continue the play followed the de- mands for blocks of tickets by mili- tant labor unions. Organizations desirous of running benefit nights are urged by the New Playwrights Theatre group to com- municate with Nicholas Napoli, busi- ness manager of the organization. Trades Workers to Fight Longer Hours EDINBURGH, (By Mail).—The Scottish organized building trades workers have declared their deter- mination to fight the plan of the Scottish Building Employers’ Asso- ciation to increase their hours from 44 to 46 1-2 a week. There are 60,- NS geen eam ar? gece O00) Workers ss, the Scotch building hour, S-dny week, |trades, LENIN MEMORIAL MEETING Sat, Jan.19 DOORS OPEN AT7P. M. | Madison Sq. Garden 49th Street & 8th Ave. Speakers: JAY LOVESTONE WM. Z. FOSTER and Others “1905” “1917” “Insurrection” Revolutionary Program by the Noted Pianist JASCHA FISCHERMANN SOVIET SPORTS SPECTACLE By Labor Sports Union ADMISSION 50c and $1.00 Symphonic Brass Band Fretheit Gesangs Verein Auspices: Workers [Communist] Party, 26 Union Square