The Daily Worker Newspaper, June 27, 1929, Page 4

Page rour ® DAILY WORKER, NEW YORK, THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1929 ——————— Statement of the Central Committee on the Expulsion of Jay Lovestone from the Communist Party of the United States of America The struggle against the line and decisions of the Communist International in our Party has now reached its climax. The Party is face to face with an organized attempt at a split. The Political Secretariat of the Executive Committee of the Com- munist International has informed the Central Committee that “Com- rade Lovestone left June 11 for the U. S. despite the decision of the Political Secretariat of the ECCI.” By this action Lovestone has defied the decisions of the ECCI and has violated the discipline of the Comintern, despite previous warning, in the most flagrant manner. It is now the duty of the Central Committee to take the neces- sary measures against the breach of,discipline of Lovestone and to point out to the Party the political meaning of Lovestone’s conduct. The open defiance by Lovestone of the decisions of the Communist In- ternational is only the last link in the long chain of acts of struggle from within the CI against the Comintern and its policies. By this action Lovestone begins the open struggle against the Communist In- ternational from without, and is undertaking a definite step of open organization for the splitting of our Party. The present step of Lovestone tional is the culmination of a proc Communist Interna- of political development of a against the line in opposition to the line of the Communist International. Begin- ning with individual Right errors and deviations, this line quickly crystallized into a platform which places Lovestone today into the ranks of the international Right fighting against the Communist In- ternational. After the Ninth Plenum of the Executive Committee of the Communist International, which began the struggle against the Right danger, Lovestone and Pepper took up their opposition to this struggle under the cover of the theory of American exceptionalism. They declared that the Right danger did not exist in America. The course thus begun was consciously followed by Lovestone and Pepper at the Sixth World Congress of the Comintern. It was at this Congress that the internationally crystallizing Right wing made its first defi- nite attempts at formulating its platform and of seeking to have this platform adopted as that of the Communist World Party. The heart of this program was contained in its emphasis on the growing strength and stability of world capitalism and of its underestimation or denial of the growing contradictions of the post-war crisis. Both Lovestone and Pepper made themselves the spokesmen of these attempts of the international Right wing. They added their voices to the chorus which attempted to dull the consciousness of the parties of the Communist International to the srowing class struggle through a systematic over- emphasis of the strength of the enemy. The thesis of Lovestone and Pepper presented to the Sixth Con- vention of our Party further expresses this development to the Right. In the thesis the situation in America is analyzed in the manner of the international Right. In place of emphasizing the inte! of the contradictions of American capitalism and the nec ) preparing the Party for the sharpening class it “over- emphasized the strength of the capitalist enemy and underscored the elements of difficulty. The battle cry of the international Right stone’s slogan of the “running sore” in the Comintern. After the Sixth Congress political divergence with the line of the Communist International passed over into organizational ste the CI. When the attempts to prevent the recall of Pepper from work in the United States could no longer succeed, Lovestone and Pepper entered into a conspiracy to defy the decisions of the Comintern and to deceive not only the Central Committee of our Party but the entire Party’ and the CI. This action in the Pepper case had nothing in common with Communist principledness, but was an act of deception, a rotten maneuver clearly showing the imprints of petty bourgeois poli- ticiandom. The political struggle of Lovestone and Pepper against the CI reached a further stage in the mobilization of the Sixth Convention of cur Party against the Open Letter and the Organizational Proposals of the Comintern. The representatives of the CI were treated as ambassadors of an enemy who were to be fought, deceived and out- witted. The mobilization of the convention against the CI decision was a mobilization against the CI itself. The Communist integrity of the delegates to the convention, composed of the best proletarians of our Party, would never have permitted open and obvious propaganda against the Comintern. The mobilization therefore took the form of deception of the delegates to the convention, and of concealed man- euvers against the CI. Lovestone did not dare to suggest to the con- | vention delegates that the resistance to the CI decision should go farther than to secure a reconsideration by the CI of the disputed | questions. The “running sore” slogan supplied the “political” excuse of non-acceptance of the decisions. A Cablegram from the Communist International The Central Committee submits the following cable for urgent and iniwhediate consideration of the Party: 22 Moscow, U.S. S. R., June 1929. Communist Party of America, 43 E. 125th St., New York City. Comrade Lovestone left June eleventh for United States of America despite decision Politsecretariat, Execu- tive Committee, Communist International, despite his promise to submit political declaration for press recogniz- ing his mistakes, condemning his factional work and un- dertaking to carry out decision of ECCI, did not subritit declaration; it now became clear that notwithstanding his persistent denial in the ECCI he, together with Pepper, during sixth convention was factionally intriguing behind back of convention, and whole history of Pepper’s fictitious departure from U. S. A. prior convention was invented by After arrival in Moscow, however, the delegation, under the insti- gation of Lovestone, adopted a course which from the very beginning transgressed the rights and duties of representatives of a loyal sec- tion of the Communist International. The delegation of the American Party in Moscow fought in a spirit which placed them in an obvious attitude of opposition to the Comintern. The ultimative character of the ten demands submitted by the delegation to the American Com- mission on April 10th, the declarations of May 9th and May 14th ap- pear as undeniable witnesses to this effect. And the statement of Comrade Gitlow to the plenary session of the Central Committee of the CPSU repeated the slanderous attacks of the Right elements of the International upon our brother Party of the Soviet Union. The disgraceful defiance of the CI in the session of the Presidium of May 14th was not merely a logical outcome of the antagonistic line adopted by Lovestone against the CI, but was part of a consciously calculated plan of campaign of Lovestone against the Communist International. Lovestone’s course since he has chosen the path of the inter- national Right wing, shows that he is’not-only in contradiction with the line of the Communist International, but with that of the American Party as well. The American Party has always regarded itself as a staunch defender .ofvthe line of the Communist International and readily and promptly gave its’ support to the struggle against Right elements and against all deviations within the Communist International. For that reason Lovestone was compelled to adopt a resolution of con- demnation against the conciliators Evert, Humbert Droz, etc., at the same time secretly and privately he tried to rally the Party for strug- gle against the CI by condemning the treatment of the Everts, Hum- bert Droz, ete. Lovestone repeatedly tried to keep up Communist ap- pearances by resolutions against the Right danger in the CPSU. At the same time, he insidiously mobilized against the CI and against the Central Committee of the CPSU under the slogan of “No hooligan- ism” against the Right elements of the CPSU. | ing lists of auxiliaries, all sub-lists, district lists, This contradictory position could not very long be maintained,— Lovestone was bound to come into open conflict with the Comintern and with the Party. This has manifested itself in the defiance of the CI by Lovestone and in his unauthorized return to America; the de- cisive political conflict between the opportunist line of the internation- al Right, accepted by Lovestone, and the Bolshevik line of the Com- munist International has now found its final expression in the fla- grant breach of Comintern discipline by Lovestone. The cablegram of Loveston2 of May 15th (published elsewhere in this issue of the Daily Worker) sent from Moscow to former group supporters glaringly reveals the intention of Lovestone in the action which he has now taken, “Start wide movemenis in units and press for return of complete delegation,” says this cable. Thus suggesting public political pro- paganda against the Soviet Union practically under the slogan of “Release the Political Prisoners.” “Take no action on any .... CI instructions,” commands this re- markable document. Thus demanding the defiance of the Comintern. both with sole object misleading ECCI, convention and even own faction. In view of this Politsecretariat ECCI calls upon all members and organizations CPUSA to con- demn these methods of intrigue, falsehood and disruptive activities, methods petty bourgeois politiciandom and de- moralization of Party intolerable in Communist movement, all formers factional supporters of Lovestone sincerely hing carry into effect decisions ECC] must under- a:~' unconditional necessity of open repudiation of the supposition expressed by Lovestone at session of Politsec- retariat ECCI June seventh that many while declaring soli- darity with Open Letter ECCI are not sincere und that “they play the saints in order to retain intact their fac- tional apparatus” which according to Lovestone statement the former majority of the CEC had. Politsecretariat ECCI demands all former adherents Lovestoné publicly disassociate themselves from him. Politsecretariat, Execu- tive Committee, Communist International. ‘| connections, all mail- removing some offices and unreliables. Check all checking accounts, all organizations, seeing that authorized signers are exclusively reliables, appointing secretariat for auxilliaries and treasury, dis-authorize present signatory. Instant- ly finish preparations sell buildinge, especially eliminate W trustee- ship, Remove Manya Reiss.” These are undeniable definite steps to take our American Party out of the Communist International. These are measures that could be undertaken only by an enemy of the Comintern to split the Party. “Carefully check up all units, all property. This effort of Lovestone to split the ‘Party did not succeed. The American Party has learned enough out of its own history and out of the history’of the Cominte=n to place the authority and revolutionary integrity of the Communist International above all. That is why, in spite of Lovestone’s expectations and instructions our Party accepted unhesitatingly the CI Decision and exposed and isolated Lovestone. Lovestone who had thus unhesitatingly cut himself loose from the CI by open declaration of war against it on May 14th, found that~ by t act he had also cut himself loose from our Party. It was a recognition of this fact that he was isolated and not a repentance or a change of mind that led him to the declaration of June 9th, in a cable printed elsewhere in this issue. This cable was sent through factional connections in the United Statees and transmitted to the Central Committee. It found immediate factional circulation in the Party. This cable was an attempt to sneak back into the confidence of the Party by means of a common deception. At the same time, through the cable, Lovestone aimed to keen before the eyes of the Party his platform of struggle against,the CI. While declaring formal submission to CI authority, this authority was openly challenged and its political judgment condemned as destructive to the Party. The Central C:mmittee could not permit the use <f the channels of th> Party or the use of its press for this insidious purpose of Love- stone, and correctly evaluated the declaration of Lovestone not as one of submission to the CI, but as a further manoeuver against the CI. Events have proven the correctness of the stand of the Gentral Corrmittee. Immediately upon his return Lovestone failed to report his pres- ence to the Central Committee but instead has been holding meetings and conferences with Party members, in which he continued his mo- bilization against the CI. Rumors of new expulsions by the CI were put into circulation by him, thus continuing his propaganda against the “running sore,” “hoolignanism,” etc. Lovestone, though urgently invited to appear before the Secretariat, and, in spite of his promise to appear, finally refused to come and answer for his defiance of the Comintern. In his defiance of CI decisions, his return to America, and by his conduct since his return, Lovestone has taken the logical step re- sulting from his irrecongiliable political differences with the line of the CI. It is now the duty of the Central Committee and the Party to draw the logical conclusion from. Lovestone’s act of war. In defense of the unity of the Party and in expression of the overwhelming will | { « | of the membership of the Party the Central Committee answers the challenge of Lovestone’s split with expulsion from the Communist Party of the USA. In expelling Lovestone, who has become a renegade to the cause of Communism, the Central Committee and the entire Party will mercilessly fight to destroy any of his attempts and maneuvers to splitting the Party. The proletarian membership of our Party will raily behind the Central Committee and will defeat the splitters end renegades. The membership will quickly expose the manouvers of Lovestone to shield his acts against the Communist International with the banner of the Sixth World Congress. It will understand that these are the common manouvers of all renegades. The will of the Sixth World Congress was decisively for a fight against opportunism and opportunists, a fight to eradicate factional strife, to. establish disci- pline, to sharpen up the revolutionary line of the Party, to prepare for the severe class struggles ahead. Lovestone is for the continuati of a factional fight, for a factional struggle against the Communish International. Lovestone is opposed to the struggle against oppor: tunism and the opportunists, but instead works with the internationa’ Rights in the vain efforts to place the opportunists in control of the the Communist International. The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USA, standing on the line of the Sixth World Congress, the line of the Communist International, is carrying out this duty in preparing the Party for the sharpening class struggles. Lovestone wants to prepare the Party for struggle against the CI. The duty of the American Party is to eradicate factionalism from the Party, to tear it out root and branch. Lovestone seeks to main- tain his faction and aims to transform the faction fight within the Party into a factional struggle against the Communist International. The duty of the Party is to cleanse the Party of all bourgeois influences and to combat the Right danger in the most concrete and effective way. Lovestone attempts to mobilize the American Party for the defense of the international Right wing against the Comintern and for the adoption of his Right wing program by the American Party. The duty of the Communist Party of the USA is to combat the clearest expression of bourgeois opportunism as embodied in Brandler- ism. Lovestone wants to import Brandlerism into the United States. The duty of the American Party is to maintain its unity on the political line of the Comintern. Lovestone wants to split the Party, for rejection of the line of the Comintern, and for the revision of the Sixth World Congress. The Central Committee calls upon the Party members to give a miost decisive answer to the international Right wing and to its Amer- ican lieutenant, Lovestone. The last step of Lovestone, his efforts to split the Party, turns any concealed opposition to the CI Decision into an open agency against the CI. The Party must ruthlessly expose the concealed op- position which will seek to carry on the policies and tactics of Love- stone inside the Party. The unity of our World Party, the unity of the American section, the Bolshevik integrity of our Party is the concern of every Party member. Every Party member will rally to the defense of the Party. Fight against the contamination of the Party by petty bourgeois opportunism. Defeat the international Right and its American lieutenants. Combat unprincipled factionalism as the main obstacle to Bol- shevization. Struggle against all attempts to split our Party and maintain our Party as an active and worthy section of the Communist International, Repudiate all methods of intrigue, falsehood and deception as anti- Communist bourgeois politiciandom, Mobilize for the unreserved acceptance and speedy application of the only correct line for our Party, the line of the Sixth World Con- gress and of the Address of the Communist International. Strengthen the work of the Party, increase its day-to-day activi- ties, deepen and broaden our trade union work, intensify the struggle against the war danger, build the Party. Maintain Bolshevist discipline as the only firm basis for Party unity. CENTRAL COMMITTEE, COMMUNIST PARTY OF AMERICA. __ eonvention open letter but new decision overthrows both creating On June 9th the Secretariat of the Central Committee received the following cabled statement by Lovestone from Moscow: Moscow, U. S. S. R., June 9, 1929. While still maintaining my disagreement with the Open Let- ter and its organization instructions and my conviction that they will not prove helpful to the Party I hereby condemn all resistance to Comintern decisions and call upon the Party membership to take no steps to resist or hinder the execution of the decisions of the E. C. C. I. In this connection I therefore with- draw my previous declaration of nonsubmissien in the presidium as incorrect and impermissible in the Comintern and offer this statement of my submission to the decisions *of the ECCI as sup- planting my. previous declaration. I strongly urge all comrades to drop factionalism and to dis- solve the groups. With Communist Greetings—JAY LOVE- STONE. : The Secretariat of the the Central Committee in acting upon this cable decided to inform the Comintern that it considered the state- ment of Lovestone inadequate. The Secretariat also decided not to publish this cable. ’ While pretending to condemn his declaration of May 14th, he, in reality brought again before the American Party members his plat- form of opposition to the CI decision and his characterization of that decision as inimical to the interests of our Party. our Party is of the opinion that it was Lovestone’s duty to give political substance to his repudiation of his declaration of May 14th and to the splitting cable of May 15th by a complete abandonment of all reservations to the CI decisions, ‘The cable of May 15th was an instruction to take all organizational steps for a splitting away of our American section from the Communisc International. The cable read as follows: “Draft decision means destruction Party unless firm solid front maintained. Take no action any propoosals by anybody or cabled CI instruction cabling draft letter instructing publish same, until delegation arrives. Situation astounding, outrageous, can’t be understood until arrival. Possibility entire delegation being forcibly detained, therefore, unless you hear from us within ten days that we are returning start wide movement units and press for return complete convention delegation inclusive Loveston> Wolfe to hear report our side case. “Decision proposes publish American and world press docu- ment which would completely destroy Party and CI in.eyes Ameri- can masses, calls leadership petit-bourgeois politicians un- principled dishonest misleaders intrigues which can not be tolerated any section CI does not mention single Party: acl ment such as Southern work, provides basis expelling on question formal discipline thousands members entire majorityites, ignores ~ a Central Committee during direct membership attacks conven- tion. We support unreservedly will Sixth World Congress, and al CI crisis by disowning Sixth Congress will. Removes our 5 members enlarging reorganizing Secretariat sunp! political committee, leaving Foster general Secretaryship open e day basis Weinstone ee secretary pushing Wosn- The Secretariat of | stone Wicks for Secretariat, strategy being éover support opposi- tion by boosting Weinstone Wicks Weisbord who presented true majorityites, attacks sharpening on Minor Stachel Ballam Amter and Zimmerman. Desperate speculation on splits our ranks. En- tire delegation solid as one also every American Moscow including Zimmerman Trachtenberg who just arrived except Sklar. We count on you all to show same splendid spirit. Only this can save Party from destruction. “Carefully check up all units all property all connections all mailing lists of auxiliaries, all sublists district lists removing same offices and unreliables. Check all checking accounts all organizations seeing that authorized signers are exclusively re- liables appointing secretariat for auxiliaries and treasury dis- authorizing present signature. Instantly finish preparations sell tim i especially eliminating W. trusteeship. Remove Mania eis. <a oo Pepper here we not softening with him maintaining sharp distinction. We think Harvey action extremely unwise. His appointment served show up crassly line pursued Cl Foster ap- Tos Polbureau is desirous of securing. the broadest pos- | sible Enlightenment Campaign on the Comintern Ad- dress and the immediate Party tasks outlined therein. All Party members and particularly the comrades active in the workshops in the basic industries are invited to write their |; NEW YORK SECTION FIVE FUNCTIONARIES MEETING. We, the members of the seotion executive committee and unit func- tionaries of Section 5, District 2, Communist Party USA, after hearing the report of comrade Robert Minor on the Open Letter to the 6th Con- vention and the address of the Executive Committee of the Communist International to the members of our Party, after a thoro discussion, completely accept and endorse this address and pledge ourselves to un- reservedly carry out all decisions contained in it. We fully agree with the clause in the address declaring that the criticism directed by the CI against the leadership of our Party is not a vietory for any group. We recognize that the criticism of the Cl directed aguinst the leadership of the Party indirectly reflects against the leadership of our section, who were following in Sect. 5 the same narrow factional lines practiced above. We consider the address in connection with the open letter to our 6th convention one of the most important political documents our Party has ever received from the CI. It gives the correc! political estima- . ionic regard to questions of the strength of American Im- perialism, radicalization of the working’ class in the U.'S. A., war danger, Enlightenment Campaign on the Comintern Address to the Communist Party pointment because Harvey neither worker nor non-factionalist Crouch worker mass figure nonfactionalist. “Absolutely don’t cable acknowledgement or cognizance this cablegram but guide thereby.” The Political Secretariat submits these cables to the Party member- ship to show to what extent the anti-Comintern intentions of Love- stone had developed. The unwillingness on the part of Lovestone and ot those who still follow him, to condemn this outrageous breach of Communist faith with our Comintern throws a reflection upon their protestations of final submission to the CI. The Political Committee in its meeting of June 25th had before it a declaration of Comrade Bertram D. Wolfe as follows: Secretariat, Communist Party, United States of America. New York, June 23, 1929 Dear Comrades: I have your letter of June 21 giving me 48 hours to make a written statement of my position on the latest Comintern de- opinions for the Party Press. Resolutions of Factory Nuclei also will be printed in this section. Send all material deal- ing with this campaign to Comrade Jack Stachel, care Na- tional office, Communist Party, 43 E. 125th St., New York City. Trotzkyism and especially with regard to the immediate tasks confront- ing the Party in the USA in the Third Period. The address puts an end to factionalism, which was sapping the very foundations of our Party. The address lays the basis for a united mass party in the USA free from factionalism and right or “left” opportunist deviations. We declare our full determination to fight any open or concealed opposition to the Comintern in the attitude of comrade Lovestone, Wolfe and Gitlow, or comrade Bert Miller in New York. We pledge our full support to the CEC in the steps and measures it is taking to carry out the line of the Clin the American Party. We pledge ourselves to mobilize the membership of our section for the complete unconditional acceptance of the line of the Comintern and a ruthless fight against all those who will in ahy direct or indirect way hinder the carrying out of this line into practice. Thru a united Party free from factionalism with a correct line given by the Comintern.' Forward to a mass Communist Party and the final victory of the proletariat in the USA, Ts phe: Pi Ba saath | Matenal tor Enlightenment of Party Membership on the C. I. Address to Our Party cisions. At the same time you instruct me what my statement “must” declare. My convictions on the questions involved prevent me from making the declaration you dictate. For example, I cannot honestly declare “that 1 recognize the complete correctness of the Comintern Address and the related Comintern decisions on the American question” since I regard that address and the accompanying decisions as INCORRECT AND INJURIOUS to the American section of the Comintern and the Comintern as a whole. I submit to the ‘decisions referred to not because I agree with them but in spite of my disagreement, as a matter of discipline and loyalty to the Comintern. You also instruct me that 1 must “denounce and. emphatically condemn the anti-Comintern conduct” of the delegation from our Sixth Convention to the Comintern. I emphatically do not re- gard the conduct of our delegation as anti-Comintern, but on the contrary, am convinced that it did its best to defend and urge what it thot and what our convention thot was in line with the best interests of the Comintern. To sum up, my position is one of disagreement with the re- cent address and related decisions and submission as a matter of: discipline and loyalty. With Communist Greetings, (Signed) BETRAM D, WOLFE. . * * The Secretariat and Political Bureau regard the statement of Com- / rade Wolfe inadequate particularly in his refusal to condemn his actions in the Presidium session of May 14th. The Secretariat also asked Comrade Wolfe for a statement of attitude on the splitting cable of Lovestone on May 15th as well as upon his attitude toward the viola- tion of discipline on the part of Lovestone in returning to the United States. Comrade Wolfe in his answer to the questions put to him clearly showed his unwillingness to condemn Lovestone’s flagrant violation of CI discipline or to condemn the open steps taken in the cable of May 15th to split our Party. In addition to this Comrade Wolfe made it «clear that he could not conscientiously defend the CI line and make him- self an agent of the Central Committee and of the Political Bureau in the carrying through of the major campaign of the Party at the present moment; The Enlightenment Campaign on the CI Address. The Politi- cal Committee came to the conclusion that it cannot permit the establish- ment of the institution of passive members of the Polbureau, members” who declare either their unwillingness or their incapability to carry out the Party line as formulated in the Address of the CI. Members of leading Party committees, who cannot be active in leading the Party membership in the campaigns of the Party, have no place on the leading committees of the Party. At the’ Political Bureau Comrade Wolfe continued to take with the basic political line of the CI. The Political Committee therefore decided unanimously, the vote of Wolfe, to suspend Comrade Wolfe froi Political Committee of the Party. _ a fe o * ‘ / a MR tS Ne 4 ; ’ :