The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-22
ByT.H. WintringhGm

There was actually no question of
principle involved: the recognition Of
the right to Nationalist property, or
repudiate debts. The reason for the
frantic opposition to the Russian
Treaty was mainly realization that
the treaty and the loan, and the Gre
dts that Russia could raise if the
treaty went thru, would represent a
very real strengthening of the pow
er of the working class in Europe,
since it would mean more rapid eco
nomic recovery Of the Workers Re
publics.
Defeat Inevitable.
In view Of this threat which would
certainly have led to his fall at the
end of October, Macdonald decided
to force an immediate election on the
question Of whether the government
had acted rightly in withdrawing the
charge of Indictment to mutiny'
made against Comrade Campbell, the
editor of the Workers Weekly. He
went to the country after defeat on
this issue, saying that the question
was an unimportant one. Noel Brails-
ford struck the keynote Of the labor
party election attitude on this issue
in an article in which he seven times
repeats the assertion that Campbell
had been injured while fighting for
King and Country" referring to Camp
bell as "A man with fragments of
two feet" and "a young man wlen no
feet"
Another series of events which
must be taken as part Of the labor
party election strategy center around
the annual conference of the labor
party which began in London two
days before the labor government was
defeated. It has been at all times
MacDonald's ideal that the labor party
should consist of sane, smooth, and
prudent workers by hand and BRAIN"
free from any faint of revolutionary
impulse and carrying on "the great
traditions of liberalism" which Mac
Donald often invokes. MacDonaid's
swift action in pressing the Campbell
case to crisis on Oct. 8 enabled him
to meet the labor party conference
with the obvious threat Of capitalist
combination and defeat hanging over
him. Haloed with righteousness in
his Indignation against the capitalists
for daring to combine against him,
and speaking to an audience excited
by the prospects of a hard election,
he was able to begin the conference
with vigorous attack on Communism
and the Communist Party, and even
tually to secure resolution from the
conference excluding Communists
from all membership of the labor
party. This was not so real a defeat
for the Communists as it may seem.
At the moment when this resolution
was passed Macdonald was actually
leading the labor movement altho in
hesitating and unreal fashion into
fight on issues Of Importance to the
working class. Good workers who
had come to the labor party confer
ence determined to show clearly their
disgust with the policy of treachery
ttAA' eAAAAANANJ hAbhCAtO PURSUIT. ny the
labor government refused to criticize
Macdonald or his. ministers in view
of the fight into which the movement
was entering. There was a general
feeling that there must De no opposi-
ton to the leaders when these leaders
were bearing the brunt of the CAPT
talist offensive.
Soft Pedal Russian Treaty.
1t was a useful piece of election
strategy for Macdonald since he was
being attacked on two issues directly
related to Communism All thru the
election the labor party has been
using this resolution to show that it
has no connection with Communism,
and thereby to win votes of workers
Continued on page 81