The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-30
The Position of the Parties in England


agandist section wanted to stand for
pure pacifism and Immediately a
leader arose and said that they must
remember that they are no longer
simply propaganda body but that
what they said today they had tomor-
row to stand for in the Parliament.
That came as shock. And immediate
ly the /. L. p, built upon quaker
money, adjusted its conscience to the
political requirements of the govern
ment and surrendered its old position.
On the question Of the experts report
it was the same. The report was never
analysed TIE significance of its terms
in relation to the working class was
never mentioned. The old resolutions
of the l. L. p. against reparations and
indemnities were swept on one side.
The question was explained that if this
report was accepted there was chance
Of Securing a sediment" in Europe.
If it was not accepted then things
continued as they are. The action Of
the government was approved. Altho
prominent men like Maxton who had
been taking distinctly different at
titude in the Parliament to that adopt
ed by Macdonald, were present not
one of them led any criticism of the
policy pursued or challenged Mac
Donald to face the music on any issue.
Whatever the feelings of the so-called
left wing Of the /. L. p, its capacity
for courageously and critically sub
jecting the policy Of their party to a
Theoretical examination and challeng-
ing Macdonald on the floor of their
own conference was gravely lacking.
Indeed, to see the general ineptitude
Of the discontinued in the presence
of Macdonald is to get forceful re-
hinder that we are long way from
the clear division Of forces in the La
Dor Party in terms Of those who are
prepared to pursue class war and
those who have surrendered to Lib
eralism, Macdonald has nothing to
fear within the ranks of the Parlia-
mentary Labor Party so far as any
class war elements are concerned.
There is plenty Of blether but little
capacity for raising an alternative
leadership. Macdonald knew what he
was doing when he drew Wheatley in
to.his camp. He took the sting out of
his wasp.
The only challenging force within
the ranks of the working class, in
short the only representative body of
working class interests, is the small
Communist Party. Every other party
is hopelessly compromised as the de-
fender of capitalism. Since the advent
of the Labor government it has gained
considerably in influence and made
some progress in numbers. It has gain
ed thru its activities in the strikes
more than from its criticism of the
government. 1t welded considerable
influence in the railway strike, the
dock strike, the tramway and bus
strike and got tremendous advertise
ment in the Southampton and Wem-
bley strikes altho there were only two
! Communists in Wembley and not even
a party group at Southampton. It's
criticisms of the Labor Government
have been growing stronger week by
week. On special issues such as in
the armament debates, the air es-
Inmates and Indian repressions, it has
come out vigorously. But the effect of
these must not be wrongly estimated.
1t must not be thought that as soon
as the voice Of criticism is raised there
is an automatic leaning toward the
Communist Party. The value Of the
criticism win come later when ex-
perience has played its part. At the
moment only few are receptive. The
majority resent criticism and re-
gard it as unfair" Nevertheless, It
is slowly making itself felt and the
confidence that is being created by
the loyalty to the men taking part in
strikes is getting the party a bigger
hearing than ever before.
The conditions for the development
-