The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-09-06
Against the War Danger

of the Communist Party of France
and the Communist Youth of France
during the wars in Morocco and
Syria, and finally the rich experience
of the Y. C. 1. The utilization of this
rich experience in the present war
against China constitutes the most
elementary duty of all Sections of
the C. I.
The Slogan of National Militia" and
Partial Military Demands.
33. Recently number of Commu-
mist Parties have been substituting
the old democratic slogans of "Na-
tional Militia" by the slogan of Toll
ers'- Militia" Ga militia of workers and
/ peasants) or the slogan of arming the
proletariat. Is this correct? Has
the slogan of a National Militia be-
come obsolete? We know that Lenin
already in April 1917 in an article en-
titled ''The Proletarian Militia" sup
ported the old slogan of universal
arming of the people" for the Russia
of that day.
In that period, in April, when the
masses of the, soldiers supported the
Mensheviks and mainly the Socialist
Revolutionariea, 'the universal arm
ing of the people" was counter-slo-
gan to the imperialist army at the
front and had two-fold meaning; \
(a) AS a guarantee against pos
sible military counter-revolution
| (b) as a slogan directed against
the imperialist war, The bourgeois
democratic revolution in Russia was
then, developing into Socialist Revo-
luton.
a. What has changed since?
| Firstly, in number Of European
countries austria, Hungary, Ger
many the period of bourgeois revo-
buttons has closed as it was closed
/ long ago in the overwhelming ma
! jority of countries in Europe and
| America. Secondly, during the last
decade the class struggle has assumed
a severity unparalleled in history,
classes are arming themselves openly:
on the one hand the Fascists and on
the other the proletarian defence or
CARNATIONS (the Red Hundreds of
Germany and similar organizations)
thirdly and lastly in the event of VIC
tory the proletariat must utilize the
/ experience of the Russian revolution
which passed from the Red Guard
composed of workers attachments to
the establishment of the Red Army
! Hence, it would be mistake to apply
the slogan of universal militia" to
all countries. This would be purely
mechanical solution of the problem
30. The questions of the abolition
of standing armies, of universal
national militia" of farming the pro-
letariat" and of the "toilers' militia"
must be formulated in their, concrete
historical conditions.
1. In the modern capitalist coun-
tries which have already gone through
the period of bourgeois revolution,
/ Communist Parties as a rule must
bring forward side by side with the
/ demand for the abolition of the stand
| ing army the slogan of the arming of
the proletariat. This slogan is of inn
mediate Importance: In the period of
actual preparation for civil war, for
the struggle for proletarian dictator
ship as well as during the civil war
I itself should the bourgeoisie have at
its disposal Fascist organizations.
2. The Red Army slogan is essen
tial after the conquest of political
power by the proletariat for the
+ purpose of liquidating all relics of the
I bourgeois counter-revolution within
the country, and for defence of the
achievements of the revolution from
the attacks of the capitalist world
3. The slogan of the "Toilers'
Militia" which presupposes the aboli-
ton of standing armies has at pres
ent a propaganda significance. It's
realization depends on the victory of
the proIetarian revolution in a num-
Der Of important capitalist countries.
In their propaganda for this slogan,
Communist Parties must concentrate
on the disarmament of the bour-
geoisie, of the Fascist organizations,
of the police and the gendarmerie.
| ITO be Continued) -