The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-09-05

macnlne is so constructed that only
it's upper layer consists of the So
called bosses while the lower strata
consists of the masses of organized
workers. If it is possible to cap
ture" the entire machine, it is pos
sible to capture the rank and file,
the factory, committees and certain
separate parts of the machine. Hav-
ing broken through the front at one
point it will be possible to proceed
further With the help of the
masses it will be possible to break
through the trade union front at
several points. Can this be called
breaking up the machine? In GER
tain sense, yes. BY removing a re-
formist leader and placing our own
man in his place, we are reorgan-
izing the apparatus. The capture
of any part of the machine means the
cleansing" and recognizing of
that machine. This is clear. To
make theoretical comparison be-
tween the trade unions and the state
il unsound.
In his famous pamphlet Left
Wing Comn1unism-an Infantile
Sickness" Lenin very bluntly raised
the issue of the necessity for work
ing in the reactionary unions. The
arguments he used are generally
known. We must not go from one
extreme to the other. We must
combat the opposition to the de-
cisions of the w. Congress of the
Profintern. Abominable facts were
related here of what occurred in the
Germany Party on this point. But
we must also fight against the slo-
gans of workers control of indus
try and the like if they are advanced
at a moment when there is no revo-
lutionary situation (such slogans are
pregnant with most serious dan
gers). Certainly we must combat
these what are in fact right wing
tendencies; but we must not fall
into the other extreme and deny the
very possibility of fruitful work in
the reactionary unions.
Work in the Mass Organiza tons.
The proposition we advanced in
the discussion on the Youth ques-
ton fully applies also to trade union
work. We demanded from the
Youth that they carry their mission
into all mass organizations where
workers are to be found even if
these organizations are non-Commu-
mist or non-revolutionary In this
epoch of intense struggle against
social democracy 1--WE can make no
Roadway without such a fierce
STRUGGLED and the prospects of war,
our penetration into the masses of
the proletariat is an absolutely
necessary prerequisite for success.
Without creating this requisite
our existence as a Communist Party
is generally impossible. To hope
optimistically for the growth of our
influence is not eno1gh. We well
come this growth but the dispropor-
ton between the influence of our
Party and the organizational con-
solidation of that influence is no.
torious. In order to remove this
oisproportion we must carry on
strenuous work in the trade unions
and other mass organizations. Com
rade Will Munzenberg quite cor
rectly said that we must devote
serious attention to the mass organ
izations. The forms of these or
CARNATIONS are multifarious but
nevertheless we must take our posi-
tions in them. BY the way, Com
rade Munzsnberg unjustly rebuked
me for Understanding the signifi-
canoe of the Anti-Imperialist
League. In my report I argued pre-
cisely against the liquidatory ten
denotes Of some comrades in rela-
tions to that League. Attempts are
being made to give theoretical
basis to these liquidatory tendencies.
The followers of this tendency say
that they are not purely Communist
organizations, that they are not
even proletarian organizations; they
contain many intellectuals and many
representative of the national rev.
dictionary movements who may be-
tray us tomorrow, etc. The oppo-
nents of participation in these or
CARNATIONS fear that these amor
phous non-C Communist organizations
will "displace" the Communist Par
ties. These organizations include
the Anti-Imperialist League, the
Unity groups, the labor and other
delegations to the U. S. S. r. with
and without participation Of intel
lectuals, etc. Some comrades are
afraid that the Communist Parties
will be crowded out by these organ
izations. OF course to assign to
these organizations role by which
they would displace the Communist
Parties would be betrayal of Com
munism. This is self-evident fact.
But who assigns to them such a
role? We do not regard these or
carnations as substitutes for the
Communist Party, but as a means
for spreading our influence among
the broad masses. Comrade Mum
zenbcrg said that Comrade Bulk
HARM, perhaps because he is insult
ficiently informed, has failed to note
the great actions of the League in