The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-12-03

consisting of Comrades Aronberg
Bittelman and Foster, submitted a
statement to the Political Committee
containing the following charges
against Cannon, Abern and Shacht-
man:
y 1t has become clear, in recent
weeks, that Comrade Cannon, sup
ported by Comrades Abern and
Shachtman, is carrying on activi-
ties, leading to the crystallization
of Trotskyist faction in our Par
ty. Comrade Cannon is making
political platform of such PROPOSE
tions as: keeping an open mind on
the question of Trotskyism, study
ing the question, spreading doubt
as to the correctness of the c. l.
attitude on the question, and
urging the need of re-examining
it, etc.
q Trotskyism has been correct
ly condemned by the c. I. as a
social-democratic and counter-rev-
dictionary tendency. Trotskyism
employs left phrases to cover up
Right deeds. Comrade Cannon's
variety of Trotskyism in the U. S.
constitutes a tendency to develop
a Right wing orientation for the
American Section of the c. l., I'M
der cover of reopening for discus
sion the c. I. attitude on the ques-
ton of Trotskyism.
81 The main danger in our Par
ty, as in the c. l., comes in the
present period from the Right.
The minority is committed to an
incorporating fight against the
Right Danger in our Party no mat
ter from where it comes or under
what cover it makes its appear
ance.
d. The minority therefore COM
pletely disassociates itself from
Comrade Cannon and those who
hold similar views. The minority
decides to wage a merciless fight
against this Trotskyist maneouvre
of Comrade Cannon and to wage
this fight as an organic part of
it's general struggle against the
Right Danger and the Right wing
of our Party (the Lovestone
group.
Confronted with this charge, Can
non assumed the following attitude
while evading to answer whether
he was for Trotskyism or against it
he definitely branded the charge:
of the minority as false. Wher
further pressed for a direct answer
as to his attitude on Trotskyisn
and as to his intentions of reopeninl
the discussion in the Party on thi!
question, it became clear from hi
answers that Cannon and those shar
ing his views are actually proceed
ing to the building up of Trotsky
list faction in the Party. 1t was alsC
clear that Cannon was playing fol
time and therefore was unwilling
at that time to openly state hi
decision in favor of Trotskyism.
But the charges submitted by thu
minority taken together with Can
mons attitude toward them wa
such that the Political COMMITTEES
became convinced that Cannon ant
those sharing his views on this ques
ton could not be further entrusted
with the holding of their position
in the Party. The Polcom thereupol
adopted the motion of the minorit!
to remove Cannon, Abern anC
Shachtman from their positions ant
to initiate thorough investigation
into the matter. This investigation
was carried on by the Polcom and wa:
participated in by all those comrades
in the minority who from persona
contact with Cannon could assis
the Party in exposing and defeating
Cannon's Trotskyist move. In thi
manner Cannon was finally com
PEELED to come out from his hiding
place and to state his decision OIL
Trotskyism which he did by sub
hitting a statement to the Politica
Committee in the name of himself
Abern, Shachtman. Following thi
open declaration for Trotskyism, tn,
Political Committee unanimously ex
PEELED Cannon, Abern, Shachtmal
from the Party.
The Role of the Minority in Expos
ing and Defeating the Cannon
Trotskyist Move.
1t has been established by the in
vestigation that comrades Of thu
minority who were in personal con
tact with Cannon, Shachtman ant
Abern after the return of Cannon
from the Sixth World Congress
have been successful in exposing
Cannon's moves apd thus enable thu
Party to defeat them. The records
of the investigation definitely prov,
that it was due to the efforts o
Comrades Hathaway, Gomez, Cas-
trell, Wagenknecht, Aronberg, Cor
man and a few others that the Poll
tical Committee was able to tax,
effective action against Cannon ant
his followers and thus enable tn,
Party to liquidate the developing
Trotsky Opposition.
The above named comrades of tn,
minority, when they received thei
first inkling of Cannon's developin,
Trotskyist Opposition on October 3