The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-21

In l3zf, dC CHe MOHu negotiations,
it was again the same Maxton-
Wheatley crowd, who developed the
stage, managed revolts along with
Cook against Mondism. Here was
situation when the militancy of
the working class was perceptibly
rising. 1t was absolutely necessary
for the T.U. and labor bureaucracy
to find some method of preventing
revolutionary development and
mobilization of that militancy. The
Maxton- Wheatley Group along with
A. j. Cook staged the pretended re-
volt in order to get to the head of
the rising mass movement and run
it to seed.
To day the same game is being
played. But the intervention of the
lefts is more urgently necessary
than ever before; the contradictions
between the election promises of
the Labor Party and its present pol
icy is so great with regard to
number of questions, that it would
lead to dangerous tension unless
the spectacle were furnished of an
alleged fight within the party itself.
This applies especially to the min
ing problem. The promise of the
labor party could not be talked
away and equally memorable was the
necessity to introduce a bill into
Parliament, which turns into lies all
the solemnly given promises. Here
also it was necessary to intervene,
and here also there followed the
prompt action of the Maxton- Wheat
ley group. 1t was known that
majority, even if a narrow one, was
assured, with the votes of some lib
erals, therefore, this Intervention
was as cheap as it was impressive.
But also in a number of other cases
as, for instance, in the vote on the
two reform, proposals regarding
unemployment insurance, it was pos
sible for 81 Labor Party members to
vote against the government with
out in any way endangering it. AS
a matter of fact the government,
which is entirely under the domina-
ton of the liberal party and cannot
and will not put through any meas
ure without the approval of the lat
ter, lin the question Of the recogni-
ton of the Soviet Union the liberal
party had to adopt a somewhat re-
proachful tone towards the Labor
government) has so excellently ar
ranged matters that on the half a
dozen occasions when Labor MEM
bers voted with the opposition the
formal parliamentary existence of
the government was not threatened.
On every hand the indications of
establishment with the Labor gov
eminent are seen. Among the masses
not only is there widespread dis
content but this discomfort is break
ing out into action. The Labor
Party managers are alive to the dam
ger. They realize that SO far as
they (themselves) are concerned,
their prospects of stemming this are
negligible, and so the call goes out
for the bringing into action OF the
pretended lefts." No wonder that
Arthur Henderson, MP, his ma
jesty's principal secretary of state
for foreign affairs, at the height OF
the talk about the revolt, puts his
arm round Maxton's neck and says:
Jimmy you'll never be expelled
from the Labor Party with my con-
sent" No wonder that Ellen VIII
kinson, MP, says that "Jas. Max
ton is the best supporter MacDon-
aid has,"
Today the masses are moving
against the social fascists. Maxton
and Wheatley's attempt to run this
movement to seed will fail. The
only division between Macdonald
and Maxton is division of work in
the task Of swindling the masses and
fixing them to the chariot of CAPT
talism.