The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1930-01-21
MAXTON'S FAKE LEFT
GANG AIDS MACDONALD
SUPPORT IMPERIALISM
MaxtonW heatley Group Get No Criticism
From Macdonald Leadership
Have History Of Betrayal of Workers in All
Class Struggles

LONDON (By Inprecorr Mail
Service).-The question of the al
legged revolt of the Maxton- Wheat
ley Group of the Labor Party is of
especial interest. The Glasgow
Forward" organ of the Independ-
emit Labor Party assures us that the
revolt is really serious. The press
was full of phrases like "split in La
Dor Party" "Recalcitrant Clyde
siders," SERIOUS situation develop
ing" etc. Mr.. Compton, MP, moved
motion for the disciplining of Max
ton & Co.; Mr.. Thurtle, M. p, leaves
the IL.P.--the LIP. atmosphere is
thick with talks of designations,
secessions, etc.
The really significant thing about
the whole talk and argument about
splits, ETC., is that SO far, not one
single leader of the Labor Party has
attacked the Maxton Wheatley
Group. Not word from MacDon-
aid, Henderson, Clynes, Snowden,
not manifesto, no public condem-
nation of the alleged rebels. 1t is
quite plain that if the situation were
as it is depicted by some people,
then the managers Of the Labor
Party and the leaders Of the Labor
government who are supposed to be
seriously embarrassed" by the
Clydeside Group, would at least have
replied to the attack. But so far
no indication has been given that
the Hendersons, MacDonalds, etc.,
are at all seriously worried by this
supposed revolt.
As a matter of cold, hard fact,
the revolt is no revolt at all; means
nothing in the stage of decisive ac-
ton, and has neither the desire nor
will to strike the Labor government
from power. The only possible con-
clusion that can be drawn from the
silence of the Labor chiefs is that
this "revolt" has been undertaken
with their consent and support.
The smaller fry Of the Labor
Party may agitate themselves about
the "Clyde recalcitrants," but the
leaders are deliberately using them,
as the safety valve of the present
wave of militancy among the work
ing class of Britain. This game
they have played now several times
and they are past masters at it. A
glance at Maxton's record will show
this clearly.
In 1924, when tie workers were
dissatisfied with the cruiser-building
Labor government of that period, it
was Maxton & Company who came
to the rescue. They revolted at that
time also against the Labor govern
ment; they even voted against them,
when there was no danger OF de-
feating them; by their revolt IN
1924 the Clydesiders canalized the
militancy Of the workers and led
them back to the standard OF the
social-democratic leadership they
had pretended to revolt against.
In 1926, the same LIP, which is
now pretending to fight the Labor
leadership, voted as a delegation for
the expulsion of the Communists
from the Labor Party.
Again it was Maxton, who ap-
pealed to the workers to stand firm
for the Labor Party, even though
this party was driving out OF Its
ranks all militant tclass elements
and attracting to itself crowds OF
middle-class liberals and conserva-
tives.
IN 1926, when the general strike
was betrayed, what did these al
legged revolters do. Gev. Buchanan,
MP, one of the big three in the
"Clyde Group" endorsed in an artl-
Gle the unparalleled betrayal OF
1895. Maxton, Wheatley & Co. were
the people who after a few feeble
whines about the calling off of the
strike. turned round and used their
position to ask the workers to be-
lieve the very men who had SO de-
spicably betrayed them.