The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-02
Who Are the Defenders OF
the Soviet Union?
BY WILLIAM sCHNEIDERMAN

- perlallSG war is CenGral TASK OIL lie 6dILys
it is necessary to have clear understanding Of
the role played by the socalfascst allies of inle
perialisn This is particularly important be-
cause the cleft variety of the social-fascists
put up pretense OF Opposition" to war and
loudly declaim their friendship" for the Soviet
Union and In this way attempt to cover up their
track and to deceive their working-class fol-
lowers. We have few examples of this in Min
nesota, where the Farmer-Labor Party and the
the A. F. OF L. nisleaders are especially skillful
in the use of demagogy in order to maintain
their influence among workers and farmers.
Farmer-Labor Demagogs
The rapidly increasing popularity of the Soviet
Union among the masses has been seized by
some Of these demagogs to mend their own
political fences. 1t might be added that their
fences are very badly in need Of mending, as it
is becoming increasingly clear to the masses
that the Farmer-Labor administration is just
another edition of capitalist rule under diff
terent label and there is widespread disillusion-
ment among the workers and farmers following
the lection of Governor Olson and Of Mayor
Anderson IN Minneapolis. 1t is precisely at this
time that new cleft" maneuvers are required Of
the Farmer Laborites in order to bolster up their
dwindling influence Such a maneuver is their
attitude to the war in the Far East and the
question OF the Soviet Union.
1.-THE Organized Farmer" one of the many
Farmer-Labor organs in Minnesota, issued a
special Anti-War edition of their weekly paper,
containing a confused mixture Of radical phrases
and militant pacifism. American Federation Of
Labor sheets such as the Minneapolis Labor
Review" and the Minneapolis Union Advocate"
OF ST. Paul carry pacifist editorials In milder
tone, but all OF them ignore all mention of the
revolutionary jNnrIirati0nS of DeTuina StrI1ppIH
against imperialst war. All Of these treacherous
"lefts' stand ready to drop their fake opposition
to war and rush to the support of the (bosses)
"fatherland," as did the social-democratic lack
eys of capitalism in the last war and as they are
doing in the Far Eastern situation.
We also find new and strange friends" OF
the Soviet Union cropping up Emil Youngdahl,
Farmer-Labor member Of the State Legislature,
and Ernest Lundeen, another Farmer Labor
faker who runs for office at every election, have
become ardent defenders of the Soviet Union,
and have made application to join the Friends
of the Soviet Union. To be deceived by their
professions of friendship for the Workers
Fatherland is to completely overlook the role
that social-fascism plays in supporting the war
aims of imperialism, and in rallying the sup
port of the working class by means Of masking
the war preparations with a smoke-screen of
pacifist talk.
The more cleverly the cleft" social-fascists
hide behind radical phrases, the more dangerous
they are because OF their ability to deceive the
workers. The Yongdahls and the Lundeens,
when they make speeches praising the Soviet
Union, admit no more than do many other cap
italist representatives who are forced to admit
some of the tremendous achievements in the
building Of Socialism. At the same time the
Farmer -Laboritees capitalize on the enthusiasm
OF the workers for the Soviet Union, and do
everything possible to sidetrack the struggles Of
the American workers and farmers from revolu-
tionary channels into the treacherous swamp Of
SociaI-reforrniSrn.
YoungdahI and Lundeen
The Youngdahls and the Lundeens belong to
the Party OF Shipstead that loyal supporter OF
the Hoover administration and it's policy Of
hunger and war for the masses. Shipstead is
an ardent supporter with mill reservations, of
the foreign policy Of Hoover and Stimson, in
crushing the struggle Of the Latin-A American
workers against American imperialism, in the
drive to drown in blood the Chinese workers and
peasants revolution, and to establish the heg-
emory of the United States in the anti-Soviet
bloc which is actively preparing war against the
Soviet Union.
The Youngdahls and Lundeens are a part
OF the political machine at the head of which
stand Olson and Anderson, who have proved to
the capitalist class that they efficiently side
track the, struggles of the unemployed workers
for immediate relief and unemployment insur-
ance and II necessary to use the full force Of the
police against the jobless, and against strikes.
This is the same platform that the 'lefts" stand
for only less openly, which is used by the bour-
geosie in their offensive against the workers and
exploited farmers The same instrument Of
power and exploitation of the American workers
which is supported by the Farmer-Labor Party,
is the driving force against the Soviet Union 1t
is no wonder that workers are skeptical about
the Farmer Laborites claim Of friendship for
the Soviet Union. The Borahs, the LaFolettes,
tn Shipstads and tn Socialists us morn( st xzSh
the Shipsteads and the Socialists use more subtle
methods to fool the workers, but they are doing
valiant service for the bourgeosie in their anti
Soviet war plans. Lundeen and Youngdahl,
though lesser lights are no less valuable for the
bosses. t
$ Lesser Evil Theory
Unfortunately there are some comrades who
have fallen victim to the cleft" phraseology Of
the Farmer Laborites and do not clearly see
the role OF social fascism against the revolution
airy movement. Many illusions Of the lesser
evil' have not yet been completely wiped out
even among revolutionary workers. Especially OH
the question of the struggle against war and
for the defense Of the Soviet Union, is clarity
necessary. A sharp struggle against opportunist
illusions In the ranks of the Party is absolutely
necessary If we are to mobilize the working
class for anti-war struggles. The mobilization