The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-09-29

Of President Roosevelt that the mil
itant' Norman Thomas found the
outstanding political development of
the current situation And it was
In this way that the Socialist mil
itants" who like to think of them
selves as being close to real revolu-
tionary policy, began their confer
ence-with exalted praise of the most
cunning representative of the capt.
alist class that has been in the White
House for long time.
That was the first note of the Con-
ference.
And the second was struck by
sAnicus Most, one of the leaders Of
the Militants, who boosted that:
Gone of the most important
things the Militants have done is
to keep the best revolutionary eie-
ments from joining the Communist
Party
And then the third, and final note
of the Militant" conference was
struck by the statement by Darling
ton Hopes, who attacked the Soviet
Unions Socialist victories in Agricul-
ture by declaring, "Collectivization
there has failed"
SO between fulsome praise of Roo
ssvslt as a "far-sighted leader" as
ssults on the Communist Party, and
SANDERS against the Soviet Union,
the militant conference leaders
wavered back and forth deliberately
evading all attempts to make them
define either their purpose or the
alleged political differences that are
6 supposed to separate them from the
Socialist "Old Guard" whom they
presumably fight.
Steam Roll Discussion
One thing was particularly notice
able That was the determined at
tempt on the part of the self-ap-
pointed steering committee that con-
trolled the meeting to steam-roll all
the attempts on the parts of many
of the rank and file Socialists to ar
rive at definite stand on the fun
damental issues.
Continually, throughout the meet
& ing. rank and file Socialists who had
come, many of them, long way,
called from the floor for some def
mite program on current issues.
Their demands we're either I'M
needed, or else they were told to wait
for the discussion period.
And the discussion period was lin
tied to three minutes per person!
In three minutes every rank and
hle Socialist was expected to analyse
the political reasons for his opposition
to the Hillquit "Old Guard" and his
program for more revolutionary
action!
Nothing could better illuminate the
political nsincerity of the Militant"
: leaders than that.
nm the question of the NRA and the
v IA F. of L. burocracy, not once did
the militant" leaders express the
slightest opposition to the stand Of
the "Old Guard" that NRA was a
glorious opportunity to be seized by
the workers, and that the A. F. of L.
leadership was alright.
Not one single, solitary word of at
tack on the NRA slavery coolest Not
once was its capitalist-class character
exposed. Not once was its strike
breaking function made clear. Not
once was it mentioned that the NRA
is the most brazen attempt in Amer
lean history to strengthen the grip
Of Finance Capital. Not once was it
shown how the NRA is driving to-
ward War, behind the most gigantic
war construction ever seen.
On the contrary The NRA was
praised for the opportunities" it
gives the workers,
Exactly the same political line as
the "Old Guard"l
THERE was not word on the war
l danger.
Nothing was said about the danger
of Fascism and how to fight it,
Cuba and American imperialist in
tervention were completely ignored
Such questions do not interest the
Militant" leaders.
Il Rather, their interest took a diff
ferent slant For, two Militant
leaders, Paul Porter and Mcdowell,
actually proposed a American
International, to take the place of
Second International
The "Militants" are no longer in
terested in Germany, England, China,
Japan, France, Soviet Union, etc..
They are now interested in the &C.
tivities of their own" country in
South America.
How remarkable an example of So
cialist leaders adapting their tactics
to the needs of their own bourgeosie!
And how convenient shield against
taking any stand on the International
\ tactics of Social-Democracy.
So the Militant Conference dis
persed. having evaded the funda-
mental questions of the United Front
struggle against capitalist exploita-
ton, against the dictatorship of Wall
Street finance capital.
The latest Militant" Conference
proved that the leaders of this move
rent within the Socialist workers
| who are coming to see more and more
hat The Socialist Party is not work.
n lass Marxist Party, but a party
capitalist reformism, party that
Aghts against the dictatorship of the
working class, an attempt to mislead
those Socialist workers who are learn
ing that the Communist Party alone
fights for Socialism