The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-03-12
By D. z. MANUILsKY
Article XIX

Article XIX
1t is Just for this reason that the
broad working masses, whose class
Instinct impels them 10 unity in the
class struggle, must take the initia-
i've of the united front into their
own hands. The establishment of
the united front must be the cause
of millions of workers. And we
Communists know that thus and
thus alone will the unity Of the in
ternational working class be re-
stored. We Communists expose our
ideas, our program, our demands
our methods Of struggle, our tactics
to the verdict Of the masses. We
believe in the masses, We believe in
their class consciousness and their
revolutionary sense. 1t is precisely
we Communists VINO stand for the
broadcast rank and file democracy
in carrying out the united front
Can the social-democratic leaders
say the same? Why do they, who
have shouted so much about the
methods of orders from Moscow, d
from the Comintern, not wish to
put the decision of the question OF
the united working class front into
the hands Of the masses? What has
become of all the declarations about
democracy inside the working class?
Why are they so afraid of the pub
lie verdict Of the proletariat?
Otto Bauer proposes to bring
about the united front by means of
direct negotiations with Moscow"
Negotiations with whom? With Otto
Bauer, with DR.. Renner? 1t is not
worth the trouble Since 1914-16
the Communists have forgotten
nothing-but they have learned a
great deal. If it is a question of
social-democratic meetings of the
rank and file workers in the fac
tories, the Comintern would not be
carrying out its elementary duty If
it did not discuss with these work
ers how to organize the united
front with the rank and file work
srs better, what difficulties need to
be overcome, in order to bring about
a united class struggle. We Com
muniStS would listen most atten-
lively to the criticism of these So
cial-democratic workers who have
been connected for years with Aus
TRAN social democracy. And we
are convinced that, as people OF
one class, We should find a common
class language. Such a comradely
discussion could only help to over
come the psychological aloofness
which is artificially inflamed by the
social-democratic leaders among
the social-democratic workers. and
would hasten the formation of the
united front of the Austrian work
ers' movement. But the united
front Of struggle cannot be replaced
by the Comintern from above" II
can only be formed from below
And if Otto Bauer transfers the
centre of the question of the forma-
ton of the united front of struggle
to negotiations between the tive
Internationals," it is precisely be-
cause he wants to break the united
front of the working class which is
already being formed in a number
Of countries. Otto Bauer promises
the Austrian workers that these
negotiations will become possible in
another and more serious situation
i. e., at the time of war of the
imperialiSt world against the Soviet
Union. If Otto Bauer has already
spoken so openly about war, we
think it necessary to reply to him
with the same frankness what we
also are thinking about the posi-
ton of international social-democ-
racy in case of a war against the
Soviet Union. We do not doubt
that the working class of the whole
world, hundreds Of thousands and
millions of Social-democrati work
ers among them, will be on the side
of the Soviet Union when the cap
italist world attacks it, irrespective
Of what position is occupied by the