The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-27

] count, WIN an Introduction, by
Alex Bittclman. Workers Library
Publishers, S cents.
The central question confronting
the American working class today
is the launching of big united &C
tons to check the offensive Of the
capitalists against the toilers. Every
week as the attacks grow more
savage the truth is driven home
that the formation Of the united
front cannot be postponed, il the
workers and their allies are to beat
back the drive of the ruling class
towards Fascism and war.
Considering the urgency of the
present situation which is becoming
increasingly dangerous, it behooves
every class-conscious proletarian to
strive for the united action of the
working class. For it is the united
frcnt hat is the fundamental pre-
I requisite for a successful struggle
for adequate relief and social in
surance, for higher wages and the
defeat of the twin menace Of Fas-
cism and war.
There can be no question that the
workers genuinely desire a united
front. In the Socialist Party there
is a growing movement among the
rank-and-file for a united front
with the Communist Party. Their
adoption Of the Declaration of Prin-
ciples was a vote for united action,
although the document itself is a
reformist statement of principles.
And the local struggles in which
Socialist and Communist workers
have fought jointly against their
common class foe, is the best indi-
Gator of the determination to forge
the united front in action on a
national scale.
In their efforts to achieve the
unity which is so necessary 10 their
welfare, the workers are faced, net
only with the open hostility within
the ranks Of the working class. 1t
is against those who mask their
enmity with radical sophisms that
we must direct our critical attack.
We must expose all of their false
reasons for rejecting or postponing
the united front.
An Invaluable Pamphlet
An invaluable ally in our fight
against such enemies and slraddIers
will be found in the pamphlet under
review. Here is documentary ac-
count Of the struggle for united
action which every class conscious
worker should possess, study ana
utilize for the advance of the united
front. Its importance lies in the
irrefutable facts that it presents. In
compact form you find the most inn
portant documents issued by the
Communist International and the
American Communist Party on the
question Of the united front in the
past two years. They range from
the historic appeal of the Com
munist International in March,
1888, TO the world proletariat for
the organization of united actions,
through the numerous proposals Of
the Communist Party to the Social
iSt Party for the realization of the
common front Of struggle that is so
necessary for the entire working
class.
The value of the pamphlet is
heightened by Alex Bittelmans an
alytical introduction. Using the
documents as source material, he
presents the political context out of
which they arose, and the political
actions to which they lead. Out of
his review of the development of
tine struggle to forge the united
front, you gain fuller understand
ing of what has taken place up till
now, and the nature of the tasks
that confront every worker who is
loyal to his class.
From the documents and Bittel-
mans analysis there emerge certain
facts which illuminate the whole
question of united action. In the
first place there Is the fact that the
Communists have always advocated
and fought for the unity of workers
actions against their class enemy,
regardless of political affiliation.
Secondly, the big changes in the
working class and in the labor
movement" 70. Piatnitsky) brought
on by the growth of fascism all
through the capitalist world, have
made the more ass-consciouS
workers realize how vitality neces-
sary it is to have united actions.
Such conditions made it imperative
for the Communist Parties to make
special efforts to bring about the
united front.
Sabotage by Socialist Leaders
] The present pamphlet contains
the documentary history of the
special efforts made by the Com
munist Party in the United States