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League Activities, The Militant, Vol. VI No. 23, 15 April 1933, p. 2.
Transcribed & marked by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
Toronto. – The voice of international proletarian solidarity with the German toilers, again rang out in Toronto as Jewish and German workers jammed to capacity two halls, in a stirring protest demonstration against Fascism and Jewish pogroms in Germany; hundreds of other worker’s again had to be turned away for lack of accommodation. Such was the response to the leaflet issued just one day previous, calling for international proletarian action against Fascism.
The “United Front Conference” which called this mass demonstration is doubly significant; first because it is the first real united front organized by the workers in Canada against Fascism, and secondly because it marks the first united front of Communist and reformist organizations held in Toronto for a number of years. While as yet the conference has been limited to Jewish proletarian bodies it was announced at the sitting by the sponsor, the “Left Poale Zion”, that the Labor Party (reformist) has made plans to call a similar conference of all the English trade unions and labor organizations shortly to which they would become a part.
The call of the Comintern for united front action of the Communist and the reformist organizations, even at this late date has already had its response. Significant is the fact that the Left Poale Zion and not the Stalinists sponsored this conference. The Stalinist press even at late as two weeks ago in an editorial reply to the Militant denied that a change of policy had taken place and that united front action of Communist and reformist organizations was permissible.
The Left Opposition was represented at the Conference by the Unser Kamf Club and Spartacus Youth organizations. Let us now refer back to the mass demonstration itself.
The first speaker was our comrade M. Spector. The response from the gathering at his appearance must have nettled the Stalinist leaders, as it showed that their campaign of slander against him was a flop.
Comrade Spector in a true Internationalist speech pointed out that Fascism was not just a Jewish question but one of the international working class. That the Jewish problem would only be solved with the victory of the proletariat over capitalism. The success of Fascism meant war against the USSR which we must defend with our last drop of blood. Organized united front action of whole international proletariat would defeat Fascism. The L.O. welcomes a real united front action of Communist and reformist organizations against their common enemy. For two years we have fought for its realization.
I will pass over the speeches of the Left Poale Zion the German worker and the Right wing representative and come to that of com. Ehrlick, the Stalinist spokesman. Comrade Ehrlick also made a very able speech on behalf of his grouping. Comrade Ehrlick did not lack the gall to stand up and say, “we always stood for united front action of Communist and reformist organizations, and that it was the reformist leadership who alone were against this”. “The united front from below only”, “social-Fascism” – where, oh where, lie ye buried!
After writing the above, the latest issue of the Kamf, the Stalinist organ, in the Jewish language came off the press with a report of the conference, in which they say ... “The struggle against Fascism cannot be widely developed if the Conference will base itself on representatives of organizations which don’t exist and have no following amongst the masses”, (i.e., the Spartacus Youth Club, Unser Kamf. If this is true then we ask the editors of the Kamf, why the continual venomous attacks against us in your press. Is it logical for a paper to write editorials against people “who don’t exist” and “have no following”? The editors of the Kamf are not so illogical; they are only trying to cover up the truth, which is the growth of the Left Opposition and the crisis inside their own ranks. Workers Unity also devotes more than a whole page of the last issue to refuting the ideas of the “handful of Trotskyists” who don’t exist. Even the C.L.D.L (I.L.D.) must also condemn the “half dozen Trotskyists who have no following”.
Further on in this “report” we learn that “Spector voted against all the proposals of the Left wing and supported the Left Poale Zion.” Do the editors of the Kamf believe this also? No! We know their reply, “What are a few lies more or less when it is all in the interests of the revolution?’” Unfortunately for the political position of the Stalinist leaders, the number of lies seem to be growing more and not less, and the interests of the revolution have not obtained any gains by such methods.
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