Factory workers: be on your guard

Clear out the bosses’ agents!!

By WIL

[Leaflet, 1942]

Under the guise of a struggle against “Trotskyism” the leadership of the so-called “Communist” Party have instructed their members in the factories to launch a campaign of lies and slander against leading shop stewards and prominent trade unionists.

The object of this campaign is twofold:

1. It seeks to undermine the strong rank and file trade union movement which has been built up in the factories during the last few years.

2. It is the “all clear” signal to reactionary employers to victimise and frame-up active trade unionists.

You must know the truth

“Communist” Party policy today fully supports the handful of profiteers who run this war in their own interests. Those who carry out that policy in the factories are doing the bosses’ dirty work. They are bosses’ men who must be exposed and cleared out.

When our brothers in the mining industry were on strike for better conditions against the tight-fisted tyranny of the coal owners it was the “Communist” Party which urged its members to blackleg and scab.

The “Communist” Party alleges that supporters of the Socialist Appeal are agents of Hitler. This is a lie. We defy any member of the Communist Party to defend this lying statement in open debate. The Socialist Appeal stands for the complete destruction of fascism whether it be of the Nazi, Mosley or any other variety. It advocates as the first step towards a genuine struggle against Hitlerism the expropriation of the millionaire armament kings and the nationalisation of the war industries under workers’ control.

Here are the real facts

Fact No. 1—Communist Party policy helped Hitler conquer Europe.

When Hitler rode roughshod over the continent, the “Communist” Party accused Britain and France of starting the war.

“The war did not develop out of the British and French desire to liberate humanity from fascism, but to protect their Empires against German claims, and further was started by Great Britain and France and not by Germany. Therefore the Soviet Union considers itself justified in the first place in making an agreement with Germany to prevent itself being involved in an imperialist war.” (Moscow paper Trud, January 21 1941)

“Above all the conclusion must be drawn that Germany’s actions in the present instance were forced on it…Britain and France wanted to undermine Germany’s military positions and fundamentally to improve their own positions. Germany was not desirous of falling into a worse position and was compelled to adopt counter measures.” (Daily Worker, April 12 1940)

Fact No. 2—The Communist Party wanted peace with Hitler.

On October 4th 1939 Hitler was offering peace.

“We are against the continuance of this war. We demand that negotiations be immediately opened for the establishment of peace in Europe.” (Communist Party special statement, Daily Worker, October 4 1939)

Fact No. 3—The Communist Party policy helped Hitler invade the Soviet Union by confusing British workers.

When Hitler massed his Panzer divisions on the Eastern front, this is what the “Communist” Party told the British worker the day before he marched:

“Even before the arrival of Sir Stafford Cripps, the British ambassador in USSR and particularly after his arrival, British and in general the foreign press, began an intense dissemination of rumours on the ‘proximity of war between USSR and Germany’…Despite the obvious nonsensical character of these rumours, responsible Moscow quarters have still found it necessary, in view of these rumours, to authorise Tass to state that these rumours constitute clumsily concocted propaganda by forces hostile to USSR and to Germany and interested in the further extension and unleashing of war.” (World News and Views, June 21 1941)

Fact No. 4—Before June 22 1941 the Communist Party carried out Hitler’s dirty work in Britain—today they do Churchill’s dirty work.

They tell you that Churchill is a great statesman but this is what they said on October 11 1940:

“Churchill is chiefly known to the workers as the breaker of the general strike, the Home Secretary who sent troops against striking miners and railwaymen, and the fomentation of intervention against the struggling Soviet republic.

“Let the Labour leaders fawn on him as they will. The rank and file of the labour movement do not trust this man. No new world or reconstruction will come from him. His words long ago lost their charm. There are perhaps many Tories who already realise that they have not only chosen a leader, but also a liability.” (Daily Worker, Editorial, October 11 1940)

Lies and confusion

That is all the “Communist” Party has to offer the British workers.

When Stalin has a pact with Hitler they support Hitler and oppose Churchill.

When Stalin has a pact with Churchill they support Churchill and oppose Hitler.

Their policy is completely dependent upon the pacts that Stalin signs and not upon the needs of the British or international working class.

The Socialist Appeal continues Lenin’s policy and opposes both Churchill and Hitler. It fights for working class power as the only real answer to fascism.

Fellow workers—do not be deceived by the lies and slanders of the Communist Party. Urge a debate in your trade union branch between a representative of the Socialist Appeal and the Daily Worker—between Workers’ International League and the Communist Party. This is the best way to expose the false political position of these people. Like Hitler their policy is the bigger the lie the more people will believe it, but once brought face to face with the truth they have no answer.