The APRA States Its Case
Berger, Victor M.
The APRA States Its Case olutionary Party Is Fighting for the Liberty of the Tortured and Enslaved Peoples of the Andes I ly Victor M. Berqer Bgera? Secretary, Peruvian APRA ?<, ( ummittee...
...is no substitute for intellectual agreement on basic essentials in theory and principle* AetMtiet 'that are devoted to bringing llolihei'lkit into tin' jut it a and preventing the pat ty from putting thoec ant that have' flipped '"• "I"'"' 0 fundamental cleavage ^n principle that prerenin WOrk Of <t> tiani.nlnut and education...
...It has postponed elections every time that it was thought the APRA Party miglht win...
...Newspapers said one, now in Florida on his million-dollar yacht, had just paid $500,000 for a painting two hundred years old...
...The Union condemned the bill on the following five counts: j 1. The language of this proposed statute is so vague, so general, so lacking in definitions that the en« iforeemeht of the law would give 'the dominant political machines 'piwer to suppress all opponents...
...They swung their arms vainly trying to stait biood coursing...
...It fell awkwardly, s>tifTly, layimmovable...
...Secretary, Peruvian APRA ?<, ( ummittee of New Y6rk ¦ view of the vagueness of thel^ljtwi which has appeared in Hje American press,"thePeYuvTan ¦PRA Committee of New York Krs to lay before the people of K United States the events Kiel) are taking place in Peru...
...No one In the party would contend that these issues had not been a hone of contention for years and that they had created two opposing factions...
...Readers will note that very little news of branch und state activities has appeared in The New Leader in the past several weeks...
...eeL Mt Korchack...
...Knees stiffened by the cold swung into an ungainly, clumping trot...
...No friendly ¦Irs had shone in the deep black ¦Thermometers had read a few ¦trees above zero earlier...
...They sprawled in gro¦flue' fashion or lay in shapeless ¦tps where they had crumpled ¦fine had passed him, a wild look ¦skis qyes—terror, fear—terror Id death...
...Kg lime, holding their place in Ifac -iiagg'ing hut evei gi owing ¦These were the jobless, the disHtfrfted...
...Thiieiit traffic evidence of the fact that 'where there is acute theoretical conflict actinitiet are impoetilde...
...It has dictated laws such as the "Fugitive Law," the "Law of Social Protection," and the "Emergency Law," by virtue of wtiich one may assault and kill and vioI late constitutional, rights...
...Its one pamphlet in 1032 showed that it was obsessed with the Russian Five-Year Plan...
...Few spoke, and then only in ¦nffied tones...
...One Holshevik organ carries the name...
...The "militant" complex is the modern type...
...in . denying, suffrage to a group of citizens, It contravenes the "equal protection of the law guaranteed in the flfh Amendment...
...The right of alteration of a government Hut has become destructive of the beasts of ,hosogo„,n,d , Mn Odyssey of Detroit By Franklyn E. Wolfe Bf'was cold, hitter Cold There |T Were llin r;c - ><l - mall snow Ks...
...refusal of membership to Communists unless they expressly repudiate Communism...
...For several years they had been raising theoretical issues and now that they had come to a head in four basic points they wunted them ruled out...
...Gray eyes stared unseeing at the gray skies...
...The- figure stood still, silent, leaning against the wire...
...Men came to the gate from somewhere inside...
...Finally, the APRA Party submits to the Constitution, respects its provisions, and demands only its enforcement by the government...
...The?e laws have already been applied...
...Hnese are the alleged errors ol Be APRA Party: The party has Htat influence with the people li '.Jjf a populai party and ha more than 600,000 members...
...A blast of wind whipped its- icy hand in his face...
...A footnote I tried to explain a paragraph on this issue and then a rubber stamp I was used to hlot out Jhe footnote...
...In the City Executive Committee and the City Central Committee they engaged in obstruction precisely because of their differing theoretical views...
...it does mean agreement on basic essentials and variation of opinion on everything else...
...there was uu ¦rannth in them E;JrJen tramped in circle's, mark...
...There is nu respite for this oppressed people...
...Eight o'clock...
...In short, the attempt of the militants to rule out basic conflicts of principle and concentrate on activities shown how immature they are, No movement in the world ever thought of separating prineiplo and action by placing each in different compartments...
...In fact *these conflicts had passed from theory into fundamentals of principle and policy...
...The record stands "f roaen...
...The Legion-Elks bill has already been introduced in the following states: California, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia...
...we're damned if wo do and we're damned if we don't...
...It has founded evening schools and cafeterias for the working class, as well as newspapers, magazines, cooperative societies, clinics, and [ social service groups...
...Some had not eaten...
...Its leading pamphlet last year dropped this school-boy view, but more interesting Is tha fact that this pamphlet marched straight up to the problem of dlctatorI ship and reached a deadlock...
...It reminds one of the old jingle: "You can and you can't, you will and you won't...
...TTiiese prisoners they have kept in the most degrading conditions: they sleep on the floor and are fed once a day...
...AWN broke gray, cold, cheer" les- There were distant sounds of stirring life...
...Not all would get work Hunger and cold spurred them on...
...Terrorism continues...
...We are moved to set forth the situation of the Peruvian people in all sincerity, on account of the profound suffering which they are experiencing at the present time...
...If one does not correlate with the other stagnation is the result...
...It has protested against the cruelty of the government in executing six thousand members of the party...
...In some southern resort, safe from the cold...
...It has demanded from the go* ernmanLja^ promise that the party should have liberty to spread its principles...
...Hjfhcy were sharp, hard driven flu cut one's face...
...By taking from Hie Imo-t discontented the sole legal means at their disposal to agitate for their propaganda and driving ,them underground, it would en courage the very violence it seeks to outlaw...
...The Ime stirred, moved...
...All were poorly and some thinly clad...
...The gates of the fac¦nr would not open until 8 o'clock...
...Men respected the place others had gained, so when one did not move the next in line growled: "Come on, you...
...Educational work declined as members took up the cudgels for or against the issues that were raised...
...Wct censorship has prevented Hh fact being known abroad...
...The militants took the position that these "theoretical questions be ruled out...
...Some etum¦Pg, falling, rising and gaining ¦pii feet and running, Some did I rise...
...BTlie view was not unfamiliar to...
...There was a rul*h and toe sound of scuffling feet on the windswept pavement...
...The group could not agree...
...many carried on • silent boycott against The New Leader...
...Re had been there one mornKwhen the scene was livelier, ¦where hid been crackling of ¦fes, men running...
...The win I flwed dismally through the Herse limbs of the scrubby fln distant arc light shed cold, Hff-riendly beams...
...The militants themselves had raised them...
...In fact, it must be said that the I militants themselves refused to cooperate in carrying out party activities...
...be-thirty...
...The bill is reported to have passed both houses in Tennessee and the lower House in Indiana, the Union said...
...After urging that the theoretical issues be ruled out, they presented a long program of activities for the party...
...It was ¦ttch colder now...
...The runner coughed ¦t blood and foam spoiled from ¦ mouth...
...The huddled figures braced themselves against the wire...
...So It was an anti-climax for the militants to propose to rule'out theory and prln» ciplo and offer a program of activities as a substitute for k-th, TheK...
...Whistles groaned coldly, far away...
...s » * * A DISTANT whistle blew...
...Propose all the plans of action you may, there will be no action If the conflict on I'nII f ini¦ ¦ ntal principles remains...
...New-papers said it was a riot, ¦fne had played it as a battle...
...The Paralysis of Activities , JLIOREOVER, the history of the party showed that activities ware impossible without settling issues of principle and policy...
...The APRA Party has carried on a campaign for moral welfare...
...A strong fhove will wake you up...
...Just at the point where they htd reached this stage the militants wanted to rule them out...
...The gates were open...
...Men leaned against the high, woven-wire fence...
...they were mostly conspicuous by then absence from the Hillquit memorial meeting...
...He, too, stumbled, fell ¦B lay making dreadful sounds in ¦f throat...
...4) policy towards trade unions...
...A few months or a year or two and these recruits are fully prepared...
...A vague and broad law may be easily applied to vague and bombastic statements and unnecessarily Involve the movement in police persecutions that exhaust its funds and energies...
...It opposed "unfriendly" criticism of Joe Stalin's program...
...She APRA (American Popular ¦jrvolutionary Alliance), all of" Hose principles are directed toHbds redeeming the Peruvian | people from the barbarous treatHit of tyrants, appeals at this Kne to the people of the United State.- because the cruel acts of |» Peruvian government have Hiched the point of inhumanity...
...Protests by groups throughout the country have been inhumanly suppressed...
...S o m e dozed, awoke with a start and a muttered curse...
...the records of the city office show that few financial contributions have come from them...
...t * * . . TPHK coroner found pirpers in the * pOcketft' "e made the record: "John Korchak, .'17, mechanic...
...recoiled at the thought of the H*JHr|MM *'I4?W#V new*r not battle, it was murder by the masters...
...None was more than half nourished...
...It simply cannot he done, and party experience shows that it cannot be done...
...It has protested at the eviction, from Congress and exile from;tKe country of twenty-three of Rsrepresentatives...
...The paralysis within the City Executive Committee and City Central Committee spread out to the branches where the struggle over theory and principle was carried on in an endless battle...
...The members of the APRA Party are enemies of sensationalism and of malicious propaganda, and the authenticity of the above aster- J i tions can be verified by those who may be interested in having definite data...
...AH questions were finally boiled down to four: (1) No united front with Communists...
...The outrages of today are a continuation of those of yesterday...
...A'« i party activities have been paralyzed for many months because of basic j differences of principles and policy...
...This wave of anti-syndicalist proposals i.-hows how careful a party of the workers must be to avoid vague bombast in framing its declarations...
...Why had theoretical issues been raised in the first place if they were to be finally thrust aside...
...There have been five such postponements...
...Get going...
...It is common among Communists...
...looked about up and down...
...Moreover, theory cannot be separated from practice...
...L *• 'J'he.biU VWlt^.lfcv^P1, Bfyhrtitution, .,«Jn...
...They thrunk deeply as possible into upturned collars...
...6, The bill is an attempt to modify the fundamental guarantees of the bill of rights in the constitutions of the various state...
...117, nie^anty never saw a $800,000 painting., '.* Editor's Corner Review of and Comment on Events Here and Abroad, Critical and Otherwise •y James Oneal theories and Action THROUGHOUT the history of the Socialist movement the short cut to emancipation has often obtained a foothold...
...The very name implies its poverty of thought...
...Hkets of repression have been Mistical I y applied to the APRA ¦arty, which has sought only the Kid of the people and the defense Hpe Constitution...
...They refused to cooperate with a Kautsky anniversary meeting...
...It is again to the front...
...They sought a day's work to buy Head, to strengthen them for ¦tiding in line another night to leek work again to buy bread Htt was half-past one...
...Elks Join Legion In Sponsoring Hysteria BUI DEFEAT qf a bill backed by the American Legion and the Elks to bar from itate ballot.-'' political parties advocating "the overthrow by force or violence of the government" is urged by the American Civil Liberties Union in a memorandum sent to legislators in the '•eventcen states where the bill has already been introduced...
...A doctor had muttered "hunger" and started to write "malnutrition" —but paused...
...Further down the words, "frozen to death...
...It has responded by imprisoning without trial more than two thousand workmen and students, members of the party, including 4women and children...
...This evasive cult had Its origin some years ago in New York City and is about five years old...
...Who has not met the philosopher of this type...
...No one objects to an extended progrsm of activities, hut experience had shown that activities were impossible so long as the theoretical conflicts remained...
...How has the government responded to the demands of the APRA Party, and to its character as a people's party, as we have shown it to be...
...Hakunin in the First International, then the force advocates in this country in 1883 and in 1919...
...This immaturity, confusion and uncertainty reached a climax a few months ago when a harmony committee of the party tried to work out some agreement by which the members could take up its task of agitation and organization...
...Sfbe line grew longer as men ¦jriged in from somewhere in the ¦pkness...
...2. The bill would invite "force and violence...
...The only interpretation one can give to it is "active," but one can be active for reactionary ideas and earn the title of "militant...
...Some one said it was two-thirty...
...2) expulsion of insurrectionistss...
...ubei miosis is making alarming ravages among them...
...It defines nothing...
...The bill places arbitrary powers in the hands of boards of elections, since it is they and not I the courts who will decide "what is und is not sedition...
...It was too cold ¦ talk...
...to some well-feds these were the Bey won't works...
...Where were thise masters now...
...The crime/Oi these representatives consisted in opposing the war with Colombia which the goverrfment was planning in order/ to strengthen its insecure position and overcome its unpopuljrnty...
...Murder by men wh.i never get on the firing line...
...Those near by stood Bn instant peering down...
...IE'' * * * ¦INK man joined the line, He WW...
...Th:» time It does not come from those who have spent years in acquiring knowledge of Marxism, of the history of capitalism ami of the labor and Socialist movement...
...This does not mean a "monolithic" party where all think alike...
Vol. 18 • March 1935 • No. 11
