RUSSIAN RED QUARRELS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20013, 2 December 1927, Page 9

RUSSIAN RED QUARRELS

NUMEROUS PARTY EXPULSIONS. RIGA, Oct. 13. The warfare between the rival grounds of the Communist Party has entered a new phase. Trotsky’s definance of the Control Commission a fortnight ago appears to have been the signal for open defiance everywhere. In many centres this week numerous groups have been expelled from the party because they refused to recant. This has happened particularly at Leningrad and Rostoff-on-Don, and in Armenia, Siberia, and the Caucasus. In most cases those expelled declare that their expulsion is illegal, some adding that the Opposition intends to “present the Stalinists with an ultimatum.''

To-day the disciplinary commission at Leningrad announced the expulsion of a group of 37 who, it is alleged, “continue anti-party work, even declaring that it is no longer necessary to work secretly, and that soon they will print their pamphlets openly in proper printing offices instead of by the primitive methods used hitherto.” In a- record of their offences it’ is stated that this group, since the beginning of October, had begun the collection of 30,000 signatures for the Opposition programme, intending, when the list was complete, to hand the party an ultimatum. Some were summoned to appear before the party tribunal on October 10. They uame in a body, bringing with them Yenukidze, a member of the Central Committee, and Bakaieff, and Peterson, members of the central disciplinary organ itself, whom they proclaimed their true leaders and whom, they declared, the Leningrad commission had no authority to expel. This group, it is asserted, 3 ‘behaved abominably, G boasting to the tribunal of their opposition work and of their intention to continue so to work, whatever the tribunal might say. The tribunal sentenced to expulsion all those within its jurisdiction, and sent evidence concerning the others to the higher tribunal in Moscow. Among those expelled from the party are Preobrazhensky, Serebriakoff, and Sharoff, three of the most prominent leaders of Trotsky’s supporters. Their offence is illegally organising works for printing Opposition literature. The authorities also dismissed Kiscleff, chairman of the printing works, for affording printing facilities. War On New Bourgeoisie. At a trade union conference, which opened in Moscow yesterday, Bukharin, member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party, made a speech lasting four hours about tho domestic and international situation, and announced the intention of the Communist Party to introduce a “new economic manoeuvre.” It was, he said, no longer necessary to conceal the fact I that the relaxation of the Soviet regime I in town and country was a mere Leninist

manoeuvre and it was possible now to declare that the manoeuvre had entirely succeeded. Circumstances now required another manoeuvre in the opposite direction. Private traders in the towns and the kulaks (well-to-do peasants) in the villages had attained a considerable degree of prosperity while the Communist Party was consolidating the position of the Soviet State. Now the Bolshevists must abandon defensive tactics and ‘restart a general advance against private capital.” Bukharin did not make quite clear what form the “new manoeuvre” would take, merely stating that it was intended to utilise £&e poorest and medium poor peasantry to crush the new bourgeoisie, the kulaks in the’ villages, and private traders everywhere. Bukharin’s programme may sound to be a sop to the Opposition, who demand war against the ‘Nepmen' (New more fierce than practical, and appears Economic Policy men, or private traders) and the “wealthier” peasantry. Bukharin declared that the present leaders of the majority of the Communist Party had decided immediately to begin “kneading the masses for the December congress,” which must pronounce the “clear collective will” of the proletariat and sanction the manoeuvre towards the realisation of true Socialism. Bukharin also dwelt on the clamour of the workmen for higher wages. He deplored their tendency to “fold their arms and ask for more.” More should and would be given, but not to “armfolders.” Workmen also wanted shorter hours. They could have both higher wages and shorter hours, but they must justify both economically. They might work less time but must produce more; they must work more intelligently. From all that Bukharin said it would appear that the Communist Party cannot increase wages, but offers the workmen a campaign against the new bourgeoisie instead.