Good Lecture Spoiled

Good Lecture Spoiled, Irish Worker's Voice, 14 December 1935

Pat Devine spoke against James

Mr James, a negro and member of the ILP London last week spoiled in Connolly-Mallin Hall Dublin an otherwise informative lecture on Abyssinia by refraining to give any lead regarding the independence of Abyssinia and devoting his main conclusions to a most irresponsible attack on the CP and the Soviet Union.

That section of the lecture on the history of the dispute was brilliant in parts proving conclusively that Abyssinia has only maintained her independence from the brutal attempts of Britain, France and Italy because of her heroic fighting qualities and strategic position.

Working himself into a fury against the Communists, Mr James said the Communists after 15 years have now set about revising Lenin's thesis against all imperialist wars. The Communist International is misleading the workers of the world in the interests of the foreign policy of the Soviet Union. A Russian YCLer went to France and warned the French youth that if they carried out a resolution against capitalist war they would be betraying the working-class of the Soviet Union.

Some 'Small' Corrections
But Pat Devine in the discussion corrected Mr James on a few points of his historical survey and then dealt with the allegations against the Soviet Union and the Communists. 'Mr James is lying consciously or unconsciously when he makes the statements he does' said Devine. All workers know that the Communists have been the best fighters for the Chinese Soviets against the imperialist aggressors in China, regarding Abyssinia in contradistinction to the fatalistic defeatist policy of My James, who sees no hope for Abyssinia the Communist works and fights for the application of national and international sanctions against Italy by which method Italian Fascism and the other imperialist plotters will be defeated and the independence of Abyssinia guaranteed.

To say that the Soviet Union is misleading the workers of the world is to line oneself on the side of the obscurantist and anti working-class elements in the country. It is to solidify oneself with the Bishop of Derry who this week denounced Communism and the Workers' Republic with German and Italian Fascism, British Imperialism and Japanese Militarism, all feverishly working for the defeat of the Soviet Union. It ill becomes an alleged working-class leader to join forces with them.

Our French Comrades
And Mr James's statements about the French CP are absurd. Instead of the French CP supporting French Imperialism and holding the revolution back, they are fighting vehemently for the revolution and against Premier Laval and the French Fascists, as the Press is forced to admit daily. Communist Deputies in the French Parliament voted against war credits.

Those responsible for bringing the lecturer to Ireland, and Mr James himself, should remember that reactionary though certain sections of the Irish working-class leadership is, this is the first attempt inside the revolutionary forces to try and disseminate such lying counter-revolutionary propaganda against the Communists.

Such fascist activity has been left to the clergy and the Duffy and Cosgrove movement up to date. The ILP. Mr James and his sponsors in Ireland should leave it at that. Let he working class unite its forces on the question of Abyssinian independence and international politics.

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	Good Lecture Spoiled, Irish Worker's Voice, 14 December 1935 Pat Devine spoke against James Mr James, a negro and member of the ILP London last week spoiled in Connolly-Mallin Hall Dublin an otherwise informative lecture on Abyssinia by refraining to give any lead regarding the independence of Abyssinia and devoting his main conclusions to a most irresponsible attack on the CP and the Soviet Union. That section of the lecture on the history of the dispute was brilliant in parts proving conclusively that Abyssinia has only maintained her independence from the brutal attempts of Britain, France and Italy because of her heroic fighting qualities and strategic position. Working himself into a fury against the Communists, Mr James said the Communists after 15 years have now set about revising Lenin's thesis against all imperialist wars. The Communist International is misleading the workers of the world in the interests of the foreign policy of the Soviet Union. A Russian YCLer went to France and warned the French youth that if they carried out a resolution against capitalist war they would be betraying the working-class of the Soviet Union. Some 'Small' Corrections But Pat Devine in the discussion corrected Mr James on a few points of his historical survey and then dealt with the allegations against the Soviet Union and the Communists. 'Mr James is lying consciously or unconsciously when he makes the statements he does' said Devine. All workers know that the Communists have been the best fighters for the Chinese Soviets against the imperialist aggressors in China, regarding Abyssinia in contradistinction to the fatalistic defeatist policy of My James, who sees no hope for Abyssinia the Communist works and fights for the application of national and international sanctions against Italy by which method Italian Fascism and the other imperialist plotters will be defeated and the independence of Abyssinia guaranteed. To say that the Soviet Union is misleading the workers of the world is to line oneself on the side of the obscurantist and anti working-class elements in the country. It is to solidify oneself with the Bishop of Derry who this week denounced Communism and the Workers' Republic with German and Italian Fascism, British Imperialism and Japanese Militarism, all feverishly working for the defeat of the Soviet Union. It ill becomes an alleged working-class leader to join forces with them. Our French Comrades And Mr James's statements about the French CP are absurd. Instead of the French CP supporting French Imperialism and holding the revolution back, they are fighting vehemently for the revolution and against Premier Laval and the French Fascists, as the Press is forced to admit daily. Communist Deputies in the French Parliament voted against war credits. Those responsible for bringing the lecturer to Ireland, and Mr James himself, should remember that reactionary though certain sections of the Irish working-class leadership is, this is the first attempt inside the revolutionary forces to try and disseminate such lying counter-revolutionary propaganda against the Communists. Such fascist activity has been left to the clergy and the Duffy and Cosgrove movement up to date. The ILP. Mr James and his sponsors in Ireland should leave it at that. Let he working class unite its forces on the question of Abyssinian independence and international politics. Back to Odds and Ends
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