Milton Alvin speaks: 'We have refused

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The following are excerpts from Milton Alvin's speech to the Aug. 30 rally.

I recently finished reading a book called "The Communist League of America 193234" [Monad Press]. It is a selection of articles, speeches, and other writings of the founder of our movement, James P. Cannon, during this three-year period.

This book is of educational value for those who are interested in our history and the lessons to be learned from it. The circumstances in which early American Trotskyists found themselves were not unlike those we in Socialist Action find ourselves in today.

After five years of independent existence, surrounded by enemies and opponents, the Communist League had about the same size membership as we have today. It had numerous problems in trying to intervene in class battles because of its small size, few resources, and the huge tasks it faced.

Yet, with all the problems, the movement persisted and eventually began to grow. In my opinion, this was due to strict adherence to the great principles discovered and defended by Marx, Engels, Lenin, and Trotsky. And a firm refusal to be sidetracked by any gimmicks and revisionist concepts.

By the end of this three-year period, Trotskyists had participated in the leadership of the 1934 Minneapolis strikes. The same year, others from the American Workers Party-who later joined the Trotskyist movement-played a great role in the Auto-Lite strike in Toledo, Ohio. These strikes led the way to the formation of the CIO in 1935.

By this time, American Trotskyism was scarcely five years old. Our own organiza -tion, Socialist Action, has not yet reached its fifth birthday. But I am confident it will and, like its predecessor, it will prosper.

I base my optimism not on day dreams and fantasies-but on what has happened in the recent period. I am referring to the strike of the Austin, Minn., meatpackers of Local P-9 against the Hormel Company. The 1500 workers who are conducting this