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This pamphlet is the text of address delwered by WilliamZ. Foster, National Chairman a the CommwnistParty, U.S.d.,_before members of the John Reed Club of Haroard UnWer-sity on December 12, 1940.

"It is a different kind of freedom, a freedom we donot have, never have had and never in our most pleas-ant dreams expect to have. The Russians are free fromall worry and fear of a helpless. dependent old age.They are free from all worry and fear of losing theirjobs. crop failure, factory shut-downs, strikes, etc.They are free from all worry about doctor's bills, storebills, interest on the mortgage, or any other moneymatters. They are free from all worry about whetheror not their children win be properly educated."-Lieutenant-Commander Charles S. Seeley, U. S. Navy,retired. (See page S.)

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WORKERS LIBRARY PUBLISHERS, INC.

P. O. Box 148, STATION D, NEW YORK, N. Y.,

December, 1940

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THE UNITED STATES AND THESOVIET UNION

BY WILLIAM Z. FOSTER

TODAY our Government is virtually in alliance withGreat Britain and its course is leading" step by step,

toward plunging our people into the war's holocaust ofdestruction. We are being told that Great Britain isfighting to preserve democracy and that, therefore, wemust give her all possible help. But we were also toldprecisely the same in 1917, and on this basis we ill-advisedly entered the World War. The Allies won thatbloody slaughter, with its thirty million soldier and ci-vilian dead and two hundred forty billions of propertydestruction; and for twenty years following the peacevictorious England and France completely controlledEurope. With what results? Surely not a strengtheningof democracy. On the contrary, under British-Frenchdomination half of Europe was driven into fascism;humanity was plagued by the greatest economic crisisin world history, and now we have a new great war tocap the climax of this ill-omened Allied rule.

As every intelligent person now realizes, the WorldWar of 1914-18 was a cold-blooded struggle among thegreat imperialist capitalist powers for world rulership,and its aftermath, save for the birth of the SovietUnion, was thoroughly reactionary. The present warbetween Great Britain and the fascist axis powers is ofthe same imperialist character. Talk about Britain de-

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fending democracy is only ~o much demagogy to foolthe masses as in 1917. This is another desperate strug-gle between rival capitalist states for the redivision ofthe earth. And if the present heads of the great impe-rialist powers, including the United States, are allowedto write the eventual peace terms, the aftermath of thiswar will be even more reactionary than was that of thelast war.

Unless the democratic and revolutionary peoples ofthe world take the situation in hand themselves by es-tablishing Popular Front and socialist governments, wemust look, after this war, regardless 6f which side wins,for a rapid spread of fascism, for still more devastatingeconomic crises, and for wars more ruinous even thanthe present one. Nor would our country escape thesedisasters.

THE DECAY OF CAPITALISM

The capitalist governments cannot formulate a demo-cratic and lasting peace. The capitalist system has ex-hausted its progressive historic role and is rotten at theheart. The world's increasing economic and politicaltroubles grow inevitably out of the private ownershipof the social means of production and distribution, andits accompanying exploitation of the workers and othertoilers for private profit. The capitalist system has nowarrived at its ultimate stage of monopoly and imperial-ism, and it produces inevitably ever-increasing over-production, mass unemployment, deep industrial crises,fierce international struggles for markets and colonies,

. ruthless imperialist wars, and eventually socialist revo-lution.

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Capitalism cannot cure its constantly deepening 'crisis,which originates in the very fiber of its profit-makingeconomy. Even if victorious, the American and Britishcapitalist governments could not possibly reverse thefundamental trends which have brought the hopelesslysick capitalist world system to its present debacle. AndHitler's New World Order, with its violent subjuga-tion and deindustrialization of France, Belgium, Hol-land, and, expectantly, England, would, if he couldcarry it through, only make matters worse. World capi-talism is incurably diseased and reactionary.

These are the plain facts of the .basic world situation.Consequently the present course of our Government,which is to head into the imperialist war, can bring onlydisaster to the American people. Not peace, prosperityand democracy, but war, pauperization and fascism liealong that road. Therefore, we need imperatively abasic reorientation in American foreign policy. In orderto conserve our people's welfare, we must dissolve ourvirtual war alliance with imperialist England, andadopt an attitude of neutrality toward the war. Then,.a policy of isolationism being unthinkable, we shouldbegin to. establish friendly contacts with the genuinepeace-loving and' democratic forces thrqughout tfe.world. Accordingly, we should give all possible aid tonationalist China and stop furnishing war materials toJapan; we should develop a truly democratic collab-oration with the nations of Latin America; we shouldcultivate close contacts with the peoples of India andtIre oppressed and vanquished nations of Europe; andespecially we should come to a closer and more friendlyunderstanding with the Soviet Union. It is along such

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a line, and not in war alliance with imperialist England,that the American people can help establish worldpeace, democracy and prosperity, and thereby protectits own liberties and well being.

FOR A JUST AND LASTING PEACE

. I wish to elaborate upon only one phase of the above-sketched people's foreign policy, namely, that of de-veloping friendly relations between the U.S.l!. andthe U.S.S.R. The great American and Soviet nationshave no trade, territorial or other conflicts; instead they

<have the most basic interests in common; for only ahandful of capitalists and their henchmen could gain bykeeping them apart because of ideological questions.Both peoples could profit enormously from close andfriendly relations.

First, let us consider the fundamental question ofworld peace. Aside from a small minority of impe-rialist warmongers, undoubtedly the vast majority ofthe American people ardently desire peace. Very well,then, the Soviet Union is a trustworthy defender ofpeace, one with whi~h the United States can effectivelycollaborate, The U.S.S.R. was born out of the Russianpeople's struggle to end the World War, and ever sinceit'has labored to maintain world peace. The SovietGovernment repeatedly proposed to the capitalist statesthat all countries disarm completely; and when thiswas rejected, that they should at least partially disarm.It also signed a whole series of non-aggression pactswith neighboring countries.

Furthermore, in the League of Nations, the SovietUnion was the one steadfast big power champion of

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collective security, and it resolutely defended theproject of a broad international peace front ofthe democratic countries to restrain the fascist ag-gressors.

It was only after the betrayal of democracy and thesell-out of Czechoslovakia at Munich by Chamberlainand Daladier that the Soviet Union gave. up as hopelessthe fight for the international peace front. The chargethat the Soviet Union, by signing its non-aggressionpact with Germany was responsible for the start of thewar, is ridiculous. In reality, it was only the peace pres-sure of the Soviet Union that had been holding therival capitalist powers apart, so that when the U.S.S.R.,realizing after Munich that war was inevitable, steppedaside and assumed a neutral position, the mutually hos-tile capitalist powers flew at each other's throats likewolves. The Soviet Union's efforts to maintain worldpeace among the pirate capitalist powers having failed,that country is now intelligently standing apart' fromthe war, building its industries and strengthening itsdefenses, while the capitalist states suicidally destroyeach other's people, industries and cities. By the verystructure of its socialist system the Soviet Union is anundying opponent of imperialist war, and a loyal allyof all nations desiring a just peace.

HOW TO DEFEND AND EXPAND WORLD DEMOCRACY

Second, there is "the question of preserving and de-veloping world democracy. Surely here also the Amer-ican people have a most vital interest. Very well, then,we can do nothing better than to collaborate with theSoviet Union, the world's most advanced democracy.

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With its industries and land collectivized and its gov-ernment in the hands of the people) the Soviet Unionis on a fundamentally higher level of democracy thanany capitalist. country is or can be.

It is a monstrous lie to lump together as one) Sovietsocialism and capitalist fascism.. In the U.S.S.R.) it istrue that many cherished bourgeois rights have beenabolished, including the right of a handful of richprivately to own and exploit vital industries, to rob theworkers and peasants, to abuse the Negroes and Jewsas sub-human beings, to run the government as theirprivate affair, and to wage war to increase their per-sonal profits. Because it has abolished these anti-socialrights is why the world bourgeoisie and all its agents sorelentlessly hate and combat the Soviet Union. But inthe U.S.S.R. the toiling masses have acquired a free-dom far greater than in any other country .• In his book, Russia and the Approach to Armaged-don, Lieutenant Commander Charles S. Seeley, UnitedStates Navy, retired, himself by no means a Commu-nist, gives an inkling of the new Soviet freedom. Hesays on page 85:

"It is a different kind of freedom) a freedom we donot have) never have had and never in our most pleasantdreams expect to have. The Russians are free from allworry and fear of a helpless) dependent old age. Theyare free from all worry and fear of losing their jobs,crop failure, factory shut-downs, strikes, etc. They arefree from all worry about doctor's bills, store bills,interest on the mortgage) or any other money matters.They are free from all worry about whether or nottheir children will be properly educated. They are even

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free from all worry and fear of everlasting torment inhell, because the Bolsheviks have abolished that future

, abode for folk that God dislikes."In conformity with its internal democratic regime the

Soviet Union, from its inception, has followed a policyof cooperating with the world's democratic forces. Itis not a member of the fascist axis, as its slan-derers allege, nor will it pull Britain's chestnuts fromthe fire.

During the attack upon Ethiopia, the U.S.S.R. pro-posed that the League of Nations enforce economicsanctions against Italy. It also sent a big stream ofmunitions to republican Spain, at the imminent risk ofwar with Germany and Italy, while the United Statesmaintained an arms embargo against that democraticcountry, and England and France strangled it withtheir outrageous so-called non-intervention policy.Moreover, during the Czech crisis the U.S.S.R., asPresident Benes has often admitted, offered to defendCzechoslovakia alone after England and France hadsold it out. .

Nationalist China has likewise received the unstintedhelp of the U.S.S.R., while the United States and GreatBritain have been appeasing Japan by shipping it themunitions and other materials necessary for its waragainst China. If the Soviet Union was unable to de-velop a peace front with the bourgeois democracies,England and France, it is because these Tory-riddencountries did not wish it. They looked upon theU.S.S.R. as their main enemy, and their central for-eign policy was directed towards encouraging Germanyand Japan to attack the Soviet Union.

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THE PATH TO PROSPERITY

Third, the American people, plagued by mass unem-ployment, industrial crises, and widespread hunger ~amidst potential plenty, are eager to solve these deadlyproblems. Therefore, all the more necessary arefriendly relations with the U.S.S.R., which, with itssocialist system, has found the answer to the economicand political contradictions which are destroying capi-talism? harassing humanity and throwing the worldinto war.

Socialism in the Soviet Union has permanentlysolved the problem of economic crises and mass unem-ployment. It has opened the door to practically a limit-less economic development. Today industrial produc-tion in the U:S.S.R. is ten times as great as it was in1929 and it is rapidly increasing; whereas in the UnitedStates, the most powerful of all capitalist countries,production, in spite of New Deal economic shots in thearm and huge armament expenditures, still hoversabout the 1929 level. Soviet socialism is rapidly raisingthe living and cultural standards of its toiling masses,whereas such standards are falling throughout the capi-talist world. Socialism is rapidly expanding mass edu-cation and also giving a tremendous stimulation tothe arts and sciences. It has vastly diminished crime,prostitution, and insanity; it has ended anti-Semitismand national oppression within its borders, and in itssocial system it bears the seeds of future world peace.

The Soviet people, frankly realizing they had muchto learn from our tremendous industrial achievements,have sent over here from time to time hundreds' ofengineers to study our industries. We Americans have

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also a vast amount to learn from the Soviet politicalsystem, which is a full stage further advanced than ours.We, too, should frankly recognize the fact and ob-jectively study Soviet socialism in action. The mainlesson we have to learn from the Soviet people is thatwhile we may relieve our deepening economic crisistemporarily with New Deal spending makeshifts, wecan make our economic and political life healthy andprogressive only when we socialize the industries andthe land. We will 'have to recognize that there are nofurther real frontiers of development for Americaunder capitalism. Indeed the whole world can find newfrontiers only under socialism.

In the hands of you young folks rests the futurewelfare of our people. You must be prepared to defendand improve your living standards and civil liberties.To this end you will have to fight through your studentorganizations, through the American Youth Congress,ansi in so doing you should cooperatively act with thetrade unions and other progressive forces. At the sametime you must study socialism, both on the basis ofAmerican potentialities and Soviet experience. Youshould investigate the Soviet political system as dili-gerttly as the Russians have studied our industrial system.To this end I recommend to your attention the Dean ofCanterbury's book entitled, The Soviet. Power. Thisbook., written by a sincere Christian, a close observerand an honest critic, gives an authentic picture of whatis actually going on in the U.S.S.R. No open-mindedperson can read the Dean's book and still believe in theabsurd anti-Soviet slanders now so widely current inthis country.

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FOR BETTER U.S.A. AND U.S.S.R. RELATIONS

Fourth, the American people should develop abetter understanding with the Soviet Union, because inthe stormy world situation ahead the United States willimperatively need strong' friends. The Soviet Union,stretching over one-sixth of the earth and located verystrategically, with a population of almost 200,000,000,with limitless resources and the greatest industrial sys-tem in Europe, and with tremendous mechanized de-fense forces, is a very powerful country.

Let me 'again quote Commander Seeley, who says(p.39): .

"It is my considered opinion that no nation, or pos-sible combination of nations in the world today, couldoverthrow the present Russian system of government."

As part of the bitter capitalist hatred and misrep-resentation campaign against the U.S.S.R., the attemptis being made to picture that country as a weakling. ButHitler, who has to deal with realities, apparently doesnot agree with such wishful thinkers. There was noth-ing he Wanted more than to seize the golden Ukraine,one of the most favored spots on this earth. For yearshe openly announced his plans to grab that rich Sovietstate and he built his anti-Comintern axis with this endin view. Moreover, Tory England and France wouldhave been very joyful had he made the attempt andcould have been relied upon by him for help. TheUnited States Government, too, would have been farfrom unhappy over such a venture by Hitler. But whenit came to the real showdown, Hitler preferred to facebattle with England, France, Belgium, Holland,

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Poland, Denmark and Norway simultaneously, andwith the United States looming in the background,rather than to tackle the U.S.S.R. In this course Hitlerfollowed the line of least resistance; he knew where theeasiest pickings lay.

Japan also did not fare too well with its long plannedanti-Soviet drive. It took a few bites on the Sovietgranite in the Far East and then let go, openly admit-ting it had been defeated by the Soviet mechanized RedArmy. Now, regardless 0,£ Japan's strong objections, theU.S.S.R. goes right ahead furnishing vital war sup-plies to nationalist China. Refuting American anti-Soviet journalistic slanderers, experience shows clearlythat the U.S.S.R., vigorous and powerful, is quite cap-able of taking care of itself in this world of war-madcapitalist states.

The United States ~nd the U.S.S.R. are from a mili-tary standpoint the two potentially most powerfulnations in the world. In friendly collaboration for peacetheir power would be irresistible. Such collaboration ontheir part would give a'trernendous stimulus to the otherhuge, peace-loying, democratic forces of the world-thepeoples of China, India, Latin America, the oppressednations of Europe and the international labor move-ment, which, all taken together, are the only forces thatcan develop the necessary program and strength to savehumanity from the wars, famine, enslavement and gen-eral chaos attendant upon the collapse of the worldcapitalist system.

To develop at least a measure of friendly relationswith the Soviet Union, it is not necessary that our Gov-ernment become Socialist or Popular Front. The Soviet

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Government enters into cooperative relations with allcapitalist governments, and lives up to them loyally.There is no sound basis, therefore, why our present Ad-ministration cannot greatly improve its relations with theSoviets. Labor and progressive forces generally shoulddemand that this be' done. In fact, there are alreadysome tentative steps being taken toward this generalend. Those who may be hoping, however, that thesesteps will lead to a war alliance in which the U.S.S.R.will do Wall Street's fighting in the Far East will bedisappointed.

HALT THE ANTI-SOVIET POLICY

From the birth of the U.S.S.R., the American Gov-ernment has been sharply anti-Soviet. President Wilsonin 1918-20 sent troops to take part in the general armedattempt by England, France, Japan and other countriesto overthrow the Soviet Government .•After this war in-tervention failed, our Government participated in thesavage economic blockade which was designed to starvethe Socialist Soviet people into capitulating to worldcapitalism; and for sixteen years after the RussianRevolution successive Federal administrations refusedthe U.S.S.R. diplomatic recognition. \

.President Roosevelt finally granted such recognition,but ever since he has followed a policy of harmful bick-ering with the Soviet Union. During the Soviet-Finnishconflict American official sources even encouraged theBritish-French attempt to organize a general capitalistwar against the U.S.S.R.

This anti-Soviet orientation must be changed. Thereis every good reason for collaboration between the two

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•great peoples of the United States and the SovietUnion. As we have already indicated, much can be donein this direction even under the present Government,but when the workers and farmers play a far greaterrole in our political life than they do now, when theyliquidate our Government's imperialist policies, thenAmerican-Soviet collaboration will reach its highestlevels.

The American people yearn for peace, democracy andprosperity. All of us Americans wish to win our wayto these great goals. Friendly relations with the SovietUnion, as part of a general p~licy of peace cooperationwith the peoples of India, China and Latin Americaand other progressive and downtrodden peoples, wouldprovide a major key to the achievement of this betterlife by our ·people.

••• EIIR£ BROWDER

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THE SOVIET PO,WERTHE SOCIALIST SIXTH OF THE WORLD

By HEWLETT JOHNSON

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"The chief reason for writing this book was to furthera better understanding of the U.s.S.R.," wrote the VeryReverend Hewlett Johnson about his book, The SovietPower, which achieved a phenomenal sale in Englandduring the past year, and has already been tran.slatedinto several languages. .

Recognized as a world authority on the Soviet Union,his extensive travels throughout the U.S.S.R. have enabledDr. Johnson to make a study of every aspect of the newsocialist society. Thoroughly documented, marshalling awealth of irrefutable facts and figures, his book is withala warm and human document, carrying the prestiqe ofauthorship of one of the world's leading Churchmen.

The present popular edition printed in 100,000 copies,368 pages, complete with illustrations, will sell at only 35cents per copy, three copies for $1.00. Ready January 15.

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