leaves this to his successor, together with the solution of a series of the most delicate problems, such as the issue of paper money; the restoration of lands "unlawfully" expropriated during the revolution; the denationalization and return of the railways to the British companies; the payment of interest and amortization of foreign debts and the regulation of Articles 27 and 123 of the Constitution. But it is absolutely impossible for a social-reformist government to solve these problems within the limits required by capitalist social order, or in a manner even remotely "satisfying all sections of the population." For the Calles Government there exist but two possibilities: either to betray the workers and peasants shamefully (i.e. to put the State apparatus fully at the disposal of the capitalists, to restrict and sabotage all the gains of organized labor, ruthlessly to apply the pressure of taxation on the, peasants and the petty-bourgeoisie, to maintain an expensive military apparatus, and to achieve all this by placing their own men in the appropriate administative posts), or, by trying to satisfy everyone, to end in complete bankruptcy. Both paths lead to results advantageously to the bourgeoisie, namely, the compromise of the so-called socialist government in the eyes of the masses. That will be the moment when reaction will reassert itself, and when the United States will be able to make good its threats of intervention. But at that moment, Obregon and his friend, De La Huerta, will appear as friends in need in order to "save the fatherland from its condition of permanent revolution and to lead it on the path to national prosperity." With the slogan "security for trade and industry," the Constitution of 1917 will be annulled.
Another trend of development, which will lead to the same results, is the following: The large estate owners, together with the dissatisfied army officers, and the rich adherents of the catholic church, supported financially by American oil capital, are preparing for a reactionary coup d'etat in the election. As soon as the movement has developed into a real danger, Obregon will intervene with all the forces at his command in order "to save the country from further years of civil war," and, by means of a provisional election, he will either have De La Huerta elected, or himself re-elected.
The possibilities of a reactionary victory are small; in the event of a counter-revolution, Obregon will have the support and sympathies of the majority of the population behind him.
In the face of these conditions, what are the tasks of the Communist Party, and what attitude must it adopt in the coming presidential election?
9
