Four THE COMMUNIST May 1, 1920 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST CONFERENCE LOUIS FRAINA, International Secretary, Communist Party of America The Conferenec of the Communist In ing that preparations for a general strike most importance in developing Communist onrush of undesirable clements from the ternational, convened in Holland, February shall proceed through the branches of the consciousness and the final revolutionary Second International. The Conference did not act on the 10 17th, was an event of prime importance unions, extra union organizations (such as struggle. But industrial unionism must in the develoment of the International. In the Shop Stewards and the Workers Com recognize its limitations: it must develop problems of parliamentarism, being disspite of the enormous diffculties experi mittees. and the creation of extra union the concept in practice, in cooperation with persed by the police. There were before enced by Communists in moving from one organizations if necessary.
the Communist Party of the general poli the Conference three proposals this countr yto another, the Conference met: The Conference adopted a thesis on tical strike. Industrial Unionism cannot problem a thesis introduced by Anton and in spite of the Dutch police breaking Unionism, which prepared and introduced under capitalism organize all the workers Pannekoek, a series of amendments introup the meetings before our work was com in the name of the Communist Party of or an overwhelming majority: the con duced by myself in the name of the Completed, the Conference transacted enough of America and which was adopted unani cept of organizing, under capitalism and munist Party of America, and a resolution its business to make it of fundamental value iously. This thesis constitutes the first gradually, workers control of industry in introduced by Sylvia Pankhurst (Workers. particularly in the development of a authoritative utterance of the International terms of industrial unions, is an expression, Socialist Federation of England) the tendCommunist International functioning active on the Communist conception of unionism inverted in form, of the concept of parlia ency of which was to reject Communist ls and unitedly on a world basis. And in (in general, it agrees with a declaration of mentary acquisition of power gradually and use of parliamentarism. The resolution of initiating the formulation and discussion of Zinoviev on Unionism. and it indi. peacefully: the penetration of capitalism Sylvia Pankhurst would have received her problems of party tacties and immediate ac cates, moreover, that the conception of by Socialism.
own vote and perhaps that of the delegate tion decisive for victory in the final strug Unionism developed by the Communist Par i) The objective of the class struggle is representing the opposition in the Commungle.
ty of America (which has been misrepre the conquest of the power of the state. ist Party of Germany. The original thesis Organizations represented in the Confer sented and stupidly attacked equally by the industrial unions (or the parliaments) and the amendment would, think, have ence were as follows: Communist Party the and the Socialist Labor Par are not the means for conquest of power, been adopted substantially if not actually of Russia, represented by mandate: Com ty) is the identical conception of the Com but mass action, Soviets and Proletarian as proposed: they thus formulate the probmunist Party (Opposition) of Germany: munist International. This is a summary Dictatorship. The parliamentary and doc lem. Communist Party of America; Communist of the thesis: trinaire industrial union (syndicalist) con a) Parliamentarism is not for the conParty of Holland, England. British Social a) Unions are necessary organizations ception evades all actual problems of the quest of political power the proletariat ist Party, Workers Socialist Federation, and for the immediate struggle of the workers. revolution.
must create its own organs of struggle and the Shop Stewards and Workers Commit ir spite of their limitations they can, par i) After the conquest of power and un of state power, the Soviets and Proletarian tees; Communist Party of Switzerland, and ticularly as industrial unions, become active der the protection of proletarian dictator Dictatorship. The Communist use of parthe Communist Group of the Socialist means of revolutionary struggle and a ship, industrial unionism comes actually to liamentarism is secondary to the mass strugmovement of Belgium. In all, sixteen dele factor in the Communist reconstruction of function in the Communist reconstruction glc of the proletariat, being used for the gates were officially present; in addition, society.
of society in terms of control and manage purpose of agitation only and to emphasize with a voice but no vote: a member of b) The Trades Unions, while means of ment of industry by the industrially organ the political character of the class struggle.
the Communist Party of Hungary, formerly resisting and often improving the most ized producers.
b) Even in the epoch of imperialism, in the Soviet Government there; a Chinese most degrading conditions of capitalism, are The Conference adopted a thesis on when parliaments degenerate in functions comrade; a representative of the Commun incapable of actually and materially im Social Patriots and Unity, which prepared and become side shows, the revolutionary ist movement of the Dutch East Indies; proving the general condition of labor. and introduced in the name of the Com use of parliamentarism and participation in and Comrades Anton Pannekoek and Her c) The Trades Unions developed during munist Party and adopted after one amend elections is important in mobilizing the proman Gorter. After the Conference was thecpoch of small industry, and of intense ment strengthening the thesis proposals. letariat for action and the conquest of dispersed there arrived delegates from the national economic development (1870 1900) The thesis stresses the fact that the Social power.
Communist Party of Germany (Central this circumstance, combined with the ar patriots and opportunists are the worst ene c) The tendency to opportunism latent Committee. the Communist Party of Aus tisan conception of craft skill being a form mies of the proletarian revolution, with in parliamentarism must be resisted by tria, the Communist Party of Rumania, of property, produces a property and petty whom there can be no Communist unity or (1) emphasizing its agitational and secand the Left Wing of the Socialist Party bourgeois idealogy and a concept of limit cooperation. and moreover, it particular ondary character, and (2) rigorous party of Spain. Loriot, of the Left Wing of ing the struggle within the limits of capital izes and accomplishes five very definite and control of parliamentary representatives th. French Socialist Party. sent a letter ism and the nation. The Trades Unions practical things: and their immediate expulsion should they expressing regrets at rot being able to represented, and still largely represent, the a) Provides that the Communist Interna develop an opportunist or a non Communist come, and describing the recent French skilled workers in the upper layers of the tional reject the admission of any party or tendency.
movement, its prospects and its deefats, par working class, the artistocracy of labor. group (such as the Longuet majoritaires d) Limiting the number of public offices ticularly lamenting the faith in the unity d) The dominant trades unionism accepts in France or the American Socialist Party) for which nominations are made, the limiof the party which prevents the emergence capitalism: and, under imperialism, Capi cven should these affiliate with the Third tations to be determined by the conditions of a Communist Party. The delegates who talism seduces the artistocracy of labor International.
in cach country (as for example, the Comdid come but could not participate in the with a share in the profits of Imperialism, b) Reject definitely the proposals of Jean munist Party of America excluding nomiConference discussed problems with the by means of higher wages, labor legislation, Longuet, Morris Hilquit and the Independ nation for executive offices of the bourExecutive of the International Sub Bureau and improved conditions generally: the up ent Socialist Party of Germany for the geois state. created by the Conference.
per layers of the working class using the organization of another international to e) In periods of intense class struggle, Decisions of the Conference.
Trades Unions to stablize labor in in include the social patriots and opportunists although not yet revolutionary a temporary The Conference, in brief, accomplished: dustry and promote Imperialism. of the Second International and also the abstentation from parliamentarism may The Conference adopted a declaration e) Realizing its economic impotence (and Bolsheviki and the Communists.
most effectively promote our revolutionary on Soviet Russia, calling upon the workers impotence produced by non revolutionary c) Emphasizes the incompatibility of a purposes: in that event, a boycott of the of all countries not to allow peace with purposes, archaic craft form of unionism Communist Party tolerating the Socialist election becomes necessary.
Russia to come through capitalist necessity, unable to cope with the concentrated in Party of Italy for not expelling its social f) In a period of actual revolution the but to compel peace by means of revolu dustry modern capitalism) the domi patriots and opportunits in the party (in complete repudiation of parliamentarism tionary pressure upon the government, urg nant trades unionism turns to parliamentary directly condemning the Socialist Party of may become necessary.
ing three methods of action, mass demon action in the form of Laborism: and, as Italy for not expelling its social patriots While the Communist use of parliamenstrations of protest, demonstration strikes, Laborism, trades unionism in its dominant and opportunists, particularly in the parlia tarism in this sense was insisted upon, the and coercive strikes coercive strikes being expression merges definitely in State Capi mentary group. Conference did not make mandatory the the decisive move to compel the acquies talism and Imperialism. The tendency is cence of the government. The declaration for Laborism and Socialism to unite.
d) Uncompromisingly repudiates Com acceptance of parliamentarism: in the thesis munist Party cooperation with the social of social patriots and unity the condition repeatedly emphasised the necessity of ac f) Laborism becomes the final bulwark patriots or opportunist organizations, with proposed as the basis of which Communist tion, and authorizes the International Suv of defense of capitalism against the on bourgeois or social patriotic parties, with groups should unite was, mass action, Bureau to issue a call for an international coming proletarian revolution. According parties affiliated with the Second Interna Soviets, proletarian dictatorship, and no general strike as the situation matures. The ly, a merciless struggle against Laborism tional or with the agents of capitalism in compromise (including acceptance of the declaration, moreover, provides against re is necessary: but while expressing itself the labor movement. This implies that the necessity for a Communist Party as the peating the fiasco of the July 21st strike politically as Parliamentarism and petty Communist Party about to be organized in unifying and directive force in the revoluinitiated by the Socialist Party of Italy, by bourgeois democracy, the basis of Laborism England by unity of the Socialist tionary struggle. a) Instructing the Bureau to establish is trades unionism: the struggle against Labor Party, Workers Socialist Federation The Conference devoted a large part connection with each country to measure trade unionism, therefore, is an indispens and South Wales Socialist Party, must re of its labors to the problem of organization the sentiment prevailing, and insuring a able phase of the struggle against Laborism. ject affiliation with the Labor Party the of making the International actually funcperiod of intense preparative agitation and 8) This struggle against trades unionism British Socialist Party favors this affilia tion on a world basis, of unifying and organization b) Providing that the Gen must proceed by means of the Communist tion, the others are against. eral Strike for Russia shall include political Party general agitation to drive the unions centralizing the movement. While the Exe) Rejects the concept of Communist ecutive Committee still remains the supreme and economic demands in accordance with to more revolutionary action, the forma unity in general, urging that unity must executive authority, the Conference organthe revolutionary requirements in each tion of extra union organizations such as be based not upon formal acceptance of ized still remains the supreme executive country, thereby making the movement for the Shop Stewards, Workers Committees general principles but agreement upon fund authority, the Conference organized suppleSoviet Russia an integral part of the im and economic Workers Councils, the organ amental action.
mediate revolutionary struggle of the pro ization of direct branches of the Communist mentary machinery for purposes of immeThe tendency of the thesis on Social diate contact, expression and unity.
letariat.
Party in the shops, mills and mines, and patriots and Unity is to preserve and c) Avoiding the fundamental mistake of the construction of industrial unions.
a) The Conference decided to create an the July 21st strike of working through the strengthen the revolutionary integrity of the international sub bureau composed of one h) The agitation for, and construction Communist International to prevent the In delegate from each country (where in a bureaucracy of the trade unions, and urg of, industrial unions is a factor of the ut ternational from being swamped under the country there is more than one organiza