TRS OORUMIST The Holland Conference of The Communist International 2CCUS was In November, 1919, Comrade Rut one striving to set afoot a real mass plete rupture with the Labor Youth. The discussion was congers came from Russia with a man movement in favor of Russia, even Party.
fined to the choosing of the Amster date from the Executive Committee if it should net success only to the After the vote on the question of dam Bureau. The comrades in of the Third International to orga extent of introducing revolutionary unity, the Conference proceeded to question could not accept the choice nire sud bureau at Amsterdam. learen into every great economic a discussion of theses on Unionism in its actual form. There was a long The members of the Bureau were strike. this with the object of brilliantly presented and defended discussion, but they were unable to to be designated by the Executive convincing masses of every country by the American comrade Louis reach an agreement. They finally Committee. The principal tasks of that their own fate rests indissolubly Fraina. Comrade Bowman, one of adjourned with the following dethis Barau were to be: with the fate of Soviet Russia; the the leading figures of the Indepen cisions. The establishment of a Com other sought to have the conference dent Unions of Holland, was pre The Secretariat and Bureau munist Propaganda Center with a order a great International strike sent at this session and participated are to continue their propaganda bultetin and publication in three without delay. Those who desired in the discussion. Handelsblad. work separately for the next three languages the latter had no illusions at all as the big capitalist daily of Amster. months. All efforts should be made The establishment of relations to the probable success of such an dam, later exploited this fact in its to avoid conflict between them, with the various Communist Part appeal, but they held that it was the revelations concerning the secret In the three months there will its and groups of Western Europe primary task of the Communists to Communist Conference. It claimed be held another International Comand America educate the masses in the import of that the General Strike of the Ammunist Conference which will disThe organization of an Inter unity through international action. sterdam transport workers had been pose, it is to be hoped, of the author national Communist Conference After a thorough discussion, in manufactured and that other strikes ity necessary for organizing without delay which were pointed out the dangers had been planned by Russian Bureau along more clearly dehined The Communist Party of Germany which might confront Soviet Russia Gold. Alas! these silly lines.
having also announced a plan for through the lifting of a blocade not ations were received by Het Volk. Because of the limited composan international Communist Con brought about by the pressure of the organ of the Social Democratic ition of the Amsterdam Conference ference, organized the Secretariat of the masses, but in accordance with Party, in order to detach the indeand its permature closing entailed Western Europe and invited the the plans of the capitalist govern pendent unions taking part in the by police activities which prevented Communist Parties to meet in Ger ments. committee was elected to strike, the German comrades from partimany in the latter half of January, draw up a resolution combining both After working painfully for our cipating in it, the theses and resothe provisional Burea at Amster tendencies. This resolution days, the Conference was compelled lotions accepted can only be prodam decided to participate in this accepted unanimously.
to leave the place where these visional for the Communist Interconference and to prepare resolu Then the Conference discussed sessions were held and to seek re national. These theses and resolutions, etc. which were to be sent to two other questions: The creation fuge at the home of a comrade. tions have, however, a relative value Berlin of a Communist Bureau for Western Several delegates noticed that they in indicating the trend of the deve In the middle of January the Europe and the Americas, and the were being followed regularly by lopment of Communist thought.
American and English represent unification of the different Comun detectives. The position of those mainly in the Anglo Saxon countatives reached Holland. No com ist groups existing in several count who did not have regular passports ries. Furthermore, they can and munications having yet been re ries. The absence of the comrades necessitated this change by means should serve as material for a future ceived from Germany, where a state of The Secretariat of Western of which it was hoped the police international congress.
of siege has been declared, the Pro Europe established in Germany would lose track of them. On SunIn spite of all these limitations visional Bureau at Amsterdam de rendered the situation regarding the day, February Sth, a Swiss comrade we cannot hold the results of the cided to utilize the presence of the first of these questions very delicate. arrived. He brought the news that Conference useless. On the contrary, English and American comrades It ended, however, in a decision that several German delegates expected we are convinced that they will proand hasten a conference at Amster a Bureau should be established at to reach Holland in a few days. It mote the international mass movedam. The way for this conference Amsterdam for propaganda, the was decided to adjourn the session ment for Soviet Russia as well as has already been paved by the visits strengthening of bonds between the and reunite on the 11th. Uitiartun strengthen the bonds among the of Dutch comrades to England Communist groups of Europe and ately, the change did not succeed groups of the advance guard and Switzerland, Belgium and France. America, and securing contact of in getting the police off the tracks.
hasten their unification on the geA courier was sent to the German the Bureau with the latters work Several comrades were arrested and neral basic principles and tacties laid comrades to ask them to come as and organization. It is hoped to searched. Others escaped worse fate down by the Conference. And we quickly as possible. The conference avoid conflict between the two or by leaving the country secretly. look upon these as most valuable opened on February 3, 1920. Onlyganizations of the Third Interna Belgian delegate was held twenty results.
one delegate representing the oppo tional by reserving for the Secreta four hours and then deported. The The Executive Committee sition in the Communist Party riat, established in Germany, rela lack of experience of our party in Delegates from Spain, was present from Germany at the tions with the different countries of reference to illegal action and other Mexico, Finland and Scotland or opening. The other German dele Central and South Eastern Europe. circumstances prevented taking cer rived after the Conference. With gates arrived eight days later. In the motion to establish a bureau tain necessary precautions, which the latter the members of the Exaddition to the delegates of the was also carried unanimously would perhaps have rendered possecutive Committee had only private various Communist groups of EngThere was not as much unanimity ible a normal ending of the Con discussions. As a result permanent land, America and Holland, the con in the discussion of the cases of ference relations were established The ference was attended by two dele unity of the Communist groups of Under the above circumstances discussions in regard to Spain and gates from a Belgian Communist each country. The resolution pro it was impossible to resume the Mexico facilitated connections with group, by a comrade who had parti posed included a strict obligation for session. Several German delegates America and Far East through a cipated in the Hungarian Revolu the severing of, all relations with were traced and caught by the Bureau in America.
tion, by a representative of the re parties affiliated directly or indirect. Noske regime. The American and volutionary movement in the Dutch ly with the Social Patriotic Inter Swiss delegates were hounded by THE LAW West Indies and by a Chinese comnational. This brought forward se their democratic governments. For Judge Weeks, charging the hand picked rade. The latter had no credentials. rious objections from the delegates the latter to try valor would mean jury in the Winitsky case: We are living in The Swiss delegates could not part of one of the English Parties (The spending long years in Holland this country under a system of jurispruicipate in the regular discussion be British Socialist Party. They ex prisons. None dared to expose him.
dence the most enlightened, most just and most fair of any country in the world.
cause they arrived toward the end pressed their apprehension of such self to this danger constantly conSure! Don we see it in operation?
a measure which would completely fronting him in Amsterdam. The What the need of tellin us?
The first session took place on isolate the English Communist members of the Executive Com He also said: The law protects the weak February the 3rd. After an open Party and prevent it from becoming mittee of the Bureau as well as the against the stroasa ing address by Comrade Rutgers, a live force in the political struggle English and American delegates Don we know that too? Doesn it althe Bureau of the Congress was ways protect the bourgeoisie against the of the country. This would result succeeded in having several conworking class?
named and the order of business was from making it impossible for a ferences with the delegates who set. The Conference reopened on Communist Party to affiliate with arrived from Germany. Among Pass this on to a worker trusted on February 4th. The first point of the mass of the British Labor the latter were two delegates of the Au communications for Party or Defense was an appeal to the Party. The delegates of the other Workers to support Soviet Russia. English organizations entertained ist Party, a delegate of the Secre so through the established channels The discussion, which was very liveno such fears. They declared that thriat for Western Europe, and of ALL POWER TO THE WORKERS!
ly, lasted two days. Two main ten Communist unity in their country the Russian Communist Party, and themselves: the could be obtained only by the com. a delegate of the International Build the trail in the abop!
of the conference.
discussion dencies