THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, June 7, 1919 First Congress of the Communist International From the Moscow Pravda, March Issued to the World by Radio N We have recorded the conquests already made. We gresses, the Russian revolution was represented by The Soviet Conquers have put on paper, what was already established in the emigrants whom the majority of the opportunist leadconsciousness of the masses.
All of us knew much ers of the European Socialists regarded with an ironBy Lenin more than this. All of us saw and felt, by the expe ical condecension. The functionaries of parliamentarrience of his own country, that a new proletarianism were imbued with an unalterable conviction that OTHING is firm in a revolution except what has movement had begun to ferment with a force and with the misfortunes of the revolution were the lot of semibeen achieved by the masses of the people. It a depth that were unheard of; that this Asiatic Russia, while Europe might rely on a gradual, will therefore be sufficient to reccord in writing would never fit into any of the old channels. that it peaceful and painless development from Capitalism our real and solid conquests.
The founding of the Third (Communist) Interna politics or by the Lloyd Georges and Wilsons of the so called Democratic Capitalism of England and Ame been heaped up by Imperialism broke through the In August 1914 the internal contradictions that had of those of all nations of Russia, Germany, Austria. nor by the Hendersons, the Renaudels, the Brantings Pegal liberties, and its political and other propositions Sion not only of the Russian proletarian masses, but nica, with all their experience and all their leverness, pacific crust of capitalism, with its parliamentarism, Hungary, Finland, Switzerland, in a word of the protheir skill in reconciling opposites.
sanctified by law. From the pinnacle of civilization, Letarian masses of the world.
humanity was cast down into a terrible abyss of barThis is precisely the reason why the founding of the This new movement is heading directly for a dict barism and bloody savagery.
Thiru! Communist) International is a lasting work. atorship of the proletariat. It is advancing in spite Although the Marxist theory had foreseen the bloody But four months ago it was still impossible to say that in spite of this Russian chaos which is so prominent catastrophe, the reformist Socialist parties were taken the power of Soviets, the Soviet form of the state, constituted an international achievement. There was in the eyes of those who judge from the outside; it unawares. The prospect of peaceful development vanin this form an essential element which belonged not is marching toward the Soviet power with a might islied in thin air. The opportunists could see no other only to Russia but to all the capitalist countries. But which is carrying along on its path millions and tens duty than to invite the working masses to defend their it was still impossible to declare in advance what of millions of proletarians.
nationalistic bourgeois fatherland. On August 4, 1914, changes would be made in this form by the later de This is the record of our accomplishments. In our the Second International perished ingloriously. Since velopment of the world revolution.
orders of the day, our reports, our papers, and our that day, all true revolutionists, the heirs of Marxist The German revolution was the necessary experi speeches, we have printed the accomplishments already international for the implacable revolutionary struggle inent performed to answer these questions. The most against capitalist society. The war unleashed by Imaxlvanced capitalist country presented to the entire The Marxist theory, illuminated by the bright light perialism has thrown the entire capitalist world out of world, following the inost reactionary capitalist of reason and experience, reaching all over the world its equilibriun. AN questions have been revealed as country, within the short space of a hundred days, not in revolutionary workers, has assisted in grasping the revolutionary questions. The old masters of soci only fundamentally the same revolutionary forces, not full logic of events. It will aid all proletarians in the patriotism have displayed afl their talent in the effort only the same general direction of events, but even the entire world who are struggling to overthrow capital to preserve the appearance of their former parties, same esential form of the new proletarian democracy ist slavery, to become clearly conscious of the object their former lies, and their old organizations. But namely, the Soviets. Simultaneously, in England, in of their struggle, to march more steadily on the road was no use. Once more in history, war was the mother iliis victorious country, in country, the richest of already begun, to grasp more surely and consolidate of revolution. The imperialist war was the mother in the country which has been for the their achievement. The founding of the Third Inter of a proletarian revolution.
longest period the model of social harmony, or which national is the gateway of the International Soviet Rehas seenext to be such, in the most ancient home of public, of the International victory of Communism.
The honor of initiating a proletarian revolution be(apitalism, we behold a wide, irresistible transformlongs to the Russian working class and to its Communist Party, hardened as it has been in conflict. By its ation, a powerful growth of the Soviets, and of the new Soviet forms of the conflict of the proletarian November revolution, the Russian proletariat not only masses: the Shop Stewards committees. Great Epoch opened the gates of the Kremlin to the representatives of the International proletariat, but it also laid the In America, the most powerful capitalist country, By Leon Trotzky cornerstone of the edifice of the Third International.
and the youngest, there is an immense sympathy of the working masses for the Soviets. SUPPOSE the czars and the former priests who The revolutions of Germany, Austria, Hungary, the Thic ice is broken. The Soviets have triumphed all controlled the Moscow Kremlin, never imagined lightning spread of the Soviet movement and of civil that there would gather within its venerable walls re war, marked by the martyrdom of Liebknecht and over the world. They have triumphed particularly presentatives of the most revolutionary party of the Rosa Luxemburg, and of how many nameless thousand above all in the sense that they have conquered modern world. Yet this has happened. In one of ands of nameless heroes. showed that Europe did not important part. That is a conquest which the atrocities melancholy shades of the ancient Czarist penal Code, Russia. The essential identity of the methods in the assassinations of the Bolsheviki cannot now take away are sitting the delegates of the Third International. struggle for Socialism, which has been proved by exfrom the masses. The greater the fury of the soIn truth, the tooth of war has done effective work perience, has permitted the creation of the Communist International and simultaneously rendered immediately called democratic bourgeoisie, the more will these conin undermining the walls of the Kremlin.
necessary the convoking of the Communist Congress.
quests live in the souls of the proletarian masses, in This physical background for the Communist Contheir consciousness, in their heroic readiness for the gress is simply the external manifestation of the numThis Congress is in session within the walls of the strugglc erous changes that have taken place in the ten or Kremlin. We were witnesses and participants in one of the greatest events of the world war. The working The ice is broken. And for that reason the work twenty years just passed, in the conditions of the class of the whole world has captured from its enemies of the Communist International Conference, at Mos whole world.
the most inaccessible citadel of the ancient Russia of cow, which founded the Third International, proceeded In the days of the Second International, as well as the Czars, and from this citadel it launches all its enerwith so much smoothiness and regularity, so much calm of the First, Czarist Russia was the principal support gies for the final conflict. What a joy to fight and and firm determination.
of world reaction. In the international Socialist con live in such a time!
Jl in colonies.
II The Emptying of the Cities RECENT dispatches in the capitalista press have out of or made unacceptable to industry, are forced quotel bourgeois refugees from Russia as saying By Phillips Russell to rely on such means as they can muster, in order to that etrograd is to a large extent deserted. Critics live. Finally we have the invariable accompaniments of the Soviet regime have eagerly accepted these reof all great cities crime, theft; prostitution, lunemployports as proof of the general ruin and decay caused by Other capitalistic factors also assist in the process ability, degeneracy and murder.
proktarian management. We have no means of learning location of great industries and governmental estabing the truth as to these stories, since so much resthielishments near transportation termini inevitably draw immediately tend to draw off this mass of corruption.
The establishment of a regime under which things are done for service and use and not for profit, will nof news at all but mere anti Bolshevik propaganda.
the workers thither, and with this accumulating army Gilt it keepers, purveyers of food, drink and amusement, The jealous monopolies of transportation being reinhabitants moved, new avenues of travel by rail, motor, trolley licalthy sin have begun to leave Petrograd, it is sign.
The obese cities of modern times are mere creations hoping to snatch a living from the store of wealth that herded in shamefully crowded buildings will be able to and airplane will be opened. and those persous hitherto of le upitalism. They will have no reason for existence begins to be heaped up as soon as labor is applied to spread out into the country and suburbs where they working class rule and will, as soon as a univ. aggregations of machinery.
may obtain access to the soil, maintain plenty of elbow ersal revolution has been accomplished, rapidly tend room and raise their children in the sunshine.
Employers encourage this gathering of job hunters to lisappear.
Modern cities are mostly mere dumping grounds of ing animals who can be quickly hitched to a machine because it brings to their doors masses of human workThis is not to say that cities have no sound reason for existence. They have, and it is founded deep. in privately owned transportation systems the railroads when times are good and who can be as quickly disand steamship littes. The railroads, especially, have charged when prosperity declines, the human instinct for gregariousness and the craving for fellowship. There will always be cities as as fostered the mushroom growth of great cities. By there are persons who like to live in them. There are encouraging the leaping up of human beings and This accumulation of organisms, each with appetites certain kinds of human beings who will never live elseinercitandise at certain centres they have made their that must be fed soon gives rise to terrific competition where if they can avoid it. There are perhaps more own work easier and fattened their profits. Plump for the means of livelihood. The stronger, the health kinds of human beings who live in cities only because earnings accrue to the transportation systems from ex. ier and more docile get all the jobs that require regular they must. As soon as artificial resrictions and compress hauls there is less money for them in scattered hours and daily attendance. The weak, the unfortun pulsions are removed, they go running back to the traffic and frequent stops.
are, the depraved and the more cunning, being crowded mother of us all the earth.
imeler