Saturday, August 9, 1919 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE The British Workers and Soviet Russia UR progress is very slow. When the By SYLVIA PANKHURST the possibility of an immediate railway strike Allied Intervention to crush the Ruson industrial grounds and the railway men are British movement to join in a demonstration sian Soviets began a year ago, it was strike against the war on the Soviet Republics. seething with discontent.
impossible to arouse British workers to proThe miners supported the strike resolution test against it. In June, 1918, when the Al Henderson, merely announced, as a matter of information only the Executive had agreed itself calling a conference on industrial action at the conference and the Triple Alliance is lies were as yet only meddling tentatively in with the French and Italian delegates to arRussia, Kerensky came to this country to apto stop the intervention. Altogether it seems range anti intervention demonstrations for peal to the Allies to make a great war upon that British Labor is beginning to move. We the Soviets. His first appearance was at the July 20 and 21 in France, Italy and Britain. are slow, but let us hope, we are sure.
Labor Party Conference at Westminster. He the demonstrations to be in the form best Draft of the Russian Communist was introduced to the Conference by Arthur adapted to the circumstances and to the methods in operation in each country. The resoHenderson and received a great ovation from the delegates who had not thought enough lutions to be submitted to the demonstrations arty Program states: about Russia to understand that he was the To this end it is the further duty of the working (Continued from page 6)
tool of the Czarist counter revolution. Those elass movement to authorize action in the various masses, the aim of which is to disarm the proof us who protested against his being allowed Parliaments, and to bring to bear whatever pressure letariat and detract him from his task of disto address the conference as an honored guest it can command, in view of their national circumarming the exploiters.
were howled down or ejected. Our demand stances against the governing authorities of the various countries.
16) Only a proletarian Communist revthat Maxim Litvinoff, the duly accredited repOf course some delegate ought to have olution will work out the salvation of humanresentative of Soviet Russia, who was present jumped up and moved the suspension of the ity and solve the dilemma which was created in the gallery, should be allowed to reply to by Imperialism and imperialistic wars. Whatthe charges Kerensky had made against the Standing Orders, in order that a resolution might be moved declaring a general strike on ever hardships may occur during the revoluSoviets, was ignored, at the bidding of Arthur July 20 and 21. No one was ready enough tionry period, temporary defeats or temporHenderson.
to seize the opportunity; but if any delegate ary waves of counter revolution, the final triAt the Blackpool Trade Union Congress, the had done it, old experience proves that the umph of the proletariat is inevitable.
following fall no effective protest was made Chairman would probably have refused to ac 17) The victory of the world proletarian against the intervention: no delegate was found bold enough to express solidarity with the cept the motion. The resolution actually adopt revolution requires the full confidence, the ed by the Conference: most intimate fraternal union and the utmost Soviet Government. But now all is changed: Instructs the National Executive to consult the possible unity The workers are gradually coming to realize Parliamentary Committee of the Trade Union Conthe revolutionary activity of that the Russian and Hungarian Soviet Gov gress with a view to effective action being taken to the working class of the advanced countries.
ernments are governments of the working enforce these demands by the unreserved use of their These conditions are impossible of fulfillment without severance from our former co workclass, answering to their needs, and enabling political and industrial power.
It will be seen that this resolution leaves it ers in the movement and present enemies in them, at last, to realize their long cherished to the joint Executives to put the will of the principle, and without a relentless war against ideals. Though the official leaders like Arthur Conference into operation. The Executive of the bourgeois defacement of Socialism among Henderson have deprecated, repudiated, and the Trade Union Congress is openly opposed the leaders of official Socialist Parties.
even helped to slander the Soviets, a deeply to industrial action for political purposes and 18) Such a defacement is the opportunism felt sense of solidarity with Communist Russia cares nothing for the Soviets and the majority an social chauvinism, the Socialism in words has been growing steadily amongst the work of the Labor Party Executives is also opposed and chauvinism in action, which conceals and For months past Hands Off Russia to action. McGurk, the retiring chairman has found its way into the resolution of every defends the predatory interests of its national of the Labor Party, at once gave an interlabor and Socialist propaganda meeting and view to the capitalist imperialist Evening fending in general the capitalist wars of 1914bourgeoisie, advancing false slogans and deliterature about Russia has been the more Standard, a most virulently anti Labor paper, eagerly read than any other. At the Southport in which he said that nothing would come 1918. This current is created in order to give Conference of the Labor Party, which opened of the resolution.
to the bourgeoisie an opportunity of buying on June 25th, the feeling which has been growthe leaders of the proletariat by doling them ing during the year was clearly manifest. Io lution. The spirit that is behind it is growing by robbing the proletariat in the factories, and But already something is coming of the resoout the crumbs of the large profits obtained the mass of the 950 delegates Russia was the most burning of all questions, and throughout lett, the Secretary of the Dockers Union, resecuring for them a petty bourgeois existence, the conference, by clapping, by cheers, by inand providing these leaders with office under cently announced in conjunction with Havelock terjectory remarks, they gave vocal expression Wilson, the reactionary Secretary of the Seathe bourgeois regime. The opportunists and to heated thought on the Russian question. men Union, that they would send a food social chauvinists as servants of the bourThe rank and file delegates were far in ad ship to Koltchak and that the dockers would geoisie are the direct class foes of the prolevance of the platform and the well known load it without pay: that food ship does not tariat. especially now when in conjunction with seem to have materialized and when the other the capitalists they suppress the revolutionary ference are placed on the agenda several day Ben Tillett spoke in Poplar (a London movement of the proletariat in their own as months beforehand and emergency resolutions dock district) until lately one of his strongwell as in foreign countries.
are only brought forward through the stand holds, he was howled down by the dockers.
19) On the other hand, the bourgeois deing orders committee. This official element facement of Socialism is indicated in the curNow the London district committee of the acts as a barrier to swift progress difficult to dockers has decided to declare a strike on rent of the centre, vacillating between the circumvent. Nevertheless it can be said that social chauvinists and the Communists, inthe Southport Conference of the Labor Party July, 20 and 21; but it goes further, it had has succeeded in declaring itself on the fol decided to advise its members to abstain from sisting upon unity with the former and enlowing points: working on any ships bound for Russia or deavoring to resurrect the bankrupt Second International. But the new Third Communist (1) It has clearly recognized the International assisting in any way the overthrow of the class struggle between Labor and Capital.
Russian proletariat. Moreover it demands that International is, as a matter of fact, directing the combat of the proletariat for emancipation (2) It has declared (though as yet a little timidly, the money invested by the Dockers Union in and without as yet full preparedness to meet all the the Communist International of the recently war loans shall be immediately withdrawn.
obligations of this choice) its solidarity with the The Executive Committee of the Associated organized Communist parties, the recruits of Workers Socialist Republics of Russia and Hungary.
which are the real proletarian elements of the (3) It has declared itself in favor of using direct Society of Locomotive Engineers and Fireindustrial action to achieve the political ends of the men is issuing a circular to its members askformer Socialist parties. In all countries, espeworkers.
ing them to support the demonstrations on cially in Germany, the Communists gain ever (4) It has decided that direct industrial action July 20 and 21 in every way. This is very more and more the sympathy of the proletarian shall be used to stop capitalist attacks upon the So important, as though this Union necessarily is masses. This International resurrects, not only cialist Republics of Russia and Hungary (5) But it has left this action to the joint Execusmall, it controls a powerful and absolutely the name of Marxism but also its political tives, and the Executives will not act without pres essential section of men. Moreover, there is ideas and principles. All its activities are digreat rivalry between it and the National Union rected for only one purpose the realization The Conference was not invited to discuss of Railwaymen; and where the smaller craft of the revolutionary tenents of Marx and the fact that delegates had come from the union leads the big industrial union is cer Engels, cleansed of opportunism and socialFrench and Italian Comrades to appeal to the tain to try to go one better. There is already chauvinism.
ers.
sure.