BourgeoisieCominternCommunismCommunist PartyDemocracySocialismSocialist PartySovietWorking Class

80 THE WORKERS COUNCIL JUNE 1, 1921 The Workers Counci Vol.
New York, June 15, 1921.
No.
INTERNATIONAL NOTES By Alexander Trachtenberg French Party Adopts New Constitution heeded the call of the Third International for unity of all committee has been at work since the Tours Conrevolutionary Socialist elements in each country and have laid the foundation for a United Communist Party at a gress revising the constitution of the party which was joint conference held last month at Johannesburg. The made necessary by the division of the Socialist forces.
conference made a careful study of the 2) conditions of Until the present the party continued under the name Socialist, though the dissident Longuet Renaudel faction affiliation which were set forth by the Second Congress of the Communist Interaational, and voted to accept them.
claimed that name. The new constitution which was ratiHaving in mind the clause providing for the adaptation fied by a special party convention on April 17, changed the of the Communist movement of each country to the spename of the party to Communist Party, French Section of the Communist International. The new name is to cific politico economic conditions of that country, the delegates interpreted Point as not being at the present moapply with the beginning of next year. The objects of the party are defined as favoring international action of the ment fully applicable in South Africa and explained Point workers, the political and economic organization of the as meaning a repudiation of reformism within the Socialist movement. The conference agreed that the emphaworkers into a class party for the conquest of power from the bourgeoisie, the socialization of the means of producsis on reforms tended to neutralize the revolutionary character of the movement and to elude the workers from tion and exchange, leading to the transformation of the the paths of the class struggle. The International, the present capitalist society into a communist society.
The principle of centralization has been brought into militant organ of the South African International Socialist League, expresses great hopes for a strong comthe various organs of the party and the national commits munisi movement in South Africa.
tee has been given more powers. The parliamentary frac.
tion has been made more responsible to the party. The Before unity could actually be perfected, the Southnational committee is to supervise the activities of the African Socialists dispatched two of their members as deledeputies. representative of the committee is to sit with gates to the Third Congress of the Communist Internathe parliamentary group. Important matters are to be tional which will begin June 3rd at Moscow, Their arriva!
taken 11p in joint sessions between the deputies and the at the Soviet capital has already been reported.
national committee. Each deputy must give fifty days for propaganda work for the federation which elected him and Communist Party Formed in Spain fifty days under the direction of the national committee It was also proposed that the deputies be taxed 250 francs Since the return of the Spanish Socialist delegation to a year for the party, but that was turned down by the Ritssia a split in the party became imminent. Prof. de los convertion.
Rios who headed the delegation came back determined to The parliamentary groups have beea the nests of re oppose affiliation with the Third International on the basis formist Socialism and have on numerous occasions disof the 21 conditions. Comrade Rias Wanted complete credited the party by their activities in parliament. Con. autonomy for the Spanish movement and was willing to sumed like the other socialist parties with the desire to allow a platonic alliance of the party with Moscow. He control larger numbers of seats after each election, the was also opposed to the emphasis which the Communist party closed its syes to the records of its candidates. Be International put on the principle of proletarian dictatorginning with Millerand entry into the cabinet down ship and stressed in his report the contempt in which the through its experiences with Briand, Viviani, Guesde, notion of liberty and democracy were held by Russian Sembat, Thomas, Varrene and his stalwart forty social leaders.
patriotic decaties, Renaudel et tutti quaati, the party had While the Socialist delegates travelled to Russia, to pay dearly for the failure to exercise a control over its Spanish democracy inaugurated a campaign of fiendish elected officials which was characteristic of the period of persecution of the labor unions which called forth a prothe Second International and which contributed greatly to test and an appeal for aid from the conservative Amsterits undoing. The parliamentary fractions were kingdoms dam Trade Union International. former member of the unto themselves, and instead of their functioning as Cortes and professor of jurisprudence at the University of agencies of the party for the advancement of the move Granada, Comrade de los Rios, has failed to properly ment, the party was subordinated to them, and in the case evaluate the class struggle which has been raging in Barof many deputies it merely existed as an apparatus to se celona, Madrid and other industrial centers. His report on cure their elections and insure their continuance in office. the trip to Russia has been very properly made use of by Even in the Unitert States where the Socialist Party has reactionary forces in his and other European countries and had only a taste of parliamentarism through its represent by Samuel Gompers in this contatry (see May issue of atives in a few city and state legislatures and in Congress American Federationist. it came to grief largely because of the emphasis upon this The Spanish Socialist Party has been joining and withfeature of Socialist activity and because of the failure to drawing from the Third International during the past two exercise sufficient control over its elected officials. Gross years. The return of the delegation to Russia brought the violations of party platforms and principles, total dis matter to a head. At the party convention held at the endi regard of party discipline and the refusal to consider the of April, the delegates favoring immediate and with po wishes of the membership was the rule rather than the strings attached affiliation with Moscow bolted and exception with our elected officials.
formed a Communist party. national Executive ConThe parties uniting under the banner of the Third In mittee consisting of Quejido, one of the founders of the ternational are adopting different tactics regarding par Socialist Party, Anguiano, former national secretary of the liamentary action and their elected publich officials. Conparty, Virginia Gonzales, Arenas, Beci; Mancebo and Gil sidering parliamentary action not as a thing in itself and was chosen and plans were laid for the organization of not ast the most important function of the Socialist move. the party on a national scale, Mary of the sections now ment but subordinating it raher o the general purpose of afhliated with the will bodily join the new party.
he movement and keeping good watch over its spokesmen Madrid section has already been formed by the Executfrom the tribunes of legislative halls, the parties, of the tive Committee. Those who know the revolutionary hisThird International will not suffer the indignities which tory of the Spanish proletariat and have foltowed its acthe parties of the Second International experienced and tivities have no doubts that the class conscious workers will win back to political action the workers who have will acclaim the leadership of the new party. The divorce come to look upon it with disfa vor because of the past with reformism in revolutionary Spain was believed of performances of some of our parliamentarists.
paramount importance and long due. Under the guidance of the Third International, the militant Socialist moveSonth African Socialists Herge and Join Third ment of Spain will now assume a definite character, leading the workers to greater achievements in the cause of The divergent Socialist groups of South Africa have their emancipation from wage slavery.
LAW JUDGET In the Name of Law and Order The Socialist Party Convention From the Italian Front