Page:Boris Souvarine - The Third International.djvu/22

 the reformist Socialists) decided to constitute themselves into the Third International, and founded the "Communist International," the official name of this new organisation.

This Congress farther decided:

That the definite constitution of the Communist International would be the work of the next Congress (the present formation being only provisional).

That the direction of the C.I. is confided to an ExecutieeExecutive [sic] Committee composed of a representative of each affiliated party.

That the parties adhering to the C.I. before the Second Congress takes place have a right to a seat on the Executive Committee. Thus the First Congress of the Communist International was careful not to impose too rigid conditions on the parties whose affiliations they invited, and reserved the definite foundation of the Third International for this purpose, with the co-operation of all the adherent groups.

In this small pamphlet we do not presume to give a complete exposition of, or to study deeply, the problem of the International, but only to emphasise its essential points, and rapidly to translate in concise form the ideas proclaimed by the Communist International, These are defined with vigour and clearness in the Manifesto and in the Resolutions of the First Congress.

The C.I. declares that the hour of the "final struggle" between proletariat and bourgeoisie, as expressed by the Communist Manifesto of 1848, has arrived.

It assigns to us the following task: "to gather up the revolutionary experience of the working classes, to rid the movement of the unhealthy blend of opportunism and social-patriotism, to unite the forces of all the truly revolutionary parties of the world proletarians, and thus to pave the way for, and to hasten the Communist revolution all over the world."

It imputes the responsibility for the war to the capitalist régime and to the conscious will of the governing classes of Russia, Germany, Austria, England, France,