Page:Grigory Zinoviev - Report of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (1921).pdf/64

 Comrades, let us have your judgment; we recognise our mistakes ourselves. You must delegate your best men from every country to the new Executive Committee. But you must not simply say: "Oh, we don't need this man at home, so we shall send him to Moscow." In this manner mistakes will increase a hundredfold unless every country sends a leading comrade who can be relied upon. It must be understood that an Executive Committee is not a matter of luxury. It must not be said: We have a sufficiency of good things—a party, trade unions organisations, etc., why then need we have an Executive Committee? That is not the way to look at the question; it must be taken seriously. If you desire to have an efficient International, a capable Executive Committee you must send us your best men. We are being reproached with having made mistakes; we are being told that our connections were very bad. But, comrades, I return the thrust and ask of the parties: "What have you done for an international organisation? Almost nothing, Your criticism is welcome, but exercise self-criticism as well!" We need the best elements, numerous men with sufficient technical assistants for the Executive Committee, and real sacrifices must be made by every party. If so, we shall have an Executive Committee which will be worthy to be called the General Staff of the Proletarian Revolution. For it was only a euphemism when we called ourselves that up to now. We have not yet merited that name. We have only been limping after the party a little, we have indicated the way. In general, however, we have not departed from the lines indicated by the Second Congress, but have executed them in concrete form. Next year it must be different. We must form a real International Executive Committee. When we have such an Executive Committee, when we shall have once more put our policies to the test, when we shall have gone