Page:Grigory Zinoviev - Report of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (1921).pdf/66



I have been alloted the task of defending the resolution drawn up by the Small Bureau with regard to the Czecho-Slovakian question, which has been submitted to the Executive Committee. First of all I desire to express our regret that Comrade Smeral is not present. At the congress of his party in Praga he threw down the gauntlet, so to speak, to the Third International. In our opinion it was his duty to appear at this congress and to defend his opinions here. We have therefore, after conferring with the Czech comrades present, decided to send a telegram to Smeral requesting him, if it is at all possible, to come to the congress at Moscow and to defend his attitude here. As yet we have no reply, but we have not given up all hope that Smeral will appear here in person.

To begin with I shall discuss the National question, a problem of great importance in the Czecho-Slovakian case. We must proceed very prudently here. First I want to remark that the "Pravo Lidu" ascribed a very silly statement to the Executive Committee, and to me in particular, to the effect that I did not even recognise the Czecho-Slovakian State. (Laughter. ) "Pravo Lidu" made this apocryphal statement. How is it possible that the Executive Committee, or one of its members, should not recognise an actual fact? We shall have no quarrel with the Czecho-Slovakian comrades, if they desire to work within their State, which is the result of the