Page:Resolutions and Decisions of the Third Congress of the Red International of Labor Unions (1924).pdf/75



Y grace of the Entente the bourgeoisie has now been in power for nearly seven years in Esthonia, Latvia, Finland, Lithuania and Poland. For nearly seven years has it been strangling the working classes of these countries. The bloodthirsty bourgeoisie attacks with particular fury the revolutionary workers, whose past is tied up with the revolutionary vanguard of the Soviet Republics; their unions are being closed down, and their active leaders are being arrested.

Workers of the world! It is with the aid of the world capital and with the social traitors of your country that the rotten "Independent" states, which separate the bulwark of the world revolution, Soviet Russia, from the centre of the revolutionary movement in Europe, from Germany, have been able to maintain themselves. The bourgeoisie of your countries looks upon these "democratic Republics" as upon watchdogs who could be set upon the workers and peasants of Soviet Russia at the necessary moment. Again and again the social traitors, who act against labor, hand in hand with the police and the secret service, should be exposed. The "democratic" regime stages grandiose political trials, not only against hundreds of revolutionary workers, but against entire labor organizations. This is intended completely to deprive the workers of their legal organizations, to abolish the right of assembly and the workers' press.

While in His Majesty's England a "Labor" Government of the Second International is at the helm, while in France the radical democratic bourgeoisie, supported by the social-democrats, have come to power, and in Denmark the social-democrats are at the head of the government, while throughout the world the social-traitors are proclaiming the coming of a new era of democracy, the vassals of world imperialism, the bourgeois democracies of Esthonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Poland are crushing the labor organizations of these countries.

In Esthonia all the unions have been closed and the prominent leaders arrested. In Lithuania, Finland and Poland the destruction of the unions and the arrests of the leaders have become an everyday occurrence. In Latvia the persecutions of the radical unions continue as before. Arrests, provocations, closing down of the unions, prohibition of the organization of new unions, prohibition of any legal labor organs—such is the true face of democracy in these countries. From police stations heartrending cries of tortured workers are heard. The knout, the rifie butt, and the fist are only a preface to the subtle tortures practiced in the secret service departments of these little countries.

Workers of all countries! Protest against the brutality of the henchmen of world imperialism of Eastern Europe. Extend your hand of solidarity to the courageous detachments of revolutionary workers. Support your tortured brethren.

Workers of England and France! Expose the "labor" and "democratic" governments of MacDonald and Herriot who direct the destruction of the labor organizations.