Page:Samuel Gompers - Out of Their Own Mouths (1921).djvu/206

 180 The representatives of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions were of the opinion that the trade unions should organize sections within the Trade International. From this it follows that the Third Communist International should be the general staff of all the militant revolutionary class organizations of the proletariat.

All the delegates except the Bulgarians opposed the Russian delegation. The Italians, French and English, approaching the question from various points of view were inclined to the opinion that an independent international organization should be set up which, while being connected by ideas and organization with the Third International, nevertheless should lead an independent existence. The representative of the German syndicalists and of the Australian I. W. W. were against all connection with the Third International and argued that the trade unions under no circumstances will associate with a political organization. It is characteristic that the same point of view was held by the representatives of the German Labor Unions, Otto Ruhle, who represented the German Communist Labor Party, the distinguishing feature of which is that it denies the necessity and usefulness of politically organizing the working class. On this question, as on other questions, the syndicalists and the I. W. W. differed. On this occasion it was due to the I. W. W. supporting affiliation to the Third International.

The question that raised most discussion was that of the tactics of the Communist revolutionary elements within the trade union movement in connection with the old mass unions. The question was: Should the old unions be split or captured? Considerable differences were revealed among the delegates on this point. Recognizing their weakness in comparison with the German "free" unions which embrace nearly 8,000,000 members,