Page:Solomon Abramovich Lozovsky - The World's Trade Union Movement (1924).pdf/114

 110 Communist Party has such long history. All the others have grown out of the Social-Democratic parties after the war, and some of them have absorbed part of the superstitions of the latter.

In the Latin countries the Communist parties absorbed anarcho-syndicalist elements. Thus, in these countries, the Communist parties were composed of two ideological tendencies: On one hand, the Social-Democratic element and, on the other, the anarcho-syndicalists. The origin of these different strata was the cause for the existence, within these parties for a short period, of anarchist leanings. There was something of a "left sickness"—a superficial revolutionism—which is quite common with the anarchist world viewpoint. From the point of view of formal revolutionism, of course, the United Front is impossible, because we have to deal with reformists, to sit with them at one table, etc. A shallow revolutionist cannot comprehend the whole necessity of the United Front, and as a certain part of such element joined the Communist parties in the Latin countries, we met there with opposition.

But there were other motives. It was said that we were too weak to allow ourselves such a maneuver, which demands strength, unity and great discipline. It was claimed that if we will put the Communists together with the reformists the latter may exercise the greater influence upon the former, These parties were afraid of themselves when they talked against the United Front. The same idea found its reflection within the revolutionary trade union movement. But already at the Second Congress of the Profintern (November 1922), all opposition to the United Front had disappeared from our ranks.

The opponents to the United Front saw that the latter is not an empty invention, and that for the period mentioned was a very effective, strategic maneuver for bringing closer unity between the advance guard and the backward mass of the proletarian army. They saw how vital the idea was in reality, and by experience they received proof of the correctness of our general tactics. Thus, at the Second Congress of the Profintern, there were no more opponents of the United Front.

The unity on that question among ourselves is now proven by the international conference of the Transport Workers. At this Conference there were present only the Russian unions, which, however, spoke in the name of the revolutionary unions of all countries. And the revolutionary unions accepted our stand and line of action and adopted all our decisions after they were published. This shows the inner unity, the absence of discord which previously interfered with our struggle. In general, we may say that the United Front has passed the stage of agitation and propaganda and that now it is in the phase of realization, in the organization stage.

In regard to the organizational strengthening of this front, we have shown at the conference of Transport Workers how practically we