Page:Solomon Abramovich Lozovsky - The World's Trade Union Movement (1924).pdf/54

 50 of absolutely neutral people, and by that to create that higher institution which will be able to bring about harmony between contradictions and to destroy the military aspirations of separate countries.

The anti-war tactics of the Amsterdam International are characterized very well by the international peace congress which was called by it in December, 1922, at the Hague. To this congress were invited also representatives of the Russian trade unions in order to discuss together the danger of war and methods of fighting against it.

First of all, this congress was peculiar by its social composition. At this Congress, besides the representatives of Amsterdam, the Second and the Second-and-a-Half Internationals, all Internationals, and Secretariats of Industries, there were also representatives of all kinds of pacifist societies which appeared after the war. The bourgeois pacifists are "pacifists" in time of peace, which is not very difficult. But in time of war a great majority of them were with their governments; they were setting one nation upon another, preaching endurance and patience and fight to a finish.

At the Hague there were also such organizations as "For the League of Nations"—"The League for the Rights of Man and Citizen"—"The Society for Bringing About Friendly Relations Between Churches"—"The Union of Christian Socialists," and many other similar societies and unions, in short "Of every animal, a pair." And we, the representatives of the Russian trade unions, found ourselves in this mixed society.

At this Congress there was talk about the necessity to conduct propaganda and to bring up the youth against war by way of lectures, movies, etc. I am a lover of movies, and have nothing against them, but when delegates from all countries meet for the sake of fighting against war, just prior to the occupancy of the Ruhr, and talk about the movies, the education of the youth as a separate activity in this problem, it is clear that there is something wrong with the struggle against war.

All the resolutions adopted in this connection had for their purpose to satisfy everybody. As long as six hundred people came together, all peaceful and in a benign mood, as the Germans would say gemutlich, why should any one of them be angered? As a result, resolutions were worked out for all tastes. Of course to satisfy Russians is very difficult, and we brought into this peaceful idyl a plain disharmony, but this was only because we have a bad, Bolshevik temper and it is most difficult to satisfy us.

In this resolution, which was adopted mainly in order that they should be able to digest their food after the Congress as well as before, besides their reliance upon the League of Nations which was supposed to arrange everything, there is also a threat—and this was a debatable question—a threat that in case of the danger of war all the organizations should proclaim a general strike.