The toiler. [volume] (Cleveland, Ohio) 1919-1922, 1921-07-23
Opening Of the Congress Of the
Communist international.
SUCCESSES OF PAST YEAR REVIEWED AND FUTURE
STRUGGLES POINTED OUT.
From "Rosta Wien. :

Moscow, June 23rd.-The huge
MoscowTheatre was filled to overflow
ing. The stage, boxes and parquette
We're filled with the delegates to the
congress. All other parts were cram
med with the representatives of the
Moscow proletariat. One could hear
conversations in every tongue Of Eu-
rope and Asia. The members of the
Executive Committee of the Commun-
list International appeared on the
stage.
Zinoviev Declared The Congress
Opened.
Our first word, began Zinoviev,
shall be dedicated to the comrades
who have fallen in the struggle for
Communism. In Berlin comrade Sylt
has been buried, and in Turkey a
group of the most active Communists
have given their. lives. In Italy not
day passes without the White terror
demanding its victim. In the March
Action the German party has lost
several hundred Of their best COM
rades. Also among the participants Of
the second congress there are victims
to be deplored. A group of French and
Greek comrades who wished to get
through the Gordon of the bourgeois
10 their own lands had to pay with
their lives.
The enemies of Communism refer
to the events in Italy, Czecko- -Slovakia
and Germany and say that the Com
. munist International has suffered a
defeat. We believe however that such
events are unavoidable. The long
chain of the struggle of the working
class consists of such events. We
knew them here in Russia also but
in the end the revolutionary move
ment won the upper hand. The strug-
giles of the past year are without
doubt step forward. Capitalism is
going through a severe crisis. In Gu.
rope and America there are millions
of unemployed.
The strike of the English miners is
an example Of the endurance Of the
,,.ss IS Gid Si ii sbss Of te @ treachery
of the leaders will still last many
weeks. Today we have received reports
of new strikes in Italy and quite re.
Gently three-day strike took place
in Bavaria.
In the last year our party has
grown very strong. In the last con-
gress only a small group of French
delegates took part and this time the
French delegates represent a Party
of 100000 members. From Czecko-
Slovakia instead of a few delegates
we have to greet representatives of q
Party of 100000 members. The Eng.
lish and the American Parties have
completed the union which gives them
the possibility of appearing with q
solid front.
The White terror cannot destroy
our Party and cannot stop it's irresist.
able growth. We do not need any Op.
portunists. Instead of the last years
representatives of the Italian Social.
lists the delegates of the new Com.
munist Party Of Italy are in our midst
1t is much better for us that we have
freed ourselves there from all Centrist
and reformist leaders and the day
is not far distant when all the Italian
workers will stand in our ranks. Last
year the representatives Of Right Ger
man Independent Socialists came t.
unite with us so that they coulc
Sabotage our work from within. Wher
we would not hear anything Of it they
founded the "two and a half" Inter
national which unites nearly all tn,
wobbly elements in It. This fact neet
not bother us. Up to the time of tn,
second congress one could still harbour
doubts as to the breakdown Of tn,
second international but now the fat,
of their leader Thomas, is character
istic for the whole Of the Yellow In
ternational. At the time Of the miners
strike Thomas betrayed the workers
and thereupon to avoid their venge
ance he fled to America. The Amer
lean workers however received hin
with hostile demonstrations.
The struggle with Amsterdam nov
stands as the order Of the day. Th
international Council Of Red Trad
Unions which was formed last yea
now unites more than 10 million work
ers. A great work stands before u.
We shall settle our tactics and all tha
seek to bring poison Of Centrism int
our ranks must be met with tn
sharpest resistance. We must presen
all comrades with the inner and ou,
ward situation Of Soviet Russia. TIL
hate Of the bourgeoisie surrounds on
congress as a wall. Full Of glee th
Polish press reports that only sma
number Of delegates have arrived I
the congress. In fact there are thot
sands Of delegates who represent 4