The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-08-23
BY ALEXANDER BITTELMAN.

CAJOAC VI lACAA lao DOCA Va
great Importance to the revolutionary
movement of the working class. Ev-
cry single one of these congresses
has marked milestone in the for
ward march of the international pro-
letariat towards its final goal. Some
of these congresses, particularly the
second and the third, were basic and
fundamental, in the sense that they
have given us our basic principles
and fundamental policies. But none
of these congresses were as instruc-
tive in an immediate and practical
sense as was the Fifth congress. None
of them, it seems to us, have contri-
buted as much as the last congress
toward the education, training and
building up of constant and reliable
Communist leadership. Why? Because
the Fifth congress was devoted main
ly to questions of strategy and tactics
Principles Versus Tactics.
It is comparatively easy to grasp
and even master the contents and i'm
plications of a Communist principle.
What is necessary for this is liv-
ing sense of loyalty to the working
class, hatred of the bourgeoisie faith
in the revolutionary mission of the
proletariat and will to fight to the
very end.
If you are in possession of these
things, you will have no difficulty in
grasping and accepting the fundamen-
tails of Communism.
However, it is an entirely different
proposition when it comes to Com
munist strategy and, particularly, tao
tics. Here revolutionary instincts
alone will not suffice. We have known
excellent revolutionaries, men and
women with flaming hearts and iron
wills, people with boundless devotion
to the cause of the workers-and yet
we have seen them time and again
go wrong even on some of the most
elementary propositions of revolution
airy tactics.
Why is it so? Because the ques-
ton of tactics is matter of revolu-
tionary leadership. Because the ap-
plication of Communist tactics re-
quires highly developed and we'll
trained ability to gauge situations,
to seize and hold on to the most de-
termining factors in each given sit
uation and sufficient flexibility of
mind and will to change when nee
essary and move.
To develop these abilities, it takes
time, struggle and experience. School
ing in the revolutionary struggle is
the thing that will give US experience
ed tacticians. Guidance of the Com
munist International in the spirit of
Leninism will, no doubt, greatly en-
nance the process by developing a
capable Communist leadership. Con-
sidered from this point of view the
Fifth congress Of the Comintern was
about the most important gathering
Of our international organization.
Wrong Applications of the United
Front.
The Fifth congress has dealt with
quite number of wrong applications
of the United Front tactics. These
had taken place almost in every Sec
ton of the Comintern. In some plac-
es, as in Germany, the mistakes were
Of such serious nature as to threat
en- the very existence OF the Commun-
list Party as a revolutionary factor.
These mistakes-right deviations--
in Germany, Czecho-Slovakia and to
some extent in England and in Amer
lea. can be treated from two angles.
One angle is basic, that is, it en-
ables us to answer the question to
what extent these deviations were
contrary to the revolutionary aims
and strategy of the Comintern The
congress rendered its judgment. It
said in effect. that the manner in