The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-14
impressions and Facts)
BY MoIssAYE J. oLGlN

only then to resume a struggle against
the employers. In accordance with
this animus, members of Communist
orientation are being thrown out of
the unions, whole locals under the
control of Communists are being ex-
cluded, others are being reorganized
after the well-known recipe of
Schlesinger and Sigman. In times Of
an enormous economic crisis, with
millions of unemployed aboard and
sense Of hopelessness permeating
large masses, this could only add con-
fusion and weaken the unions still
more. On the Communist side, es-
pecially among the less stable ele-
ments, it engendered a secessionist
movement. Eighty per cent of the
German Communists are now outside
of the labor unions. A large portion
of the left wing was disposed to break
with the old unions altogether and to
start the organization of pure" class
conscious 100 per cent revolutionary
industrial" unions under the leader
ship Of the Communist party.
1t appears that this was the biggest
problem Of the recent convention.
There were heated discussions. The
view of the c. l. was known to be for
continuation of the old union tactics.
The opponents of such tactics pointed
at the mood Of the masses which, they
maintained, was for breaking away
from the hopeless mess Of the old dis
credited union organizations. The
supporters of the G. /. policy argued
that by forming dual unions the Com
munists would isolate themselves
from the mass of labor and so only
help the union bureaucrats to continue
their deadly influence over the work
ers. It is the task of the Communists,
they argued, to lead the workers in
the coming revolutionary struggles,
and this would be impossible if a
barrier is created between the party
and organized labor. The decision
was in favor Of coming back into the
old unions and fighting from within,
but the echoes of the discussion are
still reverberating in wide circles Of
the party.
United Front.
This difference of attitude naturally
involved a wider discussion OF the en-
tire united front tactics. 1t is COM
monty accepted among the German
comrades that one does not make a
united front with the Social Demo
cratic leaders any longer. What one
strives for is to form a united front
from below, with the mass of workers
who do not belong to any party or
still belong to the so-called socialist
parties. But here is the question of
general labor congress looming up on
the horizon. The congress is to repre-
sent the shop and factory committees
and will embrace all shades of opinion
and all possible party affiliations
among the workers. Should the Com
munists stay within and form the
left wing, or shall they split the con-
gress and capture the most revolu-
tionary elements? The extremists
were in favor of the latter decision.
The more moderate of the left wing
decided in favor of the former. But
the spirits are not yet quieted down,
the heat of clashes is intense, and
time will be required to coalesce diff
fering views into a set of uniform
tactical ideas.
One instance may illustrate the
mood. Clara Zetkin is the most
known and most revered leader of the
German Communists. But she is on
fContinuad IN naoa q