The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-05-10
BY Earl r. Rrowder


THIS book is the stenographic re-
port of a series of lectures, deliv-
cred by A. Losovsky General Secre-
tary of the Red International of LABOR
Unions, before the school Of the Rus
sian Communist Party in Moscow,
during July and August, 1928 It was
published in pamphlet form in the
Russian language early this year, and
is herewith presented in English.<
nROBABLY the most important
l Characteristic of Losovsky's lee
lures is that, for the first time, there
is available comprehensive picture
of the trade union movement from the
world viewpoint which deals not so
much with the states (the unillumin-
ating details of organization and the
million variations of program and
problems) but rather with the vital
living influences at work within the
labor movement, the tendencies, the
relation of forces and, especially, with
the tremendous struggle developing
throughout the world since the war
by the forces of revolutionary strug-
gle, crystallized in the Red Interna-
tional of Labor Unions, against the
class collaboration policies of the old
bureaucracy, organized in the Ans
terdam International international
Federation of Trade Unions).
1t is this worldwide viewpoint upon
which the lectures are based that
gives the book it's greatest value
Such a comprehensive outlook is es-
specially needed in the American lab
or movement. The trade union move
ment in this country, originally. among
the most militant and International in
its attitude, has for forty years been
stified by the narrow nationalism, as
well rs by the jealous craft spirit
within the limits of the nation, of the
officialdom headed by
Samuel Gompers. To see and to I'M
derstand that the fundamental prob
lens of the trade unions throughout
the world are essentially the same
as our own, an understanding which
a study of Losovsky's book will GER
tainly give, is to lay the firmest pos
sible foundation-the only possible
one-for a broad and powerful revo-
lutionary organization in America.
American Trade Unionism Before
The War.
If we we're to attempt an adequate |
review of developments within the
American labor movement, as COM
plete and comprehensive as that CIV
en- by Losovsky for the International
it would require another book of al |
most equal dimensions. In this brief |
it is the purpose only to
suggest some of the main points of |
In the pre-war period of American
trade unionism, three main tenden-
cies may be distinguished; they may
be classified as trade unionism, syn
iicalism, and socialism. Each of |.
ihese tendencies, although CORE
spending in a general way to their
analogous forces in the European
varied in many respects
from their counterparts in other coun-
.ries.
Trade unionism, as a distinct phi
osophy of the labor movement which
itself exclusively with the
Immediate economic struggle, is adj
characterized by Losovsky
n dealing with the world situation.
n the International movement this
tendency is largely represented by
he British and American unions.
One important difference in the pre-
var development of the two Anglo
saxon movements, however neces-
'ary to an understanding OF many
present problems, is that while in
Britain the trade unions (and trade
Inionism as system of ideas) had
entered period of change and devel-
'pment even before the war, in Amer
ca this process had started much lat (
II and under different world condi- L
ions. Thus while the British labor /
reformist to the core \