The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-01-26
Communists and Syndicalists in French Trade Unions

der its direction to push the revolu- |
ton ahead in France. A united, real
" revolutionary C. G.. 7. u can ac-
complish mighty deeds, for it is pow
erful. It includes the unions Of al
most all the industries, the organized
workers of the following trades: con-
struction, railroads, metal, mining,
textile, public service, ports and
docks, agriculture, food and numer-
GUS minor industries.
The Congress of Bourges refused
to take measures against the Com
munist committees in the trade
unions on the contrary, it Endorsed
them. 1t decided that the Commun-
list Party has a right to have its COM
mitteea within the c. G. 7. u, it has
right to have control Of its members
within the trade unions This decision
practically ends the illusion that the
trade unions can lead in the revolu-
tionsTy struggle. The organized,
class-conscious revolutionary workers
Of France recognize that the Com
smunist Party is the natural leader in
tho struggle to overthrow capitalism.
The Congress Endorsed the commit
tees of action composed of represent
atives of the Communist Party and
the trade unions.
FrOssard Is Repudiated.
The Congress of Bourges was a
blow at Frossard who, since his ig-
nominious exit form the Communist
Party on the eve of the Ruhr inva-
sion, has been hard at work maneuv-
ering for power in order to deliver
the Communist Party and the revolu-
tisnary trade unions into the hands
of Albert Thomas, Renaudel, Blum,
and consequently into the hands Of
, the Bloc des Gauches 1.-THE left bloc)
of bourgeois liberals and socialists. It
is his aim to liquidate the Commun-
ist Party, as Paul Levi wanted to do
| in Germany.
The Opposition Characterised.
After the Congress, Monmousseau,
one of the leaders Of the C. G. T. u,
wrote: can opposition can only live
as long as it stands upon a positive
program and only when it is faced by
majority which has fallen back be-
fore revolutionary events. As our
minority lacked these two conditions
it is being torn apart: anarchists and
resisters, splitters and unitarians,
minority and majority of the Con-
federal Minority, when struck by the
wind of defeat, fall to wrangling with
one another. Let us therefore profit
by this circumstances in order to re-
pair the harm already done"
c. C. T. u. No Debating Club.
No more sterile discussions, no
more wrangling, no more looking
backward at the past and dragging
in the old Charter of Amiens at ev-
cry occasion, this Anticipated Charter
Of 1906 which rejected political ac-
ton for the trade unions. The Charter
of Bourges is a permanent thing. 1t
has been arrived at only after consid-
cradle dissension within the revolu-
tionary trade union movement. Now,
the C. G. T. U. can go over from
sterile debating to revolutionary ae-
ton.
Change Al Right Moment.
The great fight at Bourges was up
on the orientation of the trade un-
ions, and this fight has been decided
TO the satisfaction OF all those who
have the revolution at heart the
world over. The decision of the Con-
gress Of the C. G. T. u. has hearten-
! ed the Communists everywhere, has
given fresh impetus to the fight.
Coming on the eve, perhaps, Of the
inevitable German revolution it is an
indication that the French working
class will not allow French imperialism
to stab the German revolution IN the
baclA General Foch is giving great
care to the front lines Of his invading
army. But the workers are UNDER
mining the rear. Behind the lines
will not be a labor movement led
by traitors, as was the case in the
world war. History tries to repeat
itself, but does not always succeed
1914 cannot be repeated. The work
ers have learned from the world war,
from the Russian revolution, in fact
froIG<yery important event since the