The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-09

report by Gregory Zinoviev, chair
man of the Communist Interna-
tional, made to the session of the
Executive of the Communist In
ternational held on Jan. 6. Zinc
views report deals with the main
points of difference in the Russian
Communist Party, clearly crystal
LIKING the discussion that has SO
far been published in the DAILY
WORKER. In order that our
readers may get broader view of
this discussion, we are publishing
enlarged installments. This re-
port is divided into seven sections.
Today we publish the second Sec
ton. 1t is as follows:
Party Apparatus and Workers'
Bureaucracy.
NOW to the second point Of the
4 discussion, the question of the
Party apparatus.
We must first differentiate be-
tween the state apparatus and the
PARTY apparatus. AS already men
toned above, the state apparatus is
formally in our hands, but we have
many years of endeavor before us
before it is actually entirely ours.
We have first to educate a whole
generation of our own people in the
practical work of running this ap-
paratus. We have always been aware
that the apparatus is very faulty in
many respects, that it is bureaucra-
tic, decayed. 1t is therefore evident
that the state apparatus has to be
improved.
Party Bureaucracy.
But what do we need for this pur-
pose? We may have $4,000 COM
petent proletarians in the Party, but
that does not in the least render it
possible for US to cure the state APP
paratus. Why not? Because mere
resolutions, meetings, and words, do
not suffice to rule the bureaucrats.
At the present time, comrades. Won
may observe a very interesting phe-
nomenon at all discussion meetings.
1t is precisely the most emphatically
bureaucratic elements working in the
state apparatus who now pose as the
greatest democrats, who delight in
passing all sorts of resolutions, and
accentuate the democratic role. And
yet everything will remain the same
as before. If we are really to obtain
firm grip over the bureaucrats in
the state apparatus, the first premise
is the existence Of a strong Bolshevist
state apparatus.
In other words: 1t is not sufficient
to pass resolutions, we must besides
posses a suitable instrument, must
possess the possibility of setting our
knee on the breast of the bureau
Gratis, you will gain nothing by reso-
lutions. The bureaucrat himself will
move hundreds of democratic resolu-
tons, without altering conditions in
the least. Hence the great signif-
canoe of the Party apparatus for the
maintenance of our power.
Decay of Soeial-D emocraey.
When Lenin exposed our state ap-
paratus by his inexorably trenchant
Characterization, he appealed stimuli
taneously to the Party, and made
definitely concrete proposals for the
Transformation of our Party appara-
tus, pointed out how we could really
get at the bureaucrats.
We know very well what a work
ers' bureaucracy means. / myself
have for instance, studied the fate
of the German Social Democratic bu-
reaucracy. AT that time I tried to
enlighten the Russian workers as to
the reasons for the decay of German
Social Democracy, and to show what
had been the social roots of German
Social Democratic opportunism. /
adduced three main factors as causes
of the decay Of Social Democracy in
Germany:
1. The existence of petty bour-
geois elements following the Party
when they thought this was to their
advantage, but without conviction.
At the elections the German Social
Democrats competed theoretically
with the bourgeoisie for the favor Of
these elements, and abandoned the
Marxist principles step by step;
2. The rapid growth and increas-
ing influence of the workers aristo-
cracy, composed Of the economical
privileged starta Of the working class,
ont