The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-16
"A Lesson for the Italian Workers


leaders OF the confederation, consisting of PAR
ragona, Rigoa, Azzimonti, Reina, Maglione and
Colombino, signed document which was nothing
less than the captulation of the reformist leaders
of the G. c. L. to fascism. This document contains
in it recognition of the principle Of class coabora-
ton, as the fasciss understand it, and an accept
ance of the fascist social legislation as a daring
experiment" deserving of support. Finally, the
authors of this statement recognize the necessity to
revise their program, excluding from it all extra
program ballast" and express their readiness to
put their long experience at the service of the
fascists in their work of preparing the masses for
the spiritual and concrete adoption of fascist syn
dicalism.
This statement is far from being an act Of treason
on the part of few reformists. 1t is the logical
conclusion to the G. c. LIS behavior for the last
years.
Even before the fascists took power the Italian
reformists did not show sufficient willingness to
struggle with them. They looked on fascism as a
temporary phenomenon and retalated to the terror
of the fascist bands with agreements and recon-
citations, which only helped to strengthen fascism.
After Mussolini seized power the G. C. L. leaders
did not refuse to treat with him the question of
their participation in the government. The history
of the G. c. L. for the last years is full of examples
of either direct going of its most active workers
to fascism of resigning work in the G. C. L. for
personal reasons" The only practical" work of
the leaders of the G. C. L. reduced itself to the
struggle with the revolutionary elements in the
unions to the liquidation of oppositional organza-
tons and to the changing of democratic forms of
union work. In general the reformists refused to
take any action which could be regarded inimical
to fascism.
The result of such policy was that the work.
ing masses more and turned away from the
G. c. L.
The G. C. L. leaders by no means set themselves
the task of widening their trade union cadres. Their
task to retain, in conserved form, so to say the
G. c. L. apparatus, They priced the G. C. L. as an
old firm, which could be used means of getting
firm hold upon the labor movement of Italy when
political enlvening took place in the country.
But present-day events in Italy place before the
working class the following dilemma: either strug-
gle, or be reduced to serfdom and debasement. The
better elements of the working class began to unite
and set up the united front without the completely
of the reformst leaders In the factories and Shops
in the towns and villages, unity and agitation COM
mittees set up the initiative of the Com
munist Party, which were to prepare the ground
for the setting up of the labor organizations broken
by the fascists land to a certain degree, by the
reformist leaders themselves), and to prepare the
working class for the struggle against fascism.
series of illegal conferences carried
through with great success by these committees.
The workers delegations to the u S. S. r. and the
campaign of solidarity with the British miners car
ried through the Communist Party clearly showed
that the working class has outgrown the reformist
leaders, that the reformists able to retain the
leadership of the G. C. L. in spite of the small union
membership only because they arbitrarily changed
through despotic fascist methods of managing the
Unions.
The last of fascist reaction which washed
away the remains of legality, placed dilemma be-
fore the rcformists either to go with the masses
into dangers and risks not hestating before illegal
underground work, or to get off the scene. They
preferred to go: some to work for fascism, others
abroad, to Amsterdam the left bloc in
France. The first bring their new masters their
many years experience and readiness to work TO
re-educate the in the spirit of fascist sym
dicalism; the second bring Amsterdam and the left
bloc--tbe G. C. L. firm. This firm is to help the
Amsterdamites Of all countries where there is any
considerable numbers of Italian immigrant workers,
to enroll the latter in the reformist unions.
But the traitors and deserters of the italian G.
C. L. are reckoning without their masters The
G. C. L. belongs to the Italian proletariat and not
TO the reformist leaders.
At home and abroad the Italian militant work.
ers will show up the efforts Of the fascsts and re-
formists to the of the G. c. L. and the
many years of experience" of its dishonest leaders
against the interests of the working class. They
will not forget that invaluable lesson taupht hv the