The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-10-11
By V. |. LENIN.

y
June 1915, criticises the political
line of the Women's Conference held
at Berne, the first international so
cialist gathering after the outbreak
of the war Today, when the out
break of a fresh war is Immediately
near, it is necessary for every Com
munist to study the lessons OF the
fight of the Bolsheviki, under Len
ms leadership, against social chau-
vinism in its open and concealed
forms, and also at the same time to
study Lenin's criticism of the mis-
takes which even many revolution
ary internationalists made at that
time.
THE most interesting and latest
L material regarding this topical
question has been supplied by the
Women's International Socialist Con-
ference recently held in Berne. We
will deal here with one aspect Of the
question.
REPRESENTATIVE of the women's or
CARNATIONS of the Russian Organi-
cation Committee, Dutch women from
Troelstra's Party, Swiss women from
the organizations which the "Berner
Tagwacht" sharply attacks on ac-
count of their too Left attitude,
French representative, who did not
wish to enter into any dispute on any
important question with the official
party (Which, as is known, adopts
social-chauvinist standpoint), English
women who are hostile to the idea of
clear separation of pacifism from
revolutionary proletarian tactics
they all united with the Left Ger
man social democrats on a resolution.
The representatives of the women's
organizations of the Central Com
mittee of our Party ASSOCIATED them
selves from them and preferred to re-
main isolated for the time being than
to participate in such bloc.
WHEREIN consists the essence of
w the difference of opinion? What
fundamental and general political i'm
portance has this difference
opinion?
At the first glance the middle
course" resolution which unites the
opportunists and a portion Of the
Left appears to be very suitable and
correct. The war is recognized to be
an imperialist war; the idea of defence
of native country is rejected; the
workers are summoned to mass
demonstrations, etc, etc. One could
believe that the only difference be-
tween it and our resolution was that
ours contained some sharper eX-
pressions such as traitor" "oppor-
tunism," Withdrawal from the bour-
geois Ministries" etc.
There is not the least doubt that
this will be the standpoint adopted by
those who will criticize the delegates
of the women's organizations of the
Central Committee of our party for
having ASSOCIATED themselves from
the rest of the delegates.
ONE only needs to consider the mat
" ter attentively and not to confine
oneself to the formal" recognition
of this or that truth, in order to per-
ceive the complete untenability Of
such criticism.
At the conference there collided to-
gether two judgments of the war and
of the tasks Of the international, two
tactics of the proletarian parties. The
one view is: There has been no col
lapse of the International; there exist
no great and serious hindrances to a
return from chauvinism to Socialism
there is no strong elmer" enemy in
the shape of opportunism, nor has it
committed any direct, indubitable and
open betrayal of socialism. Hence
the conclusions: we do not wish to
damn anybody; we wish to grant an
amnesty to the deniers of the SUIT
CART and Basic resolutions; we wish
to limit ourselves to the advice, steer
to the Left and summon the masses
to demonstrations.
The other view of all these CUES
tons is the exact contrary. There is
nothing more injurious and damaging
to the cause of the proletariat than
the continuation of party diplomacy
towards the opportunists and social
chauvinists. The resolution of the
majority was acceptable to the OPP
portunists and followers of the pres
ent official parties because it is per
meated through and through with the
spirit of diplomacy. The working
masses who are at present led by the
official social patriots will be duped
! by this diplomacy. The working
masses will be given the thoroughly
erroneous idea that the <resent social
democratic parties, together with the
lpresent governments, are capable Of
changing their course and of adopting
La correct course in place of the wrong
! one.
THAT is not the case. That is 8
profound and extremely danger
GUS error. The present social demo.
cratic parties and their governments
] oF 1av;O,,c1xy oil n