The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-07
China and Amsterdam.

China and Amsterdam.
The struggle of the toiling masses in China
for their emancipation from the power of the
foreign imperialists and their own miltarists
represents one of the most heroic pages in the
history of the emancipation m OVEN en- t
throughout the world.
Nevertheless the Chinese masses engaged in
this struggle do not receive the aid and support
of the international labor organizations to
which they are entitled While the Red Inter
national of Labor Unions and its sections have
done their utmost to contribute to the victory
of their Chinese brothers, neither the Second
international nor the Amsterdam International
have lifted finger to check the furious on
saught Of the imperialists against China to
hinder the dispatching of innumerable troops
and warships and to put an end to the outrage
Gus shooting of defenseless Chinese masses.
Already in 1925 the Executive of the Am
sterdam international discussing at the August
session the question of China and of the need
of extending material and moral support to
the Chinese workers, contented itself with
passing resolution expressing the pious wish
that:
g. the Chinese workers might succeed in
improving their miserable conditions by
creating powerful trade union movement and
by consistent economic struggle"
AS to the material aid, it was declared in the
resolution that
in view of the unsettled situation in China,
in view of the lack of sufficient direct infor-
nation, and also in view of the economic
situation in the countries affiliated to the In
ternational Federation of Trade Unions, the
latter unable just to start inter
national campaign of financial aid"
Even the more characteristic of Amsterdams
attitude on the question of the revolutionary
movement in China, was the answer given by
Oudegest, former secretary of the Amsterdam
international, to delegation of the Chinese
Trade Unions in March, 1927 In answer to
the request of the delegates to send Commits
sion of Amsterdamers to investigate the situa-
ton on the spot, the worthy leader of re-
fornism declared:
1.-THE trade union movement is interested in
a constructive movement which can develop
only in such countries where political tran
guilty prevails. Whilst there is such tran
guilty in China, the Amsterdam International
does not intend to send delegation to China"
This reply was quite cynically frank.
Oudegest declared outright that the Amster-
damers cannot go against the bourgeoisie
which considers it necessary to crush the Chi
nese revolutionary movement. Only after the
establishment of sepulchral tranquility in China
by the British and Japanese by means of blood
baths like those Of Wan-Kiang and Tsinan
only after the shooting of the best leaders of
The revolutionary trade union movement by
Chang Kai-shek and other hangmen, will Am
sterdam think it fit to study the state of affairs
in China.
And it ought to be said that Amsterdam has
been consistent to the end Whatever the blood
- II
perialists and militarists in China Amsterdam
ana its sections kept silent. Amsterdam which
outsiders itself the only representative of in
ternational trade union organizations could not
manage to establish contact with the three
million trade unionists in China.
Only when the counter-revoution got for the
time being the upper hand over the revolu-
tonary forces in China, only when it seemed
20 Amsterdam that the political tranquility
spoken of by Oudegest had set in China, its
leaders got active, and the question is now
saised of establishing close relations with the
fascist trade unions which have been set UP
by the hangmen of the Chinese workers.
Addressing the meeting of the National Com
mittee of the General Confederation in France
in March of this year, on the perspective de-
eopment of Amsterdam, Jouhaux declared:
1--WE might go into China where the workers,
disappointed in Boshevism, will turn way
Nevertheless the Amsterdamers were rather
hastv in their jubilations. The revolutionary
movement in China, having suffered an adj
nitted defeat, is not dead. Relying upon the
active aid which will be rendered by the class
onscious proletariat of the world in spite of
he reformists, the Chinese proletariat will
arly on to the end the great cause for which
/ has made and is continuing to make in
Vulnerable sacrifices.