The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-15

AT the very height OF the DC
tober revolutionary battles Of the
Spanish workers, led by the So
ciaIist and Communist united
front. the Communist Interna-
tionaI on Oct. 10 appealed to the
Labor and Socialist international
for joint world action in behalf of
the embattIed proletariat.
To facilitate negotiations and
to reach an agreement for action
at the earliest possible moment,
the C. 1. delegated Comrades
Marcel Cachin and Maurice
Thorez, leaders of the Commu-
mist Party of France, to meet i'm
mediately with representatives of
the L. S. I.
On Oct. Is, at Brussels, Cachin
and Thcrez met with Emil Van
dervelde and Friedrich Adler,
president and secretary, respec-
lively, of the L. S. I. We print
verbatim the full stenographic
record of these conversations be-
tween representatives of the C. 1.
and L. S. l. The stenographic
report was taken by A. Montenez,
official stenographer for the Bel
GUM Senate. The conversations
were in the French language, and
are here translated for the first
time from the original which ap-
peared in LHumanite, organ Of
the Communist Party of France,
Nov. 8, 1884, and simultaneously
In the Socialist organ, Populaire.
The L. S. /. did not formally re-
Ply to the united front proposals
of the Communist International
until Nov. IS, nearly one month
after the original appeal was
made. At that time, the workers
in Asturias and throughout Spain
wee being arrested by the tens
Of thousands, and hundreds were
being slaughtered.
The L. S. /. refused to enter
Into any international united
front action, though there was
great pressure from those parties
France, Spain, Italy, Saar, Aus
tris, etc. who had already
formed the united front with the
Communist Parties. However, the
L. S. ]. declared that it would
remove the ban of March, 1898,
thereby enjoining the parties in
each country to enter into nego-
tiations for a Socialist Commu-
mist united front.
Words in parenthesis are the
Daily Worker's-Ed.l
Vandervelde.-We have hurriedly
drawn up declaration which is
now being recopied and which will
soon be brought in, but I can tell
you right now what it contains.
We received the letter of the c.
I. on Oct. IL. At that time, Adler
was away from Zurich; he was in
formed of it by telephone. He COM
municated the text of the letter
to certain members of the executive
Of the Labor International, who
were meeting for another purpose
at Prague. They Immediately had
q discussion on the subject.
I shall not conceal from you the
fact that, among the representa-
tives Of the L. S. I. this letter pro-
voked rather varied response. The
situation among the different coun-
tries is, as you know diverse. In
Austria, in Spain, in France, the
idea of international collaboration
is meeting with sympathy; and on
the contrary, in other countries the
psychology OF the parties is very
different, particularly among the
scandinavian countries, in Holland
and in England. There the fact
that the two Internationals had at
tempted a rapprochement II years
ago at the Berlin conferences, and
in the light Of what passed since,
there has been created a sort of
distrust; and this is noticeable in
the actual application and renewal
Of what has been called the man
euver of the united front.
SAYS THEIR PRINCIPAL ROLE
is TO LISTEN
We should really tell you that
we cannot speak here in the name
Of the International; our role, that
is the role of the President and
Secretary, is principally to listen
TO you, to take the responsibility
Of communicating what you have
to say to us, all the recommended
tons that you desire to make to
our Executive. In a way the latter