10Ns:
The correspondence exchanged with the Russian Federation Trade Unions was submitted, and it was pointed out that the style. and contents of the reply received from the Russian Federation of Trade Unions mede any further attempt at rapprochement impossible. The attitude of the Bureau in this question was unanimously approved by the Management Committee.
The world has recently had some illustrations of the Bolshé- yik style as regards orthodox Labour in the rude remarks! which Soviet speakers have been making about the Labour Government of Great Britain. It is easily understood that the I. F. T. U. did not relish Moscow's: manner—and ill manners—in negotiation.
This, however, did not prevent Mr. Bramley, secretary of the British Trades Union Congress (should not the name be Bromley, by the way?) from reopening the question of relations with the Russians. read tha He reminded his audience that the last letter received from the Russians, dated February 7, had remained unanswered on account of its stylo fand its general tenor. Tt would, however, be regrettable if the Rus sian trade unions were to remain outside the international trade union movement for any considerable length of time. He considered it womanly that the British Governments should be negotiating, while relations between the.'F. T. U. and the Russian trade" unions were suspended. He therefore proposed that negotiations should" resumed, being convinced that this would promote the reconstruction of Europe, With very few exceptions the meeting was dead against him. Fimmen, secretary of the International 'Transport-workers' Federation,—his nationality is not given—said that his own organization had long been endeavouring to effect a rap-brochement with the Russians; and he maintained that the meeting of the Management Committee of the I. F. T. U. mentioned above had done|nothing that really closed the door to further negotiation with the Reds. Some of Fimmen's statements appear from the report to be dubious and he himself was strongly censured by a Dutch representative for improper speeches made in Holland, the reverse of the views of the L. F. T. U. Mr. Thorne, another British member, "was against the machinations of the Red International of Labour Unions, but if they did not answer the letter of the Russians, this means closing the door to' all future negotiation." To this extent he supported Mr. Bramley. The remainder of the speeches are worth quoting as. summarized:
GRassMANN (Germany), was of option tat lis yropoute ofthe British could not be accepted so'
fas the "tins "coetinond thoke campaign of clumsy. The had always endeavoured work forthe reconsrsction of Rule bat in vow of te.
Renan' Sctnoae "of She: Ressans focperation "with them wee' me PeRtewrs, peating tu th errens, apeaing in the name of the Belgian delegation, likewise rejected the proposals of the Betis acleatbne Fieumen ted pointed out that the reaction was steadily growing in strength and Tea me norns tees fron, But it was asked who hed Scstzoyed unity, ewoeld ave tobe admitted that the Russians (the fed "International of Taller Unions) were responsible. There Cola thermore here eeoperaion that coriin goarantene Te was Tot tree that thet Rewrlans were playing an honest game. For Baznine hsuans, wear sdmited materi suen of the the food and drink Ssicneat of ems tied in the ole Srgunet trate alone othe fect tint the fag of Comminien St tow be ante inthe" rans British proposal:
Lenome (France) said he ws against the British proposal. regretted the discussions which had already taken place, because Mertens in his opening speech had fully explained the activities of the I. F. T. U., and no complaints had been raised, Although they recognized the good work done Fimmen, they could not approve his present policy.
So far as can be seen no formal vote was taken. Obviously it was not necessary.
This expression of opinion from body of the character of the L F. T. U. is extremely interesting. Its members are offended by the characteristic rudeness of the Bolshevists; they find them treacherous and false as eyerybody else has found them} and it is clear that the I. F. T. U.
"has no use for" Communism.
In fact, the utter and appalling failure of Bolshevist principles asso vividly illustrated" in Russia, has given to Capital the: We, greatest opportunity it has ever had. In no country does any; serious body of working-class) opinion evince the least desire to. experiment in revolution @ la) Russe. The danger of the moment is that Capital, body, has not yet realized the splendid chance offered to it. Certain capitalists have begun, to do so. But the publications' of the I. F. T. U. show clearly: that it still regards Capital generally as the enemy. Here, then, is a state of three-cornered duel, which may easily open a door to the evil influence of the' Bolshevists. We do not believe, the danger is as yet great, because, while the Bolshevists themselves are personally abhorrent to all decent men, their creed has proved itself productive of nothing but disaster. But} their propaganda is very subtle! and unwearied and one wishes: that there were more counterpropaganda from the other side—not in words, of which the world is surfeited, but in deeds, for the satisfaction of some of Labour's reasonable aspirations.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.