Gilbert McClatchie
Source: Socialist Standard, July 1923.
Transcription: Socialist Party of Great Britain.
HTML Markup: Adam Buick
Copyleft: Creative Commons (Attribute & No Derivatives) 2007 conference "Be it resolved that all material created and published by the Party shall be licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs copyright licence".
"Internationals" are having a great run these days. A new one has recently come into existence at Hamburg, and from the "Daily News" (25/5/23) we learn that:
"The objects are defined with sufficient breadth to enable the parties within a fairly wide range of differences of view to adopt it."
These periodical bursts of enthusiasm for internationals would be amusing if their consequences were not so harmful in keeping the workers' minds occupied with other than the position that really concerns them.
This particular International is so broad in its views that it throws overboard one of the fundamental principles of Socialism—the class struggle.
"This phrase, 'class war,' appeared in the German and French translations, but the English translation substituted in its place these words : 'to foster the independent and industrial action of the workers' organisations as a means of realising that object.' "Other members of the committee finally expressed a preference for this rendering, and this was adopted."
It will be seen, therefore, that they do not propose anything drastic, but something quite respectable as befits those who are expecting soon to be called upon "to govern." They do not intend to prosecute the class struggle, but only to "foster" independent action ! Need we add that Ramsay MacDonald, J. H. Thomas, and Arthur Henderson are on the Executive Committee of this body?