From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 23 No. 49, 12 July 1923, p. 493.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Public Domain: Marxists Internet Archive (2022). You may freely copy, distribute, display and perform this work; as well as make derivative and commercial works. Please credit “Marxists Internet Archive” as your source.
June 18
The question of democratic centralism is of far creator importance to the Communist International now than it was during the period of the proletarian offensive. We are now in the stage of transition, and it is therefore much more difficult to create a central international leadership and to apply the principle of rigid centralisation through the whole of our organisations. In all questions where the Executive deemed it necessary to intervene in the so-called internal Party affairs, it was never a case of insignificant local matters, but always of questions which were of international importance. During my stay in Norway. 1 arrived at the firm conviction, that the Party there was making good progress. Whether the faction which supports unreservedly the decisions of the International is strong or weak. I feel sure at all events that on the day when we start a campaign under the slogan: “With the International or against it”, the fate of our opponents will be sealed. They will be unquestionably defeated. My only anxiety is that in such a campaign we might lose comrades whom we do not care to lose. For instance. Comrade Tranmael is not merely an individual, but a whole chapter in the Norwegian Labor Movement, and this is also the reason of our great forbearance and patience. Nevertheless, not only are we convinced of our ability to arrive at a modus vivendi with our Norwegian comrades, but also that they will become convinced that our tactics are right. Furthermore. we will have nothing against the Mot Dag group if they will do revolutionary communist work among the intellectuals instead of scaring the Party with the bogey of reformism. With regard to the attitude of the Swedish Party leadership towards the Communist Youth, and also the relations between the Youth and the Party in Norway, the opposition attitude of the Communist Youth is a symptom which merits reflection. In the Communist Youth we have ardent and convinced adherents of Communism, and when they are in opposition to the Party leadership, it is a sign of the weakness and faultiness of its policy. To conclude: there can be no bargaining about the general principles of the Communist International, because bargaining is entirely out of place here. In every individual case there may be ground for concrete agreement as to the application of our principles. There can be no haggling about terms with the Executive, hut we must understand with perfect clearness the general requirements of our revolutionary movement and do our utmost to act accordingly.
Last updated on 3 September 2022