19.09.1996

A splendid message

From the Workers’ Weekly, paper of the Communist Party of Great Britain, September 17 1926

The disgraceful reply to comrade Tomsky’s fraternal message circulated by the General Council merits a clear and unambiguous answer.

The General Council speaks of “ordinary courtesies”, because the Russian trade unions have dared to criticise their leadership of the General Strike.

The General Council says all the message should have contained was “fraternal greetings”. They consider unity to be an exchange of mutual compliments between a few leaders. The Russian and British workers consider unity to be common solidarity in fighting the bosses. If the Russian workers see the General Council sabotaging that fight, it was their bounded duty to point it out to their British comrades.

The General Council speaks of “unwarrantable censure”. Every worker knows that the General Council has been trying to force reductions on the miners. Every worker knows that the General Council called off the strike without any guarantees. Now, from the Russian telegram, every worker knows that the General Council refused to discuss with our Russian comrades practical measures for aiding the miners. Is the Russian workers’ criticism warrantable or unwarrantable? ...

When the General Council speaks of an “intolerable interference in British trade union affairs”, it is itself striking an intolerable blow at working class solidarity, which implies mutual criticism as well as mutual aid, and is deliberately encouraging the Tories to a new attack on Russia.

It is not surprising that the leftwingers have joined with the right in preventing a congress resolution of protest against the exclusion of Tomsky. From support of Thomas to support of Jix is only a step.

The General Council may get its block votes today, but that will not save it from the workers’ justice tomorrow. The Communist Party, which is the leadership of tomorrow, repudiates in advance the act of treachery represented in the General Council’s reply.