FRENCH SOCIALISTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18759, 12 January 1923, Page 6

FRENCH SOCIALISTS

STRIVING FOR UNITY. COMMUNISM ON THE DECLINE. Despite divisions in the French Socialist Party, there are indication* of a reunion, according- to Jean Longuet, grandson of Karl Marx, who is in America on a lecture tour (states the New York Times). M. Longuet. former editor of L’Humanite, and now editor of Le Populaire, a Socialist daily, told the other day of the fight waged by the moderate Radical and Socialist elements' against Moscow during the last three years, and of the disasters that have befallen the French. Socialist Party and the Confederation General du Travail since the war.

"In France the trade unions, comparatively weak before the war, increased rapidly in numbers after the war,” ho said. “The Confederation General du Travail, with a membership of 600,000 to 700,000, increased to 2,300,000 two years afterward.

“Unfortunately, in France as in other parts of the world, hope of revolution on. the Russian model arose. It was easy for such propaganda to make headway because the hundreds of thousands of men and women -who had become trade unionists lacked the fundamentals of economics and sociology which existed within the ranks of the older trades unionists, whose members were more disciplined. , STRIKES DIVIDE RANKS. “By a series of unfortunate strikes, the ranks of the trades unionists dwindled after great gains. The railway workers, with a pre-war membership of 50,000 to 60,000, increased to 320,000. Then came a division among the leaders. The revolutionaries forced the strike of February, 1920, which was a success. Emboldened, the extremist leaders prepared another strike within three months. This time _ they spoke of seizing power and the establishment of Soviets. This strike was a failure. The ranks of the railwayunions dropped back to 60,000, about 25,000 workers were dismissed, and there was chaos in the movement. “Similar strikes, with revolutionary aims, were declared and failed. Just prior to these strikes, in the election' of November, 1919, the Coalition, which we call the Notional Bloc, had defeated many Socialists and returned to the Chamber reactionaries of the most extreme type. For the first time in years a. Royalist movement arose in the French Parliament, headed by the group of L’Action Franoaise, with Leon Doudet at the helm. “The victory of the reactionaries had a bad effect on the strikes after the election.. Then, to make matters worse, came a split within the ranks of the Labour Confederation. One group demanded that_ the organisation retire from the International Federation of Trade Unions. The Communists in the Confederation attacked the International Trade Union on the ground that it was moderate. FIGHT WITH COMMUNISTS. “ In the conference of July, 1921, at Liile there was a split between the old leaders and the Communists. Jauhaux, former head of the moderate elements in the confederation, and his supporters took the offensive, and put through a resolution that any member separating from the International Federation of Trade Unions was to be expellid from the confederation. “ The result of that convention was the organisation of another Labour federation, supporting the Communists. Then the Communists obtained the editorship of L’Humanite, the old-osablished Socialist daily, with which I was associated. I/Humanite is a great power in Labour and Socialist circles, and you can imagine the effect of such a power used by the Communists. “Next began a struggle within the ranks of the revolutionary confederation. The fight was between the Communists and the anti-political syndicalist anarchist groups. The latter, once friendly to Moscow, rose in revolt on learning that Moscow wanted to subordinate the confederation to the political aims of the Communists. The syndicalists and anarchists opposed a link between the Trade Union International and the Red International. “ There followed the St. Etienne convention of tlie revolutionary trades unions. The struggle of the orthodox Communists and the anarchistrsyndicalist groups was fought out. Frossard, secretary of the Communist Parly, did not believe in putting the unions under the Communist Party, but bo got word from Moscow that bis organisation would be expelled if it did not enlist the new confederation under the Communist banner. The Communists scored a, two-thirds majority at St. Etienne, but immediately another split developed, and this time a minority party was formed hv the syndicalists defence groups. They attacked tiro Communists, accusing them of beintr the worst enemies of organised Labour, looked sympathetically toward the old confederation, and spoke of the reunion of the entire Labour movement. RANKS CLOSING AGAIN. - 1 - 1111 h ?PP.y say that after these sad divisions of three years the ranks <>f labour are closing once again, not onlv fn. I i&noCj but all o\6r the world. From |Hd ranks of French labour and French Socialists there has come Iho proposal that the workers of France and Germany unite to rebuild die devastated regions. " The idea began when the old confederation made an agreement -with die Socialist Party lookhi" to common negotiations with the' German Socialists and German trade unions. Thim-a have progressed to such a state that two conlerences nave been held, at Amsterdam and at Frankfort. We are working hard, and M. Aunole, Socialist Deputy from Toulouso, has placed the matter before Louchenr and the present Poincare Government. The reply of the Government, even in frne opinion of its own defenders, was very weak. Only a short time ago a plebiscite was taken in nine villages in the devastated regions, and in eight there was an overwhelming majority for this plan. Our idea is to rebuild the devastated regions with German labour' and German materials m collaboration with French labour. “In Franc© the Communist Party is going to pieces and the Socialist Party is increasing in remarkable fashion. When the split came two-thirds went over to the Communist cause. Now we are at least as numerous as the Communists, and in the last local elections we gained twice as many officers as the Communists.” M. Longuet was asked his opinion of tire visit of Clemenoeau to the United States. “Undoubtedly,” he replied, “Clemenceau is coming here to use whatever popularity lie may have as a springboard from which to jump back to power in France. But I do not think he will ever return to power. He is extremely unpopular just now. and is being attacked by ail elements from the jingoes, who accuse him of failing to beat the Germans to their knees when the opportunity offered, to the Communists who attack him as the arch-reactionary. He ;s between two fires, and can hardly hope to come out victorious.”