RED INTERNATIONALS

Waikato Times, Volume 107, Issue 18004, 26 April 1930, Page 6

RED INTERNATIONALS

Moscow is preparing to celebrate the 11th anniversary of the founding of the Third or Communist International, colloquially known as the Comintern. The Third International' looks upon itself as the direct and only legitimate descendent of the International Workingmen's Association founded in London in 18G4 under the guidance of Karl Marx and British workingmen. It was a basic principle of Marxian strategy that the workers of the world must join to present a united front againist international capitalism. Before many years had elapsed this First International became the stage of bitter conflict between the Marxian “scientific ” school of thought and the anarchist element led by the celebrated Michael Bakunin. The collapse of the Paris Commune in 1871 was followed by the expulsion of Bakunin. The First International lingered on for some years. In 1872 its headquarters were removed to New York, and the last congress of the organation was held in 187 G at Philadelphia . The Second International was organised in 1889, and has continued to function to the present day, with the lnteruption of the World War. It is also known as the Amsterdam International, from the site of its permanent offices. Affiliated with it are the Socialist parties of the world, as distinguished from Communists. To Lenin and his followers the Second International, in refusing to follow the only true interpretation of Marxism as expounded at Moscow, was morally dead; hence the organisation of the Third International in March, 1919. For a short lime there were a number of European Socialists, notably the followers of Fri'tz Adler in Austria, who maintained a middle ground between the Socialist and Communist Inter--national; they were cheerfully described as the 2i International. They soon merged with the Second or Amsterdam International.

Between the Second (Socialist) international and the Third (Communist) International there is the obvious difference that the former comprises several powerful, well-matched national parties, the English, the Germans, the French, etc., whereas in the Communist International the Russian Communist party is virtually the whole thing. The Comintern is at the same time the acknowledged instrument for the spread of Communist doctrine outside Russia and an unacknowledged but demonstrated instrument for the promotion of Soviet foreign policy.