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enter the Communist International (on conditions other than those worked out by the Second Congress of the Communist International) to state definitely—what are the conditions of that party. This cut the leaders of the Right Independents to the quick—for their faction was brought together with great difficulty on the platform of a general disapproval of the abolition of all autonomy, etc. Hilferding and Co. were fully aware that if they were to set down the conditions on which they would consent to enter the Communist International, they would immediately lose a considerable part of their faction.
I spoke of course of the Rusian revolution, and of conditions in Soviet Russia. In this part of my speech, I believe I inflicted the greatest moral defeat on our opponents. I said at the Congress: "Think of it, three years we have been at war with the bourgeois governments of the whole world. No fewer than 18 bourgeois governments have declared war on us during that period. What did your Dittmann do? Imagine the workmen of some town, which for a month, two months or three months has been striking against, the bourgeoisie. No help is forthcoming from anywhere. The enemy is stubborn and crafty. The last supplies have been consumed. The houses are cold and cheerless. The workers' children are hungry and ill-clad. At such a time there arrives on the scene a stranger, a dandy like Dittmann, sees all the misery and hardships, which a striking worker has to undergo, and says: "Oh, I don't like this at all." And then the dandy goes away and tells the whole world of the evils of strikes. Would such a man be in any way better than the vilest blackleg? And what is the difference between such a dandy and Dittmann?
I spoke of the hardships and privations which have been the lot of the Russian workers during the last three years. The audience listened with the warmest fraternal sympathy.
The moral victory of the Communist International over its enemy was beyond doubt. The Left Wing at the Congress and the numerous working men in the gallery celebrated their victory and stormily expressed their delight. After the end of my speech the Rights at first sat speechless, then they rose and stealthily sneaked away from the hall. At the same time some individual workers' delegates, who were sitting on the
