In my opinion, comrades, the most important question is whether we are confronted by a rising or a falling wave. This, of course, is still, uncertain; nobody can be a prophet in such a situation. A mistake may be easily made. We must be prepared for the worse alternative. And I think that our decisions are right just because they hold the worse alternative in view.
The resolution has brought clarity into many questions; in others not entirely. For instance, on the question of the united front, I think the resolutions have already brought sufficient clarity. In other questions, especially the question of the October crisis, complete clarity has not yet been attained. We can now see clearer than we did a month ago, and in three months we shall see clearer still. Opinions have clashed on the question as to whether the retreat was absolutely necessary or not; whether it arose out of a real situation, or whether it was a mistake. I can understand that in the given situation opinions were bound to clash. But I think that in our resolution everything that needed to be said was said clearly. The retreat was absolutely essential, not only because of errors and weaknesses in the party, but also because of the weakness of the working class. Of course, there will always be a number of workers who will say that the moment had been lost.
As to the factional conflict, I must say quite honestly that I do not know whether we have put an end to it, or whether a new conflagration will break out. I have seen such things often in our own Party leadership: a resolution is adopted unanimously, and then the crises and factional conflicts really begin. I sincerely hope that such will not happen in this case. All sides have learnt something; even the Left has much to learn and has learned much. We have here recognised its strong side. If a factional strife now breaks out, I believe that in the present situation in Germany, no good will come of it for any faction. The working class masses—and you must remember that we are a mass party—do not want factional fights. They are too depressed by the reverse. The situation is too difficult. What is now required is that after the errors of all sides have been recognised, the decisions of the International here taken shall be carried into effect as quickly as possible.
I will therefore not prophesy as to whether the conflict has been really settled or not. One thing, however, is clear. The faction that begins a conflict now will gain no advantage from it even from a factional point of view.
(A Voice: Quite right!)
We have here made a change of attitude against the Right, against the relics of Social-Democracy in the German Party. We are trying in this way to pull the Party together. We must now pass from words to deeds. We shall follow events very carefully, and shall be happy if not need arises for us to interfere before the Party Congress. It is in the composition of the Central Committee particularly that we are anxious to see what the Party decided for
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