Appendix

Session XXVII, November 30, 1922  

Declaration by the Left at the Fourth Congress of the IC on the Project of Organization of the International

[After the previous session’s reading of the new project of organization of the CI, Bordiga takes the floor (pp. 814 – 816)].

I find the draft organization completely acceptable in all its parts. It contains provisions which, objectively considered, are of great importance because they aim at eliminating the last remnants of the federalist type of organizational methods of the old International.

If, at this stage of the Congress, it were still possible to broaden the discussion a little more, I could raise the question as to all that’s needed to make effective revolutionary centralization work is achievable through a reform of the organizational apparatus.

I have already said something about this in my discussion of the report of the Executive and will not repeat myself now. However, I must reiterate that, if we want to achieve an effective centralization, that is, a synthesis of the spontaneous forces of the vanguard of the revolutionary movement in the different countries, in order to eliminate the disciplinary crises that we see today, we must centralize our organizational apparatus, but at the same time we must unify our methods of struggle and clearly specify what the program and the tactics of the IC are about.

We must explain to all the groups and comrades belonging to the IC exactly what is meant by the duty of unconditional obedience they contract by joining our ranks.

As for the international congresses, I fully agree on the abolition of imperative mandates and on the manner of convening national congresses.

I unreservedly admit that we are dealing here with measures which correspond to the principles of centralization, but I am of the opinion that, in the interest of true centralization, we should not merely declare that the imperative mandates must be abolished and the world congresses held before the national congresses, for on the very work and organization of the world congresses even graver words must be said.

We have reached the last sessions of the Congress and we must note that the work done is not in all respects satisfactory.

For example, the question of resignations remains open.

I agree that resignations must be prevented. I suggest, however, the adoption of a rule already in effect in our party, according to which all resignations are accepted, and the person who has tendered them cannot resume his place in the party within the next one or two years. I believe that this procedure would have the effect of considerably reducing the number of resignations.

But there is another issue that I feel I must address despite the stage the Congress is at: the proposal for a two-year interval between world Congresses. If the next Congress should not be so heavy with work and issues as the present one, it would certainly be advisable not to repeat this impressive organizational and financial effort. But I raise the specific question of the time that separates us from the Fifth Congress.

We are about to postpone to the next Congress a series of questions of the utmost importance, especially the presentation of a new program, or rather the first real program, of the IC, and the revision of its Statutes, which is to say, of the organic link that unites the International and its sections.

After the Executive’s report, we discussed at length the question of tactics, but the various speakers who took the stand did not deal with the great problem of the International’s tactics, limiting themselves to discussing a few remarks in the E.C. on the activity or situation of this or that national section. Very important questions, such as that of workers’ government, on the other hand, were not clarified.

I don’t propose to reopen now a big debate on the question of tactics, but if I think about the program, the statutes, the tactics, I find absurd the idea of convening the 5th Congress only in two years. In the name of the majority of the Italian delegation, I therefore reserve the right to present the proposal that the 5th Congress of the IC, taking into account the postponement of very important issues, should be held in the summer or autumn of 1923 at the latest.

[Kolarov, on behalf of the E.C., clarifies that the Fifth Congress will be held next year and that the decisions regarding the two-year interval between world congresses will not come into effect until later.]
 
 
From the German Protocol.