BOLSHEVISM IN FRANCE
THE "C.G.T." ITS GROWTH AND POLICY
Paris, September IG. Tho Congress of the French Confederation Generalo du Travail, which is now silting in Lyons, is undoubtedly of much greater importance than any of its predecessors, not | only because the French Labour Parliament this year marks an enormous increase in the number of unions represented, but because the Lyons meeting is expected to bo characterised by a desperate effort o£ the extremists to capture the organisation (writes the "Morning Post" Paris correspondent). Tho following' to)>lo shows tho remarkablo growth of the federation during tho past twelve months:— Sec- IndiTrade. tional vidual Tear, federations, unions, unions. 1918 32 42 1151 1019 41 G7 , 1807 For tho first time in its history tho C.G.T. may rightfully claim to include all categories of labour in France, from actors to street-sweepers. Under tho wise leading of M. Jouhanx, its general secretary, and other officers, tho C.G.T. has latterly, under the pressure of special conditions set up by the war, jettisoned a large proportion of dangerous political, not to say revolutionary, doctrines that formerly characterised it, and reverted to the achievement of tho purely economic objectives which formed its original programme. Many of its most active and experienced leaders, while not isacrificing one iota of their cconomio faith as trade unionists, have realised the supreme disaster that would befall no only tho country, but Labour itself, through the advent of a Bolshevik regime, and havo for months past been conducting a stubborn tattle within their own organisations against the extremist minor-, lty. The wisdom of their policy and tho dangerous situation that will arise if tho extremists succeed in gaining tho upper hand at Lyons may be gauged from a brief summary of somo recent events. Bolshevist Extremists. It is now an open secret that tho disturbances which''occurred here, on May 1 vers tho result of tho Bolshevist element in the C.G.T. overpowering tho saner section. M. Jouhaux and tho real leaders opposed the proposed strike, and ivero wishful to submit) to tho Government and cnll off the suggested manifestation on Labour Day. St. Pams, Minister of the Interior, went so far as to congratulate them on tihoir patriotic attitude. At tho last moment, howovor, according to the boastful statement) printed on May 10 by Pericat, one of the leading extremists, "the officials had to . capitulate before (the will of the delepates of the Bolshevist or would-be 801-. shevist unions." A fortnight later Pericat and his brother extremists, who had meanwhile formed a snecial organisation whish they subsequently called the Communist Party,- announced tlieir intention of entering into relations with the-Mos-cow International and their ndopfcion 'of the gospel of Lenin as gummed up in his statement that "the only means of bring, ing out a revolution is by Soviets and htrikes." • Since then the extremist majority of the C.G.T. havo lost no opportunity to excite their followers to make use of the strike weapon." All strikes, according to these extremists, aro political, "seeing that they tend to bring about ■bankruptcy more quickly."
Evolution or Revolution. The effect of this policy was quickly 6een in tho Paris district on June 1. when-150.000-. men in tilic automobile and lindrcd trades, ceased work. Tho tramway and other transport, workers subsequently joined in the strike, but when, on June 17. tho metal workers appealed to the C.G.T. to proclaim a general strike, the leaders of that organisation revised on the »round that the moment was lint propitious. Largely influenced, undoubtedly, by the'refusal of tho British Labour Party to join in the movement, M. .louhaux, on his return to Paris from London, laughed at the extremists of his organisation and openly declared himself in favour of evolution as opposed to revolution. As n result, the proposed inter-Allicd. strike of. July 50 proved a fiasco,,' oxcept in Italy, where, possibly as tho result of tho visit of Mr. Ramsay Mncdonald, all the unions except tthe railwaymen ceased work. The growing distaste for revolutionary methods latterly displayed by MM. Jouliaux and Morrheim, of the Metal Workers' Federation, •M. Bidcgaray. of tho Railway Unions, and other C.G.T, leader;;, has ar.oused against them tho bitter antagonism of the extremists.
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 4
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697BOLSHEVISM IN FRANCE Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 74, 20 December 1919, Page 4
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