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admitted that the preparations for the Second Congress have been made much more carefully than for the Third. The Theses had been ready for weeks ahead, and upon all important questions we had had lengthy discussions with the Independent Socialist Party for a month previously.
Thus the second sentence, the second untruth.
Thirdly: "The far-away distance of the meeting-place of the Congress from the countries of the proletarian movement, the difficulties of communication, the blockade which had gone on for so long, the almost total absence of control on the part of the workers, who should have been admitted to the sessions, and on the part of the press, which should have beer given every facility for widespread publication—all this gave the sessions the character of a closed assembly, deprived of all contact with the outside world."
This was written by Serati a few days after the Congress, a few days after he had been sitting in the presidental chair. No control by the workers, no control by the press, forsooth. Just a secret conspiracy!
Fourthly: "The members of the Congress were poorly acquainted with one another—(this is quite true, for we were certainly poorly acquainted with the real Serati)—as well as with the respective movements, with the actual forces represented by the various delegates, and with the means and influences at their disposal to affect international policy."
This assertion of Serati is, of course, also far removed from the truth.
Fifthly: "The Congress conducted its conferences under the protection of a great revolutionary government—(perhaps, this was also not to Serati's liking)—at a time when its fighting forces were engaged in a life-and-death struggle against the forces of reaction, while the Communist government was compelled—as it is compelled even now—to conduct its
