Page:Grigory Zinoviev - Report of the Executive Committee of the Communist International (1921).pdf/39

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there is Reformism. Whoever is not with us, is against us and with the bourgeoisie (Loud applause).

THE GERMAN QUESTION.

I will now take up the question of the German Party. I can naturally deal only with the more important sections that have really been influenced by our policy. Halle has been our first big success since the Second Congress. The soil had been prepared by the Congress. I believe that by our work at Halle we have shown that we fully understand that the Communist International needs no sects, but big revolutionary parties of the masses. We had tried hard to create a mass-Party in Germany. We believe that we have been successful all along the line. There were two exceedingly burning questions that arose at Halle. Firstly, whether the Spartakusbund should continue its existence as a precautionary measure, as a guarantee or as an auxiliary organisation. This I have opposed on behalf of the Executive. I believe we were right. Here in Russia we have had wide experiences with such organisations. We were of the opinion that such organisations have their inner logic for abstaining from merging whenever there is a danger of the Party becoming diluted. But once a union has been effected, it must be loyally maintained without any separate organisations. I must say that all leading comrades of the Spartakusbund were substantially of the same opinion. This question can, therefore, be quite easily and conveniently disposed of.

The second question was—as to the rate of revolutionary development to be taken by the Party as a basis for its activity. The atmosphere in Germany at the time was such that even people like Lederbour were speaking of a "Communist central execution-chamber." The bourgeoisie were at one with the Social Democrats and with the Right I.S.P, in the