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for example Lenin or Trotsky, coming forward and withdrawing from the Central Committee, stating as a reason that they do not agree with the Executive because of its behaviour in Halle." What would you say? It would have been just the same blow from behind as the Italian Party has received. At least everyone would consider it as such. (Cries—"Quite right.")
We said: "One must be blind not to see that Serati has retrogressed towards reformism,. I have spoken to-day of the attitude that he has adopted on all important questions, how he was abusing the French and the German Parties, and how he betrayed the Party during the September movement. Thus, it was quite clear that we had here a typical reformist, and our comrades dealt us a blow from behind by withdrawing from the Central Committee. Radek wrote that we would like to know whether anyone would have dared to give up his mandate so easily in the old Social Democratic Party on the ground that he did not agree on some question. Supposing that we had been mistaken in Italy—we were only too much in the right—even in such a case, one should have been more careful. Not a word had been said beforehand to the Executive: it was simply informed of the accomplished fact. That is why we thought there must be something wrong in this, It is not only an Italian question. We are all internationalists; but we know very well that in Germany they would not be so nervous, if the question concerned the Italian Party only: people become anxious only when their own party. or their own movement is involved. The connection is all too evident.
Comrades! Should it prove that Serati had acted shrewdly and that the comrades, who are pretty experienced politicians, have been his victims, that it was nothing but only a misunderstanding, so much the better. But, comrades, there is not much ground for such a supposition.
