their power, constitution, tactics and methods for solving those questions which the internationals contemplate to solve.
This International was created after the end of the war. Attempts to call international conferences were made even during the war, when the Holland and Swiss trade unions took upon themselves the initiative. But every time they met resistance from the trade unions of the Allied countries and therefore the conferences failed to materialize.
One of these Conferences, called on the initiative of the neutral trade unions, was held in Berne at the end of 1917. At this gathering the trade unionists of the Allied countries were not present, because the war was still continuing. Only after the war was ended did they succeed with the aid of the unions of the neutral countries again to call an international conference, which was held in February, 1919, also in Berne, Switzerland. Very little came out of that conference, but what remains proves that the main question discussed there was "Who was guilty during the war; Germany or the other countries?" The representatives from the Allied countries felt somewhat like diplomats of their "fatherlands," trying to obtain an admission from the representatives of the unions of Germany and Austria that "their countries" were guilty for the war and that they were sorry for the tactics which they used for many years. The Conference did not give any material results. The only result was to call an international congress in July, 1919, at Amsterdam. This July Congress laid the foundation for the Amsterdam International.
First Congress of the Amsterdam International
What problems did this First Congress solve, and what was its special character? To get an answer to these questions, it is best to allow the Amsterdamers to speak for themselves, for nobody will suspect them of lack of love and respect for their own organization.
Here we read from the official report of the Amsterdam International presented to the Congress of Trade Unions which was held in Rome in April, 1922; this report states as follows: "Although we succeeded in creating unity between the representatives of the trade unions of different countries which not long before had been quarrelling among themselves, the Congress did not give full satisfaction, In discussions on almost every point there were contradictions which, during the many years of the war, artificially flared up and these contradictions came out sharply to the surface. Almost every day, during the Congress, there were new conflicts before we could get a unanimous vote." This is said by the official report. The report was writtten by the Secretary of the Amsterdam International who had to soften all that was really there: and in reality this characterization of the Amsterdam Congress was very mild.
