did nothing to aid the American workers, and the coal dug by the British miners helped crush the American miners. We have such relations among the miners of all Europe. The German, Belgian, and French coal miners made no move during the strike of the British miners to help them for the simple reason that the British coal miners were indifferent during the strikes of the other European miners.
The characteristic of the Mine Workers' International is the national tactics of its separate parts. An international which in the sharpest moments of struggle in any one country remains aside from the struggle, which not only does not aid the fighting workers of its own industry but looks on indifferently while other parts of it in other countries are in fact scabbing, is not an international.
Similar tactics—if it may be called tactics—we have also in the International of Metal Workers. During the lockout of the metal workers in England none of the sections affiliated with this international did anything to help the British metal workers. The only international in which a striving to do something on an international scale is noticed, is the Transport Workers International. It made an attempt to boycott Hungary, to boycott Poland at the time of its attack on Soviet Russia, etc. It is true they did not accomplish much but at least we could notice a striving to become an international in fact.
What is the attitude of these internationals toward the Amsterdam International? Not being connected with it organizationally, they accept its political leadership; they say, "We are international by industry and the Amsterdam International is a general class organization, dealing with general questions." This is the way the reformists explained their position at the convention of the chemists just ended.
There was an attempt from separate internationals to formulate a general line of action upon more militant questions. The Metal Workers, Mine Workers, and Transport Workers attempted to create something like the Triple Alliance for international action, figuring that if these three unions could come to an understanding it will be possible to bring greater pressure on the international labor movement. They had a few conferences. They created a special committee on this question, passed a few resolutions against war, and again there was a lack of action by these three internationals.
For the last few months, especially after the occupation of the Ruhr, these three internationals which were supposed to do something, did nothing at all. For the simple reason that they also were being torn asunder by nationalist contradictions as well as the Amsterdam International.
