FREDERICK ENGELS

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO, Karl Marx and
Frederick Engels helped to found the
International Workingmen's Association —
the First International.

At that time, the primary task facing the
workers in their struggle for economic
‘emancipation was unity — within each
country and as between workers of
different countries.

In a far.different setting and in a vastly
changed world that task still remains —
as important and as urgent as ever.

KARL MARX

UNITY — historic lesson
of the First International

By ALF DEWHURST

Sept. 28, 1864, at St. Mar-
tin’s Hall, London a small
group of socialist workers

from the principal countries of
Europe assembled and founded,
under the leadership of Karl
Marx and Frederick Engels, the
International Working Men’s
Association, better known as
the First International.

The delegates to this inagu-
ral meeting were the trail-blaz-
ers of the mighty international
workers’ movement of today.
They faced a gigantic task of
welding ‘into one huge army
the whole militant working class
of Europe and America” (En-
gels).

The First International anti-:
cipated the future and outlined’

its development. It undertook
the task of uniting the work-
ers’ movements of the various
countries, which were at very
diverse levels of development,
organizing joint activities of
the various elements, overcom-
ing their sectarian tendencies.
and raising the entire workers’
movement to a higher level.

What about the future which
was anticipated by the First
International? What gains has
the international workers’ move-
ment won over these past stor-
my 100 years?

Firstly, one-third of the
world’s population now lives
under socialism. This is the
chief creation of the working
peoples. .

Secondly, socialism is literal-
ly knocking at every door. His-
torical evidence attests to the
fact that mankind has entered
the epoch of the transition

from capitalism to socialism on
a world scale.

This epoch is also the period
of history which is seeing. the
liberation of all colonial and
dependent countries from im-
perialist yoke. Hundreds of mil-
lions are fighting imperialism
and winning social, economic
and cultural progress — and
they are striving mainly to do
so through non-capitalist roads
of development.

Our epoch is also a period of
rapid growth of the working-
class movement in the advanc-
ed capitalist countries, of an
increase in the strength and ef-
fectiveness of trade union, de-
mocratic and _ political strug-
gles. The impact of socialism,
the contradictions within capi-
talism, the high degree of capi-
tal monopolization, the prob-
lems of the scientific and tech-
nical industrial revolution — all
these are combining to bring the
peoples still living under capi-
talism closer to socialism.

Thirdly, and most important,
in this age of the thermonu-
clear bomb mankind has en-
tered the epoch when the peace
forces of the world have the
strength to impose on imperial-
ism policies of peace and peace-
ful coexistence, the bedrock
upon which the hopes of hu-
manity rest.

At the time the First In-
ternational was founded, Can-
ada was being prepared for
Confederation. Preliminary con-
ferences were being held and
resolutions, later to be em-
bodied in the British North Am-
erica Act, were being agreed
upon. A new country was being
formed out of the British-held
colonies on the northern hal‘

of the North American con-
tinent. :

The new country was con-
fronted not only with substan-
tial regional differences but,
more important, with national
differences through the joining
into one state formation of the
French and_ English-speaking
peoples. Typical of capitalist
nation building it was an un-
equal union, established in the
interests of the dominant Anglo-
Canadian capitalists.

Since © Confederation, Can-
ada’s development has been re-
markably fast. The early capi-
talism, augumented first by
U.S. investments to the tune of

more than $20 billions; has -

been transformed into giant cap-
ital concentrations. Monopoly
capital, dominated by U.S. fin-
ance capital, rules the day in
Our country as it nears its
100th year as a capitalist state.

As an integral part of the
world system of imperialism,
Canadian monopolists share,
particularly with U.S. imperial-
ism, in the imperialist plun-
der of the remaining colo-
nies and dependent countries.
While we, in turn, are plunder-
ed by U.S. monopoly capital.
The sum of interest and divi-
dends drawn out of Canada, plus
profits reinvested in the coun-
try adding to U.S.-owned fixed
properties in Canada, total over
$1,000,000,000 annually.

Canadian mopolists, as junior
partners of U.S. monpoly, are
responsible for this wholesale
plundering of our country’s
treasure. They are guilty of
inhuman speed-up in industry
in their insatiable drive for ever
higher labor exploitation. They
are guilty of exorbitant profit-
eering in food and consumer
goods, interest rates and rents.

They strive with every means
at their disposal to block need-
ed social reforms, to subvert
democracy and hamstring the
trade union movement through
legislation and the courts. And
they aim to introduce the new
age of automation at the ex-
pense of the working class while
denying the fruits of the scien-
tific revolution in industry to
the people.

To enable them to carry
through their plunder of our
country and our people, the mon-
opolists have actually seized
the state and made it into their
own creature. In the name of
Canada, the federal and provin-
cial governments place the law-
making facilities, the state ap-
paratus, including the Bank of
Canada, the tax-collecting agen-

‘cies and the courts of the coun-

try at the disposal of monopoly
capital.

It is in this setting that all
those who are opposed to mono-
poly domination have to con-
duct their struggles for peace,

‘independence, a new and equal

Confederation between our two
peoples, and for economic, so-
cial and political democracy,
and out of these struggles build
a unity able to restrain, curb
and finally to defeat monopoly.

United action of the work-
ers, farmers and all anti-mono-
poly forces can be established
around common platforms on all
important questions bearing on
the life of our people and our
country. The main thing is to
act together on those issues on
which there is agreement.

Certainly there are differen-
ces of opinion which distinguish
parties, groups and individuals
from one another. But should

’ fraternal bond of union b

these differences be allowed to
lead to deep-seated divisions
which can only benefit mon
poly? And because this a8
been the case in the past, 0
it be in the future? :

We Communists say—no it
does not have to be so. For on
part, left-wing and Socialis
workers will find) Communists
among the most willing W° ‘l
ers for a united left. We Wr
strive to correct past attitudes
and approaches we may have
had which hinder the building
of unity. We hope others wh
want to see a united working
class and socialist moveme*
will do likewise.

The dearest treasure of We
working class is its unity—"”
principled unity. In the se
gle to resolve the democralié
issues of the day in the pe
ple’s interests a firm unity
the people will be achieved oe s
the road to the socialist futt
—which will be the fruit 0
united struggle of all pa
groups and individuals—wil
charted. aoe ;

How true today are the word i
from the preamble of the >.
eral Rules of the Working Met
Association dealing with the
economic emancipation ° int
working class: ‘All efforts ae
ing at that great end ie
hitherto failed for want of 5° d
darity between the mani re
divisions of labor in each COU

ence 0
try, and from the abs otween

2 nb e4
the working classes of differe

countries;”’,

is
Let us hope that all pata

and groups upholding and the
presenting the interests of otic
working class take this hist
advice to heart.

.

8
November 13, 1964—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PO9*

the