bers outside of Russia. The International Executive then continues:
That Zinovieff, who speaks in the name of a so-called Labor Union Internationale, is ignorant of all this only shows that he has no conception whatever of the European labor union movement. This does not surprise us. We are only too well aware that this gentleman knows the labor union movement only from books and pamphlets and was never a working man. Was it not Lenin who, shortly before the October (1917) coup d' etat, wrote as follows of this Mr. Zinovieff: "I knew he was an ignoramus; but I didn't know he was also a coward."
And this man accuses us of not being working men! The confusion which runs among the ideas of Mr. Zinovieff is very comprehensible to us. He is simply unable to conceive of a labor union movement which is fully independent of the political movement. Did he not write in the "Communist Internationale" on April 9th "You (the Communist Party) bind the political struggle and the economic struggle together as a single whole and supervise the political struggle of the proletariat just as you conduct its economic struggle."
We declare frankly that the situation in which the labor organizations of your country find themselves, owing to your conduct, doesn't entitle you to give us lectures.
Lectures from you! You do not appear to know, Mr. Zinovieff, that your standpoint has long ago become obsolete and belongs to the past. For more than thirty years the labor unions of Central and Western Europe have freed themselves from the guardianship of all politicians and political parties and experience has taught them they have acted wisely. All your arrogance doesn't do away with the fact that you are setting about to begin the development of the labor union movement all over again. Try, gentlemen, to be a little less behind the times and endeavor to gain some knowledge of the facts.
