gramme follows more or less the lines made familiar in England by Fabian socialism, together with the recognition of a large measure of workers' control in industry. The Geneva Congress further recommended that the Secretariat should be transferred to London; and the British section was invited to undertake the task of negotiating with national socialist and labour bodies not represented, in order to secure their adherence. A negoti- ating commission was accordingly set up in Nov. 1920, consisting of Mr. Arthur Henderson, Mr. J. H. Thomas, Mr. J. Ramsay Macdonald and Mr. H. Gosling.
The Third International. The decision to found a new revolutionary International, in view of the failure of the old Second International under the test of war, was first definitely framed by the Russian Social Democratic party (Bolshevik) at their congress in 1915, and subsequently adopted, as has been related, by the Zimmerwaldian International Socialist Commis- sion at Stockholm in 1917. In Jan. 1919, the invitation for the first congress of the new International was issued by the Russian Communist party (the name adopted by the Russian Bolsheviks after their revolution of Nov. 1917) together with representatives of other Communist parties. This inaugural congress was held at Moscow in March 1919, and was attended by the Russian Communist party, the Norwegian Labour party, the German Spartacusbund and other smaller parties and groups. The congress wound up the Zimmerwaldian Commission, whose secretary became the secretary of the new International, and appointed an executive to arrange for the next congress, to which was left the drafting of the full constitution and conditions of admission. In the meantime a manifesto was drawn up expound- ing the general principles of the new Communist International, and inviting the adhesion of the revolutionary movements of the world. A summary of the principles and programme of the Communist International, as expounded in their manifesto, is given in the article on COMMUNISM.
The first congress of the new International had been a hurried meeting with little pretence at a fully representative character. The policy of precipitating its foundation had been deliberately adopted in spite of criticism as a means of crystallizing the situation in the whole International Socialist movement. This object received a considerable degree of fulfilment. Within the next twelvemonth every party had to define its attitude in relation to the new issues, and a great shifting of the centre of gravity began in the whole International movement. Section after section left the Second International, and a slower, but steady, influx passed into the Third International. By the time of the Second Congress in Aug. 1920, accredited representatives attended from parties of varying size in nearly every country. The Second Congress had to determine the constitution and conditions of admission of the new International. This raised a new problem. The effect of the world-wide movement towards the Third International had been to produce a series of demands for admission from parties which were not fully communist in character. This applied particularly to the applications of the larger parties, the parties of Italy, Germany (the Independent Socialists), France and America. Of these Italy had joined the Third International while retaining a small reformist section within its ranks; France, Germany and America were applying for admission, although all containing anti-communist sections. The danger was that the Communist International would be swamped and become like the old pre-war Second International. Accordingly severe measures were taken to stem the tide, and a series of 21 conditions of membership were drawn up to serve as a test to sift the genuine communists from the " centrists." These measures produced the effect desired. The Italian com- munists broke away from their connexion with the reformist socialists (who were not themselves numerous, but received support from the majority of the party in the name of unity) ; the French and German parties came over only after a break with their right-wing minorities; the American communists, who were also in a majority in their party, but were expelled by the official right-wing minority, affiliated separately.
The statutes and 21 conditions of membership reveal the
basis and organization of the Third International. The object of the organization is laid down as follows:
The new International Association of Workers is established for the purpose of organizing common action between the workers of various countries who are striving towards a single aim; the over- throw of capitalism, the establishment of the dictatorship of the aroletariat and of the International Soviet Republic, the complete abolition of classes and the realization of socialism as the first step
- o communist society.
In contrast with the pre-war International great stress is laid on international discipline. The World Congress is constituted as the supreme authority of the International, and is given power to confirm or revise the programme and policy of the national sections. In the intervals of the congresses this power is exer- cised by the International Executive, which has the right to issue obligatory instructions to the component organizations. In further contrast with the pre-war International, great stress is laid on the necessity for illegal work and the preparation for eventual armed conflict.
In addition to the statutes and conditions a series of theses were adopted by the Second Congress, outlining the communist policy and tactics in relation to Parliament, the trade unions, cooperative societies, national and colonial movements, etc. The statutes, conditions and theses, taken together, constitute the official statement of policy of the Communist International, which is held to be binding on all members.
The Vienna International. While the issues of the Second and Third Internationals were agitating the socialist world, a number of parties which occupied a centre position endeavoured to start a new movement with a view to the reconstruction of the International. These parties had left the Second International, but were not prepared to enter the Third International. In Dec. 1920, a conference was held at Berne which made prepara- tions for an inaugural congress of the new movement at Vienna in Feb. 1921. This congress was attended by the Austrian, Swiss and Hungarian parties, the British Independent Labour party, and the right-wing minorities of the French Socialists and the German Independent Socialists, the Russian Mensheviks and Socialist Revolutionaries, and one or two groups from other countries. An " International Working Union of Socialist Parties " was constituted, open to all parties not affiliated with either the Second or the Third International, and with the object of " unifying the activities of the affiliated parties, arranging common action, and promoting the establishment of an Inter- national which will embrace the whole revolutionary working class of the world." A statement on the " Organization and Methods of the Class Struggle " was adopted, which insisted on the probable necessity of expecting the use of violent measures by the capitalist class, but claimed national autonomy for each party to determine its own method of action.
Thus, by the summer of 1921, there were in existence three Internationals claiming the allegiance of the labour and socialist movements of the world.
Bibliography. No standard history exists of the Socialist Inter- national as a whole. The history of the Second International before the war can only be obtained from the International Socialist Congress Reports, and the Bulletin of the International Socialist Bureau. The International at the outbreak of war is dealt with in A. W. Humphrey's International Socialism and the War (1915) and W. E. Walling's The Socialists and the War (1915); and the story is carried down to 1917 in R. W. Postgate's The International during the War (1918). The International after the war is dealt with in R. Palme Dutt's The Two Internationals (1920), which goes up to the spring of 1920. For the Third International see the Theses and Statutes of the Communist International (English edition, 1921) and the monthly official journal, The Communist International. See also R. W. Postgate's The Workers' International (1920), and the articles in the Labour International Handbook (1921). (R. P. D-)
INTERSTATE COMMERCE (see 14.711). Subsequently to 1910 numerous Acts of the United States Congress and decisions of the Supreme Court extended the scope of Federal control over interstate commerce. The regulation of railways was made more complete, and the authority of the United States is now exercised regarding railway rates on traffic within the states when such rates affect interstate commerce. The Anti-Trust Act of 1890
