World Labor Unity/Chapter 7
VII. Bramley's Amsterdam Speech
During the negotiations at the February 5–6 Amsterdam Conference, Bramley made a masterful appeal in favor of unity. In the course of this address he analyzed the negotiations between Amsterdam and Moscow: "Too much effort has been made to emphasize points of disagreement. That is not diplomacy. It is not sound business." He then pointed out that groups with conflicting interests could not hope for united action until they met in conference. His whole speech was a plea for such a conference. He said:
"We are not merely concerned about the position of the British section on this matter, We are internationalists, and we say this morning that a policy which may lead to the exclusion of a country as big and as important as Russia … would be disastrous and very, very unfortunate indeed."
After pointing out that he, Bramley, was "a member of the extreme Right Wing of the British Trade Union Movement," and therefore differed with the Russians both on theory and on tactics, he called attention to the remarkable constructive work being done among the Russian masses by the Russian trade unionists, whose leaders are "as steady, as constructive, as logical, as clear, and as well-informed as any trade union leaders that you will find in any part of the world."
Holding that "an all-inclusive international is desirable," he asked the Amsterdam General Council to agree to "a free and unconditional immediate conference with representatives of the Russian Trade Union Movement."[1]
After listening to Bramley’s plea, the Council passed the Steinhuis-Smit resolution to the effect that the I.F.T.U. "is prepared to admit the All-Russian Federation of Trade Unions, when they express their desire to this effect." The resolution practically ended the hope for further negotiations as it meant that the Russian unions must abandon the R.I.L.U., join the I.F.T.U,, and then talk matters over.
- ↑ Speech as published in full by Trade Union Unity, March, 1925.