From International Press Correspondence, Vol. I No. 7, 11 November 1921, p. 60.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
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No matter what results the present proletarian international aid may achieve, the problem of a lasting relief will still remain unsolved. The situation is such that the question of the practical relations between the Russian and the international proletariat must be placed on the order of the day. Of course, the greatest aid that the international proletariat can offer to the Russian proletariat is the overthrow of their own bourgeoisie. As long as this does not happen, however, an economic co-operation between the workers’ organizations of all countries and the Russian proletariat must be created.
Since the resumption of trade-relations with the West, capitalist syndicates are everywhere being organized, which are either desirous of gaining gigantic profits in a short time, or are entertaining the idea of decade-long exploitation, expecting a counter-revolution. On the other hand, the proletarian organisations can come to the aid of the proletarian State with money, machines, etc. This can be done by the Soviet Government issuing a loan, after an agreement with the European and American labor organizations, which loan is to be guaranteed by state enterprise and state industry. Thus European and American labor organisations become partial owners of certain factory groups. The labor organisations would send special delegates to Russia, to study the situation in the enterprise in question. The organisation which had become a shareholder would, through representatives sent by foreign labor organisations, thus take part in the management of the particular factory group.
Such action on the part of foreign labor organisations would be a revolutionary deed which would lessen the danger of a counter-revolution and strengthen Soviet Russia’s position.
The Russian Proletariat would consider such aid not in the least as a gift, but as a loan which is to be paid back. From six to eight per cent interest would be paid into the strike funds of the various organisations for capital invested in Russian enterprises. All this would lead to an economic strengthening of Soviet Russia on the one hand, and to the creation of a support for the foreign proletariat in case of any conflict, on the other.
How would the necessary sum, which naturally amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars, be raised? Every branch of industry of the foreign proletariat should be able to offer an hour’s pay weekly for the raising of the necessary funds. With the money thus raised, the particular branch of industry becomes a shareholder of one or of a whole group of enterprises.
The bourgeoisie could give enormous sums; it does not do so, however, because it fears the economic reconstruction of Soviet Russia. But the international proletariat is also capable of gradually raising the necessary means, in order to become a shareholder in Russian factories and industrial enterprises.
Last updated on 9 January 2019