From International Press Correspondence, Vol. 2 No. 107, 5 December 1922, pp. 873–874.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive
The Japanese Communist Party has approved the report of comrade Zinoviev. I will not speak here only on the United Front as applying to Japan. The Japanese Communist Party is underground and is still young but we have been working openly through the trade unions and by other means. Our unions are fighting unions, having no traditional difficulties. We have no Henderson, and we have no Gompers. Comrades, in the past we have practised the United Front in many instances. When we started the propaganda movement against the Washington Conference all the trade unions cooperated to fight and make propaganda against this bourgeois, capitalistic, imperialistic conference at Washington. Then when the Government introduced a bill against all radical movements in Japan the trade unions of all shades, anarchist, syndicalist, communist and noderate came together to make effective propaganda so that the Government finally backed down.
We have started a movement under the name of “Hands off Russia”, which was similar to that organized in England, and now all trade unions and all radical associations are cooperating to fight against intervention and for the recognition of Soviet Russia. We could not do anything for the Russian famine, but with the change of government we started the Russian relief work and now not only trade unions, radical associations, but also even the petty-bourgeoisie cooperated to aid the Russian famine. This aid is all carried on under the control of the Communist Party, although it is deep underground.
Now I want to tell you my feelings during the last few days; we have difficulties with the United Front in the Communist Party. The United Front is not yet established in all countries, it is not established even in all the parties yet. But, comrades, we have a big enemy. We must fight this enemy at all costs. You forget, comrades of France, Italy, and other countries; you forget that you must fight the enemy. On the contrary you are fighting each other. You ought to fight for the United Front against imperialism and capitalism. And again I tell you, we have not heard anything about a United Front internationally. What are you doing for other countries to unite them and make a united front against imperialism and capitalism? Nothing so far. I have not heard of anything so far of the international character of the United Front. We want a United Front with the strong Communist Parties of the world. Colonial countries need the United Front to fight capitalism. The Fourth Congress must impress all comrades going back from here with the necessity for a United Front, not only in their own countries but also in other countries so that we can reach our aim. Someone said that the United Front is a compromise. Yes, it is a compromise, but a compromise to gain our aims. It will not weaken our movement, but strengthen the movement. It is not a compromise with the petty-bourgeoisie. No, it is a compromise with labor leaders in order to reach the workers who are under the influence of these leaders. It will strengthen the Communist movement and enable us to gain our ends.
Last updated on 3 December 2020