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| 42 COMMDNISM IN IABQR organization a revolutionary international. This significant statement was madei "From reports we receive from our Communist leadership, we note that the postwar Communist movement will be based on united front mass activities on an international scale, and on international qorking class solidarity which will be based on the World Trade Union International", Such is the Communist objective. The unsolved problem is: who is actually directing the WFTtf? . . In the WFTU the largest single group is that representing 26,000,000 Soviet "trade unionists," This would give the Soviet about 200 votes to 100 for the United States; While England and the United States could barely out- vote the Soviet Union, this is nullified by the votes of the "democracies" of Eastern Europe and Toledano's CTAL. France's Confederation Generale de Travail has several leftists and fellow travelers among its leaders. Thornton of • -Australia is, of course, a Communist. On the other hand, the British Snpire, with its usual sagacity, has suddenly discovered flourishing trade union movements in many of its more primitive colonies. But when everything is cast into the balance, it seems likely that Communist votes will prevail* Nor is it certain that the C.I.O* votes will always be anti-Soviet* In complex international problems, the astuteness of Abt and Pressman might well deceive' a right-wing majority in the American delegation! Tne New Leader on Sept. 29, 1945 argues that a majority of the French delegation is Communist and that Saillant (subsequently elected as general secretary) has become a faithful fellow traveler. It is known-that he visited Moscow as representative of French Trade Unions prior to the London meeting which organized the WFUJ. The present situation may be summarized as follows? Sir'^'alter Citrine, who is considered anti-Communist,' is president; Louis Saillan^, pro-Communist, is general secretarjr* The executive Committee consists of twenty-six members: U.S.S.R., 3; U. S. and Canada, 3; Britain, 2; France, 2; Latin America and the VJest Indies, 2; Near Hast and Middle East, 1; China, 1; Australasia, 1; Indian and Ceylon, 1; Africa, 1; Scandanavia, 1; Western Europe, 1; Southern Europe, 1; Central Europe, 1; Eastern Europe, 1; trade departments, 3; and the general secretary a member cr officio. To this observer, this gives the left wing a 13 to 10 majority, with the trade departments an unknown quantity. In the calculation, the U.S.-Canada vote is considered right wing. A full list of members appears in the Peoples Daily Vorld. Oct. 12, 1945* The nine- man executive board has at least five left-wingers, counting TTmnmn on the left. Other indications of left-wing control are the resolutions adopted by the October Conference in Paris, Toledano's resolutions on Spain and Puerto Rico were adopted after a bitter fight. The Conference asked to participate in.the administration of German and Japan* These are political, not labor resolutions. It is notable that John Cort, of the New York A.C.T.U. came back from San Francisco more than dubious over the new group. Cort is considered friendly to labor* It is too soon to pass a definitive judgment on the WFTU. The facts given above suggest left-wing control of the body. Since the C.I.O. delegates have not returned at this writing, being conducted on a junket to the Soviet Union where an American-Soviet Trade Union Committee was strongly urged (N.Y» Times, 'Oct» 15, 1945),'it is not yet possible to get first-hand reports. At previous meetings, the right-wing group was heartened by the way that the FOOTNOTE: Since this stencil was cut, the writer has conferred with an highly placed official who attended the Paris meeting and called it Soviet-controlled |