Second International Conference of Communist Co-operators, Moscow, 11-17 June 1924 (Algo's report, printed with the manifesto in both editions, says «11th to 17th of July», an error: the International Press Correspondence that printed it is dated 10 July). First printed in International Press Correspondence (Vienna), vol. 4, no. 40, 10 July 1924, pp. 393-394 (marxists.org); as that microfilm scan cuts off the ends of many lines at the gutter, the text is given here from the complete reprint in the Daily Worker (Chicago), vol. 2, no. 122, Saturday supplement («The Daily Worker Magazine»), 9 August 1924, p. 3 (marxists.org, Library of Congress scan), checked against the Inprecor where legible. Misprints of the newspaper are kept. The resolutions and theses of the conference have not been found in any freely accessible edition. Traducción al español
Manifesto
To all Co-operators.
To all Workers and Peasants.
To all proletarian Housewives in the world.
The International Cooperative Alliance (London) appealed to all co-operative societies to conduct a campaign on the 5th of July to attract the masses of the workers into the co-operatives. We wish to take advantage of these days when the eyes of the masses are directed towards the co-operatives to issue the following manifesto to all members of the working class conscious of their interests.
What are the co-operatives?
The co-operatives form an enormous organization covering the whole world; its members are recruited from all strata of the oppressed and exploited by capital; it is formed of thousands of separate organizations, tens of thousands of stores and industrial enterprises.
What could this organization become, what power could it exert?
What does it represent in reality? In what manner did the co-operatives demonstrate their power when the hideous nightmare of the imperialist war hovered over Europe? When grasping capitalists drove house-wives to despair? What did the co-operatives do to ameloriate the unheard-of distress of the working class? When and where did the co-operatives really try to place the control of industry into the hands of the workers?
The practical help that the co-operative gave the masses of workers is insignificant. All members of co-operative societies know this and are loudly expressing their dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs. The co-operatives cannot lag behind in the development of the capitalist production. The advance of capital in many countries has seriously affected the co-operatives and thrown them back several years in their development.
The illusions of the reformist leaders of the co-operative movement who thought that they could reconstruct society thru “peaceful” development, are scattered.
All conscious members of the co-operatives are beginning to understand, that it is impossible to improve the conditions of the exploited workers under the capitalist system. The only way is the victory of the social revolution. The slogan of the working class is: “Proletarians! prepare to seize political power.” The class conscious members of the class co-operatives are also convinced that this is the right way.
What have the co-operatives done and what could they do to help the emancipation of the working class?
This question is most important for every co-operator. It is high time to reconsider the old theses formulated by the Rochdale pioneers in 1844. It is high time to adapt and develop the theses to suit the epoch we live in. Every co-operator must understand that the idea of political neutrality at a time when fascism is attacking the workers' organizations and ruthlessly destroying the co-operatives, is wrong and may even be disastrous. In Italy the co-operative stores have been plundered and closed, the co-operative leaders have been killed, thrown into prison and kidnapped. Both Communist and reformist leaders have suffered. The strongest workers' co-operative society in Bulgaria, the “Osvobjdehie” ((Emancipation) has been destroyed, and the peasants co-operatives have suffered considerably. Is it possible to talk of neutrality toward the present sate of affairs?
Class Conscious Workers, Women Proletarians!
We call upon you to help us to force the co-operatives to take an active part in the fight of the working class for its emancipation. The value of the co-operative societies consists not only in that they supply products cheaper and pay a dividend, but that they can be of help in the class struggle to free the workers completely from the yoke of the capitalist dic-
You must put yourselves the question: What have our co-operatives done till now? Have they established funds to help the workers during strikes? Have they supported the workers in all their demonstrations, political and trade union, that form the preparatory fights for the seizure of power? Have they formed close connections with the revolutionary trade unions and proletarian parties? Have the town co-operatives closely co-ordinated their activities with those of the country co-operatives and other organizations? What have they done to create and support close economic relations with Soviet Russia? Relations that are so essential to improve the industrial life of the world and thus ease unemployment? What have the co-operatives done to fight the constant danger of war and fascism?
The answer to these questions will show how far the co-operatives have realized the task that confront us in the great fight of the working class. It will show whether they have remained passive to the important international events and whether they have become converted into a useless, commercial, compromising organization in the hands of the reformists.
The co-operatives will only fulfil the historical tasks they are called upon the perform when they become a component part of the proletarian movement and take an active part in the fight of the working class and in this manner help establish a united front between the revolutionary workers and peasants.
We delegates to the Second International Conference are astounded at the successes of the Russian co-operatives and now understand that those achievements were only possible after the proletariat had seized power.
We participants in this conference, delegates from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Germany, France, England, Italy, Bulgaria, Jugoslavia, Austria, Poland, Lithuania, Esthonia, U. S. A., Canada, Brazil, Argentine, Spain, turn to you with the following call:
Working men and women, join the co-operatives and make them a weapon of the class war!
Follow the path marked out by our great leader Lenin!
Follow the slogans of the Communist International and the Red Trade Union International in the fight to overthrow capitalism!
Workers of the World, Unite!
Moscow, 17th of June, 1924.
The Second International Conference of Communist Co-operators.