Fifth Anniversary

Five years ago "the red flag of organized international revolt against capital was raised over proletarian Russia" by Lenin in the Kremlin at Moscow. It was the birthday of the Communist (Third) Internationale.

To celebrate the fifth anniversary, the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party in Russia issued a manifesto "to all workers and toilers." The manifesto was described as being "rather a tame document." It points out that the Internationale has grown from small beginnings to a "world force before which the bourgeoisie everywhere shrinks and trembles"; it also refers to a "deadly struggle against opportunism," which means a struggle against a compromise between capital and labor such as is now said to have been effected in Britain.

Premier MacDonald's Government in Britain is declared to be the Reds' worst enemy. "Nothing is being done for the workers, but everything for the capitalists." His advocacy of an eight-hour day is "merely to help British trade," that of a disarmament conference is "because Britain has been hopelessly beaten by France in the armaments race."

The manifesto continues by urging "uncompromising war" against democratic principles of government, "which only serves to keep the proletariat in chains, while a Bolshevik dictatorship over the proletariat will set the people free."

The Soviet press was devoted largely to Fifth Anniversary and the Internationale. A large number of articles were printed, most of them told How to Bring about Universal Revolution.

Zinoviev, Chairman of the Internationale, derided those foreigners who state that the Soviet Government is only a branch of the Communist Internationale. He pointed out that, whereas Communism "sways only one-sixth" of the world today, within four years it will "sway half the world."