than a design is now an accurate description of Trades
Union organization in Russia. Further, much that at present
surprises the foreign inquirer was planned and considered
desirable then, before the Communists had won a majority
either in the Unions or in the Soviet. Thus this same third
Conference resolved that "in the interests of greater
efficiency and success in the economic struggle, a
professional organization should be built on the principle of
democratic centralism, assuring to every member a share in
the affairs of the organization and, at the same time,
obtaining unity in the leadership of the struggle." Finally,

"Unity in the direction (leadership) of the economic
struggle demands unity in the exchequer of the Trades
Unions."


The point that I wish to make in thus illustrating the
pre-Communist tendencies of the Russian Trades Unions is not
simply that if their present position is undesirable they have
only themselves to thank for it, but that in Russia the Trades
Union movement before the October Revolution was
working in the direction of such a revolution, that the events
of October represented something like a Trade Union
victory, so that the present position of the Unions as part of
the organization defending that victory, as part of the system
of government set up by that revolution, is logical and was to
be expected. I have illustrated this from resolutions, because
these give statements in words easily comparable with what