In Great
Britain the rivalry of different societies has consisted for the most
part in separate schemes of propaganda, in occasional bickerings in
their publications, in squabbles over local elections, and sometimes
over the selection but not the election of parliamentary candidates. On
the other hand co-operation on particular problems and exchange of
courtesies have been common.
The International Socialist Bureau, under instructions from the
Copenhagen Conference had made a successful attempt to unite the warring
elements of French Socialism, and in the autumn of 1912 the three
British Socialist Societies were approached with a view to a conference
with the Bureau on the subject of Socialist unity in Great Britain.
Convenient dates could not be fixed, and the matter was dropped, but in
July, 1913, M. Vandervelde, the Chairman, and M. Camille Huysmans, the
Secretary of the Bureau, came over from Brussels and a hurried meeting
of delegates assembled in the Fabian office to discuss their proposals.
The Bureau had the good sense to recognise that the way to unity led
through the Labour Party; and it was agreed that the three Socialist
bodies should form a United Socialist Council, subject to the condition
that the British Socialist Party should affiliate to the Labour Party.
In December, 1913, a formal conference was held in London, attended on
this occasion by all the members of the International Socialist Bureau,
representing the Socialist parties of twenty different countries.
Pages:
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260