[Reply to Monatte](https://syndicalism.org/texts/457/reply-to-monatte)
======================================================================

By [Christiaan
Cornelissen](https://syndicalism.org/authors/231/christiaan-cornelissen)

Speech given August 29, 1907 at [the International Anarchist Congress in
Amsterdam](https://syndicalism.org/toc/1/international-anarchist-congress-in-amsterdam)

Topics: [Holland](https://syndicalism.org/topics/Holland),
[manufacturing](https://syndicalism.org/topics/manufacturing)

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I do not believe that any anarchist could object to Monatte's speech.
However, it should be agreed that he spoke solely from the point of view
of a syndicalist militant and that from an anarchist viewpoint his
speech requires completion.

Anarchists, we must support both syndicalism and direct action, but on
one condition: that their goal be revolutionary and that they do not
cease to aim at transforming today's society into a communist and
libertarian society.

We cannot hide from the fact that neither syndicalism nor direct action
are always, necessarily revolutionary. It is possible to use them for
conservative, even reactionary ends. Thus the diamond workers of
Amsterdam and Antwerp have greatly improved their working conditions
without resorting to parliamentary means, by the sole use of direct
syndicalist action. And what do we see now? The diamond cutters have
made a sort of closed caste of their corporation, around which they have
built a Chinese wall. They have limited the number of apprentices and
they oppose ex-cutters returning to the trade once they have left.
Certainly we cannot approve of such practices!

And neither is this a Dutch speciality. In England and in the United
States, the unions have often practiced direct action. They have used
direct action to create a state of privilege for their members; they
prevent foreign workers from working even when they are members of
unions; and lastly, being made up of "qualified" workers, they have at
times opposed the movements of manual labourers, of "unqualified"
workers. We can approve of none of this.

Similarly, we cannot approve of the attitude of the French and Swiss
typographers who refuse to work with women. There is at present a threat
of war between the United States and Japan, but the fault lies not with
the American capitalists and bourgeoisie, who would draw even greater
benefit from exploiting Japanese workers than American workers. No, it
is the American workers themselves who are sparking off the war by
violently opposing the importation of Japanese manpower.

Finally, there are also other forms of direct action that we must never
cease to combat: for example, those that seek to oppose the introduction
of machinery (linotypes, hoists, etc.), in other words the improvement
of production through the improvement of the tools of production.

I intend to condense these ideas into the form of a motion that will set
out which forms of syndicalism and direct action anarchists can support.

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**Additional Information**

See [International Anarchist Congress in
Amsterdam](https://syndicalism.org/toc/1/international-anarchist-congress-in-amsterdam)
for context, source, and additional materials.