Arrived in London, where Schapper, who had been a compositor in Paris, now tried to earn his living as a teacher of languages, they both set to work gathering up the broken threads and made London the centre of the League.They were joined over here, if not already earlier in Paris, by Joseph Moll, a watchmaker from Cologne, a medium-sized Hercules -- how often did Schapper and he victoriously defend the entrance to a hall against hundreds of onrushing opponents! -- a man who was at least the equal of his two comrades in energy and determination, and intellectually superior to both of them.Not only was he a born diplomat, as the success of his numerous trips on various mission proved; he was also more capable of theoretical insight.I came to know all three of them in London in 1843.There were the first revolutionary proletarians whom I met, and however far apart our views were at that time -- for I still owned, as against their narrow-minded equalitarian Communism [by equalitarian Communism I understand, as stated, only that Communism which bases itself exclusively or predominantly on the demand for equality], a goodly does of just as narrow-minded philosophical arrogance -- I shall never forget the deep impression that these three real men made upon me, who was then still only wanting to become a man.
In London, as in a lesser degree in Switzerland, they had the benefit of freedoms of association and assembly.As early as February 7, 1840, the legally functioning German Workers' Educational Association, which still exists, was founded.This Association served the League as a recruiting ground for new members, and since, as always, the Communists were the most active and intelligent members of the Association, it was a matter of course that its leadership lay entirely in the hands of the League.The League soon had several communities, or, as they were then still called, "lodges", in London.The same obvious tactics were followed in Switzerland and elsewhere.Where workers' associations could be founded, they were utilized in like manner.Where this was forbidden by law, one joined choral societies, athletic clubs, and the like.Connections were to a large extent maintained by members who were continually travelling back and forth;they also, when required, served as emissaries.In both respects the League obtained lively support through the wisdom of the governments which, by resorting to deportation, converted any objectionable worker -- and in nine cases our of ten he was a member of the League -- into an emissary.
The extent to which the restored League was spread was considerable.Notably in Switzerland, Weitling, August Becker (a highly gifted man who, however, like so many Germans, came to grief because of innate instability of character) and others created a strong organization more or less pledged to Weitling's communist system.This is not the place to criticize the Communism of Weitling.But as regards its significance as the first independent theoretical stirring of the German proletariat, I still today subscribe to Marx's words in the Paris _Vorwarts_ of 1844:
"Where could the (German) bourgeoisie -- including its philosophers and learned scribes -- point to a work relating to the emancipation of the bourgeoisie -- its political emancipation -- comparable to Weitlings' _Guarantees of Harmony and Freedom_? If one compares the drab mealy-mouthed mediocrity of German political literature with this immeasurable and brilliant debut of the German workers, if one compares these gigantic children's shoes of the proletariat with the dwarf proportions of the worn-out political shows of the bourgeoisie, one must prophesy an athlete's figure for this Cinderella."This athlete's figure confronts us today, although still far from being fully grown.
Numerous sections existed also in Germany; in the nature of things they were of a transient character, but those coming into existence more than made up for those passing away.Only after seven years, at the end of 1846, did the police discover traces of the League in Berlin (Mentel)and Magdeburg (Beck), without being in a position to follow them further.
In Paris, Weitling, who was still there in 1840, likewise gathered the scattered elements together again before he left for Switzerland.
The tailors formed the central force of the League.German tailors were everywhere: in Switzerland, in London, in Paris.In the last-named city, German was so much the prevailing tongue in this trade that I was acquainted there in 1846 with a Norwegian tailor who had travelled directly by sea from Trondhjem to France and in the space of eighteen months had learned hardly a word of French but had acquired an excellent knowledge of German.Two of the Paris communities in 1847 consisted predominantly of tailors, one of cabinetmakers.
After the centre of gravity had shifted from Paris to London, a new feature grew conspicuous: from being German, the League gradually became _international_.In the workers' society there were to be found, besides German and Swiss, also members of all those nationalities for whom German served as the chief means of communication with foreigners, notably, therefore, Scandinavians, Dutch, Hungarians, Czechs, Southern Slavs, and also Russians and Alsatians.In 1847 the regular frequenters included a British grenadier of the Guards in uniform.The society soon called itself the _Communist_ Workers' Educational Association, and the membership cards bore the inscription "All Men Are Brothers", in at least twenty languages, even if not without mistakes here and there.
