As to this conception of the political omnipotence of the Council, we have seen that powerful opposition ensued on the morrow of the Revolution and that in January, 1919, the Social Democrats remained in full control of power after having eliminated the Independents. We know that this struggle continued, however, and it will be recalled what organizations the Independents provided for and wished to institute in order to assure to the Workers Councils the political sovereignty they claim. Parallel to the political struggle between the Social Democrats and the Independents, there developed another, on the economic field, between the Trade Unions and the Councils, which found themselves in conflict as much over what reforms should be demanded by the working class as over the rôle these two groupings should respectively retain in the struggle for the recognition of their claims. The Trade Unions declared themselves satisfied with the agreement they had concluded with the employers, as well as with the decree of December 23, 1918, which Legien, President of the General Confederation of Labour, called “The Great Charter of Labour.” They were convinced that thereafter there was nothing more to do but to wait for time to develop logically and peacefully the rôle of the _Arbeitsgemeinschaften_ and of the Committees provided for by the decree of 1918. _They did not believe that in this evolution there was any room for Councils._ It was they, the Trades Unions, that had theretofore been the only ones to occupy themselves with economic questions, and they did not propose to permit special groups, operating in isolated factories, to deprive them of their traditional mission. Legien in particular did not want to hear any talk of the Councils. They did not seem to him to be able to “incorporate themselves in the actual hierarchy of the organizations and agencies of the workers.” He protested against any concession to the system of Councils, and declared that the only organisms in position to defend the economic interests of the working class, were the Trades Unions.