REPLY TO FIVE PROPOSALS PUBLISHED IN "THE NEWSLETTER"
[A long-standing split in the world Trotskyist movement was healed last June at a Reunification Congress where delegates, representing the overwhelming. majority on both sides, adopted a series of documents reaf=. _ firming the basic program of the Fourth International and specifying the , stand of the movement on the key issues of world politics today. A few holdouts refused to participate in this gathering even to the extent of sending observers. Among the holdouts, the Healy-Lambert grouping in England and France recently published five proposals in The Newsletter concerning their relations with the reunified movement, "These proposals were considered by the United Secretariat of the Fourth International at its last meeting and a statement was drawn up in reply. The text of this statement, which was adopted unanimously, follows, <-- Editor. ]
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In The Newsletter of September 28, in an article bearing the head- ‘lines, "Warxists hold International Conference -- Report of Congress of the International Committee of the Fourth International," the following paragraphs appear:
"The final item on the agenda of Congress was a discussion on the pre~ sent relations between the International Committee of the Fourth International and the International Secretariat. In spite of the deep~going differences, Congress was of the opinion that there were many within the ranks of both organisations who were still unfamiliar with the political nature of the split. Congress believed that everything must be done to encourage the closest working relations under conditions whereby a prin= cipled unification of the movement could be achieved, The following pro posals were adopted:
"1, That a world congress of the forces of the IC and IS should be convened during the autumn of 1964;
"2, That a joint committee of representatives of the two organisa=~ tions should regularly meet to prepare this conference and to-work out practical ways and means for co-operation in the different countries;
"3, This committee should set out to prepare a joint resolution on world perspectives for the conference, This resolution would outline the points of agreement as well as disagreement, During the preparation of the resolution, all the sections would be constantly informed of the work of the committee, In this way a genuine and positive discussion involving
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the differences would be organised;
't4, Congress insisted that this discussion must take place in all sections, not only in the leaderships, but in the ranks. Unless this deci-+ sion was carried out, it would be impossible for the international movement to develop new cadres which would be able to provide adequate political leadership in the next period. A proper circulation of all documents must take place;
"5, Joint discussion between the members of the sections, particularly in Western Europe, should be organised, Whilst these discussions would deal with the differences, Congress believed that they should be extended to include a discussion on the practical work of the various sections ina way: that would bring the members of these sections closer together. Such a discussion would also have an all-round effect on the education of the. cadres.
"These proposals are to be immediately transmitted to the International Secretariat, with the hope that the joint work cm begin immediately. " ;
After due consideration of the article in The Newsletter in which these proposals appeared, we have reached the following conclusions:
(1) The article reports a purported congress of the "International Committee of the Fourth International," The gathering in question, how~ ever, consisted of only a small minority of the International Committee, the overwhelming majority of the International Committee having united with the forces headed by the International Secretariat at the Reunifica~ tion Congress of the Fourth International last June. A joint leadership of the two forces was elected in proportion to membership and a new body, the United Secretariat, was elected to lead the Fourth International between sessions of the International Executive Committee. The minority _ which met in London consisted only of the British and French sections of the International Committee plus isolated individuals, some of whom have now been converted by this minority into "sections." This attempt to cover up the true situation mekes a very unfavorable impression on us, -
(2) The Reunification Congress of the Fourth International which brought together the big majority of the Trotskyist forces throughout the world, ending a split in the movement that had lasted almost ten years, is not recognized by the authors of the article in The Newsletter. Instead they picture it as a "split which recently took place when certain sections left the IC and rejoined the Pabloite ranks," This way of presenting matters constitutes an attack on the reunited Fourth International «= and not the only attack that has appeared in The Newsletter since the Reunifica~ tion Congress was held, A new move of the same character is the announce-= ment that the name of Labour Review is to be changed to Fourth International, the same name as the official organ of the Fourth International. his step will add to the confusion already created by the counterfeiting operations of the Posadas tendency. These aggressive moves do not speak well for the possibilities of an early fusion of forces,
. (3) The five proposals advanced by The Newsletter boil down to three items: (a) the opening of a "discussion"; (b) the organization of "coe
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operation"; (c) the holding of a "congress" or "conference" in 1964, The eventual purpose or aim of these three proposals is nowhere clearly stated beyond a vague Nall-round effect on the education of the cadres.". Nowhere - is any indication made that the authors of the. five proposals have. changed in-the least from their position of a few months ago that a conference in 1964 could at best do no more than see whether "reunification" had become feasible, Thus no other conclusion is possible except that the authors still reject an early fusion of forces,
(4). The Newsletter remains completely silent about the documents adopted by the Reunification Congress which the majority of the world . Trotkkyist movement accepted as the programmatic basis for a thoroughly. principled reunification, In place of considering and discussing these ~ documents, the authors of the article talk about doing “everything. . ..to encourage the closest working relations under conditions whereby a prin -cipled unification of the movement could be achieved," The clear implica» tion of such statements is that the Reunification Congress took place on_ an unprincipled basis. This interpretation is further borne out by’ , ‘Slaughter's reported attack on the Socialist Workers party for supporting reunification of the world Trotskyist movement, According to The News-. letter, Slaughter gave a "“yolitical report" in which he argued that the SWP “have now, in theory and practice, repudiated everything they said at that time by accepting the revisionist programme in its entirety," If the authors of the five proposals wish further "discussion," they should begin by clarifying their position. on the documents adopted by the Reuni= fication Congress,
(5) The authors.of the five proposals. obviously seek to create the impression that they are now favorably disposed toward “unity” -- under certain conditions of course. They have yet to explain: (a) why they rejected the proposals of the overwhelming majority of the International Committee to participate in organizing the Reunification Congress in June$3 (b) why they rejected an invitation to participate in a conference of the majority of the International Committee with this subject on the agenda; (o} why they refused to send even observers to this conference; (d) why
' they were so hostile to the Reunification Congress that they categorically rejected an invitation to send even observers,
The basic reason for their hostility toward ending the split and participating in reunifying the world Trotskyist movement is of course quite clear, They developed political differences (Cuba, Algeria, etc,-) of such profound character with the majority that they found membership’ incompatible in a common organization based on the program adopted at the Reunification Congress, The reason for their silence about this is also clear, They do not wish to assume the onus of being against unity. The fact remains, however, that they have denonstratively refused to unite in -@ common organization in which they would be in a minority, They demon= stratively refused to accept the majority decision of the International Committee forces on reunification, They demonstratively refused in advance to abide by majority. decision of the world Trotskyist movement on reunification, Since the Reunification Congress they have given no evidence of having changed their attitude on this key question of democratic central~ ism, Their current five proposals envisaging some kind of vague "unity" in "1964," or still more distant date, constitute further proof of their refusal fo accept the principle of democratic centralism which was unani~
35a
mously adopted at the Reunification Congress,
(6) In view of these considerations it is our opinion that the truth of the matter is as follows: The HealyeLambert groups in England and France, the main holdouts among the members of the former International Committee, feel that their political differenges are so profound that any serious move toward bringing their forges into the reunited Fourth Intere~ national in the near future is excluded, So long as this remains their position, it would be unrealistic to hope for an early fusion of their forces with the main body of the world Trotskyist movement,
(7) As for our position, we stand as before for unification »- on the basis of the principled. program adopted at the Reunification Congress ~~ of all forces that consider themselves to be revolutionary socialists, In relation to the British and French sections of the International Com= mittee, in particular, we call attention to the decision of the Reunifica-~ tion Congress requiring on the part of sections of the International Com= mittee simple ratification of the documents of the Reunification Congress in order to qualify for membership in the reunified movement and represene tation in the leadership. Up to now both the Healy and Lambert groups have maintained silence on this as well as on the documents adopted by the Reunification Congress, We, of course, would welcome a change in this ‘negative attitude although we state quite frankly that it would require serious evidence to convince us that a genuine change in policy has occurs red. We shall watch their press with the closest attention for any signs of lessening hostility toward. the reunified movement,
(8) As for *coeoperation" now with the HealyeLambert forces, we are of course ready to meet with their representatives to discuss such matters of mutual interest as may arise from time to time, We suggest, however, that meetings be projected in relation to specific practical questions in which the welleknown political differences now separating us publicly can be put to the side,
United Secretariat of the
Fourth International November 18, 1963,
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