Marxists’ Internet Archive: ETOL Home Page: Trotskyist Writers Section: Gerry Healy
Adopted: November 7 and 8, 1955.
Source: The Struggle to Reunify the Fourth International (1954–1963), Volume I: The First Parity Commission and Peng Shu-ste’s Pabloism Reviewed, May 1977, pp. 15–16.
Transcription\HTML Markup: David Walters
At its meeting on November 7 and 8, 1955, the International Committee had occasion to review the progress of its work over the past two years since its foundation on November 25, 1953.
It records with pride that since that historic date when the overwhelming majority of the World Trotskyist movement decided to definitively break with Pabloite revisionism, its sections on a world scale have maintained the high level of progress inside their respective countries. This is emphasized by the important industrial struggles and movements for colonial liberation which have been strongly influenced by the work of our sections in a number of important countries. This has greatly strength-ened World Trotskyism amongst decisive layers of poor and oppressed peoples. In addition it is being consolidated by the steady numerical growth of our forces.
The International Committee maintains that these successes were assisted considerably by the political struggle against Pabloism. Our cadres benefited enormous-ly politically and this fact has assisted the work of Party building. Real mass work consist’s of an irreconcilable struggle against revision in all fieids.
In the struggle against Pabloism, the high mark of political clarification was reached in April 1954, with the publication of the LSSP criticism of the Pabloite resolution Rise and Decline of Stalinism. This was accompanied by the open break of the Iceland [Canadian] section from Pabloism. All these developments were facilitated and prepared by the Open Letter which inaugurated the public political fight against Pabloism.
At the Pabloite rump Conference in June 1954, the position of orthodox Trotskyism was powerfully vindicated by the open liquidationist proposals of the pro-Stalinist Collins [Lawrence] and Clarke. These policies which were the logical outcome of Pabloism, demonstrated to the world movement once again that under such circumstan-ces the break with Pabloism and the conditions under which it took place were unavoidable. Since then Collins has publicly endorsed the official policy on foreign affairs of the British Stalinist Party.
The International Committee, following June, 1954, are duty-bound to acknowledge that the political task of reorienting the World movement has since slowed down. This has been due to the mistaken idea that a parity commission with the Pabloites which could organise discussion would help some in the Pabloite ranks to make up their minds. The International Committee now believes that this would have been more easily accomplished had it continued its political exposés. The parity commission has served to confuse such a struggle and has consequent-ly tended to weaken orthodox Trotskyism.
It is necessary, however, to state here that nobody in our movement believed that unity could be established with the Pabloites via the parity commission. There was no illusions whatsoever on this score. Events have proved that our apprehensions were not ill-founded. Whilst the Pabloites hypocritically talked of unity they advised their contacts in the Port of Bremerhaven, Germany, not to solidarise themselves with the English dock strike of June, 1955, because it was “Cannonite led”. Thus they once again emerged in their real role of strikebreakers. All this time some undecided people were encouraged to believe that a parity commission with such renegades could by some miracle or another accomplish something. The International Committee openly acknowledges and corrects it mistake. It therefore withdraws forthwith from the parity commission.
At the same time the International Committee enthusiastically acknowledges the support of the LSSP (Ceylon) for the English dock strike. Such actions prove once again their hostility to Pabloite policies and their adherence to orthodox Trotskyism.
To them and to all those who desire genuine unification, we declare that such possibilities were never brighter provided it is understood that unity can only be firmly founded on the great principles of our movement as ciaborated by Comrade Trotsky.
The International Committee initiates an international discussion in preparation for the 4th World Congress of World Trotskyism. All orthodox Trotskyists are warmly invited to participate. Upon the measure of political agreement which emerges during the course of this discussion, genuine unification proposals can be considered.
This resolution was adopted as follows: 5 For (Representatives of the French, British, Swiss, German and Dutch sections), 1 Against (Representative of the Chinese section).
An alternative resolution submitted by Peng (Chinese section) was defeated – I as above and is attached at the end of this document – It was agreed to ask that all sections. leaderships consider this matter and inform the IC secretary of their decision as soon as possible.
Speaking for the Trotskyist militants of the whole world, the International Committee of the Fourth International greets the heroic struggle of the peoples of North Africa. Despite fierce repressions, they have already struck significant blows against French imperialism. The struggle these people are waging is bound to end with their winning complete independence.
The International Committee greets the Algerian revolution, which for the last year has pressed the offensive. The revolution has dealt increasingly severe blows to French imperialism in one of its vital centers, although the government has concentrated in Algeria the greatest part of the repressive forces at its disposal. These are more considerable than the forces employed at any given time in the Indo-Chinese war. The Algerian revolution has also advanced in the faee of repressive measures of unprecedented ferocity whose victims – murdered or locked up in concentration camps – number in the tens of thousands.
The International Committee is fully aware of the enormous importance the Algerian revolution holds for the development of the proletarian revolution in France and all Europe.
It hails the Algerian National Movement, which, operating under the most stringent conditions of illegality, wages an intransigent fight against imperialism under the leadership of the working masses. In the person of Messali Hadj, the oppressed and exploited of the world possess a living symbol of this struggle.
The International Committee treats with scorn the efforts of petty-bourgeois democrats, Stalinists, and Stalinoid groupings to help French imperialism. They rush to aid imperialism now that the imperialists, forced to retreat by the Algerian revolution, seek to set up a “bargaining agent” that will accept – behind the backs of the Algerian masses – any scheme providing for “independence by stages,” This would safeguard the essential positions of imperialism in the country.
For their part, the Trotskyists give wholehearted support to the central slogan of the Algerian National Movement. This slogan – the only one in keeping with the principles of democracy and socialism – calls for a Constituent Assembly in Algeria enjoying sovereign power in the nation.
The International Committee salutes the Internationalist Communist Party (French Section of the Fourth International) in its campaign to organize the active solidarity of French workers with their Algerian brothers and link them in a fight against their common enemy.
The International Committee calls on the exploited and oppressed of the whole world to demonstrate concretely their solidarity with the Algerian revolution. It calls on the Trotskyist militants to organise this solidarity by every means at their command.
This was unanimously adopted, but Comrade Peng asked that his following statement he included in the report: “We accord our solidarity to all mass movements in North Africa in the struggle against French imperialism even if their political features are still not clear”.
3.The International Committee decided that in view of the possibility of early French elections all sections should immediately consider rendering the maximum financial assistance to the ICI. This matter is one of great urgency.
4. It was decided to make every effort to translate the draft International Resolution into French. German, and Spanish so that it would be ready for general distribution by January 1, 1956.
5. The next meeting of the IC to he held on January 6 and all sections are requested to submit reports of their activity which will be considered at this session.
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Preston [Healy], |
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