Documents 3 to 17 and 19 to 24 originally published in Internal Bulletins of the SWP and the International Bulletins of the International Committee
Our faction fight came to a head here over the September 19 weekend. The NC by 11 to 6 carried a decision to amend the document on the Russian Question. It also reorganized the Editorial Board of the paper to place it formally under majority control.
We utilized to clean up our Editorial Board an article in the paper containing the following paragraph: 'And now in Korea, we have seen the shape of things to come. Any future war will be an openly-declared war of ideologies, Communism against capitalism, with the world split into two warring camps. On the side of capitalism will be arrayed all the latest destructive techniques. On the side of Communism above all else will be the power of the idea.'
The fight was extremely sharp and fought out to a finish. In fourteen days we decisively wiped up the Pablo faction amongst the leadership. Now it goes to the ranks. We think that we shall also win here eventually.
This is a blow for Pablo. In spite of their surprise factional element we moved much quicker than they thought and conquered the situation politically. The fight will develop from now on very rapidly. We intend moving it into Pablo territory as soon as possible.
We have been threatened with a big struggle and the International intervention on the question of the removal of F. E. [Fred Emmett] from the Editorial Board. F. E. was employed as circulation organizer and not for editorial work as such. Since his appointment, without any consultation with appropriate bodies, he has been unofficially brought on to editorial work as industrial correspondent.
When the NC took the decision to strengthen the Board it was entirely for political reasons. It had every right to do so, and for individuals or minorities to scream 'political victimization' is in effect to intimidate the party. There are no 'special rights' for employment on our staff.
F. E. has announced that he is going to Paris to see 'what his position was' now that he has been relinquished from the post of circulation manager, for industrial work in the factory.
F. E. is employed in London, not in Paris. Does this mean that all our officials are subject to recall by the IS? This would indeed be extraordinary. If that is the case then we are certainly going to fight it to the end, and we shall appeal to every section in the International in doing this.
The fight is so sharp here now that you would think we were at the end of a struggle instead of at the beginning. It cannot go on like this much longer. Already there are differences emerging all along the line -- on Britain as well. The whole Pablo crew are capitulatory from top to bottom and there is no use beating around the bush about it.
Trotskyism Versus Revisionism Document Index | Toward a History of the Fourth International | Trotsky Encyclopedia Home Page
Last updated 17.10.2003