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Albert Gates

Letter to Communist Party

(3 April 1950)


From Labor Action, Vol. 14 No. 15, 10 April 1950, p. 8.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).


April 3, 1950

General Secretary
Communist Party of the U.S.A.
35 East 12th Street
New York, New York

To the General Secretary:

On March 30 of this year, Max Shachtman, national chairman of the Independent Socialist League, debated Earl Browder on the question Is Russia a Socialist Community? at Webster Hall under the auspices of the Eugene V. Debs Society of Brooklyn College. Considerable public interest was aroused by this debate held in the presence of over a thousand people.

It has been brought to our attention that at a meeting last week held under the auspices of the Labor Youth League of Brooklyn College, on the subject of Trotskyism” Marvin Reiss, editor of Political Affairs, your theoretical magazine, said that Mr. Browder did not adequately defend the view that Russia is a socialist community, and that this task can only be accomplished with success by a member of the Communist Party.

In view of the widespread interest in the Shachtman-Browder debate, we think a debate on the same topic, or some similar one, between Max Shachtman and a representative spokesman of your organization would be a political event of first-class interest to the American public. We therefore propose to you such a debate, the time, place, auspices and exact subject to be worked out jointly.

We await your early reply.

 

Political Committee
Independent Socialist League
Albert Gate

 
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