Dear Comrades,
The IS is by now conversant both with the important letter of Comrade Cannon to Comrade Tilak [Goonewardene] and with the conversations engaged in, in our name, by Comrade Patrick [Mangan] with yourselves.
We have also received a copy of the letter of April 29 addressed by Comrade Cannon to Comrade Patrick.
The IS salutes the beginning at last of concrete and responsible negotiations on the question of unification, so important in particular for the effectiveness of the international Trotksyist movement at the present stage.
We have studied with the attentiveness that they deserve the letter of Comrade Cannon to Comrade Tilak and the one addressed, to us, to Comrade Patrick. We are disposed, as it was clearly indicated in the appeal of the IEC of November 1956, to examine with the greatest understanding all proposals aiming at the reestablishment of unity. With this purpose, we are sincerely disposed to make important—very important—concession, which otherwise would not be justified either by the democratic centralist regime of the International, or by its present strength, or by its way of recalling and explaining recent history. The one thing that we are not able and certainly shall never be able to do, is to liquidate the International, as it were, as a democratic centralist World Party, as Leon Trotsky already in 1938 bequeathed it to us by struggling against reformist and centrist conceptions in this matter. It is not necessary, between us, to recall the arguments of L.T. and of the movement against an "International" of the type of the present Socialist International or the example of the famous London Bureau.
In order, however, to take into account your way of interpreting the responsibilities for the split and the International's past conduct (with which, however, you were completely associated), and your demand for "guarantees" for the future, the IS is ready to support the proposals made on this subject by Comrade Patrick to Comrade Cannon. You may consider these proposals as being our own. The IS is also ready to support as ample as possible a representation of the International Committee tendency, quite apart from its real numerical strength compared to that of the International, but one which cannot constitute a pure and simple de facto overturn of the majority, accompanied by a de facto regime of complete political impotence for the work of the International.
[p. 27]
The normal solution for this question, in conformance with our democratic principles, would be, as soon as we have reached a political agreement on the general line to be followed between the reunification Congress and the following Congress of the International, to leave the question of representation to be democratically decided by the reunification Congress itself. This Congress naturally would be organized, as far as its representation is concerned, on the basis of a joint supervision by a parity Committee giving all guarantees to both sides.
But, we repeat, we are disposed to support the accordance to the International Committee tendency of a representation amply—very amply—greater than that to which it would normally have a right.
We are also completely in agreement to support the idea that between the reunification Congress and the following Congress of the International there shall occur no alteration in the organization and policy of the leadership of the International which is not decided on by joint agreement between the two tendencies making up the leadership, as well as no disciplinary measure toward the sections, groups, or individual militants having taken part in the reunification Congress.
The question of the nomenclature of the reunification Congress must not, in our opinion, set up major obstacles. We ought to be able easily to find a satisfactory compromise on this question.
As for the more special questions of the situation of the Trotskyist movement in France and England, we shall advocate unification on the basis of a healthy democratic centralist regime, supposing that a previous agreement has occurred on the general political line to be followed in both countries. In case such an agreement should prove to be not immediately possible, we are ready to envisage a solution such as that which Comrade Cannon suggests for France in his letter to Comrade Patrick; but, in our opinion, this should not be prolonged beyond a certain period, for example that lasting between the reunification Congress and the following Congress of the International.
The IS is persuaded that the new beginning of negotiations for reunification corresponds to a sincere desire in common to achieve it, and not to transform the intervening time into propaganda operations with a view to bogging the question down or finding the pretext for a new break. Starting from this point of view, we insist on the need of proceeding with extreme seriousness, of formulating reasonable proposals, and of demonstrating in practice the enormous importance which, in our opinion, the reunification of the international Trotskyist movement has.
An organizational solution must be found, but it would be contrary to the principled traditions of our movement to consider the question as being of a merely organizational nature, and of sacrificing to the formulation of its solution the fundamental concepts and principles of our movement in matters of truly democratic organization and functioning.
It is the International that is in question, and the International is the very essence, the vital principle, of our movement. No organizational compromise must as an unfortunate precedent devoid of principle mortgage the future or render the present impotent.
Also from this point of view, we insist on the necessity of having the negotiations continued by highly responsible and qualified persons. The participation of one of you is judged by us to be indispensable. That would be for us a tangible indication that you are animated by a real desire of reaching the goal, and of the seriousness that you accord to the question of reunification. Heretofore we have not spared our efforts, including on the material level, to make headway in negotiations for reunification. The voyage of Comrade Patrick is the most recent and eloquent example in this matter. We feel that we have a full right to ask you that you in your turn show a similar spirit, by including in any organism entrusted with continuing the negotiations a responsible representative of your organization.
The contents of this letter for the moment engage the responsibility only of the IS. A meeting of the International Executive Committee has been called for a date in the immediate future and you will soon have its own reply. We can, however, anticipate matters by stating that it will certainly support the general line of this letter.
We consequently authorize Comrade Patrick to act along the lines of his own proposals completed by the present letter.
With our fraternal salutations.
The IS