Canada
Jan. 10, 1954
Dear Comrade Healy,
I received your letter and document as well as two from comrade Mason. Thanks for your correspondence and for placing us on your mailing list. We were very much in need here of the information you sent. As I wrote to Lloyd, we were completely in the dark here when the news broke in The Militant We are over the shock now and in the process of coming to a position here on the events in the International
You are probably in possession of a statement from our P.C. regarding the matter. As I recall the document, we gave organizational support to the I.S. but did not take a position on the political questions. This statement was the immediate response to the "Open Letter" and I would like to say, a correct one on the basis of our knowledge at that time. The reaction of the comrades here was immediate and unanimous. The statement of the P.C. was adopted with one abstention by the Toronto group. It might be argued that we were hasty in making a decision but I don't think anyone here would react differently if the whole thing were repeated.
However much has passed since that time and if the same statement were presented to the Toronto group now I doubt if it would pass. We are at present in the middle of a discussion of the political issues and I don't think the present division in our ranks is definitive. Those who support the I.S. document are still not aware of the organizational questions other than what appeared in The Militant Your documents are now circulating in the party. They should have some effect.
Personally, I have made up my mind. While I wholeheartedly supported our P. C.'s statement at that time, on the basis of the knowledge we have now, my sympathies are solidly with the British and SWP majorities as their political position is expressed in the SWP plenum document on Pablo revisionism. I am assuming that the British section supports this resolution in its main line. Organizationally, I also support the majority of the two parties.
I just read a letter from our Western comrades and they are overwhelmingly in support of the SWP "Open Letter" in all respects. They of course were in a better position to know all the facts than we were.
They are in constant touch with one of the SWP branches and experienced first hand the operation of the minority there. This information has just come to us. Due to the distance between us, approximately 3,000 miles and for security reasons, correspondence has been kept to a minimum.
The party as a whole has not taken a position yet. We have not been interested in pushing the question, due partly to the fact that we do not want a sharp division on this question at this time. We believe the question can be settled here in the cause of the struggle without any serious consequences. There are no differences on our work here.
We will be pleased to get documents from the British section on the political issues.
Your latest document on the history of the differences is very interesting. It sheds some light on the revisionism of the Pablo group.
We will be watching events closely over here. What do you think will come of the 4th WC? Is the majority going to be allowed by Pablo to attend?
Comradely Greetings V. Olson