Present: Williams, McAlpine, Fitzgerald, Kane.
Resolutions and documents of the 14th plenum read. Among the various decisions of the plenum was the following:
"To suspend from membership in the International all the members of the IEC who subscribed to the split appeal which appeared in The Militant of November 16, 1953, as well as the appeal of the Committee of the Fourth International or who approved it and are trying to rally on this basis the sections of the International.
"To suspend from their posts of leadership in the sections all those who signed these appeals, or approved them and are trying to rally on this basis the sections of the International.
"To refer the final decision on these cases to the Fourth World Congress."
The national secretary noted that these resolutions are immediately operative against Comrade Kane who supports the Letter and the Committee, is a member of the IEC, national secretary of the group and member of the national committee. They are also immediately operative against Comrade Thorne, a national committee member who cast his vote along with his branch which went on record in support of both the letter and the committee. These directives suspend Kane from membership in the international and both Kane and Blake from their posts in the Canadian group.
A vote was called on the IEC directive to the Canadian group:
Opposed: Kane, Williams.
For: None
Abstained: Fitzgerald, McAlpine
ALL NC MEMBERS ARE ASKED TO CAST THEIR VOTE ON THE ABOVE MOTION AND TO APPROVE OF ONE OR THE OTHER STATEMENT SUBMITTED TO THEM BELOW, or SHOULD THEY DESIRE, TO SUBMIT A STATEMENT OF THEIR OWN.
Fitzgerald, McAlpine statement:
We the PC of the Canadian section of the Fourth International have received the official report of the 14th Plenum of the IEC which includes a resolution to suspend all those who support the "Open Letter of the SWP" and the "Committee of the Fourth International."
We recognize that the IEC was completely justified in taking this action against the SWP and other members of the "Committee" who broke the discipline of the International and launched a public struggle against the duly elected bodies of the International during a pre-Congress discussion period.
We agree along with the majority of the sections of the international that this was a splitting tactic and we call upon all those who want to maintain the World Party of Trotskyism to repudiate the "open letter" and the "Committee" and participate in the pre-Congress discussion with the rest of the international with whatever political ideas they now hold.
We further urge any members of the NC of the Canadian section who have supported the "committee" and/or the "open letter" without realizing the splitting character of this stand, to cease to do so and unite with us in continuing the discussion, which has just begun in our section, with the assurance that this discussion will be carried on in the spirit of democratic centralism and bolshevism. In asking them to cease to support the "open letter" and/or the "committee" we recognize their right to advocate the political ideas they now hold. And we further appeal to the Vancouver comrades who have signed the document now being circulated in the party, to withdraw this document which calls for support of the "committee" and in its place submit whatever political differences they have with the main documents of the IS in proper form, or any other documents, for discussion in the section.
The PC of the Canadian section which is now working in the hostile atmosphere of reformism (the real movement of the masses) in Canada which with the USA form the last bastion of reactionary imperialistic capitalism realizes the need, even more than other supporters of the International, to continue to support a disciplined world party of Bolshevism in order to remain firm against capitalist and reformist pressures.
Kane, Williams statement:
The national committee of the Canadian section most vigorously protests the decision of the IEC, refuses to implement the decision, and demands that the IEC repeal this decision immediately.
The Canadian group, along with all other sections of the world movement, is in the midst of a pre-World Congress discussion. The Open Letter is part of this world discussion. The International Committee from its declaration and from all the statements of its, Swiss, New Zealand and French supporters, is an international fraction. Its Canadian supporters are loyal members of our party and our International who look upon it as a rallying point for certain ideas now part of the discussion.
This decision of the IEC prohibits the free development of the discussion not only in the Canadian party but in the entire international. It not only removes leading comrades from the posts that the Canadian party in convention elected them to, but is a monstrous threat held over the heads of all leading members should they gravitate to the ideas expressed in the Open Letter and by the International Committee. The IEC by this decision decrees — CONFORM OR ELSE!
This decision excludes leading cadres of the movement from being delegates to the World Congress — their status is to be determined, following the opening of the World Congress, by persons who have ordered their suspension — persons who obviously hold the view that these comrades are splitters and anti-Fourth International elements. If his decision were to be enacted it would only affirm fears that have already been expressed that the coming World Congress will be a rump World Congress.
In the interest of clarifying the dispute that is taking place in our movement and the entire movement's Trotskyist re-arming we demand that the IEC immediately repeal this decision.
Secretary's note — We had intended to attempt to present the essence of the discussion that flowed around the presentation of these statements; however this would be very difficult, raising all kinds of questions of interpretation, etc. We think it correct to note however for the information of the NC that Comrade Kane stated that he could reply right now to the McAlpine, Fitzgerald appeal—that he had not the slightest intention of submitting to an IEC ukase or the McAlpine-Fitzgerald appeal to repudiate his statements of support of the Open Letter or the International Committee. He expressed the opinion that the Fitzgerald and McAlpine appeal would only result in delaying decision for a week or so until we heard from those to whom it appeals— that we were going to have to take a stand on the IEC decisions.
[p. 185]
Discussion on organization continued — General agreement that it would be highly desirable to hold a convention—if from the point of view of representation this proved impractical we should hold regional conferences. McAlpine expressed opinion that convention might be held before WC to elect delegate and conferences follow up afterwards. Counter opinion expressed that election of delegate must represent wind-up of discussion so that the delegate elected represented view of majority. Congress is being held at such a time that it would be necessary to hold Canadian convention prior to May 1.