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Struggle in the Fourth International: International Secretariat Documents, 1951-1954, Volume 4 of 4 volumes

Towards a History of the Fourth International, Part 4, vol. 4 · March 1974 · edited by Fred Feldman

From Towards a History of the Fourth International, Part 4, vol. 4: Struggle in the Fourth International: International Secretariat Documents, 1951-1954, Volume 4 of 4 volumes (Education for Socialists, Socialist Workers Party, New York, March 1974). Reproduced with the permission of Pathfinder Press. Scan: Encyclopedia of Trotskyism On-Line.

Introductory note

[p. 149]

In 1953, sharp differences over Stalinism and organizational matters divided the Fourth International into two public factions, the International Committee of the Fourth International and the International Secretariat of the Fourth International. This division lasted until the Reunification Congress of the Fourth International held in 1963.

The articles, documents, correspondence, and circulars published in these Education for Socialists bulletins are presented as an aid in tracing the evolution of this dispute. The material is divided into two parts. The first (Part Three of Towards a History of the Fourth International) is composed of four bulletins and contains materials from the International Committee. The second (Part Four of Towards a History of the Fourth International) consists of four bulletins containing material from the International Secretariat faction.

Both sets of bulletins begin with the discussion prior to the Third World Congress of the Fourth International held in 1951. They are divided into sections dealing with key stages in the development of the dispute. Each section opens with a brief introductory note. To the extent that these notes include historical interpretations or conclusions, the views expressed are my own.

The documents, correspondence, articles, and circulars have been subjected to minimal editing. In general the style, grammar, etc., have been retained as in the originals. Additions to the text for explanatory purposes appear in brackets.

The term "section" appears frequently in these documents. This word was used in two different senses within the world Trotskyist movement. On the one hand, it refers to those groups which are affiliated to the Fourth International. Secondly, it is used in reference to organizations that are barred from membership in the Fourth International by reactionary legislation, such as the SWP, but are in full political solidarity with the world Trotskyist movement and represent the continuity of Trotskyism in their countries.

The faction struggle in the world Trotskyist movement occurred when the McCarthyite witch-hunt was at its height in the United States. Similar manifestations of political repression appeared in other capitalist countries, as the ruling class sought to whip up anticommunist hysteria. In view of these sharp attacks on democratic rights, many radicals found it necessary to use pseudonyms or pen-names in carrying out their political activity. This was true of the Trotskyist movement as well. In line with a policy of printing this material as it originally appeared, these have generally not been changed. Instead, a glossary of these pen-names is included in each volume. Note that some individuals used more than one pen-name on occasion.

The 1953-54 dispute was worldwide in its scope and repercussions. Many parts of the Trotskyist movement that participated in the struggle are not represented in this collection. An instance of this is the lack of documentation from Latin America. Material from the dispute in the Latin American Trotskyist organizations is now being translated and will appear in a future volume.

This selection is based on the documents and correspondence presently available to the National Education Department of the Socialist Workers Party. Because of the speed with which the dispute developed, once the differences had become apparent to both sides, many aspects of the struggle are not fully dealt with in official documents. Therefore, it was necessary to include a considerable amount of correspondence to allow maximum clarity for the reader.

Hopefully, the publication of these bulletins will inspire others who were involved in the dispute to make available the relevant materials in their possession. Special thanks are owed to James P. Cannon, National Chairman Emeritus of the Socialist Workers Party, and Tom Kerry and Karolyn Kerry for making their personal archives available for this project.

Fred Feldman

February 1974

Contents

Section VIII: Heading for a Showdown

[As soon as it became clear that Gerry Healy, the leader of the British Trotskyists, was planning to support the SWP majority against Pablo's political line, a pro-Pablo faction surfaced in the British section. Organizational threats were made against Sam Gordon who was charged with "factional activity against the International" for participating in the preparation of an anti-Pablo tendency. On September 23, the Bureau of the International Secretariat wrote to Healy, ordering him to support the documents proposed by the International Secretariat or to keep silent in the internal discussion in the British section. Pablo's supporters in England were instructed in this letter that they could ignore the discipline of the section with impunity. This letter convinced Healy and the SWP that Pablo was determined to split the Fourth International rather than risk losing the vote at a democratically prepared world congress. Towards the SWP leaders, Pablo adopted a more conciliatory tone. But, nonetheless, his October 3 letter made it clear that Pablo regarded the emergence of a tendency or faction opposed to his line as equivalent to "a break with the rest of the movement." The behavior of Pablo's American supporters gave further evidence of the estimate that Pablo had a split perspective. They boycotted party activities and refused to support the party financially. Finally, they organized a public boycott of the Twenty-fifth anniversary celebration of The Militant. In doing so, they make it unmistakably clear that their quarrel was not merely with the party leadership, but with the party as a whole. At the November 7-8 1953 Plenum of the SWP National Committee, it was proposed to suspend the leaders of the Cochran-Clarke-Bartell faction and to expel those supporters of the faction who did not repudiate the boycott. At the same plenum, the decision was made to issue an open letter to Trotskyists throughout the world and to give fraternal political support to the launching of a public faction in the world Trotskyist movement]

  1. 1. Letter from the International Secretariat to Sam GordonFI documentInternational Secretariat · 3 Sept. 1953 · pp. 150
  2. 2. Letter from the Bureau of the International Secretariat to Gerry HealyFI documentBureau of the International Secretariat · September 23, 1953 · pp. 150-151
  3. 3. Letter from Michel Pablo to George NovackMichel Pablo [Michel Raptis] · September 24, 1953 · pp. 151-153
  4. 4. Letter from Michel Pablo to George NovackMichel Pablo [Michel Raptis] (signed 'Gabe') · October 3, 1953 · pp. 153
  5. 5. Resolution of the Cochranite Minority of the SWP Political Committee on the Internal Party SituationCochranite minority of the SWP Political Committee · November 1953 · pp. 153-156

Section IX: Pablo Declares a "Split"

[Pablo's course towards a split continued to gather momentum even before the SWP issued its "open letter" in The Militant of November 16, 1953. On November 15, the Bureau sent a circular to all the sections of the Trotskyist movement informing them that if the Cochran-Clarke-Bartell faction were disciplined this would place the SWP "outside our movement." With the publication of the "open letter," pro-Pablo factions in the SWP and in the sections opposed to Pablo proceeded to simply declare their opponents "expelled from the Fourth International" without even awaiting a decision of the Pablo-dominated IEC. Articles in the pro-Pablo press discussed the "split" as an accomplished fact, even though no supporters of the "open letter" had called for a split. The December 25-28 meeting of the IEC approved these decisions. It ordered the suspension from membership of anyone who solidarized with the "open letter." Sections which aligned themselves with the "open letter" were informed that this constituted a "split" on their part. The Cochran grouping in the United States and the Lawrence grouping in Britain were recognized as "continuators" of Trotskyism in their respective countries. In response to the International Committee's declaration of a public faction and "no confidence" in Pablo's leadership, Pablo chose the road of declaring a "split." Excerpts from a letter by Sherry Mangan to Pablo (Mangan was an American Trotskyist who lived in Europe) indicate that not all of those who agreed with his political views were pleased with the organizational methods he had chosen for handling differences in the world movement. "They Desert, We Go Forward," by Michel Pablo, "An Attempt at an Anti-Trotskyist Atlantic Pact," by Ernest Germain, and "Against the Treachery of the Cannonites," by the Bureau of the International Secretariat, were translated from the December 1953 issue of La Verite des Travailleurs, the publication of the pro-Pablo wing of the French Trotskyists. An article hailing the formation of the Cochran-Clarke-Bartellite American Socialist Union was translated from the Janurary-February 1954 issue of Quatrieme Internationale, which was then published by the International Secretariat.]

  1. 1. Letter from the Bureau of the International Secretariat to the November 7-8 Plenum of the SWP National CommitteeFI documentBureau of the International Secretariat (signed 'The IS Bureau') · November 3, 1953 · pp. 156-158
  2. 2. Statement of Cochran-Clarke-Bartell Faction on the Split in the SWPCochran-Clarke-Bartell faction (SWP minority) · November 11, 1953 · pp. 158-160
  3. 3. Letter from the Bureau of the International Secretariat to the Leaderships of All SectionsFI documentBureau of the International Secretariat (M. Pablo, P. Frank, E. Germain) · November 15, 1953 · pp. 160-162
  4. 4. Letter from John Lawrence to the Members of the British SectionJohn Lawrence (as 'The IEC member for Britain, on behalf of the British Section') · December 8, 1953 · pp. 162-163
  5. 5. They Desert, We Go ForwardMichel Pablo [Michel Raptis] · November 22, 1953 · pp. 163-165
  6. 6. An Attempt at an Anti-Trotskyist Atlantic PactErnest Germain [Ernest Mandel] · pp. 165-166
  7. 7. "After the Treachery of the Cannonites": An Appeal by the Bureau of the International Secretariat (Extract)FI documentBureau of the International Secretariat · November 20, 1953 · pp. 167
  8. 8. Report on the 14th Plenum of the International Executive CommitteeFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  9. 8. Resolution on the Causes and the Lessons of the Crisis in the InternationalFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  10. 8. Resolution on the Minority in the United StatesFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  11. 8. Resolution on the English SectionFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  12. 8. Resolution Suspending Members of the International CommitteeFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  13. 8. Resolution on the Fourth World CongressFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  14. 8. Appeal of the 14th Plenum of the International Executive Committee to the Leaderships and Members of All Sections of the InternationalFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  15. 8. Decisions on Composition of the International SecretariatFI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 26-28, 1953 · pp. 168-171
  16. 9. The Socialist Union of AmericaQuatrieme Internationale (unsigned) · pp. 172
  17. 10. Letter from the Bureau of the International Secretariat "To the Leaderships of All Sections"FI documentBureau of the International Secretariat · Feb. 1, 1954 · pp. 172-173
  18. 11. Letter from the International Secretariat to the Revolutionary Communist Party (Chinese Section of the Fourth International)FI documentInternational Secretariat · Feb. 15, 1954 · pp. 174-175
  19. 12. Letter from the International Secretariat to the Canadian Section of the Fourth InternationalFI documentInternational Secretariat · Feb. 22, 1954 · pp. 176-177
  20. 13. Excerpt of a Letter from Sherry Mangan to Michel PabloSherry Mangan · 12 January 1954 · pp. 177

Section X: In Reply to the Open Letter

[The following statement was issued as a reply by the International Executive Committee to the "Letter to Trotskyists Throughout the World."]

  1. To the Defense of the Fourth International!FI documentInternational Executive Committee (14th Plenum) · December 1953 · pp. 177-189

Section XI: A Debate Over Stalinism

[Although they opposed the "open letter," the leaders of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party, the Ceylonese section, found themselves in agreement with many of the criticisms of Pablo's political views made by the International Committee. They submitted a number of criticisms to the discussion preceding the "Fourth World Congress." Ernest Germain replied sharply. The LSSP criticism is reprinted from SWP Discussion Bulletin A-17, 1954. By the time of the "Fourth World Congress," the Ceylonese amendments to "Rise and Decline of Stalinism" were accepted. Germain reversed his position and supported the amendments. The amended resolution is available in the Education for Socialists bulletin, Decline and Disintegration of World Stalinism. An example of the orientation that flowed from Pablo's views on Stalinism was the declaration issued at the time of the Geneva Conference on Indochina. This declaration was the subject of sharp criticisms from the supporters of the International Committee.]

  1. 1. Resolution of the Central Committee of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party on the International Secretariat Resolution, "Rise and Decline of Stalinism"Central Committee of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party · April 12, 1954 · pp. 189-192
  2. 2. Answer to the Resolution of the Central Committee of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party on "Rise and Decline of Stalinism"FI documentErnest Germain [Ernest Mandel] (for the IS Bureau) · April 1954 · pp. 192-197
  3. 3. For an International Workers Conference Parallel to the Geneva ConferenceFI documentInternational Secretariat · April 9, 1954 · pp. 197

Section XII: The Pablo Faction Debates the Question of Unity

[In addition to criticizing Pablo's position on Stalinism, the Lanka Sama Samaja Party leaders also began to challenge Pablo's attitude toward the International Committee. They demanded the immediate lifting of all suspensions and the postponement of the "Fourth World Congress" to allow for a full discussion. Under the pressure of these forces, the International Secretariat issued an appeal that offered "participation" in the "Fourth World Congress" in exchange for unconditional acceptance of Pablo's concept of "democratic centralism." This maneuver led to conflicts among the firmest supporters of Pablo's political line — notably the group around John Lawrence in Britain, and the Cochran-Clarke-Bartell grouping (now titling itself the Socialist Union of America). These materials also appear in SWP Discussion Bulletin A-18, 1954.]

  1. 1. International Secretariat Reply to the Central Committee of the Lanka Sama Samaja PartyFI documentInternational Secretariat · March 23, 1954 · pp. 198
  2. 2. Lanka Sama Samaja Party Repeats RequestLeslie Goonewardene, Secretary, for the CC of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party · April 12, 1954 · pp. 199
  3. 3. Lanka Sama Samaja Party Proposals for ReunificationLeslie Goonewardene, Secretary, for the CC of the Lanka Sama Samaja Party · April 12, 1954 · pp. 199
  4. 4. Appeal of the International Executive CommitteeFI documentInternational Executive Committee · April 15, 1954 · pp. 199-200
  5. 5. Letter from John Lawrence to Michel Pablo, Secretary of the International SecretariatJohn Lawrence (signed 'M. Collins') · April 26, 1954 · pp. 201
  6. 6. Letter from Colvin R. de Silva and Leslie Goonewardene (Lanka Sama Samaja Party) to the International SecretariatColvin R. de Silva and Leslie Goonewardene · April 13, 1954 · pp. 201
  7. 7. Declaration of the National Committee of the Socialist Union of AmericaNational Committee of the Socialist Union of America · April 10, 1954 · pp. 201-203
  8. 8. Our Conception of the International and the Struggle Within ItMichel Pablo [Michel Raptis] · April 25, 1954 · pp. 203-206

Section XIII: Pablo's American "Trotskyists" Break With Trotskyism

[Pablo's supporters in the United States broke explicitly with Trotskyism even before the "Fourth World Congress" sponsored by the Pablo faction. The following article is reprinted from Volume 1, No. 3 of The Educator (May 1954), the internal educational organ of the Socialist Union of America. At the "Fourth World Congress" itself in June 1954, George Clarke (representing the Socialist Union of America), Murray Dowson (of the Canadian Pabloist grouping), Michele Mestre (a leader of the pro-Pablo minority of the French PCI), and John Lawrence (the leading supporter in Britain) walked out in protest against Pablo's compromises with the Ceylonese leaders. Mestre and Lawrence immediately joined the Communist parties in their respective countries.]

  1. Our OrientationNational Board of the Socialist Union of America · April 27, 1954 · pp. 207-210

Glossary of pseudonyms

Harry Braverman:
Harry Frankel
James P. Cannon:
Walter, Martin
George Clarke:
Campbell, Livingstone, Livingston
Colvin R. DaSilva:
Roy
Farrell Dobbs:
Smith, Barr
Ross Dowson:
Kane
Leslie Goonewardene:
Tilak
Sam Gordon:
Tom, Harry, Burton, Joe
Joseph Hansen:
Herrick
Gerry Healy:
Burns, Mason, Jerry
John Lawrence:
Collins
Ernest Mandel:
Ernest Germain, Albert, Jeb
Sherry Mangan:
Patrice, Terrence Phelan, Patrick O'Daniel
George Novack:
Manuel, William F. Warde
Michel Raptis:
Michel Pablo, Gabe
David Weiss:
Stevens
Milton Zaslow:
Mike Bartell

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