Los Angeles, Calif.
Dear George:
I enclose herewith some comments on your letter of May 19 with some amplifications which, as you will recognize, are intended for wider circulation among the leading comrades. I wish you would let me know how my exposition strikes you. As I see it, the most important thing in dealing with a tendency in the direction of a similar political orientation between us and the Pabloites is to do it right; that is, to take the process in stages, one stage at a time, and above all not to jump from the beginning to the possible concluding stage until the premises are firmly established. We are a long way from that.
We not only have to wait for further developments in the Pabloite camp, we also have to wait a while to see how the policy of the comrades allied with us in other countries evolves in the new situation. We have the strongest position and the strongest press and are in the best position to shape the course and pace of developments. But for the best results we have to know what we want and where we are going. First of all we want to hold the principled line clear and firm and we want to avoid any shotgun proceedings which would leave basic causes of the split unresolved to prepare new explosions.
We have no unity problem in this country, and as far as I know there is no problem in England. There is nothing to get hasty about here or there. There appears to be a real problem in France; but it is a complicated problem which is more apt to be worsened, rather than solved, by hasty action. France is the heart of the problem in Europe and we cannot let the Pabloites set the pace of development there. In the past they bungled everything in France, and to judge from their latest maneuvers they are trying their best to make another mess of things. In spite of everything the La Verité group (PCI) clearly appears to have the best and most active cadres. Unity would have no value unless they are convinced and brought along. A unification without them would probably make the situation worse than ever, and deprive us of any possibility of influencing their course in the future. . . .
[p. 10]
Fraternally,
James P. Cannon