[p. 27]
Dear Farrell,
This is a personal note to yourself.
We are very disturbed about the lack of political clarification on the question of Pabloism. Although JPC urged support for our struggle here your press remains silent on the whole issue. In addition the article by Hansen and the follow-up by Warde [Novack] on the summit talks contain, in my opinion, some examples of loose thinking reminiscent of Pabloite generalities.
We must be absolutely clear about what is involved in this whole question so far as the world movement is concerned. Unless the Pabloite question is clarified it will be quite impossible to reorganize the movement for some considerable time, especially if the SWP continues to sit on the political sidelines. It is little use writing to me about the Toronto decisions. You know very well the background of the struggle in Europe. You know very well the political issues involved in this. The Toronto decisions can not be achieved without a political clarification. To imagine that they can be brought about by an organizational coup d'etat would be quite wrong in my opinion. If we are to achieve any unity with elements in Pablo's ranks it will only be after a relentless confrontation of our programme and theirs.
We propose to continue our political offensive against him and we will go forward to an open struggle in preparation for our congress next year. We are not going to halt in the preparation of this congress-no matter what happens-because to do so would be to fall into the pool of stagnation which has stifled this movement since 1953. Enough time has been wasted. Everyone agrees that unity would be a good thing if it can be achieved on the Toronto proposals. But it isn't going to be achieved on the Toronto proposals, and you cannot soften up Pablo's weak spots, unless you proceed with political clarification.
[p. 28]
Since this is a personal letter and is my own feelings on the question, I would like further to say that the political crisis in the SWP will grow and grow unless some rock-bottom basic education on Pabloite revisionism is conducted. There is no way out of this question. Nobody appreciates more than myself your considerable difficulties in relation to the objective situation, but the adverse side of this situation will continue to take a toll of your. membership unless something is done now.
In my view the proposal of JPC should not be tossed aside, even though we all realise the limitations. Open up on Pablo in your paper and magazine. Take up his openly revisionist arguments in relation to "workers' governments", which is nothing more than a miserable centrist formula for capitulation in the front of stalinism on the one hand and social democracy on the other.
Pablo continues his relentless work against this section. Every weak petty bourgeois element who seeks to drop out is immediately approached and offered trips to Paris and Cannes. The latest in this line is John Daniels who, because of his personal life and problems, dropped back some months ago. He is now the proud bearer of a ticket to Cannes to see Pablo and presumably also to attend the flower show.
Ellis Hillman, Pablo's representative in our ranks for many years, has now openly ratted to Transport House and rejoined the Labour Party by crawling on his belly in front of the bureaucracy. This man has also a special invitation to meet Pablo. The Pabloites are a dirty piece of blotting paper whose sole purpose is to attract everybody and anybody who will attack us.
Let us, for Christ's sake stop hedging around and get on with the job of building up a world movement and not postponing it until some ideal conditions arise. They are not going to arise by themselves. We must work for them now by pushing forward the political clarification of our attitude towards Pablo, publicly and on the widest possible scale.
I would be glad to have a personal line from you on this matter since as you know I value our collaboration as one of the most valuable relationships in the movement, but you will appreciate that we are a little tired of this shuffling around. We get the blunt end of the stick. We get attacked by Pablo and implied criticism from yourselves, yet at this moment the English section fights on a number of urgent fronts against the reformists and the Stalinists. We know we have the sympathetic consideration of the members of the SWP, but we want a little more. We want their political consideration which in the long run will prove decisive.
Warmest regards to yourself and Marvel.
[Salutation missing]