Letter to Pierre Naville, July 31, 1933

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A Decisive Turn Is Necessary and Urgent

Dear Comrade Naville:

I have started to read your important work (draft theses) with the greatest interest. Since Raymond [Molinier] is leaving in a few hours and we still have to discuss with him and a few others, I will not be able to finish reading it, not to mention formulate my criticisms (if they are necessary). I only want to call your attention to one point: the faction and the party. You will receive my theses on this question through Raymond. I believe that a decisive turn is absolutely necessary and urgent. We have already lost a little time, myself included, because of the visa, the trip, etc. I would like to see my theses presented in opposition to yours at any price on this main point. The first two lines of your theses state: “The Communist League in France pursues the task of [building a] proletarian communist leadership.” This is already the formulation of the party, at least more that of the party than that of the faction. Won’t you find it possible, in the second part, which is not published yet, to raise the question openly as debatable or in need of revision: faction or party?

In my theses I spoke mostly of the Comintern as follows: we must totally break from the corrupted and ignorant clique which identifies itself with the Communist International. I emphasize, at the same time, the necessity to adapt this new orientation to the different countries, according to national conditions. Those two points may very well constitute the bridge between your theses and mine, on the condition of course that we agree on the essence of the question itself: the necessity to break from the “Comintern” and to create new parties — through different procedures, at different paces, etc.

If the second part of your theses comes out with the above-outlined changes, my theses will appear as the introduction in the discussion already opened by yours, and the international conference could sanction the new fundamental orientation.

I hope to see you and to discuss all of the burning questions with you. My warmest greetings to Comrade Denise, to Gerard, to all our friends, and to you.

All the best,

L.T.