Letter to the International Secretariat, June 13, 1935

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Discipline Must Be Restored

To the International Secretariat

Dear Comrades:

The question of the relations between our French section and the group of Comrade Naville has become quite acute. I do not wish to dwell upon the past, even the most recent I mention only the absolutely abnormal and intolerable fact: the "independent" document with the signatures of Naville and three comrades of our section that was circulated at the time of the Mulhouse Congress. This fact alone demonstrates that we cannot continue any longer in an equivocal state.

Upon the plane of political principles there are no differences. The protest against the bad regime as an argument for perpetuating a regime ten times worse is absurd. In any case, as an international organization, we cannot at all tolerate the fact that a group that declares itself in agreement on principles demands from us ultimatistically that we "improve" the regime of our section so that it may be able to join. The regime must be improved through joint collaboration. We value quite highly the qualities of several comrades who compose the group of Comrade Naville, but we cannot tolerate a prolongation of the equivocal condition.

What is to be done? In my opinion the answer is indicated by the whole situation. The International Secretariat might perhaps call together the representatives of our section and of the Naville group and arrive at an agreement with them upon the manner and the set period for fusion. It would be dangerous to set an interval that is too long, for example, more than three or four weeks. The decision must be categorical and obligatory. The International Secretariat should itself control its execution. It is to be hoped that the exceptional responsibilities weighing on us and the enormous possibilities opening before us will impose upon all Bolshevik-Leninists the necessary discipline.

Crux [Leon Trotsky]