Second Letter to the Executive Committee of the Communist League of France, June 21, 1930

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Capriciousness in the Editing of Our Press

To the Executive Committee of the Communist League of France

Dear Comrades:

In number 39 of La Vérité there was an announcement that the next issue of La Lutte de classes would contain an article by Sneevliet, one of the leaders of the Two-and-a-Half International. This seemed all the more incredible to me since several months ago I came to an agreement with Comrades Naville and Gerard about the impossibility of collaborating with Sneevliet. I was obliged to send a telegram to the editorial board categorically rejecting this collaboration. In reply I received a communication saying that given the total inadequacy of the article in question, the editorial board had decided not to publish it even before receiving my telegram. Then, in reply to my letter, I received another letter from Comrade Naville stating that he agreed with my arguments and that Comrade Gerard had been against its publication from the beginning.

All of this really does not seem to be sufficient assurance for the future. One should have thought that it wasn't even necessary to raise the question of collaboration with Sneevliet among us. We do not break with the Communist centrists in order to enter into collaboration with the confusionists of the Two-and-a-Half International.

Nevertheless, out of prudence I obtained agreement in advance about the impossibility of collaboration with Sneevliet. But despite this, and despite the opposition of Comrade Gerard, who was party to this agreement, it was decided to publish this article and it has already been announced. This indicates that there is a bit too much capriciousness in the editing of our press and that its contributors are selected from unexpected and undesirable quarters. I am very happy to have persuaded Comrade Naville (moreover, for the second time on the same question), but the readers of La Vérité know nothing of this. Thus, I formally propose to the leadership that they run a notice to the effect that the article by Sneevliet was announced as the result of a misunderstanding, and that there cannot be any question of collaborating with the representatives of the Two-and-a-Half International.

You will agree, I hope, that such a declaration is absolutely necessary in order to discharge our common responsibility. And to insure the future.

With communist greetings,

T.