Summary on the French Question

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I am taking the liberty of summarizing not our discussions but the practical results that flow from them and can clarify and normalize the life of the League.

1. It is self-evident that none of us intends to resolve this or that question by private arrangements made behind the back of the League, without the knowledge of the Executive Committee or the national conference Our intention is solely to elaborate a number of proposals and suggestions, as the comrades in the leadership of the League have often done with other national sections, in order to help them settle their internal difficulties through the normal channels of communist democracy.

2. The personal questions (about "business matters," etc.) should be settled once and for all. Toward this end we must establish a commission whose composition will guarantee a rapid and complete settlement. I believe this is in the interests not only of Comrade R.M. but of all the comrades in question. Are there or are there not formal charges? Are they of recent origin? Let them be presented. If they only concern things that have been known for a long time, it will only remain to establish that they did not prevent collaboration up to the time when the differences emerged. But since the personal questions do not have and cannot have anything to do with the political differences, the commission will only have to determine, barring the appearance of new facts and definite new charges, that there is nothing in Comrade R. M.'s past or in the circumstances of the present situation that can prevent him from working in the League and for the League and occupying posts assigned by the organization.

3. As far as the financial aid provided by Comrade H. M. is concerned, it should be completely detached from political and organizational questions and considered as a question of the goodwill of a particular comrade. It does not, of course, imply that he has any additional rights — which, moreover, he has never claimed — but it can even less be held against him.

4. I can state with satisfaction that just as Comrade Molinier has declared that he does not envisage in any way expelling anyone from the other group, Comrade Naville as well recognizes the usefulness of creating an organizational committee with the participation of Comrade Molinier in this committee, which means in the Executive Committee as well.

N. B. It is not necessary to repeat that the composition of the EC can only be determined by the national conference, but what is at issue is whether there will be a fight between groupings over the aforesaid question during the preparations for the conference and the conference itself. Now the declarations of Comrades Molinier and Naville attest that not only will they not take part in such a fight, but if necessary they will do everything in their power to prevent other comrades from becoming involved in such a fight.

5. Given the international role of the League, its conference will not only have decisive importance for the French Opposition but will also have a great influence on all the national sections. This is why the preparations for this conference must be carried out with both of these considerations in mind. Not only should the groups in the provinces be formally organized in advance, but the draft resolutions should be published early enough for the national sections, at least those in Europe, to give their opinion on them. Moreover, this procedure should be introduced as a rule for all the national sections.

6. In order to safeguard the normal functioning of the organization, the report on the internal situation should be given by the secretary of the EC, that is, by Comrade Naville. Formally, the right of a minority of the EC to present a second report cannot be contested. But we all agree that this method would be prejudicial to the future work of the League, that is, for its unity in action. In order to prevent a certain mistrust based on past events from manifesting itself in this question, particularly since the report will be concerned with these past events, the most careful precautionary measures are called for. We all agree, including Comrade Naville, that the best way to resolve any difficulties is to work out the report in written form, discuss it in advance with comrades of the other grouping in a preparatory commission, and eliminate, with the goodwill of both sides, everything that could poison the atmosphere of the conference and revive the personal questions, etc.

N. B. Moreover, a written report can be communicated to the other national sections to greatest advantage either in toto or in excerpts.

7. We agree that it would be very advantageous to assure the strictly regular appearance of La Lutte de classes, a powerful instrument of the League and the international organization. We are just as much in agreement that it is necessary to form a rather large editorial board for the magazine (seven to ten comrades) including not just theoreticians, but comrades representing different areas of the workers' struggle, including workers. Given that such an editorial board, which is in itself a school for theoretical training, can meet at most twice a month, the secretary of the editorial board or a bureau of three members should have broad authority for the contents of the magazine.

General control over the magazine, as over the weekly, naturally rests with the Executive Committee

8. As for political differences or nuances concerning "the turn," the Unitary Opposition, etc., the discussion can and must be developed to its fullest extent before and during the conference on the basis of theses and countertheses, and amendments if necessary for one question or another. The elimination of all personal considerations from the discussion will be an important factor in revolutionary education.