International Notes

From Fourth International, vol. 5 No. 1, January 1944, p. 30.
Transcribed, marked up & formatted by Ted Crawford & David Walters in 2008 for ETOL.

Scotland

In previous issues we reported the news of a split in Glasgow, one of the most important centers of the British Communist Party. We have just received a letter from one of these militants who have broken with Stalinism. He writes:

“December 12, 1943

“Dear Comrades,

“I have in front of me the article in Fourth International of August 1943, in International Notes. The part I am referring to is: CP Workers in Glasgow Turning to Trotskyism. Now I happen to be one of those stewards. However, before I break into the reasons for writing to you, I will tell you something about ourselves first.

“We realized, as the war progressed that the CP line was turning more chauvinist every day and then it was too much. We resigned. Some of us had 8 years’, 12 years’ membership with the party. Now we realize that the CP is the counter-revolutionary force all ready to hand. In our particular factory we have formed a local and collected quite a good membership. Now we are doing a lot of good not harm as was the case throughout the factories that we work in. We realize, however, that our revolutionary education is only beginning.

“What surprises me is the horrible way in which the historical facts are twisted and construed and then placed before the average CP member in book form. When you get out of the Communist Party you realize that the books we should have been reading are practically unobtainable. Now this is where you come in, Comrades. Now, as I have said, we have formed a local in D_____; and I am the secretary of it. From our own center in London we get some Militants now and then and a Fourth International. But on the back pages of the Fourth International is the thing that keeps worrying us. That is the heading: ‘YOU NEED THESE MARXIST WORKS!’ So, at one of our local meetings, it was decided to write to you and see what you could do for us in the way of literature. I don’t want to specify any particular books as I don’t know how the money is going to work out. I don’t know if our £ is worth 2 or 20 shillings. So we decided to place before you our particulars and let you choose the literature to send us.

“Well Comrades, I hope you won’t think this letter too much of an imposition as we are complete strangers really, but as revolutionists, we have a lot in common. I will draw to a close now. I trust you get this letter OK and I hope to hear from you.

“Yours fraternally,
R.B.
Sec. D_____ Local”

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Last updated on 27. Juli 2018