Leon Trotsky: Letter to Auguste Mougeot and Edouard Reiland

May 1, 1931

[Writing of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 13. Supplement (1929-1933), New York 1979, p. 79 f., title: “What a Control Commission Should Do”]

Comrades:

I regret as earnestly as you do that Comrade Rosmer has left the League, and I would be happy to see him return. I do not think that differences of opinion over our judgments of one comrade or another can justify anyone in leaving the movement. You bring up again the question of Comrade Molinier. The League has unanimously adopted the following formula, which was worked out at Prinkipo by representatives of the two French groups and of the foreign comrades, with my participation: personal questions … must be definitively liquidated. For that purpose, we need a commission whose composition will provide a guarantee of prompt and definitive settlements. Are there or are there not formal charges? Are they of recent origin? Let them be presented. If they are merely matters of common knowledge, all that remains to be done is to determine that they have not hindered collaboration up to the time differences of opinion arose. But since differences of opinion do not and cannot have anything to do with personal questions, the commission, unless specific new facts and new charges are introduced, will only have to take note of the fact that neither in Comrade Molinier’s past nor in his present situation are there any circumstances which could prevent him from working in the League and for the League or from occupying positions entrusted to him by the organization.

I think this formula is mandatory for all of us. If you have specific facts or serious charges, you are obliged to present them to the Control Commission of the League. You will surely agree with me that any other attitude in this matter would be contrary to revolutionary loyalty.

As for La Vérité, I do not share your views. The errors committed in the miners’ strike me unquestionable. But those errors, although serious, are of a purely tactical character, whereas the errors of the Naville-Gourget leadership touch upon fundamental principles. In fact, Gourget and some others have borne this out by their desertion.

My sincere communist greetings,

Leon Sedov [Leon Trotsky]