Leon Trotsky: Letter to Arne Swabeck [Writing of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 14, New York 1979, p. 600 f., title: “For a Bloc Against Oehler”] Dear Comrade Swabeck: I have received your letter of August 1 and the statement of Cannon-Shachtman-Swabeck on the situation in the Workers Party. I have just sent two letters dealing with the questions that form the main content of your statement. Without involving myself in secondary questions on which, naturally, I am not in a position to hold definite opinions, I am entirely in agreement with you on the primordial issue — the harmful role of sectarianism, represented in an especially harmful manner by the Oehler group. I believe that you must win over Comrades Weber, Glotzer and Abern for common action by means of frank and friendly mutual explanations. I have written in the same sense to those comrades. Since you are stronger and are in the leadership you can — permit me to say — take the first step towards a reconciliation in the name of common principles. If there were some mistakes in procedure on your part (it is quite possible and even inevitable that there were), it is necessary for you to recognize them openly in order to knock the props from under the accusations now being leveled at the “regime.” Such a declaration on your part can only strengthen the authority of the leadership. I assure you that Lenin always acted thus. You are right as to policy. You can make concessions, even considerable concessions, as to form. I am not in a position to give you any advice concerning Comrade Muste, since, unfortunately, I do not know him. But I believe that we all have the utmost interest in not prejudicing his authority, which is the common property of the party and of our international movement. I am sure that you are of the same opinion and that you have acted in accordance therewith. I attach hereto a brief supplement to my preceding letters meant for the attention of all the comrades. Fraternally yours, L. Trotsky |
Leon Trotsky > 1935 >