Leon
Trotsky et al: Declaration
March
19, 1940
[Writing
of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 14, New York 1979, p. 853 f., title:
“Factionalism
and the IEC”]
We,
the undersigned, must establish the following facts.
The
resident members of the International Executive Committee have not
developed any activity for a long period. No international bulletin
is published, no circular letters are sent to the sections, no
letters are answered. The same concerns the Pan-American Committee.
On
February 20 we the undersigned addressed the IEC with the proposition
to intervene in the Socialist Workers Party discussion with the
purpose of preserving unity. In spite of the extreme gravity and
urgency of the matter we did not receive an answer. We must therewith
conclude and openly establish that the IEC is nonexistent and that we
cannot either directly or indirectly support the fiction of its
existence.
From
private sources we heard that Comrades Johnson [James] and Lebrun
took part in the minority split convention and encouraged their
pretension for an independent public organ, i.e., for a split under
the camouflage of “unity.” Is this true? We must confess that we
cannot really believe such an enormity on the part of comrades
appointed as members of the leading body of the Fourth International.
If,
in spite of all, it is true, does Comrade Johnson act in agreement
with our British section? Does Comrade Lebrun act in agreement with
our Brazilian section?
All
our information says that the overwhelming majority of the Fourth
International remain true to the Marxist theory, to our program, to
our political tradition and to the organizational principles of
Bolshevism. The connections with Europe are very difficult. But we
can and should immediately create a genuine Pan-American Committee
based upon the active sections with the purpose of reestablishing as
early as possible a new International Executive Committee really
representing the Fourth International and capable of continuous
revolutionary activity.