The SCialist Yorkers! Party of the United States has declared itself for the unity of world Trotskyism. We produce herewith an extract from the Militant, journal of the 3.W.P. of July, 2nd., 1962. We base ourselves on the report which appeared in the Newsletter of 14/7/62, and cannot therefore vouch for the completeness of this report. The extract reads as follows:
"\ resolution, based on positions taken at the last convention of the Socialist Workers' Party (published in the summer issue of Intornational Socialist Reviow), was submitted by the majority of the Political Committee to the National Comittee. This resolution stressed the consequences of an interdependent process - the great upsurge in the colonial world, the tendency of the Soviet pecple to restore proletarian democracy, and the struggles of the workers in the imperialist centres for security and a better standard cf living.
"These movements have given rise to fresh political currents, some of considerable scope and of leftward direction, above all in the colonial world at the moment. The Cuban Revolution in particular, having opened the socialist revo— lution in tho Western Hemisphere, was singled out as exceptionally meaningful.
"In the light of the encouraging vista, the majority resolution expressed the fraternal opinion that an extra effort was now needed to unify the world Trotskyist movement which has remained split into two main factions for some nine years. Unification is feasible in view of the substantial agreement on the major political issues of the day. Differences that do remain are largely of an organi- Sational naturé and* should not block reconstitution of -a united movement so long as good will prevails.
" The resolution asked the two groupings in the Fourth International headed by the International Secretariat and the International Committee to let history be the final judge of who was right in the dispute of 1953-54 and to hold over for later discussion such questions as might still be related to those differences."
The same issue of the Newsletter also carries a reso], tion adopted at the Fourth Annual Conference of the 5.L.L., in which it is made clear that the present position of the $.L.L. leadership is direct opposition to that of the ieoP, On this question. The resolution says "Without political clarification of the problems facing the international working class and the Marxist movement and without a thoroughgoing analysis of the experience of the Intornational since 1940, there can be no rebuilding of the Fourth International. Any attempt to unify and organise the forces at present claiming to be Trotskyist without such a discussion would be a backward stepecesecoeese The first task in the process of political clarification is to expose the revisionism which produced the 1953 split and which has since then led the International Secr3tariat further along the path of opportunism and liquidationism...."" In other words where tho 5.\/.P. finds that there is substantial political agreement, the 5.L.L. says that the differences are wider than before. The language of the 5.L.L. resolution is full of the usual denunciations which sectarians are so fond of making against people with whom they have some political differences.
The coming together of the 5.\/.P. and the rest of the Fourth International will represent a tremendous step forward for the movement. In addition to the United States there are groups in Canada, Switzerland, Japan, Peru,- Chile, Bolivia and other countries which will come in too. Certain Tiarxist groupings which have hesitated to support cither side in the dispute will be much more likely to join the Fourth International. iispecially important is the fact that relations with the Cuban Revolution will be much facilitated by the unific ation. For our part we will benefit in many ways, not least of all will be the fact that wetse the publications of the S.1!/.P. more fully -— the Militant and the International Nocialist Review. The Militant is a weekly open Trotskyist paper which has a ,;ood coverage of world news as well that of the struggle in the U.S.A., the Intornational socialist Review is high quality quarterly theoretical journal which has a very good potential sale in Britain. The S.W.P. has a good printing and publishing concern from which the whole Intcrnational will draw benefit. Lastly, but no means least, unification will make it much easier to influence comrades coming towards Trotskyism from Stalinism, social democracy, the colonial revolution, etc. The proliferation of small groups has been instrumental in disillusioning many people and any step in the oppcsite direction will be of great value. Those sectarians who try to resist this process will be left behind by history. In Britain we have the job of beginning this proecess, in very difficult circumstances, which however will be mich aided by intcrnational reunific ation.