The formation of the Revolutionary Socialist Students' Federation should be welcomed by all socialists. It is a sign that there exists among British students the same potential as was shown by the French students. The organisation can help to fill the gap that has been made by the virtual demise of the Labour Party Young Socialists and N.A.L.S.O. It introduces a new militant factor into British politics.
The debates at the founding conference - despite the poor organisation and lack of preparation showed a seriousness and respect for theory in wide circles of British students. We welcome, in particular, the appearance of several documents which endeavoured to apply the concept of Student Power to British conditions. The discussions were, of course, difficult, after all the conference was charting new territory and no one had adequately worked out the many organisational and political problems that such a meeting brought.
It is to be hoped that the preparatory committee will learn from the founding conference and that the envisaged November conference makes it possible to lay a firm theoretical and organisational basis for the R.S.S.F.
REGRETTABLE INCIDENT
One incident, however, mars the generally positive picture: that of the [illegible] by some of the initiators of the conference to the [illegible]. What gift for the capitalist press to be able to quote student spokesmen as saying they didn't want these leaders and that "Tariq Ali represents no one but himself."
We understand that statements like these (which were approvingly quoted over Paris Radio) were made by members of International Socialism. This has been talking a lot about unity since [illegible] with a group whose members behave in such a manner -even if this is not "official" I.S. policy. Surely, other more responsible members of the group should have made their organisation's position clear by disassociating themselves from these sentiments. Until the I.S. can control its members it will be associated with such sectarianism.
[We look] to the future of this organisation, [illegible] that its success [will] be linked [with] the question of its ability to put into practice activities which embody the concept of Student Power in its revolutionary sense. The R.S.S.F. should not be envisaged as an organisation catering for the existing marxist wing of the student population. It should be an organisation which will make thousands of students who now may be apolitical or conservative into socialists and revolutionaries.
We hope very much that the R.S.S.F. will be able to achieve this and we call upon all readers and supporters of INTERNATIONAL to assist in [every] way possible this new arrival on the British political scene.