Issued: July 21, 1974.
Transcription, Editing and Markup: Paul Saba
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July 21, 1974
To the Detroit LCC:
Dear Comrades,
In response to the Detroit LCC report of July 15 we would like to answer the questions raised around the LCC forum, the Newsletter and the Congress. First, about security at the forum. While the LCC expects only members of organizations on the Continuations Committee and close contacts of the organizations to come to the forum, you should plan to deal with any disrupters from the “left” that may come. Leafleting and posters will inevitably draw some “lefts”. The committee should make a decision as to whether or not they will be admitted. If admitted, then extra security precautions should be taken – this is especially true since Bob Avakian’s speech in Detroit in which he attacked the Communist League as a bunch of pimps and hustlers and said all members of the CL should be taken out in the street and shot.
Second, on the Newsletter, regarding the expulsion of the La Raza Workers Collective and the East Bay Study Group. Those two groups were admitted to the San Francisco CC under the above names, but had actually joined the August Twenty-ninth Movement and had never informed the SFCC about, it. It was the August Twenty-ninth Movement as a whole that was responsible for the anti-communist activities mentioned in the Newsletter. At the moment we cannot report any more information as to why the collectives were admitted to the committee in the first place, and what happened once they were on the committee. We are still waiting for a full report from the committee on this. ATM was never admitted to the LCC in LA, and withdrew themselves from the committee in Albuquerque.
What is ATM? ATM is an organisation which was formed in late May out of three different Mexican National minority groups in La Raza Unida Party. It also includes a few individuals that were formerly unaffiliated and a few other small collectives such as the two mentioned above. Over the last few years people who are now members of ATM have consistently attacked the Communist League. At the meeting where ATM was formed, both BWC and PRRWO were invited and participated. However, the CL was told that they were not welcome, and in fact that the meeting was to be a closed meeting of only Mexican national Minority workers in a few select collectives.
Regarding the criticism about failure to cite footnotes clearly in the Newsletter, we unite with this and will rectify it in any further materials that come out from the NCC.
About Congress preparations – most of these questions have already been answered or dealt with, but just in case a letter hasn’t been received or an organization hasn’t gotten the information, we will answer them again. Regarding translation for the Congress resolutions, the method we are using on the NCC – we are getting all the Congress documents out in English. And then between now and the time of the Congress we will be getting them out in Spanish. We suggested to the Capital Collective that they do the same. By the way, it’s passed the 15th, and we were wondering if they are still planning to submit resolutions.
The MCLL Cadre in Mississippi have been sent all Congress materials and Newsletters – we have recognized them as a LCC.
On articles and other materials submitted for publication to the Newsletter: Comrades, we would like to print in the Newsletter, the statement from the Detroit LCC ”REPLY TO THE ANTI-PARTY BLOCK,” although the LCC didn’t mention anything about printing it. We feel that it is a fine political statement and correctly points out where the real struggle is – against the CPUSA and that it would be more important to print this statement than “Reply to a study circle.” While the second statement exposes the slimy character of opportunists and the danger of bringing such elements into the Party, we see the article reflecting a local struggle and don’t see it as appropo to the national newsletter as the Anti-Party block statement. However, if the comrades want both printed, we will do it. Also, regarding the anti-party block statement – there is one error in it in the first sentence. It is politically incorrect to include the Trotskyites in the same series with the CPUSA, Revolutionary Union, etc. The CPUSA and the other “left” groups that tail them, are still legitimate trends in the working class movement. But the international communist movement, years ago, denounced the Trotskyites as counter-revolutionaries and agents of the imperialists, no longer a legitimate trend inside the working class. Refer to Mastering Bolshevism. While these other groups also play a counter-revolutionary role, they print and publicise their social reform program for all to see, and actively organize to carry out their program. We suggest that either the comrades on the local CC make a correction on this point or that the NCC follow the article with a brief statement on the nature of the role Trotskyites play as opposed to these other groupings. Further we would be interested in knowing what use is being made of this paper. Finally, the comrades in Chicago who are able to translate are swamped with work, so we would like to request that the local committee utilize sources available to it to get translations for these statements.
Regarding the other materials submitted, we haven’t decided yet what use they will be put to.
Finally, on the question of the League for Proletarian Revolution – yes this organisation is on the Continuations Committee in San Francisco. They have consistently supported and defended the Conference line. We are aware of this statement made in their June pamphlet and have directed the local San Francisco CC to discuss it.
Comrades coming up for the forum will be in Detroit around 9:00 Friday evening.
See you this weekend.
Comradely,
Pat D. for the NCC
BUILD A MULTI-NATIONAL, MARXIST-LENINIST COMMUNIST PARTY!
WIN THE VANGUARD OF THE PROLETARIAT TO THE CAUSE OF COMMUNISM!