Garrett Archive | Trotskyist Writers Index | ETOL Main Page
From Labor Action, Vol. X No. 33, 19 August 1946, p. 2.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for ETOL.
The Irish Trotskyists have resumed open activity, with headquarters in Dublin. The movement is beginning to attract small numbers to itself, though progress is slow. Our comrade writes of the difficulties of the movement in Ireland as follows:
“When you consider that even the reformist Labor Party is debilitated and without a basis in the country side; that trade union consciousness is only beginning to manifest itself on a national scale, surely then you can appreciate our organizational weakness.”
We publish below a resolution on the Franco terror in Spain adopted at an underground conference of the Spanish socialist organization, POUM (Party of Marxian Unification.) The POUM is not part of The Fourth Internationalist (Trotskyist) movement, but embraces in its ranks many worker revolutionists. Though the POUM has, in our opinion, committed many errors, and failed, in the words of one of its best known militants who recently wrote to us, to “develop in Spain a completely accurate line ... (it) is a party with strong influence among the Spanish working class.” Our correspondent adds that “with all its defects and centrist character” it is violently hated by the Stalinists, as well as by the Franco dictatorship, because of its influence and its independence of the counter-revolutionary Stalinist machine. “With reference to the POUM,” reports this same comrade, “a year and a half ago a split occurred. One part of its militants, the smaller part, abandoned the Party to move closer to the social-democracy.” We expect further information on the POUM, and will report on its activities from time to time in addition to our reports on the activities of the Trotskyist organizations throughout the world. We also plan a critical article on the history and policies of the POUM.
The resolution of the underground conference, sent to us by the directing committee of the POUM with the request that we make it known to the workers of the United States, follows:
“Once again under the Franco terror, the POUM has reunited its cadres somewhere in Spain to examine the political situation, the living conditions of the Spanish working class and the possibilities of strengthening the struggle against the Franco regime.
“Many delegates from sections in Catalonia, Madrid and from the Center, from Valencia and from the East have discussed and adopted resolutions on the political situation, trade union work, the tasks of underground organization and the international situation.
“The Conference of the POUM, reaffirmed the determination of the Party to struggle to the end for the overthrow of the Franco regime, and denounced the maneuvers of international capitalism which is trying to replace the Franco government by a reactionary military dictatorship.
“It established a program of demands. It declared that it is necessary to consolidate the unity of action of the CNT-UGT (anarchist and socialist trade unions) to reinforce the work of the Alliance of Democratic Forces in view of the fight for bread, for democratic liberties and for the Republic.
“It made an urgent appeal to the political and material solidarity of the revolutionary socialist organizations in all the countries.”
Main LA Index | Main Newspaper Index
Encyclopedia of Trotskyism | Marxists’ Internet Archive
Last updated on 27 March 2020