(The following article appeared in the April 16 issue of Was Tun, fortnightly newspaper of the Gruppe Internationale Marxisten (GIM-International Marxist Group,
German section of the Fourth International). The translation is by Intercontinental Press.]
The National Conference of the GIM took place in Frankfurt March 7 to 9 and April 6. One hundred seventy delegates were present, representing more than fifty local in the branches and supporter groups Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin, as well as sixty guest delegates.
The conference gave a special salute to comrade Georg Jungelas, who has been active for more than fifty years in the German and international working-class movement. Among other things, he took part in the Hamburg uprising of 1921 and was a member of the KPD [Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands-Communist party of Germany], the Leninbund,* and since 1926, of the Left Opposition and later of the Fourth International.
Comrade Charles Udry brought fraternal greetings from the United Secretariat [of the Fourth International]. He spoke about the international development of the class struggle, especially on the Iberian Peninsula (Portugal, Spain), where the sections of the Fourth International are in the front struggle and are gaining lines of the valuable experience.
Greetings were conveyed from sections in many countries. Appearing personally were representatives of the sections in Mexico, Switzerland, Austria, England, and Greece, and observers from the United States.
A special salute was given to Pierre Frank, a longtime participant in the international workers movement who was formerly a secretary of Comrade Trotsky. He gave greetings from the French Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire [Revolutionary Communist League, French section of the Fourth International]. A salute was also
• The Leninbund was the organization founded by Ruth Fischer, Arkadi Maslow, and Hugo Urbahns after their expulsion from the German Communist party in 1927. Until 1930 the Leninbund took positions close to those of the International Left Opposition, led by Leon Trotsky.
Documents discussed at 1974 Tenth
World Congress of Fourth International.
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given to Comrade Luis Vitale, a member of the Chilean section who was imprisoned in a concentration camp in Chile until the end of last year.
The conference was preceded by a discussion period of over three months. More than 100 written contributions appeared in nineteen internal discussion bulletins that served as the basis for the local discussions. Since before the 1974 conference, three tendencies have existed in the GIM, presenting their positions within the organization and thereby exercising a right guaranteed by the principles of our movement, which provide for the greatest possible democracy in internal organizational life along with unity in action in external work.
These tendencies are the Internationalist Tendency (IT), which has held the majority on the Central Committee since the 1974 conference and supports the majority leadership of the Fourth International; the Compass Tendency (KT), the second-largest tendency; and a third, small tendency, the Leninist-Trotskyist Tendency (LTT), which supports the minority tendency in the Fourth International.
A separate organized political position arose on one agenda point. The basic documents of the three tendencies will be published in special issue No. 4 of the Internationale [quarterly magazine of the German Trotskyists]; the resolution of the 1975 National Conference appears below.
The central points of discussion were, first, the character of the SPD [Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands-Social Democratic party of Germany] and the policy and election tactics to be taken toward it; and second, the analysis of the present conjuncture in the class struggle, and the perspectives and tasks for revolutionary Marxists. On these central issues, the three tendencies in the National Conference submitted resolutions for a vote. In the poll on the basic character of the SPD, the IT document received 85 votes in favor (77 against); the KT document, 77 in favor (85 against); and the LTT document, 18 in favor and 100 against.
In the vote on the political resolution, on the basis of which the new leadership body was to be elected, none of the tendencies received a majority; it was decided that the IT had the relatively strongest support.
The election of the new Central Committee was accompanied by a vote on a separate resolution that stressed the need for active collaboration among all tendencies in the leadership bodies and for building a collective leadership. After this resolution was accepted, the new leadership was elected unanimously. At the close of the conference, the delegates passed a message of solidarity with the cement workers of Erwitte, who have been occupying their foctory for three weeks.
factory for three weeks.
Resolution of the National Congress
1.
In the vote on the political resolution at the 1975 National Conference, none of the three tendencies in the GIM were able to win a majority. For a democratic-centralist organization, this is a situation as difficult as it is unusual. It means that no tendency has a mandate to lead the organization on behalf of a majority of the membership.
The National Conference asserts that in this situation it is all the more important to build up a multitendency collective leadership. To that end it is especially necessary that the two largest tendencies, which are almost equal in size, play an important part in the work of the leadership.
To give the new Central Committee an underpinning for such collaboration in the leadership, and at the same time to allow this body to operate with a clear majority, the National Conference has decided:
1. To adopt the sixteen-point agreement worked out in the "parity commission" for the National Conference.
2. To give an absolute majority in the new Central Committee to the IT, as the tendency with the highest number of delegate votes. The political resolution of the IT, as the document of the new Central Committee majority, therefore constitutes the public general line of the GIM.
The concrete line of the GIM on all remaining questions will be determined by decisions of the leadership bodies in accordance with the sixteen-point agreement.
Il.
1. Factory and Trade-Union Work
In accordance with the priority given by our organization to work in the factories and trade unions, a correspondingly large proportion of the resources of the organization (in terms of personnel, materials, and finances) will be allotted for this work. This means:
a. At least three full- or half-timers from the central staff will be assigned on a priority basis to this work.
b. The Central Committee should reconstitute the factory/union commission and make every effort to keep the work of this commission functioning continuously and effectively.
c. Beginnings that have already been made toward work in the factories and unions will be promoted and supported materially and with personnel. The concrete form of this support—as well as of opening up new bridgeheads, and the question of placing cadres in factories—will be decided in the framework of the factory/union commission and the leadership bodies.
d. Comrades of the KT will play an active role in the bodies referred to in points a and
2. Work With Immigrants
The problems and the struggle of foreign workers takes on a special meaning today. Our work with immigrants is guided by the need for developing broad mobilizations and for organizing support for the foreign workers. To further this work the Central Committee will set up a commission, whose task will be to direct the establishment of systematic activity in this area.
3. Central Committee Commissions
There is agreement that other Central Committee commissions should be set up, such as, for example, on antimilitarist work, work with women, high-school work (possibly work among apprentices), and international solidarity work. Decisions on this will be made by the new Central Committee.
All tendencies in the GIM will participate actively in these commissions to the extent they are able.
All Central Committee commissions are subordinate to the Central Committee. Important questions will as a rule be brought from the commissions to the Central Committee and be submitted there for decision. In this framework of the GIM leadership having overall responsibility, the commissions will be given the necessary authority to carry out effectively their work in the organization.
4. Education
The leadership must immediately take up the task of organizing and directing national, regional, and local schools. A central element of this work in the next period must be to improve the membership's concrete understanding of the current struggle of the working class and the conditions under which it is taking place.
There was further agreement: (a) that it is important to establish regularity in the program of basic education in the local areas and to promote the development of a staff of "middle cadres"; and (b) to hold central, or centrally planned, schools on factory and trade-union activity, thereby acquainting as many comrades of the GIM as possible with the essentials of work in this area.
5. Initiating Mobilizations
The GIM's strategic goal is to mobilize June 23, 1975
the working class and all oppressed sectors population; it has the task of of the translating this into practical steps toward mobilizing those who are directly or indirectly affected by the problems and struggles arising today around these specific focuses.
Most important in the present situation are mobilizations against unemployment, factory closings, wage cuts, youth unemployment and exploitative apprenticeship programs; the fight against Paragraph 218 [the statute outlawing abortion]; and mass struggles such as the one taking place now in Wyhl.
In addition there is agreement that the GIM has the task (and not least importantly because of its responsibility as a section of the Fourth International) to take the initiative in building mobilizations around important questions of the international class struggle and international class solidarity, even if it is not possible at the beginning to mobilize large masses.
6. Struggle Against Repression
The struggle against repression and in defense of democratic rights is an important starting point for mobilizing sections of the populace, in addition to the importance it has for defending the rights of the organization.
Thus the struggle against specific repressive measures hitting sections of the working class takes on the greatest significance.
7. Regroupment Process
The process of regroupment among the socialist organizations can be an important means for winning new forces to our program and to the Fourth International, and thus for advancing the work of building the party.
The GIM will therefore seize any opportunities for discussion and debate and will strive to take the initiative in such activities with other organizations with whom we share points of general programmatic agreement.
The GIM also considers it important to try to establish collaboration in practical activities.
8. 'Was Tun'
Was Tun is a key tool for building the organization, and should thus focus on the themes the leadership bodies have singled out as the central political questions. At the same time, it should take account of the points spelled out in this document, giving concrete direction and support to this work, as well as to the specific experiences in the various arenas of activity, regions, and groups. The GIM will strive to constantly improve the vital interchange between the editors and all regions and arenas of work represented in the organization.
In terms of work in the factories and in the unions, this means making the newspaper more functional (choice of major themes, strengthening of concrete local coverage, campaigning around the key issues in important struggles, and so forth).
A Was Tun editorial board will be established in which all three tendencies will be represented. A comrade chosen by the Political Bureau will be responsible to this body for Was Tun. The Political Bureau will discuss as it considers necessary the themes to be taken up and the articles to be published in Was Tun, but in this it must take into consideration the demands of a regular publication schedule.
The Central Committee and Political Bureau are making every effort to assure that the local groups contribute regularly to Was Tun and increase their sales of the paper.
A changeover of Was Tun to weekly publication will be preceded by a full discussion in the organization as a whole on the experiences we have gained. To allow sufficient time for thorough prepara tion and discussion in the organization, the earliest date that could be set for the changeover is October 1975.
9. Regional Areas
In carrying out the line of the organization in the framework of national decisions, the regional bodies must be able to act with authority in their areas. It is necessary to strengthen our capacity for work at the regional level by reinforcing the regional leaderships, secretarial staffs, and offices, and by increasing correspondingly, insofar as the possibilities permit, the resources allotted to support this work. This involves regional supplements to Was Tun, perhaps regional factory newspapers or other such forms, where conditions allow.
10. Central Committee
The composition of the new Central Committee is as follows: 30 full members, comprising 16 representatives from the IT, 12 from the KT, and 2 from the LTT; 15 alternate members, comprising 7 from the IT, 6 from the KT, and 2 from the LTT.
Selection of representatives and their ranking will be determined by each tendency and proposed to the National Conference.
It is up to the central office to ensure that the Central Committee can perform its function as a political leadership to the fullest extent. The methods of informing members of meetings and the accommodations provided for the Central Committee sessions, mailing of material, and so forth, must assure the optimum performance of the Central Committee. For all Central Committee meetings, written contributions must be sent in at least one week in advance (except in the case of events that may occur in the week prior to the Central Committee plenum).
11. Political Bureau
To promote the integrated functioning of the GIM, the KT, as the largest minority, will be given about one third of the seats on the Political Bureau. Representatives of this tendency will be assigned to the central staff of the GIM and will participate in areas of national leadership work on the basis of agreements to be reached in the Central Committee.
In accordance with the principles of collective leadership, all remaining questions are open for full discussion in the Political Bureau and will be decided on the basis of this discussion. This does not mean any infringement of the right of tendencies to hold their own discussions and arrive at their own opinions. Within the framework of responsibility and of the decisions of the National Conference, the Central Committee, and the Political Bureau, the members of the leadership who are assigned specific tasks have the authority of the leadership for this work.
12. National Conference Documents
All major documents voted on at this National Conference (political resolution and SPD) will be published in Internationale.
13. There is no double recruiting in the GIM.
14. 'Inprekorr' There is agreement that the Germanlanguage Inprekorr should be published immediately following the National Conference.
15. Discussion
The written discussion will continue.
16. National Conference
The next regular National Conference of the GIM takes place at the beginning of February 1976. To prepare for the National Conference the Political Bureau will form a commission, which will begin its work no later than November 1, 1975.
The topics of the National Conference and the time limits for the preconference discussion will be determined by the Central Committee in October 1975.
The deadline for documents that are to be submitted for a vote at the National Conference is December 15, 1975, and the deadline for written contributions to the deadline for written contributions to the discussion for the National Conference is January 1. 1976.
January 1, 1976.
Soviet-Made Auto Undersells Italian Model
Fiat Takes Dim View of Competition From Moscow
When Moscow agreed in May 1966 to let the Fiat corporation of Italy build a $800 million plant in the Soviet Union, it was the first major breakthrough for Western capital into the Soviet market. The Italian government advanced $322 million in lowinterest credit to Moscow to help clinch the deal. The Kremlin responded by renaming Stavropol-on-the-Volga, site of the new plant, Togliattigrad, after the late Italian Stalinist leader.
The plant was a success, turning out the sturdy Lada—a Fiat 124 modified for Soviet weather and road conditions—at the rate of 600,000 a year. Soviet auto production was increased fourfold.
Fiat is now having second thoughts about the venture, however. The Soviet Union is exporting the Lada to Western Europe, where it is underselling the Fiat. In Britain, for example, the Lada sells for about US$2,571, including taxes, compared with $3,274 for the Italian-made Fiat 124 and $2,332 for the tiny Fiat 126.
Moscow is expected to export only 20,000 to 30,000 cars to Western Europe this year. But Umberto Agnelli, Fiat's managing
Special 0
Larissa Daniel, anti-Stalinist dissident.
director, is said to be worried about what may happen when the Soviet Union carries out its plans to double auto-making capacity.
Fiat, of course, knew that the Soviet Union, with a planned economy and a state monopoly on foreign trade, could sell its production in the capitalist countries at cheaper prices than comparable Western models. But the Italian company thought the Soviet car, a relatively old model, would be unattractive in the West. Now, with a depression in Western Europe and auto prices at their highest levels ever, the Soviet cars look very attractive.
According to the free-enterprise textbooks, Fiat should lower prices to cope with the unexpected competition. Right?
But the company is apparently determined to deprive consumers of the Sovietmade bargain. Agnelli is calling for the Common Market to adopt protective measures against "dumping" of cars in Western Europe. And in its current negotiations with Moscow to supply more auto-making capacity, Fiat is demanding a clause restricting exports.
Ver
To help celebrate the tenth anniversary of Intercontinental Press, reproductions of sketches by Copain, artist for Intercontinental Press, were published by the New York Local of the Socialist Workers party and bound in an 8.5" x 11" book. The aim was to use the money gained from sales to help us begin publishing articles in Spanish.
The drawings, of various sizes, include portraits of Hugo Blanco, Malcolm X, James P. Cannon, Che Guevara, Cesar Chavez, Leon Trotsky, and many more, some of which are suitable for framing.
A limited number of copies of this collection of drawings are now available for only $5.
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