Letter

Left Communism in France

Dear Comrades

I read with great interest Al Richardson’s reply to Paul Buhle on ‘ultra left’ influences in the British Trotskyist movement in C.L.R. James’ days (Revolutionary History, Volume 5, no. 2), and I especially noted the plea for more scholarship on the ultra left in general.

I enclose a document on the history of the French ultra left in the period of the Second World War, which was written by Ernest Rayner, a participant in the milieu, and circulated privately. Ernest Rayner was the pseudonym of Pierre Lannert, a long-time militant who died recently in San Francisco. As far as I know, this text is the only English language account of the history of these groups. Perhaps you would consider it worthwhile to reprint it in a future issue of Revolutionary History.

Fraternally

Curtis Price

The Editor replies

We have no immediate plans for an issue on the French left, but interested readers can consult this document in the Socialist Platform archives. We are in full agreement with Comrade Price on the need to publish more on this important topic.