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Letters from the Militants, The Militant, Vol. V No. 25 (Whole No. 121), 18 June 1932, p. 2.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
TORONTO ONTARIO – An anti-war conference initiated by the Friends of the Soviet Union has been organized in Toronto.
The first meeting saw the usual gathering of our old “stand-byes”, but the leaders of the conference, in light of the new united front policy, made no attempt to delude themselves on the delegates.
The second meeting brought several new faces and plans to go directly to the reformist trade unions.
Our comrades were elected on the credential, organization and executive committees.
Our motion that the speech of Litvinov in view of its pacifism and incompleteness be referred first to affiliated organizations for discussion and recommendation before printing, was rejected. Likewise, our amendment that Tchicherin’s and Lenin’s speeches at the Genoa conference be considered in its stead. One of the leaders of the F.S.U., who spoke against, said if we accepted Lenin’s and Tchicherin’s speeches we would be injecting politics. Another delegate said Litvinov was more up-to-date.
In the discussion on the anti-war resolution we pointed out the tremendous significance victorious Fascism in Germany would have both for the war against the U.S.S.R. and the new imperialist blood path.
The conference is very timely and can do some very good work.
The Toronto police are not going to be accused of making concessions. After allowing a previous anti-war gathering, the second meeting called by the anti-war youth conference was smashed up.
The crowd together with those from the rationalist meeting which had also been broken up went up to the Labor Party gathering.
To listen to the Labor Party brand of fakers requires more than a conscience and good stomach and before long the Left wing workers began heckling the speakers. “Back to Russia”, answered fakers. “Call the police”, mocked the workers.
As matters became hotter, the labor fakers began to appeal to the crowd on the basis of the fight they had carried on for free speech. What this fight was they didn’t explain.
Police and detectives by this time had arrived and encircled the radical section of the crowd but nevertheless when Connors declared the meeting over the crowd shouted for “questions”.
To the surprise of everybody, police included, the fakers, consented to allow questions. The questions were brief and likewise their exposure of the half-dozen question asked. The fakirs couldn’t answer one and his floundering around must have embarrassed the “Dicks”.
More of these meetings and the Toronto Labor Party will feel no more use in “educating” the masses.
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