Broken Brotherhood

In Father Marx's house are many mansions. Last week at Britain's Clacton-on-Sea 42 Socialists from 19 countries divided into at least five groups on the questions of how much and how soon they should disagree with their fellow Marxists, the Communists.

On only one point were the delegates nearly unanimous. Careful reporters noted that 41 of them tripped over the coconut mat as they entered Clacton's garish, modernistic Oulton Hall. The 42nd, stepping carefully, was Britain's Socialist Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Dalton, who presided over the first of the secret sessions.

The meeting's lavish host was the British Labor Party, which set up an un-austere dinner of hors d'oeuvres, soup, chicken, potatoes, peas, cabbage and a choice of three sweets to be washed down with sound, unimaginative red Saint-Julien, a white Bordeaux and liqueur. (Because Oulton Hall is not a licensed house, the drinks had to be brought all the way from London.)

Harold Laski, who is chairman of the Labor Party's National Executive Committee, and who masterminded the convocation of the conference, said coyly to the press as the delegates gathered: "If a Socialists' International is being planned wouldn't it be better to spring it on the delegates abruptly? If they are told in advance, they can think of all the difficulties."

A lot of the delegates thought up difficulties anyway. Those from eastern Europe (Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Rumania) were against the Socialist International because they feared to break with the Communists. Their spokesman was grey-haired, bright-eyed Anna Kethly, now Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament. Said Anna Kethly: "It would be disastrous for Hungary to end the present cordial relations with Russia, owing to the geographical proximity."

The French, Italian, Austrian and Belgian Socialists had a different position. They foresaw an eventual break with the Communists, but thought the present moment was "premature." Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Holland strung along with the British Labor Party, as they usually do. The Argentine delegate, Nicolas Repetto, hoped a Socialist International might help him fight Peron. A Canadian delegate favored an anti-Communist Socialist International, but he had a worry of his own: "Any future war will be between America and Russia--and we Canadians are between. We will get the atom bombs that miss."

The final session was six hours of quick-fire debate. The delegates decided that they would "not attempt a Socialist International before achieving collaboration with the Soviet Union." Laski tried to hide his disappointment with a magnanimous gesture: "I will rather resign the chairmanship of the British Labor Party than subscribe to an attempt to force a Socialist International in the face of the feeling here against it."

Since Laski's term as chairman, a job that carries little influence, expires in three weeks, this statement was not regarded as sensational.

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