Two successful meetings were held in Nottingham with Pierre Frank, Member of the International Secretariat of the Fourth International, secretary of the French section of the F.I, and one-time secretary to Trotsky. The first on the Sunday afternoon of the 11th was attended by some fourty-odd psople. As it was an ‘invitation only! moeting and the organisers had been selective, the audience was a serious one consisting mainly of young people active in the Young Socialists, Y.C.N.D., University Socialists Socioty, otce., in addition ther were active Labour Party workers, trade unionists, Committee of 100 supporters and members of the Afro—Asian West Indian Union. After outlining briefly the main poriods of Trotsky's life, Pierre went over Trotsky's contribution to marxist tiought and his vreat organisational achievements o.g., tho crcation of the Red Army and Fourth International, Pierre spoko of how in the terrible period of the thirties, Trotsky's oxample had inspired his followers to withstand the sevorest test. of all, the campaign of repression and defamation waged by the stalinists. He advised his audience to read and study all Trotsky wrote, not only on directly political subjects but on art, culture, science, etc. The seriousness of the audionee and high political level of Pierre's lecture were shown in the character of the questions. Comrades asked for clarification on such points as the difference between the ‘minimum programme! and the 'transitional programme', what role Lenin would have played if he had not died when ho did, the difference betweon Lonin's conception of inner-party organisation and liosa Luxomburg's, etc. A collection of £2 was takon and a good quantity of literature was sold.
The meating at the University, on the Monday afternoon of the leth, despite the counter-attraction of other meetings, was attended by some 25 people. Picrre's lecture again went down woll and inspired serious questions. The organisers, the Nottingham University Socialist Society were pleased with the meeting.
All in all, both mectings went down oxtromely well and the general opinion of comrades when discussing afterwards, was that they had had an onjoyable and informative oxperienco. From a long torm point of view, we feel that the moetings apart from have familarised the comrades with many aspects of Trotsky's thought will have laid the basis for a serious theoretical study of Trotskyism
ANTI COLOUR BAR DEMONS RATION TO B& ORGANISED
The wekond of the 24/25th of February is to sce many joint demonst ations by the Young Socialists and NALSO against tho Tory colour bar Immigration Bill. This arises from the decision of tho Y.S, National Committee agresing with a NALSO suggestion on those linos,
The West Nottingham branch of the Young Socialists, at a meeting on the 13th, decided to press for this to be done in the Nottingham area. There w will be a march through town on the Saturday afternoon, starting from the 110 Jisnsficld toad at 2.15, to be followed by a meoting in the square. All interosted organisations are going to be asked to take part.
Opponents of the Government's racialist measure will have an opportunity to make their views known to one of the main racialists in the Tory party on Sunday the 16th, at 2,30, at a moeting of the Nottingham Cosmospolitan Society which also meets at the Co-op Hducation Centre. Cordeaux, momber of Parliament for Central Nottingham, is notorious for his continual raising in the House of Commons of issues designed to blame bad housing, etc. on the immigrants. Just before the so-called Nottingham race riots he held a series of open-air meetings in which he agian and again raised such questions, especially that of immgrants allegedly living on the state. Whenever he makes such a declaration it receives wide press publicity and there is no doubt that he as responsible as much as any fascist organisation for poisoning relations between the British and West Indian workers.