Comrades may have seen the 'Newslottor'of 25/11/61 which carried a somewhat hystorical article by Gerry Healey, ontitled 'Ulbricht prepares a frame-up'. From the article it omerged that one Otto Frictag, who 'For seven years...attended meotings of the International Committcs but did little or no work in Gormany', had turned up in ast Berlin, givma pross conference denouncing West Huropean Trotskyists as working with West secrot police organisations and claiming that ho was a leader of tho Fourth International.
Just how much credence can be given to this kind of thing is adequately demonstrated when ono romenbors tho caso of Otto John, who shuttled back and forth over tho Bast /Wost border alternately denouncing the activities of dast and West. That at this stage Ulbricht should como forward with this kind of hing indicates that he is troubled with an intornal opposition. But those mothods long to a period which is now finishing and no ono can troat these claims seriously in any form whatsoover. However, it has beon suggested, this affair is tiod up with tho disappoarance of the left-wing leader of tho German Motal Yorkors' Union, Heinz Brandt, who is an old mombor of the Gorman C.P. who went into opposition to Ulbricht aftor tho 1953 Bast German uprising. Aftor loaving fast Gyrmany in 1957, ho became ono of the leading left wing trade unionists in tho West. Should a show trial be attomptod it would be necessary to wago a campaign of protest. Wo produce here a statoment by the International Soc’ctariat of tho Fourth International on this affairs
"L'Humanite, on tho 13th of Novombor, roporting on a press conforonco in Bast Borlin, writes "Ono Otto Friotag, who has beon two days in tho Gorman Democratic Republic, had a mcoting with journalists. eo said that ho had been a momber of the xccutivo Committoo of the Fourth Intornational Trotskyist organi~ sation, of which ho had boon the leador of tho German soction. Frictag gave ovidence how Gohlon agonts had tricd to make uso of tho Trotskyist organisation. Frioctag admittod having helped them". Tho I.S. catorgorically donios that XX s00 beley
The International Secretariat denouncos tho belated stalinist, Ulbricht, who at the momont of Stalin's ojection from the mausoleum in the Red Square, is using the mothods of provocation, calumny and repression used by Stalin twonty yoars ago against opposition communists.
Tho International Socrotariat likowise donounces, the publication of a similar provocation in l'Humanite, organ of tho Commnist Party of Franco, which is also ono of the last rofugos of bolated stalinism and proposes in its placo, tho attitude taken by the "Now Gonoration", organ of the Italian Young Communist Bese Groxes a" KX Otto Frictag was over a mombor of the H.C. of tho Fourth Intorn- ATLONALccccscece