Issuing body: Second World Congress (Second International Conference), Fourth International — opening address by comrade M. (Raptis)
---
Opening of the Conference
The Conference opened with the following short address by comrade M. (Raptis).
Comrades,
In opening this international Conference, the fourth since the founding of our International in 1938, our thoughts turn with emotion to the hundreds of our comrades who perished during the second imperialist war, victims of their unshakeable attachment to the historic cause of the proletariat, to the revolutionary programme of our International.
Above all, I ask you to rise for a minute to honour their memory — the memory of L. Trotsky, of Walter Held (Epe), of Peters, of Lesoil, of Léon (Wajnsztok), of Hic, of Pouliopoulos, of Blasco (Tresso), of Widelin (Monat), of Chen Chi-chang, and of their comrades, who were all among the best representatives, the best fighters, of the revolutionary movement of the proletariat and of our International.
Our Conference sends its warmest greetings to the valiant companion of L. Trotsky, comrade Natalia; we also send our fraternal greetings to all the fighting sections of our International, and particularly to the comrades of Indochina, Indonesia and India, who stand in the vanguard of the heroic struggle of their peoples for their national and social liberation.
We also greet the comrades of the SWP, who are taking a very active part in the great struggles now being waged by the American proletariat, as well as our comrades of Spain, who will soon have the task of helping to ensure that the new Spanish revolution ends this time in the victory of the revolutionary proletariat.
Comrades, our Conference is open.
Victorious socialist revolutions alone can prevent the third world war!