Editorial

The decision we took a year ago to organise each issue of our magazine round a central theme has so far worked with some success, and has meet with the general approval of our readers. However, it has led to the accumulation of a number of illuminating articles in our hands that can¬not easily be grouped into any obvious pattern. We have therefore decided to present a few of them in the current issue, since several have been in our possession for some time, and a further delay in publication would only amount to a discourtesy to their writers. We shall return to our thematic approach in our next number, devoted to the question of the Ger¬man Revolution to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the Spartakist Revolt. For the benefit of readers joining us for the first time, we should point out that our practice is to print material expressing a wide range of opinion, and to lay side by side contradictory views, as we feel our readership is quite capable of coming to its own conclusions. Apart from the fact that there is no unanimity of view on the Editorial Board itself, we believe that a blinkered orthodoxy would not serve the cause of a critical examination of the facts, as well as robbing history of life and in¬terest. In this spirit we invite those groups that see themselves as revolutionary which have not yet sent a delegate to this magazine to join us and to add their insights and experience to ours. Some of our readers abroad will already know that there exist journals and organisations with similar aims in France, Spain, Italy and Germany. Starting with this number we intend to publish a brief resume of the work they are carrying on, much of it of exceptional interest and vitality. Editorial Board Revolutionary History The last issue of our journal announced that we would be publishing a tribute to Harry Wicks, a founder of the Trotskyist movement in Britain and a courageous and honourable working class revolutionist. However we feel that we would not be able to do justice to his massive contribution in a small article, which is all that we would have space for here. So instead it has been decided that, as a more fitting tribute, to keep his memory fresh among his many friends and comrades, Socialist Platform Ltd will publish a pamphlet consisting of comrade Wicks' interview with Al Richardson and a number of his writings on the international working class movement. We are gratified to learn, as will our readers, that Logic Barrow is at present preparing Harry Wicks' memoirs for publication. A memorial meeting, to be addressed by his close collaborators, has been organised by Socialist Platform for Sunday 8 October at Conway Hall at 3.OOpm. We feel that many of our readers will wish to attend to mark the passing of this old comrade and friend. CLR James (1901-1989 Revolutionary History shares the general sadness over the death of CLR James. James followed the work of our magazine closely and sympathetically, and sent copies regularly to his friends in the USA. A tribute to his many sided contribution to the movement will appear in our next issue.