INSTRUCTION TO THE SECRETARY
[July 1921]
Lorio 1 reports: The French delegate (?)
Julien (Jullien ?)
wrote me a letter concerning the colonies.
Please locate the letter, I request.
1 Ferdinand Lorio was a member of the Communist Party of France from 1920 to 1927. He served as a delegate to the Third Congress of the Comintern.
In 1927, he was expelled from the Communist Party as a right-wing opportunist.
2 Julien André was a delegate to the Third Congress of the Comintern representing the French Socialist Party. In his letter, Julien informed Lenin about the communist movement in North Africa (Algeria–Tunisia), detailing the difficulties encountered in the work—stemming from the small size of the proletariat, the hostile attitude toward the indigenous population displayed by colonial officials, the low level of literacy and educational attainment, and the like.
Despite these challenges, Julien wrote, the communist sections in North Africa were active and achieving success. Following the discussion of the theses at the Second Congress of the Comintern, the sections “voted, by an overwhelming majority, to join the Third International.” The letter further reported that for the first time in Algeria’s history, a communist had been elected General Counselor—and that his speeches in defense of the indigenous population were met with great resonance. Julien believed that it was essential to establish a communist press in Algeria–Tunisia.