Declaration to Spanish workers

              INTERNATIONAL BUREAU FOR REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST UNITY.
35, St. Bride Street, 
London, E.C.4.
17th August, 1936.
DECLARATION TO SPANISH WORKERS.
The following statement has been adopted by the I.B.R.S.U. and sent to the Workers' Party of Marxist Unity [ Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista, POUM ] in Spain.
We ask you to do everything possible to get publicity for it.     You will realise immediately the great importance of this:-
The International Bureau for Revolutionary Socialist Parties renews its declaration of complete support of the Spanish workers in their desperate struggle against Fascism. It greets particularly its affiliated section, the Workers' Party for Marxist Unity, and expresses pride in the magnificent revolutionary role which that Party is filling in the present life and death conflict between Socialism and Fascism.
The Bureau recognises the present struggle in Spain as an international struggle between the working class and the forces of Fascism.      It is proud to know that members of the associated parties and groups of France, Germany and Italy are flighting side by side with the Spanish workers.
The military airplanes, machine guns, munitions and finance provided by the Fascists of Italy and Germany to the Spanish Fascists proves the real character of the Struggle. The Bureau draws attention to the fact that such support given to forces in revolt against a recognised de facto Government is against all international practice and precedent.
The Bureau draws attention to the provision of "civil" airplanes to the Spanish Fascists from Britain and other countries.     Those airplanes and supplies are openly for war purposes and their despatch to Spain repudiates the spirit of international practice in this matter.    On the other hand, the decision of the Governments not to allow armaments to be exported to the Spanish Government is a repudiation of international practice in the opposite direction.      It has always been the practice of Governments to allow armaments to be exported to a de facto Government when faced by rebellion. The action of the Governments in this instance is in fact the application of an armament sanction against Spain.     The Bureau regrets particularly that the Popular Front Government of France and the Government of the Soviet Russia should be parties to  this agreement.
Under such circumstances the working class must again rely on its own action, rather than on the action of Governments, to provide assistance to the Spanish workers.
The first duty of the working class is to provide monetary aid.     We welcome the contributions which are being made by the Trade Union Movement in the different countries and particularly the large sum sent from Soviet Russia.     The Bureau expects the members of its affiliated parties to contribute to these Trade Union funds as fully as possible.