After having received the copies of your letters #5 and #6, [which were] addressed to comrades Jonathan and Tony,[2] and without wanting to examine here the content of the debate that concerns the American section, we believe we must draw your attention to a delay in the transmission of the letters that are sent by the French section, a delay that you must certainly keep in mind when it comes to the fixed dates of your “ultimatums.”[3]
Jonathan and Tony, when they passed through Paris around two weeks ago, asked if their mail could be kept at Guy’s place until they returned, without specifying the date. We have since learned that Jonathan was in Italy at Gianfranco’s place,[4] and Tony, who passed through there without stopping, seems to be in Holland, at an address that we don’t know. Thus, we have for the last several days kept in Paris your letter of 30 October [1969], which was addressed in care of René.[5] On 10 November, we forwarded it to Milan. Therefore Jonathan probably got it two days ago, while Tony probably hasn’t gotten it yet.
The French section will willingly accept a discussion about the exclusion of Alain,[6] but we must remark that it was, according to point 7 of the statutes of the International adopted in Venice,[7] clearly a case of “practical breaches (that) must be sanctioned immediately, on the spot,” which each section must judge for itself. The facts in the case weren’t contested by anyone, and the very content of this decision had been approved by the comrade who was excluded.
As guy has already said to Tony,[8] we are fully in agreement with your request that critiques of the French section (or the SI in general) are communicated to everyone in written form.
Best wishes,[1] Robert Chasse and Bruce, then in New York
[2] Jonathan Horelick and Tony Verlaan, then in Europe.
[3] Concerning the participation of Horelick and Verlaan in the activities of the American section.
[4] Gianfranco Sanguinetti, a member of the Italian section of the Situationist International, then living in Milan.
[5] René Riesel, a member of the French section of the SI.
[6] Alain Chevalier, excluded from the SI on 3 October 1969.
[7] The location of the Eighth Conference of the SI was held in Venice, Italy, in September 1969.
[8] It isn’t known if this transmission of information was done face to face or through a letter.
(Published in Guy Debord Correspondance, Vol "4": Janvier 1969 - december 1972 by Librairie Artheme Fayard, 2004. Translated from the French by NOT BORED! March 2012. Footnotes by the translator.)