THE CHINA MAIL, MARCH 16, 1937.
To personal and political enmity is added fear of an exile whose uence is "dangerous
Why
T
Stalin
Wages Merciless
War On Trotsky
Trotskyists abroad and their for mer associates here, but it was not until the Kiroff murder in the Win- ter of 1934 that it was realized how dangerous such contacts might be. Karl Radek and others at the re-
HE question "Why does the Stalin administration attack Leon Trotsky?" has surely been answered by Moscow's recent treason trial with a wealth of de- tailed circumstantial evidence. Briefly it is this: "Joseph Stalin
"Western" exiles who lived in gram of protest. Klementy Voro cent trial avowed they knew before- and his aides attack Trotsky be comparative ease and full security shiloff, the present Commissar of hand. that an attempt was to cause they are convinced that he abroad while Stalin and his comrades Defence) stated some years ago that made on Kiro's life. They avow- is an enemy of the USSR, that in Russia bore "the burden and this telegram still exists in the Redd also their own plans to assassi- he deliberately allied himself with the heat of the day in constant Army archives with a brief note in nate other leaders by Trotsky's or- the Fascist enemies of the U.S.S.R, danger, and also the actual fact of Stalin's hand-writing. scrawled ders.
that he built up a powerful organ arrest, exile and execution Small across it: "Pay no attention.” ization inside and outside Russia to wonder that like the first hired "lab- defeat the Stalin administration by ourers in the vineyard" the Bolshe any means and by any sacrifice of viki who had remained in Russia Russian lives, however great.”
Communist
especially Trotsky, Nevertheless, in justice to Tro- "Westerners," tsky, one must give him credit for who did not join the sincerity. He is a man of over- party until 1917 and almost in no weening ambition and great intel- time was advanced to one of the in the Soviet lectual arrogance Lenin, and Lenin highest positions only, could tame this proud spirit State.
*
*
*
SE
be
to speak, accidental phase of the whole affair.
It is thus possible to reconstruct the underlying circumstances of the It was inevitable that two men of such different calibre should be Kiroff case, which was somewhat of come antagonists. Trotsky's main a mystery to the outer world, and were inclined to look askance at the spring was personal ambition, where of the Zinovieff-Kameneff: trial of
as Stalin was "Lenin's disciple and last August, which was also difficult.
for foreigners to understand. The a prolonger of Lenin's work," he told me himself on
assassin of Kiroff may perhaps have Christmas
had a personal motive which would Day of 1933. In other words, Stalin from the outset was true to the put his act to a certain extent in Bolshevist ideology, whereas Trotsky but that was only a small and, so the category of a "crime passionel,”
by sheer power of facts, by in- Two instances of the clash be- from the outset to his present la- flexible logic and that transcendent- tween Stalin and Trotsky during mentable position was a Trotskyist al human quality which made Lenin the civil war following the revolu- first, last and always. the greatest figure in recent his tion are worth citing to illustrate
The true motive now appears to tory.
their antagonism: On the first oc-
have been political, as an opening prominent O
ROM 1929 on, during the first stroke in a terroristic campaign Unlike David, Lenin never said casion Stalin, then
years of exile at Prinkipo against Soviet leaders. It is quite of Stalin and Trotsky-that strong figure in the Supreme Soviet War
the Island near Constantinople, but un- possible that the assassin Nikolayeff and. stormy team of horses these Committee and a member of "sons of Zerniak be too hard for "Politburo" of the party, was sent doubtedly was preparing his future himself hardly realized this, but me." While he lived he held them by Lenin with a mission to the Red action. Once arrived in Norway he that makes little difference. both in harness to work for the Army headquarters where Trotsky, set himself to spur the development tory shows that assassins of great Soviet State, and despite squabbles as it happened, was holding an im- of plans already made. Trotskyist men, from Lincoln and long before units of the so-called to Kiraff recently, have been most- and contradictions Lenin drew from portant war council Trotsky had centres
been ly, though not always, unbalanced Trotsky much that was of great ordered a sentry to allow no inter- "Fourth International" had
ruption, but Stalin, with Lenin's established at various points, not- characters, with real or fancied mandate, rightly brushed the guard ably in Paris, where Trotsky's chief grievances who have been impelled But Lenin was Lenin, and when aside and entered the council room henchman was Jacques Doriot, now to the fatal deed, sometimes with- Lenin died the contradictions flared
definitely a Social-Fascist; at Bar- out their own knowledge, by a sinis out into open struggle. Like Lenin, Next morning Trotsky had his celona, where the Trotskyists last ter force in the background Stalin kept in touch with the masses troops paraded and announced that Summer out-numbered the orthodox and knew that mass support was Comrade "X"naming the sentry Bolsheviki, and at New York, where
valne.
а
Etis-
question next arises: Why
essential Trotsky went his own had been condemned to death for Jay Lovestone and John Pepper did the Trotskyists abandon
"}
way and preferred intrigue and disobedience of orders. Then he caused on Trotsky's behalf a schism conspirative cabals.
So Trotsky fell and went out from the U.S.S.R. discredited. They might have shot him here perhaps now they wish they had. Despite
By Walter Duranty
the Bolshevist position of refusing to commit indivi assassina- tions? To answer this it is neces- when Lenin against indi-
sary to realize the pronounced
tires: --Lenin condi
the
not
Trotsky's opposition and activities added theatrically that in view of in the American Communist party vidual acts of ter in this country, Stalin knew that the former gallant conduct of Com- from which it has hardly yet re for humanitar
rade “X” he, Trotsky, as comman- covered. Trotsky had done good service and so spared his life. Now it seems
der-in-chief of the Red Army, gave Last but not least, Trotskyist ac- roristic policy of the social rev
tionaries on purely practica the man a free pardon. that Stalin underestimated Trotsky's
tivity was great in the US.S.B., as the recent trial showed. True, it because he always believed in the energy and power; perhaps under- This story may be apocryphal, estimated also the ideological though I heard it soon after my
was confined to a comparatively action of masses and considered-in- strength of Trotsky's movement in arrival in Moscow fifteen years ago who perhaps again sincerely re-negative as compared with mass ac
small group of intellectual leaders,
this country.
LTHOUGH Trotsky's hostility to Stalin has a deep ideolo- gical foundation and dates far ear lier than the Bolshevist revolution -it goes back to the period when Trotsky was an independent semi- Menshevik continually attacking the ideas of Lenin, of whom Stalin was always a most devoted supporter there is also a personal divergence between Stalin and Trotsky. It based not only on the former's de votion to Lenin but also on differ
dividual acts
nificant or ever
tion. If mass action was possible, Lenin asserted, there was no rea-
from a man who ought to have known. The story continues that garded the Stalinist regime as a perversion of their revolutionary Stalin went back to Lenin and spoke ideals. As before, Trotsky's theories Son or purpose for individual kill-
sharply of Trotsky's Napoleonic me- thods. (Perhaps, it is not a mere coincidence that throughout the re- cent trial the word "Bonapartism" was repeatedly used to define the programme of
On this card war-Trotsky-st ed not only his chances of success
inge
the exile attempt to make any. He had no appeal to the masses nor did
Trotsky, on the other hand, is staked everything on a palace re an individualist who, as I have said, volution" to be brought about by a 1917 and who, as this and the only joined the Communist party Soviet defeat in war which he be earlier trial show not to mention lieved inevitable.
the course taken by the Trotskyist movement since Lenin's death had little contact with the mas Trotsky's own knowledge and the information he received from as
ociates in Russia must have told him there was no hope for the sac- cess of his views or of his and their accession to power so long as Stalin,
brotskyist con spirators.) Lenin is alleged to have replied much as Lincoln did when they told him that Grant drank too much whisky "I don't care what but also the lives of his follo
here With an incredible cynicism, he does so long as he beats the
according he charges made enemy
trial, he ordered thear
As I said, this story may well to work for their co ences of character and other rea- be fiction, but fiction is so
red them to hasten war 30 tk sona. Stalin's chief characteristics truer than truth because it can defeat might come quickly; ordered Ordfoniladze, Voroshiloff, are will power, perseverance and bring up to the surface things that them to commit acts the ability to think things out to are underlying.
the end." Whereas Trotsky had a
more brilliant intellect and was The second case is definitely
fn had
Stehetimes able to jump where Stalin
plodded, he
ertheless.
of sabotage vich and Molotoff not t terrorism to make defeat easier Ki
remained ordered them to do Trotsky liked
alive.
not
clusion Soviet
It was a
one
"theory “bec.
were d