BLOW TO COMMUNISM.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 247, 18 October 1926, Page 7

BLOW TO COMMUNISM.

%%fim& PiVgrjit&.i EXPERIMENT JEOPARDISES. 1 i | AMERICAN'S VIEW OF SPLIT. CBy Cable. — Tress Association.—Copyriglit.) XEW YORK, October 17. The Russian Communist party is torn and the whole experiment of Communism is jeopardised owing to the split that has occurred between the two factions led by Stalin and Trotsky, is the opinion 'expressed in a special article written by the noted American Communist. Mr. I Max Eastman. He characterises the ; situation in Russia as being more serious than is generally known. The writer says: "The most important thing which is happening in the world to-day is the | struggle between these two groups of j Bolsheviks for the control of the Russian Communist party and of the entire ■territory of the former Russian Empire. | "Tbe group which now holds pow.T is | dominated by Stalin. It comprises jßukharin. Rykoff. Kalinin and Tomsky. i Tbe lu'lief of this groun is that the victory of the revolution and the future I development of Russia can be defended | only by them holding power firmly in j their own hands and employing every j conceivable■ device to prevent a regime •of free discussion anions: the rank and file of the party and also to prevent a real democratic election of the officials controlling it. "The dominating personality in the opposine group is Trotsky. whft has with him. besides many others, the most bitter of his opponents in tbe lust two years. Zinovieff and KamenetT. LENIN'S LAST TESTAMENT. | "Tbe Trotsky group believes the revo- | lution can only be preserved and made Ito move forward if power be taken frjai the bureaucrats. "The professional party officials are systematically appointed and controlled by Stalin, or restored to tbe rank and tile of members of the party. There is no question with either group of a de|mocracy which could he extended beyond • the limits of the 1.000.000 members of the Communist party. "When Lenin was lying on his deathbed in 1923, deprived of the power of speech, he wrote a letter in which be predicted the struggle between Trotsky and Stalin. This letter, which has been called his testament to the party, is locked in a safe, but is declared to be non-existent by Stalin and his associates because it vigorously criticised Stalin i and demanded bis removal." Mr. Eastman proceeds to quote this "testament as follows: "By the stability of the central committee I mean | measures to prevent a split, so far as such measures can be taken. Our party rests upon two classes. For that reason I its instability is possible and if there i cannot exist an agreement between the , two classes its fall is inevitable. j "In such an event it would be useless Ito take any measures or to discuss staI bility. but I trust that event is remote. | ''T think the fundamental factor in the ' matter of stability is such members of | the central committee as Stalin and | Trotsky. The relation between them constitutes, in my opinion, but a danI cor of that split which could be avoided. ; That avoidance might be promoted by ; raising the number of members of the I committee to 50 or 100. I THE RIVAL LEADERS. ''Stalin having become general secretary has concentrated enormous power !in his hands. I am not sure that he j always knows how to use that power with sufficient caution. I "On the other hand. Trotsky, as was proven by his struggle against the central committee in connection with the question of the people's commissariat of ways and communication, is distinguished by exceptional abilities, and he is surely the most able man on the present central committee. He also has la too far-reaching self-confidence and a ' I disposition to be attracted by the purely I administrative side of affairs. j "These two qualities of the two most i able leaders of tbe present central committee might innocently lead to a split. "If our patty does not take measures to prevent it a split might arise unexpectedly." Lenin's "testament is followed by a postscript saying: "Stalin is too rough. '. and this fault, while it is entirely supportable among us Communists, becomes insupportable in the office of general secretary. "Therefore I propose that mv comrades find a way to remove Stalin from that position, and appoint to it another who. in all regards, differs from Stalin iv one superiority, namely, who is more patient, polite and attentive to his comI rades. and who is less capricious.'' . I TROTSKY CAPITULATES. j ELIMINATED FROM INFLUENCE. >! LOXDOX. October 17. I According to the special correspondent iof the "-Observer." the Communist inter- • j nal trouble is ended by the capitulation |of Trotsky and Zinovieff. They will ' l avoid extreme disciplinary measures and 'twill be eliminated from their spheres of I influence and leadership. j Stalin is now free to continue his corporation witii the peasants. UNCONDITIONAL SUBMISSION. (Received 1.30 p.m.l MOSCOW, October 17. The Oppositionists. Zinovieff, Trotsky. Piatakoff, Sokolnikoff, and Evdckimou. i have published a statement declaring l their unconditional submission to all 1 decisions of the Party Congress Centra! l Committee, and calling en th<>ir followers to do likewise.