A NOTORIOUS BOOK

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 101, 2 May 1925, Page 16

A NOTORIOUS BOOK

TROTSKY. AND THE JUNTA*

"L'Affaire Trotsky" is the one absorbing topic of discussion in Bussian circles, writes a. Russian correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph." What are his relations with, the Soviet Government, in which he is the Wax Commissary, and with the Communist Party, of which he is one of the leaders? Wherp is he now, and what is he doJ°S? l'u the. beginning of November -U'otsky published, a book, "1917 • Xhe Wessons of October," in which ho in: ; ainuatcd that on. tn e eve of the "Communist. Revolution of 1917 many of the present leaders "of the party did not act like real Bolsheviks, and that they TT dV aSreed with Lenin and showed aiciu-hevik!'.... tendencies, 'thus 'making the gravest'accusation that oho ISolshe--vik. can bring against- another. In re■P.Jy to this book the Central Committee ot the party, Jed by Stalin, Kameuetf and Zinovielf, mobilised the -whole"party against, then- former comrade. The Central .Committee passed a very sternly-worded resolution against Trotsky, s book, and'the .various Communist l^ommittees throughout Russia promptly passed, similar resolutions. -In addition, _< many of the: Bolshevik-- leaders published fierce replies to "1917 " and openly, accused its author of-Menshev-lsm. If the resolutions represent the .actual, feeling, in the committees there is no doubt that the great majority of the. Communists are not on Trotsky's "SIQ9. ....-;,..;..:.•*.:.- . "■ . .'■ ' . *•

The nest step was taken early in December,' when the Soviet papers published _ a medical bulletin on Trotsky's health, which was almost an exact repetition of the bulletin issued in January alter the War Commissary's quarrel witli the party junta. In the second, as in 110 nrst, the doctors suggested that Trotsky had better leave tho cold climate of Moscow and seek the warmer regions ol the south. ' -That is all that is exactly known about Trotsky. It has not been We clear whether or no he has left Moscow and, if he is still there, whether or no ne.is at .liberty. Newspapers outside Russia 'have printed 'a variety of rumours about, what has happened, including the report of actual fighting iv Moscow between the Trotskyists and the .WPPOTton of the Central Committee. Ihe Bojshevik leaders are all close students of tho French Revolution, and th» tigure of Robespierre stands ever betore them like a grim nightmare. They constantly indulge in warnings to each other not to repeat the great Jacobin s mistake. They are proud of the unity, of the party, and they also understand perfectly that only by this unity can they hold down the whole population of Russia. The arrest of Irotsky could only mean the open disruption of its: party, and quieter methods of getting rid of him could Jiav e been : found. ': .'. ['".'_■'.

Trotsky's own intentions are equally a mystery. Why did ho write "1917" and indict the Communist leaders, noton questions of current policy, but on their conduct se-ven years ago? He cannot but know tho opinion in the party and the strength of the Central Committee. Better than anyone else he must have foreseen what would happen. It is evident that the great majority of the party is against him, and he cannot have failed to realise it would be so Why, then, did he think it necessary to write his historical work and needlessly rouse the faithful Communists to fury? His opponents reproach him frequently for striving to win popularity among Jh e "non-party" elements, and this may be the explanation of his action.