RUSSIA CANNOT REMAIN COMMUNISTIC IF WORKERS ELSEWHERE DO NOT AID - TROTZKY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01226R000100120005-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: REPORT

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COPY' ~`D: SS
Compared .__._~._
SO tIFtCE t HF~ YQR~ A1~~A IC AN,
APRIL 16, 1433.
RU9SIA CAIQNOT RAIN COI~~"~,Tt~I~TIC , II' `l~ORlC~R~
ELSE~tH~RE A? AtOT AID - TROT2~Y
Former Leader Guarded in Ezils
on 1"rotzk
Exile Sov Bader,
1n an n erv err w
er ce s or
It was my ~?d fortune to spend thr?s weeks with
Leon Aavidowioh Trotsky.
For this privilege I war willing to travel the siz
thousand miles from view York Gity to Turkey. From
Istanbul, Z made the last lap in a little stea~aer that
railed out of the Holden Horn t? the island of Buyuk Ada
(Prinkipo} in the Sea of ~!armora.
There, facing the sea, Surrounded by a high wall, wee
the house of Trotsky.
I went to the gate. A swarthy Turkish special officer
barred mY way.
The illusion of "vacation" at once evaporated. Thin
was not "vacation," but ezile, and not only ezils, but
fail. Ths prisoner could walk about, he could take his
boat and fish, but always with the officers at h1s side.
Tr+ctzky rents a large, pleasant two..storied house.
On the aground floor are the living quarters of those com-
rades who aid him, and ?f the cook, a pleasant Qerman
women. Abpve ass the quarters of his immediate family
(including his wife and grandson} and his oftiee, library
end study.
I was tnkert into the study where Trotsky was wc~king
on the second volume of his "Hi story of th s kussian Revolu-
tion." `hat I sae was astrongly-built, stocky, medium-
sised figure of b3 or se},
Exile apparently has not withered his strength, even
though the climate ha a g:.ven him the malaria from which
he suffered intensely in sot weather and though he is on
a diet due to stcunaoh trouble.
SYE3 ~3~tAP
Trotsky Is Combination of E3raoe and Strength
His familiar think mane ai' hair, formerly het black,
i? now str?aked with gray. But his eyes still asap behind
the
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the thick glasses, and his fir~a features hold all their
aggressiveness. The strong, weli?shaped hands, broad
beak, graceful carriage, healthy, glowing tanned. skin, the
brilliant smile that illmaines all his features, every-
thing about Trotxky ,suggests a vombination of grace and
strength, of brilliance and reserve, of biting hum?r
and r~slentless determination.
He speaks slowly and ~3eefsively, like his written style,
compact with thought, e~ztd eaintillating with striking
phrases. "The style is then man" indeed.
Trotxky showed ,n tremendous catholicity of views.
~e talked of China, India, Gerffiany, Ite~ly, Spain, America,
Russia, the Alsgro question, the labor party question in
,~merica, the world eoonomie crisis, the ~-ersonal traits
of the leadlntx Bofors on the ~~uropean political stage
today, literature, military tactics; on ell these questions
Trotxk showed himself a broadly informed can with
unusua~ penetrstion. I asked him:
"ghat do you think oP the C#erman sltuation?
"To me, ~~ Trotxky replied, "Geraany is the key to the
lnternetionel situation. Let us look at the East - Japan
will not attack Russia imaaediately. Ia Asia things go
more slowly. Japan will have hQr hands full for a while
with Manchuria, whilh can well become for her wha t
Morocco was to the Spanish dynasty.
"Besides, Japan has far too Bauch respect for the new
Red Army of Russin to try war without a guarsnty from the
pest.
"The t9est is decisive. If the worlfl is to turn
Coamiunist it must Dome from the oontradictioas in the
pest. And the key to the Test, to kurope, lies in
aermaany.^
"In the fade of these conditions, it is disturbing
to find that all working class revolutions in Germany here
been defeated, that the Communist party does not grow,
and, tv sap it all, a great growth of Fascia is taking
pleas under the direction of Hitler's Maxis."
"ghat do you consider the reason for this growth of
Fascism?" I asked. "11ad what will become of it?"
"Ritlar in power ,ef,gnifies t~;e actwl massacre of the
Communists end th?ir virtual elimination, together with
the destruction, ?f the t3ernan trade unions.
"Such developruents out down the Communist parties
everywhere. They remove the greatest obstacle to a world
war against Soviet Russia namely, the resistance of the
organized international working class.
P~I?IC TS
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-$~
PRI~b IC TS
United. 5tatea-l9kwiet Conflict
"soviet Russia cannot remain indei'initely t34ststunist
if the workers elsewhere cannot aid it, despite the inter-
nal strength of Russia, fcrtified by the fife-year plan."
I questioned Trotsky as to his opinions on erice+.
"Ameriaa," he said, "is the great reserve of world
capitalism. The United States is the irary ?ntitresis of
the ~-Quiet Union az~d soon~o-r or later these two tit~.:~s
must come to a life-and-death grip.
"This, of soursa, dose not prevent thew from having
many thing8 temporarily in comsion, as the hostility to
Japan's Manchurian adventure, the absence of bath the
United Mates and the soviet Union from the League of
Kations, amd the trade and technical relatians between
amsrica and Russia showed.
"For America has to fight not only Russia, but the
British l~mpire and the attempt to organize a ~1Aited ;fates
of $urope against the pow?r of ~uaerica. As capitalist
Europe had striven to 'Asericanize' itself industrially,
ao ~erice will become ''~uropeanized' politically."
"ltnd what chance is there for a strong Cozasunist
party in the U. ~. .A.?" I queried.
"There is no doubt in my xind," was his answer, "that
now in the tTnited Mates glass lines will have to be openly
recognimed and amass workers` party emerge.
CR~E
So Trotsky Characterizes tT. ~. Communist Party
""~>hether e~aah a Harty will take the form of a labor
party, in the ~:nglish sense, ar the mass growth of a
9oaialist or Gom~aun3at party or some unique combination,
it 1 s difficult to asy, but i t is quite certain that
whether in the worst period of the crisis, or when a
possible upturn takes plane, such a class politics will
arise.
"But your.aooial i st and Communist movements are the
worst of sny," he ezalai.med. "There is no 8oofalist party
io corrupt as the American one, no Comeeuniet part~r w crude
as the Communist party of the tTnited States, and no `Right
iYing` group of Communists so crassly opportunist ?s the
American. i~ut the leaders of these elements will be pushed
aside by the virile working ale ss moveme me that are
~~ousd to arise.
"8hould ~- Labor party be organized by such a sponta-
neously arising working class movement it is the duty of
the Communists, even if they have to ,loin it, constantly
to criticize it and expose its limitedness.
"0n
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"On no aoaouat must the Co~unista help to organize
a Labcar pang,- but must build a Communist party in
oppv+si Lion tv i t. "
It is eTident that Trvtzkq'~s gears of exile ana
imprisonment hers not Impaired him in the least. I
have sees hi~~ at work from earlg morning till late at
night. ~+e haTe Bane fishing together at 3 in the morn-
ing and I haTe seen him retire the same eTening only at
11 yr 18 o'olock.
Fishing now is his greet hobb~r. And to fie?+ with
Trvtzky la in itself great sport.
TC-"watch him ounningly creep up on the places where
hs thought Fish might eboun~ end deftly spread the Hate
around, to see him seize the rvcke preTimusly oolleated
in the boat and hurl them in the water, driving the i'ish
into the Hate, to see his eyes sparkle sad his enthusiasm
grow as the nets would be brought up loaded with
beautiful specimens; to share his humor as the fish were
picked from the net anu collevt?d and to enjoy with
hin the fish caught that day +~t the dinner table - this
was a plsasur+~ indeed.
Svmetime~ the fishing was not so good. Then Trvtxky's
tape would reflect this great Failure vt man against
nature. we would stay out all ffivrniag. Natalia, h!e wife,
would grow ana~iaus end send the outboard motor boat (ot
Amerisan make} attar us with breakfast and sometimes with
dinner. ~~e would set bread end cheese and perhaps an egg
on the boat and ~o on tisriing.
Trotsky indeed is ~n inTeterate fisherman, going out
in all kinds of weather, mush to the worry of alI ?t ua
and to the discomfort of t~fs police guards, eapeolally once,
when a storm coming up on the Sea of ~ar~ra droTe the
little rowboat on the rocks ~rhere 'Trot2ky was stranded and
drenched all night.
Trotsky Fishes in X11 Kinds of Mather.
zioweTer, fishing cannot quite take the place of hunting,
a sport which Trotsky misses. Re is a Tery good shot.
Once, laughingly, ~;.e pointed out hcrw dif'tiault it was to
ah?ot wild ducks with. a plat?l, ,end then, seeing one riding;
the waTea-tar from us, tried to get it Keith his automatic
Ths duck start?d duakin~r when Trotsky began to cahoot.
It is wail that Trotsky knows how to shoot, for he
m?q be called upon to use that art. Tens of thousands
of ollt Russian '~hite Guards reside in Iat~~nbu1, many of
whvw l~equent 8uyuk &da.
As we ~o fishing, anxiously ~Ne scan the shots without
letting t~ze "Qld flan" know of it, to see it there is aotr~a-
one lurking in the woods to take a shot.
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As ws eat, someone patrols the grouAde~; a guard
is kept all :night r~atching the plea?; but errert these
prea~autions eenaot be very effevtiTe. ~~hat could a
little guard oi' tY~ree men do if t re?l attack ~+ere made'?
And there is no question that with his de?th a truly
greet man woula leave the Beane.
Copyright, 1fl:33, by ~. *. ~.nleri?an, Inc.
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