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

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-01226R000100120006-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2008/06/10: CIA-RDP90-01226R000100120006-4
COPY - ECE:SS
Compared
Sd t1RCE: N YORK Aifl R IC A.N',
APRIL 16l 1933.
RUSSIA CANNOT RE .AIN COM. YUNI:MC , IF WORKER,
ELSEWHERE DO NOT AID - TROT?XY
Farmer Leader Guarded in Exile
Loon Trotxk? y
Exi c Soviet Leo
in an n to view w~
Albert We s o
It was my good fortune to spend three weeks with
Leon Devidowich Trotsky.
For thin privilege I was willing to travel the six
thousand miles from Now York City to Turkey. From
Istanbul, I made the last lap in a little steamer that
sailed out of the Golden Horn to the island of 13uyuk Ada
(Prinkipo) in the Sea of armora.
There, facing the sea, surrounded by a high wall, was
the house of Trotsky.
I went to the gate. A swarthy Turkish special officer
barred my way.
The illusion of 'vacation" at once evaporated. This
was not "vacation," but exile, and not only exile, but
jell. The prisoner could walk about, he could take his
boat and fish, but always with the officers at his side.
Trotsky rents a large, pleasant two-storied house.
On the ground floor are the living quarters of those com-
rades who aid him, and of the cook, a pleasant German
woman. Above are the quarters of his immediate family
(including his wife and grandson) and his office, library
and study.
I was taken into the study where Trotsky was working
on the second volume of his "History of the Russian Revolu-
tion." What I saw was a strongly-built, stocky, medium-
sized figure of 53 or so.
Exile apparently has not withered his strength, even
though the climate has given his the malaria from which
h e suffered intensely in hot weather and though he i n on
a diet due to stomach trouble.
M3 SNAP
Trotsky Is Combination of Grace and Strength
His familiar thick mane of hair, formerly jet black,
is now streaked with gray. But his eyes still snap behind
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the thick glasses, and his firm features hold all their
aggressiveness. The strong, well-shaped hands, broad
back, graceful carriage, healthy, glowing tanned skin, the
brilliant smile that illumines all his features, every-
thing about Trotzky suggests a combination of grace and
strength, of brilliance and reserve, of biting humor
and relentless determination.
He speaks slowly and decisively, like his written style,
compact with thought, and scintillating with striking
Phrases. "The style is the man" indeed.
Trotsky showed a tremendous catholicity of views.
We talked of Chino, India, Germany, ltely, Spain, .America,
Russia, the Negro question, the labor party question in
America, the world economic crisis, the personal traits
of the leading actors on the 'uropean political stage
today, literatures military tactics; on all these questions
Trotsky showed himself a broadly informed man with
unusual penetration. I asked him:
t do you think of the German situation?
"1b me, Trotsky replied, "Germany is the key to the
international situation. Lot us look at the nest - Japan
will not attack Russia Immediately. In Asia things go
more slowly. Japan will have bar hands full for a while
with i anehuria, which can well become for her what
oroeoo was to the Spanish dynasty.
"Besides, Japan has for too much respect for the new
Red Army of Russia to try war without a guaranty from the
West.
"The West is decisive. If the world is to turn
Communist it must come from the contradictions in the
'West. And the key to the West, to kurope, lies in
Germany,"
"In the face of these conditions, it is disturbing
to find that all working class revolutions in Germany have
been defeated, that the Communist party does not grow,
and, to cap it all, a great growth of Poscism is taking
place under the direction of Fitler's Nazis."
"What do you consider the reason for this growth of
Fascism?" I asked. "And what will become of it?"
"Hitler in power signifies the actual massacre of the
Communists and their virtual elimination, together with
the destruction of the German trade unions.
"Such developments 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.
PRIDIC TS
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PRED ICTS
United States-Soviet Conflict
"soviet Russia cannot remain indefinitely Ca iat
if the workers elsewhere cannot aid it, despite ter inter-
nal strength of Russia, fortified by the five-year plan."
I questioned Trotsky as to his opinions on America.
"America," he sold, "is the great reserve of world
capitalism The United States is the very antithesis of
the 7ovl*t Union and sooner or later then two titans
must come to a life-and -death grip.
"This, of course, does not prevent them from having
many things temporarily in sommon, as the hostility to
Japan's Vanchurian adventure, the absence of both the
United States and the bovlet Union from the League of
Nations, and the trade and technical relations between
America and Russia showed.
"For America has to fight not only Russia, but the
British Empire end the attempt to organize a United States
of Europe against the power of America. As capitalist
Europe had striven to 'Americanize' itself industrially,
so America will become 'Europeanized' politically."
"And what chance is there for a strong Communist
party in the U. S. A.?" I queried.
"There is no doubt in my mind," was his answer, "that
now in the [united States class lines will have to be openly
recognized and a mass workers' party emerge.
CRUDE
So Trotsky Characterizes U. S. Communist Party
"Whether such a Party will take the form of a labor
party, in the English sense, or the mass growth of a
Socialist or Communist party or some unique combination,
it is difficult to say, but It is quite certain that
whether In the worst period of the oriole, or when a
possible upturn takes place, such a class politics will
arise.
"But your socialist and communist movements are the
worst of any," he exclaimed. "There is no socialist party
60 corrupt as the American one, no Communist party so crude
as the Communist party of the United States, and no 'Right
4ing' group of Communist* ao crassly opportunist as the
American. But the leaders of these elements will be rushed
aside by the virile working class movements that are
bound to arise.
"Should a Labor party be organized by such a sponta-
neously arising working class movement it is the duty of
the Courlista, even if they have to join it, constantly
to criticize it and expose its limitedness.
.on
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"On no account must the Communists help to organize
a Labor party, but must build a Communist party in
opposition to it."
It is evident that Trotzky's years of exile and
imprisonment have not impaired him in the least. I
have seen bi: at work from early morning ti,Ul late at
night. We have gone fishing together at 3 In the morn--
ing and I have seen him retire the same evening only at
11 or 12 o'clock.
Fishing now is his great hobby. And to fish with
Trotsky in in Itself great sport.
To watch him cunningly creep up on the places where
he thought fish might ahounc ane deftly spread the nets
around, to see him seize the rocks previously collected
In the boat and hurl them in the water, driving the fish
into the nets; to see his eyes sparkle and 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 and collected and to enjoy with
him the fish caught that day at the dinner table - this
was a pleasure indeed.
Sometime: the fishing was not so good. Then Trotzky's
face would reflect this great failure of man against
nature. We would stay out all morning. Natalie, his wife,
would grow anxious and send the outboard motor boat (of
American make) after us with breakfast and sometimes with
dinner. ?e would eat bread and cheese and perhaps an egg
on the boat and go on fishing.
Trotsky Indeed is en inveterate fisherman, going out
in all kinds of weather, much to the worry of all of us
and to the discomfort of t`Fe police guards, especially once,
when a storm coming up on the Sea of armors drove the
little rowboat on the rocks where Trotzky was stranded and
drenched all night.
Trotsky Plebes in All kinds of 'reather.
However, fishing cannot quite take the place of hunting
a sport which Trotzky misses. Pe is a very good shot.
Once, laughingly, he pointed out how difficult it was to
shoot wild ducks with a pistol, and then, seeing one riding
the waves far from us, tried to get it with his automatic
The duck started ducking when Trotsky began to shoot.
It is well that Trotzky knows how to shoot, for he
may be called upon to use that art. Tens of thousands
of old russien ""'bite Guards reside in Int