The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-11-13
HERE'S The STORY OF TR0TZkY AS TOLD BY HIS FORMER
PALS IN THEIR new YORK CELLAR!
Special Dispatch from
FREDERICK M. KERRY,
Nf AZ, A,A,n Nork Bureau.

FREDERICK M. KERRY,
Of Our New York Bureau.
New York, Nov. 81 have just
come from the cellar at u St. Marks
Place, in the heart of New York's
East Side, where Leon TrOtzky, the
man who has overthrow the Keren:
sky government in Petrograd, for
three months edited the little Russian
revolutionary Socialist paper, Novy
Mir, the organ of the Russian branch
of the Socialist party in America.
Surrounded by three of the men
who have shared exile with Trotzky
in Siberia, and later were his asso-
ciates in Vienna, Berne, and Paris, I
sat at the desk in the dingy hole at
the rear of the cellar that Trotzky
used.
In the intervals between the clank
of the presses behind the wooden par.
tition that separated the pressroom
from the editorial sanctum. got his
comrades story of the man who is
now the leader Of the Bolsheviki in
Petrograd, on whom the future Of
Russia may depend.
IA wonderful man." said Alexander
Menshoy, now editor Of Novy Mir.
"Tall commanding, about 40 years
old, with wonderful smile, Trotzky
is not driver, but a leader.
"He is one of the very best speak
,ers in Russia. have heard him speak
many times and he is eloquent. A writ
er, too, he is, and so powerful one
that the German government passed
sentence of six months imprisOn-
ment against him although he was
not in Germany at the time, because
of his book attacking Prussianism
and kaiserism. :.
'.You must not say that Trotzky is
pro. German; he hates kaiserism and
militarism with an enduring hatred"
Corrected now and then, by his two
assistants, who seemed anxious that |
should get all the facts, lMenshoy con-
tinued:
''Trotzky was born in southern Rus
STA, in the province Of Kherson; his
father a poor farmer. We do no:
know how he got his education, but
when he was Is years old he was al
ready connected with the revolution
airy movement 49, the Socialist-De
cratic party. During the first Rus
sian revolution in 1905, he was in
Petrograd, as chairman. iof the Coun-
Gil of Workmen's Delegates. When
the revolution was crushed, all mem
'bers of that council were arrested
Trotzky with them. He was sent to
Siberia-his second sentence, since he
had already been deported there when
20 years old because he was social
ist. He escaped from Siberia to Swift
erland.
t'When the present war broke out
he was in Vienna publishing Russian
Socialist newspaper, and contributing
to the German paper New Zeit, ana
the French paper L'Humanite.
The was expelled from Austria be-
cause he had written book against
kaiserism, and went back to Switzer-
land and from there to Paris, where
he became editor of the Russian news
paper, Our Cause.
"That paper was suppressed by the
French censorship, and Trotzky order
ed to leave France. H. went to Spain
but on, request of the French he was
again deported, so he sailed for New
York, arriving last January.
I'm New York he helped organize
the Socialist Propaganda league, be-
came member Of the Russian Lranch
of the American Socialist party, and
temporarily, while our editor was
away on lecture tour, he edited the
paper here, for three months.
april e., after the Russian revo.
luton, he left New York for Petro-
grad by way of Canada and Norway.
but was arrested at Halifax, with d
few others of his comrades. On the
intercession of Milukoff, he was re-
leased, and arrived in Petrograd IN
May. He was almost Immediately ell
ected a member of the Council of
Workmen and Soldiers Delegates.
,"He is identified with the Bolshev.
Xxi group, and was elected chairman
OF the Bolsheviki convention recently
held in Petrograd. aE
"He was arrested in July by the
Kerensky government, after the upris-
ing in Petrograd, but was released,
and took a prominent part in the So
called Democratic convention about
a month ago. He was the leader of
the left wing in that convention.
"Trotzky, as leader of the Boil
sheyiki, stands for three things: First,
peace; but not separate peace; a
general peace under the familiar for
mula of no annexations and no indem-
mites All these men are against
separate peace with Germany. Why
do they want general peace? Be-
cause the war has ruined Russia, and
she cannot be rebuilt until peace
comes.
"The second demand is that the
land shall be given Immediately to the
peasants. Without this, nothing can
be done for the reconstruction of Rus.
STA. u ..
'"'The provisional government con.
sented to the distribution of land,
long ago, but they want to wait until