The New York herald., 1921-09-07
Trotzky to The New York Herald.


In the letter sent by the Russian
Soviet War Minister TRoTzKY to THE
NEW YORK HERALD, printed in this
newspaper Sunday, will be found
either disingenuous appeal Of the
Bolshevik press agency or the proof
that TRoTzKY himself has been de-
ceived by the falsehoods concerning
the attitude of the Government Of
the United States toward Soviet Rus.
sia which have been so freely circu-
lated all over the world by followers
of the apostles of communism.
1t is TRoTzKY's effort to make the
readers of his letter think he believes
that our Government has withheld
the recognition and the aid the So
Wet Government has sought, and
that American business men have re-
fused to do business with the Soviet
Government because OF the means
used by the Russian revolutionists
to win their power.
Nothing could be further from the
fact.
AS far as trade between Ameri-
can citizens and those for whom
TRorzKY speaks is concerned TRoTzKy
unquestionably knows that there is
no legal bar to private enterprise In
dealings with Russia. and II Russia
cannot get Americans to do business
with its people or their Government
it is because American business men,
reading the record Russia has made,
have no faith in Russian integrity
under the Soviet regime.
The Government of the United
States has repeatedly and of1cially
made 1t as clear as words can make
fact that it cannot enter into po-
litical relations with the Soviet Gov
ernment because the Soviet Govern
ment is a Government which does
not and will not keep its word. Gov
ernment to which treaty is mere
scrap Of paper, a Government with
out honor or responsibility, q Gov
ernment with which bargain can
not be undertaken because 1t has pro-
claimed in words and demonstrated
in deeds that It's policy is built on
lies and it's practices are founded on
premeditated deceit.
II 1t were necessary to refute IN
detail the assumption of TRoTzKY
that a hypocritical aversion to vio-
lence has been at the bottom of the
refusal of the Government Of the
United States to strike hands with
the Soviet Government even casual
examination Of history would furnish
the necessary evidence.
The United States has never de-
MED the right Of revolution. 1t has
frequently given recognition to gov
ernments which were created through
revolutions, though in some cases
these revolutions were marked by
grave cruelties which deserved the
sternest reprobation.
Moreover, the Government of the
United States has frequently main
tained relations with other nations
no matter how shocking to the
moral sense was the treatment OF the
nationals OF those nations by their
own governments. This is we'll Illus
trated in the case OF Turkey, whose
persecution OF the Armenians aroused
the highest indignation among Amer
ican citizens, but did not lead to the
severance OF diplomatic intercourse
between Washington and Turkey.
That TRoTzKYa is ignorant OF the
historic facts we do not believe. that
he is deliberately seeking to obscure
the situation to obtain some partisan
benefit within Russia is probable.
Unless he Is far less competent, than
his record indicates him to be. he
knows as we'll as anybody else knows
that not detestation of the red terror
and its methods, not the futile ef-
forts the Soviet Government has
made to overthrow the Government
Of the United States, but the utter
and irremediable turpitude and per-
fidy OF the, Soviet Government and its
masters, among whom he holds
place, in all relations which rest on
good faith and rectitude account for
the correct and laudable declination
OF washington to enter into political
relations with the men in power In
Moscow and Petrograd.