Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-03-16
TROTSKI SEES
ENEMIES FALL
AT KRONSTADT
Declares in First Statement
Since Revolt That Move
VIII Collapse.
HITS AT TNlPERIALISTS'
BY LOUISE BRYANT.

BY AOOA6E DhLANLs
Copyright, 1921, by International News
Service.
MOSCOW, March II (by wireless to
Berlin. March 16)-"The Kronstadt mu-
tiny will soon have collapsed. regardless
of the fact that the mutineers possess
heavy artillery" declared Leon TrOtski,
ssDeople's commlssar for war in the Rus
Ian soviet government, who arrived home
oday from the PetrOgrad front, where
b has been directing the operations of
YRed troops against the rebels.
Trotski was in front Of general stan
headquarters on his way to confer with
generals Of the army. This is the first
interview Trotsh has given out since the
uprising occurred at Kronstadt, ard be-
cause of his position In the cabinet it is
of the utmost importance.
Trotsk said:
at IS Impossible to understand the
Kronstadt events unless taken in con-
junction with our internal and external
situation
NO ATTEMPT To
CONCEAL FACTS.
sour economic situation, after six and
one-haIf years Of war, is well known. We
have published frank statistical state
ments. We do not consider it necessary
workers, from our country or from our
friends and our enemies in other cOun-
tries.
"Quite naturally those parties which
two or three times before gave demon
stration Of their bankruptcy try to re-
Yfve themselves by exploiting conditions
Of the present moment OF the workers
revolution.
81 am speaking OF social revolution
aries and Mencheviki, who, unable to
play an independent role, are unable to
obtain or maintain themselves in power
They have no stable foundation. They
are trying to be the banana peel on
which the working class would slip into
counter revolution against the sOviets-
CASUAL ELEMENTS
CAUSE TROUBLE.
"As to the rising, the Baltic feet rep
resents that part OF our country most
exposed to Europe. During the last two
years the personnel of the fleet has
changed greatly. The best elements
were taken out and transferred to other
branches OF soviet work and were sup
planted by casual clements, among which
were many representatives Of our Dor
der natiOnalities who regarded their
services in fact as temporary work The
transitory conditions and unstable per
sonnet of the feet created an unfavOrable
atmosphere and gave opportunity for
\ smuggling into the feet elements that
%ere openly hostile.
"The masses Of sailors formulated de-
mands which originally did not exceed
the demands presented by various groups
OF laborers to the soviet government The
revolutionaries utilized these demands as
the fulcrum for their lever. Behind their
backs cautiously emerged the figures OF
revolutionary officers
1.-THE broad masses Of the KrOnstadt
population kept on working without
understanding the acuteness of the con-
fict Kronstadt, being located upon the
Gulf Of Finland, stands at the gateway
from which the worlds highways lead
to the imperiaIlstic countries
WHITE GUARD
OFFICERS ACTIVE
"At RevaI the White Guard officers
became active. The counter revolutionary
agents in the Baltic ut once began to
establish a contact with Kronstadt. The
original leaders Of the movement became
badly frightened and began to complain
of the growing influence OF the counter
revolutionary military officers, but then
it was too late.
"Quite obviously after the ice is gone
from the Gulf Of Finland the counter
revolutionists could remove our vessels
and deliver them into the hands of the
imperislists, as they did in the Black
Sea, if the Baltic fleet fell into the hands
aSof the rebels.
Knowing this, We presented an ulti-
matum TO the mUtineers and then applied
armed force. TheFe is no doubt that
the mutiny viii have collapsed within a
short time, regardless Of the fact that
the mutineers possess heavy artillery.
"The demonstration at Kronstadt
showed the garrison and the population
that the insurgents were up against an
armed struggle. This Immediately
brought about disintegraion of the Kron-
stadt garrison. Sooner or later KrOnstadt
will return into the fold OF the soviet
government and the soviet flag and the
world imperialists viii have suffered an
other new disappointment"