The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-04-14

DrlulauJ QudllLleS, ana neeu not re-
count these here, but all the same he
has not gone thru Bolshevist
school. Again and again he over
looks the .peasantry, and is thus un-
able to accord due weight to the
specific role played by the working
class Of Russia, so closely bound up
with the part played by the small
holders.
Need For Cooperation.
Now, comrades, we are all Of the
opinion that Trotzky's cooperation
is an unqualified necessity for us.
We often hear 1t said by comrades
II heard It yesterday myself at a
meeting THE Central Com
mittee has faction after all, and
that is your faction, the faction of
the majority" This is pure nom
sense.
In the Central Committee the pro-
portion Of the majority to the opposi-
ton is So to 3, in the Political Bureau
to 1.
Did you ever hear Of such a fac
ton? Nearly all Of us were unani-
mously elected by the last Party con-
ference. The Opposition" declares:
Even if we gain the majority at the
next Party conference, we shall still
re-elect you all unanimously. The
accusation that we are a faction has
thus not shadow Of proof behind it..
We are reproached with maintain
] ing especially close contact with one
another, Of coming into the Political
Bureau with our proposals already
agreed upon beforehand, and So
forth. This is one of Radek's great
est hits Radek speaks at meetings
somewhat as follows: DO you know,
comrades, what our Political Bureau
really is? The following; Zinoviey
comes to an understanding with
Kamenev and Stain.
This trio then overwhelms Buk-
HARM, so that they have already four
votes before coming into the Politi-
cal Bureau. Then they only require
two votes more, and they have the
majority.
ls This a Faction?
What is this, If it is not faction?
Is the question then put by Radek
to his astonished audience.
Comrades, you are naturally in
terested in the more intimate side of
our disagreement as well, and an ex-
PLANTATION of this is also due to you.
Yes, it is true that the members Of
the Political Bureau come to under
standings with one another. But
what does the Political Bureau really
represent?
Above all it represents the respon-
sible corporation of our state, the
government. The Political Bureau
governs the country, and this is a
country comprising one sixth Of the
surface of the globe. To this must
be added that we are still in posses
sion of certain amount Of influence
in the International, and rule in this
to certain extent. Confronted by
such responsible tasks, is it possible
for us to deal with every subject in
a purely formal manner, to act on
some such scheme as the following:
IL o'clock, meeting Of Political Blu
reau, opening of session, reading Of
agenda, and voting?
This is of course absurd. We are
an army staff, but a revolutionary
army staff, whose members are in
constant contact with one another,
and maintain friendly relations to
each other.
We often hear it said at meetings
that the members of the Political
Bureau met at Zinoviev's house, and
came to an understanding there.
And how were matters at the time
when Lenin was still in good health?
Well, at that time we met in Lenin's
rooms, in his study, or at his dinner
table, and discussed all manner of
questions with him, seeking to arrive
at a united standpoint on contested
points. Often enough this was no
easy matter. In the Urquhart affair,
for instance, Lenin changed his point
Of view three times.
At one time he was in favor of 40
cepting the agreement, at another
time opposed it. l remember that at
that time he once telephoned to me:
"You see how weak have become!
have thought the matter over again,
and have come to a different conclu-
sion again. What do you say to such
lack of character"
How is it that we did not succeed
in establishing similar relations with
Comrade Trotzky? The reason lies
partly in Trotzky's personal charac-
ter Trotzky is an expressed indivi-
dualist This makes it impossible
that he should ever form a firm fac
ton.
Strong Indvlduallst.
During the Balkan war, Trotzky
once made an excursion to the Bal
kans. He then proceeded to Copen-
hagen, where he was already able to
unfold an excellent plan for the re-