The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-06-06

was right and Lenin's was wrong. !"
But, goes this melodrama, Lenin
came to see the error of his ways
Not only did he come over to Trotsky
in 1917, but he finally wanted Trotsky
to take over the leadership of the rev.
olution and was defeated in this de-
sire only by Comrade Trotsky's diff
fident modesty. Then Comrade Lenin
got tangled up in terrible. mon
strous "Intra-Party Machine" and to
be rescued from it he cried to Trot-
sky three times in vain. Max East
man literally writes:
"The third appeal which Lenin
made to Trotsky in those last days,
was literally cry for help against
the suppression of his writings by
this intra-party machine"
This sort of stun is carried on in
theatrical style to mysterious last
Testament" in which Comrade Len
in made a desperate effort to defeat
the horrible Communist Party Frank
enstein (which he himself had built
by willing over to Trotsky the leader
ship of the revolution. But "a gang
Of mediocre bad boys" who had gos
their bottoms into the vacant chair
of Lenin" wouldn't read the Fiesta
ment" to the party, so Trotsky was
cheated out Of his patrimony.
don't know whether Comrade Len
in Immediately before his death wrote
to the central committee a letter in
which he discussed the relative merits
and dement's of the various Commun-
list leaders. But do know that East
mans handling of the matter of
supposed but unpublished and prob
ably non-existent letter is ire
sponsible and as melodramatic as the
handling of "the papers" in a hack
written movie. Even a sentimental
use for political purposes is made of
Comrade Krupskaya as the widow of
Lenin. In fact the whole thing is
disgusting If subtle translation of
political question into terms of per.
sonal and even Of family relations.
Such a small and formal incident as
the fact that Comrade Trotsky "re-
ceived letter from Lenin's wife some
days after Lenin died, reminding him
Of their early friendship in London
and assuring him that Lenin's feelings
towards him had never changed from
then until the day Of his DEATH" is
seized upon by Eastman as political
proof of the sameness of Leninism
with Trotskyism! The book reeks
with the interplay of personal friend
ships, conversations and courtesies as
a substitute for the facts of colossal
political events. 1t sounds like the
proof" offered by Hearst magazine
that the evil ways of the monk, Ras-
putin, were the cause Of the revolu-
ton. We have no doubt that among
the comrades who will share our dis
gust will be Comrade Krupskaya. And
perhaps also Comrade Trotsky.
THE THREE POINTS,"
TT seems that Comrade Trotsky has
l. in three notable instances saved
the revolution from the evil, conspir-
ing, "faint-hearted," "timid," and
"hystericap triumvirate: Zinoviev.
Stain, and Kamenev (Bucharin, tool,
but that now the revolution is going
to the dogs again. The three rescues
were:
I. Trotsky saved the revolution
for state planning.
2. He saved it again from-voD-
kA! (tho, alas, the revolution has
gone to drink again.)
8. He saved It again by making the
villains admit that "Amerlca has put
Europe on rations."
TN handling his three chosen points,
L Eastman succeeds only in messing
up Trotsky's case to degree which
might well call forth furious repu-
diation Of Eastman by Trotsky.
On the question Of Trotskys pro-
posal in state Planning" Eastman