Evening star., 1932-03-08
Sees Doom of Capitalism
TRoTsKY SAYS EUROPE CANNOT ESCAPE.

/ N / N. IA >
N In an interview with the
| North American Newspaper
| 1 Alliance, received by mail
from his place OF exile at
| Prinkipo, near Istanboul, Leon Trot-
/ sky former Soviet war lord, organizer
! and chief of the Red army and CO.
| leader with Lenin of the Bolshevist
revolution, declared that there was no
escape for Europe from the present eco
nomic crisis, and that even should a
measure of StabilizatiCn be achieved,
the crisis will return in compare
! lively short time with redoubled force.
bilization of European capitalism"
Trotsky asserted, saying world capi-
talism has outlived itself as a system"
The interview with Trotsky was ar
ranged through the courtesy of Simon &
Shuster, publishers of his History of
the Russian Revolution" and took the
form of questions put to Trotsky in
writing, which the former war lord
answered. The questions and answers
follow:
Pans Soviet Perversion.
@. What is your attitude toward the
Stain regime?
A. To answer this question I must
distinguish sharply two different con-
ceptions-the Soviet regime as the re-
gime of proletarian dictatorship and
the Stain regime, which Is bureau
cratic perversion of the Soviet regime.
1t is with the aim of strengthening and
developing the Soviet system that 1
wage a struggle against the Stain
! regime.
@. Will you give your appraisal OF the
fiye-year plan and the economic per-
spectives confronting Russia?
A. The question of industrialization,
and particularly of the five-year plan,
was one Of the chief points Of conflict
between the Stain faction and the Left
, opposition, to which 1 belong. Up to
February. 1928. the Stain faction con-
sidered it necessary to rest It's power
upon the strong peasant and refused
to compel him to make sacrifices in
the interest of industrialization. The
! very principle Of planning was laughed
at by the bureaucracy
1--WE depend upon rain, not plans It
! said In 1925 proved that with proper
| leadership industry could show 20
per cent yearly increase or more.
! Stain and Molotov considered these
figures fantastic and accused the left
| onposition of experimentation"
| These cursory comments on the history
! of the thing are sufficient to demon
/ strate nv attitude to the 1ve-year
plan: I consider it gigantic step for
ward In the development not only of
the Soviet Union but OF humanity.
Predicts Capitalism's Doom.
@ What is your view of the present
| world economic crisis and its implica
! tions for the prevailing social order?
Do you still look for world revolution
as a likely consequence OF the crisis or
! do you believe that capitalism may sur
mount the crisis and enter upon
| period of stabilization? What would be
| the situation of Soviet Russia in event
| of stabilization?
A The present economic crisis is an
| indubitable expression of the fact that
world capitalism has outlived itself as
a system. The question of the historic
date when it will be replaced by an
! other system will be decided, Of course,
! in different ways for different countries,
and especially for different parts of
the world. Present-day Europe has no
wav out. Even though the automatic
working of the laws OF the market lead
! to a softening of the crisis in Europe
after a year or two, the crisis will re-
| turn again in q comparatively short
time with redoubled force. The pro-
ductive forces are being strangled in
the national cells of Europe. The
| dilletante plan of M. BRAND for a
union of Europe has not emerged and
never will emerge from the laboratory
of the chancellories and editorial Offices.
The ruling classes will cure the crisis
with a further economic decimation of
Europe and a strengthening of protec-
tionism and militarism. Under these
| circumstances I see no prospect of a
general stabilization of European
| capitalism.
@. You have been reported as urg-
ing the Communists in Germany to
support the Bruening government as
means of staving off the victory of
Hitlerism-is that true?
Denies Favoring Bruening.
A. Dispatches to the effect that
| have urged the German Communists
| to support the government OF Bruen-
ing are, Of course false. / proposed to
the German Communists to carry out
the policy Of the so-called united front.
The Communists ought to propose to
| the Social-Democrats and to the trade
unions. led by them, program of CO.
| operative, practical struggle against the
attack of the Fascists. The Social
| Democratic masses quite sincerely de-
/ sire to wage such a struggle. If the
leaders refuse, they will compromise
| themselves in the eyes of their own
masses. If the leaders agree, the
masses, In practical action, will 60
beyond their leaders and support the
| Communists.
@. How do you view the position of
the United States in the present
| world situation?
A. think as a result of the present
| crisis the predominance of American
over European capitalism will grow
still more pronounced. In the same
way, as q result of every crisis, YOU see