Evening star., 1936-08-16
Survival of the Fittest.

The. Soviet governments arrest and
indictment of sixteen persons, charged,
along with exiled Leon TrotSky, with
certain crimes and efforts to institute
terrorist campaign against Soviet leaders,
is principally interesting because of
four of the personalities involved: Die
tator Stain, Russia'S Iron man; Trot-
sky, outstanding leader of the Russian
revolution; Leon Kameneff and Gregory
Zinoviev. Since a year or SO following
the death of Lenin, the trio-Trotsky,
Kameneff, Zinoviev-has been thorn
in the side of Stain. But. the dictator,
harsh and unyielding in other things,
has dealt leniently with Kamenef and
zinoviev, possibly because OF their
prominence in the revolution and the
poSt-revolutionary period of organizing
the Russian Soviet. Is he through with
them now? Is he strong enough to dis
pose of them forever as threat to his
personal power and his ideas of progress
under the Soviet?
When Lenin died, Trotsky, his prin-
cipal collaboration in the revolution, was
regarded as his probable successor. But
the All-Russian Congress placed Lenin's
power, instead in the hands of a tri-
umvirate consisting OF Stain, Kameneff
and Zinoviev. For twenty years zinoviev
had been close friend and companion of
Lenin and Kamenef had met Lenin in
Geneva when both we're in exile, joining
him there in plotting the revolution.
Trotsky was reputed to be jealous of
Stain, working against him before
Lenins death, and year after forma-
ton of the triumvirate their bitterness
came into the open and Trotsky de-
prived of his place as chairman of the
Revolutionary War Council and war
commissar, left for his health" for self
imposed exile in the Caucasus
He returned as a member of the Gen.
tral Executive Committee and chief of
a technical section of the Supreme Eco
nomic Council. A short time later his
fued with Stain broke into the open
again, partially over policies and par
TALLY through clashes of personal ambi-
ton. Trotsky was the exponent of
world revolution. Stain believed in con-
centrating on the "Socialistic Father
land" Trotsky was joined by Kamenef
and Zinoviev. But. in Stains trium-
phant rise to personal power, the three
were outdistanced and were forced pub
licly to recant their opposition. A year
later, however, Trotsky was read out of
the Communist party and again went
into exile, zinoviev-also expelled from
the party-and Kameneff along with
him.
Trotsky has si12ce remained in exile,
but Zinoviev and Kameneff recanted
again. were permitted to return, only to
be banished once more. Again they were
permitted to return and again they were
banished. Still again they were per-
mitted to return, but in 1884 both were
charged with completely in the murder
of Sergei Kirov, one of Stalin's aides,
and were sentenced to prison for ten
years. They are now serving their terms,
but, on this last indictment, will be tried
publicly with their fourteen alleged con-
spirators.
Trotsky and Zinoviev have always
stood for the world revolution idea, are
probably responsible for much of the
propaganda activities abroad of the
Communist International, of which the
latter once served as president Trotsky
may die in exile. If Stain feels the
time has come, Zinoviev and Kameneff,
already prisoners, may precede him in
death.