PRESERVATION PHOTOCOPY: ORIGINAL MATERIAL RESTRICTED

# "Jacson" - Privileged Assassin

By Victor Serge

*Analyst of international political events, author of Russia Twenty Years After and other books*

TO those who know the Comintern and who have followed the details of the assassination of Leon Trotsky the autobiography of Louis F. Budenz contains no revelations. But for the general public the Budenz account of this tragedy is of the greatest importance. For the sake of general enlightenment it will be worthwhile to chronicle some of the little-known facts with regard to this man of many aliases, known as Jacson, as Monard, and as Vanderdreschd. His real identity has not yet been established, though there are reasons to believe that he is Russian.

It is with a Canadian passport made out in the name of Frank Jacson that he arrived in Mexico. This passport had originally belonged to a Yugoslav, a naturalized Canadian who disappeared

fighting in Spain during the civil war as a member of the International Brigade. We know from the account written by Walter Krivitsky, in *I Was an Agent of Stalin*, that the passports of such members of the International Brigades were kept on file and used by the Russian secret service. The official Canadian report on the revelations of Gouzenko, largely reprinted in *The New Leader*, show how one such passport was used by a spy active in the United States.

Here is another interesting angle. During his trial and even today, while he is a prisoner in Mexico City, this "Jacson" has had plenty of money coming to him from a mysterious source.

In November, 1941, just after I arrived in Mexico, I was informed by a reliable person that the escape of "Jacson" was being prepared. Confirmation of this plan came to Mrs. Trotsky from other sources. The Mexican authorities, thus warned, took precautions. Also "Jacson" was skeptical as to the future that was prepared for him by those who were planning the escape, and it was this which led to the failure of the plot. I learned, in the meantime, that in 1941 an emissary had reached Havana from Russia. He was said to be fortified with $20,000. His Cuban host was an influential member of the Communist Party. He was in Mexico on a business mission connected with the purchase of automobiles and, of course, had plenty of opportunity to communicate with "Jacson."

Soon after the failure of this enterprise the Spanish Communist Party of Mexico published in its organ, *Nuestra Bandera*, under the signature of the Catalonian Communist Juan Comorera (October 10, 1941) a declaration of "war without mercy" against me and several other anti-totalitarian refugees. On January 3-5, 1942, the Executive Committee of the Mexican Communist Party

publicly adopted a similar resolution. The campaign of abuse and threats of assassination against me and my friends reached unbelievable heights of violence. The organ of the Mexican Communist Party, *La Voz de Mexico*, even published a drawing of the skull of Trotsky bearing the names of Socialist refugees who deserve a like fate. This campaign was taken up by all the Communist organizations, with perfect orchestration. Without direct statement but implicitly and very clearly, all of these Communist organizations were justifying the murder of Trotsky.

On the eve of his trial "Jacson" gave to the important Mexican weekly, *Asi*, (February, 1943) a statement containing an eulogy of Stalin.

In March, 1946, *The New Leader* published news of a second plot for the disappearance of "Jacson." *Time* reprinted it in this form: "Jacson had committed an assassin's No. 1 crime: he had failed to escape." Said *The New Leader*: "The Mexican police have now discovered that the NKVD is trying to liquidate Jacson; the operation is in charge of a little-publicized US woman Communist who lives in Manhattan's Greenwich Village."

In the Mexican prison, la Penitentiaria, "Jacson," thanks to the influence of powerful friends, has enjoyed favorable conditions. Some strange incidents resulted from this situation. Last year, for example, the photographer of the daily paper, *Excelsior*, happened to take a picture of the assassin and an official of the Communist Party snatched the camera from him and demanded the destruction of the negative. On March 8 the Mexican papers published a picture of a delegation of prison inmates who had addressed to the President a complaint about the hazing and other abuses to which the non-Communist prisoners are subjected by the Communists and about the influence wielded by "Jacson."

The identity of this man "Jacson" is

GERHARD EISLER
In the Clink

APRIL 5, 1947

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publicly adopted a similar resolution. The campaign of abuse and threats of assassination against me and my friends reached unbelievable heights of violence. The organ of the Mexican Communist Party, La Voz de Mexico, even published a drawing of the skull of Trotsky bearing the names of Socialist refugees who deserve a like fate. This campaign was taken up by all the Communist organizations, with perfect orchestration. Without direct statement but implicitly and very clearly, all of these Communist organizations were justifying the murder of Trotsky.

On the eve of his trial "Jacson" gave to-the important Mexican weekly, Asi, (February, 1943) a statement containing an eulogy of Stalin.

In the Mexican prison, la Penitentiaria, "Jacson," thanks to the influence of powerful friends, has enjoyed favorable conditions. Some strange incidents resulted from this situation. Last year, for example, the photographer of the daily paper, *Exeelsior*, happened to take a picture of the assassin and an official of the Communist Party snatched the camera from him and demanded the destruction of the negative. On March 8 the Mexican papers published a picture of a delegation of prison inmates who had addressed to the President a complaint about the hazing and other abuses to which the non-Communist prisoners are subjected by the Communists and about the influence wielded by "Jacson."

not the only mystery connected with this case. His crime was preceded by another attempt upon the life of Trotsky under the direction of a very well-known Mexican Communist. In the course of this attack a young American who was one of the group of friends about Trotsky, Robert Sheldon Harte, was captured and assassinated. His body was recovered. Sheldon Harte had served as a guard at Trotsky's door, and he would not open except at the call of a familiar voice—as, for example, that of "Jacson," which was well-known to him. Did this "Jacson" have an alibi for that night from May 24 to 25? The question has never been answered. Between the attempt of May, 1940, and the successful crime, "Jacson" made one or two trips to the United States. How did he spend his time in the country to the north? Whom did he visit? From whom did he receive instructions?

In spite of everything, light is gradually filtering through on the crime of Coyoacan. The new points lately revealed would seem to be of sufficient importance to justify a new investigation in a civilized world. The crimes of a foreign totalitarian police system ought not forever to be shielded by favoritism.