Trotsky Denounces Red Clique' Rule

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 227, 14 December 1927, Page 1

Trotsky Denounces Red Clique' Rule

‘‘ECONOMIC CATASTROPHE’’ FOREIGN POLICY FIASCO By Cable. — Press Associafto»i.— Copyright. Reed. 7.4 S a.m. BERLIN, Friday. The outstanding figure in Russia at present is Trotsky. Fearing the summary processes of the Communists’ discipline, he has been living underground. He appears at meetings of his adherents no one knows whence and vanishes no one knows whither. Although he has no home of his own supporters are so numerous that thousands of dwellings offer open doors to Trotsky. In a special interview Trotsky at Berlin made a remarkable attack on his former allies. The dictatorship of the proletariat, he said, has degenerated into the personal regime of the ruling clique, which deprived workers of freedom of speech, assembly, and defence of class interests. Russian workmen who defended the revolution on the barricades were being compelled to work 10 hours daily for a miserable pittance. This cannot be borne longer; hence the chief demand of the opposition, namely, the democratisation of the Communist Party and the restoration of the freedom of workers. That is all that matters. “Until the personal dictatorship of Stalin and his clique is destroyed/' said Trotsky, “we will not suspend the struggle. His brainless policy has brought the country to economic catastrophe and the foreign policy has proved a. complete fiasco. The en-

tire new’ economic policy was to be based on the assistance of foreign capital. Capitalists proved to be less naive than our diplomats. While continually raising our hopes with promises of credit, they have made use of the armistice declared by us to strengthen their positions, with j the result that the Soviet is economij cally isolated. This means the same j old dilemma, either a Socialist’s | federation or a capitalistic Europe, j The promised cohabitation has proved impracticable.—A. and N.Z.