THEATRICAL TRIALS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 350, 3 February 1937, Page 5

THEATRICAL TRIALS

STALIN MISTAKEN

TROTSKY'S REPLY

Political Aim Is To Kill Opposition.

Press Association—Copyright. Mexico City, Feb. 1

"The Moscow trials,” says Leon .Trotsky in a copyright article for the United Press, “occurred not because the Ogpu discovered traces of a plot and located the criminals, not because the criminals, shaken by the pangs of conscience, have voluntarily accused themselves of committing the crimes.

“No. The trials were staged because the Ogpu has at its disposal an unlimited number of men whom it can mould as it wishes, according to a political necessity, men who are educated in the system of false confessions and who are forced to take upon themselves all sorts of duplicity in order to demonstrate their sincerity and attempt to save their lives.

“The trials 'are purely theatrical productions with the roles written out in advance. With an absolute Fuhrer as stage manager, their poitical aim is to kill the opposition, remove everyone who speaks for it and poison every source, once and for all, every vestige of critical thought. “Has bureaucracy attained its purpose? No. Stalin is greatly mistaken. The consequences of his error will be fatal to his dictatorship. We shall see that in the near future.”