Trotsky & Woe

The American Committee for the Defense of Leon Trotsky spat accusations at the Norwegian Government last week for its "indecent and filthy" behavior in placing the Great Exile & Mme Trotsky on the Norwegian tanker Ruth which, chuffing along toward Mexico, provokingly refused to answer radio questions.

In Mexico, meanwhile, Muralist Diego Rivera, staunch Defender of Trotsky, announced that should the Great Exile not be assassinated before or upon landing in Mexico--and this Comrade Rivera considered more than likely--Trotsky could take refuge in the Rivera home. Already, according to the muralist, four armed men have kidnapped the caretaker of his studio, beating him severely and pitching him out of their automobile "for refusing to talk."

International Communist affairs are nearly as involved as the Chinese (see p. 23), but on the surface of things last week the Friends of Stalin were taking in Mexico two opposite courses at the same time. On the one hand, according to the Defenders of Trotsky, the Stalinites were all ready to assassinate Trotsky in Mexico or in Mexican waters. On the other hand, the Mexican Communist Party executive suddenly last week manifestoed, "The entry of Trotsky into Mexico must be prevented. We will make every effort to keep Trotsky out of Mexico. Trotskyism is the same as Divisionism"--i. e., tends to divide Communist party members in arguments, whereas they are all vowed to toe the party line.

Jittering, the Mexican Confederation of School Teachers announced: "The arrival of Trotsky will divide the workers of Mexico, especially school teachers like ourselves, who at present are fighting desperately for unification of the ranks of labor. It will encourage the assassins of labor and work woe to Mexico!"

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