8 SOCIALIST APPEAL December 18, 1937 and press, hagen.
170 have centhe poor king oras at det en del peapitalism through wrecking activities, dis teor in which Protsky conveyed alleged conspira armed of the accelerating an armed attack on it. In this section it cites Trotsky counter We find that Holtzman never met Sedov the assisting foreign aggressors to seize charge that the trials of August, 1936, and in Copenhagen; that he never went with Sedov territory of the and to dismember it, January, 1937, were the logical culmination of to see Trotsky; that Sedow was not in Copenand of overthrowing the Soviet power and restoring a series of frame ups by the ruling majority of hagen during Trotsky sojourn in that city; capitalism and the rule of the bourgeoisie in the the Party, directed against the Left Opposition that Holtzman pever saw Trotsky in CopenSoviet Union.
from a compilation, introduced in hagen.
This charge is supported in the record of the evide quotes. Trotsky, of quotations from state1. We find that Olberg never went to Russia second trial, according to the accused Radek ments to the Central Executive Committee of with terrorist instructions from Trotsky or the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, let Sedov.
only by his testimony and that of Pyatakov NOT ters, articles the Left. Opposite ority to ceived terrorist instructions from Trotsky in We find that Berman Yurin never rea statement which the Prosecutor does not chalthat the attempts of the timony of Pyatakov and Radek to their treas, owing the Left Opposition began in 1927 and Copenhagen, and that Berman Yurin never saw lenge. The Commission has found that the tesonable communications with Trotsky is dis proceedest, in a mathematical series to the trials Trotsky in Copenhagen.
also that proved by the evidence in its possession.
1937; Bed and ist instructions from Trotsky in Copenhagen We find that David never received terrorthe leaders 1996 med Opposition In addition, it has a large quantity of terial showing the nature of Trotsky political place. This preoccupations during the period when he eelopments which afterward took shows that in 1929 Trotsky warned 10. We find no basis whatever for the alleged to have been conspiring with Germany that Stalin would try to line of attempt to link Moissei Lurye and Nathan Lurye and Japan against the Soviet state. This ma blood between the Party and the Opposition. He with an alleged Trotskyist conspiracy.
terial, which consists of affidavits, oral testi must absolutely connect the Opposition with 11. We find that Trotsky never met Vladimir mony. and a sound film made by Trotsky in terrorist attempts, preparations for armed in Romm in the Bois de Boulogne; that he trangCopenhagen for Left Opposition propaganda, as surrection, respondence, shows that Trotsky has consist flowing from the mass of material on which connection with Vladimir Romm.
In connection with the conclusions inevitably We find that Trotsky and Sedov never had any where, as well as Japanese imperialism.
sections of this report are based, the 12. We find that Pyatakov did not fly to Commission finds that this document substan Oslo in December, 1935; he did not, es charged, The Commission finds on the basis of all this tiates the argument that the Moscow trials of see Trotsky; he did not receive from Trotsky evidence that the charge of agreement with foreign powers is not only not proved but pre the culmination of a series of repressive meas disproof of Pyatakov testimony on this crucial posters.
jures against a political opposition.
point renders his whole confession worthless.
Moreover, the Commission finds that the of 13. We find that the disproof of the testi4. The Historical Connection.
ficial reports of secutor attaches great importance to the his that political Commission, indicate Romm testimony and that of Pyatakov comIn his summation in the second trial, the Pro to either in the previous Soviet trials alluded mony of the defendant Pyatakov invalidates the of the Moscow trials or testimony of the witness Bukhartsev.
in that of the 14. We find that the disproof of Vladimir on the part of the prostorical connection which confirms the theses of ecution is not the indictment on the basis of the Trotskyites adduces, in in exceptional in Soviet trials. It pletely invalidates the testimony of the dea 1: Ipod past activity. He maintains that Trotskyism of the Industrial Party in 1930 and that of the of this point, the trial fendant 15. spent the more than 30 years of its exist Mensheviks in 1931. In each case the accused sione We find that the disproof of the confesof Smirnov, Pyatakov and Radek comence on preparations for its final conversion were alleged to formed an anti Soviet detachment of fascism, into one of ter for the purpose of bringing about the over and invalidates the confessions of Shestov pletely the departments of the fascist police. He main, throw of the Soviet régime and the restoration 16. We are convinced that the alleged lettains that it has waging a struggle for of decades in the atorial to ty, against Lenin and Leninism.
intervention The Commission finds, after a careful study The Commission finds that the only significant testimony concerning them is sheer fabrication.
against the Soviet Union in the Moscow trials never existed. and that the of the relevant historical material, that the difference between the indictments and confes 17. We find that Trotsky throughout his Prosecutor argument is based upon systematic sions in these trials and the trials pf August, whole career has always been a consistent op.
The Prosecutor resorted to historical falsification in those foreign powers and interests whom the further finds that Trotsky Commission evitahly reflects upon the entir entire conduct of the accused were alleged to be instructed any In these of the defendants or witnesses in the Moscow serving.
that their purpose was to trials. by reposition faction past and present Previous trials the accused were alleged to have trials to assassinate any political opponent.
discredit an 18. We find that White governments, with within the party, rather than to discover the conspired with the Polish, French, and British the defendants or witne rotsky never instructed and, in the actual in the Moscow trials truth through procedure.
Russians, case of the Menshevik trial, with the Social to engage in sabotage, wrecking, and dive The Commission makes telear that its people the Democratic parties of foreign countries and adv that contrare building ways been a in a consistent 119 14 building up of socialist indusany terical controversy within the Bolshevik Party inevitable that the indictments and the confes criticized the present régime on the basis that or the Soviet state, but solely to establish sions in the series of widely publicized trials its whether or not the Prosecutor alleged hig of alleged plotters against the régime, were gov of socialist were harmful to the building up torical connection represents historical truth. erned in each case by current internal difficul. favor in Russia. for Sastave of He is not in as a method of opposition to and the current any.
Part Five situation in the foreign relations of the Soviet that Trotsky never instructed In other words, that the trials have any of the accused or witnesses in the Moscow FINAL CONCLUSIONS been not really All these considerations, in connection with powers against the Soviet Union. On the conIn its concluding section, the report states its previous conclusions, lead the Commission trary, he has always uncompromisingles como August, 1936, vocated the defense of the He has to judge the motives which prompted the accuse and January, 1937, were frame ups. also been a most forthright ideological opponent On the basis of all this evidence and these of the fascism represented by the foreign pow.
ed and witnesses in the two Moscow trials to confess that, then wenigen niet gestimate changes and longe do Corgission finds Leon Trotsky spiredith which he is accused of having to the against themit has taken the testimony 20. On the basis of all the evidence we find Ciliga. Yugoslav Communist, that Trotsky never recommended, plotted, or and Summary of Findings ist, and Tarov, Old Bolshevik and Russian mechanic. These three men have escaped or capitalinisingly opposed the restoration of been released from Soviet prisons. From their in the Soviet Union and its existence Conduct of Trials else.
personal knowledge and experience they cite cares of extortion of false testimony by the Independent of extrinsic evidence, the Com falsified Trotsky role before, during and after 21. We find that the Prosecutor fantastically through the use of the most revolting mission finds. methods. Their testimony indicates that the That the conduct of the Moscow trials the October Revolution.
system of extorting false confessions and em was such as to convince any unprejudiced perploying them to inculpate the confessors and son that no effort was made to ascertain the Conclusions others is today a common practice of the Soviet truth. While confessions are necessarily entitled 22. We therefore find the Moscor trials to The Commission finds that this testimony, to the most serious consideration, these confes be frame ups.
in connection with the fantastic discre sions themselves contain such inherent im 23. We therefore find Trotsky and Sedov not of the accused in the two Moscow trials, they do not represent the truth, irrespective of justifies the presumption of duress in the ob any means used to obtain them.
Signed: John Dewey, Chairman taining of these confessions. This presumption, Benjamin Stolberg again taken in connection with the character The Charges Wendelin Thomas of the charges and the On the basis of all the evidence, we find Alfred Rosmer trials, constitutes strong testimony in the two justification for assum that Trotsky never gave Smirnov any terrorist John Chamberlain ing that the trials were frame ups. The Com instructions through Sedov or anybody else.
Carlo Tresca mission has already cited the Prosecutor con On the basis of all the evidence, we find Otto Ruehle tention that the alleged criminal activities of that Trotsky never gave Dreitzer terrorist the accused in the Moscow trials followed logic structions either through Sedov or anybody else.
inF. Zamora ally On the basis of all the evidence, we find Suzanne La Follette, Secretary ruling majority of the Communist Party in that Holtzman never acted as go between for Session of the Commission 1926 27; and has pointed out that the Prosecu Smirnov on the one hand and Sedov on the on Monday, September 20, tor kere deliberately identifies political opposi other for the purposes of any terrorist conspir 1937, held at 231 East tion to the régime with criminal activity against acy.
14th St. New York City a fair a considering av ties, com Union.
prisonetor ser Dr. Anton Serge, wellanywhere police.
siens Ross