PLEASE CORRECT THE ADDRESS FOR SHIPMENTS OF GOLD
The Peking People's Daily strongly implied April 27 that Soviet Premier Khrushchev has been financing the world Trotskyist movement.” The editorial did not specifically name Khrushchev. The reason for this failure remains obscure since it could scarcely be out of consideration for Khrushchev's feelings. Nor could it be out of fear ofa libel suit-.in view of Khrushchev!s poor chances.-of: winning in any Chinese court. Perhaps this will be cleared up’ when the People's Daily carries. out its promise to furnish "proofs," .
The charge about Khrushchev slipping money to the Trotskyist movement was part of a long commentary on Suslov's report, which the People's Daily published in the same issue, One of the main points in Suslov's report is the accusation that the Chinese leaders are playing the game.of the Trotskyists, [See World Outlook April 17° and. April 24,] . a a
The assertions of the People's Daily about Khrushchev and the Trotskyists are as follows:.. "We must remind you that there is indeed a person who in the past supported Trotsky's reactionary views and had. therefore to make a self-criticism for committing the error of Trotskyism; that there is indeed-a person who, singing the same tune as Trotsky, launched a frenzied campaign against Stalin at the 2Qth congress of the Soviet Communist party, with the result that the Trotskyites in all countries, then at the end of their rope, began to raise their heads; and that there is, indeed, a person who is now in collusion with Trotskyites everywhere and buying them over for the dirty work of sabotaging revolution, We are prepared to publish the relevant materials when necessary,"
This charge makes a logical counterpoint to the material which appeared last November in the Yorkshire Post and Le Figaro implying that the British Trotskyists were receiving -- not Moscow -= but Peking gold!
One Pierre Bertrand, writing in the November 19 Le Figaro said: "Everything strengthens the belief, whatever the facts may be, that this attempt at infiltration, of which the Communist leaders are not without uneasiness, has chosen as instrument various Trotskyist groups across the Channel who have displayed for several months a —
revival of activity which can be ill explained if it is not due in. part to support thanks to financial aid, the origin of which remains obscure," .
Getting more specific, Mr, Bertrand cited the Yorkshire Post: ‘In British Communist circles, in any case, it seems that they are convinced, observes the 'Yorkshire Post,! that China is at present not sparing any effort ~- including the financial plane ~- to _try to build a new Communist international obedient to Peking." [See World Outlook November 29, p. 19.]
These allusions to finances being disbursed by both Peking and Moscow to thé Trotskyist movement did not fail to attract the attention of the treasurer of the Fourth International, Pierre Frank, one of the founders of the world Trotskyist organization.
. Pierre Frank was still trying to track down the Chinese yen min piaos supposed to be flowing into the Trotskyist movement in England when he read in Le Monde that it was really Soviet rubles and Peking was prepared to prove it. With so much cash in sight, the treasurer ‘of the Fourth International could not resist the temptation. He sat down at his battered Erika portable and banged out the following letter to the editor of Le Monde:
“Editor: fe es
"In the April 28 isspe of your newspaper, you published ex~ tracts from an article which appeared in the People's Daily of Peking declaring among other things:
"t, . . a person [Khrushchev, it would seem] who is now in collusion with Trotskyites everywhere and. buying them over for the dirty work of sabotaging revolution, We are prepared to publish the relevant materials when necessary," oo
"So that my request might be heard in Moscow as well as Peking, I would appreciate your printing this letter in your columns.
"As treasurer of the Fourth International, I can state that I have not received a centime either directly or indirectly from Moscow, and my organization is in financial difficulty from one year's end to the next. I am thus obliged to ask -- if you will excuse the expression ~~ 'tWhere'ts the dough?! And I invite Peking to: publish whatever proofs it has without waiting, and I ask Moscow to indicate to whom the funds were sent, _
"Tf I can take advantage of your courtesy, I should like to add that before the war the Trotskyist movement was accused of being in the pay of Hitler and the Mikado, and some months ago it was said in the British press that Peking was sending big sums to the Trote. skyists, But: in no-case did any of this money reach me, Has it become necessary to. remind them, then, that we are a movement doing
~1Lis-
everything that revolutionaries can possibly do in the open, that I have a very modest office at 21 rue d!'Aboukir in Paris, and that it is surprising that governments in other ways so sensible should always resort to questionable intermediaries to send the money to those for whom, it appears, it is intended?
"Thanking you in advance,
“Cordially yours,
"pierre Frank"
CHE GUEVARA ON THE