.. .... ..... ...... ......... .... , . October 1940 Fourth n~ernational I~he Monthly Magazine of the Socialist Workers Party Twenty Cents letter from H, T. of Los Angeles. IIM anager’s Column FOURTH INTERNATIONAL SinCeany comment would be su- II1[ PuZd48hedbv the NationaZUotnm{tteeof the 8o04@et Wovker8Partu perfluous, we merely print the ! letter as received. “Dear Mike: Volume I October 1940 No. 5 (Whole No. 5) The magazine is late in reach- Where is the September issue of Published monthly by the SOCIALIST WORKZRS PARTW, 116 Uni- ing the worker%first because of versity Place, New York, N. Y. Telephone: ALgonquin 4-8547. the FOURTH INTERNATION- Subscription rates: $2.00 per year; bundles, 14c for 5 copies and AL? The irregular appearance financial difficulties, and then up. Canada and Foreign: $2.50 per year; bundles 16c for 5 because the contents had to be copies and up. Entered as seeond-ckiaematter May 20, 1940, at the of the F.I. has to stop. If the post Officeat New York N.Y., under the Act of Maroh 8,.1879. changed to make it a memorial F.I. is to increase its influence issue. That our tribute to Trot- Editoi+al Board: and its readers, it must appear JAMES P. CANNON JOSEPH HANSEN regularly each month, and on sky should have been delayed ALBERT GOLDMAN FELIX MORROW of the month. A drive because of a shortage of moneY BU8h&%T lf~ag~: the first is a bitter situation. Yet, who MICHAEL CORT must be started, similar to the better than the Old Man knew Trotsky Defense Fund Drive to of the heartaches involved in TA B L E O F CONT EN TS raise adequate financial support keeping a revolutionary press for the continued existence of With Trotsky to the End . 115 the F.I. Furthermore, the Ple- alive in periods of reaction. And by Joseph Hansen who better than he proved that num XUUSt demand that al] Lo. it can be kept alive and in- LETTERS AND ARTICLES BY LEON TROTSKY: cals and Branches cease their fluential in face of the most His Last Letters . 124 horseplay with accounts. There persistent persecuticm. His Last Article . 128 must be no retreat on the F.I. While Trotsky is no longer It must appear at all costs. Its Some Questions on American Problems . 132 educational value for our mem- able to guide and assist us, his We Do Not Change Our Course . 135 bers and our sympathizers is too memory will play no small part in steeling us for the tas~ The Kremlin’s Role in the War . 137 important for any retreat.” ahead. Our memorial to the Old The May 24 Attempt to Kill Trotsky . 138 Man will not be merelY this Letter to the Workers of the USSR . 140 October issue, but rather the On the Founding of the Fourth International 141 UNSER WORT hundreds of issues not yet gone ORGAN OF THE 1. K. D. to press: our renewed faith in, MANAGER’SCOLUMN InsideFront Cover -446 (Internationalist Commun- and dedication to, hjs political ists of Germany, Section principles; and our detern@a- of the 4th International) tion that our magazine will con- tinue to live and grow and play on neighborhoodand newsdealer Randolph Street; Ma g a z ine THE LATEST ISSUE IS its part in the coming revolu- will bring results, Stand, 141 North Clark Street; ON THE PRESS NOW tion. *** Ziv Book Shop, 167North Clark *** Street; 51st Street L Station; TEN CENTS A COPY While you are out creating Newsstands are of particular L Station, Cottage Grove and Order from newsstand demand for the mag- importance right now. LOSAn- 63rd Street; News Stand, 57th azine, don’t overlook your li- D. EDWARDS geles has been concentrating on Street and Blackstone; and Uni- P. O. BOX 173 Station D brary. A great many libraries this angle during the past month versity of Chicago Bookstore, New York, N. Y. and reports fine results. H. T. subscribe but a local check-up 57th and Ellis. writes, “We are distributing should be made by every branch. most of the F.I.’s through news- If you find no F.I. in your li- stands and contact sales. As a brary, send us the word and matter of fact, now that we’ve we’ll forward a sample copy. WRITTEN BY TROTSKY gotten under way there is an After the sample copy is on the increasing demand for the maga- shelves, the rest is up to you. Manifestoof the FourthInternational zine fkomthe news sellers. One See that it is used! newsstand declined to take our Bundle orders have remained magazine at first but we created constant over the summer The Imp erial ist War a demand for it by canvassing months. The magazine weathered his neighborhood. H e n o w the reduced bundle orders with andthe handles twenty copies of each considerably more difficulty. issue and is often sold out before Now that the S.W.P. is making the first week.” This is a tine organizational gains, that prog- Proletarian Revolution report from H. T. and shows ress must be reflected in the that a little joint concentration bundle orders. Some branches A 48-pagepamphleton—. take more than they sell and CAtiSE~ OF TEE- PRESENT WAR distribute the remainder free, ROLE OF U.S. RWPERIALISM and this is not the least unsound. WHAT NAZI WAR SLOGANS REALLY MEAN If the number on your The main objective is to get our RESPONSHMLITYOF 2nd& Srd wrapper reads: INTERNATIONALS message to the workers, and WHAT TO DO NOW ! N 46, .orF 4, however you finance it locally !s your subscription expires your concern. Do be careful A COM PLETE P ROG RAM ! with this issue. In order to that your bundle order keeps avoid missing a single ia- A CALL TO ACTION! sue of FOURTHINTERNA- pace with your organizational TIONAL,be sure to send in gains. Analyze your F.I. distri- 30 per copy to all branchesof the S.W.P. your renewal order immed- bution this fall. 60 per single copy *** iately. $2.00 for one year, Published by the: $3.00 for one year in com- Good distribution newa from bination with the SOCIAL- Chicago. The FOURTH INTER. SOCIALl:T’mWORKERSm~A#o~~ = ISTJ%P2AU NATIONAL is now on sale at: 116 UNIVERSITY . Argus Book Store, 156 West . FOURTH INTERNATIONAL The Monthly Magazine of the Socialist Workers Party VOLUME I OCTOBER 1940 NUMBER 5 With Trotsky to the End By JOSEPH HANSEN Secretary to Leon Trotsky L Since the May 24 machine-gun attack by the GPU on Trotsky was in the patio feeding the rabbits and chickens Trotsky’s bedroom,the houseat Coyoacan had been converted —his way of obtaining light exercise in the confined life he into a virtual fortress. The guard was increased,more heavily was forced to follow. We expected that as was his usual CUS- armed. Bullet proof doors and windowswere installed. A re- tom, Trotsky would not enter the house until he had finished doubt was constructed with bomb-proof ceilings and floors. with the feeding or untiI Sylvia had arrived. Robins was in Double steel dcmrs, controlled by electric switches, replaced the patio. Trotsky was not in the habit of seeing Jacson the old wooden entrance where Robert Sheldon Harte had alone. been surprised and kidnapped by the GPU assailants. Three Melquiades,Cornell and 1 continued with our work. Dur- new bullet-proof towers dominated not only the patio but the ing the next ten or fifteenminutes I sat in the main tower writ- surrounding neighborhood. Barbed wire entanglements and ing the names of the guards on white labels to be affixed to bomb-proofnets were being prepared. the switches connecting their rooms with the alarm system. All this construction had been made possible through A fearful cry wrent the afternoon calm—a cry prolonged the sacrificesof the sympathizers and members of the Fourth and agonized, half scream, half sob. It dragged me to my International, who did their utmost to protect Trotsky, know- feet, chilled to the bone. I ran from the guard-house out onto ing that it was absolutely certain that Stalin would attempt the roof. An accident to one of the ten workers who were re- another and more desperate assault after the failure of the modelingthe house? Sounds of violent struggle came from the May 24 attack. The Mexican government, which alone of all Old Man’s study, and Melquiades was pointing a rifle at the “ the nations on the earth had offered asylum to Trotsky in window below. Trotsky, in his blue work jacket became visi- 1937, tripled the number of police guards on duty outside ble there for a moment, fighting body to body with someone. the house, doing everything in its power to safeguard the life “Don’t shoot!” I shouted to Melquiades, “you might hit of the world’s most noted exile. the Old Man !“ MeIquiades and Cornell stayed on the roof, Only the form of the coming attack was unknown. covering the exits from the study. Switching on the general Another machine gun assault with an increased number of alarm, I slid down the ladder into the library. As 1 entered assailants? Bombs? Sapping? Poisoning? the door connectingthe library with the dining room the Old Man stumbled out of his study a few feet away, blood stream- August20, 1940 ing down his face. I was on the roof near the main guard tower with Charles “See what tbey bave done to w!” he said. Cornell and MelquiadesBenitez.We were connectinga power- ful siren with the alarm systemfor use when the GPU attacked At the same moment Harold Robins came through the north door of the dining room with Natalia following.Throw- again.