Leon Trotsky: Letter to Jan Frankel

December 31, 1935

[Writing of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 14, New York 1979, p. 632 f., title: “Letters About Anton Ciliga”]

Dear Friend:

I hope that Comrade C[iliga] has received my second, long letter written in Russian. Here I want to draw Comrade C.’s attention, through you, to the necessity of the utmost caution on his part.

There is no doubt that C. is already under the closest surveillance of the GPU’s foreign bureau, and that those scoundrels, with the help of their hirelings in the so-called Communist Party, will risk everything to compromise C., to involve him in the most miserable scandals, to denounce him to the enemy, etc., etc. You probably already know what an international campaign these scoundrels have whipped up over a humorous postcard written by F. Zeller. C. is much more important for them now: first of all, they have to try to justify their hangman’s work and attempt to compromise all of us through him. Therefore, the utmost caution, in correspondence as well as in personal contact.

Yours,

L.T.