Leon
Trotsky: Letter to H. R. Knickerbocker
January
6, 1939
[Writing
of Leon Trotsky, Vol. 14, New York 1979, p. 819 f., “The Hearst
Press Changes Its Mind”]
Dear
Mr. Knickerbocker:
I
should be very glad to meet you, one of the most remarkable
journalists of our time, not only to answer all the questions you
wish to ask me, but also to gain from you your impressions of world
affairs; but … it is a question of the Hearst agency which you
represent. The attitude of Mr. Hearst and his press during my ten
years of exile has been very hostile toward me which is natural
because we occupy opposite political poles. But his press has lacked
elementary loyalty I publicly refused to give any statements to the
Hearst press. Mr. Hearst for his part bought my statements from
others and published them as if they were articles written directly
for the Hearst press. Many of my unscrupulous adversaries in the
opposite camp have affirmed over this period of years that I am in a
bloc with Mr. Hearst who is in a bloc with Hitler.
You
explained to my friend, Joe Hansen, as he has informed me, that the
management of the Hearst agency and press has changed. It has become
more loyal. Good. I am ready to open a new “era” in my relations
with the Hearst press. That is, to treat it on the same basis as all
other capitalist newspapers. But at the threshold of the new “era”
I must have a small proof of loyalty. I will give my first statements
to the reorganized Hearst press under two conditions: (1) the new
management should telegraph confirmation that my statement, which
naturally will be far from the position of the Hearst press, will be
published integrally without any alterations; (2) I ask that for all
my previous statements which have been printed illegally by the
Hearst press, the new management pay, we will say, $1,000 toward the
aid of German revolutionary exiles persecuted by Hitler (American
Fund for Political Prisoners and Refugees, Room 1609, 100 Fifth
Avenue, New York City, N.Y.). This modest payment would have a
symbolic character and I hope would successfully inaugurate a new
chapter in our mutual relations.
With
best regards,
Leon
Trotsky
|