There have been many rumours lately of a quarrel between
Stalin, Secretary-General of the Communist Party in Russia, and Bukharin, who is the nominal head of the Communist International. It has even been said that Bukharin has been sent away to a health resort on long leave, but the Riga correspondent of the Times says that this cannot be true as Bukharin was in Moscow on Tiiesday. Moreover, the terms upon which Bukharin holds his political position preclude summary dismissal. There is no doubt, however, that there is much general tension, as is proved by the one hundred and fifty arrests of Trotsky's adherents announced in the papers of Thursday. Bukharin is a-member of the Political Bureait in which the Kalinin-Rykoff group acts as a counterpoise to the Stalin group. Hitherto ' Bukharin has been a buffer between:the, two groups, though inclining towards Stalin. He condueted-Stalin's campaign against Trotsky:. Zinovieff, Rakovsky, Radek and Kameneff, and afterwards succeeded Zinovieff in the Communist International. He was thwarted in his ambition to succeed to the title of President, and this disappointment may have caused his quarrel with Stalin. It is not to be wondered at that Stalio would like to get rid of Buklimin who persists in opposing that essential part of Stalin's- programme, the anti-Kulak policy. Still, Bu-kharin may be strong enough to hold his ground as Stalin's majority is by no means secure: Meanwhile Stalin has to be content with the " war " which the Ogpu is waging against the friends of Trotsky.
* * * *
Previous page
