Leon Trotsky: More Slander Around the Dies Committee

January 12, 1940

[Writings of Leon Trotsky, Vol 12, 1939-1940, New York ²1973, p. 138]

In the meeting sponsored by the Stalinists on the tenth of this month in the Hidalgo Theater, the speakers, and particularly Mr. Ford, who had recently arrived from the United States, spoke of the machinations of Congressman Dies against Mexico, and mentioned my name as a person seconding the plans of this man. I feel it incumbent upon me to state that these speakers have again deliberately lied. I attach copies of my correspondence with the Dies Committee, in which one can see that Mexico is not even mentioned once.

The U. S. congressional committee intended to invite me as a witness for their investigation into the history of Stalinism and into the false testimony made about me by the North American Stalinist leaders Browder and Foster.

It takes no great mental effort to understand that I could have no principled or personal motives to aid the American petroleum magnates, whose interests Dies defends, against the Mexican people. Moreover, as is well known, the chairman of the Dies Committee, understanding that he couldn’t get any help from me for his reactionary ends, retracted his invitation.

The recent inventions of the GPU agents fall in the same category as their previous charges about my participation in the alleged strike movement against Gen. Cardenas's government; about my connections with Gen. Cedillo; about my secret meeting in Morelia with Dr. Atl; about my ties with reactionary Mexican Jewish capitalists; and finally, about my secret participation in the current presidential campaign.

Upon setting foot on Mexican soil, I voluntarily pledged not to intervene in the domestic or foreign politics of this country. Anyone who maintains the contrary is deliberately lying.

Perhaps these deceitful gentlemen will finally accept my old offer: to place this entire series of slanders before a public commission composed of impartial and trusted public figures. I pose this question openly: Yes or no?