Anti-state obsequies

Frank Johnson

Paris

ierre Frank, one of Trotsky's last sur- .1 viving secretaries, thus one of the world's most senior Trotskyists, therefore one of the world's least famous and least powerful communist leaders, died here the other day aged 78. A Russian Jew, like Trotsky, he was living in France when Trot- sky was exiled to Turkey after losing the discussion with Stalin. Frank went to Istan- bul to become Trotsky's secretary in 1932-33, going on to help organise the Fourth International.

He was given an anti-state funeral. It must have been, since their founder favoured Marx's 'withering away of the state'. Trotskyists are not supposed to believe in states. The majestic ceremony was attended by nearly all Paris's Trot- skyists. Unlike in 1968, this is now a very small number of people. But, when forming a procession down the street, it looks rather large. Apart of course from the Soviet Union, representatives were present from several nations except that, since Trotsky opposed Stalin's 'socialism in one country', Trotskyists are supposed not to believe in nations. In the homilies beside the bier a genial-seeming Trot named Charlie represented Britain, or not. There were also contributions, relayed by a French inter- preter, in Spanish, German and American.

The red flags flapped in the gentle wind.

From the steps of the crematorium, out into the spring sunshine of the cemetery of Pere Lachaise, went the much-loved phrases of the old hymnal: 'La lutte contre la barbarie Nazie . . . La lutte contre le colonialisme algerien . . La lutte contre la bureaucratie Stalinienne We were issued with a songsheet containing the Internationale, --------- Chant des Martyres ('Funeral march

memory of the revolutionaries fallen ,in

1905'), and the Chant des Survivants ( In memory of the student revolutionary Tchernichev, died in prison under torture The coffin had been borne from the Pia;,e de la Nation preceded by half a dozen of t" sturdier revolutionaries carrying a 11°1. black-draped photograph of the deceas,;" He appeared white-haired and smiling, `"'!t",., astattiltourdsean

a benign, round face which told us nothill

oK.fronhstisadt his master ; victims during Trotsky's brief time .° power. Alongside the hearse were votaries bearing the red flags on which were blacA

and ofthrot:iblesoine hammers and sickles. Then there were re" Trotskyists each carrying

wreaths. Then a group of senior-citizen, wearing his best suit. Then Caine the masses: about 800 in number. The errand cortege softly sang the Internationale, affl, the other chants to the accompaniment °. 1-1 sole trombone. Apart from at the polis off the Place de la Concorde, the at- church i

mosphere was more numinous than an?' _ in this city.

h. ave encountered in a religious

a red rose atto

Along the street towards the Fe. re Lachaise shuffled all these confessing atheists and unmaskers of the rituals by which churches and states distract the pew,, ple. All of which went to show that very belief ceremony, souls can resist tradition, shared belie A' Paris's Trotskyists had need of a tin institution

since the glories of

y, and a really good funeral. god funeral. Life has been unexciting for .t"-as It vied the official Communists who locik 1968. In that year' unglamorous. Today the French Com- munist Party, low though it may be in the Polls, still has members and is still able to encourage a decent looting of government Property by aggrieved steelworkers in Lor- raine, even though it is a member of the Government. French Trotskyism, less rooted in the boring world and therefore More reliant on fashion for its membership, now sees many of its adherents of 1968 become followers of Prof. Hayek. But, from Pierre's point of view, his funeral could have been even better. Had his master won in the dingy struggle with Stalin long ago, had Trotsky arranged to have the ice- Pick planted in Stalin instead of the other !ay about, then they might have been do- urg even more proud on this auspicious day. Instead of going to the same cemetery as accommodates Edith Piaf, he might have been processing to the Kremlin Wall to the sound of huge bands instead of a lone trombone, followed by tanks and missiles instead of the sort of People who protest about tanks and ''ssiles. But, as the orations at the Pere Lachaise told of the selflessness of the deceased and of his master, the impression given was that Trotsky could never have beaten Stalin. He was too nice a fellow. As an internationalist, he knew no other homeland but the international working elaSS' said Britain's Charlie of the deceas- ecl, though that might have been because his In, aster never got himself in charge of a norneland more tangible. M. Alain Krivine, now in distinguished, grey middle age and a fah from ga 1968 still associated with the old

ve us some more about the luttes.

to coffin was moved towards the flames `c! another round of the Internationale. "Ike 'God save the Queen', it contains many verses which most people do not know. So, 41.'10 as the famous 'Arise, the wretched of the earth', which everyone remembers, there are also verses beginning: 'Hideous in their apotheosis, the kings of mine and rail • • and: 'The state compresses and the latter a sentiment from which our own 71itute of Directors would not dissent. porn by the noise, American tourists, pia,Mg around the tombs in search of Edith 1, came upon the scene and fled im- inediately.

hacits a communist, as a materialist, Pierre Mythical conception of the after-life in some though heaven,' Charlie had assured us, discovered by now Pierre might have abcovered that he had been proved wrong str(3ont that as about so much else. 'He eoffv.e for a better world here.' Now the died In was gone. We dispersed. A few hun-

tilat had comprised Pierre was now being uvuerated there continued to repose, hZer marble tombs, the hated Stalinists

eurice Thorez, Waldeck Rochet and Jac- 41,,nerse bl uclos. No cremation for them. They bodily raving open the possibility of the it Y resurrection, doing nothing to make p.more difficult. What do you expect, as Pierre always put it, of opportunists?