Report of the Commission of Inquiry into the Charges Made Against Leon Trotsky in the Moscow Trials
(Hearings in Coyoacan, Mexico, April 10-17, 1937.)
Members
Dr. John Dewey, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy, Columbia University (New York City), Chairman.
Carleton Beals, author and lecturer (California). (Resigned.)
Suzanne La Follette, author and former editor of the New Freeman (New York City), Secretary.
Otto Ruehle, former member of the German Reichstag and Biographer of Karl Marx (Mexico City).
Benjamin Stolberg, author and journalist (New York City).
Counsel
John F. Finerty, former counsel for Sacco and Vanzetti and counsel for Tom Mooney, acting as counsel for the Preliminary Commission of Inquiry (Washington, D. C.).
Albert Goldman, Labor attorney, acting as counsel for Leon Trotsky (Chicago).
Witnesses
Leon Trotsky, Jan Frankel.
(Hearings in Paris, May 12-June 22, 1937.)
Members
G. E. Modigliani, lawyer, member of the Executive Committee of the Labor and Socialist International, leader of the Italian Socialist Party, Chairman.
Mme. Cesar Chabrun, Chairman of the Committee for Aid to Political Prisoners.
Maurice Délépine of the Paris Bar, member of the Permanent Administrative Committee of the Socialist Party of France, president of the Socialist Lawyers’ group.
Jean Galtier-Boissière, writer, editor of Crapouillot.
Professor Jacques Madaule.
Jean Mathé, former secretary of the National Union of Postmen.
Counsel
Gerard Rosenthal, counsel for Leon Sedov.
Witnesses
Leon Sedov, Victor Serge, Eugene Bauer, Franz Pfemfert, Alexandra Pfemfert.
(Hearings in New York, July 26-27, 1937.)
Members
(The New York Sub-Commission was composed of those members of the Commission who were present in New York at the time of the hearings.)
Suzanne LaFollette, Secretary.
Alfred Rosmer.
Benjamin Stolberg.
Carlo Tresca.
Wendelin Thomas.
Counsel
John F. Finerty, Counsel for the Sub-Commission. Albert Goldman, Counsel for Leon Trotsky.
Witnesses
Esther Field, B. J. Field, A. J. Muste, Sara Weber, Max Shachtman, Herbert Solow, Max Sterling, Davis Herron, Harold Isaacs, Viola Robinson.
Note: The information given below concerning the accused in the Moscow trials of August, 1936, and January, 1937, has been compiled from official Soviet sources where such sources were available. An asterisk before the name of an accused indicates that the information concerning him is neither official nor vouched for as authentic by the Commission, although we have reason to believe that it is accurate.
The trial in which each accused was involved is indicated by the initials, ZK (Zinoviev-Kamenev) or PR (Pyatakov-Radek), following his name.
Arnold, Valentin Volfridovich (PR), 1894 – .
Bakayev, Ivan Petrovich (ZK), 1887-1936. Old Bolshevik. In revolutionary movement from 1905. Member of Bolshevik Party from 1906. One of the organizers of the armed uprising in Kamyshin, 1906. Participated in October Insurrection in Petrograd. Commissar, Third Division (Ural front) and Second Division (Petrograd front). Chairman, Petrograd Division of the Cheka, 1919-20. Member, Leningrad Soviet and District Executive, 1917. Held other important posts. Follower of Zinoviev. Expelled from C.P.S.U., and capitulated, at 15th Congress. Arrested December 16, 1934. First trial January 15-16, 1935.
*Berman-Yurin, Konon Borisovich (Hans Stauer) (ZK), 1901-1936. Russian. Member, C.P.S.U. Went to Germany, 1923, as correspondent of Soviet Communist Youth League papers. Member, Communist Party of Germany (K.P.D.). Disagreed with ultra-left policy adopted 1929, and from that time held no official position. During last years in Germany not regular correspondent of Soviet papers but wrote only occasionally as free lance. Returned to U.S.S.R. March or April, 1935, on order of the Russian Party representative. Arrested end of May, 1936. Posthumously expelled from K.P.D.
Boguslaysky, Mikhail Solomonovich (PR), 1886-1937. Old worker-Bolshevik. In revolutionary movement from 1904, when he was arrested in Kharkov. Participated in October strikes, 1905. Member of the first C.E.C. and first Soviet government in the Ukraine. In 1919, elected secretary of All-Ukrainian C.E.C. of Soviets, and also of Council of People’s Commissars in the Ukraine. Transferred to Moscow, and in 1921 elected to Moscow Executive Committee. Member, “Democratic Centralist Group.” Expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Party Congress and exiled to Novosibirsk; capitulated, 1929, and was assigned to work in Novosibirsk where he remained until his arrest, August 5, 1936.
*David, Fritz (Ilya-David Israilevich Kruglyansky) (ZK), 1897-1937. Polish Russian. Member and minor official K.P.D. In 1931 became trade-union editor of the Rote Fahne (organ of the
K.P.D.). Author of “The Bankruptcy of Reformism,” theoretical justification of the ultra-left trade-union policy. Went to Russia in March, 1933, and began to write articles for Soviet press as free lance. Became secretary to Pieck (K.P.D. leader and German representative in the E.C.C.I.). Posthumously expelled from the K.P.D.
*Dreitzer, Ephim Alexandrovich (ZK), 1894-1936. Officer in the Red Army during Civil War. Twice decorated with order of the Red Flag. Fought against Kolchak and in the Polish campaign. Left Oppositionist; member of Trotsky’s volunteer bodyguard, 1927. Expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Party Congress. Capitulated, 1929.
Drobnis, Yakov Naumovich (PR), 1890-1937. Old worker-Bolshevik. Entered movement in 1905, at age of 15. During 1918 assigned to the most dangerous and responsible work in the Ukraine, where he functioned in the underground organization, mobilizing partisan detachments against Petlura and the Germans. Served on the Denikin front, 1919-1920. Twice condemned to death by The Whites, and once shot and left for dead. Member of “Democratic Centralist Group”; expelled at 15th Party Congress; capitulated, 1929; reinstated and assigned to work in Siberia. Assistant Chief, Kemerovo Combined Works Construction. Arrested August 6, 1936.
Evdokimov, Grigori Eremeyevich (ZK), 1884-1936. Old worker-Bolshevik. Sailor from age of 15. Joined party in 1903; arrested in 1908; carried on Party work in Omsk 1908-13. From 1913 worked in Petersburg, where he was arrested and exiled. Escaped in 1916 and was rearrested. After February (1917) revolution an agitator in Petrograd. Head, political department, Seventh Army; participated in defeat of Yudenich. Chairman, Petrograd Council of Trade Unions, 1922; Deputy Chairman, Petrograd Soviet. Secretary of the Leningrad Committee, 1925. Member, 8th, 12th, 13th and 14th Party Congresses. Official Party speaker at Lenin’s funeral. Follower of Zinoviev. Member, Left Opposition bloc. Expelled from C.P.S.U., and capitulated, at 15th Party Congress. Appointed to minor post in the grain and cattle center, 1931. Arrested December 16, 1934. First trial, January 15-16, 1935.
*Holtzman, Edouard Solomonovich (ZK), 1882-1936. Old Bolshevik administrator. Left Opposition sympathizer, 1926-27. Never a member of the Opposition.
Hrasche, Ivan Yosifovich (PR), 1886-1937. Member, C.P.S.U. from 1917. Head of the foreign bureau, Soviet Nitrogen industry, 1932. In same position, Central Administration of the Chemical Industry, from spring, 1934.
Kamenev, Lev (Leon) Borisovich (ZK), 1883-1936. Old Bolshevik. Joined Social Democratic Party in 1901 as a student in Moscow Institute. Arrested at a demonstration, March, 1902, expelled from university and placed under police surveillance. Went to Paris, autumn, 1902. Joined Bolsheviks after the split, 1903. Returned to Russia. Worked in St. Petersburg, 1905-07; after arrest in 1908 emigrated again. Ordered back to Russia by the C.C., 1914, to serve as editor of Pravda and guide work of Party faction in the Duma. Arrested with Duma faction, 1914, and exiled, 1915. Member, C.C., from April Conference, 1917 to 1927. At second Soviet Congress elected Chairman of the C.E.C. of the Soviets, in which post he was replaced by Sverdlov. Lenin’s deputy as Chairman of Party Politbureau. Member, Brest-Litovsk delegation. Chairman, Moscow Soviet, 1918-26. Deputy Chairman, Council of People’s Commissars, 1922; Ambassador to Italy, 1927. Member, Left Opposition bloc. Expelled from C.P.S.U., and capitulated, at 15th Congress, December, 1927; reinstated, 1928. Expelled from Party and exiled, October, 1932; capitulated and returned to Moscow, May, 1933. Arrested, December 16, 1934. First trial, January 15-16, 1935; second trial, July, 1935. Editor of Lenin’s works.
Knyazev, Ivan Alexandrovich (PR), 1893-1937. Member of C.P.S.U. from 1918. Went to work on railways at age of 20. Chief of the South Urals railway; Assistant Chief of the Central Traffic Division, People’s Commissariat of Railways.
Livshitz, Yakov Abramovich (PR), 1896-1937. Member, C.P.S.U. Assistant People’s Commissar of Railways.
Lurye, Mossei Ilyich (Alexander Emel) (ZK), 1897-1936. Opponent of Trotskyist movement in Germany. Contributor to Inprecorr (official organ of C.I.). Went to Russia in March, 1933.
Lurye, Nathan Lazarevich. (ZK) 1901-1936. Polish Russian. Member, K.P.D. Went to U.S.S.R., 1932, after foreigners were deprived by governmental decree of the right to work in Germany.
*Mrachkovsky, Sergei Vitalevich (ZK), 1883-1936. Member, Bolshevik Party, from 1905. Organized the workers’ insurrection in the Urals, 1917, and became commander of the Urals military district after the victory of the Soviets. Active Left Oppositionist. Expelled from the C.P.S.U. at the 15th Party Congress, 1927. Capitulated, 1929. Exiled at beginning of 1933.
Muralov, Nikolai Ivanovich (PR), 1877-1937. One of the oldest worker-Bolsheviks. One of the leaders, Moscow insurrection, October, 1917; legendary hero of Civil War. Commandant Moscow Military District; member, Central Control Commission. Left Oppositionist; expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Congress and exiled to Western Siberia. Left the Opposition and politics without formally capitulating. Arrested April 17, 1936. Norkin, Boris Osipovich (PR), 1895-1937. Chief of the Kemerovo Combined Works Construction. Member of West Siberian Territory Committee, C.P.S.U., and member of Bureau of the City Committee. Arrested September 30, 1936.
Olberg, Valentine Pavlovich (ZK), 1907-1936. Latvian. Went to Berlin, 1927. Worked for Inprecorr. Joined Left Opposition in Berlin as member of Landau group, 1930; expelled with same group, 1931. Applied for readmission as individual and was refused. Went to Russia, 1933, because Hitler government was about to deport him as undesirable alien. Obtained position as teacher of history in Stalinabad. Left Russia July, 1933, and went to Prague, where he obtained Honduran citizenship. Returned to Russia, 1935, and obtained position as teacher of history in Gorky. Arrested during or after January, 1936.
*Pickel, Richard Vitoldovich (ZK), 1896-1936. Man of letters. Former secretary of Zinoviev. Expelled and capitulated at 15th Congress.
Pushin, Gavriil Yefremovich (PR), 1896-1937. Member, C.P.S.U. Employed in Central Administration of the Chemical Industry. Arrested October 22, 1936.
Pyatakov, Yuri (Georgi) Leonidovich (PR), 1890-1937. Participated in revolutionary movement from 1904. Arrested, 1912; exiled, 1913; escaped abroad (through Japan), 1914. Participated in Berne Conference of Bolsheviks. After February revolution Chairman, Kiev Committee of the Bolsheviks. After October Assistant Commissar and then Chief Commissar of State Bank. During Civil War served in the Ukraine. Chairman, first Soviet government in -the Ukraine, December, 1918. Chairman, Military Revolutionary Committee of Thirteenth Army. Commissar of the Military Academy, 1920. Member, Revolutionary Military Committee of the Sixteenth Army at Polish front, May, 1920; then of the Sixth Army at Wrangel front. Head of management of coal industry in the Don Basin, 1921. Vice-Chairman, Supreme Council of National Economy, 1923. Member, Left Opposition; expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Party Congress; capitulated and reinstated, 1928. From that time held various high posts, the last being that of Vice-Chairman, People’s Commissariat of Heavy Industry. His name was among six mentioned by Lenin in his so-called “testament,” bracketed with that of Bukharin as one of the “two ablest young men in the Party.”
Radek, Karl Berngardovich (PR), 1885-. In revolutionary movement from age of 14. First worked in Austrian Poland and Galicia (1904-8). In 1908 went to Germany where, with Rosa Luxemburg, he formed the left wing in the German Social Democracy around the newspaper Bremer Arbeiterpolitik. Internationalist during World War. Participated in Zimmerwald and Kienthal Conferences. On Bureau of Zimmerwald Left. Went with Lenin to Stockholm in 1917 but was prevented from entering Russia. Arrived in Moscow after October Revolution. After Brest-Litovsk peace, in charge of Central European section, Commissariat of Foreign Affairs. After revolution of 1918 in Germany went there illegally; participated in organizing first Congress of German Communist Party (“Spartacists”); arrested in Germany, February 15, 1919; released December, 1919, and returned to Russia. One of the most active participants in work of the C.I. under Lenin. In 1920, secretary, E.C.C.I. Member, Left Opposition; expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Congress; capitulated 1929; reinstated 1930, and served on Izvestia. Arrested after Zinoviev-Kamenev trial.
Rataichak, Stanislav Antonovich (PR), 1894-1937. Former worker. Member, C.P.S.U. Chief of the Central Administration of the Chemical Industry.
*Reingold, Isak Isayevich (ZK), 1897-1936. Former Assistant People’s Commissar of Finance. Connected politically with Kamenev. Expelled from C.P.S.U., and capitulated, at 15th Congress.
Serebryakov, Leonid Petrovich (PR), 1890-1937. Old Bolshevik; began factory work as a metal worker at age of 9; entered revolutionary movement in 1904. Arrested, 1905. Professional revolutionist from 1909; participated in Prague Conference of Bolsheviks. Arrested, 1912, in Samara and exiled to Narym; escaped, 1914, and returned to Moscow, where he organized May-day demonstration. Rearrested and sent back to Narym; after serving term of exile went to Tomsk, 1916. After February revolution organized the Komstromsky Soviet. In middle of 1917 went to Moscow, where he served on Moscow Central Committee. After October, member, Praesidium, Moscow Soviet, and secretary, Moscow Committee. Secretary of the C.C. (C.P.S.U.) 1919-20; Secretary of All-Russian C.E.C. of Soviets. Active participant in Civil War; member, Military Revolutionary Committee of the Southern Front, 1921; then Commissar of Communications. Member, Left Opposition; expelled from C.P.S.U. in October, 1927; capitulated June, 1929; reinstated January, 1930. Since served in various high posts, the last being that of Assistant Commissar of Communications.
Shestov, Alexei Alexandrovich (PR), 1896-1937. Old worker-Bolshevik. Member of Board, Eastern and Siberian Coal Trust.
Smirnov, Ivan Nikitich (ZK), 1881-1936. Old worker-Bolshevik. Professional revolutionist. In revolutionary movement from 1898; party member from 1899; joined Bolsheviks after the split, 1903. Arrested, 1899, then exiled; escaped, 1903; arrested, 1904. Participated in Moscow armed uprising, 1905. Arrested, 1910, and exiled to Narym; escaped, 1912; arrested, 1913, and again exiled to Narym; escaped, rearrested, and returned to Russia (from Siberia). Mobilized into army, 1916. One of prominent figures in Civil War. Member, Revolutionary Military Committee of the East. Leader of Siberian forces; insured victory of Fifth Army over Kolchak. After Kolchak’s defeat Chairman, Siberian Revolutionary Committee. People’s Commissar of Communications, 1923-27. Member, Left Opposition; expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Congress; capitulated, 1929; reinstated and appointed director of automobile plants at Nizhni-Novgorod. Arrested January 1, 1933, and sent to prison, where he remained until trial of August, 1936.
Sokolnikov, Grigori Yakovlevich (PR), 1888-. Old Bolshevik. In revolutionary movement from 1903; member of Party from 1905. In 1905-07 agitator-propagandist and organizer in Moscow. Participated in Moscow armed uprising, 1905. Arrested, 1907; exiled, 1909, and escaped. In emigration, 1909-1917. Internationalist during World War. Member, Moscow Committee of Party, April, 1917. After October Revolution directed nationalization of banks; Chairman Soviet Peace Delegation at Brest-Litovsk, 1918; signatory of treaty. Member, Revolutionary Military Committee of Second, Eighth, Ninth and Twelfth Armies, 1918-20. Assistant Commissar of Finance, 1921; Cornmissar of Finance, 1922. Deputy Chairman, State Planning Commission, 1926; Chairman, Oil Syndicate, 1928. Ambassador to Great Britain, 1929. Member, C.C. of C.P.S.U., 1917-19, 1922-30. Sent to Hague Conference, 1922. During 1925-6 supported “United Opposition” but left it, shortly after capitulating to Stalin-Bukharin. At 16th Party Congress elected candidate to C.E.C. Assistant Commissar of Foreign Affairs, 1934. Arrested summer of 1936.
Stroilov, Mikhail Stepanovich (PR), 1899-. Non-Party engineer; Chief Engineer, Kuzbas Coal Trust. Decorated with Order of the Labor Red Banner, July 7, 1935. Decorated again at session of C.E.C., October 7, 1935, for raising coal output in mines under his direction. Alternate member, All-Russian C.E.C.
*Ter-Vaganyan, Vagarshak Arutyunovich (ZK), 1893-1936. Old Bolshevik. Leader of Armenian Communists and of Soviet revolution in Armenia. Author of numerous works on the national question and other problems of Marxism; founder and first editor, under Lenin, of the Party’s principal scientific review, Pod Znameniem Marxisma (Under the Banner of Marxism). Member, Left Opposition; expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Congress; capitulated 1929; exiled at beginning of 1933.
Turok, Yosif Dmitrievich (PR), 1900-1937. Member, C.P.S.U. for twenty years; participated in Civil War. Assistant manager, traffic department, Perm and Urals Railway.
Zinoviev, Grigori Evseyevich (ZK), 1883-1936. Old Bolshevik. Member of Party from 1901; Bolshevik from the split in 1903. Emigrated, 1902; returned to Russia, 1905; worked in Petrograd; arrested, 1908, and forced to emigrate again. Internationalist during World War. Closest collaborator of Lenin; participant in Zimmerwald and Kienthal Conferences. Returned to Russia with Lenin, 1917. During July days forced to hide out with Lenin in Finland. After October Revolution, Chairman, Petrograd Soviet. Chairman, E.C.C.I., 1919-26. Member, Central Committee of Party, 1907-27. Member, Left Opposition bloc. Expelled from C.P.S.U., and capitulated, at 15th Congress, December, 1927; reinstated, 1928; expelled and exiled, October, 1932; capitulated and returned to Moscow, May, 1933. Arrested December 16, 1934; first trial, January 15-16, 1935.
Sedov, Lev (Leon) Lvovich (ZK, PR), 1906-1938. Son of Lev (Leon) Davidovich Trotsky and Natalia Ivanova Sedov-Trotsky. Born in Russia. Shared exile of his parents in Austria, Switzerland, France, the United States; returned with them to Russia, 1917. Active in Communist youth movement. Accompanied parents to exile in Alma-Ata, 1928, and Turkey, 1929. Closest collaborator of Leon Trotsky. Studied engineering, Technische Hochschule, Berlin, 1931-33 and edited Bulletin of the Opposition. Forced to leave Germany after Hitler’s rise to power, went to Paris, March, 1933; studied at Sorbonne; continued editing Bulletin until his death, February 16, 1938.
Trotsky, Lev (Leon) Davidovich (ZK, PR), 1879 – . “L. D. Trotsky, born in 1881 [1879], active in the workers’ circles in the city of Nikolayev; in 1898 exiled to Siberia; soon after escaped abroad and participated in the Iskra. Delegate from the Siberian League at the Second Congress of the Party. After the split in the Party, adhered to the Mensheviks. Even prior to the revolution, in 1905, he advanced his own and today particularly noteworthy theory of the permanent revolution, in which he asserted that the bourgeois revolution of 1905 must pass directly into the socialist revolution, being the first of the national revolutions; he defended his theory in the newspaper Nachalo, the central organ of the Menshevik faction published during November-December, 1905, in Petersburg. After the arrest of Khrustalev-Nossar, he was elected Chairman of the First Petersburg Soviet of Workers’ Deputies. Arrested together with the Executive Committee on December 3, 1905, he was sent into life exile to Obdorsk, but escaped en route and emigrated abroad. Trotsky chose Vienna to live in, and there he issued a popular labor newspaper, Pravda, to be circulated in Russia. He broke with the Mensheviks and attempted to form a group outside of all factions; however, during the factional struggle abroad he made a bloc with the Mensheviks and the Vpered group against the bloc between Lenin and Plekhanov who fought the liquidators. From the very beginning of the imperialist war he took a clear-cut internationalist position, participated in the publication of Nashe Slovo, in Paris, and adhered to Zimmerwald. Deported from France, he went to the United States. On his return from there after the February revolution, he was arrested by the English and set free only on the demand of the Provisional government, which was forced to intervene under the pressure of the Petersburg Soviet. In Petersburg he entered the organization of the ‘Mejrayontsi,’ together with whom he joined the Bolshevik Party at the Sixth Party Congress in July, 1917, in Petersburg. After the July days, he was arrested by the government of Kerensky and indicted for ‘leading the insurrection,’ but was shortly freed through pressure from the Petersburg proletariat. After the Petersburg Soviet went over to the Bolsheviks, he was elected Chairman, and in this capacity he organized and led the insurrection of October 25. Standing member of the C.C. of the C.P.S.U. since 1917; member of the Council of People’s Commissars, first holding the post of People’s Commissar of Foreign Affairs up to the signing of the Brest Treaty, then People’s Commissar of War."[42]
Member, Political Bureau, C.C. of C.P.S.U., 1917-27. Active in formation of C.I. Organizer and leader of the armed forces in the Civil War. Leader, Left Opposition, from 1923. Expelled from C.P.S.U. at 15th Congress, 1927; exiled to Alma-Ata, 1928, and Turkey, 1929; deprived of Soviet Citizenship, 1932. Removed to France, July, 1933; to Norway, 1935; deported to Mexico, December, 1936. Author of many works on theoretical and historical subjects.
Moscow, 7 August, 1932.
Dear Mr. Kobetzky:
In compliance with your wish I hereby beg to submit a summary of the technical research-work and projecting performed here with the object of utilizing the extensive deposits of low-grade, impure phosphates existing in great parts of Central Russia, as for instance in the Governments of Vjatka and Kjäsan, as well as in Kazakhstan (Aktjubinsk). Great importance is attached here to the utilization of these phosphates, as the phosphate fertilizers produced from them may be used in the same districts and thus mean a great saving in carrying expenses. To be sure, the Soviet Union possesses some of the richest phosphate deposits in the world, namely, the enormous deposits of apatite at Chibin in the peninsula of Kola. But the long railway haul to the middle and southern localities of the Union nevertheless makes the utilization of the lead phosphates in Central Russia most desirable. It is now the intention to use the Chibin apatite principally for the production of superphosphate, as the apatite is very high-grade-35-40 per cent. of P2O5 – and therefore will yield a very high-grade superphosphate, which can bear the expense of bagging and transportation. Consequently, it is necessary first to make a solution of phosphoric acid from these phosphates, and same may then be used – after evaporation, if necessary – for the production of different high-grade phosphate fertilizers, especially for double superphosphate by mixing it with a suitable quantity of raw phosphate, or ammonia phosphate by saturating the phosphoric acid with ammonia.
The production of phosphoric acid is effected by treating the phosphate with sulphuric acid, by which process phosphoric acid and gypsum are formed. The main problem consists in precipitating gypsum so coarse-grained that it may easily be extracted from the phosphate solution, whereafter it is washed free of phosphoric acid.
If the gypsum has been separated in a bad form (small or needle-shaped crystals) great quantities of the solution will adhere, and a lot of water is required to wash away the adherent solution. The acid thus produced will be correspondingly diluted, however, and a corresponding quantity of water has to be evaporated later on.
Now the production of phosphoric acids from these [low-grade] phosphates is rendered difficult by their great content of iron oxide (Fe2O3), the solution of phosphoric acid becoming very ferruginous, and thus more sulphuric acid will be used. The iron contents in the acid have the effect that a corresponding quantity of phosphoric acid in the finished fertilizers will be insoluble in water, and when producing ammonia phosphate, too great a quantity of sludge will be formed, which will make difficulties.
When I was working in the branch of the Dorr Company in Berlin, the Russian Trade Delegation there asked us to devise a process for the production of ammonia phosphate from these low-grade phosphates, and our research laboratory worked most intensively with this task for several months, and I participated in this work. We succeeded in producing without difficulty an excellent gypsum, and we further found out that the iron oxide in the phosphate became practically insoluble, when first calcinating the phosphate. We devised an efficient process and a great project in the spring of the year 1931, but it did not come to business with the Soviet Union. However, I here beg to point out that the Dorr Company kept the process secret, demanded a very large engineering fee, and refused to give any binding guarantees.
The gypsum obtained in the production of the phosphoric acid may be utilized for the manufacture of ammonia sulphate without employment of sulphuric acid, in this manner utilizing again the sulphuric acid already used for the production of the phosphoric acid. This process is used in many places abroad, and it is also planned to use it here in the Soviet Union, both with regard to natural gypsum and gypsum obtained in the production of phosphoric acid. From my work in the Dorr Company I have had thorough experience with regard to this process, which we succeeded in developing so well.
I will now account for the work done here to solve the said problems.
The experimental work has been performed by the Technical Department at the Fertilizer Institute [NIU] in Moscow under the management of Mr. Volfkovich, the Head of the Department, and the projects were prepared in “Giprokhim” [the State planning organization for the chemical industry] under the management of the engineer, Mr. Vogt, the head of the Phosphate Department.
Up to date the Fertilizer Institute have not succeeded in producing a serviceable gypsum, which they also admit. Consequently they are able to produce only a highly diluted phosphoric acid. Further, they had arrived at the definite conception that it was impossible to evaporate phosphoric acid from these phosphates in the usual manner in evaporators by means of steam, and they neglected to make reasonable tests to this end. They further neglected to make tests with calcinated phosphates, although aware of the fact that this would make the iron oxide insoluble. They contended that in such a case the gypsum would be of an inferior quality, which is absolutely incorrect.
Being unable to solve these three fundamental problems, they encountered difficulties of a secondary nature; and in this manner the total experimental work got onto the wrong track. In their calamity they therefore resorted to three different processes, which are to be considered impossible from an engineering point of view, but by which they avoid the evaporation of the solution of phosphoric acid.
It is now the intention to try out two of these processes in a rather large test plant in the Chemical Works at Tschernoretsche. I estimate that this plant will cost 200,000 Rmk. according to German conditions. The running of this plant is now being started. A reconstruction of this plant to a rational process will be so expensive that a new plant probably could be erected at the same cost.
The third process consists in precipitating the phosphoric acid again by means of a great quantity of ground limestone and burnt lime, thus obtaining a fertilizer which is called precipitate and contains about 35 per cent. of P2O5. However, this process consumes about 3o per cent. more sulphuric acid per kg P2O5 as compared with the figure in the production of double superphosphate. Though the responsible men notoriously were aware of this fact, they resolved to construct a large plant in Voskressensk according to this process. In a plant of this size the additional consumption of sulphuric acid will amount to about fifty tons per twenty-four hours, apart from the great quantity of chalk; this waste of raw materials having no evident advantages, apart from the fact that they believe they are able to handle this process.
On June 13 I informed Mr. Vogt of my objections and handed him a calculation of the consumption of sulphuric acid. I suggested to him to stop the construction of the plant and possibly to change it to double superphosphate. But he declared that this was absolutely out of the question. His other arguments in favor of this project were so peculiar that I considered them an attempt to veil the matter and set me wrong. He has never brought the matter up since. I was later told by a leading engineer in the Fertilizer Institute that, when the project was considered, he advanced exactly the same view as mine in a written report, but it was ignored.
With regard to the production of ammonia sulphate from gypsum the results achieved are no better. For this purpose a process has been resorted to which will hardly do in practice, this process not having been first tested on a small scale before constructing a large test plant in Tschernoretsche. I estimate the cost of this plant at 300,000 Rmk. according to German conditions. It comprises a large evaporating plant for the solution of ammonia sulphate, which will hardly be able to operate on account of choking up, and which is far too complicated. In this case also, they have failed to make tests on a small scale. In all three plants an immense number of structural faults of a more or less serious nature have been committed.
As early as May and the beginning of June, I submitted a number of memoranda on all the above-mentioned subjects, which memoranda also contain concrete proposals for the solution of the problems on the basis of my experience, and are accompanied by drawings and calculations. I have likewise proposed to start new tests on a semi-technical scale in the experimental plants of the Fertilizer Institute. But to date practically nothing has been done in this respect.
Summing up the above statements, it may be said that the work in these fields practically has to be begun again from the beginning. Consequently, great delays in the industrial development in this field are unavoidable, even if the necessary energetic measures be taken within the near future. If such measures are not taken, I see no possibility of starting production within a measurable period.