Monday, November 11, 2013

Evelyn Trent papers, letters ,documents


June 30, 1957
Mr Robert C. North
Stanford University,
Calif
Dear Mr North

Your letter of June 28th received and I would like very much to read your book, which you are, kind enough to say you will send me and which I have wanted to read for some time, but our library facilities are limited here. If I can be of assistance to you in your projected study, I will do what is possible, within certain limitations. Perhaps I can tell better when I see the list of questions you say you are preparing. I have not seen the things you mention that have been written recently, and am rather curious to know what they are. Has anything been published recently which I might see? You must understand that I wish to remain completely in, the background as far as anything to be published is concerned, and would want my name with held. If you can respect this condition, I will be glad to impart to you whatever information I can that may be of help in your work, so long as you approach it from a sympathetic and understanding viewpoint, which I judge from your letter, is your attitude.
Sincerely yours,
June 30 1957



July 2, 1957
Dear Mrs. Jones:
Thank you for your kind letter. I am mailing the book, which I hope you will please keep. With this letter you will find enclosed a series of questions which may suggest the kind of material I am interested in. I assume that, in addition to the withholding of your name, you would want also a careful handling of Stanford details which might reveal almost as much. At the same time, this is, it seems to me, a fascinating and probably formative phase of Roy's life, and I would hope not to skip it altogether. Between us, we ought to be able to work out treatment which would protect you, bring Roy alive, and do no violence to the truth. Your experience as Fiction Editor has undoubtedly made you sensitive both to my problems and to the various techniques which might be used to serve our
purposes.
The length of my questions may give you a start, and unfortunately, they are by no means exhaustive. I am not sure how we ought to manage the answering of them so that the burden to you will be minimal. Surely we ought to have a visit first of all, and then perhaps, you would like me to provide you with the use of Sound scriber entirely. I would prefer not to rely on a Sound scriber entirely, it being too mechanical, but if some such device would save you burden and strain for the mass of chronological detail, it might be worth try. However, as I suggested in my previous
letter, I am deeply interested in Roy as a human being, and recollections bearing on this should probably come directly from you to tie without mechanical intermediary. The chief derogatory publication I am aware of is a book by S. Tagore which was published in India and is not, to my knowledge, available in this country. I copies out a large part of it because, along with much vilification, it also had valuable information. Also„ I interviewed Tagore in Calcutta, and he elaborated upon his main charges. His chief charge was that Roy had, misappropriated party funds. This is a charge I have heard leveled at other Communist leaders by their enemies, and I am not interested in it--though I am interested in. knowing who opposed Roy and on what ideological or tactical grounds. Mrs. Ellen Roy was disturbed, however, because I had lent my notes to others who, she was afraid, might not be equally discriminating (my. notes from the Tagore book, that is). This loan did not violate any confidence, but I shall be very unhappy, none the less, if they are not used with common sense. I would like very much to pay a visit some afternoon soon at your convenience.

Sincerely yours
Robert C. North

MIAMI UNIVERSITY
Department of political science
College of arts and science
218 Harrison Hall Oxford, Ohio 45056
513 5292000

513 529 1709 Fax

January 17, 1995
Dr. N. Innaiah
17319 Buehler Road Olney,
MD 20832
Dear Dr. Innaiah

In response to your request for information about M. N. Roy and Evelyn Trent: It is over a decade since I have done any work with the Borodins. Consequently, my recollection about sources is very fuzzy. You might look at Survey, October 1964 pp 3-47, Carleton Beals, Glass houses: Ten years of Free lancing, Karl Schmitt, Communism in Mexico, R. Sorich, "Fragments in Biography of M. N. Roy" (Hoover Institution) Have you tried getting a copy of the Trent-Jones marriage license? It might give some information on previous marriages. Sorry I cannot be of more help.

Sincerely,
Dan N.Jacobs

(Dan N. Jacobs mentioned in his book on "Borodin­Stalin's man" that Roy and Evelyn married in New York Prison. I asked him to give source for this statement)

Obituary:
Evelyn T. Jones page 10 Auburn Journal Auburn, Calif, Monday Nov. 23,1970 Obituaries A memorial service for Evelyn Trent Jones, 78, an Auburn resident since. 1909, were conducted Monday at the pioneer. Methodist Church. Mrs. Jones a native of Utah and the daughter of the late T.C.Trent, a gold mine operator in this area years. ago, died November 21 in the Auburn . Faith Hospital. She was a. graduate of Stanford University, a former news paper woman and a retired state social worker. A widow, she is survived by six nephews, Trent Meredith of Camarillo, Diven Merideth of Palm desert, Harold T. Power of Piedmont, Goodwin Trent jr. of Hawaii, John Trent of . Alaska and Francis Brown of Walnut Grove; and eight nieces, Marion Reese of Sacramento, Florence Brunkow of Spokane, Wash., Nina Jones of New York State, Mary Bou Martin of Idaho, Peggy Brown of Idaho, Mary Trent Frost of South Carolina, Meta Trent Harris of Los Angeles and Mary Trent of Palos Verdes. Inurnment was in the Auburn - District Cemetery. Schumacher's Colonial chapel handled the arrangements.
Collected by Innaiah Narisetti
Evelyn

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Research about Evelyn Trent


Evelyn Trent (1892-1970} was born and educated in USA. She belongs to the old left of the first world war generation, who saw the failure of capitalism and was hopeful of socialism. She was a left intellectual even before reading Karl Marx. Evelyn was a radical graduate of Stanford University. She met M.N. Roy (1887-1955) in the University campus in 1916. They influenced each other; together they changed totally, forgot their ethnic past and grew as cosmopolitan intellectuals. That was a great meeting of the east and west, disproving Rudyard Kipling, who said: east is east and West is West, never the_ twain shall meet.
Together Evelyn and Roy played an important role in the formation of the Mexican Communist Party and the exile communist party of India in Tashkent, and in the International Communist movement. Roy and Evelyn lived together for a decade and parted silently in 1925. The reasons for divorce are yet to be discovered. They maintained stoic silence about each other. Roy, while narrating his Memoirs to Ellen (1904-1961) did not mention any thing about the role of Evelyn in his life. That is unfair on the part of M. N. Roy. It is not Writing history in a scientific way. Evelyn was keen to know if Roy said anything about her and curiously followed the serial published in Radical. Humanist Weekly from India during 1953-54. To her utter disappointment, Evelyn found not a -word about her.
Ellen followed the track, contacted Evelyn after the death of Roy and encouraged research scholars to meet Evelyn for further research. Robert C. North was the earliest
American Scholar from Stanford University to correspond and meet Evelyn. Sib Narayan Ray from India tried to meet—Evelyn but in Vain. He, however, continued his correspondence with her till late 60's. He failed to persuade her in writing her memoirs. Other scholars also failed to extract any information from Evelyn regarding her early communist role. The only successful person was Robert C North who maintained cordial relationship and kept her address as a secret. Samaren Roy from India tried to obtain information about Evelyn posthumously but could get it only much later.
At this juncture, I made an attempt to collect information about Evelyn in USA and could meet her nephew, Mr. Diven Meredith, and could also correspond with her nieces who sent me rare photos and some material about Evelyn. I could also get rare material from Hoover Institute in Stanford University and from National Archives, Washington DC. I hope to get more information in near future regarding the reasons for the separation of Evelyn and M.N. Roy.
I tried to trace the photos of Evelyn and M.N. Roy together but could get only one photograph wherein they participated in a rally in Petrograde, USSR in 1922. But the xerox copy is not visible for reproduction.
I am thankful to Mr. Atluri Ashok, Mr. Mudduluru Sree Rama Raju and Mrs. Kavitha Shivram lob' Zen Technologies Limited, Hyderabad for preparing computer copy of this. script. I express my gratitude to Mr. D. Anjaneyulu, for correcting the script. My friend Mr. Alapati Ravindranath, editior Misimi monthly offered to make printing arrangements and I express my sincere thanks to him.My friend Mr P.Krishnarao corrected the final copy and I am grateful to himl
N. INNAIAH.


Evelyn Trent-



References and Notes :
1. Hoover institution Archives Jones : Evelyn Trent 1892­1970 Papers 1925-1969. American journalist, - wife of Manabendra Nath Roy . Indian communist leader, Summary: Correspondence, Notes, pamphlets, clippings and photographs relating to M.N.. Roy and the communist movement in India. The manuscript box folder I contains brief biography note also was not there. Folder two consists of correspondence of Evelyn with her mother, Robert North, Richard Park, Renaissance Publishers India, letters addressed to Evelyn by Sibnarayan Ray, Ellen Roy, Robert North and Richard Park. Folder three and four contained news paper clippings of Evelyn's as feature writer and contributed to San Fransisco Chronicle Sacramento Bay area news papers, Stanford Illustrated weekly, One letter from Einstein thanking her for her help to the atomic scientists committee. Roy's obituary in Radical Humanist Jan 25, 1963 issue. The Hoover Institute referred my letter to Mr Diven Merideth seeking permission. to use the material. Mr Diven is the son of Evelyn's sister Mrs. J. D. Merideth. He is now staying in California State. He permitted me to use the papers of. Evelyn and also sent her photograph of 1950s at my request- The Hoover Institute papers mentioned the dates 1925 to 1969 but there was nothing to reveal the communist phase of Evelyn nor her married life with MN. Roy. The library of Congress has the information of Evelyn in the unpublished manuscripts catalogue. The photos of MN. Roy in the archives belong to Mexico period and no photo of Evelyn was found in the papers. The letter addressed to Richard Park was burnt at the edges and a part of it was not there. The papers indicate that Evelyn valued her privacy and that makes the researcher's task all the more difficult! See Archives of Hoover Institution on war, Revolution and peace. Stanford, California, USA.
2.   National Archives, USA in Washington D.C. list of Manifest. of Alien passengers 1893 - 2953 121 M 1410 Roll 90 May 23, 1916 Microfilm The curious aspect in the information is that the place of birth was given as HAITES and the city in which Roy was born was Ionainis!
3.   See the files of Justice department in National Archives Washington D.C. Microfilm copy. The index card says that 400 pages of matter was available on Roy.
4.  Bhagawan Singh was revolutionary who was indicted in U.S.A. in 1917. Roy sent him Vanguard journal from Geneva even - in 1924. See War Department files-Microfilm and Central research files in National Archives, Washington D.C.
5.   Mukerji, Dhan Gopal. (1890 - 1936) was the son of a priest in Bengal. He was in Japan for a short period and picked up Japanese and he could speak French with ease. He wrote a few books for children and he was essentially spiritualist believed in Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. He toured India during 1927 and met Jawaharlal Nehru. Some of his papers and correspondence was available in Syracuse University and Pennsylvania University library, Philadelphia. David Jordan Starr had very good opinion of him.

6.   See the files of Federal Bureau Investigation, U.S.A. in National Archives, Washington D.C. Files 3551 MID 9771-23.
7. Census 1900 Utah State, USA Microfilm in National Archives Washington D.C. Code T 653 The data given: Lamartine, Trent Dec. 1849 born, England; Trent DeLome, wife 1858B. age 41 Florida, Inaze, daughter 1879 age 21 Montana born; Lender daughter 1880 age 19; Lamartine, son 1882 age 18 Colorado; Walter, son 1883 17; Helen, daughter 1884 age 16 Colorado; Goodwin daughter 1886 age 14; Florence daughter 1888 age 12 Utah; Evelyn daughter 1892 Utah.
8. See : Famous persons of the West: Press Reference Library. Library of congress, Washington D.C. PP 871 In the Hoover Institute Archives among Jones, Evelyn Trent papers there is a biographical note in which a para was mentioned about Lamartine. The family name was Trent and full name was Lamartine Cavaignac. He attended some private schools in London until age 12 and then sailed to USA He got enlisted in Co. G, 47th N.Y. Vol., Civil War and participated in first and second battles of Fort Fisher in North Carolina. It seems he was often blindfolded until he reached a given destination to assure secrecy of the location of the mineral property! He developed a dairy farm, a mine at Vantrent and mining machinery business in San Fransisco and Los Angles. He had mining properties in the vicinity of Auburn where he settled down and lived his last days.
9.  David., Jordan Starr (19 Jan 1851 - 19 Sept. 1931) \X/as Chancellor- and Emeritus Chancellor of Stanford University till, his death. He stood for international peace. He collected rare species in residence along with Ethel Rae Dugan and continued her contact throughout: David appreciated her talent and helped whenever asked for David, Jordan Starr correspondence, papers are available in Microfilm in Stanford University library and in the Library of Congress.
10. Ethel Ray Dugan was graduated from Stanford University in 1915. with History as her subject. She married Mukerji Dhan Gopal in New York on 15th June 1918. By that time Evelyn and M.N. Roy left New York and stayed in Mexico. In New York city Mr and Mrs. Dhan Gopal Mukerji were the guests of Mr W.B. Feakins, Times Building, Times Square. Even after returning from Europe Evelyn did not contact Mr and Mrs, Mukerji. M.N. Roy also lost contact with them. Dhan Gopal died when Roy was in jail in India.
11. "On the Quiet" was three act comedy of Augustus Thomas. It was rated as one of the best American plays during the first decade of 20th century. It was staged in Broadway theaters of New, York. Thomas originally named it as "Thread way of Yale". In this play a wealthy girl and another young actor decided to marry the parents of the bridegroom cunningly promised to help him for his Harvard studies. The lovers wanted to marry after the studies. But the parents of the groom withdrew their support to see that the marriage does not take place. Hero of the play was engulfed with constant threats. Thomas created the situations which the audience enjoyed in a hilarious mood. Augustus Thomas (8 Jan. 1857 - Aug. 1934) hailed from St. Louis in USA and he produced 70 plays and contributed to the theater development in USA Some of his popular plays are: Mizzoura. The Copperhead, The Burglar, A. man of the World. Lot of publicity was given for Evelyn in those days for her performance as Ethel. It was staged in Stanford University on Feb. 28th 1913. See The San Fransisco call. Feb. 27, 1913.
12.  See Evelyn's letter to her mother from Stanford University July 15 1912. Evelyn used to sign as Barn, Archives of Hoover Institute, Stanford, USA
13. Mukerji, Dhatz Gopal told this to one Mr O. O. Anthony. F.B.I. File in National Archives, Washington D.C.
14. Evelyn wrote her first letter to David Jordan Starr on 31st August 1916 from 1417 Crown Hill Avenue, Los Angeles, California. Without waiting for the letter she applied for the passport. Meanwhile Jordan sent the letter. She thanked him through her letter on 15th September from the same place. Evelyn obviously stayed with her parents while waiting for the passport. Perhaps she introduced M.N. Roy to her parents and sisters there. See David Jordan Starr papers in microfilm-Library of Congress, Washington D.C. Unpublished documents section.
15.  See.F.B.I. records in National archives, Washington D.C.
16.  Lala LajPat Rai was known the lion of Punjab in India. He was national leader and freedom fighter who stayed in New York temporarily due to the restriction - imposed by the British govt. He was ALya Samajist who died in 192$.
17.  See Dan N.. Jacobs: "Borodin, Stalin's man" Harvard Uni Press, Chicago pp -68.I asked him the source for the wedding of. Roy's in prison, Jacobs could not give any proof but advised me to refer: to registration of Eleven's second marriage wherein she might have mentioned the reasons for the dissolution of the first marriage etc. Also Evelyn's letter to Richard Park wherein she condemned Chakravarthy for denying her marriage in jail. See Jones, Evelyn Trent. papers in Hoover Institute Archives, Stanford, USA.
18.  War department files of M.N. Roy in National Archives, Washington D.C.
19.  FBI fill in National Archives, Washington D.C. Evelyn and Mrs. Blanchards daughter worked in the' same firm. That was the link the police, tried to trace.
20.  War department files in National Archives Washington D.C.
21.  File  9771-72 War Department National archives W lashington D.0 UK
22.  File. 9991-B-41 in War. department, - National_ archives„ Washington D.C.. Friends . of India was the international league establish in Mexico by M.N. Roy and Evelyn . as directors. Prof Jose . G 1 Vlontes was the Secretary and the address was Ap.Postal 1056, Mexico, D.F. There were two vice presidents, four more members mentioned.
23. Evelyn while withdrawing the money from the bank mentioned that she was going to Yukatan to reorganize the schools for the Government. General Alvarado Salvarado was the progressive governor for the state to whom Evelyn carried an. introductory letter. See War Department . files 9771-72,73 in : National Archives Washington D.C.
24.   War Department files 9771-25
25.  Evelyn sent a letter from Petrograd to Elena Terres. She was routing the letters from Esthonia. She also - sent a photo of Petrograd rally in which she and Roy participate. - The photo was not very.. clear: - See War records in National Archives War department records 9771-B 1.
26. Sergei Eisenstein 1898-1948, Russian film producer, Director. He visited Mexico from 1930 to 1932 and made Que Viva Mexico Modern Art Museum of New York has the copy of that film.
27. See Hoover Institute Archives and Stanford University rare collection, Stanford, California USA.
28.  KPO radio broadcasts were popular in-those days (1928) Evelyn invited several prominent guests for discussions and talks on the Radio. Since those were the earliest Radio broadcasts no cord was available in audio museums.
29. Mc.Lure Newspaper Syndicate, New York, was established in 1883. It was purchased by Clinton P Brown in 1912 sold to Richard H Walden & associates in 192$. After 1$ years they moved to Standard Statistical building in Lower Manhattan, New York. At that juncture Evelyn Trent edited their publications in fiction.
30. See Hoover Institution Archives, Stanford USA Agnes Boone was born in a Methodist family who opposed dancing considering it a frivolity. Agnes overcome that obstacle and evolved as a pioneer in western dance. She was a contemporary of Evelyn in Stanford University. She won recognition in New York where there was a tremendous competition. She toured France, Spain, . Italy and got laurels. She taught in Boston Teacher's club.
31. Revolutionary Age was published from New York as a weekly by the majority Communist group. Jay Lovestone was the editor in 1931. Ben Gitlow was the secretary of the communist majority group national council. Though Evelyn never worked with the communists in USA she was in touch with developments about Roy and am reacted immediately after his arrest. This also indicates that there was no truth in the allegation about her links with British government against Roy.
32. Dewitt Jones belongs to Richmond in California State. After their marriage they moved to Oakland. Dewitt Jones worked for news papers in Sacramento and written articles in San Fransisco Chronicle. He published Newspaper from Sierra Madre in California. He was the research director. to Contra Costa County - development Asson. He also directed the compiling of the history of the port of Stockton and historical documents of East Bay, Alameda County Board of supervisors and State Emergency Relief Administration.. He wrote for Oakland Tribune: He also worked for the Governor of California. The couple lived for some time in Sacramento. the capital of California. He was manager of Oakland industrial office of the state department of Employment. Evelyn moved to various places along with him and contributed articles in local news papers and organizations connected to her husband.
33. Revolutionary age, New. York published about the statement of Einstein on 26th September 1931. The brief text of the original statement was in German and preserved in the Einstein archives of Hebrew University, Jerusalem. The copy is available in Princeton University, New. Jersey library, archives and among rare collection papers. I obtained permission from Einstein Archives, Jerusalem for publishing it. I got it translated in Washington D.C.
34.  The Revolutionary Age, a weekly from New York published reports regularly commencing from the arrest of M.N. Roy till the sentence and afterwards. The weekly was the official organ of the Majority communist group in USA From the beginning of 1932 the paper was published as Workers Age and continued campaigning for M.N.Roy. The information was not carried in Indian papers in those days because of censorship and repression in India.
35. See Hoover Institute Archives: Jones, Evelyn Trent papers Princeton University. Einstein thanked Evelyn in his letter sent to her on-29th April 1947. Obviously Evelyn knew Einstein intimately and was in touch with him.
36. Evelyn responded to the correspondence from Renaissance publishers from India. She wanted to see the memoirs that were serialized in the Radical Humanist. Renaissance publishers sent her Roy's New Orientation, My experience in China and a few copies of periodicals.
37. Richard Park was the earliest scholar to approach Evelyn for information and continued correspondence with her. An important letter written to Park was burnt at the edges and only one page was retained in the papers of Evelyn. But that gave many clues about her thinking about Roy. Even after knowing that nothing was mentioned regarding her role in the memoirs of Roy, she continued her admiration for him and expressed it in clear words. She condemned Dr. Chakravarthy and others for vilification of Roy. She wanted recognition for the intellectual contribution of Roy. See Jones, Evelyn Trent papers in Hoover Institute, Stanford California,. USA.
It seems Prof Robert C. North developed intimate contact with Evelyn by constantly visiting her at Auburn. North sent several letters, questions and redirected the letters of others to her. . At her request North kept her residential address a secret and Evelyn used the Post Box number in her last days.

- Innaiah Narisetti

Evelyn Trent

APPENDICES

CORRESPONDENCE, LETTERS, DOCUMENTS.
AND RESEARCH ON EVELYN TRENT AND
M.N.ROY  IN  U.S.A.

ROBERT NORTH'S LETTER TO EVELYN TRENT
STANFORD UNIVERSITY

Stanford, California
June 28,1957

Dear Mrs.Jones

In 1950 it was my good fortune to .visit Mr M. N. Roy in Dehra Dun, and at that time I became enormously interested in his life. I was preparing a manuscript on Soviet relations with China, which was later published under the title MOSCOW AND CHINESE COMMUNISTS, and inevitably Roy figured in my writing. Now, at the suggestion of Mrs. Ellen Roy, I am writing you for further advice and help. Recently I began a rather ambitious study which I hope will lead to a biography of Roy. In this new work my interest includes the man as a personality and as a creative thinker, and Mrs. Ellen Roy, who is unhappy about certain things that have been written about him recently, urged me to seek your help. Under separate cover, I am sending you a copy of MOSCOW AND CHINESE COMMUNISTS. In this book, however, my treatment is not much more than two dimensional. Some years back, before I had met Roy, I wrote a novel REVOLT IN SAN MARCOS and since then it EVELYN ALIAS SHANTI DEVI 50 has of  ten occurred to me that my leading character, a Latin American, is in many respects similar to Roy. In any case, my approach is warmly sympathetic, and I am anxious, above all, to try to bring back to life the man who was so generous to me in Dehra Dun in 1950.
It occurs to me, also, that you may well have strong sensibilities in the matter, and I want above all to tread gently. At the same time, Roy was far too important to be ignored or distorted for posterity, and I feel strongly that it would, be an enormous and tragic loss if the people who were close to him were to guard too closely the events and shaping influences in his life. Because of my close associations with Stanford, I doubly interested in the phases of Roy's career which you alone can bring to life. I would like, therefore, to submit beforehand a list of questions, so that you can sense the problems facing me, and then, perhaps, we could discuss them at some time suitable for you.

Sincerely yours,
Robert C North
Research Associate

Please rest assured that I shall respect your confidence in every regard.

Mr Robert C. North
Stanford University, Calif
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this research work was done in USA by Innaiah Narisetti