The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-08
THE BOLSHEVlkI, THE SOVIETS AND THE
PRESENT SITUATION IN RUSSIA
kOKfT, Assistant Governor General of Finland Under
the Provisional Government

many years professor Russian law and
the history OF law ia HcIsingfors. Fin
land. and Petrograd. Russia. In 1908
Professor Kord delivered "A course Of
lectures at the Johns Hopkins univer-
sity, Baltimore, and in 1912, at the
invitation of the American Red Cross.
he acted as foreign secretary Of the
International Red Cross conference,
which met in May in Washington
u. c. After the March revolution
Baron korff was appointed by the
government of Prince G. Il. Lvov as
sistant governor general of Finland.
which position he also kept under the
kerensky government, but was forced
to resign in November after the Boil
shevist revolt Baron korff has re.
Gently arrived in this country.)
According to the latest news. the
Boisheviki have executed the leaders
of the left wing of the party of the
socialists -revolutionists, Maria Spiri-
donova and kamkov, and with them
two hundred other counter revolu-
tionists." The executed were "coun-
ter-rcvolutionists,' according to the
Bolshevist use OF the term, The Boil
sheviki have used this term very much
lately and, consequently. tn re arise
many MISUNDERSTANDING ll.,ding to
rather deplorable results
! Who are ''counter~revolution
according to the Bolshevist reports
Immediately after the March revolu-
ton they started to can counter
revolutionary the constitutional
democratic party, the so-called
cadets, although this party always
stood for a democratic, representative
I and responsible government and con-
| trihuted much to the downfall of the
Tsar's regime. After that they began
| to apply the term "counter-revolu-
tionary' to Social democrats menshe-
/ WIKI, and such prominent revolution
airy leaders as George PIekhanoff and
Tseretelli were added to The counter
revolntiontsts. They went further
and classed as counter -revolutionists
the So called right wing and center of
the party of ts-revolutionists
and now the grandmother" of the
revolution, e. c. Brcshkovskaya, and
I V. NJ. Chernov have become as much
counter Revolutionary" as George
Plekhanoff and Tsereteln. Finally
they went still further and proclaimed
as er-revolutionary. and exc
cuted, the socialists revolutionists of
the left--the faction which cooper
ated with the Bolsheviki up to the
moment of the concluding of the
Brest- Litovsk treaty.
so every one who opposes the Boil
sheVist tyranny. every ono who re-
pudiates the shameful Brest-Litovsk
| peace, every one who interferes
| with the regime of anarchy in Rus
STA, with the plans of German DONNA
! ton In Russia. every such faction In
| proclaimed ter-revolutionary and
as such is presented to the public
opinion abroad in the reports Of these
foreign correspondents who, for one
| reason or another, choose to serve the
! Solshevtst cause. The game is sim
| pie, the term er-reyolutionary is
very ympathetic one. Every
sincere democrat in the United States
! is in natural sympathy with the Rus
| sian revolution, whose main aim was
ana Is, to replace the old autocratie
| regime by a democratic government
| To say that somebody is counter
revolutionary Is TO say that he is
against the revolution. which, in turn,
means that he IL against the aims of
the revolution that he Is for the res
toration of the old regime.
None of the opponents of the Boil
sheviki, beginning with the constitu-
tional- democratic party and up to,
and inclusive of, the sooia lists -revolu-
tionists of the left, ever were in SYM
factions contributed more TO its down.
fall than the Bolsheviki who, at least
indirectly, helped the old regime by
destroying the unity of the progressive
forces in the country, Even now the
only active counter-revolution
power in Russia is the Bolsheyiki as
far as by creating and encouraging
anarchy in Russia, they provoke,
among the unfortunate population.
such longing for order and govern
ment that they may accept finally
even monarchic rule If this rule will
bring them a minimum, of order. a
minimum of physical and moral COM
fort.
The only way to save Russia from
German domination and from a dark
internal reaction is by lending her i'm
mediately a helping hand
The Bolsheviki are rapidly losing
control. Their hold on the central
government is only nominal as each
provincial soviet. or Bolshevist coun-
Gil. is doing what it pleases. not pay
ing any attention whatever TO orders
received from Moscow. The only
power the Bolshevist central soviet
still has is due to the backing Of Ger
many and her agents. Germany has
vigiiant eye on the happenings in
Russia, points out TO the Bolsheviki |
every danger threatening Them and
then helps them to do away with the
latter by every possible means. Thus,
the moment the other political parties
start any organized resistance to the
Bolshegiki the Germans: together with
the Bolsheviki. attack and destroy by
x ~ n :