Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-03-08
by Frederi c j. HaSkin.
Member

VI WASHINGTON, D. c., Jan. ga change of
wv attitude toward the Russian Bolsheviki is
noticeable here. 1t be traced prin-
cipally to President Wilson's address to congress,
in which he characterized the Russian representa-
tives at the BTest-Litovsk peace conference
sincere and in earnest" besides speaking in high
terms of Russia and her leaders at other points in
his address.
Even the action of the Bolsheviki in dissolv-
ing the constituent. assembly, when it failed to
give them majority has apparently not alienated
the sympathy of allies and neutrals, athough this
step undoubtedly created unfavorable impress
sion But foreigners are concerned principally
with Russias attitude toward Germany, uot with
her domestic problems, and it is on their foreign
policy that the world judges the Bolsh evikt
The Bolsheviki party must stand or fall by the
results of it's coup in dissolving the constituent
assembly. If the Russian people back the action
3oidly, it is probable that the Bosheviki will soon
be recognized as a de facto government. If,
the other hand the Mensheviki and the Constitu-
tional Democrats, whose majority in the assembly
turned out-of-doors with the bayonet, rally
enough support to start serious civil war with
the Bolsheviki, the latter party is convicted of
failing to carry out the will of the majority The
Bolsheviki claim that practically the whole of
Russia is behind them, and point for proof TO the
support of the All-Russian Council of Worhmen's
and Soldiers delegates. They ascribe their failure
to show a majority in the assembly to the alleged
fact that the elections we're held under rules
drawn by other parties The accuracy of this
statement will be proved or dispfoved by the
events of the next few weeks.
Some light is cast on the nature and purpose
of the Bosheviki by old member of the party
now in Washington 1t is mistake, he says to
regard boshevikism new development brought
to the surface by the revolution. The BolsheVlh
a party are fifteen years old, dating back TO
the second congress of Russian Socialists, which
was held on Austrian soil in 1908. Lenine has
held the leadership Of the party ever since that
date
Like most Russian radicals under the. old
regime Lenine now premier, dates mis- active entry
into Russian politics from the time of his first
arrest, which occurred in 1887. Most Russian
agitation of that date revolutionary rather
than socialstic 1t was seven years later, in 1874,
that Lenine founded the first Socialist organlza-
ton in Russia. In company with comrade after
wards executed he published illicit Socialist
newspaper. The first edition consisted OF four
copies, written by Lenines own hand. some OF
the later editions written by hand in Jail, and
smuggled into the outside world. Manuscript
copies of this underground publication, written
by Lenine have recently come to the library OF
congress in Washington.
Later Lenine exiled to Siberia, but he
managed to make his way to Switzerland whence
he attended the conference in Austria at which
the Bolsheviki party had its birth. The delegates
to this congress quite evenly divided into
moderate and extremist camps. The moderates
advocated working toward the purely communis-
tic state by degrees, compromising at first with