Evening star., 1918-07-04
BY LOUIS EDGAR BROWNE.
(Copyright, 1881

AoD4S AOu3A1Ns~ DAeo W 4SASs
Copyright, 1881
What is the soviet power? What
is the soviet government? What form
of political rule sways the destiny of
1SO 900 900 people in European Russia
and Siberia? Is it democratic? Will
it result in democracy for Russia? Is
it German controlled? Is it so
cialistic or is it just plain. ordinary,
unadulterated madness?
-7s,Asx q. --corresp0pdent.SLstMasAgi given.
exceptional opportunities tn, ipyesti-
gate and observe the workings OF
the new soviet power in Russia. II
the conclusions Of my Investigations
were correct, then the outside world
knows about as much regarding the
existing political organization and
the governing mechanism Of Russia
as it did forty years sgo about dark
est Africa.
Russia and Germany was signed at
Brest-Litovsk Won Kuehlmann inform
ed Karahan, who headed the Russian
delegation, that, tnasmuch as Ger
many would submit the peace to the
reichstag for ratification, the Russian
sian national convention to ratl1y
this treaty of Brest-Atovsk in the
name of the Russian people.
Immediately on the return OF the
Russian peace delegation to Petro-
grad the council of peoples commits
sars called a meeting Of the all-Rus-
sian congress of soviets for March
~. and sent election notice to every
city and village In Great Russia and
Siberia, where all men and women
over eighteen years of age and OF
three months residence enjoy full
suffrage.
Elections Under Trying Conditions
These elections were made under the
most trying circumstances Of any held
since the soviet power took control.
The party in power, the boisheviki, had
of peace and, despite the signature Of
the peace, Germany was yet invading
and announced that she would con-
tinue to do SO until the treaty was
ratified. ,.
In one way or another the mass Of
the people were in possession Of most
of the facts. Village and ward cleo
tions were hot and furious, but the
machinery Of the soviet form of gov
ernment held together and there as
sembled in Moscow on the date set
March l7-an "all-Russian congress
Of soviets," with 1.765 registered dele
gates to vote for or against the rat1-
fication Of the Brest-Litovsk treaty
Between tho time when the soviet
Congress met to ratify the peace
treaty and when I left Moscow no
new "all-Russfan congress OF soviets'
had been called. although the govern
ment expected to send out notices for
elections to be held about June and
the congress to assemble about June
20. The following description Of ma
tional elections in Russia under the
soviet power Il tnrs the aIscs,on.
Base Of Soviet Power.
The base Of the soviet power and
the elemental unit from which the
soviet government derives its right
to existence is the village. mir.
The phrase Village mir" means.
roughly, village mass meeting. The
mir dates back to the .nad early dawn .,a. o. OF
ago. before the Tartar invasion of
Russia began, Russian villages con-
troIied their local affairs through the
meetings of the mir
members Of the mir met in the village
church, or in the community house, If
the village had none. Usage had re-
stricted the membership of the mir in
many localities to the landed peas
ants, In some sections of the country
the phrase mir was replaced by
some more modern appellation. The
mir would talk over local questions,
and after every one had talked him.
self out q vote would be taken. A
majority vote gave the decision. and
there was no court of appeal The
soviet 10 built up on this native Slavic
conception Of democracy. It is some
thing that the most illiterate peasant
understands.
Two Groups Of Thought.
When the Gear. fell there sprang up
in Russia two groups of political
thought. One, Milyukoff, Lvoff, Rod
zianko. Kerensky; second. the soviet
lists. Broadly speaking. the first group
intended to establish in Russia
through the constituent assembly a
democracy similar to that of, the
United States, France or England.
Their apparent reason was that these
forms Of democracy had been success
full elsewhere. The second group, the
sovietists, desired to- build fup a de-
mocracy. using the Russian village