New-York tribune., 1919-01-09

charm Radek faction and extreme
supporters among the le1t wing Of the
Social Revolutionists. But again he
carried his point and was sustained by
the All-Russian Congress of Sovets
held in Moscow last June
Here, however, an event occurred
which widened the rift between the two
contending factions still more. The
event was the assassination of Count
Mirbach. The plotters responsible for
the assassination were composed main
ly Of group of leaders of the Left
Wing Of the Social Revolutionists
headed by Kamkoff- -Katz. Lenine.
fighting desperately against the posi-
hility of Germany utilizing the assassi-
nation as another Sarajevo incident
and making it an excuse for renewing
the war on Russia, yielded to the ulti-
matum of Germany demanding punish
ment Of the conspirators and executed
kamkoff, together with a group of 200
Social Revolutionists of the Left and
of the Right ii~ Hlla r. ..eiaf
This caused a wave Of protest against
hum in the Bolshevik ranks, and espe-
clally In the ranks of the Left Wing of
the Social Revolutionists, led by Maria
Splrldonova, who was arrested and de-
tanned in hospital in connection with
the Mlrbach assassination, and upon
her return to the Soviet opened a
series of assaults against Lenine.
With the coming Of the German revo-
luton the extremist element, sometimes
called "the Hebertist" element of the
Bolsheviki, after the extreme Jacobin
element Of the French Revolution. has
apparently gained the ascendency.
Lenine, however, realized that Ger
many had troubles of her own, and
that the course the German revolution
was likely to take would not be the
course of the Russian revolution He
had little faith in the possibility of a
victory of the Liebknecht faction, fol-
lowing it's overwhelming defeat at the
recent Alderman Congress of Soviets.
raced by this prospect and the con-
tlnued internal dissolution of Russia,
the inability of the Soviet government
to cope with the terrific industrial,
agricultural and social disorganiza-
ton, as we'll as the growth of the coun-
ter-revolution in the Caucasus, in the
Ukraine, on the Don in Siberia and in
the North, Lenine urged compromise
Win Clle meHSncVlKl ana the Right
Wing of the Social Revolutionists-
virtually the abandonment of the Boil
shevik regime.
The secretary of the Swedish lega-
tion in Moscow, on arriving in Stock
holm about three weeks ago, told of
stormy meeting of the Central Ex-
ecutlve Committee of Soviets in Mos
COW, at which Lenine urged the afore-
mentioned course. This time, however.
probably for the first time in his career
as head of the Soviet government, Le-
nine was defeated and Trotzky won.
Inspired by this victory, Trotzky ap-
parently has taken the offensive against
Lenine and yesterdays news of the
latter's overthrow and arrest is the
result.
Undoubtedly, Trotzky timed his act
with the Liebknecht revolt in Berlin to
lend emphasis in the mind of Western
Europe to the idea that the movement
both in Russia and Germany is going
to still greater and more radical ex-
tremes. AS Minister of War, Trotzky
had many opportunities of getting con-
| troll of the army, especially the Let's.
who were eager to invade the Baltic
provinces and settle scores with the
barons of the region. Probably Lenine
urged against this step, pointing out
the graver danger Of the growing
counter-revolution within, and the
necessity Of concentrating all available
forces against it. Trotzky, by catering
to the desire of the Let's, undoubtedly
gained their support for this coup.