New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1919-06-22
Continued from page one


sian mujik, having got a slice of
fresh land for himself out of the
revolution, was pining to give it
back. He wanted his landlord again.
He wanted his rent tax again. He
wanted the knout on his back again.
Robins did not believe in such
peasants and no such peasants
appeared. There we're serious dis
turbances later, for other reasons.
But the uprisings and upcomings Of
Czar-loving peasants from the Don
and from the Urals and from the
Ukraine and from the Finnish
marshes were phantoms. Trotzky
and Lenine stood. They stood for a
week, and for a month, and for a
year, and then for some more. But
the diplomats were most of them
equally stubborn. Never in all that
time did they fail to see Trotzky
and Lenine falling tomorrow.
Boche Grabbing
The Allied and American govern
ments, rather than admit the exist
ence of Trotzky, let the Germans do
all the grabbing Of Russianf raw
materials on the Russian frontier.
Nevertheless, it was absolutely
necessary for the Allied and Amer
lean governments to talk to Trotzky
on some subjects, at some times,
somehow. They had embassies in
Petrograd; and these embassies had
to'get police protection, for instance,
and telegraph service, and similar
courtesies and facilities. In order to
get them, they absolutely had to talk
to some Bolsheviki. They would not
talk to them "officially." But they
talked to them ''unofficially."
For the American embassy Robins
was the unofficial" talker. He was
not a diplomat" He was not
member of the club, so to speak; and,
accordingly, he could go to Smolny
on behalf of the American Am
bassador without in the slightest de-
gree compromising the American
Ambassador. He went, and he kept
on going, month after month, at the
American Ambassadors request. He
was unofficial" but he was recog-
nized.
In all that follows in all Of these
articles it should therefore be thor
oughly understood that Robins was
not going to Smolny in any merely
private capacity.
To begin with, he was now head
of the American Red Cross Mission.
Colonel Thompson had gone back to
America in the hope of being able
to bring the facts of the Russian
situation to American official atten-
ton. Colonel Robins had taken his
place
Secondly, and especially, Robins
was the American ambassadors
unofficial" aide in all dealings with
Smolny. Once an order came from
Washington forbidding Robins to go
to Smolny any more. The ambas-
sador secured it's cancellation He
wanted Robins to go. Months later,
when Robins was at Moscow, and
when the ambassador was at Vo-
logda, Robins received certain
telegram from the ambassador. II
showed Robins's status clearly, and
it to-day evidences the nature OF
the opportunities through which
Robins secured his knowledge OF
Smolny affairs. 1t said:
do not feel should be justified
in asking you to remain longer il
Moscow to neglect of the prosecu-
ton of your Red Cross work; but
this does not imply any lack Of
appreciation of the service you have
rendered me in. keeping me advised
concerning matters important fol-
me to know and giving suggestions
and advice as we'll as being a chan
mel of unofficial communication with
the Soviet Government"
"Unofficially" Robins got protec
ton for the embassy against the
anarchists.
In America we think Of anarchist.
as furtive individual criminals. II
Petrogad they were a regular or
gained political party. They hat
headquarters and local branch
Offices and newspapers. Their lead
ing speciality was denouncing tn,
Bosheviki for being too mild, to-
tame The Bolsheviki were lettin,
the capitalists live. They were let
ting the bourgeois survive. TIL.
bourgeois should be instantly ex
propriated, instantly exterminated
The Bolsheviki were not doing it
Lenine and Trotzky were traitors t.
the proletariate. They were lackin,
in true proletarian ruthlessness.