The daily morning oasis., 1920-11-10
By J. w. T. Mason
Omitted Press Service)

New York :. Nov. 6.-The bolsheviki
have been in power in Russia since
November s, 1917. Their revolution
began November Z with the sudden
seizure of the official telegraph news
agency in Petrograd and the state
bank. The next day the Petrograd
garrison joined the movement and the
government passed into the hands OF
Lenine and Trotzky, following the
flight of Kerensky.
Bolshevik1 means MaXimalistS. The
Bolsheviki got their name because
they insisted on the immediate appli-
cation fthe Maximalist socialist pre-
gram of communism. Kerensky, who
had come into power as a moderate
socialist after the overthrow Of the
Romanoffs opposed the Lenine-Trot-
zky Maximalist program. That, how
ever, was not the cause Of his over
hrcw. Kerensky was the friend OF
the allies. He wanted to keep Russia
in the war. The Russian people, how
ever. were war-weary. The Bolshe-
wiki promised a quick peace and that
was the fundamental reason why Red
rule stal ted in Russia.
TIE Bolsheviki quickly began negc-
tiations with Germany for separace
peace. The Germans insisted on i'm
perialistic terms. Trotzky and Lenine
wanted to resist, but they had not the
power. So, on February, IL, 1918, the
Bolsheviki brought about peace as it
had never been proclaimed before.
They declared the war was at an end
and ordered rehabilitation on all
fronts. At the same time they said
they would sign no peace terms with
Germany. This puerile altitude OF
hiding from insurmountable Difficult
ties marked the Bolsheviki through
out it's existence. The German army
started a leisurely march on Petro-
grad and on March 8, 1918, the Boil
sheviki signed peace on Germany's
terms.
Meanwhile there were incipient up
risings against the Bolshevlki. Tney
were easily put down because tne
Russians so ardently desired peace.
But the Bolsheviki were in weak
minority numerically. At no time
have they much exceeded half mil
lion active workers. To prevent
themselves from being outvoGed in
any test of strength with any other
Russian party the Bolsneviki dis
solved the constituent assembly at
Petrograd by armed 1orce on January
20, 1918. Thereafter, throughout their
administration, the Bolsheviki gov
erned without any legislature to con
troll them.- They refused to let the
Russian people vote upon any ques-
zion concerning the kind of govern
ment Russia should have.
In March, 1918, the Bolsheviki
transferred the capital to Moscow.
They feared the uncertain temper of
The people OF Petrograd. and they also
wanted to be nearer Russia food
centres. In this they showed good
judgment, for, under the inefficient
administration OF the soviets, Petro-
grad suffered from disease and famine
more than any Otller part OF Russia.
Once in Moscow the Bolsheviki in
troduced a complicated electoral sys-
tenn whereby final power was lodged :
in the hands of dozen fanatics Ine
personnel Of this group changed from
time to time, except that Lenine and
Trotzky were always the leaders
They retained the support of the
woikingmen and peasants by legaliz-
ing the seizure of all factories and
land from the rightfuI owners. The
factory hands agreed to the principle
Of communism and consented to the
states administering the occupied
plants The peasants, however, iiatly
refused to accept communism. Cnce
the land had been taken from the
great profteers the peasants divided
it up among themselves. They de-
clined to recognize state ownership
and insisted upon the peasant proprie-
tory system. This was contrary to
the Bossheviki theory, but Lenine and
Trotzky dared not thwart the peas
ants.
The state administration of indus
Try broke down completely. The Boil
sheviki would give no encouragement
to administrative skill and appointed
mcompetents to high executive posts.
AT the same time arrests and execu-
tions were ordered to stamp out /
counter revolutionary activities by
terrorism. Ineffciency developed /