The progress-itemizer., 1920-08-13
Shall Chaos or Reconstruction
in Europe Follow the Great
World War;
B0LSHEVIK RULE OF FORCE
People Are Helpless While the Army,
Privileged, Keeps Lenine In Power
by Its Bayonets-Freedom 10
Thing Forgotten.
Article XIV.
BY FRANK cOMEREORp.


The effort to socialze politics die
not democratize politics; 1t was moi
Intended to. In practical operation, II
fulfilled its purpose, II created polit
ical autocracy.
The greatest power In Russia today
minority government cannot exist
Force is the strength and security OF
minority rule. Bayonets held the czai
on his throne, the same power hold:
the Lenine-Trotsky government in au
thority. Every induCement has beer
offered men to join the army and the
navy. This is the best and almost
the only Job In Russia today. The
soldier and sailor is at least guaran
teed good food and a warm bunk. He
ton. Living conditions are better In
the Red army than In any other occu-
patton.
Section 10 of Article of the consti-
tuition is interesting:
For the purpose of defending the
victory of tie great peasants and
workers revolution. the Russian So
cialist Federal Soviet Republic recog
nizes the duty of all citizens of the
republic to come to the defense of their
introduces universal military training
The honor of defending the revolution
with arms is accorded only to the
workers, and the non-working ele-
ments are charged with the perform
ance Of other military duties"
Only "Reds" Allowed Firearms.
No one else in Russia Is allowed to
have or carry arms. This rule is
strictly enforced, and searches have
been made almost weekly "a search OF
arms. 1t is a serious ma,tsr to have
q firearm IN Russia II you are not a
member of the army. AS conse-
qaence. the one armed force in Rus
sia today is the Red army. This Is
the backbone of the bolshevik govern
ment. The people are utterly help
less. AS long as the army is well fed,
warm and well clothed, II will con
tinue to be the most popular occupa-
tion In Russia.
Carrying out the general plan OF
stripped army officers of rank. In do
ing this they tried to live up to the
constitution forbidding the bourgeoisie
,entering@ the Army, Hc-.eyeer tlAt;' llA'
Theory. like man, othtss Nd not work
out in practice. SkilfS'In military di-
rection Is indispensable to an effective
military machine. Facing civil war,
with the Red army alone between the
government and disaster, Lenne and
Trotzky found it eXpedient to turn
their backs upon the constitution. 1t
was necessary to have trained men as
they had denied citizenship and the
honor of defending the republic. were
called upon to advise the army.
Albert Rhyse Williams Is devoted
friend of Lenine's. He was so enam-
ored with the bolshevik movement that
he offered to join the Red army, He
has written a biography of Lenine,
from which | quote:
"He Uenine) sent an automobile
with Red guards to the fortress of
Peter and Paul to fetch part of the
counter-revolutionar staff in prison
there.
Gentlemen. said Lenine. as the
generals filed into his office. 4 have
brought you here for expert advice
Petrograd is in danger viii you be
good enough to work out the military
tactics for it's defenseY They as
Sented
Generals Denied Better Treatment.
Here are our forces resumed
Lenine. indicating upon the map the
location of the Red troops. munitions
and reserves. And here are our latest
reports upon the number and diSposi-
tiou of the enemy troops. Anything
else the generals desire they will call
Tor.
''rLey set to work and toward eve
ming handed him the result of their
deliberations. Now said the gen
erals, ingratiatingly. will the premier
he good enough 70 allow us more com
Portable quarters?
"'My exceeding regrets replied
Lenine; some other time. hut not Just
now. Your quarters. gentlemen. may
not he comfortable but they have the
merit of being safe The staff was
returned to the fortress of Peter and
Paul"
have given this excerpt from the
life of Lenlne. not because the Incl
dent is important but because it illus
trateS the difference between bolshevik
theory and practice. | am not criti-
cising Lenine's good sense in promptly
abandoning the foolish theory he
wrote in the constitution am trying
to emphasize the foolishneSs and i'm
practicability of the theory.
BoIshevik Breach Of Faith.
So in the very beginning of the ex-
pertinent called bolshevism, ITS leaders
broke their promise and treacheroGsly
struck down the peoples convention,