Evening star., 1921-05-22
DOCUMENTS SHOW
SOVIET IS FAILING
Lenin Government Declared
in Period of Agony Pre-
ceding Death.
PARTY ABOUT BANKRUPT
Unity Destroyed as Result of
Struggle Between Factions
Bringing on Chaos.
PARTY ABOUT BANKRUPT
BY cable to The Star and New York Tribune.
Copyright 1921

Copyright. 1921.
BERLIN, May 21-Documents re-
lating to soviet Russia obtained by
your correspondent cast valuable light
on the condition of the bolshevist
party and those currents and cross
currents of opinion prevailing in the
soviet government.
The documents cover a period up to
the end of April and demonstrate that,
despite the latest diplomatic victories
of the bolsheviks in England and Ger
many. the soviet government has en-
tered into period of agony preceding
death. Party leaders are running
around in circles in a desperate effort
to find way out of the existing
situation. The ore time party unity
has been destroyed as a result Of the
struggle between three distinct fac
tions within that party. which is now
in chaos.
According to Trotsky. "our best
workers. especially those connected
with economic affairs. realize clearly
that the present situation is unbear-
able
Divided Into Three Groups.
Consciousness Of the partys bank
ruptcy is permeating every stratum Of
the membership. particularly the
rank and file. The party is divided
into three main groups. to wit. the
right opportunist, center and extreme
Ia oil IN. 1n
tween factions The right wing is
divided into three groups. namely: The
workers opposition, led by Schalip-
nixon; the democratic center, led by
Ossiansky and Soffronoff. and a group
led by Bucharin, including Larin
Preobrajensky and Sokolinikoff.
These groups assert that the soviet
machine as constituted is unable to
deal with the situation. and demand
the specialization of the state, the
transfer to the state of the economic
apparatus in the hands of the trades
unions and the reintroduction Of the
elective system in the choosing Of off,
cials and freedom Of speech and press
within the bolshevist party.
Bitterly Oppose Tendency.
These groups represent the consensus
Of the opinion Of the rank and file
Foth Lenin and Trotsky oppose bitter
Iy this tendency, believing that its
triumph would result in the crash of
the bolshevist regime. This, however.
does not mean that Lenin and Trotsky
are agreed.
Trotsky demands the complete mill
tarization OF industry and the aboli-
ton of the last prestige of the work.
ers. self-government, and the complete
subjugation Of the trades unions to
the state and the unqualified dictator
ship Of the bolshevist party, excluding
recent concessions to so-cailed nom
partisans and 1.-The application of all
methods of compulsion and merciless
discipline with regard to the work.
ers."
Preparation for Getaway.
The situation Of the rank and file in
the party is marked by the most seri-
Gus disorganization, and 1000 mem
bers left the Petrograd organization
one month. and what is perhaps most
sensational are the preparations ac-
tually made recently by bolshevist
chieftains to clear the roads for q
safe getaway.
Anxious to preserve the so-called
|>cream of the bolshevist leaders. a
plan was actually prepared to retreat
to Reval and Kovno. Large funds
were forwarded to bolshevist agents
| in Switzerland with orders to ex-
change the same for South American
money. The families Of some bolshe-
visit leaders were actually sent to
Reval. The smaller fry. however,
were told to beat it to the Volga re-
gion in Turkestan in the event Of a
crash
Feverish military preparations arc
under way in Turkestan to this
end. where Sokolnikoff is stationed
with five cavalry and eight infantry
divisions. simultaneously. they are
seeking to keep a road of retreat to
India open. A cavalry division was
sent to Kabulla. where Stalhn, the
ccmmissar for eastern affairs. is
guarding the retreat toward India, and
a special wireless station has been
xol 70 h,,n,