Evening journal., 1921-04-13
b, SIR PAU DUKES.

by SIX GAN l. III hEN.
CLate Chief of British Secret Intel
ligence Service in Soviet Russia.)
Russia is the land Of contrasts Of
the impossiblel In what other coun-
try OF the world could you imagine
so rapid, so lightning a transhgura-
tion from the pomp and splendor Of
an imperial court TO the drab, color
less monotony Of a feminist soviet? ?
or in what other country could a
political camarilla. numbering few
hundreds. or at most thousands. i'm
"a population of "a hundred and nifty
millions. re-establish the rule OF
czarism in an is features except the
picturesque-even basing their civil
power on the re-enlisted czarist po-
Ice-and yet masquerade 20 an ig-
norant and bewildered world as "a
government "of workers and peas
ants"2
or where else could a regime
which denies free speech, free meet
ings. and free elections, which sup
presses Independent trade unionism.
which exterminatcs free co-opera-
ton. pose as the Dictatorship OF the
proletariat'
The Russian people. the Russian
workers, call it among themselves
the dictatorship over the proletariat.
They say IL is "czarism inside out
Truly is Russia the country where
the impossible is not only possible.
but happens.
He will be a daring prophet who
ventures into the realm Of prognos-
tication with regard TO things Rus
sian. 1 have lived in that country
eleven years, / have known people
Of every class from the court TO the
peasantry. when the czar fell, was
a revolutionist with the revolution
ists I have seen two years Of revolu-
tionary rule. yet I would consider
myself intrepid indeed IL 1 dared TO
predict with exactitude what the fu-
ture of Russia will be.
leave that TO tourists with no
knowledge of the Russian language,
and as little Of Russian ways and
customs. who accept Bolshevik hos
pitality for a week or two and then
come back and write books about IT,
But since the new year, there have
been one or two developments in the
Russian situation which are Of sig
nifcance and which throw some
light on the possibilities Of the i'm
mediate future.
There was recently a serious pop
ular revolt in Petrograd (the contin-
uation Of a long series) when an at
tempt was made TO compel the Com
munists to alter their regime and
grant the liberties now denied &c
Russian citizens.
The revolt was suppressed Gas
such revolts always will be) because
IL was premature and because the
means Of coercion, in the form Of a
highly developed and unscrupulou'
police system. with regiments OF for
eign hirelings, are all in the hands OF
the government, while no one IT
Russia is allowed 10 bear arms un'
less he be a professed Bolshevik.
But this outbreak, short-hved
though 10 was. compelled Lenin &c
make a public declaration surrender
ing the fundamental principle Of th'
Communist dogma, the right OF tre'
trading between individuals.
The first principle Of Commun'
ism is the suppression OF all private
enterprise, individual initiative, an'
personal ambition in business. Thi
is the policy which (though 1t hai
never been fully enforced) has re
duced Russia to starvation.
Ienin now even talks of concedinl
a small measure Of Independence L
the Cooperative Societies. that grea
democratic institution hated by tn
Bolsheviks as being "capitalistic'
but beloved Of the people. because
used to provide for their need
cheaply.
Lenin acknowledges that his sys
tenn Of forced requisitioning from IN
peasantry has failed utterly, so H.
SAYS he will allow just little privat
enterprise and business ambition
Temporarily" until the Communis
cart is pulled out Of the mud.
The world revolution" says lie
min TO his Communist retainers, Il
more tardy than we expected. W
must make a compromise with capi
talism. in order that Russian indus
try be restored. The capitalists vii
do for us what we Communists can
not do for ourselves Meanwhile, W
will foster the world revolution b
conspiracy. bribery, plotting, and Sc
ditious agitation"
Indeed, the world revolution
tardier than Lenin expected. tn
Bolsheviks have prophesied 1t to tn
Russians for the last three years.
was always TO happen next week
next month";" sometimes in Ems
land first sometimes in Franc'
sometimes I'm America.
1 myself, when I was living j
Soviet Russia, disguised as a Bolshe
vik. participated in the celebratio
OF the world revolution in Petrogra
on a hot Sunday in July, 1919.
q 4 q