Newark post., 1921-08-17
WILL THE GOVERNMENT
OFTHE BOLSHEVISTS
BE RECOGNIZED?

6k NEOOONlZED
A question of the greatest import
ance is involved in the large giving Of
relief to starving Russia by other ma
tions. This is the question of recog-
milton of the Soviet Government. The
Russian Revolution which overthrow
the monarchical government and the
czar, early in 1917, was followed by
the Provisional Government of the
moderate revolutionists, who believed
in constitutional democracy. The
mass of the Russian working people
and peasants knew nothing about
democracy. They were chiefly inter-
ested in getting rid of the Gar, and
were like children, reveling in individ-
ual liberty, liberty which was really
license and not fraught with the self
control and responsibility essential to
successful democracy. They were
therefore not ready to display any
self-sacrifcing loyalty to a govern
ment which interferec with their idea
of freedom. The constructive policies
of the Provisional Government met
with little cooperation outside of
limited groups of the the better edu-
Gated. 1t had also the opposition of
those attached to the overthrown
monarchy. Reaction of the masses
was natural. They were weary of
war and they hated anything that
seemed to continue the institutions of
the former Gar.
Under these conditions the radical
socialists and anarchists found plenty
of fertile ground for propaganda.
They gained a majority in the con-
ferences of the Social Democratic
Party. The word Bolshevist means
ajority, as opposed to Menshevist
meaning minority, and although the
Bolshevist wing of the Social Demo-
cratic Party represented minority
of all the Socialists in Russia, and
small minority of the Russian people,
these extremists continued to be call
ed Bolsheviki. Lenin and Trotsky
were their leaders, and by bold
stroke they finally gained control of
the government. The American in
depreciation of the Russian word
"Bolsheviki" is derived from the kind
of government and the methods insti-
tuted and employed by the so-called
majority" of Russian Socialists.
The regime they inaugurated was
not Socialism. 1t was a dictatorship
by the working classes, carried out by
force and violence. The new govern
ment represented the Soviets, or local
organizations of workmen, soldiers,
and peasants. In order to keep con-
troll, the Bolsheviki gave vote both
in the rural Soviets and the Soviets
of the large cities to those workmen,
soldiers, and peasants only who pro-
| fessed belief in the Bolshevist Gov
ernment. Communism was establish
ed, which meant that private prop
erty was abolished. Land, labor, in
dustry, agriculture, religion and So
cial relations were owned and control
ed by the people, and the people were
the Bolsheviki and chiefly the Boil
shevist government. The government
took over the operation of all indus
tries. Money was discarded and both
industry and agriculture conducted
on basis of trade in grain and other
commodities. Both industry and agri-
culture reclined at disastrous rate.
The church was put down, and social
life adjusted to give the Bolsheviki
first claim to all advantages.
Following an ignominious peace,
concluded with Germany and Austria
in 1918, Russia was cut off from po-
litical, economic and social connection
with the Allies. Until the present
economic crisis reached it's height
Russia has been dark country, with
news from outside and information
from within restricted by rigid con-
troll. The operation and results of
the Bolshevist program could not be
closely watched by other nations nor
the condition of the people published.
The Soviet Government has never
been recognized by the Allies, and
the interest and sympathy of the
Allies for the Russia of the early
revolution, was alienated by the Boil
shevist regime.
In March of this year trade
agreement was reached between rep
resentatives of Great Britain and of
the Russian government, which has
now been declared by legal authori-
ties in England to constitute recog-
milton by England of the Soviet gov.
ernment. A British trade commission