The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1922-02-20
LEaN APPEARS
READY T0MAKE
BIG CONCESSIONS
May Call Constituent
Assembly and Drop
Soviet Label.

WAhSAW, req. l5.-The RUS
sian 'sociaiistic Soviet Federated
Republic is ready to become sim
ply 'the Russian republic" 1t is
even ready to call a constituent as
sembly. provided the. allies decide
TO meet the Russian delegates in
the open at Genoa.
The government of Lenin and
Trotsky is In fact willing to do al
most anything-save surrendering
its governing power-to secure
recos milton and aid from the great
powers. .
During the last few months the
writer has been in personal con-
tact with Soviet leaders In Moscow
and has had the experience OF be-
ing able to regard Lenin. the prime
minister Of the Soviet Republic ana
the master chess player Of Russian
politics. almost as closely as the
reader is holding this paper to his
eyes.
ltealise Their weakness.
The Soviet leaders may deny. at
the beginning. any intention of
making the great and radical
changes indicated, but their denIxls
will be diplomatic. II the Russian
delegates who go to Genoa can Sc
cure recognition and help at less
cost they will naturally do so. but.
on the other hand. II the Genoa
Congress stands firm in its attitude.
the Russian delegates may talk OF
the sovereignty of Russia and pre-.
tend to buck the TRACES. but in the
end they will yield Shccsuse they
know that without outside help
given quickly Russia will now de-
generate into hopeless chaos OF
peasant communes without any CO.
ordinating authority.
The Bolsheviks have held the
fabric together up to new. and
their organization strength shows
no sign OF weakening-that is. so
far as the danger OF their being
supplanted by any other governing
body is concerned-but the swiftly
increasing dissolution Of industry
and transportation, the necrosis of
productive spirit among workmen
and peasants, plus famine and
pestilence, are bringing about con-
ditions that no government can
combat.
Debate Calling An Assembly.
Russia must have outside help.
and the Bolshevik leaders know IL.
The proposition to call a constit-
uent assembly was debated for
weeks by the Council Of Peoples
Commlssars and the Central Execu-
tive Committee. of SovIets. meeting
at the kremlin before the conven-
ing OF the annual congress of the
All-Russian Soviets in Moscow last
month.
1t was finally decided not to
bring the matter before the con-
eress. as it would be asking the
congress to swallow too much at
one time. particularly as the big
thing Lenin wanted to push
through was the ratification of the
new economic policy" which in a
word means the reintroduction OF
capitalism. private ownership. and
public.
Will Keep Power.
The calling of a constituent as
sembly might wait. it was felt. II
might constitute a good bargaining
point in negotiations for recogni-
ton and help from the big powers.
1t might be yielded as an evidence
OF the sincerity of the Soviet Gov
eminent in meeting the demands OF
the allies. while the extreme left
element could be placated at home
by the tale that the concession was
an inexorable demand on the par:
OF the capitaiistic powers. which
had to be made IL Russia was to be
saved.
The change of the name to mere
ly the Russian republic would
therefore be placed in the same
category.
In the hearts of the big Bolshevik
leaders like Lenin there is no fear
that a constituent assembly will
mean the destruction of their gov
erning power. The Bolshevik party.
with its compact and efficiently dis
ciplined organization, will still con-
troll the elections and run the gov
eminent, whether 1t is called a con-
stituent assembly or a Soviet con-
gress. The only danger they fear
would be a split in the party itself.
due to the swing to the right. and
which is regarded by many as a
betrayal of communism to capital