Evening star., 1924-01-22

bolshevik faction, under Lenips
leadership, attempted In july 1917
coup d'etat, which was suppressed by
the Petrograd soviet and the Kereil-
sky government.
From July, 1917, until Lenin's re-
turned suddenly to Petrograd to be-
come almost overnight the dictator
of Russia, he was in hiding. Secreted
in Il straw stack on an island In the
Neva, not far from Kronstadt, he re-
mainod for days while platoons OF
Kerensky soldiers, aided by blood
hounds, searched for him. Peasant
friends brought him food and news
papers and carried messages from
him to Leon Trotsky, later second IN
command Of the poletarfan dictator
ship, who was then practically in
control of the Petrograd soviet
Disguised as Fireman.
The search soon became too hot
after having shaved off his beard.
and with a false passport describing
him as a, Finn, he made his way back
to Petrograd. A friendly locomotive
engineer agreed to smuggle Lenin
over the heavily guarded Finnish
the locomotive wearing the grimy
clothes of a fireman and stocked the
engine until 1t had successfully
passed through the control station at
the IrOntier.
On November 6. 1917. Lenin re-
turned to Petrograd. Trotsky and
other leaders had paved the way.
inc tottering provisional govern
mcnt was powerless to save itself.
After twenty-four hours Of almost
biood!ess Diminishing. during which
thoaters furctioned as usual. while
street hghting went on in the next
block. Kerensky had fed and the
rest or the provisional government
were prisoners. the city was COM
rietely In the hands of the soviets
ana ,,. NlkoIai Lenin sat smiling in a
iittio room at Smolny Institute, ap-
plying his signature to proclama =
i items ke had drawn up long before,
announcing the proletarian revolu-
tion In Russia and calling unon the
proletarianS Of the world to unite to
aG-lSt them.
hGde Peace 1T Once.
In. = principal program at the
moment Was Immediate peace with
Germany With dynamic Intolerance
q even such important associates as
Trotsky, Lenin pushed through his
plan. IRE already existing frater1,.-
Zatlon between Russian and German
TO tremendous proportions, and after
| a rev months Russia had signed the
treaty of Brest- t-Litoysk.
internally Russian life was turned
upside, down. Factories were taken
ever by the workers. Great estates
| were confscated by the neasants
who divided them among themselves
The artstocracy sought any kind OF
safety II could find and the middle
c;ass or bourgeoise became special
OBJECTS for TIE hatred OF the masses
free trade was abolished ard in its
! stead was established system g;
government control that rationed
! rood. placing the Working men IL
Preferred classes and doing oi,,
IN Tbte or none at all to the others
aha grain. manufactured Droducts
| exchange. -ut" VI
Four years passed during which
internal counter revolution, in man
assisted BY allied intervention,
Enemies Of the communists sssassi-
mated some bolshevik leaders, and in
lSeptember, 1918. Lenin himself va
ishot ano severely wounded. Plots and
ICounter plots. terror and courter-ter-
Tor swept Russia from one end TO
the other, and the bloodshed. ntsery
and famine OF these four black Years
nave no counterpart in modern his
tory. Through all this period Leniu,
backed BY the solid, strictly dis
affairs.
In 1921, when the soviet govern
ment had swept aside all military op-
position. Lenin turned his hands u
the task Of building up the Russia
1.-THE revolution had destroyed To
achieve this he began what lie called
strategic retreat from communism
"A communistic Utopia might be pos
isiole in years to come, he said, but
1.-THE active communism as practiceL
Idurins the period OF the civil wal
,had never been intended as perma
,yn
land so IN epochal speech. delivered
lin November. 1921, Lenin pubiiciS
Iannounced the failure OF past policie:
tand explained the need for an eco.
inomic departure. He proposed q
Ileast partial re-establshmeut o!
;capitslistic principles: u reversion &c
l3ree trade; the imposition OF taxes
ION land; aholiSnrent of free trans