Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1928-03-09

inspired by the great bugbear-word
"Bolshevism"-we are simply at
"Thermidor" again.
For us today-for those of US who
read Tame and Carlyle in comfort
able armchair hermidor" means
the end of the Reign of Terror in
the history of the French Revolu-
ton. But for the Frenchmen who
lived when Marat and Robespierre
met their natural and fatal ends,
"Thermidor" did not seem so sunny.
Deportations, executions, violence
and terrors of every sort went on
during "Thermidor" - and after -
for a relatively long period. The
waves are slow to quiet down after
a tempest.
What wonder il "Thermidor" is
going to be much longer in Russia?
In historical events there is strict
relation between time and size. Ten
years of revolution in little France
may we'll become fifty years in end
less Russia. 1t is-in parentheses-
with this thesis in mind that we
find the patience to leave to our
grandsons the privilege of assisting
at the rebirth of a new China. . y
That there is going to be a change
in Soviet Russia even superficial OBJ
servers have begun to suspect in re-
cent weeks which have brought news
of the duel between Stain and
Trotzky, between the men in power
and the "pure" in the Opposition.
But do not let us waste time study
ing the Russian polemics Of last De-
cember and January around the
Kremlin, and the subsequent events.
The Kremlin was worth studying
when it was inhabited by Lenin, OF
even by Trotzky. The group of men
who now dominate Russia are able
to retain power only by all kinds of
police measures, by exiting their
enemies or putting them into prison.
Intellectually speaking, they do not
awaken the least interest.
In spite of the Red atmosphere, it
is the old Russian story that is still
going on.
What else did Trotzky try in vain
to do, a few weeks ago when he at
tackled Stain and the other men in
power, than to repeat what the Lib
eral bourgeoisie did to czarism, and
what, later on, Lenin did to Keren-
sky?
The only difference, probably, con-
sists in this: That Stain and his
comrades, who now govern Russia,
are resolved to offer, from the Krem-
lin, a much more serious resistance
to any attack than the Gar offered
to Kerensky, or, later on, Kerensky
himself offered to Lenin. To be in
power by chance, and to know that
to be out of power means expiration,
removes the happy alternative of a
resignation. Dictators of this sort
are not Sin power; they are simply
intrenched in power.
It was probably the knowledge of
Stains enforced determination to re-
sist attack that, ten weeks ago, led
Fmen like Zinoviev 1.-THE reputed au-
thor Of the pretended Red letter
which won the last British general
election for the Conservatives) to
show themselves quite willing to eat
any quantity of humble pie in order
to get readmitted into the circle of
the governments friends.
Was Zinoviev sincere? Or are he
and his friends secretly going on
plotting-as Russians have it in THEN
blood to do-in the dark mysteries
of the famous "Podpolie," the I'M
translatable word which character
lied for decades the secret undermin.
ing power in Old Russia? But that
question would lead us into the laby-
rinths of Oriental intrigue, where
we could only use guesswork.
Now, if we want to look briefly
at the essential factors of Russian
life and Russian evolution, it is bet
ter to put to one side the govern
ment and the struggles around the
government, and simply study this;
The present state of mind of the
workmen and the present state OF
mind of the peasants-and their re.
ciprocal force and position. These
and nothing else, are the elements
which will sway the future.
What are the relations between
the masses of Russian workmen and
the Soviet government?
Let us begin by stating the real
numerical proportion of the work.
men to the rest of the Russian PEG,
pie, on the one side, and to the Com.
munist party, which actually domi,
mates that people, on the other.
The Russian workmen constitute
a maximum of 100000 in a tota
OF 130,000,000 Russians, now practi.
cally all peasants. The Communist
party, which had no more than 10000
adherents when in 1917 it came t.
power, actually has grown to $780,,
900 members. Indeed, it might hav,
increased to millions, as always hap
pens when a country has fallen IL
such low level that one may 5,
sure Of some measure of persona
safety only by being a member Of
the dominant party. However, tn,
Communist party still has less than
100000 members, but certainly MOI
because of lack of applicants. Tn,
reason lies in their traditional re
spect for an old formula of Lenin'i
which prescribed quality, not guam
tity." Be the quality bad or good
in a Communist sense. the fact i,
that admissions into the party ar,
still relatively slow.
OF the 100000 members of III,
Cna..E.nni.A .au..L.. 49, :.