The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1932-04-29
FROM FEBRUARY TO OCTOBER
A BOLSHEVIK ACCOUNT
FROM THE FEBRUARY REVOLUTION TO
THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION, 1917" by A.
r Twin. XIV Vorhars 9ihrarv prhI;sh.

THE OCTOBER REVOLUTION, 1917" by A.
r. Ilyin- Geneysky Workers Library Publish
ers, 1881; 1872 PIP, Is Cents.
Reviewed By A. c. Bosse.
THIS vivid story of the democratic and Boil
4 sheyik revolutions in Russia is to be recon-
mended. as has been done all too often with
less important books, as worthy to be read by
every worker. Those who haven't the time or
the price to read Tarasov-R adionovs more am
bilious story of the February overthrow will find
here an account that covers more ground, is sim
pier in sequence, and far more mature politically.
1t is story that can be read with advantage
by worker who has just come to the movement
as well as by the experienced Party worker The
gentlemen of our press particularly would do well
to read it, few times.
The author, Ilyin Cbrother of the better known
Raskonikov, marine officer and revolutionary
military organizer) was editor of number of
Party military newspapers. There he learned TO
write in the simple and direct style needed for
the masses of soldiers who were just coming over
to the Bolsheviks. He had been revolutionary
student since 1912, an exile in Genega, a con-
script officer and then a reserve officer He
organized the Bolshevik committee in Helsing-
fors although without a contact he founded
mass sailors paper.
The Petrograd Committee thought the job was
too difficult especially for a group of youngsters
but their reaction was You may brighten Boil
sheviks with some things, but not by describing
work as difficult
Later he was one OF the editors of the Petro-
grad Soldiers Pravda," which for time was
also the central organ of the Party when PRAY
da" was suppressed. He was member of the
Petrograd Soviet and helped organize the mill
tary work of the Party and carry through the
seizure of power A difference between this
hooI 17ara &c tJ,a+
luton being made with the Boshevik organ
ization as the headquarters from which events
are viewed, whereas in the other book the scene
of action is mainly the Provisional Government
and Soviet headquarters Also the latter story
is a work of literature, written to a certain ex-
tent Observation-Disclosures literature but not such
good history.
Speaker, writer organizer, even newsboy on
occasion, Ilyin gives fine picture Of the organ
ization Of the military side of the revolution.
At the Soldiers Pravda," almost every article
was rewritten to simplify it for an ill-prepared
and little educated reading public" and ito give
our articles; form best suited to soldiers" All
soldiers correspondence was answered personally
or in the paper and the response of the soldiers
was: TRY to send us the paper because our
own comrades write in it about the lives Of the
soldiers" The success of the paper was great.
Regarding the period when it appeared legally
for "Pravda" also, Ilyin writes, I'VE never for
get for minute that although out paper
was fulfilling the functions Of the central organ
of the Party Git was) mass soldiers and peas
ants paper Thus we continued to cut out
of the articles any word or phrase which would
not be understood by the soldiers This gave
rise to occasional friction with individual men,
bers of the Central Committee" Some of these
points have a bearing on our Daily Worker,
which must fulfil the double role of Party
central organ and mass workers paper.