russia in 1919(1919的俄国)-第17节
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so far as that is allowed by war on all its frontiers； and that the population
is settling down under the new regime； was confirmed by the meeting of
the Executive Committee which definitely limited the powers of the
Extraordinary Commission。 Before the sitting was opened I had a few
words with Peters and with Krylenko。 The excitement of the internal
struggle was over。 It had been bitterly fought within the party； and both
Krylenko of the Revolutionary Tribunal and Peters of the Extraordinary
Commission were there merely to witness the official act that would
define their new position。 Peters talked of his failure to get away for
some shooting； Krylenko jeered at me for having refused to believe in the
Lockhart conspiracy。 Neither showed any traces of the bitter struggle
waged within the party for and against the almost dictatorial powers of the
Extraordinary Commission for dealing with counter…revolution。
The sitting opened with a report by Dserzhinsky； that strange ascetic
who； when in prison in Warsaw； insisted on doing the dirty work of
emptying the slops and cleaning other people's cells besides his own； on a
theory that one man should where possible take upon himself the evil
which would otherwise have to be shared by all； and in the dangerous
beginning of the revolution had taken upon himself the most unpopular of
all posts； that of President of the Extraordinary Commission。 His
personal uprightness is the complement of an absolute personal courage；
shown again and again during the last eighteen months。 At the time of
the Left Social Revolutionary mutiny he went without a guard to the
headquarters of the mutineers； believing that he could bring them to reason；
and when arrested by them dared them to shoot him and showed so bold a
front that in the end the soldiers set to watch him set him free and returned
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to their allegiance。 This thin； tallish man； with a fanatic face not unlike
some of the traditional portraits of St。 Francis； the terror of counter…
revolutionaries and criminals alike； is a very bad speaker。 He looks into
the air over the heads of his audience and talks as if he were not
addressing them at all but some one else unseen。 He talks even of a
subject which he knows perfectly with curious inability to form his
sentences； stops； changes words； and often； recognizing that he cannot
finish his sentence； ends where he is； in the middle of it； with a little odd；
deprecating emphasis； as if to say： 〃At this point there is a full stop。 At
least so it seems。〃
He gave a short colourless sketch of the history of the Extraordinary
Commission。 He referred to the various crises with which it had had to
deal； beginning with the drunken pogroms in Petrograd； the suppression of
the combined anarchists and criminals in Moscow （he mentioned that after
that four hours' struggle which ended in the clearing out of the anarchists'
strongholds； criminality in Moscow decreased by 80 per cent。）； to the days
of the Terror when； now here； now there； armed risings against the Soviet
were engineered by foreigners and by counter…revolutionaries working
with them。 He then made the point that throughout all this time the
revolution had been threatened by large…scale revolts。 Now the
revolution was safe from such things and was threatened only by
individual treacheries of various kinds； not by things which needed action
on a large scale。 They had traitors； no doubt； in the Soviet institutions
who were waiting for the day （which would never come） to join with their
enemies； and meanwhile were secretly hampering their work。 They did
not need on that account to destroy their institutions as a whole。 The
struggle with counter…revolution had passed to a new stage。 They no
longer had to do open battle with open enemies； they had merely to guard
themselves against individuals。 The laws of war by which； meeting him
on the field of battle； the soldier had a right to kill his enemy without trial；
no longer held good。 The situation was now that of peace； where each
offender must have his guilt proved before a court。 Therefore the right of
sentencing was removed from the Extraordinary Commission； but if；
through unforeseen circumstances； the old conditions should return； they
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intended that the dictatorial powers of the Commission should be restored
to it until those conditions had ceased。 Thus if； in case of armed counter…
revolution； a district were declared to be in a state of war； the
Extraordinary Commission would resume its old powers。 Otherwise its
business would be to hand offenders； such as Soviet officials who were
habitually late （here there was a laugh； the only sign throughout his speech
that Dserzhinsky was holding the attention of his audience）； over to the
Revolutionary Tribunal； which would try them and； should their guilt be
proved； put them in concentration camps to learn to work。 He read point
by point the resolutions establishing these； changes and providing for the
formation of Revolutionary Tribunals。 Trial to take place within forty…
eight hours after the conclusion of the investigation； and the investigation
to take not longer than a month。 He ended as he ended his sentences； as
if by accident； and people scarcely realized he had finished before
Sverdlov announced the next speaker。
Krylenko proposed an amendment to ensure that no member of the
Revolutionary Tribunal could be also a member of the Extraordinary
Commission which had taken up and investigated a case。 His speech was
very disappointing。 He is not at his best when addressing a serious
meeting like that of the Executive Committee。 The Krylenko who spoke
to…night； fluently； clearly； but without particular art； is a very different
Krylenko from the virtuoso in mob oratory； the little； dangerous； elderly
man in ensign's uniform who swayed the soldiers' mass meetings in
Petrograd a year and a half ago。 I remember hearing him speak in
barracks soon after the murder of Shingarev and Kokoshkin； urging class
struggle and at the same time explaining the difference between that and
the murder of sick men in bed。 He referred to the murder and； while
continuing his speech； talking already of another subject； be went through
the actions of a man approaching a bed and killing a sleeper with a pistol。
It was a trick； of course； but the thrilling； horrible effect of it moved the
whole audience with a shudder of disgust。 There was nothing of this
kind in his short lecture on jurisprudence to…night。
Avanesov； the tall； dark secretary of the Executive Committee； with
the face of a big； benevolent hawk hooded in long black hair； opposed
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Krylenko on the ground that there were not enough trustworthy workers to
ensure that in country districts such a provision could be carried out。
Finally the resolution was passed as a whole and the amendment was
referred to the judgment of the presidium。
The Committee next passed to the consideration of the Extraordinary
Tax levied on the propertied classes。 Krestinsky； Commissary of Finance；
made his report to a grim audience； many of whom quite frankly regarded
the tax as a political mistake。 Krestinsky is a short； humorous man； in
dark spectacles； dressed more like a banker than like a Bolshevik。 It was
clear that the collection of the tax had not been as successful as he had
previously suggested。 I was interested in his reference
