russia in 1919(1919的俄国)-第31节
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walls and big tables in the middle of the room for their deliberations。 It
was in this room that I saw Volsky first； and afterwards in my own。
I asked him what exactly had brought him and all that he represented
over from the side of Kolchak and the Allies to the side of the Soviet
Government。 He looked me straight in the face； and said： 〃I'll tell you。
We were convinced by many facts that the policy of the Allied
representatives in Siberia was directed not to strengthening the Constituent
Assembly against the Bolsheviks and the Germans； but simply to
strengthening the reactionary forces behind our backs。〃
He also complained： 〃All through last summer we were holding that
front with the Czechs； being told that there were two divisions of Germans
advancing to attack us； and we now know that there were no German
troops in Russia at all。〃
He criticized the Bolsheviks for being better makers of programmes
than organizers。 They offered free electricity； and presently had to admit
that soon there would be no electricity for lack of fuel。 They did not
sufficiently base their policy on the study of actual possibilities。 〃But
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that they are really fighting against a bourgeois dictatorship is clear to us。
We are； therefore； prepared to help them in every possible way。〃
He said； further： 〃Intervention of any kind will prolong the regime of
the Bolsheviks by compelling us to drop opposition to the Soviet
Government； although we do not like it； and to support it because it is
defending the revolution。〃
With regard to help given to individual groups or governments
fighting against Soviet Russia； Volsky said that they saw no difference
between such intervention and intervention in the form of sending troops。
I asked what he thought would happen。 He answered in almost the
same words as those used by Martov； that life itself would compel the
Bolsheviks to alter their policy or to go。 Sooner or later the peasants
would make their will felt； and they were against the bourgeoisie and
against the Bolsheviks。 No bourgeois reaction could win permanently
against the Soviet； because it could have nothing to offer； no idea for
which people would fight。 If by any chance Kolchak； Denikin and Co。
were to win； they would have to kill in tens of thousands where the
Bolsheviks have had to kill in hundreds； and the result would be the
complete ruin and the collapse of Russia in anarchy。 〃Has not the Ukraine
been enough to teach the Allies that even six months' occupation of non…
Bolshevik territory by half a million troops has merely the effect of
turning the population into Bolsheviks？〃
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THE THIRD INTERNATIONAL
March 3rd。
One day near the end of February； Bucharin； hearing that I meant to
leave quite soon； said rather mysteriously； 〃Wait a few days longer；
because something of international importance is going to happen which
will certainly be of interest for your history。〃 That was the only hint I got
of the preparation of the Third International。 Bucharin refused to say
more。 On March 3rd Reinstein looked in about nine in the morning and
said he had got me a guest's ticket for the conference in the Kremlin； and
wondered why I had not been there the day before； when it had opened。 I
told him I knew nothing whatever about it； Litvinov and Karakhan； whom
I had seen quite recently； had never mentioned it； and guessing that this
must be the secret at which Bucharin had hinted； I supposed that they had
purposely kept silence。 I therefore rang up Litvinov； and asked if they
had had any reason against my going。 He said that he had thought it would
not interest me。 So I went。 The Conference was still a secret。 There
was nothing about it in the morning papers。
The meeting was in a smallish room； with a dais at one end； in the old
Courts of Justice built in the time of Catherine the Second； who would
certainly have turned in her grave if she had known the use to which it was
being put。 Two very smart soldiers of the Red Army were guarding the
doors。 The whole room； including the floor； was decorated in red。
There were banners with 〃Long Live the Third International〃 inscribed
upon them in many languages。 The Presidium was on the raised dais at
the end of the room； Lenin sitting in the middle behind a long red…covered
table with Albrecht； a young German Spartacist； on the right and Platten；
the Swiss； on the left。 The auditorium sloped down to the foot of the dais。
Chairs were arranged on each side of an alleyway down the middle； and
the four or five front rows had little tables for convenience in writing。
Everybody of importance was there； Trotzky； Zinoviev； Kamenev；
Chichern； Bucharin； Karakhan； Litvinov； Vorovsky； Steklov； Rakovsky；
representing here the Balkan Socialist Party； Skripnik； representing the
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Ukraine。 Then there were Stang （Norwegian Left Socialists）； Grimlund
（Swedish Left）； Sadoul （France）； Finberg （British Socialist Party）；
Reinstein （American Socialist Labour Party）； a Turk； a German…Austrian；
a Chinese； and so on。 Business was conducted and speeches were made
in all languages； though where possible German was used； because more
of the foreigners knew German than knew French。 This was unlucky for
me。
When I got there people were making reports about the situation in
the different countries。 Finberg spoke in English； Rakovsky in French；
Sadoul also。 Skripnik； who； being asked； refused to talk German and
said he would speak in either Ukrainian or Russia； and to most people's
relief chose the latter； made several interesting points about the new
revolution in the Ukraine。 The killing of the leaders under the
Skoropadsky regime had made no difference to the movement； and town
after town was falling after internal revolt。 （This was before they had Kiev
and； of course； long before they had taken Odessa； both of which gains
they confidently prophesied。） The sharp lesson of German occupation had
taught the Ukrainian Social Revolutionaries what their experiences during
the last fifteen months had taught the Russian； and all parties were
working together。
But the real interest of the gathering was in its attitude towards the
Berne conference。 Many letters had been received from members of that
conference； Longuet for example； wishing that the Communists had been
represented there； and the view taken at Moscow was that the left wing at
Berne was feeling uncomfortable at sitting down with Scheidemann and
Company； let them definitely break with them； finish with the Second
International and join the Third。 It was clear that this gathering in the
Kremlin was meant as the nucleus of a new International opposed to that
which had split into national groups； each supporting its own government
in the prosecution of the war。 That was the leit motif of the whole affair。
Trotsky； in a leather coat； military breeches and gaiters； with a fur hat
with the sign of the Red Army in front； was looking very well； but a
strange figure for those who had known him as one of the greatest anti…
militarists in Europe。 Lenin sat quietly listening； speaking when
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necessary in almost every European language with astonishing ease。
Balabanova talked about Italy and seemed happy at last； even in Soviet
Russia； to be once more in
