8 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Saturday, May 3, 1919 Soviet Russia Answers the Allies a guarantee EFERRING to your letter of December 30th, Letter of Maxim Litvinoff and Worovski to apply the principles dominating this government, we regret that we cannot share your opinion of (Soviet Ambassador in Sweden) to a Socialist and to show what it is able to do for the good of the what you consider to be the necessity of the Russian people.
Soviet Governinent making an immediate declaration As for the present and future policy of the Soviet as to the conditions on the basis of which that Gov.
Recognition or Invasion Government with regard to Poland, Ukraine, and the ernment would be ready to conclude peace with the from a note of Marin Litvinoff to Presiden: Wilson, other regions of the old Russian empire, this policy Allies. We know that when the Allies, being the December 24, 1918.
will consist in avoiding every infraction of the right offending party, shall formulate their demands on the The chief aim of the Soviets is to secure for the toiling of these regions to clispose freely of their own destinies Soviet Government, the latter will not hesitate to de majority of Russian people economic liberty without which Nevertheless, the Soviet Government must simultpolitical liberty is of no avail to them. For eight months the clare openly and in the clearest terms to what extent Soviets endeavored to realize their aims by peaceful mthods aneously insist, that there be no intervention from any it can ineet those demands. Not only has the Soviet without resorting to violence, adhering to the abolition of foreign power whatever in the struggle between the Government ever been informed directly as to the capital punishment which abolition had been part of their classes or between the parties in the above mentioned conditions of peace which the Allies wish to put to program. It was only when their adversaries, the minority regions. Until the relations between these regions and Russia, but similar peace propositions emanating both members of the Government and invoked the help of foreign of the Russian people, took to terroristic acts against popular the Soviet Government have been finally fixed, from the Central Government, as well as from its troops, that the laboring masses were driven to acts of ex modus vivendi must be created which will representatives in the foreign countries have never been asperation and gave vent to their wrath and bitter feelings the operation and movement of railroads, postal and answered, nothwithstanding the fact that the possibil against their former oppressories For Allied invasion of their telegraphic communications, exchange of commodities, ity of a change in internal and external policies was own will to militarize the country anew and to divert their transportation and traffic, free access to ports, etc.
indicated clearly in a message to President Wilson, energies and resources so necessary to the economic recon In order to work out its economic system, Russia dated December 24th.
struction of Russia, exhausted by four years of war, to the needs the technical, scientific, and material assistance The Soviet Government therefore shares our defence of the country, but also cut off the vital sources that other countries can offer. For this reason, in of foodstuffs and raw material exposing the poplution o opinion that there is no reason to repeat peace pro most terrible privation bordering on starvation.
case there is an agreement with the Allies, the Soviet positions or other declarations, in the name of Russia, wish to emphasize that the so called red terror, which is Government would be ready to revise such decrees as since the Allies continue to give no indications for grossly exaggerated and misrepresented abroad, was not the concern the foreign obligations of Russia toward other cause but the direct outcome and result of allied intervenpeace with Russia.
tion.
countries, without however, in any way violating the We are nevertheless ready to re capitulate our views The Russian workers and peasants are determined to de fundamental principles of that government economic of possible peace conditons which were already ex fend their dearly won power and liberties against invaders and financial policy.
pressed in our conversation of December 25th.
with all the means their vast country puts at their dispos Among other things special attention may be given al.
Lord Milner recently declared that one of the bjects understand that the question of relations with Russia is to the interests of small creditors in foreign countries.
of Allied intervention in Russia was to protect the soThe Russian government; which is much interested in called Russian friends of the Allies against the op two courses open to them. One is continued open or disguised which it is based, and in fighting against the campaign then to submit to you, Mr. President, that there are now only making known to the world the general principles on Soviets should be established in those parts of Russia means prolongation of war, further embitterment of the Rusat present occupied by the Allies. However, this fear sian masses, intensification of internal strife, unexampled against the Soviets and their work, would abstain should in no way be an obstacle to an agreement be hourgeoisie by the exasperated masses, final devastation of bloodshed and perhaps total extermination of the Russian from any propaganda in Allied countries, in order not tween the Allies and the Soviets, since the latter are the country and in case of the interventionists after a long to lay itself open to the accusation of interference in ready to give the so called Russian friends of the Allies struggle obtaining their end, a white terror eclipsing the atro their foreign affairs. In this connection, we may deall the necessary guarantees assuring them their liberty clare in the most final manner, that the Soviets have of military dictatorship and restoration of monarchy, leading never been responsible for any propaganda in any and amnesty for their past crimes. Regardless of their to interminable revolutions and upheavals and paralysing the foreign country, except perhaps in Germany.
politics and their past social standing, they will have economic development of the country for long decades.
a real opportunity to collaborate in the Soviet system The other alternative, which trust may commend itself, to The Soviet Republic demands only that the Allies in accordance with their ability, their education and you, is impartially to weigh and investigate into the one sided promise to cease everv direct or indirect military action their adaptability.
accusations against Soviet Russia, to come to an understanding against Soviet Russia, every direct or indirect material with the Soviet Goverment, to withdraw the foreign troops We are convinced that as soon as foreign interven from Russian territory and to raise the economic blockade, the Soviet Government, to refrain from all acts of assistance to Russian or other forces operating against tion ends, the civil war in Russia under its present soothing thereby the excited passions of the masses, to help form will stop, and it will then be unnecessary to coneconomic hostility or boycott under any form whatever tinue any restrictions of the liberty of the press.
technical advice how to exploit her natural riches in the against the Soviet Republic.
most effecive way for the benefit of all countries badly in We are likewise certain that as soon as Russia obneed of foodstuffs and raw materials.
These are the principal questions which we took up in our conversation. The positions we have extains the opportunity to work under normal conditions, pressed precisely reflect those of our government. You and the population has adapted itself to the new social ricted in the active exercise of the rights of citizens.
order, there will only remain a ridiculously limited But until these conditions have been realized, the So proper, in the interests of peace between the countries are at liberty to use this letter in any way you think portion of this population which will need to be rest viet Republic should have the time and the opportunity concerned.
This First of May Promise and Achievement ent.
THOS THOSE of us who only know the welldressed, resBy Ludwig Lore as a mad adventure, has become the leader of a new pectably innocuous first of May of recent years world movement. In Germany the compromise govhave no conception of the power and the impetus that Such was the temper of labor especially in the larger ernment of social patriots, trying vainly to adjust itit evoked when it was first proclaimed as the holiday cities, that few manufacturers dared to oppose the self the growing disconter. at home and to the of the world proletariat by the International Congress general holiday Red flags faunted their message in rapacious demands of its imperialistic conquerors, is at Paris in 1889. The motion as adopted by the Con the face of a badly frightened bourgeoisie. The spirit cracking under the strain. Hungary, in spite of the gress, it is true, simply provided for demonstrations that enthused the demonstrants in these first years pious hope of a lying press. is defending its proletarian in favor of the hour day and social legislation, leav lifted the First of May above the intent of its origin revolution against the attacks of the neighboring naing the form the demonstrations were to take to the ators. It was more than merely a demonstration for tionalitities. In Munich the rule of the revolutionary national units of the Social Democracy.
social legislation and an hour day. In the eyes of proletariat persists, in the face of frenzied opposition The first May Day found Germany in the midst of the proletariat it heralded the coming of the world within and without. In France the bourgeoisie awaits a tremendous political rejuvenation, the period imme revolution.
the coming of the First of May with trembling despair, diately following upon the fall of the notorious SocialItaly is quivering on the abyss But there came other May Days. Where first the risingA First of May, full of promise, full of porta nation wide upist exception laws. Early in 1890 the party had gone through an exciting Reichstag election campaign with refusal to work on May 1st had been the rule it became Aying colors. The intense agitation of the Socialist the exception. The leaders of the moveinent began Nor can we here, in America, play the role of the seclusion more cietermined than ever, and the virulent checked there, and shook their heads gravelyover the passive onlooker. We too must give our First of May a significance in keeping with the times in which we attacks of the Bismarck government parties, which younger element whose foolhardiness would get the are privileged to live.
frequently culminated in actual physical upon party into trouble.
The National office has called upon us to observe Socialist agitators and workers had aroused a fever In Germany the labor unions particularly opposed of interest all over the country. As a result of the the injection of such radical demonstrations into the May Day in gigantic demonstrațions as a protest against the imprisonment of thousands of men and election Bismarck, the originator of the anti Socialist amicable relations that had been established between women who dared to speak the truth. Aye, we will laws, was shortly afterward overthrown; the Social the workers on the one hand and the manufacturers Democratic movement of Germany had won a glorious on the other. They feared for their treasuries and protest. But not in empty meaningless phrases. Our objected to the payment victory.
black list benefits to those a solenn concecration of ourselves The proposed holiday of labor found the Socialist comrades who were outlawed by the manufacturers and our movement to the greatness of the task that movement, tlferefore, in ne mood to temporize. Its because they celebrated the First of May. And the lies before us. The liberation of our comrades must not come as a gift from our capitalist masters, at the success in the election had cowed the bourgeoisie, and Party followed suit. It, too, began to put on the price of endless restrictions and degrading promises.
hopes ran high. Not only the organized movement in brakes. May First was celebrated in afternoon and It must be won for them by an undaunted, determined the party and in the labor unions, but even its hitterest evening demonstrations, and mostly in hall meetings. working class, by a Socialist movement that can proud opponents felt that the day of reckoning was at hand.
ly take its stand side by side and shoulder to shou!
Even the most conservative leaders of the labor move This was the evolutionary, the reformist period of with its comrades in Europe. Let us he worthy of ment foresaw the realization of their irleals within a the Socialist movement. We have left it behind use this First of May.
few short years. And their very confidence woke a new era of revolution has begun. The years of Comrades, refuse to work on the First of May! For answering fear in the hearts of their opponents. Al marking time have given place to a stirring call to one day be your own masters. We have been forced ready they seemed to hear the thunder of the coming arms. The first of May, 1919, will be an epoch mak so often to celebrate the holidays of others. This one revolution, and great enthusiastic masses of organizeri ing day for the European proletariat. Russia. whose day in the year belongs to us, is our day of freedom labor rejoiced in the coming.
government a year and a half ago was looked upon and of happiness!
Passaults