Saturday, August 9, 1919 THE REVOLUTIONARY AGE Liar or Just Doesn Know?
to say OR the past year or so many people have By John Reed The State Department announcement of Intervention, as recall it, doesn say a word been calling Woodrow Wilson a hypo the sort of Russians whose efforts Ame about Mr. Stevens. At that time the United crite. Mollie Steimer got fifteen years for rican troops are supporting. There was the States Government was saving the Czechodoing it; Oswald Garrison Villard hasn been shadow of an argument to be advanced while Slovaks, and combatting fearful hosts of unarrested yet. The defenders of the President Messrs. Avksentiev, Zenzinov Co maintain armed German prisoners. Mr. Stevens, then, still repeat, after every new atrocious act of ed their soap bubble Government at Omsk; must be explained, and the President does it.
his, that he just doesn know.
although these shameless politicians repre Only he doesn tell all the facts. After relThe Soviet Government of Hungary has sented no one in Russia except themselves, ating the story of how Mr. Stevens and the fallen, and the capitalist press is exulting over still they upheld the tradition of capitalist Railway Commission went to Russia at the the fact that this catastrophe is due chiefly to democracy. But Kolchak and Denikin don request of the Kerensky Government, and the pressure of Captain Thomas Gregory, bother with childish make believes such as worked with that Government, the President American food controller in Hungary. In Constituent Assemblies; they stand frankly continues. Owing to the Bolshevist uprising, other words, the United States Government for a restoration of a Czardom in Moscow, and and the general chaotic conditions, neither Mr.
starved the Hungarian People Government to in furtherance of this end they do not hesitate Stevens nor the Russian Railway Service death; and that by direct order of the President to butcher men, women and children, to sup Corps was able to begin work in Siberia until of the United States. Can Wilson friends press every shadow of popular organization March, 1918.
still te! 11s that he doesn know, not only labor unions and political parties, He skips a very important epipsode an They will have very little but even cooperative societies, zemstvos, and after the latest Presidential pronunciamento schools. In their hands the grain withheld episode of which he knows. He skips this episode because it would spoil his little explanthe statement about American troops in Si from the starving masses of Central Russia beria, and why they must be kept there. It is made into vodka, with which to stupefy be the fact that the American Railway Mission, ation to the Senate. It happens, however, to contains a number of misstatements of fact the peasants. Their armies are composed of and Stevens, could have begun work in which, if they had been uttered by anybody former Czarist officers. Chinese and Japanese Siberia and in Russia long before March else, would be called lies, and treated as lies mercenaries, the scum of eastern Asia. They 1918, if they had really wanted to help the should be. However, having been emitted by slaughter, rob, rape; they torture women and Russians and oppose the Germans.
the Great White Father, the people of the children, starve whole populations; it is trea When the Bolshevik uprising took place, United States will probaby suppress their un son to criticize them, punishable with death.
Mr. Stevens and his Railway Corps fled to easy doubts, the stock market will react favor They are selling the Russian land, mines and Japan, and sat there, in the best hotels, hobably, and President Wilson will continue to forests to foreigners. The Imperial ensign, nobbing with the Allied and Japanese Impeprosecute his private war against the Russian surmounted by the twin black eagles of the rialists peop Romanovs, has been hoisted an the quay at The President statement alleges the followVladivostok, in the presence of a guard of While the Brest Litovsk negotiations were ing reasons for sending American troops to honor of Allied troops.
going on, the Soviet Government asked the Siberia and keeping them there: This is the kind of effort at self defense American Government to send the Railway To save the Czecho Slovak armies that American troops are steadying. This Mission into Russia. It promised to appoint is the law and order they are endeavoring Mr. Stevens, or anyone else designated, to be from destruction by hostile armies apparently to restore. Woodrow Wilson knows it. He Assistant Commissar of Ways and Communiorganized by, and often largely composed of, knows it. He dares not ask Congress to sanc.
cations, with complete authority over half the enemy prisoners of war.
tion this expedition in support of brigandage, transportation lines of all Russia. The Ame2. To steady any efforts of the Russians nor has Congress ever declared war on Russia.
rican Railway Mission was to have charge of at self defense, or the establishment of law and There is much in the papers lately about removing all guns, ammunition and supplies order, in which they might be willing to acAmerican soldiers in Siberia being killed by from the front to where the Germans wouldn cept assistance. Bolsheviki. It is considered a dastardly thing get them, and oversee the entire work of the To protect Mr. John Stevens and a for a people to defend themselves against inRussian railways.
corps of American Engineers who are oper vaders of their country even though these But the American Government was not inating the Siberian Railroads under an agree invaders be Americans, who as everybody terested, evidently, in saving munitions from ment with Japan, for the purpose of: knows, gave a solemn and public promise the Germans; it was more interested in upFeeding, clothing and supplying the not to interfere in Russian politics.
setting the Soviet Government. So Mr. Stepeople of Russia and Siberia.
The President has the nerve to repeat this vens was ordered to remain in Japan until The forces of Admiral Kolchak are promise. He says, The instructions to Gensome reactionary figurehead could be found in entirely dependent on these railways. eral Graves direct him not to interfere in RusSiberia to undertake the Holy War against From these observations it will be seen sian affairs, but to support Mr. Stevens whenSocialist Russia. What a dirty story!
that the purpose of the continuance of Ame ever necessary. Well, what then. Apparently The core of the whole miserable excuse is rican troops in Siberia is that we, with the Mr. Stevens purpose is to keep the Siberian contained in the following clause: concurrence of the great allied powers, may Railways running. Why? few paragraphs keep open a necessary artery of trade.
on the President says, The forces of Admiral The situation of the people of Siberia, Kolchak are entirely dependent upon these railmeantime, is that they have no shoes or warm The President evidently did not take the clothing; they are pleading for agricultural trouble to read the Acting Secretary of Don interfere into Russian affairs, but help machinery, and for many of the simpler arState announcement of Intervention in Rus Admiral Kolchak overthrow the Soviet Govticles of commerce, etc.
sia, on August 5th, 1918; in that extraordinernment. This, while the United States Government ary document mention was made, not of savLet us use plain words about these matters.
cooperates with the Allies in maintaining a ing the Czecho Slovaks from destruction, The American troops sent to Siberia by Woodmerciless blockade against Soviet Russia, but of protecting the rear of the westwardrow Wilson, and kept there by him alone, dooming millions of people to starvation, exmoving Czecho Slovaks. As for the armies.
were dispatched to help overthrow the Govposure and disease because they dare to set organized by enemy prisoners of war, that ernment set up by the Russian people of their up the kind of government they want to live hoary myth was exploded by members of the own free will, and are engaged in supporting under!
British and American Military Missions, who tyranny against human liberty. In every con All elements of the population in Siberia journeyed through Siberia at the request of tact Woodrow Wilson has had with the world, look to the United States for assistance, the Soviet Government, and reported to their his decision has lain with that of the enemies says the President. This assistance cannot be Governments that these legendary armies of of freedom and real democracy in Hungary, given to the population of Siberia, and ultienemy prisoners did not exist.
Egypt, Germany, Shantung and to that mately to Russia, if the purpose entertained We refuse to believe that the President is course he has pledged this nation.
for two years to restore railway traffic is still ignorant of the kind of Russians who are We come now to the very important detail abandoned.
making efforts at the establishment of law concerning Mr. John Stevens, whose acti God help Russia from being assisted by and er, or of the kind law and ler ties (running six trains a day on the Chinese President Wilson! Let him call off his private they want to establish. The corrupt adventurer Eastern and Trans Baikal Railways, and other war, and call home the American boys he has Horvath, the mercenary Semenov, the bloody democratic triumphs) fill the body of the Pre sent to Siberia to shoot and be shot at upon handed Kolchak and the renegade Denikin are sident statement.
pretexts which are obviously insincere.
a ways.