Page Two The New International, September October, 1918 The Situation in Russia By LOUIS FRAINA THE information that comes from Rus Germany, in which event Russia war by prolonging the war. This circum stroying the political power of the capsia is usually confused and contra against Germany would immediately stance has developed pro war sentiments italist class and taking resolute steps dictory, and the most important is sup. cease, and the revolutionary proletariat among some American Socialists. But toward the gradual introduction of Sopressed. On July an All Russian of both nations unite to fight all Im the problem is a much more funda cialism. Socialism is not as yet estabCongress of Soviets convenel, was in perialism and for the international mental one. Objectively, the war as lished, Russia now being in the transisession more than a week, but scarcely tion period from Capitalism to Socialany news was allowed to come here of ism, a period characterized by the dicthe sessions, except one or two unim.
tatorship of the proletariat as proportant items. This suppression of RusWorkers Control of Industry in Russia jected by the genius of Marx.
sian news by the newspaper hirelings of The old state, equally the bourimperialism is eloquent in itself. It On November 27, 1917, the Soviet government issued a decree establishing organs geois parliamentary state and the Czarproves conclusively that the Scviets are for the workers control of factories. The decree published below was supplemented, on December 18, 1917, by a decree establishing a Council of National Economy, constituted ist state, has been completely overin undisputed control of Russia; that of representatives from the All Russian Workmen Council of Control, from each comthrown, with all its machinery of rethey are proceeding satisfactorily with missariat, from trades unions, etc. The Council of National Economy unifies and directs pression, its bureaucracy, and its antithe reconstruction of the country, other the regulation of economic activity and state finances, and has the authority to confiscate, proletarian character. The new state wise the papers would teem with news requisition, sequestrate and syndicate any industrial establishnient. The Council of National Economy is divided into several sections, each of which deals with a separate recognizes only the workers and the to the contrary; and the suppression of phase of economy. All bills proposed by this council are submitted to the Council of peasants as its constituents; as the old news concerning the recent All Russian People Commissaires.
state was an instrument for the coercion Congress is very satisfactory as showing (1) In order to put the economic life of the country on an orderly basis, control of the proletariat by the bourgeoisie, so that the Bolsheviki are still directing by the workers is instituted over all industrial, commercial, and agricultural undertakings the new state is an instrument for the and societies; and those connected with banking and transport, as well as over the destiny of revolutionary Russia, productive co operative societies which employ labor or put out work to be done at coercion of the bourgeoisie by the prootherwise the press would have home or in connection with the production, purchase, and sale of commodities and letariat with this difference: that screamed in big, black face type, Pro of raw materials, and with conservation of such commodities as well as regards the where the old state considered itself as German Bolsheviki Overthrown.
financial aspect of such undertakings. 2) Control is exercised by all the workers of a given enterprise through the sacrosanct and eternal, the new state This is, indeed, the salient feature medium of their elected organs, such as factories and works committees, councils of considers itself a temporary necessity in the Russian situation: the undisputed workmen delegates, etc. such organs equally comprising representatives of the that will gradually become superfluous employes and of the technical stall.
in the measure that the process of resupremacy of the Soviets. Counter(3) In each important industrial town, province, or district, is set up a local revolutionary plots, some of them en workmen council of control, which, being the organ of the soldiers, workmen and construction emerges definitely into the gineered by the infamous traitors among peasants council, will comprise the representatives of the labor unions, workmen Socialist communist society of the orthe moderate Socialists, have been committees, and of any other factories, as well as of workmen co operative societies.
ganized producers. 4) Until such time as workmen councils of control hold a congress, the Allswiftly crushed and caused scarcely Russian Workmen Council of Control is to be set up in Petrograd, on which will sit As an historical category, the Soviets ripple upon the surface of things. The representatives of the following organizations. Five delegates of the executive are not a peculiar Russian product, but eighth or tenth Provisional Siberian committee) of the Council (Soviet) of Workmen and Soldiers delegates of Russia; class organizations characteristic of five delegates of the of the Peasants Council of Russia; five delegates of the Government has been organized, and the proletarian revolution. They constiLabor Unions of Russia; two delegates of the Central Committee of the Workingmen yet the Russian masses do not rally to Co operative Societies of Russia; five delegates of the Factory and Works Committee of tute a dictatorship in relation to the its support. Nine months of the dicRussia; five delegates of the Engineers and Technical Agents Union of Russia; two bourgeoisie, but a democracy in relatatorship of the proletariat and the delegates of the Agrarian Union of Russia; one delegate from each Workmen Union tion to the workers and peasants the peasantry has proven the will of the in Russia having not less than 100, 000 members, two delegates from any union having real democracy of Socialism.
a meinbership of over 100, 000, two delegates from the of the Labor Unions.
Russian masses, the supremacy of the (5) Side by side with the Workmen Supreme Council of Control are set up The representatives to the Soviets are Soviets. The Soviets will not be over committees of inspection comprising technical specialists, accountants, etc. These elected directly by the workers and peathrown except at the point of foreign committees, both on their own initiative or at the request of local workmen organs of sants, on the basis of male and female bayonets, by the combined invasion of control, proceed to a given locality to study the financial and technical side of any suffrage. The Soviet is the local organ enterprise.
Austro German and Japanese Entente (6) The Workmen Organs of Control have the right to supervise production, to fix of authority, supervising the industrial troops. For it is certain that an inva a minimum wage in any undertaking, and to take steps to fix the prices at which manuand social activity of the people. The sion of Siberia by Japanese troops, factured articles are to be sold.
division of functions into legislative miserably camouflaged as assisting (7) The Workmen Organs of Control have the right to control all correspondence and executive, characteristic of the par.
passing in connection with the business of an undertaking being held responsible before Russia, would be the signal for a new liamentary system and a means of a court of justice for diverting their correspondence. Commercial secrets are abolished.
German invasion of European Russia; The owners are called upon to produce to the Workmen Organs of Control all books thwarting the will of the people, is and each imperialistic government and moneys in hand, both relating to the current year and to any previous transactions.
abolished: legislative and executive would justify itself by the action of (8) The decisions of the Workmen Organs of Control are binding upon the owners functions are combined into one body, of undertakings, and can not be nullified save by the decision oj a Workmen Superior!
the other.
the people itself acts as in the Paris Organ of Control.
Commune. The local Soviets elect deleIt would be a waste of time to char(9) Three days are given to the owners, or the administrators of a business, to appeal to a Workmen Superior Court of Control against the decisions filed by any of to an All Russian Congress of acterize the infamous charges concernthe lower organs of Workmen Control.
viets, which meets every three months ing the pro Germanism of the Bol(10) all undertakings, the owners and the representatives of workmen and of in Moscow, and constitutes the supreme sheviki. The acceptance of the brutal employes delegated to exercise control on behalf of the workmen, are responsible to the authority in Russia.
Government for the maintenance of strict order and discipline, and for the conservation This Congress peace terms of Germany was an expresof property (goods. Those guilty of misappropriating materials and products, of not elects the members of the Council of sion of realistic policy, a necessity im.
keeping books properly, and of similar offences, are liable to prosecution.
People Commisaires and a Central Exposed upon the Soviets by the disorgan. ii) Workmen District Councils of Control settle all disputes and conflicts ecutive Committee which sits permaization of the economic life of the coun between the lower Organs of Control, as well as all complaints made by the owners of try and of the army a disorganization nently during the period intervening beundertakings, taking into consideration any peculiar conditions under which production is carried on, and local conditions. They will issue instructions within the limits tween sessions of the All Russian Soviet started under Czarism and completed prescribed by the All Russian Workmen Council of Control and supervise the Congress and renders full reports, and by the various coalition governments. activities of the lower organs of control.
if satisfacory they are continued in Revolutionary Russia accepted this (12) The Au Russian Workmen Council of Control shall work out a general plan peace temporarily, to prepare its mate for control to be exercised by the workmen, and to issue instructions and regulations, and power; if not, they are dismissed. Elec.
to systematize the reports of the various Workmen Councils of Control; and constitute tion of delegates to the All Russian Conrial and psychological forces to renew the supreme authority for dealing with all matters connected with the control exercised gress and to the Central Executive Com.
the struggle against German Imperial by workmen.
mittee are on the basis of proportional ism against all Imperialism. Today. 13) The All Russian Workmen Council of Conrol co ordinates the activities of one of the tasks of the Council of Peo the Workmen Organs of Control and of those institutions which direct the organization representation: and this fact is eloquent of the economic life of the country.
of the infamy of the moderate Socialists ple Commissaries is the organization regulation concerning the relations between the All Russian Workmen Council who intrigue and plot against the Sovof revolutionary army; as of Control and the other institutions which organize and put in order the economic life iet government, since they have equal Trotzky phrased it in urging conscrip of the country will be issued later. 14) Aht laws and circulars which impede the proper working of the factory, works, rights with the Bolsheviki to acquire tion, only an adequate army can save and other committees, and that of workmen and employes councils, are abrogated.
control; and if they are in pitiful revolutionary Russia considering the minority, it is because the revolutionprevailing international situation. Conary masses reject their policy.
scription was adopted by the Soviets; The peasantry has, at least for the and soon revolutionary Russia will have Social Revolution. Revolutionary So sists the Revolution by giving it a res present, accepted the tutelage of the its own army as an instrument of revo cialism recognizes one struggle alone pite; but this respite is naturally only revolutionary proletariat, the Sociallutionary proletarian policy. Should the class struggle; and revolutionary temporary, since once the war ends inthe Soviets retain power and not be Socialism wages the class struggle un ternational Imperialism will unite to Revolutionary party having split into two factions, the great majority, the overthrown by foreign intervention, der any and all conditions, even should crush the proletarian revolution; sub Social Revolutionists of the left, acceptand should peace, as is likely, not be it become a test of military power in jectively, the only force that can assist ing the program of the Bolsheviki.
concluded within a year or two, revo the form of a revolutionary war. the proletarian revolution Russia is Private ownership of land has been lutionary Russia will re enter the war The longer the war lasts, the more in the class consciousness and action of abolished, the land being nationalized against Germany in order to enforce tense becomes the struggle, the better the proletariat in all belligerent nations. and distributed to the peasants with real self determination in the provinces the prospects of the Russian Revolution, It is the supreme task of the Socialist to provision for periodical re distribution.
brutally annexed by Germany and Aus since neither group of imperialistic bel develop this class consciousness and ac Local land committees take charge of tria. Provided with the means, revo ligerents can do all that they otherwise tion. The prevailing international situ production and distribution, inventory lutionary Russia will fight; but it will would do to crush the Revolution. It is ation emphasizes the necessity of ad the land in a particular district, allot be its own separate war, a revolutionary in the interest of international Imperial hering to our fundamental principles of land to the villages, regulate agricultural war waged for revolutionary purposes. ism to crush the proletarian Revolu revolutionary Socialism the uncom labor, control forests, etc. and receive This war might conceivably contribute tion in Russia, and it is in spite of itself promising policy of the class struggle. the rental for the use of the land, which to the development of revolution in that Imperialism assists the Revolution In Russia itself, the Soviets are de is turned over to the national governа new