184 THE CLASS STRUGGLE THE FUTURE OF THE RUSSIAN REVOLUTION 185 in other form. Any military forces sent into Russia to do the dirty work of German imperialism, cannot be kept immune from the virus of Russian Socialist propaganda and influence. The work done during one year of the revolution cannot be wiped out by the German military machine. Instead of a powerless, disorganized army on the eastern front, easily yielding before the onrush of the German military machine, German militarists in Russia will be faced by an army of several tens of millions of rebellious, secretly and openly organized aggressive workers, using a thousand and one different means which are not predicted in the theoretical books on strategy of the German generals.
And what is true of Russia is in a higher degree true of Finland, because of the higher perfection of the labor organizations in Finland. The war between Germany and Russia and Finland will continue as a class war, in a field in which the strategy of the Russian revolutionists, developed under long years struggle against the Tsarism, will overcome all the obstacles which German ingenuiousness and efficiency will place in its way.
And then, whatever may be the attitude of the German workers now, the very fact that the German people is in for new bitter disappointment in regard to hopes of relief from Russia, nursed by the militarists, the revolution in Germany must come. Without the German revolution the Russian revolution cannot accomplish its work. But the deeper the Germans dig themselves down in the bowels of the rebellious Russia, the sooner they open the door for a change in the present situation.
Then, what about the Japanese adventure? There is no doubt about Japan intention, and there is certainly no doubt about the role of the English government in this regard. Yet there are other forces, which are altogether in harmony with usual capitalist interests, which work against the Japanese plans, on the part of elements otherwise not at all interested in preservation of the Bolsheviki revolution. This is being written on March 18th. We dare to make the prophecy that very soon the American government will come out openly against Japan plans not because America loves the Bolsheviki more, but because America, at this time, loves Germany less. Important trade interests of the United States altogether regardless of the humanitarian and sentimental considerations of preserving democracy, etc. make Japan establishment in the Far East, which certainly would be the outcome, if Japan and England would be allowed to do what they want, one of the greatest dangers to the new won trade supremacy of the United States. And a still greater danger to the United States in this regard is the establishment of Prussian supremacy in the Near East. The Social Revolution which will be an outcome of the stabilization of the Bolsheviki rule is, of course, a still greater danger. Yet America, the youngest, most vigorous, and aggressive capitalist state, does not look upon this danger as a very immediate one, at least, in these parts of the world. And so, we might, with great interest, look upon the development of events today, well knowing that whatever prophecies fail and whatever calculations do not materialize, there is one prophecy which can fail the old Europe cannot be reorganized on any other basis than on the basis of Socialism, and the Russian revolutionists, not at all down and out, not at all downhearted, very much alive, resourceful and conscious, are leading the world, the willing as well as the unwilling part of it, on the road to industrial liberty.