546 THE CLASS STRUGGLE IN BRITISH CAPTIVITY 547 To the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dear Sir: jority of the German social democracy. Having been published in Zurich at the beginning of the War, this pamphlet was smuggled by Swiss Socialists into Germany and there it was spread by the same socialists of the left wing, the friends of Liebknecht, whom the German yellow press has been hounding as the agents of the Czar and of the London Stock Exchange. In the denunciations of us by Milukoff and his Hessians, there was nothing original. They were literal translations from the German language. Sir Buchanan, the English Ambassador at Petrograd, went further. He directly stated in his letter intended for the press that we were returning to Russia with a plan subsidized by the German Government to overthrow the Provisional Government. In informed circles, as we are told, even the amount of the subsidy was named in round figures, 10, 000 marks. It seems that the German government must have appraised at this modest sum the stability of Guchkoff Milukoff government.
English diplomacy, generally speaking, is not devoid either of carefulness, nor of a decorous surface gentlemanliness. But the assertion made by the British Ambassador that we were subsidized by Germany is obviously devoid of both said qualities; it is both ungentlemanly and stupid. This is explained by the fact that British politicians and diplomats possess two kinds of manners: one kind for civilized countries. the other kind for the colonies. Sir Buchanan, who was the best friend of the Czar monarchy and has now transferred himself to the friends of the republic, feels just the same way in Russia, as in India and in Egypt, and therefore does not find it necessary to be discreet. British officers consider they have the right to take Russian citizens off neutral steamers and imprison them in camps for war prisoners; the British Ambassador thinks it possible to hurl outrageous defamations against active Russian revolutionaries. It is about time to put an end to this. And the object of this pamphlet is to help to accelerate the moment when democratic Russia will say to Mr. Buchanan and his masters: Please take your feet off the table.
In this letter have the honor to direct your attention to a wholly irresponsible, piratical attack, to which was subjected together with my family and several Russian citizens, on the part of agents of the British government, which is as far as it is known, an ally of that government of which you are the Minister for Foreign Affairs.
On the 25th of March, relying upon the amnesty published by your government, appeared at the General Consulate in New York, from which by that time they had removed the portrait of Nicholas the Second, but where the atmosphere of the old regime of a Russian Police Station was still retained.
After unavoidable discussions the Consul General decided to issue to me a document to be used for admission to Russia.
At the British Consulate in New York, where had to fill out some blanks, was told that the British authorities would put no obstacle in the way of my return to Russia. From the office of the British Consulate, in the presence of one of its officials, have telephoned to the Russian Consulate which assured me that had complied with all formalities and could make my journey without any difficulties.
On the 27th of March, with my family sailed on the Norwegian Steamer Christianiafjord. At Halifax (Canada) where the steamer was undergoing an inspection by the British naval authorities, the police officers, who looked through the papers of Americans, Norwegians, Danes, etc. with only perfunctory formality, subjected us Russians to a direct examination, in the style of old Russian gendarmes, regarding our convictions, political plans, etc. In conformity with good old Russian tradition, declined to enter into any conversation with them about such matters, having explained to them that was ready to give them all necessary information establishing my identity, but that my relations to internal Russian politics were not at present under the control of British naval po