318 THE CLASS STRUGGLE 319 Documents the Soviets through the spectacles of a Russian citizen, a pure and simple Slav. Lenin, on the other hand, looked through the telescope of an International revolutionist.
When an automobile is to be started, the first thing necessary to be done is to turn the crank. Thanks to this movement of the crank, the gases injected by the carburetor are ignited. As a result of this, the motion of the machine is started. Lenin thought of the Soviet Government as the crank of the great machine the All World Revolution. The significance of the Soviets is not in the positive Socialist constructive work, but the work to undermine the might of the Junkers and bourgeoisie of the neighboring countries, such as Germany and Austria.
Bolshevist Propaganda (Distributed among British and American Soldiers in North Russia)
THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT AND PEACE To British and American Soldiers, Comrades!
Now that the war with Germany is over, you no doubt, in common with your fellow countrymen in France and at home, are demanding to be discharged from further military service, and to be allowed to return to your dear ones. Do you know that your comrades in France and at home are practically raising hell because demobilization is not proceeding quickly enough? Why are you not being sent home?
You are probably being told that peace cannot be restored in Europe until peace is restored in Russia, and that you are still required for that purpose.
But who stands in the, way of peace in Russia. Not the Soviet Gover ment.
The Soviet Government has made repeated offers to the Allied governments to discuss peace. In November last through the medium of neutral governments it informed the Allies of its readiness and willingness to open negotiations. On the occasion of the departure of the Swedish consul from Russia the Soviet Government requested him to convey to the Allied governments its desire to discuss peace. At the last All Russian Convention of Workers. Soldiers and Peasants! Deputies, the supreme parliament of Russia, a resolution was carried instructing the Soviet Government to offer to negotiate peace with the Allies. This resolution was telegraphed far and wide. Finally a letter was sent to President Wilson per sonally when he arrived in Europe, to the same effect. No reply was received to any of these offers. Towards the end of December Reuter Agency sent out a message to the effect that the peace offers of the Soviet Government had been received, but as the Allies did not recognize the Bolsheviks, no reply would be sent.
In the meantime, however, the workers and soldiers in your home countries had discovered the real reason for the Allied armed intervention in Russia. They saw through the lies and calumny spread by the capitalist press about the Bolsheviks. They know that intervention was undertaken for, the purpose of overthrowing the working class government, and restoring the reign of monarchy and canitalism. There is now a tremendous agitation which is taking on a revolu.
tionary character in your home countries against the war on Rus.
sia. Huge protest meetings of workers are held in the big cities under the motto Hands off Russia! Strikes have broken out in the mines and railroads, and in some places riots have taken place in which workers and police have been injured. The strongest agi: tation against the continuation of the war on Russia is carried on by the soldiers. Discipline in the army at home has completely gone.
Soldiers are parading the streets demanding immediate demobilization.
In Aldershot, the largest military camp in England, there