THE HIDDEN HAND OF BOLSHEVISM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 79, 28 December 1918, Page 8

THE HIDDEN HAND OF BOLSHEVISM

INSIDIOUS CAMPAIGN AMONGST

WELSH MINERS

THE STRIFEMONGERS

The folliiwing are quotations from a pamphlet which was surreptitiously distributed among the Labour leaders and workers in South Wales not long ago. Jt bore no date or any imprint indicating the place at which it was printed, but the copies received by tho miners leaders in the coalfield were addressed' to them in typewritten envelopes bearing a London postmark. The'pamphlet was signed in (ho name of the Soviet of t'.ie Peoples' Commissaries by Lenin, the President; Tchitcherine, Commissary for Foreign Affairs; and Trotzky, Commissary for War; and is addressed to "the toiling masses" of France, Britain, America, Italy, and Japan. The fact may be recalled that some time ago (writes the Cardiff correspondent of the "Morning Post") there was a threat in South Wales of a stoppage of work by the surfacemen in support of a demand for the extension of an eight-hours day tc men employed above ground, and no coincidence hns been more persistent in recent months than the recrudfecence of Pacifist activities during labour troubles and the recurrence of industrial turmoil when the Allied Armiesare attacking enemy forces in France. 'Die quarrel over the eight-hours day demand is still smouldering, and the dissemination of a pamphlet .encouraging rebellious" tendencies against capitalists suggests once again (he malign work of enemy agents in this country. The pamphlet opens with a gross misrepresentation of the Allies' campaign in Russia, which it is asserted is undertaken -wholly in the interests of capital, and proceeds: A Mendacious Pamphlet.

"All that the press of your capitalists and their agents say in defence of the barbaric, assault; upon 'Russia is mere hypocrisy, intended to hido from you the real facts. In their campaign in liussia the Allied Governments have threo aims in view: (1) The seizure of as much Russian territory as possible, in order to use Eussian wonlth and railways as security for the payment of the interest on French and Eussian loans. (2) The suppression , of the- Woi'kers' Revolution, lest it should inspire your comrades in Allied countries; lest it should show you how it is possible to throw off the yoke of capitalism. (3) To creat a new Eastern front, to draw the German forcea from the Western front on to Eussian territory. Your capitalists declare that they will thus diminish the pressure of the German legions upon you and will hasten the moment of victory over German Imperialism. They lie; they were incapable of defeating Germany when the pressure , of a great Russian army gave tho Allies a numerical superiority; still less can they secure n victory on the battlefield now that the Russian army is but just being created. "German Imperialism can only be defeated when .the Imperialism of all States is defeated by a united onslaught of the world's workers. Not by continuing the war but by bringing it" to an end shall we secure this object. Both you and the German workers will be freed from fear of the capitalist class and its nims of conquest when tho international civil war of the exploited against the exploiters finally puts an end to jilj kinds of social as well as national injustice.

"Attempts to draw Russia into the war will not save your blood from bain? shed. They can but turn the sword against the Eussian workers' Revolution, and none desire this more than the leaders of the German Military Party, who, being close neighbours of the Revolution, fear, more than all others, its inflammatory sparks. As docile tools in tho criminal conspiracy of your Governments against Russia, you, workers of France, Britain, America, and Italy, become the executioners of workers' revolution. "The descendants of the h cross of the Paris Commune now entar the ranks as assistants to Galifo. Such is the role that your masters assign to you, workers of France. . , "You sons of British toilers, who rose in. a' bndy when the British textile barons wanted to ftid the American slave-own-ers, are now to become the executioners of the Russiaii Revolution. Such is the depth of degradation to which your rulers would reduce you. "Workers of America, you who have ever detested the Tsar's despotism, avo now, at the bidding of the Trust ivis=s, to help in erecting a. new Tsarism. This is the real issue, workers oi America. ."And you, workers of Italy, who watch with enthusiasm every effort of the work-ing-class war of emancipation, your masters wish to transform you into counterrevolutionary campaigners against the Russia of the workers! "The Russia of the working class is (stretching out her hand to you, toilers of the Allied countries!" "Too long have we calmly suffered the derisive jeers flung at Soviet Russia by the representatives of Allied Imperialism. Wo have allowed those who licked the boots of Tsarism to remain in Russia, although they have refused to recognise the Government of the workers. We did not take repressive measures against them, even though the hand of their military mission was seen in every plot directed against us. Even now, when it is proved that French officers are leading the Czeeho-Slovaks; even in face of the Murmansk outrages, we have not uttered a single word of protest against the presence of the diplomats of your Governments in the territory of Soviet Russia, which they refuse to recognise. We only demanded the removal of those diplomats from Vologda, to Moscow in order that wo might be able to defend them from those whom their mistakes had moved to deepest indignation. We have borno with them became we did not want to give them the opportunity to tell you that we kre breaking with yon. And after the departure of the Allied Ambassadors not a single hair will fall from the head of 'iny peaceful citizen of your countries living in our midst who is willing , to abide by the laws of the workers' and peasants' Republic. "We are convinced that should we now reply with two blows for every blow dealt by the rapacious 'Allies,' you w;il see in our action not only legitimate s-plf-de-fenco but the upholding of your interests as well as ours; for the preservation of the Russian Revolution is the common interest of the workers of all countries. We believe that eveiy measure we may take against those who on Russian territory are hatching plots against tne Russian Revolution will have your sympathy, for such plots arc directed against you as well as against us. "Driven to fight Allied Capitalism, which desires to add new fetters to those imposed on us by German Imperialism, we address ourselves to you, our fellowworkers."