RUSSIA UNDER BOLSHEVISM

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 166, 8 April 1919, Page 10

RUSSIA UNDER BOLSHEVISM

MR. LOCKHART'S FIRST-HAND

JUDGMENTS

THE MOVEMENT EXPLAINED

Tlie eocinl and economic conditions in Hiissia under Bolshevism were described in ii lecture which was siven recently at King's College, Strand, by Sir. K. Bruce lioskhni't, at- a mooting of the United ilussia Societies, presided over by Sir Bernard Mnllett. Air. Loekhnrt said lie was debarred by the fact that he was still a Government official from dealing with the two most interesting questions connection with the situation in .Hus-i-ia, namely, Allied policy in- Russia and Bolshevist' foreign policy. It would he better,' he thought, if greater attention were paid in this country to the economic side of Bolshevism than to the terrorist side. It was an entire jnistake to regard the Bolshevist leaders purely as a gang of German agent*. Many of them were perfectly genuine end sincere in their beliefs, and they knew perfectly well the fate that would befall them if they were overthrown. One type of leader was the personification of vengeance an/1 genuinely international, as illustrated by the Jewish elements of Bolshevism. Another type was the educated or fiemi-educated working man, who had been educated secretly by the Bolshevist intellectuals.' Yet another type was a purely Russian mixture of fanaticism and myeticism. Not a Working Man's Movement. In its conception Bolshevism was not a working mans movement. The leaders hailed from the upper and middle classes, of whom Jews, nearly all living under assumed names, - formed by far-the largest proportion, though it was only fair to say that many Jews , were anti-Bolshevist. Whatever might ]w eaitl of his motives and his actions Lenin was the brain and body of the Bolshevist movement, and liis unbounded confidence in himself was the source of his power and pre-eminence among his colleaguee which Had enabled him so far to succeed in keeping 'the barque of Bolshevilmi, which but for him would have been destroyed long ago, off the rocks. The Bolshevists of Russia recognised that Bolshevism could not succeed without a Bolshevist revolution in Europe,, find the leaders of the movement had been able to keep their followers together by convincing, them of the certainty of such a a revolution. It was a profound error to suppose that Bolshevists were actuated bv a general desire for universal peace. They promised universal peace, hut they proclaimed universal war. They praised and denounced democracy almost in the same breath.

Revolt Against the Movement. In a country like' Russia it was not difficult for a minority to override the majority. The Bolshevists had against them the whole of the educated classes and the great majority of the peasantry, and there was universal revolt against Bolshevism throughout the length and breadth of the land. But the revolt was not, successful, because the Bolshevist*, having completely overthrown the anarchists, had obtained control of the chief supplies of food, guns, munitions; and rolling stock, ana" were- able to prevent all legitimate propaganda work. Tho bourgeoisie was crippled and divided ayanist itself, and tht peasants were disorganised, and Ti'csitated lest by their action they might lose possession of the land for which they had craved so long. Bolshevism was a short cut to communism by _ violent methods of destruction, and so i'ur it .had made no real advance on the reconstructive social eide. Almost everything had boon nationalised; W the unscrupulous tiso of the printing machine fabulous wages ,were being paid, the rehousing of the working ■classes was .being carried out by putting them into the houses of which the owners had lieen dispossessed; and' the expenditure, was far in' excess of the revenue. If Bolshevist methods had been adopted by on Imperial autocrat, they would have raised a howl of indignation iii the Liberal Press of the-whole world.