THE REVELATION OF BOLSHEVISM

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1928, Page 7

THE REVELATION OF BOLSHEVISM

(By X). (Written for “The Guardian.”)

Bolshevism has many names and by whatever name it is known it smells as o .ject ionahle. In an artiele writ- : n some years ago .[ endeavoured to trace the genesis of Bolshevism up to the time when it caused Russia to let the Allies down and enabled GerI many to come within mensurable distance of winning the war and destroying the British Empire. The amazing success of the mission of Lenin and Trotsky, not in bringing about the Russian revolution, which had already been accomplished, blit in taking advantage of lack of union amongst the people to start civil war on “class” lines was almost incredible. It would have been impossible hut for two factors—the activity of German agents which had been in operation for years, and the childlike confidence and utter ignorance of the Russian peasantry. ft was only necessary to tell them that the land for which they had been lijchting was now their own. They had nothing further to fight for, and all ihey had to do was to throw down their arms, go home and take possession of the lands which was their property. The troops left the trenches in thousands to participate in a projected land distribution, munition workers went on strike, business was suspended and the troops who remained loyal were left without support. "Whole Russian units deserted, retreat became a rout and without a blow the Germans won hack mile after mile of strongly defensive positions which had cost thousands of "Ives to capture. By August 1917 only a few Russian units were still resisting; and the morale of the nation was so weakened that the Brest-Litovsk Peace Treaty was signed the following-year. Tt is well we slmuld remember these ' filings, as it was t lio poisonous propaganda of Hie emissaries from Germany - Lenin ami Trotsky which enabled the Bolsheviks, the .Socialist Communist Political Party of Russia, to seize control of the count"v. Tt also enabled Germany to gain Tier objective, withdraw troops from the Eastern front and coiicenf rate on the Western front, ‘■ausing a. loss of thousands of lives of British and Allied soli!tors.

This awful tragedy is perl laps of too recent date to enable if to ho judged in iis true perspective. How it lengthened old the war and the losses it caused to *hi r country and our Allies will bo more clearly realised in the future. What it meant, to Russia has, during the past eleven years been carefully hidden, and il is still difficult to ascertain precisely what Inis happened, or is happening now in that unfortunate country. Wo know it has become the pariah oT Hie naiions, without international creditor standing-—without the capital or credit to develop its natural resources—and appealing in vain to the “capitalist class” which it has repudiated, ns it lias repudiated its debts and oblignI ions, to find the wherewithal to carry on the industries of the country. Vt c know a decree was issued nationalizing all important industrial undertakings with all their capital properties within the Empire. Beyond that- only fragmentary particulars have been obtained. and those of a very sad and depressing nature. Lack of capital and lack of credit, cities, railways, roads and bridges falling into decay, seething discontent ruthlessly suppressed by the red army, and millions of people on the verge of starvation.

The peasantry were not 1 onjj in discoverin': they had been betrayed l>v the Bolsheviks. They wore given land and told tin"- had no need to pay rent to the “capitalist” landlord, all they had to do was to get busy and raise crops. IV.it when thev had raised them they were told that the crops were the property of the people and the Soviet vr -limit, that all tliov could claim was .suffici-mt —or what the Soviet considered sufficient for their maintenance. The rest had to he handed over as it was the pronertv of the community. Xarurallv the peasants rehelled in they found themselves worse ofT than before. the S-viet was in a position to enfoi—e its demands th "e-snots hid awav fe-odst l'li’s where p-s able, and finally rc-

f'n •:! tr> plant crops or the land - bringing about a sint- 1 of famine. Th s was, broadlv sneaking, known to I'"' the true position, because w -rid wide

i ffioials w n-' made to send fo. d. TV t the actual details of the revolt of the peasantry, (he repressive measures taken, and the gradual stoppage of

industry, were in most cases denied by those who, if forced to admit that re\oltitionary socialism and communism had led to chaos and ruin in Russia could scarcely continue to urge their adoption elsewhere. But though truth may he suppressed for a time it is hound sooner or later to come to light and sometimes from most unexpected sources. Of the two arch-conspirators - Lenin and Trotsky -—though they were actually only emissaries from Germany—l/cnin has. or is reported to have, passed beyond the pale of human judgment. But Trotsky has lived to see the effects of the .Marxist doctrines on perhaps the only country in the world, or which they could have been forced. Ami he has been honest enough to admit in a book which he has just written that Bolshevism has utterly failed. The Auckland “Star,” reviewing tins hook says: “It s interesting to observe how completely Trotsky has disproved the arguments generally advanced by the Bolsheviks and their admirers in defence of the Soviet system. Enthusiastic Marxists assure ns that in Russia, for the first time in the world’s history, the workers are free and all-powerful. Trotsky tells us that the despotism of the Soviet bureaucrats presses more heavily on the workers than the old tyranny of the capitalists and the Czars. “The sovereignty of the people is a mere fiction,” and the self-appointed Dictators of the Proletariat suppress all opponents promptly and effectively. One of the glories of Russian Bolshevism, according to the admirers, is the intellectual regeneration of the masses. But according to Trotsky, “the youth of the country are growing up illiterate, owing to the failure to organise the schools.” The substitution of industrial autonomy for private capitalism was supposed to ensure the prosperity of its country and the happiness of its people. Yet Trotsky “exposes the breakdown of the industrial system.” and speaks of millions of unemployed, their numbers constantly swollen by the drift of-population from the rural districts to the towns. The picture that Trotsky draws is a terribly tragic one. bub there is no reason to doubt its accuracy or the truth of the charges that the founder of the Soviet State now brings against Bolshevism.” It is reported that Trotsky is in exile, his life in danger, and it is quite probable that ho will eventually he destroyed hv those forces of hatred which lie was successful in organising. This would he quite in accordance with rdl historic precedent. Those who arouse the worst passions of the people —the more easily done when the people are ignorant —and incite them to revolution. class hatred, bloodshed and destruction, are almost invariably themselves destroyed by the forces they have invoked. Those who have studied the history of the Evouch Revolution of 1789 and the story, of the Paris commune know that those who were acclaimed as leaders one day were condemned as “traitors’’ the next and sent to the guillotine to share the fate of their victims—the hated aristocrats. Though nothing so tragic could happen in New Zealand or I hope in any portion of the British Empire, the same sinister forces are at work. "Whether known ns Bolshevik, 1.W.W., Red Fed or Communist we have those who to serve l I heir own ends will persistently endeavour to separate class irom class and stir tip class hatred and trouble wherever possible. All employers know how industriously trouble is manufactured from apparently insignificant causes and they quite realize the forces responsible. M.r Semple has frankly admitted that had he been in Russia he would have been a Bolshevik and have been found with Lenin and 1 rotsky. Therefore lie was admittedly in accord with their actions, which at the instigation of Germany put Russia out ol the war. and caused such loss to the British Kmpire Mr Semple claims to loyally represent. Perhaps the admission was unfortunate, as was Air Holland’s association with Jock Garden, the Communist-, on the “Council of Action” of the Australian Labour Congress. and his attempt to forment trouble in Samoa. But whether their activities are few or whether they are cloaked behind an apparently peaceful and law-abiding policy it comes to the same thing, thg disturbing elements are there, and retribution sooner or later overtakes them. The “trouble breeders” force themselves to the front by appealing to the passions and prejudices of the mob. While in subordinate positions they make extravagant promises on the strength of which they oust those above them, eventually squeezing into positions from which they are expected to do great things, and redeem these promises. As they, of course, cannot do so they are howled down as “traitors” and the next firebrand on the list takes the place. I cannot recollect any Labor loader who has not sooner or later* been condemned by his own followers as “traitor” and deposed as soon as lie has risen from that obscurity which alone was his safety—if he only knew it.

A labour leader's position, as head of a responsible Government—forced to deal with problems affecting not one class, hut the whole community, becomes quite untenable, as shown in the ease of Ramsay Macdonald. That is why as T have endeavoured to show “labor” is not and cannot he a political party. With full responsibilitv to he shouldered any “class” programme would have to ho modified, possibly abandoned altogether, and then the forces which placed file lender in power would—metaphorically at leasttear him to pieces as a traitor to his professions. The tragedy of Trotskv and Bolshevism in Russia should prove a salutary warning to the whole "world. History it is true has provided manv such warnings before hut this, the latest- will be probable more effective •is the cause are so easilv verified, and the identical destructive elements ai" with us to-day. and are traceable, more or less in all civilised countries.