BOLSHEVIK IDEALS

Taihape Daily Times, 7 January 1918, Page 5

BOLSHEVIK IDEALS

NOT PRO-GERMAN,

LONDON, Jan 4. A statement of Allied policy, which will democratic in character. v\ii< shortly be sent to Russia. • The "Chronicle" interviewed M. Lilvinoff the Bolshevik Ambassador, who said: —"As Ambassador I shall dissipate the misunderstanding and misinterpretation of the motives, character, and purpose of the Soviet Government. It is untrue that Bolsheviks grabbed power. They only intervened in November to take the reins from Kerensky's trembling hands in order to give them to the Soviets. Unfortunately the Moderate Socialists, representing the petit bourgeoisie and well-to-do peasantry, chose to desert the Soviets. The leaders of the Moderates should have seen that crushing the Soviets meant the downfall of the revolution. They were mere tools in the hands of the grande bourgeoisie, generals, and reactionaries, who were frightened of the Soviet's social reforms. The crucial fact at present in Russia is that a class war is raging in a naked form throughout great Russia, the "Ukraine Finland and Siberia, and even among the Cossacks. The Bolsheviks have behind them the whole industrial working class, and the great mass of the peasantry. It Is grossly mischievous to represent the Bolsheviks as pro-Germans, antiAlly, or mere pacifists. The Bolsheviks realise clearly that Kaiserismand Junkerdom are the greatest obstacle to the peace and progress of the international proletariat towards selfemancipation. They have discovered that Russia is not the only soil congenial tc noxious plants, but they were opposed to replacing Prussian militarism by Russian, French, and English militarism, and are sanguine enough to imagine that the Russian and German armies on the Eastern front may some day march together against the common foes of the world's proletariat in Germany, and perhaps other countries too. The Bolsheviks look upon separate peace with disfavour, but present conditionmake it unsuitable. The democracies in the Allied countries must fee thacalamity does not happen, and must act at once, otherwise they will be tlate."