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all； before any considerable proportion of the people not living in these
two cities are registered in this way。 A more useful step was taken at the
end of August； in a general census throughout Russia。 There has been no
Russian census since 1897。 There was to have been another about the
time the war began。 It was postponed for obvious reasons。 If the
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Communists carry through the census with even moderate success （they
will of course have to meet every kind of evasion）； they will at least get
some of the information without which industrial conscription on a
national scale must be little more than a farce。 The census should show
them where the skilled workers are。 Industrial conscription should
enable them to collect them and put them at their own skilled work。
Then if； besides transplanting them； they are able to feed them； it will be
possible to judge of the success or failure of a scheme which in most
countries would bring a Government toppling to the ground。
〃In most countries〃； yes； but then the economic crisis has gone
further in Russia than in most countries。 There is talk of introducing
industrial conscription （one year's service） in Germany； where things have
not gone nearly so far。 And perhaps industrial conscription； like
Communism itself； becomes a thing of desperate hope only in a country
actually face to face with ruin。 I remember saying to Trotsky； when
talking of possible opposition； that I； as an Englishman； with the
tendencies to practical anarchism belonging to my race；
should certainly object most strongly if I were mobilized and set to
work in a particular factory； and might even want to work in some other
factory just for the sake of not doing what I was forced to do。 Trotsky
replied： 〃You would now。 But you would not if you had been through a
revolution； and seen your country in such a state that only the united；
concentrated effort of everybody could possibly reestablish it。 That is the
position here。 Everybody knows the position and that there is no other
way。〃
WHAT THE COMMUNISTS ARE
TRYING TO DO IN RUSSIA
We come now to the Communist plans for reconstruction。 We have
seen； in the first two chapters； something of the appalling paralysis which
is the most striking factor in the economic problem to…day。 We have seen
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how Russia is suffering from a lack of things and from a lack of labor；
how these two shortages react on each other； and how nothing but a vast
improvement in transport can again set in motion what was one of the
great food…producing machines of the world。 We have also seen
something of the political organization which； with far wider ambitions
before it； is at present struggling to prevent temporary paralysis from
turning into permanent atrophy。 We have seen that it consists of a
political party so far dominant that the Trades Unions and all that is
articulate in the country may be considered as part of a machinery of
propaganda； for getting those things done which that political party
considers should be done。 In a country fighting； literally； for its life； no
man can call his soul his own； and we have seen how this fact…a fact that
has become obvious again and again in the history of the world； whenever
a nation has had its back to the wall…is expressed in Russia in terms of
industrial conscription； in measures； that is to say； which would be
impossible in any country not reduced to such extremities； in measures
which may prove to be the inevitable accompaniment of national crisis；
when such crisis is
economic rather than military。 Let us now see what the Russians；
with that machinery at their disposal are trying to do。
It is obvious that since this machinery is dominated by a political
party； it will be impossible to understand the Russian plans； without
understanding that particular political party's estimate of the situation in
general。 It is obvious that the Communist plans for Russia must be
largely affected by their view of Europe as a whole。 This view is gloomy
in the extreme。 The Communists believe that Europe is steadily shaking
itself to pieces。 They believe that this process has already gone so far
that； even given good will on the part of European Governments； the
manufacturers of Western countries are already incapable of supplying
them with all the things which Russia was importing before the war； still
less make up the enormous arrears which have resulted from six years of
blockade。 They do not agree with M。 Clemenceau that 〃revolution is a
disease attacking defeated countries only。〃 Or； to put it as I have heard it
stated in Moscow； they believe that President Wilson's aspiration towards
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a peace in which should be neither conqueror nor conquered has been at
least partially realized in the sense that every country ended the struggle
economically defeated； with the possible exception of America； whose
signature； after all； is still to be ratified。 They believe that even in
seemingly prosperous countries the seeds of economic disaster are already
fertilized。 They think that the demands of labor will become greater and
more difficult to fulfill until at last they become incompatible with a
continuance of the capitalist system。 They think that strike after strike；
irrespective of whether it is successful or not； will gradually widen the
cracks and flaws already apparent in the damaged economic structu