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deprecating emphasis； as if to say： 〃At this point there is a full stop。 At
least so it seems。〃
He gave a short colourless sketch of the history of the Extraordinary
Commission。 He referred to the various crises with which it had had to
deal； beginning with the drunken pogroms in Petrograd； the suppression of
the combined anarchists and criminals in Moscow （he mentioned that after
that four hours' struggle which ended in the clearing out of the anarchists'
strongholds； criminality in Moscow decreased by 80 per cent。）； to the days
of the Terror when； now here； now there； armed risings against the Soviet
were engineered by foreigners and by counter…revolutionaries working
with them。 He then made the point that throughout all this time the
revolution had been threatened by large…scale revolts。 Now the
revolution was safe from such things and was threatened only by
individual treacheries of various kinds； not by things which needed action
on a large scale。 They had traitors； no doubt； in the Soviet institutions
who were waiting for the day （which would never come） to join with their
enemies； and meanwhile were secretly hampering their work。 They did
not need on that account to destroy their institutions as a whole。 The
struggle with counter…revolution had passed to a new stage。 They no
longer had to do open battle with open enemies； they had merely to guard
themselves against individuals。 The laws of war by which； meeting him
on the field of battle； the soldier had a right to kill his enemy without trial；
no longer held good。 The situation was now that of peace； where each
offender must have his guilt proved before a court。 Therefore the right of
sentencing was removed from the Extraordinary Commission； but if；
through unforeseen circumstances； the old conditions should return； they
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intended that the dictatorial powers of the Commission should be restored
to it until those conditions had ceased。 Thus if； in case of armed counter…
revolution； a district were declared to be in a state of war； the
Extraordinary Commission would resume its old powers。 Otherwise its
business would be to hand offenders； such as Soviet officials who were
habitually late （here there was a laugh； the only sign throughout his speech
that Dserzhinsky was holding the attention of his audience）； over to the
Revolutionary Tribunal； which would try them and； should their guilt be
proved； put them in concentration camps to learn to work。 He read point
by point the resolutions establishing these； changes and providing for the
formation of Revolutionary Tribunals。 Trial to take place within forty…
eight hours after the conclusion of the investigation； and the investigation
to take not longer than a month。 He ended as he ended his sentences； as
if by accident； and people scarcely realized he had finished before
Sverdlov announced the next speaker。
Krylenko proposed an amendment to ensure that no member of the
Revolutionary Tribunal could be also a member of the Extraordinary
Commission which had taken up and investigated a case。 His speech was
very disappointing。 He is not at his best when addressing a serious
meeting like that of the Executive Committee。 The Krylenko who spoke
to…night； fluently； clearly； but without particular art； is a very different
Krylenko from the virtuoso in mob oratory； the little； dangerous； elderly
man in ensign's uniform who swayed the soldiers' mass meetings in
Petrograd a year and a half ago。 I remember hearing him speak in
barracks soon after the murder of Shingarev and Kokoshkin； urging class
struggle and at the same time explaining the difference between that and
the murder of sick men in bed。 He referred to the murder and； while
continuing his speech； talking already of another subject； be went through
the actions of a man approaching a bed and killing a sleeper with a pistol。
It was a trick； of course； but the thrilling； horrible effect of it moved the
whole audience with a shudder of disgust。 There was nothing of this
kind in his short lecture on jurisprudence to…night。
Avanesov； the tall； dark secretary of the Executive Committee； with
the face of a big； benevolent hawk hooded in long black hair； opposed
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RUSSIA IN 1919
Krylenko on the ground that there were not enough trustworthy workers to
ensure that in country districts such a provision could be carried out。
Finally the resolution was passed as a whole and the amendment was
referred to the judgment of the presidium。
The Committee next passed to the consideration of the Extraordinary
Tax levied on the propertied classes。 Krestinsky； Commissary of Finance；
made his report to a grim audience； many of whom quite frankly regarded
the tax as a political mistake。 Krestinsky is a short； humorous man； in
dark spectacles； dressed more like a banker than like a Bolshevik。 It was
clear that the collection of the tax had not been as successful as he had
previously suggested。 I was interested in his reference to the double
purpose of the tax and in the reasons he gave for its comparative failure。
The tax had a fiscal purpose； partly to cover deficit； partly by drawing in
paper money to raise the value of the rouble。 It had also a political
purpose。 It was intended to affect the propertied classes only； and thus to
weaken the Kulaks （hard…fists； rich peasants） in the villages and to teach
the poorer peasants the meaning of the revolution。 Unfortunately some
Soviets； where the minority of the Kulaks had retained the unfair
domination given it by its economic strength； had distributed the tax…
paying equally over the whole population； thus very naturally raising the
resentment of the poor who found themselves taxed to the same amount as
those who could afford to pay。 It had been necessary to send circular
telegrams emphasizing the terms of