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RUSSIA IN 1919
definitely broken； could be made to serve the new。 He believed that
unless the utmost use was made of the resources of the country in
technical knowledge； etc。； they could not hope to organize the maximum
productivity which alone could save them from catastrophe。
The speaker who followed him； Glebov； defended precisely the
opposite point of view and represented the same attitude with regard to the
reorganization of industry as is held by many who object to Trotsky's use
of officers of the old army in the reorganization of the new； believing that
all who worked in high places under the old regime must be and remain
enemies of the revolution； so that their employment is a definite source of
danger。 Glebov is a trade union representative； and his speech was a
clear indication of the non…political undercurrent towards the left which
may shake the Bolshevik position and will most certainly come into
violent conflict with any definitely bourgeois government that may be
brought in by counter…revolution。
In the resolution on the economic position which was finally passed
unanimously； one point reads as follows： 〃It is necessary to strive for just
economic relations with other countries in the form of state regulated
exchange of goods and the bringing of the productive forces of other
countries to the working out of the untouched natural resources of Soviet
Russia。〃 It is interesting to notice the curiously mixed character of the
opposition。 Some call for 〃a real socialism；〃 which shall make no
concessions whatsoever to foreign capital； others for the cessation of civil
war and peace with the little governments which have obtained Allied
support。 In a single number of the Printers' Gazette； for example； there was
a threat to appeal against the Bolsheviks to the delegation from Berne and
an attack on Chicherin for being ready to make terms with the Entente。
The next business on the programme was the attitude to be adopted
towards the repentant Social Revolutionaries of the Right。 Kamenev
made the best speech I have ever heard from him； for once in a way not
letting himself be drawn into agitational digressions； but going point by
point through what he had to say and saying it economically。 The S。R。's
had had three watchwords： 〃War and alliance with the Allies；〃 〃Coalition
with the bourgeoisie；〃 and 〃The Constituent Assembly。〃 For over a year
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RUSSIA IN 1919
they had waged open war with the Soviet Government over these three
points。 They had been defeated in the field。 But they had suffered a far
more serious moral defeat in having to confess that their very watchwords
had been unsound。 〃War and Alliance with the Allies〃 had shown itself
to mean the occupation of Russian territory by foreign troops in no way
concerned to save the revolution； but ready； as they had shown； to help
every force that was working for its suppression。 〃Coalition with the
Bourgeoisie〃 had shown itself to be a path the natural ending to which was
the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie through military force。 〃The
Constituent Assembly〃 had been proved to be no more than a useful mask
behind which the enemies of the revolution could prepare their forces and
trick the masses to their own undoing。
He read the declaration of the Right Social Revolutionaries；
admitting that the Soviet Government was the only force working against
a dictatorship of the bourgeoisie； and calling upon their troops to
overthrow the usurping governments in Siberia； and elsewhere。 This
repentance； however； had come rather late and there were those who did
not share it。 He said finally that the Executive Committee must
remember that it was not a party considering its relations with another
party； but an organ of government considering the attitude of the country
towards a party which in the most serious moment of Russian history had
admittedly made grave mistakes and helped Russia's enemies。 Now； in
this difficult moment； every one who was sincerely ready to help the
working masses of Russia in their struggle had the right to be given a
place in the ranks of the fighters。 The Social Revolutionaries should be
allowed to prove in deeds the sincerity of their recantation。 The
resolution which was passed recapitulated the recantations； mentioned by
name the members of the party with whom discussions had been carried
on； withdrew the decision of June 14th （excluding the S。R。's from the
Executive Committee on the ground of their counter…revolutionary
tendencies） with regard to all groups of the party which held themselves
bound by the recently published declarations； gave them the right equally
with other parties to share in the work of the Soviets； and notified the
administrative and judicial organs of the Republic to free the arrested
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RUSSIA IN 1919
S。R。's who shared the point of view expressed in the recantations。 The
resolution was passed without enthusiasm but without opposition。
There followed the reading by Avanesov of the decree concerning the
Menshevik paper Vsegda Vpered （〃Forever Forward；〃 but usually
described by critics of the Mensheviks as 〃Forever Backward〃）。 The
resolution pointed out that in spite of the Mensheviks having agreed on the
need of supporting the Soviet Government they were actually carrying on
an agitation； the effect of which could only be to weaken the army。 An
example was given of an article； 〃Stop the Civil War；〃 in which they had
pointed out that the war was costing a great deal； and that much of the
food supplies went to the army。 On these grounds they had demanded
the cessation of the civil war。 The Committee pointed out that the
Mensheviks were making demagogic use of the difficulties of the food
supply； due in part to