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The position of the Right Social Revolutionaries is a good deal
more complicated than that of the Mensheviks。 In their later declarations
they are as far from their romantic anarchist left wing as they are from
their romantic reactionary extreme right。 They stand； as they have
always stood； for a Constituent Assembly； but they have thrown over the
idea of instituting a Constituent Assembly by force。 They have come
into closer contact with the Allies than any other party to the left of the
Cadets。 By doing so； by associating themselves with the Czech forces on
the Volga and minor revolts of a reactionary character inside Russia； they
have pretty badly compromised themselves。 Their change of attitude
towards the Soviet Government must not be attributed to any change in
their own programme； but to the realization that the forces which they
imagined were supporting them were actually being used to support
something a great deal further right。 The Printers' Gazette； a non…
Bolshevik organ； printed one of their resolutions； one point of which
demands the overthrow of the reactionary governments supported by the
Allies or the Germans； and another condemns every attempt to overthrow
the Soviet Government by force of arms； on the ground that such an
attempt would weaken the working class as a whole and would be used by
the reactionary groups for their own purposes。
Volsky is a Right Social Revolutionary； and was President of that
Conference of Members of the Constituent Assembly from whose hands
the Directorate which ruled in Siberia received its authority and Admiral
Kolchak his command； his proper title being Commander of the Forces of
the Constituent Assembly。 The Constituent Assembly members were to
have met on January 1st of this year； then to retake authority from the
Directorate and organize a government on an All…Russian basis。 But
there was continual friction between the Directorate and the Conference of
members of the Constituent Assembly； the Directorate being more
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RUSSIA IN 1919
reactionary than they。 In November came Kolchak's coup d'=82tat；
followed by a declaration against him and an appeal for his overthrow
issued by members of the Constituent Assembly。 Some were arrested by a
group of officers。 A few are said to have been killed。 Kolchak； I think；
has denied responsibility for this； and probably was unaware of the
intentions of the reactionaries under his command。 Others of the
members escaped to Ufa。 On December 5th； 25 days before that town
was taken by the Bolsheviks； they announced their intention of no longer
opposing the Soviet Government in the field。 After the capture of the
town by the Soviet troops； negotiations were begun between the
representatives of the Conference of Members of the Constituent
Assembly； together with other Right Social Revolutionaries； and
representatives of the Soviet Government； with a view to finding a basis
for agreement。 The result of those negotiations was the resolution passed
by the Executive Committee on February 26th （see page 166）。 A
delegation of the members came to Moscow； and were quaintly housed in
a huge room in the Metropole； where they had put up beds all round the
walls and big tables in the middle of the room for their deliberations。 It
was in this room that I saw Volsky first； and afterwards in my own。
I asked him what exactly had brought him and all that he represented
over from the side of Kolchak and the Allies to the side of the Soviet
Government。 He looked me straight in the face； and said： 〃I'll tell you。
We were convinced by many facts that the policy of the Allied
representatives in Siberia was directed not to strengthening the Constituent
Assembly against the Bolsheviks and the Germans； but simply to
strengthening the reactionary forces behind our backs。〃
He also complained： 〃All through last summer we were holding that
front with the Czechs； being told that there were two divisions of Germans
advancing to attack us； and we now know that there were no German
troops in Russia at all。〃
He criticized the Bolsheviks for being better makers of programmes
than organizers。 They offered free electricity； and presently had to admit
that soon there would be no electricity for lack of fuel。 They did not
sufficiently base their policy on the study of actual possibilities。 〃But
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RUSSIA IN 1919
that they are really fighting against a bourgeois dictatorship is clear to us。
We are； therefore； prepared to help them in every possible way。〃
He said； further： 〃Intervention of any kind will prolong the regime of
the Bolsheviks by compelling us to drop opposition to the Soviet
Government； although we do not like it； and to support it because it is
defending the revolution。〃
With regard to help given to individual groups or governments
fighting against Soviet Russia； Volsky said that they saw no difference
between such intervention and intervention in the form of sending troops。
I asked what he thought would happen。 He answered in almost the
same words as those used by Martov； that life itself would compel the
Bolsheviks to alter their policy or to go。 Sooner or later the peasants
would make their will felt； and they were against the bourgeoisie and
against the Bolsheviks。 No bourgeois reaction could win permanently
against the Soviet； because it could have nothing to offer； no idea for
which people would fight。 If by any chance Kolchak； Denikin and Co。
were to win； they would have to kill in tens of thousands where the
Bolsheviks have had to kill in hundreds； and the result would be the
complete ruin and the collapse of Russ