the crisis in russia(俄国危机)-第16章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
provides。 The bureau informs the local Communists where their services
are required； and thus there is a minimum of wasted energy。 The local
Communists arrange the 〃Saturdayings；〃 and any one else joins in who
wants。 These 〃Saturdayings〃 are a hardship to none because they are
voluntary； except for members of the Communist Party； who are
considered to have broken the party discipline if they refrain。 But they
can avoid the 〃Saturdayings〃 if they wish to by leaving the party。 Indeed；
Lenin points； out that the 〃Saturdayings〃 are likely to assist in clearing out
of the party those elements which joined it with the hope of personal gain。
He points out that the privileges of a Communists now consist in doing
more work than other people in the rear； and； on the front； in having the
certainty of being killed when other folk are merely taken prisoners。
The following are a few examples of the sort of work done in the
〃Saturdayings。〃 Briansk hospitals were improperly heated because of
lack of the local transport necessary to bring them wood。 The
Communists organized a 〃Saturdaying；〃 in which 900 persons took part；
including military specialists （officers of the old army serving in the new）；
soldiers； a chief of staff； workmen and women。 Having no horses； they
harnessed themselves to sledges in groups of ten； and brought in the wood
required。 At Nijni 800 persons spent their Saturday afternoon in
unloading barges。 In the Basman district of Moscow there was a gigantic
〃Saturdaying〃 and 〃Sundaying〃 in which 2；000 persons （in this case all
but a little over 500 being Communists） worked in the heavy artillery
shops； shifting
materials； cleaning tramlines for bringing in fuel； etc。 Then there was a
59
… Page 60…
THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
〃Saturdaying〃 the main object of which was a general autumn cleaning of
the hospitals for the wounded。 One form of 〃Saturdaying〃 for women is
going to the hospitals； talking with the wounded and writing letters for
them； mending their clothes； washing sheets； etc。 The majority of
〃Saturdayings〃 at present are concerned with transport work and with
getting and shifting wood； because at the moment these are the chief
difficulties。 I have talked to many 〃Saturdayers；〃 Communist and non…
Communist； and all alike spoke of these Saturday afternoons of as kind of
picnic。 On the other hand； I have met Communists who were
accustomed to use every kind off ingenuity to find excuses not to take part
in them and yet to preserve the good opinion of their local committee。
But even if the whole of the Communist Party did actually indulge in
a working picnic once a week； it would not suffice to meet Russia's
tremendous needs。 And； as I pointed out in the chapter specially devoted
to the shortage of labor； the most serious need at present is to keep skilled
workers at their jobs instead of letting them drift away into non…productive
labor。 No amount of Saturday picnics could do that； and it was obvious
long ago that some other means； would have to be devised。
INDUSTRIAL CONSCRIPTION
The general principle of industrial conscription recognized by the
Russian Constitution； section ii； chapter v； paragraph 18； which reads：
〃The Russian Socialist Federate Soviet Republic recognizes that work is
an obligation on every citizen of the Republic；〃 and proclaims； 〃He who
does not work shall not eat。〃 It is； however； one thing to proclaim such a
principle and quite another to put it into action。
On December 17； 1919； the moment it became clear that there was a
real possibility that the civil war was drawing to an end； Trotsky allowed
the Pravda to print a memorandum of his； consisting of 〃theses〃 or
reasoned notes about industrial conscription and the militia system。 He
points out that a Socialist State demands a general plan for the utilization
60
… Page 61…
THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
of all the resources of a country； including its human energy。 At the same
time； 〃in the present economic chaos in which are mingled the broken
fragments of the past and the beginnings of the future；〃 a sudden jump to a
complete centralized economy of the country as a whole is impossible。
Local initiative； local effort must not be sacrificed for the sake of a plan。
At the same time industrial conscription is necessary for complete
socialization。 It cannot be regardless of individuality like military
conscription。 He suggests a subdivision of the State into territorial
productive districts which should coincide with the territorial districts of
the militia system which shall replace the regular army。 Registration of
labor necessary。 Necessary also to coordinate military and industrial
registration。 At demobilization the cadres of regiments； divisions； etc。；
should form the fundamental cadres of the militia。 Instruction to this end
should be included in the courses for workers and peasants who are
training to become officers in every district。 Transition to the militia
system must be carefully and gradually accomplished so as not for a
moment to leave the Republic defenseless。 While not losing sight of
these ultimate aims； it is necessary to decide on immediate needs and to
ascertain exactly what amount of labor is necessary for their limited
realization。 He suggests the registration of skilled labor in the army。 He
suggests that a Commission under general direction of the Council of
Public Economy should work out a preliminary plan and then hand it over
to the War Department； so that means should be worked out for using the
military apparatus for this new industrial purpose。
Trotsky's twenty…four theses or notes must have been written in odd
moments； now here now there； on the way from one front to another。
They do not form a connected whole。 Contradictions jostle each other； and
it is quite clear that Trotsky himself had no very definite plan in his head。
But
his notes annoyed and stimulated so many other people that they did
perhaps precisely the work they were intended to do。 Pravada printed them
with a note from the editor inviting discussion。 The Ekonomitcheskaya
Jizn printed letter after letter from workmen； officials and others； attacking；
approving and bringing new suggestions。 Larin； Semashko； Pyatakov；
61
… Page 62…
THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
Bucharin all took a hand in the discussion。 Larin saw in the proposals
the beginning of the end of the revolution； being convinced that authority
would pass from the democracy of the workers into the hands of the
specialists。 Rykov fell upon them with sturdy blows on behalf of the
Trades Unions。 All； however； agreed on the one point…that something of
the sort was neccesary。 On December 27th a Commission for studying the
question of industrial conscription was formed under the presidency of
Trotsky。 This Commission included the People's Commissars； or
Ministers； of Labor； Ways of Communication； Supply； Agriculture； War；
and the Presidents of the Central Council of the Trades Unions and of the
Supreme Council of Public Economy。 They compiled a list of the
principal questions before them； and invited anybody interested to bring
them suggestions and material for discussion。
But the discussion was not limited to the newspapers or to this
Commission。 The question was discussed in Soviets and Conferences of
every kind all over the country。 Thus； on January 1st an All…Russian
Conference of local 〃departments for the registration and distribution of
labor；〃 after prolonged argument； contributed their views。 They pointed
out （1） the need of bringing to work numbers of persons who instead of
doing the skilled labor for which they were qualified were engaged in
petty profiteering； etc。； （2） that there evaporation of skilled labor into
unproductive speculation could at least be checked by the introduction
of labor books； which would give some sort of registration of each
citizen's work； （3） that workmen can be brought back from the villages
only for enterprises which are supplied with provisions or are situated in
districts where there is plenty。 （〃The opinion that； in the absence of these
preliminary conditions； it will be possible to draw workmen from the
villages by measures of compulsion or mobilization
is profoundly mistaken。〃） （4） that there should be a census of labor and
that the Trades Unions should be invited to protect the interests of the
conscripted。 Finally； this Conference approved the idea of using the
already existing military organization for carrying out a labor census of
the Red Army； and for the turning over to labor of parts of the army during
demobilization； but opposed the idea of giving the military organization
62
… Page 63…
THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
the work of labor registration and industrial conscription in general。
On January 22； 1920； the Central Committee of the Communist Party；
after prolonged discussion of Trotsky's rough memorandum；
