russia in 1919(1919議躯忽)-及26嫗
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doors。 The whole room�察 �including the floor�察 �was decorated in red。
There were banners with ;Long Live the Third International; inscribed
upon them in many languages。 The Presidium was on the raised dais at
the end of the room�察�Lenin sitting in the middle behind a long red´covered
table with Albrecht�察�a young German Spartacist�察�on the right and Platten�察�
the Swiss�察�on the left。 The auditorium sloped down to the foot of the dais。
Chairs were arranged on each side of an alleyway down the middle�察�and
the four or five front rows had little tables for convenience in writing。
Everybody of importance was there�察 �Trotzky�察 �Zinoviev�察 �Kamenev�察�
Chichern�察 �Bucharin�察 �Karakhan�察 �Litvinov�察 �Vorovsky�察 �Steklov�察 �Rakovsky�察�
representing here the Balkan Socialist Party�察 �Skripnik�察 �representing the
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Ukraine。 Then there were Stang ��Norwegian Left Socialists���察�Grimlund
��Swedish Left���察 �Sadoul ��France���察 �Finberg ��British Socialist Party���察�
Reinstein ��American Socialist Labour Party���察�a Turk�察�a German´Austrian�察�
a Chinese�察�and so on。 Business was conducted and speeches were made
in all languages�察�though where possible German was used�察�because more
of the foreigners knew German than knew French。 This was unlucky for
me。
When I got there people were making reports about the situation in
the different countries。 Finberg spoke in English�察 �Rakovsky in French�察�
Sadoul also。 Skripnik�察 �who�察 �being asked�察 �refused to talk German and
said he would speak in either Ukrainian or Russia�察�and to most people's
relief chose the latter�察 �made several interesting points about the new
revolution in the Ukraine。 The killing of the leaders under the
Skoropadsky regime had made no difference to the movement�察�and town
after town was falling after internal revolt。 ��This was before they had Kiev
and�察 �of course�察 �long before they had taken Odessa�察 �both of which gains
they confidently prophesied。�� The sharp lesson of German occupation had
taught the Ukrainian Social Revolutionaries what their experiences during
the last fifteen months had taught the Russian�察 �and all parties were
working together。
But the real interest of the gathering was in its attitude towards the
Berne conference。 Many letters had been received from members of that
conference�察�Longuet for example�察�wishing that the Communists had been
represented there�察�and the view taken at Moscow was that the left wing at
Berne was feeling uncomfortable at sitting down with Scheidemann and
Company�察 �let them definitely break with them�察 �finish with the Second
International and join the Third。 It was clear that this gathering in the
Kremlin was meant as the nucleus of a new International opposed to that
which had split into national groups�察�each supporting its own government
in the prosecution of the war。 That was the leit motif of the whole affair。
Trotsky�察�in a leather coat�察�military breeches and gaiters�察�with a fur hat
with the sign of the Red Army in front�察 �was looking very well�察 �but a
strange figure for those who had known him as one of the greatest anti´
militarists in Europe。 Lenin sat quietly listening�察 �speaking when
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necessary in almost every European language with astonishing ease。
Balabanova talked about Italy and seemed happy at last�察 �even in Soviet
Russia�察 �to be once more in a ;secret meeting。; It was really an
extraordinary affair and�察 �in spite of some childishness�察 �I could not help
realizing that I was present at something that will go down in the histories
of socialism�察�much like that other strange meeting convened in London in
1848。
The vital figures of the conference�察�not counting Platten�察�whom I do
not know and on whom I can express no opinion�察 �were Lenin and the
young German�察�Albrecht�察�who�察�fired no doubt by the events actually taking
place in his country�察 �spoke with brain and character。 The German
Austrian also seemed a real man。 Rakovsky�察 �Skripnik�察 �and Sirola the
Finn really represented something。 But there was a make´believe side to
the whole affair�察�in which the English Left Socialists were represented by
Finberg�察 �and the Americans by Reinstein�察 �neither of whom had or was
likely to have any means of communicating with his constituents。
March 4th。
In the Kremlin they were discussing the programme on which the
new International was to stand。 This is�察 �of course�察 �dictatorship of the
proletariat and all that that implies。 I heard�察�Lenin make a long speech�察�
the main point of which was to show that Kautsky and his supporters at
Berne were now condemning the very tactics which they had praised in
1906。 When I was leaving the Kremlin I met Sirola walking in the
square outside the building without a hat�察 �without a coat�察 �in a cold so
intense that I was putting snow on my nose to prevent frostbite。 I
exclaimed。 Sirola smiled his ingenuous smile。 ;It is March�察─ �he said�察�
;Spring is coming。;
March 5th。
Today all secrecy was dropped�察�a little prematurely�察�I fancy�察�for when
I got to the Kremlin I found that the first note of opposition had been
struck by the man who least of all was expected to strike it。 Albrecht�察�the
young German�察 �had opposed the immediate founding of the Third
International�察 �on the double ground that not all nations were properly
represented and that it might make difficulties for the political parties
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concerned in their own countries。 Every one was against him。 Rakovsky
pointed out that the same objections could have been raised against the
founding of the First International by Marx in London。 The German´
Austrian combated Albrecht's second point。 Other people said that the
different parties concerned had long ago definitely broken with the Second
International。 Albrecht was in a minority of one。 It was decided therefore
that this conference was actually the Third International。 Platten
announced the decision�察 �and the ;International; was sung in a dozen
languages at once。 Then Albrecht stood up�察�a little red in the face�察�and
said that he�察�of course�察�recognized the decision and would announce it in
Germany。
March 6th。
The conference in the Kremlin ended with the usual singing and a
photograph。 Some time before the end�察�when Trotsky had just finished
speaking and had left the tribune�察�there was a squeal of protest from the
photographer who had just trained his apparatus。 Some one remarked
;The Dictatorship of the Photographer�察─ �and�察 �amid general laughter�察�
Trotsky had to return to the tribune and stand silent while the unabashed
photographer took two pictures。 The founding of the Third International
had been proclaimed in the morning papers�察�and an extraordinary meeting
in the Great Theatre announced for the evening。 I got to the theatre at
about five�察�and had difficulty in getting in�察�though I had a special ticket as
a correspondent。 There were queues outside all the doors。 The Moscow
Soviet was there�察�the Executive Committee�察�representatives of the Trades
Unions and the Factory Committees�察 �etc。 The huge theatre and the
platform were crammed�察 �people standing in the aisles and even packed
close together in the wings of the stage。 Kamenev opened the meeting by
a solemn announcement of the founding of the Third International in the
Kremlin。 There was a roar of applause from the audience�察 �which rose
and sang the ;International; in a way that I have never heard it sung since
the All´Russian Assembly when the news came of the strikes in Germany
during the Brest negotiations。 Kamenev then spoke of those who had
died on the way�察�mentioning Liebknecht and Rosa Luxembourg�察�and the
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whole theatre stood again while the orchestra played�察 �You fell as
victims。; Then Lenin spoke。 If I had ever thought that Lenin was losing
his personal popularity�察�I got my answer now。 It was a long time before
he could speak at all�察 �everybody standing and drowning his attempts to
speak with roar after roar of applause。 It was an extraordinary�察�
overwhelming scene�察 �tier after tier crammed with workmen�察 �the parterre
filled�察 �the whole platform and the wings。 A knot of workwomen were
close to me�察�and they almost fought to see him�察�and shouted as if each one
were determined that he should hear her in particular。 He spoke as usual�察�
in the simplest way�察�emphasizing the fact that the revolutionary struggle
everywhere was forced to use the Soviet forms。 ;We declare our solidarity
with the aims of the Sovietists�察─�he read from an Italian paper�察�and added�察�
;and that was when they did not know what our aims were�察�and before we
had an established programme ourselves。; Albrecht made a very long
reasoned speech for Spartacus�察 �which was translated by Trotsky。
Guilbeau�察 �seemingly a mere child�察 �spoke of the socialist movement in
France。 Steklov was translating him when I left。 You must remember
that I had had nearly two years of such meetings�察�and am not a Russian。
When I got outside the theatre�察�I found at each door a disappointed crowd
that had bee