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The soviet signed what all Russia con-
siders a shameful and humiliating peace
and it evacuated the nation's capital and
yet the soviet remains in power. The
soviet offers to undergo any test the al-
lies wish to suggest in order to demon-
strate its good faith. To us in Russia
these things with many others indicate
that the soviet is sure of length of con-
trol. Recognition is not absolutely es-
sential. The soviet desires the allies'
recognition more than anything else in
the world, but next it desires the allies'
co-operation.

Allies' Agents Favor Co-Operation.

With insignificant exception the allies'
military and diplomatic authories in
Russia now favor a policy of co-opera-
tion with the soviet government. Ten-
tative co-operation has already begun on
the recommendation of these representa-
tives of the allies.

The soviet asks the aid of American
and French officers in organizing a new
revolutionary army. The soviet asks
American and French aid in removing
large stores of military munitions be-
yond the Volga, where they would be
safely out of reach of the Germans should
the latter again advance. The soviet
asks the American railway men now in
Harbin to come to Russia and actually
assist in the physical evacuation of the
munitions.

Forming a Revolutionary Army.

Three great phases appear in the pres-
ent situation:

1. Previously I explained how the re-
sentment against Germany is crystalliz-
ing the Russian revolutionary spirit into
preparations for resuming the struggle
against German imperialistic aggression.
The soviet actually is raising, equipping,
training and disciplining a revolutionary
army, calling for volunteers and getting
them. Nearly 300,000 men are now en-
rolled and old regime officers who have
promised to refrain from engaging in pol-
itics are in command of this army. The
army itself is gradually submitting to
discipline, which after the terrible dis-
orders in Russia itself is a distinct
achievement.

In the Ukraine 200,000 irregulars with
armed peasants and workmen are fighting

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against the Germans. It was this force
that recaptured Odessa. Thus Russia can
be counted as a positive help, because a
certain number of German troops have
been recalled from the western front ow-
ing to the activities of the soviet irreg-
ular troops in the Ukraine.

New Democracy in Russia.

2. We find in Russia to-day the begin-
ings of an extensive democratic culture.
The spirit of democracy extends deep in
Russian life. It is intensely radical—al-
most unlovably so—but this democratic
culture will automatically adjust itself to
conditions as it grows older. The early
days of the French revolution were in-
finately more radical, but no one denies
the influence of the French revolution on
the democratization of the world.

In Russia to-day exists a new form of
democracy, essentially Stavic in nature,
because this democratic culture is not
founded on plans or ideals transplanted
from the western world, but on the basic
principle of Slavic life, namely, the local
village mir, or soviet, which even under
the old autocracy preserved its ancient
democratic spirit. The soviet government
is the direct representative of 2,000 vil-
lage mirs.

Any extreme or radical democracy in
Russia is better than the old autocratic
regime; better than a vassal government
dictated in Berlin. If the allies are sin-
cere in their fight for democracy they
must help to preserve this radical gov-
ernment in Russia, which is really noth-
ing but the birth of a new Slavic demo-
racy. The allies have every reason to
expect that the soviet democracy will
grow more like their own.

Two Other Alternatives.

The outside world calls the soviet gov-
ernment a "proletarian dictatorship."
Ninety-three per cent of the population
belongs to the proletarian masses. When
the soviet falls, as we in Russia see it,
only one of two things can replace it.
Either will return the czar with the iron
hand or—and very much more probably—
there will be established a vassal gov-
ernment through the force of German
bayonets, which will reduce Russia to
the state of a German colony. The allies
are combating German kultur. We must

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