RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume XIX, Issue 2050, 2 December 1924, Page 3

RUSSIAN AFFAIRS.

o THE AMIABLE BOLSHEVIKS. For the benefit of the Russian workers Air Trotsky has been drawing a moral from tlie British elections. Ho is naturally disappointed at the great Conservative victory. He secs in it an illustration of the need for the creation of a strong Bolshevist party in Great Britain. Air Rakotwsky’s valiant celebration at Chcsham House—formerly tho Russian Imperial Embassy—of the seventh anniversary of the Russian revolution, and his valiant display of tho red Hag, have been merely an exhibition of vanity. Ihe notorious Zinovicft letter was. a. sad mistake on the part of those who are seeking to advance the Communistic revolutionary cause in Great Britain. Tho Government which compromised itself in its dealing with the Communists is no more. Even in liberty-lov-ing and most tolerant England the red Hag is becoming an object of increased distaste. Tho Communist brotherhood there may well regard with some alarm tlie- emergence of an organisation of British Fascisii. one of whose laudable objects is to keep Trafalgar Equate free from Hags of an objectionable colour, What Air Baldwin and liis colleagues may decide to <to with the Anglo-S,evict treaty—“an agreement to agree”—may well be a matter of some concern in Moscow. The musings of AI. Trotsky un the generally unsatisfactory situation take a military direotion. He dreams ol more aggressive propaganda. “We shall succeed in establishing Communist Governments abroad only when we have organised secret military shock units which will develop class warfare.” It is satisfactory to think that it is a forlorn hope in British communities upon which M. Trotsky proposes to rijly. British common sense is the despair of the Bolshevists, and causes them many an outburst of impotent rage. Their leaders, unable to find acceptance at their own validation in Europe, .find relief in contemplating flic more unsophisticated and more plastic children of the East. ,“We are winning," declares M. Trotsky, “in ihe East, where the gigantic yellow man is raising bis head. All ,the cities and villages in China and India aro feeling Russia's helping hand.” While this is in boastful vein, there is no doubt that the Bilshevists are carrying on an extensive propaganda in the East, and the disturbed conditions in China and India are more favourable than otherwise to their efforts. AI. Trotsky admits that the Bolshevists have temporarily lost ground in Europe. In this eonneltion it is of interest to look back to tlie proceedings of tlie fifth congress of the Third International, which was held at Moscow in June last under tlie presidency of the amiable AI. Zinovieff. Commenting upon the programme then presented, a. Russian professor at an American university pointed to its revelation of two facts'—first, that the International, less enthusiastic over the prospect of an immediate world revolution, will nevertheless continue its work in that direction, and secondly that purely Russian problems are apparently more and more coming to the forefront.