But there is no doubt that this speculation evil will immediately stop at the moment when the peasants receive what they need from the state. Then the government will also receive from the peasants, voluntarily, all that it needs and cannot take even with force. Then the requisitions and the resulting hostility between the peasants and the government will cease and the greatest obstacle separating the peasant and the soviet government would be removed, and it would be much easier for the latter to become reconciled with the peasants. The peasants would then no longer need to be "counter-revolutionary", the revolution would get a firm footing in the country districts and would have a chance to build up and develop freely.
But that can only take place if Soviet Russia has peace, if the entente at once ceases to inflict war upon that unhappy country, if the blockade is called off and if goods comes into the country. That the Russian revolution in the form of bolshevism should have become such a regime of terror with its requisition policy, that fact has its causes principally in the war and in the blockade. The originator of this blockade and this war, the enemies of the revolution in France, England and America, the defenders of the capitalist states are the ones upon whom the blame should be placed for the stagnation of the Russian revolution. // with bolshevism we mean the liberty crushing policy of the Russian Soviet government, principally against the peasants, then bolshevism is best co\mbatted with the slogan: Peace with Russia; Lifting of the blockade; Hands off Russia.
As free commerce was tied up by the government, it was forced to create some organs by means of which the population could be supplied with food stuffs. This is, of course, extremely difficult for a political party, even if it has the governmental power. Its character is political and not economic; it is not able to do it. The Food Stuffs Commissariat stood helpless before the situation. It threw itself upon the co-operation of the Consumers' Societies. In Russia, as well as in Ukraine, these societies were well developed. The government took over these societies and made them as before stated, into state organs. Membership became obligatory for the whole population. The bourgeoisie, which also nominally belongs to these societies, has no rights inside them. The proletariat alone has any right to elect officials. Nevertheless, most of the officials spring from the bourgeoisie, because the workers are uneducated and for the largest part illiterates.
Here we are speaking of the workers and the bourgeoisie but not of the peasants. The peasants are to a large extent not included in the consumers' societies. They do> not need it. They need not obtain any food stuffs; on the contrary, they can spare them for others. This is therefore intended merely for the cities which are dependent upon the country.
The consumers' co-operatives receive the food stuffs from the government. They distribute them among the workers of the cities and factories. The co-operatives have their branches in the factories, and the workers receive their bread in the factories. But due to the shortage of food stuff