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Political Notes By F. W. Jowett, M.P. I THE SOVIET SYSTEM. The Russian Revolution. although hitherto its progress has been bloodless as compared with other historic events of like importance in the world's history, is beginning to develop on the same lines as other revolutions have done in the past. The responsibility for this lamentable change for the worse lies chiefly on the Capital- ist Governments that have invaded Russia. If they had been left to themselves the people of Russia, would undoubtedly have established the system of Soviet government which seems to be suited to their temperament, and it is just pos- sible. also. that the greatest experiment in iu- dustrial organisation that has ever been tried in the world might have become firmly estab- lished in Russia. The rest of the world could then have judged whether it were wise or un- wise to adopt a similar system of industrial or- ganisation. ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TASK. In the light of the experience of the last eleven months it (loes not seem likely that op- position to the Bolshevik experiment in the management and control of industry by rival factions in Russia, without foreign assistance, oould have prevented the political and industrial experiments being tried on their merits. Con- fronted, however, not alone- by foes within their own country, hut. also, by invasion by foreign nations, the Bolsheviks are att/'nipting an al most impossible task in their work ol political and industrial reconstruction. KEPT FROM WORKERS. It has not been easy, even for those who have read all the translated information available in this country., to get to know what is being at- tempted by the Bolsheviks. Reports have come through but the British press generally—whe- ther acting on the suggestion of the press cen- sorship or not one cannot say with certainty- have ignored them. That the Government does not want the workers to know what is being attempted in Russia is indicated by the fact that although the "Board of Trr.de Journal" published, on June 27th last, a translation of the ''Russian Decree T^stabTTwbiV'- Control of Industry by the Workpeople for the enlighten- ment of employers and commercial men, the Board of Trade Labour Gazette" has, appar- ently deliberately, avoided doing the same ser- vice for the workers, for whose enlightenment the Labour Gazette is supposed to have been instituted. WHAT BOLSHEVIKS ATTEMPT. There are certain points of connection be- tween the Soviet system of Government and the scheme of industrial control which the Bol- sheviks are trying to establish which are not at present clear, but sufficient information is now available to give a general outline of the Bolshevik plan. This being so, it is advisable to consider from the point of view of the workers of this country what it is that the Bolsheviks are attempting and that the British and Allied Governments, as well as the Governments of the Central Powers, are opposing by force. I ought, perhaps, with regard to the Central Powers, to make a qualification in this connec- tion, the significance of which I will explain later, and say, rather, that the Central Powers have opposed the Bolshevik plan or reconstruc- tion by force in the past, because it is not cer- tain that they are intriguing to the same end. AN ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENT. In considering the present development in Russia one point of importance must be clearly understood, viz., that the scheme of government by Soviets, instead of by a Constituent Assem- bly or Parliament, is favoured by the Revolu- tionary Party of the Left—who is understood to stand neit in order to' the Bolshevik party in point of numerical strengtli-as well as by the Bolsheviks. It should be considered separately, I therefore, as an alternative form of Government to that of Parliamentary Government, as we in this country understand it. Writers in news- papers, authors of books and public speakers, in this country, have the hahit of taking it for granted that Parliamentary (government is as near perfection as a form of democratic expres- sion and popular government as it is possible to get. That this view should be so widely held, notwithstanding the existence in Great Britain of the system of municipal government, which is far more democratic than parliamentary in so far that it more readily and effectivelly ex- presses the will of the people, is strange and unaccountable. FU'NCTION OF SOVIET. I The fact is that parliamentary government, in its present form, is becoming increasingly de- fective its the transactions of State Departments grow more extensive and complicated because the method by which Parliament is supposed to excercise its control is, chiefly, and in effect al- most entirely, that of criticism of the Ministry in office which it is yet hound in the end to sup- pert because it stands in the main for the prin- ciples which the majority of its memhers are in agreement with Parliament, therefore, tends al- ways to develop as an organ of speech and not of action. Now the Soviet method is deliberately intended to function, not as an organ of speech —of criticism of action already carried into effect-but as an organ of action—associating the common people with the transaction of their own business through their representatives. LIKE A MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. I Under the Soviet system, instead of the people electing an assembly to debate on public affairs and criticise Ministers who have been previously selected and appointed by a President or a King, every 500 peasants and workmen elect a Local Soriet which functions through a Presi dent and Executive Committee for local admin- istration. Only those who work themselves, cither by hand or by brain, and not the others who live by letting people work for them, arc eligible to vote. The Local Soviet sits twice a month and each representative reports to his constituents after each meeting. The Local Soviet appears to correspond pretty nearly to our parish, town and city coun- cils. Each Local Soviet elects one member to the National Soviet for every 2;"),000 consti- tuents. whom, as a Local Soviet, it represents. This is as if a Town Council, in this country, of a town in which there are 100,000 municipal voters elected four members. THE NATIONAL ORCANISATION. I The National Soviet meets every three months. II It elects an executive of 100 members, which presumably diMdt?a itself and works as a num- ber of committf? and. it appoints Mimst?T- for the various departments of State. I GENEROUS PAYMENT. 1 Members of Local Sov iets -and National So- viets, as well as Ministers, are paid for the time they are engaged on public work. If e'ntirely engaged on public work the limit of payment is 500 roubles a month, the amount paid being less in proportion to those who are only partially so engaged. The scale of payment is the same for -i l l, all. Ministers as well as members of Soviets. Five hundred roufiles before the war were equivalent, to t53 2s. (iii. in our money. The value of 500 roubles cannot be more than one- third of this amount at present, even for circu- lation in Russia. IINDUSTRIAL CONTROL. I Coming to the scheme of industrial control the position is less clear than that of Soviet government as applied to ordinary public affairs. There appears to have been no attempt so far to transfer the factories and industrial estab- lishment to public possession. The nominal ownership of those concerns that were not prior to the revolution owned directly by the State, is held by individuals and companies concerned. But the power oi management has passea over to committees composed of the workpeople em- ployed and the owners cannot withdraw their capital except, in so far, that each individual owner or shareholder can withdraw an amount not exceeding 10,000 roubles. If the owner re- quires an income from his factory as well as the repayment of the capital sum mentioned, he is under the necessity of taking service, either as a salaried expert or as a workman, as the case may be. I WORKS COMMITTEES. I The scheme of industrial organisation begins with the formation of a Works Committee in every establishment. Special provision is made for representatives of the salaried and expert members of the staff of workers employed to be members of the works committees. The works committee, not only controls the relations, and the work, of the workpeople in the factory, but it also controls the purchase and sale of ma- terials and products, and, the management of its finance. ITHE. RECIONAL COUNCIL. I I Each large town, government, or manufactur- ing district has a Regional Council representing ( I), the Works Committees within the area, C2) the Trades Unions within the area, and. (3) the Co-operative Societies within the area. The Re- gional Council acts as the agent of the Soviet Government for the region. Presumably, the Government arranges through the Regional Council for the production of commodities most required in the various parts of the country in order of their urgency, but this is not stated in the translated version of the decree published in the Board of Trade Gazette." ALL RUSSIAN COUNCIL. I Above the Regional Council there is the All I Russian Council, the final constitution of which has ()t been decided, but at present there is an interim constitution in operation. This body is the hnal court of appeal and supreme authority in regard to all industrial questions. Under the interim constitution the All .Russian Council consists of representatives of the following bodies viz.: (1) All Russian Soviet, (2) Peasants' Soviet, (3) All Russian Trades Union Council, (4) All Russian Bureau of Factory CommitiRes. (5) Technical Employees' Association. (6) Each of the All Russian Trades Unions in particular (separate) industries. THE PROPERTY QUESTION. J I There is ho exact information available show- ing the extent to which owners of propertv have been deprived of their powers. We do know, however, that owners of large houses, for in- stance, have been compelled to limit their own occupation and to permit part of their houses to people from overcrowded property. We know that landlords have been dispossessed in favour of the peasants, but the substituted system of landholding we do not know. The national debt has been repudiated we are told, and this fact has probably more relation to the invasion of Russia by foreign governments than any single aet which has followed on the revolution. THE SLAVE ALTERNATIVE. I The people of any nation placed in the posi- tion of the Russian people as the result of years of war carried on by a corrupt and incompetent government must either consent to be enslave ? to provide interest on private and public loans or get rid of a large proportion of its obligations. Before the Tzar was dethroned the people had (Continued on Page 4).

8 ICC EST CATHtINC IN HISTORY. I THE HAVELOCWILSON COMEDY. I DJmBY. Sunday. These are the hahh days of Trades Union- ism. The a bsolute Vssity and snpra-import- ance of by many who pre- viously talked as thgli Labour was a very minor, and not alg<i;>r indispeusible adjunct of Kiim Capital-andnon. than all the absence of a ],ibotir iii.-irket,,)itpl(,d to the determina- tion of Government partnients to avoid' rup- tures that mean ceai work, have reacted fa- vourably on Trades tionism and naturally upon Trades r nion Inference at Derby. It got-, without saying tit every Congress is more important than any lit have gone before yet this year there are el«ents of truth in the con- tention. since superfiil questions of political independence or alliae are to be raised, that may be fraught w ith,rave consequences if de-1 cided in the way thaiSinuts. Havelock Wilson and Gompers desire. There does not. however, seem to be much prosit of that consummation. The Conference—the -hilee one by the way—is topping the representiion at Blackpool by more than a million, and tl constituency that is re- presented here by no-ly ni ne hund red dele- gates and as many vitors now totals 4.500.000 in round figures. Thtjvngineers are back again in the fold this yean.ft or a wandering in the wilderness for a few xirs, and the ranks have been further swo.1 the introduction of the W orkers' Union and -veral unions of lesser numerical strength. HAVELOCK WILSOPS BACKINC. I Ten unions are bacing Havelock AV ilson's constitution-breaking -esolutioi-i including his (pivii-t,he Sailors* ad Firemans', but the Dockers' Union is thenily one of real moment, for the Card and Bloung Room Operatives are the small mulish secion of the great textile combinations, and art always expected to em- phasise their independence by going "agin the Government. The Inowledge that the over- whelming strength of ho miners' and ihe rail- waymen is to he cast aga inst Wilson already I dooms his proposal to-ejection, hut apart from that its passage would be an extremely perilous one .and from the tak going around amongst the delegates the propoul would have no chance sttecesi, eveu if < he £ .<c!es were doubtful. The Trades Union Congress is not in the humour to become iconoclastic, thoigh delegates anxious to display their super-patriotism and air their misconception of the pacifism" of the leaders will welcome the opportunity of saying their say. ECHOES OF THE WAR. I It is curious, though, that several of the Unions have tabled resolutions that are politi- cal and have a war-refles in them. For instance, tne General Ur.ion Textile Workers—a com- paratively small body despite the Owenite fla- vour of his style—calls upo'n the Government to "establish Tlegotiat ons at the earliest pos- sible moment, with a view to arriving at a satisfactory peace basis the General Workers Union have added an amendment to that de- manding preliminary eN icuation of outraged ter- ritory by the enemy countries; the London Society of Compositor desires Congress to de- clare that Free Trad is the "broadest and fairest foundation for vorld prosperity and in- ternational peace." an the Dockers' Union— with a strong Irish ontingent-are pressing for a generous measur. of Home Rule. Arthur Henderson a ad Gompers are amongst the fraternal delegates

The Openin. of Congress I 879 DELEGATES RE IRESENTINC 4,931,985. 1 THE WILSdN f iOMPERS HUGHES LUN JHEON. DERBY, Monday. < The humour of the opening day at Congress lias been Havelock W Ison's luncheon in the huge marque which h had had erected in the Market Square, and to which a few hundred delegates, largely f Att of curiosity, accepted the Sailors' and F iremen's invitation. Bob Smillie, with his v isual breadth, helped the nn- usual break along by proposing an extension of the lunch-hour t,) an hour and a-half, In ad- dition to the fo< xl for the stomach, there was food for fun in an American speech by Mr. Gompers, an At istralian contribution by Mr. Hughes, whose hi arried arrival from Sootland too late to hear the applause that greeted the Con- gress Prt-sident Is I speed the Inter- nationa l," led hi m into the commission of a grave error when he spoke of that sickening affectation of pa triotism called international- ism." The brass band present supplied the "cheers": and l Vilson and his supporters must have felt th< y were pulling too heavy a coach even before the chaff and laughter that followed the lunclH on. The sentiment in the marquee diametrica 1Jy cut across the presiden- tial speech that ha< 1 preceded it in Congress. Mr. Ogden, a weave r from Lancashire, who oc- cupies the chair, w: is very strong on the soli- .i. matter of life and dar i t, of It i,; e death to us," he d( clared," that the political machinery as represe nted in the Labour Party and the industrial m: tchinery personified in this Congress should oper ate in unison, and Con- gress cheered the san ie sentiment. INDUSTRIAL UNIOH 'ISM. Congress has hitherto favoured the craft union basis in industry, bnt for some year6 now the trend of evolution has obviously been towards industrial unionism, and it was cheering to hear Mr. Ogden declare that the future effort should be. not in the preservat on of innumerable bye- wavs. but in the laying of one greot highroad (Continued t n Page 2).

The Workers' Task. I TO BE ACTIVE FOR" PEACE AND DETER- MINED FOR INTERNATIONAL. MR. EDDIE'S TILT AT FATHER BERNARD VAUCHAN. Glasgow has given the Merthyr l.L.P. Rink meetings all the pleasant surprises in the mat- ter of new-speakers for the past two or three years, and last. Sunday's initial visit of G. R. Fiddie added another name too the list of those who, like Maxton and Houston will always be welcome returns. No one will easily forget his rousing call to the rank and file to recognise their responsibilities, and to aim straight and true for the International. Comrade Eddie began by calling attention to the futility of the four years of war that we have witnessed, pointing out how lives had been ceaselesslv sacrificed in a contention^ that repre- sented only a very few miles of territory, and I how concurrently the civil liberties that were ours before the outbreak of war had been taken from us. And all the tune, he reminded us, the l.L. P. had striven to bring back the people to ways of reason and of peace. (Cheers.) Yet always and ever the I.L.P. had been told that this was no'time to talk peace. First we were always goi ng to achieve great military victories that would enable us to dictate peace, and thep we were told that during a time when our-arms were in retreat was not a time to talk peace— it would be too humiliating. No time was the right time to discuss peace in the eyes of our Government. Over and over again they had told us that they did not want a compromised peace, a patched-up peace, and Mr. Lloyd George had gone oue better when he told us we did not want a "hugger-mugger" peace, only to be outdone last week by Father Bernard Vttughan who declared that < under no conditions could we accept a flap-doodle-mugwuraper" peace. The eminent divine had further informed us at the same time that "God allowed this war because he could and did draw good out of it." Had anyone in Merthyr seen good in it? (No.) Perhaps they would when they learned from Father Bernard Vaughan that" souls in- numerable have been shot into heaven during the last four years who might have lost their way thither. (Shame.) To carry that philo- sophy of shooting men into salvation to a very logical conclusion would entail some consider- able amoiiut of shooting, opined Mr. Fil(i;p. THE WORKERS' TASK. I But a discussion of the foibles of Father Ber- nard Vaughan was not the essence of his mis- sion that afternoon. Rather his thesis was: What have the working people themselves to do to bring about Peace? And he wanted to say in the first place that the workers of this country had got to realise that there was a bigger responsibility placed upon them so far as the war was concerned than there was upon the men in the trenches. He said that because it was recognised that the men who were in the trenches were not the men who were going to make the peace; it had always been realised that the future peace of the world did not de- pend so much upon what happened on the bat- tlefield, as on what happened in the peace con- ference after the battlefield. And the people at home—the working men and women—were the people who were going to be held responsible I for what happened at the peace conference. Up to the present the workers had completely shirked those responsibilities; they had never asked the why or the wherefore of anything that the Government had done—nay, they bad countenanced everything the Government had seen fit to do, and had accepted without question all that the Government had told them. lne first requisite was that the workers should cease to he content with the questionable se- cond-hand knowledge that was given to them by the Government, and should learn things di- rectly for themselves. In the first place we must learn verv exactly and definitely just what we were fighting for, for after all, the very little we knew of these things had come to us not from our own-Government but from Russia after the Revolution. (Cheers.) THE I.L.F.'s DEMAND. I The T.L.P.'s first claim was that some other weapons should be used besides guns, and swords and sheTls. At the same time that arms were being used—tongues must be used as well. The day must come whpn the war arrived at such a pasition that the belligerents could find an agreement. It would M impossible to know when that day bad arrived if we had not been using our tongues in discussing the matters. It was becoming generally recognised that a deci- sive military victory was a chimera; and the only alternative was discussion. General Smuts had stated the fundamental I.L.P. position when he said that the duty of governments and states- men was to talk. But something more was needed from the workers than taking action through their national governments. They were expected to take action internationally as well. (Cheers. ) THE NEED FOR THE INTERNATIONAL. The International was wanted in order to see whether or not it was possible to arrive at an agreement between the Labour and Socialist forces of Germany and Austria on the one hand, and of the Allied nations on the other. Was it possible to get that agreement? Tn that con- nection he would remind his hearers. of the re- plies of the Austrian and German Socialist par- ties to the Stockholm Memorandum. Austria very heartily supported the idea of a League of t TA,tgtie of the ltalkan Nations; s he demanded a League of the Balkan peoples; she was completely against the Brest peace treaty; she demanded the restoration and compensation of Belgium out of-an international fund: the question of Alsace-Lorraine. Dalma- tia, Italy and Turkey could be settled at the peace conference, and she wanted them settled in conformity with International Socialism. Then the Majority Socialists of Germany were totally aszainst the appropriation of Russian territory, supported heartily the idea of the League of Nations, very strongly condemned the idea of an economic war: they demanded a big policy of disarmament; insisted upon the restoration of Serbia and Poland, and the restoration and independence of Belgium they advocated feder- alism for Austria Hungary, and on the vexed question of Alsace-Lorraine were prepared for a plebiscite of the people. Was there anything there to hinder an agreement with the Social- ists of the Allied nationsP And the point of view of the Minority Socialists in Germany--a minority that was rapidly becoming a majority- (cheers)—was even very much better than that expressed by the Majority Socialists. If the In- ternational was hrought. abont and agreement arrived at :is agreement seemed possible, we would expect that the (;eriiiiii Socialists would go back. and. as the most powerful party in the Reichstag wiv- Here are the terms of peace on which" the workers have agreed. Peace can he tnade on those terms. Unless you as our Government I)egin to make peace now on that basis we refuse to lift our little hllger to help vou in the prosecution of the war." (Cheers.) IThit would do more to destroy the Hohenzollern Government and Prussian Militarism than T any- ? I ?. thing else could. Why then did air. woya George refuse to allow ail International? (Cheers.) It was because he knew that not only the German Socialists would go back with a refusal to support the war—but the French and Italian Socialists would he equally pledged as would lie the British Labour Movement, and that attitude meant the death of International Impprial Capitalism. (Cheers.) The war must sooner or later—if the working j>eople were active and alert—resolve itself into a war be- tween Imperial Capitalism aud International Socialism. THE RESOLUTION. Tiie following resolution was put by the Chairman (Mr. Jones), seconded by Mr. Jack Adkins and unanimously endorsed: "This meet- ing protests against the action of the War Cabinet- in their refusal to grant passportsi w the accredited representatives of Labour—Mr. Arthur Henderson and Mr. C. B. Bowerman- so that they might meet the representative of ft neutral country; and further demands that, pass- ports be asked for so that that meeting may take place."

I The Gentle Britons. VINDICATION OF ALLIED POLICY ON PLUMSTEAD COMMON. » BRUTAL ILLTREATMENT OF UNCON- SCIOUS MEN. With no other informatiou than that supplied by our patriotic Press it is easy to see how en- tirelv different are British methods than those of the beastly Hun;" how plainly every cir- cumstanoe of our national life upholds our his- toric love of freedom, and clearly demarks our calm deliberation and refusal to accept the phil- osophv of might is right from the jack-boot methods of Prussia. For instance, there is the outstanding evidence of last Saturday's meeting on Plumstead Common, at which Mr. R. Mac- donald, who was to speak under the auspices of Woolwich Trades and Labour Council, Woolwich Labour Party and the Royal Arsenal Shop Stewards Committee, to vindicate the rights of free speech," but who—along with other speakers—was prevented by the" in- tellectual opposition of Mr. G. J. Stubbs, whoever he il-i, and a contingent of ex-sol- diers." Says the pross, with evident glee: At least a dozen free fights took place and there were repeated cries of "We will give then paci- fists." Many persons were hurt by stones—and one of Mr. Stubbs' speakers, as he was carried off with blood streaming from his head shouted "Out the Pacifists." Apparently this war cry given to his troops by a leader of the intellec- tual, always-right, super-patriotic section of British Democracy, was not possible of execu- tion. for we learn that there was a lull during which Mr. Macdonald essayed to address the meeting. Result: pandemonium afresh. Brick- bats, those aids to a right conclusion that are so potent in the conversion of pacifists, sailed through the air, and Mr. Maodonald was cut about the ear. Free fights were in progress on the Common, and through the adjacent streets. Women and children were injured in the melee. One man was injured internally, and bled freely from mouth, nose and head, yet he was then kicked unmercifully by a crowd of British lovers of free play. Another crowd, 600 strong, of the same free and freedom-loving Britons "ran-down" a "prominent pacifist" in Wern- field-road, and "he was unmercifully beaten long after he had apparently lost consciousness. It is to be supposed that in the tap-rooms that night hilariously excited units of that crowd 01 600 justified their brutality by assuming that their fellow countrymen they had so beastily as- saulted was a friend of the Huns who did hor- rid things to the Belgians." Mr. G. J. Stubbe must have been well content with the opposition he was able to offer to those who differed from him. The speakers announced for the meeting were Will Crooks, M.P., Mr. R. Macdonald, M.P.. Major Graham Pole (Labour Candidate- for East Grinstead), Ex-Lance Corporal E. H. Haywood. F. W. Hagger (National Federation Discharged Soldiers and Sailors), A. Babstone (Vice-Chair- man Hammersmith Branch National Federation Discharged Soldiers' and Sailors), and others.

A Further li a Week. DEMAND BY H.U.R. BRANCH. The delegate of the Bassaleg and Roger stone District of the National Union of Railwaymen has been instructed to press forward the de- mand for a further increase of £1 per week in wages te meet the increased cost of living. t