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becoming President of the Northern Commune； remained in Petrograd
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RUSSIA IN 1919
when the Government moved to Moscow。 He is neither an original
thinker nor a good orator except in debate； in answering opposition； which
he does with extreme skill。 His nerve was badly shaken by the murders
of his friends Volodarsky and Uritzky last year； and he is said to have lost
his head after the attack on Lenin； to whom he is extremely devoted。 I
have heard many Communists attribute to this fact the excesses which
followed that event in Petrograd。 I have never noticed anything that
would make me consider him pro…German； though of course he is pro…
Marx。 He has； however； a decided prejudice against the English。 He was
among the Communists who put difficulties in my way as a 〃bourgeois
journalist〃 in the earlier days of the revolution； and I had heard that he had
expressed suspicion and disapproval of Radek's intimacy with me。
I was amused to see his face when he came in and saw me sitting at
the table。 Litvinov introduced me to him； very tactfully telling him of
Lockhart's attack upon me； whereupon he became quite decently friendly；
and said that if I could stay a few days in Petrograd on my way back from
Moscow he would see that I had access to the historical material I wanted；
about the doings of the Petrograd Soviet during the time I had been away。
I told him I was surprised to find him here and not at Kronstadt； and asked
about the mutiny and the treachery of the Semenovsky regiment。 There
was a shout of laughter； and Pozern explained that there was no
Semenovsky regiment in existence； and that the manufacturers of the story；
every word of which was a lie； had no doubt tried to give realism to it by
putting in the name of the regiment which had taken a chief part in putting
down the Moscow insurrection of fourteen years ago。 Pozern； a thin；
bearded man； with glasses； was sitting at the other end of the table； as
Military Commissar of the Northern Commune。
Dinner in Smolni was the same informal affair that it was in the old
days； only with much less to eat。 The Commissars； men and women；
came in from their work； took their places； fed and went back to work
again； Zinoviev in particular staying only a few minutes。 The meal was
extremely simple； soup with shreds of horseflesh in it； very good indeed；
followed by a little kasha together with small slabs of some sort of white
stuff of no particular consistency or taste。 Then tea and a lump of sugar。
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RUSSIA IN 1919
The conversation was mostly about the chances of peace； and Litvinov's
rather pessimistic reports were heard with disappointment。 Just as I had
finished； Vorovsky； Madame Vorovsky and little Nina； together with the
two Norwegians and the Swede； came in。 I learnt that about half the party
were going on to Moscow that night and； deciding to go with them；
hurried off to the hotel。
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RUSSIA IN 1919
PETROGRAD TO MOSCOW
There was； of course； a dreadful scrimmage about getting away。
Several people were not ready at the last minute。 Only one motor was
obtainable for nine persons with their light luggage； and a motor lorry for
the heavy things。 I chose to travel on the lorry with the luggage and had
a fine bumpity drive to the station； reminding me of similar though livelier
experiences in the earlier days of the revolution when lorries were used for
the transport of machine guns； red guards； orators； enthusiasts of all kinds；
and any stray persons who happened to clamber on。
At the Nikolai Station we found perfect order until we got into our
wagon； an old third…class wagon； in which a certain number of places
which one of the party had reserved had been occupied by people who had
no right to be there。 Even this difficulty was smoothed out in a manner
that would have been impossible a year or even six months ago。
The wagon was divided by a door in the middle。 There were open
coup=82s and side seats which became plank beds when necessary。 We
slept in three tiers on the bare boards。 I had a very decent place on the
second tier； and； by a bit of good luck； the topmost bench over my head
was occupied only by luggage； which gave me room to climb up there and
sit more or less upright under the roof with my legs dangling above the
general tumult of mothers； babies； and Bolsheviks below。 At each station
at which the train stopped there was a general procession backwards and
forwards through the wagon。 Everybody who had a kettle or a coffee…pot
or a tin can； or even an empty meat tin； crowded through the carriage and
out to get boiling water。 I had nothing but a couple of thermos flasks； but
with these I joined the others。 》From every carriage on the train people
poured out and hurried to the taps。 No one controlled the taps but； with
the instinct for co…operation for which Russians are remarkable； people
formed themselves automatically into queues； and by the time the train
started again everybody was back in his place and ready for a general tea…
drinking。 This performance was repeated again and again throughout the
night。 People dozed off to sleep； woke up； drank more tea； and joined in
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RUSSIA IN 1919
the various conversations that went on in different parts of the carriage。
Up aloft； I listened first to one and then to another。 Some were
grumbling at the price of food。 Others were puzzling why other nations
insisted on being at war with them。 One man said he was a co…operator
who had come by roundabout ways from Archangel； and describing the
discontent there； told a story which I give as an illustration of the sort of
thing that is being said in Russia by non…Bolsheviks。 This man； in spite
of the presence of many Communists in the carriage； did not disguise his
hostility to their theories and practice； and none the less told this story。
He said that some of the Russian troops in