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satisfactory visit to the prison we drove back to the station。 Larin； who
was very disheartened； realizing that he had lost much support in the
course of the discussion； settled down to work； and buried himself in a
mass of statistics。 I prepared to go to bed； but we had hardly got into the
car when there was a tap at the door and a couple of railwaymen came in。
They explained that a few hundred yards away along the line a concert and
entertainment arranged by the Jaroslavl railwaymen was going on； and
that their committee； hearing that Radek was at the station； had sent them
to ask him to come over and say a few words to them if he were not too
tired。
〃Come along；〃 said Radek； and we walked in the dark along the
railway lines to a big one…story wooden shanty； where an electric lamp lit a
great placard； 〃Railwaymen's Reading Room。〃 We went into a packed
hall。 Every seat was occupied by railway workers and their wives and
children。 The gangways on either side were full of those who had not
found room on the benches。 We wriggled and pushed our way through
this crowd； who were watching a play staged and acted by the railwaymen
themselves； to a side door； through which we climbed up into the wings；
and slid across the stage behind the scenery into a tiny dressing…room。
Here Radek was laid hold of by the Master of the Ceremonies； who； it
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
seemed； was also part editor of a railwaymen's newspaper； and made to
give a long account of the
present situation of Soviet Russia's Foreign Affairs。 The little box of a
room filled to a solid mass as policemen； generals and ladies of the old
regime threw off their costumes； and； in their working clothes； plain
signalmen and engine…drivers； pressed round to listen。 When the act ended；
one of the railwaymen went to the front of the stage and announced that
Radek； who had lately come back after imprisonment in Germany for the
cause of revolution； was going to talk to them about the general state of
affairs。 I saw Radek grin atthis forecast of his speech。 I understood
why； when he began to speak。 He led off by a direct and furious
onslaught on the railway workers in general； demanding work； work and
more work； telling them that as the Red Army had been the vanguard of
the revolution hitherto； and had starved and fought and given lives to save
those at home from Denikin and Kolchak； so now it was the turn of the
railway workers on whose efforts not only the Red Army but also the
whole future of Russia depended。 He addressed himself to the women；
telling them in very bad Russian that unless their men worked
superhumanly they would see their babies die from starvation next winter。
I saw women nudge their husbands as they listened。 Instead of giving
them a pleasant； interesting sketch of the international position； which； no
doubt； was what they had expected； he took the opportunity to tell them
exactly how things stood at home。 And the amazing thing was that they
seemed to be pleased。 They listened with extreme attention； wanted to
turn out some one who had a sneezing fit at the far end of the hall； and
nearly lifted the roof off with cheering when Radek had done。 I
wondered what sort of reception a man would have who in another
country interrupted a play to hammer home truths about the need of work
into an audience of working men who had gathered solely for the purpose
of legitimate recreation。 It was not as if he sugared the medicine he gave
them。 His speech was nothing but demands for discipline and work；
coupled with prophecy of disaster in case work and discipline failed。 It
was delivered like all his speeches； with a strong Polish accent and a
steady succession of mistakes in grammar。
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
As we walked home along the railway lines； half a dozen of the
railwaymen pressed around Radek； and almost fought with each other as
to who should walk next to him。 And Radek entirely happy； delighted at
his success in
giving them a bombshell instead of a bouquet； with one stout fellow on
one arm； another on the other； two or three more listening in front and
behind； continued rubbing it into them until we reached our wagon； when；
after a general handshaking； they disappeared into the night。
THE TRADE UNIONS
Trade Unions in Russia are in a different position from that which is
common to all other Trades Unions in the world。 In other countries the
Trades Unions are a force with whose opposition the Government must
reckon。 In Russia the Government reckons not on the possible
opposition of the Trades Unions； but on their help for realizing its most
difficult measures； and for undermining and overwhelming any opposition
which those measures may encounter。 The Trades Unions in Russia；
instead of being an organization outside the State protecting the interests
of a class against the governing class； have become a part of the State
organization。 Since； during the present period of the revolution the
backbone of the State organization is the Communist Party； the Trade
Unions have come to be practically an extension of the party organization。
This； of course； would be indignantly denied both by Trade Unionists and
Communists。 Still； in the preface to the All…Russian Trades Union
Reports for 1919； Glebov； one of the best…known Trade Union leaders
whom I remember in the spring of last year objecting to the use of
bourgeois specialists in their proper places； admits as much in the
following muddleheaded statement：…
〃The base of the proletarian dictatorship is the Communist Party；
which in general directs all the political and economic work of the State；
leaning； first of all； on the Soviets as on the more revolutionary form of
dictatorship of the proletariat； and secondly on the Trades Unions； as
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THE CRISIS IN RUSSIA
organizations which economically unite the proletariat of factory and
workshop as the vanguard of the revolution； and as organizations of the
new socialistic construction of the State。 Thus the Trade Unions must be
considered as a base of the Soviet State； as an organic form
complementary to the other forms of the Proletariat Dictatorship。〃 These
two elaborate sentences constitute an admission of what I have just said。
Trades Unionists of other countries must regard the fate of their
Russian colleagues with horror or with satisfaction； according to their
views of events in Russia taken as a whole。 If they do not believe that
there has been a social revolution in Russia； they must regard the present
position of the Russian Trades Unions as the reward of a complete defeat
of Trade Unionism； in which a Capitalist government has been able to lay
violent hands on the organization which was protecting the workers
against it。 If； on the other hand； they believe that there has been a social
revolution； so that the class organized in Trades Unions is now； identical
with the governing； class （of employers； etc。） against which the unions
once struggled； then they must regard the present position as a natural and
satisfactory result of victory。
When I was in Moscow in the spring of this year the Russian Trades
Unions received a telegram from the Trades Union Congress at
Amsterdam； a telegram which admirably illustrated the impossibility of
separating judg