at the Congress and in Soviets, is explained by the fact that the broad toiling masses have acknowledged this party as their own, and have intrusted to it the defense of the conquests of the Revolution and the building up of a new life. Corresponding to the composition of the Congress, the new Central Executive Committee also will be almost exclusively Communist.

Among the decisions of the Congress two are of particular importance. One refers to the conditions for further Soviet constructive work, and the other to the question of peace.

In order to be strong with respect to the outside world, the Soviet Republic must be well organized internally. The Congress took a new step in the direction of building up the Soviet authority, and of bringing the broad workmen masses to active participation in Soviet construction and in the management of the apparatus of government. Having placed the Central Executive Committee in more normal conditions by providing for regular sessions, the Congress at the same time tried to unite the local Soviet organs, organize and coordinate their activities and remove as far as possible the friction between central and local bodies, in order to raise the productivity of the work of the entire Soviet machinery as a whole.

The second most important decision of the Congress is its proposal of peace to all people. We do not believe that this peace proposal will meet with immediate success. But it is addressed not so much to governments as to people, and here it will have an influence without question, and in the second place it is made under circumstances much more favorable than were present when previous peace proposals were made by Soviet Russia. The victory of the Red Army, the destruction of counterrevolutionary forces and the failure of the repeated attempts of the Entente have become clear for all. Under such circumstances the new appeal for peace, coming from the highest authority of Soviet Russia, has the chance of being at least listened to, even if not immediately.

And if it is not listened to, and if the enemies of the Russian Republic do not respond to it? The answer to this question is found in the appeal to the Congress made in the name of Red Army delegates, which was read at the last sitting. The Red Army considers that its task is not yet accomplished. It will be accomplished only when the sword shall be finally knocked from the criminal hands of the Russian counter-revolution, and when

the attacks of the world bourgeoisie on Soviet Russia shall be finally repelled. Only after he has completely beaten counterrevolution and secured an honorable peace for Soviet Russia, will the Red Army soldier receive, from his socialist fatherland and his own conscience, the permission to hang his rifle on the wall. The peace proposal of the Congress is greatly strengthened by the brilliant success of the Soviet armies on all fronts. At the same time it derives enormous strength from the undoubted strengthening of the internal front. The solidarity of the broad toiling masses and the closest union between the proletariat and the peasantry which has been tempered in the melting pot of sufferings and strengthened by blood shed in common on the fields of battle with world counter-revolution, were testified to by the seventh Congress with irrefutable clearness. Even the parties which before were in opposition (and even armed opposition) to the Soviet authority, appeared through their delegates at the Congress, in order to lay incense at the feet of the struggling proletariat, and their recognition and promise of support in the struggle against the forces of bourgeois society.

The delegates of the Congress, when they return home, and the comrades who sent them will set about with doubled energy to increase Soviet first-fruits, and to extend Soviet sowing. By their loyal work in the rear and at the front they will strengthen the foundations of Soviet Russia and soon will make the latter absolutely invulnerable to all its enemies-internal and external. YU. STEKLOV

ΙΟ

SITTING OF PETROGRAD SOVIET

[Petrograd Pravda, November 23, 1919]

Then was heard the report of comrade Evdokimov on the election of delegates to the coming All-Russian Congress of Soviets. The following comrades are elected unanimously from the Petrograd Soviet to the Seventh All-Russian Congress of Soviets in Moscow:

II. Volodin, from educational 18. 1st City Ward, Kiselev

Moscow, April 30 (Rosta). In view of the extremely critical situation on all the fronts, the Central Committee considers it necessary to turn to all local party organizations with the present appeal, that they conduct their work in connection with the services for the army with the greatest concentration. The Central Committee orders all party organizations (1) to speed up their work, temporarily concentrating three-fourths of the personnel on hand and sending supplementary workers where regiments are being formed, equipped and clothed, and so forth; (2) one must send off mobilized communists and workmen volunteers, just as soon as their number reaches that of a regiment; (3) (indicated to what points regiments are to be sent, from various provinces, concluding with sentence "Committees of the Party, Provincial Executive Committees of Soviets, Military Commissaries need not wait for further orders from the General Staff"); (4) the provincial and district committees, as well as all members of the party, are responsible for the prompt sending off of the regiments organized; (5) the provincial committee of the party is responsible for carrying out the cantonal mobilization, which was ordered by the All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets, and by the Soviet of Defense, on April 25, 1919; (6) Soviet workers sent to the eastern front must close up and transfer their affairs as quickly as possible, so that only 24 hours shall elapse between the moment of appointment and the moment of departure; (7) all members of the party in provinces and districts, are ordered, together with the provincial military commissary, to verify, and not in bureaucratic manner

but actually, if any former officers have remained in any civil or rear military post. Where such are not absolutely needed for work, report should be sent to the military circuit headquar

ters.

APRIL 29, 1919

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY (BOLSHEVIK)

12

FROM CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY [Petrograd Pravda, May 1, 1919]

The Central Committee of the Russian Communist Party announces the following: To all provincial committees of the Communist Party, to Provincial Military Commissaries: The All-Russian Central Committee of Soviets, at the session of April 23, unanimously adopted the decree to bring the middle and poor peasants into the struggle against the counter-revolution. According to this decree, every canton must send ten to twenty strong, capable soldiers, who can act as nuclei for Red Army units in those places to which they will be sent.

Attaching enormous importance to the rapid and successful carrying out of this decree, the Central Committee proposes immediately to instruct all district committees, and cantonal party groups, to render the most energetic assistance to executive committees (of soviets), and to district military commissaries, in carrying out this decree. Word must be sent by telegraph to the Central Committee on the receipt of the circular, and every three days on the steps taken by you, and on the progress of the mobilization in your province.

13

WORKMEN'S-PEASANTS' UNIVERSITY

[Izvestia of Petrograd Soviet, November 15, 1919]

WORKMEN'S-PEASANTS' UNIVERSITY IN HONOR OF COMRADE ZINOVIEV

[Normal school of People's Commissariat of Interior]

On November 15 begins the course of the third class of the university.

This class numbers 1,000 (men and women). The students of the university are delegated by provincial district and cantonal Executive Committees.

Those delegated must be between the ages of 17 and 40, and (1) stand on the platform of the Soviet authority; (2) not sentenced by court for offense implying moral turpitude; (3) not under trial and investigation; (4) literate; (5) healthy, and (6) supplied with certificate of Executive Committee and recommendation of a communist organization.

Those delegated come to Petrograd at their own expense. During the entire time of their studies they live in dormitories with everything supplied. The course lasts six months. At the end of the course the comrades return at the expense of the university to their homes, and are at the orders of the local Executive Committee.

The university is divided into sections: (1) Soviet work, (2) municipal militia, (3) railway and river militia, (4) criminal investigation, (5) agriculture, (6) municipal sanitation, (7) party work.

Studies are conducted on programs of a general cultural character and of a socialistic character, which are obligatory for all students, and on special subjects.

GENERAL CULTURAL PROGRAM

(1) General history (history of social movements in Western Europe); (2) Russian literature (peasantist literature of the nineteenth century); (3) history of material culture (history of armament, etc.); (4) the Russian and religion ("Bor"); (5) history of Russian literature: Puskin and Tolstoy; (6) natural science (ways, tasks, and accomplishments of contemporary science with respect to nature); (7) course by episodes of chemistry; (8) course by episodes of physics; (9) biology; (10) history, structure and life of the earth and universe.

SOCIAL-POLITICAL PROGRAM

(1) Russian history (the workman and peasant in Russia, especially in the nineteenth century); (2) political economy; (3) history of the workmen movement (trade-union movement in the West and in Russia); (4) history of revolution in Western Europe (especially history of the French Revolution); (5) history of the revolutionary movement in Russia; (6) socialism and its history; (7) the International and its history; (8) the Russian Communist Party and its history; (9) political science (constitution of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic);