Soviet Union -- Biography; Soviet Union -- History -- Revolution, 1917-1921
When Tobinson read this he was furious to think that his hard struggles
in America as an emigrant were thrown at him as if they were a
disgrace. He sat down and wrote a letter explaining that he had had a
good education, both in Russia and America, that he was not actually a
workman, but a lawyer. When he had finished writing this explanation,
he put it in his pocket and started toward the office of the same
paper. On the street he was met by a delegation of workingmen, who
threw their arms around him and called him “Comrade.”
One of them said: “We were against you until we read what the bourgeois
are saying, but now we are all on your side; we want a man who is one
of us.” This was the beginning of Tobinson’s popularity and this is the
story of how he became President of the Far Eastern Republic.
Tobinson was not a Communist. His connections had been more with groups
who simply revolted against the medieval tyranny which had existed in
Russia. But he admired Lenin above all the revolutionists, and was of
the opinion that Lenin was the only revolutionary leader who could
hold Russia together. Therefore he secretly allied himself with the
Communist government at Moscow.
He had two strong convictions. One was that Siberia wasn’t ready
for Communism, and that even if it was it would be destroyed by the
Japanese or by the Allies. Therefore, the only thing to do was to keep
it a buffer state between Japan and the Soviets. To do this and placate
all sides took infinite tact.
Tobinson proved equal to the task. His record in the last three years
is a record of extraordinary achievement. He has established schools
with the most modern methods; and against the most terrific odds he
has slowly but surely made the life of the Far Eastern Republic one of
steady, national reconstruction. I don’t think he believed for a minute
that it should be permanently separated from Russia.
LEO KAMINEV AND GREGORY ZINOVIEV
Toward the end of the first week of the Bolshevik uprising, Zinoviev
and Kaminev lost heart. With Mylutin, Nogin and Rykov, they handed in
resignations to the Central Executive Committee of the Communist Party.
Lenin read the letters at a great meeting in Smolny and cried: “Shame
upon these men of little faith, who hesitate and doubt!”
Lenin has long since conquered their opposition, but he has not changed
their souls. Kaminev and Zinoviev are in his cabinet, as satellites,
however, not as leaders; they are the weakest members.
Kaminev is President of the Moscow Soviet and a member of the
All-Russian Central Executive Committee of Soviets. He is on the
national famine committee and probably makes a very good impression on
the American Relief people with whom he comes in contact. They ought to
feel quite at home with him; he has the genial manners of an American
small-town politician.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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