Page:Emile Vandervelde - Three Aspects of the Russian Revolution - tr. Jean Elmslie Henderson Findlay (1918).djvu/282

 would accept the principles of peace formulated by the C.O.S.

Unfortunately, the formula of the Soviet admits of extremely different interpretations. Obviously, before being of use for this Conference its sense ought to be clear. Without that there would be a regrettable misunderstanding, as the basis of our work and the whole object for which new Russia calls the International would be affected by it.

The essential, vital point which remains to be discussed is to know by what procedure one could fix this common interpretation, which would then be imposed on all the participants and prevent these which are separated from us by a moral abyss, as well as by a political abyss, from changing the aims of our meeting and making it serve for the execution of projects conceived in the Government circles of Berlin and Vienna.

Three methods immediately present themselves to our minds. The first would consist of making clear the reading of the formula of the Soviet. Each party would then have to decide if it would accept it.