Page:The Proletarian Revolution in Russia - Lenin, Trotsky and Chicherin - ed. Louis C. Fraina (1918).djvu/449

 While Russia was in the war together with the Entente Powers, English war vessels were always at Murmansk. The Murmansk road played an extraordinarily important part in the military traffic between Russia and its Allies. After the conclusion of the treaty of Brest-Litovsk. there departed by way of Murmansk for the west the military experts and emergency expeditions of the Allies formerly in Russia. This could not continue. Frequently we addressed the English representative with the demand that the war ships should be withdrawn from Murmansk. When the Murmansk situation became apparently a permanent relation of the present international position of Russia, the People's Commissariat for Foreign Affairs on June 14 demanded of England, France and the United States the withdrawal of their war ships. Ten days after this demand the British landed 11000 men in Murmansk. Our answer to this armed invasion was to demand the withdrawal of the Allied troops, and to send our own troops to Murmansk. The agents of Great Britain explain the presence of English troops in Murmansk as an endeavor of the English government to protect this region against a German-Finnish advance. At a moment when the Entente powers declare their sympathy with the Czecho-Slovak divisions which are openly engaged in counter-revolutionary activity, it is a vital necessity for the Soviet Government to completely restore its power in Murmansk. We are now tryng [sic] to accomplish this, and we hope for a favorable result.

It is the intention of Soviet Russia to arrive at an economic agreement with Germany and the United States for the exchange of products, and it is equally our intention to conclude a similar agreement with England. It depends entirely on England to utilize this opportunity. Among the ruling class of England there are elements endeavoring to establish friendly relations, and we have many friends among the working class of England. As the English government's spokesmen in the labor movement refrain from expressions of friendship for Soviet Russia, we can find solace in the support of the as yet not powerful Socialist parties; the British Socialist Party constantly gives proof of its enthusiastic solidarity with Soviet Russia, as well as the constantly developing movement of the spokesmen of the workers in the factories. This Shop-Stewards movement is a new expression of the independent mass movement of the workers of England, representing at this moment the most powerful and the most progressive factor in the English labor movement.

England, as well as Italy, the United States and France, participated in the declaration favoring the Czecho-Slovaks. Until this, the Italian representatives had always emphasized the friendly attitude of Italy toward our people.

The unfortunate people of Serbia are, on account of their genera! conditions, much more inclined to show its solidarity with the heavily-burdened proletariat of Russia. Contrary to this was the attitude of the official representatives of Serbia, who were always under the influence of the policy of the Entente Powers.

Our relations with the Rumanian Government must not be confused with our relations with the Rumanian people, among whom the Russian Revolution had already begun to make inroads in the South when the revolutionary movement was violently stopped. At this moment our relations