The Russian people deserve—especially at the hands of all the Allied14 nations—every sympathetic consideration we can extend to them. Not only because they have to endure the sway of a tyrannical oligarchy15 imposing16 its will by ruthless violence, but even more for the reasons that led to the establishment of that tyranny. If the fruit is bitter we must bear in mind how the tree came to be planted in the soil. It may sound like quoting ancient history to revert17 to the events of eight or nine years ago, but no one can understand Russia, or do justice to its unhappy people, without recalling the incidents that led to the great catastrophe18.
[Pg 303]
Those who denounce any dealings with the existing order seem to have persuaded themselves that pre-revolutionary Russia was governed by a gentle and beneficent despotism which conferred the blessings19 of a tolerant and kindly20 fatherland upon a well-ruled household. In no particular is this a true picture of the ancien régime. The fortress21 of Peter and Paul was not erected22, nor its dungeons23 dug, by the Bolshevists. Siberia was not set up as a penal24 settlement for political offenders25 for the first time—if at all—by the Bolshevists. In 1906 alone 45,000 political offenders were deported26 to endure the severities of Siberia. Persecution27 of suspected religious leaders was not started by the Soviets28. To them does not belong the discredit29 of initiating30 the methods of Pogromism. Under the "paternal31" reign32 of the Tsars dissent33 from the Orthodox faith was proscribed34 and persecuted35, and the Jews were hunted like vermin.
Let us not forget also that beyond all these circumstances the revolution was rendered inevitable36 by the ineptitude37 and corruption38 of the old system, and especially by the terrible suffering and humiliation39 which that state of things inflicted40 on Russia in the Great War.
[Pg 304]
Any one who has read the Memoirs41 of an Ambassador, by M. Paléologue, will find a complete explanation in its pages of the savage42 hatred43 with which the Russian revolutionaries view all those who were associated in any degree with the old order. He tells the story of how the gallant44 army found itself at the critical hour without ammunition45, rifles, transport, and often without food. No braver or more devoted46 men ever fought for their country than the young peasants who made up the Russian armies of 1914-15-16. With little and often no artillery47 support, they faced without faltering48 the best-equipped heavy artillery in the world. They were mown down by shell fire and machine guns by the million. Their aggregate49 casualties up to September, 1916, even according to the reluctant admissions of the Tsarist generals of the day, were five millions. In reality they were much heavier. Often they went into action with sticks, as the Russian War Office had no rifles with which to arm them. They picked up as they advanced rifles dropped by fallen comrades. There is nothing in the war comparable to the trustful heroism50 of these poor peasants. We know now why there were no rifles, or shells, or wagons51. The wholesale52 [Pg 305]corruption of the régime has been exposed to the world by irrefutable documentary evidence.
Here are a few extracts from M. Paléologue's interesting book. One extract from his diary reads:—
"The lack of ammunition means that the r?le of the artillery in battle is necessarily insignificant53. The whole burden of the fighting falls on the infantry54 and the result is a ghastly expenditure55 of human life. A day or two ago one of the Grand Duke Sergius's collaborators, Colonel Englehardt, said to Major Wehrlin, my second military attaché: 'We're paying for the crimes of our administration with the blood of our men.'"
About the same date talking about the deplorable state of things, the Grand Duke Sergius, who was Inspector-General of Artillery, said to the French ambassador, "When I think that this exhibition of impotence is all that our aristocratic system has to show, it makes me want to be a Republican."
When a Grand Duke talked like that early in 1915, what must a peasant soldier have thought by the spring of 1917, after many more millions of his[Pg 306] comrades had been slaughtered56 as a result of the same "exhibition of impotence."
It is no use pointing to the fact that our army was also short of ammunition at that date. The British army was a small army organised on the basis of a maximum expeditionary force of six divisions. The Russian army was a great conscript force organised on the basis of a hundred divisions in the field.
I recollect57 well our own military reports from the Russian fronts. They provided much distressing58 reading. They filled you with compassion59 for the millions of gallant men who were the victims of corruption and stupidity in high places. I recall one statement made to our general which betrays the callous60 indifference61 with which men in authority seemed to treat the appalling62 sacrifice of life amongst loyal soldiers who were facing death without a murmur63, because the "Little Father" willed it. Whenever anxious inquiries64 were directed by our officer as to the gigantic losses in men which filled him with dismay as well as horror, the usual reply was, "Don't worry yourself. Thank God, of men at all events we have enough." An answer which sends a thrill of horror through you when you[Pg 307] read it. That is why at the end of two and a half years the patient men in the field at last mutinied. That is why their parents and brothers in the fields supported them. The "Little Father" had failed them, and his minions65 had betrayed them. It is a sordid66 and horrid67 tale of peculation68, maladministration, and cruel treachery. Millions of British and French money went in shameless and open bribery70, whilst the soldiers in the field, for need of what the money could buy, were opposing bare breasts covering brave hearts to the most terrible artillery in the world. If the rest of the money had been well spent, what was left after providing for profuse71 graft72 would still have sufficed to save that gallant army from destruction. But unhappily no real interest was taken in anything beyond the amount and the payment of the pocket-money. That seemed to be the main purpose of the transaction. Nothing was well managed except the inevitable bribe69. There were honourable73 and upright men who did their duty by their distracted and plundered74 country, but they were helpless in the torrent75 of corruption.
No wonder a great Russian industrialist76 engaged in the ministry77 of war, in dwelling78 on the sad [Pg 308]failure of tsarism and its probable results in June, 1905, predicted a revolution with "ten years of the most frightful79 anarchy80." "We shall," he added, "see the days of Pugatchef[11] again and perhaps worse"—a striking prophecy verified with appalling accuracy.
It is not pleasant to recall these dreadful episodes, which reveal the betrayal of a devotion faithful unto death. But this story is essential to the right appreciation81 of events. There is no savagery82 like that of a trustful people which finds that its trust was being imposed upon the whole time. Here the retribution has been hideous83 in all its aspects. But the provocation84 was also revolting from every point of view. To judge Russia fairly that must be taken into account.
I think the government are, therefore, taking the right view of their responsibilities when through their foreign secretary they open negotiations with the representative of the Soviet government in this country. You can easily evoke85 resounding86 cheers amongst the thoughtless by declaring [Pg 309]melodramatically that you will never "shake hands with murder." In practice this policy has always been a failure. Mr. Pitt in a famous passage declined to assent87 to that doctrine88 when he was attacked for trying to open negotiations with the "assassins" of the French Revolution. He was driven out of this calm and rational attitude by the inflammable rhetoric89 of Burke, aided by the arrogance90 of the victorious91 revolutionaries. Nevertheless, the sequel proved he was right. French Bolshevism was not defeated by foreign armies, nor starved out by the British blockade. But it was driven into the arms of Napoleon, and Europe suffered bitterly for the folly92 of the hotheads on both sides. It would have been better for that generation had it listened to the wise counsel of William Pitt.
If you decline to treat with Russia as long as its present rulers remain in power, then you ought to place Turkey in the same category. The military junta93 that governed Turkey has been guilty of atrocities94 at least as vile95 as any committed by the Bolshevists. But at Lausanne we ostentatiously stretched the friendly hand of Britain to the authors of the Armenian massacres96. And France,[Pg 310] Italy—yes, and America also—tendered the same warm handshake. I am not criticising the offer of amity97 made as a condition of peace. We must make peace in the world, and you cannot do so if you put whole nations off your visiting list because of the misconduct of those who govern them. Once you begin you are not quite sure where it will end.
In these cases the innocent suffer the most. A refusal to trade with Russia would not deprive the Soviet commissaries of a single necessity or comfort of life. The Communists are quite strong enough to take care of themselves. But the peasants—who are not Communists—would continue to suffer, and their sufferings would increase as their reserves of clothing and other essentials became completely exhausted98. And the people of this country who need the produce of Russia for their own use would also suffer to a certain extent. America can afford this exalted99 aloofness100. She does not need the Russian grain and timber. She is an exporter of those commodities. But we cannot do as well without them, and we also sadly need Russian flax for our linen101 industries, which are languishing102 for the want of it. Last year there were quite considerable imports of Russian produce[Pg 311] into this country. This year owing to the prospects103 of an improved harvest these imports will be much larger. They are greatly needed here for our own consumption, and they pay for exports of machinery104 and textiles which the Russian on his part urgently requires.
But beyond and above all these material considerations, the world needs peace. In the old days conveyancing attorneys in this country kept a property transaction going by interminable requisitions on the title of the other party. They exercised all their ingenuity105 and invoked106 the added ingenuity of trained counsel to probe for defects in the right of the vendor107 to deal. Those were leisurely108 days, and men could afford to dawdle109. Even then these exercises often ended in ruinous litigation. To-day time presses and the atmosphere is dangerous for the plying110 of irritating interrogatories. It is time we made up our minds that the Soviets have come to stay, whether we like it or no, and that one or other of the formidable men who rule Russia to-day are likely to rule it for some time to come. The sooner we have the courage to recognise this fact, the sooner will real peace be established.
点击收听单词发音
1 frankly | |
adv.坦白地,直率地;坦率地说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 Soviet | |
adj.苏联的,苏维埃的;n.苏维埃 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 shrieking | |
v.尖叫( shriek的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 shudder | |
v.战粟,震动,剧烈地摇晃;n.战粟,抖动 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 supreme | |
adj.极度的,最重要的;至高的,最高的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 sanity | |
n.心智健全,神智正常,判断正确 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 dealing | |
n.经商方法,待人态度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 mighty | |
adj.强有力的;巨大的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 hostility | |
n.敌对,敌意;抵制[pl.]交战,战争 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 devastating | |
adj.毁灭性的,令人震惊的,强有力的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 alienating | |
v.使疏远( alienate的现在分词 );使不友好;转让;让渡(财产等) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 well-being | |
n.安康,安乐,幸福 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 oligarchy | |
n.寡头政治 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 revert | |
v.恢复,复归,回到 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 catastrophe | |
n.大灾难,大祸 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 blessings | |
n.(上帝的)祝福( blessing的名词复数 );好事;福分;因祸得福 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 kindly | |
adj.和蔼的,温和的,爽快的;adv.温和地,亲切地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 fortress | |
n.堡垒,防御工事 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
22 ERECTED | |
adj. 直立的,竖立的,笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立,建立 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
23 dungeons | |
n.地牢( dungeon的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
24 penal | |
adj.刑罚的;刑法上的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
25 offenders | |
n.冒犯者( offender的名词复数 );犯规者;罪犯;妨害…的人(或事物) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
26 deported | |
v.将…驱逐出境( deport的过去式和过去分词 );举止 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
27 persecution | |
n. 迫害,烦扰 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
28 soviets | |
苏维埃(Soviet的复数形式) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
29 discredit | |
vt.使不可置信;n.丧失信义;不信,怀疑 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
30 initiating | |
v.开始( initiate的现在分词 );传授;发起;接纳新成员 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
31 paternal | |
adj.父亲的,像父亲的,父系的,父方的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
32 reign | |
n.统治时期,统治,支配,盛行;v.占优势 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
33 dissent | |
n./v.不同意,持异议 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
34 proscribed | |
v.正式宣布(某事物)有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
35 persecuted | |
(尤指宗教或政治信仰的)迫害(~sb. for sth.)( persecute的过去式和过去分词 ); 烦扰,困扰或骚扰某人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
36 inevitable | |
adj.不可避免的,必然发生的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
37 ineptitude | |
n.不适当;愚笨,愚昧的言行 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
38 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
39 humiliation | |
n.羞辱 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
40 inflicted | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
41 memoirs | |
n.回忆录;回忆录传( mem,自oir的名词复数) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
42 savage | |
adj.野蛮的;凶恶的,残暴的;n.未开化的人 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
43 hatred | |
n.憎恶,憎恨,仇恨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
44 gallant | |
adj.英勇的,豪侠的;(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
45 ammunition | |
n.军火,弹药 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
46 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
47 artillery | |
n.(军)火炮,大炮;炮兵(部队) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
48 faltering | |
犹豫的,支吾的,蹒跚的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
49 aggregate | |
adj.总计的,集合的;n.总数;v.合计;集合 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
50 heroism | |
n.大无畏精神,英勇 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
51 wagons | |
n.四轮的运货马车( wagon的名词复数 );铁路货车;小手推车 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
52 wholesale | |
n.批发;adv.以批发方式;vt.批发,成批出售 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
53 insignificant | |
adj.无关紧要的,可忽略的,无意义的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
54 infantry | |
n.[总称]步兵(部队) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
55 expenditure | |
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出;使用,消耗 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
56 slaughtered | |
v.屠杀,杀戮,屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
57 recollect | |
v.回忆,想起,记起,忆起,记得 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
58 distressing | |
a.使人痛苦的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
59 compassion | |
n.同情,怜悯 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
60 callous | |
adj.无情的,冷淡的,硬结的,起老茧的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
61 indifference | |
n.不感兴趣,不关心,冷淡,不在乎 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
62 appalling | |
adj.骇人听闻的,令人震惊的,可怕的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
63 murmur | |
n.低语,低声的怨言;v.低语,低声而言 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
64 inquiries | |
n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 );疑问;探究;打听 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
65 minions | |
n.奴颜婢膝的仆从( minion的名词复数 );走狗;宠儿;受人崇拜者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
66 sordid | |
adj.肮脏的,不干净的,卑鄙的,暗淡的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
67 horrid | |
adj.可怕的;令人惊恐的;恐怖的;极讨厌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
68 peculation | |
n.侵吞公款[公物] | |
参考例句: |
|
|
69 bribe | |
n.贿赂;v.向…行贿,买通 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
70 bribery | |
n.贿络行为,行贿,受贿 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
71 profuse | |
adj.很多的,大量的,极其丰富的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
72 graft | |
n.移植,嫁接,艰苦工作,贪污;v.移植,嫁接 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
73 honourable | |
adj.可敬的;荣誉的,光荣的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
74 plundered | |
掠夺,抢劫( plunder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
75 torrent | |
n.激流,洪流;爆发,(话语等的)连发 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
76 industrialist | |
n.工业家,实业家 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
77 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
78 dwelling | |
n.住宅,住所,寓所 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
79 frightful | |
adj.可怕的;讨厌的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
80 anarchy | |
n.无政府状态;社会秩序混乱,无秩序 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
81 appreciation | |
n.评价;欣赏;感谢;领会,理解;价格上涨 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
82 savagery | |
n.野性 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
83 hideous | |
adj.丑陋的,可憎的,可怕的,恐怖的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
84 provocation | |
n.激怒,刺激,挑拨,挑衅的事物,激怒的原因 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
85 evoke | |
vt.唤起,引起,使人想起 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
86 resounding | |
adj. 响亮的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
87 assent | |
v.批准,认可;n.批准,认可 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
88 doctrine | |
n.教义;主义;学说 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
89 rhetoric | |
n.修辞学,浮夸之言语 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
90 arrogance | |
n.傲慢,自大 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
91 victorious | |
adj.胜利的,得胜的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
92 folly | |
n.愚笨,愚蠢,蠢事,蠢行,傻话 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
93 junta | |
n.团体;政务审议会 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
94 atrocities | |
n.邪恶,暴行( atrocity的名词复数 );滔天大罪 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
95 vile | |
adj.卑鄙的,可耻的,邪恶的;坏透的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
96 massacres | |
大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 ); 惨败 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
97 amity | |
n.友好关系 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
98 exhausted | |
adj.极其疲惫的,精疲力尽的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
99 exalted | |
adj.(地位等)高的,崇高的;尊贵的,高尚的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
100 aloofness | |
超然态度 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
101 linen | |
n.亚麻布,亚麻线,亚麻制品;adj.亚麻布制的,亚麻的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
102 languishing | |
a. 衰弱下去的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
103 prospects | |
n.希望,前途(恒为复数) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
104 machinery | |
n.(总称)机械,机器;机构 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
105 ingenuity | |
n.别出心裁;善于发明创造 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
106 invoked | |
v.援引( invoke的过去式和过去分词 );行使(权利等);祈求救助;恳求 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
107 vendor | |
n.卖主;小贩 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
108 leisurely | |
adj.悠闲的;从容的,慢慢的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
109 dawdle | |
vi.浪费时间;闲荡 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
110 plying | |
v.使用(工具)( ply的现在分词 );经常供应(食物、饮料);固定往来;经营生意 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |