MASS OF RUSSIANS DID NOT FAVOR DESERTING ALLIED FORCES IN 1917

That the Communist party in Russia had two vital contributions to offer the people at the crucial moment during the upheaval ten years ago, was explained by Professor Michael M. Karpovich, visiting lecturer in the department of History in an interview with the CRIMSON yesterday.

Professor Karpovich was sent to Washington by the provisional government of Russia a few months after the overthrow of the Czar in 1917. Prince Lvov was at the time head of the government with Kerensky under him.

"Kerensky when he became head of the Provisional Government was faced with an extremely difficult task", said Professor Karpovich, "for it was up to him to reorganize the entire country. Not only did he have to reorganize Russia, he had to undertake it while the country was at war.

"From every point of view, Kerensky and his followers felt that Russia should stand by her allies in the great struggle, but the country and the people were exhausted and could hardly go on. The Bolsheviks were the only ones, however, who openly advocated the making of a separate peace with Germany. They succeeded in stirring the people up to the point of seizing the power in November 1917, and in arresting all members of the Kerensky government except Kerensky himself. He was forced to leave Russia, and Lenin took over the reins of government. Soon after the new regime concluded the Peace of Brest-Litavsk."

Professor Karpovich then explained that for centuries, the Russian peasants had had a desire to take over all the land in the country. The Kerensky government had itself been in favor of such a move but intended to effect it in an orderly manner. The Bolsheviks on the other hand advocated immediate seizure and the people were in such a frenzy that the quicker course was by far the more popular. The Reds thus had two trump cards, immediate peace and immediate seizure of land; the people did not support the Bolsheviks because they were such, but because of the two panaceas they offered.

For two years a civil war raged between the Reds and the so-called White army, with the whites succumbing because the peasants refused to aid them through fear of reinstatement of the landlords should the Reds be defeated.

"I am sure the government will have to keep on making concessions", he added, "and these will become political whereas up to the present they have only been economic. The Communists will be forced to give up exclusive political control over Russia, which is bound to become a peasant democracy particularly as most of the earmarks of Communism are now gone. The people will want to govern as well as have a hand at other activities.

"On the whole I think the situation in Russia is constantly improving and that the country will eventually regain her place among the nations.