The Bolshevist Theory. By R. W, Post.
gate, London: Grant Richards.
Pp. 240. 75, 6d. net, Creative Revolution—By Cedar and Eden Paul London:—Allen and Unwin, Pp, 224. 8, 6d. net, Among the countless thousands persons who loosely fling about the word Bolshevism and scare themselves and others with its explosive sound there must be some who want to understand what it means. For their enlightenment appear these two volumes of able and well-inferned exposition. Mr. Fostgate's is in many ways a model, Tracin, concisely the origins of Bolshevism and of the Soviet idea, he gives the clearest account We have yet seen of the composition and operation of the Soviet. There remain some obsecurities, but that is not Mr. Postgate's fault. The explanation of "the dictatorship of the Proletariat"? as a temporary expedient vhich wil} disappear as soon as the last relics of the bourgools democratic State have been stamped out and full "ergatocracy" is established is perhaps the least convincing portion of the Bolshevik policy, assuming, as it does, that the whole Proletariat exercises the dictatorship. It is difficult, even with Mr. Postgate's assistance, to understand to what extent the workmen in a plant "run" that plant, how far the central government in the big industries avoids the vices of bureaucracy and how effective is the voice of the consumer:
Apparently it is contended that, all the essential functions of government are economic, and at therefore economic representation is all that is required to secure the interests of the nation. Mr. Post-gate supplies some interesting jocuments Gefending the various repressive measures, such as the ban upon freedom ' of the press and of meeting, as legitimate weapons in fighting the Capitalist State. "Real liberty and equality," writes Lenin, "must be established by Communism"; it cannot exist under Capitalism.
The general doctrine is that of Marxian Socialism (pace Mr. Hyndman) with its class war, economic determination of history, and frank acceptance of force as the midwife of reform. Russia is the first great country to attempt the revolution. But since nationalist: has no place in the true revolutionary scheme, it must, by the natural course of events, if not by actual propaganda, spread to all countries where Capitalisui "Creative Revolution" is a wholehearted advocacy of an acceptance of the Russian gospel and experiment our workers. The writers are thoroughgoing in their denunciation of what they term our sham democracy and of. most actions of the Socialist and Labour parties in this country. At present their avowed—following may be small, but the future, they are convinced, lies with them. They entertain, however little hope that a democracy will be founded on the new foundation, recognizing that "Communist administration will be oligarchic rather than democratic," and that persons of a "kinetic type," like Lenin and Trotzky, will probably retain afterwards the personal power claimed during the interim period of the struggle to destroy Capitalism. It is a very cleverly argued appeal to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.