Trotzky explained matters to
him. "My name is Trotzky," he repeated.
"Trotzky?" The other soldier scratched his head. "I've heard the name
somewhere," he said at length. "I guess it's all right. You can go on
in, comrade...."
In the corridor I met Karakhan, member of the Bolshevik Central
Committee, who explained to me what the new Government would be like.
"A loose organisation, sensitive to the popular will as expressed
through the Soviets, allowing local forces full play. At present the
Provisional Government obstructs the action of the local democratic
will, just as the Tsar's Government did. The initiative of the new
society shall come from below.... The form of the Government will be
modelled on the Constitution of the Russian Social Democratic Labour
Party. The new _Tsay-ee-kah,_ responsible to frequent meetings of the
All-Russian Congress of Soviets, will be the parliament; the various
Ministries will be headed by _collegia_-committees-instead of by
Ministers, and will be directly responsible to the Soviets....
On October 30th, by appointment, I went up to a small, bare room in
the attic of Smolny, to talk with Trotzky. In the middle of the room
he sat on a rough chair at a bare table. Few questions from me were
necessary; he talked rapidly and steadily, for more than an hour. The
substance of his talk, in his own words, I give here:
"The Provisional Government is absolutely powerless.
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