... We invite all delegates to this Congress-" The rest was
lost in a storm of hoots, menaces and curses which rose to a hellish
pitch as fifty delegates got up and pushed their way out....
Kameniev jangled the bell, shouting, "Keep your seats and we'll go
on with our business!" And Trotzky, standing up with a pale, cruel
face, letting out his rich voice in cool contempt, "All these
so-called Socialist compromisers, these frightened Mensheviki,
Socialist Revolutionaries, _Bund_-let them go! They are just so much
refuse which will be swept into the garbage-heap of history!"
Riazanov, for the Bolsheviki, stated that at the request of the City
Duma the Military Revolutionary Committee had sent a delegation to
offer negotiations to the Winter Palace. "In this way we have done
everything possible to avoid blood-shed...."
We hurried from the place, stopping for a moment at the room where
the Military Revolutionary Committee worked at furious speed,
engulfing and spitting out panting couriers, despatching Commissars
armed with power of life and death to all the corners of the city,
amid the buzz of the telephonographs. The door opened, a blast of
stale air and cigarette smoke rushed out, we caught a glimpse of
dishevelled men bending over a map under the glare of a shaded
electric-light.... Comrade Josephov-Dukhvinski, a smiling youth with a
mop of pale yellow hair, made out passes for us.
Pages:
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159