Michael S. Farbman

“ The Allies refused to democratise the Allied war-aims, rejected all proposals to revise the treaties, and, instead, simply demanded that Russia should go on fighting. Having refused to help the Russian democracy in its efforts to re-inspire the army, the Allies nevertheless demanded that the Russian army should undertake an offensive as it was. ”

“ We are prepared to back up the peoples of England, France and Italy by force of arms if they compel their Governments to renounce conquests and are none the less compelled to defend themselves against Germany. ”

“ I shall attempt to describe the struggle of the Allied diplomacy with the Russian democracy as it appeared in Russia, where these facts were not yet known.
When the Soviet had published its manifesto to the peoples of the world, there began a time of great expectations. How would Europe respond? At first the Russians thought only of what would be the attitude of Germany. ”

“ Not only was their specific mission without any relation to the real situation in Russia, since the Russian democracy had no thought of making a separate peace; they were altogether out of touch with the feelings of Russia; in many cases people had to force themselves to take them seriously. They made the impression that their mission was simply to assure the Russian democracy that the French and British workers and Socialists were as good and faithful imperialists as their Governments. ”

“ It is hard to restrain one's feelings when one thinks that Russia was sacrificed to satisfy the annexationist greed of the French imperialists, who were not content with Alsace-Lorraine, but who wanted to annex purely German land. ”