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SOCIALIST AND LABOR DOCUMENTS AND PEACE PROGRAMS

APPEAL TO THE SOCIALISTS OF THE WORLD ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN COUNCIL OF WORKERS' AND SOLDIERS' DELEGATES, MAY 15, 1917

[This appeal was issued two months after the abdication of the Czar. On May 1, the Russian Government had notified the Allied governments of Russia's renunciation of imperialistic aims. On May 9, the Council of Workers' and Soldiers' Delegates voted to appeal to the peoples of the world to call a peace conference. This appeal accordingly followed.]

"The revolutionary democracy of Russia does not desire a separate peace which would loose the hands of the AustroGerman alliance. It is well aware that such a peace would be a betrayal of the cause of democracy and of labor in all countries. This cause would by such an action be paralyzed in the face of a triumphant imperialism. It knows that such a peace may lead to the ruin of other countries and the triumph of the ideals of Chauvinism and revenge in Europe, which would leave the Continent in a state where it would inevitably prepare in the near future for a fresh and sanguinary collision.

"The Russian revolutionary democracy addresses itself in the first place to you, Socialists of the allied countries. You must not allow the voice of the Russian Provisional

Government to remain isolated from the union of the allied powers. You must force your Governments to proclaim resolutely the platform of peace without annexations or indemnities and the right of the people to settle their destinies. "You will thus afford our revolutionary army, which desires peace between the peoples, the assurance that its bloody sacrifices will not be utilized in an evil manner. You will give it strength to carry out with all its revolutionary enthusiasm the military operations which fall to its lot. You will fortify its mind in the belief that in defending the liberty conquered by the revolution the army also is struggling in the interests of an international democracy.

"You will force the Governments of enemy countries to renounce forever their policy of usurpation, pillage, and violence, and openly to recognize their crimes, thus calling upon their heads the just anger of their peoples."

[The above extract from the appeal is quoted from the New York Times of May 16. The following passage, addressed to the Socialists of Austria and Hungary, is from the London Times of the same date.]

"The democracy of Revolutionary Russia appeals to you, Socialists of Austria and Germany. You cannot allow the troops of your Governments to be the executioners of Russian liberty. You cannot allow your Governments, taking advantage of the joy evoked in the Russian Army by liberty and fraternity, to hurl your troops on the Western front, in the first place in order to crush France, then to dash on Russia, and finally to crush you, as well as the international proletariat, in the grip of Imperialism. The democracy of Revolutionary Russia appeals to the Socialists of neutral and belligerent countries not to allow the triumph of Imperialism. May the cause of peace proclaimed by the Russian Revolution be brought to a happy conclusion by the efforts of the international proletariat.

"So as to unite these efforts, the Council of Workmen's

and Soldiers' Delegates in Petrograd has decided to take the initiative in convoking an international conference of all Socialist parties and groups in all countries. Whatever may have been the dissensions which have rent Socialism during the three years of the war, no section of the proletariat ought to renounce participation in the common struggle for peace begun by the Russian Revolution. We are convinced that we shall see representatives of all Socialist groups at the conference which we are convoking. The unanimous decision of the international proletariat will be the first victory of the workers over the international Imperialists. "Proletariat of all countries, unite!'"

PETROGRAD APPEAL TO SOCIALISTS AND LABOR UNIONS OF THE WORLD

[The initiative in the plan for a peace conference was taken by the Petrograd Council of the Workers' and Soldiers' Delegates. The following account of the action of the Petrograd Socialists is taken from the London Times of June 6.]

"On March 28 the Petrograd Council of Workmen's and Soldiers' Delegates published an appeal 'to the peoples of the world' in which it called the peoples of Europe to united and resolute action in favor of peace. The Council, in full accord with the whole of democracy, inscribed on its banner peace without annexations and without indemnities on the basis of the rights of nations to decide their own destinies.'

"The Russian democracy forced the first Provisional Government to accept its program, and, as the events of May 3 and 4 clearly showed, it did not tolerate any departure on the part of the Provisional Government from that program.

"The second Provisional Government, under pressure by the Council, put forward the same program as the foremost article of its Declaration. On May 9 the Executive Committee of the Council decided to take the initiative in summoning an international conference, and on May 15 the Council directed an appeal to the Socialists of all countries, calling them to the common struggle for peace.

The Council is of opinion that a speedy termination of the war and restoration of international peace on the basis required by the general interests of labor as well as of mankind can only be achieved if the Socialist and Labor parties