During this period "Parvus" was bitterly denounced by Plechanov, by
Alexinsky and other Russian Socialists as an agent of the Central Powers.
He was denounced also by Lenine and Trotzky and by _Pravda_. Lenine
described him as "the vilest of bandits and betrayers." It was therefore
somewhat astonishing for those familiar with these facts to read the
following communication, which appeared in the German Socialist press on
November 30, 1917, and, later, in the British Socialist organ, _Justice_:
STOCKHOLM, November 20.--The Foreign Relations Committee
of the Bolsheviki makes the following communication: "The German
comrade, 'Parvus,' has brought to the Bolshevik Committee at
Stockholm the congratulations of the _Parteivorstand_ of the
Majority Social Democrats, who declare their solidarity with the
struggles of the Russian proletariat and with its request to begin
pourparlers immediately on the basis of a democratic peace without
annexations and indemnities. The Foreign Relations Committee of
the Bolsheviki has transmitted these declarations to the Central
Committee at Petrograd, as well as to the Soviets."
When Hugo Hasse questioned Philipp Scheidemann about the negotiations which
were going on through "Parvus," Scheidemann replied that it was the
Bolsheviki themselves who had invited "Parvus" to come to Stockholm for the
purpose of opening up negotiations.
Pages:
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464