They
all realize the danger of letting things go on by themselves, or of
relying upon German promises.
The latter are well known here and in Tobolsk from Bolshevik sources.
When during the Brest-Litovsk _pourparlers_ the Russian Delegates were
waiting for the Germans, the latter entered the room of conference,
and found it filthy with smoke; the Bolsheviki were extremely
hilarious, and laughed and joked among themselves. To show his
independence Monsieur Trotsky was sitting on the table; others were
without collars and in the most unrespectable state of humor. When
the German delegation entered they did not move; the leader of the
Germans, an old general, stopped for a moment, looked at them in
disgust, and then suddenly shouted: "Stand! Attention! Get up, you,
Kameraden!"
Electrified--they all got up, Trotsky first, although with the remark
"For why"? The General continued:
"By order of His Majesty the King and Emperor, I declare that there
is at Tobolsk in your hands the relative of my August Master,--Her
Imperial Majesty the Empress of Russia with her consort and children.
Until this is arranged--we shall not proceed with this conference of
ours. We demand your guarantees that 1st--you vouch for their perfect
safety; 2d--you immediately will take steps to deliver the prisoners
abroad. Now, at rest! Sit down!"
I was told that the delegates from the soviets had the authority to
vouch for them in this regard, for they say unofficially that the
matter had been previously taken up by Russian and German diplomacy.
Pages:
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186