by herculean efforts, hurled the German hirelings over
the Urals, and awaited near Vatka the advance of the Allies from
Archangel preparatory to a march on Petrograd. Alas! he waited for seven
long months in vain; the Allies never came! After expending his last
ounce of energy and getting so near to final victory, we failed him at
the post. Why?

The menace to our own armies in France had disappeared; there was, I
suppose, no longer an urgent necessity to re-establish the Russian
front, though the possibility of such re-establishment had kept huge
German forces practically demobilised near the Russian and Ukrainian
frontiers. Koltchak and his gallant comrade Denikin had served the
Entente purpose. Lenin and Trotsky, by wholesale intimidation and
murder, had aroused the enthusiasm of similarly disposed compatriots in
Allied countries. These compatriots were becoming noisy in the
constituencies. The establishment of order to enable the Russian people
to establish a clean democratic Government, and arise from their
nightmare of unbridled anarchy, while very desirable in itself, was not
a good party cry in any of the Western democracies. I grant all these
things; but what about honour? Has this no longer any place in the
political curriculum of the Allied Powers?

These are only some of the things it is necessary to remember before we
finally decide to desert a temporarily sick friend. If I were the ruler
of a state I should pray the gods to preserve me from half-hearted
Allies and over-cautious friends. If I wished to help a fallen state or
lend an honest hand in a great cause, whether it were to eradicate a
hideous and fatal national malady or assert a principle of right and
justice, first shield me from the palsy of Allied diplomacy! One
clear-sighted, honest helper is worth a dozen powerful aiders whose main
business is to put obstacles in each other's way.

If we were discussing the question of Allied interference before the
fact, I could give many reasons for remaining neutral; but we have to
recognise that for their own purposes they have interfered, that their
Military Missions and forces have been operating in the country for over
a year, during which time they have made commitments and given pledges
of a more or less binding character. That these commitments and pledges
are not the irresponsible acts of subordinates on the spot, but have
been made by Allied statesmen, both in and out of their several
Parliamen