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204
204 REVOLUTION [chap. xxiv.
It is absolutely futile to speak of the tremendous
mistake made by the Provisional Government in
consenting to their entry into Russia and in not taking
any measures against their pernicious and open
propaganda in Petrograd and the other great centres. The
Provisional Government could neither forbid nor
prevent anything against the will of the great Soviet of
Petrogad. And this Soviet, by its very origin and from
its beginning, was the organ of German policy and the
lively and perfectly-formed embryo of the future
Bolshevist republic.
In chronological sequence I ought here to mention
an incident, or rather a conversation, which has but a
distant connection with the progress of the Russian
Revolution, but which has one all the same and which is
of special interest at the hour in which I write these
lines, that is to say in May, 1919.
At the beginning of April Sir Esme Howard told me
that he had had a visit from an Esthonian political
agitator, a certain M. Keskula, whose views had
appeared to him to be interesting; that consequently he
wished that I would check his impressions by having a
conversation myself with the gentleman. My English
colleague added that he had asked Keskula if he knew
me ; but that the latter had replied that although he was
desirous of having an interview with me, he did not
consider it the right thing for him to take the initiative
and to present himself at the Russian Legation. I told
Sir Esme that I saw nothing unseemly in my meeting
the person in question on neutral ground, and so we
arranged that on the appointed day I was to go to the
First Secretary to the British Legation, Mr. Clive, whose
mind, tact and judgment had always impressed me, and
who in addition to all his other qualities was a thorough
master of the German language , in which I should
probably have to converse with my Esthonian "
compatriot " so that the master of the house should
understand us.
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