CHAPTER  XIV

MUCH  has  been  said  of  German  intrigue  in  Rus-
sia, and  more  has  been  written  about  it,  but  no  one
can  do  justice  to  the  terrible  harm  that  Germany
has  done.  Immediately  after  the  first  revolution
her  agents  changed  their  tactics  and  began  a  per-
sonal propaganda  among  the  peasantry  and  sol-
diers. This  was  carried  on  in  Petrograd,  to  a
great  extent,  by  Russians  who  came  from  America
in  March,  1917.  Among  the  peasantry  and  work-
ingmen  it  was  carried  on  by  men  who  posed  as
Russian  socialists,  but  their  socialism  bore  the
stamp  of  Berlin.  Among  the  soldiers  the  work
was  done  by  students.  All  of  these  men  posed  as
Russians.  Most  of  them  were  from  the  Baltic
provinces,  or  from  Germany  proper.  They  hesi-
tated at  nothing.  The  doctrine  of  "freedom  and
equality  for  all"  was  one  which  appealed  to  all
Russia  after  the  czar  abdicated.  In  the  beginning
they  were  very  careful  and  used  the  argument  that
all  men  were  brothers  in  order  to  stop  the  Russians
from  fighting.  As  time  went  on  they  became  more
radical  in  their  statements.  Soon  the  cry  changed
to,  "divide  all  property."  The  desire  of  the  peas-
ants for  land,  and  the  soldiers'  natural  weariness  of
fighting,  made  these  two  classes  an  easy  prey.
