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of provoking revolts as bloody and sterile like Savinkoff's White Guard revolt at Yaroslavl, the only result of which was the killing of some thousands of Russians,—evidently a matter of no importance, and the destruction of artistic treasures. The insurrection of Yaroslavl was, moreover, brought about on the express demand of the immediate despatch af Allied troops.
As intervention, from the very beginning, had been put by our ambassador as something absolutely decided upon, nevertheless the „conversations“ with the various political groups which had remained „our friends“ consisted merely in making solemn and gratuitous declarations to the latter on the imminence of our armed action against the Germans and the Bolsheviks and,—as our friends still saw nothing coming,—in repeated deferments of the date when the action was to commence.
„The political groups who had remained our friends“, whilst making the most ardent protestations of friendship and attachment to us, were interested in our intervention exclusively to the extent in which it was capable of overthrowing the bolsheviks, and they thought absolutely nothing about continuing the struggle against the Germans. On the other hand, seeing that we were deceiving them, at least in regard to the imminence of intervention, and finally ending in doubting it ail together (and justly so), they entered into parallel negotiations with the Count Mirbach, offering their services to the latter if only he „who, for that matter, had only to make a motion“, would relieve them oî the bolsheviks. This was the comedy, devoid on both sides of dignity and frankness, in which
