RUSSIA: Autonomy Asked

According to a despatch from Poland, the Soviet Republics, embodied in the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, demanded a conference to discuss their autonomy. This is not meant to end the Union, but is intended as a check on the autocracy of Moscow.

The proposal is to establish a second house, similar to the U. S. Senate, composed of the authorities of the existing republics. All laws affecting the Union would have to be passed by them as well as by the machinery of the present regime.

Russia is now governed by a Union Central Executive Committee and a Union Council of People’s Commissaries.

The Central Executive Committee is composed of 371 members and is elected annually by the Union Congress of Soviets (the supreme authority of the Union). It meets every three months for a fortnightly session.

The Union Council of People’s Commissaries is in effect a Cabinet headed by M. Vladimir Ilich Ulianov-Lenin (portfolio filled ad interim by Kamenev) as President. The Council is directly under the Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee, which has the power of revising any of its decisions. The Council is, however, also responsible to the Union Central Executive Committee and the Union Congress of Soviets, to which it is obliged to render reports.

The Presidium of the Union Central Executive Committee is composed of a Chairman (M. Kalinin, popularly supposed to be President of Soviet Russia), a Secretary and 15 members. Although the Presidium has power to make war, confer decorations, ratify peace treaties, receive the credentials of foreign diplomatic representatives, etc., it is in its turn under the thumb of the Union Congress of Soviets. However, between the sessions of the Executive Committee, business is carried on by the Presidium.

The Union Congress of Soviets, while in session, is the supreme authority of the Union. Between Congresses the Union Central Executive Committee becomes the sovereign administrative, judicial and legislative power.

It is thus seen that the separate Republics have no check as independent units on the Moscow Government. The establishment of a permanent institution in juxtaposition to the Union Central Executive Committee would eradicate this anomaly.

Until December 30, 1922, Russia was known as the Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic. At that date, however, the four principal Soviet Republics (Russian Socialist Federal Soviet Republic, White Russia, Ukraine, Transcaucasian Federation) met at Moscow and signed a Treaty of Union setting up the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics, which now embraces what might be termed Greater Russia.