But in addition to all this work, for the first
two years the Commission had an even more
difficult task on its hands, and that was the
business of restoring law and order throughout
the country. I sometimes read what people
have to say about Russia, and listen to speeches
on the same subject. What always strikes me
is how few people realise that with the Baltic
Provinces cut off Russia is still a country of
thousands of miles in extent of territory and
with a population of over 100 millions. When
the Czarist regime, with all its police and military and its centuries old domination, was
broken up, lawlessness broke out everywhere.
Some bands of men roamed the country,
pillaged when they could, lodged where they
chose, executed vengeance, and by means of
terrorism extracted the means of life from
those unwilling to give it. To stop the doings
of these brigands and bring the country back
to some sort of order was also the work of the
Extraordinary Commission, and life throughout
Russia is more safe because of its work.
To-day a greater task has been entrusted to it, and that is to assist in restoring health, clearing away disease, and to teach the people that it is a duty they owe each other to take the necessary means for preserving health.
Finally, no one imagines for a moment that the Extraordinary Commission was the final word the Bolsheviks have to say on the
