SECTION IV.-ACTIVE AND PASSIVE ELECTIVE FRANCHISE Chapter XIII 64. The right of electing and being elected into the Soviets is enjoyed by the following citizens of both sexes of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, irrespective of their religion, nationality, place of domicile, etc., who have attained the age of 18 by the day of the election: (a) All persons obtaining their means of livelihood by productive and publicly beneficial labor, as well as those persons engaged in domestic economy which affords the former the possibility of productive labor; for instance, workmen and employees of all categories, engaged in industry, trade, agriculture, etc., peasants and Cossack peasants, who do not engage hired labor for the sake of profit; (b) Soldiers of the Soviet army and navy; (c) Citizens belonging to categories enumerated in points (a) and (b) of Article 64, who have in any way lost their capacity for work. Remark 1: Local Soviets may lower the present age limit with the approval of the central authority. Remark 2: Out of the number of persons who are not Russian citizens, those also enjoy the active and passive elective right who are indicated in Article 20. (Section II, Chapter V.) 65. The following persons have not the right to elect or to be elected, even if they should belong to one of the above-enumerated categories: (a) Persons employing hired labor for the purpose of gaining profits; (b) Persons living on unearned income such as interest from capital, revenue from enterprises, income from property, etc.; (c) Private traders, trade and commercial agents; (d) Monks and ecclesiastical servants of churches and religious cults; (e) Employees and agents of the former police, special gendarme corps and the secret police as well as members of the former reigning house of Russia; (f) Persons rightfully recognized as mad, as well as persons under guardianship; (g) Persons sentenced for covetous and defamatory crimes for the term fixed by law or the verdict of the court. Chapter XIV.-Regarding elections 66. Elections take place according to an established order on days appointed by the local Soviets. 67. Elections take place in the presence of the election commission and a representative of the local Soviet. 68. In cases when the presence of the representative of Soviet authority is technically impossible, he is replaced by the president of the election commission, and in case of his absence by the president of the election meeting. 69. A report on the course and result of elections is drawn up which is signed by members of the election commission and the Soviet representative. 70. The exact order of election procedure, as well as the participation of professional and other labor organizations, is determined by the local Soviets in accordance with instructions from the All-Russia Central Executive Committee. Chapter XV-Regarding control and abolishment of elections and the recalling of deputies 71. All records in connection with elections are sent in to the appropriate Soviet. 72. To verify elections the Soviet appoints a mandate commission. 73. The mandate commission informs the Soviet of the result of the verification. 74. The Soviet decides the question of the approval of disputed candidates. 75. In case of any candidate's not being approved, the Soviet appoints new elections. 76. In case the whole election has been incorrectly carried out, the question of annulling the election is decided by the highest organ of Soviet authority. 77. The last resort for cassation of Soviet elections is the All-Russia Central Executive Committee. 78. Electors who have sent a deputy to the Soviet have the right to recall him at any time and to have a reelection, in accordance with general regulations. SECTION V.-BUDGET LAW Chapter XVI 79. The financial policy of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic in its present transitory stage of the dictatorship of the laboring classes, furthers the fundamental aim of expropriating the bourgeoisie and preparing conditions for the general equality of citizens of the republic in the sphere of production and distribution of wealth. For this purpose it places at the disposal of the organs of Soviet authority all the necessary means for satisfying the local and general state demands of the Soviet Republic, not stopping before the violation of the right of private property. 80. The state revenue and expenditure of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic are united in the general state budget. 81. The All-Russia Congress of Soviets or the All-Russia Central Executive Committee determines what taxes and income shall be paid into the general state budget, and what shall be paid into the local Soviets, at the same time fixing the limits of taxation. 82. The Soviets impose rates and taxes exclusively for the requirements of local economy. General state requirements are paid from the funds issued by the state exchequer. 83. No sum can be expended out of the funds of the state budget without its being entered in the government roll of revenue and expenditure or by special regulation of central authority. 84. To satisfy the requirements having a general state significance, the appropriate People's Commissariats vote the necessary credits from the state exchequer which are placed at the disposal of the local Soviets. 85. All credits allotted out of the state exchequer for the Soviets, as well as credits approved for local needs, must be expended for their direct purpose and cannot be used for satisfying any other requirements without a special regulation of the All-Russia Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars. 86. Local Soviets draw up half yearly and yearly estimates of their revenue and expenditure for local needs. The estimates of village and volost Soviets and Soviets of towns, which take part in uezd congresses, as well as the estimates of uezd organs of Soviet authority, are correspondingly approved by the guberniya and provincial congresses or their executive committees; the estimates of town, guberniya and provincial organs of Soviet authority are approved by the All-Russia Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars. 87. For expenses not provided for by the estimates, or in cases when the estimates have been drawn up for an insufficient sum, the Soviets ask for additional credit from the appropriate People's Commissariats. 88. In case of the insufficiency of local means for satisfying local requirements, the necessary subsidies and loans out of the funds of the state exchequer for covering the immediate expenses are granted to the local Soviets by the All-Russia Central Executive Committee and the Council of People's Commissars. SECTION VI.-THE COAT OF ARMS AND THE FLAG OF THE RUSSIAN SOCIALIST FEDERATED SOVIET REPUBLIC Chapter XVII 89. The coat of arms of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic consists of a golden sickle and hammer, the handles crossed and pointing downward, on a red background in rays of sunlight, surrounded by a wreath of wheat ears and bearing the inscription: (a) The Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic, (b) Proletariat of all countries, unite. 90. The commercial, naval and military flag of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic consists of a red flag with the letters R. S. F. S. R. in the top left-hand corner near the flagstaff, or bearing the inscription, Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic. President of the V All-Russia Congress of Soviets and the All-Russia Y. SVERDLOV Members of the Presidium of the All-Russia T. E. TEODOROVICH A. P. ROSENGOLTZ A. H. MITROFANOV Secretary of the All-Russia Central Executive Committee: V. A. AVANESOV CHAPTER XII THE RUSSO-GERMAN SUPPLEMENTARY TREATIES, AUGUST 27, 1918 File No. 861.00/2958 The Ambassador in Great Britain (Page) to the Secretary of State No. 9969 LONDON, September 27, 1918. SIR: With reference to the instructions set forth in the Department's telegram No. 1403 of September 16, 5 p. m.,1 I have the honor to transmit, herewith enclosed, four copies of the Enemy Press Supplement to the Daily Review of the Foreign Press, of September 19, 1918, issued by the General Staff, War Office.2 I venture to add that on pages 594–600, inclusive, of this publication there is given the wording of the Russo-German supplementary treaties, as translated from the texts which were printed in the Norddeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung of September 7, 1918. I have [etc.] For the Ambassador: IRWIN LAUGHLIN [Enclosure-Translation] Text of the Russo-German Supplementary Treaties3 SUPPLEMENTARY TREATY TO THE TREATY OF PEACE BETWEEN RUSSIA AND THE CENTRAL POWERS Guided by the wish to solve certain political questions which have arisen in connection with the peace treaty of March 3/7, 1918, between Germany, AustriaHungary, Bulgaria, and Turkey, for the one part, and Russia for the other part, in the spirit of friendly understanding and mutual conciliation, and, in so doing, to promote the restoration of good and confidential relations between the two Empires, for which a way was paved by the conclusion of peace, the German Imperial Government and the government of the Russian Socialist 1 Not printed. 2 Only the treaties comprising the appendix to the Enemy Press Supplement are here printed. 3 In these supplementary treaties the translation has been left essentially in the form in which it was received, after comparison with the German text (as published in the Reichsanzeiger, Sept. 7, 1918) and translation thereof, which were printed for the Department of State in the booklet, Texts of the Russian “Peace" (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1918) prepared by the Inquiry, a body of scholars assembled by Colonel House to assist the Department in the study of problems of the coming peace settlement. Federated Soviet Republic have agreed to conclude a supplementary treaty to the peace treaty with this object, and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries: For the Imperial German Government: The State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, and Imperial Privy Councillor, Rear Admiral Paul v. Hintze, and the Director in the Foreign Office, Imperial Privy Councillor Dr. Johannes Kriege. For the government of the Russian Socialist Federated Soviet Republic: Its diplomatic representative accredited to the German Imperial Government, M. Adolf Joffe. After handing their credentials to one another, and these being found in correct and proper form, the plenipotentiaries agreed to the following provisions: PART I.-DEMARCATIONS AND FRONTIER COMMISSIONS ARTICLE 1 In so far as this has not yet been done, German-Russian commissions will immediately be formed to fix the demarcation lines for all fronts where German and Russian troops face one another. Exact details as to this shall be agreed on by the commanders of the troops on each side. These demarcation lines shall be so drawn that there are neutral zones between the respective fronts, which zones must not be trodden by any members of the respective armies, with the exception of parlementaires. In so far as there is not regular traffic between the respective fronts, such traffic will be established by the demarcation commissions. ARTICLE 2 The German-Russian Commission for fixing the frontier line, provided for in Article 3, paragraph 1, of the peace treaty, shall also fix the east frontiers of Esthonia and Livonia, agreed on in Article 6, paragraph 2, of that treaty, more exactly. After the fixing of the eastern frontier of Esthonia and Livonia, provided for in paragraph 1, Germany will evacuate the territory occupied by her east of this frontier without delay. ARTICLE 3 Germany will evacuate the territory occupied by her east of the Beresina, even before the conclusion of general peace, in proportion as Russia makes the cash payments she has to carry out from to-day, according to Article 2 of the German-Russian financial agreement of this date; further provisions as to this, particularly the fixing of the individual sectors to be evacuated, are left to the commission referred to in Article 2, paragraph 1, of this supplementary treaty. The contracting parties reserve the right to make further agreements with regard to the effecting of the evacuation of the occupied territory west of the Beresina before the conclusion of general peace in accordance with the fulfilment by Russia of the remaining financial obligations undertaken by her. PART II.-SEPARATIST MOVEMENTS IN THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE In so far as is not otherwise prescribed in the peace treaty or in this supplementary treaty, Germany will in no wise interfere in the relations between the Russian Empire and parts of its territory, and will thus in particular neither cause nor support the formation of independent states in those territories. 20856-31-48 |