Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-02-08
B0LSHEVIK PREMIER Is
EAGER FOR PEACE WITH
u. S. AND ALLIES CERTAIN
Confined From Psee One,


! stopped" AS he spoke | wrote down
the words and read them aloud. Thai
| is correct" he said.
After silence for a moment he went
one: 1--WE want peace and have pro-
posed peace many times, but'-paus
ing with an expression of intense Sc
riousness-'we are prepared to so OF
with the war, and are confident oil
victory. Our armies have had fine
successes since the capture of Kazar
and Samara, down to the present
time. In the last few days we have
heard of nothing but new victories,
Lonin evidently intended to rest
with that, and so | approached to the
second point of the interview.
What about the league of ma
tions?" | asked him. HAS the recent
entry Of the Menshevik leaders into
the government affected the eligibility
of the soviets for the league of ma
tions?"
League of Imperialists.'
Lenin caught me up before | had
finished his usually mild voice be-
coming suddenly harsh. They are
not forming a league of nations,' he
said but a league of imperialists to
strangle the nations. President Will
son is a shrewd man." he added dryly:
Turning to the other angle of the
question he continued:
The Menshevist Marriott came into
the government because he saw he
must choose between The Russian So
Wet and extreme reaction"
Lenin could not afford to tell the
whole truth about the entrance of
non Bolsheviki into the government,
for he must maintain the intransigent
front The main fact in the new sit
uation is that the so-called nationali-
cation of Russian industry has put
insurgent industry back into the
hands of the business class, who dis
guise their activities by giving orders
under the magic title cf people s
comm 5saries.' That is the only title
that commands obedience. Ignoring
the essential fact, Reinstein menuoned
the conversion of Maxim Gorky, and
Lenin smiled. All the Russians make
a god of Gorlty. There were other vi
tai points concerning which / wished
to impress Lenin, but he kept trying
to interview me.
What are the allies going to do
with their troops in Russia?' he de-
manded. DO they want to support
the old feudal interest here, which is
comparable to the German junker
interests? What are the American
soldiers like individually; would they
be susceptible to propaganda?
In order to regain control of the in
terview, | asked:
What will you do if the allies send
big armies against YOU? ?"
If they send anything short of very
big armies he replied, 1--WE will de-
feat them"
"And if they do send very big
armies" l persisted.
Then they will make a very big
war" he answered, smiling, but with
out mirth.
Suddenly changing the subject, he
asked What do you think of the
red army" ] said | thought the red
army within a few weeks had submit
ted to the most eXacting discipline in
the world, revolutionary discipline, as
the Bolsheviki call it, which contrasts
as much as possible with the former
propaganda against obedience to or
dors
Compares Revolt to Futurism.
What do you think of the decora-
tons for the anniversary of the revo-
lution?" Lenine went on. DO they
look to you like the work of futurists,
and If so, do they not promise for the
revolution what futurism promises
for art, after a period? How was it
after the French revolution? You
know, France, and what chance there
is for revolution there now
Then he asked me a question that
astonished me, for the way he put it,
rather than for the words he used.
How soon will the revolution get
to America % was his question. The
tone was confident He did not ask
me if it would reach America, but
when, as if he took for granted that
some day the red flag would wave in
Washington. | did not reply, and he
went on.
Il wonder how long" he asked,
"Gompers can hold the labor unions
as subseryient to the 'imperialists as
he is Debs is an old man and in pri-
son. l wonder if he will survive his
term, 1t Is a shame he was condemn
ed. What is he like personally? I
have never seen him. Why doesn't the
American Federation of Labor do
about Big Bill Haywood's
is JlNl lIdfkln a man
of intellectual power? He is in prison
too, isn't he?"
This reminiscent interest in Amer
lea is shared even by those who damn
the government. Every returned re-
volutionist retains affection for the
country on one ground or another.
Lenin continued:
America is a great country, great
in technical achievements. Marvel
lons developments are possible there.
The American Daniel De Leon first
formulated the idea of q soviet gov
eminent, which grew up in Russia on
his idea. Future society will be or
ganized along soviet lines. There will
be soviet rather than geographical
boundaries for nations. Industrial
is the basic state. That is
what we are building
NationaIizcd Industry Soviet Basis
/ did not agree with Lenin's idea of
what he is building, but said nothing.
There is no more industrial unionism
in Lenin's highly centralized institu-
tons than in the United States post
office. What he calls Industrial I'M
ionism is nothing but nationalized in
dustry in the highest degree of CEN
ira liEation.
This recent change has reused the