New-York tribune., 1921-06-03
Needs 10 Years
To Make Russia
Red,SaysL.e1nirne
Conversion Will Come Only
When Electrification of
Railroads Becomes Cen
erai, Statement Asserts
State Control of Capital
Would Aid Peasants by Ex-
changing Stocks i'm Fac
tories for Raw Goods
By Wireless to The Tribune

Copyright, l9Z1. New ork Tribune Inc.
BERLIN, June 2.-Premier Lenine of
Russia clin'gs to the hope that Bosie-
vism will someway survive, despite it's
acknowledged failure to date. In q
statement in new Petrograd news
paper. The Red News, copy of wh:cn
has reached the Tribune correspondent
here, the Soviet leader, however, con-
cedes:
Capitalism in certain measure is
inevitable"
Painting gloomy picture Of the field
he has had to work with Lenine asks:
SIS it possible to conceive a direct
transition out Of these states to social
ism? The regions southwark along the
Don and Volga and rorthward toward
Fologda and eastward about Omsk have
marked patriarchal state life of semi
barbarism and actual savagery. A SIM
liar situation is found IN the rural
backgrounds of the rest of Russia.
st is possible to convert them to
socialism to certain extent, but only
when the electrificatfon of the rail-
roads has become widespread. But this
condition cannot be realized within the
next ten years"
State Control Over Capital
Lenine's recipe for Russia now pro-
vides for clectrification, state capital
ism and the dictatorship of the Com
munist party. He completely indorses
the plan proposed by RykotT, president
of the Moscow All-Russian Economic
Council, for the reversion of certain
Russian factories from governrne nj
ownership to private ownership, partic-
ularly those employing 800 or fewer
persons. But although Lenine favors
or submits to, the reentry of capitalism
into Russian life, be thinks it should
be tempered with as much state con.
troll as the Soviet government seems
necessary. In an effort to avoid the
appearance of changing horses in mid
stream Lenine continues:
The basic principles of our economy
remain unaltered. A very great mum
Der Of our poor peasants have turned
middle class and ali propertied ele-
ments have been greatly augmented
while in the civil war of 1918 and 1918
this was badly disorganized country
Must Better Peasants Condition
"To this has been added the poor
harvest of 1920, marked by complete
lack of stock feed and a decrease OF
livestock and additional disorganiza-
ton of the transport industry. The
sum total of the political situation in
the spring of 1921 is such as requires
immediate results and the most ex-
traordinary measures for the improve
ment Of the condition of peasants en-.
gagged in the country's productive ca
pacities.
The best and most correct policy
would be to give small percentag,
Of all products out of the stocks of the
| large socialist factories in exchange
for bread and raw materials. This ba.
been our policy from the beginning
But we are unable to supply these
products and will be unable to do Sc
until we complete at least the frs
phase of the electrifcation Of the
country.
CON the other hand, to try to pro
hibit or stand in the way of all devel
opment of private exchange-in the
way of free trade or capitalism would
be silly, suicidal policy for any
party.
Our last possible and only reason.