The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1921-08-15
LACK OF FOOD
GREAT PROBLEM
FACING LENINE
With Starvation Threatening Large
Proportion of Population
Situation Serious


Reval, Esthonia. July 25.-(By
Mail Famine, resulting from the
crop failure is far more feared by the
Communist dictators of Russia than
any development of capitalism that
might come from recent concessions
toward free trade, according 70
speeches by Lenine and other Com
munist leaders, editorials in Bolshe-
vik official newspapers and other in
formation from Moscow reaching the
Baltic states.
Lenine, writing for the Baku Com
munist, as reported by the official
Bolshevik telegraph agency, Rosta, a
few days ago, said: There is moth
ing to fear in the rise of small farm
ing and small industry. 1t cannot be
dangerous to our big industry. Some
thing else is to be feared. In case of
bad harvest, there can be no dimin-
ishing in the crisis of the working
classes.
Not the growth of petty bourgeoi-
sic is dangerous, but the state of need
and the lack of foodstuffs that is con
tinung too long. That is why the
proletariat becomes weak and cannot
stand against the elements of petty
bourgeoisie."
In this, as in other articles widely
distributed throughout Russia in sup
port of the new economic policy. Le
nine points out that, by holding firm
ly to the reins of big industry, the
dictatorship of the proletariat can al
ways control any situation that might
develop with regard to smaller CAPT
talstic advancement.
In a speech before the All-Russian
Supply Conference, recently held at
Moscow, Lenine, as reported in the
official newspapers Pravda and lives
tia was extremely pessimistic about
the famine possibilities.
There has come to pass" he is re-
ported as saying, IAN unforeseen cir
cumstance, which now, in the second
year, subjects the country to extreme
hardships. Whether we are in for a
series of arid years, as has been pro
phesied these two years, we do not
know. But it has become perfectly
clear that this is the second year in
which we will again, over large areas
experience failure of crops, and this
pictures in our minds the imminency
of great danger.
81 will not dwell on the extent of
the area affected by this calamity, but
the area is certainly very great. 1t is
already quite clear that there will be
large arrears in the payment of tax
in kind in many districts; that in
many districts the population, apart
from this will be doomed TO unheard
opif nd hot
izations, instead of obtaining in those
districts a surplus of products for the
of the army, the
labor classes and the industry, will
have to support the starving popula
tion.'
Further, Lenine pointed out that
the hardships entailed by the crop
failures would be- aggravated by the
fact that in the few districts where
the crops probably will be good, the
Soviet supply apparatus is working
worse than elsewhere.
'If we look at the map illustrating
the prospects of the harvest" he said,
I'VE find that in those districts of
Soviet Russia and the allied sister
republics where the harvest promises
to be good, or above the average, the
supply institutions are certainly not
above medium, but frequently below
medium. We shall have to occupy
ourselves with the question of chang
ing the personnel of the supply organ
izations, but we have few suitable
and experienced candidates who
might soon adapt themselves to their
new tasks and successfully push the
work"