The New York herald., 1921-07-31
SEES NEED OF TRADE
Urges Them to Exchange
Their Goods With Capt.
talist Countries.
IRRIGATION IS FAVORED
Says Europe and the World
Are Not the Same as They
Were in 1918.
Special Correspondence to THE NEW YORK
HERALD.
by CAPT. FRANCIS M'CULLAGH.

Special Correspondence to The NEW YORK
Nv CAPT. FRANCIS M,CULLAGH.
REvAL. July 15.-The PrdvdG Of
Moscow publishes a remarkable letter
Of Lenine's, in which the Red dictator
addresses the little Caucasian republics
as If he were a venerable patriarch
and they his grandchildren. advising
them not 10 initiate too closely the
Russian Soviet Republic.
"Your conditions are different" he
said. so that your tactics should be
different. You must remember that
Russia was starved by the blockade
and desolated by civil war. You should
go slow and build up gradually. You
must remember that you are all peas
ant republics and to an even greater
extent than Russia
You must show greater mildness,
consideration and yieldingness toward
the small shopkeepers. the educated
classes and particularly the peasants"
(Bolshe myagkosti, ostorozhnosti, US
tupchivosti po otnoshennyu k melkoi
burzhuazi, ,ntelligentsii !. osobenno, k
krestianstvu.)
"You should make use." ne continued,
'of the economic capitalism OF the West
by policy Of concessions and exchange
Of goods with foreign countries. Naphtha.
manganese coal these by no means ex-
haust the list of the natural wealth with
which you can trade. There Is a full
possibility for the success of a policy of
concessions and exchange of goods with
foreign countries being carried out on a
large scale. Such policy is necessary
for improving the lot Of the workers and
the peasants and the economy of the
intelligentzia. Do your utmost to ex-
change goods with Italy. America and
other countries. Increase the productive
ity of your generous soil by the use Of
fertilisers and irrigation. Irrigation is
AspecleJJy -Soortant for agriculture and
Eosx sr.~v|g.
"A ol0Wpr, more cautious, more
systematic transition to socialism; that
Is what Is necessary and indispensable
for the Caucasian republics, in CONTRA
diction to the Russian Soviet Republic.
This Is what you must understand and
carry out. and not our tactics. We have
opened the first breach in the wall of
world 6.pitalism. The breach is open.
But we are left in difficult and pain
full position with war all around us. with
Whites and Blacks and Mensheviki at
tacking us and supported In their attack
by the Entente and its blockade. You,
brother Communists Of the Caucasus
need make no breach. You need only
avail yourselves of the international cir
cumstances around you and so favorable
to you.
Change OF Policy shown.
world are not the same as they were in
1918. Don't initiate our tactics. but take
an independent line of your own in ac-
cordance with the changed conditions
that Is the task before you. Do not
stick to the letter: go by the spirit
Take to heart the lesson OF 1918 Pro-
ceed at once to exchange OF goods with
capitalist countries abroad. Send them
tens of thousands of pounds Of your
precious nerals. Begin at once to
improve The condition OF the peasants
and to start great works of electrifica-
tion and irrigation. Irrigation Is the
most important of all for 1t will settle
more people on the land, 1t will give
life 10 the land, 1t will facilitate the
transition to socialism"
This letter was not intended for prop
aganda or for foreign consumption at
all on the contrary, 1t was written by
Lenine with his own hand and sent by
the Caucasian papers. all OF which
printed 1t on May 20. Compared with
= the fierce trumpet blasts which Lenine
was In the habit of emitting up to a
year ago. 1t is almost pathetic.
There Is note of consideration for
the peasants. the little shopkeepers and
the intelligentsa which the Red dcta-
tors letters never before exhibited,
apparently real change of heart but
whether 1t is too late or not nobody
knows. Some of the "old man" still
remains. but in a form that makes one
smile indulgently. I refer to the advice
about the "electrification" given to the
Wild peasants OF the Caucasus. some of
whom still plough with boughs of trees;
but identification Of Russian agricul-
lure, at the present stage, Is one of
Lenine's pet delusions though he has
spent millions Of roubles on 1t in Russia
without result.
when we call to mind Lenine's sa-
tanic outbursts not SO very long ago
about heavy civil war; worldwide
ruin and revolution" and "the over
throw OF capitalists. thrones and affairs
all over the EARTH we feel that the
Lenlne OF this pathetic appeal Is a
changed man. Is he a broken man who
sees in front OF him unavoidable fail
IRE and death? Or Is he converted
man still strong enough to undo some
of the harm he has done7
Lenine Meets Factory Managers.
on May % Commissar Rykov had a
nriyate conference with the specialists
and technicians OF the flax and cloth
industries at which conference all the
managers of factories IN the Moscow
and Ivanov-voznesensky districts also
assisted by invitation. Lenine unex-
pectedly arrived during the progress OF
thA discussion and spoke as follows:
~yearing by accident that my col
tenrue Comrade Rykov. had called yru
together owing to the rumors that were
going about Moscow as to the impos-
siblo conditions alleged to be laid down
by the national commissaries with re-
nard 10 private factories, determined
10 come here myself to tell you that
far from laying down impossible con-
dltions, we shall be most happy to help
ali Of you, without distinction of party,
IN reorganizing the industries OF the
country ruined by civil war and by the
action OF irresponsible persons belong
ing, regret TO say, to the Communist
marty. II is perfectly true that there
were amongst us office stool theorists
altogether out of touch with real life
who have done n lot OF harm to our
industries, but. convinced of their mis-
take, they have now stood aside. And
now tell yor frankly that the Soviet
Government is ready to work hand in