The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-06-21


l ing announcements of prominent
men regarding Lenin, came across
an article by the English novelist H.
G. Wells entitled, 1.-THE Dreamer Of
the Kremlin." The editor of the
book makes the observation, that
"even such advanced people as Wells
failed to understand the import of
the proletarian revolution proceeding
in Russia" 1t would appear as if
this is not regarded as a sufficient
reason for refraining from publishing
Mr.. Wells article in a book which is
devoted to the leader of this revolu-
ton. But it is not worth while worry
ing oneself about this: l at least
read some of the pages of Wells not
without interest, but this was not
the fault of the author as will be seen
from what follows.
One can still wildly call to mind
those days when Wells paid visit
TO Moscow. This was during the cold
and hunger Of the winter of 1920-21.
There were already premonitions of
the complications which were to fol
low in the spring. Starving Moscow
was wrapped in snow. Our economic
policy stood before sudden and
thorough-going change. / very well
remember the impression which Vlad-
imir Ilyitch derived from Wells:
ugh! What narrow petty bour-
geois! Ugh! What Philistine!"
he repeated, raising his hands over
the table with that laugh and that ex
halation of the breath which was char
acteristic of him when he ever felt
sort of inner shame on account Of an
other man. ugh! What Phili-
stine," he repeated when he again
called to mind that conversation. This
conversation between Lenin and my
self took place before the opening
of a sitting of the Political Bureau
and was practically confined to re-
petition of the aforementioned terse
Characterization of Wells. But this
was quite sufficient. For myself, had
read little of Wells and had never met
him personally. But l was able to
6UflSdAC III u ldllAy CtCcbA A4AoAhSA SAAS
picture of the English drawing-room
socialist, of the Fabian, Of the writer
of phantasies and Utopias, who had
come to view the Communist expert
ments. And the exclamation of Len
in, and in particular the tone in which
he made this exclamation, enabled
me to fill in the remaining features
with little difficulty. And now this
article by Wells, which in some mex
plicable manner has found its way in
to the pages of the collection of ar
ticles on Lenin, not only revives in
my mind that exclamation of Lenin's
but has also filed it with vivid
content. For if IN the article by Wells
there is practically no trace of Lenin,
one can see Wells in it as plain as
plain can be.
Let us begin with the Introductory
complaint of Wells: He was COM
PEELED, just think, to take extraordi-
nary pains in order to be able to
speak with Lenin, which annoyed
him (Wells) very much" Why, pray?
Had Lenin summoned Wells? Had he
pledged himself to give him a recep-
ton, or had he so much free time on
his hands? On the contrary. In those
extremely difficult days he was occu-
pied every minute of his time; he
could not so easily find free hour in
order to receive Wells. This should
not have been difficult for a foreign
er to understand. But the whole
trouble was that Mr.. Wells, as dis
tinguished foreigner-and with all his
Socialism" a most conservative Eng
lishman Of the imperialist type-was
filled with the conviction that he was
comforting a great honor upon this
barbarian country and its leader by
condescending to visit it. The whole
article of Wells, from the first to the
last line, stinks of unwarranted, Snug
self-conceit.
The Characterization of Lenin be-
gins, as was to be expected, with a
discovery. Lenin, only think, Ifs in