Evening star., 1924-01-22
Nicolai Lcniu.

Lenin is dead. So says a dispatch
from Moscow, which bears every indi-
cation Of correctness. The end came
yesterday afternoon, and the news
was withheld Cor several hours.
Thus passes a man who individually
was responsible for one of the greatest
changes ever wrought In the affairs
Of a nation. He was an exile in
Switzerland when the czar's rule was
overthrown in. March, IN 1917. and
kerensky organized revolutionary
government. He and comrades OF his
manner Of thought went TO Russia.
There was r report that they went
there concealed In freight cars. After
ward the suspicion was raised that
Germany connived at Lenin's return
TO Russia, and was influential in his
overthrow Of the kerensky organiZa-
ton. 1t was undoubtedly to Germany's
interest to &break down the Russian
government. to end its war power.
Certainly that was the result, at any
rate, OF Lenin's capture Of the admin
istration. Russia ceased to be a factor
in the war. and 1t was very shortly af-
ter his coup Of November. 1917, that
Germany gathered her forces fer a
drive against the allied lines in France
and made her supreme effort for vic
tory.
Lenin was undoubtedly an evil man.
Perhaps he was a sincere man in his
belief in the doctrines that distin-
guished his party from that Of keren-
sky, the maximum Of Maryisnn, the
ultimate Of communism. Whether sim
cere or not, however, he was a great
organizer and an tndomitable leader.
His methods were cruel in the ex-
treme. Nobody, perhaps, will ever
know how many lives he sacrificed to
the end Of establishing an autocracy
Of what he called the proletariat, a
tyranny greater than even that OF
czarism. Nobody will perhaps ever
know the cost in treasure. in destruc.
ton OF property.
Lenin's scheme was fallacious. 1t
failed. He acknowledged its failure
before he was seized with the Illness
that finally. after long suffering, ended
his l.fe. He found that It was impos-
sible to transform Russia into COM
munism with all authority and power
and ownership vested In q state ruled
by virtually Seif&ppointed adnlinistra-
tors. He claimed for q time that this
fo }lfrrn i,,a - $1rn t,nSf;iifry ~ r. a
other powers, to the refusal Of other
nations to cooperate, to the with.
drawal Of trade. But the real cause
of the failure lay deeper. It was in.
ferent in the plan. In the first place.
the Russian people were no. qualified
for such an enterprise. They submit
ted because they were forced to SUBJ
nit. They, had no choice. The soviet
organization destroyed their initiative,
robbed them Of their enterprise, re-
duced them to state OF sullen sub
servience and submission.
Lenin passed out Of actual power,
though still titular head OF affairs,
when he was taken Ill. Other men
gained control. One Of his associates
from the beginning, Trotsky, has just
recently passed out of the organiza.
ton. A reaction is IN progress, un-
u2istakab!e and steady. Lenin's pass.
ing will make no difference in the
situation. He will probably be given
en- impressive funeral and proclaimed
to be the savior Of Russia. But doubt
less in their hearts most Russians,
and perhaps nlany Of those who are
now active In the soviet organization,
will be relieved that the strange spirit
that has brought such terrible suffer.
ing to a great people has finally
passed.