The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-01-21
Lenin AS | Saw Him


even they became infected with the
festival disposition on the faces of
the simple peasants and workers,
radiated with the crystal chandeliers
and the golden cornices.
Light and joy, glitter and splendor
comingled with the dowlas coats and
bast-shoes, with grey uniforms and
worn out boots, sleeveless overeoats
and caftans. Not single frock or
stove-pipe hat; and If by accident one
also sees in the formerly cars box
diplomat in white shirt, it is only
a relic of the long forgotten
past
Kalinin announces: the president of
the Soviet Of the peoples commissar.
lat Vladimir Ilyitch Lenin will
speak.
Every one rose from his seat. Hats
were taken off. The music stopped
playing, the people singing, but
faces still radiated with song.
Lenin appeared with the naivete of
child when taken by surprise; he
motions with his hand to quiet down
the audience, but the entire theater
from end to end is full of ecstasy,
and all as one shout Long live Nv
itchl They roar and storm so that
| it is impossible to stop them.
In the midst of laundering ovations
Lenin. began to speak. His speech
was SO simple that child could un-
ldCrufnnd
still skeptical about the firmness of
the power of the Soviets, about the
unconquerableness Of the proletarian
revolution and about its future before
Lenin spoke, they lost their skepti.
cism after he ended.
He gives an abundance of facts. of
statistical data embracing every part
and phase of Russian life, the condi-
tions Of other countries; dry facts,
dry statistical data, but from those
dry facts grows out of the epoch of the
class struggle, Of what it was, is, and
will be in the future.
During his speech Lenin stood in
one place, as il he were chained to
it, and his look pierced the heart of
Everybody in the large hall; he pene.
trated their hearts with his iron
logic, immense knowledge and sober
analysis.
In the end he goes over to the ne.
cessity Of electrifcation, showing
what wonders it will do; he proves.
again and again in dry facts and
numbers that in ten years time Rus.
STA will be electrified from coast to
coast. And not like dreamer or a
prophet does he appear before the
people; he is a builder Of today. for
whom every cog and screw has its
proper place, and soon enough we will
witness the beginnings Of motion of
the gigantic mechanism to the exact
hour
Lenin ended his speech lifting the
thick book on identification written
by commission of a hundred great
engineers and scientists and said
This is a new bible of the revolu.
toni"
One can hardly believe that here
stands man bearing three poisonous
bullets in his body. A giant not to
be conquered; every word of his
reaches like hammer that DESTROYS
and creates. Swiftly and impetuously
works the hammer; wreck upon
wreck are heaped in front of all and
above the wrecks legendary construc.
lions full Of sun and light grow out.
The theater thunders with an
plause, the eyes of many delegates.
especially peasants, are full Of tears
and ecstasy; various languages melt
in one long, lasting shout: long live
Ilyitch, long live Leninl
How long Lenin spoke? Who cared
for time? When we came out of the
theater, a deep starry sky was hang.
ing over Moscow, and the gigantic
electric signs over the theater threw
their fiery slogans of fight and vic.
tory, of bloody war and peaceful re-
construction work on the endless hu.
man stream.
The Kremlin clock played the mid.
night "Internationale"
Thus have l seen Lenin from a dis.
lance. But have also seen him
closer at his cabinet engaged IN
long conversation.
Ito be continued)