The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-03-26
Preface to Bukharin's Brochures world Economics
and Imperialism"
NOte Of be Ls,.in Institute:

Conrrdde Bakharin 1orites IN has preface to the
brochure: World Economics and Imperialism" Eat
the end of 1870:
about too gears ago, the manuscript (of the
broctUre) Oas sent to Russia from abroad and after
having first of all fallen into the clutches of the
military censorship It found its a0ay by mistake to
another ptbliSher.
After the February aud March revolution C917)
1T turned up In the July days It 1oas to haze been
printed but the police spies and JakeYs svho des-
troyed our Party printing works, took my manu-
script also INTO their Some time later sue
ceeded tn recovering the manuscript, though IN a
c7t7npted and DatSGted condition but with the loss
Of the comprehensive and e1trenleLy voluGble pre-
face OF C0nardde Lenin, to t0hom / here cypress
my deep-feh thanks.'
Lef'i1, 1ohO apparently attached mach Importance
to has preface to the aforementioned brochure which
0ds aOritten IN December 1915, had made nsGnu-
script copy for himself, Uhich preserved among
has papers and IS published herewith for the first
time by the Institute
The sohoIe t0ritten manuscript consists of sir
pages IN small handwriting. On the fourth page
o. the manuscript calculations IN figures aOrit
ten IN pencil, apparently the number of letters
IN the manuscript
At the head of the manuscript are peseiI-notes bg
LelltT: "KOpiG" and "NB." Lenin Institute
The significance and relevance of the theme to
which N. |. Bukharins article is devoted needs no
special calculation. The question of inperialism
is not only one of the most essential but we might
say the most essential questions in that field of
national economy which concerns itself with the
changes in the forms of capitalism in recent times
anyone who is interested in national economy or in
any other field of modern social life must absolutely
become acquainted with the facts which have been
so richly compiled by the author on the basis of
the newest material. 1t goes without saving that
1t is impossible to speak of a concrete historical
estimation of the present war, unless this estima-
ton is based a complete understanding of the
nature of Imperialism both from the economic and
from the political point of view. From no other
standpoint can understanding of the economic
and diplomatic relations of the last decade be ac-
quIred,-n this understanding is wanting, it is i'm
possible to form right judgment as to the war
In this question, Marxism expresses with particular
cearness the demands of modern science as SUCH
and d. by concrete historical Judgment of the
war, be understood the selection of individual in
significant facts from diplomatic documents" DO
htlcal events of the day, etc. facts which suit or
are pleasant to the ruling classes of country,
Mar7usm has nothing but smile for the Scientific"
significance of such Vaccinations Thus for in
stance, G. Plechanov had to say goodbye to Marx
ism, in order to replace the Investigation of the
fundamental qualities and tendencies of imperalisn
as system of the economic relations of the most.
recent most highly developed ripe and over-ripe
capitalism by extracting a few trifles such as are
pleasing to Purishkevitch and Mijukov In doing
So the scientific conception of Imperialism is brought
down to the level of term of invective against the
immediate competitors, rivals and opponents of the
above mentioned imperialists although both of them
stand on the same class plane as their rivals and
opponents. In day of forgotten words lost prin-
ciples uprooted views of lfe resolutions and sacred
promises thrust side, this is not to be won
dered at
The scientific significance of N. /. Bukharin's
work is especially that it investigates the most i'm
porant facts of world economies which are related
to imperialism as whole, definite stage of
development of capitalism at its zenith There was
time when capitalism was comparatively "peace-
full" when it had finally defeated feudalism in the
advanced states of Europe and could develop COM
paratvely in most calm and peaceful way could
peacefully" expand immense free territories,
countries which had not yet been finally drawn
into the capitalist whirlpool. Even in those times,
in the period which embraces the years from 1871
to 1914 conditions were created by peaceful" CAPT
tasm which, both in a military and in a general
class sense, infinitely remote from real peace"
For nine -tenths of the population of the advanced
countries for hundreds of millions of people in the
colonies and backward countries. this was not time
of "peace," but time of oppression of distress and