V. I. Lenin

Amendments and Remarks to the Draft Declaration of The Soviet Delegation at the Genoa Conference {1}

Comrade Molotov

Withreference to Comrade Chicherin’s motion entitled “Elements of a first speech at the Conference” I propose the following
amendments:

1) Lines 7 and 8 down on the first page—I propose that we speak about
“systems of property” and not just politico-economic systems. {2}

2)On the same page, lines 8 and 9 up—all mention of “inevitable
forcible revolution and the use of sanguinary struggle” must definitely be
thrown out; instead we should speak only of the fact that we Communists do
not share the views of the pacifists—a fact which is sufficiently well
known from communist literature—but having come here as merchants, we
positively consider it our duty to give our fullest support to any attempts
at a peaceful settlement of outstanding problems.

3)On the same page, 2nd and 3rd lines up—the words stating that our
“historic conception includes the use of forcible measures” should
definitely be deleted.

4) Page 2, 2nd and 3rd lines down—the words about our historic
conception being definitely based on the inevitability of new world wars
should be definitely deleted.

Underno circumstance should such frightful words be used, as this
would mean playing into the hands of our opponents. We should confine
ourselves only to mentioning that the views of the Communists do not
coincide with the views of such pacifists as the states we are beginning
negotiations with, such statesmen as Henderson, Keynes, etc., but that we
consider it our duty, in order to achieve the economic agreement we are
desirous of concluding, to do everything in our power for the broadest
possible fulfilment of at least a certain part of this pacifist programme.

Lenin

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Notes:
{1}
All Lenin’s amendments and remarks to the draft declaration for the
Soviet delegation to the Genoa Conference submitted by Chicherin were taken
into consideration. This declaration was read out by Chicherin at the first
plenary session of the Genoa Conference on April 10, 1922.

{2}
Lenin is referring to the following draft speech submitted by
Chicherin:

“We attach the greatest importance to Point One of the Cannes resolution
concerning mutual recognition of the political and economic systems in both
camps of the present-day world” (Central Party Archives of the Institute
of Marxism- Leninism of the C.C. of the C.P.S.U.). This text in Chicherin’s
draft is marked off by Lenin in the margin. The words in Chicherin’s draft
referred to in points 2, 3 and 4 of Lenin’s remarks are underlined by
Lenin.