# Article by D. B. “A European Union of States?” in “Die Grenzboten”

Date: March 3, 1915
Source: Lenin Collection, Volume 27
Pages: 301–302

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[ARTICLE BY D. B. EIN “EUROPEAN UNION OF STATES?” IN “DIE GRENZBOTEN”]
“Die Grenzboten, 1915, No. 9 (March 3, 1915)
Quote from the appeal of the committee
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Highly poisonous!
The article “A European Union of States?” — an open letter from a certain D. B. to Professor G. Heymans of Groningen.
This professor, together with a group of four individuals, has formed a committee known as “The European Union of States.” Among other publications, this committee issued Heymans’ treatise entitled “To the Citizens of the Warring States.” In response to this work, the open letter printed in “Die Grenzboten” was penned.
In the open letter, among other matters, the question of colonies is raised (p. 270). “Is not their ‘internal self‑determination’ also desirable? And are not Indians, Negroes, and Tatars equally ‘entitled to equal rights’ with the English, French, and Russians…?” (270).
…“England’s colonial empire—like other colonial empires, it came into being far less on the basis of ‘equal rights and internal self‑determination’ for the colonized peoples—covers roughly one‑fifth of the Earth’s surface. Perhaps England ought to retain this colonial empire until such time as the English themselves have died out in England itself, while Germany is not permitted to claim even a single square kilometer of it, even if its population were to grow to 200 million in the meantime?” (271)…
[304]

[ARTICLE BY D. B. “A EUROPEAN UNION OF
STATES?” IN “DIE GRENZBOTEN”] “Die Grenzboten, 1915, No. 9 (March 3, 1915)
The article “A European Union of States?” — an open letter from a certain D. B. to Professor G. Heymans of Groningen.
This professor, together with four other individuals, has formed a committee called “The European Union of States.” Among other works, this committee published Heymans’ essay titled “To the Citizens of the Warring States.” In response to this treatise, the open letter printed in “Die Grenzboten” was composed.
In the open letter, among other issues, the question of colonies is raised (p. 270). “Is not their ‘internal independence’ also desirable? And are not Indians, Negroes, and Tatars equally ‘entitled to equal rights’ with the English, French, and Russians…?” (270)
…“The British colonial state—formed, like other colonial states, least of all on the basis of ‘equality of rights and internal independence’ for the colonized peoples—occupies roughly one‑fifth of the Earth’s landmass. Perhaps Britain should preserve this colonial state until such time as the English themselves have become extinct within England itself, while Germany must not dare to claim even a single square kilometer of it—even if, in the meantime, its population were to swell to 200 million?” (271)…
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Quote from the appeal of the committee
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Highly poisonous!
[305]
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