V. I.

Lenin

N. N. Pokrovsky, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and the
present Vice-Chairman of the Central War Industries Committee,
has become a member of the Board of the Russian Bank for Foreign
Commerce. Count V. N. Kokovtsov, the former Chairman of the
Council of Ministers, has also become a member of the Board.

These happy tidings were brought to us by last night’s papers.

A minister today, a banker tomorrow; a banker today, a minister
tomorrow. It is “war to the end”—both today and tomorrow.

This state of affairs prevails not only in Russia, but in every
other country where Capital rules. A handful of bankers, who
have the whole world in their grip, are making a fortune out of
the war.

But Pokrovsky and Kokovtsov, we may be told, were ministers
during the old regime, and we are now living in a regenerated
Russia.

We will answer with a question:

In how many banks do the present ministers, Guchkov, Tereshchenko, and Konovalov—have an interest (in the capacity of directors, shareholders, or actual owners)?

Our comrades, the bank employees (who, by the way, should
organise a union of their own as soon as possible), would do
well to gather material on this subject and publish it in the
labour press.

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