V. I.

Lenin

What a pity that the masses cannot read books on the history of
diplomacy, or the editorials in the capitalist newspapers. And
an even greater pity—though in this case pity is too feeble
a word—that the Socialist-Revolutionary and Menshevik ministers and their ministeriable colleagues should maintain
such a discreet silence on certain facts of diplomatic history
and on the utterances of the “great diplomatic minds”, though
these are only too well known to them.

Rech quotes what it claims to be a reliable report in
Birzhevka to the effect that Britain is quite prepared to renounce the “dismemberment of Turkey and partitioning of
Austria-Hungary”. In other words, Britain readily consents to
Russia not getting the annexations promised her under earlier treaties (Constantinople, Armenia, Galicia). In
this sense—and in this sense alone—Britain is prepared to revise the treaties.

And Rech waxes indignant:

“ So this is the first result of the triumph of the new slogan
[the slogan of peace without annexations and indemnities]. The
agreement will very likely be revised: our Allies—not we—are already taking ’preparatory steps’ towards that
end. The result of this revision, however, will be not a uniform
[mark this!] renunciation of the major objectives of all the
Allies, but a one-sided [isn’t that a gem?] renunciation of the
objectives in South-Eastern Europe [read: in Austria and Turkey,
i.e., the plundering of Armenia, Constantinople, Galicia] in
favour of objectives in other areas and in the colonies,
formulated not by us hut by our Allies.

“ In particular, there have been press reports suggesting that
our Allies might abandon their objectives in Asia Minor. True,
there is so far no official confirmation of the statements to
that effect said to have been made by Albert Thomas in the
Soviet of Workers’ and soldiers’ Deputies and reported in the
Moscow press. It would be difficult, however, to expect any such
action as far as Britain is concerned.

For Britain takes the correct view that possession is nine-tenths of the law [mark
this!] and her troops are already occupying parts of Mesopotamia
and Palestine which are of vital interest to her tread: to her
capitalists). In these circumstances, Britain’s refusal to fight
for the vital interests of the other [ Rech’s italics]
Allies would, of course, likewise be a one-sided act advantageous to her alone.”

Truly, Milyukov, or whoever it was wrote these lines, deserves
to have a monument set up to him in his lifetime... for
frankness. Bravo, candid Rech diplomats! (And why are they candid? Because they were angered at Milyukov being
deprived of his portfolio.)

Everything that has been said in the lines quoted above is the
truth, a truth confirmed by the recent history of diplomacy
and the history of foreign investments. Britain at any rate will not renounce the seizure (annexation) of Palestine and
Mesopotamia, though she is prepared to punish the Russians (for
the “virtual armistice” on the Russian-German front) by denying
them Galicia, Constantinople, Armenia, etc. That, in plain,
non-diplomatic language, is the meaning of these statements in
Rech.

And the Russian capitalists for whom Rech speaks can barely hold back their anger. Foaming at the mouth, they are
blurting out the secrets of foreign policy and taking digs at
the British capitalists: what you are doing is “one-sided”, it
is to your “advantage”, and to the disadvantage of others.

Comrades, workers and soldiers! Consider these strikingly frank
and strikingly truthful statements of Rech , coming from
well-informed diplomats and former ministers, consider this
excellent exposure of the real aims which not only the
Russian, but the British capitalists, too, are pursuing in the
war.

Russian soldiers! Do you want to fight to help the British
capitalists seize Mesopotamia and Palestine? Do you want to
support the Russian Government of Lvov, Chernov, Tereshchenko,
Tsereteli, a government bound by the interests of the capitalists and afraid openly to state the true facts
which have been blurted out by Rech?

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