V. I. Lenin

Source: ru:LS/v37;es:MT
Translated: machine translation (DeepSeek) from the Russian; AI-translated.

PETROGRAD, SUNDAY.

(PETROGRAD BUREAU OF FOLKETS DAGBLAD. TELEGRAM RECEIVED WITH DELAY.)

Yesterday afternoon Lenin received your correspondent and had a long conversation with him. He stated that for two days Smolny had had no communication whatever with Brest-Litovsk. No news had come from there during that time. Trotsky is sitting there as if in the Peter and Paul Fortress. This proves that the Germans want to conceal something. The internal situation in Germany is certainly critical. Possibly they also want to influence the Russians by such behaviour, but they are mistaken. Trotsky will not allow himself to be deluded by such methods. We too shall take steps to alter this situation.

Regarding the internal situation in Russia, Lenin was particularly hopeful. We are masters of the situation on the Don. Kiev is ours. News has just been received that Orenburg has been taken by the Bolshevik troops and that the Cossacks under General Dutov have suffered a heavy defeat. Forty Cossack regiments have declared war on Kaledin. One fine day he may be brought here as a prisoner.

Militarily, therefore, we have the upper hand everywhere in the country. Even the sabotage by the bourgeoisie is receding. The organisation of all groups of employees has just decided to start negotiations with Smolny with a view to resuming work in all state enterprises. In addition, work is proceeding on the nationalisation of the means of production. Quite recently the leather industry was nationalised, just as the metallurgical industry was nationalised before that; they are managed jointly by workers and capitalists, with the former having the decisive voice. And the bread question, too, seems to be clearing up. Yesterday a Siberian delegation was at Smolny, which promised effective support from Siberia, where there is an abundance of grain. Yesterday two whole railway trains arrived from Siberia with grain, rice and other foodstuffs. The opposition of the Mensheviks and the Right Socialist-Revolutionaries is becoming less and less significant. At the big Congress of Soviets they were a dwindling minority. Their best forces will evidently gradually come over to us, as some of them have already done. What is particularly noteworthy about the results of the Congress of Soviets is that the overwhelming majority of the Russian people support the revolution.

Referring to Finland, Lenin expressed his satisfaction with the revolution. The whole of Southern Finland is in the hands of the workers. Tammerfors, which was reported to have been taken by the Black Guards, was, at least up to Saturday, still in the hands of the Red Guard. In Uleaborg, on the contrary, the Black Guards defeated the Reds. The Black Guard, which seems to be partly led by German officers, has also declared war on the Bolsheviks.

Good news has also come from Rumania. The news that the King has been deposed has not yet been confirmed, of course, but it is not impossible that this has actually happened.

Yes, we shall soon finish with the small states, said Lenin with his good-natured, sarcastic smile. If only everything goes well in Germany afterwards.

In conclusion, in reply to the correspondent’s question about his health, Lenin said that he felt splendid, despite the enormous burden of work which left him hardly any time for sleep. I have only one dream, he said, to rest for at least half an hour.