V. I. Lenin

Answers To Questions Put By A Chicago Daily News Correspondent [1]

October 5, 1919

I beg to apologise for my bad English. I am glad to answer your
few questions.

1. What is the present policy of the Soviet Government on the question of peace ?

2. What, in general outline, are the peace terms put forward by Soviet Russia ?

Our peace policy is the former, that is, we have accepted the
peace proposition of Mr. Bullitt. [2] We have never changed
our peace conditions (question 2), which are formulated with
Mr. Bullitt.

We have many times officially proposed peace to the Entente
before coming of Mr. Builitt.

3. Is the Soviet Government prepared to guarantee absolute nonintervention in the internal affairs of foreign states?

We are willing to guarantee it.

4. Is the Soviet Government prepared to prove that it represents the majority of the Russian people?

Yes, the Soviet Government is the most democratic goverrunent
of all governments in the world. We are willing to prove it.

5. What is the position of the Soviet Government in respect of an economic understanding with America?

We are decidedly for an economic understanding with
America—With all con utries but especially with
America.

If necessary we can give you the full text of our peace
conditions as formulated by our government with Mr. Bnllitt.

Wl. Oulianoff (N. Lenin)

Endnotes

[1]
The Chicago Daily News corrrespondent I. Levin, who was
in Soviet Russia, asked Lenin to answer five questions. The
questions and Lenin’s answers were published in the
Chicago Daily News No. 257, October 27, 1919.

[2]
Lenin refers to peace talks with William Bullitt who came to
Soviet Russia in March 1919 to discuss the possible terms of peace
treaties between Soviet Russia and the Allies, and the whiteguard
govern-ments then existing on the territory of Russia. Bullitt
submitted the proposals put forward by President Woodrow Wilson
and Prime Minister Lloyd George.

Guided by the desire to conclude peace as soon as possible, the Soviet Government agreed to negotiate, and
introduced a number of amendments and addenda to the proposals put
forward by the U.S.A. and Britain, after which a final joint draft
was prepared.

Soon after Bullitt’s departure from
Soviet Russia Koichak’s army launched an offensive, and the imperialist governments
refused to accept the Soviet proposals in the hope that Soviet
Russia would be defeated. Wilson prohibited the publication of
the draft agreement brought by Bullitt, and Lloyd George
announced in Parliament that he had not authorised anyone to
negotiate with the
Soviet Government.