V. I.

Lenin

To:   G. V. CHICHERIN

5/IX.

Comrade Chicherin:

I attach no importance to Berzin’s opinion about the decline of the British labour
movement. [1] Berzin knows little and is always “pessimistic”.

I am very much worried about the search of his luggage.
I think we should make a strict application of the “eye
for an eye” rule to British representatives. Pedantically:
treat them just as badly and a little worse. Is this being
done?

Then, concerning the “Hooverites”, [2] their every step
should be watched (by the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs through the press and perhaps some “ties”);
while the worst of them (someone called Lowrie?) “tracked
down” and caught, so as to land them in a scandal.

This calls for relentless, persistent warfare.

Do all our representatives abroad know that everything should he done to support workers’ collections (in aid of
the starving) directly to us ? Send a dispatch (circular)
with this demand: their every report must state in code:
“workers’ collections in Britain (France, Sweden, etc.) for
fortnight so much.”

Collections only straight to our address.

We must have prompt, accurate and regular information about this.

The “for Nansen” and “against Nansen” campaign [3] clearly shows (the extracts from the Daily Chronicle which
you have sent me are extremely interesting) that we must
reply to Noulens with a strictly sharp rejection: an outright rejection. Then and only then shall we gain by
winning over the “pro-Nansen” elements and put an end to
the game of the anti-Nansenites.

With communist greetings, Lenin

---
Notes:
[1]
This opinion was expressed by J. A. Berzin in a note, which
he sent from Britain, apparently to G. V. Chicherin.

[2]
A reference to officials of the American Relief Administration (ARA)
which was headed by Herbert Hoover. Lenin’s proposal that
a number of restrictive measures should be taken in respect of
them was due to the fact that the staff of this organisation,
consisting mainly of U.S. army officers, engaged in espionage and
gave support to counter-revolutionary elements in Russia (see
this volume, Documents 310, 331 and 370).

[3]
Nansen’s activity in collecting donations from public organisations and private persons to render aid to the starving in Russia
aroused dissatisfaction in the reactionary circles of some capitalist
countries. The Soviet people appreciated his efforts, and on
December 25, 1921, the Ninth All-Russia Congress of Soviets
carried a vote expressing deep gratitude, to him.

The Daily Chronicle , a newspaper of the British imperialist,
bourgeoisie, published in London from 1855 to 1930.