V. I.

Lenin

728

TELEGRAM TO G. V. CHICHERIN [2]

If we have correctly understood the press comments over
the situation created by our reply, Lloyd George is prepared to separate an immediate political agreement on peace
from financial-economic agreements which are to be referred to a long
commission. [3] This would be the best outcome and an unquestionable victory, that is why we
recommend:
1) to continue the absolutely uncompromising
line in the economic sphere, agreeing to a long commission,
2) to give every support to Lloyd George in his urge for a
political agreement (guarantee, treaty),
3) in every way to
strive for separate agreements with various countries,
4) to make every possible use of Lloyd George’s approach to
the question of the eastern boundaries of Poland and
Rumania, indicating that these boundaries are obstacles to
the establishment of peace, but this should be done cautiously, so as not to draw criticism about departures from the
Riga
Treaty. [4] We repeat our request that you urgently communicate to us basic propositions for an All-Russia
C.E.C. resolution on Joffe’s report, especially in connection with the Rapallo Treaty—see our telegram
No. 3535/c. [1]

---
Notes:
[1]
See Document 720 of this volume.— Ed.—Lenin

[2]
The telegram proposed by Lenin was adopted by the Politbureau
of the R.C.P.(B.) C.C. on May 14, 1922, and sent to G. V.
Chicherin.

[3]
A reference to the memorandum of the Soviet delegation of May
11, 1922.

In pursuance of the directives of the R.C.P.(B.) C.C., the
delegation rejected the demands of the Entente countries, declaring
that unless they recognised the principle of reciprocity, Soviet
Russia would not make concessions. It proposed that a mixed
expert committee should be set up to study the controversial
financial matters.

Thus, the negotiations at Genoa were broken off through the
fault of the Entente powers, which refused to repudiate their
colonialist altitude towards Soviet Russia.

The activity of the Soviet delegation was approved by the
All-Russia C.E.C. session, which on May 17 adopted a resolution on A. A. Joffe’s report. The resolution was drafted by
Lenin (see present edition, Vol. 33, pp. 356–57).

[4]
The Riga Peace Treaty was signed on March 18, 1921, by Russia
and the Ukraine, on the one hand, and Poland, on the other (see
Dokumenty me shut I politiki SSSR , Vol. V, Moscow, 1961, p. 401).