LENIN: THE MAN AS HE IS

Grey River Argus, 12 November 1920, Page 5

LENIN: THE MAN AS HE IS

(By A. White.)

The B.S.P. is to be congratulated on its latest publication "Lenin: His liife and -Work," by G. Zinovieff (B.S.P. 7d). Just as lying vilification of leaders of international Socialism forms part of capitalist propaganda, so must the defence of those attacked occupy an important position in the endeavour to spread Communist principles. "Lenin: His Life and Woxk" docs not belong to the category of dry-as-dust biographies, whose chief merit is a monotonous repetition of events. Rather it is n stirring appreciation of ii great leader by one who worked with and followed him during .15 years of momentous difficulty and struggle. The pamphlet is a verbatim report of a speech delivered by G Zinovieff at Pet rograd immediately after the attempt to assassinate Lenin in 1918. Amid scciies of enthusiasm it was announced that he would recover. Here one gets a glimpse of how mucli store was put on the life of their leader by the proletariat of Russia. Lenin's carlv acti-

v vities brought him in touch with the Populist Revolutionists. However, his leanings to Marxism soon caused him to cross swords with many prominent leaders. Their petty bourgeois notions received some rude shocks from the future Communist leader. In Pctrograd, with a handful of Marxists (and Marxists were scarce in those days) Lenin built up the "Union of thci Struggle of Labour," which conducted the first working elasg strikes. It is just here that Lenin brilliantly justifies the B.S.P. position. The question of fines was at that time agitating the minds of the Pctrograd work-! ers. Lenin immediately seized on it, and wrote his first illegal pamphlet. 'To quote Zinovieff: "At that time this was the most profitable soil for propaganda, to agitate against the system of fines, to excite economic conflicts, to raise every economic strike to the love! of a political event" (p. 9). No strike dogmatism for Lenin,, but application of Marxism for the everyday struggle of the workers. Lenin had no fear of soiling his intellectual purity f\v contact with the masses. One of the the outstanding features of Lenin's ca rccr is his unfaltering opposition to opportunism. Whatever name or shapo it assumed, he assailed it with all the power and ability at his disposal. While the majority of leaders of European Social Democracy were flirting with opportunism Lenin stood firm in his opposition. Wfioevcr tried to blunt the revolutionary edge of Marxism had to reckon with his profound and active disapproval..

When Lenin realised that difference? inside the Russian party were of a fundamental character he did not hesitate to risk disunity. Unity to him meant unity for Socialism, and that only. The moment he detected a falsr note he raised the alarm. Lenin waf most certainly no respecter of persons His view of the Social Revolutionary Party is particularly interesting. Thosf who claimed to be more left than tinleft more than 15 years ago he de nounced as petty bourgeoisie. Blathat protestations of revolutionary fervour do not satisfy Lenin. Anything but a clear Marxist conception is con demned as petty bourgeoisie, which ii undoubtedly is. One must read tho pamphlet to realise how important to the movement in Russia Lenin was. In evile, both before 1905 and afterward." Lenin was the centre of activity. Ai Paris, Geneva, Cracow, Finland, he was organising the remnants of the party building up a secret organisation, con stantly in tone!) with the comrades a' home, giving advice .ami carrying oi an immense literary work. So pcrfc< lf did the arrangements become that rare ly did an- issue of the "Pravda" ap pear without a contribution from tin pen of Lenin., Confcrnces with mem bers in Pctrograd invariably tool< place be-fore any important trade unioi. congress met. Lenin had long lost, faitlin European Social Democracy, bu' even he did not expect such treachery as happened at the outbreak of war He at least thought that a protcs' would be made, even if no fight wa.attempted by the leaders in the West When he received the news in a little mountain* village in Galicia ,his first words were: ''The Second International hi dead." Henceforth his endeavours were bent to building up a new International. We now know what measure of success has met his active I tics. All the forces that stand for revolution arc rallying to the Third International. The corrupt, stagnant pool of Social Democracy has given way to a virile revolutionary Communism. The forces are gathering for a final clash. When it is over and the air cleared, then the world at large will realise and appreciate the work of Lenin in the vanguard of Internationa] Socialism.