Interviewed: 5 October, 1919
First Published: Chicago Daily News No. 257, October 27, 1919; First published in Russian in 1942; Published according to the newspaper text
Source: Lenin’s Collected Works, 4th English Edition, Progress Publishers, Moscow, 1965, Volume 30, pages 50-51
Translated: George Hanna
Transcription/HTML Markup: David Walters & Robert Cymbala
Copyleft: V. I. Lenin Internet Archive (www.marx.org) 2002. Permission is granted to copy and/or distribute this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License
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)
[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.