Lenin CW-Vol. 23.pdf - From Marx to Mao

NOTES403105106107108Le Populaire—a French Centrist newspaper published in Limogesfrom 1916 and in Paris from July 1917. Edited in 1916 by JeanLonguet; contributors included Pierre Brizon, Adrien Pressemane,Jean-Pierre Raffin-Dugens, Boris Souvarine and Paul Faure.Became the official organ of the French Socialist Party in 1921;at present is controlled by the party’s Right wing. p. 262Reference is to A. I. Guchkov’s letter of August 15 (28), 1916 toGeneral M. V. Alexeyev, Chief of Staff to the Supreme Commanderof the Russian Forces, published in No. 57 of Sotsial-Demokrat,and excerpts from a Reichstag speech by Interior Minister Helfferichin reply to an opposition question about the wholesale arrestsof Social-Democrats.The Guchkov letter was sent to Sotsial-Demokrat from Russiaalong with other materials. In a letter to Inessa Armand dated December5 (18), 1916, Lenin wrote: “Received another letter from St.Petersburg today. Of late they have been writing frequently.“In addition to the Guchkov letter, which is being published inNo. 57 of the Central Organ ... we have also received letters by Lvovand Chelnokov on the same subject (resentment against the traitorswho are negotiating a separate peace), etc.”The Guchkov letter was expressive of the fear inspired in theRussian bourgeoisie by the maturing revolution and of its dissatisfactionwith the government for its inability to prevent revolution.The substance of Helfferich’s speech was that, it was better to arrestthe leaders of the revolution than to allow the revolution to breakout. p. 263This refers to the appeal To Affiliated Parties and Groups adopted atan enlarged meeting of the International Socialist Committee inFebruary 1916. It sharply criticised the social-chauvinists and thesocial-chauvinist position of the International Socialist Bureau,denouncing its attempts to re-establish the Second Internationalthrough “mutual amnesty” of socialists as a “plot against socialism”.Socialists, the appeal said should refuse to vote war credits,should organise strikes, demonstrations, fraternisation at the frontand other revolutionary actions against the imperialist war. Theappeal was published in the International Socialist CommitteeBulletin of February 29 (No. 3) and in Sotsial-Demokrat of March 25,1916 (No. 52). p. 266On November 9 (22), 1906, the tsarist government issued a decreeauthorising the withdrawal of peasants from the commune and makingtheir plots their personal property.Amended by the Duma and Council of State, the decree came intoforce on June 14, 1910. Known as the Stolypin law, after PrimeMinister P. A. Stolypin, it enabled the peasant to withdraw fromthe commune, take over his land as personal property and sell it ifhe so chose. The commune was under obligation to allot him landin one place. The Stolypin reform accelerated the development of