INTERVIEW WITH KARL RADEK
Moscow, August 25th, 1931
Interview notes sent
to Mr Ivy Lee (the leading New York PR consultant at the time) with Karl
Radek, formerly Secretary to the Communist Secretariat in the presence
of Jack Heinz II.
On Tuesday, August 25th 1931, Karl Radek received
me in the offices of the Izvestia and expressed the following views:
For the next twenty years, we in the Soviet Union
will be absolutely occupied with internal developments. In the next twenty
years Russia will develop her internal market. The masses need so much.
The peasants want better clothing and objects they never dreamed of."
"The situation of dumping is false. If we could receive
a higher price for our goods we should be very glad."
"It is nonsense to say that Russia will be independent
and self-sufficient. The more a country develops, the greater will its
trade be."
"Thus we have every reason for peaceful and better
relations with other countries. Relations will, I believe improve. There
is now an argument fore a more quiet policy. We are getting stronger in
Russia. Every year more peasants realise that a tractor is better than
a horse."
Revolution in Germany
"We can wait and see. What a feeble
revolution in Germany be for us? It could be a great setback. We should
be obliged to help them. I do not think that a German revolution is a
concrete possibility present. Beside, we have no reason from an internal
point of view to force developments in other countries. Every people must
be its own saviour. The German workers know, moreover, that if there were
a revolution, they would have to fight from the first day against intervention.
Because of Germanys situation between imperialistic France and Poland,
a revolution there would be a difficult question. Moreover, a revolution
in and industrial country like Germany would be difficult because Germany
depends on raw materials from other countries."
Danger of Intervention.
By gestures, although not in words, Radek imlied
that he did not take the danger of intervention seriously. He said, as
long as the two worlds exist, there is always a danger of intervention.
If Poland and Roumania attacked, they would have the support of the capitalistic
countries. The sharpening of the crisis in Poland gives an opportunity
of adventures. But on the other hand, war with Soviet Russia would be
very difficult."
Relations with France
"Before the War, France made Russia a tool against
Germany. Now the situation is different. We can do without loans and we
cannot be a tool of the policy of others."
The Treaty of Versailles will not be a basis of the
worlds relations. It would be in the interest of France to revise
what cannot last in the Treaty."
Exports
"Lumbar will be a growing export
from the Soviet Union. Oil, however, we shall need so urgently internally."
The Crisis
"It is not the last crisis of capitalism. It will
end. America and France have great resources. Ford will produce more at
the expense of Great Britain and Germany. The capitalistic world will
never again have a period of general prosperity but the greatest powers
will be stronger in relation to the others."
I do not think that you in America can prepare a
revolution, but the workers will be stronger after the crisis. The
deep farming depression will last. It is the crisis of the change from
grain to meat and from little farms to great grain production.
The greatest danger for England is not the English
Communism but American capitalism. Mr Montagu Norman hates Mr. Straus
more than Pollitt.
Propaganda
America. We are weak abroad, because
our papers are suppressed. I do not know of any evidence that we make
propaganda in your country.
The Third International
"Why should we not give the Third International
the possibility to live here? If the British Government would allow the
executive of the International to have its headquarters in London."
"I am absolutely convinced that the
Comintern would be in London. In the Eleventh Plenum of the Executive
Committee of the Comintern in April, no new questions were raised. In
the meeting you could find no member of the Government. "
"The Comintern is like the Daughters
of the American Revolution. The meeting was held in the Comintern Building."
Relations with America
You ask how could relations improve
between the United States and the Soviet Union: First, end embargoes
and troublesome crusades. Secondly, development is not possible without
political recognition. Thirdly, you should end the America for the
Americans attitude. You are not more realistic than some of our
Komsomoltai who think we shall have the whole world in our hands in five
years time.We are a country like America. Without your help, development
would be slower, but there is no power which can check us.Intervention
in Russia would end with the destruction of Germany and Poland. We shall
not intervene in other countries. History will decide which system is
better. We are absolutely convinced that the Socialist system will win.
Gareth Jones
October
14, 1931
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