File No. 861.00/1792
The Consul General at Moscow ( Summers) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 15, 7.23 p.m.]
453. Speaking before Central Executive Committee April 29, respecting present aims of Soviet government, Lenin said in substance among other things:
Present political currents in Russia fall into three groups: (1) that of the bourgeoisie and its allies presenting single “democratic “front from Milyukov to Martov; (2) the Bolshevik Party; and (3) left Social Revolutionaries representing small bourgeoisie.
Present peace very fragile, may be broken at any moment. But world-wide revolution is ripening, more slowly it is true than we wished and expected. Our purpose is to hold on until the imperialists destroy each other still more. For this end there is but one policy to take: to draw back to wait. Plainly this is not a popular motto, but the Soviet power is sustained only because in the west the fight contines, and in the Orient imperialistic competition vivifies more and more.
State capitalism is not the enemy of socialism, but of the small proprietor. This last is the great and principal enemy. Had we in Russia German state capitalism, transition to socialism would be extremely easy, but the small bourgeoisie does not wish to submit to state capitalism and it is the only force capable of upsetting us.
We must organize. Famine and unemployment [threaten] us. The chief motto for May 1 should be: “We have conquered capital; we shall conquer our own disorganization.”