I96 HUMAN LIFE IN RUSSIA
new markets, and to develop economic possibilities, in order
to win the leading position in world industry/'
M. Herriot went on to say that the Soviet held this exhibi-
tion in order to "prove the possibility of such an exchange as
that having for foundation the Franco-Russian trade treaty
signed on January nth." The problem of this exchange is,
according to M. Herriot, clearly set forth, "and all that matters
now is to find men of goodwill on either side able to solve the
problem." M. Herriot concluded by saying: "For my part I
have made no secret of the fact that I support a rapprochement
with the Russian people in every sphere; they are a people for
which I feel a genuine attachment and which I salute yet
again."
Another part of Moscow's economic propaganda consists in
giving commercial advantages of a temporary kind to certain
states in order to suggest to the public that things in Russia
have now reached a stage where an exchange of goods with
that country would be of the greatest advantage to its traders.
The advantage derived by the Kremlin from the fact that all
its economic decisions are centralized, whereas this is not the
case with its foreign competitors, will be appreciated.
Yet it is evident that a propaganda intended to produce in
the outside world the impression that economically, socially
and culturally the Soviet Union is well on the way to realize
the ideal Communist State cannot rely wholly on invention,
exaggeration and hypothesis. It can be successful in the long
run only if it can, to some extent at least, take its stand upon
actual concrete performances.
I pointed out that during the Tsarist period numbers of
foreign visitors formed wholly fallacious judgments. They
were deceived by the existence of two different worlds.
Now, as then, Moscow and Leningrad, together with a few
provincial centres, are the seats of artistic and cultural insti-
tutions which reach a respectable standard in such fields as
the ballet, theatre, music, painting and, above all, science.