CHAPTER VII
THE OUTER WORLD AND THE SOVIETS
THE tragedy in the famine areas—this cannot be denied—
went on with the silent toleration of all the Powers represented
in Moscow. To explain this almost incredible fact I must
enumerate the chief factors at present determining the relations
of the Soviet Union to the rest of the world. The general
remark that world public opinion has been insufficiently in-
formed about the catastrophe does not dispose of the question.
In the countries interested in trade with Russia, and,
indeed, in every state represented in the Soviet Union, there
were wide circles which were thoroughly informed about
developments in South Russia. Indeed, I do not hesitate to
assert that the Embassies, Legations, Consulates and trade
delegations in Moscow were possessed of authentic material,
fully documented reports, eyewitnesses' accounts and photo-
graphs illustrating the catastrophe.
The Foreign Office of one of the Western Great Powers was
so weE informed about the Russian famine and the position
in general as early as the spring of 1934, that the officials fore-
told to me the railway collapse which actually took place in
1935. Another Foreign Office—that of one of Russia's neigh-
bours—has a special room containing nothing but documents
bearing on Russian conditions, photographs relating to the
famine, and so on.
Why, then, was nothing said? I-hare shown above that
Moscow was compelled to deny the existence of the famine.
This meant that the Government was obliged, as far as possible,
to prevent the discussion of this problem in the states with
which it had diplomatic or economic contact, since any such
discussion might have prejudiced relations with the Soviet
Union. At present the real or imaginary political and economic