3i8 HUMAN LIFE IN RUSSIA
world^ to-day regard with interest, if not actually with ben<
sympathy, the Communist experiment that has alreac
the lives of millions, it is no business of mine to protest,
avoid misunderstandings, I should like to emphasize that
no intention of proclaiming the advantages and the a
ments of the capitalist system. I do not hesitate to aflEbm
is going through a crisis of its own making; indeed, t
Soviet Russian criticisms of the negative aspect of the f
day capitalist system are largely justified. (The fact t
remedy which Moscow proposes to apply is far more 1
still is quite another question.) I should like, moreo
declare with equal emphasis that what is really demo:
in Bolshevist policy is not so much its insistence on t]
economic system as its fundamental disregard of the ^
principles of attachment to nationality, religion and far
branding everyone who protests against the oppres:
the nationalities, religion and family life in Soviet Rus
defender of the present harmful regime in the non-Con
states, Moscow is certainly employing maybe the c
tactics in its whole propaganda system.
It .i$ not ,my task in lids book to controvert the v
Joseph Staljn. It is useless to enter into controversy witl
who openly and on principle avow that the annihilation c
masses of^uinanity is justified to secure the realization
Communist'ideal. My protest is addressed solely and exc
to all those in the non-Communist world who still co,
the principle of human, in particular Christian solidarit
face of catastrophes, indeed of unmerited disaster ov<
others—but who are blind and dumb where the fate
luckless population of the Soviet $tate is concerned. I re
above that a protest against the benevolent attitude <
people towards Moscow and its experiment is not j
But this attitude—on this I must insist with all
emphasis;—in no way relieves them of the duty of dt
the innocent victims of this experiment. On the c