THE PRESENT CONDITION OF RUSSIA
Communists, much less eagerness than existed in our
delegation for peace and the raising of the blockade. He
believes that nothing of real value can be achieved
except through world revolution and the abolition of
capitalism; I felt that he regarded the resumption
of trade with capitalist countries as a mere palliative of
doubtful value.
He described the division between rich and poor
peasants, a*nd the Government propaganda among the
latter against the former, leading to acts of violence
which he seemed to find amusing. He spoke as though
the dictatorship over the peasant would have to con-
tinue a long time, because of the peasant's desire for
free trade. He said he knew from statistics (what I can
well believe) that the peasants have had more to eat
these last two years than they ever had before, "and yet
they are against*us," he added a little wistfully. I asked
him what to reply to critics who say that in the country
he has merely created peasant proprietorship, not Com-
munism; he replied that that is not quite the truth, but
he did not say what the truth is.1
The last question I asked him was whether resump-
tion of trade with capitalist countries, if it took place,
would not create centres of capitalist influence, and
make the preservation of Communism more difficult?
It had seemed to me that the more ardent Communists
might well dread commercial intercourse with the
outer world, as leading to an infiltration of heresy, and
making the rigidity of the present system almost im-
possible. I wished to know whether he had such a
feeling. He admitted that trade would create difficul-
1 In Them (p. 34) it is said: "It would be an irreparable error
. ,, not to admit the gratuitous grant of part of the expropriated
lands to poor and even well-to-do peasants."
36