Executive Committee of the Communist Party. while it is a document obviously preparedsfor home consumption, is of interest abroad because of the indications it contains of the possibility of further changes taking place in the personnel and policy of the party. Tt is even more interesting from another point of view, and that is because it contains an implied confession not only that all is not well within the party itself, but] that it has failed in much that it has sought to do for Russia. That there have been failures, and grievous failures in Russia is only foo well known, but when Stalin speaks of the—success achieved by the followers Trotsky in undermining industrial life, and raises the old boxey of wrecking tactics and espionage, he is admitting by Implication much of what has been reported in this connection, How much of those failures hax been due to inept leadership, and how much to the fact that for some years past the main object of the Soviet Government has been to forge a huge military weapon at the cost of the economic welfare of the people not easy to determine, but that they are sufficiently im-Posing for the leader to maize such exaggerated reference to what he alleges to be the cause. If his report were taken at face value, it that where the Soviet programme has failed it has been entirely due to the machinations of the enemies of the state, whether Trotskyists or emissaries of foreign states bent on the destruction of the Soviet system. Of course it hot to be expected that M. Stalin would admit any fault inherent in the system of which he is the hea for that in effect would be a denial of his own and his party's infallibility, The picture which Stalin draws of Russia, surrounded by placable foes,' penetrating by their espionage even to the inner councils of the party, reaching the economic and administrative organ-lations, is based upon the revel tions said to have been unearthed in the course of recent state trials. It Is calculated to instil in the breasts of the communists a fearful loyalty: to the parly inspired by the Knowledge of a peril which is many degrees less imposing than Stalin would have the people believe. "It is an awesome picture, system riddled through and through by espionage, sabotage and intrigue, sees the ravening wolves of capitalism prowling around waiting to destroy it once and for all, It is a terrible position for any nation to be in, and yet M, Stalin admits that this is the case with Russia, As has already been remarked, all that is purely for home consumption, Domestically it may be imposing, but abroad it will only raise the faintest of incred-lous smiles, That there are opponents of Communism Is per= fedly true, It is equally true that there are enemies of Soviet Russia in existence, but in the main those enemies would never have been created if Russia had remained content to follow out its own experiment in the new social order without endeavouring to spread the gospel in other countries which wanted none of it, The Communist desire for world revolution has done more to create enemies for Soviet Russia than any other factor, and if the petty distinctions between the Communist Party, the Soviet Government and the Third Internationale had not so often been insisted on, there is every reason to believe that there would have been stronger tendencies towards peace than are to be ascertained at the moment, But what is even more important than the foregoing is the fact that the report indicates that the policy of the Communist party is completely bankrupt. The leader attri-utes the failures to the fact that enemies of the party would not it succeed, and in the case of Russia it has always to be remembered that the Party is the State, The gradual change in the complexion of Communism, the slow lightening of its encarnadine hue, the drifting away from the communism of Lenin and the modification of his original policies, are in themselves indications of failure. For that reason it Is more than ikely that members of the Communist Party will read with game cynicism the Dictator's prejeription of strenuous courses in mumism for all leaders, secretaries and officials. A too definite adhe tence to the gospel of Lenin has been proved nol to be a political asset in Russia. Of the prominent disciples of the dead leader a large number have been liquidated in one way or another, and if loyally to the teaching of Lenin failed to save them, then those who are now exhotled to replenish their faith in it, may very rightly reply that to do so would be to adopt the best method of shortening their lives. The mantle of the master may hai fallen on M, Stalin, but he and h colleayties are putting it to strange uses, one of which is to cloak their departure from his teachings. may even be anticipated that in the near future it will be used cover another Parly purge which Is to be anticipated from the Dictator's remarks, for one of the best ways of re-educating the Communist Party is to eliminate all who do not readily adopt its changing ideology. AN this is not to be taken as in any way indicating the carly collapse of Communism in Russia, It is to be doubted whether that will ever occur, but it can be accepted as showing that changes are taking place which Lenin, if he could see them, would gard as slow return to some at least of the old heresies:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.