not abhorred; on the contrary, they are being courted. How is one to explain
this playing with the three-headed hound, this embrace open to the leper?
[s it greediness, is it lack of markets? These are the most unimportant
reasons. Although, of course, as long as the Bolshevic rabble rules one
sixth of the globe and the world suffers it, the industrial, the merchant who
is never loath to sell, will feel inclined to trade with the Bolshevics, — and
even more inclined to obtain some concessions, — lucrative at least in appea-
rance®). As long as the Bolshevic corruption is deliberately tolerated by
European peoples, the workers are likely, here and there, to insist upon trade
with Moscow proclaiming it as a sure remedy against unemployment in
spite of the obvious untenableness of this argument. But all this is tolerated
for the time being... Although it is more than evident that one cannot
become rich by trading with a beggar; that nothing could be more ruinous,
more extravagant than leaving an enormous and rich tract of country
situated so close to Europe at the mercy of wicked, licentious and squan-
dering barbarians. Endless efforts are being spent in the attempt to affiliate
to economic culture one or the other dominions in Central Africa, whereas
Eastern Europe with the adjoining Siberia, endowed with all possible riches,
possessing practically unlimited markets, is left to the Bolshevics! On the
basis of economic calculations alone, wise Europe ought to follow quite a
different course. After driving out the Bolshevics, she ought to appropriate
the great plain and the people living on it, — thus bringing them back to
economic productivity; or assist them by all possible means to liberate
themselves from the heavy disaster that has befallen them, and to lead them
again into channels of productive work in which they had moved but so
recently. The first solution being out of question — for it is impossible
to turn into a colony an area of over 14 millions of square miles occupied
by 150 million of people who still remember their recent greatness — there
seems consequently no other alternative but to turn to the latter solution.
It is therefore not in economic calculation that Europe’s scandalous toleration
of her grave-diggers is to be found, but must be sought elsewhere. Where
then? The answer will be given by circumstances of time and place.
While taking an important part during the last two centuries in the
creative development of culture carried out by the European’ peoples, Russia,
nevertheless, always remained outside, never became a part of Europe.
Her enormous proportions, the comparative remoteness from the chief
—
*) But, as it is in reality with the concessions, can be best seen — to speak of
the latest example — from the notorious manganese concession of the well-known
large industrial Harriman. After much trouble, this influential man has at last
got rid of it, but in connection with it, has also left behind 31, million dollars,
and thus he has become — undoubtedly against his will — a creditor of the
Communistic Government.