Russia. No. 1 (1919). - 12. Mr. Lindley to Mr. Balfour.

No. 12.

Mr. Lindley to Mr. Balfour.—(Received November 28.)

(Telegraphic) Archangel, November 27, 1918.

I VENTURE to lay the following considerations before you :—

There is nothing new in Bolshevik ideas of society. They were expressed in the sixties of last century by a certain Bakunin, commonly considered an anarchist. An exact description of them may be found on page 319 of volume II, 1905 edition, of Sir W. Wallace's work entitled "Russia." The book Lenin has written on the subject can add nothing essential to that description. It seems clear that no Government as at present constituted can safely have dealings with body of persons whose object is to overturn interests of Governments, especially those whose broad democratic base makes them most solid, and who have shown that no agreements they make will be allowed to stand in their way. Recent imprisonment of Persian Minister at Moscow because certain brigands from Turkestan have very properly been incarcerated by Persian Government, is an instance of the kind of difficulty any Government having dealings with Bolsheviks must be prepared to face at any moment.

Principal reason why Bolsheviks have lasted so long is their unlimited supply of paper money, and I venture to recommend particular attention be paid to this side of the problem. This paper money enables them not only to pay their way in Russia but to build up credits abroad, which are to be used to produce chaos in every civilised country. It is the first time in history that an anarchist society has unlimited resources.

I am absolutely convinced nothing is to be gained by having dealings with Bolsheviks. Over and over again they have shown themselves devoid of all scruples, and if it is inconvenient to punish their crimes and rid the world of them by force, the only alternative consistent with self-respect is to treat them like pariahs.