Vladimir Ilyich Lenin

NOTEBOOK “ι”

(“IOTA”)


ARTICLE: “FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS AND THE WAR DEBTS OF EUROPE”

The Economist, February 13, 1915. Article: “Financial Arrangements and the War Debts of Europe”....

...“The more one looks into the financial and polit-
ical future of Europe after the war the darker and
more obscure do its problems appear. But that is all
the more reason why independent men with knowledge
and penetration and foresight should exercise their
minds upon the political economy of this war. Never
has there been such a collision of forces, never so much
destruction in so short a time. Never has it been
so difficult or so necessary to measure the calamity,
to count the costs, to foresee and provide against
the consequences to human society. Philanthropists
profess to hope that the peace settlement will bring
with it a great international reduction of armies
and armaments, which will enable the nations to
support their new war debt, and so to avoid the
bankruptcy court. No doubt the fear of bankruptcy
will count for something; otherwise the peace settle-
ment might be expected to breed another series
of preparations for another series of wars. But those
who know the forces which really control the diplom-
acy of Europe see no Utopias. The outlook is for
bloody revolutions and fierce wars between labour
and capital, or between the masses and the governing
classes of Continental Europe”. (End of article.)
N.B.

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