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If peace is menaced by Benito Mussolini, at least, like an honest rattlesnake, he jangles his sword (TIME, May 26, et seq.). Stalin acts without warning. At his sudden fiat, Trotsky (a Communist with a greater name than Stalin's own) was bundled out of Moscow on a few hours notice, exiled to Turkestan for a year, then banished (TIME, Jan. 30, 1928). In decisions of state Stalin is equally abrupt. One (day he orders wholesale "liquidation" (extermination) of the kulak or "rich peasant" class, and the grim campaign begins (TIME, Jan. 13, et seq.). A week, six months or two years later the Dictator may change his mind. As in the case of the anti-Religion campaign, he may modify or relax his whole program, reserving if not the Right then the Power to redouble persecution of the pious at his pleasure.
Compared to Stalin and Communism, Mussolini and Fascism are negligible forces. More than 69 times larger than the Kingdom of Italy, the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics wields the might of the largest standing army on earth (725,000 men—U. S. Army 136,217). To grasp even a fraction of Stalin's purpose and achievements—which today are mainly economic—one must grapple with no easy map. Like stars in the firmament, like grains of caviar spread by a lavish Russian on his pancakes, are the elements of Stalin's Five-Year Plan.
Already these myriads of power plants, tractor works, mines, factories and whole new cities for workers have meant to U. S. business since the stockmarket crash $450,000,000 in contracts now being executed. Moreover Amtorg, the principal trade representative of the Soviet Government in Manhattan, has bought more than $211,580,000 worth of U. S. goods in the past six years.
As Stalin said recently:
"With giant strides we move toward Lenin's aims—Industrialization! Electrification!! MECHANIZATION!!!"
Stalin and Religion. As a matter of course Stalin and every member of the Communist Party accept as gospel Lenin's further dictum: "Religion is opium for the people."
Christian statesmen campaign, sometimes vigorously, sometimes desultorily against opium. In much the same spirit Soviet statesmen campaign against religion. With entire sincerity they believe that "Religion is opium for the people," but they can spare only a fraction of their time for the anti-Religion crusade—now largely conducted by the Society of Militant Atheists (600,000 members).
Stalin and Revolution. Similarly the Dictator can take only a part-time interest in the Third International. This organization is defined in its official program as "The gravedigger of the Capitalist system." Its frankly avowed purpose is to foment in every land "The World Revolution of the World Proletariat." It operates legally apart from the Soviet Government, actually with an interlocking directorate.*
Naturally Stalin assists the International. In his younger days the Dictator exploded bombs, arranged assassinations of Tsarist officials, robbed banks—all this to reduce the number of his Party's enemies, increase the amount of Party funds. Six times he was exiled, six times escaped. Lenin, in recognition of the young man's cold, keen, remorseless efficiency, nicknamed him "Steel."
Exactly "where Stalin stands on the question of overthrowing the U. S. Government appears from what he said