Stalin to Duranty

When he was grooming for the Presidency, sagacious Governor Roosevelt called to Albany's Executive Mansion a small, calm, wooden-legged Englishman from Moscow. For hours they talked about Russia. "I turned the tables on Walter Duranty!" laughed Candidate Roosevelt afterward. "I asked all the questions. It was fascinating!''

When Foreign Minister Litvinoff was grooming Soviet Russia for recognition, New York Times Correspondent Duranty crossed the Atlantic at his side. Instead of returning to Moscow via Rome with Comrade Litvinoff, Mr. Duranty sailed back with the new U. S. Ambassador to Russia. One day last week Dictator Stalin sent for Walter Duranty and, through him, gave the Times one of his very rare press interviews in which he handed bouquets to the President and Ambassador William Christian Bullitt.

Of Mr. Roosevelt, Comrade Stalin said: "By all appearances he is a decided and courageous statesman."

Of Ambassador Bullitt, whose meeting with Stalin in Moscow fortnight ago was kept secret until after Mr. Bullitt left Russia, Stalin said: "I and my comrades liked Ambassador Bullitt very much. . . . What I like is that he does not talk like the average diplomat. ... He made a very good impression here."

As if to make a good impression on U. S. bankers and thus foster a new deal in Soviet-U. S. trade, the Dictator continued: "I know it is not customary to pay debts nowadays, but we do it. Other nations 'renig' on their debts, but the Union of Socialist Soviet Republics does not renig. . . . Confidence, as every one knows, is the basis of credit. . . . What I mean is that the volume of our trade with America for the time being must be measured by the degree of confidence America puts in us--and this by the volume of credit."

In genial mood. Dictator Stalin then predicted for Capitalist nations not the World Revolution of the Proletariat but fresh Prosperity after the present Depression.

War with Japan? Getting down to business, Russia's Dictator spoke of the nation every Russian hates & fears, Japan. Putting his finger squarely on what is both the weak and the strong point of Japanese militarism Stalin said: "It seems to me that Japan would be unwise to attack us. Her economic position is not too sound. . . . But good soldiers are not always good economists and do not always appreciate the difference between the force of arms and the force of economic laws. I repeat there is grave danger [of war between Japan and Russia] and we cannot but prepare to meet it."

Striking a new note for a country traditionally hostile to the League of Nations, Stalin declared: "We do not always and in all conditions take a negative attitude toward the League. Despite the German and Japanese exit from the League-- or, perhaps, because of it--the League may well become a brake to retard or hamper military action. ... I would say that if historical events were such that the League became a brake upon or an obstacle to war. it is not excluded that we should support the League despite its colossal deficiencies."

Mellowed Steel. Before the interview was over Correspondent Duranty brought up a point he had not cared to mention at his only previous interview-- with Dzhugashvili whom Lenin nicknamed Stalin ("Steel") because of his violent methods as a Bolshevik terrorist.

"Why and when," asked bold Walter Duranty, "did you take that name?" Looking rather embarrassed, according to Duranty, Stalin replied, "Some of my comrades gave it to me in 1911 or maybe 1910. They seemed to think it suited me. You understand we 'underground' [i. e. terrorist] workers used such nicknames because we always had to hide from the Tsarist police."

To keen-eyed Reporter Duranty Russia's Man of Steel "seems to have mellowed, and, if one may say so, he seems more human [than three years ago]. During the previous interview I was particularly struck by the low tonelessness of M. Stalin's voice -- as if he felt the need of conserving every atom of energy for his gigantic task. Now he shows more animation and less restraint."

Tallest in the World. Near Dictator Stalin as he talked was Dictator Lenin's death mask in a glass case and opposite him a life-size portrait of "Ilyich1'-- orating to proletarians. Near the death mask hung an architect's drawing of the Palace of the Soviets, most grandiose project to be attempted under Russia's present Second Five-Year Plan. Though young Hector 0. Hamilton, a British architect of East Orange, N. J., won $2,000 with his design for the Palace of Soviets Dictator Stalin later scrapped Mr. Hamilton's plan. It did not call for "the tallest building in the world," which is what Comrade Stalin wants. Pointing proudly last week to the new design, by Comrades Shchuko and Yofan, Stalin told Duranty that work on the Palace of Soviets will start next spring, that it will tower 1,312 ft. from pavement to the top of a Statue of Lenin which will be nearly three times as big as the Statue of Liberty.f

*On Oct. 3, 1926 Hearstpapers scooped the entire English language Press with an interview obtained by Russian-speaking Yale Professor Jerome Davis from Stalin who had previously been interviewed only by a German and a Japanese. Walter Duranty, who had then been six years in Moscow, waited four more years until United Pressman Eugene Lyons made adroit use of world reports of Stalin's death to wangle his way into the Dictator's presence and get an interview over the head of the Soviet Foreign Office. A few days later the flustered Foreign Office at last showed patient Walter Duranty into the office of Dictator Stalin.

*The late, great Dictator's real name was Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov. Old Bolsheviks speak of him as "Ilyich." He took the pen name "N. Lenin." Though the N. stood only for "N." millions have assumed that it stood for "Nikolai."

/-Empire State Building: 1,248 ft.

Statue of Liberty (heel to head): 111 1/2 ft.

Statue of Lenin (heel to head): 295 ft.

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