War and Revolution in Asiatic Russia
cation. Formerly Byzantium, Rome and the Caliphate used to collect imperial tribute from the merchandise that passed by, but to-day the prizes are sought in exclusive mining and irrigation rights along the course of the railways, and preferential rates in favour of the trade of one or other Power. We have seen how this competition for spheres of influence is a fertile cause of war; and the danger will not be eliminated until the proletariat of the western countries unites and takes the control of the export of capital into its own hands. When that day arrives the whole face of the Eastern Question will be changed. But until that time, international settlements will always be endangered by the imperial "financial interests", that seek to carve out for themselves monopoly "rights" in undeveloped regions of the earth. If these "rights" are not controlled, the settlement of the Eastern Question will probably be made on the lines of the abortive agreement over the future of Asiatic Turkey negotiated by the European Powers in 1913 and 1914. Thus instead of an international agreement between the proletariat of all lands to distribute and apply all the surplus capital of Europe for the development of these regions on a common plan, we shall have the old form of agreement between the capitalists of the Powers to divide the spoils among themselves. The ideal solution can only be obtained if the proletariat of the whole world develops sufficient class-consciousness to realize its true interest and act accordingly. Failing this, we can at any rate hope that even among the propertied and ruling classes of Europe there will at last be some recognition of the signs of the times, and that they will begin to survey
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