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Berlin, March 27, 1933
Dear Mr. Lloyd George,
I have just arrived from Russia where I found the situation disastrous. The
Five-Year Plan has been a complete disaster in that it has destroyed the
Russian peasantry and brought famine to every part of the country. I tramped
alone for several days through a part of the Ukraine, sleeping in peasants'
huts. I spoke with a large number of workers, among whom unemployment is
rapidly growing. I discussed the situation with almost every British, German
and American expert. I had interviews with the following:
Litvinoff
Karl Radek
The Commissar for Finance, Grinko
The Vice-Commissar for Light Industry
The Vice-Commissar for Education
The President of the Atheists (who has given me a special message to you as
a Baptist!).
The British and the German Ambassadors
The situation is so grave, so much worse than in 1921 that I am amazed at
your admiration for Stalin.
Before going to Russia, I went to Germany where I met Hitler and flew with
him in his aeroplane to attend a giant meeting in Frankfurt, had a long
conversation with Goebbels and other Nazis, with Breitscheid von Gleichen
[?], etc.
I made a special study of the Labour Camps, which impressed me deeply. I
also visited Checho-slovakia and Danzig.
Therefore I have much material on which you may want to question me. On
Saturday April 1st, I begin work at Cardiff on the "Western Mail". Should
you wish me to come to Churt at anytime - perhaps a Saturday afternoon - I
should be delighted to come and report.
About the German situation, I am not so alarmed and believe that the English
newspapers have lost their heads.
In the meantime I enclose my conversation with Litvinoff.
Yours sincerely
Gareth Jones
Letter to Lloyd George from the House of Commons Archives - Lloyd George
papers' section on Jones]
http://www.colley.co.uk/garethjones/soviet_articles/famine_exposure_letter_t
o_lloyd_george_27march1933.htm
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