Sunday, 2 March 1930

Moscow:  

Joseph Stalin issues an article, titled “Dizzy With Success,” published in newspapers around the Soviet Union, which appears to call for a slowdown – a “consolidation” -- in the soviet assault on the lives of peasants, including their religion.  Stalin says overzealous prosecution of anti-religious activity stems from overconfidence, and he warns against it.  “I say nothing of those ‘revolutionaries” . . . who begin the work of organizing artels [a cooperative association] by removing the bells from the churches.  Just imagine removing the church bells – how r-r-revolutionary!  How could there have arisen in our midst such blockheaded exercises in ‘socialization,’ such ludicrous attempts to overleap oneself, attempts which aim at bypassing classes and the class struggle, and which in fact bring grist to the mill of our class enemies?  They could have arisen only in the atmosphere of our ‘easy’ and ‘unexpected’ successes on the front of collective-farm development.  They could have arisen only as a result of the blockheaded belief of a section of our party: ‘We can achieve anything!  There’s nothing we can’t do!’  They could have arisen only because some of our comrades have become dizzy with success and for the moment have lost clearness of mind and sobriety of vision.  To correct the line of our work in the sphere of collective-farm development, we must put an end to these sentiments.  That is now one of the immediate tasks of the party.” 

Observers hope this may signal an easing of religious persecution in Russia. 

Elsewhere: 

Germany:  The worldwide economic depression worsens: unemployment in Germany has grown to 2.34 million. 

Paris:  Andre Tardieu is named Prime Minister, barely more than a week after he fell from the same post.