an ornamental one, but as one involving downright
hard work on behalf of the people. It is
said that when his train arrives at a village, the
peasants, men, women, and children pour out
to meet him. They tell him their grievances,
ask for his assistance, and invariably get the
reply, not that “ I will see to it,” but the
Soviet Government must deal with these
things. Kalinin is showing us what a true
leader of people should be like. He is both
servant, inspirer and peace-maker.
Amongst the others that I met was Tchitcherin, the Foreign Minister, whom many people in this country know quite well. He comes of a family of nobles who have served for years in the Moscow Foreign Office. I saw him very often because I sent out a wireless message every night and it was important to see him in connection with this. He is as hard-working as ever, but curiously enough only works at night—from four in the afternoon to eight o'clock in the morning. Like all the rest of the chiefs in Moscow he works in an overcoat and muffler, because there is no fuel with which to heat his room.
Talking to him of foreign relationships is so different from talking to the Ministers of other nations ; the one idea of Tchitcherin is for peace and disarmament. One thing he said to me which I shall always remember is this : “ What is the use of frontiers ? Why do we
