Speech At A Polish Embassy Reception
September 4, 1959
Dear Comrades, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are grateful to our Polish friends and to the Polish Ambassador, Comrade Gede, for the invitation to this fest ive reception on the occasion of the opening of the Polish Industrial Exhibition in Moscow, and for the warm words of friendship addressed to the Soviet people, as the friend of Poland and of the Polish people. We take pleasure in the fact that the exhibition has been opened, and that pleasure is enhanced by the presence of our good friend, the head of the Polish Government, JOzef Cyrankiewicz, who has come to attend the opening. (Applause.)
We would have been even more pleased had our friend Wiadyslaw Gomulka also come for the opening of the exhib ition. (Applause.) But we consider that Wiadyslaw and JOzef are one and the same. (Voices: “Hear, hear!” App lause.) Both Comrade Gomulka and Comrade Cyrankiewicz are striving equally to strengthen the friendly relations bet ween our countries and also the personal relations between the leaders of our states. (Applause.) We appreciate this greatly. I don’t think Comrade Cyrankiewicz will take off ence. Indeed, it is very good that he has come, but it would have been still better had Comrade Gomulka come too. (Laughter, applause.) I hope our friends will not take this as a reproach. I am often in a similar position. One wants to do so much, to visit all our country’s friends, but there is a limit to human strength and possibilities. Although Comrade Gomulka is not present here, he is with us in spirit at this festive reception. (Applause.) Please convey to him our best wishes for good health. We wish him good health, and he himself will do all the rest. (Applause.)
We are proud of our friends, of our good neighbours, bec ause the exhibition which they have opened today in Mosc ow shows in the language of machine-tools, calico and other manufactured goods the achievements of the fratern al Polish people, the labour of Polish workers, the working peasants, the efforts of Polish engineers, scientists and int ellectuals. At the same time, the exhibition demonstrates the friendship of the peoples, the strength of the mighty socialist camp. (Applause.)
I don’t want to hurt the representatives of the capitalist countries. Why hurt them who are already hurt by God, representing a social system which is living out its day. (Applause.) The most we can do is pity them, because they have not yet realized their unfortunate plight. (Applause.)
We are proud of the achievements of socialism. Take any socialist country and see what it was like under capitalism and what it has become under socialism. (Applause.) It is not God that showers manna upon us, as the old religious legends say. We owe it all, all our achievements, to the work of free people. Yet people work in capitalist countries, too, and not less than in the socialist countries. But they feel the results of their work much better when they work in the socialist countries, since here they work for thems elves, for their own people. (Applause.)
Some representatives of capitalist countries present here do not like portraits of men with big beards (Khrushchov refers to the portraits of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels) or the portrait of the man with a small beard and a big bald spot (the portrait of V. I. Lenin). But we, the working people of socialist countries, owe our successes to these people, to the great teaching of Marx and Lenin. (App lause.)
More and more people in the world are realizing the advantages of the socialist system. But we do not want to impose our social system upon other countries by force. Why drag a man into paradise on a rope Let him grasp for himself that socialism delivers him from capitalist slavery. A sensible man who lives in poor conditions wants better conditions—he wants good conditions. All people on earth will come to realize the necessity of establishing the new socialist system of society. We say to the repres entatives of the capitalist world: Sooner or later you will realize that you are committing a great sin by upholding the capitalist system and opposing communism. But it is never too late to stop sinning.
There is a popular saying: “Every snipe praises its own swamp.” We Soviet people are extremely satisfied with our socialist system, we and our friends are satisfied with the situation existing in all the fraternal socialist countries. We are very satisfied. We have now exchanged views with Comrade Cyrankiewicz. We believe that today the relations of the Soviet Union with Poland, with the leaders of the Polish People’s Republic, are better than ever bef ore. (Applause.)
These relations are now broader, deeper and stronger than they have ever been in the past. In 1956 there was an episode which gave pleasure to immature people, peop le incapable of looking far ahead. But that was only an episode. Everything that clouded our relations, everything extraneous, has been eliminated. The dust, as it were, which prevents one from seeing things better, in their natural state, has been removed. We have removed the dust and now have the best, the most friendly, the most fraternal relations with the Polish people, with the Polish working people, with the Polish workers and peasants, with the polish United Workers’ Party. (Applause.)
We are proud of the successes of the Polish people, of the Polish workers and peasants. We are their class brothe rs. When I was a worker I had a job in a mine and worked with Polish comrades; T also worked with polish workers at a factory. We shared our joys and sorrows. The working people of our countries suffered want together, and fought together for our freedom against tsarist autocr acy, against the capitalists and landlords. Soviet sold iers and Poland’s sons fought selflessly together against fascist Germany. Together, we celebrated victory over fascism, and together we rejoice in the successes of our countries in building a new life. (Applause.)
We are following one road, the one shown by Marx, Engels and Lenin, and shall reach our cherished goal— communist society.
We are not asking the representatives of the capitalist countries to sympathize with us. If any of you do have any gleams of sympathy for our doctrine, you cannot say so because of your office, and will not applaud me. We understand your position. But it is useful to hear and learn. It may come in handy some day.
Dear friends, things are going well in all the socialist countries. We are now going through a good period when the ideas of peaceful coexistence are winning more and more supporters in the capitalist countries. Now even aggressive elements are beginning to recognize the necess ity of peaceful coexistence. How can it be otherwise? The socialist and capitalist countries are on one planet. True, we are now trying to fly to other planets, we want to reach the Sun and the Moon, but no one intends to move there. (Laughter, applause.)
I have heard the joke about my having already visited the Moon to choose suitable land for planting maize there. (Laughter.) In general, I don’t reject that idea. If there turns out to be suitable soil for maize on the ‘Moon, the idea could be considered. But on the whole, we rely firmly on our old Mother Earth. She can provide all people with everything necessary for their existence. All that the peop le need is to be able to work and live in peace—to work in order to improve their life and not to create means of exterminating human beings. This is exactly why we stand firmly for peaceful coexistence and are doing everything to achieve it.
As I have said already, the West is getting to unders tand the principles of peaceful coexistence more and more. But much still remains to be done in this respect, great patience needs to he shown and persistence in exp laining that there is no other way to prevent a new war except that of peaceful coexistence. We have enough patience. Life is on the upgrade. Each year yields a growth in our economy—our economy and culture are developing, so why should we not have patience? He runs out of patience who sees the water rising to his neck, and who cannot be patient. There is no need to point my finger at anyone.
Dear friends, allow me to propose a toast to unbreaka ble fraternal friendship between the peoples of the Sov iet Union and the Polish People’s Republic, to unbreaka ble fraternal friendship between all socialist countries. At the same time, we should like to be on friendly terms with all peoples. We want to forge friendship between all peoples in order to ensure lasting peace on earth. (App lause. The Polish toast, “Sto lat,” is made.)
Some capitalist spokesmen reproach me for having allegedly said that we shall bury capitalism. I have already said that I want just one thing—that I should not be misunderstood. The imperialists are digging their own grave. Such is their nature. Karl Marx explained long ago how this is being done, but they still do not understand it. I want to say only one thing: Bear in mind that we shall not dig a grave for you physically. If you like the capitali st system so much, live under capitalism to your heart’s content as long as you can. But how long you will be able to, I cannot tell. We do not interfere in your internal aff airs. Do not interfere in our way of life, in our internal affairs, either. Let us better compete in the output per head of population of, say, this excellent ham to which our Polish friends have treated us today. If capitalism produces more, that means it will live longer; if socialism does, that means capitalism has not long to live.
The social system which provides the best conditions for people’s life and development is the system that will be chosen by the peoples. Which path people will follow in each country will be decided by its people. (Voices: “Hear, hear!”)
The highest living standard in the capitalist countries has been attained by the United States. But don’t boast about it, Messrs. Americans, for we shall overtake and surp ass you. (Applause.) We are challenging the capitalist count ries to peaceful competition. That is fair competition. And if anything threatens them, it is only our victory in this peaceful competition. No rockets, no aircraft and no other military weapons threaten the capitalist countries from our quarter. The Soviet Union will never use weapons of any kind against other states, providing no armed attack is made upon us or upon our friends. (Applause.)
But, in economic development, in raising the living standard of the people, in reducing the working day and in providing man with all the good things of life, we will show you, capitalist gentlemen, where to get off, as the saying goes.
Is this bad? In the peaceful competition between the two systems there will be no loss of life, no blood will be shed in wars between states. On the contrary, the ordinary people will only gain by it, because less funds will be spent on the arms race, taxes will go down, and product ion will be entirely converted to peaceful purposes.
In conclusion, may I propose a toast to the Polish people, to the heroic Polish working class which has produced such glorious revolutionaries as Felix Dzerzhinsky and Vyacheslav Menzhinsky, who fought selflessly for the freedom, for the victory of the working class in our countries.
I raise a toast to eternal, indissoluble friendship bet ween the Polish and Soviet peoples!
Here’s to the Government of the Polish People’s Republ ic, to the head of the Polish Government, our dear friend JOzef Cyrankiewicz, who is present here! (Applause.)
To the Polish United Workers’ Party, the leading force of the Polish people; to the Central Committee of the Poli sh United Workers’ Party; to the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party, our true and very close friend, Comrade Wiadyslaw Gomulka! (Applause.)
To friendship between all nations, to world peace! (Prolonged applause.)
We are grateful to our Polish friends and to the Polish Ambassador, Comrade Gede, for the invitation to this fest ive reception on the occasion of the opening of the Polish Industrial Exhibition in Moscow, and for the warm words of friendship addressed to the Soviet people, as the friend of Poland and of the Polish people. We take pleasure in the fact that the exhibition has been opened, and that pleasure is enhanced by the presence of our good friend, the head of the Polish Government, JOzef Cyrankiewicz, who has come to attend the opening. (Applause.)
We would have been even more pleased had our friend Wiadyslaw Gomulka also come for the opening of the exhib ition. (Applause.) But we consider that Wiadyslaw and JOzef are one and the same. (Voices: “Hear, hear!” App lause.) Both Comrade Gomulka and Comrade Cyrankiewicz are striving equally to strengthen the friendly relations bet ween our countries and also the personal relations between the leaders of our states. (Applause.) We appreciate this greatly. I don’t think Comrade Cyrankiewicz will take off ence. Indeed, it is very good that he has come, but it would have been still better had Comrade Gomulka come too. (Laughter, applause.) I hope our friends will not take this as a reproach. I am often in a similar position. One wants to do so much, to visit all our country’s friends, but there is a limit to human strength and possibilities. Although Comrade Gomulka is not present here, he is with us in spirit at this festive reception. (Applause.) Please convey to him our best wishes for good health. We wish him good health, and he himself will do all the rest. (Applause.)
We are proud of our friends, of our good neighbours, bec ause the exhibition which they have opened today in Mosc ow shows in the language of machine-tools, calico and other manufactured goods the achievements of the fratern al Polish people, the labour of Polish workers, the working peasants, the efforts of Polish engineers, scientists and int ellectuals. At the same time, the exhibition demonstrates the friendship of the peoples, the strength of the mighty socialist camp. (Applause.)
I don’t want to hurt the representatives of the capitalist countries. Why hurt them who are already hurt by God, representing a social system which is living out its day. (Applause.) The most we can do is pity them, because they have not yet realized their unfortunate plight. (Applause.)
We are proud of the achievements of socialism. Take any socialist country and see what it was like under capitalism and what it has become under socialism. (Applause.) It is not God that showers manna upon us, as the old religious legends say. We owe it all, all our achievements, to the work of free people. Yet people work in capitalist countries, too, and not less than in the socialist countries. But they feel the results of their work much better when they work in the socialist countries, since here they work for thems elves, for their own people. (Applause.)
Some representatives of capitalist countries present here do not like portraits of men with big beards (Khrushchov refers to the portraits of Karl Marx and Frederick Engels) or the portrait of the man with a small beard and a big bald spot (the portrait of V. I. Lenin). But we, the working people of socialist countries, owe our successes to these people, to the great teaching of Marx and Lenin. (App lause.)
More and more people in the world are realizing the advantages of the socialist system. But we do not want to impose our social system upon other countries by force. Why drag a man into paradise on a rope Let him grasp for himself that socialism delivers him from capitalist slavery. A sensible man who lives in poor conditions wants better conditions—he wants good conditions. All people on earth will come to realize the necessity of establishing the new socialist system of society. We say to the repres entatives of the capitalist world: Sooner or later you will realize that you are committing a great sin by upholding the capitalist system and opposing communism. But it is never too late to stop sinning.
There is a popular saying: “Every snipe praises its own swamp.” We Soviet people are extremely satisfied with our socialist system, we and our friends are satisfied with the situation existing in all the fraternal socialist countries. We are very satisfied. We have now exchanged views with Comrade Cyrankiewicz. We believe that today the relations of the Soviet Union with Poland, with the leaders of the Polish People’s Republic, are better than ever bef ore. (Applause.)
These relations are now broader, deeper and stronger than they have ever been in the past. In 1956 there was an episode which gave pleasure to immature people, peop le incapable of looking far ahead. But that was only an episode. Everything that clouded our relations, everything extraneous, has been eliminated. The dust, as it were, which prevents one from seeing things better, in their natural state, has been removed. We have removed the dust and now have the best, the most friendly, the most fraternal relations with the Polish people, with the Polish working people, with the Polish workers and peasants, with the polish United Workers’ Party. (Applause.)
We are proud of the successes of the Polish people, of the Polish workers and peasants. We are their class brothe rs. When I was a worker I had a job in a mine and worked with Polish comrades; T also worked with polish workers at a factory. We shared our joys and sorrows. The working people of our countries suffered want together, and fought together for our freedom against tsarist autocr acy, against the capitalists and landlords. Soviet sold iers and Poland’s sons fought selflessly together against fascist Germany. Together, we celebrated victory over fascism, and together we rejoice in the successes of our countries in building a new life. (Applause.)
We are following one road, the one shown by Marx, Engels and Lenin, and shall reach our cherished goal— communist society.
We are not asking the representatives of the capitalist countries to sympathize with us. If any of you do have any gleams of sympathy for our doctrine, you cannot say so because of your office, and will not applaud me. We understand your position. But it is useful to hear and learn. It may come in handy some day.
Dear friends, things are going well in all the socialist countries. We are now going through a good period when the ideas of peaceful coexistence are winning more and more supporters in the capitalist countries. Now even aggressive elements are beginning to recognize the necess ity of peaceful coexistence. How can it be otherwise? The socialist and capitalist countries are on one planet. True, we are now trying to fly to other planets, we want to reach the Sun and the Moon, but no one intends to move there. (Laughter, applause.)
I have heard the joke about my having already visited the Moon to choose suitable land for planting maize there. (Laughter.) In general, I don’t reject that idea. If there turns out to be suitable soil for maize on the ‘Moon, the idea could be considered. But on the whole, we rely firmly on our old Mother Earth. She can provide all people with everything necessary for their existence. All that the peop le need is to be able to work and live in peace—to work in order to improve their life and not to create means of exterminating human beings. This is exactly why we stand firmly for peaceful coexistence and are doing everything to achieve it.
As I have said already, the West is getting to unders tand the principles of peaceful coexistence more and more. But much still remains to be done in this respect, great patience needs to he shown and persistence in exp laining that there is no other way to prevent a new war except that of peaceful coexistence. We have enough patience. Life is on the upgrade. Each year yields a growth in our economy—our economy and culture are developing, so why should we not have patience? He runs out of patience who sees the water rising to his neck, and who cannot be patient. There is no need to point my finger at anyone.
Dear friends, allow me to propose a toast to unbreaka ble fraternal friendship between the peoples of the Sov iet Union and the Polish People’s Republic, to unbreaka ble fraternal friendship between all socialist countries. At the same time, we should like to be on friendly terms with all peoples. We want to forge friendship between all peoples in order to ensure lasting peace on earth. (App lause. The Polish toast, “Sto lat,” is made.)
Some capitalist spokesmen reproach me for having allegedly said that we shall bury capitalism. I have already said that I want just one thing—that I should not be misunderstood. The imperialists are digging their own grave. Such is their nature. Karl Marx explained long ago how this is being done, but they still do not understand it. I want to say only one thing: Bear in mind that we shall not dig a grave for you physically. If you like the capitali st system so much, live under capitalism to your heart’s content as long as you can. But how long you will be able to, I cannot tell. We do not interfere in your internal aff airs. Do not interfere in our way of life, in our internal affairs, either. Let us better compete in the output per head of population of, say, this excellent ham to which our Polish friends have treated us today. If capitalism produces more, that means it will live longer; if socialism does, that means capitalism has not long to live.
The social system which provides the best conditions for people’s life and development is the system that will be chosen by the peoples. Which path people will follow in each country will be decided by its people. (Voices: “Hear, hear!”)
The highest living standard in the capitalist countries has been attained by the United States. But don’t boast about it, Messrs. Americans, for we shall overtake and surp ass you. (Applause.) We are challenging the capitalist count ries to peaceful competition. That is fair competition. And if anything threatens them, it is only our victory in this peaceful competition. No rockets, no aircraft and no other military weapons threaten the capitalist countries from our quarter. The Soviet Union will never use weapons of any kind against other states, providing no armed attack is made upon us or upon our friends. (Applause.)
But, in economic development, in raising the living standard of the people, in reducing the working day and in providing man with all the good things of life, we will show you, capitalist gentlemen, where to get off, as the saying goes.
Is this bad? In the peaceful competition between the two systems there will be no loss of life, no blood will be shed in wars between states. On the contrary, the ordinary people will only gain by it, because less funds will be spent on the arms race, taxes will go down, and product ion will be entirely converted to peaceful purposes.
In conclusion, may I propose a toast to the Polish people, to the heroic Polish working class which has produced such glorious revolutionaries as Felix Dzerzhinsky and Vyacheslav Menzhinsky, who fought selflessly for the freedom, for the victory of the working class in our countries.
I raise a toast to eternal, indissoluble friendship bet ween the Polish and Soviet peoples!
Here’s to the Government of the Polish People’s Republ ic, to the head of the Polish Government, our dear friend JOzef Cyrankiewicz, who is present here! (Applause.)
To the Polish United Workers’ Party, the leading force of the Polish people; to the Central Committee of the Poli sh United Workers’ Party; to the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Polish United Workers’ Party, our true and very close friend, Comrade Wiadyslaw Gomulka! (Applause.)
To friendship between all nations, to world peace! (Prolonged applause.)
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