WILL POWER.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1924, Page 4

WILL POWER.

THE SECRET OF LENIN

(John Blunt in Daily Mail).

Nobody, living or dead, has had severer things said about him than Lenin, and he certainly was a coldblooded and cruel fanatic. Yet this grubby little man, whose actions showed that he had not a spark of humanity in him and whoso writings provo that he was not even intelligent, was able to impose his monstrous theories on a huge country and to become a hideous'.portent looming over the world, simply throng h-Clie force of an iron will.

Lenin was a man of one idea, and that idea an insane one; but because he had boundless will and resolution he was able, at last, to carry his idea into practice. The only thing of value which, Lenin lias taught humanity is that ■will-power is the most mighty implement for good or evil. Not for many years has history seen so complete an example of this truth. The groat conquerors of old and tho founders of religious movements were men similarly equipped with singleness of purpose and ruthless resolution, but we had begun to think that civilisation had become too complex for one man to dominato it ever again.

Men with the lust for power or the undeviating fanaticism of Alexander, Mahommed, Loyola, Napoleon, or Lenin are rare, but that force of will which drove them forward may ho cultivated, with surprising results, by lesser and saner men. One of the chief secrets of success in any sphere of activity is the determination to he successful.

Of course there must be something to build on, but capacity without “grit” carries one very little along the road. It is inflexible resolution to reach the goal of one’s desires that brings one to the goal. It is rather ironical that this copybook maxim, which, like many maxims is so true that it is frequently ignored, is really the most important lesson which the blood-strewn career of Lenin has for humanity.

Long after Lenin’s absurd theories have been finally exploded people will remember that lie rose to power bceaus lie was absolutely resolute and single-minded.

From all points of view his sincerity was valueless and that of a callous ruffian, but beaus© lie never wavered in his determination to put his theories to the test and was prepared to risk everything for his ideas he gained astonishing ascendancy over his weakwilled and fatalistic fellow-countrymen. His career though shameful, was a triumph of will.

But there is absolutely no reason why a similar will-force should not bo put to fine uses. The pioneers of tho British Empire, the explorers of unknown lands, the youths who “stuck it out” in Flanders—all such were men of undaunted resolution and unconquerable will. It is on people of that type that England lias built up and will continue to flourish. Fortunately for our peace of miiul, it is not given to every man to have a single aim in life from which lie never deviates and which causes him to ignore everything elso; but, fortunately also, every man can develop his power of concentration and resolve. The universal amateur and triller is of no use to the world: he is merely an ornament of which the world soon tires. The man who believes that nothing is worth while is probably not worth while himself. Lenin’s convictions were all wrong, hub at an vrate he held them with such tenacity that lie was able to overcome and ruin many people whose ideas were sound but whose wills were weak. And therefore is behoves all right-minded men not merely to have excellent intentions but strong wills. The road to hell we are told, is paved with good intentions, and certainly the hsitorv of the last tew years has boiue this out. If the Czar or even Kerensky had had a will commensurate with their intentions the tragedy of Russia would have been averted. But the the scoundrel with the ruthless will prevailed over those well-meaning bill: weak-kneed rulers.