VIEW OF RUSSIA

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 165, 15 July 1939, Page 10 (Supplement)

VIEW OF RUSSIA

An American Engineer's

STALIN is an empire builder, but the empire he has in mind is an Asiatic empire. As long as Russia can hang on to Siberia she needn't worry about what social or political system operates in her country." Such is one of the conclusions of John S. Littlepage, an Americanmining engineer, who is the author of "In Search of Soviet Gold." (Harrop). Mr. Jjittlopagi' win* almost 10 years in Kussin, from 1927 to HKS7, "looking at the- Soviet industrial eyetem from the viewpoint of an engineer,' , and having "no truck with politics." Ho woe given the task of orgaiiit*iug the sold mines scattered over that vast territory, and for his work lie was awarded the Soviet Order of the !{<-d Banner of Labour, no menu achievement in a land whrro jealousy and intrigue, even amount the. '"Moscow group" itself, [day

such ;i prominent part. He tells a story that may prove more than a little helpful not only to students of national and international affaire, but tlie general reading public. He deals with the winning of gold and ofcher minerals, and such matters as the process of industrialisation, planned economy, sabotage, espionage, the '"liquidation" of tlm kulakis (small farmers), women workers, tlio police system, and many other questions. Of the Soviet's political system he save "there was never before anything quite like it," and goee on to show how some of the Communist theories have been cast overboard, with others as likely to follow their fate. "If anyone should ask me what I think is the most hopeful thing about Russia I should reply at once, and without, hesitation, Siberia. . . For myeelf, I would certainly rate Sit>eria ae far more important than Bolshevism in any estimate of Russia's future." Stalin and the, Ruffian people, he is convinced, are looking more and more towards Asia, not Europe. ...

Siberia, lie describes as "a great country, morii like the American Middle Wcet and North-Weet than any other stretch of the earth's surface with which I am familiar." He is much impressed with the potentialities of this vast area —'but, one gathers, not with Hβ internal system of politic*;, which, lie asserts, tends to manufacture conspirators. Before l!>-7 or thereabouts, political opposition had been forbidden outside the Communist Party. From tin* time onward political opposition was also forbidden ineide. tlie party. If the party took a vote on any dispute, and "il per cent of the members voted for one eide, the other 40 per cent could no longer arguo for their opinions or express any critical views. Some of the strongerminded revolutionaries inside the party could not adapt themselves to any suvli ey stem. "If I have calculated it out correctly," says Mr. Littlepage, "tho great conspiracy which has almost wrecked tlie Soviet svs'ii'iu in recent years, and hasn't yet been cleared Up, is the natural consequence, of the unnatural political scheme which forbids strong men to express their opinions openly and freely. Such a system is bound to produce underground conspirators. ,, A book well -worth reading.