IN SOVIET RUSSIA

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 23, 28 January 1933, Page 18

IN SOVIET RUSSIA

Mr. J. W. Hird, in "Under Tsar and Soviet," tells of Bolshevism in operation. Of Soviet tiureaucracy he

writes:—

One of the most prominent and influential of the Bed journalists related the following story in the "Pravda." One day a telegram was Teceived *by the local authorities in a certain province It read: " Expedite' collection 17,368 sparrows." Immediately the whole population was mobilised to .carry out the order. About,a weel. later Moscow was astonished to receive a telegraphic request for instructions as to (a) the disposal of the birds, which were beginning to get high; and (b) the best method of keeping the cats from devouring tho_ catch. "Collection," in telegraphic jargon, Teferred to the collection of the Government dues from the grain harvest. The 17,368 was merely an official reference number, and. "Sparrows" was the name of the official who signed the telegram. In my opinion the attitude of the provincial authorities is easily intelligible. For thirteen years they had been accustomed to receive so many fantastic instructions, to be called on to carry out so many hare-brained schemes, that it is mpt surprising that they had ceased to question, any instruction.

Writing on the question of freedom of speech, Mr. Hird says:—

When two people meet in the street nowadays they agree as to the subject of their conversation before they start conversing, so that if a G.P.U. man should appear and ask them separately, in order to trap them, what they are talking about, they may both be able to give the: same version. You start your conversation by saying, "We're talking about football," or something similar, and then you. are free, to discuss anything you like—provided nobody else is within earshot. The middle of a wide road is a favoured place for conversation that might be considered political—and, ipso facto, treasonable. . . .'

There was a man and wife living with their two grown-up sons in one room. I was on friendly terms with the whole family. On separate occasions, within a few weeks of each other, each of the brothers came to ask whether I thought the other brother could be trusted. Each expressed the fear that the other had been driven to become an informer.... I learned to allow for a minimum of three spies in. a social party of six.