A BOLSHEVIK AND HIS MONEY.

Evening Star, Issue 17597, 28 February 1921, Page 8

A BOLSHEVIK AND HIS MONEY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, I am going to make a bet with you. The subject of the bet is the “Well-fed” League’s article headed “Forced Labor in Russia,” and I am betting yon the sum of £1 Chat you are not game to publish my comments on that subject. Suppose wo had a reflex of the Russian form of Soviet Government in New Zealand—and we arc going to have it one of these days; you know that, but you dare not for your sweet existence as editor of the ‘Star’ admit it—can you imagine the supporters of that system condemning Lenin’s contemporary in New Zealand for forcing Mr Skerrett, and his fraternity, yourself and your kind, and all other expensively ornamental people, to accommodate themselves to some useful toil? You are about as sorry you published that article as President Wilson is over his “self-determination” stunt by now. Lenin applies conscriptive methods to every citizen capable of working. Hho is condemning him? Not the worker?. Russia’s government is based on industrial representation, not geographical, and the onus is on every citizen to show that he renders tangible’sendee to that State before he has a right to representation in it. Well, that suits me all right. Not sy Mr Skerrett. I can quite understand his antagonism to Soviets and industrialism. So do vou, and I leave you to sympathise with him. The condition of my bet witn you is that if vou publish this letter you publish it intact-no alterations or emissions.-! am, etc., James Bain. p jam a witness to and the holder of a duplicate of this leitcr.-Witnoss-Guokce Paul. February 24. |This letter is referred to in our leaning columns. —Kd- L-S.]