AUSTRALIAN “REDS" IN MOSCOW

Evening Star, Issue 18173, 13 January 1923, Page 8

AUSTRALIAN “REDS" IN MOSCOW

THE EARTHLY PARADISE. SINGING “ARM IN ARM.” [Special to Sydney ‘ Sun.'j • LONDON, December 29. I'resh from t.lio glories of Die Red Square .in Moscow, Mr J. S. Garden (secretary of the New South Wales Trades and Labor Council), one of the three Australian delegates to the Bolshevik Congress, arrived in Loudon this morning, a multi-millionaire—-in roubles —and bearing the glad tidings to all Australian Bolshies to “ go clow.” “In Lenin’s own words to me,” ho said, “wo in Australia must mark time. We have been agitating rather strongly. Our place is to assist the Labor Parly in every possible way.” Mr Garden, annotating Lenin's instructionss, adds: “At this election the extremists were behind Labor'. Lenin’s remarks arc rather interesting apropos of Mr Theodore’s outburst. It is strange that tjuccnsjland, where Mr Theodore’s moderate policy operates, appears to be the only Stale whore Labor has retrograded.” Mr Garden, who was accompanied by Mr Earsman (a member of tho Amalgamated Engineering Union, and a lecturer at tho New South Wales Labor College) and. another delegate, had a great reception in Moscow, with military honors, including “a wonderful review” in the lied Square outside tho Kremlin, where Trotsky was on tho tribunal and tho Australians were “so close that wo omul touch him.”

Tbo march past .lifted alt hours :ir.! a-half, the function requiring continuum, saluting, with cheers. It is presumed ilia; tho Australians worked at tho saluting in relays. First came 50,000 Red snid;c;>, with tanks and artillery, forty aeroplane-, circling overhead . Then came ffid re.-i rvists, then workers in factory units, ami finally people well clad and obviously sapplied with plenty of food, which .Mr Garden says can ho obtained at prices a.cheap as in London. Mr Garden subsequently addressed the military colleges, tho Doctors’ Conferenv, and tho medical and university students. LENIN INTERESTED IN AUSTRALIA.

Houses are being built everywhere, says Mr Garden, and though there is a shortage in Moscow, there is also a shortage in Sydney, the difference being that in Moscow tho hotels are used by the people, with the exception of three allocated i. tho use of foreign visitors. But the achievement of which Aiisti ana. say tho delegates, should chiefly ho proud is the fact that “tho longest interview of the year granted by Lenin was tluu given to Mr Garden and Mr Karsman. It lasted an hour and forty miliums.'’ Lenin was deeply interested in Australia, and proved himself conversant with ,vl main issues in Australian life, particularly economic questions.

Lenin is still suffering' from the elTcr-i of the bullet wound, received two year ago, but is recovering slowly.

Tho conference was conducted in fail official languages, “and some others," apparently unofficial, each group of ! iio forty-seven, countries represented having various interpreters, who, with the 45? delegates, somewhat crowded the Krcm lin.

Mr Egreman, who was a, delegate 1o Die 1921 conference, declares that tho country has improved by 500 per cent, within the year. “ Russia’s new economic policy iia? helped immensely,” he rays. Famine rtil! hangs over the country, which needs technical aid and machinery.

Mr Garden secs in Russia a big field for Australian meat anr[ wool. JEwy shop in Petrograd and Moscow is filled with American and German, hut no British, goods. In striking contrast with tho happiness ho saw in Russia, Mr Garden found tho border Stales—Esihonia, Lithuania, and Latvia —“ nothing but a gang of thieves and robbers, with swarms oi police; whereas in Russia you do not see any police in the streets, and the happiness of the people is unbounded. They are sc happy that you see them Talking singing aim in. arm.”

Mr Garden will' return to S»--mey about the middle of Fe'oruary, alter a visit to Scotland and the North of England.