SOVIET RUSSIA.

Franklin Times, Volume 14, Issue 200, 9 November 1925, Page 6

SOVIET RUSSIA.

EFFECTS OF BOLSHEVIK RULE. SOME TRUE FACTS. Facts about Russia under Soviet rule were imported to Rotarians at Wanganui by Mr R. J. Morgan, now of Wanganui, who spent several years in that much troubled country. Mr Morgan said that in introducing the subject of Soviet Russia, it was necessary to give his hearers some sort of an idea of how the Bolsheviks obtained power in the first instance. Some time prior to the war a meeting was held in London, and. amongst those present were a number of men who were supposed to be the Second International, and a section of workers from Russia. The meeting was practically divided into • two factions —one favouring the obtaining of power by means of force, and the other by means of constitutional methods. The former, the socalled Majority Socialists, were termed Bolsheviks, derived from the “bolshie,” meaning majority. The latter were called Mensheviks, meaning the minority.. The Bolsheviks, with their power to be' obtained by force, got to work to secure the reins of office, and were aided in their attempts by the discontent that obtained amongst the Russian Army during the war. The Bolsheviks, by means of their agitation, which was backed up by German propaganda, convinced the soldiers that continuance of the war was futile. The Menshevik Government, being tolerant men, allowed them to pursue their objective. Subsequently the international assembly met in Moscow and issued a protocol amongst the soldiers to the effect that it was going to form a Soviet Government. The soldiers acted on the information, and there was a wild rush from the field of battle, the men disbanding and returning to their homes, taking with them not only their ordinary rifles, but machine-guns, bombs, and other munitions. Lenin gathered further soldiers about him, and issued a proclamation to effect that he had formed a Soviet Government . He organised the Red Army and allowed**" local Soviet to continue until such time as the country was in absolute chaos and turmoil. He secured possession of ftll the arms by means of force, and by this means deprived the local Soviet of power. When he obtained power, and the Government had been centralised, he formed the famous Cheka, which consisted of all the villains of the community. The Bolsheviks gave them complete power, and the people were rushed off the streets and imprisoned without being given the opportunity of a trial. Harsh Treatment.

The speaker went on to refer to his own experience at the hands of the Cheka, which formed all sorts of regulations" that necessitated everyone registering, a full description of himself. All sorts of papers were issued, and any person found without one of these papers was liable to arrest. There were so many papers that it was impossible to keep a check on them all. In due course he was found one day without one of the papers, and was arrested. He was kept underground for two months without a vestige of a fair trial. He was informed that he was suspected of being a British spy, and that his goods had been confiscated. He was occasionally brought out from his prison cell to .appear before a sma.ll group of men who addressed turn in French, English, German and Russian, while one fellow continuously brandished a revolver in front of him. Between this fellow fingering the revolver and the languages in which he was addressed, his hearers could realise that he had small chance of defending himself. He was later informed that he had been found guilty. There were 70 in all imprisoned underground with himself, and they received water once a day, and had bread sent down to them occasionally. Conditions became so bad that the prisoners used to fight like wolves, and they were so covered with vermin that some of the prisoners died. They were removed and replaced by others. And that was what the Soviet Government, had done for freedom. One plant of the Soviet Governments policy was the socialisation of the means of exchange, and it issued money at such a rate that finally it became of no value at all. Commodities could not be bought for money. Articles of apparel and other goods became the means of exchange, and barbaric barter was resorted to On one occasion tie wanted some tobacco which a girl had for disposal, and had to secure fish hooks before a bargain could lie effected. The whole population was driven back to a state ot barbaric barter, and they all suffered considerably as a result of it. Nationalisation means Confiscation.

Following on the deflation of money II,,! Soviet Government carried out the nationalisation of industry. Lvoryihing became the properly ol the Soviet' Government, including the clothes lhal one wore, while everyone had to “mobilise" and register as workers. Likewise, women had to register, and. if they had no family, they had to work for the State, This meant lhal I lie whole of one’s properly became Ihr proper I y of the. State. The managers of business places were discharged. and Ihc Whole of Ihe workers were divided up into departments under an appointed head. The consequence was lhal Ihere was no uniformity. and il was impossible to work. High I Ibronghoul Russia, as far as his experience was concei'iieil, praelically Ihe whole of Ihe industrial life was slopped. They were nol nianufaeiiiring anylhing from basic produels. They were cei'lainly making a Tew bools and dollies, bill these were made from materials lefl by Ihe old despised, capildisls. for which return the people secretly wished. The (dmmunisls' advocated the deslrurliou iT works so lhal the one-linie owners would an I onto I iral I y become Rolslieviks. '.Needless to say. if was carried out pr.■ 11 y fail li fully. ‘Willi the tin! ion,a lisa I ion of industry I'vcrymie was organised and was required |o register Ids/own profession. The effecl was that pr,adic.all>' Ihe

A Lot of Clerks.

whole of the population of Russia registered as clerks, even if they could onlv write their names The result was that the whole of Russia became a lot of clerks. He had control oi a mine at the time, but there was not a miner to be found in the country, everyone demanding to be employed as a c ierk. However, the central Soviet eventually overcome this difficulty by instituting ' a policy of force—far greater than the Czar had e\er used. The Government was not a Government of freedom; it was a Govern r ment of force. “The famine in Russia was a real famine,” remarked Mr Morgan in proceeding. In a great country like Rus- j sia there were always sections that were subjected to changes of climate, but they were not all subject to , drought," as some would lead people to believe, and the effect was that when adverse conditions prevailed in a certain section the wheat only became dearer in that particular section under 'Ordinary conditions, the farmer found that he was only allowed to keep his ration of wheat and the remainder had to go to the Government. Naturallv, he said to himself that if the results of his labour were to be taken from him by force, he was only going to cultivate his five acres or so The result was that the farmer did not have sufficient wheat for himself, and there was none for the cities. And so it was that the whole nation, consisting of 150,000,000 people, ceased to produce. . , Mr Morgan further pointed out that when they were nationalised they were all receiving a salary. Though he was receiving 5000 roubles a month, the money had no value. He was supposed to go to the Government store for his rations, which included 201bs of flour, half a pound of tea, and a piece of soap. On several occasions when he went to the Government store and tendered his coupons there was nothing to get. and the} had to go hungry. The little bit he was able to procure had to be got by stealth. There was a certain amount of barter going on, though it was Illegal, the Government recognising that it was powerless to prevent it. They were told, he added, of the wonderful progress that the Soviet had made in regard to education. However during the whole of his travels in Soviet Russia, and Siberia, he did not remember one instance where schools that were used for teaching boys and girls under the old regime were in existence. All the educational buildings were used as bureaucratic departments by the Government. When he asked what Russia was doing to educate its children, he was informed that they did not want to teach them arts and science, but to teach them to work with their hands. Picture shows had been established for the amusement of soldiers, and were to be found in many of the towns.

Law Disregarded. In referring to the general order of Russia as he found it. the speaker said that in days gone by Russia was a very law-abiding country. He .was very surprised when he first settled there to find how the law was respected. However, during the Soviet regime, the -people had grown to disregard the law, crime had increased and anyone possessing anything of value was never safe. Only Government officials were allowed to travel. One could hardly pass over Russia without mention of the subject of prohibition. Prohibition was brought into effect in Russia during the Great War, and the Bolsheviks when they came along decided to continue its enforcement. During the first year of Bolshvism everywhere one w r ent there was plenty of liquor to be obtained — rather fierce liquor that proved effective was manufactured from melons, potatoes, wheat, and beet His own working people had their own large store of. sugar, and this was distributed to the workmen in certain quantities. To such an enormous extent did this manufacture of liquor grow during the Soviet regime that it became a menace. The Soviet destroyed the stills but they eventually re-appeared, and finally in order to prevent huge economic loss and waste, the manufacture of liquor was re-established. The Lust of Power.

! In conclusion, the speaker explained that the grist of his remarks, chiefly i concerned the internal workings of Russia. If Russia preferred to walk on her hands instead of the old-time method, then certainly she was enj titled lo do so. but when the Russians tried to turn other countries upside : down, then it' became a matter that I concerned those countries. Russia i had organised a body that dealt with the Third International, and the majority of its members were businessmen With high scientific attainments. He did not know what driving force i brought, such men into such a body, ' but he believed it was the lust for power They , were, however, worki ing at high pressure and were dis--1 tributing propaganda in all languages. He was astounded at the knowledge lint they possessed of their economic and social life, and one man predicted 1.0 him that in ten years— that, was in 199| with their united efforts they would he able to enforce the dictatorship Of the proletariat in England. The First International, added Mr Morgan, was formed in 1 Sfh. while the second was formed in about 1800. and was a bodv for progress by constitutional j methods The Third International. , formed a Her the war. was a military j hods- to get power by force and arms i It was formed for the purpose nt forcing ils views on oilier peoples with havonets. Me \ O Bignell. ill proposing a | hear Is' vole of thanks to the speaker | IV,i- his tine address, which was earned i b\- acclamation, remarked that from his own observations he. knew that the slurs- that Mr Morgan had to tell was ~n l s; {mi true To Ihe Sydney Domain un Ihe occasion of Ids recent visit to \us1ralia. there were about 10.0)1 people lisleping to the various speakers. who advocated that their hearers should procure arms in ease they were I, led. and they would be needed. In addition b> Hud they appealer! meir hearers that when the lone came In use lliem Um> did m-l swill I lo he afraid lo do so.

“I firmly believe that the unrest in Australia and many other countries is entirely fomented by . the Third International," added Mr Bignell, as he pointed out that it behoved them to affairs coming about in this country, endeavour to prevent such a state of His hearers had a duty to perform in securing the best possible Government for so much depended on that Government. He hoped that the elections would give the Communist element such a, set-back that the Dominion, would not be trouble with them for soriie time .to come.