LAND OF PARADOX

Grey River Argus, 23 April 1925, Page 2

LAND OF PARADOX

(By John 'Turner in Foreign A ffairs ’ ’). (Mr 'Turner was a member of the Bi it ish Trade Union Delegations which recently visited Russia). Russia has generally been considered t' land of mystery, contradiction, extremes, and great possibilities. The impression left as the result of a few weeks’ visit there has boon that-- in spite of the huge political, social, and industrial upheaval, consequent upon the war, blockade, filibustering invasions, famine, and the greatest revolution in history—it is certainly keeping up its old reeputation. A witty Frenchman is repuled to have said of politicians: ‘‘Th’* more you change them, the more they arc the same!’’ Whether that is true or rot of the rulers and would-be rulers in mo-lorn democratic countries, it must bo admitted that so far as the present political rulers in Russia arc eoneomod, there is certainly little I change from Tsarist days in their at- | libido towards political opponents. I The air of mystery became apparent inimodial oly an attempt was made to get in touch wMh those individuals whose names and addresses had been supplied before leaving London. Net being able to speak the language made it difficult anyway, but it was evilent that suspicion and fear lurked every where among those who took an interest in public affairs, but wore not | members of the Communist Party. The first contact effected was with a •man known oxer thirty years ago in I Lo , id';.i, though T was unaware of that | fill the meeting took place. As he spoke English and h< Id a responsible technical and supervisory position in I one of the Large Soviet enterprises, it I was very soon possible not only to | learn a good deal about what goes on in Russia under the surface, but to icneh others whom one required, without the difficulty previously experienced. Peter Kropotkin Museum. It nmy be known that Peter Kropotkin’s old house in Moscow has be-'-u placed the disposal of his family and is being converted into a museim. for the collection of the many very interesting things, connected with his life: seientifi". anarchist, and revolutionary. These are being colhu-tod in the various countries in which he resided during his long and active career. \lreadv :i beginning has been made, and if i< only the difficulty of finance v Inch prevents things so far collected from reaching Moscow. This is I’icnt io: <d. ns Hie Kropotkin Museum seems to be one of the few places where it is possible to meet people of independent views with less than the usual lurking fer.r. Censorship of Press. The first inquiry was respecting a free Press. This is seems does not exist in any form. The Communist papers are the only ones allowed to be published and even they are severely censored. AVhat is worse, it is more difficult to put any kind of illegal literature into circulation now than in the <lays of the Tsar. Then it was mostly a question of a secret piintirg press. To-day paper has to be obtained through a Government department and ; without paper even a printing press is useless. Permission has at times been . granted for the publication of a nonpartisan paper, but its life is always very short. An illustration was given. Tn 1923, jvermission was granted to a well known literary man to publish an independent weekly paper in Moscow. Tt was of course subjected to censorship, which is stated to be of a. threefold character. The paper was just one sheet, not quite so large .as, say, the front page of *‘Thc Times,'’ and devoted to the interests of Trade Unionism, Co-operation and Ethics. There was no difficulty about the first issue. The second hounded up in circulation. Without advertisement of any kind — the mere fact that nn independent paper was being published, caused such a demand — it reached over 45,000. The third issue passed the Censor quite •HI right, in spite of its severity. Just a ;: it was on the press, a number having been printed, the printing office was raided by the political police, head cd bv a prominent member of the Communist Party, and the whole issue confiscated. The printing office was closed and sealed up. A few weeks later the police returned, took possession of O'?' 1 for printing, and then left without any explanation. Tt is confidently believed, however, that it was the amount of paper being used, in spite of there being only one sheet, which induced the Communist Party to act in the manner indicated. The paper, it was evident, was becoming too popular and must bo suppressed. Copies of the three numbers which are being carefully preserved as a dark period in Russian rev- ; olutionary history. A naive inquiry as to why an application was not made for the return of the type, etc., and a request for some explanation from the police, caused a sad yet curious smile to appear on the face of the informant. Experience, it seems, Ins taught them to accept this sort of thing in silence. If any such application as that suggested had been made the applicant would in all probability Envoi boon detained and told it was necessarv to make inquiries. As the inquiry might take weeks, or months, or even longer, the bold individual who dared to make the application might have found himself indefinitely detained and lucky if eventually released

without some political charge being brought forward. There is only one (lf. jpnb.l ic opinion possibly, ,or at least allowed publication, in Russia at the presoiD time —that of the Party supporting the Dictatorship. Inconsistent Decisions. The publication of books is equally ■ restricted. All manuscripts have to be submitted to the Censor and, if passed, permission Io publish them obtained. Not only has the publication of books been placed under restraint, but it was stated many of the libraries had been cnrofnllv examined and Looks of the most harmless elm ract ’ • translations of novels, as well ns scr ions books on social and political questions, excluded if disliked by those in authority. Tn some cases -even Krop otkin’s books had been treated in this manner. Again, a man who had been acting as manager of a book store in Moscow, where Kropotkin’s works and other literature were on sale, had l■'.•en twice arrested without any charge 1"' ing brought', against him. The first time ho was liberated allot a f‘ v months’ detention and again, after a few months’ liberty, re-arrested. At the same time it was pleasing io find that translations of AVilbam Norris’s “Nows from Nowhere and Oscar AVildo’s “Soul of Aran Funder S-v-mi-ism.’’ were allowed I<> bp published. A RED RUSSIA ..fins yas.rifi .. M While all political and economic ideas and opinions, other than those agreed i ro bv the Communist Party for the time being, are always suspect and often suppressed, paradoxically both religious and froothought publications, previously forbidden, are allowed, subject to the usual restrictions .-.nd regulations. This is charaeterisl ie of ma ny things in Russia nneioi.t privileges being uprooted while new ones are established, old restriction-; being removed as frosh restraints are imposed. We understand that t.lie first trouble Trotsky had with Pie Communist Party in 1923 was when he wished to publish a. book on the October, 1917, Bex obit ion. The Parly disagreed ith his point of view ami refused permission for publication. All attempt is made to justify this coercion on the ground that a literary commiss’on of the Communist Party had Leon sot up to write the official history of the revolution. AVhat re<-l xaliio will be s> t to the ouD-ide world on such :i work, however true ami complete it m:iy l>e, xxhen publication of independent xiews on the subject haxo been denied, remains Io bo seen. Trotsky Banned. An interesting incident in oonnoction with Trotsky occurred in Moscoxx- iu<t as the British Delegation returned there from Tiflis early in December. ITe had boon announced to speak in time when the difference between him one of the halls. Tt ‘was just the and the Party was becoming acute. On the night of the meeting, a notice the size of a square envelope announced: “Comrade Trotsky's lecture is postponed.” While, as usual, nothing definite was knoxxm of Ilie reason for this, it was taken for granted that the Party had forbidden him to speak. Certain it is, the subsequent temporary eclipse of Trotsky has extinguished, nt least for the present, the hopes of thou sands of thinking Russians who, while differing from him on most things, believed in a. more liberal attitude lobard the Press and publication. It may be that the announcement of the “postponement” of hi s lecture will prove prophetic. In a similar way no free experiment or initiative seems possible in any form of industrial -enterprise, ox en of a communistic character. The New Economic Policy grants permission for private enterprise under certain restrie tions, and, in spite of these, great headway seems to have been made*. But all are under surveillance. Information was given respecting a few bakers who recently in Moscoxx- started l»y themselves a bakery on a communistic basis, all of them receiving the same remuneration out of the results accruing. It was allowed to run for a few Nvccks and then abruptly raided and closed down. No clear idea seemed available as to the exact reason of this action by the local authority, since it was stated no definite explanation is considered necessary in such a case. It may bo that anything that does not fit in exactly with the Labour Decrees, operating on behalf of industrial wageearners is suspect and suppressed. An> political or industrial affairs must, it would seem, operate only in accordance with the dictates of the Communist Party. Nonconformity in either of these spheres is ruthlessly crushed, at the very moment when it is being nexx]v allowed in religious affairs.