SOVIET RUSSIA TO-DAY

Hawera Star, Volume LII, 25 January 1933, Page 6

SOVIET RUSSIA TO-DAY

MAJOR PHARAZYN’S LECTURE IDEALS OF GREAT EXPERIMENT “FRIENDS OF SOVIET UNION” “One must look at Russia, to-day, not asl Russia, hut as humanity taking a step forward,” -said Major W. N. Pharazyn. in the course of an address at the Winter Show Buildings in Hawera. last evening. A New Zealander byi birth, Major Pharazyn spent 10 years as an officer in the Imperial Army and in 1931 he visited Russia with a party* of -tourists from England. Last evening he spoke on the- subject of “Soviet! JJussia • a-s it is To-day.” The Mayor of Hawera (Mr E. A. Pacey) presided and a representative audience of well over IQO residents of the town and district accorded the speaker a most attentive hearing. At the outset -of his remarks Major Pharazyn disclaimed a, vast personal knowledge of Russia. For many years he had been a Socialist, but when the opportunity came to visit R-ussia he did so in a critical frame of mind. He had 'since studied and endeavoured to understand what was going on in that great country and from his observations he would not attempt to disguise the fact that, his impressions were extremely favourable. “Many people ask me wiry I .should talk about Russia, and what that country has to do witli us.” continued Major Pharazyn. Till/' very mention of Russia, seemed to ireate- violent emotions, whereas a talk on any other country in the world was viewed quite mildly. Evidently it was not respectable in the minds of a good many people to discourse oil Russian affairs' He had a great mistrust of an emotional approach to any subject, for man to a large extent was governed by his emotions and was only partially a- reasoning animal. Soviet Russia stood as an example of organised society destined to -supercede pur disorganised /society' and he thought that there was much we might learn of its basic principles.

THE SOVIET IDEAL Major Pharazyn went to Russia with a party of tourists on one of the Soviet steamers- plying on a- regular service from London to Leningrad. Compared with America and even New Zealand, it was an ea-sy matter to procure passports, the particular tourist trip undertaken by the speaker costing £25 for 5000 miles —travelling, hotels, restaurants and theatres inclusive. The .steamers were between 3093 and 4000 tons and of the cargo passenger type. Both food and accommodation were excellent, but -one of the most interesting features was that the crew was treated on a basis of equality with the passengers. In the “Lenin Corner” on board many fine- books, mostly oil technical subjects and economics, social science find psychology were found. Novels of the light fiction type were in the minority. Some people -suggested .that Leninism was a lorm of superstitious worship, hut in the minds of the people Lenin was associated with the changed conditions of Russia and the necessity for greater knowledge. It was strange .that whilst navigation and discipline were well maintained no orders were given. Every member of the crew -worked hard and when questioned why they did so they replied: “Why shouldn’t we? It is our ship.” A ship’s Soviet, or council, arranged all the details of administration and the chairman of one meeting attended by Major Pharazyn happened to be the junior member of the engine room staff. The term officers was not used. “Call it a shop window jf you like,” said Major Pharazyn, “hut X am more than inlined .to think that the ship represented an ideal.” LENINGRAD

The first glimpse of Soviet industry wais gained somewhere about 11 o’clock on the night of arrival in Leningrad. On either side of a four-mile canal through which the steamer passed were va,sl> shipbuilding yards with their workshops a blaze of light. Three shifts were worked—a remarkable contrast with the Clyde yards where shipbuilding was at a 1-owi ebb. THie street life of Leningrad was most bewildering in the light -of preconceived ideas. Parts of the city were not unlike Melbourne. There were many line modern buildings and wide thoroughfares which contrasted oddly with less pretentious parts of the city. One street, far instance, would be entirely modern in construction and its neighbour- completely old-world in. appearance. The most remarkable feature of all was the activity of the people—everyone appeared to have some object in life and was well-led. No- -person could be said to be smartly clothed, but on the other hand no one was in rags. Vehicular traffic, strange to relate, was coinposed largely of Ford cars and trucks, Mr Henry Ford established a factory for the Soviet Union, th© only Ford factory in the world in which he hold no sliaros. iVs yet tho siib,UJ bs were depressing but hero again remarkable contrasts were provided by Soviet housing schemes. Huge blocks of workers’ fiats, upwards of seven storeys high, had replaced, hundreds of squalid shelters. There, were a great number of technical faults in these buildings. They had been erected with the alif of unskilled labour, but it indicated an attempt to improve the condition of the working classes. MAY DAY PROCESSION.

Major Pharazyn went on to Moscow and ‘vividly described conditions m that city of between three and four million inhabitants. Ho was fortunate in being able to view the May Day procession through Red Square, sonamed because of the long battlelnentecl red brick wall'of -the Kremlin nearby. In that procession were 20,000 S-oviet troops with heavy field armaments supplied by the great munitions factories of America, France and Britain. Next came 100 columns of workers which converged on Eled Square from 10 different routes, the people passing Lenin -s tomb 50 abreast. It- was estimated that 2.000.000 iiconic passed Lenin's tomb on A lav Dnv*—-all enthusiastically in support of the existing order of things under Soviet administration. COMMUNIST YOUTH.

The- speaker referred to the Communist Youth Organisation of Soviet Russia, and said that in. Moscow lie saw some of the finest specimens of manhood and womanhood -that it was possible to see anywhere. “One cannot but admire the care that is being taken, of the children,’’ lie continued. “’lhere may be a shortage of luxuries, but never a lack of the .essential commodities such as milk and butter.” Professor Julian Huxley, who spent two months inspecting Russian schools, said, on his return to England, that he did not see a single ease of rickets. The best educational facilities were provided, including children’s theatres, which were subsidised to the extent of £50.000 annually. Boys who entered

employment at 14 years of age were cared for in special night sanatorians where facilities were provided for the furtherance of their education and physical welfare. CONDITIONS IN INDUSTRIES. Describing conditions in the industries, Major Pharazyn said that the seven-hour day was general. In some industries machinery ceased operation for five minutes in every hour so that fatigue inight he minimised. There was greater co-operation and cohesion because there were no conflicting interests to be served. The first charge on industry was an improvement of conditions for the workers. The factories provided fully equipped kitchens and restaurants, in several of which the speaker obtained substantial midday meals on the payment of an equivalent in English money of Sd. There were medical clinics and creches, the latter for the accommodation of small children during the working hours of their parents. It had been hinted that women were forced to work in the factories. This was not so, although female workers were encouraged and were on an absolute equality with men. “A RACE OF SUPER-MEN.”

“I do not say that these conditions are general throughout Russia,” said Major Pharazyn, “but the movement to improve the status of the working classes- is spreading rapidly. If in a few years these conditions do become genera/1 Russia is going to produce a race of super-men and super-women.” So far as the peasantry was concerned farming pursuits were being carried on along properly organised lines with the aid of modern farm implements and new ideas of cultivation, resulting in great harvests.

ORGANISED SOCIETY. “Soviet Russia to-dav produces twice as much of every commodity- as she did in 1928; the death rate has been reduced by half, whilst the population increases at the rate of three and a half millions annually and is further enhanced hy an increasing number of immigrants who are being refused admission to other countries of the world —all this must surely point to the .success of the organised society which we call Soviet Russia.” the sneaker doclaned. “The first Five-year Plan just completed and the second Five-year HI an just* commenced. are gigantic and heroic undertakings. Russia to-day is by no means a state of Utopia, for there are still traces of the old order, which dies but /slowly. The older generation are bewildered by the amazing changes; the young people are enthusiastic and one must look at Russia to-day, not as Russia, but as humanity taking a step forward.” QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

In answer to a number of questions, Major Pharazyn said that there was no unemployment in Soviet Russia, and every member of the tourist party of which lie was a -member could have obtained work had they desired to remain in the country. The secret lay in co-ordination of production 'and the distribution of goods

Before the revolution the Russian people were more .superstitious than religious, their lives being dominated bv the Russian Orthodox Church. Today there was perfect freedom for any form of worship, and 90 per cent of the churches were open regularly for services. The Communist Party, although opposed to religious teaching, did not actually forbid it and the Jewish and Christian religions had made steady progress. Marriage was a civil contract, which tho speaker regarded as -more religions and wholesome in every way. There was no illegitimacy; every child born in Russia was a child of Russia.

“Property rights- are not abolished in Russia,” said Major Pharazyn, “but the basic principle adhered to is that no man may live on the labours of another. That is the root of -all our social troubles. In Russia a man may own a house and land, but not two houses, one of which he occupies himself -and lives on the rent of the other.”

A newspaper report that “Moscow threatened tho deportation of 800.000 citizens” was hardlv correct. More than likely the Soviet Union had setup another Socialist city -and was transferring the surplus population of one to the other.

FRIENDS OF SOYIF/T UNION. At the conclusion of the address a representative of the New Zealand section of the Friends of the Soviet Union addressed the gathering with the object of forming a branch in Hawera for the purpo-sc. (1) of defending the Soviet Republic; (2) of closer and more friendly relationship between the workers of New Zealand and Russia, and (3) of making known the truth about tho first Five-year Plan. Those interested were asked to leave tlieir names and addresses. j A vote of thanks to Major Pharazyn. was carried by acclamation. ; During the evening a collection was) taken and a quantity of literature sold in the hail. A poster displayed de-j piloted “all mankind marching ahead toj Socialism.”