FACING THE FACTS IN RUSSIA

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 3717, 2 November 1926, Page 7

FACING THE FACTS IN RUSSIA

A REPROOF TO THE BUREAUCRATS THE GROWING ECONOMIC CRISIS A document of unprecedented I rankness was published during the past week in Moscow, which reveals clearly the seriousness ol the presen I crisis in Soviet affairs (says the London ‘ Observer ’ of August 22). This crisis lias no relation lo the recent alarming rumors of armed risings, which time has shown, indeed, to he without foundation, for the country lias remained perfectly tranquil. There has, however, been a growing rilt in the Communist. Party, which lias led to the removal from office of ,M. Kamenev, the Commissar ol Trade, though he is officially described as being ‘‘on leave." The real crisis, however, is an economic and administrative one. There is no attempt to disguise it, and the heads of the Government have published the facts in what is described as an “ appeal for economy,” but wiiar. is in effect a long indictment of fie defects of the bureaucracy, occupying four columns in the official ‘ Pravda So far duly short extracts of this document have been published in this country, hut the full text hears out the rather startling admissions made. 1 1 asserts that unless the attempts at economy can he made real there is grave danger of throwing the whole Soviet system out of gear. The efforts in this direction .hitherto made arc roundly denounced -is a larce. The departments are accused el nmiiilaining swollen bureaucratic stalls, ol increasing the salaries of flic higher officials while lowering the conditions of the workers, of using official motor cars for private purposes, and tl protecting the officials who arc guilty of these and oilier abuses. These conditions. the appeal declares, cannot be tolerated, and those responsible lor them are threatened with being ignominiotisly expelled from the Communist Party if they do not mend their ways. The document passes lightly over the present anxious stale ol Soviet, industries, which is aggravated by the- lack ol capital, due to the Closing ol the financial markets ol the world to Russia. 1 1 admits, however, that some hundreds of millions of roubles are required to buttress the industries of the country, and that under the present method of management and (be state ol' ibe bureaucratie machine these lands cannot lie obtained. This blunt exposure of unpleasant facts is said to have made a considerable impression in Russia. The object of AIM. Lykov, Stalin, and Kuibyshev in issuing the document to the public was frankly to lace the realities ol the situation, with a view to facilitating their efforts at reform, and their unusual candor, it is claimed, is not a. sign of weakness, hut ol strength. With regard to one very important factor of the economic prosperity ol Russia —namely, the harvest —it now appears that the outlook is somewhat more hopeful than had previously been reported, 'the depredations ol locusts in the Northern Caucasus have proved not to he very extensive, and present indications, according to official inhumation, are that I iic harvest, instead of being below, will be a- little above liic average.