BOLSH EVISM AT A DISCOUNT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 171, 21 June 1926, Page 10

BOLSH EVISM AT A DISCOUNT.

A SOCIALIST’S CONDEMNATION.

[Contributed by N.Z. Welfare League.]

The Communists, and thoso Socialists who have Communistic leanings, are naturally full of indignation at tho remarkable indictment of Soviet Russia by M. Abramovitch, a member of the Social Democratic Labour Party of Russia, in an article in a weekly Socialist journal. Al. Abramovitch is one of thoso Socialists 'who had to flee from Russia to escape the fate, either of death or of banishment to the frozen wastes of Siberia, which was the lot of most of his comrades. He tells us little that we did not know before, but as he is a Socialist of European reputation and is acknowledged to be a man of high purpose and honesty, Iris critics, though they accuse him of prejudice and question the accuracy of his figures, do not dare to dispute his main assertions.

Of Russia’s economic position ho says: “The recent economic recovery of Russia was possibly only because tho Bolsheviks were compelled to abandon the Utopian schemes which for three years they pushed forward with superhuman energy and recklessness, through bloodshed and violence. If, therefore, we are to draw political conclusions from Russia’s present economic successes which, be it said, can be claimed only as relative successes, they do not Speak for the theories of Bolshevism, hut against them.”

/ FREEDOAI OF SPEECH. The Labour Party, who protested against the prosecution of the Communist leaders as an infringement of the rights of free speech, may 1 be interested to know that: “There is in Russia no kind of liberty of speech’ of the press, of assembly, or of organisation. _ No citizen may, without the permission of the Communist authorities, publish a hook or periodical or issue a manifesto ; nor may he summon or hold a meeting, nor organise any party or society—even though it be for scientific or educational purposes—without that permission. All elections for the Soviet, for Works’ Councils, Trade Unions and Co-operative Committees are conducted by a show of hands before the very eye 9of the dictators. And tho dictators are not the proletariat. The “dictatorship of the proletariat” is merely a name for “the Terrorist tyranny of the Communist Party over the whole nation.” This dictatorship is maintained by tlve Communist .rulers with every device of. political terror and political oppression. There is a well-organised net work of secret police with unlimited powers, disposing of enormous sums of money, and employing tens of thousands of spies. As a result of this rigorous rule “the Soviets have withered, and aro summoned only occasionally by the Bolsheviks merely for the purpose of agitation and decorative effect.” WHAT OF EDUCATION. -- That the Soviet rulers aro masters of decorative effect ue kiiu» i,uu perience of the British trade union delegation. “There are grandiose educational schemes,” says AL Abramovitch, “but in practice education has fallen below the standard reached by progressive Zemstvos in Tzarist days. It is significant that only 4 per cent of budgetary expenditure is devoted to education, as against 16 per cent for military purposes. There are exemplary laws for the protection of children, and foreign visitors are shown excellent children’s homes and schools on modern lines; but the rest of the homes aro wretchedly organised, their number is few, and hundreds of thousands of destitute children are wandering in the streets, hastening to physical and moral ruin, growing up as drug-addicts, drunkards, prostitutes and thieves. Such conditions are to ho found in no other civilised countries. Yet nothing is done.” PLEAS OF EXTENUATION. The editor of the New Leader admits the truth of most of .this tremendous indictment, hut sets against it the positive gains of the revolution. It has failed to give tlve people liberty, but it lias given “a new and stimulating senso of social freedom.” Tlie.v may not be able to elect or control their representatives or leaders, their freedom or action may be limited, but “they have lost the sense of being dominated by a master class.” But what outweighs every other drawback and disadvantage of the Rexolution, according to the writer, is that it has abolished the love of money. And yet Al. Abramovitch tells us that there is an epidemic of embezzlement amongst trade union and co-operative secretaries, and that everywhere there is corruption among high officials, judges, chiefs of police, even presidents and secretaries of Soviets.