BOLSHEVISM AT A DISCOUNT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 21 June 1926, Page 8

BOLSHEVISM AT A DISCOUNT

A SOCIALIST'S CONDEMNATION (Contributed by the Welfare i.Lejfgue) The Communists, and those Socialists who have Communist, leanings, .are naturally full i?f indignation at the.remarkable indictment of Soviet Russia by M. Abramovitcli, a member of#thc Social Democratic Labour party _of Russia, in an article iu a weekly Socialist, journal. M. Abramovitcli is otic of those Socialists who had to (lee front Russia to escape the late, either ot death or banishment to the frozen wastes of Siberia, which was the lot of most of his comrades. He tells ns little that we did not know before, but as lie is a Socialist of European reputation and is acknowledged to lie a mini of high purpose and honesty, bis critics, though they accuse him of prejudice, and question the accuracy ot his figures, do not dare to dispute his main assertions. Of Russia’s economic position he savs:—-“The recent economic recovery of Russia was .possible only because the Bolsheviks' were compelled to abandon the Utopian schemes whiqli 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, he it said, can lie claimed only as relative,successes — they do not speak for the theories of Bolshevism, but against tliem.” FREEDOM OF SPEECH The Labour Parly, who protested against the- prosecution of the Communist leaders as an infringement of the rights of free speech, may he in-, terested 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 book or periodical or issue a manifesto; nor may he summon or hold a meeting, nor organise any party or society—-even t hough 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 n show of hands before the very eyes of the dictators. And the 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 the 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 enorniQtts sums of money, and employing tens of thousands of spies. As a result of this rigorous rule, “live Soviets have withered, and arc. summoned only occasionally by the Bolsheviks merely for the purpose of agitation and decorative effect.” WHAT OF EDUCATION That the Soviet rulers are masters of decorative effect we know from the experience of the British Trade Union Delegation. “There are grandiose educational schemes,” says M.. Abfa.movjteli, “but in practice education lias fallen rbelovvi the standard reached by progressive Semstvos in Tzarist days. It is significant that only 4 per cent of budgetary expenditure is devoted to education, as. against 10 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 linesbut, the rest of the homes are 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 be found in no other civilised countries. Yet nothing is done.” PLEAS OF EXTENUATION The editor of the New Leader admits the trull? of most of this tremendous indictment, but sets against, it the positive gains of the. revolution.‘lt lias failed to give the people liberty, but it lias given “a ..new and stimulating sense of social freedom.” They may not be able to elect or control their representatives or leaders, tlieir freedom or action may ,be limited, b,ut “they have lost /the .sense of being dominated by a ...master class.” Bur wliat outweighs, every other drawback and disadvantage >of the revolution according to this writer, is that it lias abolished the love of money, and yet M. Abramovitcli tells us that there *s an epidemic of embezlement 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.