THE SOVIET THREAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20960, 25 August 1931, Page 13

THE SOVIET THREAT.

Sir, —I asked Mr. Blood worth to give one instance where I had "quoted the opinion of people who had only been a day or two in Russia,' - as he alleged that I had. Of course, he failed to do so, because 1 had never done it. However, ho seeks to justify his' statement by saying I "did accept evidence of a very flimsy character," when I quoted a cable from Helsingfors, concerning the death of a large number of students 1 who had been sent to forest work By what right, and on what evidence, does Mr. Blood worth describe this cable as "flimsy" ? It is very circumstantial ; it gives the number sent to the forest two years before as 417, "of which number only 169 are now available. The

rest are either in hospital or dead. Most of them arc dead." Then Mr. Bloodworth asks me how I know they are dead. Jhe answer is because the cable said / so, but the last five words, "most of them are dead," Mr. Bloodworth carefully leaves out when pretending to quote tho cable! Mr. Bloodworth quotes the Economist, which sent an expert to Russia to examine the progress of tho five-year plan, and is very pleased that in tho 20 pages devoted to this, expert's opinion, "there is not a word about atrocities." lie naively adds, "the other pages aro devoted to advertisements of Russian goods." Good /business! I should rather guess there -would riot be any mention of atrocities. •»Ir. Bloodworth professes ignorance of Russia's having declared war on capitalist governments. Tho five-year plan emphasises this declaration. Its avowed object /5s "the destruction of capitalist stabilisation," and "it is a plan of world revolu. tion." The Third International issues its praers, and when proof of this is forthcom- , 3 "g, the Soviet leaders repudiate boing the /authors, or being responsible for the ac- ' tions of the Third International. As against the Economist's 25 pages, five Pages of which are advertisements of Russian goods, may I mention a remarkable article in tho Saturday Evening Post (a publication with a circulation of 2,800,000 copies), which gives the experience of nr» •American expert Who went to Russia under engagement to tho, Soviet Government and «»a:s there 10 months, and glad to get avaj again. Ho says: "I have seen miners drop their tools and go home be cause they were so weak from hunger that they could not continue. I havo heard stories of human misery that would I ke cn incredible but for tho indisputable evidence before my eyes. 1 have seen priests in ecclesiastical robes digging sewers under the guns <>f Red soldiers, I have

seen imposing stone churches of great age turned into hay barns, or razed with dyna inite. And I pity the Russian people, oppressed and terrorised by a system jvhioh could not have been approached lor thoroughgoing cruelty in the days of tiie monarchy." Saturday's Heraw> con taws an account of the oppnlling condiunder which butter is produced in • -Kussia, a report made by an official committee for tile Soviet Government's After reading it my high J of the Wellington Chamber of tommcj'ce and its resolution is increased Still further. J. Tuoenes. 25Jj Parnell Road.