SOVIET RUSSIA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18851, 2 May 1923, Page 7

SOVIET RUSSIA.

PROPOSAL FROM JAPAN. REOPENING TRADE RELATIONS. GENERAL TREATY MAY RESULT. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright TOKIO, April 30. The Foreign, Minister (Count Udiida) announces that Japan' has made a proposal to the Moscow Government for an exchange of commercial agents. —A. and N.Z. Cable. MOSCOW, April 29 The Soviet states that the proposals from Japan for a trade agreement are tantamount to a de facto recognition. The agreement is the first official step towards a renewal of Russo-Japanese relations, and may load to a general RussoJapanese treaty.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

CHILD LIFE IN MOSCOW.

A DEPRESSING

LONDON, April 30. The wretched conditions of child life in Soviet Russia are vividly described by the Moscow correspondent of a Berlin newspaper who has returned from Russia Thousands of half-clothed children, mostly orphans, are roaming the streets as beggars and vagabonds, filthy and diseased. They defy the Soviet law against hawking and against persons under 14 years trading in the streets. The guards beat them, and sometimes a child of eight or nine is marched through the streets to prison between huge guards with drawn swords, like dangerous criminals.

The prison authorities employ the most intelligent children as spies, who pester suspects for alms and overhear their talk. The children steal everything they can. The moral degradation of both boys and girls is beyond description.—The limes.

BOLSHEVIST PENETRATION.

CAMPAIGN IN BOKHARA

DELHI, April 30., Reports from Central Asia state that the Bolshevists attacked Mohammedan tribes in Eastern Bokhara and drove them from the few remaining towns still in their possession into the mountains. Despite promises of a liberal regime, theBolshevists permitted unrestrained excesses against the population of the captured towns.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

COMMUNISM ON TRIAL,

NOVEL BULGARIAN SCHEME.

LONDON, April 19.

The Bulgarian Prime Minister, M. Stambouliski, has introduced a Bill providing that where in any village there are more than 10 Communists, their land and property shall be confiscated and formed into a commune, where all the village Communists will be compelled to live, and where all will be compelled to do an equal share of work.

M. Stambouliski says that the Government desires to give the Communists, whom he describes as “Our brothers with new ideas,” the opportunity of personally testing, at their own, and not the nation's expense, Communist principles which recently have been making headway among peasants under the inspiration of Moscow. The new communes in the village will bo administered by local Soviets, comprising one representative of the municipality, one of the Government, and three of the Communists.

All members of the communes will work for specified times under control, and will receive food and necessaries by means of coupons. A second Bill will be introduced dealing with Communists in towns.