THE RUSSIAN REVOLT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 7

THE RUSSIAN REVOLT.

PEASANTS AS INDIVIDUALISTS. In order to appease the peasants, who arc individualists in ail Matters affecting themselves, the immense loroat ureas'- have been handed over to them lor their “free, use" by the Bolshevist oligarchs of Russia. A crisis has been developing for some time past. The peasants, though they have shared among themselves the groat estates, have from the first been out of sympathy with tne doctrines of Communism (says the Daily Telegraph). All land was to have boon nationalised, but in effect all that Ims happened is that its ownership has been changed. Proprietors who had command of capital for purchasing machinery, paying labour, and securing seed, have given place to peasants—poor, ignorant, and essentially cramped in their outlook in life. It was thought that they would reciprocate by falling in with the designs of the Soviet leaders in tUo matter of thcii surplus crops. They not only refused to comply with the demands made upon them, but, whenever pressure was applied, they retaliated by restraining production. Gradually they lost whatever sympathy they had with the ideals of the Communists, which they probably never understood. They have recently developed strong anti-Bolshevist tendencies, which have given the triumvirate at Moscow and their supporters much anxiety. Without the co-operation of the peasants, the lood-producers for the people in the towns, the whole Communistic fabric must (ail. As it is, a situation has been reached where Russia, instead of exporting largo quantities of grain, has been driven by famine to purchase supplies from abroad. Agents of the Soviet nave been buying heavily wheat and maize on the London markers, and they have also been active at Canadian centres, as well as at Hamburg. Vet, not so many months ago, the boast was made that once tlie Commercial Treaty negotiated by the Socialist Government wars in operation, grain would pour out of Russia, with the result that the price of bread would be reduced. Every effort to prevail on the peasants to grow more grain has [ailed, while they are rapidly becoming more hostile to the present system of government. The effect of the nationalisation of the land was far less than many persons have imagined. The peasants were owners of 67 A per cent, of the area in private ownership before Communism reared its head. Consequently their gain was not large, and their sense of obligation to the Bolshevists has always been restrained. After they had absorbed the arable land they began to cast longing glances at the forests which the Bolshevists were attemptleg to exploit under Government ownership. Eventually the peasants began to make use of those means of coercion to which they have been led in other directions also by their political impotence under the Soviet system. In an endeavour to placate them the forests are being virtually made over to them. It is reported that nearly2,soo,ooo acres of forest in the Ukraine, over 500,000 acres in the Government of .Smolensk, and £OO,OOO acres in that of Minsk arc to be handed over to the peasants tor their tree use.” Nominally, as in the case of the arable land, the Soviet claims that the forests arc still nationalised, but, in truth, the peasants are the owners, and would resist any measure taken to dispossess them. It is hoped that this sop will reconcile them to the principles of Communism.