THE SOVIET REGIME

Otago Witness, Issue 3594, 30 January 1923, Page 8

THE SOVIET REGIME

CONDITIONS IN RUSSIA. A DISMAL PICTURE. (From Odr Own Correspondent.) WELINGTON, January 22. A Tetzner, in an interview published by Post, paints a dismal picture of conditions in Russia under the Soviet regime. Mr Tetzner _ed from Russia in 1917 when the revolution occurred, and he has come to New Zealand from China. Under the late Czar he was Governor of Olonetzk province, through which supplies for the world war w-ere forwarded from Great Britain to Russia. He was also Chamberlain to the Czar, and for eight years was secretary of the Finance Committee of the Government. After his flight ho became manager of the Far East Transport and Insurance Company, and of certain British companies, including the Far Eastern Insurance and Canadian Trading Company-, until he was forced by new legislation regarding these companies to leave China. “Who are the Communists, (he aristocracy of Russia, and whence came they?” he said to the interviewer. , “No one knows. Yet to-day 50.000 th. 70,000 of them live in the utmost luxury in palatial homes. They- drive in splendid motor eavs, eat the best food, and attend the theatres, while ill the revolution of their - making 25,000,000 have died and starved, and 3.000,000 have been driven into exile, compared with the 2,000.000 who were killed in the world war. and the 7,000.000 who were wounded before peace was signed—a peace of which the Russian people were ashamed, and rather than participate in it General Scanlon shot himself. Now the Russian people live in a state of slavery that does not compare with anything they have before experienced. The socialism of the Communists has been too big an experiment for a country the size of Russia, and it has been a most ghastly catastrophe. The Bolshevists, who have throughout the world announced their intention of doing away- with capital, are now asking the capitalists to open the factories, and are offering forests, coal mines, and gold mines for exploitation, but who will put vast capital into Russia when it may at any moment be lost for ever? Russia will not recover from the blow in 100 and many more years.” Mr Tetzner says the news of the doing 9 in Russia could not be believed. Even the official documents were packed with lies, and the strict censorship allowed no news other than that prepared by the Communists to leave the country. He had noticed this particularly while in China. Ho states:. “I can say absolutely and truly that no has experienced suen despotism as is held now in Russia by people who are absolutely strangers to Russia. The Government consists of people, mostly Jews, from every part of the world. M. Trotsky is in reality a man named Bronstein, a citizen of America, and a resident of New York. The Government is more than 85 per cent. Jews, the remainder being Lithuanians and Russians. Their measures came into force immediately they took over the Government of the country, and meant the confiscation of every kind of property and the execution of everyone who was against them, the nationalisation of railways and steamers, the abolition of churches, the abolition of marriage and ■ families, and the concentration of all produce in the hands of the Government, everyone being turned into an obedient slave to the principles of Communism. It was announced that everyone living in Russia must be governed by the new Government’s laws; yet this Government was never elected, for it just seized power. Nobody knew whether it would bo recognised by the people or not. The so-called Red Army was organised to maintain control, and was loci by the Communists. Old officers and specialists were given the option of acting in the army or being executed — in fact, murdered. As the whole organisation is" watohed by an army of spies, it is tremendously strong. This army was the beloved child of the Government, and everything—money and food—was given it. Its only punishment was execution. It can only be compared with the Government of Russia, 200 years ago. It controls aU private and public life, and nothing can be done against it. The people, though so dissatisfied, can do nothing against it. They are afraid to speak too loud or write or otherwise communicate with one another.” Mr Tetzner added that official statistics showed that 1,000,200 people were executed as beisg enemies of the Government. Speaking of the economic side, he said that banks, insurance companies, 4 trading companies, and their clients were robbed. Land was confiscated without a farthing of compensation, individual and private interest was killed, nobody had any right to buy or sell, and these things were forbidden on tlie threat of execution or imprisonment. E^rything became very dear. There were millions of unemployed who were paid by the Government at the same ra(es as those who worked, and the ultimate result was a huge issue of paper money, with the result that the rouble experienced such a failure as had never been known before. Ten gold roubles of the Imperial Government were valued at 50,000,000 in the paper morey of the new Government. It was a case of officials, officials. officials, from the Government, all of whom had to be paid, as well, as the army and innumerable agents and propagandists abroad. Even the churches and convents were seized and robbed to make up the money required. “M. Lenin,” Mr Tetzner concluded, “is now practically a figurehead —a dying man —and the Government is really M. Trotsky. The powers ot the Government are delegated through workmen’s and peasants’ committees to the administrators who are absolutely autocrats, and whose rule is absolute. The people are not allowed to do they desire unless by permits. The thieves and vagabonds have become wealthy on the sufferings of others and on a system of which the country is ashamed—that of robbery.”