RUSSIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 February 1919, Page 5

RUSSIA.

! OPERATIONS AT KIEFF. "•' Copenhagen, Feb. 3. When the Bolsheviks attacked Kieff Potlura's troops either lied or surrendered, many voluntarily joining the Bolsheviks. The Ukraine Government is retiring to Prostourov and railway communication with Kieff is cut near Korel, where a force of German troops is endeavoring to maintain order among the great masses of Germans in flight from the interior of the Ukraine. RURAL CONDITIONS. UNDER BOLSHEVISM. London, Jan, 22 The Manchester Guardian corresspondent, who was engaged on a relief mission to Russia in ll)17-li)lS, gives an interesting review of the economic conditions of rural Russia under Bolshevism. He says co-operative societies have now secured a virtual monopoly of trading and are putting small traders out of business. The societies get credit from the Soviets and are regarded by the railways as a Government department. Profits are reduced to a. minimum and devoted to education, including classes for modern languages, history, and book-keeping. The Bolsheviks commenced with an ambitious educational programme. They iii.iied at establishing schools in every village, but the project was abandoned owing to lack of teachers. Instead the Bolsheviks started training colleges for teachers. There was immense enthusiasm for education and it was a great Bolshevik asset, The Boy Scout movement was also flourishing. The Soviets controlled most factories and forests. The Bolshevik leaders for a time gave the Soviets control of local sections of railway, but the scheme soon failed and complete disorganisation followed and national gontrol was resumed. Regarding the ownership of land there is a difference of opinion The Bolshevik leaders desire to manage large estates through their own experts, but the peasants do not desire nationalisation but village ownership. The Bolsheviks have secured taxes by capital levies, from which none -ajre exempt, and ara commandeering stores and selling them at high prices, Justice was secured by the election of the older men as magistrates. The guards sometimes over-rode the magistrates, but on the whole the law courts and justice were more reliable than the police administration of the ,old regime and there was no blackmailing. In connection with illicit vodka stills the Bolsheviks simply confiscated the still and deprived the maker of supplies of grain. ' Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assoc. FATE OF RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY. Received 6, 12 30 n.m. Paris, Feb. . The Petit Parisian publishes now details of the murder of the Russian Imperial family, according to which the Grand Duchesses were violated under the eves of their parents before being killed --Aus. -N.?J. Cable Assoc.