BOLSHEVISM AT HOME.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20041, 2 September 1920, Page 8

BOLSHEVISM AT HOME.

BRITISH LABOUR VIEW, Mr Ben Turner and Mr Tom SSstnv, M.P., who were members of the Labour deputation to Russia, have returned homo (says “Tho Times’’) with an interim report of tho deputation. Mr Turner, in an interview, gives a candid description of the condition of affairs in Russia under tho Dolslioviks. Bo says “There has been a red terror, arid the Bolshevik leaders say that force will .be. used so long as there is a possibility of a counter-revolution, and ao long as the Polish Avar continues. They declared—l myself do not know ' that they are surrounded by spies and supporters of tho old regime.” It has been reported in the Press that during the Red Terror 10,000 people were shot. The official figure which he saw was 8500, and most of the executions, ho was told, were for acts of treachery behind the lines during the Denekin and Koltchnk campaigns. Tire Bolsheviks, he said, did not disguise the fact that there had been a Red Terror following each White Terror. They said that the Mhite Terror cam© first. GREAT LACK OF FOOD. With regard to the scope of the investigation. Mr Turner said that no limitations whatever were put on the movements of the deputation or the inquiries they made. “I do not mean,” ho said, 11 that they thrust documents at us but we were allowed ■to see everything wo asked for. They were brutally frank about their shortage of necessaries and their hardships, and their intention to win through, even though that means the employment of considerable force. They hid nothing troin us, even though it told against them. The physical and material condition of the country is so bad that they did nob attempt to hide it. There is a great lack of fond and clothing, or raw materials, and of transport, they have had a tremendouslv fierce battle with disease. They have had a million cases of typhus, end scores' of thousands of cases of malaria and smallpox, and have no medicines. Neither have they fats or oils.” Mr Turner spoke of the acute hunger apparent in Moscow and Petrograd arising partly, at any rate, from defects °r transport. “I should say,” he went on, “that there aro 50 par cent hungry, although everyone gets a minimum allowance of" food. The.ro were scenes of desolation in Petrograd. As to the state of the countryside,, we had only limited opportunities’ of judging as wo travelled from ono place to another. “ IDEALISM OP THE BOLSHEVIKS.” ( ’ 4^r Turner proceeded, tho idealism of tho Bolsheviks is very goc.., but they cannot change human nature in a decree, nor in a tew years’ time. It will take t a generation or two to arouso up any substantial realisation of their ' idealism. 1 think they will win through, but with a modification of their proposals. there is in Russia a- great division between the towns and the villages. Tim towns have denended on the villages for food, and the villages have relied on the towns for other commodities. ’’ The towns have no commodities to supply, and tho villages are not inclined to satisfy their requirements of food in full because the means of barter are ’ nor here. The Bolshevik Government is making stronuons efforts to overcome that difficulty. I also think that the old land system of Russia will never be restored There is more likely to be something in tho way of peasant societies.” I asked Mr Turner if he found evidene© that tho Bolsheviks were maintaining a tyranny. “Not exactly a tyranny,” was the answer, “hut a tatoSp” , U iS nn unaccepted die ABOLITION OF STRIKES. Asked his general conclusion, Mr said:-” If Russia has peace and i' h^ blocl '“ de ls completely raised| and tiade relations with tho rest 0 f ho world resumed, I think Russia will bo a very rich country in a few years’ imo. Iho men at the head m affairs ayo real business capacity for increas- % production. The gospel of all of them is more production; their leaflets and speeches all say the same thiii« they are giving an inducement of extra food, and so on, to sections of the workpenpLo to increase their output, ratted 6 / T Lmi , tm S the Government ration to those wlio do not give their best production considering their nlivsical condition and general efficiency, there are no strikes, because the Government won’t have them. Tho-© is not the freedom on the industrial side that we have in this country'. Indeed, some of their proposals regarding production and the abolition of tho strike would gladden the heart of some employers of labour here, 'but rjiev leagues. ” SUlt 0r BOmo ° f col ‘