MYSTERIOUS ENGINEER

Waikato Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2552, 30 May 1922, Page 7

MYSTERIOUS ENGINEER

A GREAT FIGURE IN RUSSIA. A romantic story is told of a British engineer who is known by the Russian Soviet authorities as “Dick.” Many articles have been written about him in the Russian Press, and in all these ho is merely referred to as “the Englishman, ‘Dick’.” and with characteristic Russian vagueness the names of the mining districts which he dominates has always been omitted. M. Boris Stunkin writes:—“ln one of the famous Russian metallurgical districts which has been untouched by civil war there is an English engineer called ‘Dick.’ He is the nerve of the district, and he is the dictator of future recon--i struction. “In the early days of the war ‘Dick’ came to Russia to assist in enlarging our metal-production. Then later came the revolution, and ‘Dick’ went into the economic tight. The district became dangerous for the bourgcoisc, but. ‘Dick’ went into the thick of the dangers. .. He remained in his district even when food, failed. . “It was in these days of starvation that he was chosen ‘dictator’ of the district by the workers, and he promptly began to organise food production. He laid out. farms. He went out and showed the miners how to plant and cultivate vegetables and grain. “ ‘Dick’ is only the administrator. All the educational work has been carried out by assistants whom he selected from the workers. When Communist leaders in Moscow thought that, the district was not developing in accordance with the Communist plan, ‘Dick’ went to Moscow and stood up in.defence of his district. He dared to toll the party chiefs what lie intended to do, despite Their orders. ‘Dick’ is a characteristic Englishman. He is one of the most interesting and least known figures which have developed in the revolution.”