The Daily Worker Newspaper, January 24, 1925, Page 12

The Truth About Soviet Russia By A. A. PURCELL, Head of the Fraternal British Trade Union Delegation to Investigate Conditions in Soviet Russia. EVERAL years ago, in 1903, I think it was—I remember reading a pam- phiet by that Scotch-American mil- lionaire, Andrew Carnegie, wherein it was stated that if capital could ever be got together to exploit South- ern Russia, it would be a veritable Mecca beyond the dreams of avarice, returning to capitalism a financial Mount Everest. Several times my swift movements through Southern Russia covering 3,000 miles in eighteen days, I have been constantly reminded of the Homestead philosopher of capitalism and his trite remarks. Carnegie would exploit the earth’s wealth for a particular small set, but the Russian worker has accepted the task of exploiting his native terri- tory for the common weal. Go where you will in the Don Basin and you are struck instantly with a | Fred Bromley | whole maze of capitalist contradic- tions, or rather, the remnants of them. You see the incessant struggle going ahead to master the physical and men- tal defects inherited from capitalism. You can see the bruises and dinges battered upon the well-worn machin- ery, the frightful conditions under which the minions and concession- aires of czardom freed their victims to work, breed, feed, sleep and ex- pire amid tears of blood and disgust- ing modes of disease and insanitary conditions. Everywhere you can discern the de- predations of the treacherous invad- er, whether in frock coat or khaki suits. Then having defeated the in- vader you sense the miraculous and herculean tasks being performed to diminish the evils which have scar- red a one-time beautiful and undulat- ing country side. A yawning black and bleak cavity seems to gasp at the human presence. The filthy relics left by capitalism as its contribution to human emanci- pation present a formidable enough task for the new masters, and these are gradually wrecking the’ old so- called homes and replacing them with tiny houses, that are nionuments to the revolution, and will eventually prove to be bulwarks against the old inhuman, insanitary and disease-rid- den little cells. It is a tribute to the ability and capacity of the Workers’ Republic that they can rely upon sufficient discipline to enable them to mobilize domestic armies to march and attack this octopus. If you go to Grosny or Baku, the story simply changes from coal and salt to oil. But the avowed inten- tion, everywhere discernible, to re- duce illiteracy and shocking housing conditions, becomes more and more apparent the further you move for- ward. Then Schlerovka and Zemo-Avchati give an ever-widening and penetrating glance into the efforts being made to provide energy-giving electrical pow- er to huge slices of the earth’s terri- tory, piercing the natural darkness on a more modern basis with the ap- plication of scientific methods on an ever-increasing scale. Thus, to destroy the old and erect the new on these ruins is the every- where accepted task of all. As showing the intensity of inter- est in the undertakings, and the cer- tainty of final success, at one of the mines in the Donetz, a very good old trade union colleague of mine remark- ed to a Russian comrade that whilst admitting the enormous difficulties which were being so successfully sur- mounted, there was much of a primi- tive nature about the workings. “Quite true,” replied our good Russian friend, “but never forget these are ours.” But Chatura is clearly the greatest example of working class determina- tion and capacity. Four years ago the place was in an extremely raw state, but I remember reporting in Ingland the importance of what I saw on that occasion. I have now seen it a second time and am bound to say that it certainly ranks among the highest efforts of the Soviet Re public. The use and exploitation of peat as an energy-raiser on the scale provid- ed at Chatura is of itself a unique thing, but the lay-out of the place, the fine buildings, the well-planned hous- ing facilities for the workers, together with the clubs, schools, and restaur- ants—all this will, when the plant is completed, make the Chatura elec- tricity plant one of the finest, heal- thiest, and most self-contained indus- trial plants in the world. Here is shown the mighty difference between capitalist and working class effort to deal with a great problem. A mere glance would compel the most hide-bound anti-Soviet croaker to admit that even the users of strong revolutionary phrases can handle pow- erful economic undertakings with wonderful success. Here the technical men are given free and full play within the scheme for the display of scientific skill, a freedom they cannot get under capi- talism, unless it pays the capitalist; here is a question of social service and consequently, the best is asked for, expected, and conceded. These great undertakings at Chat- ura, Sehlerovka, Zemo-Avchati, im- press me considerably; each is a great piece of social and ecenomic organization, and yet they, and sev- eral others, are just a part of one and the same idea. Soviet Russia will yet feel more proud of its adventures in the field of electricity. In England, we are still talking about it, but you in Russia are doing it; and Russia is poor finan- cially, whilst England is relatively rich, again financially. Anyway, in this direction you are fast approaching genuine and satis- factory communal rewards, while we in England are still considering whether it will pay the capitalists to exploit. our natural resources. My time will not permit me to launch into further detail, it is suffi- cient for my purpose to say that I am profoundly impressed at the wondrous advances made since my visit of 1920. The head almost reels at the thought of the energy which has been con- sumed in repelling the attacks of al- most every country in the world; sometimes avowed and open, at other times by the most insidious and -das- tardly manner. Then there was the famine period, the almost daily at- tacks in the world’s newspapers, and the constant and persistent building up of crass calumny, lying and dis- tortion, every atom of which was per- petrated in the ever present hope that it would bring about the fall of Sov- iet Russia. These fools forget that in the end they have dong more to popularize Russia than they will ever know. More and more, we are be- ginning to know Russia; the inquiries by ordinary workers in Great Britain are a constantly increasing stream, despite all calumnies. And so I am led to Georgia, which has had its full share of capitalist at- tention, and, if I may say so, alleged socialist attention too. When I was about to enter Georgia I kept glancing around to see if any Georgians still survived. The Bri- tish press during the last six months has demonstrated fond capitalist- like love for ; it has, in fact, emptied Georgia of “its entire popula- tion. Day by day, and week by week, we were told how munities, risings, tor- tures, shootings, murder, rapine, and slaughter was being perpetrated un- der Bolshevik rule.in Georgia. The most hair-raising paragraphs were stuck in the mid-columns of the tish press. They knew all this was untrue, yet they hoped it really was true, because all their other weapons against Sov- iet Russia had fallen from their hands. It appeared to me at sight, that the trouble is clearly one in which ‘those who have been compelled to disgorge their plunder feel annoyed. The splendid demonstration in Tiflis on December 3, which took nearly three hours to pass a given point, was a complete answer to the croak- ers at home and abroad. Mean, women, boys, and girls, all in their industrial garb, sang, cheered, and marched in good order and their banner, and the expression on their faces indicated that they have a hold upon Georgia which they have deter mined must be maintained at all costs. Merchants and landlords, former occupants of Georgia, stand up if you ean and speak the truth! You know your confreres abroad lle. Why do you acquiesce in this? I will, if I may, reply for you. You observe that the workers have taken all power out of your hands, and worse stilt for you, are going ahead to clear out the vile slums from which you took toll. They have built up better dwellings, and bigger and stronger trade unions, which have their full share in the general scheme of things. They attack your profiteering. They have ended your chances to exploit them for your own aggrandisement. That is your trouble. I as a mem- A. A. Parcell ber of the British working class aim proud, indeed, to have had this op- portunity to associate with that great mass of Georgian workers which I witnessed and mixed with recently. Despite all the lying, despite all the charlatanry, chicanery, and humbug, the Georgia workers are in posses- sion, and, therefore, long life and success to them! Keep out your old masters, keep in yourselves. It will be our duty on returning to‘ Britain to prosecute, with ever in- creasing energy, our promise to in- Bri-|form the British working class of your great work in Georgia, and this, too, also applies to the U. S. S. R. Long may it reign, and may it have our greatest aise tal ae Baily ood es . LENIN AS ITSAW HIM @ to the Russian revolutionary move-jicans that time is money.” ment, not withstanding its optimism; He very heartily took leave from (Continial fem from page 3) a thoro acquaintance with the matter. He knew the role the Forward plays in the Jewish labor movement, what Abe Cahn represents. He emphasized that heconsidered the movement of the Jewish workers of great significance. It will have to play a decisive role in the left wing movement of America, es- pecially at its inception. Lenin was of the opinion that the Jewish workers will be pioneers of the open revolu- tionary activity, simply because theh unions are the most progressive, anc also because they are more socialistic | ally inclined as a result of their past experiences on the other side of the Atlantic. Leaders of the Abe Cahn caliber are not to be taken seriously —they are money makers; if the For- compete with, and the left wing move- ment would grow, it would also bend leftward, for Soviet Russia; but if, on the other hand, the left wingers will publish their own daily newspaper, the Forward will turn blacker and blacke against Soviet Russia and for Gom- pers. It would be better, added Lenin with a smile, that the Jewish workers had a daily of their own in opposition to that of the Forward, owned an¢ controlled by the workers themselves. While discussing the movement of the Jewish workers, Lenin asked me whether I was a “Bundist,” and whe- ther I became a Communist right after the first split of the “Bund.” I an- swered.him and he expressed his de- light that the entire “Bund” went over to the Communists. After all, the “Bund” is one of the oldest Marxian ward had no other worker’s daily toj|organizations which is of great value and nationalistic tendencies. me, excusing himself for troubling me, Finally Lenin asked me if I knew| thanking me for the information I had Daniel DeLeon personally. He was|given him. very much interested in him and ex. pressed a desire to get all his works. Debs is too much the man of the heart. This makes him flexible and inconsistent and this is to be pitied; he is a bright personality and could otherwise have had a great creative influence on the development of th« American working class movement. Lenin became enraptured in his tal) to such an extent that he forgot about the session of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, which war going on in the other room. Remem bering it, he, good-naturedly, made the following remark: “A Ri habit we haven't yet learned I felt ashamed of myself, because it was he to be thanked. In the one hour I spent with Lenin, I learned so much about America! And I was supposed to be the “expert!” After Lenin has taken leave, and } reflected upon our conversation, upon his comradely behavior, I only began to comprehend his greatness, that which people call “genial simplicity,’ In the corridor Maxim Gorky was still waiting, and because of this visit to Lenin, I had the opportunity to be- come acquainted with Gorky. This was one of the happiest days in vag life, that I will never, never for- the Amer jget. . .