The Daily Worker Newspaper, July 11, 1925, Page 13

Jewish Colonization in Soviet Russia By MORRIS BACKALL, HEN the workers of Russia or- ganized the Soviet form of gov- ernment they established complete na- tional ffeedom in their country. They took a deep interest in the list ofall the people inhabiting the land, they found that the middle class among the Jews is too large, It is trué that the peasant is also a middle man, but he is a productive one, while the Jew was non productive, and a non productive element stands in conflict with the entire situation of a Communist coun- try. The Jewish population tn czaristic Russia were not allowed to live in large industrial cities and states. The industries in the Ghetto were not large enough to employ a great deal of workers, and the government own- ed factories, even in the Ghetto were closed to Jewish workers. Jewish employers sometimes refus- ed to employ Jewish workers, because they could find cheaper labor among other people, so the Jews in Russia were compelled to become the go-be- tween for the village and the city and be the merchant, the broker, the middle man. Jews Back to Land. At the conferences of the Jewish section of the Communist Party of Russia in 1918-1919, the question of settling the Jews on land was raised, but, Ukrainia and a portion of White Russia was occupied in 1919 by the Germans, and the quéstion was how to bring back the Jews to their former settlements. In June of 1919, at a sec- ond conference of the Jewish section of the Communist Party in Soviet Rus- sia, the question of settling Jews on land was the central question of the gathering and the Jewish commis- sariat issued a manifesto in regard to Jewish colonization in Soviet Russia. But in August, 1919, the Soviet gov- ernment had to evacuate Ukrainia. In 1920, in the Jewish districts the ter- ror of the whites reigned and the Jew- ish population was afraid to show it- self on the streets and right after- ward military Communism was striv- ing for economic reconstruction which had on its program the bringing of peasants to the city, and not coloniza- tion on soil. It was Trotsky’s plan of the labor army to bring thirty million peasants into industry, and therefore the idea of settling Jews on land was out of question. Restriction of Private Business. In 1921 came the N. E. P, (mew economic program) and some of the Jewish population had the illusion that the old possibilities of specula- tion had returned. In 1922 this Jewish population of Soviet Russia awakened from this 1I- lusion. They understood that this is N. BE. P., but the old times cannot return any more, the little merchant is unable to compete with the goy- ernment owned stores and co-opera- tives, that private business must give way in Soviet Russia. In the meanwhile in Soviet Russia, labor became a very valuable element, people began to be proud of produc-. tive effort; the psychology~changed, because of this new objective condi- tion. Productive Labor Necessary. About a million and two hundred thousand Jews are now living on la- bor, but, there are six hundred thou- sand that have no source of livelihood, and the question for them is, either to starve or to occupy themselves with productive labor. The tendency to colonize the Jews on land found its expression in volun- tary settlements of about sixty thou- sand Jews on soil, without anybody’s efforts. The Jewish Communists of Soviet Russia, therefore, started a big campaign for colonization. They did not invent the problems, they did not also invent land, they only found the address to it. the Jewish Communists demanded a pavilion for the Jewish peasants in the exhibition. In 1923, the pavilion was built and hundreds of thousands of visitors praised the great efforts of the Jewish peasants ‘for their very modern agricultural accomplishment. Land Committee Organized. At the thirteenth Communist party convetnion in Soviet Russia, the ques- tion of colonizing Jews on land be- came a general government question because of the very elaborate discus- sion of how to change the government policy of private business, and as a re- sult of the great ‘discussion at the party convention, the Comzet (land committee) was organized. What are the results? The govern- ment gave to the Jews forty-five thou- sand desiatin (a desiatin is over two also get an exemption of taxes for sev- eral years. The families that are go- ing to Crimea are also getting wood to build houses free, and also getting seeds on credit for several years. The Jews are colonizing first as pioneers, every small or larger town sends out first, a small group of its people and then they are making themselves ready to colonize by whole towns. In Crimea settles this year, three hundred families, and in Ukrain- ia three thousand and the rest in White Russia. It costs six hundred rubles to colonize a _ family. The Comzet is still short a half million dollars for this year, but for the next year the program is to colonize ten thousand Jewish famttes and yet a poorer class of Jews, and the need will be eight hundred rubles for each and every family. American Jews Must Help. acres) in one Place in Ukrainia, in The “Narkomzet” of Soviet Russia the district of Cherson and Krivorog.| is ready to give to the Jews enough The Cherson circle is divided in three | land to colonize hundreds of thou- lines, first, Nikolaievy and Cherson, sec-| Sands of Jews. It offered a million ond Cherson and Merepo on the way | and a hundred thousand desiatin in to Charkoy, and third, Nikolaiev and | the district of Shelabisk on the Ural, Dolinsipaia, it is a triangle. In the| but the funds to maxe it possible triangle alone there is thirty-six thou-| ought to be raised in this country. The sand desiatin and ine thousand in the | Jewish workers organized themselves In 1922, when the old Soviet Russia exhibition of agrigulture took place aterinoslay. Jews Given Land. with eight thousand desiatin and ten follows: families with a population of twenty year. Every person is supplied with trans- portation for which he pays only one fourth of the regular price. Every young man that is of military age gets a Krivorog district of the state of Jek-; in the “Ikor,” but they are finding dif. The district of Cherson | ficulties to arouse the class conscious- reaches the river Mingovicz, which is| 2e8s of the Jewish workers in the surrounded with all Jewish colonists. ! trade unions which are still largely under the influence of the For- : The second stretch of land was| W@Td and are blind even to such a given to the Jews this year in Crimea, | &T®8t necessity. The Jewish distribution committee thousand desiatin n White Russia, and | 0n the other hand did receive favor- also another piece of land in Crimea.| able reports about Jewish coloniza- The program of colonization is as| tion in Russia and is undertaking a four thousand five hundred | big campaign for funds. There are 125,000 Jews already col- five thousand will be colonized this! onized in Russia, occupying 250,000 desiatin land. This is only the begin- ning. In Palestine only fifty thousand desiatin are held by Jewish farmers and it is after forty years of activity, this shows what national freedom postponement for three years. They means in a Communistic state, Dollariz (Continued from page 2) and commercial Imperialism. The very mention of the term is an Insult to the purity of intention announced by Monroe.” And already, the imperialist watch- dogs of Yankee capitalism are bark- ing ferociously. Listen to the follow- ing declaration of the mouthpiece of the Ynakee militarist caste, The Army and Navy Journal of June 20th, 1925. in speaking of the Mexican situation: “it is not at all unlikely that a display of force will be necessary a little later to make Mexico understand that American interests, too long ignored, must be protected.” Could any imperialist clique speak Corrupting the Workers. E we have the economic basis for the bourgeoisification of sec- tions of the working class in imperial- ist countries. Here we have the eco- nomic basis for the growth of a labor aristocracy, in the United States for instance. Here we have the basis for the growth of that anomaly called by Lenin, a bourgeois working class. In the United States, where im- perialism is most powerful and highly developed, bourgeois working class leaders, labor bankers, flourish and ing a World What worse source of corruption, what more menacing cantankerous growth could there be on the body- politic of the proletariat in the United States? Onward to the Next War. Ee the great world war, America was a debtor nation. To- day it is a creditor nation. Before the world war, in 1908, when the Yankee imperialist power was not yet so full grown, the United States toured a fleet of eighteen war vessels around the world. Today, exporting capital at the rate of about a billion dollars annually and occupying all the front row seats in the international imper- ialist arena, the United States navy is starting a “friendship” cruise of fifty- seven warships to Australia and New Zealand. ‘ ; The rate of the militarization of Letters: From To My Fellow Auto Gypsies. To the DAILY WORKER: Our daily press which like George Wash- ington never tells a lie, is getting train fever trying to invent a way to stop the influx. of auto gypsies. Headed by Miss Adeline Buffington, Lake City, a move is on foot out this condition. These & SEgEREE a ae at’? Eg tH America is terrific. There are today seventy-five thousand college students and about forty thousand high school students getting military training for varying periods during the year. To facilitate the building up of a military By Jay Lovestone of its estimates total: expenditaree for its military and naval departments. Last year Great Britain spent more than 14 per cent of its total government = expenditures for the army and navy. “Dollarization” abroad means mili- caste in the United States the War tarism at home. The export of huge Department has officially detailed quantities of American capital is pav- seven hundred forty-five officers and one thousand enlisted men for training camps. only 19.3 per cent. It is interesting Our Readers What do they soak you for gas, and how much for camping? Then come tales of experiences and hardships, and there are many, While writing this a family with a small baby is pitching camp. They have a 1916 Ford with broken spring. They have not got the price of a new one which is $2.50. Many have no tents and take pot luck with weather out under the open sky. t do these people eat? Cer- not healthy wholesome food, workers are entitled. rning a family of six left did not own their car, had $4.35 in their possession, were in rags and they mei : to work at seen a day’s anyone mean that these people prefer a good home and a steady in- come? They are on the tramp, simply because they cannot get work. They cannot pay rent so the landlord drives 1 Es to note that Great Britain is spend-| er than later. ing this year only about 13 per cent | ing the road for the exporting of vast such | armies of the Americn Proletariat to training. The United States War De-| be pitted in slaughter against the pro- partment is spending more than two] letariat of other countries. “Dollariz- million dollars annually on military | ing” the worid simply means for the American workers an addition of acute This year the United States will| hardships, a subtraction of the most spend $674,581,000 or nearly 22 per| elementary political rights and eco- cent of its total federal budget for | 20mic needs, a division in their own the war and navy departments. In the| Tanks, and the multiplication of the fiscal year of 1924 this proportion was | dangers of devastating war. Imperialism means war sooner rath- War is hell. Imperialism is hell, them out. The grocer cuts their credit. Once on the road, it fs steal, | beg or starve. Another class of tranips | can be found on the road. They travel in fine big cars, stop at hotels, resorts and beaches. Money they have plen- tiful but they do not toil. They bring with them a maid servartit to do the chores and a man servant to drive the car. This class feeds upon our bodies. They are the parasites and they exist because you workers will not organize to fight our common en- emy, the thieves who rob us. Meekly we crawl into filthy places called auto camps, and pay a dollar for the privil- ege while they go to the beauty spots of the earth. We pay their bills with our life blood and that of our chil- dren. In winter you go to some city, get a dingy, musty room in the tenement district and you call this home, .. — Get into the Workers (Communist) Party of America and fight like men and women. y : Only a cur lies down to die. Frances M. Dickey, Big Timber, Mont.