New-York tribune., 1919-02-06
Tales From Russia


From beyond the journalistic noun
tains of the moon from the Tibet of
politics and the Atlantis of diplomacy,
from darkest and furthest and most un-
communicative Russia comes faint, far
legend of change. Bolshevist Russia
slipped quietly into syndicalism some
twelve months ago Gradually. through
reports of travellers, pieced together
with intuitions, the world learned that
the soviets-the shop unions--were tax
ing over industry from the hands of the
bourgeoisie. The world heard tales of
failure. The world heard tales of sue
cess. And presently the world heard no
tales at all. But it knew that industrial
democracy" of the widest kind was be-
ing tested in the laboratory Of Russian
commercial life. Perhaps it was a lab
oratory rather ill-equipped with organ
lied mechanism; but the Rolshevists
asked no other. Unlike the Menshevists
and this is their chief difference
they would not wait for Russia to pass
through the evolutions Of economic his
tory, they were not content to build
laboratory first and start the tests later.
They would not wait for Russian capital
ism to lay the golden egg before making
the omelet. They would not even be CON
tent to kill the goose and eat it, via the
Menshevists conservative Socialist canal
of nationalized industry. They preferred
to try the miracle of the cggless omelet
AZ Iaocf hot br ~
by chance winds from frozen Moscow.
And now another legend. AS usual, it
is weeks, perhaps months, after the ac-
complished fact Robert Minor Ameri
can "Red," remarks casually in a rather
extraordinary interview with Lenine
upon certain angles of a state of affairs
whose whole existence is news to the
world We have n@ter heard of the ac-
complishment; but, as ever with Russia,
now comes comment that takes our
knowledge of it for granted And the
accomplishment appears to be nothing
less than complete reversal of the Boil
shevist policy of syndicalizing industry.
Instead, Russia has nationalized indus
try. That was the proposal of the Men
shevists, and so the Socialists Of the mi
nority who had not joined the Soviet gov
ernment over the issue of intervention
are now lining up with the repentant
soviets upon the old-line Socialist prop
osition of "let the nation own the trusts"
"Lenine could not afford to tell the
whole truth about the entrance Of the
non-Bolsheviki into the government for
he must maintain the intransigent 'front.'"
says Mr.. Minor. "The main fact in the
new situation is that the so-called ma
insurgent industry back into the hands
of the business class, who Disguise their
activities by giving orders under the
magic title of peoples commissares ="
Perhaps this looks like counterpart
in industry Of the putting of the army
back in iron discipline with a forced
draft Of oldtime bourgeois officers in
command. But Mr.. Minor mentions no
such compulsion Of the business men as
is said to dominate the officers. Rather:
The business types ride in fine auto
mobiles as before, live in fine mansions,
and are again managing the old indus
tries, with more authority than ever be-
fore Now they are peoples commits
saries'-servants Of the proletariatl-a
the iron discipline Of the army under red
flags has been developed in order to pro
tect them against all annoyance
Lenine, according to Mr.. Minor, still
talks of industrial unionism" Mr..
Minor finds no more Industrial unionism
here in these highly centralized institu-
ems" than in the United States Post
Office. But he might find in this thing
that arouses the opposition of the an
archist~syndicalists who have hitherto
supported Lenine enthusiastically, and in
such matters as array discipline and a
readiness to pay debts, new and strange
spirit in BoIshevism.